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Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone
It’s Wednesday afternoon, and tomorrow’s Thanksgiving. I got up early and went to the grocery store before it got too crowded and insane. Came home and started some cooking. Sweet Potato Pudding? Check. Homemade Cranberry Sauce? Check. Green beans prepped for my favorite green bean dish (green beans, steamed, then sauteed with butter, then tossed with Gorgonzola cheese and toasted walnuts. Yum.) Check. Pumpkin pie and pecan pie purchased? Check. All that’s left to do tomorrow is make my Grandma’s Fruit Salad, put together the green beans, and enjoy a lovely feast with the family. And, of course, stop to think about what I’m thankful for. That is a long…
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Slaughterhouse-Five
In Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. tells the semi autobiographical story of Billy Pilgrim, a man who has come unstuck in time. Much of Billy’s time is spent during World War II. As an new soldier, Billy is sent to the front, where he is captured at the Battle of the Bulge by the Germans, and sent to Dresden as a P.O.W. Billy is not prepared for war, had just gotten through his training when his father died. He was furloughed home for the funeral, and is sent to the front so quickly after his return that he is wearing dress shoes in combat. Because he travels through time, he understands…
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Neverwhere
Richard Mayhew is on his way to dinner with his fiancee’ Jessica, an important dinner where he will be meeting her boss for the first time. When a young girl steps through a door in a wall and collapses in front of them, bleeding, Jessica is all for ignoring her and moving on to impress her boss, but Richard vows to help the girl. She begs to not be taken to the hospital, to be taken somewhere safe from her attackers, so he takes her home with him, infuriating Jessica in the process. In getting help for the girl, Door, Richard finds himself in a labyrinthine version of London below…
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Maya’s Rockin’ Hair
Maya went and got her hair done yesterday. She’s channeling Hayley Williams (from Paramore). Here’s Hayley, for comparison. She’s cool, right? Maya’s cooler. And cuter. I think the folks at our local Paul Mitchell beauty school did an awesome job, don’t you?
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Friday Again
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFnIP2NT5Yc[/youtube] I guess I’m not doing NaBloPoMo this year, huh? Figured that out already, haven’t you? Also, it’s starting to look like I probably won’t finish my book challenges for this year. I mean, I might, but I’m just not sucked into reading right now. More interested in sitting in front of the TV most nights. Pathetic. And my passion for blogging is at a low point right now. Not terribly interested in reading, not terribly interested in writing. None of it. Pathetic. I’m afraid I’m boring the hell out of you. I mean, so many bloggers right now are singing this same tune. Not motivated, miss the heyday, think…
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Veterans Day, part II
Just saw this video on Suebob’s blog, and I had to share. Nothin’ like doggy love, is there? [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysKAVyXi0J4[/youtube]
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Thank You
(Photo of Union Soldiers occupying the U.S. Senate during the Civil War, found here.) Thank you to all of the veterans of our many horrible wars, just and unjust. Thank you for putting your life on the line, for risking all. Thank you to the families, the husbands, wives, parents, and children, of those who are sent into harms way, over and over again. Veteran’s Day is a day of Remembrance, a day to ponder the sacrifices of those who serve. A day to ponder our future, and whether this might, perhaps, be avoidable now, and in the future. For now, though, thank you. Ted and I happened upon a…
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Ted is a Good Sport
So for years, whenever I make a batch of cupcakes, Ted likes to amuse the family by cramming a whole cupcake into his mouth. It’s amazing. Today, Maya went to a birthday party, and brought home a HUGE cupcake for Ted, and double dog dared him to shove the whole thing in his mouth. He’s a pretty good sport, so he went for it. WARNING…if you’re eating or drinking anything while watching this video, it may end up all over your computer screen.
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Teaching Your Children to Read
When Maya was 3 or 4, LeapFrog came out with their LeapPad line of products, and I really wanted one for Maya. I remember thinking that the kids that had this toy might have some advantage, might learn to read more quickly than she would, might learn to love reading more than she did. But they were expensive. So I was hoping one of her grandparents might get her one. At that time, my mom used to come down for a month in November. She would spend a week with me, a week with her friend Kate, and two weeks with my Grandma and Great Aunt. During her week with…
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Don’t Analyze, Act!
I’ve heard a few things about Barbara Ehrenreich’s book, “Bright Sided“, though I haven’t read it. But the idea has intrigued me, because it’s the idea that our world of positive thinking is too much, and it’s somewhat dangerous. She says that when someone gets cancer, and is told that positive thinking can heal them, they’re lying in a very cruel and dangerous way to those people. And really, they’re blaming that person for not being positive enough. If they don’t get better, it’s then their fault, for not keeping up that sunny disposition all of the time. This reminds me of those who say some variation of, “God never…
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Gift from the Sea
“Herein lies one key to the problem. If women were convinced that a day off or an hour of solitude was a reasonable ambition, they would find a way of attaining it. As it is, they feel so unjustified in their demand that they rarely make the attempt. One has only to look at those women who actually have the economic means or the time and energy for solitude yet do not use it, to realize that the problem is not solely economic. It is more a question of inner convictions than of outer pressures, though, of course, the th outer pressures are there and make it more difficult. As…
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The Zombies ~ She’s Not There
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5IRI4oHKNU[/youtube] Z already? The end of the alphabet? That means I’ve been doing this A – Z thing for 26 weeks, 1/2 a year. Crazy, huh? I don’t know a lot of Z bands. There are the Zombies, and ZZ Top. I know there are plenty of others, but these are the only ones I’m familiar with. And I’m not very familiar with either, really. Anyway, enjoy the Zombies, (appropriate for Halloween week, no?), and I hope you enjoyed ‘ABC Music Monday’, which was influenced by Gina’s ‘Music Monday’, and then was picked up by my friend Simon as well. Simon lives in Belgium, and I don’t think we’ve ever…
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Friday Randomness
Friday morning, and instead of exercising like I should, I’ll write a post. Good thinking, right? So, what’s up in the world of J and her family, and the world at large? Genevieve is still blind. Not that that’s going to change. We still don’t know if she has Cushing’s or not, and if she turns out to have it, we’re not sure what we want to do about it. Blech. Last Saturday was Diwali, and after a day in the City that included a trip to the Conservatory of Flowers and some yummy crab melts, we put on our salwar kameez and went out to have a lovely puja…
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Wordless Wednesday ~ San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
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Spiced Lamb Chops and Smashed Peas
I found this recipe in the new Real Simple magazine, and the idea of seasoning the lamb with curry powder, and then cooking them without a sauce, intrigued me. The verdict? Three thumbs up. One from Ted, one from me, one from Maya. They were lovely, although the success of the dish probably depends on the quality of the lamb, and of the curry powder that you can find. Ted’s mom hooks us up with some amazing curry powder, and I splurged on the lamb for this one. Really good. Also, really easy and quick, with dinner on the table within 30 minutes. Spiced Lamb Chops and Smashed Peas Ingredients…