What is wrong with me.

What is wrong with me. It is Saturday morning at the cabin and I'm up and out of bed at 5 am. We went to bed a little before 10 last night after wonderful evening of chatter, drink, and food with friends. But then again, while laying in bed this morning at 4:52 am I realized that I had about 7 hours of good sleep, so I'm rested! The Hubby was needing to get up to catch bait at 5 anyway so I was up and bouncing out of bed, yes I did say bouncing as that is exactly what I felt, after The Hubby's feet hit the floor. He asked why I was up and I just told him I couldn't sleep anymore. I slipped into my wake up clothes and house shoes, as I don't sleep in PJ's, and shuffled off to the kitchen to make coffee, the most important drink of the day! Tonight we are hosting a little shindig at our cabin so the countertop is cluttered with spaghetti, canned chicken, soups, and lots of other crap I decided to clean up. My utensil drawer was a mess, so while the coffee was brewing I started to organize it which lead into the crocks/Longaberger Basket that holds spatulas and wooden spoons, which in turn lead to the drawer with the measuring spoons and stuff that just do not fit anywhere else. There, oh wait, then there was a corner of clutter by the fridge so that had to be dealt with. Now, it is 5:30 and I've already accomplished some stuff. Then I decided to go outside and try to take some sunrise pictures, but that was boring so now I'm here, blogging about really nothing at this point in my day...


Tomorrow maybe I'll have pic's of the Bathtub Chicken I am going to prepare for our guests tonight. Super easy and yummy and makes, well a bathtub full of goodness!

I'm so excited I had to share

I'm so excited I had to share about the youngest in California. She has made me keep things kind of on the QT but today I got the go ahead to share here! You might remember a post a couple of weeks ago being The Proud Momma, well, there is still more yet to come. She got to sing there with Michael Wainwright but as of today, posted on Curt Smith's blog, one of the duo Tears for Fears (80's), she is going to sing with him. I quote from his entry, "All of you that are near LA - I'll see you next Thursday in Pershing Square I hope. Afton will have a starring role I feel." MAN, she's excited and we are excited. So if you are in the LA area next Thursday, check out my girl and tell me how she did!

Hi Ho Silver and Away!

I'm having a time trying to come up with stuff to write about lately. Like most of the "projects" in my life, sometimes I get bored, and it is so about blogging I think. It is so very bad that yesterday when I came home from workout with my trainer, when my hair is at its worst, all sweaty and greasy, I got the camera out. Yes, I did it. I took a picture, not a good one of my gray, oh uh, silver hair roots. My plan was to take a before and after picture because I was on my way to have it hidden again. Do you know how hard it is to self portrait a picture of your scalp? I can tell you, very hard. The pictures did not turn out like I wanted them too so all I can do is write about it. Actually, the real deal is pretty scary and sends me screaming to my hair wizard to make the stuff go away. I keep telling her that maybe when I'm 60 I'll let it show, she just laughs at me. Funny girl! Hi Ho Silver and Away!!!!

Autumn Leaves

My 3rd painting done. This was the simple progression. I took the picture, sketched it, then painted! Voila!!!

Loss for Words & Middle Life

The past couple of weeks I have been at a loss for words here. I will try and write something worthwhile today.

Yesterday evening the storms rolled in and of course I didn't want to cook dinner, so out we went. The Hubby and I had a really nice meal and visit at Rick's American Cafe on 31st. We talked a lot, laughed, and really enjoyed the evening with each other. (Very nice :)! After dinner we ran to the truck and just got drenched but it was fun and we were a laughing. I told you, a nice evening last night. Home for the evening, I messed around on my laptop computer as did he on his computer. A called and we both chatted with her for a bit. She is a little homesick and we are missing her too. Bed at the usual time, around 10 and both of us were sawing logs before the news was over. Then about midnight it sounded like a gigantic bowling ball was rolling across the sky, right over our house. It woke me with a start, so much so that my adrenaline was pumping and I ended up tossing and turning, trying to go back to sleep at about 2:30, man, 4:45 a.m. rolls around way too early. During the tossing and turning stuff I had an idea for some posts and so started writing in my head. That is not good when that happens because I should have just gotten up and written them down right then. If I don't then I usually forget a bunch of it or I just can't shut my mind down.

One thought was about mid life which is where I am right now. I am 53 years old and I don't really feel like it. It's like those early years have just flown by like the speed of light. What gives away the truth is the silver (not gray, I refuse) hair peeking through every 5 weeks; my muscles and bones creaking; the inability to contain certain gases from escaping in the most unflattering way in the most inappropriate places; my eyelids a bit droopier; and the darn fat that has become resistant to diet and exercise. I also fight the thermostat in my body all the time now. We have the house thermostat set at 71 degrees most of the time, especially at night and sometimes 70 if I can sneak it, yet I'm sweaty in my sleep and really most of the time. Really these flashes are not near as bad as my mother's, thank goodness. I will live through it.

Now here is where my mind starts jumping around a lot. This line of thought got me to thinking about the bloggy world. While at BlogHer in Chicago last month the over abundance of Mommy Bloggers was amazing. Please, Mommy Bloggers don't condemn me over this. I thought we, the Baby Boomers were the majority here but we are not evident in the bloggy world. I have a hard time finding people, women like myself: middle-age (yuck bad taste in my mouth) woman-who works with her husband-empty nester-trying to find her place in this world and herself-no grandkids (yet)-woman in the blog world. I'm sorry but I'm not going to look for these "like" people in AARP, I want to find them in this world I have chosen to play in, blog central. So where are you my dears. I know a few and I love to read your blogs and find common ground. Rise up, ladies and let's join together and support each other! Okay, okay, I'm going a little overboard but really most of this is true to an extent and being around the mommy bloggers, well, it made me feel old and I'M NOT DAMMIT!!!!!!! I'm going into this 2nd part of my life kicking and screaming! I'm going to make my mark! I'm going to find myself! I'm going to have fun!

Mish, mash of stuff

This is a quick mish mash of stuff today:

First Thank You very much for the sweet award, One Lovely Blog Award by Georgie from Decisionally Challenged . I am truly honored. I will try and follow through with the requirements shortly.

This weekend we boogied out of town to our little retreat. I accomplished finishing a book, started another and The Hubby fished, fished, fished his little heart out. It was hot and we shared a lot of wine and laughter with friends. I'm just sharing some pics from the weekend. Enjoy all.

Oh, and I rushed back Sunday to meet a couple of friends to see Julie & Julia! Has to be top of my list of favorite movies. I loved it.

Blog Design Confusion

A debate has been going on in my head since returning from BlogHer. I've been reading the numerous blogs that I have cards for and from the people/speakers that were there and they have given me much food for thought. Should I change my template, colors, basic premise, pictures, or even blog site. I am a novice when it comes to the template thing and photoshop so I am a little limited. I find that if I have too many options it can overwhelm me. Some even own their own website and that is totally out of my realm of knowledge, but maybe someday. I have found, for my tastes, that I like a homey feeling to a blog when I come upon it to read. I like pictures, fairly short blog posts and an ease to guide thorough a blog, and little if no advertising. I find it frustrating and distracting to see advertising all over the place, too commercial. I don't like posts that drone on and on and on, especially political stuff, I get enough of that from the paper and television. I don't like blah colorless blogs, I want something to catch my eye the first look at it, to draw me in. I've come to the conclusion that I like my blog, I love it. I like the basic look. I like my pictures and I like (not always) what I write and share on my blog. I may change it up a bit, but it is home and I like to come here, sit down and stay awhile. It is comfortable and I hope that fellow readers feel that way too.

Happy Birthday Daddy

Today is my Daddy's 74th birthday. B and I are going to take him to lunch to celebrate. Hard to believe he's 74. I remember when he and Mother turned 36 eons ago. Here's to my sweet Daddy.

Creamed Corn 101

First I have to digress to share the catch of the day. The Hubby and his catfish that are now resting safely in our freezer...yummy.























This is a step by step of making creamed corn like my granny and mother used to do. Enjoy.

The first step is good fresh corn...This is not a low-cal version.
Ingredients: fresh corn, cream, salt, pepper, bacon drippings, sugar (alternative: milk and flour)
Shuck and clean the silks and cut out the bad spots. This batch was beautiful with no blemishes.




Wash ...
Drop into a pot of boiling water to blanch for about 5 minutes. This makes it easier to cut off the cob.

After blanching for about 5 minutes then drop into an ice water bath to stop the cooking process and make it easier to work with.

Carefully take out of the boiling water and

give it a cool bath.

Now starts the most important process and the secret for creamed corn. You take good knife and in a shallow dish stand the ear on end and just cut the tips of the corn off. Trust me.

When you have cut all the tips off then you take your knife and scrap down the sides to get the cream or milk of the corn, the best part. It will splatter so sometimes I do it in my deep kitchen sink or just wipe down the walls.


See the cream there...
Now the cream is in the pan...yummy

When you get it to this point you can also put it in freezer bags and freeze for that special dinner.

Now, sometimes if I really want rich creamed corn I will use real cream to thicken, or I will make a slurry of milk and flour, not too much but enough to thicken. Lots of salt and pepper to taste and maybe a smidgen of sugar, but not necessary. Oh and the most important part, about a tablespoon or a little more of bacon drippings. This is not a low cal recipe but you can make it that way. If I'm going to this trouble, especially if I'm serving at a get together I will ramp it up.
In a large skillet or saucepan melt your bacon drippings. Don't walk away because the drippings can burn quickly. When hot add the corn and heat. When good and hot then you can add the cream or the milk thickening mixture. Add the seasonings and taste to tweek it just right. Bring the mixture back up to hot as the cream will cool it down. That is basically all you have to do.

Now doesn't that just make your mouth water. I took it to a party last night and it was ALL GONE! Success!

Voltaire

When I was in the 4th grade I read a quote somewhere that has been one of my favorites and I believe in it strongly. It was by Voltaire but the web has different versions and different authors and so on and so on, but here is what I know from my 53 year old brain channeling the 11 year old inside of me.

"I disagree with what you say, but I will defend until death your right to say it."

I just deleted what I REALLY wanted to say, from which this anger comes from. The End!

Cabin Retreat

Here we go. It has been 3 weeks since I was last at the cabin and I am so homesick for it. Today, we get to go!!! I have stuff to do first before I can let it all go and enjoy the weekend. I have to do payroll first thing this morning with a little invoicing then it is trucking there. Wait, I will have to finish the list first: work, bank, post office, grocery store, liquor store, feed the last little birdie, pack, and a little laundry. I will definitely pack the laptop and hopefully tomorrow I will finally have time to sit and check out some of the new bloggy friends I met in Chicago at BlogHer'09. It's just all I can do to keep up with the ones I read now but I can't forsake my older bloggy friends :)

I spent yesterday morning and last evening drawing. I'm trying to work some of my free time in my art and yesterday I felt the need to draw. I have a lot of ideas for my next painting after I finish the autumn leaves but I need to get them into a form so I can get them on the canvas to paint. I'm getting pretty obsessive with it, sort of like The Hubby and his dancing. He went to class with B on Wednesday night then last night asked if I minded if he went to a ballroom class. I said sure, as long as I didn't have to go. This morning he informed me that there was a great class that are in 4 week stretches to focus on a particular dance style each 4 weeks, "But," he added, they are on Saturday nights. Hey, I'm NOT giving up my weekends at the cabin for a dance class! This is a real problem for us. He is now involved in a thing that is really for couples but I don't like to do it. I'm really getting to the point that I don't want to ever dance again. That is bad because I love to dance, disco and on my own terms. I know he would love it if I had this passion with him, but I don't! I'm finally doing what I WANT to do and I'm not going to be bullied into liking and doing something just for him. I've done and been there for him for the thirty-three years of our marriage and I'm finally figuring myself out and what I want. It is me time and I'm NOT giving that up right now. (Now here is where I backslide.) But, should I give in a little for him, to be a part of something he likes. We are partners you know but when do I get to shine. We've been through his love for collectibles for years and I mean years. Attending conventions, traveling through multi-states to find his collectibles, and even hosting conventions here in town. The house has been full of his collectibles and I will admit they are cool and very, very interesting but I am relegated to one room, in one corner. I occasionally spill out but I try not to cause too much contention. Hmmm, that is me isn't it. I don't rock the boat and lately I'm kind of causing a few waves. This is not like me but as I've said before, "THIS IS THE YEAR OF MWWWAAAA!!!!!."

The Old Grind

There is just nothing like getting back into the old grind, again. I so don't like a routine, yet I love it. I'm so torn by wanting to just do what I want, run on the spur of things, just everyday is a different plan, yet, I love to have the same-old, same-old thing happen. ICK! We're up at the same time everyday, in fact, on weekends I have a hard time sleeping in. The Hubby has the same oatmeal for his breakfast every single day, without fail, ICK! It is the same clink of the bowl, the same coughs and hacks, the same TV show, same, same, same. How boring my life has become, yet how comfortable it has become. Should I embrace it or should I run from it. Well, after 33 years of marriage and 53 years of life, I think I should embrace it, don't you think. I think I am embracing it but with a few changes in my life. My idea of responsibility has changed and I'm letting some of that stuff go, or at least relaxing a bit of it, like my high school class crap. I know we are to have a 35 class reunion, but I'm NOT doing it, I don't want to. I will not go to dance classes with The Hubby, because I don't want to! I have rejoined a bowling league. I am totally embracing my artistic side with my painting class. That is the one thing that has truly made me excited lately. I am almost giddy when I get to spend time painting and drawing. Truly amazing myself with it. I think I've finally developed the confidence in myself to let it out in my art. I was so introverted and scared of my own shadow that it kept itself bottled up inside. The art in me has finally be able to be exposed and I LOVE IT!

Oh I Get It Now

Oh I get it now...I was not mistaken for Meg Ryan's Mom but I was mistaken for lookitsMegryansmom...funny.

BlogHer'09 Recap #2

Opening night

Ragu sponsored lunch that was very, very yummy!







Saturday began with a march down to breakfast after a little more shut-eye than the previous day. Filling our bellies with oatmeal, Kelly and I settled in to watch Dave Lieberman
do a very quick cooking demonstration. The night before at the Pepsico sponsored cocktail party he was supposed to do a demo but with what was going on...he couldn't compete. I saw him sitting and watching...what was going on and got Kelly to take our picture. Well, as you can see the pic is not here yet as it is on Kelly's camera. I'll post it later. What was going on was a karoke night. The funniest part was the Sobe gecko lizard and a Mrs. Potato Head dancing to "I Like Big Butts!" Absolutely hysterical...and again will have to wait for the pics. We laughed ourselves silly from the bad singing and Mrs. Potato Head shaking her "eyes".

Back to Saturday and more sessions. I actually bowed out of the morning sessions as they were geared to the Vaginally Challenged Bloggers, Blogging as a Homeschooling Tool, Business of You, Travel Bloggers and Mommy Blogging, to name a few. I just didn't find one to suit me and really, I'm not sure where I fit in. I am a personal blogger and as Kelly says, a storyteller. I do some cooking, some artwork, some very amateur photography so I'm kind of on the outside of it all. They also had Geek Lab stuff to help with the computer aspects of it all, and that is really not me. I'm very basic but I think that really helped a lot of bloggers. I did attend a last session called "Identity/Passions: Enough About You...Who's Reading You?" It was very interesting.

Lunch time I knew that Paula Deen was giving a cooking demo at the Walmart sponsor booth so I made sure I was seated right in the front row, ready for my closeup! The area of very few chairs filled quickly and the stacks of people behind started getting a little claustrophobic while we waited. We waited and waited to be told that her plane was late. Sweet Kelly who had come to sit with me when a lady got up, not to wait anymore, quickly went to the lunch area and filled two plates of food and we ate while we waited. Our chairs were right in front. I got to have my picture taken with her but her nervous travel planner guy of Paula's was taking the pic and moved so my picture was awful. I was not a happy camper at all.
I also got some far away snaps of Tim Gunn from Project Runway, another sponsor of the BowlHer that night.

Most of the evenings after the cocktail parties, sponsored by BlogHer and their sponsors, we went to the individual parties from fellow bloggers with their own little sponsors. The prizes from these parties for the first few, let's say 100 or so were what is called SWAG. I had no idea and Kelly warned me about the SWAG! Wow, Wow, and Wow!
And here is what the SWAG came in, grocery like bags for the Green in all of us.My bag was so stuffed full we had to leave a few things behind, recycled so to speak. The lady at the airport just knew my bag was over the limit but thankfully it was 45 pounds, absolutely stuffed and ready to pop open!

A little incident happened at just one of those parties. I only RSVP'd at one, which I didn't get SWAG but this one Kelly RSVP'd too and said it was a plus one so I was a shoe-in in the door. All the other parties were RSVP too but that was not honored, believe me. This one apparantly did honor the system. When Kelly checked in and proceeded through the door I followed to have the checker-in lady put her arm out and physically stop me. Hey, is this Hollywood or something. I was PISSED. Kelly came back and tried to explain that it was plus one but the lady would have none of it. I turned on my heal and marched away yelling, "NEVER MIND!", well, in my head I said that. I was so angry and embarassed. Kelly went in for just a sec but came back. I told her to go in for awhile and check it out but she said she would leave her friend. Awwwe...that's my friend! We went to Chibar, had dinner and lots of wine...oh my aching head at 3 am.

These were the only two things I actually purchased to bring home. The pullover for me and the Cubs cap for B2 (the son-in-law cause he loves the Cubs).

Funny little side note...while I was waiting for the session to be over, I was hand journaling and a lady yelled at me from across two escalators, "Are you Meg Ryan's mother." Now tell me do you see a resemblance...I don't think so!

Day 1 at BlogHer'09

We awoke early and rushed to shower and get our minds together for Day 1 at BlogHer'09. Finally, ready to hit the day with breakfast and the onslaught of fellow bloggers we have started our day with the Newbie breakfast and chit chat and the exchange of cards. Then we did the ring-around-the rosie kind of thing around the enormous room with more chit chat and exchange of cards. It was really very interesting exchange. Now we are in a breakout room about how much is too much to post on your blogs. Quite an array of subjects and really makes you think how much you truly want to share on your blogs. I've had these thoughts flying around my head about my children, The Hubby and family members. I know there are lines to draw but basically there is not much I won't share here because this is MY place and my FORUM to share anything I want. I OWN this spot, it is mine, it is my voice, but I do respect my family and friends. I've been known to go off but not often and I do pull back. What's the difference in writing a real tell all book and this, really. It is publishing. What do paper wise writers do about this stuff. I would imagine it is where they take it to the fiction area, but there you still are faced with where the real person sees themselves in the fictional person and still gets angry. You can't really win here can you. These discussions really, really thought provoking and I think could go on all day long.

BlogHer'09

We're here finally. A very long van ride from the airport and we entered the doors of the Sheraton Chicago for BlogHer'09. What fun, what fun. I'm here with my friend Kellyology and we have toasted the beginning of a long weekend of fun with wine on empty stomachs, hmmm that could be a problem. The room wasn't quite ready so we did the only thing possible, drink. Walking into the hotel all you could here were giggling screams as one by one people were recognizing each other from their blogs. Finally in our room the most important thing to do was to set up our laptops. Online, blogging adn tweeting, we are ready to venture out to a few get togethers and some most important FOOD!

Addition to the family

Yesterday, July 21 we welcomed the new addition to the family. Andrew David, our new great nephew was born. He is just beautiful and joins his big brother Aiden.

My Aching Toes

Last week as I was disposing of my poor little parakeet, carrying the cage out of the living room, I jammed my big toe of the left foot on the gargantuan scrapbook of Ireland I finished and left at the side of a chair. The cage went flying through the air, seed, water and a dead bird tumbling on the old rug in the living room. OWWWWEeeeeeeEE!!! Oh my goodness it turned kind of red and purple in the joint area of the toe. I walked so carefully for a few days that my calves were in pain on the left leg. Now, this morning, I tried to sleep in but once the alarm goes off I just can't sleep. I knew that it was trash day and there were a few things in the fridge that had to go out so up I got. Here I am, 5 am, cleaning out my refrigerator of nasty brown stuff and I drop a heavy green bowl on the other big toe, right on the edge of the nail bed. OWWWWWEEEeeeWWE!!!! Damn, Damn, Damn! I would post pictures but I know some readers have issues with feet, especially feet and toes that need a pedicure and are turning black and blue under the pink nail polish. I will probably lose that nail dammit! I can't believe it. Maybe it's time to invest in steel-toed house shoes.

Happy Birthday

Yesterday we celebrated Sis turning 50. She, as most of us thought, did not think she would make it to 50 with her health issues. I've written about it somewhere but can't seem to find the post but she has had two open heart surgeries about 10 years ago, back to back, about 3 months after the birth of her miracle son (her tubes were tied.) This is just a short synopsis of her health history from her entire life of issues. Anyway, her hubby was good at getting everyone together and surprise her for her birthday last night. I was glad because I didn't have to do it. As I've said here before, this year is the year of ME....MWAAAAA! I'm not taking on any responsibility unless I just have too. Besides he needed to do it for "them". It was a success and even our Daddy showed up and his sisters and our cousins to join in the fun. I was only responsible for a slide show that I worked on this week. That was actually fun. In fact, yesterday while tweeking the whole thing I ran across a letter that our mother wrote to her mother and I was amazed. It was actually a nice letter and a kind of thank you to her mother (parents). That was a shock as there was a lot of anger there towards her mother (Granny). We had just moved to Arkansas, away from the families and away from the help and aid they gave. They were on their own, making their way with three small children. It was a big step for them and I could see it in the rest of the letter. Unfortunately, we only stayed for a year as our father became ill and had to have surgery. We were kind of forced back into the protective arms of the families again. I hope you can read this excerpt from that letter. I did a little research and found it was from the book "The Prophet" by Khalil Gibran. My mother, even back then was an amazing insightful, very brilliant woman. This writing is basically how she wanted we three to be raised. It is the basis of everything she taught us and how I have taught my children. Amazing to find this and really see where she had her beliefs and knowledge. I hope you can read it because the last part is what hit me as a departure for her towards her mother...well here, "I hope you understand what I mean by this--in other words, thanks for being such stable bows, for without your guidance this arrow would never have made it."