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The Happiness of Hats
Published on 2012-12-07 09:32:00
Did you see the photo of my sister Sue in front of the Hotel Villa San Pio in Rome?
Visiting the Vatican
Published on 2012-12-06 13:02:00
Sue and I knew from previous experience that virtually all of France goes on vacation during the month of August.
Where to Stay in Rome
Published on 2012-12-03 17:08:00
And now for some long-overdue information about our trip to Europe…Flying from Arizona to Italy involves at least one connection, and missing that connection generally means waiting a day for another flight, so we planned a day in Rome into our sch
Charlie is my darling
Published on 2012-11-20 13:39:00
I think I've mentioned that my sister is an adoption counselor at the Arizona Humane Society.
The LONG Vacation
Published on 2012-10-26 16:28:00
For those of you who've been wondering where I've been:First my sister and I went on our long-awaited cruise to the Greek islands.
A Vicarious Tour of the Mediterranean
Published on 2012-08-18 11:11:00
Next week my sister and I leave for our cruise around the Mediterranean.
Preview of Coming Disasters
Published on 2012-08-11 11:01:00
No, faithful readers, I have not dropped off the edge of the earth, but it's been a very busy month.
Love in the Afternoon
Published on 2012-07-08 21:35:00
When I first moved into my house a year ago, a pair of jackrabbits used to hang out in the back yard.
Death in the Desert
Published on 2012-07-01 15:16:00
Earlier this week I glanced out the kitchen door and was startled to see this right outside my screened-in porch:In case you can't tell, that's a cottontail disappearing pretty much whole down the gullet of one of the local coyotes.
Obituary
Published on 2012-06-29 11:55:00
Wednesday, at the vet’s, after a long illness.Rusty Mabee-Armstrong always refused to talk about her kittenhood, but she was born in New York City in mid-1996, mistreated by an early owner, and then cast out to make her own way on the streets of Manhattan.
Back in the Bubble
Published on 2012-06-09 11:03:00
From the things I've said about my late husband Tom, those of you who have been reading this blog for a while may think that I view his memory through rose-colored glasses.
Leaping Backward
Published on 2012-06-08 15:19:00
This has been fund-raising week at our local PBS station, so none of the shows I usually record to watch in the evening has been on.
Still Struggling With Moderation
Published on 2012-06-07 13:09:00
Last night I stopped on the way home at the Farmer's Market in Glendale to pick up some fresh produce.
Kissing and Telling - or Not
Published on 2012-06-06 18:36:00
The members of our book club are busy people, so we generally limit the size of the books we choose to be sure that as many of us as possible can finish them before the discussion.
Van Gogh Writ Large
Published on 2012-06-04 11:41:00
During the years I lived in New York the airfare to France was frequently cheaper than to anywhere in the United States, so Tom and I spent several vacations in Paris
Herding Frankenquail
Published on 2012-05-22 12:47:00
My plan to encourage Barry to cook more, especially for me, is working; he invited me over for dinner on Sunday night, and served baby bell peppers stuffed with ground lamb, rice, and onions – really yummy.
Saying Goodbye
Published on 2012-05-12 23:21:00
Well, Rusty and I have an appointment with the vet on Monday morning, and it's looking as if one of us won't be coming home again.She's started to exhibit what the vet said would be signs of almost total kidney failure - constant drinking, nearly constant urination - and she's almost entirely stopped eating.
Cinco de Margarita
Published on 2012-05-05 20:58:00
I don't know this for a fact, but I suspect that my husband Tom tasted his first margarita shortly after meeting me, and he instantly fell in love with it.
Enjoying Julia
Published on 2012-04-28 22:19:00
Between the new job, the old jobs, tax season and my ailing cat, it's been a long hard month, so today I treated myself to a little break.
Smiling All the Way Home
Published on 2012-04-21 09:58:00
Website design is one of the few professions that requires its followers to move back and forth quickly and easily between their left and right brains.
Bring on the Pho
Published on 2012-04-15 23:26:00
One of the perils of my new job is that it's located in the heart of an area full of good places to eat.
Hanging Uncle Guido
Published on 2012-04-10 01:16:00
Since neither my mother nor my sister really likes antiques, I ended up with most of our family heirlooms, including a gallery of Victorian-era photos in their original frames. When Tom and I moved to Arizona most of the antiques ended up in our bedroom, so I hung the photos there, too.About a year later we were browsing through a "stuff" store in Glendale when Tom spotted a photo in a frame almost identical to the one surrounding my great-grandparents. (Here's a picture of the frame and its o [..]
Assimilating Easter
Published on 2012-04-09 01:34:00
When asked about my ethnic background, I usually say something like "mutt" or "Heinz 57," because my forbears on both sides of the family came from all over Europe.
WAITing for Mr. Right
Published on 2012-04-07 09:49:00
Last weekend I knew I wouldn't have much time for reading due to my new job, so the e-books I borrowed from the library were things I could skim through in a hurry.
In the Market for a Tank
Published on 2012-04-06 23:24:00
OK, so I've been a Very Bad Blogger for the last couple of weeks.
Button Day, Big Time
Published on 2012-03-24 19:39:00
When I was working full-time in insurance, every couple of months I scheduled a "Button Day" to go through my closet and pull out anything that needed dry cleaning, alterations, or repairs.
Senorita Bandita
Published on 2012-03-23 23:26:00
Last week I checked out an e-book from the library that appeared, from the description and the cover art, to be a Kathleen Woodiwiss-like bodice-ripper.
Damn Those Trade-offs!
Published on 2012-03-20 15:45:00
A major project I've been working on for one of my clients is winding down, and with it a good chunk of my income, so I've spent the last couple of weeks prospecting for another job, and (if I pass the background check), I've just landed one.
Sanctifying Leftovers
Published on 2012-03-17 16:09:00
I was amused earlier this year by a restaurant menu entry for shepherd's pie that ranted about the difference between REAL shepherd's pie (with lamb) and COTTAGE pie (with beef).
Best Soda Bread EVER
Published on 2012-03-16 13:46:00
My husband Tom was very proud of the fact that both his parents were Irish immigrants.
Spring Has Sprung
Published on 2012-03-09 17:57:00
Spring may not officially begin for another 11 days, but we made it through February without a killing frost and practically every flowering plant in the greater Phoenix area is already in bloom. My neighborhood is permeated with the smell of citrus blossoms, and the oleanders in my yard are looking good:"The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size." ~Gertrude S. Wisterhttp://continuallysurprised.blogspot.com Venting random thou [..]
Counterfeit Chicken
Published on 2012-03-07 00:24:00
Since my first attempts at modifying the KFC Original recipe were not entirely successful, I've been trying different tweaks and think I finally have a good end product. To cut down on the fat and sodium I'm baking the chicken, reducing the salt, substituting Egg Beaters for eggs in the dredge, and eliminating the brining and the MSG. To add some of the extra umame that the MSG provided in the original recipe, I increased the amounts of herbs and added a little thyme to the list that Todd Wilb [..]
Paris Pastime
Published on 2012-03-04 20:11:00
You already know I'm a sucker for stories about time travel and alternate universes, so I'm not sure how I managed to miss the release of Woody Allen's 2011 film Midnight in Paris. I finally got to see it on DVD last night.Owen Wilson stars as Gil Pender, a successful screenwriter working on his first novel. He and his fiancee Inez (Rachel McAdam) tag along with her parents on her father's business trip to Paris. Gil is in love with the city even before he arrives; apparently he read Hemingwa [..]
Shroom Soup
Published on 2012-02-29 10:30:00
Until I was, say, 30 or so, I ate a lot of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup (aka "CrofMush"). Not by itself - it was used in the upper Midwest where I grew up as a kind of culinary mucilage to glue together the other ingredients in the infamous local hot dishes. Chicken and rice, corned beef and noodles, tuna and bread crumbs, green beans and fried onions - all these and more benefited from the addition of an undiluted can of CrofMush. Then I tasted Pepperidge Farm's mushroom soup and realiz [..]
Un-Wearing of the Green
Published on 2012-02-27 00:12:00
I've talked quite a bit about trying to make my house a greener one, but in one area I've been wanting it to be much, much less green.The house and its neighbors were built in the 1970's when avocado was a hot decorating color, and the builder apparently got a smoking deal on a load of avocado green brick, because our subdivision is full of it. Hardly a house in my neighborhood has not been afflicted with at least a little of the horrible blotchy stuff, and mine is no exception. The right side [..]
Perfectly Awful
Published on 2012-02-24 10:45:00
What would you do if you found that your whole life was based on lies?Julie Metz's husband Henry was 44 years old when he died in her arms of a pulmonary embolism. Julie had what she (and many others) thought was a perfect life - a 16-year marriage, a beautiful daughter, and a successful career as a graphic artist. Her book Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal is the story of how she came to terms with the fact that it had been not just imperfect, but perfectly awful.Henry, a handsome, [..]
Arrowhead Oasis
Published on 2012-02-23 11:29:00
When I first moved to the west side of the Valley of the Sun from New York, I was dismayed to find very few fine dining establishments there. Local lore blames this on two factors: the abundance of presumably penny-pinching senior citizens, and the failure of the utility companies to run natural gas lines into many of the subdivisions there. Fortunately the last few years have seen several excellent restaurants open in this area, and last Sunday Sue and I took our parents to one of them to cel [..]
Making a Joyful Noise
Published on 2012-02-22 19:18:00
One of the things I've always liked most about living alone is that it's a license to be more myself than I can be when living with someone else. Living alone means I can get up at 3AM and watch old movies with the sound on when I have insomnia. It means I can have a peanut butter and mashed banana sandwich for dinner if I want to. If I feel the urge to see Katmandu, I can make the reservations and throw a few things in a carry-on bag. And if I want to sing at the top of my lungs, only the c [..]
Alcohol vs. the Cold Germs
Published on 2012-02-20 00:47:00
When I was growing up, if someone in the family had a cough that wouldn't respond to cough syrup, my father would pour a little hot apricot brandy down the sufferer's throat. I'm not sure what the basis of this nostrum was - relax the throat to ease the cough? Put the cold sufferer to sleep with a healthy slug of hot alcohol? Weaken the cold germs by getting them drunk? What ever the theory was, my husband Tom's family must have subscribed to it, too - their father dosed them with hot blackb [..]
Better Late Than Never
Published on 2012-02-17 23:50:00
For the last few days I've been reading another ebook borrowed from the public library - The Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick by Gene Stone. Stone is a respected journalist who has been writing about health issues for years and tried many of the treatments he investigated. (He passed on the electroshock therapy.) In this book he profiles 25 people and their personal prescriptions for living long and healthy lives. He also examines the medical theory behind each person's "secret" and expl [..]
Better Living Through Electronics
Published on 2012-02-15 19:21:00
This morning I woke up with a sore throat that is obviously the beginning of a cold. I'm afraid the timing indicates that I picked it up at the VNSA book sale this weekend. Someone must have fondled a book with germy hands shortly before I touched it myself.As a result, I'm considering an unexpected advantage of owning an e-reader. Buying or borrowing e-books via download may accidentally infect my computer with a virus, but I won't have to worry about catching one myself.Excuse me, I need to [..]
Another Winter Rose
Published on 2012-02-14 00:58:00
The name of this variety is Ketchup and Mustard. Notice the difference in color between the front and the back of the blossom."And I will make thee beds of roses And a thousand fragrant posies."~Christopher Marlowe http://continuallysurprised.blogspot.com Venting random thoughts before they injure my brain.
The Battered Book Buyer
Published on 2012-02-12 19:24:00
Maybe it's my imagination, but the VNSA Book sale seemed even more crowded than usual this year - lots of aisle-blocking shopping carts and whole families shopping en masse. I took one elbow in the ribs but otherwise escaped unscathed.For $13.75 plus the $7.00 parking fee I bought (all in excellent condition):a leather-bound hardcover edition of Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie, to replace my crumbling paperback; one of the "Tommy and Tuppence" mysteriestrade paperback of The Blue Girl by Cha [..]
Cataloging the Library
Published on 2012-02-12 01:02:00
Those of us who own a lot of books don't always remember what they all are. Every once in a while I buy a duplicate by accident. To minimize that, about 15 years ago I built a book catalog with an early version of Access. Unfortunately, when Microsoft releases a new version of Access, the database has to be completely rebuilt rather than just updated. About a year ago I bought a new laptop loaded with Office 2010, including Access, but Barry and I broke up right after that and the old laptop [..]
Chicken Hacking at Home
Published on 2012-02-10 10:35:00
Shortly after moving into this house I was intrigued by the ads for Top Secret Recipe, a new TV show on CMT. The premise was that every week the host, a self-styled "food hacker" named Todd Wilbur, would try to replicate a top-secret food industry recipe. The pilot program was going to feature the recipe for KFC original fried chicken.Well, of course I watched the pilot. I love KFC original, but I almost never eat it any more due to the high fat and sodium content. However, I was hoping that [..]
Eating Down the Oranges
Published on 2012-02-09 17:25:00
This is what I've been having for lunch lately to use up part of my bumper crop:Citrus Spinach Salad2 cups fresh spinach1 orange, peeled and cut into chunks3 or 4 sliced strawberries2 Tblsp. crumbled feta cheese2 Tblsp. roughly chopped pecansKen's Steakhouse Lite Vidalia Onion dressingSpread the spinach evenly on a dinner plate. Arrange the fruit on top. Sprinkle on the feta and pecans. Drizzle with dressing and serve.Makes lunch for one or dinner salads for two.Poopdeck Pappy: "Eat your spin [..]
The Electronic Traveler
Published on 2012-02-07 12:30:00
Inevitably, the minute I committed to taking the cruise with my sister, I started to think about what to pack. Never mind that we aren't leaving until November - if I need to buy some vital item between now and then, I don't want to wait until the last minute when it may not be available. I no sooner started the list than I realized that for the first time ever, electronics may take up more space in my baggage than clothing.Partly this is because I pick my travel wardrobe very carefully. I ma [..]
Cruising Again (I Hope)
Published on 2012-02-06 22:47:00
Today my sister got a little brochure in the mail from the University that granted her MBA. She almost threw it out, assuming it was a fundraiser, but finally opened it to find that the University is sponsoring an alumni cruise this fall. The cruise starts in Athens, ends in Istanbul, and in between calls on Rhodes, Jerusalem, Cairo, and several other spots we've never seen. The price, which includes airfare, is quite reasonable because they're offering "two for the price of one." Sue called [..]
The Library Nook
Published on 2012-02-05 23:43:00
One of the reasons I've been carting my own personal library with me across the country is that many of my favorite books have not been accessible through the public libraries in my neighborhoods. The branch library near my first apartment in New York, for instance, was small and had very restricted hours. The library nearest to my current home, although now part of the Maricopa County Library System, was originally a private library made up of donated books, so its inventory is missing some e [..]
The Rockets' Red (and gold and green and blue) Glare
Published on 2011-07-05 12:07:00
Yesterday Barry and I had a last small party at our house. I cleaned and rearranged the items that haven't yet been packed so the public areas looked presentable; Barry bought and cooked the bratwurst. We invited my parents and our friend
Working the Second Shift
Published on 2011-07-02 23:48:00
I know people who spend their nights in a rich and varied dreamland. They vacation in exotic spots, they have long conversations with dead friends and relatives, they fly without benefit of airplane or parachute. Not me. I go
Snippets Again
Published on 2011-07-01 00:55:00
Tonight Barry and I went to dinner at the house of friends who just returned from a trip to Italy. By the time we had eaten and seen their photos and I had dropped Barry off and driven back to my parents' house, it was 10:15 and Mom and Dad had
More Happy Cooking
Published on 2011-06-29 00:35:00
I've already mentioned that Jacques Pepin is my all-time favorite TV chef. I love his wry sense of humor, his lightening-fast knife work, and the magical way he can transform traditional recipes into easier and healthier versions that still tas
Making Up for Past Mistakes
Published on 2011-06-28 00:25:00
I've already mentioned that my parents encouraged my sister and me to save for our college education from an early age. We never questioned that we were college-bound; it seemed inevitable. The savings process, however, was occasionally p
For the Birds
Published on 2011-06-25 18:29:00
In addition to putting out vegetable peelings and stale bread for the birds and the bunnies, my mother keeps a dish filled with water in the back yard. It's one of those small oval baking dishes sometimes used for individual portions of lasagna
A Bean Feast to Remember
Published on 2011-06-24 22:26:00
I see in looking back over this month's posts that I have forgotten to talk about the restaurant where we held our last book club meeting. It was Sophie's Bistro, a few blocks south of the Biltmore Fashion Square, and I hope to go back there so
Hot Enough For You?
Published on 2011-06-23 23:33:00
Summer officially started this week, and that's obvious here in the Phoenix area. Our high today was 111 degrees. Temperatures this week may reach the "heat alert" level. For those not familiar with Arizona-speak, that means 113 deg
He Can See Clearly Now (Almost)
Published on 2011-06-22 23:14:00
Today Barry had the cataract removed from his left eye. I had agreed to drive him to the clinic and home again. I have to admit, I know virtually nothing about cataract surgery and was a little curious about the procedure. We checke
Whither Spenser?
Published on 2011-06-21 01:29:00
When I'm in the mood for a fast read with witty dialogue, I frequently turn to one of Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels. You may remember Spenser for Hire, the '80s TV series loosely based on the early books in the series. Spenser (no first name)
Not Just a Puppet on a String
Published on 2011-06-19 23:43:00
When I was a teen, the art room under Miss Smith was a haven from the general hell of my junior high school years. Miss Smith was a practical, supportive woman with a wry sense of humor, and she let us dabble in everything from op art lettering
Buddy, Can You Spare a Donut?
Published on 2011-06-19 00:24:00
My first husband and I were married for about five minutes after we graduated from college. When we parted, I was so anxious to leave that I let him keep the house we'd totally renovated as the price of my freedom. I moved into a rental a
Move Update
Published on 2011-06-17 00:12:00
This time the sale of our house is apparently going through. The buyers have a loan and we're mopping up the odds and ends from the inspection. The closing is set for July 15 so I hope to be settled by the beginning of August. The house I
It's Not Easy Eating Greens
Published on 2011-06-16 00:06:00
Eating healthy seems to get more confusing every day. Certainly listening to the news doesn't help.The government's new MyPlate guidelines recommend eating more fruits and vegetables. Nutritionists have always said that if the fruit and v
A Dying Art
Published on 2011-06-14 20:45:00
Earlier this week ABC News ran an item on the death of cursive writing. Apparently 41 of the 50 states no longer require children to learn to read and write cursive; those lessons have been "quietly" replaced by lessons in keyboarding. Feelings
Heated Memories
Published on 2011-06-14 00:30:00
I don't normally like celebrity tell-all books, but Some Like It Hot is one of my all-time favorite movies, so when I saw Tony Curtis's The Making of Some Like It Hot in the local library I decided to give it a try.The book had some of the anticipate
A Better Frame of Reference
Published on 2011-06-12 22:32:00
Osteoporosis runs in my mother's family. So far I haven't had any trouble with bone loss, but my sister started having stress fractures in her feet when she was still in her early 30's. She's under orders from her doctor to lift weights s
Home Sale, Take Two
Published on 2011-06-10 23:08:00
Last week someone else finally made an offer on our house, but for much less than Barry and I think it's worth. After a week of counteroffers we have finally reached an agreement. Now if only:The house passes the inspection;The buyers get
Big Red
Published on 2011-06-09 10:38:00
It happened again yesterday; a man passed me in the parking lot as I was getting into my car and yelled, "Nice car! Want to trade for a Mustang convertible?"My car is a bright red Dodge Charger, and men automatically assume that it's a muscle c
Fractured French
Published on 2011-06-08 23:21:00
When I was in my late 30's I decided that I wanted to learn French. I bought (and used) tapes, CDs, DVDs, and even a couple of college courses but never got to the point where I could understand a native French person speaking at normal convers
Mother Knows Best
Published on 2011-06-07 13:13:00
Two news items in the last week have been particularly relevant for those of us interested in healthy eating: The United States Department of Agriculture retired the venerable Food Pyramid, and U.S. News and World Report announced its picks for the b
More Fowl News
Published on 2011-06-05 22:38:00
When we're not watching quail or rabbits in my parents' backyard, we're generally watching doves. Two types of doves frequent this area: the standard mourning dove and the white-winged dove, which is larger and a key player in the reproduction
Transporting A Feline Across State Lines
Published on 2011-06-05 01:02:00
Nine years ago this week Tom and I bought our house in Arizona and eight years ago on June 1 my parents moved into their current house, so Mom and Dad and I have been swapping moving stories for the last couple of days. The moving memory most i
Burglary by the Book
Published on 2011-06-04 01:52:00
One of the advantages of living in New York was the opportunity to attend frequent book signings by famous or would-be famous authors. I always went out of my way to attend signings (and the accompanying lectures) by Lawrence Block. Block
All This and a Raise In September - YAY!!
Published on 2011-06-02 15:39:00
Today is a good day, a fine day, an excellent day. Today I received the students' evaluations from the last programming class I taught.Not every student completed an evaluation, but when asked to rate "How likely are you to recommend this instr
In Search of the Perfect Kitchen
Published on 2011-06-01 12:10:00
I've mentioned before that I've moved 15 times in my life, not counting interim displacements like the current one, so I've lived with and cooked in a wide variety of kitchens. In the past I've made do with and made over some pretty dysfunction
The Long Goodbye
Published on 2011-05-31 00:05:00
Last night my parents and I watched the National Memorial Day concert on PBS. I was a little surprised at first that it opened with a tribute to those who died on 9/11; after all, the tenth anniversary of the tragedy isn't until this fall.
Rosemary (or some other potted plant) for Remembrance
Published on 2011-05-30 00:33:00
When I was a child, Memorial Day weekend was a really big deal. Of course it was the beginning of summer vacation, which by itself was enough to make my sister and me hysterical with excitement, but my family also engaged in an Anglo version of
Avis and Julia
Published on 2011-05-27 20:23:00
I didn't blog last night because I was so involved in the book I was reading that I couldn't put it down. I still haven't finished it but I'm writing about it anyway because I can't wait any longer to share. Hardly a page has gone by wher
Famous Last Words
Published on 2011-05-26 01:35:00
Just last month I passed my annual dental exam with flying colors and reported, "Another year without a new filling or crown anywhere; outstanding!" Famous last words, indeed.For no apparent reason, this weekend my upper left bicuspid started t
The Shame Of It All...
Published on 2011-05-24 23:16:00
Early on, I said that I didn't intend to make money with this blog. I still don't; the Google ad bar on the lower right side of the page is there to keep the bottom of the blog from looking empty when I'm more long-winded than usual. Howe
Table Quest Part 1
Published on 2011-05-23 13:58:00
Although the sale of our house fell through, I haven't given up hope that someone else will make an offer on it soon. When they do, I'm hoping the house I wanted is still available; if not, I'll make an offer on one with the same floorplan just
Is Murphy a German Name?
Published on 2011-05-22 21:52:00
Before we went to the chocolate factory yesterday we kept up our strength by eating lunch at Haus Murphy, a German restaurant on Glendale Avenue, the main drag in downtown Glendale, AZ.Murphy's is in a different building now than when I first moved t
Going Out With Chocolate
Published on 2011-05-21 16:20:00
Every couple of months or so my sister and one or more of her friends make a pilgrimage to Glendale (just west of Phoenix) for a chocolate fix. Today was one of those days and I got to go along. I was pretty excited; after all, if the wor
Between Seasons
Published on 2011-05-20 22:20:00
The weather here in Arizona has been very strange for the last couple of weeks. We've had unusually cool and damp weather some days and record-breaking heat and low humidity on others. Fortunately my favorite soups can be eaten hot or col
Marrying Money
Published on 2011-05-19 23:10:00
Tonight I finished re-reading the book for next month's book club meeting: Marrying Mom by Olivia Goldsmith.Goldsmith was probably most famous as the author of The First Wives Club. Marrying Mom is one of her shorter and lighter books; it doesn
Dinner and a Show
Published on 2011-05-18 01:04:00
I've already mentioned that my parents and I eat most of our meals at their house at a table in front of the kitchen window, watching the birds and the rabbits in the backyard. Lately most of the action has been coming from the quail.Five diffe
Art on Fire
Published on 2011-05-16 20:29:00
I am in the middle of reading The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper by Lynn Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift, and I will report on it as soon as I finish. However, in the meantime, I couldn't resist passing along one of their recommendations fo
Blood and Guts
Published on 2011-05-15 12:59:00
I think I was eight the first time I saw one of my father's many cousins chop off a chicken's head. Immediately after the execution the decapitated body leaped up and ran in progressively smaller circles around the barnyard, flapping its wings
A Sweeter Potato Chip
Published on 2011-05-13 21:39:00
Potato chips are one of my favorite foods, but they combine fats, salt, and the types of carbs that make blood sugar spike. I've been trying to replace them with sweet potato chips that are microwaved instead of fried. These take a while
Purple Prose
Published on 2011-05-11 23:31:00
In The Language of the Night, one of the best books I've ever read about writing, Ursula K. LeGuin says of one of her own early novels, "But of course fantasy and science fiction are different, just as red and blue are different; they have different
Summer Soup
Published on 2011-05-10 22:43:00
I know that parts of the country are still having occasional snow flurries, but here in the Phoenix area the high temps have been in the 90's and low 100's lately. When the weather is this hot I like to start dinner with salad or a cold soup, a
Unsticking the Velcro Cat
Published on 2011-05-09 16:25:00
One aspect of life at the Kitty Spa has not been running smoothly. My parents have Berber carpet in their living, dining, and bedrooms, and whenever Rusty walks across it her claws catch. We've been calling her the Velcro Cat because the
The Merry Month of May
Published on 2011-05-07 23:03:00
May is a rather stressful month. In addition to Mother's Day, it contains my father's birthday and my sister's, all clustered closely together. In fact, tomorrow is both Mother's Day and Dad's 85th birthday, and Sue's birthday is on the 1
Hopping Down the Bunny Trail
Published on 2011-05-06 23:01:00
When I was in grade school, my friend Doreen's family raised rabbits. Looking back, I don't know whether they sold them as pets or for food, and I'd really rather not speculate. The baby bunnies were adorable, though - soft and fluffy and
The Melodrama Continues
Published on 2011-05-06 00:13:00
Nina, if you're reading this - I also was reminded of the Carol Burnett show tonight, this time their parody of soap operas, "As the Stomach Turns." Mine has certainly been turning for the last few hours.This afternoon our realtor called and to
Temporarily Displaced
Published on 2011-05-05 00:25:00
As if living with my parents weren't limbo enough, this week the web design firm I work for is moving to new quarters and I've been told to work from home until further notice. I'm really beginning to feel like a displaced person. Oh, wel
Moving On...
Published on 2011-05-02 23:25:00
Well, we thought the offer for our house was too low and counteroffered. The buyers accepted the counteroffer, so we will be closing on May 27.Last Friday I saw a small house that had all the things I was looking for, including my optional item
My Life as a Charwoman
Published on 2011-05-01 00:29:00
My parents saved from the time I was born to send their children to college. One of my first memories is getting my allowance (five cents a week at the time) and putting three cents of it into my piggy bank for my college fund. My sister
Not the Cruelest Month in Arizona
Published on 2011-04-29 18:16:00
"Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'" ~Robin Williamshttp://continuallysurprised.blogspot.com Venting random thoughts before they injure my brain.
Heading North
Published on 2011-04-29 00:28:00
Shortly before Rusty and I invaded their home, my parents returned their satellite dish to its true owners and resumed watching only those TV channels that could be accessed via rabbit ears. They now spend many evenings with my mother nodding o
Who Said Oatmeal Is Bland?
Published on 2011-04-27 21:30:00
You may have noticed that I never complain about the clients I build websites for. That's not because I don't have harrowing tales to tell; it's because no one wants to hire a designer who says:"You display the color sense of a tragically near-
Spanish Gothic
Published on 2011-04-26 12:44:00
Last night I finished reading our book club's latest selection, Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I'm still not sure how I feel about it.The story starts in Barcelona shortly after the close of the Spanish Civil War, although the narrati
...Before They're Hatched
Published on 2011-04-25 15:33:00
After we got home from Easter dinner at my cousin's house, with its conversation about the Iowan baby eagles, my parents started talking about their childhood experiences with chicks and ducklings.Both of them grew up (at least partly) on farms that
A Different Kind of Peep Show
Published on 2011-04-25 00:25:00
When I was living in New York, one of the big companies (I think the gas company) used to hatch chicks and ducks in the windows of their Manhattan headquarters every year at Easter time. They were adorable, especially the little ducks, which st
More Random Snippets
Published on 2011-04-22 23:13:00
My annual eye exam was today. My optometrist says my vision is improving. Another side effect of our better eating habits, or one of the rare benefits of getting older?Rusty and I are both having a good time watching the wildlife in my pa
Redefining Poor
Published on 2011-04-21 21:39:00
As part of gearing up to move, I've been rereading my dog-eared copy of Ernest Callenbach's Living Poor with Style. This fat little book was originally published in 1972 when flower children were in bloom, and it covers an amazing number of top
Back to the Chair
Published on 2011-04-19 21:00:00
Well, today I bit the bullet and went to the dentist for a checkup and cleaning. I hadn't been for a year, so I was expecting reproaches - the hygienist really thinks everyone should have a cleaning every three months - but everyone was polite
Not That Kind Of Cat Allergy
Published on 2011-04-17 22:48:00
I've complained before about my allergies, but I haven't said much about my cat's.Rusty was still fairly young when she developed nasty black patches on the underside of her chin. I rushed her to the vet, who suggested it was a plastic allergy
Buying History
Published on 2011-04-16 23:18:00
Today I accompanied my parents on one of their favorite weekend activities - prowling the local estate sales.The west side of the greater Phoenix area is dotted with retirement (aka "active adult") communities - Sun City, Sun City West, Sun Village,
On the Hunt
Published on 2011-04-13 12:33:00
Well, our house is officially on the market. It's scheduled for two open houses this weekend and a realtor's tour next Tuesday, so I expect it to sell soon. This means I need to ramp up my search for a new home.Here's my wish list:Two bed
Cultural Cooperation
Published on 2011-04-12 21:41:00
I talked yesterday about last weekend's performance of The Abduction from the Seraglio by the Arizona Opera. What I didn't mention is that after most of their afternoon matinees the opera company holds a "Talkback" session where the audience ca
An Unexpected Abduction
Published on 2011-04-11 22:44:00
One of the cultural advantages of living in Arizona is that we have a professional local opera company that performs in both Phoenix and Tucson. This weekend they presented the last opera of their 2010-2011 season, Mozart's Abduction from the S
Hipshot
Published on 2011-04-10 23:33:00
I've always been a stomach sleeper. Occasionally I can sleep on one side or the other, but never on my back - too much post-nasal drip. So for the past couple of months I haven't been sleeping well at all because suddenly my left hip pain
Fermenting a Plan
Published on 2011-04-08 23:35:00
My parents were born at the start of the Great Depression, and it shaped the rest of their lives. They have always worked hard and been amazingly frugal. They flipped houses before the phrase was invented. My mother (who had taken t
Making a New Ending
Published on 2011-04-08 01:25:00
This has been an odd week. I had intended to spend as much time as possible at our house, cleaning, but Barry feels unsettled having me there now that we are no longer a couple, so I've pretty much moved in with my parents. Doing so has m
More Mardi Gras Murder
Published on 2011-04-07 00:04:00
One more seasonal reading pick:Nashville author Sarah Shankman has written seven novels featuring Atlanta journalist Samantha ("Sam") Adams, a recovering alcoholic and amateur detective. The first two books in the series (First Kill All the Law
Missing Grandma
Published on 2011-04-06 01:08:00
One of the good things about camping out at my parents' house is that they've been telling me family stories I've never heard before. Maybe they decided I was finally old enough to hear them. Or maybe they've just reached the age when the
The Long and Whining Road
Published on 2011-04-04 01:27:00
Lowlights of the week:While staying with my parents, I have been reduced to Internet piracy to keep up with my online classes. One of their neighbors (I have no idea which one) has a wireless network with no security, and I am shamelessly tappi
Building a Better Biscuit
Published on 2011-04-02 01:53:00
This week my mom made chicken and biscuits with her favorite baking powder biscuit recipe; I think it's from an old Good Housekeeping cookbook. Much as I love it (those biscuits are the taste of my childhood), when I make biscuits myself, I now
Less is Less
Published on 2011-03-31 23:57:00
So far this week our home has been invaded by landscapers, carpet cleaners, and window washers. Tomorrow the crew comes to drain and sandblast the pool. A little more cleaning and furniture arranging and the house will be ready to sell.Ba
The Captain's Wife
Published on 2011-03-29 23:16:00
For the last few years my sister has belonged to a book club that meets monthly, and she recently invited me to join. My first meeting is tomorrow night; the book they are currently reading - one she suggested - is The Captain's Wife by Douglas
Life at the Kitty Spa
Published on 2011-03-28 23:44:00
Today the movers took the furniture our realtor's stager didn't want plus all my books and a lot of other miscellaneous boxes to the storage unit we rented to use while our house is being shown. To be sure that my cat Rusty wasn't underfoot, I
A Disgusting Sign of Spring
Published on 2011-03-27 00:43:00
Much as I love my cat Rusty, I do not look forward to the period each year during which she sheds her winter coat. I hate the thick coat of cat hair on all the furniture, the cat hair tumbleweeds rolling down the hallways, and the giant "dust bunnie
Boxes of Books
Published on 2011-03-25 23:37:00
Moving - don't you love it?As I expected, our real estate agent's stager was not pleased by the wall-to-wall bookshelves in our house, so I've been packing my books for the last few days. This will be the fifteenth time I've moved in my life (n
Driving Ms. Danger
Published on 2011-03-24 20:52:00
Over the last few weeks we've watched three related films: The Transporter, Transporter 2, and Transporter 3. Frank Martin (played by Jason Statham) makes his living anonymously transporting dangerous cargo for hire. The hook: Martin is e
Random Snippets
Published on 2011-03-24 01:08:00
This morning I looked out the bedroom window and saw a bunny in the backyard washing his face. Then he grabbed one of his ears with both paws and pulled it down so he could lick the inside with his tongue. My first thought was, "That's so
Cutting the Commute
Published on 2011-03-22 15:51:00
I’ve ranted before about the length and stress of my daily commute, so you won’t be surprised that my blood pressure spiked this morning when I discovered the speed limit on virtually the entire stretch of highway I take to work has been lowered
Different Desserts
Published on 2011-03-21 01:25:00
Normally when I'm stressed my automatic reaction is to eat for comfort. I can't afford to "outgrow" my clothes at the moment, though, so when I have a craving for something sweet I'm going to try to stick to things like these:Fruit CupCombine o
It's All About Me
Published on 2011-03-19 18:02:00
Today while packing things I found a document I had totally forgotten. Some time ago - like several years ago - I checked out a book from the library on dressing to fit one's personality. (Sorry, I don't remember the name.) As a sta
One Last Grumble
Published on 2011-03-18 22:16:00
One last self-indulgent post about The Breakup and then the pity party will officially be over.Barry and I met through Match.com. He made the first move based on my photo, but I was interested because he had a PhD (smart), liked to dance (fun),
Pulling the Plug
Published on 2011-03-17 17:53:00
Well, today Barry and I took our relationship off life support. He called the Cabana Boys to come drain and descale the pool and I have spent the day cleaning and decluttering the house so the real estate agent can come tomorrow. In a way
The Seven Year Itch
Published on 2011-03-16 21:50:00
I have a finite amount of energy, patience, and enthusiasm. Unfortunately, so do my relationships, and I'm afraid mine and Barry's may be approaching the end of its shelf life.When we first met, I had been widowed for a year, and Barry seemed t
Tsunami Damage in Hawaii
Published on 2011-03-16 01:41:00
Although the tsunami damage in Hawaii this week pales in comparison to the devastation in Japan, the islands were not unscathed. The house in this video was swept off its foundations into Napoopoo Bay, where the debris is threatening the coral
Last Call
Published on 2011-03-14 11:28:00
One last biscotti recipe. As I mentioned before, the dried apricot and pistachio cookies at Zinc Bistro were the impetus for my biscotti experiments; here's my version of that variation. Unlike the ZB recipe, though, mine incorporates som
When Only Chocolate Will Do
Published on 2011-03-14 00:17:00
I used to make Toll House cookies for Barry, but these are much lower in fat and calories.Skinny BiscottiVariation 3 - Chocolate Chip and Walnut4 egg whites1/4 cup granulated sugar1/4 cup brown sugar3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour1/3 cup chocola
Biscotti Redux
Published on 2011-03-12 10:14:00
Adventures in biscotti baking, Part 2. The ingredients for this version are slightly different but the method is exactly the same.Skinny BiscottiVariation 2 - Lemon-Poppy Seed4 egg whites1/2 cup granulated sugar3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose fl
You Say Biscuits, I Say Biscotti
Published on 2011-03-11 23:59:00
Some years ago, one of my sister's friends proudly served expensive imported Italian biscotti to her Midwestern parents. Her father, catching sight of the price on the tin and mentally dividing by the number of cookies inside, yelped in disbeli
Poetry in Stop Action
Published on 2011-03-10 11:57:00
Our local cable provider had a major outage this week. For some reason our television service was out for about five minutes but our Internet service wasn't restored for a day and a half. Oh, well, we're back online now.Last night Barry a
Bubba Would Approve
Published on 2011-03-08 00:32:00
In the past I usually made sausage jambalaya for Mardi Gras, but this year I'm going to cut back on the fat and salt by serving shrimp soup instead. This meal in a bowl was inspired by a chowder recipe in Jasper White’s 50 Chowders: One Pot M
Back on Park Avenue
Published on 2011-03-06 13:31:00
I have a small number of TV shows that I record for viewing when Barry is not around. Last night I was watching one of them from HGTV when a commercial flashed on for Selling New York, a show I've never seen. Instead of fast-forwarding th
A Mardi Gras Mystery
Published on 2011-03-05 15:59:00
Some authors are quiet, ordinary people who seem to live vicariously through the exotic characters they write about. Others have led such varied and interesting lives that they could very well be the protagonists in their own books. Barbara Ha
O Pioneers!
Published on 2011-03-04 22:53:00
Tonight we watched a recorded episode of No Reservations in which Anthony Bourdain ate his way through the state of Maine. Excited by Tony's sojourn in the tiny town of Milo, Barry started searching the Internet for cheap real estate in the are
Gorgonzola Lost
Published on 2011-03-02 23:22:00
The first few years I lived in New York I owned a garden-level apartment in Brooklyn Heights on Remsen Street, strategically located between the various excellent restaurants on Montague and the Lebanese delights of Atlantic Avenue. A slightly longe
The Second Sign of Spring
Published on 2011-03-02 00:23:00
Maybe it's because we've had a little rain lately, but......things are starting to bloom! More to follow!"As a matter of fact, an ordinary desert supports a much greater variety of plants than does either a forest or a prairie." ~Ellsworth Hunt
Happy Cooking
Published on 2011-02-28 23:44:00
One of our local PBS stations recently starting airing reruns of the charming series Julia and Jacques: Cooking at Home. I've always been a big fan of Jacques Pepin, and after watching a few episodes of the shows he filmed with Julia Child I fi
Real Men Do Eat Frittata
Published on 2011-02-27 16:42:00
Yesterday our friends Pat and Larry hosted breakfast for 14 people, including us. They put on a great-tasting spread, including apple-cinnamon French toast with melted honey butter, homemade rolls, pastries stuffed with almond paste, and an awe
Silent Night (I Hope)
Published on 2011-02-26 17:38:00
Today is a day of rejoicing here in Arizona - or at least in our bedroom.As I mentioned in an earlier post, Barry has been wearing a CPAP mask for his sleep apnea for about a year and a half. While the machine has definitely reduced his snoring
The First Sign of Spring
Published on 2011-02-26 00:16:00
I once read that spring cleaning had its origin in two related facts: 1) when houses were heated by burning wood or coal, by spring the walls and contents were dingy with smoke, and 2) as the days grew longer and the sun shone more brightly, the smut
Fantastic Cartoons
Published on 2011-02-23 22:36:00
Tonight we watched Barry's latest Netflix pick - the 1940 full-length animated classic Fantasia. If you've never seen it, the soundtrack of Fantasia is a lush classical music concert performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction o
A Look Back
Published on 2011-02-22 12:18:00
Dick Francis, British jockey-turned-author, died on February 14, 2010, at the age of 89. Although I already owned 40 of his books, I was sorry that no new ones would be forthcoming, so I was delighted to find a back issue I hadn't previously read at
An Avalanche of Lemons
Published on 2011-02-21 15:15:00
At one time, large tracts of the greater Phoenix metro area were covered with citrus (mainly lemon) orchards. The orchards are long gone, but some of the old trees linger in the yards of homes built in the 1960's and 1970's, and the streets in
Hooray for Sunday
Published on 2011-02-20 16:28:00
I don't say enough good things in these posts about Barry, but I deeply appreciate him every Sunday morning.Sunday is the day I have to post all the study materials for the upcoming week in my online classrooms. It's also the day I finish gradi
An Early Night
Published on 2011-02-19 23:45:00
Getting up early to make a birthday cake + overeating + dark rainy day + correcting Web Systems finals =TIME FOR A NAP!!“No day is so bad it can't be fixed with a nap.” ~ Carrie P. Snow http://continuallysurprised.blogspot.com Venting random thou
Angelic Birthday Cake
Published on 2011-02-18 23:18:00
As I mentioned before, yesterday was my Mom's birthday. Tomorrow the members of our immediate family (Mom, Dad, my sister Sue, Barry, and I) are going to her favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch and then we're going back to Sue's house for cof
Slogging Through the Blog
Published on 2011-02-17 17:55:00
This update is brought to you by the words "ennui" and "phlegm."Reveille: For the last two mornings, the cat has not whined for breakfast; she's gagged. You know, that horrible, hacking, "I'm about to throw a hairball" sound? In my ear.&n
Heroic Sock Puppets
Published on 2011-02-16 22:47:00
Tonight I had hoped to watch the hour-long Nova special on Watson, the Jeopardy-playing supercomputer, but for some reason our local PBS station isn't airing it. Instead Barry and I watched his latest Netflix pick, the 2009 animated feature 9 (
Gringo Food
Published on 2011-02-16 00:13:00
Last night Barry asked me to make chili for supper. In keeping with our resolve to eat healthier food, I revised my chili recipe last year to include more vegetables and ground turkey instead of ground beef. The result is higher in fiber
Deja Vu All Over Again
Published on 2011-02-15 00:30:00
Last night Barry and I watched The Forbin Project, a 1970 science fiction movie about a colossal defense computer (unimaginatively named Colossus) that becomes self-aware. The movie has a few interesting twists, but for the most part the plot c
Scrimmaging for Books
Published on 2011-02-13 21:41:00
Yesterday Barry and I set new personal records for partying. In the morning I attended a clothing party hosted by a friend of mine. Other friends held a pre-dance dinner party late in the afternoon. Then we attended the Valentine ba
The Evolution of Zucchini
Published on 2011-02-11 21:54:00
For the two years that Tom and I lived in Manhattan, we were within a long walk or a quick bus ride of Angelo and Maxie's. It was one of my favorite steakhouses because of the fabulous zucchini sticks, rolled before frying in some heavenly comb
Getting the Cold Shoulder
Published on 2011-02-11 00:21:00
Over the last five years Barry and I have come down with our few winter colds simultaneously, usually after spending time with one of his grandchildren (most kids are little germ factories). This week, however, I seem to be hatching one by myse
Making the Grade(s)
Published on 2011-02-10 00:37:00
Two of the Web Systems classes I teach are ending on Sunday. That's the day the students should be handing in their final projects - complete websites built with quite a bit of JavaScript. Grading their final projects can be a hair-raisin
Peachy Keen
Published on 2011-02-09 00:11:00
Mangoes were on sale at the supermarket this week, so I bought a couple to make this zingy salsa. I'm using a hot pepper from our own plants, which just produced a second crop.Peachy Mango Salsa1 ripe peach or nectarine, diced*1 ripe mango, pee
Worse than a Rooster
Published on 2011-02-06 23:17:00
When I adopted my cat Rusty 14 years ago, I tried for the sake of her teeth to feed her nothing but dry cat food. However, the rescue organization I got her from had been giving her the canned stuff and she went on a hunger strike whenever I cu
When Glasses Don't Help
Published on 2011-02-05 16:54:00
My grandmother's brother Clarence was known to one and all as Shorty, partly because the immediate family contained two other Clarences and partly because he was, well, short. His wife was a highly intelligent woman who had been a schoolteacher befo
A Congenial Dinner
Published on 2011-02-02 23:53:00
This week I bought a package of spicy bulk chicken chorizo at Sprouts, and just watching the news about the winter storms in the rest of the country convinced me to make some of it into this comforting lentil stew.Lentil Stew with Chicken Chorizo1 ta
Breathless in Bed
Published on 2011-02-01 15:46:00
One of the many things I didn't know about Barry when I first met him was that he has sleep apnea. If you've never slept with someone who occasionally stops breathing, I can assure you that it's very exciting - in a bad way. Fortunately w
A Fictional Funeral - Or Is It?
Published on 2011-01-31 23:48:00
When I find an author I like, I hunt down all of his or her past works and anxiously await the next new book, so I'm amazed that I missed the release of the latest novel in Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series. Of course, Ms. Bujold has spe
One Potato, Two
Published on 2011-01-30 16:26:00
The firm that landscaped our backyard installed two giant self-watering urns for flowers, but the hot Arizona summers kept killing off everything we planted there. This year we got smart and put in herbs, which are flourishing despite (or perha
Comfort Food? Not So Much...
Published on 2011-01-29 12:26:00
The latest season of The Biggest Loser is well underway, and we've been watching it every week. This Tuesday the contestants faced a truly diabolical temptation; two at a time, they were shut for several minutes into a room lined floor to ceili
Coming to a Boil
Published on 2011-01-27 20:57:00
The first office I worked in after college had what was then a fairly common caste system; managers and senior employees didn’t have to make coffee at lunchtime or for our breaks, but underlings did. We rotated according to a strict schedule.
Wok This Way
Published on 2011-01-27 00:21:00
Normally I try to shop for a week's worth of food at a time, but sometimes I overestimate how many vegetables we're going to eat. Because of that I always keep a package of tofu on hand for stir-fry. This doesn't pretend to be an authenti
Dreaming of the 80's
Published on 2011-01-25 14:29:00
Last night, to celebrate finishing all the homework I had to correct, I sat down to watch a movie with Barry. He had filled our Netflix queue with horror movies and film noir but said he was in the mood for something more light-hearted, so before he
Back in the Soup
Published on 2011-01-21 23:59:00
Since we're back to eating right, I made Barry's favorite soup for lunch. This is just about the only vegetarian meal he's not only willing but eager to eat.Vegetable Soup with MilletCooking spray (like Pam)1/2 cup chopped onions1/4 cup chopped
Groping in the Dark
Published on 2011-01-20 12:17:00
Last night we watched the latest movie Barry had ordered from Netflix, Dark City. It was released in 1998 while Titanic was still hogging most of the available theaters and didn't make much of a splash then, but has gone on to become a small cu
The Pity Party Is Over
Published on 2011-01-19 23:26:00
OK, I've recovered from Monday's downward spiral. My weight was down two pounds this morning, I finished grading half the final projects yesterday, and Barry is even in a better mood today. I'm also willing to believe he deflected the com
The Scales of Judgement
Published on 2011-01-18 14:16:00
Last night I felt really depressed. It was one of those days when all the little things piled up.The holiday season is well over and I still haven't put away all of the decorations. Ghosts of Christmas Past, anyone? Plus, during the
If Life Gives You Onions...
Published on 2011-01-17 00:05:00
Barry and I both really like French onion soup, but since we started cutting the salt and fat in our diet we haven't been ordering it in restaurants. Most of them use too much salt and the blanket of cheese draped over the top, while tasty, rea
Better Times in Tunesia
Published on 2011-01-14 02:32:00
Pictures from our day in Tunis:"Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower." ~Hans Christian Andersen http://continuallysurprised.blogspot.com Venting random thoughts before they injure my brain.
Come Again To Carthage
Published on 2011-01-14 00:50:00
Right after I quit my last insurance job, before we knew that the economy would tank and Barry would not be able to sell his house for two years, Barry and I and another couple took a Mediterranean cruise - our last big vacation. One of the sto
The Unbearable Lightness of Scones
Published on 2011-01-13 00:54:00
When I lived in New York, I worked for several years in 7 World Trade Center, the first building to go down on 9/11. It was across the street from the rest of the Trade Center, connected by a pedestrian bridge that looked like a giant gerbil tu
I Love Lawrence
Published on 2011-01-12 00:38:00
This week TCM showed the 1931 film Friends and Lovers, and Barry, who loves old movies, recorded it with our DVR. We watched it last night.The rather forgettable plot of Friends and Lovers revolves around two English soldiers played by Adolphe
Dancing in the Dark
Published on 2011-01-11 00:27:00
This weekend Barry and I went to a ballroom dance with friends. The wife of the other couple told us she's in rehearsal for an upcoming tap and jazz dance show. She just bought new tap shoes and attached the taps she's had since the age o
Support Your Local Library
Published on 2011-01-09 16:39:00
Because I am a voracious book reader and buyer, I was inundated with e-mails from Amazon and Barnes & Noble before Christmas pushing their electronic book readers, the Kindle and Nook respectively. I know that many hard-core readers are swi
Christmas with Pyewacket
Published on 2011-01-07 23:40:00
One last holiday movie review!Tonight for the first time I watched the 1958 Bell Book and Candle, starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, and Elsa Lanchester. It qualifies as a holiday movie because it starts on Christmas Eve and contin
Licensed to Baffle
Published on 2011-01-07 00:30:00
One of the great things about living in Arizona is that we get to keep the same license plate numbers for as long as we own our cars. That's a big help to those of us who have difficulty remembering numbers. In addition, the cost of perso
A Lotta Apricots
Published on 2011-01-05 20:27:00
Today I took the remains of my holiday baking spree to work. I had a plate each of banana bread, gingersnaps, peanut butter fudge, and these, which disappeared more quickly than anything else. Amazingly easy and delicious, too!Apricot Coo
Another One Bites the Dust
Published on 2011-01-05 00:51:00
I don't usually make New Year's resolutions. Stuff happens. Why set myself up for failure? Despite this, during the latter part of 2010 I resolved to go through all my bookshelves before the end of the year and weed out the books that I will never re
The Face that Launched a Thousand Websites
Published on 2011-01-04 00:31:00
My new laptop arrived late this afternoon and I've been installing and activating software ever since. The one piece I haven't played with yet is the facial recognition application. Supposedly it will eliminate the need for me to enter password
The War of the Roses
Published on 2011-01-02 17:18:00
We've had almost a week of unusually cold weather in the Phoenix area. Local newscasters have reminded us every night to cover sensitive plants and leave our faucets dripping so our pipes don't freeze. Today was a little warmer, though, and it's th
Thoroughly Stewed
Published on 2011-01-01 18:03:00
Our New Year's Day party is over, and the stew was a big hit.Here's how I would usually make it for just the two of us:Beef Stew for Two2 tablespoons butter or olive oil 1/2 onion, cut into chunks 2 or 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into coins1 s
A Roast in Every Pot
Published on 2011-01-01 00:34:00
Tomorrow we're serving beef stew to about 20 of our friends. I chose beef stew for the menu for a reason; I had a couple of pot roasts in the freezer that I'm sacrificing for the cause. Sometimes when I make stew for just the two of us I start from