Okay...so it's time to make merry and get into the holiday spirit for sure. If you haven't got the tree up, the cookies made, the presents at least purchased, and the cards out the door...you're not alone!! I have been working on Christmas since Thanksgiving and am still in the midst of that magical frenzy that I have always thrived on. This year is going to be a "Christmas to Remember" (hmmm isn't that an Amy Grant song?) as we will be taking Christmas on the road and spending the holidays up in Birmingham with Nicole and David. Very much a family of traditions...I am trying to maintain as many as possible while also trying to downsize...yes I said downsize; I can always make up for it next year!! So following my children's lead we will attend Christmas Eve service, take a drive around Birmingham neighborhoods to enjoy the decorations, and open one gift before bed...the annual Christmas matching pjs (can't wait for that fashion show)!! We will also have our big dinner on Christmas Eve which is a first for us. On Christmas morning we will have our traditional breakfast and then enjoy opening gifts and relaxing...I think we might even go to the movies in the afternoon as there are some coming out that we all want to see (this is another first, at least for me...).
We are all so focused on the arrival of Claire that the usual fun and frenzy of Christmas pales a little. I think this is a good thing and definitely a God thing for us as we realize that our family is truly going to be blessed by this tiny miracle who will soon change our world.
So, yes, I am only half way through my Christmas card list, there are still presents to be bought and wrapped, and our hearts and minds are somewhere else...and it's grand!!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Thanksgiving Blessings
Thanksgiving is a favorite in our house. It is the beginning of the "holiday season" and has all the elements necessary to make great memories...family, friends, football, food, and yes...black Friday!!
Our Thanksgivings have evolved through the years. When we first came to Florida, we spent Thanksgivings with my aunt and uncle and all of their extended family. There might be anywhere from 12 - 25 guests depending on who wanted to spend the holiday in sunny Florida (and of course whoever my uncle had invited the day before while visiting with customers and friends who wandered through his gas station). There was always a football game on the TV and loads of people from several generations visiting and enjoying a great meal. Eventually, our family grew as did our circle of friends and we began hosting Thanksgiving in our home. Again it was a time of lots of family....those who lived in town and those who came to visit, as well as close friends who couldn't get to their families....and yes, my husband had taken to inviting someone who needed a family for the day. Those years, when our children were still young, hold some of my fondest memories....getting up early to eat breakfast and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (dashing into the kitchen on commercials to continue working on some side dish or to pull the turkey out of the oven just to check on it?!). Honestly, side dishes are my favorite at Thanksgiving. Give me a plate full of stuffing/dressing, mashed potatoes swimming in gravy, sweet potato casserole, my grandmother's creamed lima beans, pineapple cheese salad, and CANNED cranberry sauce, and I am a very happy camper. I know that there are turkey lovers out there, so Mr. Turkey is the guest of honor and provides ambiance for the meal. The smell of the roasted turkey and the sight of it sitting at the head of our table awaiting the lucky man chosen to tackle him with a carving knife and fork (after being prayed over of course) brings back memories that make me smile....does anyone remember when the electric knife was the latest and greatest thing!!!
In recent years Thanksgivings have taken place at Rich's parent's house. We have blended traditions together and created new ones (such as decorative place settings handcrafted for each guest...check out the fun picture of the Indian headbands modeled by Nicole and David). We still get up early at our house and turn on the beloved parade to enjoy the streets of New York all festive and full of good cheer (someday, someday). A couple of years ago, much to my children's delight, I started a new tradition, The-Come-In-Your-PJs-Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Breakfast. Family and friends all show up to enjoy breakfast and parade fun...this year's party will include a trivia contest!! Lots of fun and just the beginning of a day filled with food and special people.
This weekend will be jam-packed...there is the Alabama/Auburn football game on Friday and the FSU/Florida game on Saturday (though I have a notion neither of my teams will win I will still tune in and root them on). In and amongst that, we will try to fit in putting up and decorating our Christmas tree together as a family, and send Chelsea back off to Auburn for a few weeks! Hmmm, I may have to forgo Black Friday!!!!!
I am thankful for so much this year...but a few big ones include Nicole's healthy pregnancy and the coming of Claire Elizabeth, Chelsea's transition into college, Katelyn...she hasn't gone anywhere and won't for almost two years and she is always the sane one in this bunch, Rich...he is the foundation of this family and that is why we are so strong. I'm also thankful that our extended family is healthy, Sue's surgery was a success and she continues to reach her goals (and the latest was buying some cool clothes in Talbots!), and that our best friends may actually end up staying in Florida (Woohoo Southwest!).
Wherever you are this Thanksgiving I hope it is a great holiday full of turkey and lots of sides, family and friends, and if it's your thing... successful shopping! I would love to hear about your special holiday traditions and wish you and your family safe travels and peace.
Our Thanksgivings have evolved through the years. When we first came to Florida, we spent Thanksgivings with my aunt and uncle and all of their extended family. There might be anywhere from 12 - 25 guests depending on who wanted to spend the holiday in sunny Florida (and of course whoever my uncle had invited the day before while visiting with customers and friends who wandered through his gas station). There was always a football game on the TV and loads of people from several generations visiting and enjoying a great meal. Eventually, our family grew as did our circle of friends and we began hosting Thanksgiving in our home. Again it was a time of lots of family....those who lived in town and those who came to visit, as well as close friends who couldn't get to their families....and yes, my husband had taken to inviting someone who needed a family for the day. Those years, when our children were still young, hold some of my fondest memories....getting up early to eat breakfast and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (dashing into the kitchen on commercials to continue working on some side dish or to pull the turkey out of the oven just to check on it?!). Honestly, side dishes are my favorite at Thanksgiving. Give me a plate full of stuffing/dressing, mashed potatoes swimming in gravy, sweet potato casserole, my grandmother's creamed lima beans, pineapple cheese salad, and CANNED cranberry sauce, and I am a very happy camper. I know that there are turkey lovers out there, so Mr. Turkey is the guest of honor and provides ambiance for the meal. The smell of the roasted turkey and the sight of it sitting at the head of our table awaiting the lucky man chosen to tackle him with a carving knife and fork (after being prayed over of course) brings back memories that make me smile....does anyone remember when the electric knife was the latest and greatest thing!!!
In recent years Thanksgivings have taken place at Rich's parent's house. We have blended traditions together and created new ones (such as decorative place settings handcrafted for each guest...check out the fun picture of the Indian headbands modeled by Nicole and David). We still get up early at our house and turn on the beloved parade to enjoy the streets of New York all festive and full of good cheer (someday, someday). A couple of years ago, much to my children's delight, I started a new tradition, The-Come-In-Your-PJs-Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Breakfast. Family and friends all show up to enjoy breakfast and parade fun...this year's party will include a trivia contest!! Lots of fun and just the beginning of a day filled with food and special people.
This weekend will be jam-packed...there is the Alabama/Auburn football game on Friday and the FSU/Florida game on Saturday (though I have a notion neither of my teams will win I will still tune in and root them on). In and amongst that, we will try to fit in putting up and decorating our Christmas tree together as a family, and send Chelsea back off to Auburn for a few weeks! Hmmm, I may have to forgo Black Friday!!!!!
I am thankful for so much this year...but a few big ones include Nicole's healthy pregnancy and the coming of Claire Elizabeth, Chelsea's transition into college, Katelyn...she hasn't gone anywhere and won't for almost two years and she is always the sane one in this bunch, Rich...he is the foundation of this family and that is why we are so strong. I'm also thankful that our extended family is healthy, Sue's surgery was a success and she continues to reach her goals (and the latest was buying some cool clothes in Talbots!), and that our best friends may actually end up staying in Florida (Woohoo Southwest!).
Wherever you are this Thanksgiving I hope it is a great holiday full of turkey and lots of sides, family and friends, and if it's your thing... successful shopping! I would love to hear about your special holiday traditions and wish you and your family safe travels and peace.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Nineteen and Counting
On Sunday, November 18, 1990, Chelsea Elizabeth Patterson Dodd came into the world. I had just completed student teaching at Northside Elementary school that Friday afternoon. I was thrilled to have finished and very exhausted, so my only memory of that weekend was of that Sunday morning. I was standing in our family room talking to Rich and suddenly...my water broke. We got Nicole (then 8 years old) situated with my two cousins and went to the hospital. After eight long hours Chelsea was born...all 9 pounds of her (I say that as if it were no big deal...it was. I had had Nicole by c-section and was not prepared for this much fun).
Chelsea was a beautiful, chubby baby with a fabulous set of lungs...I think she cried for a month while I attempted to deal with Thanksgiving, Christmas, nursing, a third grader, etc! We tried everything in relieving her colic; one evening, exhausted, I put her in the bassinet and she let out a huge sigh and went to sleep...my sweet baby girl just wanted her space (she's like that to this day).
As with Nicole, Chelsea was bald for the first 2 years and then came her beautiful, red, curly hair (it had a life of its own)! Her personality emerged with her hair. Her blue eyes would sparkle and her hair would bounce around and once she started laughing...Chelsea has always been full of energy, never happy sitting still, she would actually watch her favorite Disney movies while doing back walk-overs! She started dance classes when she was four, soccer at five, and t-ball at seven. Soccer quickly became her thing.
In middle school she earned the nickname "Triple C" from her school soccer coach. Calm, cool, collected...she had mastered channeling her energy and all the years of dance classes gave her the very recognizable pointed-toe kick that she used on the field. While soccer was her passion and it seemed we were always at something soccer related, I have memories of her with her friends and family goofing off and laughing, laughing, laughing (at nothing sometimes). Her first eight years of school were spent in a small, very family-oriented private christian school. So many milestones happened during those years, all within the safety and sometimes prying eyes of the teachers and friends that she had known her whole life. I've asked and she quickly answers she wouldn't have had it any other way.
High School was a time of so many changes for her...public school, AP classes, high school soccer, new friends, driver's license, boyfriends, broken hearts, tennis team, trip to Italy, senior year, parties and fun, college applications...so many decisions. At the beginning of her junior year she broke her leg charging the goalie in a soccer game, an event that shook her to her core. Because of the type of break, recovery was long and difficult and though she tried with everything she had, she had to walk away from soccer two weeks after the season started her senior year. My heart broke for her, but...calm, cool, and collected; she shed her tears privately and moved on, determined to have a great senior year. She filled the soccer void with homecoming...football games, parties, tennis, and somewhere in there lots of studying. Graduating with high honors and a prestigious scholarship opportunity at Auburn University, she enjoyed her summer (did I mention that she enjoyed her summer?)!!
Now starting her third month at Auburn she is in the thick of new adventures....life away from home, new friends, no curfews, honors classes, a new church, football games, boys (accept they don't look like boys anymore). My heart swells with pride when I look at the accomplished young woman she has become and I will tell you that my tears are all about the celebration of who she is....but don't you know they are also about the last nineteen years of joy that she has brought to our lives and just a little bit of wondering where did the time go!!!
So I say....Happy Birthday dear sweet Chelsea...let your light shine!
I love you, Mom.
Ten Things You Might Not Know About Chelsea:
1) She has two middle names Elizabeth for my grandmother, Patterson for Rich's mother.
2) Just like her father, she does not judge others.
3) She loves pumpkin pie and Cool Whip (lots of Cool Whip).
4) If she could do anything?....play on a soccer team again.
5) She turns to music when she's upset, ecstatic, and anywhere in between.
6) Like her mother, she loves a new purse.
7) She plays Nancy Drew Mystery games on the computer with Katelyn and Nicole...(my little problem solvers)!
8) While she loves jewelry, she will rarely wear both a necklace and earrings at the same time...too matchy-match.
9) She had 6 wisdom teeth removed!!!!
10) Always on the go she's never been a big reader...never had time...but she's reading New Moon again so I think she's in love with that vampire Edward Cullen!!!!
Chelsea was a beautiful, chubby baby with a fabulous set of lungs...I think she cried for a month while I attempted to deal with Thanksgiving, Christmas, nursing, a third grader, etc! We tried everything in relieving her colic; one evening, exhausted, I put her in the bassinet and she let out a huge sigh and went to sleep...my sweet baby girl just wanted her space (she's like that to this day).
As with Nicole, Chelsea was bald for the first 2 years and then came her beautiful, red, curly hair (it had a life of its own)! Her personality emerged with her hair. Her blue eyes would sparkle and her hair would bounce around and once she started laughing...Chelsea has always been full of energy, never happy sitting still, she would actually watch her favorite Disney movies while doing back walk-overs! She started dance classes when she was four, soccer at five, and t-ball at seven. Soccer quickly became her thing.
In middle school she earned the nickname "Triple C" from her school soccer coach. Calm, cool, collected...she had mastered channeling her energy and all the years of dance classes gave her the very recognizable pointed-toe kick that she used on the field. While soccer was her passion and it seemed we were always at something soccer related, I have memories of her with her friends and family goofing off and laughing, laughing, laughing (at nothing sometimes). Her first eight years of school were spent in a small, very family-oriented private christian school. So many milestones happened during those years, all within the safety and sometimes prying eyes of the teachers and friends that she had known her whole life. I've asked and she quickly answers she wouldn't have had it any other way.
High School was a time of so many changes for her...public school, AP classes, high school soccer, new friends, driver's license, boyfriends, broken hearts, tennis team, trip to Italy, senior year, parties and fun, college applications...so many decisions. At the beginning of her junior year she broke her leg charging the goalie in a soccer game, an event that shook her to her core. Because of the type of break, recovery was long and difficult and though she tried with everything she had, she had to walk away from soccer two weeks after the season started her senior year. My heart broke for her, but...calm, cool, and collected; she shed her tears privately and moved on, determined to have a great senior year. She filled the soccer void with homecoming...football games, parties, tennis, and somewhere in there lots of studying. Graduating with high honors and a prestigious scholarship opportunity at Auburn University, she enjoyed her summer (did I mention that she enjoyed her summer?)!!
Now starting her third month at Auburn she is in the thick of new adventures....life away from home, new friends, no curfews, honors classes, a new church, football games, boys (accept they don't look like boys anymore). My heart swells with pride when I look at the accomplished young woman she has become and I will tell you that my tears are all about the celebration of who she is....but don't you know they are also about the last nineteen years of joy that she has brought to our lives and just a little bit of wondering where did the time go!!!
So I say....Happy Birthday dear sweet Chelsea...let your light shine!
I love you, Mom.
Ten Things You Might Not Know About Chelsea:
1) She has two middle names Elizabeth for my grandmother, Patterson for Rich's mother.
2) Just like her father, she does not judge others.
3) She loves pumpkin pie and Cool Whip (lots of Cool Whip).
4) If she could do anything?....play on a soccer team again.
5) She turns to music when she's upset, ecstatic, and anywhere in between.
6) Like her mother, she loves a new purse.
7) She plays Nancy Drew Mystery games on the computer with Katelyn and Nicole...(my little problem solvers)!
8) While she loves jewelry, she will rarely wear both a necklace and earrings at the same time...too matchy-match.
9) She had 6 wisdom teeth removed!!!!
10) Always on the go she's never been a big reader...never had time...but she's reading New Moon again so I think she's in love with that vampire Edward Cullen!!!!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Halloween
Next to Christmas, Halloween was the holiday I most looked forward to as a child. My memories of Halloween start when I was old enough to go out with other neighborhood kids, all of us clad in plastic sweaty masks and maybe a cheap costume worn more-often-than-not over a winter coat. Most years the weather was blustery cold. Behind those masks our restricted vision and runny noses, paired with cumbersome costumes, would make for some precarious trips up and down the roads and yes, across alleys, through yards, and a couple of times on a dare...through one of the two cemeteries in my neighborhood. We loved it!
We would take old pillow cases and drag those things around with us for two - three hours, piling as much candy as possible into them. We mapped out our routes so as to maximize the number of houses we would hit. We always went to the house at the bottom of the hill first because those people were too busy to answer their door and so put a bushel basket of candy out on the front porch!!!! We had our favorite stops, not-so-favorite stops, and even a few houses that we didn't go to. By the end of the night, tired and cold, we would all make our way back home, anxious to check out our stash! I can remember separating my candy into "types" with candy bars being the big ticket item. While Clark Bars were a favorite Halloween treat, Mallow Cups followed a close second. They were a two-fold score because they were yummy tasting and inside the package were point cards. Now I can't tell you the purpose of those points and I don't think I ever sent off for anything...but I saved them nonetheless! Today Halloween candy takes up a couple of aisles in Target and the choices are endless; everything is prepackaged in individual servings and candy bars are in miniature (an obvious benefit). While I like the convenience, I am glad to be from the generation in which a candy bar was a candy bar...oh the joy!!!
My girls grew up during the time when our entertainment industry was being flooded with Halloween horror movies, and everything surrounding the holiday took a slightly gruesome turn. We lived in a great neighborhood and were still able to take the girls out to visit neighbors and enjoyed the trick-or-treaters (well there was the guy who dressed up in some sort of just-escaped-from-the-grave outfit and literally drug an ax along the road behind him...yea the police had to come take him away). Somehow the innocent candy-gathering holiday had lost a bit of its luster.
We would take old pillow cases and drag those things around with us for two - three hours, piling as much candy as possible into them. We mapped out our routes so as to maximize the number of houses we would hit. We always went to the house at the bottom of the hill first because those people were too busy to answer their door and so put a bushel basket of candy out on the front porch!!!! We had our favorite stops, not-so-favorite stops, and even a few houses that we didn't go to. By the end of the night, tired and cold, we would all make our way back home, anxious to check out our stash! I can remember separating my candy into "types" with candy bars being the big ticket item. While Clark Bars were a favorite Halloween treat, Mallow Cups followed a close second. They were a two-fold score because they were yummy tasting and inside the package were point cards. Now I can't tell you the purpose of those points and I don't think I ever sent off for anything...but I saved them nonetheless! Today Halloween candy takes up a couple of aisles in Target and the choices are endless; everything is prepackaged in individual servings and candy bars are in miniature (an obvious benefit). While I like the convenience, I am glad to be from the generation in which a candy bar was a candy bar...oh the joy!!!
My girls grew up during the time when our entertainment industry was being flooded with Halloween horror movies, and everything surrounding the holiday took a slightly gruesome turn. We lived in a great neighborhood and were still able to take the girls out to visit neighbors and enjoyed the trick-or-treaters (well there was the guy who dressed up in some sort of just-escaped-from-the-grave outfit and literally drug an ax along the road behind him...yea the police had to come take him away). Somehow the innocent candy-gathering holiday had lost a bit of its luster.
I still see commercials on TV that portray the traditional Halloween and I am hopeful that families with young children still tune into "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown," still carve pumpkins and roast pumpkin seeds, still ponder which would be the best costume to wear, and make plans to enjoy the evening with neighborhood friends and family.
We are going to visit family in Atlanta this weekend and hope to see carved pumpkins, trick-or-treaters, and fall colored leaves (my sister-in-law loves a good fall gathering so I'm certain she has this all in order)!! Check out some pictures from our past Halloweens and have a fun, safe, and candy-bar filled Halloween!!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Baby, Baby!!
Baby showers are just too fun...You have one slightly apprehensive first time mom-to-be in a room full of women, most of whom have given birth at least once (and single-handed to hear the stories). Add food, cameras, and those beautifully wrapped boxes and you are guaranteed a good time. I just returned from Birmingham and Nicole's second baby shower. The first, here in Panama City, was hosted by our cousin Sue, Chelsea, and Katelyn. That shower was a family affair...complete with a beautiful cake created by Nicole's brother-in-law (the budding pastry chef), Aaron Conrad. It was a great experience for Katelyn to be a part of the behind the scenes prep that goes into an event...she put together Nicole's pac'n play, polished silver, and was Sue's partner in crime!! Chelsea "flew " in from Atlanta the morning of the shower so she had a limited role as a hostess ("uh, very limited," says Katelyn rolling her eyes)!! Family and friends from both sides of the family gathered to shower Nicole with love and gifts.
The shower was given by Nicole's girlfriends and was held next door at Meredith's home. I enjoyed this shower so much. As a mother it is sooooo....I am having a hard time coming up with the right word....overwhelming, encouraging, amazing (you get the idea) to witness the love being poured out by friends and teachers that work with Nicole. Meredith's home was decorated beautifully (no small task as she has two small children and her husband Jonathon was in Oxford with David). The food was fabulous and I was very glad I had skipped the bowl of Special K earlier!!! I was finally able to put faces with names of teachers that Nicole talks about all the time. Her Briarwood family and her neighbors are a blessing to her and I feel so good knowing that all these women will be right there when Nicole, David, and Claire have their daily adventures!
With the shower over and all the gifts home...Nicole and I went downtown to pick up her baby crib. She also took me to see St. Vincent's hospital where Claire will be born and gave me a rundown of all the important info..."Starbucks is in the lobby mom!!!" Chelsea and Kate got some homework done in the early afternoon and then we went out shopping and for dinner. I don't think it is possible for us to go to Birmingham without making a trip to the Summit to visit our favorites...Williams and Sonoma, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Pottery Barn (and now Pottery Barn Kids), and either P.F. Changs or California Pizza Kitchen.
Home at last and surprisingly with a second wind, we turned on the Auburn/LSU game and went to work on the nursery. By the game's end (yes, we still say "War Eagle"), the nursery was as done as we could get it. Minus the things that David wants to do...put together the crib, and hang the curtain rod and chandelier, it looks like a sweet little home for Claire...Nicole even managed to wash all of the tiny baby things and they are neatly lined up in the dresser drawers.
Taking a last glance at the nursery before leaving just cements in my mind that Nicole isn't just pregnant...she's going to have a baby!!! It's amazing and so exciting and we can't wait for Claire to come and rock our world. You see the nursery use to be the home of David's guitars and more recently the rock band stuff, so it is only fitting.
On Friday of last week Katelyn and I headed up to Birmingham with the car FULL of the gifts from the first baby shower...the second baby shower was the next morning. Though not planned, it turned into a Dodd girls' weekend...David left Friday right after work with his friend Jonathon and headed over to Oxford, Mississippi to enjoy some Ole Miss football and Rich stayed in Panama City to babysit the dogs (okay...Gabby) and work some in preparation for his trip to North Carolina today. On Saturday morning we all got up and it was truly like when the girls were growing up and all four of us would end up in one bathroom!!!!
With the shower over and all the gifts home...Nicole and I went downtown to pick up her baby crib. She also took me to see St. Vincent's hospital where Claire will be born and gave me a rundown of all the important info..."Starbucks is in the lobby mom!!!" Chelsea and Kate got some homework done in the early afternoon and then we went out shopping and for dinner. I don't think it is possible for us to go to Birmingham without making a trip to the Summit to visit our favorites...Williams and Sonoma, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Pottery Barn (and now Pottery Barn Kids), and either P.F. Changs or California Pizza Kitchen.
Home at last and surprisingly with a second wind, we turned on the Auburn/LSU game and went to work on the nursery. By the game's end (yes, we still say "War Eagle"), the nursery was as done as we could get it. Minus the things that David wants to do...put together the crib, and hang the curtain rod and chandelier, it looks like a sweet little home for Claire...Nicole even managed to wash all of the tiny baby things and they are neatly lined up in the dresser drawers.
Taking a last glance at the nursery before leaving just cements in my mind that Nicole isn't just pregnant...she's going to have a baby!!! It's amazing and so exciting and we can't wait for Claire to come and rock our world. You see the nursery use to be the home of David's guitars and more recently the rock band stuff, so it is only fitting.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
One of my favorite "fall" people has to be Julie Mullins. Her birthday is on Halloween and she exudes the festive spirit of this holiday in a joyful way. She also has some of the best Halloween related recipes such as the following Pumpkin Dip. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Dip
1 pumpkin (4 - 6 pounds), washed and dried
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (or garlic powder)
6 ounces swiss cheese, shredded
4 slices white bread, toasted & crumbled
2 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 pint half and half
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut 2 inch slice from top of pumpkin and save.
Remove seeds and fibers from pumpkin.
Blend oil & garlic and rub into inside of pumpkin.
Place pumpkin in a large roasting pan.
Alternate layers of toast crumbs and cheeses inside of pumpkin.
Combine half and half, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and pour over layers in pumpkin.
Replace top and bake pumpkin 2 hours, gently stirring contents after 1 1/2 hours.
Serve with Frito Scoops or flatbread.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Fall...Where are you?
Is it fall...anywhere? It's mid-October and I have pulled out the pumpkins, planted the mums,purchased the required autumn scented candles, stocked the pantry with the necessities to make chicken and dumplings, and filled the candy dish (a couple of times) with candy corn....SO WHERE IS FALL??
Truly, this is what I miss most about my childhood. I grew up in northern West Virginia and as I recall, it had perfect four-season weather. When school started (always the Tuesday after Labor Day) the mornings would be slightly cool and the days would be bright and sunny. Up the hill from my house and on the walking route to Hamilton Junior High School, were two very large apple trees. In my memory(note the disclaimer) one was a green apple and the other a red delicious... we climbed those trees many a fall day and picked the biggest and best looking apples we could find. It was a challenge to see how high we could climb, find the largest most perfect apple, and still manage to avoid "old man Boil" as he was oh so fondly referred to. He didn't own the trees but you wouldn't know it by the way he acted.
October would usher in frosty mornings and beautifully colored leaves falling from the trees. One of my favorite fall art projects in grade school required the collecting of fallen leaves (that hadn't turned brown)and the rendering of crayon rubbings on newsprint paper. I never got tired of that art project and each year it would appear like a trusted friend. School memories come flooding back as I sit and remember...another was the annual fire prevention week. Smokey the Bear would arrive on the fire truck at our grade school and we would have a pep rally of sorts, cheering on the efforts of the local fire departments. During the week before this very important visit we would learn all about fire safety and the details of the annual poster contest would be laid out. The winning fire prevention poster would be announced at the rally and I remember vividly wanting to win that poster contest. While I had a lot of creative ideas I could never quite get them on paper like this one little girl. I don't remember her name, but she had the most artistic posters, and I believe she won that contest more than once.
During the month of October our classroom would fill with art projects. Bats would swing from the ceiling along with witches made from coat hangers and black pantyhose. Jack-o-lanterns with cellophane colored eyes and mouths would adorn the windows. Black Cats would line up the top of the bulletin boards with long curling tails dangling down the chalkboard. I loved all that stuff...it made school so much more enticing somehow and I know that it was in those classrooms that I picked up the decorating bug that to this day bites me at the start of every season.
As time progressed and I was in high school, fall became synonymous with high school football. Now I readily admit I was not popular in high school...wasn't a cheerleader...but I loved Parkersburg High School's Big Red Indians and was a loyal football fan. Our school was one of the largest in the state (my graduation class had 724 students)and was usually a contender in the statewide sports arena. Buddy James football was big and our team won the state championship during my senior year in high school...Exciting as that was my, memories once again are of the frosty cold fall nights at the stadium where the cheering section would huddle together to keep warm. The cheerleaders would be dressed in their wool pleated skirts and lettered sweaters...teeth chattering at times between cheers!! When Katelyn cheered in high school and we made the weekly trip to the football stadium to watch the games, I have to admit it took some getting used to sitting in oppressing heat, eating snow cones and wearing tank tops. It just seems like football should be played in cold weather...otherwise what is the use for stadium blankets????
So here I am in Florida for my 26th straight fall and I do what I can to urge the season into existence. I pull out the decorating stops. I light the candles that fill the house with the scent of a hundred pumpkin pies and I wait, sometimes in frustration(like this past week when the temperature was nearly 90 degrees), for that magic morning when I open the back door and the outside has caught up with the inside of my house and it feels like fall. Katelyn waits with anticipation for the morning she can leave for school with a new favorite sweater, not because her school is so cold it feels like a meat locker, but because the air has a chill to it and wearing the sweater just feels good!
Chelsea is up in Auburn, several hours north of us, and I keep assuring her that fall (her absolute favorite time of the year)is going to be spectacular up there. Her first year away from us and all of our "autumn traditions" leaves her feeling as if she is missing out on the season...but hold on I keep telling her, it's coming and you are gonna love it up there cause it will really feel like fall.
So fall...don't let me down...we're all ready and waiting.
Truly, this is what I miss most about my childhood. I grew up in northern West Virginia and as I recall, it had perfect four-season weather. When school started (always the Tuesday after Labor Day) the mornings would be slightly cool and the days would be bright and sunny. Up the hill from my house and on the walking route to Hamilton Junior High School, were two very large apple trees. In my memory(note the disclaimer) one was a green apple and the other a red delicious... we climbed those trees many a fall day and picked the biggest and best looking apples we could find. It was a challenge to see how high we could climb, find the largest most perfect apple, and still manage to avoid "old man Boil" as he was oh so fondly referred to. He didn't own the trees but you wouldn't know it by the way he acted.
October would usher in frosty mornings and beautifully colored leaves falling from the trees. One of my favorite fall art projects in grade school required the collecting of fallen leaves (that hadn't turned brown)and the rendering of crayon rubbings on newsprint paper. I never got tired of that art project and each year it would appear like a trusted friend. School memories come flooding back as I sit and remember...another was the annual fire prevention week. Smokey the Bear would arrive on the fire truck at our grade school and we would have a pep rally of sorts, cheering on the efforts of the local fire departments. During the week before this very important visit we would learn all about fire safety and the details of the annual poster contest would be laid out. The winning fire prevention poster would be announced at the rally and I remember vividly wanting to win that poster contest. While I had a lot of creative ideas I could never quite get them on paper like this one little girl. I don't remember her name, but she had the most artistic posters, and I believe she won that contest more than once.
During the month of October our classroom would fill with art projects. Bats would swing from the ceiling along with witches made from coat hangers and black pantyhose. Jack-o-lanterns with cellophane colored eyes and mouths would adorn the windows. Black Cats would line up the top of the bulletin boards with long curling tails dangling down the chalkboard. I loved all that stuff...it made school so much more enticing somehow and I know that it was in those classrooms that I picked up the decorating bug that to this day bites me at the start of every season.
As time progressed and I was in high school, fall became synonymous with high school football. Now I readily admit I was not popular in high school...wasn't a cheerleader...but I loved Parkersburg High School's Big Red Indians and was a loyal football fan. Our school was one of the largest in the state (my graduation class had 724 students)and was usually a contender in the statewide sports arena. Buddy James football was big and our team won the state championship during my senior year in high school...Exciting as that was my, memories once again are of the frosty cold fall nights at the stadium where the cheering section would huddle together to keep warm. The cheerleaders would be dressed in their wool pleated skirts and lettered sweaters...teeth chattering at times between cheers!! When Katelyn cheered in high school and we made the weekly trip to the football stadium to watch the games, I have to admit it took some getting used to sitting in oppressing heat, eating snow cones and wearing tank tops. It just seems like football should be played in cold weather...otherwise what is the use for stadium blankets????
So here I am in Florida for my 26th straight fall and I do what I can to urge the season into existence. I pull out the decorating stops. I light the candles that fill the house with the scent of a hundred pumpkin pies and I wait, sometimes in frustration(like this past week when the temperature was nearly 90 degrees), for that magic morning when I open the back door and the outside has caught up with the inside of my house and it feels like fall. Katelyn waits with anticipation for the morning she can leave for school with a new favorite sweater, not because her school is so cold it feels like a meat locker, but because the air has a chill to it and wearing the sweater just feels good!
Chelsea is up in Auburn, several hours north of us, and I keep assuring her that fall (her absolute favorite time of the year)is going to be spectacular up there. Her first year away from us and all of our "autumn traditions" leaves her feeling as if she is missing out on the season...but hold on I keep telling her, it's coming and you are gonna love it up there cause it will really feel like fall.
So fall...don't let me down...we're all ready and waiting.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Words of Wisdom
It is Sunday evening and in our home that is synonymous with the word ritual. After our busy weekends we always gear up for the work week. This usually includes Katelyn finishing homework, Rich perusing the football game on TV, and me ....well I could be doing just about anything. Tonight, as I am at the computer trying to decide which direction I want to go for my blog (so much to say ha ha), our little Yorkie puppy, Gabby, came running through the sunroom with a chewy stick hanging out of her mouth. Not sure what the breakneck run was all about... as no one was chasing her, but Katelyn glanced up from her homework and in a very motherly voice said "Gabby you really shouldn't run with that in your mouth. You could get hurt." For whatever reason my brain, which was trying to produce some witty thoughts to put down in this blog, immediately switched gears to ...so my children do listen to me when I talk!!!
The words of wisdom I have imparted to my three girls over the years could fill volumes. Of course some of those aforementioned volumes would be repetitive as I have been known to say some things more than once. When they were little it was so straightforward, all warnings were safety related ..."Don't touch; that is hot, sharp, breakable...." As we moved through childhood the directives expanded to include street crossing rules and public restroom etiquette (for some reason "Can't you just wait till we get home?" doesn't work for 3,5,7,9, and pregnant 27 year olds)!
We've been through curfews, driving rules, and cell phone rules (yep, my teenager has texted me to tell me she is on her way home and will be late because she is on empty and must stop immediately for gas...three rules broken right there)!!!!
At the end of the day though I am very thankful that my three girls have survived my mothering and have actually listened and taken into consideration my words of wisdom. The day is quickly approaching when Nicole will become a mother. I have to smile and wonder what her mothering techniques will be. So glad that I get the job of grandma...but that is a topic for another day.
The words of wisdom I have imparted to my three girls over the years could fill volumes. Of course some of those aforementioned volumes would be repetitive as I have been known to say some things more than once. When they were little it was so straightforward, all warnings were safety related ..."Don't touch; that is hot, sharp, breakable...." As we moved through childhood the directives expanded to include street crossing rules and public restroom etiquette (for some reason "Can't you just wait till we get home?" doesn't work for 3,5,7,9, and pregnant 27 year olds)!
We've been through curfews, driving rules, and cell phone rules (yep, my teenager has texted me to tell me she is on her way home and will be late because she is on empty and must stop immediately for gas...three rules broken right there)!!!!
At the end of the day though I am very thankful that my three girls have survived my mothering and have actually listened and taken into consideration my words of wisdom. The day is quickly approaching when Nicole will become a mother. I have to smile and wonder what her mothering techniques will be. So glad that I get the job of grandma...but that is a topic for another day.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Is Fifty Nifty?
I recently turned 50...actually three days ago. I celebrated with my husband, three daughters, son-in-law, mother and father-in-law, cousin, uncle and a family friend. I chose the restaurant and we spent an evening catching up on news, drinking martinis, overeating delicious food, and dashing out to the bar in the restaurant to catch the latest scores on very important football games. All told it was a wonderful evening spent with the people who matter the most to me...but without a lot of fanfare and hoopla. I had been asked in secret "hey mom do you want a big party...small party...dinner party for 12...a surprise party (how was that supposed to work)? I shook my head no and said just dinner with the family.
I spent some time during my 49th year thinking "What is the big deal about turning fifty?" No one treats me any differently at 49 than they did, say, five years ago. But then one day my husband (18 months my junior) sauntered smugly into the kitchen with the mail; and yes he sauntered!!! "Here's something for you," he stated trying to keep a straight face. My AARP application had arrived in the mail. Who are these people and how do they know I am about to turn 50 when the lady in Dillards I've bought shoes from for years is stunned to find this out!!!
So I began to ponder this milestone and decided to brainstorm some ideas about how I could turn my 50th year into an event. I toyed with ideas of doing something landmark during this year...you know, like run a marathon (I ran the Disney Half Marathon in 2005, so if I concentrate I can imagine the hours I would log doing short runs, long runs, and coming up with reasons for no runs....oh the pain).
I've thought of reading through the Bible, and yes, that I may do, as I am only three days behind at this point and have read some parts so many times I may be able to skim and therefore catch up. I have thought of learning a foreign language...not a useful one such as Spanish...not a refresher of French which I took for seven years through high school and college (I've read Candide by Voltaire...in French, and only like to read Le Petit Prince in French). No, I want to learn Italian, because Italy is my absolute favorite country to travel in, and after three fabulous trips there I figure it is time to learn the language.
I've thought of totally, finally, and once and for all organizing all of my closets to perfection. I've read Alexandra Stoddard and realize that I am somewhat lacking in the well appointed pantry and linen closet; I just tend to get caught up in the whole unloading of the closets and being brutal about getting rid of stuff.
Last, but not least, I've thought of re-reading my very favorite books(there are only five) and while that seems like a really grand thing, I would have to stay out of bookstores until this was accomplished...something I am not certain I have the will power to do. You see, next to shoes and purses...I love books.
So with many possibilities before me and no lack of daily duties to distract me, my 50th did arrive among news of the upcoming birth of our very first grandchild and the departure of yet another daughter going off to college. What have I decided to do to mark, in some significant way, my 50th year? Well stay tuned because there are days when I just have to laugh and think to myself; No Really...This is my life.
I spent some time during my 49th year thinking "What is the big deal about turning fifty?" No one treats me any differently at 49 than they did, say, five years ago. But then one day my husband (18 months my junior) sauntered smugly into the kitchen with the mail; and yes he sauntered!!! "Here's something for you," he stated trying to keep a straight face. My AARP application had arrived in the mail. Who are these people and how do they know I am about to turn 50 when the lady in Dillards I've bought shoes from for years is stunned to find this out!!!
So I began to ponder this milestone and decided to brainstorm some ideas about how I could turn my 50th year into an event. I toyed with ideas of doing something landmark during this year...you know, like run a marathon (I ran the Disney Half Marathon in 2005, so if I concentrate I can imagine the hours I would log doing short runs, long runs, and coming up with reasons for no runs....oh the pain).
I've thought of reading through the Bible, and yes, that I may do, as I am only three days behind at this point and have read some parts so many times I may be able to skim and therefore catch up. I have thought of learning a foreign language...not a useful one such as Spanish...not a refresher of French which I took for seven years through high school and college (I've read Candide by Voltaire...in French, and only like to read Le Petit Prince in French). No, I want to learn Italian, because Italy is my absolute favorite country to travel in, and after three fabulous trips there I figure it is time to learn the language.
I've thought of totally, finally, and once and for all organizing all of my closets to perfection. I've read Alexandra Stoddard and realize that I am somewhat lacking in the well appointed pantry and linen closet; I just tend to get caught up in the whole unloading of the closets and being brutal about getting rid of stuff.
Last, but not least, I've thought of re-reading my very favorite books(there are only five) and while that seems like a really grand thing, I would have to stay out of bookstores until this was accomplished...something I am not certain I have the will power to do. You see, next to shoes and purses...I love books.
So with many possibilities before me and no lack of daily duties to distract me, my 50th did arrive among news of the upcoming birth of our very first grandchild and the departure of yet another daughter going off to college. What have I decided to do to mark, in some significant way, my 50th year? Well stay tuned because there are days when I just have to laugh and think to myself; No Really...This is my life.
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