When I hear people complain about how breathing is uncomfortable in the year of pandemic mask-wearing, I think back to how we put up with a bit of discomfort when there was candy to be gotten. I mean, just look at this thing! See those two tiny holes right beneath this hideous cat’s nose? And right above the back of kitty’s tongue – that tiny slit? That’s how we breathed on Halloween. And no one complained. Growing up in the…
Are you old enough to remember the “Keep America Beautiful” slogan? It’s from back in the 1960s (and has nothing to do with current political swag). During President Johnson’s time in office, the First Lady took on a nation-wide project to clean up the look of the place. “We need urgently to restore the beauty of our land.” – Lady Bird Johnson According to the LBJ Library website, her Highway Beautification Act bill almost didn’t pass: Just before the 1965…
Have you ever felt a sense of grace while going through a really hard time? Have you found something to smile or chuckle about through your tears of grief? Mom called this “a sense of holy laughter” in a recorded interview, below. She was referencing how she and her siblings managed to laugh as they stepped cautiously through the final weeks of their father’s life in the spring of 1982. A sense of holy laughter. Grandpa loved a good laugh….
There comes a time in every mother’s life when she simply has to put her foot down. Dad recalls the first time Mom did this. It was in the mid-1960s, we were living in Pittsfield, and there was too much cussin’ going on in our house. “Mom got on my case,” he remembers. I asked Dad, “So what was it, mostly ‘hell’ and ‘damn’?” ” … bastard, too.” The response came much sooner than I would have expected. For those…
Let me just start by saying even Gary, my husband, likes this recipe. I’ve made Fish Florentine since we were newlyweds, and that was a long time ago! Here is the quick and easy recipe, which works for keto menus, using sole or orange roughy. Fish Florentine 4 fillets of sole or orange roughy (up to 1/3 pound each)2 Tbsp. olive oil1/4 – 1/2 cup chopped onion1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheeseSalt and pepper to taste10 oz. frozen spinach (defrost, then…
When I pulled out this month’s volume by Graham Greene, I nearly put it back. Weeks before this highly contentious federal election, did I really need to read The Ministry of Fear? Well, at least it was a book of fiction. The other three September books were non-fiction, and just as scary. Week 1: Disloyal by Michael Cohen When news hit that Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer was working on a memoir, I wondered how deep the confession would go….
Today is the last day of summer. The temperatures have already cooled and the fields are ready for harvest. My darling tomato-picker has been busy all summer: Cameron wasn’t sure he’d like the taste of a grape tomato, but sampled a few each time he visited us this summer. He’s still not sure. When Gary and I went to spend some time with Dad in Connecticut earlier this month (quarantining all the while, as per the Nutmeg State‘s Covid rules),…
“Jelly” is an occasional topic of conversation in our household. It seems Gary was traumatized as a child by all the plum jelly he was forced to consume. Growing up on a farm, with parents who remembered The Great Depression like it was yesterday, Gary knew better than to complain. So he dutifully ate plum jelly on a slice of bread (he calls it “jelly bread,” which I’ve always found confusing) when it was served to him as a kid….
With apologies to Saint Patrick and every last Irish ancestor who came before me, let me just say that cauliflower is a great substitution for potatoes. Whether you’re looking for a keto recipe or simply something different, this Fauxtato Salad comes highly recommended. (Reminder, the French word “faux,” meaning “false,” is pronounced “foh.”) Simply take your favorite potato salad recipe and convert it. Fauxtato Salad (keto recipe) 1 head fresh cauliflower, steamed6-8 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, sliced/chopped1 cup mayonnaise2-4 Tablespoons of…
Two of the four books I read this month are often quoted, even in modern times. From William Shakespeare to Oscar Wilde, their centuries-old writings are still read and quoted frequently. Week 1: The Confidential Agent by Graham Greene This is the third in my Folio Society set of Graham Greene books, and it’s my favorite so far. Our hero is … well, a nerd. He’s not in this thriller situation for anything other than good. Identified only as “D,”…