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I miss the battle.

Two guys, one West Point and one Annapolis, bet an under $10 bottle of wine on the game every year. The bottle came to the winner with a black ribbon.

Both men are gone now, one at West Point and one at Annapolis. This Memorial Day I honor them for their service to our country.

Honors to AJ and Buck. D, J and Z

the rain is gone. I can clear all obstacles from my way……

We moved here three years ago. Our place had been unoccupied for several months. They didn’t clean the windows. My husband’s allergies got me to hire Ms. T for a house cleaning the morning our furniture was coming in but she wasn’t allowed to touch any windows.

Our outside windows were cleaned shortly thereafter. I got us on a list to do the interior, for which we must pay. I’ve signed up for that list for three years. Five guys, boss and crew, showed up this morning and did all our windows inside and balcony windows outside.

My reaction? There’s a LAKE out there!!!  Wow! The Air Show could be spectacular this year if we’re here. It’s night and the Coast Guard is doing helicopter exercises. We’re leaving the shades up in case the clouds pass and the stars come out.

As I age and gain wisdom I do see more clearly. Being married a long time has enhanced both our lives. I’m less emotional about things and he is more caring. It has worked out well and part of the reason is that we waited until we were older before tying the knot.

Tonight I wish for several things: people who treat us honorably and fairly; a long life together; and that pollen season gets over soon because he’s miserable.

Hope your evening is going well. I’m about to get some info about an art seminar that I’m eager to read. I always love learning new things, especially about my favorite Tuscan female artist. Dee

I was a music snob for many years, learning only classical on the violin and piano. Country music? We rarely heard it in the northeast. I barely knew who Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton were but they were a joke in my book.

Not any more. I was weaned on CSNY, Dave Mason, PPM, James Taylor and they were all near and before my time. I missed the 80’s due to work and hating punk rock, then rap.

At age 50 I took up guitar. Guess who I learned from? Johnny Cash. He is such a hero. He was supposed to perform at a venue I worked for and I was supposed to take him to said venue and give my father a check to hand his agent. He was sick, or that’s what we were told (he was in prison in Mexico) so we sent a private plane to pick up Porter Wagoner to take his place.

I love country music. Ten hours in the car listening to only that on the radio with Bible studies on all the other channels is a bit boring. And I don’t relish the music that only says my dog died, wife left me, got fired stuff.

To this day I enjoy looking up lyrics and placing chords to them. I’m still a beginner guitarist. They sent me to learn, private lessons, from a drummer and he didn’t care a whit about me learning music, only wanted me to keep the beat. Yes, we do own Rock Band, Beatles version, but it’s in storage along with my keyboard. I have the guitar here to keep it hydrated.

I’ve never tried before but I see in my head Dolly Parton’s farewell to Porter Wagoner’s show, I Will Always Love You. So simple and perfect. Lyrics would be helpful. I will find the music. It’s in my head. Alas, not my fingers…… Dee

Yes, little one, Mija, miss Lady Zoe. You were six weeks old and you had a kitty come by every day to walk you. What a special girl you are.

Now we’re down to 4-6 outings per day as you’re eleven and will need more as you grow older. I’m up to the challenge. You’ve gone through a lot, crossing the country more than once. You’re a great car dog, Zoe, only awakening at freeway ramps and stop lights.

I have to bring you in for a heartworm test and to get your nails trimmed because the dremel tool your dad bought scares me and I think I’ll hurt you with it.

In addition, I have decided that anything our vet wants to do with you will involve me. I’ve always been the “tech” during nail trims and bloodwork so why not now. You do not want to let your pack leader go. If our vet doesn’t agree we’ll find another vet. You passed your first Senior Panel with honors. We need to stick together good puppy! If I have to go in the back with a mask and gloves I’ll do so.

Even if we go back to 8X walks per day it’s OK with me. I’ll still lift you to bed every night and to the car when it’s OK to transport you. I will always feed you the best food and sometimes when a shred of cheese hits the floor you can eat it.

You’re our girl, Zoe. I’ll be with you no matter what. I promise, Dee

I believe that without failure one cannot achieve success. Lose that ball game, wreck your souffle, get a broken heart. Rise above it.

My first was the EZ-Bake Oven. Pretzels was the first packet they wanted me to make at age six and put through the 120 watt light bulb cooker. It was so sticky I threw it out and spent five minutes getting the goo off my hands. Now I make pizza dough every week with Italian 00 flour and it is gorgeous, easy to work with as was my last mix with 2/3 AP flour and 1/3 whole wheat.

Inspiration. I made a chicken chili for my family years ago and had bought a pepper plant at the farmers’ market that day so decided to use 1/3 of what the recipe suggested. It was a Thai chile plant. The chili was inedible. I added everything but the kitchen sink to it and it was not ready to eat.

Now, due to my familiarity with Texas, its chili and Lady Bird Johnson from a recipe in 1962 for 5,000 at the Ranch in Pedernalaes, TX including JFK, I’ve my riff on her chili with pure spices and scorched chiles and not just powders. My Swedish neighbor taught me how to make meatballs, so I taught him how to make Texas chili.

Way back my cousin visited and I wanted to cook a chicken. I placed it in a small apartment stove and it browned on the outside, then the pilot light went off. After cooking time was done I sliced into it and it was raw inside.

He said I was trying to kill him! We re-lit the pilot light and I broke down and sauteed the chicken sauteed the pieces and he enjoyed his meal. Years later, he makes fun of me for the debacle. I can cook a chicken, even spent an inordinate amount of time finding a capon which we had for Christmas dinner. You’ll see my capon blogs as I had a bit of a problem with Whole Foods Market but farmers came to the rescue, as they always do. roastgoose.com will get you a capon. You can even buy it cooked but I prefer to do it myself, and not in a faulty apartment oven!

As cooks, we make mistakes. That makes us better at home or even in a restaurant. I didn’t put enough salt in this. It was undercooked so I had to place it back in the oven. I just saw a retrospective on Dan Barber and he is a revolutionary chef. With French training, his brigade just says “YES” and not Yes, Chef. He makes me want to go back to the earth to teach us that just because when rock-hard avocados arrive from another country, they’re not what we should be eating today.

Unfortunately, where we live now has a very small window for farmers’ markets and I cannot grow a garden from our current home.

Lately I’ve been roasting the heirloom carrots in all colors and they are delicious. Tonight I’ll make a pasta with pesto and a chicken breast, sliced to fill two plates.

The secret is learning, reading, wanting to do your best as a cook especially for family and friends. There are no mistakes, only learning opportunities. Dee

It’s April 21, windy as all get-out and it’s snowing. Someone told my husband that we need three springs to actually have spring weather! I believe him now. Luckily I haven’t cleaned and put away my down coat or gloves yet. Or taken off my snow tires. Just an update. Dee