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Posted on January 14, 2016 | Leave a comment

Yes, I’ve got two significant ones. My husband of nearly thirteen years next week and a dog we got as a pup at six weeks who will be twelve at the end of the month.

Everything that happens to my husband through jobs, work, moving, everything hits me thrice. I need to process it and do it and bring dogma along for the ride.

Today is a day of change. I’m going to make some burgers for him to grill. Perhaps sweet potato fries to go along with some arugula salad. Cheers to a good day in our cold land. Dee

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Posted in Editorial, Education, Family, job description, loving life

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New Cooks

Posted on January 14, 2016 | Leave a comment

I don’t care if you’re 11 and want to become a chef, or if you’re about to be a new bride who can’t boil water for tea.

Sit at a dinner table with your parents. Listen to their day, politics and how to ease the tension as it goes to dinner and kids. The family dinner was a given in my immediate family. Now, yesterday, my 12 year-old dog stole food from my plate while I was eating. That’s a big NO!

When my family went on vacation somewhere we usually met other family who brought food for “room picnics.” Dad hated this but I thought it an unusual endeavor that I’d be able to do as a grown-up.

Then we started talking about food at every meal. That really irked Dad. What are we going to eat next?

I went to two cooking schools, one in NYC and one in Italy. Dad always made us pancakes after Mass. He now cooks Italian food. My brother and I taught him how to learn to cook. It is probably the best gift I’ve given both.

It is a pleasure to put Dad on record for learning to paint and cook after age 80. I love him dearly. Dee

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Posted in Cook Books, Cooking Utensils, Editorial, Education, Family, loving life, Recipe Ideas, Recommended Pantry Contents

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Our Girl

Posted on January 13, 2016 | 1 comment

Zoe took food from my plate tonight. She will be 12 years old end of the month, knows better and had a great meal this evening.

I had to call my husband’s mother to find out what to do with an errant child. She said to pull out Zoe’s cage and put her in it for a while. We’ll see about that. Right now she’s back in our bedroom and my husband is working and wearing headphones. Perhaps I’ll take away her bed.

She seems to know she did something wrong. She just has to not do it again. I don’t eat out of her bowl. She should not steal from my plate while I am eating. I love her and will be with her all her life but these are rules. I just took her comfy bed out from under her and didn’t “Otis” her to our bed. My husband has been on the phone and working so she’s been closed back there away from me, dog mom and food wench and taker-outer. Husband’s taking her for “last chance.”

I’ve closed the door to our office. The kitchen is closed, as is my work space. If she is mad at me for writing my first childrens’ book this morning this is no way to act. I am the food wench. Deal with it. Dee

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Posted in animals, editorial pets, Zoe

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Found Causes

Posted on January 11, 2016 | Leave a comment

Yes, most people specialize in lost causes. I do those then find others. I’m getting old and arthritic so won’t be doing a lot of physical work like planting trees or taking care of dogs at shelters. Or helping spay/neuter feral cats. I have to write on their behalf. What may be lost, is now found.

The pen is mightier than the sword, as it was said in a play about Cardinal Richelieu of France. He was a nasty guy but his quote may be prescient.

I find medium-sized issues, smaller ones then sometimes a big one. If it resonates with my heart, ethics, persona, sense of decency I’ll do it. My husband hates when I get a bee in my bonnet, so to speak.

Perhaps he has to walk two blocks for a burrito. He works long hours and does much for the world that no-one will ever see. The least I can do is use my love for him and our world, and my talent to do the same in a different way. He would say Hello World. I do as well. Dee

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Posted in Editorial, pets

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Zippers

Posted on January 11, 2016 | Leave a comment

Right now it’s -2 degrees outside and with wind chill, -21.

I’ve had a great Marmot down jacket for years and the zipper started breaking down. I fixed it for tomorrow’s morning dog walk but I’ll need long underwear, ski pants, boots, jacket, vest, cossack hat and heavy gloves for the morning. Plus Zoe will need her coat because of the cold mixed with high winds.

We’ll work things out and I’ll make sure to wear something with tread, like hiking or snow boots so Zoe cannot pull me over. Even with a full fur coat and extra non-fur coat I don’t think she’ll want to be outside tomorrow, she would rather sleep. That’s my gal.

Beauty sleep 20 hours per day and she’s a gorgeous older gal. Think Cyd Charice. Shirley MacLaine is beautiful. Audrey Hepburn. Zoe only has to eat twice and go for a walk a few times per day. Not cook three meals and clean and pay the bills. Zoe has not a wrinkle and everyone says she looks like a pup albeit well-behaved as any great aunt would be.

That is a tribute to her temperament, DNA (as a mutt, who knows where that came from), diet, exercise and folks that care for her. She pulled me over two years ago, early morning, clearly not her fault. I tried to keep her from all four legs going out on serious icy sidewalks (county) and succeeded but fell myself and no-one was there to help. I had that bruise for eight months.

All I can say is that there may be a few weeks for the ice fishers once the ice comes in, and we like to reward one lucky bunch, chosen at random each year, to give coffee and pastries and a six-pack of local beer for later. Cheers! Dee

 

 

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Posted in animals, Editorial

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Lending

Posted on January 8, 2016 | Leave a comment

I’ve worked with rescue dogs, cats and ferals for many years. Today I lent my neighbors two collars for a week, for their pup. One is a Martingale and the other is a prong I never used on our Zoe but needed to when my old dog was two years old, 80 lbs. and would drag me down the street.

This is a new pup who’s starting to grow exponentially and needs to know who’s boss. He’s starting to pull his owners over and it’s going to snow tomorrow, at least three inches and I’ve even been pulled over by our old dog before on icy roads/sidewalks because the city and county do not plow.

Once this dog gets rid of his needle teeth and stops biting he will be a wonderful companion. He has it in him, I see it and have the wounds to prove it! He is a diamond in the rough. Cheers, Dee

ps He’s going to have to go with Zoe and split responsibilities soon. Of course old lady Zoe will snoopervise.

 

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Posted in dogs

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Brothers

Posted on January 8, 2016 | Leave a comment

They grew up together. Close but not too close. My husband was a human tornado and his younger brother was a neat guy. Go figure, I got the messy one.

Parents had to take 1″ off the bottom of the mirror in the boys’ bathroom from the human tornado.

After we met over 14 years ago (married 13 years this month), we’ve a dog, who will be 12 a week later, and no kids. We help our nephew in school.

I only had one brother. He was unfortunate enough to grow up with two elder sisters, me eldest, and one younger. He didn’t have the luxury of a brother.

These brothers got closer after they married and had shared interests. Before then younger would go out canoeing and deer hunting and older would spend time in the lab he created behind the milk barn.

We help each other out when we can. Husband and I help with private school for a very smart and talented young man. The gift has been reciprocated many times over as young brother actually calls me to see how I’m doing and shows us his son’s work.

They also watch each other’s six and take care of the women and kids and pets. Who could ask for anything more! Ira Gershwin would like that. Dee

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Posted in Editorial

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Dinner

Posted on January 8, 2016 | 1 comment

This is what I thank my parents for, a family tradition. Dinner at the table every evening. A square meal with a home-made dessert.

Everyone told about their day and what we learned. Dinner began about ten minutes after Dad walked in the door and got changed. In high school I got in trouble because gymnastics practice sometimes took three hours after school and I was late. I had to stay. I was the captain, after all.

We always had to ask to be excused from the table to do homework. Dad always had funny excuses when we were little, like “No, you can’t put your teddy bear in the oven!”

It was not scripted, but it was. A family eating one meal a day with each other, sharing stories. Perhaps that is why I share stories with you. When my husband is in town we share breakfast and dinner every day. Not necessarily at a table. At some point we avoid work and budget discussions and talk about other things.

Last night I made a roast chicken, nearly 4 pounds, with salt, pepper, thyme. Around it were wedges of Yukon Gold potatoes with garlic and herbs, nearly the last of my in-home garden. Also sauteed arugula. It was good and half the chicken is left for today. Perhaps it will become an arugula, chicken and apple or Satsuma tangerine salad. We’ll see. I’m always open to suggestions. Oh, perhaps the last of the sun-dried tomatoes from the Italian shop down the way.

Yesterday I took the meat off some chicken breasts, cut it up and mixed it with mayo and some apple (Kiku) and placed it on toasted wheat bread for my dear.

Family is important. I try to get all my work done so I can spend weekends with my husband. We now enjoy oatmeal for breakfast with low-fat vanilla yogurt and berries. Dinner is whatever my heart desires. No, not surf and turf. It’s skirt steak, pork or chicken. Texas chili, the true stuff, 1962 Pedernales chili (no beans) from LBJ’s ranch, party of 500. My version.

Many families I know get food when they walk in the door, alone. No family dinner. I believe that is a mistake of grand proportions. Yes, I got in trouble for being late for good reason, but we all sat together and it made us better people for doing so. Cheers! Dee

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Posted in Editorial, Recipe Ideas

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To Catch a Thief

Posted on January 7, 2016 | Leave a comment

Yes, one of my favorite movies with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. This thief was no “cat” and certainly no Cary Grant.

A woman has been plaguing us for months, I’ve heard it was a part of a gang initiation. She jiggled door handles, stole wallets, cash, cell phones and jewelry. No John Robie.

One neighbor caught her on a floor where there are not cameras on the elevator lobby, counting “her” cash and smoking a cigarette.

Are people careless here? Yes. They assume that because there’s security 24/7 that they can take out the dog, or the trash, or recycling and go back upstairs and all will be well.

My husband was on the road a lot last year and I always double-check the front and back doors, stove, oven and good to go to sleep. Lately I’ve been hiding my wallet and new cell phone at night.

The security service that does sometimes 2nd and always 3rd (graveyard) shift caught the thief at another building where they have a presence. We had her photo and fingerprints and she was in police custody in moments.

Thank you, Security, for me feeling safer living here. I no longer have to hide my passport, wallet, cell phone and jewelry from a thief. Let’s hope the people she robbed here will testify against her and she’ll go away for a while and from here forever.

 

 

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Posted in Editorial, Uncategorized

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Sisyphus

Posted on January 6, 2016 | Leave a comment

Yes, he’s the guy who rolled the stone uphill only to have it fall and do it again and again. Greek mythology.

That’s me. I’m a woman in a man’s world. I added my new (yes, first) husband to a bank account I’d had for years. We were both signators but they would only talk to him.

Everything I do, every place I go, I make sure we are co-owners of an account. No-one will talk to me. I’m pushing that rock up the hill again and again and am getting tired and old.

My dear husband of 12 years goes away for work for months at a time. I need to be able to pay our bills. If we need to change civil rights laws I’ve done so before in the legislature and can do it again. Please enforce civil rights laws on businesses that discriminate against women. Especially the banks and insurance companies I paid to bail out.

I believe some of this started with restrictions after 9/11. Please, President Obama and Senators and Congress Members lift this ban on spouses. NSA, please read this. Thank you. Dee

 

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