Tag Archives: travel

So Long, Farewell

Posted on August 15, 2012 | Leave a comment

Auf Wiederzehn, good bye. That old song from The Sound of Music is choking me up today as I let memorable things go. They’re going to those in need, but in order to live here without a garage or significant storage space, we had to lose them.

And there’s more. Hubby wants his physics notebooks shredded and I’ll wait on that one because I think he’ll want to store that mass of knowledge. I’ve more books and clothing but gave away a lot of duplicate kitchen stuff today (box graters, salad bowls).

As one ages and tries not to hoard, it is painful to see things go that mean something to us. But we just can’t be mobile if these things we haven’t seen for 3-20 years are weighing us down. It’s as simple as shirts that are clean and have been hanging in storage for three years should be given to a legitimate non-profit organization that helps large tall men get a job!

Womens’ clothing is different. Even though I buy classic clothing, stuff I wore 15 years ago is hopelessly out of date and it would cost a fortune to dryclean it to have a non-profit sell it for $2 apiece.

We’re working on it. Trying to make a home of a place that does not and may not ever seem like home. I did get to weigh in on dog-friendly local restaurants, though. The Eatery on Farwell seats us on the patio under an umbrella and immediately brings a bowl of water for our Zoe. They were not given space in the article so I wrote a letter to the editor of the local weekly.

The two framed photos I placed in the hallway should keep my husband from hitting his head on the absurdly low light fixtures and look great as well. Both are from a trip several years ago with his parents, to western NY and Vermont. So I have ancient Concord rootstock (homage to the home of the WCTU) and a lumber mill in Vermont that had the exact work bench my grandfather made (and my Aunt still has) – still the 1700’s structure.

As for our stuff, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye. Dee

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Caretakers

Posted on August 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

Life used to be easy and I could mow someone’s yard, pull weeds or babysit without fear of a lawsuit.

Now people want to do this for me. Our needs are simple, a basic cleaning or walk the dog.

My arthritis has kicked up big time and I can’t clean our shower. But they all have their needs and pick at me for anything that makes it harder for me to hire them than it is to do it myself.

We can’t let you hire another dog-sitter mid-day because it’s on our watch and we’re responsible so we can’t take care of your dog due to our insurance policy.

What? It’s my place, my dog and I have insurance and I hired YOU! This is ridiculous. I’m going elsewhere, already have an appointment early tomorrow.

For now, I pay the bills so I set the rules. No maids or dog walkers tell me what to do with my life. The home is mine, the dog is mine and that’s that.

Snob? No. Arthritis and going out of town for two days just to see my father who is gracefully aging, yes. I miss our mountainous state. Dee

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The Room Picnic

Posted on July 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

It’s funny that as I write about cooking and quilts and such, that my families (mine and my husband’s) have at least one thing in common, a passion for fabric, linen, tea towels, serviettes.

Here I am showcasing their works and am proud to do so. A few weeks ago I found my great-grandmother’s linen-embroidered scalloped tablecloth that had yellowed. I washed it and hung it to dry and it looks great, just needs ironing.

Jim’s mother has gifted us with quilts and other linens over the years, that are treasured.

But more about room picnics. As a kid, we had four maternal cousins and three aunts and Papa. When 14 of us met every summer (we lived about 8 hours away) we always had one meal in the room.

My aunts would cook for days and bring coolers with food and beverages and we always had “serviettes,” cloth napkins, even though we might be at the local Holiday Inn or some variety thereof with a pool so we could swim ourselves silly.

My father hated room picnics. He’d rather have waitress service downstairs. I have fond memories of them. We were usually in our swimsuits, toweled dry and came to eat a few morsels before going back to the pool.

Sorry, Dad, you once said that all we talked about was food. What was for lunch, where are we eating dinner? Now you cook. You know your favorite restaurants in every city and you eat well. Your eldest daughter (moi) trained as a chef.

What is life if one doesn’t look forward to eating the next meal? And what else is there to talk about with 14 for dinner, on vacation?

It’s a joy to talk about recipes et al with family and friends, and to prepare meals that delight guests. It’s wonderful to have an arsenal of serviettes and torchons and tea towels and tablecloths. And quilts as conversation pieces and prized art.

When we look for hotels, depends with/without dog, but we like a place with a safe for our laptops, a real 1/2 frig for breakfast items, and choosing a pillow is a good thing. Thanks, Martha, for your birdcage curtain/quilt rods. Cheers, Dee

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Homage to San Lorenzo

Posted on July 7, 2012 | 3 comments

As I equip my new kitchen and find space for all the things I’ve collected over the years, I’ve also decided on a “theme.” No, I do not have but would like a statue of San Lorenzo in my kitchen.

In the meantime the Virgin Mary is looking after me. Leonardo da Vinci’s version. Yes, a framed, $5 poster I got at a tourist shop in Florence.

Tonight I made a simple dinner for new friends and neighbors. They just moved in, too, so didn’t mind the dining table not being set up and we ate in the living room with our dog and their dog running around like crazy.

I made skirt steak with chimichurri sauce, roasted red potatoes with rosemary, heirloom cherry tomatoes raw, some jicama slaw I made last night, and corn on the cob. We finished with ice cream with blueberry sauce and fresh raspberries.

Jicama Slaw a la Dee

Shred 1 small or 1/2 large jicama and one large, peeled carrot. I added 2T chopped cilantro, more thinly sliced scallion, and 1/2 diced jalapeno before adding the juice of a lemon, salt, pepper and a bit of olive oil. It was even better tonight, had mellowed flavors in the frig overnight.

It looks festive and tastes bright and summery. Oh, the heat finally broke today. We went out for BBQ for lunch (baby backs, yum) and it was 72 instead of 95, and got to eat at a picnic table outside.

This is one strange town. People honk horns for no reason, are mean for no reason, but then you go to lunch once at the Smoke Shack and sit at the bar for the sampler plate and two weeks later, the barkeep comes out just to say hello.

Even the art museum we went to a few weeks ago called me the other day to thank me for becoming a member. I said she should call my m-i-l because she paid for the membership, but it was really nice of them to call.

And then I picked up my car yesterday after an unfortunate incident with a concrete impediment in our incredibly tight parking garage. My insurance company rep was in touch daily, there was a glitch but the shop put everyone in separate corners and told them to play nice and my car looks great!

In case you haven’t noticed, unless FEMA’s involved I’m a glass half full kind of gal. I always believe the best in people until they prove otherwise. Yes, it gets me hurt. But with the Blessed Mother looking upon me, drawn by Da Vinci’s hands, my kitchen is my refuge, my center, my way of making my husband, dog and guests happy.

The other design element is a decorative rod with all the tea towels my m-i-l embroidered as a girl, several with coffee motifs, the rest herbs.

We want to get rid of these boxes and have a home that friends and family and colleagues can visit, often. Oh, and if you find a statue of St. Lawrence (San Lorenzo) at a flea market let me know. Mangia bene. Dee

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