Highlights

So much to tell, so little blogging time while summer continues and school preparations begin.

We had a MARVELOUS time with Gommie!  And, as you saw from my earlier list, we managed to squeeze so much in--and that's with a very slow Tuesday when everyone was tired and blah (both kiddos seemed to be fighting something virusy.)  I'll spare you a day-by-day description in favor of highlights, in random order.



Schooner:  It's a tie for my favorite thing we did while Gommie was here, but since I hadn't done a sunset schooner cruise with lobster dinner before, I vote for it.  We headed to the port midday, stopping first for a quintessentially New England lunch at Abbott's Lobster in the Rough in picturesque Noank.  In a series of little shacks, we picked up lobster salad rolls, steamed mussels, steamed corn, frozen hot chocolates, apple crumble, and lemon slab pie with ice cream, all of which we ate overlooking a brilliant blue Sound with lots of white sailboats.  I felt like the cast of Carousel would burst out singing at any minutes!

Then we headed to the dock in New London where the Mystic Whaler was waiting for us.  It's a I-don't-know-how-many-feet-long schooner built in the 1960s and refurbished.  With three sails and wooden decks and detailing, it felt older to me and transported me back to the great age of sail (without all the danger and hassle.)  New London, of course, was a major seaport in the country's colonial past--we even sailed by Revolutionary War-era Fort Trumbull and another fort.  We cruised out past the London Ledge light and got some great photos.  Gommie, Mama, and the kids even helped haul the sails while singing a chantey! It really was idyllic.  And the food was good, too.  There was clam chowder, lobsters, tasty grilled chicken for me and Sis, coleslaw, rolls, and cheesecake.  Even though there were two dozen or so other passengers, it never felt really crowded.  And the crew was especially helpful and nice.  I think it'd be lovely to take an overnight cruise with them.  I know Gommie had a great time, which made it extra special to be able to find something new for her.  Being on the water and dusk are two of her favorite things.  Though, she refrained from calling it "the nicest time of the day."

Cats:  Our trip into NYC was a close second to the schooner cruise, especially because I think the kiddos had never been in the city with Gommie before.  We spent the day around Times Square, which is familiar to all of us, albeit never all together.  In fact, we really did the tourist thing, quite embarrassingly (and jokingly) pointing at tall buildings, stopping on the sidewalk for selfies, and going to tourist traps!  We did not, however, wear "I (heart) NY" shirts!  Our first stop was Madame Tussaud's, where there was a virtual reality Ghostbusters experience.  The kids and Mama loved donning the proton packs and hunting ghosts, but I didn't even try (the packs were 15 lbs) and Gommie got disoriented by the VR and stopped when it malfunctioned a bit.  The rest of the place was mostly uninteresting--the kids didn't know 90% of the figures and couldn't have cared less.  We did see a few they liked--Katniss from Hunger Games, some of the Avengers, and three of the Ghostbusters women--and decided if the whole place had been geeky was statues--Doctor Who, Star Wars, Pokemon, Studio Ghibli, etc--we would have had a blast.   Gommie did really enjoy posing with Hillary Clinton, too.

We had dinner at Sapporo, our favorite quick pre-show eatery (don't forget that it's a cash-only place!)  Sis and I had our usual katsu chicken cutlet, to which she added gyoza and I added the potato salad with sesame-Japanese mayo dressing; and there was the yummy house slaw and soup.  Bud got soupy noodles (because there was enough time before curtain) and Mama got cold noodles.  Gommie got this delicious gyun-don shredded beef rice with sukiyaki sauce (I think), which I think I'll get next time.

In the time before curtain, we perused both Hershey's and the M&M store, neither of which Gommie had seen.  Then, because it was hot out and we were a little tired, we sat in the Crowne Plaza--where there was the Liberty City Anime Con!  Gommie got to see all the cosplayers!  It was the perfect NYC people-watching spot.  With seats and AC!

Then it was time for Cats.  We had great seats, second row Orchestra on an aisle; we don't usually sit that close at all, but it was great to see the elaborate garbage set and the amazing dancers close up.  And, during all the action, numerous cats ran down the aisle beside us.  In fact, Rum Tum Tugger was flirting with me!  (I had the aisle seat.)  At one point during the show, some cats pretended to take a photo of Tugger and me together.  Later, when he came down the aisle, he purred, "How do you like my fur?"  And yet again, he winked right at me from stage later.  Funny.  You're a cute kitty, RTT, but not my type.  Amazingly, during intermission, they let you up onstage to take photos with Old Deuteronomy!  We didn't know this so Mama and Sis had left for the bathroom and missed it, but Bud and I went and Deuteronomy played with Bud's hair (or, made a gesture similar to one he made in "Moments of Happiness" about memory.)  It was amazing to see the house from the stage; Bud grinned from ear to ear the whole time.  I was really sorry Sis missed it; so was she.  The show was pretty much exactly how I remembered it from when Gommie and I saw it on tour in Houston, in, oh, the early 1980s.  Though, there wasn't any "Growltiger's Last Stand" this time.  I loved it then and I loved it again.  Maybe even more sitting with my mom, my wife, and my kids, all of whom were enthralled.  We've been humming the songs ever since.  And both kids read T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.

After the show (and the purchase of some pins and magnets and a eared hoodie for me), we had our requisite trip to Junior's for snacks for the ride home--chocolate egg creams, cheesecake, black and white cookie, Cel-ray soda, and some French onion soup for Bud to eat the next day.  I think we weren't asleep until 2 a.m., but it was worth it.


Food:  You know we love to eat out.  In addition to the Japanese food mentioned above, we ate at our favorite local Japanese place (after going to see Kubo and the Three Strings; more below.)  Mama, Bud, and Gommie had a big boat of sushi, while Sis had a chicken udon stir fry and I had chicken teriyaki.  There were also gyozas, harumaki, soup, salad, green tea, and mango mochi.

We also took Gommie to a new German place we'd found, since we know she loves sausages and sauerkraut.  The table was groaning with a sausage tasting platter (kielbasa, weiss weiners, and something else), raclette (cheese on potatoes and pickles), big buttered pretzels, currywurst, jaegerschnitzel, chicken schnitzel, cold potato salad, steamed mussels, apple strudel, black forest cake, and I don't remember what else.  Whew!

We also got take-out from the Italian deli, with various chicken parm and meatball grinders, seafood salad, chicken cutlet salad sandwich, etc.

I almost forgot the meal her first night at a local bistro--steamed mussels in wine and garlic (the better of the two mussels she had this trip), hummus with olive gremolata, salt and pepper shrimp, homemade bread, and roasted chicken.

Other food included the best local doughnuts, my own sourdough biscuits, Sis's oatmeal lace cookies

I'm sure I've forgotten a few places--I don't think I cooked much if at all.


Movies:  As a family, we've been going to more movies this year and we saw two with Gommie.  First, the kids wanted to take her to the new Ghostbusters, which she hadn't even heard of, to prepare her for the Ghostbusters experience at the wax museum.  She laughed through the whole thing, which was entertaining to Mama and me, since we know it's not her kind of film.  I enjoyed it just as much as the first time.  I think I liked Holtzmann even more this time!

On preview night, we went to see Kubo and the Two Strings, which Bud had wanted to see since spotting the first trailer.  And then we learned that the brother of a friend of mine was the production designer.  Wow!  It was a masterpiece.  And I'm not just saying that because Sew and Sow reads my blog sometimes.  It was beautifully made--with this incredible stop-motion technique--with papers and fabrics.  Oh, the flying origami!  The original story seemed taken straight from Japanese folklore (and I loved the details of the samurai armor, netsuke, wabi sabi-like rice bowl during a meal, the cemetery and lantern ceremony, etc etc etc)  And what a story!  No spoilers here, only to say I loved the non-violent resolution.  If you go--and you should--stay for the credits; there's a behind-the-scenes bit that Bud tells me shows the largest stop-motion sculpture ever made (how does he know that??)  We talked about it for a few hours straight--over a Japanese dinner, no less.  Oh, and we even got free little pins because it was preview night.


Maple Syrup Incident:  This was on my list so I feel I must explain it.  While trying to get food on the table before Bud had to go to kung fu, I realized an entire jug of maple syrup had been de-capped and upturned in the fridge, spilling all over not only a shelf but in both crisper drawers.  UGH.  Gommie saved the day with her thorough cleaning.  And Sis finished cooking Bud's dinner while I helped Gommie.  Bud was oblivious to it all and, probably wisely, stayed out of the kitchen.


Pokemon Go!  Gommie had a thorough introduction to the VR world of Pokemon when Bud directed her around town for two hours hitting many of the best Pokestops.  I believe she even got one herself.

Clockwise from left:  Sis, Gommie, me, and me again

Clockwise from left: Sis, Gommie, me, and Bud

Gommie's new tiles.  She really likes lace, on the bottom tile.

Zentangle:  Last but not least, we did some tangling.  Gommie poured over my new books and practiced some new tangles.  And we all made a couple of family mosaics together.  I had gotten Gommie a special Zentangle "No Mistakes" t-shirt and also some little carrying-pouches for supplies that we decorated.  It really is a wonderful thing to do together.  And she's gotten really good!


Games:  The kids save a lot of their game playing for Gommie, because she is so enthusiastic about it.  They played checkers, Simon's Cat, (tried to play) Harry Potter Clue, the 5-Second Rule, and Rummy Q.  We all played Telestrations, which Gommie picked up for us, a kind of old-fashioned telephone game plus Pictionary; we laughed and laughed at some of the outcomes (including "chicken man with furry face," "narwhal with legs," "bird in a pie," etc.)  Gommie was also game to try the Wii games Fantasia (directing an orchestra) and Just Dance (like Digital Dance Revolution.)  And we all told her all about Dragonvale.  Plus, of course, Pokemon Go, as described above.

And that's about it.  Sure, Gommie went to horseback riding lessons, kung fu lessons, piano lessons (albeit in the house), and ice skating lessons, too, and there was down time swimming at a neighbor's pool, watching Olympics and such.  But, mainly, I think we squeezed in as much as we had energy to do.  And we started making plans for next time!!!

Getting Ready for Gommie

Gommie comes next week for her sometimes-annual summer visit!  And we've been making a list of fun things to do.

• day in NYC--Cats and the Ghostbusters VR at Madame Tussaud's
• rope course--well, we're just watching
• Taize meditation and music service at church (with me, only)
• flying kites
• beach
• swimming
• Zentangle
• Pokemon Go walk
• lobster dinner on evening schooner cruise
• new German restaurant we just found

Our Kripalu Weekend

Zentangle.

Kripalu.

Gommie.

Wow, what a weekend we just had.


Friday:
Even the drive north on small, wooded backroads into Massachusetts was special.  I had traversed those roads with Mama years ago when the kids were small, so it was wonderful to be up there again.  The landscape is lovely--spring green trees, rocky streams, bubbling water.  We stopped a few times to admire the woods and river, watching the fly fishermen at work.  It's my favorite kind of landscape; Gommie was mesmerized.

Kripalu is a retreat center nestled in the Berkshires not far from Tanglewood, the concert venue and summer home of the Boston Symphony.  And it is gorgeous!  It used to be the Shadowbrook estate, if I understand correctly--the remains of the stone gatehouse are visible up front (apparently, the foundation of the mansion is there, too, but I didn't go looking for it.)  The setting is miraculous--mountains (or hills--I'm a flatlander) with a lake nestled in the valley, expansive lawns, lots of trees, and so much sky.  Many times during the weekend, we would just sit on the terrace of the main Shadowbrook retreat center and admire the view.

The view from our room.

Being on retreat at Kripalu is a lot like college, or as Gommie said, camp for adults.  We had classes and meals and downtime in our little room (two twins, great view, awful water control in the shower.)  But there was no stress, no responsibility, no unpleasantness.  Even before we checked into our room in the Annex which overlooked the grounds and the lake in the distance, we enjoyed lunch in the big cafeteria.

View from the terrace.

Oh, the Kripalu food.  Ayurvedic in theory (which has 6 flavors and ideas about balance of warming and cooling foods), seasonal and sustainable, with vegetarian and vegan options.  Over the six meals, we had delicious fresh salads with this great House dressing, veggie burgers, Moroccan tomato soup, coconut carrot salad, spiced chicken tagine, Greek kale salad, sauteed rainbow chard, Indian chickpeas, roasted potatoes, warm lentil salad, roasted carrots with maple syrup, kale and more kale!, oatmeal, museli, granola, vegan brownies, soy masala chai, Moroccan mint iced tea, orange Rooiboos tea, and the list could go on (yes, I bought the little booklets of recipes in the shop but there are many here, too.)  Makes me hungry just typing that up.  Breakfast was eaten in silence, a way to begin the day mindfully.  We tried to take every meal in the room overlooking the mountains and lake, soaking in the beauty and the fresh air through the windows.

Entrance to the labyrinth

After eating and unloading our bags, we headed straight to the labyrinth.  I love labyrinths, as you know, but hadn't realized there was one at Kripalu and so I hadn't brought anything to leave at the center.  Still, we walked it that first afternoon and I was just filled with this amazing joy.  Each time I walk a labyrinth, I have different reactions.  Friday was brimming with joy.  Joy to be with Gommie all to myself.  Joy to be in beauty.  Joy to be studying Zentangle, which fills me with excitement.  Joy, joy, joy.  It was Gommie's first labyrinth so I went over the basic etiquette about quiet and stepping to the side when you pass another.  The walk certainly set the tone for the weekend.

Tile #1

That evening, we had our first Zentangle class.  We'd run into the founders, Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts and their daughters Molly and Martha on the terrace earlier and had a chance to say hi.  I can't really describe what it's like to take a class with them--their stories, their humor, their rapport with each other, all of their mantras and saying of encouragement.  Even though I'd taken a long seminar just a month ago, it was all fresh and interesting again.

As at the CZT seminar a month or so ago, we received lots of great items--not just pens and pencils, tortillons and tiles, but an "Anything is Possible One Stroke at a Time" bag and a brand new journal. The theme of the weekend was extending our Zentangle practice, mainly how to connect tangles to one another, "tangle to tangle." We did a pretty straightforward hollibaugh-pokeroot-crescent moon variation for the first tile.

After class, we soaked in the cool mountain air while the bright full moon blocked out most of the stars.  We were tired and went to bed soon after.


Saturday:
This was our full day of great food, wonderful classes, beautiful views, and lots of R&R.  Gommie even took a gentle yoga class while I took a long nap.  We also walked the labyrinth again and this time I had something to leave in the center--one of the Zentangle bookmarks and a little piece of metallic rainbow bismuth I picked up in the shop.  This walk for me was more about contentment.  And I realized why I walk labyrinths:  I walk labyrinths because there have been times when I couldn't.

Tile #2

Philosophical.  Gommie and I had a lot of personal and philosophical conversations, like we haven't had . . . since the kids were born, perhaps?  It was special and important.  It even carried over into our Zentangle class.  Gommie asked Maria Thomas what creativity was and why we were drawn to it; they had a discussion about how, for Maria, creativity was central to her personality and was about liking even needing to do things differently--she still goes outside borders, figuratively and literally!  They even took this conversation to the whole class later, talking about how creation is central to the human condition--it's how we express ourselves, how we contribute to the world, how we serve.  And they thanked Gommie for sparking this reflection.

My tile #3

Tile #4--this took 2 hours!

We did a lot more complicated tiles on Saturday--"high focus" which is code for advanced. There was tile #2 with a tripoli center and rixty weaving in and out of fracas; there was tile #3 with a huggins variation and a new tangle named peeld.  I hadn't seen some of the tangles and even Maria made an oops (on the number of orbs in the huggins variation in tile #3 and so had to squeeze one in sideways) and tried to start over until the group chanted "No mistakes!"  And Maria just worked with it and it was beautiful.  Tile #4, with its spiral of nzeppel bursting into mooka and pokeleaf, took two hours!  Gommie had been tangling on her own for a year; this was her first real class.  I'm sure it was all a little overwhelming, but she did a wonderful job following along and not getting frustrated when she didn't understand. I came away with some new techniques, my favorite being peeld, seen in tile #3 where the line just seems to peel away from the design.

That evening, we attended a special optional session where we tangled another treat, a pencil case.  Apparently, you can coat canvas with Mod Podge Fabric and tangle it to your heart's content with an Identi-pen and a gray Fabrico marker for shading.  It was fun and came out beautifully.  Gommie really likes the thicker pens we used and will probably stick with a Micron .08 instead of .01commonly used.

We ended the evening on the chilly terrace, where the moon glowed eerily through the increasing cloud cover.  Another beautiful mountain night.


Sunday:

Tile #5--this also took 2 hours

We were up early with the singing birds, putting our luggage in my car before breakfast.  Then we sat on the terrace until class, communing with the chipmunk that came looking for food.  We saw it every time we were outside.

Class was one Renaissance tile that took two hours to complete--with the crescent moon variation, the raspberry center, the squib petals, the perf orbs, the etching technique on the leaves, all the shading in graphite and white chalk.  But, oh the results!  And when we put everyone's tiles together in a class mosaic, the arches could be connected in circles or pathways.  Beautiful.  And a great way to end our Zentangle class.

And our visit.  We opted to skip lunch, which was still an hour away, in order to get home so Gommie could spend more time with the kiddos.  It was a little hard to leave the peace behind, but I know we took some of it with us.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Kripalu House Dressing

Makes about 2 cups

1 cup sunflower oil or grape seed oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
¼ cup tamari (natural soy sauce)
¼ cup lemon juice
1/3 cup sesame tahini
2 cloves garlic
½ tablespoon dry mustard powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon chili powder
pinch cayenne
½ cup water

Combine all ingredients and blend using a standard blender or immersion blender.

Kripalu Moroccan Mint Tea

Makes 6 cups

6½ cups water
½ cup fresh mint (stems and all), washed
2 tablespoons or 6 tea bags green tea
1 to 2 tablespoons sweetener of choice (organic sugar, agave, or honey)

Bring water to a boil. Turn off heat, add mint, and allow to steep for five minutes. Return to a boil, turn off heat, and add tea. Allow tea to steep no more than three minutes. (Green tea becomes bitter when steeped too long.) Remove tea and mint; sweeten to taste. Serve hot, or make iced tea by refrigerating until cold, or pouring cooled tea over ice.

Masala Chai

Makes about 4 cups.

2 tablespoons whole cardamom
2 teaspoons whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 whole stars of anise
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon slice fresh ginger
4 black tea bags
2 cups milk (or substitute soy milk)
2 cups water
1 to 3 tablespoons sweetener of choice

Combine all spices and tie them in a cheesecloth. Using a rolling pin or other heavy utensil, lightly pound the spices to crush them slightly. Place milk, water, and spices in the cheesecloth in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Bring water back to a boil, turn off, and add black tea. Let steep for 5 minutes, then strain. Add sweetener of choice and stir to dissolve. Serve warm, or chill over ice for a cooling afternoon treat.

Summer Fun: Bench Bucket List

We've seen them all, all the special art benches in town.

It was a real push there at the end.  Yesterday, we saw five with Gommie and, then, this morning on a whim we ran around to the last six--as we were taking her to the train station to catch her train that would start her journey home!  You should have seen us zipping down Main, running across streets, taking quick pictures (actually, Mommy Goose did see us--and asked if everything was okay!  I didn't think my driving was that noticeable.)

We got to the train station but couldn't find the last one.  We didn't have time to back track; I knew it was near the station, but I'd left my map at home (we only decided at the last minute to do the benches anyway.)  As we pulled up to Gommie's drop off, there it was--the last bench, next to the station building!  Yay, all 20 done.

And to think, they'd seen the first one we saw, the butterfly, being painted on her last visit this spring.

We got pictures of us with all of the benches, but only took some benches sans people--these were usually the ones I liked the best.  Here they are . . . .

Our first bench. I love this one.  Gommie and the kids saw it being painted.

We liked the back of this one.

This looks better in person--it even has faux stones and glittered paint.

Our very last one, at the station.  Not one of my favorites--and it would be odd to sit on the flag.

On Her Way, with My Thanks

Gommie is on her way back to Texas this morning.  It has been quite a two weeks, from her arrival just days after I got out of the hospital, through Easter and then spring break, and a lot of good and bad days in between.

Almost five years ago, when Gommie and Pop had stayed with us for several weeks after my initial back injury, I wrote a thank-you post about the gift they'd given me.  In subsequent thank yous--for their help in April/May 2011 for my second back injury, in August/September 2012 for Mama's surgery and infection--I've referenced that post.

And I'll point to it again because it's true.

But I'll rephrase it.

Being a mom is tough.  Watching your kids hurt is hard.  Being helpless is so difficult.  And my mom willingly waded into all of that when she came up here to help us post-surgery.  I'm spoiled by her constant love and support because I never doubted she would come and help; but it has become clearer to me how many people don't have loved ones who will drop everything to help them.  And I know how lucky I am.  I felt that luck every time she packed a lunch, washed dishes, loaded the dishwasher, did laundry, took out the garbage, entertained the kids, tried to cheer me up or distract me, made a few meals, even fed the cats.  She did everything and more that she could do so that Mama could go back to work and not have to do everything on her own, as she had been doing before Gommie arrived.   And she did it all in a house that is more cluttered, smaller, and differently-organized that her own, with two grandkids underfoot who wanted her love and attention.  And not even a room to call her own, sleeping on a bottom bunk with Sis on the floor next to her, all of us sharing a bathroom upstairs.

And with that all, she watched me grimace in discomfort, heard me make difficult phone calls about clots and insurance and prescriptions, knew that I was tired, in pain, totally grossed out and upset about my incision, and sometimes just grumpy because major emergency surgery sucks.  Even last night, just hours before she was leaving, she woke up and saw our light on at 3 am and worried (I was wide awake and very uncomfortable, not pain, just awake and unsettled, and having a major emotional panic.  It happens.  I'm much better this morning.)    She had her own discomfort, too, sometimes, in her knees and back.  We laughed as we shuffled along together.  'Cos what else are you going to do?

But with all that going on, we still had lots of fun.  There was Scrabble and Sushi Go and Camp games, doodling on tiles and shells, making bubble gum from a kit with Bud, playing American Girl doll salon with Sis, early morning cuddles, late night reading, trying Just Dance moves to "YMCA,"  Mario Kart hilarity, watching Battle of Five Armies, watching Neil Degrasse Tyson's "Cosmos," scrambled egg breakfasts, watching "Switched at Birth" and "Little House on the Prairie" with Sis, watching Grey Gardens, "Mr. Selfridge" and "Wolf Hall" and "Miss Fisher's Mysteries" with me, going to the rope obstacle course, going to the coastal bird refuge, going to the natural science museum, dyeing Easter eggs and celebrating Easter, building fairy houses, eating hibachi and then frozen yogurt, eating at the fish restaurant.  And lots more that I'm forgetting this morning, I'm sure.

So, we send you home to Texas with our love and gratitude for these last two weeks and for being you, Gommie, my mom, who gave me yet another gift, or lesson, in generosity, determination, dedication.  In love and motherhood.

Thanks, Mom.  I love you.

The Further Adventures of Gommie and the Kids

Today, the last full day that Gommie is with us, she took the kiddos to a coastal preserve, to walk the shore and see some birds.  Sis took her birdwatcher's book and Gommie took our binoculars.  They saw osprey and piping plovers, neither of which Sis had on her lifetime list.  On a down note, the staff said they'd seen the snowy owl a week or so ago--I'd given up at least a month before that.  Oh, well, hopefully next year.  Besides, I saw the real Hedwig, which has to count for something.

And then they all went to hibachi!  Yum!  The kids love "herbachi," as they used to call it and got their usual favorites--chicken with noodles and fried rice for Sis, shrimp with noodles and fried rice for Bud. They picked up frozen yogurt on the way home and brought me a bowl--I love it with almonds, coconut, and raspberries (though, the tart plain which I usually love is non-fat at this place, new to me, and was pretty disgusting.  Oh, well, the toppings made up for it some.)

It was such a busy day that they only had time to drop off my yogurt before heading to haircuts, which they desperately needed.  Though, now they look like newly shorn spring sheep.  Sis looks much younger than her age for now and Bud looks more his age and no longer looks like a tween with floppy Bieber hair.

Gommie got a well-deserved break (though, she spent it doing laundry and packing) while the kids played zombie attack in the yard for hours.

And so ends our last full day with Gommie.  Always bittersweet.

Last Things

Last notes on Gommie's visit, since I forgot to chronicle Mon-Wed:

• More yummy food:  my simple butter marinara, sourdough biscuits for breakfast, chicken and dumplings for lunch, quiche for dinner.  And Mama brought special restaurant desserts as a treat on our last night:  delicious fudge cake, caramel apple pie, molten lava cake, and blueberry lemon sponge.
• We started a puzzle together, a maritime Americana puzzle with 1000 pieces.  It was a real challenge (some of the pieces didn't so much connect as abut), but we didn't come close to finishing it.
• On Monday, after eating a great seafood lunch, we went birding.  First, we drove along the river and actually spotted a bald eagle!  We all saw it and weren't imaginging things.  We also saw some big hawks, perhaps Northern Harrier or Broad Shoulder.  Inspired by this, we stopped at several more places along the river and the shore, marveling at the ice build up and frozen waters.  We did look for a long while for a Snowy Owl and I did think I spotted one in the far distance, but I'm not counting that as a positive identification.  I'll just have to keep looking.  But it was a wonderful activity for us all.  And with Gommie present, the kids didn't complain as much about the cold.
• We watched Big Hero Six, including all the behind the scenes things.  Gommie really liked it (she doesn't always like animation or fantasy/sci fi), much more than she liked The Avengers!  
• There was more game playing--spit, solitaire, Rummikub, and Scrabble--and more tangling.

All in all, a great visit.

Three Strikes

It's not been the best kind of day.

Gommie left, which is always hard, even with a wonderful long visit.

And then, I got a call this morning that my hospice patient, whom I've seen since late October, which is a long time in the hospice universe, was in active heart failure and wouldn't last too long (more like days, than hours, though.)  So after dropping Gommie off at the train station, I headed to hospice.

Only on my way, I got a call that Mama was headed to NYC--a neighbor had noticed oddness from her parents' house only to find that a hot water pipe had broken in the first floor, damaging both the dining room and the basement (remember, her folks are in Thailand . . . for Mama's grandfather's death and funeral, including 7 days of ritual mourning and then cremation and more days of prayer.  And now it's Chinese New Year, which they can't fully celebrate because of the mourning, if I understand correctly.)  Only the sump pump kept it from being worse.  Thank heavens for the attentive neighbor! But the heat coupled with the water ruined their inlaid wood floor, which buckled.  There is condensation so thick in the house that all the ceilings are dripping and the windows opaque.  And there is a lot of damage to all of the tiles and insulation in the basement's drop ceiling.  So Mama has been there all day with plumbers and heating people.  She might or might not come home tonight, but only if the house is stabilized enough to be left for 24 hours, when Goo can next check on it.

So I went in and sat with my hospice patient for an hour, holding his hand and mostly sitting in silence.  He looks like my dad, but older--same complexion and facial skin and baldness, very similar profile as he lay in bed.   He's not uncomfortable and is receiving a lot of love and attention from the staff; he is very well liked (and the difference in care between liked patients and disliked is vast, unfortunately; I've seen it close up.)  When I left, I said goodbye and that I wished him well if I didn't see him again, that it had been a real pleasure sitting with him these months.  May he be comforted.  May he live with ease.  And die with ease.

So that's my day.  I'm definitely pretty frayed around the edges and PMS makes it worse.  At least there was a little sunshine.

Otherwise, I'm glad it will be tomorrow soon.

Freezing

It is BRUTALLY cold outside.  It was -3F this morning, with a windchill around -29F something.

And guess what?  Lambeth, our pipes did NOT freeze!!!!

Mama had gone to great lengths to seal the basement and wrap various pipes, using the guidance of her new thermal camera attachment that shows heat gradients (which is also just fun in general--she's taken photos of the kids, cats, and even a boat of sushi!!)  It was very gratifying to discover that all of her efforts worked.  And we like having a working dishwasher and kitchen sink.

But the sun is out and the snow is beautiful.

Though, Gommie has taken to wearing her thermals 24/7 because, even with our turning up the heat several degrees, she is still just cold.

When we're not focused on the cold and snow, we're still having a great time:

• We skipped church yesterday because of the 45 mph winds and occasional white-outs from blowing snow, instead staying in jammies to play games and tangle;
• We did, eventually, go out to a hockey game yesterday, Gommie's very first.  Our local team isn't doing very well--we have lost several of the games we've been to and we're almost in last place--but it was still entertaining to watch.  Gommie was amazed by the force of the body checks and the speed of the game; she couldn't believe the seeming lack of control over the puck, which just went all over the place, quickly.  Surprisingly, there wasn't a single glove-throwing, helmet-removing fist fight, just a lot of heavy body checks and some fouls; it's the first hockey game we've seen without the proverbial blood on the ice.  Otherwise, I finally figured out how to spot offsides--and caught the foul along with the officials a few times!
• We continue to eat well, as always--take-out from the delicious Italian deli with eggplant parms, seafood salad, chicken cutlet sandwiches, chicken cutlet chopped salad sandwiches, pasta fagioli (soup), arancini, broccoli rabe, nutella wafer cookies, Orangina, and some kind of cooked pastrami dish; apple crumb cake, which we all loved but decided needed the filling doubled; and today, we will be going to Gommie's favorite seafood place;
• We have been playing lots of non-computer games:  Mama introduced Spit, which has proved popular, after Gommie had revived the interest in Solitaire.  They have also played Qwirkle, Rummikub, and Gravity Maze.  Mama has Ticket to Ride that we're hoping to play later.  (I say "we" when you know I mean "please, please, please don't ask me to play a game.  I still REALLY don't like games, especially when there is a lot of gloaty-snarky smack talk.)
• The tangling has slowed down in the wake of the game playing and today I'm thinking of crocheting some flowers.  But there are lovely drawings all around the house.  And also a porcelain owl that I decorated (photos later.)

That's about it.  Gommie is here until Wednesday and the kids are off school again tomorrow.

And we're expecting more snow tonight.

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Miss R's Apple Crumb Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 cups flour

1 can apple pie filling--she uses Comstock (frozen fruit doesn't work; We realized 2 cans would have been even better)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix all ingredients except apple pie filling and form into a dough ball. Divide ball in two.

Grease a 9x13 pan. Press one dough ball into pan. Spread apple filling over dough. Crumble other ball in teaspoon-size crumbs over the top. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake for 40-45 minutes.

We served hot, with creme fraiche.

Miss R

In the Kitchen with Gommie

In just over a month, Gommie has managed to add a few new meals to our kids' repertoire:  round steak with rice and gravy, rump roast, King Ranch Chicken, and even chili!  That means beef, a casserole, and something with tomatoes!  This is huge.  (Okay, sure, I'm a bit ambivalent about beef, but it's ok once in awhile for them.) And in their spirit of adventurousness, they also tried and loved cheese tortellinis (added to a chicken soup with veggies)!  In her last few days here (I think they're hoping to head home on Friday since we survived, and even thrived, while they were up in VT), Gommie has talked about trying zucchini bread and Aunt Banana's tomato-less vegetable "Garden-Style" lasagna.  Even if they don't take to those, Gommie's cooking has been a boon.

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Rump Roast

3-4 lb. rump roast

salt and pepper

1 cup water

            Preheat oven to 500°F.  Salt and pepper roast.  Sear uncovered in oven for 10-15 minutes.  Add 1 cup water, cover and reduce oven to 350°F.  Cook for approximately 2 hours.

            Make gravy and serve with rice.

                                                                                                                       

Gommie Hungry

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Round Steak

1 round steak, tenderized

1 onion, sliced

½ cup flour

beef bouillon granules + water

¼ cup oil

salt and pepper

            Cut steak in serving-size pieces.  Season and coat with flour.  Brown in oil over medium heat until brown on both sides.  Remove and drain oil leaving 3 tablespoons and drippings.  Add 3 tablespoons flour to oil and make a roux.  Add water slowly.  Add onion and seasoning.  Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.  Serve over rice.

Gommie Hungry

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King Ranch Chicken

1 chicken, cooked and cut in pieces (or, bake 3 breasts in oven at 350°F for 30 minutes)

2 cup grated cheese

1 dozen corn tortillas, torn into fourths (Gommie used corn chips)

1 onion, chopped

Sauce:

1 can cream of chicken

1 can cream of mushroom/celery

1 cup chicken broth (or bouillion cube and water)

½ can Rotel tomatoes/chilies

            Spray 9 x 13 pan with Pam.  Layer tortillas, chicken, onions, sauce, and cheese.  Bake 350°F for 30 minutes.

Gommie Hungry

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"Chili Jambalaya" for the Kids

This chili combo is based on a dish served at my elementary school cafeteria, with chili over rice and lettuce with cheese.  I added the Fritos, a la Frito Chili Pie.  But this is not served in the bag!  And while it was my recipe, it was Gommie's idea to try it now.  Of course, Fritos were a large part of its success.

1 lb. ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 teaspoons Penzey's chili con carne seasoning mix
1/4-1/2 cup diced tomatoes
Fritos
shredded cheddar cheese

rice

lettuce

Brown the ground meat, draining fat if necessary. Saute onions. Add chili seasoning and tomatoes to meat and onions. Add water if necessary (I like my chili soupy, so the Fritos can absorb some). Simmer. Serve over bed of white rice with a layer of iceberg or romaine lettuce, Fritos, and topped with lots of cheese.

Mommy Hungry

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Zucchini Surprise Bread
4 eggs beaten
1/2 cup oil
1 clove garlic, minced
dash pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Lawry's seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons parsley
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup bisquick
3 cups zucchini, sliced.

Mix in 9 x 13" pan.  Bake 30 minutes at 350F, until brown.


Gommie Hungry

From the Heart (of Texas): Store Envy

After happily settling the kids at Gommie's (4 bathrooms! no basement! what a strange place!) with all the new-to-them toys, Mama and I did one of my favorite things to do in Houston: grocery shop. Some of my strongest memories are of shopping at the Randall's, when that was the store to visit (mainly because for a long time after it arrived, it was one of the only stores; before it came, we had a long trek to the Gerland's. NW Houston as the boonies then). I remember free cake on customer appreciation day, all the soups and Kool-Aids, the staff whom Mom knew by name. I'd swear we'd go more than twice a week!

Well, Randall's isn't the store anymore, having been replaced by newer, swankier, better-stocked, less religious (Randall's didn't sell alcohol when I was a kid) stores. Tonight we hit Kroger's; later in the trip we'll go to the big H.E.B. Both have amazing stocks of organic and natural products, ethnic groceries, a variety of produce, and just things you never see in the smaller, older groceries in Connecticut (even though the new Shop Rites, replacing the old Shaw's, as well as Big Y, come closer than Shop and Stop. Yes, I always say that backwards, accidentally; and now it's a habit.) Sure, last year I questioned the need for such quantities of goods (and I stand by some of my concern about the excess)--there is a whole aisle of paper towels and toilet paper! And about 6' of grocery shelf space of powdered drink mixes! But they also carry all the Bob's Red Mill flours and a ton of Indian, Asian, and Mexican ingredients. Yep, I have grocery store envy.

And some nostalgia, too: BLUE BELL the best ice cream in the country (now in convenient pint containers), Ranch Style Beans, Rotel (which we do now get, but not in as many varieties), Steen's Syrup, those pink and white frosted animal cookies, just the name "Parkay" (not that I think I've ever even had that), Adams extracts, Imperial Sugar, Trappey's Black Eyes. And those are just the things I noticed in our quick run today. I got a little teary-eyed in the grocery store (yes, I'll cry about anything) and so had to buy a tacky Texas totebag in honor of it all! We also got 4 pints of Blue Bell, just for samples and I came home humming that tune . . . .

After a delicious dinner of baked chicken, rice and gravy, peas and carrots, corn on the cob, and squash, all of which (minus the last) the kids scarfed as if they hadn't eaten all day, and a little watching of the DVD Mama made of the Mother's Day tea and graduation at preschool and the church pageant (all of which made me a bit teary; yeah, yeah, I know--just like Gommie, who had to wipe her eyes too!), we put the kiddos to bed, even though it was still light out, and headed off to the bookstore. The Half-Price Books bookstore. I think I like it even better than the grocery stores! Good thing I only get to visit once a year. But that's okay because I think I picked up enough books for that, from Elizabeth David's tome on English Bread and Yeast Cookery to Marion Cunningham's iconic cookbook on breakfast, plus a couple of books on baking. Mama got a few drawing books, a history of ancient China, and some books on knights and castles for Bud and folktales for Sis. We could've picked up more for them but, then, we know we'll be going back before the trip is over.

Right after we go back to the grocery store!

From the Heart (of Texas): We Arrive

The first thing out of Bud's mouth upon exiting the airport (to which we had arrived more than 30 minutes earlier than scheduled, almost beating Gommie and Pop, balloons in hand, to baggage claim!) was "Mommy, it's hot here."

Sis said the same thing, adding that it was "double hot." Double is right--double nines, close to 100F.

Kiddos, we aren't in Connecticut anymore!

But we are very happy to be in Houston. The kids are running around Gommie and Pop's house, thrilled with all the toys both purchased and borrowed (thanks, Granny Quinn!). By far, Bud loves the personalized sword and shield Pop found at Prasek's--perfect for Bud's current medieval knights obsession (we have 4 knights books and two knights toys with us!). Sis much prefers the tea sets.

Mama and I are just glad to have arrived . . . and to have new munchies like chocolate mint almonds to try. We're planning a grocery trip for this evening, because I'm in charge of birthday cake and there are requests for grilled pizza and crusty bread.

And Mama's GPS says there's a Taco Cabana nearby . . . . let the fun begin!

Ready, Steady, Go-y

The doors to the train closed shut.

"Bye-bye! See you tomorrow!" called Bud. "See you at Christmas!"

Waving in tandem with her brother, Sis repeated, "See you at Christmas!"

They didn't really no what to say as Gommie left this morning. Truth is, we'll see her in June sometime when we go there, not sure when she'll foray north again, probably Thanksgiving or before. This year, not Christmas.

It capped a whirlwind 24 hours of activity, from church to lunch at the Japanese restaurant yesterday (not herbachi!), where Gommie enjoyed California rolls and seaweed salad and the kids tucked into shumai, gyoza, and yaki udon again. Once at home, they went tricycle riding in the newly snow-free landscape. Then rest time (and Bud fell asleep on Gommie) and lots of playing--dinosaur museum, dinosaur world, camp out, car races (hence this post title, which is what they were shouting at each race's start), I don't even recall what all. Dinner only interrupted the play a bit and then they continued, the most happily engaged and energetic independent play of the whole visit as the adults watched on.

Bedtime, which was late, was a bit of a slog, with lots of tired participants and some inelegant parenting. We were trying to get the room cleaned up from the camp out, while getting them through their ritual, all while ignoring that this was the last bedtime of this visit, and there was lots of grumping from kids who didn't want to go to bed but were too tired not to. "Why can't I do things in the order I want to?" Sis pleaded at one point, as Mama tried to marshall them out of the room to brush teeth so she could clear up the sleeping bags. Ugh. Then things were just about settled, when Sis lost her balance while closing her drawer and slammed her finger in it. Hard. The swelling, the tenderness, the pain. We all know it hurt and Tylenol didn't do much, but she wouldn't let us go near it with ice. (We're going to the doctor this morning to see the extent of the damage, mainly if they need to puncture the nail to drain the blood or have an x-ray. Sound like the end of another visit? When there are kids, there are accidents).

This morning found us trying to balance getting ready for school and getting Gommie ready to travel, with the last of the play time. The kids did remarkably well at ignoring her imminent departure, replacing dinosaur world with a forest in the basement. Gommie was in charge of finding forest animals (a "buffa-yo" is not a forest animal, Gommie!). When it was time to go, everyone got up, got dressed, got their stuff, and headed out the door.

At the train station, instead of letting Gommie out and watching her board the train from the car, we headed into the coffee shop where Gommie got tea and the kids got candy and a bag of chips. What was that article about grandparents making kids fat? (For the record, that was grandparents who are daytime caregivers for kids with working parents in Britain. Not your average spoiling grandparent during visits). But the distraction worked and no one cried because their faces were too stuffed and they were too excited about treats for breakfast as they hugged Gommie and then waved goodbye as she boarded the train. There were even smiles all the way to school as they ate their food. Not a bad way to say goodbye.

Things that Make You Go "Llllll"

"Loom, Mom," he said, "not a 'yoom'."

And so Bud hit another milestone and a little bit more of his young childhood faded away: he is beginning to pronounce "ls."

We were at the "dinosaur museum" yesterday, showing Gommie the Silk Road exhibition, with its silk loom, that we had so enjoyed a month ago with Ma, Gong, and Goo (and, between two viewings, with kids, I think I've seen almost the whole show now!). The kids loved pulling Gommie from the camels to the worms to the musical instruments to the market to the videos to the astrolabe to the water clock. "Gom," Sis would implore, "come here!" Yep, "Gom." Just like I am often now "Mom." But whereas I don't mind at all, Gommie doesn't particularly like the shortening of her name. And sometimes adds the "mie" to the end herself.

Anyway, Gommie didn't enjoy the exhibition as much as she could have on her own, with all the leisure time to look and read and reflect, I think. It's hard to be the grandma sometimes. But she was a sport about wandering around the whole place, seeing dinosaurs and dioramas and the Discovery Room. That was a big thing this trip: Sis loved playing "I Spy" with the baobab tree replica (looking for hidden animals and evidence of animals like honey and dung), while Bud both excavated dinosaur fossils and pieced together a dinosaur model. One part I enjoyed was standing in the turret overlooking snow-covered Central Park and beyond to the midtown skyline. It reminded me of the view of Central Park from the 5th Avenue office where I worked, which was one of my favorite parts of that job.

We didn't stay to close the museum as we had on our last trip, being more tired this time and with no performance in the middle that required restful and rejuvenating sitting in the dark for a long time. But we did get a few treats in the shop--a new T-Rex for Bud and a bag of pink rocks for Sis--and fruit cups in the cafe before heading home.

But the journey wasn't over, for Sis and Bud played caravan in their beds long after bedtime, with their critters backing their things and heading from Baghdad to Xi'an. Though, I don't think there were any camels . . . .

Snow Fun

It took us about 20 minutes to get dressed in snow clothes this morning, which meant I wanted us to spend at least that long outside. No worries today; we were all outside for about 2 hours, in both blowing snow and empty (though not clear) skies. We trekked across the yard, threw snowballs, made snow angels, slid down the snow-covered slide and then filled it up again with snow for another run, shoveled the driveway, made "snow boulders" that we then converted into a wonderful, cheerful snowman. And, actually, I think it is my first real, complete, three-sphere snowman ever. Maybe Gommie's too! And of course, exhausted after a nature walk and playing in the "polar bear cave" bush, we went inside with our bowls of snow for--you guessed it--snow cream.

Shapin' Up

Gommie and the kids spent most of the post-snow playtime on the floor of the living room playing with tanagrams, or little colored shapes that can be fitted together to make pictures. It's a toy she gave them a long time ago, after a visit to Sturbridge Village with it's own tanagram/quilt children's activity, but they hadn't ever gotten the hang of it at home. But we pulled it out this morning, after playing in the snow, while I got the soup on. First, Sis and Bud followed the pattern pictures included with the set, but they were soon making their own, much more complicated and abstract pictures, like flowers, snowflakes, and the like. Symmetry and pattern seemed to be of utmost importance as they fought over shapes from the common pile (and now they know the word hexagon and trapezoid!). Every now and then they called me in from the kitchen to look at a particular design before breaking it down and starting over. Sis took a break in the middle, to help me with the soup--she likes to wash the veggies and then drop them in the pot once I've cut them. Gommie took her own break on the floor next to Bud, doing yoga poses to stretch herself out after two nights on an inflatable bed.