Do Overs

I'm not making any resolutions for 2009. Making resolutions means I have failed in some ways in the past. Making resolutions is a futile attempt at "do overs."

It's not that I don't want to change behaviors in positive ways. There is an innate drive in most all of us to be better and do better.

I've decided to change the focus of my internal improvements this New Year. Instead of worrying about stopping bad behaviors and accomplishing good behaviors, I plan to set some outcome-oriented goals. For example, I have a goal to sell the house and down-size. That involves doing some work on the house, getting rid of accumulated stuff (not touched or thought about in several years), and doing some research on the current housing market (one doesn't need to be a Sherlock to know selling is bad timing right now.)

I want to be more at ease. This one is trickier....and multi-faceted. No details here...this is fairly private.

Another goal is to make a positive difference for someone each and every day.

There are other goals, but this blog is long enough....you get the point.

As I set these goals, I can see the interplay within each one....ie..I will become more at ease as I work toward selling the house. Making positive differences in others' lives will accomplish personal satisfaction and ease.

Happy New Year!

Christmas Is Here

Remember when Christmas was anticipated fiercely and it never seemed to come fast enough? Now, it seems like Christmas is the week after Thanksgiving. In the ratio of time considering advancing years one has lived, there is the opposition in how quickly Christmas is here against how much one has to accomplish before the actual big day.

Christmas is here and I have not gotten everything done. After this blog entry, I have to put ornaments on the tree---yes, today IS the 25th. Gifts are wrapped. Day ahead food preparation is accomplished. I only forgot one thing from the store yesterday--we will just do without it.

A little vacuuming must be done, along with Callie-proofing some areas of the house. Must prep the rolls for rising, set the table, prep vegetables, find the meat thermometer, and shower.

My Christmas wish is that as everyone assembles here later today, we have some leisurely snacks and mimosas, watch Callie open gifts, and enjoy good forecasted weather. After that, we will have dinner, then maybe play some male versus female games or poker.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Tagging Along

As most every blogger I know has done, I'm doing the "8-thing" thing:

Eight television shows I watch

1. Brothers & Sisters

2. Barefoot Contessa

3. Big Love--(back on in January)

4. Today show

5. Turner Movie Classics

6. Good Eats

7. On Demand movies

8. Bobby Flay's Throwdown

Eight favorite restaurants

1. Bryce's Cafeteria--Texarkana

2. Tujaque's--New Orleans

3. Sonny Bryan's BBQ (the ORIGINAL one)

4. Joe T's (does favorite margarita count?)

5. Glory To God--Sherman

6. Babe's Chicken House--Roanoke

7. Bistro Louise

8. Campisi's

Eight things that happened today

1. Got Starbuck's--no scones!

2. Worked on my travel expenses for work

3. Retrieved the dogs from the vet (they boarded 6 days while I was in Austin/San Antonio)

4. Ate a can of tuna

5. Bought 2 beautiful poinsettias at Calloway's (75% markdown)

6. Caught up on work/personal e-mails/blogs

7. Forgot to take my medicine, had to go back home to take it

8. Wrote up a survey report

Eight things I look forward to

1. Experience Callie's first aware Christmas

2. Picking Brooke up at D/FW Monday night---(hopefully her flight leaves Portland sometime that day)

3. Christmas Day with all the kids

4. Organizing 2008 income tax documents ON TIME this year

5. Five consecutive days off work for Christmas

6. Big Love

7. 2009

8. World financial stability

Eight things I wish for

1. World financial stability

2. That my children, Callie, & any future grandchildren will be able to live healthy, happy, secure, & productive lives with a sense of caring for all those around them

3. Retirement as I have planned & worked toward

4. That world leaders allow all countries to be true to their own spiritual beliefs & traditions---our way is not the best way for everyone

5. Our planetary atmosphere, geography, climates withstand civilized "progress"

6. To know and understand spiritual life (to uncloak the mysteries)

7. To know that I have made a positive difference in this world, somehow

8. Chocolate that is healthy

Merry Christmas From The Family

I did a difficult thing today. It was very difficult for I had so much invested in it.

Zack came over a few days ago and brought all the Christmas stuff down from the attic. I have sorted through boxes of ornaments, tree lights, outside lights, garlands, bows....and old Christmas cards.

I threw away old, cracked homemade salt dough ornaments (made in 1988). That was so much fun! We were living in San Antonio. After supper each evening, we all sat at the kitchen table and made ornaments with cookie cutters and other utensils. Then I put them in a low oven to harden. We painted the ornaments the next evening with tempera paints. All five of us enjoyed that project. On afternoons while Clu Flu worked, the kids and I made gift wrap paper. I bought large rolls of "plain brown wrapper" paper and white butcher paper. Then, I cut sponges in different shapes and we used tempera paints again.

All our ornaments collected over so many years are special. I still have construction paper ornaments the kids made in grade school. We always bought a Christmas ornament on trips, and I gave the kids 2 or so new ornaments each year.

I was able to toss quite a bit of stuff and even moreso today when Zack helped me go through all of it. His sensible approach made a difference.

The hardest part of all this was tossing 17 years of saved Christmas cards. Each year, I would go through most of them, re-read attached newsletters and admire special cards. One of our friends handcrafted her cards, long before scrapbooking tools made it simpler to do so. As I untied a year's worth of cards, I noticed that over the last few years, the number of cards had become smaller. Friends and family just were not sending cards as in the previous years. There has been a considerable drop in the number of received cards this year.

I almost didn't send cards this year even though sending Christmas cards is my favorite tradition of Christmas.

I hope sending cards doesn't go completely go away.

Celebrate The 21st Amendment

Eugene bartender wants nation to recognize day prohibition was repealed

Jeff Morgenthaler is the bar manager of Bel Ami in South Eugene. He calls bartending an art and can't imagine every day American life without it.


YouNews™
Story Published: Dec 3, 2008 at 10:02 PM PST
By Elissa Harrington KVAL News
Video
EUGENE, Ore - A Eugene bartender is raising his glass to celebrate 75 years since the end of prohibition. Now he wants the rest of the nation to join in.Jeff Morgenthaler is the bar manager of Bel Ami in South Eugene. He calls bartending an art and can't imagine every day American life without it."The responsible consumption of alcohol really is a sort of sacred social custom," says Morgenthaler.The reality - every day life was without it. In 1920, prohibition took effect. Morgenthaler calls it one of our nation's dark times."The criminalization of alcohol led not only to criminal delinquency and organized crime but also to a loss of the traditions associated with the production, preparation, and consumption of alcohol."The drinking ban was lifted 75 years ago as of this Friday. For several years, Morgenthaler has taken to his Web site to try and make "Prohibition Repeal Day" a nationally recognized day. "We're not looking for a national holiday," says Morgenthaler. "But we're looking for a day when people can recognize their craft distillers."The main reasons to celebrate? Morgenthaler says alcoholic recipes and responsibilites have come a long way in 75 years. He also says it would remind Americans of their freedoms. Plus the timing is perfect. December 5th falls right around the holidays.Whether or not this idea gains national recognition, Morgenthaler hopes Friday, Dec. 5, many people will celebrate with a well made drink.

REPEAL!

This post is a day late, but I just learned of the subject matter late yesterday. While we all went about our business on Friday, there were parties across the nation celebrating our great freedoms....one in particular.

Yesterday was the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. As I listened to NPR, they spoke of bars from New York to Oregon serving gin in teacups and patrons had to have a password to get in. Speakeasy style.

They interviewed a bartender in EUGENE, OREGON of all places who has made it his mission to promote our freedom to drink liquor. They didn't mention the name of his blog, but apparently he has been getting the word out for awhile.

Prohibition began as a deterrent to crime. The Prohibitionists theorized that if people didn't get drunk, there would be no more murders, robberies, etc. Truly, household violence did go down, as did other crimes. Some cities even closed down jails and decreased their law enforcement efforts in anticipation of a no criminal society.

But always, the best intentions get screwed up. The Prohibitionists had not counted on the theory "where there's a will, there's a way." Stopping legal liquor sales just opened up a whole new style of crime---organized crime, that is.

And before Prohibition went into effect, people drank in moderation---wine before dinner, a shot of whiskey to warm the soul. During Prohibition, a new type of drinker emerged---the binge drinker. A practice of drinking still alive today under the auspices of higher learning. Take something away from the American public, and they will do what they can to store up, buy up, and use up all available sources. (If you are over 50, you probably remember the toilet paper and lettuce shortages!)

Organized crime became big business and "Joe Six Pack" became an amateur distiller of spirits---bathtub gin.

Also, prior to Prohibition, sweet and flavored cocktails were rare, but bartenders began flavoring alcohol to mask the horrible taste of homemade liquor.

Prohibition was a wild time. But, the American public got through it (unless you got gunned down by a machine gun in a passing Model T Ford).

Currently we are in wild times with fluctuating markets, big bail-outs, foreclosures, etc. Given a choice, I would prefer Prohibition.

On The Road Again

I'm on my way to Austin this morning---better get going. This is a work trip, but it will be good to just drive down the highway---no LBJ Freeway, I-30, 360 jams!

Going to Austin again on 12/14, then leaving Austin on the 16th for San Antonio for work. All this I-35 South activity is putting a huge crimp in my Christmas preparations here at home.

I'm excitedly anticipating Brooke's long visit home over Christmas and Callie's first Christmas exploration as she treks around the tree eyeing all the "no touch" ornaments and lights, opens gifts, and generally looks adorable and sweet just being herself.

Somehow, it will all get done.

Favorite Thanksgivings

When you take your age and consider that there is a Thanksgiving for each year you've been alive, and you are AARP qualified....that's alot of turkey!

Fifty-seven turkey dinners for me...well, maybe I ate turkey 55 of those years. Think of all the people, dirty dishes, miles traveled to get there that have made up your life's Thanksgiving experiences! I'm sure there are some Thanksgivings that really stand out...good or bad. Did you suffer through your great-aunt's gummy white bread dressing that contained ground up turkey parts and an entire can of ground sage? Were you still relegated to the kids' table on a kitchen stool when you were waiting on your SAT scores?

Of those 50 some-odd years, I have some very special memories. As a child, we drove from N Texas to Kaufman to have dinner at my grandmother's sister's house. We caravaned with my grandparents. Nanad (my grandfather) always wanted to leave early enough so that we could stop in Dallas at a restaurant on Loop 12 so he could have a waffle breakfast. All my grandmother's sisters were there and my favorite person in the world---Lulu (their mother, Lula Mae Brooks). Lulu was relegated to an easy chair, and she played checkers with me, read the funnies to me, and I thought I was reciprocal in the care-taking....."helping" her to the bathroom, holding her hand in mine while she stabilized herself with a walking cane. In my other hand, I carried her small coffee can. You see, Lulu dipped snuff. I never saw her place it under her lip. She was discreet. But every now and then, she would spit into the can. In my five year old understanding, I thought she did that because she was old. She was the oldest and grandest person I knew.

I loved those days....The conversations between Pete (my grandmother Faye) and her sisters, Laura, Billye, Madge, while they bustled around in the tiny kitchen. Billye, Madge and Pete talked about Laura whenever she wasn't in earshot. Laura had been an old maid...married her husband Andy late in life. Mainly, they talked about Andy....how he always watched the June Taylor dancers kick up their legs on a TV variety show. And, how he would come in the kitchen with one spoon and sample all the food before it arrived at the dinner table. Disgusting!

The food was always great---good cooks in the family. There was ALWAYS cheese & macaroni, cornbread dressing, turkey, ham, rolls, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, black-eyed peas, put-up chow-chow, pickles, and jellies. The only disgusting food on the table was the fresh green beans. I swear, the only way these women prepared green beans was to cook them for the same amount of time as the turkey. Green mush--enough said.

It was fun to go into the living room, sit on a straight back chair and listen to the men talk & watch football. They were all cordial, and knew their place in the Thanksgiving ritual---sit in front of the TV, out of the way until they were called to the table.

My mother's cousins, Billye & J. T.'s kids were teen-aged---and cool. Rosemary wore slim skirts, flats, and a button-down cardigan as her top. John Lawrence was about to go to A & M. They hung out with my uncle Robert. After a few years, Robert was in the Army in Germany. After Lulu died, we didn't go to Kaufman anymore.

Other favorite Thanksgivings were the ones when we went to the Muenster community dinner at the Parish Hall. It seemed like thousands of people were there and I was related to at least half of them. It was a buffet, and everyone sat at long white paper covered tables. We ate on cafeteria-type dishes. There was always a lot of noise and commotion. It was a reunion of sorts. In Muenster gatherings, kids were allowed to roam free. There were no knick-knacks in danger of breakage. No couches to jump on. If the weather was good, we were outside on the playground.

My saddest Thanksgiving was when I was in college in Houston. I worked some weekends at Methodist Hospital as a student nurse (glorified aide). There was a rumor that the student nurses had to work either Thanksgiving or Christmas. I immediately signed up for Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving morning I showed up on my unit. It was closed (post-op cardiovascular surgery--DeBakey's unit). I went to the supervisor's office and was told they shut down for two weeks to paint and re-furbish. Who in their right mind wanted to have a by-pass during the holidays? So, I was assigned to the much-despised by me orthopedic post-op unit. Lots of balanced-suspension traction, screws, casts, and pain. Oh, did I mention bedpans?

As an adult, some of my favorite Thanksgivings were when we drove to Prairie Valley Presbyterian Camp on Lake Whitney. The kids didn't like going, but Clu Flu and I did. There was a community dinner prepared by the camp cooks. People brought side dishes and desserts and the camp ladies made turkey, dressing, etc., along with the very best homemade bread. One year, they were kind enough to write the recipe for me. It was written to be prepared for 25 loaves! Converting it down to 2 loaves was unsuccessful.

There was an outdoor worship service in the mornings. We sang hymns a Capella. I remember one year we sang "Morning Has Broken." The sun was shining brightly, the air was crisp, and the sound of rustling leaves made it all the more wonderful. There were hayrides, outdoor fires, hikes, board games in the dining hall. You could also tell by Thanksgiving if it was going to be a good year for bluebonnets, as the seedlings were breaking through the soil.

We gave in to the kids one year, and stayed home for Thanksgiving. That was fortuitous, as it sleeted and iced over the night before. We would not have made it to PV that time. The kids were excited about the ice---sliding around on the drive/street. It was a quiet day. We used my grandmother's china and crystal. Candles on the table, fire in the fireplace. All the food was ready at the same time. Clu Flu opened a bottle of wine, and as we were putting the food on the table, here came Zack...he had put on a tie, tucked in his button-down denim shirt, and announced that he would pour the wine! I don't remember his exact age, but I think he was about 10 or 11. It was a great Thanksgiving.

Another great Thanksgiving was when Ruth was in high school and John & Kathy were pre-marriage. We went to PV, then traveled on to Austin to spend the night, then on to San Antonio to have a parallel trip with John, Kathy, and Gus. Gus was in a soccer tournament that weekend. We all stayed at Embassy Suites, and on Saturday afternoon, we made a trip back to Austin to see the Arlington Colts beat Spring in a really tight play-off game! That game was decided by # of first downs. Arlington won by one first down, I think. It was probably the most exciting high school game I ever saw. (I really like high school FB--but not pro FB).

Another great Thanksgiving was the year of the javelina hunt! Zack and Gus were 16 and 17 and I learned of a Texas Parks & Wildlife sponsored teen javelina hunt in South Texas. Clu Flu, John, Gus, and Zack were pretty excited. They bought feeder corn, discussed which guns to take. Gus and Zack had visions of a mounted javelina head! We had dinner at John & Kathy's. Elena was about four at the time. We drove down to South Texas in two cars that evening and stayed in a non-chain motel next to a truck stop on I-35. It was the only place to stay in the vicinity. It was run by a couple who were both on dialysis. In the back of the front desk, there were two dialysis unit chairs where they administered their own dialysis. This was pretty much an isolated spot about 50 miles north of Laredo. Friday morning came early, we ate breakfast at the truck stop, gathered up everything and made it to the game warden's headquarters about 7:30 for a briefing on the rules of the hunt. Kathy, Brooke, Elena and I were to go on to Nuevo Laredo for a day of browsing the market. As the men prepared for the hunt, we left for Laredo.

Elena decided she didn't want any part of the market experience. She cried, wouldn't walk, had to be carried, and was just plain feeling miserable. About 10 AM, Kathy & I had margaritas! Kathy bought Elena a little Mexican dress, which Elena decided she must wear right in the middle of the market!

We got back to the hunt site, waited on the men, talked to one of the game wardens who told us that there was a Border Patrol on-foot man-hunt in the game reserve in the assigned Lusk area. It was getting close to dusk--mandatory stop time. About that time, we could hear a long round of gunshots. Pow, pow, pow, pow. The game warden said, "Oh that can't be good." A group came in to the reserve office with a javelina. That was the only one shot that day. If you weren't going to dress your javelina, the game wardens would take it, dress it, and have the carcass butchered for meat. The meat was given to a needy family. I didn't know that javelina was killed for food.

Our men came back empty-handed, the boys were frustrated that they didn't see any javelinas. But they got to shoot their guns. That prolonged gun blast we heard was Zack and Gus obliterating a cactus. The men saw the Border Patrolman on foot in chase through the brush. An exciting day for all--except Brooke. If it hadn't been for her Walkman, I don't know how she would have done.

But I guess the best Thanksgiving I ever had was 2004. Ruth and Chad had begun to seriously talk about marriage. We made plans to spend the week-end in Concan in a cabin on the Frio River. We packed up gear, food, firewood, and beer and made the trek down to Concan below Garner State Park--twenty miles north of Uvalde. It was the first time Chad had prolonged contact with us. It was a GREAT trip. We ate Thanksgiving Dinner at the Koffee Kup Kafe in Hico. We arrived at the cabin late that afternoon, unloaded and set about getting organized. We had fires in the firepit each night, waited for the deer to show up, flashed lights at them so we could count them by the reflection of their eyes. The cabin was in a pecan grove at the base of a huge mesa. At night, you could hear the river flowing. We had breakfast burritos, hamburgers, grilled chicken, and on Saturday night, I roasted a Chateaubriand for dinner. It was great. We went to Bracketville to see the Alamo mock-up, saw lots of Border Patrol cars out---one time there was a van trekking through a cloud of dust in some brush off-road. Saw some on horseback. On our trip home on Sunday, we stopped in Luckenbach. And of course, I had to make a trip to the Uvalde H. E. B for cold food supplies. while in Concan.

If you have made it through this entire post, you are to be commended for perseverance. I don't expect anyone to read the whole thing...but I enjoyed writing down some favorite memories. I've had a great many things in my life to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch

Family pets (especially dogs) hold a dear place in everyone's hearts. We may grumble and be frustrated with a pet's singular obstinance, balking, or plain old passive-aggressive personality, yet they are significant and loved members of the household.

Certainly there are domesticated animals out in the world that don't fare so well. They are starved, abandoned, neglected, and beaten. What did these animals do that provokes mistreatment of any kind?

Over the past 6-8 years, we have made donations to the Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch in the memory of those dogs who have died....but not before they enriched the lives of their masters and families. Families have been most appreciative when they learn that a memorial was made in the name of their pet.

Utopia was one of two designated opportunities for friends and family to make memorial gifts in my husband's name at the time of his death earlier this year. We were overwhelmed to learn that several hundred dollars were given in his name.

Utopia has been sponsored by many well-known individuals. You can find a few of their names listed on the Board of Directors.

This is a charitable organization that truly utilizes money for the care of those lost, forlorn pets.

Please keep Utopia in mind whenever you want to do a good thing. See below for information about Utopia's most recent project. Also, there is a website for the Rescue Ranch. On it, you can meet some of their charges and learn about each one's personality....they have some pretty snazzy adoptive names also!

http://www.utopiarescue.com/

Dear Friend,

Tom Friedman, Kinky's father, and one of the founding directors of Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch, once said, "Save one dog. Save the world." His words later became the motto, and continue to be the daily practice at Utopia.

Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit "never-kill" shelter that rescues abandoned and/or abused animals, nurtures them and places them with loving families. Nancy Parker-Simons (affectionately known as Cousin Nancy) has managed to keep the doors to Utopia rescue open for ten years - that's quite an accomplishment as those familiar with animal rescue can attest. It wasn't always easy, but due to Cousin Nancy's dedicated supervision, Tony Simons' devoted effort and Kinky Friedman's undying support more than 2000 animals have been rescued since the opening.

Looking ahead, toward the next ten years and beyond, Kinky Friedman and Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch are announcing an exciting new partnering program, appropriately named, Friends of Utopia.

'Friends of Utopia' is an essential group of committed supporters who will pledge to donate a specific amount each month. Monthly contributions provide a steady and cost-effective source of income that will enable Utopia to not only plan ahead for future necessities (knowing that there is a reliable source of support) but also, to act quickly when an animal must be rescued immediately. Now, more than ever before, Utopia needs a little help from its Friends. Please consider partnering with Kinky Friedman and Utopia, and pledging to be one of our first Friends.

A monthly tax deductable gift is a perfect choice for supporters who want to establish themselves as a cornerstone for Utopia or for those who would like to budget their donations more comfortably by dividing them into smaller increments. Just think of the impact that even a modest monthly commitment can have when added with other Friends of Utopia gifts during the month!

Please contact me either by phone or email and I'll be happy to answer any questions and register you as one of the first Friends of Utopia. Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch is sustained solely through your generous gifts. Your ongoing support keeps us going and every donation is greatly appreciated.

If you would like to help us continue to feed, vaccinate, spay and neuter, provide medical care and foster newly abandoned and abused animals, please become a monthly donor today. Thank you for your generosity and for helping us make this world a better place for animals!

Sincerely,


Debora Hanson
Kinky Friedman/Kinky Friedman Cigars/kinkyfriedman.com
Friends of Utopia Coordinator
friendsofutopia@gmail.com
512-891-8585

What Did You Say?

Several years ago, there were rare moments when I was at home alone. At those rare moments, I woul relish the sounds of silence....the soft hum of the refrigerator motor, wind rustling fallen leaves down the driveway, far away train whistle, and my favorite...a ticking clock. The sound of a ticking clock was a measurement of the silence, and a validation of time as it passed.

At one time, this household contained five people, three dogs, five cars, three televisions, and three to four phones (not counting cells). And we aren't even mentioning the various music players and blow dryers.

During the times of auditory overload, the house was abuzz with ringing phones, television commercials, conversations....some sweet, some not. The washing machine and dishwasher carried on their own conversation. I would irritate the other four members of the household by calling from the kitchen, "MUTE IT!" TV commercials were the worst auditory assault because they were louder than regular programming and compounded by the fact that the TV volume was raised so that the watcher could hear the program over the din of everything else. The sound of a muted car lot owner's commercial could be deafening...kinda like beating your head against the wall and suddenly stopping.

During this raucous time, I would tell myself that a peaceful house free from commotion was something to happily anticipate. Don't kid yourself.

One Last Try

I'm going to a wedding in East Texas on Saturday and will travel on to Louisiana to visit relatives. On the way over, I plan to stop at a Shreveport casino and give it one last try. I have been to casinos in Shreveport and New Orleans, but never got any enjoyment from playing slots or blackjack. Maybe I'll try craps...My biggest bet is that this gambling time won't be any different.

If I want to lose money, I'll just hang in there with my retirement investments!

Did You Ever Stick Around?

By BEN DOBBIN, Associated Press Writer Ben Dobbin, Associated Press Writer – Fri Nov 7, 12:16 am ET
AP – In this photo released by The Strong National Museum of Play, Chris Bensch, curator of collections, holds …
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A magic wand, a fishing rod or a royal scepter?
The lowly stick, a universal plaything powered by a child's imagination, landed in the National Toy Hall of Fame on Thursday along with the Baby Doll and the skateboard.
The three were chosen to join the Strong National Museum of Play's lineup of 38 classics ranging from the bicycle, the kite and Mr. Potato Head to Crayola crayons, marbles and the Atari 2600 video game system.
Curators said the stick was a special addition in the spirit of a 2005 inductee, the cardboard box. They praised its all-purpose, no-cost, recreational qualities, noting its ability to serve either as raw material or an appendage transformed in myriad ways by a child's creativity.
"It's very open-ended, all-natural, the perfect price — there aren't any rules or instructions for its use," said Christopher Bensch, the museum's curator of collections. "It can be a Wild West horse, a medieval knight's sword, a boat on a stream or a slingshot with a rubber band. ... No snowman is complete without a couple of stick arms, and every campfire needs a stick for toasting marshmallows.
"This toy is so fantastic that it's not just for humans anymore. You can find otters, chimps and dogs — especially dogs — playing with it."
Longevity is a key criterion for getting into the hall, which the museum acquired in 2002 from A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village in Salem, Ore. Each toy must not only be widely recognized and foster learning, creativity or discovery through play, but also endure in popularity over generations.
While dolls have been around since ancient times, the Baby Doll with its realistic newborn features emerged in the late 18th century and has been through hundreds of incarnations. Today's models can crawl, drink and even talk via voice-activated commands.
"It is generally thought of as lovable and cuddly, even if it can doze off or cry during play," said Susan Asbury, an associate curator. "Toy designers have spent decades making it ever more lifelike and true to form. ... It promotes imaginative play and brings out the nurturing side in all of us."
The first skateboarders in the 1950s cruised walkways on California beaches trying to match the speed, turns and tricks performed by surfers they watched offshore.
Apart from being fun, practicing ollies, grinds and primos "promotes individualism ... artistic expression and it's also very athletic," skateboard icon Tony Hawk said in a video message played at the induction ceremony.
___
On the Net:
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_fe_st/storytext/odd_toy_hall_of_fame/29794943/SIG=10t8rp6c4;_ylt=Al12TAhK5l5hT5jw0hLoIaAuQE4F/*http://www.museumofplay.com

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

GETTING REACQUAINTED

I was at Nordstrom's tonight, buying new shoes. As I scanned sensible flats, masochistic stilettos, and marveled that the store was still pushing jewel-studded white patent flip flops (cruise wear, I guess) I happened to catch a glimpse of a very dear old friend! Silver gray on top now, instead of that rich cocoa brown that I loved so much.....but one could see that nothing else had changed---just as I remembered and pictured in my head many times over the years.

My very favorite word of all time is "serendipity" and I reserve the use of that word for only very special instances in my life. You know the feeling....that life just doesn't get better than this...and no matter how long ago that serendipitous moment was yours, you know that it is imprinted permanently in your brain. This was one of those times.

I walked away from the sales clerk at that very moment....getting closer and closer to my friend. My heart was racing and many thoughts ran through my mind? Would I be making a fool of myself? Would I be disappointed?

As I got closer, I could see that Birk was just sitting there, waiting for my approach. I reached out and laid my hand against the softness of his skin. Same old Birk! It was like time stood still. Just as we were about to reminisce, the sales clerk came to tell me he had three pairs of shoes for me to try on. I brought the clerk into the moment between Birk and me, explaining that we were very old friends who had lost touch over the years. I told the clerk about all the places we had been together; how we were just ourselves even when it wasn't fashionable to be who were each were; how we had looked after each other and had a reciprocal relationship for a long, long time. Before I left the store, I made arrangements for Birk to come to the house, hopefully to come back into my life for a long, long time!

I bought two pairs of shoes and the sales clerk said that my Cocoa Brown Birkenstocks would be delivered to the house within the next few days. Serendipity......and nothing less!

Lula Mae Brooks' Cherry Pudding

3 tablespoons butter

2 cups granulated sugar (separated)

1/2 cup sweet milk

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

Open a can of water-packed cherries and mix 1 cup of sugar with them. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.

Cream butter and the other cup of sugar in a mixing bowl. Add sweet milk, then flour and baking powder. Mix well.

Pour batter into a buttered deep oven-proof dish. Carefully pour cherry mixture (juice included) over the top

Bake in a moderate (350 degrees) oven until brown.

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. This is good hot or cold. Refrigerate any left-overs.

If desired, other canned or fresh fruits may be used. Adjust sugar and liquid for the fruit.

Hello, my name is Diane...and I'm a Recipe Collector

There is a genetic flaw in the maternal lineage of my family. We have an illness--we are recipe collectors. When my grandmother died, my mother brought home 2 boxes of cookbooks. When my mother died, I brought home 4 boxes of cookbooks, of which many were duplicates from my grandmother's collection, and some were duplicates of my personal stash.

You see, The Hale/Brooks/Windle/Voth/Lusk women in my family are cookers. We talk about recipes, we send them to each other in letters. My grandmother's recipes always had a commentary on the worthiness of each recipe she passed on. I have her wooden recipe file box that is inscribed with her name and the date: May, 1939.

I'll never forget the time my Mother called me to say she had found the BEST pecan pie recipe in the Cooke County Home Extension Agent's weekly column in the newspaper. I said, please send it to me! As I assembled the ingredients, melted the butter, and cracked eggs, something was very familiar about this fantastic recipe. As I read the back label of the Karo syrup bottle, I realized that Tulu Hickerson (yes, that was the Home extension Agent's name) had, (God forbid!) plagiarized the Karo syrup recipe! I finished making the pecan pie, called my Mother and reported my findings to her. This was the same recipe that every one of us had used since God made Karo Syrup!

I will NOT throw a recipe away. I have boxes of recipes, copied from coworkers on a prescription pad, napkin, Big Chief tablet paper. Over the past years since 1975, I have collected masses of recipes. I remember the very first one I tore from a magazine...it was a step-by-step from Better Homes & Gardens for cabbage rolls. Have I ever used that one---what do you think? But right at this moment, I can lay my hands on it!

There are clipped recipes that I have made with outstanding success, only to panic when I couldn't find that particular recipe amid the thousands thrown into a large Dillard's box. Two in particular...turkey tetrazzini and a Creole Shrimp Remoulade both from old Saveur magazines will turn up someday. Maybe they are tucked into a cookbook. (Since the Shrimp Remoulade loss, I have found several others that I have "tweaked" to obtain culinary success.) Ask my kids.

The women before me bought every community cookbook sold in local churches & organizations. Poring through these is an adventure in time travel. One of my Grandmother's cookbooks contained a recipe for a casserole made from hamburger. The specified "ground chuck" was to be browned in a heavy skillet to which was added 2 tablespoons of Crisco or similar shortening. Of course the recipe never mentioned draining the fat off before using the beef.

Even my Great Grandmother' s handwritten memories contained an anecdote of a baking disaster. Lula Mae (b. 1880) made her first cake for her new husband without a recipe. How hard could it be? But, something was not right...the cake batter didn't resemble her mother's. As she caught a glance of Elmer walking up to the house, she removed a loose floorboard, and poured the miserable batter below, only to have him stride into the kitchen as she rose from dumping the batter. As Lulu told it, she didn't live that one down for a long time.

There is one of Lulu's recipes still being used and enjoyed. She had a recipe for a "Cherry Pudding" published in a Sanger PTA cookbook in the forties. I have made this cobbler recipes many times and Zack made it in Boy Scouts for the annual "Troop 68 Dutch Oven Cherry Cobbler Contest" four years in a row...AND won first place each year!

I have begun a process of putting certain recipes in plastic sleeves and placing them in a binder. I wish I could say these recipes are organized in some way, but they're not. They are in the original format from which I obtained them. There are spills, cross-outs, illegible handwriting, fading, misspelled words----but that only gives them character.

Ruth and Brooke enjoy cooking. Ruth is expeditious about her recipes. She keeps the successful ones and researches on the internet. She is known for her killer deviled eggs! Brooke 's key word to cooking is "concoctions." She goes where others have never dared. She has a cooking blog with sporadic but very spirited entries. (See "Cracker Pizza")

What will happen to the four generations of recipes collected so far when I'm gone? I do hope they keep a few----my Sister's Italian Chicken, Betty's Chocolate Cake, Funeral Poundcake, Sherry-spiked cream sauce with porcini mushrooms and garlic, and Lula Mae Brooks' Cherry Pudding!

BEING NEIGHBORLY

Once upon a time there lived a man in a quiet neighborhood. He was a child of the sixties, had a dog named "Layla" and he liked to sit outside in his backyard drinking beer and listening to CD's or the radio. He was very generous in his music, playing it loudly enough so that all his neighbors could hear it. The family next door to him didn't even have to open their windows to hear the Stones, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Clapton, etc. His music was available to everyone in the neighborhood at all times of the day and night. There were times when a certain neighbor would call him and explain that they weren't really in the mood to listen at 11:30 PM on a Wednesday or Monday night. To which he would reply, "You need to get a life!"

This neighbor had two black dogs, who would roam around outside in the front yard, and be on the look-out for vulnerable, smaller dogs. People had witnessed Layla and friend going after other dogs. Not a pretty sight.

Last night after 9:30 PM, he was heard using his blower in the street, clearing his curb. He had not mowed his yard or edged. His next door neighbor looked out the front window to see him blowing all the "stuff" from his curb into the neighbor's curb. This would not have been disturbing, except that he always did that. As she looked out her front window to witness this, he caught a glimpse of her watching him. He proceeded to walk up his drive as if he were finished. After a few minutes, neighbor lady could hear it again....went to the window and found he was at it again.

Perhaps she will buy him a broom and a dustpan for Christmas. Or maybe, she will reciprocate tonight and blow it all back to him.

It's Very Puzzling, Indeed!

I approached this past Friday with much anticipation and a little concern. I watched Callie while Ruth and Chad had an evening out. Their 3rd anniversary was earlier in the week and they went out to dinner in Fort Worth, exploring the Seventh Street re-vitalization.

After an earlier baby-sitting episode with Callie, I was prepared to work through her separation anxiety. (Callie and Ruth are BFFs and Callie's routine is that she's never without her Mommy.)

I started my Christmas shopping for Callie in September and had a set of 5 wooden puzzles for her. The puzzle pieces have little handles on them so a toddler can have more dexterity.

So--Callie was happy to see me when I arrived, taking note that I was carrying a package into the house. While I was briefed on Callie's eating, napping, and anticipated bedtime, Callie went over to her highchair and started pushing it to the dining table. A good sign, Ruth and Chad were preparing to leave and then Callie and I could settle down to cantaloupe, string cheese, and turkey.

On their way out, Callie looked at me with a little trepidation, then tuned up. I'm sure Ruth and Chad heard her in the garage. I swooped her up and we went to the backyard. The setting sun was warm in the cool breeze and we saw some birds fly over. She settled a little bit and we went inside to eat supper. This was a welcome distraction and I marveled that she fed herself and drank milk from her cup just like a big girl. She wanted to share her cantaloupe. When she was finished, we washed up and began to play with a myriad of stuff.

She kept looking at the package on the table. I put her back in the highchair and opened the package, freeing a puzzle from it's sturdy shrinkwrap and placed it on her tray. She looked it over and smiled up at me, recognizing one of the pieces as a puppy. I showed her how to remove the pieces. She had that down pat! She transferred every piece to the corner of her tray---then handed each one to me to put back in place. We talked about each animal--there were some she did not recognize...an octopus and a lion. Like a doting grandmother, I made the appropriate animal noise for them all. Callie thought the lion was a cat---but I told her no---it was a lion and proceeded to growl and roar (there's a side story to that). After we thoroughly explored that puzzle, she looked over and pointed to the stack of unwrapped puzzles and said "This!" I was obedient, and opened three more...each time we went through the same ritual. We had a great time!

She found her "Chicken Dance" musical birthday card and brought it to me so she could dance. We unloaded quite a few things from the toy basket, then settled in to read books. She brought me "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" (her first book from Aunt Brooke---and still a favorite). When we came to the page with the cat, I meowed and Callie looked up at me, smiled, and roared like a lion---oh dear, I had confused the sweet baby! (I hope she forgot all about the lion/cat on the puzzle.)

Callie began rubbing her nose and fidgeting---a look at the clock showed it was almost bedtime. All of a sudden, she looked up at me with a panicked, troubled look and said "Mommy!" Then the floodgates opened. While she had been successfully distracted and enjoyed whatever we were doing, she still knew that it was bedtime and Mommy wasn't there. I changed her into PJ's and we went to the table for her bedtime yogurt/cereal. After she ate, she wandered around clutching a small bunny by the ears, looking for Ruth and Chad. A little distressed, she was. I scooped her up, gave her a sweet kiss, held her tight and we made our way to the nursery. She went out like a light!

YOU BETCHA! Part Deux

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Powell Endorses Obama

After months of hints and speculation, former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama this morning, a huge vote of confidence in the Illinois Democrat with just 16 days left before the November election.

"He has both style and substance," Powell said of Obama on NBC's "Meet the Press". "I think he is a transformational figure."

As we wrote on Friday, the

Powell endorsement carries huge symbolic importance -- not only is he a former high-ranking member of President Bush's Cabinet but he also was the most visible face in making the case for the war against Iraq.
Powell's endorsement complicates any attempt by John McCain and others within the Republican Party to cast Obama as naive on world affairs and unready to lead in a dangerous time. Obama now has a ready retort: "Well, Colin Powell seems to trust my judgment; that's why he endorsed me."

In politics, timing is everything and Powell's endorsement comes at a sweet spot for Obama.

Yesterday in Missouri

he drew an estimated 100,000 people to a St. Louis rally, and then this morning his campaign announced that it had raised a stunning $150 million in September alone -- more than double his best previous month of cash collection. And now, an endorsement from a man who is -- arguably -- the most popular political figure in the country.
Did we mention the election is in 16 days?

YOU BETCHA!

"Where's the beef?" (Wendy's Hamburgers)

"Show me the money!" (Cuba Gooding, Jr. in Jerry Maguire)

"Weapons of mass destruction" (W)

"Wellll, golleeee!" (Gomer Pyle)

"I'm not a crook!" (Richard M. Nixon)

I am going to have to forego asking people I meet or people I am conversing with any polite, generalized affirmative question. For instance....(just today, mind you), I asked a co-worker if she was ready to leave work as we were the only ones left in the office after quitting time. Her answer? "YOU BETCHA!"

Earlier in the day, I asked a new co-worker if she was just about finished with her part of an extensive report we are working on together. Her answer? "YOU BETCHA!"

When I called "my spa" just the other day to see if my pedicurist had any openings this Saturday, the receptionist's reply was "YOU BETCHA!"

Even the barista at Starbucks this morning replied to my question with a REALLY exuberant "YOU BETCHA!"

People, I'm not making this up. Have I been secretly transported (God forbid) to Minnesota or North Dakota? Remember Frances McDormand's character in "Fargo?"

This is all the fault of some great Republican plan to totally infiltrate this country with some Prozac-sodden, happy, sappy, people. People (especially us Baby Boomers) who are already stunned and numb watching their mutual funds, investments, and home equity plummet out of control are the major targets of this infiltration.

If keeping a stiff, upper lip and a jolly-good attitude means I have to use THAT phrase or least be subjected to it, then I am all for burying my head in the sand at least until November 5th!

Who Are You?

A friend sent me this link---a quick self-test about your likes/dislikes/personality.

Try it if you are curious!

When you click on the link, a series of about 15 pictures will come up. Click on a photo in that category that appeals to you. Again 15 pictures will come up, click the one for you and move on. Just continue to keep picking. At the end it will give you a profile of yourself.... It's called a visual DNA.... Your choices dictate your profile

.Http://DNA.imagini.net/friends

Did You Feed The Fish?

There have been many health and beauty fads to come and go during the past few centuries. Bathing in mineral waters was thought to cure psychological problems. Currently, many women swear that colonics (enemas) purge the body of toxins and rejuvenate the digestive system.

During the 1800's (and maybe even before then) mothers shaped strips of linen or cotton cloth into thin, long cylindrical shapes, dipped them in melted beeswax, and inserted one end into the child's ear canal, lit the other end with a match. The resulting smoke drew out debris, earwax, and scaly skin from the ear canal. I have used this method and it WORKS.

Do you remember seeing pictures of flappers from the 1920's? They crimped their bobbed hair with heated metal rods (like our current curling irons today). Many young fashionable women scorched their hair, burned it, and generally abused it.

At a short time later, the permanent wave was in vogue. A chemical solution was used on the hair and the hair was put into crimping rods that were attached to electrical power. Some of us still get permanents....but they are tamer.

Girls tanned themselves (translation: fried) by using butter, cocoa butter, or baby oil on their skin while lying in the sun for hours at a time. This was actually VERY unhealthy, making many very susceptible to melanoma.

Let's don't even talk about bikini waxing, liposuction, botox injections, and permanent makeup!

Old medical treatments included "leeching" where leeches were actually put on the skin to draw impure blood from a sick person. Medical grade leeches and maggots are now sold as medical supplies to help debride (clean, remove dead tissues) from infected, non-healing wounds.

I learned of a new pedicure treatment the other day. As soon as I heard about it, I learned that the Texas licensing board has prohibited this treatment as being unhealthy. Imagine going in for a pedicure, soaking your feet, looking down and finding hundreds of small fish hungrily going at your toes, your heels, and the bottoms of your feet! Doctor fish...yes....they are called "doctor fish" feed on the dead, scaly calluses on your feet to make them smooth and soft. At one point, women were using a communal foot bath with hundred of doctor fish eating away at the women's "barnacles." It was said that a lady with particularly scaly feet would have a greater benefit than one with feet in pretty good shape. In a communal bath, those fish aren't stupid, they know who serves the best dinner!

Check the photo below, google "fish pedicure", read all about it. I wonder if a large bowl of goldfish at home would do the trick? Hey, in these hard economic times, a girl has to be frugal and smart about about her beauty treatments!

Sometimes--Just Getting Going In The Morning Is The Greatest Challenge Of The Day

People that I work with don't believe me when I say that this job is the least stressful job I've ever had. I count my blessings often when I think back to that one night I was just scanning the State website and filled out an on-line application just for grins. I thoroughly enjoy my work, my co-workers, and most of the people I encounter when verifying state/federal regulatory compliance for the > 1200 home health agencies in the Metroplex and surrounding counties.

But over the past three weeks, I've encountered polite but argumentative administrators, irate healthcare consumers, and very challenging agencies by virtue of their size and previous issues maintaining accreditation. In addition, there are many fuzzy issues with healthcare providers and payors.Over the course of 33 years in the healthcare workforce, one may leave the workplace after a full day of work, but the issues one faced during the day are still consuming thoughts. This is true for so many of us. That's been my mental load for the past 2 weeks. I also spend a lot of time driving and that allows me opportunities to muddle through various issues.

There is a nurse who transferred recently from another region and she has been working with me on this current survey. Each morning we meet at a coordination point and she rides with me to the agency. As she drove up alongside me one morning, I was frantically searching my purse for my state cell phone---couldn't find it to save my soul. About 2 miles down the road we could hear it ringing, but couldn't find it. My coworker checked everywhere within reach to no avail. The phone stopped ringing, so I prepared to call the office to tell them to reach me on my private cell for that day. All of a sudden, I remembered that I had put the phone in my right slacks pocket SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO FISH FOR IT IN MY PURSE.

Friday was an all-day Staff Meeting at headquarters here in Arlington. On Fridays, we wear jeans if we plan to be in the office all day. I am chairman of the social committee and part of our responsibility is to plan the luncheons for staff meetings. It was tacos. I was rushing around yesterday morning preparing to load the car with the crockpot, a small cooler for taco meat and my rolling briefcase and rolling crate filled with documents from this survey. I turned off bedroom lights and ceiling fan while sliding my feet into my clogs. I was on my way! People came out to assist bringing everything into the office from my car. As I reached down to release the handles on the crate and briefcase, I noticed that I was wearing one brown shoe and one red shoe! Of course that was hilarious to everyone---and I was reminded of my fashion faux pas all day. Someone even asked if I was really sure that this is the least stressful job I have ever had.

....And it still is!

Famous Shoes Didn't Know About Ike Or High School Bands

I love my navigation system. It has no faults. I even named it---Famous Shoes---after the Indian scout/tracker who guided Gus and Woodrow across the Texas plains in Larry McMurtry's books. He was named Famous Shoes as he never rode a horse. He always walked ahead, tracking Indian enemies, watering holes, and the best route to take.

I admired McMurtry's Famous Shoes and I admire my Famous Shoes. He has only let me down once in the California central farm land about dusk. Brooke and I missed the turn to access I-5 coming through a small town (the sign was missing). We ended deep into farmland, rice paddies, fruit orchards, and fields of grain.

Famous Shoes has been a blessing many times, especially in Dallas, where I spend a lot of work time, visiting home health agencies and their patients. If I miss the turn, he will tell me to turn around at the next street....but more often, he just sets his little brain to working and finds me an alternate route. I love him.

Today, I was early arriving at the agency---an oddity, I know, especially in rush hour traffic. I decided to find a Starbucks and get some coffee to go. I "commanded" FS to find a point of interest....typed in Starbucks, and bless his heart, he asked did I want directions to the nearest one---of course! It was a little over 1.5 miles going north into downtown. So we were on our way. As I neared the south side of the convention center, I realized there was a huge stall of cars ahead and only the left lane was getting through. It wasn't too long before I saw the jam.....about 15 tour buses all queued up to pick up people staying at the convention center to take them home to South Texas.

It was difficult to maneuver, so I just plugged in the agency address and let FS lead the way. Only problem was the downtown one-way streets--FS knew about them, but he and I were not counting on roadblocks for a parade of high school bands downtown on a Monday morning during rush hour.

I could feel his frustration with me when I couldn't get over into the correct lane and he had to re-plot the route several times.

I got to the agency about an hour later.

Ike and Texas Weather

Hurricane Ike caused LOTS of damage and heartache here in Texas; but as a result, the weather here in North Texas has been fabulous for the last three days and is expected to continue through the coming weekend. Upon arising each morning, the temperature has been cool--in the 50's! And one could not ask for clearer, bluer skies. There was a full moon on Monday night also.

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love cool crisp mornings and the warmth of the sun during cool breezes. The State Fair is soon and of course, there's Friday night high school football everywhere. Soon, weekends will be spent in jeans and flannel shirts. I am looking forward to sitting on the patio or raking leaves while burning pinon wood in the chiminea. I like to drink coffee outside in the morning before the sun comes up---the neighborhood is quiet and peaceful.

Callie will be one on 10/03 and Ruth and Chad have planned a great celebration for their little "pumpkin." The holiday season is approaching and while I'm sure we will be lost the first Thanksgiving and Christmas without Clu Flu, I am looking forward to Callie's first Thanksgiving dinner that she can eat and her first awareness of Christmas--gazing at the Christmas tree and opening her presents. Brooke and Luna will be home from Oregon for about 10 days during Christmas.

There are many blessings in this family and I love them all very much.