Just when you think

things are under control, something else happens. After having to wait outside in the heat for almost an hour for the Fire Department to get the alarms turned off last evening, I thought things might seem a little quieter. After all, those shrill alarms have a way of drowning everything else out but tonight's street noise is typical of what attracted me here.

That's the way Midtown is though and now with warmer weather and longer days, it's all abuzz every weekend and some week nights too. It's almost 9 p.m. now on Sunday night and the streets are full. I walked down to Flying Biscuit a few minutes ago to take something to my friends there and it was like a three-ring circus. You can barely get through the mobs. Karaoke across the street at Gilberts, people from outlying counties cruising with their bass wide open, life everywhere. There was so much noise you couldn't hear the music from the ice cream truck which was surprisingly still making its rounds.

Even I will admit that quiet is good sometimes but you can have too much quiet just as you can have too much noise and I wouldn't trade one for the other for the world. Most of the time anyway.

Gotta keep up!

I really need to keep up with Saturday goings-on in the park. It's next to impossible to take a walk when there are 2200 little rug rats running the Junior Peachtree around the lake and elsewhere! Not to mention all the proud family members cheering them on! I did get a little bit of a late start but I'm sure the race was already underway at my normal time.

I managed to get across the mob line when there was a break between runners to take some food to the "The old lady of the lake," a mama duck who looks as though she is a little worse for the wear. Part of one side of her beak is missing and one foot is really maimed, probably from one of those dozens of annoying, greedy turtles that seem to always be looking for food of any kind. Her scars are old though and she seems to be doing fine. She won't go to the lake to eat with the others because she is guarding a nest just inside the fence that separates the walking path from the lake. She seems to know me and doesn't fuss quite as much when I stop and talk to her.

God, that sounds sad! Talking to ducks! But it's better than talking to some people I know.

Need to try to find time to get to McRae for at least a day very soon. I really need a decent hair cut and color job before ******* gets here for his visit. Also supposed to have second half of epidural Monday and really dreading that. Can't change some things but have to try to improve them!

A different point of view?

Go away!

Bottoms Up!

Random stuff

Just when you think things are getting better, the roof caves in. Again. Poor Little Bit (poor Mom!) can't seem to get well. With her immunity lagging, it seems something else jumps on her just as she's improving from the last germs/bacteria/virus/whatever she encountered. Now it's back to square one with bronchitis. Hopefully, this evil circle will be broken soon before she breaks her Mom.

In another vein, I woke up to not-so-good news this morning. The first thing I heard was that a murder had taken place in Piedmont Park next to my apartment complex. If there were any sirens involved, I slept through it all. I really don't think they came with sirens though. (Seems to be unnecessary when someone is already dead.) It's still being investigated but whatever someone was doing in the park after 2 a.m. most likely wasn't legal. No one is supposed to be there from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. but there's no way to keep them out. Too much territory and too many ways to enter. If that wasn't enough, there was a similar stabbing/robbery near CVS on Peachtree a few blocks away. Of course, that would have to be the pharmacy I've been using!

I skipped my walk this morning but news reports showed the blood was cleaned off the bridge this afternoon so I'll be back out there tomorrow morning. Definitely not going to be there after dark though,

It really isn't as frightening as it seems though. We also have similar things happening in McRae/Telfair County/Middle Georgia. Drugs are an ongoing problem there just as in other areas of the state and drug related killings are certainly not unknown either.

You really need to contribute!

Cuz, You really need to start contributing to this blog instead of just reading it. You have some great stories and I know other moms would enjoy reading them. I probably knew this but over the years had forgotten and it's still pretty funny anyway. I know Little Bit's mom really appreciates it, especially since her fever spiked again last night. Just hold out breath hoping it's down for good now.

(Reprinted without permission)

Good morning everyone, so sorry to hear that ******** is even sicker on top of you all being "under the weather!" One tends to get nostalgic about their child (ren)'s growing up as the years go by, but I can assure you, *****, that your blog notes remind me of the not-so-wonderful times of being a mom to a toddler. It's funny how very small things can assume so much importance, like going to Target with no kids in tow, or even like being sick on your own as an adult and getting to just lie around and take your meds and sleep and watch trashy TV until you feel better. Warning: upcoming "back in the day" story: I remember when I had planned recuperation from a fairly minor scheduled surgery like it was a club Med vacation. ******** was in school, probably 2nd or 3rd grade, and I had books and snacks stockpiled and mother had taped some old Perry Mason shows (which we both loved) for me to watch and I was truly LOOKING FORWARD to post-surgery as a wonderful peaceful quiet rest time off work and at home alone for the most part with ******* at work and ******** at school. Visions of blissful quiet peaceful solitude filled my head, making going through the surgery just a blip on the way to paradise. On the Saturday, the day after surgery, and just before I was released to go home, mother and daddy and ******* had entertained ******** and had taken him to some fall festivals and on errands and basically all over town. Then ******* brought him up to visit me. I asked in absolute HORROR, "What's that all over my child?" The three of them responded quite innocently and completely unaware, "What are you talking about?" He was covered COMPLETELY in a red bumpy rash and of course, it was the chicken pox!! He had to be out of school for a week and I spent my much-anticipated week off of recovery time putting calamine lotion on about two million little red itchy bumps (he had them from the top of his head to the soles of his feet including all body parts in between, even inside his ears) using a different Q-tip for each one as instructed by the pediatrician to prevent them spreading (Where else could they spread to?), sitting on the toilet beside the tub holding onto my incision while supervising him in multiple Aveeno oatmeal baths, reading Transformer books, handing out Benadryl and Tylenol, saying "Try not to scratch," and watching hundreds of cartoons of his choice. Then when he went back to school, it was back to work for me, books unread, movies unwatched, sleep unslept, quiet alone time unspent. We never figured out where he caught them from and I don't know to this day how many kids he may have infected during his Saturday outings. No chicken pox shots in those days. Ah, memories------Hang in there! I'm hoping you all feel better VERY SOON!
Love, *******

Endless Loop

Little Bit seems better today, thank heavens, but I'm still watching her closely for another fever spike, since she went up to 103 last evening. Meanwhile, sister is back home and I'm narrating an endless loop "Wash your hands, keep them away from your face, cover your cough," etc. After a reunion filled with much love and "I missed you's" from both sides yesterday, they're back to pretty much normal, bickering with each other and feuding mildly over toys, etc.

Is it time for school to be back in session yet?

I think the light was an oncoming train

Well, I spoke too soon when I thought we were all on the mend. As mom previously mentioned, Little Bit spiked a fever and we ended up taking her into the after-hours urgent care day before yesterday. The doc was concerned she might have resistent strep in her throat since it's still quite red and she was obviously so sick. Thank God, the test was negative. Apparently, she's just caught this nasty virus on top of the strep throat she had last week, and it's knocked her for a loop. She's a little better today but has had a rough couple of nights and is still running a fever. According to the discharge instructions, if her temp exceeds 101 for three days (which will be tomorrow) to take her to her doctor. She's drinking a little but has eaten only a few bites the last couple of days. I feel like a waitress, constantly suggesting food and drink and trying to tempt her into getting something into her system. This is so unlike her; I mean, this is the kid that sneaked a kielbasa off my plate one time and devoured the entire thing. She's going to waste away to nothing if this keeps up.

Unfortunately, we just have to wait it out since it's a virus and there's nothing else to be done for it. I would much, much rather be sick myself than have my girls sick, which is one of those funny things you learn when you're a parent, I suppose.

Thankfully, my husband's parents have Roo and I'm sure she's much happier over there than stuck here. Also thankfully, mom came and stayed with Little Bit awhile yesterday while we got out and did some errands. It's amazing how a trip to Target with your hubby by yourselves can seem like the greatest present in the world post-kid, especially when the said kid has been sick and you've been forcing medicine and breathing treatments on them for several days. I have to give Little Bit credit, though, she must be feeling somewhat better today b/c she gave me no trouble taking her Tylenol and Ibuprofen this morning. Dare I push my luck with another breathing treatment??

English Journal Excerpts, Part 4

"Nobody puts Baby in the corner!"

A statue of the Queen Mother sits above a memorial dedicated to her life.

The Angel of Christian Charity, a/k/a Eros, poised atop Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain at Piccadilly Circus.

Excerpts from an English Journal,
Part Four

March 9: It’s off to London in a little while. It looks to be a really long day but I’m sure it will be worth it. First, we will take the bus to the train station. Unfortunately, the bus stop around the corner is closed for street repairs so we have to walk to the church to get aboard. It’s a beautiful day again, a little windy, but it should be a pleasant walk even if it is a bit chilly.

It takes just 35 minutes to get to London. I’m excited about seeing a real live play for the first time. I’m excited about seeing London too but I think seeing a stage production will be the highlight. I have to go downstairs to breakfast now so we won’t miss the bus. More later.

Evening: We’re back in Chelmsford and boy am I tired! We took the bus to the train, the train to the city and the tube to Holborn Station in Central London’s West End District. From there, we walked to Drury Lane to the Aldwych Theatre where we bought tickets to the 7:30 performance of “Dirty Dancing.” (******* asked me to choose three and this one was my first choice.) By then it was after noon so we had a light lunch. Then we walked some more. And walked. And walked.

We saw lots of the “touristy” things, including Coventry Gardens, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Buckingham Palace, St. James Palace, Royal Opera House, the Queen Mother’s memorial, etc. etc. The UK has so many beautiful places and so much fascinating history that it would be impossible to see and learn everything properly in just a few days. I’m not sure you could do it justice even in a few weeks.

Coventry Gardens was my favorite place (or was until we went to the theater). I bought some pretty hair ornaments and cute flip-flops for ***** and ******** at a little shop there. The street performers were impressive but it was too cold and windy to linger outside very long even though there were a number of very gifted performers who braved the weather to share their talents for tips from the audience.

It was sunny most of the time but as the day wore on, the wind got nastier and colder. Being so near the River made it even colder I’m sure. I wore dress slacks because we were going to the theater but thank goodness I had the foresight to wear pantyhose beneath them. That helped as did the layering of blouse, sweater and jacket, but my hands nearly froze despite my gloves. If I did this very often, I’d have to buy some thicker ones for sure.

We stopped at Bella Italia about mid-afternoon for tea to rest a bit and warm ourselves up. After a little more sightseeing, we’d both had enough of the walking and the increasingly bitter wind so we went on to Bistro 1 on Southampton to relax and have dinner. It was near the theater where we planned to wind up the day and we didn’t want to walk very far to get to there after we ate.

We both ordered starters (appetizers) of Honeydew Melon & Mango with Mixed Berry Coulis. For the main meal, I had the Pancake (crepe) filled with Goat’s Cheese & Creamed Spinach, served with Rice and Salad and ******* had Homemade Fish Cakes with French Fries, Salad, and Saffron Cream Sauce. He had Stuffed Apricots for dessert while I enjoyed some very good Tiramisu. My whole meal was excellent, especially the crepe, and ******* liked also liked his food.

Everything we were served ranged from very good to wonderful. Best of all, it was reasonably priced, unlike many restaurants in London. The entire meal, tip and all, was £27.80. Even lesser quality meals in London usually cost much more so it was a pleasant surprise to find something both good and affordable. I also learned that restaurants and pubs here are not familiar with Margaritas, or at least the ones I’ve visited for far haven’t.

It was on to Aldwych Theatre and “Dirty Dancing” from there. We had great seats and it was a fantastic performance. Not only was the scenery outstanding, the singing and acting were incredible. The talent was amazing and in my opinion, this show was better than the movie. And the movie was wonderful. Too soon it was time to brave the wind once again and walk back to the tube, but somebody up there liked us. We arrived at each place just before time for the connections we needed departed, both the tube and the train, so thankfully our wait time was minimal.

When we got to Chelmsford, it was late but dozens of taxis were lined up at the station and we didn’t have to linger there either. We got one to take us home straight away and arrived here shortly after midnight. We’ve just had hot chocolate and I’m more than ready to call it a day. I finally got thawed out on the train. I just hope I’m not too tired to sleep now!

This isn’t part of my journal notes but I learned later that the Aldwych Theatre is reputed to be haunted. I didn’t see any ghosts but it seats 1,200 so I might have missed them in the crowd. It’s had a star-studded history since it opened in 1905, including a 1948 production of “A Streetcar Named Desire” directed by Sir Laurence Olivier with his then wife Vivian Leigh as Blanche Dubois. She later won an Academy Award for this role in the film version.

Since 2000, it has hosted a mixture of plays, comedies and musical productions, including Andrew Lloyd Webber's “Whistle Down the Wind.” After that, “Fame” enjoyed an extended run from 2002 to 2006. The Aldwych has also hosted “Dancing in the Streets” and has been home to the British musical version of “Dirty Dancing” since September 2006. It’s a beautiful theater and well worth the visit just to see the building itself.

**********
Tiramisu

3 eggs, separated
5 T. sugar
6 oz. Mascarpone Cheese
36 Ladyfingers
1 c. orange liqueur
1 c. espresso or strong black coffee
2 oz. bitter chocolate, grated
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
Powdered sugar, opt.

Arrange a single, tight layer of ladyfingers in the bottom of a 9x12-inch serving dish and set aside. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks in a separate bowl and set aside.

Combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium-sized bowl and beat well. Using a larger bowl, combine egg yolk mixture with the mascarpone. Fold in beaten egg whites until a creamy mixture is produced.

Drizzle half the liqueur and half the espresso over the ladyfingers, adding one liquid at a time. Cover drizzled ladyfingers with the mascarpone mixture and grated chocolate, and dust it with just over half the cocoa. Cover this with a second layer of ladyfingers and drizzle with the remaining liqueur and espresso. Chill at least 12 hours (Tiramisu can be made 24 hours in advance). Dust top with remaining cocoa before serving. You may also dust the top with a tiny bit of powdered sugar if you prefer a slightly sweeter variation.

Homemade Fish Cakes

1 lb. cod fillets
2 medium-sized russet potatoes

1 c. bread crumbs

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
2 T. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

2 eggs, lightly beaten
Grapeseed oil or canola oil

Boil potatoes until tender. Boil fish until tender. Mash and remove any bones that might still remain. Mix potatoes and fish with remaining ingredients by hand. If its too crumbly, add an extra egg. If too sticky, add more breadcrumbs to get it to the right texture to shape into cakes.

Divide mixture into 12 portions and shape into cakes for cooking. Coat a skill with oil and fry over medium high heat until lightly browned and crisp. Yields 4-6 servings.

Stuffed Aricots

4 ripe apricots, pits removed
8 amoretti cookies, 3-4 oz.
1 T. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 T. brandy
1 large egg yolk
1/2 c. heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks, opt.

Heat oven to 375º F. Cut apricots in half and place in a baking dish, cut-side up. Place cookies on a clean surface and use a rolling pin to crush them into fine crumbs. Transfer crumbs to a small bowl and add butter, brandy and egg yolk. Use a wooden spoon to combine these ingredients together.

Place about one tablespoon of cookie mixture into each apricot half and bake 25-35 minutes until the apricots are tender. Serve plain or with a dollop of whipped cream on the side. This looks similar to the one ******* enjoyed so much.

Counting my blessings!

My brain might be scrambled but I wonder how Thirtysomething and Son #2 have any brains left. Both of them sick and both girls sick at the same time. Ouch!!

Just when they thought they might see daylight, Little Bit's temperature spiked again today. Both girls are on breathing treatments and the little one hates them like the plague. Not sure if it's the treatment or just having to sit still for more than five seconds. Whatever, she fights them like a bear.

I bribed her with peppermints tonight and she lasted until about a minute before it was over. Used the same candy to bribe her to take some liquid ibuprofen. (Peppermint wouldn't do that for me but it worked for her.) Maybe I should buy stock in the Kroger brand that I used. Definitely easier than trying to persuade her to cooperate.

Much as I adore them, I'm counting my blessings that I don't have small children to be responsible for 24/7 anymore!

ADHD or just a scrambled brain?

I've been researching background for the articles (for McRae paper) from my journal and got caught up in them tonight, to the total oblivion of everything else. Didn't realize it was this late and I still hadn't posted here. It reminded me of one of those silly little quizzes on Facebook about my level of "geekiness."

The results were: "You may have your own little fantasies, but you're not overly geeky. It's all about your own little world inside your head and a vivid imagination." Episodes like tonight confirm the part about my own little world inside my head. It's a good thing they didn't test for ADHD when I was in school. Not enough Ritalin in Georgia!

I took son #1 to the airport at 7:15 a.m. and from there the day was pretty busy. I didn't log back on the Internet until late this afternoon. Again, in my own little world! I hope to wind up the series on England within the next few days though so need to buckle down. I really need a deadline!

The light at the end on the tunnel?

The sympathy is much-appreciated! Fortunately, the girls and I are all doing much better this afternoon. Roo hasn't had a fever since this morning, and the breathing treatments seem to be working. If she runs around too much, the coughing starts up again, though, so I've been encouraging her to take it easy. Thank goodness the Xoponex doesn't have the same effect it does on her little sister, other than a little shakiness afterwards. With Little Bit, it's like a combination of Woody Woodpecker and Speedy Gonzales invading her body (can you tell I grew up on Warner Bros.?).

Unfortunately, she did miss the last day, actually week, of school. She wasn't too upset about it, and only mentioned it one time. I think she's felt so rotten that she understands it wasn't a good idea for her to go.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be almost 100% and we'll be back among the land of the living!!

Cruel and Unusual Punishment?

Thirtysomething and her girls are still ailing. Even her hubby has been under the weather but with allergies and sinus infection, not what they have. (I don't think that's quite as bad as strep but it's still pretty rough.) The doctor said Little Bit's throat looked worse than the others but she continues to go about her business as though nothing is wrong while Big Sister had to make a return visit to the doctor yesterday.

Seems she has developed bronchitis along with the strep and it's gotten so bad that she's having to have breathing treatments. (The irony in that is that the little one is the one who has required them the past.) Looks as though Big Sister is going to have to miss the last day of pre-school tomorrow. She's not upset about that. Yet!

Of course I worry about the babies but Mom definitely has my sympathies. Bad enough to have two babies sick but to be sick at the same time is cruel and unusual punishment. The joys of parenthood!

Survival Mode?

Thirtysomething is experiencing Day Two of "Survivor: Strep Throat Island." She says she is trying to vote both daughters off the island, but has had no luck thus far. Since she has it too, she might be wishing they'd vote her off the island before it's over instead!

Wait a Minute!

Hey! I looked back and realized I wasn't the one who coined the term "Naked Girl Olympics." I did change the title to the post "(Almost) Naked Girl Competition" so maybe that will discourage voyeurs looking for something quite different from reading about the pre-school set playing games.

On second thought, perhaps we shouldn't try too hard to stop them from searching. It would be fun to see their faces when they realize there are no "over 60 naked women" on here. Not photos of them anyway! I do have to wonder though what kind of person looks for "over 60 naked women." I'm not ashamed of how I look but I know doggone well I looked lots better when I was younger and if I were into that type surfing, I don't think I would spend a whole lot of time searching for "over 60 naked men!"

Who would have thought??

Well, if you'd quit including references to "Naked Girl Olympics," those dirty-minded thrill seekers might not happen upon this blog. Imagine their disappointment when they find it's just a thirty-something mom and over-60 grandmother/mom talking about our lives. To help prevent their disappointment, I've come up with the following:

*READER ALERT/PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT* If you are seeking nude females (60 and older, or otherwise) doing pole vaulting (actually, that could be taken a couple of different ways), diving, ice skating, or performing other Olympicesque-feats, you are IN THE WRONG PLACE! Take your perverted minds to another website!!

There, I feel better now.

Wrong Rating for Some

LOL, sorry to disappoint those who are searching for something else, but this isn't an "R" rated blog. Maybe PG13 occasionally but that's as bad as it gets.

Ouch!!

I had the first of two injections in my back this morning and it was painful to say the very least. The good news though is the doctor seems to be a common sense person and said if this one works well enough, I could skip the second one even though it's normally done two weeks apart. We shall see.

Sand art on the Thames

Proponents of clean beaches made this sculpture to dramatize pollution in the along the shores and in the river. Water from the Thames washed all their hard work away just a few minutes after this photo was taken.

Duck, duck, goose?

Our girls having fun at the park. Ducks and geese seemed to be enjoying it too.

Baby goslings huddle together at Piedmont Park

These Canadian geese babies were huddled together early one morning last week. Three more made their own huddle nearby.

English Journal Installment 3

This is the third installment from my journal. It should have run this week but paper is late getting to Atlanta (as usual).

Excerpts from an English Journal,
Part Three

March 7: Another sunny day! We went into Chelmsford and shopped for food this morning. Sainsbury’s Supermarket is amazing. I think they must have the largest variety of sweets, wines, fresh fruit, berries and produce I’ve ever seen in one store. I suppose being so close to Israel, Spain and the various countries in Africa that grow so many different items allows them to have such a vast array from which to choose. Chelmsford is a Fairtrade Town, meaning it is committed to the promotion of Fairtrade certified goods, and you see labels noting Fairtrade on many imported items, especially fruits and vegetables.

Not only does this leading grocery retailer have an amazing variety of food and other items typically found in supermarkets, it houses a pharmacy too. They also sell books, newspapers, magazines, CDs, clothes, toys, flowers, petro and so many other items I can’t remember them all. It’s like a one-stop for almost everything.

After we returned from marketing, ******* cooked Scottish salmon and new potatoes for lunch while I made a salad from fresh cos, cucumbers, carrots, celery, and tomatoes and topped it with shredded cheddar. Having such fresh ingredients made the salad turn out well but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the salmon (I am not known as a big fan of that particular type fish.). It was baked in sunflower oil with just rock salt and freshly ground pepper and served with fresh lemon. Easy and delicious. And I accidentally learned that I really do like it if properly prepared.

We stayed in this afternoon to let him catch up with paperwork and mail while I rested. Chelmsford itself is an interesting place. More than 100,000 people call it home, many of whom take the half hour train ride into London to work in the financial sector. Interestingly, the number of commuters coming into Chelmsford to work balances the number working in London, just different type jobs.

It’s also the site of the world’s first wireless factory, opened by “father of radio” Guglielmo Marconi in 1899. The Marconi Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company was the location of the first official publicized sound broadcast in the United Kingdom, credentialing Chelmsford as the "birthplace of radio."

Most of the cars here are on the small side and there seems to be a lot different Ford vehicles on the road. (******* drives a Ford Mondeo Zetec but I would know it better as Ford Contour or Mercury Mystique.) I learned that Ford had its British headquarters in Boreham, a village in the borough of Chelmsford. After WWII, runways left there from an airfield that housed B-26 Bombers during the war were adapted into a roughly triangular motor racing circuit that hosted competitive meetings between 1949 and 1952. Ford Motor Company purchased it in 1955 to use as a development test track and Ford Motorsport continues to use the remaining track surface for testing.

March 8: We walked to All Saints Church for services this morning. It’s a beautiful old church about half a mile away. The services were nice, not at all unlike those I’ve been accustomed to in McRae and Atlanta. Afterwards, we walked back with across-the-street neighbor *** and stopped in with him and his wife ***** for a short visit before having a light lunch at home. We spent the afternoon relaxing. (I think I still have a touch of jetlag.)

Tonight we had dinner with ******, *****, ***, ****** and ****** at The Six Bells Pub in Boreham. It was fun to see the children eat like grownups and enjoy it so much. They had roast lamb with fresh vegetables, as did some of the adults. I had Vegetarian Nut Loaf with roasted potatoes, parsnips and seasonal fresh vegetables (cabbage, carrots and cauliflower). Except for the potatoes and parsnips, the vegetables were served on separate platters and each one took what s/he wanted. It was my first for parsnips and I thoroughly enjoyed them.

There was so much food on my plate that I, unlike the children, skipped the fresh veggies from the table. Of course, I had room for a dessert sundae. The nut loaf wasn’t bad but I feel reasonably safe in saying it will not to be the culinary highlight of my trip. Tomorrow, it’s off to London for sightseeing and a play! I’m really looking forward to all the day has to offer.

**********

Sharing: When ******* roasted parsnips, he simply chopped them into uniform sizes, dropped them in boiling water for about 3 minutes, wrapped them in a single layer (with butter) in foil and baked them for 35 minutes. He opened the foil and baked them an additional 10 minutes until they were crisp and browned. All he added was salt and pepper and they were wonderful.
I’ve done them this way since I’ve been back in Atlanta and also added carrots. (You can add potatoes too if you wish but all veggies should be about the same size for uniform doneness.) This way is simple and they turn out sweet and delicious but you can go a more complicated route if you wish. The following recipe is just another way to enjoy this much under-praised root veggie.

Roasted Potatoes, Parsnips & Carrots

3 large baking potatoes, peeled; 3/4 lb. parsnips, peeled; 3/4 lb. carrots, peeled; 4 T. vegetable oil for coating; A few springs of fresh rosemary or thyme; 1 T.; Kosher salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375º F. Cut potatoes, parsnips and carrots into large, uniform chunks and toss them in a large bowl with oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Turn them out in a single layer on a shallow roasting pan and cook about 45-50 minutes or until tender. Toss vegetables about halfway through cooking for uniform cooking and browning.

If you’re also preparing roast beef, you can skip the oil, herbs, salt and pepper. About 50 minutes before the beef is finished, drop the vegetables into the roasting pan, coating them with beef drippings, and bake till roast is finished.

I don’t know if this recipe for Veggie Nut Loaf is the one used at the pub or not, but it is similar and also British in origin. (It sounds tastier to me personally.) The first version used eggs for binding instead of peanut butter and you may make those changes if you prefer.

Vegetarian Nut Loaf

1 c. peanuts, raw and unsalted
1 c. sunflower seeds, raw and unsalted
1/2 c. almonds, raw and unsalted
1/2 c. cashew nuts, raw and unsalted
1 med. carrot, finely grated
1 med. onion, finely grated
1 med. Cooking apple, finely grated
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
3 T. peanut butter
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. Worcestershire sauce (see note)

Preheat oven to 350º F. Arrange nuts and seeds on a baking sheet and dry roast in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until light golden in color. Remove nuts from the oven and let cool but leave the oven turned on. To save time, you may purchase nuts and seeds already roasted but be sure to get the unsalted ones.

Transfer cooled nuts and seeds to a food processor and pulse until well ground and a coarse meal forms. Transfer meal to a large mixing bowl, add remaining ingredients and mix until well combined and mixture is thick and sticky.

Lightly oil a loaf pan and scrape the mixture into the pan. Smooth the top before returning to hot oven to bake 30 minutes. Cover top with foil if it begins to brown too much before the end of baking time.

Remove loaf from oven and allow loaf to set for 15 minutes before unmolding. Run a sharp knife along the edges of the loaf to separate it from the pan, place a large plate upside down over the loaf and invert loaf onto plate. Slice and serve with marinara sauce or mushroom gravy. Makes 8 servings.

Note: Worcestershire sauce traditionally is made with anchovies but vegan versions are available at most natural food shops.

"Saturday in the Park..."

Chicago had it right when they said every day in the park is like the fourth of July. It's amazing how many different things you see all time in Piedmont but it seems Saturday brings even more to watch and/or enjoy.

The usual runners, walkers, bikers, and the Saturday green market with items from craft to free chair massages to plants, eggs, and prepared food were present as usual, all contributing to the colorful panorama.

When I first stepped into the park this morning though, I heard very loud voices counting down from 10-1 over and over. As I drew closer, I saw the source. Close to 100 people on the still very wet grass were being led in boot camp style exercises. (I know this because "boot camp" was part of the inscription on the leaders' t-shirts.)

Just a little further down the path was the much quieter, weekly yoga class being held on the dock this time. I'm pretty sure it was to escape the wet grass but what do I know? I have to admire all those people getting up so early to work so hard, especially on weekends.

I stopped at the edge of the dock for a few minutes where a mama duck was standing, looking out over the lake. She didn't move more than a couple of inches when I walked up beside her. The reason became apparent when all of a sudden, baby ducks shot out from under the dock and started looking for food. Some of this flock was missing from when I last saw them on Thursday. I'm guessing predators might have gotten to them. Further down the side of the lake, there were more babies being guarded by several adults this time so that makes me think something is definitely searching for fresh baby ducks for their menu.

The eight Canadian goslings I see on a regular basis were still intact, not only being guarded by the three regular adults this morning but several more were on sentry duty too. When I see this, I think it would be wonderful if everyone looked after their children as well. It really does 'take a village.'

Getting There?

The last couple of days have seemed like long ones. Today wasn't as bad as yesterday but after Monday perhaps they will all be easier. I'm scheduled to have an epidural at the pain clinic Monday morning so maybe that will help with the back problems that seem to be going downhill much too fast lately.

I've got too much to do and not enough time to do it all! I want to be ready for my guest. We have reservations in Asheville and I really want to keep them. I haven't been there in ages and it was always one of my favorite places when I had a chance to escape "Podunk." Seeing it with someone who has never been there is sure to add a new dimension to it and I'm definitely looking forward to that.

"Just Walking in the Rain..."

A late start this morning found me walking in the rain. Someone in the neighborhood asked earlier this week to walk in the park with me today and asked if I could wait until about 8:45 instead of my usual early start. Temps were supposed to be in the 50s this a.m. so I agreed. My so-called "friend" didn't show up and didn't bother to call so I left alone about 9:20. By then a light drizzle had begun, but I missed my walk yesterday and didn't want to miss today too and I went anyway If anyone asks to accompany me again, it will be on my schedule or not at all!

Even in the rain Piedmont is an interesting place to be. Other people were there too, mostly with their dogs this morning. I saw the usual gaggle of geese, ducks, squirrels, and a tiny chipmunk darted by so fast I wasn't sure what it was until I turned around and finally spotted him/her. Caterers where setting up under a tent big enough for a revival meeting. I guess neither rain or whatever won't put a damper on a wedding. A huge generator was running wide open so it looks as though they had all the bases covered. Better them than me!

Ego Boost?

It's not been a great day for personal news but at least I started it with an ego boost. Sort of.

I was just out of Atlanta on I-75 headed to Macon early this morning when a tractor-trailer rig pulled up beside me. He tooted his horn lightly and I wasn't sure why until I looked down. I wasn't aware until then that my skirt had slid quite high up my legs. From my vantage point, I could not see him at all but apparently he was getting a good view. He obviously could not see me well enough to tell my age or he was desperate because he pulled up beside me and blew the horn again.

I tugged my skirt down as much as I could without stopping the car in the middle of the interstate but he started riding my bumper, trying to pull up beside me again. Finally, I found an opening and shot the gas to my little car and managed to put some distance and several cars between us. Even though he couldn't see more than he would have had I been wearing shorts, I was grateful that at least my undies weren't showing!

I knew I was in trouble when I saw the Home Depot receipt

I got a handheld Dirt Devil for Mother's Day. Definitely been married too long...

P.S. to Choices

I forgot to say Son #1 brought over a bouquet of a dozen flowers with greenery and other flowers mixed in. My bad!

Choices

I've had a nice weekend, an extended one if you count starting Thursday with going out to dinner with Son #1 and Friday with Thirtysomething, Son #2, Big Sister and Little Bit. All that attention and a long trip yesterday has me ready to rest a bit though. I was so tired last night that I overslept and was late for church this morning.

The "don't-go" demon might have won out but the "go" angel tapped my shoulder a little harder and I scrambled around to get dressed so as not to be any later than I already was. Son #1 invited me for brunch and Thirtysomething invited me to join them and her in-laws for lunch and a day at the zoo. Hmm. A hot day at the zoo or brunch at a nice restaurant. Tough choice. After soul searching for at least 30 seconds, I chose the restaurant.

It was a great day though. Sunday School, then a wonderful brunch at One Midtown Kitchen with Son #1. I chose fresh fruit, an excellent breakfast pizza, and a Margarita in lieu of dessert. As if the fantastic food was not enough, the server presented each mother with a rose when they brought the check. Very nice indeed. I know I have to buckle down and get the rest of my English journal written up before I get a return visit in June. More as soon as I get it ready.

Sweet Things

Moments that make you glad you had children:

When the elder daughter looks at her little sister and says "I don't want to grow up and get married! I never want to leave you and live in a different house...I know! Let's get married! Will you marry me when we grow up?" and the little one nods eagerly.

When your girls are taking a bath and the older one says "Say your prayers, Peter Pan!" (they received the DVD for Easter) and the little one puts her hands together and prays "Bless us O Lord, for these thy gifts...," the prayer we use at mealtime.

The older daughter says "I wish we could fly to Neverland, but it's very far from here. But it's very close to England, maybe we could go if we visit there!"

Birthdays

I've reached the conclusion that the only thing important about birthdays after you pass 30 or 40 is that you don't stop having them!

Today has been good so far though. I walked in the park early this morning so I could see the baby Canadian geese, had several emails wishing me happy birthday, plus some sweet telephone calls. Son number one is taking me to dinner tonight and am meeting Thirtysomething for lunch tomorrow. Also got some cards yesterday and today.

I confess to being slack this week so I have to get busy on the rest of my journal articles, plus clearing out some stuff I'm not using. I want to get all this finished before my guest arrives so I can have plenty of free time then. I'll paste the next article here when I finish checking it. I haven't taken time to figure out how to paste photos yet but promise to do that soon too.

Journal Part 2

This is the second installment, sans photos and conversion charts referred to at the end of document. The link to the charts is there though.

Excerpts from an English Expedition Journal,
Part Two

March 6 a.m.: Who said it rains all the time here! It’s a beautiful sunny day but I did get the day off to a less than auspicious start by frying my curling iron. Apparently, the adapter did a less than stellar job of adapting and the top blew right off it and left a wicked, burned plastic smell in this beautiful guest room and slightly beyond. It really stinks. Wonder how long that will last?

Oh, well, Richard bought a hair dryer (at the behest of his daughters) for my use so I will have to make do with that. I may get the courage to try my curling brush later but considering the untimely demise of its mate, I should probably wait a bit.

Afternoon: Resting and relaxing time is over for now. I felt refreshed when I awoke and after the curling iron fiasco, we had a leisurely breakfast and now we’re heading over to Maldon for a quick tour. (Essex has so many of these history-rich places that it would take months to explore them thoroughly.)

Maldon is a small village located on the Blackwater Estuary just before the river runs into the North Sea. It’s known throughout the UK and several other parts of the world as the foremost modern-day center for Thames sailing barges. It’s also a favorite retreat for many, some coming just for a day and others staying longer. Its beauty has made it the sight of several productions filmed for television. It’s also home to the patriarchal stavropegic Monastery of St John the Baptist, a monastic community for both men and women.

Among many special events held there each year is the annual "Taxi Day" when mentally and physically disabled children from London are driven to there in London Black Cabs for a day of activities and a meal.

This event dates back to 1952 when a London cab driver visited Elizabeth Fry Special School in Plaistow and was inspired to do something special for the young patients there. He wrote to each of Essex's sea side towns in his attempts to arrange an outing for them and the only one willing to help was Maldon. Taxi Day was soon established and has remained a tradition since then.*

The weather remained sunny and beautiful if a little windy. We strolled through town and walked down the promenade along River Blackwater to the bronze statue of Brythnoth, Earldorman of Essex. Brythnoth was hero and loser of the Battle of Maldon in 991. Although he lost the battle, along with his head, Brythnoth was considered a hero because he inspired the Saxons to resist marauding Vikings.

Evening: Richard’s daughter Joanne joined us for dinner tonight at The Fox and Raven in Chelmsford. The building still retains the character of the converted nineteenth century farmhouse that houses this traditional English pub. All three of us ordered Scampi and Chips (French fries). For dessert, we shared Profiteroles. They were okay but a little disappointing. The rolls were much larger than you normally see with this recipe and I think perhpas not quite as good as the smaller ones.

We stopped by daughter-in-law Julie’s home later to meet Julie, her friend Ian and children Joseph and Amelia. I am on Julie’s Facebook friend list so I felt I knew her a little already. The family members I’ve met thus far are lovely and the children are sweet and well mannered. It’s been a full day so I’m signing off for now. I shouldn’t have any trouble sleeping tonight for sure.

*This explanation of Maldon history is for information/explanation purposes and was not part of my journal. I researched it to satisfy my personal curiosity and found several interesting articles, especially about ill-fated hero Brythnoth.

I knew English Chips are pretty much like American French Fries but found them fatter and fluffier with no preservatives. Unfortunately, many of the restaurants there also emulate Americans by using a frozen product. If you want to make really English Chips, follow these directions. All you need is potatoes, peanut oil and salt.

English-style Chips

Potatoes
Oil
Salt

First, peel the amount of potatoes needed and slice them into chips about half an inch long and half an inch thick. Cut these slabs into slices a quarter inch wide and place in a bowl of cold water deep enough to cover completely.

Pour cooking oil into the pan to no more than one third deep and let it heat while potatoes are soaking. When it reaches 375ºF or a small piece of potato dropped in floats. If you do not have a thermometer, just drop a small piece of potato in the oil and if it floats, the oil is hot enough.

Dry the potatoes thoroughly, place in a frying basket and lower them into the oil slowly until they chips are covered and bubbling has stopped. Cover the pan and cook the chips for 6 minutes. This blanches the potatoes and does the actual cooking but they should not be brown at this stage, just cooked. Remove the basket of chips from the oil and allow it to back up to around 390ºF.

Lower the chips back into the reheated oil and allow to brown. (This should take just a couple of minutes.) As soon as chips are golden brown, remove them from the oil and place on paper towels in a serving dish. Let drain a few second, remove chips, sprinkle the chips with a little salt and serve immediately before they get go soggy. Paired with battered fish and malt vinegar, this makes an authentic English Fish ‘N” Chips meal.

Profiteroles
(Chef Gordon Ramsay’s recipe)

Ingredients:
Choux pastry
125 ml milk
200 ml water
150g plain flour
1 t. golden caster sugar
1/2 t. salt
100 g unsalted butter
4 medium eggs, lightly beaten
Chantilly cream
1-1/2 of a vanilla pod (bean), split
300 ml whipping cream
1-2 T. icing sugar
Chocolate sauce
200g good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
30 g unsalted butter
3 T. clear honey
125 ml full fat milk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200˚C/Gas 6 (392ºF). Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Place the milk, coldwater, salt, sugar into a pan and set over a low heat. Once the sugar and salt has dissolved add the butter. Once the butter has melted, bring to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat then tip in the flour and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon. As soon as the mixture starts to come away from the side of the pan, stop beating and tip onto a plate to cool.

Return the mixture to the pan, then gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, mixing well between each addition, until you have a smooth paste. (Alternatively, transfer the mix to an electric mixer and gradually add the eggs while the mixer is running on a low setting).

Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Spoon the choux pastry into a piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle (about 1.5cm in diameter). Pipe a small blob of the pastry mix under each corner of the greaseproof to keep the paper in place. Now pipe about 20 walnut-sized balls onto the baking sheet, spaced well apart. Level the peaked tops with the tip of a wet finger then bake for 18-20 minutes until well risen and golden brown.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.

For the Chantilly cream scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod (bean) into a large mixing bowl. Add the cream, and icing sugar then whisk together until the consistency of a soft meringue with floppy peaks. Spoon the cream into a clean piping bag, fitted with a small plain nozzle. Pierce the base of a choux bun with the tip of the nozzle and pipe in the cream. Repeat with the remaining choux buns.

For the chocolate sauce, break the chocolate into small pieces in a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat. Add the butter and honey stirring from time to time, until the chocolate begins to melt. Gradually whisk in the milk until you have a smooth sauce and warm through. Serve the cream-filled profiteroles with the hot chocolate sauce drizzled over. Makes 30 profiteroles.

NOTE: Profiteroles, a/k/a Cream Puffs with Chocolate Sauce, can also be filled with a shrimp

mixture of other savory stuffing.

FYI: Icing sugar is powdered sugar; full fat milk is the same as whole milk; caster sugar is superfine sugar; golden has some molasses in it but is not the same as brown sugar. You may use regular caster if you cannot find the golden variety.

You can find conversion charts for temperatures on the Internet or just multiply the Centrigrade temperature by 9, divide the total by 5 and add 32 to this figure to get its Farenheit equivalent. I dug this out of some vague recess in my mind and used it while I was in the UK until I got to the point I could estimate the equivalent when I wanted to know atmospheric temperatures. The charts below will help make conversions if you wish to try this recipe. You may wish to keep these for future reference as I will be sharing other British recipes in this series or bookmark them at

http://www.jsward.com/cooking/conversion.shtml

Ouch!

Sorry about the a/c. Four years doesn't seem very long for a compressor to last, especially one made by a so-called reputable company.

On a different note, have you lost any more cows or wrenches lately?

Easy come, easy go

It must be a cruel joke that the universe plays on you, when you look at your savings account balance and think wow, we're finally building up our savings again, then your AC compressor goes out and you find out you're going to have to fork over approximately 1,000 dollars to fix it. *sigh* Oh, well, that's what savings are for, right?

No Problem

I survived Saturday evening nicely, thank you. The girls were very good if you don't count Little Bit throwing a glass of water on her sister. Twice.

They didn't give me any real problems though. Of course, I didn't make them go to bed either so that probably helped. I did help them get a bath but I left the bad stuff like bedtime to Mommy and Daddy. I claimed a grandmother's prerogative. :)

I'm beginning to wonder if Atlanta is all thunder storms and trees falling. It does seem that we're having an inordinately large number of both this year.

I suppose this too shall pass. My company will be here in a few weeks so maybe it will have leveled off by then and we'll be able to get out and about and do some exploring.

Thanks for the evening

Well, it was a very nice, relaxing dinner out. Especially nice was the gift certificate DH won for Chili's and the 30 dollars my dear brother contributed, so we had a good meal and leftovers for today, to boot! Definitely would like to do an evening out more often, if mom's not too afraid after Saturday to come back!!

Rarely a dull moment here!

I have to say I saw a different type of spring blossoms today, not like any I can recall recently. Blakes, located diagonally from me, caters to a slightly different clientele. There's always a crowd there and it gets quite interesting (and loud) from time to time. The windows there are usually open and the crowd often spills out front. When I walked over to Gilberts to have brunch with my son today, the sidewalk was filled with lots of colorful dresses and hats with pretty flowers on them. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending upon your perspective, most of those wearing the beautiful hats and dresses also wore athletic shoes and needed a shave. Face and legs! Whatever floats your boat, I guess, but some of the dresses were really pretty.

Need to Stop Dawdling

I definitely have to stop dawdling in the mornings if I am going to walk in Piedmont. The later it gets, the more weird characters come out. It makes me think of horror movies when vampires and zombies start coming out after dark. By midafternoon, the entire dynamics has changed so I'm resolving to start my walks early. Very early.

I told Thirtysomething I would watch the girls tomorrow evening so she and hubby could have some private time together. Did I really volunteer for that?