Dropout?

It's looking as though Little Bit might have to drop out of pre-school. And no, not because of her behavior even though the teacher said they would have to work on her "following directions." Seems when she was told it was time to help clean up she emphatically told them, "I'm not weddy yet!" She wasn't and she didn't.

No, it seems her school experience is keeping her sick. I think she's missed more days than she has been there and will be out this whole week. She kept Mom up all night and had to go to the doctor again today. She apparently didn't get rid of the crud she had before and it looks as though she caught something else while her immunity is still low.

Poor Mom. She may want to go to school or somewhere else in self defense if Little Bit does any more Albuterol-induced swan dives!

Greatful

Another weekend about over and another rainy Sunday. Not complaining though. I'm especially grateful for the rain today. It rained out the last day of the Red Bull Soapbox Race so I don't have to listen to the extremely loud and annoying rap music they blasted all day yesterday.

I wound up spending a large portion of the afternoon at Dillards and can safely say I couldn't afford another day of avoiding the noise that way! Anther bonus is the street is finally open after being closed since Friday evening.

On another note, I heard something amusing when I had lunch at the Silver Grill today, a diner just a few blocks away. I got there about 1:30 or a little later and the cashier and one of the counter people were having their lunch at a table next to my booth. Their discussion about this and that lead to the younger one saying how much she liked Little Debbie Oatmeal Cakes but she knew they were not good for her to eat so many.

The older lady told her, "Oatmeal lowers your cholesterol so when I eat them I just say I'm lowering my cholesterol." Sounded good to me and I plan to remember it when I indulge again.

Journal installment #10

A patron enjoys pleasant weather outside the Square and Compasses Pub in the Fairstead area of Chelmsford, England.

Excerpts from an English Journal, Part 10

Wednesday, March 18: It’s been a relaxing day so far. The sun is shining beautifully and it isn’t as windy as it has been the past few days. Derek came over for tea this morning and I left him and Richard to visit to while I took a bath and wrote in my journal. Then I walked up to the corner to leave some slacks and a blouse at the dry cleaners and also went into the store next to the cleaners and bought bananas and a couple of other small items while I was out. There’s a surprisingly good selection of produce, baked goods and other things for such a small shop. Very convenient too.

Joanne came over and we picked up neighbors Roy and Josie about 1:00 and drove out to the parish of Fairstead for lunch at the Square and Compasses Pub.

The Squares and Compasses is a beamed 17th century freehouse believed to date from about 1652. The building that houses it was originally two farmer's cottages and the current owners have retained a wealth of original features, including exposed beams throughout and inglenook fireplaces. They serve classic pub food and use fresh local produce as well as beef and game when possible. (I was told my skate was caught in the North Sea off the coast of Essex.)

Open log fires add to the old-world atmosphere, as does the cask conditioned real ales and several wines that are served by the glass. They can serve a large choice of potables because they are a freehouse, meaning they are not controlled by a brewery and can offer a variety instead of being restricted to one specific brand of beer and ale. According to locals, privately owned freehouses are a dying breed in the UK and they were happy to see this one reopen. Their website is at http://www.thesquareandcompasses.co.uk/index.html.

The food was generally good but some of it was a little disappointing. The menu said grilled wing of skate but they served the whole thing. Or it looked like it anyway. And believe me when I say it was not attractive, that’s an understatement! I don’t eat red meat and when home, not a lot of chicken or seafood either, but on the occasions I do indulge, I really don’t want to recognize either of them after they are cooked.

This skate looked like the ray fish it is and had tons of bones, also something I had not encountered in skate wing before. It truly was not very pretty to look at and made me doubly grateful for the generous portions of fresh veggies served with it. Jo and I shared a starter of baked goat’s cheese on a bed of rocket with some very good chutney, cherry I think. We also shared a lovely warm chocolate sponge with homemade custard for dessert. It was delicious too.

After lunch, we walked around the area for a while. We met a very pleasant chap, also named Roy, who obligingly showed us his gardens and collection of antique tools after I commented on his pretty flowers. He was a friendly fellow who seemed very proud that we were interested. The grounds surrounding his house were larger than average gardens, especially those in more urban areas, and he said he had lived there for 50 years. He has built a nice-sized pond for his gold fish and landscaped the property with grass, trees and dozens of flowers. He was most hospitable and a real pleasure to meet, as have been all the Englanders I’ve met thus far.

We’re back home now (4:30 p.m.) Richard has gone over to Jo’s to help her pull her clothes dryer out from the wall so she can get to the electric meter to read it. I started feeling a little sick on the way home and am still not feeling really great so I didn’t go. (Hope it wasn’t the skate. It tasted okay but really was not pretty and I only ate enough of it to be polite.) I think I will lie down for a while though.

**********

NOTE: After I finished this column, Susan (co-owner) from The Square and Compasses obligingly shared instructions for the excellent goat’s cheese starter and I am inserting her email here exactly as she sent it to me.

Hi Judy,

Many thanks for your email and apologies for not replying sooner.

Our recipe for Baked Goats Cheese with fresh Rocket and Beetroot is as follows:

Chutney
Two red onions
Half kilo red tomatoes - chopped
100ml balsamic vinegar
Half cup brown sugar
One star anise
Pinch cinnamon
Salt and pepper
50ml white wine
Put all chutney ingredients into a pan and simmer over a low heat until it becomes thick consistency.

Main Ingredients:
Half-inch goats cheese
Salt and pepper
One whole egg
50g bread crumbs
Pinch of tarragon

Season both sides of goats cheese with salt and pepper, place in a dish with flour and cover completely. Shake off excess flour and place in beaten egg. Repeat process to get a thick crust. Transfer to bread crumbs and tarragon, cover completely.

Shallow fry till golden brown on both sides and then place in oven to finish.
Serve with fresh rocket leaves garnished with fresh beetroot and chutney.
We do hope that your readers enjoy trying this dish.

Kind regards
Susan

*********
Roast Skate With Malted, Caramelized Garlic Sauce

2 skate wings
5 T. olive oil
2 t. minced fresh garlic
3 t. malt vinegar
1 pinch of sweet smoked Spanish or plain paprika
Sea Salt
Ground black pepper

While oven is preheating to 425°F make the sauce. To do this, add 3 T. of the olive oil to a small saucepan. Add garlic and cook until it is a dark, nutty brown color. Add vinegar and paprika. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half. Season well with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Drizzle remaining olive over the bottom of large oven safe pan and heat on the stovetop until very hot. Cast iron works well for this. Sprinkle both sides of skate wings with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and slide in the skate, being careful not to splatter hot oil. Put the pan with the skate into preheated oven and cook for about 10 minutes until cooked through.

Remove fish and spoon the warm sauce spooned over it. Add a light sprinkling of paprika and serve immediately. You can make the sauce while you cook the skate but you should start the sauce first since it takes a while to caramelize the garlic without letting it burn.

This recipe is much better than the one I had at Fairstead. I have no idea where one might purchase skate wing but it is common in the UK and I’ve enjoyed it in a couple of good restaurants in Atlanta. It’s a good ray fish and worth the trouble to cook if you can find it. If you do buy it, ask if it has been aged slightly. If not, let it stand in the refrigerator for 1-2 days as the flesh becomes firmer and more palatable as it matures.

This recipe for baked goat’s cheese is not the same as the one at Square and Compasses but is similar and British in origin.

Baked Goat's Cheese with Pear, Pecan Nuts and Rocket

100g (2/3 c.) fine green beans, trimmed

200g Goats cheese (slightly over 7 oz.)

2 Pears

2 T. fresh lemon juice

2 T. cranberry sauce

1 pinch ground cinnamon

15g (1 T.) Butter

200g (1-1/3 c.) mixed baby salad leaves

100g (2/3 c.) Pecans, toasted

1 red chili pepper, deseeded and sliced very thinly

Toss salad leaves with toasted pecans and pepper slices and divide equally between 4 serving plates. Set aside and prepare rest of recipe.

Boil green beans for 2 minutes, drain and rinse under cold running water. Lay cooled beans on paper towels and set aside to finish draining. Cut goats cheese into chunks and set aside. Cut pears into quarters, remove the core and slice each quarter into thin slices.

Combine lemon juice, cranberry sauce, cinnamon and butter in a heavy based frying pan and let get warm. Add pear slices and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add cheese cubes and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until you see the cheese beginning to soften.

Top salad leaves with the hot pear and goat's cheese mixture and serve at once while cheese is still warm. NOTE: You can use whatever type pears you prefer but the buttery taste of Comice pears make them a good choice with cheese. Rocha and Conference pears are also good for cooking.

Cherry Chutney

1/2 c. (125ml) sun dried cherries, chopped
1/4 c. (60ml) sun dried cranberries, chopped
2 T. (30ml) chopped red onion
1 t. (5ml) tomato paste
4 cloves roasted garlic
1/4 c. (60ml) brown sugar
1 T. (15ml) balsamic vinegar

Add all ingredients together in a small bowl and stir until well combined. Refrigerate for at least 1 – 2 hours before serving. This simple recipe for cherry chutney is very good and best of all, requires no cooking.

Even though the baked goats cheese was wonderful, I also enjoy baked Brie and would find it different to choose which one I like best. I’ve had some very good baked Brie in different places but my personal, all-time favorite is still the Baked Brie en croute with Honey Peaches and Raspberry Sauce served at Flying Biscuit. However, I have not been able to get that recipe so I am substituting another one here in its place.

This easy version is also good but not many things are in the same class as Flying Biscuit quality and/or taste-wise. I suppose you could just bake a round of Brie by another recipe and garnish it with honey peaches and raspberry sauce but theirs looks to me as though it might also have crème anglaise on it even though that isn’t listed in the description. Also, I have no clue if or how they make the honey peaches they use

Baked Brie

1 large sheet puff pastry or 1 8-ct. tube refrigerated crescent rolls
1 round of Brie with rind
Raspberry or other sweet jam
Brown sugar
1/4 c. maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350º F. Lay pastry out on a non-stick cookie sheet, seal seams if necessary and lay Brie in the center. Spread jam over Brie and fold dough over the top. Trim excess dough and drizzle maple syrup over it. Sprinkle brown sugar over the syrup and bake for 25-30 minutes until pastry is golden brown. Cool 10 minutes before serving with crackers and apple slices. There are more complicated ways to make baked Brie but this simple one is very good and not nearly as much trouble to prepare.

Warm chocolate sponge with chocolate sauce Chantilly

110g/4 oz. dark chocolate, melted

1 orange, finely grated zest only

6 eggs, separated

110g/4 oz. caster sugar

110g/4 oz. ground almonds

55g/2 oz. chocolate cake or crumbs

310ml/11 oz. double cream

140g/5 oz. dark chocolate pieces

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Rub insides of 8 metal pudding molds with butter, sprinkle sugar over the butter and set aside.

Mix melted chocolate and orange zest together in one bowl. In another. Whisk egg yolks and sugar together until thick and pale. Fold chocolate mix into yolks, followed by almonds and cake crumbs. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and then fold into the chocolate mixture.Divide the chocolate mixture between the moulds and cover with rounds pieces of buttered aluminum foil.

Bake in preheated oven in a bain marie (double boiler or water bath) for 20 minutes until cake has risen and is just firm to the touchWhip the double cream with 1 T. caster sugar until stiff and refrigerate.In a small saucepan, bring the cream to the boil and add the chocolate pieces. Turn puddings onto warm plates, spoon chocolate sauce over each one and serve with some of the chilled whipped cream on the side.

No wonder!

Please excuse my brief rant:

Perusing the August breakfast menu for Roo's school after she requested eating breakfast there, I came to the conclusion that, while poor food options in schools may not be solely responsible for the obesity epidemic among our children, it is DEFINITELY a factor. Consider these "yummy" options: Breakfast Bun, Super Donuts, Scooby Doo Graham Snacks. What the H*%$ is THIS all about? The only other remotely healthy menus listed for this month are sausage and chicken biscuits and breakfast burritos. My question is how can they get by with feeding children this crap? The only answer I have is that apparently, even though they are supposed to comply with the Dept. of Agriculture's food exchanges, a breakfast bun and Super Donut apparently fit their definition of a grain. Not ever having had a child in a public school district, I don't know if these is as a result of the economy (unhealthy food is often cheaper), but I have a hard time believing there are no other fairly low-cost options. How about Mini-Wheats, oatmeal, or some other whole grains? Roo's most frequent breakfast is Cream of Wheat or peanut butter toast and milk and it's not terribly expensive. I understand not offering pb since there are so many allergies to it, but I am just baffled and, frankly, horrified to think about children chowing down on these empty calories and then attempting to go to class and learn. It makes me want to SCREAM!!

Today

It was surprisingly pleasant this morning, cool and a great time to walk, so what did I do? Goofed off until I didn't have time to go before church!

I did have a good afternoon at Thirtysomething's today though. Her DH worked about 70 hours this week and I thought they needed a little time to themselves if for nothing else, to be able to carry on an adult conversation so I drove out there after church to stay with the girls.

They were good but I swear, I think Little Bit knew three words when she was born: "I do it!" She has added to that, "Let me do it," "Don't help me," "I can do it myself." etc., etc., all said very emphatically. I pretty much let her do it herself unless she is about to get hurt, hurt someone, or break something. Much easier to get along with Miss Independent this way.

TS has so much on her plate now she is having problems finding time to blog or do much of anything that doesn't involve work whether at home or at the pre-school. When she does have time, she has some good stories to share about the children in her class as well as Little Bit smooching on an Iguana. Maybe she can do some of this soon. I promise they are entertaining.

Whew!

It has been quite a busy week! New job, new preschool (& first one for Little Bit), and both girls and Daddy sick. I'm crossing my fingers that next week will be smoother.

On a good note, I got to spend some much-needed alone time with DH this afternoon. We had lunch, went to Kohl's to spend his birthday (from July) money on some new work shirts, and went grocery shopping, thanks to my mom who bravely offered to keep the girls again to let us get out. God bless her, you'd think she'd have had enough from staying with them while they were sick, but she came back for more ;-) We don't have money to pay her, but she definitely has our appreciation and heartfelt gratitude, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

Also got to see my best childhood friend and her husband and their two dog "children." They stopped here on their way to North Carolina, pulling their camper behind them. It's so funny to watch them with their dogs, whom they've just had a few months. These self-proclaimed "cat people" have taken to this little Yorkie and Chihuahua like crazy, carrying them around and babying them. BF's hubby even took the Yorkie into the living room where my children were watching Milo and Otis, and he kept pointing out all the animals and narrating it for the little fella. BF informed me that having the dogs was "almost like having real children, except you don't have to save for their college." Hmmm. Not sure I agree with that conclusion, but I'll let her have it.

There but for the grace of God

Here's a link to a TV interview that our friends Doug and Christina did about their son, Lance, who underwent a heart transplant several weeks ago: http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/Health_Watch_Medical_Costs_081809

Still here

Thirtysomething and I both have been AWOL this week but she has a better excuse than I do since most of my was due to sheer inertia (sounds better than laziness, doesn't it?).

Beginning a new job, getting one child to kindergarten, and starting the other one in pre-school does take a bit out of one. Unfortunately, that wasn't all. The oldest one came down with what I refer to as first-of-the-new-school-year stuff. Getting all those little germ factories together in a limited place creates a mega-germ factory. Add ragweed pollen to that and you get one sick little girl.

Little Bit is stuffy too so she may be headed down the same path but we can always hope. I drove out and stayed with them yesterday so Mom wouldn't miss just her second day of work. It was a long day since it began with the phone call at 6 a.m. but they were not any trouble other than the occasional bouts of big sister bossiness and little sister's unspoken "you're not the boss of me" attitude. My motto is not to interfere unless it comes to one of them inflicting pain on the other one so I just watched the occasional clash of wills. (Also got some good home grown tomatoes from their neighbors and that in itself made the drive worthwhile.)

As I said, no problems but I think I might go to bed early tonight just in case there's an early call tomorrow morning!

Back in the fold

I'm back home and happy to be here. I admit to waving the white flag, tossing in the towel, etc. and leaving town just before 3:00 yesterday afternoon. Crowds were already filling the streets even though the gates were not scheduled to open until 5 p.m. and I knew it was only going to get worse. That, plus Interstate closings, Def Leppard, Steeley Dan, a huge hair show downtown, and heaven only knows what else going on made the decision for me. I'd turned down a dinner invitation the week before but when I was re-invited yesterday morning, I decided it wasn't such a bad idea after all and jumped right on it before it could be rescinded. Thankfully, the invitation time was open and it didn't take much encouragement for me to get down there early. Actually none at all!

And no, I don't have a secretly repressed obsession with the Beatles. Even though they were definitely a big part of my generation, I've never been one of those screaming, fainting, pantie-tossing females who would trample their own grandmother just to catch a tiny glimpse of them. If I had been, even the 20-minute downpour during mid concert could not have driven me out before the concert was over but the lightning probably would have. It didn't rain south of town where I was but I was updated by someone who had enough courage to stay here. Note that he didn't go down to the park either but probably could hear it from his balcony if he had wanted to listen.

Thirtysomething has two school open houses this afternoon: one for her class and one for Little Bit's class. She shouldn't have any trouble sleeping tonight for sure! Maybe she will catch us up when she catches her breath.

Saturdays in the Park

Hmm, wonder how Life is doing with the Paul McCartney deluge on Piedmont Park. I tried calling, but got no answer, which leads me to believe she's a) hiding in some underground bunker or b) finally indulged in her long-repressed Beatle obsession.

Glad the weekend is here, so I can catch my breath before the craziness starts on Monday. Starting a part-time job plus twice-weekly tax courses...it's a little daunting but I'm up for it. Unfortunately (or I suppose fortunately in some respects), DH's nutty hours have started up again and it's felt like single parenthood around here this week. That's going to be tough when I start working, but we'll manage. At least the tax classes are only for three months. I'd just like to be able to make it to an occasional Mom's Night or Bunco again. It feels like I haven't had any girlfriend bonding time in so long, I miss it! The good thing is I'm going to be working with some neat gals at my new job, so I'm really excited about that. Wish me luck!!

Journal installment #9

The “Eye” from across River Thames.

Sand art on the Thames, done by a group protesting dirty beaches, thus the huge rat you see all stretched out here.

Excerpts from an English Journal,
Part Nine

Tuesday, March 17: Today is our second trip into London and the last one before I leave next week. We’re planning to spend the day browsing around and see another play this evening. I have to get dressed soon as Jo is driving us to the station so we don’t have to take the bus this time. The weather is nice but it is windy again. Still typical March weather but that means London will probably be twice as cold as Chelmsford!

Evening: Weather-wise, it was a beautiful day, albeit a chilly one, but not as cold as the first one we spent here. The wind seems twice as vicious when it’s blowing off the water anyway. It was another day of walking too. We probably covered 5-6 miles total. We went across the Thames and back twice, using a different bridge each time.

We behaved like children, eating sweets all day, but we did have some excellent pizza and the best Bruschetta con Peperonata I’ve ever eaten at The Strada at Royal Festival Hall on South Bank, London. It was served on chargrilled ciabatta with warm caramelized pepper and onion peperonata, crumbled goats cheese and fresh basil. If I had that recipe I might start cooking more often.

While it was fun to see so many different things, the highlight once again was seeing a play. This time, we chose “The Thirty-Nine Steps.” It turned out to be an excellent choice. In my wildest dreams I could never have imagined how entertaining a Hitchcock thriller turned into a comedy with just a four-person cast would be. There was a short intermission about half way through but the whole show moved rapidly with never a down moment from start to finish. It was truly a great performance and well worth the money to see it.

This show was at the Criterion Theatre on the south side of Piccadilly Circus. It’s a relatively small theater with less than 600 seats. The most interesting thing though is that aside from the box office, the entire theater is underground and is reached by descending a tiled stairway.
Columns are used to support both the dress circle and upper circle, thereby restricting the view of many of the seats but our seats were in the center with an excellent vantage point. The unique design keeps you from feeling as though you are underground. I’m not sure I was aware of it until we had to climb the stairs to leave.

It’s a lovely building with a long history. It was opened as a theater in March 1874 even though the original plans were for it to be a concert hall. It closed in 1883 to improve ventilation and to replace its gaslights with electric lights. It reopened in 1884 and closed again in 1989 for extensive refurbishing. It opened once again in October 1992 and has maintained a full time schedule since then.

There’s so much to see and learn in London but it would take several days there alone to see it all and even then you probably couldn’t do it justice. I’d like to see more of London at a later date but I don’t think I want to walk that much again for a while. At least not there. The countryside here is far too beautiful and interesting to spend most of my time walking up and down city streets.

We got back around midnight and again took a taxi home. It was a wonderful day just as my whole trip has been thus far but I told Richard I’d like t slow down a bit. We’re already committed for some lunch and dinner dates but other than that, I’d like to take the rest of the visit a step at the time. We only have eight days left (seven really because I leave on the 8th one) and I’d like to have some personal, relaxing time before I return to the states. We’re thinking of going away for a couple of days but haven’t decided where yet.

**********
Unfortunately, La Strada wasn’t as generous with recipes as Chef Tristen at Waterfront Place was but I did find a similar recipe. You could use ciabatta in place of Italian bread for similar results. This dish is definitely worth the little extra prep time it takes to prepare it.

Peperonata con Bruschetta
(Sweet Pepper Toasts)

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 T. sweet butter
2 medium red onions, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
2 large red bell peppers, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
2 large yellow bell peppers, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cloves garlic, sliced in half
3 ripe plum tomatoes, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 slices Italian peasant bread
8 basil leaves, finely cut

Preheat a grill or broiler. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook over high heat for 4 minutes. Stir in minced garlic, cook for 30 seconds, add tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes to thicken. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Grill the bread for 2 minutes on each side. Rub one side of each slice of bread with the cut side of 1/2 a garlic clove. Top each slice of bread with a heaping spoonful of pepper mixture, sprinkle with basil and goats’ cheese and serve immediately.

Getting Better

Well, good news and bad news. Good news is things are a little better today...feeling a little less frazzled and frustrated. Got to put some time in at the preschool and am really looking forward to Monday, I think it will be lots of fun. Bad news is at my dental checkup, I was informed that I have two "fractures" in my teeth, apparently from grinding them very hard during my sleep. Was told to monitor this and if I have increasing sensitivity that I will need to come back. Most likely, I will have to have a mouthguard at night so I will stop doing it. At least it explains the frequent headaches I have been waking up with the last couple of months, but it brought on another one when I was told the price...$850.00...yikes!!!

Need a little patience....with apologies to Guns 'n Roses...

Okay, I know that, logically, the universe is not conspiring to get me today. I keep reminding myself of that, anyway!!

Little Bit is regressing AGAIN on her potty training. It's like we have several days of no accidents, doing great, then BOOM, peeing and pooping accidents galore. I mean, does the smell of freshly mopped and vacuumed floors trigger some kind of mechanism that renders bladder control impossible? I am so frustrated right now, I'm ready to put her back in pull-ups. I know that's not the right thing to do, but it's incredibly aggravating to spend all morning cleaning the house and having it smell like a farm after she's peed everywhere and tracked through it. She's going through lots of changes right now and I'm trying so hard to be patient, but I'm starting to run on empty with it. She's a smart child, and I know eventually we'll get through this, but I finally broke down crying earlier, I got so upset.

Add that to a husband who is never home, subtract a mother-in-law who's acting like a child, divide it by a father-in-law who gives delicate Christmas ornaments to a two-year-old (in August), and expects them not to get broken, multiply it by a new job and twice-weekly class that start next week, and you get one frazzled me.

I wonder...

...how long the dead fish odor will linger in Piedmont Park.

...if those in charge of such things honestly believe a 6-foot temporary chain link fence will keep a very determined person out of the section where the Green Concert will be held.

...if the transient I saw using a park grill to boil eggs this morning ate all 12 of them at one sitting.

...why the opthamolgist's office told me to be there at 3:00 but didn't call me back until after 4:00.

...if I should keep postponing my road trip or get someone to help me drive instead of going alone.

...if I made a mistake by saying I would start playing bridge again.

...why I believed the review for Ri Ra in the AJC.

...why it's not as much fun to be grown up as I thought it would be before I was.

Musings

It's interesting to watch the dynamics of Piedmont Park change almost hourly. If you go before 7:00 a.m., there's about an equal number of humans and canines. That changes after the walkers take their pets home and go to work. Every hour brings a different segment of people and pets.

This morning, I was greeted with not so many people but thousands of dead and dying fish at the lake. The security man I flagged down wasn't aware of it and called for someone to come investigate and I left.

Because I walk earlier now (to avoid the heat), I see the homeless more that I usually do. Or at least I recognize them more easily since many of them are still sleeping when I enter the park. Security doesn't bother them too much if they're behaving.

Yesterday was the first time I've seen one of them sleeping in a chair. He had it pushed up against a huge tree and was sitting so still that two squirrels were running around and around the tree near his head, not paying any attention to him at all. I wonder where these "invisible" men will be when Paul McCartney plays there next week. The list of things not allowed is so long that I wouldn't have been surprised to see "No homeless" on it. One blanket per person, no animals except for seeing eye dogs, no bags, no signs or banners, no fireworks, no food or drink, no chairs, no weapons, no wrenches or pliers (they spelled it plyers), no laser pointers, no cameras of any kind, no video or digital records of any kind, no umbrellas...

Even if I had an extra $100 to spend on a ticket, I think I would pass on this show. Some of the list makes good sense but I have to wonder why no chairs or no drinks on a hot August night. And can they really keep all cameras out? I think I will just leave town while the 50,000 or so they're hoping for overflows our streets and neighborhood. Nope, that much money would have to buy me air conditioning and a reasonably comfortable seat. Too old and cranky to sit on the ground in stifling heat and mosquitoes anyway.

I wonder if they will try to chase the homeless out of the park or just let them enjoy the concert from the shadows. It would be interesting to know.

Is this petty?

A small quibble with Roo's kindergarten experience thus far. Yesterday, I was looking through the folder of papers she brought home. On one was an exercise in cutting and pasting basic shapes into their respective boxes. Well, I started looking at it and it wasn't correct: there were triangles where there were supposed to be squares, circles were there were supposed to be triangles, etc. Despite it being wrong, there was a nice sticker at the top of the page, I suppose from the teachers. I asked Roo if the teachers gave her directions and showed her how it was supposed to be (she can't read the shape words yet, but it had examples at the top of the columns). That went nowhere, since she kind of shrugged and wasn't really able to tell me, but then she said, "That's okay, Mom, I got a sticker anyway."

Well, that did it. Daddy and I made her redo it correctly and told her that she didn't deserve a sticker for incorrect work and we want her to do her best, and that even if she does get a sticker from the teacher that when we see work she didn't do right, she's going to do it over until it is. Not trying to get too serious here in Kindergarten, but come on. I can see a sticker for working really hard on a drawing or something subjective like that, but not for work that's clearly incorrect. Why wasn't one of the teachers circulating and noticing that she wasn't doing it right and steering her on the right path? Hopefully, this is not a precedent for the rest of the year. I'm not saying anything now, but am keeping the eyes and ears open b/c I want my daughter to set a higher standard for herself and not just settle.

Okay, I'm off the soapbox now.

Call the ASPCA!

Well, we have gone and done it. We adopted two guinea pigs this morning. Not because of the movie G-Force, I have seen the previews and am not planning for the girls to see the movie b/c of the PG rating; unfortunately, I'm sure there will be a huge run on guinea pigs with the movie's popularity. Roo has been wanting one for approximately two years and fell in love with one at Petsmart this morning, so we got two females to be companions. We initially told her she'd have to wait for her birthday, but decided to go ahead and get it early. Am rethinking this decision, though, because Little Bit is going to need lots of practice in holding one without causing it serious injury! Hopefully, we can model for her how to be nice and gentle and not hold it by its poor neck!

Already had a few laughs this morning when "Angelheart," Roo's cavy, ran up DH's pants leg and into his underwear while he was sitting down. VERY exciting, especially for DH, who was frantically trying to get the critter out while hurting either of them.

We now have two dogs, two hermit crabs, two frogs, two guinea pigs, and one fish. Partridge in a pear tree, anyone?

Adjustments

Well, we're almost done with the first week of Kindergarten. Other than blistering her hand on the monkey bars, we've escaped pretty much trauma-free ('course, the day ain't over yet...). Roo is having a great time and I think really enjoys her teachers. It's going to be an adjustment when the "real" teacher comes back from maternity leave in October, but she seems very good, too, thankfully. Apparently, the honeymoon is waning for many of the students, at least according to the Kindergarten gossip I'm hearing in the carpool. Their conversations are hilarious, and range from who moved their clip that day to the scariest dinosaur to the yellow jacket nest another Kindergarten class got into and how many of said students had to visit the clinic after being stung (thank heavens mine somehow missed that!).

I had to laugh last night about our dinner conversation. We were eating and Roo said thoughtfully, "Miss Helen died (she was a mother-in-law of one Roo's other grandmother's friends). I said, "Yes, she did." Roo: "Now she's in heaven with Jesus." Me: "Yes (notice the sage, thoughtful answers I provide?)" Roo: "You know, Mama, not all people go to heaven when they die." Me: "Oh really? Where do they go (inwardly cringing at the anticipated upcoming discussion about hell or whatever some other kid has told her)?" Roo: " They go to Loganville."

Back home

Back in the ATL and feeling much better after a long nap, lol. Seriously, Little Bit was exceptionally good both days and the extra toddler thrown into the mix for about three hours on the second day was good too. Sometimes I think these parents exaggerate about these babies. But on the other hand, I don't have them 24/7 or I might sing a different tune.

I can't imagine having to do this full time though. Been there, done that, don't want to again! Those Moms and Dads have my utmost sympathy.

I'm rapidly running out of excuses to finish my English journal series so have to buckle down and get it finished very soon. That is, if I cannot find another reason to procrastinate just a little longer.

T-I-R-E-D

Whew, only two days of staff development and I am pooped! Who knew that getting back into the work world and actually having to relate to other adults could be so exhausting?? No complaints here, though, I'm so grateful to have a job opportunity that will be fun and rewarding and will give me the same hours as Little Bit.

One discouraging thing, though, is I have been perusing local RESA class offerings that I would need to take to renew my certification and apparently since I'm not employed by a school system it will cost me about a thousand dollars (almost 500 per 5 hour credit class). I had planned to pursue that in the next year or so so that in a few years if I want to go back full-time to a school system that I will have already completed that step. A thousand dollars to complete it, though?? Methinks that is going to have to wait!!

Grateful to Mom for watching my girl, and hope she didn't exhaust her too much! Maybe not...everyone knows they always behave better for the adults that aren't their parents, right?

Changes

I'm at Thirtysomething's home for today and tomorrow to keep Little Bit so Mom can attend staff development meetings at her new job. It will be just for twelve hours a week but we're grateful she's at least gotten her foot in the door on the journey back into the workforce. Library jobs in Gwinnett County have been cut drastically so that door was closed before she could even knock. I foresee lots of changes in her routine but I firmly believe everything works out for the best and this seems to be the case here. She will have the same hours a Little Bit's pre-school classes and home in time to pick up big sister and the other carpool kiddies.

She told me Little Bit had started sleeping late but not this morning. Not unless you count 8:10 a.m. as late! No problem though. She's been quite good. So far anyway. It's been a long time since I had to but by tomorrow afternoon I might even be able to translate two-year-old speak easily.

Thinking about a road trip soon. Anyone want to go?

P.S. I've been paid a compliment. I think. My youngest granddaughter (2-1/2+) just reassured me I was a "good helper." Considering how inept I am at jigsaw puzzles, it may have been a sympathy compliment!

Preschool anyone?

Little Bit is wanting me to be the Mama Dog while she pretends to be the Baby Dog. She just came over and licked my arm and is now "woofing" around the house. Preschool in a couple of weeks is definitely a good idea......

Journal installment #8

Terling Windmill: a smock mill more than 200 years old, was converted to a residence in 1970. British celebrity, Leeroy Thornhill, currently occupies this unusual home.

Excerpts from an English Journal,
Part Eight

Monday, March 16: I can’t get over how beautiful the weather has been since I arrived. I’ve heard so much about “rainy” England but so far I’ve only seen rain once. It’s beautiful again today. Still windy but it’s still March so that isn’t unexpected.

We’ve had breakfast and will soon leave for Terling, another of the many ancient little villages in Essex. There are good footpaths that area and heaven knows I need the exercise. Now to put those new walking shoes to work!

Later: We’re back and it was a very good morning. We walked through the village and around the perimeter. It’s very beautiful and very picturesque. There are lots of wild pheasants running around and their colors are breathtaking even though most of them are seen as multi-colored, mostly red, streaks running past. I also saw a brown rabbit sitting so still among the fallen leaves that I almost missed seeing him/her.

The village is quite small, less than 1,000 residents, and is comprised of two main areas, Terling and Gambles Green. Gambles Green is a mixture of old properties and newer buildings, including Terling Windmill, a Smock mill more than 200 years old.

This mill was converted to a residence in 1970. The external appearance was restored to its original appearance and the major machinery was retained. Its current resident is Leeroy Thornhill, a British DJ and electronic music artist as well as occasional live keyboardist and dancer for rave act, The Prodigy.

Smock mills have a sloping, horizontally weatherboarded tower, usually with six or eight sides. The roof or cap on top rotates to bring the sails into the wind. The majority of smock mills are octagonal shaped with a smaller number built hexagonally and just a few were decagonal on dodecagonal in plan. The name was derived from their supposed resemblance to smocks worn by farmers during that era. It was a pleasure to see one of these arcitectural wonders made obsolete by steam power being preserved for future generations to enjoy.

The pronunciation of the village’s name is the topic of good natured disputes as to whether it should be 'Ter-ling' or 'Tar-ling'. However one chooses to say the name, it’s still a charming place. Terling is also known for hosting the Terling International Trifle Competition, held every September since 2002 to raise money for the parish church.

We’re planning to relax the rest of the afternoon before driving to Upminster in the London borough of Havering, to have dinner with friends Ron and Joy. On the surface, Upminster doesn’t seem to have much in common with Terling but it is also home to a smock mill, Upminster Windmill, built in 1803. It was originally known as Abraham's Mill and was also built in Essex.

Upminster Windmill was restored to become the only working windmill in Greater London and is owned and manged by the Upminster Windmill Preservation Trust which provides regular tours and school visits. It is open to the public on selected weekends from April to October and participates in the Open House London Weekend the third weekend in September and National Mills Day the second weekend in May It has also become a local icon for the town and is often used in the names of local businesses and featured on the badges of local sports teams.

Back home. We had a good, home cooked meal of turkey, new potatoes and mixed vegetables with Blackberry and Apple Pie for dessert. Ron and Joy are a nice couple and as friendly and welcoming as everyone else I’ve met here. They have a beautiful home and their gardens show the results of their hard work. We had a most pleasant evening but the drive there is about 30 miles each way and we are going into London again tomorrow so this is it for journaling today.

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English Trifle to Die For

1 9-inch baked sponge cake, cut into cubes
1 c. seedless raspberry jam
8 oz. fresh raspberries
20 oz. heavy cream, divided in half
3 egg yolks
3 T. white sugar
2 oz. sliced almonds

This may not be one of the winners of Terling’s trifle competition, but it sure sounds like a winner to me. Spread a little jam on each piece of cake and place in the bottom of a large glass bowl. Sprinkle raspberries over cake. Heat 10 fl. oz. of the heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

While the cream is heating, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale yellow and smooth. Strain yolk mixture into a clean bowl and pour hot cream into egg yolks, stirring vigorously. Return mixture to pan over low heat and cook and stir until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat and cool.

While custard is cooling, whip remaining 10 oz. of cream until soft peaks form. Place almonds on a baking sheet and toast in a 300-degree oven or toaster oven, stirring frequently, until golden, 2 to 10 minutes. Spread cooled custard over cake in bowl and top with whipped cream and toasted almonds. Chill 2 hours before serving.

Blackberry and Apple Pie

Pastry:
75g (1 scant cup) cold unsalted butter, cubed

125g (1-1/4 c.) plain flour

1/2 T. caster sugar

Zest of small orangePinch of salt

1 small egg yolk

1 T. cold water

Filling:

300g (2/3 lb.) blackberries, washed

20g (1-1/3 T.) unsalted butter, plus more for buttering

20g (3 T.) plain flour

Peel of one small orange cut into fine strips

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. ground cloves

500g (7-1/2 c.) Cox’s apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin slices

200g (1 c.) caster sugar

1 egg yolk mixed with a little milk for egg wash

1 T. golden granulated sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 180C/356F/Gas mark 4. Crumble the butter into the flour; add sugar, orange zest and pinch of salt, mix, now add yolk and water. Mix and knead into a dough, chill for 20 minutes.

Take a handful of blackberries and puree with the butter, flour, orange strips and ground spices. Turn into a large bowl and mix together with the apples and caster sugar.

Butter the pie dish and add the blackberry mix, (the trick is to fill the pie dish high so it doesn’t sink too much).

Roll out the chilled pastry, put a line of pastry around the edge of the pie dish so the top has something to grip onto.Now put the top on, cut around with a knife and use the cuttings to make leaves and roses.

Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with granulated sugar and bake until golden brown. This should take about 40 minutes. NOTE: It is best to use metric measuring spoons, cups etc. if possible for complete accuracy in recipes from the UK.

These are the recipes I made from the weekend (including the one I messed up). They are tried and true and the Chewy Cake really is as close to foolproof as one can get even though I did manage to mess it up for the first of all the dozens of times I have prepared it over the past twenty years. Apparently not totally foolproof!

Chewy Cake

1/2 c. butter
1 lb. light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 c. self-rising flour
1-2 t. vanilla
1-1/2 c. coarsely chopped pecans

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add sugar and stir well. Remove from heat and add eggs one at a time, beating well with wooden spoon after each. Stir flour in thoroughly, one cup at a time.
Add vanilla and nuts and pour a into lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes @ 350º F until just set on top. Cool and cut into squares. It is supposed to be chewy so be careful not to over bake or it will be too dry to eat.

Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken

Crisped rice cereal
Salt
Pepper
Granulated garlic to taste (opt.)
Allspice, same amount as pepper (opt.)
Melted butter
Chicken, number of pieces needed

Line baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Crush cereal in blender and pour into flat bowl. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, pepper, garlic, and allspice. Pour melted butter in a wide shallow dish. Dip each piece of chicken in butter and dredge in crushed cereal. Lay chicken in a single layer on foil and bake @ 325º F for about 45 minutes or juices run clear.

Baking time will vary with thickness of chicken pieces. Chicken fingers take about 20-30 minutes but large bone-in breasts may take up to an hour. This makes juicy, crisp chicken. You can prepare it ahead of time and keep in refrigerator until time to bake. I have used several coatings but always come back to crisped rice cereal because everyone seems to like it best.