Cooking with Grandma

We arrived back at our house yesterday, after a five day visit with my mother. Spenser let us know his extreme displeasure at being left alone by meowing loudly and frequently at us.

We had a good visit with Mom and Aidan in particular enjoyed spending time with her. They made a cake together for Thanksgiving dinner:


Aidan decorated the iced cake the next day with pecans, even though he doesn't eat them. He was quite proud of the finished product, as well he should:

Our native person

Here is a photo of Aidan at his school's Thanksgiving feast:

Over the river

Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go. Yes, we will drive up to my mother's house tomorrow for the Thanksgiving holiday. Too bad that a) I don't feel well and b) I can't muster up any enthusiasm.

I am really missing those great Thanksgivings back in North Carolina. Several of my girlfriends and I started having Thanksgiving together when we were all single and as we married/were in relationships, we continued it. We invited anyone we knew who didn’t have family in the area or had no place to go, and it was one big daylong party. My friend Valerie, who had a big house, always hosted and fixed the bird, and we all brought various things to eat and drink. Even people who had family in the area made sure they could stop by during the day! Food, football, friends...it was great.

It doesn't help that I have a nasty head cold. Aidan has the whole week off from school (WTF? In my day, we had two days off for Thanksgiving and were grateful for that), so I am trying to get everything organized for our trip while sneezing and hacking, and keeping tabs on an energetic child. Yip-pee.

It's the cold talking, but I would like nothing more to crawl into bed, pull up the covers and come out sometime on Saturday.

Busy week

Well, okay, busy couple of days. Aidan’s school was a hotbed of activity this week with Thanksgiving plays, “feasts”, a book fair, etc. I volunteered to help sell "spirit wear", which is t-shirts, book bags and assorted small items with the school name and logo on them.

Tuesday morning I was at the grocery by 8:15 am to get the weekly shopping done and groceries put away before heading over to the school. I checked in with the spirit wear guru and helped set up before going to see Aidan's class play. It was an odd little Thanksgiving skit with Pilgrims, native Americans (although they still say "Indians" out here in Hooter County), turkeys and corn and, ironically enough, Aidan as the Puritan minister. Yes, you read that correctly. My child - a Puritan minister.

After the play and two rousing Thanksgiving songs, we went to the cafeteria for the feast. Aidan was thrilled to have both James and me in attendance. The tables were decorated in Thanksgiving/autumn themes, with place mats made by each student. The food wasn't great but we had a fun time. After the feast, James headed back to work and I headed off to sell t-shirts until the end of the school day. Aidan was excited that he didn't ride the bus home but was riding with me.

On Wednesday, I was at school by 8:10 am for my usual Wednesday morning volunteer work with Aidan's class. After that, I helped out with the book fair, checked in parents for the feast, sold t-shirts, escorted Aidan and three other students to shop at the book fair, sold more t-shirts, then helped pack up the t-shirts. When Aidan and I left school at 2:15, I was exhausted!

This week's activities at Aidan's school would never have happened without the army of volunteers - mainly moms - that were enlisted in the effort. I was glad to play a small role and even though it was tiring, I had a good time.

Talkin' smack

Ohio State is supposed to play Michigan on Saturday, but there is a good chance that the game may be canceled or postponed. The Michigan football team is not sure they can get to Columbus - they don't know how to get past Toledo.

Snark, snark!

A tisket, a tasket

Another felted basket! After seeing how nicely my first knitted and felted basket turned out, James asked me if I would make another one as part of his parents' Christmas present. Of course I said yes! James chose the color - Persimmon Heather - and I finished it last week.




It felted very differently from the other two items I have made so far out of this yarn…I suspect that whatever makes it a heather color was the culprit.

We will put some food goodies in it along with a photo ornament of Aidan, and it will be ready for gifting at Christmas.

Buckeyes, Buckeyes everywhere

This morning we had three errands to run: get Aidan's hair cut, pick up ingredients to make dessert for company tomorrow (my friend Stephanie is in town and ocming over for dinner - yay!) and take a load of outgrown clothes to Goodwill. The Great Clips is in the same shopping center as a Kroger, so we decided to maximize our time and minimize the driving by getting our groceries at Kroger rather than our favorite Publix. While in Kroger, I saw a family of four all wearing Ohio State shirts. I, of course, was wearing my game day Ohio State t-shirt, and I immediately said "Go Buckeyes!" They spotted my shirt and a Buckeye lovefest ensued...turns out that the husband is from the Youngstown area and the wife is from the east side of Cleveland.

After a rousing O-H, I-O, we went our separate ways. But how fun to find other Buckeye fans in the midst of Georgia Bulldog land!

67 days

Yes, I am counting down the days until That Man leaves the White House for good. Petty of me? Perhaps, but why shouldn't I be happy that one of the worst presidents in the history of the United States is going to leave office?

Only 67 more days!

Warm tookus

Our resident senior citizen, Spenser, does not agree with the thermostat setting in the house now that it is getting colder. Anytime the heat cycles on, he can be found sitting or lying right in front of one of the vents, basking in the warm air.

Facebook

I caved. I really had no intent, no interest in ever joining something like Facebook. But after several friends gently suggested it and one even vaguely hinted that I might not ever hear from her again unless I joined, I caved in. So now I am on Facebook, like half of the free world. Whoopee.

Sure, it was cool that within five minutes of joining, I had connected with a classmate from high school (well, elementary through high school) that now lives in New Zealand. And I quickly found some people from college days but I have not slogged through all the Emory alums to find those from grad school. I found two of my Ravelry friends so now we can crack each other up on two different networking sites. I even linked up with my nephew, who wonders what took me so long.

I understand that it's a convenient way to connect and communicate. But what I don't get is the what-do-you-call-it "status" updates...such as "Bruno is shopping for new shirts today" or "Belle is hiding in the closet." Sorry, folks, no one needs to know what mundane task I am doing RIGHT THIS MINUTE or what totally random thought just popped into my head. After all, isn't that what this blog is for?

So now I am on Facebook and I do enjoy writing quick quips on people's wall. We'll see how much farher I progress with it. But now will you all kindly get off my back about joining this century?

What she said...

Or he said.

Since Tuesday, it has been great to read what other people have to say about the election. And, as it so often happens, I am in awe of how well other people say what they have to say. Here are some of my favorites from this week:

'We' are finally part of `We the People' by Leonard Pitts. Oh, how I adore the writings of Leonard Pitts. He is the main person to whom I point when I say "what he said!" because he states so eloquently and purposefully what I am often thinking/feeling.

Getting to the Mountaintop by my friend Geri, who lives in Toronto. It has been fascinating to me how many people around the world watched this election and cheered when Obama was elected. The world's opinion of the people of the USA went up quite a few notches this week!

The link to Grant Park, November 4, 2008 was sent to me by my friend Jane, and I have no idea who put it together, so I hope they are okay with me posting it here. The photos are poignant and I enjoyed reading what daughter Nadia, a first-time voter, had to say.

My friend Jennifer, who works for The Washington Post, introduced me to the newspaper's PostPartisan page, which includes short columns by their opinion writers. I enjoyed The Empress' Clothes by Kathleen Parker, even after Jennifer informed me that Ms. Parker is one of their more conservative voices!

And, of course, there is humor in just about every situation. I had to laugh (despite the blog post title) when I read Jesse Jackson Crying by Peter Sagal. Certainly the end of the Bush Administration will be tough on those who make their living from political humor but I am sure they will soldier through...there is, after all, as Peter points out, Joe Biden. It will be only a matter of days before he utters some tactless gaffe!

(psst) Only 73 more days until That Man leaves the White House!

The day after

Today is the day after we, the people of the United States of America, made history by electing Barack Obama. I am not unique when I say that I never thought that I would see that happen in my lifetime, and I am elated that it did.

I had decided that I would stay up until I knew the outcome of the election and was pleasantly surprised when it was decided as early as it was. Just moments after 11 pm, suave, smart and devastatingly good-looking Anderson Cooper looked at me from CNN and said "MaryAnne, Barack Obama is our new president." Okay, so it didn't exactly happen like that...I think it was Wolf Blitzer who actually announced it and no one on television called me by name, but I prefer to remember it my own way.

I consider myself to be quite politically realistic and not at all naive about what elected officials can and can't do, so I was totally unprepared for my reaction: I cried. And for once in an election, they were tears of JOY.

Why anyone would want to be president is beyond me, but I am glad that there are people out there who do want the job. And I am pleased that this time, we chose a smart, educated, seemingly kind, savvy and worldly person who not only can pick the Constitution out of a line-up, but has read it and understands it. President-Elect Obama has a tough road ahead of him and I know that he can't wave his arms and things will magically get better, but I think he is well-equipped to lead this country into a better future.

And I am relieved that I will no longer be embarrassed by the person who occupies the White House, as I have been for the past eight years. Only 76 days until Inauguration Day!

Not completely out of the woods

Yesterday was supposed to be L-Day at James' workplace, as in layoff day. The chosen ones were going to be told at 9 am, but 9 am came and went with no news, no action, no anything. Finally at 4 pm, the CEO held a company meeting and announced that he would not layoff anyone for at least two more months, but that everyone will take another pay cut. So, good news: James still has a job. Not so good news: less money for our already stretched budget.

It is hard to know how to feel in a situation like this one. All over the country, people are losing jobs or taking pay cuts, pay cuts much larger than what James is taking. On one hand, we are grateful that he has a job and is still bringing home a paycheck and benefits, but on the other hand, we are a bit resentful that he is not being rewarded for his hard work, talent and documented value to the company.

Times are tough all over. And when we want to feel sorry for ourselves, we
absolutely have to remember that we are far better off than many people, that we can still pay our modest mortgage, still eat three square a day and still meet our obligations. There is no wiggle room for luxuries or travel or emergencies, but we will weather this economic mess.

And it's Election Day, which means just 77 more days until That Man leaves the White House for good! Yippee!

Hugs in the mail

Last week I gave the United States Postal Service some deliveries. I finished one of my "practice" scarves, this one for my Uncle Vernon and sent it off along with the scarf that I finished some time ago for his daughter, my cousin Jill. I made Vernon's scarf out of a lovely alpaca/silk blend in a yummy cinnamon color. I think it is manly without being boring:


It felt good to send my creations off to the recipients in time for cold weather. Jill sent a thank you email message to me today, saying that both scarves are beautiful. Yippee!

I also sent the three Special Olympics scarves I made off to Boise, Idaho. Although I did not like the yarn (and it was the reason I did make more than three), it was still an honor and a thrill to make something that a Special Olympics athlete will wear in February. I will check to see if the opening ceremonies will be televised, because I want to see that sea of blue and white, and know that three of those scarves are mine!

Sir Aidan

I admit that I am not a good costume maker. I see the elaborate and imaginative costumes that some parents (okay, mothers) create and I feel just a twinge of inadequacy. So far in Aidan's life, I have relied on packaged costumes.

So when Grandma sent him plastic armor from a dollar store back in September and Aidan said that he wanted to wear it for Halloween, I was relieved. The biggest challenge was to keep it from being broken before the end of October! But somehow we managed to keep it together and Aidan donned his suit of armor for trick or treating last night (honestly, I think he looked a little goofy, but he was happy).

He has suddenly developed an aversion to having his photo made, so those were the only two I could get of him in his costume:



He did, however, pose with the pumpkin:


We had a good time taking him around the neighborhood (although NO ONE in our cul-de-sac participates) and since it was a Friday night, we weren’t so concerned about him getting to bed on time. And what a haul of goodies he received!