It’s our anniversary!

Today my darling husband and I have been married for 20 years. I can still remember so much about that day that it can’t possibly have been that long ago. I can remember looking out the church window and seeing him arriving, wearing tennis shoes with his tux, and sending a bridesmaid out just to make sure he had the “real” shoes. (Yes, I’ve always been the control freak). I remember not being nervous at all – right up until the second the Wedding March started. Then it was like I’d forgotten how to breathe. I remember every step walking down the aisle to him, and every step walking back as his wife. I remember the song he wrote (and sang) just for the wedding – how I was holding myself together pretty well until he finished and handed me a rose out of his guitar case… thank heaven for waterproof mascara!

Marrying this man has been the single best thing I have ever done in my life. I’m still not sure how it was that fate or God or the Universe managed to get us together, but I will be forever grateful. This man loves me unceasingly. He loves the things about me that I don’t like. He loves me even when I feel unlovable. He loves me when I soar, and when I crash helpless back to Earth. He spoils me shamelessly, and always makes me believe I deserve it..….

I’m not sure what I ever did to deserve him, but I know I try every day to prove to him that I do! Here’s to the next 20 years!!

How to plan for vacation

We're heading off for Spring Break. I know there are people who prefer to wait until the last minute, throw things into a suitcase, and just head out. I am not one of them. As with most parts of my life, I prefer to not only plan in advance, but I like to plan for every possible contingency and pack for it if possible. A few years ago I actually came up with a master packing list. It is an Excel spreadsheet, of course, making it easy to add, delete, change the font, reformat, and alphabetize as needed (and yes, sometimes alphabetizing is needed, just on general principle).

As part of the advance planning, I make sure my entire house is cleaned (vacuumed, dusted, dishes washed and put away, clean sheets, garbage out) before we leave. The way I see it, the end of vacation is stressful enough without coming home to a mess and a long list of work. I'd much rather come home and still be able to relax for a bit! To that same end, I like to try to plan for meals for at least the first day back. After one-too-many stops at the store on the way home from the airport I decided that there had to be a better way.

Today I picked up some milk (with an expiration date AFTER our return home). I also picked up some school lunch necessities. I've got a dozen fresh-baked cookies in the freezer waiting. I'm also baking and freezing some banana chocolate chip muffins so breakfast that first day will already be handled. I know it might seem crazy to someone who's never done it, but it makes my vacation better just knowing that I won't have to panic when we get home -- there's no milk! there's nothing for breakfast! what am I going to take for lunch?

If you just try it one time - just ONE vacation where you do a little advance planning - I know you'll agree with me. As with any thing else in life, a little planning and forethought can make all the difference.

Bon voyage!

Some days I am the Little Red Hen

One day as the Mother was standing in the kitchen, and she decided to bake a batch of Cookies.
"These Cookies will need some sugar and shortening," she said. "Who will measure them for the Cookies?"
"Not I," said the Husband.
"Not I," said the Older Son.
"Not I," said the Younger Son.
"Then I will," said the Mother. And she did.

Soon the Cookies needed eggs and vanilla.
"We’re getting closer," said the Mother. "Who will get two eggs for the Cookies?"
"Not I," said the Husband.
"Not I," said the Older Son.
"Not I," said the Younger Son.
"Then I will," said the Mother. And she did.

After the eggs were mixed in, the Mother said, "Who will get the flour out and help me measure it?"
"Not I," said the Husband.
"Not I," said the Older Son.
"Not I," said the Younger Son.
"Then I will," said the Mother. And she did.

When the Cookie dough was nearly done, the Mother said, "Who will measure 2 cups of chocolate chips for the Cookies?"
"Not I," said the Husband.
"Not I," said the Older Son.
"Not I," said the Younger Son.
"Then I will," said the Mother. And she did.

When the measuring and mixing were all done, the Mother said, "Who will help me put these ingredients away and wash these few dishes?"
"Not I," said the Husband.
"Not I," said the Older Son.
"Not I," said the Younger Son.
"Then I will," said the Mother. And she did.

She took the Cookie dough to the table and got ready to put it onto the pans. Then she said, "Who will help me put this dough onto the pans and bake it?"
"Not I," said the Husband.
"Not I," said the Older Son.
"Not I," said the Younger Son.
"Then I will," said the Mother. And she did.

She made and baked the cookies. Then she said, "Who will eat these cookies?"
"Oh! I will," said the Husband.
"And I will," said the Older Son.
"And I will," said the Younger Son.
"No, No!" said the Mother. "I will do that." And she did.

The Aftermath

We woke up to nearly 12” of fresh snow this morning (actually, we measured 11” in the back yard, but a FOOT OF SNOW sounds so much more impressive). Normally on a Sunday morning we hang around in bed, reading the paper and drinking our coffee, and listening to the “ocean waves” sound effect on my new sound machine. We call this “Coffee and paper on the beach” (joking, of course, since it’s below freezing outside). It’s lovely and relaxing, and I look forward to it all week.

Today that was not to be.... we woke up to this! I glanced at the paper, we downed a quick cup of coffee, and bundled up. Two hours and about a million shovels-full later we were finished. Our younger son shoveled the sidewalk for the young widow next door. We all then shoveled out our sidewalk and the driveway in the back. We were about 1/3 done with the driveway across the alley when the owner opened the garage door holding his shovel. I think he was surprised... so was the young woman my husband helped get her car dug/pushed out of the mess you see in the photo. She was also surprised when later we went to her door to warn her that her car was parked in an area that was about to be plowed. Everyone said we were such "nice neighbors" as if they just couldn't believe that people would bother to help them out.... but isn't that what we're supposed to do? I mean, if I'm supposed to "do unto others as I'd have them do unto me," then how could I NOT help? If I were the person in any one of those situations I'd certainly hope for the same help we gave today. Isn't it just what a person does?

.....maybe the really sad thing is that they were all so surprised by normal human kindness and consideration. What does that say about us?

The great blizzard of ‘07

This winter was almost perfect. We have had, at most, 2” of snow in any one storm. Our weather has been warm for most of the winter, too, so there wasn’t anything left on the ground. The sleds and skates and skis were sitting, alone and unused, next to the shovels. Our crocuses were even starting to peak out of the ground. All was ready for springtime!!

Until today. When you live in Minnesota, nothing weather-related is ever a sure thing. Today we’re getting, as the song says, “sno-o-o-o-w o-o-o-n snow.” (In the Bleak Midwinter – look it up)

Apparently when the weather turns frightful I turn domestic. I don’t mean the normal, time-to-dust domestic, either. I, apparently, lose my mind. Early this afternoon we AGAIN cleaned the younger son’s bedroom. It was much easier this time, since we spent an entire day doing the same thing not three months ago. Today we mostly just tidied things up and moved furniture around. It only took 2 ½ hours, and it looks pretty nice, so I guess it was a good idea.

When that was done, as I walked downstairs, I thought, “DONUTS!” For some reason I decided that THAT was the moment I’d been waiting for to make donuts. You need to know that I’ve never made donuts before, and that the last time I even ate homemade donuts I was probably pre-teen. Still, something somewhere inside said “donuts” so donuts it was. I found my grandmother’s recipe in our family cookbook. I found a pan that was deep enough. I found the oil and the candy thermometer. I started to look for the donut cutter (you know, the one with the hole in the middle so they look like donuts) and found, instead, a donut press! I didn’t know we HAD a donut press! Apparently I’m not the only one who thought, in a moment of madness, that donuts sounded like a good idea. The donut press was still in its original box and still sealed – never used (I guess the person who bought it had second thoughts). Price: $1.66 (current price on E-bay is $10) – does that give you any idea how long ago somebody else thought it might be fun to make donuts? I guess they decided not to make them after all… but it was nice of them to have the one thing we needed so I could make them and we could eat them on a snowy day.

Sometimes winter is really fun!