Some Guys Have All the Luck

Oh how I loved this song back in the day.  The girls and I had some fun listening to it the other day. . . .reminds me of my sister and baseball games and a good life as a kid.

The Inspector General

This one is a fantastic little movie from back in 1949.  I remember watching this one late one night with my sister.  One of those that we didn't now what to expect but we really enjoyed it.  I hope you do too.  Danny Kaye was always a joy to watch.  In this one, he is dealing with a little case of mistaken identity.  :-)

The Inspector General

So last night I was listening to Ryan Shupe

I do so love Ryan Shupe.  Competely, thoroughly love watching someone have so much fun with music.  If you have never heard of Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband, do yourself a favor and click right here, right now.  When you get to his band's site, click on Jukebox and work your way through their music.  Eclectic fun stuff there. 

One of my favorites is his band's version of Orange Blossom Special.  You've just got to listen to it.  He has fun in the middle of that song like nobody's business.

He's great with sound effects.  Take a listen to a little tutorial on sound effects here:
Fiddler Sound Effects Courtesy of Ryan Shupe

You know what today is?

Ha!  It's Wednesday.

And when we got to school today the best song came on, just as I was shutting off the car.  Naturally we listened for a while.  Because we needed something fun to start off another busy day.

You might as well crank it up and listen too--Blue Swede singing Hooked on a Feeling

Enjoy your Wednesday.  Hopefully tomorrow I'll have more time to tell a story or something :-)

Back to being me. . .sort of. I think.

Oh holy cow.  The weeks are so busy anymore.  It's really a struggle to keep things going.

Too many activities and not enough time.  NOT that anyone needs to give up an activity.  Do not get me wrong.  But I do need for someone to coordinate some schedules a little better for me. That's a legit request right?

For example, today I am supposed to have 1 child at an appointment at 3:20.  Another child has a commitment at 3:45 (same side of town but not possible to make it to both).  And we have still another commitment for another child at 4 on the opposite side of town.

There will be some wizardry involved but we will make it work.

The highlight of my ultra busy day yesterday was getting the time to sit in the chair with my stylist and get my hair back on track.  It was delightful.  I had at least an hour of peace and quiet while confined to a chair with foils with stinky stuff in them plastered to my head.

And yet in that hour of peace and quiet I had a chance to get back to being me in a way.  Time to just sit and not think about what I was going to have to do next or worry about who needed what kind of homework help or how will I get the laundry done or any of that.  Just time to sit.

And all evening long I had an old George Strait song running through my head. . .might as well share so it can be in your head for the day, right?  George Strait singing Back to Being Me

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Understand Your Man. . . .

Ahhhh, Johnny Cash.  One of those scoundrels turned good guy.

Had this song stuck in my head one morning and then pulled out an old CD from my dad--unlabelled so I didn't remember what all was on it and there it was "Understand Your Man"

I think my favorite line is where he says:

"I ain't gonna repeat what I said anymore
While I'm breathin' air that ain't been breathed before"
 
Oh Johnny. . .how did you know (before I was even born) how much I hate breathin' air that HAS been breathed before?

Enjoy your Saturday!

Understand Your Man--Johnny Cash 

 

Houseboat!!

I chose Houseboat as our movie for today partly because the theme fits. . .I know some people heading to the lake for a little rest and relaxation.  Really wish I could be with them but since I can't, I'll just spend my time watching Cary Grant in Houseboat.  It's almost as good as a trip to the lake.

Good Stuff.

Houseboat

Bohemian Gravity. Pure Genius

First of all, I am rather embarrassed.  I know several of you stopped in and saw nothing new.  I hope you'll stick with me even though it seems I am a bit of a slacker these days.  It's not so much that I'm slacking but that I am swamped, pretty much all the time

So today I offer you a little video that I saw while wasting time on Facebook last night.  I just happen to think it's pretty cool stuff.  The kind of thing that should be shared. 

Nerdiness at it's absolute best.

Bohemian Gravity.  Do enjoy!

Never Go Back

Oopsie.  I got a little too engrossed in my book and didn't get my writing done on time.

Do forgive me.

I picked up Lee Child's latest Jack Reacher book this weekend--Never Go Back.

I might have mentioned how much I love Reacher.  I love how his mind works.  I love how he stands up for what is right.  A hero.

So when I saw the book on the shelf I just had to make it part of my weekend.

I would have finished it already except I forced myself to complete actual work tasks before I started reading.

And now I am deep enough into the book that I have to force myself again to put it down and get the work done so I can read without feeling guilty.

Hopefully you'll see me in the morning, less than 12 hours from now.

If not, you'll know I spent too much time with Reacher.  I just can't help myself. . .he's back at the headquarters of his old unit, the 110th MP.  He is expecting to meet the woman who holds the job he formerly held.  But of course, things have spiraled well out of control really fast and Reacher is in trouble.  I have to know how he figures things out this time to get himself, and others, out of hot water this time.

See you soon. . . .

The Lonely Bull

This one reminds me of the best things in childhood . . .my parents' living room, the front porch and visits to my Uncle Leo's farm.  Their family had some of the same records we had. We didn't spend much time in their living room but I remember the record that this song was on sitting in their living room. 

Add to that my love for trumpet (the other instrument I desperately wanted to play when I was in high school. . .but alas, metal allergy made me re-think that one)

Love Herb Alpert.  And definitely love "The Lonely Bull"

Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass

Mrs. HaWiggins. . . . .

Oh my goodness this one popped up as a suggested video for me and it's so worth a few minutes to get your day off to a good start (or maybe it's your evening. . .)

Carol Burnett was a staple of Saturday nights in our house.

Sadly, DVDs of complete seasons aren't available.  So we just celebrate what we can find here and there.

This one is a great one. . .Mr. Tudball and his secretary Mrs. Wiggins.  However, when Mr Tudball says her name, it sounds more like Mrs. HaWiggins.

Enjoy the next 12 minutes of  good old comedy.

Mr. Tudball and Mrs. Wiggins

Twelve years have passed and still, sadness

I plainly remember the man next door calling me to the hallway and telling me to turn on the news. . .that a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center Towers.  I was teaching a group of really fantastic seniors.

I did as I was told and then watched in absolute horror.  My students were stunned.  There were no answers for what we were seeing.

After we learned of the crashes outside of New York City, one of the boys grabbed a globe and predicted which city would be hit next. 

The bell rang for them to move to their next class.  My next group of kids was mostly senior guys.  We all gasped as we watched the towers come down.

Stunning.

Now, even after all the years I find it difficult to watch the stories from that day.  The emotions are still too raw.  My oldest has very vague memories of that entire week--she called them the grey days because that's all we saw on TV for 5 days straight. . .the grey remnants of an entire way of life lost on that day.

We haven't forgotten.  Life has gone on but nothing like it was before that terrible morning.

We remember.  We cry.  We pray.

Dentists and Novacaine. . . .Ugh

Lots of people hate going to the dentist. I didn't used to.  I had some dental "issues" as a kid and saw a great pediatric dentist who felt that kids should never feel pain. 

So for me, the dentist for many years was a decent experience with plenty of "moon air" and novacaine.  My conditioned response was to walk into the dentist's office and feel relaxed, practically tingly like I had already had some of that moon air.

Well, I can't say I feel the same way now.  Just a few too many less than stellar experiences.  Yesterday my dentist did the swab thing to start the numbing. . .and then asked me questions as though I really wanted to discuss the economy with him while my mouth went numb.  And honestly, when he went to do the numbing shot, it was like something out of a comedy sketch.  Just unreal.

But for humor's sake, I did have to think of a great sketch from Bill Cosby because it was totally how I felt. 

You should get to enjoy the dentist sketch too.

Bill Cosby--The Dentist

Bread and Gravy

Now those are a couple of my favorite things.  As I kid I preferred that store bought stuff they called bread.  I prefer more grown up breads now.

And gravy?  Surefire way to make nearly any meal 1000 times better.

When I was a little girl my grandparents often joined us for Sunday dinner.  Nana played organ for a church downtown so we'd drive down and leave a note on their car inviting them to dinner.  We didn't always get a chance to talk to them.  We just left a note and waited dinner until they could get there.

My papa loved bread and gravy as much as I did.  My mom made some amazing tomato soup gravy.  sounds icky but it wasn't.  Whatever meat she was cooking (usually a swiss steak) would go in the pressure cooker with a can of Campbell's tomato soup and a can of water.  When the meat was done, she used that tomato soup/water/juice from the meat as the base for the gravy--just add the four/water mixture and whip into gravy.

My paper would start the meal with meat, potatoes, vegetables and gravy.  Toward the end of the meal he'd look up and say, "Looks like I have a problem.  Can I get some bread to sop up the gravy?"  And from there the (potentially endless) cycle began.  He needed bread for the gravy but then dry bread wasn't as good as bread with gravy so pour a little more gravy in the plate and then oops, not enough bread so repeat cycle.

Those were the days.

For those of you more interested in the gravy recipe, it went roughly like this:
1 can tomato soup
1 can of water
cook with meat (pressure cooker, crock pot or dutch oven)

Remove the meat to a platter.  Keep the soup/water/juice in the pan over low heat.  

In a measuring cup mix 1-2 Tablespoons of flour and 1/2-3/4 cup of water.  Mix thoroughly so you do not have lumps.  Add this mixture to the soup/water/meat juice, stirring constantly so lumps do not form.  Stirring with a wire whisk helps keep the gravy smooth.  It will take a few minutes for the gravy to thicken.

September Saturday. . .

I might have mentioned a time or two that I love "Sweet Caroline".  When I was a kid in orchestra we played it a lot--a whole lot.  You might think that playing a song repeatedly would make you tired of it. . .kind of like how the guy who bakes the donuts hates donuts.  Not so with Sweet Caroline.  I love it to pieces.

Worth listening to over and over.

Ray Conniff--Sweet Caroline

Blast from the past! Mississippi Mud Cake!

The recipe below is the one my mom made when we were kids.  I scoured the internet looking for it but none of them seemed quite right so finally I just called my mama up and asked for it. 

One of my girlfriends asked me what was in it (poor deprived girl has never had this dessert!)  I laughed and told her it had sugar, a little more sugar, cocoa, still more sugar and marshmallow topping.

Cake Ingredients:
2 c sugar
4 eggs
 2 sticks margarine
1 1/2 c flour
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c cocoa
1 c nuts

Cream the sugar, eggs, and margarine then add flour, coconut, vanilla, cocoa and nuts.  Spread into a lightly greased rectangular glass baking dish. 

Bake at 350 until done.


Topping Ingredients:
2 1/4 c sugar
1/2 c evaporated milk
1/3 c cocoa
1 stick margarine
10 oz jar marshmallow creme topping

Let cake cook for 30 minutes or so then spread  10 oz of  marshmallow creme on top of the cake 

Bring milk, cocoa and margarine to a boil.  Pour it over the 2 1/4 c sugar  and stir until smooth.  Top the cake with this mixture.

Don't even bother to see how many calories are in this baby.  Just know that a small piece, say 2 inches square will be plenty.  For real.  Any cake that calls for 1 lb of sugar in the topping, well, it has to be good. 

Moderation is the key.

Tweezers anyone? Can I get a little more light too?

Oy.

I volunteered to help out our orchestra.  I figured I'd put my rusty skills to work and have some fun.

It is fun.  Our director is a young kid (yep, he's almost young enough to be my own child.  Oy.)  Our string specialist is the daughter of my violin instructor from years ago.

Just being back in the atmosphere and watching the two of them interact with the kids is an absolute joy. 

Today I was asked to do something I hadn't done in a while.  Will asked me to change out the entire set of strings on a few violins.

First set went just fine.  Took me longer than it probably would have taken him or the specialist.  But I got it done.

Then I went out to find another violin. . .settled on one and when I was on the second string, bam, trouble.  I couldn't see.  The little hole to thread the string through the peg was hidden in a shadow and dagnabbit (I lost my rabbit. . .he took my money and ran away. . .oh wait, you have no idea what that was do you?) the hole was shrinking too!  Felt something like Alice in Wonderland!

I struggled away, determined to get it.  Will came over and asked if i needed anything. . .maybe a screwdriver (he had no idea how funny that was. . .joke from long ago).  I told him I needed tweezers.  He didn't have any.  So he tried to get that blasted A string threaded through the peg.   No luck.  He asked me if I had tweezers.  Right-y-oh!

I had to take off on a trip around the building looking for tweezers.  Finally I found some at the media center--because Bob rocks and has much more than just books and magazines!

I returned, victorious to finish re-stringing the violin. Success!

And I even got a promise from Bob to pick up some medical grade tweezers the next time he sees them at a flea market.  Extra victorious!

Favorite Thing. . .mini food chopper

I do not get paid for endorsing any product.

I simply have a few things in my kitchen that I couldn't live without.

And this is one of them:

Proctor Silex 2 cup chopper

I was lucky enough to pick mine up from a clearance bin for just $10.

This weekend I spent a little extra on groceries so I could pick up ham.  A couple of my kids love ham and feel that we should eat it more often.  (Good suggestion kids!)

The ham is just five pounds but that's enough for multiple meals.  We sliced it for lunch on Sunday and then on Monday night I made quick ham salad. . .such a breeze with the little chopper. 

When I was a kid my mom would drag out the big meat grinder and attach it to the counter so she could turn the leftover ham into ham salad.

This is much easier.  Just cut up chunks of ham small enough to fit in the food processor, turn it on and bam--chopped ham.  Just add some Miracle Whip, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar and dinner is ready.

Good stuff indeed.