It was like totally awesome

My daughters are going to an event this weekend called 80's Prom. I think it's really just an excuse to dress in all the timeless fashion trends of that decade.

This picture is from last year's party. Daughter1 is wearing jellies. And I'm pretty sure I had a dress just like the one she's modeling. That's daughter2 rockin' the 80s hair and the blue eyeshadow. Maybelline ruled the 80's makeup aisle.

When they returned to uni after Christmas daughter2 took one of my old bridesmaid dresses home with her to possibly alter and wear this year. Let me just tell ya...I wore a whole lotta bridesmaid dresses in the 1980s. In 1984 alone my husband and I were in 10 weddings. Pretty much everyone we knew got married that year, including us. That was an expensive summer but we didn't worry too much about something as silly as money back then. We didn't give a lot of thought to a future filled with exorbitant college tuition fees for children yet to be born, mortgages, retirement, or any of those other pesky things the financial planner blabbed on and on about...that was for the far off future and we were blissfully in the present.

I've been looking through my umpteen piles of photographs in my attempt to organize here and I came across a few pictures from that decade. Not too many because for one thing hello, no digital cameras and for also, I think I mentioned I have a box or fifty to look through.

A few things stand out in my mind from those years...

I was young.

I was in college.

I was incredibly thin.

And incredibly tan.

(Girls-do not do this to your skin. Your 40 year old selves will thank me.)

I had alot of hair.

Not a single strand was gray.

I loved a boy.

I still do.

I graduated.

I got my first real world job.

I got married.

I loved my dress.

Totally.

Hubs had a mustache.

And a grin.

He still has the grin.

I moved.

Had to live where hubs job took him.

Keep that thought handy.

I got a new job.

Loved that one too.

Apartment life.

The tv sat on a wooden crate.

We had a washer and dryer.

Which made me very happy.

There was no internet.

Anywhere.

We moved. Again.

Are you seeing a pattern?

I got another new job.

Yep I loved it.

I wore a lot of scrunchies.

And jeans belted at the waist.

Which was tiny by the way.

And was the style of the day.

High waisted jeans. Ewww.

We bought a house.

I felt grown up.

We made a home.

I wore blouses with shoulder pads.

seriously?

And bows at the neckline.

Hello teacher.

My hair was still its God given color.

We moved.

Yes again.

While seven months pregnant.

I gained 17 pounds. Total.

My doctor told me to have a milkshake every night.

I miss some things about the 80's.

I had a baby.

My hair promptly turned a darker shade of brown.

But dark brown is not gray.

A six pound blue eyed blonde stole my heart.

Forever.

Sweetness and light.

My job is this.

God is good.

The 90's were looming.

So were my 30's.

We moved again.

To New Jersey.

Like now except it was before.

Never say never.

Where we love is home.

A good lesson to learn.

One I'll remember.

Definitely a grown up now.

Coffee With the Neighbors

Well, that's kind of what this feels like every week. I’ve been participating in Linda's random dozen for a few months now and it’s a comfy place to be on Wednesdays. Why not answer the questions on your own blog and join the party? Don’t forget to link your answers here. And apologies if this post published more than once today...I had mysterious issues with photobucket.

I also feel the need to add that this week's questions are off the charts in their randomness. I'm not alone in that thought am I?

1. Do you use the labels various charities send you as “free gifts?”

This is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. Not so much the labels but the ones that actually send me a nickel or dime taped to the page with the labels. How many of those are they sending out? In my mind this just does not demonstrate fiscal responsibility in a charity. Dimes add up to dollars and a dollar can do a lot in many parts of this world.

Stepping off the soap box now and back into the random...my answer is no.

2. What is your favorite time of day (or night) for skywatching?

Early early morning…I love the sunrise.

3. What is the most adventurous you've ever been with trying a new food? (Keep it G-rated please)

G-rated? Huh?

Everyone in my house is pretty adventurous in trying new foods both at home and in our travels. Most recently I guess I would say a raw oyster, pulled right out of the water on Prince Edward Island, shucked on the dory by the oysterman and popped straight into my mouth. It was fantastic in case you are wondering. You can read my post here if you want to see the photographic evidence and also get an up close and personal look at the pores in my face. (Thanks for that Mr. Cameraman) There isn’t much in the way of food I won’t try…my husband had barnacles when he was in Asia and he said it was a little bit like eating toenails. I’m not too keen to try that but if custom required it I would eat them with a smile.

4. Have you ever heard a rock sing? (Trust me, there's a reason for this one!)

Obviously there is a hidden meaning here but I’m clueless as to what that might be. No I’ve never heard a rock sing.

5. If you could learn a language you don't presently speak, what would it be?

Italian. I always wanted to be able to yell in Italian.

6. Al Capone's tombstone read, “My Jesus, Mercy.” If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?

To quote Erma Bombeck- ‘ She used everything He gave her’.

7. If you were a famous musician who was known by one name, like “Cher,” “Sting,” or “Jewel,” what would it be? It doesn’t have to be your first name, but it can be, if you’d like.

I just don’t know about the questions this week. Hmmm….JoJo? It’s a nickname so maybe.

8. Have you ever been inordinately “into” a television show?

24, especially the first season. We have always watched it on DVD because who could possibly wait an entire week to discover the fate of the free world.

9. When you sneeze, do you go big, or do you do that weird “heenh!” sound that makes people think you’re going to blow your brains out? Any other variation we should know about?

I think I fall somewhere in the middle.

10. Do you still read an actual newspaper that you hold in your hands, or do you get your news elsewhere?

I watch the news and I also read some online but I still like a real newspaper, especially on Sundays. My favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon is lay on the couch after church and nap read the paper.

11. Are you a good speller?

yes

12. At what time each day do you start thinking about Lost lunch?

Around 11. If I don’t break into the m & m’s by 11 then I’m good until whenever for lunch.

Try a little kindness

Did you notice that the calendar turned to February yesterday? Because I didn't. This is one of the problems that comes with an empty nest. My life is not dictated by my calendar like it was when I had children at home and lived by a more rigid schedule. Anyway, it is now February. You're welcome. I think to have an interesting blog you need to have a mildly interesting life. Things have not been terribly interesting around here lately, mostly because it is too cold to do much more than wrap up in a warm blanket while sipping hot cocoa or warm soup while daydreaming about island breezes and sand between your toes. I think you see where I'm headed with this thought....straight to a post about nothing interesting.

Today Dr. Phil saw his shadow which means six more weeks of winter. I live in the Northeast and didn't need a groundhog to tell me that. We had snow as late as Easter when I lived in this part of the country before so I will consider it a good thing if winter only lasts six more weeks. And I'm wondering if Phil the Groundhog is your facebook friend because he has a fb page and he has friends. Oh and apparently he texts too. I read a quote by Tom Chapin, editor of the Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper who said, "Groundhog Day is a lot like a rock concert but the people are better behaved and there's a groundhog involved." Wow. They know how to work the holiday don't they? Did you know that Phil's cousin has made his home in the rock wall of our back garden?

I guess that makes him a rock star too.

So sorry!

In other news, I went to Walmart yesterday. I know. I think I gave you fair warning that life hasn't been too interesting around here lately. Anyway, I was shopping for this and that and I bought a bottle of Febreze. There are 687 scents to choose from because this is America and just one would never do and I finally decided on this one.

Can anyone tell me what exactly is the scent of light?

I read a sweet post on Rebecca's blog today...she talks about kindness which is something I've been thinking about alot lately. As I was navigating the craziness that is Walmart an older gentleman and I came round a corner at the same moment and were both attempting to squeeze thru a narrow space. He flashed me a great big smile and as he backed up his cart he bowed low and said, 'Beauty before age.' It made me smile. It lightened my heart. It brightened my day. A small act of kindness yet here I am writing about it on my blog. Small acts of kindness are just that. They are small. But their ripple effect can be huge.

In this month of hearts and flowers and groundhogs I want to be kind. To brighten a day. To lighten a heart. As Rebecca says, 'it only takes a little effort.'

The not-so-much a Pioneer Woman cooks

Before I start rambling let me announce the winner of the book drawing:

Congratulations Nel! Email me with your contact details and I will put the book in the post to you this week. If you didn't win this time check Nel's blog in the next couple of weeks as she'll be passing the book on to another reader soon.

Now, I don't know how it was in your neck of the woods this weekend but it was bitterly cold in these parts. And I'm not sure why I'm talking like this...evidently frigid temperatures make me talk like the Clampetts. Frigid temperatures also make me want to pull out my cookbooks and try some new recipes.

Okay, so I like cookbooks...love to buy them and love to read them but I'm not always good about remembering to actually cook from them. Like the rest of America I received a copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks this Christmas. I've made several recipes via her website but on Saturday night I actually used the cookbook. I made her recipe for linguine with clam sauce and it was delicious. My husband loved it too but he struggled to understand the 'pioneer' part. She says this is one recipe that is maybe not as 'cowboy friendly' as some of her others but it is really tasty and also quick and easy...if you have her book give this recipe a try.

On Sunday we were still living with arctic temperatures which called for homemade soup and cornbread. I'm pretty sure that as a little girl parsnips fell into the category of vegetables that needed to be secretly stashed in my napkin when mom wasn't looking followed by an 'excuse me may I leave the table to go to the restroom' request. Brussel sprouts would have fallen into that same category. Not so as an adult...in fact I don't think there is a single vegetable I don't love. Or dessert but that's a post for another day. I don't think I ever cooked parsnips before moving to England but they're a popular vegetable there and I fixed them pretty often, usually roasted in the oven with a little maple syrup-yum! Yesterday I made a delicious Cream of Parsnip soup that we all love... if you've never eaten parsnips give this a try...they are sweet and a perfect vegetable for a cream soup. You will notice pretty quickly that I'm nothing like The Pioneer Woman when it comes to combining photography with cooking but I consider it a success that I remembered to take pictures at all. Here's the recipe-

You will need:

2 tsp. unsalted butter

1 cup diced shallots (about 3)

1/4 cup diced onion

3/4 cup white wine

3 1/2 cups peeled, chopped parsnips (about 9 small-medium)

5 cups chicken stock

3/4 tsp white balsamic vinegar (I didn't have this and used cider vinegar...regular balsamic would change the color of the soup and the cider vinegar worked)

3/4 tsp salt

pinch pepper

3/4 cup half and half

In a soup pot over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add shallots and onion and saute, stirring until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add wine, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Add parsnips, chicken stock, vinegar, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered, until parsnips are completely tender, about 45 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and use immersion blender to puree the soup (or cool slightly and carefully puree in batches in food processor or standing blender). Transfer puree to saucepan and whisk in the half and half. Warm over low heat until steaming.

I served this with The Barefoot Contessa's Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread which is fab-u-lous.

Seriously fabulous. I highly recommend...this cornbread recipe makes a large pan so I froze the leftovers. Enjoy!

A hard night's night

Remember when you had an infant and she would wake up every hour upon the hour screaming at the top of her lungs and you would bolt upright in your bed and fly to her crib and throw fifteen pacifiers in her direction until you could get your bearings and figure out if she needed food, a diaper change, or maybe she just couldn't go one more minute without a glimpse of your face? And then in the morning your husband would say, 'Oh was she up during the night?' Well that's how I am with the dog.

I don't know what was going on here last night. I was sleeping (see paragraph above) but apparently the dog had some issues. And these issues involved drinking gallons of water all night long followed by thousands of trips outside all night long. And after maybe the third trip out I sorta opened one eye and noticed because husband was not happy. At all. Did I mention husband has been in Japan and it took approximately 743 hours to get home and he is feeling a little something known as the jet lag?

After one of the later episodes, which occurred sometime after he tried confining her to the crate in the basement (think coyotes howling) but before he left her in the garage and said it would be best if I kept her away from him today, I realized something was going on. What can I say? I'm a deep sleeper. Our house is alarmed and every time you open a door to the outside a voice tells you the door is open. And evidently the door was 'talking' up a storm last night. I was blissfully unaware. So annoying to the one who is aware.

My pup is usually a champion sleeper so I have no idea why she was having such a hard time. She will be 8 years old in a couple of months which is supposedly 56 in people years. Hmmm...do dogs suffer from interrupted sleep the way women do when they hit mid life?

I don't know about that but I do know this

...she and the husband are best buds and I'm pretty certain they will be again.

He just needs to sleep on it.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Book

A few weeks ago I won a little something in the 'I Win You Win' giveaway. You can read the background here but essentially Robin started something fun on her blog and today is your chance to be part of that fun.

We are 'sharing' a book called Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes by Robin Jones Gunn. Robin (the blogger, not the author) chose this book because as she was reading she could see so many similarities between the main characters friendship (they were originally pen pals and in 40 years had never met face to face) and the friendships we make through blogging.

The book is being passed around from blogger to blogger and I am the most recent 'owner'. Today it's time to pass the book on to another reader and that's where you come in. If you have a blog and would like to be the next reader just leave a comment on this post and I'll drop your name into the proverbial hat. I'll announce the winner on Monday and send the book on to its new 'owner'. There are a few things you agree to in accepting the book-

• Read the book (preferably within a 4 week period of time)
• As you read feel free to make notes in the margin or on a favorite chapter of the book.
• When you're finished write the date and your blog address on the inside of the front cover. You can also tuck in a book mark as a small gift or even a surprise gift card or some other small prize. Have fun with it!
• Place the book on your blog and continue the “I won…You Won Giveaway!
• Lastly let Robin know when you have your giveaway up and running. She will keep a running list on her side bar of this books journey.

This has been fun...don't forget to leave a comment today if you'd like a chance at the book.

Finally, in one last little bit of 'book' news....several people asked to see a picture of my 'blook'. That's what I'm calling the bound copy of my blog. I wrote about it here and this is what mine looks like-

I did not include comments as it would have made the book too big. You may have noticed I use far far too many a lot of words. I also include lots of photos in my blog posts and I'm happy to have them saved in this format. It's not an inexpensive thing to do but I love it so keep your eyes peeled for the sequel.

The Random You've Been Waiting for

I love a clever title. I can spend a lot of time thinking up blog post titles. Can you get paid for that? The weekly random dozen over at 2nd cup of coffee has waiting as its theme this week. Everyone's invited to join in the fun...just post your answers on your own blog and go here to link up with lots of awesome bloggers-

1. How good are you at delaying gratification?

Are we talking chocolate or are we talking buying a new car? It matters.

2. Maybe a marshmallow wouldn't be too difficult a temptation for you. What food (or anything else) would be most tempting?

I think I may have mentioned I like chocolate. Shoes are also tempting. And pottery. I’m a broken record here….chocolate, shoes, and pottery…that’s me in a nutshell.

3. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being saintly) how patient are you?

I’m a very patient person. I have other issues but lack of patience isn’t one of them. And I'm not putting a number here. I was told there would be no math.

4. Have you ever waited for something in life only to be disappointed upon realization of the goal/object/etc.?

This question sounds deep and weighty and I feel like something should come to mind but I got nothin’.

5. Are you a person who takes shortcuts?

Driving-yes. Life in general-no. I think my compulsion to follow the rules has been discussed in an earlier random.

6. Which line is hardest to wait in?

The Department of Motor Vehicles, anytown USA. I speak from experience on this one folks.

7. Did you wait to discover the gender of your unborn child until its birth?

Yes…both times.

8. Are you more patient with children or the elderly?

I like to think I treat both groups with patience. If I have to choose I’ll say children since I’ve spent the bulk of my professional life working with children, often children with particular needs who do things slowly, differently, or not at all.

9. Did you ever sneak a peek at a present?

No…I would absolutely hate that. Who does that?

10. What is the longest you've ever waited for anything?

My dad to return from overseas duty...one whole year which felt like ten to a 7 year old child.

I also waited a good long time for my second child to make an appearance. She definitely took her sweet time getting here. Totally worth it though.

11. Who has more patience, you or your significant other?

Hooray for easy….that would be me. Husband would not disagree.

12. Which of the following songs about waiting is your pick for the best? (OK, you may substitute another, if you like.)

A) Anticipation by Carly Simon

B) The Waiting by Tom Petty

C) Right Here Waiting for You by Richard Marx

D) Wait for Me by Rebecca St. James

I’m a Tom Petty fan but I’m going out of the box on this one and will say, 'Wouldn’t it Be Nice' by The Beach Boys... Go ahead and sing along…you know you want to.