Movin' on up

I'm in South Carolina for a couple of days, helping daughter2 move into her apartment for the new school year.

Remember when 'new school year' meant Disney lunchboxes and fun backpacks and cute dresses?

Blonde headed cutie pies wearing pony tails and little socks and excited smiles?

Or in some cases, nervous smiles?

Yeah.

Me too.

These days 'new school year' means unloading a storage unit that you were oh so happy to just get the door closed on last spring.
It might have required four people to lean and push but by golly it closed.

It means moving a hundred and one boxes and assorted bags up and down stairs and in and out of too small cars that are filled to 'infinity and beyond'.

And let's not forget the rolling shelving units with drawers that come flying out every.single.time. you pick them up because you forget the drawers roll out.

Seriously??

How many times am I going to do that??

Gone are the days of standing in front of the brightly colored back to school displays where we

would spend hours agonizing over just the right lunchbox.

These days we stand in front of this...

and I help my 'blonde headed cutie pie', still with the pony tail, as she balances precariously on a chair while attempting to nab a just out of reach bin inside a storage unit...

...a storage unit where the temperature must be no less than 125 degrees.

Oh believe me, we still agonize.

We might not take a traditional silly bus stop picture anymore...

But smiling roommates make for a pretty cute photo too.

The road to a friend's house is never long

I've had my friend 'A' here visiting from Germany for a couple of days.

Sadly she had to be on her way this morning.

We had such a great time shopping and talking and catching up over a glass of wine or two.

We met when we were both living in England and over the years we've spent many an hour volunteering side by side in The American Women's Club, the PTA and with the Girl Scouts.

We have also shared many cups of coffee in the Red Room, lunches in the village pub, dinners at The Royal Standard, a deep love of Italian pottery, antiques, all things French, and the English countryside.

And then there is the travel.

We have seen some cities y'all.

We have laughed and talked and shopped our way together through the Christmas markets in Dresden ...

and Cologne.

We shared an amazing winter holiday together with several other families in Dubai...

That deserves its own write up on the blog one day.

We have celebrated our close together birthdays together in the beautiful city of Verona...

They've moved.

We've moved.

Another Christmas market together, this time in Strasbourg France....

Who thinks its time for me to get a new ski jacket?

In my defense, when you only shop in your ski jacket it doesn't exactly wear out.

There is something about travel, especially foreign travel, that bonds you.

We feel that way as a family and we feel that way about our friends.

I remember the first time we flew together and A had the misfortune to be seated beside me.

I was in the middle seat and another friend was on the other side of me.

I have a routine when I travel which includes Dramamine and ginger ale and a little fidgeting and lots of prayer and much checking and re-checking of of the seat belt.

I know.

It makes you want to take a trip with me doesn't it?

Anyway, we had quite the bumpy ride and a rather rapid descent which makes your ears go all wacky and I performed my normal shtick...

tighten seat belt-check

retighten seat belt-check

remind daughter2 across the aisle to tighten her seat belt-check

is she sure?-check

count the number of seat backs to the emergency exit-check

do a quick analysis as to the capability of the person seated in the emergency aisle-check

sip ginger ale and whisper a prayer-check

Beside me A calmly read her magazine until she couldn't take it anymore finally glanced over at me and said,

"Are you a nervous flier?"

Me?

Whatever gave you that idea?

Some friends are in our lives for only a season.

Others we know we'll hold close in our hearts always.

I feel that way about the special friends from my England days.

We shared a common intense experience and rode a roller coaster of emotion, anxiety, and adventure in places unfamiliar and far from home.

We rooted for one other, supported one another, encouraged one another, prayed for one another and in some sense of the word acted as family for one another when family was an ocean away.

An old Danish proverb says, "The road to a friend's house is never long."

Even when that road is airspace across the Atlantic.

Okay, that last bit might be my own .02

A Friendly Random

I'm really excited this morning because I have a good friend coming to stay with me for a couple of days (when we don't travel our friends do). 'A' is a friend from England who is really from Chicago but is not the friend I saw while in Chicago because A now lives in Germany. How's that for random? There's more...she is coming to me, not from England, Chicago or Germany but from Washington D.C. When we realized she'd be 'in the neighborhood' we decided to get together. I live five hours from D.C. but when you normally have an ocean between you five hours is 'in the neighborhood'.

Okay, enough of my own random...here's this week's Random Dozen hosted over at 2nd cup of Coffee...everyone is invited to play along by answering the questions on your own blog and linking up at Linda's.

1. What is your favorite fair/carnival food?

How timely. I just wrote on Monday about our day at the State Fair. This is a tough question...if we're talking savory I'm going to say sausage with peppers and onions which is something they do very well in this part of the country. It must be served on a proper roll.

For a sweet treat...maybe kettle corn. Or candy floss. Which is what they call cotton candy in the UK... we like holding on to our England-speak.

2. Are you holding on to something you need to let go of?

what a segue...

yes. next question.

3. What is your favorite gift to receive?

Jewelry.

A great handbag.

A trip.

An ipad.

Did I mention I have a BIG birthday coming up next month?

That being said I do have a love and appreciation for small, meaningful gifts too, especially when they are given 'just because'. Every once in a while over the course of our 26+ years as man and wife my hubs has surprised me with a Payday candy bar. He knows I love them and that I never buy one for myself and so every now and then he brings me one. That sounds silly but it's the little things in a marriage y'all.

4. When was the last time you tried something new?

Well, I started a yoga class not long ago and its something I've never done before. I was always a bit leery of all the new age vibes that go along with it but I do love the exercise itself and there hasn't been anything uncomfortable in this class. It's strictly exercise. The instructor is wonderful and quiet...she makes us do the plank too but she's not mean like Jillian. And while I'm mid-exercise I'm not thinking about anything too deep because I'm busy trying to remember to breathe, relax my jaw, breathe, lower my shoulders, bring my left foot over my right knee and most especially, not to do a face plant when we're standing in a precarious pose designed to improve balance.

5. What is your favorite and least favorite book genre? Memoir, mystery, political intrigue, romance, humor, historical fiction, historical non-fiction, chick lit, self help, other..

If I have to pick I guess I'll say mystery is my favorite and self-help my least favorite. I do read all sorts of books and have liked and disliked books from every genre. What I really like is a well written book with a good story...if a book has that I am not so particular about the genre.

6. Silver or Gold?

Depends on the day, my wardrobe, and the state of my tan. I like both. I wear both and that probably breaks some kind of fashion law but in my defense I am blue eyed but not fair skinned.

7. What makes you sigh.

In a sad way?

The track America seems to be taking and our current political climate... the 'correctness' in our country.

In a good way? The sweetness of my girls.

8. If you didn't know how old you are how old would you claim you are?

35...I'm not a kid but I feel young at heart. And 35 is young people.

9. Would you break a law to save a loved one? To protect a loved one?

I need way more information before I can answer this question. As a rule I'm not a law breaker. Or even bender. But I think I need to know the specifics before I give an answer here.

10. If you had to teach something what would it be?

Well, I have taught something....I've worked in my professional life as a speech pathologist so I could say communication. And I've also been a kindergarten teacher and we all know that everything you need to know in life you learn in kindergarten.

11. You're having lunch with three people whom you respect and admire. They begin to criticize a close friend of yours not knowing she is your friend. What would you do?

I would try to throw it out there pretty early on that she's a friend of mine. Hopefully they'd hush. If not I might try to explain where I think the friend is coming from. Or I might just sip my iced tea and remind myself not to have lunch with these two again.

12. Which of the five love languages is your prominent means of experiencing love?

Quality time?

Physical touch?

Acts of service?

Gifts?

Words of affirmation?

Words of affirmation.

If you read here surely you are not surprised to learn that words are my love language.

If you want to figure out your own love language you can take this little quiz...

Fat Tuesday on a scale of 1-10

Here are my excuses for not posting anything on Fat Tuesdays over at Taylors because don't people trying to lose weight and eat healthier and exercise more generally have a list of excuses handy? Okay maybe not but I do. And they are all really good.

1. I have been traveling. A lot. And lots of travel means lots of eating out. And I have no willpower so it's hard to choose a grilled chicken salad a-gain when there are so many wonderfully interesting dishes on a menu.

How's it going Joyce?

Well, I think I've done okay here. Maybe better than okay. I have been choosing fish when available because it seems that restaurants are able to prepare fish in a way that is tasty but not calorie laden. Obviously I'm not eating it fried but I've had several dishes recently that were grilled or baked and topped with some sort of veggie combo or fruit salsa type topping that were very good. I have been skipping the potato side and going for steamed veggies which is an option in most restaurants. I like veggies, all of them in fact, so its not a bad option. It's just hard not to think about that baked potato. And the butter. Sigh. And no dessert. Or maybe just a bite if hubs orders something. I have really cut back on the sugar and as time passes I'm finding I crave it less. I give myself an 8.

2. I hate to exercise. Okay maybe not an excuse but it is a fact. Let me rephrase that to say I don't hate the kind of exercise that involves a hike in the woods or out in the countryside. And I can swim hundreds of laps in a pool at a lovely beachside resort but I think I mentioned I live in NJ so yeah, that's not happening. What I hate is the kind of exercise that involves stepping onto the elliptical beside 40 other sweating people and running no where while trying hard not to look at the elapsed time or the calories burned or especially the time remaining. Ugh. And then there is Jillian. Double ugh.

How's it going Joyce?

Not bad but room for improvement and excuse #1 comes into play here too. Hey, what good is an excuse if you can't use it? When I'm at home I hit the gym about 3-4x week. I have to make myself go but I go. I've also become reacquainted with Jillian because even though I don't like her she is effective. I've been going to yoga once a week too (when I'm in town) and I really do like that a lot. Thankfully there is a light at the end of the tunnel concerning the unbearably hot weather we've had this summer and I know as we have cooler temps hubs and I will be out hiking again on the weekends which is my favorite way to burn calories. Even my pup who loves a walk more than anything has not wanted to leave the confines of our family room this summer. But autumn is coming. Yay!

I know this is the one area I need to do more which is why I give myself a 6...its not so much my eating habits as it is my metabolism slowing down and it just takes more work to burn calories now than it did at 30 when I burned calories simply by breathing. I don't miss everything about my 30s but I do miss that.

3. Low fat food is often boring. Sorry but it's true.

How's it going Joyce?

I like to cook but I haven't found a large array of really good tasting low fat meals to prepare, particularly dinners. Plus I love to look at recipes and cookbooks and I just can't help but think about all the fabulous stuff out there that I am not cooking because its got too much fat, sugar or salt. I've had several people give me recipes for lower fat meals and they usually preface it by saying, 'This one isn't bad.' I have to say that doesn't make me want to run to my kitchen to try it. I'd love to have a collection of 'This is fabulous and you must try it' light and healthy recipes. Even though I feel like I'm missing out on some wonderful dishes I have been making a real effort here. It helps that the summertime produce is fabulous and I am really going to miss all the fresh fruits and veg we've had recently. I have been trying lots of new recipes and limit my dessert baking to those times we have company for dinner or my kids home to visit so I will give myself a 7.

On that note I did make a dish last night that we really enjoyed. We love Mexican food and flavors and this was really tasty. My hubs really liked it too and I'll definitely make it again. Charring the tomatoes made them taste nice and smoky and added lots of flavor which is generally what I find is missing from most lower fat meals. Flavor. It's essential.

I found the recipe here- www.delish.com.

Chicken Tacos with Charred Tomatoes

2-3 plum tomatoes

8 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 tsp canola oil (divided)

1/2 c finely chopped white onion

1 clove garlic minced

1 small jalapeno pepper (seeded and minced)

2 tsp. lime juice and lime wedges for garnish

2 tsp chopped fresh cilantro

2 scallions, chopped

6 small corn tortillas

1. Heat a medium skillet over high heat until very hot. Add whole tomatoes and cook turning occasionally with tongs until charred on all sides, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Cut tomatoes in half crosswise, squeeze to discard seeds, chop the remaining pulp and skin.

2. Cut chicken into chunks, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1 tsp oil to the pan and heat over high heat until very hot. Add chicken and cook until it is browned and no longer pink in the middle, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tsp of oil. Add onions and cook, stirring til softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add lime juice, chicken and tomatoes and cook, stirring til heated thru, 1-2 minutes. Stir in cilantro and scallions. Divide the chicken mixture among warmed tortillas. Serve with lime wedges and low fat sour cream if desired.

Calories-297

Total fat-9 g

sat fat-1 g

Serves 2 but could easily be doubled...Enjoy!

Fair to partly fattening

This was the first weekend in a while we have not packed a suitcase to travel somewhere and it felt good.

Really good.

We stayed in Friday night, grilled out and watched Pillars of the Earth.

Is anyone watching the mini-series? It's good!

Saturday we did our usual breakfast out which is typically followed by a trip to the hardware store.

Like most homeowners we have an ongoing to-do list around here but guess what?

You need to stay home if you want to actually check anything off.

We managed to knock out a few chores and then decided to spend the rest of the day at the NJ State fair which was in its final weekend.

The last time we were at the NJ State Fair we were accompanied by this...

Sigh.

Big huge giant sigh.

Back then we patted the baby goats and rode the merry go round...

And I'm sorry about those turquoise socks daughter1.

I really have no explaination other than to say it was 1992 and I was probably ignoring the laundry pile in order to take you to the fair.

In 1992 when we headed to the car at the end of the day

we would have this sack of sugar to buckle into a car seat...

Time where did you go?

And what have you done with my babies?

A lot has changed in our home in the intervening years, but the fair?

Not so much.

Let's start with the food...

holy moly!

I had kind of forgotten about the variety and quantity of food available at the fair. You can get absolutely everything including this...

Yeah.

I gotta say that when I think filet or lobster dinner, state fair is not the first thing that comes to mind.

Luckily the surf and turf stand is right beside this one...

That's more like it.

And I'm proud to say I did not indulge in a funnel cake.

I'm watching what I eat, remember?

Hubs however may have had one of these...

How could he not???

It's also possible I had a bite
or five but I definitely did not have funnel cake.

So, besides the food what else is happening at the fair?

Well, we wandered thru the livestock arenas and here's my favorite-

a chicken with some crazy hair and a perfect name...

...meet Rod Stewart.

Does Robinson's Paddling Porkers perform at your state fair because apparently they are a favorite attraction at fairs all across the US and Canada?

The Paddling Porkers are pigs who race on a track and then do the pig version of a biathlon. They march themselves right up a ramp and into a pool for the swim across.

They are adorable.

Yes, pigs swim.

What do you imagine is the incentive needed to make a pig race and swim?

Turns out it's oreo cookies which makes perfect sense to me.

Of course little Lindsay Loham would run and swim for an oreo reward.

I mean it sure beats working for Jimmy Dean.

And that's the pig's real name people...I did not make that up.

In other exciting news I saw my first tractor pull...

The drivers all wore helmets but they didn't go fast...hmmm....

I guess maybe sometimes they overestimate their ability and pop a wheelie?

It was actually kind of fun to watch.

Or maybe the diesel fumes just got to me.

We also watched some of the show jumping...

saw a world champion chainsaw carver create a bear out of a stump...

skipped right on by this...

thankfully.

Also skipped right on by this...

regretfully.

Wondered about this...

And all in all had such a nice day we never gave this a single thought...

Okay.

Maybe one.

My Kind of Town

I love the city. I grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia and have lived just outside of Washington DC, Baltimore, London and currently New York City , our second time here. I have visited countless more all around the world and I love all that a city has to offer in the way of food, shopping, art, history, architecture, culture and personality. While every big city is similar in certain respects each has its own unique personality that makes it special. This past weekend was my first trip to Chicago, other than some lay overs in O'Hare which most definitely do not count, and I absolutely loved it. Granted had it been about ten degrees cooler I would have loved it more but still its a fabulous place.

It seemed much quieter than NYC which is noisy, bright and in your face no matter the day or time or season of the year. The minute your feet hit the pavement in NYC you know it. New York literally buzzes and the air feels charged which is one of the things I love most about the Big Apple, but Chicago...it grabs you in a different way. First of all, the architecture is stunning and the city is so clean. There is lots of green space all around too which reminds me more of London with its fabulous parks and squares. The Chicago River meanders thru town and the city rises up to meet Lake Michigan at its very edge...maybe it's just me and my love affair with water but it felt so inviting. Oh I know its a miserable place in the winter but I would love to spend an autumn or a springtime there.

Monday hubs and I walked for a while...we strolled thru Millennium park with its incredible artwork, sculptures and fountains...our favorite is something entitled Cloud Gate but affectionately known as 'the bean' because that's exactly what it looks like.

Its reflective so you can see the city skyline and take some crazy pictures standing beside it. Afterwards we headed to the river and took an architectural tour of the city by boat which was really good. If you visit Chicago this is worth doing and like I said, the architecture here is amazing.

In fact you might want to be careful parking your car in this building. Wouldn't want to accidentally back up into the river. Apparently that has happened and its strictly valet parking now.

When the tour ended we hopped in a cab bound for Rush Street which is lively and full of restaurants and fun. We had a nice lunch sitting outside and in spite of it being nuclear hot we were fine at our table under a big shady umbrella. Great people watching spot too which is another of my favorite things to do in any city.

We headed next to the tallest building in North America, The Sears Tower which was bought by a British company and is supposed to be called the Willis Tower but nah, Sears Tower it is....we rode the elevator to the 103rd floor in a quick 60 seconds and admired the views all the way round. We stepped out onto the viewing platforms which are clear glass so you can look down and see the city far far far below your feet. Slightly freaky but we did it and lived to tell the story.

We wandered back to our hotel in the late afternoon since my hubs had a business dinner to attend. We were melting and tired from the heat so I was happy to shower and put on a fluffy hotel robe, order myself some room service and admire the view of Lake Michigan from our room on the 30th floor. Who else thinks room service is a beautiful thing?

I'm pretty sure if I lived in a high rise like that I'd be totally nosy of my neighbors. It's hard not to wonder about the people living in the apartments all around you. That's not just me is it?

Tuesday hubs had an all day meeting but that was okay because I had made plans to meet up with one of my best friends from my England days. Have you ever had a friend that from the minute you meet you just know, this person is a kindred spirit? That is my friend C.

She and I were only in the UK together for one year...she moved back to the Chicago area and we stayed on in England. We kept in touch though and we went with a group of friends on several trips after she moved but we had not seen each other in over three years. It was like no time had passed, like we had seen each other yesterday...we talked and laughed and talked some more. All day in fact. Oh, we also rode the hop on, hop off bus all around Chicago which is something else I'd recommend to vistors. It's a great way to get around, get your bearings, hear some of the city's history and learn a lot of fun trivia too like where Al Capone had his office and where Oprah lives. We drove by her apartment near the river which, as you might imagine, is none too shabby. I'm not really a fan but I do see why she loves Chicago.

C. drove us to the airport late in the day and I hated to say goodbye. Sigh. Two days is for sure not enough time in this city...I'd love to go back and take my girls (I haven't even mentioned the shopping). And it would be fun to see a baseball game and visit some of the museums and especially hit the stores on Michigan Ave . Next time. There will definitely be a next time. Plans may in fact already be in the works. Wink. Wink.

It was hot under the neon moon

My husband had a business meeting in Chicago beginning this past Monday evening so we decided we'd tack the weekend prior onto his trip and I would tag along. His youngest brother, sister in law and niece live in a suburb of the city and this was our first visit to their house there. We have been to other houses they have lived in and oh, there have been many. We have that extreme moving thing in common...is there such a thing as extreme movers because I'm pretty sure that's what we are?

Anyway, just before we moved to England they moved to Russia. And while we were living in England they moved from Russia to guess where? England. No they do not work for the same company and yes it is a small world. I can't explain how wonderful it was to have family just a couple of hours away while living across the pond. We got together at our house or theirs many times and my hubs made a memorable trip back to Moscow with his brother after they moved to the UK so lots of fun special memories.

Sorry, I digress...I think I said something about Chicago. We got to their house late Friday night and on Saturday we hit the links. Well, technically sister in law and I drove the golf carts and observed while hubs, my brother in law, and my niece played a round of golf. There was a wonderful breeze all morning too which was a nice surprise. Our niece is a natural and plays on her high school team but they kept things nice and friendly. We went out for Indian food that evening and then sat around their fire pit and talked a lot. I guess you could say we're also extreme talkers. That's something else we have in common.

Sunday evening we had tickets to see Brooks and Dunn. They were fantastic. Our seats were awesome too...we were on row 19 but the 'catwalk' came out to row 8 so they were right there in front of us the whole night.

And you know how they call Chicago the windy city? Yeah, well not so much in August. My word it was HOT.

Before Brooks and Dunn came out we had the pre-show. First up was the country version of Justin Bieber...a sixteen year old cutie named Tyler Dickerson who was sporting that swooping bang thing with his hair. He sang just three or four songs and was followed by Gary Allan who was the actual pre-show. He was absolutely fantastic and had a lot of fans in the audience. My niece caught a pick he flung out into the crowd that had 'This was stolen from Gary Allan" printed on it. She didn't even have to knock anyone down to get it like the people did who were trying to get their hands on the cowboy hat that sailed out later in the show.

Let me just tell you that with the crazy heat I think the guitarist had the right idea wearing a kilt. If you know anything about kilts then you know what I mean. Did I mention it was hot?

Gary Allan played for about an hour before Brooks and Dunn came out and sang all their hits. I love a concert where I know the words to almost every song. I can sing at the top of my lungs because the music is so loud nobody can hear me but me.

The best part of the concert was when they sang Only In America...they had a huge American Flag as a backdrop and members of the military marched out onto the stage and then before we knew what was happening we were showered with red white and blue streamers and confetti, dropped from above and fired from the stage. So fun!

I'm glad we got to see them on this final tour. Or what they say is their final tour because I think we all know that 'final' is sometimes a relative term when we're talking about musical groups never performing together again. Just sayin'.

When the concert ended hubs and I drove on into the city to check into our hotel and the family went back to their house in the burbs. We always have a lot of fun when we're together and I hope one day we live in the near vicinity of each other once more. And it can be in America. Or anywhere.

About now you may be thinking, Chicago? Didn't she say something about Chicago? Looks like I'm going to have to make this a two part post. How do people write a brief paragraph and call it a blog post? That's more like a sentence to me.