Crab and Artichoke Dip

 When the FBC of Monroe celebrated its 150th anniversary, one the things they did to celebrate was put out a cookbook.  There are lots of recipes of current and former members in there.  Several of Mom's and Grandmother's recipes made it in as well.  The recipe for this dip was contributed by my friend Debby McBride.  I made it several months ago and loved it.  I have always loved imitation crab meat and so this was a great idea for me.  Don't get me wrong, I love real crab meat as well LOL  I plan on making this again soon.  I hope you try it and enjoy it!

Crab and Artichoke Dip

1 package imitation crab meat, coarsely chopped

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1 13.75oz can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

3 oz parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375.  Blend cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth.  Stir in crab meat, onions, artichokes and cheese. Place mixture in a glass pie plate.  Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 18 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned.  Serve with crackers or French bread.  Makes 4-5 generous servings. 

The round silver tray

 

I have a lot of silver plate in my collection.  Mom had many pieces and so did Grandmother and I ended up with many of those pieces and I love them.  They take a lot of upkeep because silver plate requires lots of polishing, but I do not mind. This round silver serving tray is among the piece that I got from Mom and Dad.  When I was young, all of their silver was kept in a pine cabinet in our living room.  This large tray sat upright against the back of the cabinet, so it was always easy to see.  When I bought my first antique, the green checkered tea set that I have talked about here, Mom took this tray out and we used it to put that tea set on and it worked perfectly.  This tray was a wedding present to Mom and Dad from the senior class at Bethel High School.  This is where they both worked.  They met there and the rest is history.  It is not a perfect piece, but the fact that their students put their money together to buy this for them says a lot to me about their impact as teachers.  Every time I look at this tray, that is what I see. I see two young people beginning their careers and beginning their lives together.  This tray has seen many things over the years and I treasure it. 

Hebrews 10:24

 

I start my day with a devotion.  June gave me a subscription to a series of daily devotions called "Strength and Grace".  These devotions are specifically aimed at people who are caregivers.  Caregivers of all kinds, professionals, friends, family members.  I get a lot out of each morning's devotion.  They all start with a Bible verse and then the message.  This was a verse used in one of the recent devotions and it has just stuck with me.  No matter what you do or do not believe in, this message rings true for all of us. 

Today's Moment of Mindfulness

 

Open up moments of calm throughout your day.  This could be a few seconds spent in quiet stillness while the kettle boils, while your computer is switching on, or before leaving the house. 

One Drawer at a Time

 

One of the things I want to achieve with this process is a better organization system in my house.  I am still working in the kitchen and probably will be for the foreseeable future as it is where I spend the majority of my time.  I was going through the cabinet the other day where I keep my plates and glasses and coffee mugs, etc. I was able to get the shelves more streamlined, which is good.  But I realized that I need to put more like items together.  While there are glasses in this cabinet, there are also glasses over there in that cabinet or on that shelf.  I have my beverages such as coffee, tea, and lemonade spread throughout the kitchen.  Why not get them all together.  Or at least get as many of them together as possible.  So that is what I did with this first set of cabinets.  I got as many of my glasses as possible into this cabinet without over stuffing it. And then I got my beverages more together in a different cabinet across the kitchen.  

Whether or not things will stay like this, for the time being I am liking how the kitchen is shaping up.  And that is what matters in this process.  That is all. 

5 Things I am Thankful For

1. Playing the Piano

I am so thankful that I know how to play the piano.  Even though I have not played in years, I still love that I have this skill.  I'm thankful Mom started me on piano lessons when I was in kindergarten.  I took lessons until I left for college.  One of the (many) ways that I am like my Mom is that if we were having a bad day, we could sit down at the piano and play and immediately life was better. I have loved being able to accompany people when they sing or playing in recitals or in church. Such good memories to go along with playing the piano. I need to find a piano to play soon. 

2. The DeMarts

The DeMart family has been a part of my life for over 4 decades.  Darcy is really the first real friend I ever had. I knew kids in preschool and from our neighborhood, but Darcy was a true friend...and still is.  We met on the playground at Walter Bickett when we were in kindergarten but I did not get to know her really until we were in Mrs. Richmond's first grade class together.  And we have been friends ever since.  Herb taught me in Sunday School.  He was also our deacon when Mom's cancer came back.  I was in high school at the time and we could not have asked for a better person to support us spiritually through that time. Cam and I rang handbells together.  We were beside each other in the choir, down in the bass bells section.  We had so much fun together that she quickly went from being Darcy's mom to being Bob's friend, a relationship that I cherish to this day.

3. Paying Bills On Time

I am thankful that I have a job that I can pay my bills with.  I learned, the hard way, that paying bills on time is key to financial health.  And I have grown up a lot in the past three years being on my own.  And I am thankful that I have the ability and the resources to get my bills paid before they are due.  It's the little things.

4. Laughing

There is almost nothing better than laughing.  I am so thankful for those times that I laugh long and hard.  It is good for the body and good for the soul.  

5. Coffee

I am not sure what I would do if I did not have my coffee first thing in the morning.  Not only do I like the taste and the warmth of it, but it's also just a nice way to start my day.  I enjoy the ritual of getting my coffee ready each morning. 

Over the River and Through the Woods

 This song popped up in my memories this morning.  My actual memories, not social media memories LOL  Being a student at Walter Bickett Elementary School in Monroe, NC, singing this song was always one of the first signs of the holiday season.  Sitting in Mrs. Trexler's (or was it Troxler?) music class, she would teach us the words to all of the verses. And this song is featured in A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving at the end of the program.  Mom and I used to play this on the piano, too.  I had a book of duets, and this was one of them and we played it many times.  Lots of good memories wrapped up in this Thanksgiving son!

Getting ready to prepare for Christmas

 

Christmas is getting closer every day, and I am so looking forward to it. Decorating the house is something that I love doing.  I have already been going through things in my mind about where to put this and that around the house.  And I have been listening to Christmas music for the past few weeks.  I do not subject others to that, unless they are Christmas music junkies like me. But it is my happy music, and I have no shame about listening to it all year round. But one tradition that I grew up with that still holds true to me is when to decorate for Christmas.

I have friends who have already started to decorate for the holidays.  Some friends are completely done already.  Good for them. If it makes you happy, then do it.  And shame on people who are critical of those choices.  Someone decorating their own home to give themselves some pleasure does not affect someone else's life so just leave it alone.  Mind your own business LOL But, I digress.  Growing up, Mom's favorite holiday was Thanksgiving so there would be no mention of Christmas decorating until that holiday was done. That's the way it was and there was no questioning that. The decorating of our house was done some time during the first week of December.  We always had company over Thanksgiving, so decorating the day after Turkey Day was not an option.  Once I was old enough to help decorate, then it would happen on the weekend when I was not in school.  And often the tree was not done until a week later. We always had a live tree that we got from the Christmas tree business that was set up in the Rose's parking lot on Skyway Drive.  Now, I have an artificial tree that goes up the same time as the house decorations. Anyway, the point being that I do not decorate until after Thanksgiving.  That's just the way that I do it. 

I'm looking forward to it because it is a happy time for me.  I can lose myself in the joys of Christmas and let go of all that is going on in the world.  I have always loved Christmas and I always will.  This year, I would love to share that love with people.  Have people over for meals and visits. Anyone that wants to listen to some Christmas records is more than welcome to spend some hours with me doing that.  I love my music and have over 250 different vinyl records for Christmas.  It's just a magical time for me. I want this Christmas to go by slowly.  I want to savor every moment with friends and family. I like waiting to get ready for Christmas because it gives me something to really look forward to.  I hope you can join me at some point for some holiday cheer!

Today's Moment of Mindfulness

 

Everything passes,

Nothing remains.

Understand this,

Loosen your grip

And find serenity.

Surya Das

Quote of the Week

 

I like this quote because it gives me hope.  Here I am at 50 years old and trying to figure myself out.  I think of who I am and who I want to be, and it is time to combine those things. In many ways, I feel like I'm at a new starting point in my life and it is time to become the person that I want to be.  Only I have control over that, so no more excuses.

People Need the Lord - piano arrangement

 I haven't heard this song in a long time, but it popped into my mind when thinking about a dear friend I grew up with, Suzanne Jewell.  I cannot for the life of me remember her married name now.  That's what time and distance does to a person.  Anyway, we went to church together.  Suzanne was several years ahead of me but we bonded over music.  Piano, specifically, as we both had the same piano instructor for several years.  Suzanne played the offertory in church many Sundays and I was her official page turner.  We did not have much contemporary music in our church but this is one she played and people really loved it.  I miss those times. 

Autumn Leaves - Roger Williams

 Now that autumn is well underway, this seemed like an appropriate choice to listen to.  One of the bestselling piano pieces of all time!  Enjoy!

One Drawer at a Time - Back in the Kitchen

 

One of the things about my "one drawer at a time" process is that it is ongoing.  And that is not a bad thing for me.  Each time I explore a drawer or a shelf, it really gives me the chance to think to myself "do I need this?  do I use this?  why am I keeping this?"  This does not mean that I automatically chuck it, but I am definitely more thoughtful when I put it back in its place, if I put it back.  It is getting easier for me to say "no, I am never going to use this, and it has no sentimental value for me so I can let that go." This may sound like a no-brainer to some, but it is not that easy for me. That is not how I think.  I love my stuff.  Always have. But now, I want my stuff to have purpose which it mostly does. 

I am back around to the kitchen again.  I love this because this is the room that I spend the most time in besides my bedroom (and that is because I sleep in there). I definitely use it more than my other rooms.  And there's such a sense of accomplishment when my kitchen is better organized.  I do not enjoy having to look for things in the kitchen when I'm cooking. I want to remember exactly where it is.  It does not always work out that way, but in a perfect world it would.  My first job in the kitchen is going to be the set of shelves where I keep my glasses and the plates I use every day.  I know that there are things tucked back in there that never get used.  Some of them will get packed away, some donated or given away. It gets easier the more I do it. 

For me, it's a cleansing process.  I am making my house fit my needs.  My house is an extension of who I am.  And while I definitely have moments in my life when I am crazy and disorganized, my house does not have to be that way!

The Old and the Restless - setting stories in senior living

 I'm thinking about writing a series of stories about senior living.  After all, it is what I do and it is something that I love, so why not?  I already have a few ideas for stories in my head.  Now I just need to put the words down and start shaping them up.  I do not know yet if it will be anything cohesive or just a collection of stories set in the same community. I do not think I will know that until I start writing. 

One of the beautiful things about it is that I have so much material to pull from.  Our communities are stocked full of all kinds of characters and experiences.  I know that some of the people that I work with will be used as models.  Not necessarily completely based on them, but it gives me an idea of what to use with certain characters.  And the residents.....so many choices.  I think that if I end up having a central character, I definitely know who I am going to base that on. But we definitely have certain types of people that group together that could be combined into one person.  We have some of the stereotypes as well...the crotchety old man, the pious Bible thumper, etc.

Some of the goings on at work are just amazing.  You cannot make this stuff up. Before I got into senior living, I had read several times on good authority that std's tend to be prevalent in senior living communities. Now I know why LOL That's why I thought it may be funny to refer to this as "The Old and the Restless"!  But we shall see.  One of the obstacles with this is that in no way do I want to be disrespectful to the people that I love.  Poke fun, yes, but not disrespect. Words can be very cruel and that is not my intention with this project.  We shall see.  It's just a thought, but I think it's a good one. 

The Bivens rocking chair

 

I love this rocking chair.  I have loved it since the first time I remember laying eyes on it.  This belonged to my great grandparents and, like so many things I cherish, I first noticed when the estate was divided in the mid 80s. At that time, this rocking chair was upstairs in the homeplace in one of the front bedrooms. This was the main guest bedroom. It had a marble top three-piece bedroom set along with several other pieces including this rocking chair. Back in its day, this was the bedroom that my Aunt Mary Lee and Uncle Bunyan spent their summers in when they came to visit the homeplace. Anyway, when the furnishings were divided up, this piece went to live in Wilmington with Aunt Billie.  She, too, kept it in an upstairs bedroom.  That was the bedroom that Grandmother and I would stay in when we visited. I loved just sitting in this rocking chair and feeling like I was enveloped in my family history. After Aunt Billie passed, the rocking chair came to me and was in my childhood bedroom for years.  Finally, it had a home with me.  And, for many years, its home was out in the garage.  Once I was living on my own, I took it out of the garage and cleaned it up and now it sits in my living room. Again, I love to sit in this and just let my memories take me to good places.  It's actually pretty comfortable though it may not look like it.  It presently has a vinyl seat.  I don't know if it is original or not to the chair.  It could have one time been a caned bottom, but I love it none the less.  I love knowing the history of my pieces, especially when it's family history. 

5 Things I am thankful for

 During this month of Thanksgiving, I want to focus on the things in my life that I am thankful for.  They may be current things or things from my past.  Possibly things from my future but we shall see.  These are the things that have shaped me and help me to focus my life.  I realize that often my life is very unfocused, but these things that I am thankful for ground me.  Despite all that is going on in our world, I am blessed every day. I hope you are as well.

1. Grandmother

Dorothy Louise Bivens Laney, my Grandmother.  I am so thankful that I had a deep, close relationship with her.  While she loved all of her grandchildren, there was something extra special about our relationship.  And I treasure every memory, every lesson learned. When I was a toddler, I called her Dottu because I could not say Grandmother and that name stuck for several years.  Almost everyone in Monroe knew my Grandmother and I can see why.  She was a loving, giving person.  She was the kind of person that you wanted to know, that you wanted in your life and I sure am thankful for having had that.

2. A roof over my head

I often talk about my dream of owning a big old house one day.  Even if that never comes true, I love that dream.  Still, I am thankful for the house I'm in right now.  I have been here for 15 years and I absolutely love.  I am so grateful that I have a place to call home, and I am surrounded with wonderful neighbors. It does not get much luckier than that!

3. Music

I am thankful that music is a part of my life every day.  All kinds of music.  I cannot imagine what life would be like without it.  An artform that brings so much joy to not only me but to so many people in this world. Records, CDs, radio, streaming.  It's all there even though records are my favorite. I hope that I never have to find out what a day without music would be like, even if it is just being on hold listening to elevator music. I'm good with that.

4. Love to cook

I am so thankful that I enjoy cooking.  And I like to think that I am good at it. Even if I was not, the fact that I love doing it would make up the difference.  Being single and on a budget, I rarely eat out so cooking at home is my go-to. How miserable it would be if I hated doing it and was forcing it on myself. Or always eating prepackaged food (which I do eat as well just not all the time because I love to cook.) It relaxes me.  It makes me feel creative.  For me, there is nothing like the adventure of trying out a new recipe.  It's the little things!

5. Giving Back

I am thankful that I have had opportunities to give back to my community.  While I hope to have more of those chances in my life, when they do arise, I am grateful.  This morning when I went grocery shopping, there was a food bank out front seeking donations.  I picked up their list and since I had a little extra, I was able to buy some items. It made me feel good to be able to help and I am happy that I had the chance to do that.

What are some things you are thankful for?

The small brass bell lady

 

As a young child, as many of you well know, I was obsessed with handbells.  So, naturally I became obsessed with any kind of bell that I could get my hands on.  I would ring the bells and pretend that I was in the handbell choir.  I know that it drove my family nuts but oh well. There are worse things I could have been obsessed with!  And this little brass bell is no different.  She belonged to Grandmother and had different homes throughout the house when I was a child.  Sometimes in the den, sometimes in the living room.  But she was always there.  She is only about 3 inches tall if that and quite heavy for being so small.  Solid brass.  And by the outfit she's wearing, it looks like she's an Elizabethan or Tudor period.  Not that she's that old, but that's what her dress reminds me of.  I love this little bell and love that it has a place in my home.  Ah, good memories. 

Putting my challenges all together

 One of the things I really need to start doing with my daily challenge is incorporating past challenges into my routine.  While I have enjoyed each month's challenge, I tend to let them fall by the wayside when the next month arrives.  I was just looking over my list of challenges this year and that has definitely been the case.  I am not sure how to do that exactly, but I think it would be good for me. Maybe another list is in order for me to check each day.  Not that I have to do every daily challenge every day because that would only result in me putting pressure on myself and then nothing would get done. I am talking more about a reminder to try and incorporate these things in my life as often as possible.  They have all been beneficial and I believe that the combination of these things, in different combinations day to day, would really make me feel better both physically and mentally. Some of the daily challenges have continued like my daily devotions.  Some like aerobic exercise and working in the garage have not.  Like I said, I do not necessarily need to do everything every day, but these challenges do need to become a part of my weekly canon.  One of the ironic things that I realized is that this month's challenge, self-care, is really about everything I have challenged myself with throughout the year.  It is such an important part of existence in order to maintain (or even achieve) a somewhat balanced life.  I can do this. Send good energy!

In the Wee Small Hours - Carly Simon

 I love the film Sleepless in Seattle and it has a wonderful soundtrack as well.  This is a cd that I love to sit down and listen to.  There are lots of covers of great standards including this one.  Before I saw the movie and heard the soundtrack, I was unfamiliar with this song.  Now, I know that it has been a popular tune that was first made famous by Frank Sinatra.  Carly Simon's take on it is beautiful.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Self-care is working

 

I have enjoyed this month of daily self-care and will definitely continue this going forward.  One of the things that I have noticed most of all is that I have not been down on myself nearly as much as I normally am.  I am not saying that I'm down on myself all of the time, but I do have my moments.  And this month, not so much.  Being good to myself each and every day has helped me to let go of things, process things and leave them in the past where they belong.  It has made me more appreciative of what I have and who I have in my life.  And that is a good thing. 

One of the things that I have done which has made a huge difference is how I go about my daily lists.  You all know that I love making lists.  I just cannot help it LOL  Still, each day I had a list of things to get done and I almost never got them all done on the day they had been assigned. I found myself getting upset because I was not doing all of the things I needed to do.  I was putting pressure on myself to get these things done when there was really no reason other than it was something to do.  Once I removed that pressure, I have found myself to be more relaxed and as a result, more productive.  Yes, I do still have a to-do list but I am handling it differently and it works for me.  It is now giving me the time to be good to myself each day.  That is a good feeling.

But I am finding that just taking this time every day for myself grounds me and gives me a better outlook on things.  It relaxes me and makes life more positive.  Sometimes it is listening to music, sometimes it is my daily devotions, some days it is letter writing.  But with each thing I do for myself, I feel more of who I truly am and can truly be.  That is a blessing to carry forward.  That is all. 

Some things I want to learn how to do

 Thinking about making the most out of life in this crazy world and looking at new things that I want to learn how to do.  Well, at least things that are new to me LOL I want to find some things that can occupy my time and give me some zen moments.  And some things that are productive but fun.  I don't know if I will ever get around to learning any of them, but hey, at least I can give it a try!

1. Gardening

I don't know the first thing about gardening and that is something that I regret not picking up from my parents.  Both Mom and Dad loved gardening.  Dad had an amazing vegetable garden that he did each year, and he was self-taught. He grew up on a tobacco farm but did not learn much about vegetable gardening, so he figured it out on his own and it was so beneficial to our household. Mom loved her flower beds.  She would get a stool and spend hours over the weekend planting and weeding.  Our backyard had several flower beds out there and she loved it.  I just do not know much about planting and tending to plants.  I want to learn because I think I would enjoy it. 

2. Make a Roux

I cannot make a good roux to save my life.  And believe me, I have tried. Part of me blames my stove top because it uses coil heat and it's hard to get a temperature going that's not blazingly hot.  But I have watched videos and read articles, and I still cannot master this technique.  I need to have someone show me in real time how to do this.  Any takers?

3. Refinish furniture

This is a skill I would love to learn.  And this can be combined with restore furniture and repurpose furniture.  At work, I see so many pieces get tossed in our dumpster that, with a little love and elbow grease, could be brought back to life and put to use.  It's one of the downsides of today's society. I see pieces on Market Place all the time that just need a little love, but I have never attempted this before.  Does anyone teach these skills, or would this be a watch YouTube videos kind of project?  Hmmmm. 

4. Arrange Flowers

This goes beyond sticking flowers in a vase.  That I can do.  I would love to learn the art of flower arranging.  Of course, not to be a professional or anything because those people are so amazing, I just want to be able to create beautiful and simple arrangements for the house. Grandmother was very good at that.  It would be nice to know how to make a beautiful centerpiece for my dining room table.

5. Swim

I do not know how to swim.  I'm not even good at holding my breath under water.  When I was a child, it scared me so badly.  That was one of the reasons that I was never baptized.  There were other reasons but I will save those for another time.  I don't really know where this fear of going under water came from.  I have my theory on that, and it does not stem from anything that happened in this lifetime.  Yet again, fodder for another blog. But now I am finally to a point where I want to learn how to swim.  It would help me so much physically with my health goals.  I remember when I was applying to colleges, the first time, Dad asked me if they still had the swimming requirement.  Back when he and Mom were at ECU, you could not graduate from the UNC system unless you could swim.  Sometimes I wish they did have that when I was at UNCG years ago.  Anyway, it is time for me to learn.  Anyone have a pool? And patience? 

6. Bridge

I would love to learn how to play bridge.  Most of my family played when I was growing up.  I never learned.  I think they tried to teach me once but at that time it was way too complicated.  Mom and Dad belonged to a bridge club.  Grandmother belonged to a bridge club.  I don't have to be in a club but it might be fun.  Many Saturday nights at our house held bridge games with Goodsons from the across the street.  Or Grandmother and Isabel would come over to play with Mom and Dad.  I just think it would be something fun to learn how to play.  As an old soul, it seems appropriate LOL  I have inquired to several local teachers but nothing has worked out yet.

7. Mah Jong

Here is another game that I believe would be interesting to learn how to play.  I do not know much about it at all other than it involves tiles.  I had never heard of this game until I saw Driving Miss Daisy in the movie theater!  It has lingered in the back of my mind ever since.  And working in a retirement community, I have heard several of my residents talk about playing over the years.  I think it would be fun to play!

8. Weight lifting

Here is another exercise that I want to learn how to do correctly.  I have a membership to a gym which I rarely use yet still pay for, like so many people.  And one of the reasons I don't go is because I don't know what I'm doing.  And lifting weights is a very precise exercise with so many different things to factor into it like number of weights, reps, how to correctly do the lifts. These are just basic things that I have no idea about and, again, want to have someone in real time teach me and not watch videos about it.  Using exercise videos as teachers is kind of difficult because I have to continuously stop what I'm doing and go back and rewatch.  That is a motivation killer right there!  

9. Learn another language

When I was in high school, I did not have a good ear for foreign language.  Part of the problem that my first Spanish Teacher, Mr. Tyner who was one of the best teachers I ever had, passed away over Christmas break and I ended up having 4 different teachers over the next year and a half.  So, I would love to take a language course.  I'm not sure which one, but who knows.  I think it would be not only a fun skill to have but beneficial in the work place someday. 

10. Autoharp

I want to learn how to play the autoharp.  My memories of the autoharp go all the way back to children's choir at FBC in Monroe.  One was often used to accompany us.  We all loved to play with it and press the different buttons and strum.  We didn't know what we were doing and were more making noise than music, but it was still fun.  Years, decades later, after seeing the film A Mighty Wind and watching Catherine O'Hara play the autoharp, my interest was renewed.  Michael went as far as to get me one for Christmas but I have yet to learn how to play it. I think it needs to be restrung or something.  Anyway, I need to look into get that fixed so I can start taking some lessons somewhere!

So, these are a few of the things I would like to learn how to do.  What are some of the things on your list?  

Recipe of the Week - Butterbean Salad

 I seem to be on a roll with salads here lately, so just ride the wave with me!  One of the things I love about trying out new recipes is when I find a recipe of Mom's or Grandmother's that I absolutely do not ever remember her making.  I always imagine that it's either something she made well before I came along, or it is a recipe that intrigued her that she just never got around to making. This is one such recipe.  As I was going through the salad section of one of Mom's recipes boxes (one of my most valued treasures), I came across this recipe.  I was not exactly sure what to make of it because I had never heard of a butterbean salad.  I thought why not?  I would give it a try.  And I'm so glad that I did.  I have made this several times since and shared it with friends.  It's definitely a keeper.  Even though it sounds like something you would make during the warmer months of summer, this will be an all-year staple for me!  Enjoy!

Butterbean Salad

3 cans of butterbeans, drained

1 8 oz carton of sour cream

1 cup of mayonnaise

chopped onion and celery, to taste

salt and pepper

Combine ingredients in a bowl and chill for several hours before serving.  Delicious!!

Served in one of Mom's everyday china pattern bowls, appropriately!

Halloween

Halloween is coming up next week and it's the first big holiday of autumn.  I have always enjoyed Halloween, but I have never been fanatical with it like I am with Christmas. I always feel like I'm on the periphery of Halloween, always on the outside looking in.  And that is absolutely fine.  I love to see how much others love Halloween and go to all ends to make it special.  That makes it special for me.  For me, it comes in 4th in the list of big holidays:  Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and then Halloween.  I don't do much, but I do look forward to the half-priced candies on sale the next day LOL. 

I don't remember many of the Halloween costumes I wore over the years but I do remember a few.  When I was three or four, my cousin Margaret bought me and Bill some Star Wars costumes.  They were those heavy plastic masks with the kind of plastic body bag you wore over your clothes.  We all wore those kinds of costumes for years.  Mine was C3PO and his was Darth Vador.  There are pictures of us wearing them and even switching masks.  Later on in childhood, I went as The Purple Pie Man.  Again, one of those plastic costumes we got off of the rack at Rose's.  How I miss that store!  In 5th grade I went as Dracula.  I had been Dracula in our AG Halloween play and so I already had the stuff for it. I remember because the neighborhood kids went to the mall to trick or treat that year and we racked up.  Also, I remember watching the Halloween episode of The Cosby Show after I got home.  That was the last time I went trick-or-treating.  I have rarely dressed up for Halloween as an adult.  Several years ago, I went as a biker to work and won the costume contest.  I truly believe it is because I got a mohawk for the occasion and very few people recognized me at first glance.  That was fun!

We didn't have many Halloween decorations, especially not like people have today.  But we did always have a jack-o-lantern on the porch with a candle in it.  And Mom had some cut outs that hung on the front door.  I still have one of those which I hang up in the house during the season.  I need to add that to my list before Halloween has come and gone! 

There was a house down the street from us on Brookgreen Drive that had the greatest witch on their front door.  Even though witches scared me, thank you Wizard of Oz, I would always ask Mom to slow the car down while we passed that house so I could get a good look! When the big night came, it was always seeing streets full of kids in costumes.  I don't remember many specific experiences trick-or-treating, but I do remember the Purple Pie Man year when Monica, who lived next door, took me.  And back in those days we always went after dark.  Going trick-or-treating in daylight was not even an option.  I remember watching ET for the first time and wondering why they went while the sun was still out.  Oh well LOL  And we almost never gave away candy at our house.  Mom would pop popcorn and fill treat bags full.  Of course, back in those days popcorn was not really sold much in stores except in seed form, so this was a treat. 

Of course, no Halloween would have been complete without watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" which has been a staple of American Halloween viewing since 1966.  It is usually shown several nights before Halloween, and I watch it every year.  Now that I don't have regular tv, or whoever shows it these days, I just watch my faithful DVD. I did not watch a lot of scary movies as a kid because they would give me nightmares.  They still do sometimes!!  A Garfield Halloween, The Worst Witch, The Bugs Bunny Halloween Special and the Halloween episode of The Wonderful World of Disney were enough for me!

I imagine that if I had children I would do more for Halloween.  We don't have trick-or-treaters here on my street but a few streets over they come in by the van loads. I put a few things up around the house so that I can remember the good times of days gone by.  I still enjoy the holiday and am glad that I am around to see another one.  Happy Halloween!

TV Specials

Quote of the Week

This is what I'm working on with myself right now.  And I must admit it feels pretty damn good!

The Buffet

 

I love my dining room furniture.  It was Grandmother's and I have always loved it.  And you know from my Sunday lunches that I love to use my buffet.  The buffet is both a pretty piece of furniture and a utilitarian piece of furniture.  Grandmother, at least in my lifetime, never used it to serve from.  It always had her silver service on it and a pair of candlesticks.  So, in some ways it was utilitarian for her because it was used for displaying pieces. But I like to use it when I eat.  Of course, it takes some time to remove all of the items on display from it and set it up, but I do not mind.  It's part of the fun for me. 

The buffet was originally part of a dining room set.  I am not sure when they first bought it. I'm thinking sometime in the 40s or 50s. The set consisted of a table and chairs, a china cabinet and the buffet. They were originally a much darker color than they are today.  They were more of a mahogany color. Grandmother wanted a new dining room table and when she got one in the 60s, it was a beautiful light cherry wood.  So, she had the buffet and china cabinet restained to match.  Whoever did it did an excellent job. 

When we divided the estate, I ended up with the table, chairs and cabinet and Bill ended up with the buffet.  Why we split the set, I don't really know.  Anyway, years later they no longer had room for it and asked if I wanted it.  Of course I did. So, Michael and I got a van and met Bill halfway to pick up the piece.  It was easier than shipping it to Greensboro. I have loved having it and have loved using it.  I will continue to use it for as long as possible.  It is still both pretty and useful, which good pieces should be.  Now, I guess it's time to set up another Sunday lunch!  Join me?

The Last Dance - Donna Summer

 This is just a fun song to start my weekend off with.  I heard it on the radio the other day and it's been stuck in the back of my mind since then.  Hope you like it too!

Recipe of the Week - Cranberry Salad

 

Now, I will be the first to admit that I absolutely love a good, congealed salad.  I grew up with them.  Every family gathering there was a congealed salad of some kind.  My great Aunt Sara brought one every time she came to a dinner at our house or Grandmother's. It was tradition and I just love them. I did not make them much over the past few decades because Michael does not like them so now, I am making up for lost time. I found this recipe in a cookbook that June gave me and wanted to give it a try, mainly because I had all of the ingredients on hand.  I thought it turned out so good.  I shared with several friends, and they loved it as well.  It's different from other congealed salads that I have made before.  Its texture is almost that of a relish than a congealed salad. Either way, it is wonderful and will be a part of my cooking canon going forward.  I hope you enjoy it!

Cranberry Salad

1 lb cranberries (ground)

1 (No. 2) can of crushed pineapple

2 boxes red Jell-O*

2 cups sugar

1 cup chopped apples

1 orange, cut into small pieces**

Drain and heat liquid from pineapple, adding water to make 2 cups.  Add sugar and Jell-O until everything is dissolved and mixed thoroughly.  Add remaining ingredients.  Pour into a Pyrex or mold and chill. 

* I used cherry Jell-O

** I used a large can of mandarin oranges, drained

Enjoy!