Soooo. Guess where I am? Yup. The airport. These days the only spare time that I can find is while waiting for a plane
Who’s life am I living? This is all so bizarre.
So remember last year when I posted that I couldn’t tell you what happened in that room?
Read the rest of this entry »
So I left you at Saturday night. I forgot to mention that we did a little furniture window shopping saturday afternoon, We currently have 2 sectionals, one in our living room and one in our finished basement .
Our new house is considerably smaller than our current house so we need to do major downsizing ( which is perfectly ok by me ) neither of our sofas will fit in our new living room so we will be selling one, and buying a smaller sofa.
I found one that I really liked. The floor model had it in off white ( which I loved) but with a black haired dog, I new it wasn’t practical. ( isn’t it protocol for empty – nesters to run out and buy a white sofa 
). Just kidding….actually, I’m not.. I loved the white but It also comes in a granite color, so I think that’s what we will go with.
At first Scott liked it, then he said he didn’t ( I think he was just razzing me) but in the end he sent me the dimensions of the living room to make sure it will fit.
He had to go into the office on Sunday, so I was on my own. Which was ok, because I had developed either a
Head cold
Allergies
Sinus infection or
Altitude issues.
Or maybe a little bit of each …
either way, it really knocked me down. I’m sure the fact that I’ve been going a mile a minute for 6 weeks then just stopped didn’t help
I spent the day cleaning the apartment, doing laundry, dishes and going through magazines for decorating ideas and checking out websites for ideas.
All while watching 80′s movies in the background.
It was actually fun to clean the small space! Almost like playing house
I have 2 Queen Anne chairs that I love, but the slipcovers are worn. Like beyond saving- worn.
But the slipcovers themselves are soo expensive! I did a little research and I think I’m going to attempt making my own slipcovers. Ill make a prototype using inexpensive fabric to start and if all goes well, then ill splurge on a fabric that I like. * wish me luck!!*
I’ve been looking at fabric collections and found a few that I really like!
I love co-ordinating fabrics and how they can feel so cozy.
The other thing that I’m going to do Is attempt roman shades ( also in coordinating fabric) for my kitchen. I did a lot of reading on how to make them and again, I think I can…. I think I can… I think I can……..
We also need to do some re arranging of our bedroom sets. Ali’s set won’t fit in her room. My current thought is to keep the dresser and nightstand and desk ( all white) but put her full headboard away and get her a twin white headboard instead.
Scott’s armoire won’t fit in our room so my thought is to put it in Ryan’s room and find a full wooden headboard that coordinates and use Ali’s full mattress in there.
I’m going to start hitting up yard sales and furniture consignment shops this weekend.
Monday I went back to super target to buy groceries for Scott since he doesn’t have a car there once I leave ( something else we are trying to figure out)
I went back to the apartment and made home a big batch of kale soup for a few dinners,
and stocked his freezer and cabinets with food for the next 3 weeks.
Our open house went well .. Our real estate agent said there was lots of positive feedback, which is nice considering how hard I worked to get the house to where it is now.
By the time you read this I will be home and ready to hit the ground running again. I have. Furniture to bring to a consignment store, as well as sports equipment, clothes, etc…..
In the next 6 weeks I will have
Bought a house in Colorado
* hopefully* sold a house in Massachusetts ( updated… We are under contract!!!!)
Shipped my beloved Zola to Colorado
Have Ali’s senior prom
Cheer Ali and lex on as they walk 40 miles for breast cancer
Have all of my kids home for 1 week ( graduation week)
Watch my daughter graduate high school
Celebrate Scott and my 24 th wedding anniversary
* hopefully* find a place for Ali and I to live for June and July
Remember to breathe
I’m starting right now with that last one. The only way I’m getting through all of this is one day at a time.
As I leave I just wanted to share this pic. The events at the finish line of the Boston marathon hit too close to home. I had friends sitting in the stands where one of the bombs that did not go off were found. Too scary. And the crazy manhunt and additional death and injury of the policemen.. There are no words…
Even though I’m ready to make a new life in the Rocky Mountains, my heart will always be in Boston …
Hiya friends and family! Here I am from 30,000 feet in the air again ( I think I’m getting used to this )
Since I told you all I was going to use this blog as a way to share in this life-changing experience I thought I’d take these 2,000 miles to chat with you
* breathe, Sista, breathe * it’s less than 4 hours from Denver to Boston 
Smooch!
I arrived Thursday night to a very hungry Scott waiting for me. I barely had time to put down my luggage and we were off to eat dinner at the restaurant that is attached to his corporate apartment, Earl’s. If you are friends with me on Facebook then you saw the picture that I posted. Although I that he is getting tired of eating at Earl’s, I just love it!
On the second floor the windows come out, making it almost a balcony to the outside. Earls overlooks 16th mall which is an entire cobblestone street where no cars are allowed, just a motorized shuttle that goes up and down the street all day long. In the center of the street are little food carts, chess tables, and in the summer colorful pianos everywhere encouraging anyone to play at any time. There are stores and restaurants lining the entire length of the street . It’s got a super- fun vibe!
This was the first time that I ate there with the windows open.. And even though there was a blizzard the day before, it was still comfortable because they have heating lamps that shine down on the tables, so you have that fresh,crisp air with the warmth of the lamps.
I had the chicken tacos. In fact I’ve been there 3 times and always order the chicken tacos. Thy are made with soft corn tortillas, shredded chicken, corn, Mexican cheese and pico de gallo. Served with a side salad that has basil shreds mixed in as well as fresh mozzarella! Yum !
The other thing that I like about eating there is that they have Dreaming Tree wines by the glass or bottle. Dreaming Tree wines are wines made at a vineyard owned by Dave Matthews! The labels of the wines are drawn by Dave and the names of the wines are titles of his songs. ( Scott is a huge DMB fan). But here’s the thing… The wines are really really good!!
It was a wonderful welcome to my new city.. And let me tell you, I was exhausted. It was so much work getting our house not only listed, but spotless and I left for a week one way, the girls left another direction, and having it be perfect for an open house that was this weekend.
On Friday Scott had to work, so once I slept in I went to the gym, then ventured out to drive by my new HOME!
It looked all purty sitting there
Then I went to whole foods to get some healthy food ( I’ve been very bad with my eating habits lately and it shows… I’ve vowed to change this)
So I walked Into the store, and the funniest thing happened, I got . Nervous. Really nervous.. Like this is where I will be shopping a lot ( for the sales,produce and lentils). I actually had a little panic attack! Weird, eh?
I bought some tea, veggies, apples, lentils, kombucha ( they had a local hibiscus and elderberry flavor) eggs and milk for tea.
I went back to the apartment and enjoyed a ( well- deserved ) quiet afternoon.
On Saturday, Scott and I once again ventured to our new neighborhood, parked the car ( were from Boston. So we paaaakkked the caaaa) and walked to a cute little coffee shop called Wash Perk. Then we walked. And walked and walked. 6.5 miles actually. Just trying to get the lay of the land, time out distance to places that we will be going to. The fact that it was 66 degrees didn’t hurt. It was such a beautiful day in the park. I found myself really missing Fenway 
can you beat this view????
We walked to a pizza place for lunch. They have wood- fired pizza and calzones and amazing salads! It was fun to eat alfresco and watch all of the people walking by!
We then went to super-target to buy wine ( YES , our new Targeee the French store sells wine!) and a few odds and ends for the apartment ( laundry detergent, tt, paper towels, etc….)
Am I boring you yet? I know none of this sounds all that exciting but since its all new to me, I’m just tickled
Saturday night we walked down to LoDo, which is short for lower downtown. There are white lights strung above the streets from telephone pole to telephone pole.
So pretty!! We had a
fabulous Mediterranean meal at Rioja and enjoyed the walk to and from. He bought me the cookbook from the restaurant and the chef/ owner. Chef Jen signed it for me! We had a Spanish white wine and I had the artichoke and goat cheese ravioli . They were like little pillows that melted in your mouth… And now, I have the recipe!!!! Who wants to try some???
It may seem like we are eating out a lot, and we are, but Scott has a dining budget and he has not been using it so that he could wait until I was there and we could enjoy together.. We took advantage of it while we could, but once we close on our new house ( 2 weeks from tonight) that will be no more.
More about the weekend soon !
We bought a house!!! A very adorable house 3 miles from Scott’s office! ( after 20 plus years of a minimum of 1.5 hour commute each way.. This is very exciting for us!!! )
We went into this process with a few things on our wish list. Some were negotiable, some were not
non- negotiable
1-it had to be at least 3 bedrooms. It was very important to us that both Ryan and Ali have their own rooms when they come home from college. Not that we don’t adore Jay and Amanda.. But they have their own home …. There is always room for them, and they know that . Our new house has a completely finished basement with full bath and fireplace… *read.. Jamanda’s home away from home*
2-location! Location location location. This was key for us. We could change any part of a house to make it ‘ours’ but location is not one of them. Denver has many parks and I desperately wanted to be walking distance from a park. Not only is our new home only 2 blocks from a beautiful park, but its also walking distance to whole foods!!! ( my favorite store <3)
3- walk-ability… I know this kind of ties in with #2 but I’ve always wished for a house that I can walk out my door and go somewhere without having to drive .
4- yard. This one is kind of funny . Our house in Massachusetts has an enormous yard.. And scott mows it once a week to the tune of about 3 hours ..( I’ve always joked that he’s in training for his retirement job of being a groundskeeper at Fenway park… Ryan thinks we are going to become potato farmers… Who knows?). Once we started looking and found how ridiculously small the yards are In the area we were looking, then it became a must that the yard was big enough for Fenway to play . This house not only has a fenced in yard, but a poop area for her off to the side annnnd….
A doggy door!!!! I know!!!!. How adorable!!!!!
I’ve shown Fenway pics…. She approves
5- character. We wanted an older home … Our new home was built in 1926 and still has some original glass and woodwork as well as built-ins!!! I’m in love . There is a small brick room perfect for creating a reading nook. Now I need suggestions from all of you on what books I should read .. ( or perhaps write????;) )
6- a front porch.. This wasn’t a deal-breaker but I really really was hoping for a front porch. I’m an old soul at heart and was secretly hoping this wish would come through. Not only does it have a front porch.. But it has a porch swing!!!!
So
Darn
Cool!!!
7-Parking… For those of you in the northeast this may sound strange.. But many houses don’t have off- street parking. We not only have a small garage ( for storing the jeep hard tops) but 2 off street parking spots. The garage is behind the house in an alley way with the parking spots right next to it ..
8- also not a deal- breaker, but I was hoping for a designated sewing area .. This house has a bedroom on the first floor that is now going to be my quilting room!!! I have a very talented neighbor who has quilting for many many years. Her husband built her a custom sewing table and I just love it. I asked him if I could pay him to build me one and he had a proto-type I his basement that he made to bring along to quilting shows so that people could custom order. He is putting the finishing touches on it and selling it to me !!!! Finally,… My sewing machine can come off of the dining room table… And I can finally finish Scott’s quilt from 6 years ago!!!
We are downsizing considerably and weeding through a lot of stuff and giving things away to those that we love. I have a wide variety if emotions that I’m going through .. It’s been a crazy year and to think how different life will be in 6 months just blows my mind…
A lot of things will be sooo different for us living in Colorado.. We’ve always lived in New England near the ocean.. But we are super- excited about our new adventure !!
Btw— sorry about the italics.. I’m typing on the iPad from 30,000 feet in the air and I can’t figure out how to change it and my teenagers aren’t with me to help..,
Thanks friends, for reading about our journey .. I’m looking forward to getting back in the kitchen and cooking!! I’ve been sooo busy cleaning and staging our house in Massachusetts to get ready to sell and as of 5 pm yesterday it’s on the market! Pulling into my driveway to see the sign in the front yard was a bit of a shock, but its part of moving on…
Much love—
Shel
In this time of extreme change for me, I have spent hours upon hours remembering what life has been like and envisioning what life will be. All of the soul searching has had me thinking. A lot.
I found myself laying in bed the other night, re reading old posts, trying to decide what direction that I want the blog to go in ( I had contemplating quitting it altogether, but have changed my mind.)
Anyway.. I read this post from this past Thanksgiving. Although it’s not an old post, I feel like it bears repeating. It’s very easy in life to think about what we don’t have, or how how difficult something might seem when we are in the midst of journeying through something… but we always come out the other side, usually with great lessons learned. Priceless, really.
So if you have already read this, please forgive me…
I feel in my heart that it is important to remember what we are thankful for all year ’round…
<3 me
i”m thankful.
*for my mom and my dad ~or bringing me into this world, and for being there when I really need them.. the advice & support that you both have given me ( the same btw) will guide me… thank you.. I love you both
* for my sista~ I’ve known you the longest and lord knows growing up was a challenge, but I love you dearly and wouldn’t change you for the world. you are simply amazing! SMOOOOCCH!
* for John, and Dick and Phyllis… for loving me like your own
*for my aunt~ a sweet woman with a huge heart and so much love. and an uncanny way of knowing the exact moment that I needed to talk.. and being that phone call
*for Scott~ married almost 24 years now, and although it has not always been easy, we are still here.. About to become empty nesters… With a whole lot of adventure in front of us . Just think… We may end up in an osteo bi flex commercial or something oxox
* for my oldest son, Jason~ the boy who changed my direction in life. I am SO proud of you and am thankful every day for what an amazing man that you have become..
* for my second child, Ryan~ who taught me in an instant that you can love 2 children with the same amount of undying love. For teaching me that you have to peel an onion so to speak to get to someones’ true self… never judge a book by its cover, the world is full of all types of people, and that its ok.. that there is NO obstacle in life that you can’t over come if you want to.. and that having a part of my heart across the country actually feels ok.. because I know he is happy and THAT makes me unexplainablly happy.
* for Ali~ my ali…. Im thankful for the wonderful compassionate young woman that you have grown in to. I dont know of anyone else who thinks of others as much as you do . You will go far in life .. and be surrounded by people who love you … always
*for Amanda Sue~ Jason’s wife.. my wonderful daughter in law. I may not have given birth to her, but I love you like you are my own. You are a hard worker with a lot ahead of you and and you have an amazing attitude.
*for Kim~ thank you for sharing Amanda with me
*for our grandparents~ gone too soon, this is a holiday that they are greatly missed, ( meme, pepe, papa, babchi, dzaciiek) but knowing they are in heaven looking down on us makes me smile :
* for my ‘shared ‘ sisters and brother … Krista, Bryan, Audra and Val… We may have grown up with different lives. But siblings we are .. And we’ll always have each other:).
* for Tian~ my exchange daughter from Hong Kong.. for opening my eyes to what life in China is like
* for my nieces and nephews~ watching them grow and become extentions of who we are is mind – blowing. It makes me think al the time about the circle of life… YOu are all amazing people and have bright futures ahead of you
*for my in laws- Linda and Pete… For helping Scott and I get a head start early in our marriage.. and all of your help along the way
*for Scott’s extended family~ I’m thankful that they raised a man with such drive and adimance… and with such love for his family
* for Erika~~ I love that I can just show up and have a cup of tea at your counter unannouced. and feel warm and welcomed and loved.. and I feel that i am an extended part of your family. I love Leah and Grif like they are my own.. it’s been a pleasure watching them grow…
* for Celia~ my closest friend that is so far away….. I love that you are in my life <;;3
*for Kara~ thank you for all of your help recently… it’s so nice to know that you have insight and can help talk me through some of this….. and the fact that we both love lunch doesn’t stink
*for my ‘ho’ friends~ you know who you are. I love that they have been there always for me, and they are proof positive that real relationships are not affect but distance. they have become some of my very best friends.. and I look forward to someday traveling the country to meet up with all of them…. these are truly wonderful ladies
*for my ‘old time’ friends~ the friends that I went years without seeing, or even in contact with… this past week has had me in awe of how many of you reached out to me and really care. It has had me thinking at length about old relationships. and times spent together .. and about how lucky I am to have had you all in my life. YOu are all a huge part of who I am today… I feel so blessed whenever I hear from one of you..
* for Ali’s friends…the really special ones that make me feel loved every day. Sara and emmy I love that you know that our home is your home… Thank you for making her smile.. And Colleen. Because you know how much I love you !!!!.. And Alyssa… Ali’s younger sister and my second daughter…I love you girls!!
* for my pup, Fenway~~ I just love her to pieces and no matter where I am.. she is *right there*
* for my grandpuppies, bruin & Kallie…. because they love me so much and I can;t wait to make them home made frosty treats
*for yoga~ yoga has brought not only a ‘peace’ to my life, but a biggest understanding that the path that we are on is exactly the path that we are supposed to be on.. don’t always knock the broken road.. that’s usually the one that is getting you to where you are supposed to go…
*for Bruce Springsteen~ yes I went there……. I love this man’s amazing voice, talent, poetry, etc…… as long as I live I could never explain what his music does to me… I swear it hits a little lost part of my soul… I am thankful that I always can turn to his music.. no matter my mood
*for my blog readers~ you are what makes me want to keep on writing… you comments always make my day and I am thankful that you take time from your lives to read whatever was on my mind today. This is what makes us friends
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and lastly…… I’m thankful for the moon. because throughout my life, it has always been there… and I know that wherever I am, wherever I may be.. I can always look up.. and have the moon with me… and know that each and every one of you, wherever you may be.. will be under the same moon. possibly looking up at it, and thinking of me <;;3
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happy thanksgiving, friends.
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hiya!
Many of you know by now, and if not, then I am here to tell ya, that later this year, when our youngest graduates from high school Scott , Fenway and I will be re- locating to Colorado. In fact, he is already there and has been since last June.
When I went full- force (more forceful, rather) with this blog it was because I knew that this was in our future, and I wanted to set this up to be able to share my experiences with my family and friends. I couldn’t tell you all that back then, but I can now
This will be a huge adventure for us on many different levels.
1~ we’ve never lived out of New England
2~ Our entire families are back here in Massachusetts
3~ Our children Ryan, Alison, Jason and Amanda will be in 3 separate corners of the country, with Scott Fen and I in the center. We have always been a pretty tight family as far as families go, so this will take some adjusting.
4~ Scott and I have never lived alone! We had Jason so early in life that we were a ready -made family right from the start..
So we will be empty nesters at the ripe ages of 42&43 in a completely new part of the country for us!
so after knowing all of this, I have now shared it with you…. the next few months will most likely be the craziest of my life ( and TRUST me, I’ve had crazy times) but it will also be fun. I intend to MAKE it fun And share much of our adventure ( including a cross-country drive with Fen in my jeep)
In the meantime, I have a recipe for you. I developed this by using my favorite way of cooking. Look at what I have in house and try to be creative.
Last week cherry tomatos were buy one get one free at my grocery store. When you can get free maters in the dead of winter, you take get them. And if you are like me you hide them, especially if you have someone ( no names) who might possibly eat that whole container at once…… And then if you are really like me, then you forget that you hid them… and when you find them, well, they look less than desirable.
THAT is how I came up with this recipe. ( the tomatoes weren’t rotten or anything, just starting to shrivel… feel free to use perfectly plump tomatoes in the recipe if you want to skip the dumb blonde** step of forgetting that you hid them)
creamy roasted tomato and garlic soup
2 pints of cherry tomatoes
1 head of garlic
1 large onion
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 cup cooked cannelloni beans
2 cups low sodium chicken broth ( use veg broth to make vegetarian/ vegan)
salt, pepper. dried thyme
Preheat oven to 375.
rinse tomatoes and pat dry. pu them on a non-stick cookie sheet. Cut up onion and toss with the tomatoes.
Cut the head off of the garlic and place in a small piece of aluminum foil.
Spilt the olive oil between the garlic head and the tomato -onion mixture. Close up the top of the aluminum foil and squeeze tightly. Place garlic in in center of tomato onion- mixture and sprinkle with salt, peper and dried thyme.
Roast veggies for about 20-25 minutes. Remoce garlic from foil ( carefully, it will be hot) and squeeze all of the cloves ( now delisciously sweet) into a blender.
Add all veggies and any bits that may have accumulated on the pan.
Add the beans, and broth and blend on low for 2 minute, then increase speed to high for 2 minutes
( if you use hot broth, then make sure you take the little glass insert out of the top of the blender and cover with a kitchen towel to prevent hot splattering liquid… I used the broth cold as well as the beans and just reheated the soup once it was done)
Once soup is blended, test for seasonings and adjust salt & pepper as needed.
enjoy! I promise you you will never know that there is not any cream in it!
I served mine with a dollop of Non fat Greek Yogurt
serves 3
190 calories per serving
5 grams of fat per serving
enjoy! and thanks for coming along for the ride !
**dumb blonde comment…. someone is no longer blonde
oxoxox
We sat in the middle of the street…we could do that.. it was a small quiet town.. all of our neighbors were still in bed. it was pre -dawn.. that magical part of the day where the automatic street lights had just turned off and the world was bathed in a soft hue that you almost had to squint your eyes to see anything.
I was sitting with my best buddy, Steve. I had just helped him finish delivering the Sunday morning paper to all of our neighbors. This was something that I had been helping him with. We were unlikely friends, yet, somehow we had become very close. It started a few months back. Of our usual group of kids that we walked home from the bus stop, it happened to just be the two of us. Akwardly, we started talking. And boy did we talk. By the time we reached his street I asked him is he wanted to come over for a soda and to watch some MTV ( we had just got cable and I was a budding Bruce Springsteen junkie) . he explained that he could not, because he had a paper route and this was a delivery day. I offered to walk with him so that we could keep talking, and well, it became a habit. We had so much to talk about. it’s not like I didn’t have girlfriends to talk to, I did… but with my girlfriends I talked about make-up, and clothes, and girl-type of stuff…. with Steve, I talked about deeper kinds of things.. the meaning of life, so to speak. An unlikely pair, yes, but still such good honest friends… the kind of friend who would tell me like it was, like it or not.
“you’re moving to CAPE COD? like out in the middle of the ocean?”
” it’s not in the middle of the ocean… just closer than we are here”
” You do realize that when you get a storm there you house washes out to sea.. are you ready to be floating towards Europe?’
” I’m not going to end up floating towards Europe, silly” I scrunched my nose up and used my pointer finger to point the squishy end of his nose in .. ” Only the houses on the ocean are at risk for that.. the really rich houses.. we won’t be living like that… you know that !”
” but still… do you realize that you will be living in tourist central?”
” Really, it’s not that bad.. it’s just another small town. Remember, I went to visit my aunt and uncle back awhile ago? it’s just a small town… they really like hockey there. I could learn to like hockey”
” you mean when you fell through the roof of your uncles house down two stories and ended up in the basement?’
” um.. yes… but that could have happened to anyone… don’t you think?”
he looked at me like he could see right down to my toes…
” do you really believe that?”
again, I scrunched my nose… years later I would realize that this was a habit of mine , at this point I was just watching the sun come up and seeing the sadness in his eyes…
” yeah.. kinda?’
howdy friends!
I know that Thanksgiving seems like it was sooooooo far away, giving the shopping weekend that followed, but I had a few things to share with you and couldn’t get around to it until now, so do me a favor.. fire up the Delorean and come back to Turkey day with me… just for a minute ( or 10 )
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a few of you have asked me what I did with Theo after his 2 day salt spa bath….. when I was ready to put him in the oven, I removed hime form the brine.. rinsed him and patted him very dry with paper towels. I place some carrots, celery, onions and fresh herbs in the bottom of a roasting dish , the placed a roasting rack on top ( this makes the gravy extra yummy ) I stuffed the cavity with fresh herbs, onions, lemon and clemetines. Trussed him, then stuck a few fresh sage leaves between the skin and the breast an brushed melted butter all over him. Season with salt and pepper.
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place on bottom shelf ove 425 degree oven for 30 minutes… then reduce heat to 325 and tent with aluminium foil…Roast for a few hours ( depending on the size ) basting every 45 minutes or so….
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oops….. dont hold it in the oven too long….
remove the bird when the internal temp in the leg is 165… then let rest.
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ok.. so I have a story…. pull up a chair.. ( I LOVE storytime!)
Every year, after the dinner, we bundle up and take a walk.. ( like everyone else does So about 4 or 5 years ago, we were walking in downtown plymouth when we saw a rollerblader. Unusual? hmm.. not so much.
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but the station-wagon chasing her ( clearly a family member) well… that was a bit odd.
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The driver of the car was screaming at her ” get in the car…. I’ve got the turkey in the back seat” and she in turn was rollerblading as fast as she could screaming back to the driver ” I’m trying to get away form you.. can’t you see that?” and again…. ” but the turkey is in the back seat…
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now I know we all have some sort of drama around the holidays ( myself included ).. and although I’m not making fun of what was happening…. when all was said and done… we all just looked at each other and said, did that just happen?
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so our standard thing to say was ” there’s a turkey in the backseat”..
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then I found this card…
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ugh.. the pic is horrible.. but it is a station wagon full of turkeys!
So the following year, as we headed out for our walk . we were remembering the crazy walk from the year prior and discussed how we wouldn’t see anything that crazy that year….. so we decided to change that. We began the ‘Thanksgiving walk o Shame”
we all dress up in crazy attire and sing and dance and ‘decorate’ the downtown
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this is a pic from last year
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you can’t miss us… trust me Its fun and like I said, we sing a dance around and remember all the little things that we are thankful for !
the pic is dark, but here is Jo & i from this year
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I love crazy traditions… SO MUCH!!
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so I’ll leave you with a few pics from our holiday…
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and lastly… I found this on the web… and decided to tackle it…. I am super proud of it..
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It’s entirely edible!! I made it out of bread!!!!
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one very last note.. you may want to re read I’m Thankful again…. I was afraid that I would leave some out and it turns out that I did….. and half of the paragraph about Scott disapeared… it made me sound heartless, really..
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so I have updated it smoooches!
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now.. head back to the future! it’s Cyber Monday! .
*for my mom and my dad ~or bringing me into this world, and for being there when I really ned them.. the advice & support that you both have given me ( the same btw) will guide me… thank you.. I love you both
* for my sista~ I’ve known you the longest and lord knows growing up was a challenge, but I love you dearly and wouldn’t change you for the world. you are simply amazing! SMOOOOCCH!
* for John, and Dick and Phyllis… for loving me like your own
*for my aunt~ a sweet woman with a huge heart and so much love. and an uncanny way of knowing the exact moment that I needed to talk.. and being that phone call
*for Scott~ married almost 24 years now, and although it has not always been easy, we are still here.. About to become empty nesters… With a whole lot of adventure in front of us . Just think… We may end up in an osteo bi flex commercial or something oxox
* for my oldest son, Jason~ the boy who changed my direction in life. I am SO proud of you and am thankful every day for what an amazing man that you have become..
* for my second child, Ryan~ who taught me in an instant that you can love 2 children with the same amount of undying love. For teaching me that you have to peel an onion so to speak to get to someones’ true self… never judge a book by its cover, the world is full of all types of people, and that its ok.. that there is NO obstacle in life that you can’t over come if you want to.. and that having a part of my heart across the country actually feels ok.. because I know he is happy and THAT makes me unexplainablly happy.
* for My Ali~ my ali…. Im thankful for the wonderful compassionate young woman that she has grown in to. I dont know of anyone else who thinks of others as much as she does. She will go far in life .. and be surrounded by people who love her… always
*for Amanda Sue~ Jason’s wife.. my wonderful daughter in law. I may not have given birth to her, but I love her like she is my own. She is a hard worker with a lot ahead of her and and amazing attitude.
*for Kim~ thank you for sharing Amanda with me
*for our grandparents~ gone too soon, this is a holiday that they are greatly missed, ( meme, pepe, papa, babchi, dzaciiek) but knowing they are in heaven looking down on us makes me smile :
* for my ‘shared ‘ sisters and brother … Krista, Bryan, Audra and Val… We may have grown up with different lives. But siblings we are .. And we’ll always have each other:).
* for Tian~ my exchange daughter from Hong Kong.. for opening my eyes to what life in China is like
* for my nieces and nephews~ watching them grow and become extentions of who we are is mind – blowing. It makes me think al the time about the circle of life… YOu are all amazing people and have bright futures ahead of you
*for my in laws- Linda and Pete… For helping Scott and I get a head start early in our marriage.. and all of your help along the way
*for Scott’s extended family~ I’m thankful that they raised a man with such drive and adimance… and with such love for his family
* for Erika~~ I love that I can just show up and have a cup of tea at your counter unannouced. and feel warm and welcomed and loved.. and I feel that i am an extended part of your family. I love Leah and Grif like they are my own.. it’s been a pleasure watching them grow…
* for Celia~ my closest friend that is so far away….. I love that you are in my life <;;3
*for Kara~ thank you for all of your help recently… it’s so nice to know that you have insight and can help talk me through some of this….. and the fact that we both love lunch doesn’t stink
*for my ‘ho’ friends~ you know who you are. I love that they have been there always for me, and they are proof positive that real relationships are not affect but distance. they have become some of my very best friends.. and I look forward to someday traveling the country to meet up with all of them…. these are truly wonderful ladies
*for my ‘old time’ friends~ the friends that I went years without seeing, or even in contact with… this past week has had me in awe of how many of you reached out to me and really care. It has had me thinking at length about old relationships. and times spent together .. and about how lucky I am to have had you all in my life. YOu are all a huge part of who I am today… I feel so blessed whenever I hear from one of you..
* for Ali’s friends…the really special ones that make me feel loved every day. Sara and emmy I love that you know that our home is your home… Thank you for making her smile.. And Colleen. Because you know how much I love you !!!!.. And Alyssa… Ali’s younger sister and my second daughter…I love you girls!!
* for my pup, Fenway~~ I just love her to pieces and no matter where I am.. she is *right there*
* for my grandpuppies, bruin & Kallie…. because they love me so much and I can;t wait to make them home made frosty treats
*for yoga~ yoga has brought not only a ‘peace’ to my life, but a biggest understanding that the path that we are on is exactly the path that we are supposed to be on.. don’t always knock the broken road.. that’s usually the one that is getting you to where you are supposed to go…
*for Bruce Springsteen~ yes I went there……. I love this man’s amazing voice, talent, poetry, etc…… as long as I live I could never explain what his music does to me… I swear it hits a little lost part of my soul… I am thankful that I always can turn to his music.. no matter my mood
*for my blog readers~ you are what makes me want to keep on writing… you comments always make my day and I am thankful that you take time from your lives to read whatever was on my mind today. This is what makes us friends
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and lastly…… I’m thankful for the moon. because throughout my life, it has always been there… and I know that wherever I am, wherever I may be.. I can always look up.. and have the moon with me… and know that each and every one of you, wherever you may be.. will be under the same moon. possibly looking up at it, and thinking of me <;;3
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happy thanksgiving, friends.
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here we are friends… Thanksgiving week. For some it is exciting, for some it is a difficult time of the year.
I have been on both sides if that coin throughout the years…I wish that I had advice for friends of mine having a tough time this year.. just know that I am thinking of you
If you have been following me for a while, or happen to know me personally, then you know that cooking Thanksgiving dinner is my FAVORITE thing to do in the world! To me it’s not a chore, it’s a privilege. The days leading up to Turkey day are just as much of a holiday for me as the actual day, You can read more about that HERE..
Today is the Tuesday before, which I have dubbed ‘ big shopping day’…. NO not he day where everyone comes out at 1 am in their pajamas and runs over fellow human beings also in the holiday ‘spirit’ in order to save a buck on GI joe…. I;m talking about the day that I get up very early, go shopping for all of the food that I will need to prepare my meal.
Being organized is key. If you know me then you know that organization … yeah… not so much for me, *I* am a multi-tasker. A multi tasker of epic proportions…
in fact, while I am typing this, I am doing laundry, wrapping Christmas presents ( the 2 that I have) talking to Ali, listening to some pretty music and bandaging up my finger.
All at once. So to calm my self to a place where I focus on *JUST* shopping for this one meal… it’s a challenge. But I work myself up for it… and each year I succeed.
early in the morning, the grocery store employees are really nice… not that they aren’t nice later in the day, but they are tired.. really tired. And who could blame them?
You also met other nice ‘early morning’ people… I met a lady this morning who went out of her way to tell me what a great buy the sweet potatoes were. And where to find them. I told her about the nutritional benefits of them, next thing you know, we were having coffee and we booked a trip to the Bahamas for a weekend retreat together.
just kidding. everything beyond the coffee part was silly…. but people can be so nice sometimes that it makes you remember why you are thankful.
***** she’s a- rambling again*****……. ok.. down to business.
on big shopping day, I don’t really do a lot of cooking.. a lot of it is prep….
I do make my CRANBERRY SAUCE….. ( which by the way the recipe was from my old friend Mr.s M who NEVER steered me wrong with a recipe.
A few years back, Scott and I decided to try to brine our bird. Brining does a lot of things…. the salt brings out the impurities, the flavor of what you brine with gets taken into the bird, and the salt helps hole the moisture , making for a very moist, delicious bird… But there is one extra benefit that we discovered after a few years of trial and error.
stick with me here….here is what is in my basic brine
Kosher salt ( very important to not use baking salt) I use Morton’s in the big blue box
Sugar… I used brown sugar
peppercorns
citrus… assorted.. have fun with it!
I onion, peeled & chopped
fresh thyme, parsley, sage, and Rosemary
In the past we have tried to mix the brine in a large bowl and keep in in the fridge…. one year we brined in the sink, taking turns to get up and add ice al night long ( to keep the temp cold enough.
then somewhere along the way, we learned about this….
to you it may look like a cooler, but for our turkey of the year, it is a deluxe bathtub…..
I start by boiling about a cup of water… add the salt and the sugar to the *clean* cooler then add the boiling water and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved.
cut the citrus in wedges and squeeze the juice in with the mix & drop the rinds right in there. Rough chop the herbs, dump the peppercorns and fill the cooler halfway with ice.
Next, rinse the bird ( by now you should have named him….. our bird this year is Theodore ) and careful submerge him in his custom made bath.
The only thing that is REALLY important here you need to keep the temp 38 degrees or lower… this is easy to do by adding ice cubes along the way… just use a thermometer .. because you are using a cooler, the temp stays more regulated than if you used a bowl or bucket… Just make sure that you put the cover on tightly…
Now here Teddy is, all soaking…and you may be wondering.. what are the cranberries doing in there???? Truth is… I ran out of ice and the temp wasn’t low enough…. but I did have an extra bag of frozen cranberries in the freezer……. so I added them, and presto, temp right where I wanted it to be
I usally brine for close to 48 hours. anything for 24 on is fine.
the other cool thing about using a cooler, is that it frees up space in your fridge! Teddy cam right from the store to his bath.. leaving my fridge open for all of the veggies that I look forward to preparing tomorrow!
sadly, after I got Teddy Bathing, I cut my finger pretty bad on broken glass in the basement.. timing couldn’t be worse.. So I’m slacking on a little bit of the prep work this afternoon and taking it easy….. but I have all of the necessary things to wrap and protect it, so I’ll be ok.. and full steam ahead in the morning!!
If you are cooking, have fun with it…. it you are a guest, have fun with that…. and if you are looking for a crazy after dinner tradition, come over to my house…. things get a little wierd Thanksgiving afternoon.
I can’t wait to share it all with you
be thankful <31
PST***** Happy Birthday to my litte sister, Jodie!!!!!! whoo hoot!!!
