Giving Thanks

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Wishing you all over-sized plates of yumminess, elastic waistbands, tryptophan naps, games with friends and family and maybe a little football too, but, most of all, I wish you the the love and thanksgiving of friends, neighbors, family and strangers. May we all count our blessings for all we have and say prayers for those who may be struggling this year. Above all else, take time to consider what Thanksgiving means to you and be thankful in your heart. Give back your time, money, prayers...whatever you can, whenever you can, to those who need us now because, in an instant, we could be in their shoes. Never take for granted the blessings bestowed upon you. Thank God, thank your family, your husband or wife, your kids, your friends....everyone who helps you smile, laugh, love, cry and cherish your life a little more than before.

I am thankful for all of you, taking the time to read this! I wish for you all a day of rest with loved ones, to take a step back and remember how Thanksgiving used to be and to make time to slow down our busy, modern lives enough to enjoy the simple things.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Drive, Drive on Down the Field...

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GO BUCKS!!!

A Very Weird Night

He's 17. And I'm a perv, apparently.

So there I was, sitting in a crazy-packed theater last night, watching Twilight with my date (Momma) and all of a sudden, I feel sick. Really sick. Like...barfy sick. There's about 45 minutes to the start of New Moon and I feel like barfing. Great.

I went to the rest room. I came back. I went out for fresh air and a cold water. Nope. Still close to barfing. Came back and told Momma some seriously crap news...I had to go home. Yes. Before New Moon had even begun. Yippee.

Because we're pretty crazy fans, I had my darling husband pick me up and bring me home, so Momma could stay to watch it (serious time was invested, people!) The kindest girl at AMC Lennox let me exchange my ticket for any show I wanted...so at 11:55 a.m. this morning, Momma and I went to see New Moon! Finally! And yes, she saw it again without a complaint (really, watching a shirtless Taylor Lautner is a pretty pleasant thing...pulling teeth and/or begging was entirely unnecessary.)

So Yay! That was my morning and, even though last night was almost a complete bust for me, I'm just happy to report two things: 1. 1 think it's a million percent better than the way Twilight was done and 2. I hate to say it but Kristin Stewart is a mouth-breather. And really. Not such a great actress. Oh it pains me to say that because I'm fairly certain all fans really want her to be so much better than she is, but alas. She's not a good actor. Not at all. Paint drying would generate more of a palpable response. (God help me if she ever reads this blog...Kristin, I'm sorry, but really. You're pretty bad. Invest your money well and live a great life. Milk it for all it's worth and laugh all the way to the bank. I'll buy you a beer if you're ever in Ohio because I swear I'm not a bitch. You're just really that bad.)

The moral of this story is...I married my "Edward", who would never abandon me in my time of need. Go Team EveDan!

Circleville Pumpkin Show

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Yay! I love pumpkins! And corn dogs!

Years and years ago, my love and I ventured out to the Circleville Pumpkin Show for the very first time. Sucker that I am, I wanted to play a game. D. didn't want to waste money on crappy carnival games, but settled for my playing the goldfish/ping pong ball game...you know, the one where you have to land a ping pong ball into a little fish bowl and, if you do, you win a goldfish? Long story short, we walked away with not one, but TWO goldfish! It was the last day of the event and I think I can explain our "good luck" like this: 1) the guy felt badly that I had done so terribly, that he gave me another chance to win and I won. 2) It was the last day of the event. I don't think those goldfish were doing so hot. 3) I squealed like a 5 year old when I won. How could carny guy resist my charms?

We went home that day with the newest addition to our little family, Fish and Chips. Wouldn't luck have it that those fish lived for YEARS? Poor Chips died, though, leaving us with a fish named Fish. How original. Then we lost Fish and D. has forbidden me from ever playing the goldfish game. Wise decision, very wise indeed!

Soul Food

{Litlnemo's Grandma's Pumpkin Pie Recipe}

I come from a long line of soul foodies -- grandmas, grandpas, parents, aunts, uncles and a sister who cook not merely to feed your belly, they cook to feed your soul. I have early memories of both of my grandmothers cooking for Sissy and me. To this day, I still will have "bites" of my mom's food, right off of her plate, because I swear it tastes better than if I had my own. I remember Sissy growing her own radishes when she was about 5 and having to scoot a chair to the sink to wash them. I have more food memories than time to retell them. Food is more than food to me. When it comes from my family, it's true soul food.

Now, it's no secret that I don't cook much. I love LOVE to bake, but I just don't cook - partly from semi-rational kitchen fire fears and partly because I don't understand the basics. My mom and sister are what you'd call "garbage cooks". They can whip up a 5-course gourmet meal from whatever they have on hand. It is completely amazing to witness and even better to sample. Me? I need a recipe.

But what happens when I have a recipe is nothing short of magic. I'm fearless. I get it. I just need scientific precision in the kitchen or I'm not tempted to try (though you'll be proud to know I didn't measure my spices for Beef Burgandy...that was all pinches and dashes. Very proud.)

The one part that I played in the orchestration of my bridal shower was to ask each lady invited to share their favorite recipe with me, to become part of my first, my own family recipe album. Not only did so many dear ladies contribute, but many recipes came from overseas. The ones that really got me, though, were the photocopies of recipes from my grandmother's and my great aunt's kitchens, written in their hand. They were the ones that made me cry. Who knew a recipe for fish fry breading could be charged with so much emotion?

Now, thanks to the completely amazing women in my life, I am armed with my more than 2-dozen recipes and am determined to learn to cook for the soul, too. With a gift like that, who needs presents?

Drying For Freedom, A Film About Clotheslines

Laundry in the Back Yard via Flickr

Apartment Therapy has a good write-up and video snippet on the documentary Drying For Freedom, A Film About Clotheslines that I found interesting. It's all about promoting clothesline drying and cold water washing to reduce energy consumption, being driven by Project Laundry.

I've been talking for ages about wanting to line dry again (when I was a kid, we line dried our clothes whenever Ohio weather would allow us.) Nothing smells as lovely as line-dried clothing, not to mention how unbelievably more responsible it is.

Now, imagine for a moment that you're not allowed to line dry your clothing? Really think about it.

Taken from the "Right to Dry" Campaign: "Community covenants, landlord prohibitions, and zoning laws are the three primary means of stopping people from using clotheslines. State, local, and federal legislators are encouraged to introduce "Right to Dry" legislation to stem this growing problem; government executives and commissioners are encouraged to act by executive order or rule-making. It is time for Americans to re-claim their rights and shine the sun on common sense solutions."

So let me ask you: How do you feel about line drying laundry? If you already do it, what advice would you give to those considering it? If you don't, what would it take to convince you to start?


Did you know that almost 6% of residential electricity consumption goes to your clothes dryer? That's appalling, actually.

For We Servantless American Cooks

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I had the best day yesterday. It started with a homemade hazlenut iced coffee, Tommy Dorsey in the car and off to see Julie/Julia with mom. Sure, I had a dress needing a new zipper and hemmed, but chores needed to wait. It was girl time and we had so much fun!

The movie theater was nearly empty, given it wasn't quite noon, but bless them, we're pretty certain we were the youngest people in there. What a nice change -- not a pip or a ring or a cell phone screen light anywhere in sight! (We mostly frequent the theater adjacent to OSU campus. Oh what a joy that is...ugh.) The movie was endearing -- especially the "Julia" storyline. You really just fall in love with her. Meryl Streep did an amazing job. The "Julie" storyline? Well. It was OK. At times, Julie seemed to grovel and took on a bit too much self-loathing for my taste. In more than one scene, I wished her husband to keep his mouth shut *while eating AND in general. But don't let that stop you from seeing it. It's well worth it!

Now. I'm no cook. I'll bake and candy-make anything under the sun, but when I was a kid, I had a bit of a kitchen fire and it put me off of cooking completely. Honestly, I want to learn and get creative and make delicious things. I have a great collection of vintage recipe books and everything, but I just can't seem to take that first leap. Until now. Julia Child has inspired me.

This Sunday, it's Boeuf Bourguignon, to honor my grandpa (because it was his favorite and ate it every day he and my mom were in France.)

And I'm not going to tackle just any Boeuf Bourguignon...non, mes amis. It's going to be Julia's famed Boeuf Bourguignon, thanks to Random House/Knopf Doubleday, the recipe is here for the world to try. I took that as a sign to get off my keister and give it a go.

(Below, I've linked their PDFs taken directly from Mastering the Art of French Cooking)

· recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon (beef burgandy)

· recipe for Champignons Sautés au Beurre (mushrooms sautéed in butter)

· recipe for Oignons Glacés à Brun (brown-braised onions)

I hope that your weekend is filled with adventures, in the kitchen and out.
Let us all be fearless! Bon appétit!

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{edit: What are the odds that I just got my Martha Stewart newsletter via email and they're featuring Julia Child's Beef Bourguignonne recipe? Take THAT, Martha!}

Like a Fine Wine...

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It's coming, you know. My birthday. The Big 3-0. As I know that is a perfectly acceptable age, I must be frank for a moment and say this: Where has the time gone? My mom told me this would happen. I just thought it would happen later. Much later...akin to gray hairs. So much for that, as it looks like both are here for the duration. (Though my stylist sister and sunblock have done wonders in artfully concealing both!)

So rather than wallowing in self-pity, I am embracing my birthday fully, with grace, and for all the best reasons:

1. I've been blessed with another healthy year of life.
2. It's certainly better to be turning 30 than 18, 21 or 25 (and it takes a certain age to understand why.)
3. I'll be 30 when I get married.
4. I'm younger now and forever will be younger than D. (hee hee)
5. I've been blessed to have had the chance to be friends with both of my parents and apologize for the childish, ridiculous and sometimes bad things I did when I was young.
6. I am even more blessed to have had their forgiveness.
7. I've learned to understand the difference between wishes and dreams and how to turn them into reality.
8. I can look back on my 20s, laugh and let go.
9. I've accepted that I'll never be perfect, but neither is anyone else and that's just fine with me.
10. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I'm going to make the most of my 30th year.

And so I'm throwing myself a party in the back yard that D. has worked so hard to make beautiful, with a few people who's company I enjoy more than anything. I can't wait :)

Uncool in the very coolest way possible.

"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is
what you share with someone else when you're uncool."
-- Almost Famous

P.S. If you're local to Columbus and could give some old vinyl a new home or purpose, please let me know. I have about 100 records that need to go (mostly organ music, thanks to an auction lot I won a few weeks ago.)

New Sewing Table/Desk

What do you think of my new (to-me) ex-desk-now-sewing-table? Isn't it a gem? Best part? $5 at a local auction. Oh yes. All she needs is a new coat of paint and maybe some new hardware.

A Little Blue

Don't worry about me...I'm feeling peachy. It's my office that's looking a little blue :) Oh yes, the first big step to home office bliss was taken over the weekend and I could literally squeal I'm so happy.

Initially, I had plans to go out-of-town for the weekend, but they had fallen through. D. suggested we go to pick up paint in the shade I wanted and I thought it was a grand idea, so on Friday, we popped over to Sherwin Williams, and with Aviary Blue for the win, we came home with a gallon and set to edging out the room. After a bit, we were right at that crossroads of "keep going and skip dinner" or "eat something and finish later." We opted for the latter, cleaned up, went to dinner and he treated me to a movie (Angels & Demons...I liked it. I'd give it a B+). What a great night!

So...onto the rest of the weekend. As I mentioned, the out-of-town plans fell through, so my mom treated my sister and I to the *perfect* girls' day out on Saturday, with massages, a great lunch and window shopping in Grandview and the Short North. Now. Do you suppose D. waited for me to get home to help finish my office painting? Nope. The man painted the entire room by himself as a surprise. Can you believe that?! I am over the moon, seriously.

Oh no, that's not it. To make it even more spectacular, on Sunday, we made a trip down to Ikea and bought two new shelves and four baskets for my office (and dined on Swedish Meatballs and lignonberries, too, of course.)

And here I sit. Office in complete disarray, but my computer plugged in nonetheless. D. to be home in a half hour. The potato casserole I made to donate to my church's homeless shelter dinner cooling on the counter. The sun in shining. You can hardly begin to understand how much I needed a weekend like that. I feel renewed of spirit and this office makes me feel creative again. Isn't it amazing what a coat of paint can do for a person?

Here's a sneak peek -- pardon the mess and the seriously horrible desk and plastic drawers. One does what what must :)

I can't wait to put together my new shelving! This room is finally not going to embarrass me!

My Friday Night Fun-ness

Sometimes it's really fun living in our trendy urban Columbus neighborhood. On Friday, we took a stroll down to the brand-spanking-new Huntington Park baseball stadium, watched the Clippers play at a sold-out game, ate a tasty bratwurst, enjoyed the most perfect weather imaginable, walked to the Short North, grabbed a beer and a bite at a fantastically mellow local pub with a great eclectic mix of music playing (MGMT to the Rolling Stones) and took our time strolling home. People were out and about, enjoying the night, shaking off the chill of winter. Patios were filled everywhere. I was wearing a shirt I haven't worn since the summer and felt pretty. It was one great date :)

Not bad for iPhone shots!
{Huntington Park Stadium, Columbus}

MOST EGG-CELLENT!

My sis and I have always had a love of dying Easter eggs. This year was no exception. She had us over for an egg dying extravaganza AND dinner! Just a little something she whipped up...whole wheat pasta with a cream sauce with shrimp, onion, mushrooms and a load of perfectly-selected spices and other stuff that worked like magic on one's taste buds. (Like I've mentioned in previous posts...she got ALL of mom's genes in the home chef department!)

Check out the glorious brights we achieved this year. Paas has nothing on us! Sure, we triple-dipped and saturated these little puppies (er, chickens? Eww.) for a veeery long time, but wow did they come out well or what?! Aside from the odd egg factory processing roller marks, I think they are pretty perfect, as far as Easter eggs go :)

Friggatriskaidekaphobia!

I've always got a kick out of superstitious people freaking out over Friday the 13th and how the fear started. Clearly, I don't have friggatriskaidekaphobia -- the fear of Friday the 13th...after all, D. and I are kicking off married life together on a Friday the 13th this year. Though some people have certainly given us some weird looks when we tell them our date, I explain the sentimentality of November 13th to them from my perspective and they get it (but probably still think it's a little weird.) No. We're not wearing Jason hockey masks, not dancing our first dance to the droning midi sounds of the theme song to the movie, nor will this be a goth wedding, but I have been thinking about ways to subtley give a nod to the "bad luck" day...lucky rabbits' feet, perhaps? Maybe if it wasn't so gross.

So, for all of you non-phobics like me out there, happy Friday the 13th! Here's a great article from Yahoo! all about the subject.

If Friday the 13th is unlucky, then 2009 is an unusually unlucky year. This week's Friday the 13th is one of three to endure this year.

The first came last month. The next is in November. Such a rare triple-threat occurs only once every 11 years.

The origin of the link between bad luck and Friday the 13th is murky. The whole thing might date to Biblical times (the 13th guest at the Last Supper betrayed Jesus). By the Middle Ages, both Friday and 13 were considered bearers of bad fortune. In modern times, the superstition permeates society.

Here are five of our favorite Friday-the-13th facts:

1. Fear of Friday the 13th - one of the most popular myths in science - is called paraskavedekatriaphobia as well as friggatriskaidekaphobia. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13.

2. Many hospitals have no room 13, while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor and some airline terminals omit Gate 13.

3. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would not travel on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13 guests at a meal. Napoleon and President Herbert Hoover were also triskaidekaphobic, with an abnormal fear of the number 13.

4. Mark Twain once was the 13th guest at a dinner party. A friend warned him not to go. "It was bad luck," Twain later told the friend. "They only had food for 12." Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest.

5. The number 13 suffers from its position after 12, according to numerologists who consider the latter to be a complete number - 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus, 12 days of Christmas and 12 eggs in a dozen.

Pythagorean legacy

Meanwhile the belief that numbers are connected to life and physical things - called numerology - has a long history.

"You can trace it all the way from the followers of Pythagoras, whose maxim to describe the universe was 'all is number,'" says Mario Livio, an astrophysicist and author of "The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved" (Simon & Schuster, 2005). Thinkers who studied under the famous Greek mathematician combined numbers in different ways to explain everything around them, Livio said.

In modern times, numerology has become a type of para-science, much like the meaningless predictions of astrology, scientists say.

"People are subconsciously drawn towards specific numbers because they know that they need the experiences, attributes or lessons associated with them, that are contained within their potential," says professional numerologist Sonia Ducie. "Numerology can 'make sense' of an individual's life (health, career, relationships, situations and issues) by recognizing which number cycle they are in, and by giving them clarity."

However, mathematicians dismiss numerology, saying it lacks any scientific merit.

"I don't endorse this at all," Livio said, when asked to comment on the popularity of commercial numerology. Seemingly coincidental connections between numbers will always appear if you look hard enough, he said.

* Top 10 Conspiracy Theories
* News and Information about Superstitions
* Urban Legends Debunked
* Original Story: 5 Facts About Friday the 13th

The Engagement

{The happy couple}

It recently occurred to me that I haven't shared anything on our engagement!

Here's the story...along with some photos from our engagement "photo shoot" (courtesy of my fabulous sister/MoH!)

August 2008. D. and I took a weekend to spend at my grandparent's old house on Lake Erie where I grew up. After work on Friday, we drove up, went to the beach, had dinner, relaxed and prepared for a great Saturday in the sunshine. The next day, we swam, sunbathed, snacked, then went back to the house to get cleaned up for dinner on Put-In-Bay. My uncle and cousins were at the house for the weekend too, so we said our hellos and walked to the Miller Ferry - a gorgeous coastal walk from the house. The weather was perfect, the ferry ride romantic and nostalgic. We had a blast at PIB, pizza at Frosty's, a beer and billiards at Tony's, a little shopping, then took the last ferry back.

{And he proposed to me when I looked like that...now that's love!}

It was already dark by the time we docked, so we stopped for ice cream cones and started the walk home. It was one of those perfect summer's nights. The mosquitoes weren't biting, there was a slight breeze off of Lake Erie and you could see every star laid against the velvety blue sky. We were just walking past Bolte's Beach, which is a beach without sand, but rather has a beach made of smooth rocks. D. suggested we stop off and throw rocks into the lake. We walked down in the dark and looked for good skipping stones or ones that would make a good splash. After about 15 minutes or so, he says to me, "Hey, look. I found you a good rock." And as I turned to see him in the moonlight, I saw the ring box in his hand. I said, "Is that what I think it is?" And he said, "Yes...do you want it?" I said yes with a big, nervous smile on my face and then he asked, "Will you marry me?" I freaked out and said yes and we hugged and laughed and then I opened the box and put on my amazing engagement ring. There were lots of happy tears, too! (Honestly, I was a blubbering fool, but there was no controlling that surge of emotion!) That was the most magical night, that perfect summer night on Lake Erie.

{Miller Ferry dock, Put-in-Bay. Lake Erie}

{Gratuitous ring shot}

Snow Day!

Bubs and I went sledding a couple weeks ago and had a blast! Snow is fun! That's me, the snow angel. The other is Bubs and his super cutie niece Lily (our Flower Girl and my birthday "twin"!)