Pre-Debate Watch Party Prepping
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 | America The Beautiful | No Comments
Our casual, impromptu watch party prep is getting underway. I found a red wine called, “3 Blind Moose” at SuperTarget. Really, I think no political commentary is needed.
We are ordering pizza because I don’t have time to fix a feast.
But I did find a cool recipe from my 1972 Kraft Hostess Awards Recipe Book with fun themes from America’s Junior Miss Pageant winners. A New Hampshire Junior Miss that year held a White Elephant Swap theme and fixed Wilkie Buttons, a cheesy baked cracker. I think they look like buttons (or elephant snouts).
WILKIE BUTTONS
1 cup margarine
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream margarine and cheese until fluffy. Add flour and salt; mix well. Chill. Heat oven to 350. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly; make “buttonholes” with skewer. Bake at 350 10 to 15 minutes. (Makes 4 1/2 dozen.)
Donkey Dips could represent the arch-rivals to the Elephant items. Here is my favorite beer dip. For election flair, try Samuel Adams varieties. (Different beer types will alter flavor of dip.)
BEER DIP
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (.4 oz.) package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
8 oz. beer
Beat all ingredients together with electric mixer until well blended. Chill for several hours. Serve with mini pretzels or butter snap squares pretzels. (From Dining In In Kansas City, A Collection of recipes from the Greater Kansas City Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta.)
Here are some links for party ideas, though I think the debates will be entertaining enough.
My Ducky Birthday
Wednesday, October 1st, 2008 | Growing Old | No Comments
Let’s face it, after the age of 21, birthdays are a bit anticlimatic. Though it’s cute when my 7-year-old remembered my birthday first thing this morning. It took my youngest a bit longer to clue in. In fact, she really didn’t care much or make ANY special consignments. She was happy to play with her dollies all day, included when I wanted to nap.
I have a box with my chocolate birthday cake from our dinner at the Peppercorn Duck Club. Though the label on the cake says, “Happy Anniversary.” At least where were just two candles instead of a WHOLE bunch. You go to Peppercorn for the duck and sauces (though I ordered the beef ribs) and then you just eat half the $40 entree so you can gorge on the Chocolatte Bar (fancy name for great chocolate delights) and ask for the rest of your meal to go home with you. The leftovers then get placed in cute tinfoil-shaped ducks, a red rose is presented to each female (at the same time the bill is brought to the table) and then can pick out one chocolate-covered strawberry to top off the meal. That is the Peppercorn experience.
Even if my daughters ask me how old I am tomorrow, I can divert them with three beautifully wrapped ducks and the order of chocolate cake for breakfast. That’s called a good day after.
I think I have a crush on Michelle Obama
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 | America The Beautiful | 1 Comment
In fairness and remembering issues from my journalism classes, I should and will give equal opportunity to both parties campaigning this fall. I won’t divulge my voter preference yet, but I do think I’ve spent way more time than necessary sizing up the Republicans. I am tired of watching Sarah Palin. Though I do wonder what she’d look like with contacts and think, “don’t her glasses get steamed over when she walks out of heated buildings into the Alaskan air?” I mean it does get cold there, right? Does she have anti-fog glasses? I leave the serious Palin pondering to my friend, Kate.
I still think Cindy McCain would make a great dinner guest, though I don’t know how I could invite her and not her husband. Joe and John would have nothing to talk about except John’s several guest appearances on the Jon Stewart Daily Show. Maybe Joe and John could talk sports. (Joe found some great notes - from a collection of former Presidents’ writing on the subject of baseball from the Truman Library in Independence, Mo.) In a note dated March 26, 1975, speechwriter Orben wrote this for President Ford’s ad-libs for his presentation with a baseball season pass:
“There are a lot of similarities between baseball and politics. One of the worst things you can hear in baseball is: “You’re out!” Same thing in politics! . . . . .Politicians were saying WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR long before baseball fans ever thought of it!”
I don’t think we’ll have to worry about meeting the McCains any time soon. And that’s okay, for I have a new role model. I think she could be a great role model for all of America. Yes, it’s time to sum of my admiration for Michelle Obama.
But for the hairstyle Michelle wore on the night of her convention speech (too Sally Field, not there is ANYTHING wrong with Sally), I think Michelle is one class act. She’s smart and savvy and she relishes her role as a mother. She seriously seems like the mom you’d meet at the grocery store and could flip out datebooks or iPhones and set up a playdate for the girls. I just know my daughters would take to her Malia and Sasha.
Naturally, Barack’s campaign site has a bio on Michelle. She mentions her first job is being a mom to Malia and Sasha. That gets my vote for “mom of the year” not that I’m voting for just her, but I like her priorities. I like her style, her grace. She just seems regal and dignified, yet when prompted could just tell it like it is. I think she would be a good grounding for Barack and his future endeavors.
Michelle will be in Kansas City tomorrow, I’m scheming now on ways to see her in person.
Pressing Underarm Dilemma (or how to become European)
Thursday, September 25th, 2008 | Fashion | No Comments
Maybe those European women have it right: no deoderant and no underarm shaving. I’m thinking I’m digging that low-maintenance approach. I mean, it’s not like my exposed legs, which I can now neglect because I’m not wearing shorts everyday. Another reason to enjoy fall weather.
See, my pressing under-arm dilemma started when my mother, probably getting one of those e-mail FEAR LETTERS that stated there was a link to aluminum in anti-persperants and breast cancer. “Makes sense,” I said when she related her concerns to me. I didn’t see anything on my trusty Snopes site and so I went out to the market and hit the organics section.
The organics section is a post for another day. Suffice it to say, I found an apricot deodorant stick claiming to be “pure, natural & organic.” It looked pretty and was for sensitive skin. It didn’t have that nasty toxic sounding ingredient list.
But when I got my new stick of dynamite odor-absorbing glory home, I did notice the secret weapon was Zinc Rincinoleate, which sounded Swiss-made or something like those cough drops in that commercial with the yodelers on Swiss Alps. But, no, Zinc Rincinoleate is derived from Castor Beans.
Yes, those beans that surface in the news every while when idiots try to poison people with ricin, which is MADE FROM CASTOR BEANS. I used the deorderant for barely a week, thought about calling the poison hotline to make sure I wouldn’t have any issues other than skin sensitivity, and then just plain went cold turkey on using deoderant at all. I don’t think my family noticed.
But I could tell I wasn’t at my freshest. There was no apricot smell when I’d lift my arms. So, I Googled again and discovered that the Cancer Society wasn’t quite ready to say there was a link to antiperspriants and breast cancer. That made me feel better. So better that on my next trip to the store, I went back to that deorderant aisle intent on getting a commerical deorderant sans antiperspirant. I’d be semi-cautious and I was fine with people seeing me sweat. Maybe it would come in handy for negotiations.
“She’s sweating! Get Out of Her Way!” or “My, Look How Hard She’s Working, She Must Have Mowed the Lawn For Her Husband Again.” (Which would have been sort of true until I put the WRONG, UNMARKED “old and last year’s BAD gasoline” in the mower.)
So, anyway, I scan all six shelves of women’s girly, frilly, feminine scented “anti-persperants/deorderants” and not a single one was deorderant alone. It’s like it’s a sin in our society to have puddles under our arms or heaven’s forbid, white patches from using a brand that is not “clear gel” or a ozone-killing aerosol.
In the end, I had to succumb to the wetness protection factor and get anti-perspirant. I wasn’t ready to go back to “organic” and it’s even distant connection to killing agents. Instead, while shopping with the girls, I had to buy the “Degree Girl fun spirit” because it had “Exclusive Ashley Tisdale cover song download inside!” on the package next to Ashley face’s, which the girls saw from more than 100 feet away.
“Mom, you have to get this,” both girls exclaimed in their typical giddy shopping mode.
I just nodded. I knew I couldn’t sweat the small stuff — like smelling like “fun spirit.”
Setting up voice mail & other hi-tech operations
Wednesday, September 17th, 2008 | Not So Hi-Technology | 2 Comments
Okay, if you’ve noticed I’ve been very remiss in updating this site. I am not holding out that any media outlet will be paying me anytime soon to write for them. But I have my new friends on facebook and twitter and I just joined twittermoms today. (It’s a new social network for moms who use twitter, that program that has you answer just one question in 140 characters - “What are you doing today?” And I think they want to know what I’m doing besides the dishes and the laundry. Their tagline is: Moms who tweet: find, follow, lead, learn, love and share) I think I’m in that follow category.
And yesterday I got an iPhone as an early birthday present. Sorry, Verizon dude and your great network. I am breaking free of my PC background and embracing Mac (and at&t)! (There was a time when I swore by the Mac and then I married my PC-lovin’ husband and I started getting his hand-me-down computers. But I have been doing a little design work and I need the apple logic on my side. I need to be able to find files for heaven’s sakes.)
Yes, part of me wonders if I can justify having a phone with all the bells and whistles when I like don’t really go to meetings or have many pressing deadlines as a stay-at-home mom. But the other part of me, that geeky, want-to-be-in-the-know, Star Wars lovin’, Mac aspiring, not-yet-discovered writer, dapplin’ designer, twitterin’ mom and gadget girl wanna-be thinks, “Wow, this phone rocks! Who cares if I really don’t get a darn think done anymore I will always know what time it is in Jerusalem and can so effortlessly click my friends’ names and have the phone dial any one of their two or three numbers so I can tell them I’ll be 15 minutes late (although they already know that).
So once I’ve set up my voice mail or my “visual voicemail” whatever that is, I’ll return to write more frequently.
I think I have a crush on Cindy McCain
Thursday, September 4th, 2008 | America The Beautiful | No Comments
Normally, I don’t think much about First Ladies or prospective First Ladies. I saw Laura Bush and Jenna when they were in town for a book reading. But as a journalistic family we don’t contribute to campaigns so we must stay on the sidelines and out of fund-raising events where grassroots families just might hope to rub elbows with politicians.
And my status as a non-working — well I am working, just not getting PAID for it — housewife does not give me much cache to warrant time with well, anyone on the entire Atlantic Seaboard. Nevertheless, since this is the week of political intrigue, it’s not the Republican’s Vice President candidate Sarah Palin, who has me intrigued. It’s the would-be, could-be First Lady, Cindy, who seems to me just a bit bewitching.
I am always telling my husband that someone who I have just met reminds me of one of my 200 to 300 friends I’ve ever known (rough estimate, maybe high estimate since I really only have 70 friends on facebook. Er, here is your hint to go find me on facebook and become my friend!) It is really driving me crazy that I cannot quite figure out WHO I am reminded of when I see Cindy McCain.
She seems glam and classy, as well as she should when she’s coming out in a single, complete outfit that would pay our mortgage. She is a beer heiress and runs the family’s business, living in Phoenix, while her husband works in D.C. I can relate to running the house when a spouse is away for business. I respect their decision to keep their children’s lives as normal as possible. Their daughter, Meghan, seems well adjusted and has her own blog.
Cindy McCain has grace under pressure. See that cast on her right arm?
She got injured when she was shaking hands with a supporter in mid-August, aggravating a previous condition. Nine years ago she became addicted to painkillers after back surgery and went through treatment, she also had a stroke in 2004 due to high-blood pressure. She’s not quite had the charmed life, but she seems to be happy — as would any politician’s wife who’s seen their husband’s star rise to just votes from the White House!
But despite her flaws, she has been very philanthropic, similar in stature to Theresa Heinz Kerry, who was another First Lady hopeful four years ago. Even Snopes verifies the virtuous actions of Mrs. McCain. Her projects to eliminate land mines remind me of the well-regarded, late Princess Diana.
But as “Maverick” as Senator McCain is, I’m sure he’ll want no mention that his wife resembles a princess. How very unAmerican!
Cindy McCain and I have a connection, sort of. We were both in the same college fraternity. (It is a considered a sorority, but we were the first greek-letter fraternity know to women.) While I went to school in Manhattan (no, not that Manhattan, the one in Kansas), Cindy was at USC, so there’s no hope of seeing her at a college alumnae reunion.
But I think the real reason I like her, even thought I still cannot figure out WHO she reminds me of, is this image:
She’s holding Trig Palin, the infant son of VP candidate Sarah Palin, while Palin gave her speech at the GOP convention. I think Cindy McCain is a good, caring mother. That’s my standard for a person’s worth. I don’t know what she’d be like as a First Lady or if my crush is enough for me to vote for her husband, but I like her. I would really, really like to be her friend. I wonder if she has a facebook page?
Mascot Mania
Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 | Sports | 1 Comment
So here is our first report from our summer writing project. The girls and I wrote a letter to each mascot in Major League Baseball. There are 28 that we know of. And a few teams like the Dodgers, Yankees, Angels and Cubs do not have cute, lovable mascots — or at least mascots we could find from our research scanning the kids pages of MLB.com. And some teams, like the Reds (Gapper and Mr. Redlegs — who replaced the now-retired Mr. Red) and the Pirates (Pirate Parrot and Captain Jolly Rogers) have two mascots.
We wrote a letter to each mascot asking them a few baseball questions like: “Who is your best mascot friend?” and “What do you like to do to make the fans go crazy?” and “What is your favorite thing about baseball?” and “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Questions from a 6 and 3-year-old and maybe a question or two that I threw in as well.
This letter-writing campaign started when we were watching the Royals play the Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg in July. (We referred to that stadium as the Casserole Pot. It’s not much to look at from the outside and it’s got this cute little topper in the center of the roof, it just reminds me of my grandma’s casserole pots!) So, anyway, we’re watching the game in the dome (first dome game for me and the girls) and we see their mascot, Raymond, who is an Aardvark.
He comes down our aisle but doesn’t linger long enough for the girls to get hugs. See, a great baseball game at our house means one thing and one thing only — getting hugs from the mascots. The girls take mascots and fireworks at the ballpark for granted. Katie doesn’t realize that fireworks are shot off traditionally for the Fourth of July holiday, she thinks it’s the special privilege of ballparks.
So we must scan the crowds looking for Raymond.
“Where is Raymond? I don’t see Raymond. Can I have more food,” the three-year-old asks constantly.
Between innings, the Rays have their own heated running race between unusual objects. In Kansas City it’s the hot dog race between ketchup, mustard and relish, but in Tropicana Field it’s a bottle race. I cannot remember if there’s a racing orange juice or not. (Feel free to enlighten me on the bottle participants.) Anyway, the girls are glued to Raymond and are quite appalled when they see their new idol TRIP the water bottle.
“Why did Raymond trip the water bottle?” is the question we must field the rest of the game.
We do not have a good answer. The helpful guy seating in front of us who told us during the first inning that Raymond is in fact an aardvark mascot, cannot help us out either. We wonder if aardvarks have an aversion to water like cats do or something.
Then, in the eighth inning, the girls are excited to get a handshake from Raymond — donning his Rally Ray cape — on the way back from across the stadium after finding that the stingrays tank is closed. (The guy in the row in front of us warned us it was kind of nasty anyway.)
So with a glimpse of the Raymond/Rally Ray Raymond the girls are still concerned how a “superhero” aardvark mascot could get away with tripping a bottle race participant. I suggest we write a letter to Raymond. This in turn, becomes THE summer project of writing to ALL MLB mascots. We mailed out the letters the first part of August.
We are pleased to report that we have received letters back from five mascots, including Raymond of the Rays. Raymond writes: “I tripped the Bottle because he always wins. I try to let the other bottles win.” This seemed to satisfy the girls, as well as the accompanying stuff in the box of goodies. Raymond sent BamBams and two backpacks and stickers. The girls are now lifelong Raymond fans.
The Orioles Bird, who says his favorite thing about baseball is “the home runs and all the mascots” sent the girls instant tattoos, car magnets, Old Bay spice packets (very clever, I think) as well as the team’s schedule card.
The Phillie Phanatic living at the Citizens Bank Park, sent the girls an autographed copy of his birthday book along with an 8.5 x 11 “limited edition” photo card.
The girls have also received great letters from Dinger the Rockies purple dinosaur and Rangers Captain, the horse mascot of Texas.
Ranger Captain’s favorite thing about baseball “has to be hearing one of our players hit a home run. The sound of the baseball hitting the bat and then sailing into the stands is awesome.”
And Dinger says his favorite thing about baseball is the relationships. “All over the park you see Fathers and Sons, Husbands and Wives, Brothers and Sisters, First dates, and Best Friends enjoying baseball together.”
We think it’s a great relationship with fans when the mascots take the time to write back. It keeps the girls running to the mailbox daily.
Week 3 as a “Single Parent”
Wednesday, August 20th, 2008 | Our World | No Comments
The Update from our “home” office!
I am happy to report that my husband will be returning in four days. Then we still won’t see him much as he finishes his 75 Reds Book. But at least I won’t need to always try to be constantly converting the time to 13 hours ahead.
After two weeks, I have FINALLY figured out the audio settings on Skype that allows us to both see and HEAR Joe and vice versa. It is a wonderful world of gadgets and technology to allow us to be able to communicate with family on the other side of the world. Next project: Sign up for facebook, at my mother-in-law’s insistence!
Update to Springsteen concert. My friend in the music business is working on getting tickets and a recent e-mail had the words “99.9 percent sure” in them. Now, if the airlines could guarantee Joe’s flight time by oh, “50 percent sure” we’d be golden. Whatever time, Joe gets in, there’s a good chance Bruce will still be playing at the Sprint Center on Sunday night.
So, at dinner last night, the girls and I are continuing our research into China by watching the “Discover China: Bodacious Beijing” DVD. They were really interested in the sites, but could not stand learning that Chinese eat snake.
“I’d just eat the tofu,” Elizabeth said.
She even told her Dad via Skype that he’d better stick to tofu. I don’t think I could come up with better advice.
First Day of First Grade
Wednesday, August 13th, 2008 | School Daze | 1 Comment
My husband has beat me to writing about the first day of school, and he’s on the other side of the world. It wasn’t as sad for me this year to see her little gait toward the bus. She has been waiting for this day for awhile and loves the fact that she’s got a number in front of her grade!
Elizabeth and I were listening to “Abba” and songs from “Hairspray” before school. We were both excited for the chance to get back to work.
Elizabeth is a bit sad she’s only getting two recesses instead of three! And they are shorter recesses! (NOTE: Must blog about schools requiring more physical education and recess soon. The recommended time for a child to exercise each day is an hour, which most elementary students are probably not getting that amount. Maybe I need to get Elizabeth to help me clean the house after school, snack time and rest.)
China: Cultural Exploration
Wednesday, August 6th, 2008 | Our World | 2 Comments
So while we are learning that blogs are banned in China as well as any way to even say Google a map of China while in China,
we are enjoying learning about the country from afar in various media here in the States.
BOOKS: Elizabeth read all by herself Hu Yong Yi’s “Good Morning China,” and we love all of Jan Brett’s great illustrated books including “Daisy Comes Home” about a small girl and her happy hens in China.
I am currently reading a book on Chinese Mythology (lots of dragons and Gods and Goddesses that were sort of like Greek Gods but wore long gowns and wrestled or were born from dragons) and “To Live and Die in Shanghai.”
MUSIC: I’m listening to the 12 Girl Band. We got a copy of the CD from some visiting Chinese journalists a few years ago. It’s sort of like those Celtic Girls on PBS only more Eastern sounding. A sort of hipper acoustic sound but bordering on elevator music on a few numbers from the West. The CD cover is in both Chinese and English. Here’s a sampling of the English:
ROCK MUSIC ENTERTAINMEG LNC.
ALL RIGTHS OF MINUFAC TURER AND OF THE OWNER OF THE
RECORDED WORK RE SERVED UNAVUTHORIZED/COPYING.
HIRNG.RENTING.PUBLICPER FORMINCEAND BROADCASTING
OF THIS RECORDING IS PROHIBITED
(I give them credit for doing better than I ever could with learning Mandarin.)
MOVIES: I’ve read Yimou Yhang is a big director (at least more acclaimed internationally than in China) and Gong Li is a popular actress. So here’s what’s on the top of my Netflix queue. Click on each movies to read more about the titles.
(This last is for the girls. E is a big Jackie Chan fan.)