Friday Frivvies

Friday's Feast
Appetizer: What is your favorite beverage? Strong coffee or iced tea
Soup: Name 3 things that are on your computer desk at home or work. Stacks of papers to grade, my digital camera and a picture of me holding my middle niece when she was a newborn. And millions of other things.
Salad: On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how honest do you think you are? I think I'm fairly honest with most people (9?) but I tend to try to hide the truth from myself (7).
Main Course: If you could change the name of one city in the world, what would you rename it and why? Well, now that I've finally learned to spell 'Cincinnati', none of them. I am one of those people who geeks out learning about the provenance of various names.
Dessert: What stresses you out? What calms you down? My current major stressor is trying to coordinate and deal with all the various and sometimes conflicting needs/wants of my family. That and the fact that every time I clean something or put it away, a small brown hand is always behind me undoing my work. I like playing computer games, especially time management type of games. I finally figured out why last night. Unlike real life, the conflicts are generally clean, managable, and stay put when I fix them.


Friday Fun: Yummies Edition
1. What is your favorite guilty pleasure yummy food? Chocolate, hands down.
2. It is snack time. What do you reach for? Chips? Ice cream? Something healthy? Depends. If it's the middle of the day, I try to grab something healthy. On the weekends I give myself license to eat less healthy food, although I sometimes still choose the oranges or clementines.
3. What is your ideal breakfast? Mmm...no calorie restrictions? Buttermilk biscuits with butter & apple butter or raspberry jam.
4. What are you craving right now? Well, buttermilk biscuits, if you must know the truth!

Friday Five

1. The Travis McGee series of mystery novels by John D. MacDonald is famous for always including a color in its titles, such as The Dreadful Lemon Sky, The Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper, and The Empty Copper Sea. What two or three similar titles could you give to events in your life in the past week? The Unbearable Blackness of Being, Pink and Brown: My Life As a Mom in a Multi-Racial Family.
2. The Kinsey Millhone series of mystery novels by Sue Grafton is famous for its alphabetical titles, such as A is for Alibi, K is for Killer, and M is for Malice. What two or three similar titles could you give to recent episodes at your workplace or school? H is for Homeschooling, F is for Fun, I is for Irritated
3. Margaret Truman’s murder mysteries are known for being set in and around Washington, D.C. with such titles as Murder at the Pentagon, Murder at the Kennedy Center, and Murder on Capitol Hill. What are two or three similar titles you could give to episodes of great inconvenience to you around your hometown? You know, I just can't think of anything right around here. I guess Traffic Downtown might be one for downtown Cincinnati, but I don't go there very often. 4. Susan Conant’s Dog Lover Mysteries often contain dog-related puns, such as A New Leash on Death, Paws Before Dying, and Dead and Doggone. If a series of books were to be written about your favorite hobby, what might some of the punny titles be? A Little Needling Between Friends (works for both quilting and knitting), Climbing the Family Tree (yes, very weak, about genealogy searching). Man, it's a good thing I don't do this for a living!
5. The Three Investigators series of juvenile mysteries often explores baffling phenomena that turn out to have perfectly reasonable explanations, such as The Mystery of the Invisible Dog, the Mystery of the Headless Horse, and the Secret of the Haunted Mirror. What would be a couple of similar titles you could give for the last few things that mysteriously disappeared from your possession? Sorry, other than things that get broken, I can't think of anything that has mysteriously disappeared from my possession. OH, wait! Let's see, The Mystery of Disappearing Lucy (the DVD from the library that has gone missing). Also, The Mystery of Why My Children Lose Library Books at Such An Amazing Clip. But I guess that's not quite what was intended.

Friday 5
1. What do you need? Friend Husband
2. What won't you share? I have 5 children. What is there that I don't share?
3. What do you hurry through? Housework
4. Who is worth waiting for? A great spouse
5. Friday fill-in:I can't bear to spend a long time cleaning something only to have a toddler or inconsiderate older child un-clean it in a matter of seconds.

Friday Fill-Ins
1. The last compliment I got was from my daughter. She said she liked my hair when I curled it and put it up last night for my date with Friend Husband.
2. I'm reading nothing right now, but I will start Richard Russo's Straight Man today.
3. I woke up today and thought, "Coffee. I need coffee."
4. Why does my son persist in his terrorist activities despite punishment from me and ostracism from his sisters?
5. The last thing I ate was a buttermilk biscuit last night.
6. January could be a lovely month if it would but snow.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to reading and knitting. Tomorrow my plans include grading papers and Sunday, I want to knit or quilt.

A recipe and Friday memes and musings

Here is a recipe for Betsy, as well as some commentary from last year when I put it up:

Anyway, when my mother died and I went back to her husband's house to try to clean out as many of our family "heirlooms" as possible, I hunted and hunted for Mamaw's meat grinder and spritz recipe.  On the last day we were there, I found the grinder.  The recipe I found didn't taste like I remembered, though.  I evenutally found one in Cook's Illustrated, which tasted exactly how I remembered Mamaw's cookies tasting.

Now, at least once a year, I drag out the (heavy) cast iron grinder and make cookies in honor of my Mamaw.  This past weekend was my once-a-year.  I took pictures, which I'll post for tomorrow's Wordless Wednesday, but here is the recipe, sans pressing instructions, for your eating pleasure.  You'll have to figure out the press thing on your own, since I've never made them successfully with a press.  Plus they don't taste like Mamaw's unless they're star-shaped.  So there ya go.

Spritz Cookies

1 # butter (the real stuff, please)

2 1/4 c. sugar

2 egg yolks

1 T. vanilla (yep, a full tablespoon)

1 t. butter flavor

4 c. flour

Cream butter & sugar.  Add egg yolks and mix well.  Add flavorings and mix well.  Add flour a cup at a time and mix until a uniform consistency.  I chill my dough at this point. 

Bake in a 375º oven for 8-12 minutes.  (The directions say 10-12 but 10 was too much for my oven.)  They should be pale, not brown.

Enjoy!  And think of Mamaw while you're at it.

Ok, now for the musings.  I've been thinking a lot lately about getting older and how bizarre it is, at least for me.  In my brain, I'm still about 27.  There are, however, many things around me which point to the fact that I am getting older at a previously unheard-of clip.  One is that I don't recognize movie stars, pop culture icons, movies, tv shows, etc.  I saw someone's Thursday Thirteen yesterday where she talked about 13 good-looking men.  I only knew three of them:  Sean Connery, Denzel Washington, and Antonio Banderis. 

I'm also noticing plenty of wrinkles these days.  The gray hairs don't bother me so much (except when they are on my chin) but the wrinkles do.  I've always had pretty decent skin and it was one of those things I took for granted (i.e. "I may be but-ugly but I still have pretty skin.") but now it's all baggy.  In fact, when I look in my mirror, I see my mother.  Now this is pretty freaky because I look like my father's side of the family but Mother is coming on out now.

I've also noticed how I just get irritated at certain things like clothing:  both fabric choices and design.  I won't say any more than that.

And finally, I just don't get some things, like why all the young mothers (of which group I am obviously no longer a member) are all about being all fashionable when I see them.  Now, I don't think that you should look frumpy just because you're a mama, but do ginormously pregnant women really need to wear tight clothes and stiletto heels?  Or heels with your cargo pants (and full face of makeup) to go to the library?  It's probably part and parcel of my latent hippie tendencies but I just don't see it as being an important part of my existence.

Ok, well, I guess I've yammered on enough.  Here's a meme for the day:

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What was the last game you purchased?  Um, for the computer, Cake Mania 2.  I don't know what the last board game I purchased was.  Oh wait, I do!  It was Made for Trade and Hail to the Chief at a yard sale this summer.

Soup
Name something in which you don’t believe.  I don't believe that feminists (and NOW) really represent the desires of most women in this country.

Salad
If you could choose a celebrity to be your boss, who would you pick?  Debra Winger or Reese Witherspoon.  I've heard that they're both pretty easy-going and good to their employees.

Main Course
What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way?  What wasn't a lesson I had to learn the hard way?  Let's see...the lesson to just wait long enough (and pray hard enough) and whatever is hurting you will pass.

Dessert
Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room. Perfect temperature, cozy furniture, snacks at the ready, and QUIET.

Friday Frivvies

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Say there’s a book written about your life. Who would you want to narrate the audio version?  Good grief, I have no clue.  Emma Thompson?

Soup
Take the letters from your favorite kind of nut and write a sentence. (Example: Perhaps every avenue needs understanding today.)  People eagerly canoodle at night.

Salad
If you could go back in time and spend one week in another decade, which decade would you choose?  Wow, the choices!  Part of me would like to go back to the week inclusive of the Battle of Bunker Hill (around 6/17/1775) and stand atop Penn's Hill with Abigail and John Quincy Adams to watch it.  Part of me would choose a week traveling with Jesus and the disciples.  Part of me would like to enjoy a week at the end of one of my pregnancies, probably the one with Abigail, because my life in general was so happy as opposed to when I was pregnant with Sarah and Rachel.  But perhaps I'd select the week in August 1997 when I visited my late, great mil's friends in Boston, went on a walking tour of Boston with an actress in role as Abigail Adams, went to Salem (and the House of Seven Gables), went to Braintree and the Adams Historical Site, ate unbelievably good pasta with garlic and shrimp, and went to Plimouth Plantation.  I think I was only there 2 ½ days but it was wonderful!

Main Course
Name a song that brings back memories for you.  Summer of '69.  Believe it or not, Bryan Adams was at the beginning of his major popularity back when I was in high school and this song was popular when I was a senior.  It just seemed to spell out a lot of the anticipation and disappointment that I felt I was on the verge of, graduating from high school.

Dessert
Do you prefer to wash your hands in cold water or warm water? Warm water unless I'm really hot, in which case cold is very refreshing.

Friday Fun

1. If you could have a day free of responsibility, and money were no object, what are 5 things you would do for yourself?

Wow.  Just a day free of responsibility would be amazing.  Um, probably sleep in in a quiet hotel, have a room service breakfast and watch TV for a while.  I'd take a hot, leisurely shower, get dressed, and then what?  I don't know...I can't conceive of it.  Go to the bookstore?  Go to a fabulous yarn shop and buy awesome yarn?  D) all of the above?  Yes, something like that.  I'd have Chinese for lunch and Indian for dinner and enjoy the quiet.

2. If you won $5 million, what are 5 things you would do with it?

Wow.  After tithing and saving some for future needs, I'd probably buy a slightly bigger house (hey, maybe I'd build one!) on land and some animals.  Yes, I am a boring person.

3. If you had only $100 to spend, what five things would you buy?

1) a skein of Wollmeise

2) a new skirt

3) some Fudgsicles

4) a new cable needle (mine's AWOL)

5)  a pint of black raspberry chocolate chunk ice cream

4. Name 5 books you would recommend to me!

The Bible

I Will Plant You A Lilac Bush

...And Women of the Club

Now You See Me

The Passionate Vegetarian

5. What are 5 things you wish you knew how to do?

Be nice to myself

Have self-control

Contain my anger

Manage my household

Read Hebrew and Greek

6. Name 5 things you love about yourself.

I am very loyal.

I can cook quite well.

I like helping people.

I have a curiosity about things that compels me to learn.

I appreciate when things are wonderful.

Friday Five

1. At the end of today, do you think you'll feel spent or refreshed?  Exhausted comes to mind.

2. Do you like back rubs?  Sometimes.

3. When did you last mislead someone?  I can't remember having done that in recent times.  I probably have but I can't remember it.

4. What color are your eyes?  Brown-green hazel, just like my brother's.

5. Friday fill-in:
Lastly, let me know this has been a lot of fun!  Thanks for the questions today! 

Friday Fill-In

1. I see dirt on this computer screen.
2. I hear the twins playing in the next room.
3. I touch the homemade wrist positioner next to my keyboard.
4. I taste hazelnut coffee.
5. I smell hazelnut coffee.
6. I sense that I don't have much more time before the twins are up to more mischief requiring my presence.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching movies, tomorrow my plans include knitting and grading and planning and Sunday, I want to sleep!

TGIF

1. What is the silliest thing you own?  The children?  Oh, I guess I don't own them.  A dollar-store crown and septer for my birthday.
2. What is the most important thing you own?  My Bible
3. What is the one thing you'd like to possess if money were no object?  a bigger house on some land out in the country
4. What is the one thing in your possession that you want to get rid of?  The Goodwill stack I've got going in my bedroom.
5. What item do you have the most of in your possession?   Books, followed closely by fabric and then spices (and no, yarn and children aren't even on the list!)