40 Years of Tradition - A Fond Farewell

This has to do with chili. I've been using the same recipe since we were first married and was flabbergasted when the family's response to a new recipe was overwhelmingly positive. Who woulda thunk it? I tried it because it's more Weight Watchers friendly than my usual recipe and because I just need to change it up sometimes. I warned everyone about the change, worried that the addition of jalapeno was going to make everyone hate it. Again, surprised. I had almost no leftovers.

The recipe comes from Bon Appetit - how long ago, I don't know.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large red onions, chopped
1 jalapeno chili, chopped (they included seeds, I seeded it)
8 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 pounds lean ground beef
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
28-oz can of diced tomatoes in juice
2 15-oz cans kidney beans, drained
14-oz can of beef broth

Garnishes: sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, chopped cilantro

Saute onions in olive oil until they're brown - about 6 minutes. Add jalapeno and garlic, saute another minute. Add ground beef and brown, breaking meat up with a fork as it cooks. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for about 45 minutes.


(I'm inputting this recipe from memory, so if I've made errors, I'll correct them when I get home.)

Book Series

I can get a little manic about reading a book series in order. When a panicked mom stands in front of me at the reference desk, tearing her hair out because book three of her kiddo's favorite series is in, but he hasn't read number two yet, we don't have it, and he won't read them out of order, I side with the kid. Then every once in a while I throw caution to the wind and just read the book that's at hand, no matter where it stands in publication order. And it always bites me in the butt.

I realized that this week, not while reading the seventh book in Alexander McCall Smith's Scotland Street series, but in reading the first one. Bertie Plays the Blues enchanted me, gave me respite from the chaos that reigns here most of the time. It was new. It was on the shelf. It came home with me and I devoured it. Hmmm. Had I read any others in that series? Went back and looked, and no, so let's get number one. I spent so much time trying to remember what each character was doing in number seven and I almost missed the charm of number one, titled 44 Scotland Street. Finally, I reined myself in, reminding myself that I never remember endings of books anyway, so I can always go back and read it again to put things in order. But I'm not doing it again. Until next time.

The lure of garden tomatoes is so strong. We've had three ripen, with about 20 more on the vine, most of them very green. I don't suppose it does any good to stand out there and try to shame them into ripening, but the idea's tempting!

And our pool is down. A cat-claw puncture meant it wasn't holding air for long. A new one, a little bigger, is on it's way. So we're without a pool until next weekend. We'll survive, and have something to look forward to!

Happy Birthday to Me

This is a much less public way to say thank you to all of you for your birthday wishes. I feel very loved and cared for - I hope I can do the same for all of you.

In spite of having to compete with Groundhog's Day and the Super Bowl (thank you, Scott, for what I think is sympathy), I have a pretty laid-back, me-oriented day planned. Jim made breakfast; we're skipping church because we still have a super-cough in the house; we'll have lunch at Bad to the Bone (bbq). In between I think I might scrapbook, I'll probably knit, and I'll watch self-indulgent tv.

I just finished a really good book - The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted by Bridget Asher. I guess it was kind of like a Nicholas Sparks book without the gut wrenching. The heroine is a widow with a young son who is still wrapped up in her grief two years after her husband is killed in a car crash. Her family tries valiantly to help her overcome her grief with little effect until she returns to the family home in Provence, where circumstances intervene in her return to happiness. The device of a house as healer is a little contrived, but the author manages it very well. I felt a strong desire to have such a place of my own.

Thank you again for the birthday wishes. Maybe turning 63 isn't so bad, after all.

Another Book Review

Just One Evil Act by Elizabeth George

I'm finding I prefer Elizabeth George's earlier books better than the last couple I've read. Her writing is just as good, the settings are different. Basically, she's evolved, I haven't. Her characters have become old friends to me, and she succeeds in adding depth to them with every book. However, after eighteen books, the stories move more into the circle of the newer characters, which I'm certain will keep her series going but makes the series less interesting to me. If one of you has not read any of her books, I'd recommend you do, starting with the first in the series, A Great Deliverance.

That being said, the story here was complex and moved forward well. I would recommend it for people who are more into thrillers than straight mysteries.

I've not been the only one reading around here lately. Christian and I started on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for bedtime reading. Mackenzie still doesn't care much for chapter books, but she likes to read aloud to anyone who will listen.

Book #3 - Longbourn by Jo Baker

I am a "usual" Jane Austen fan - I enjoy her books, loved the movies based on them, but not really able to discuss her writing, etc., with any real knowledge. When I read about "Longbourn," I was looking forward to retelling of one of my favorite stories from a different point of view.

	That being said, I didn't love this book. As a different point of view on a familiar story, I was ready to like it, but it seemed like the author was just intent on letting us know how hard servants had to work and just how dirty life in the early 19th century was. Having hit us over the head with that, she took well-known and loved characters and almost took the life out of them.

Books #2 - Stella Bain

This was not at all what I expected - enjoyed it thoroughly. The main character is a woman on the battlefront of World War I. She is injured and has lost her memory. The story of how her memory returns and how she deals with the realities of her life were fascinating. There were so many topics the author drew together: spousal abuse, post traumatic stress disorder, women on the battlefield. It was a very modern story, not at all a period piece.

Christmas Gifts

The best gift I got this Christmas wasn't under the tree. It didn't even arrive on Christmas Day. I don't usually share much about how our day-to-day lives go, but most of you know it can be a little hairy sometimes. A lot of people, a few problems, some necessary boundaries - it's sometimes hard to keep it all under control. I try to capture the high points and to share the fun times we have. It helps me deal with the rest of it.

I imagine all of us have that wish for an Ozzie and Harriet kind of family life, even though we know it's an unrealistic expectation. Honestly, it would probably be kind of boring, and as we know, the Nelsons didn't even have it. One of my little secret sorrows has been that building our family the way we did, we weren't able to create that cohesive feeling that I share with Mom, Ed, Mike and Scott. No matter what, we always pull for each other. I haven't seen that in my kids. There may be very good reasons for it, but for my kids, it really isn't there. In some ways, it's like separate families living under the same roof.

But something's changed. It may be because of Christmas, but I think the effects will last. Christian and Mackenzie were so excited about James coming to visit, and with everyone trying at least a little, it turned into a grand visit. When James arrived, Christian hugged him so hard he lifted him off the ground. And James didn't mind. Gil put himself out to include Christian in some of his treats for James, which made Christian feel wonderful. Gil relaxed enough to spend a little bit of time just talking. He looked better and acted happier than I've seen him in a long time. He and Rosanne actually had conversations at the dinner table - and that is not at all the usual.

So the best gift I got this Christmas was family, and fun, and a feeling that maybe we haven't done a bad job at all. Wherever it came from, thank you!

Have A Little Faith - Review (Sort of)

Mitch Albom is one of those authors that I've tried to avoid, just on principle. From the comments made by friends, his book seemed like they were going to be overly sentimental, not an area I go into very willingly. But I decided it was unfair to not even give him a try, so I downloaded one of his books from the library and dove in.

It was wonderful. He writes about two men of faith - a rabbi and a pastor in Detroit who works with the homeless - and about his relationship with them. The book was an examination of faith as experienced from two different directions, and I emerged from the reading wanting to know both of these men.

I'll definitely be reading more of Albom's books. Guess I should listen to people more often!

2014 Reading Challenge

In 2014 I am not challenging myself to read 100 books. I am challenging myself to read every book I select with more care. I am challenging myself to review every book I read, at least to make one or two comments about it. I am challenging myself to ready as many non-mysteries as I do mysteries. I am challenging myself to read one chapter of Dickens (I really like his books) a day. And I'm challenging myself to pay attention to the book recommendations of friends and family.

So what reading challenges are you making for 2014?

A Happy New Year to You All

This poor little blog has been so neglected. In the last months family news has pretty much been shared on Facebook, and I haven't had the energy to put my thoughts in order to post here. I think the original motivation for the blog is no longer there, or at least something has changed. Not sure yet. There's a good possibility that I'm going to let it go, but haven't decided yet.

But for tonight, I want to wish you all a wonderful, bright 2014. This year hasn't been the easiest for any of us, I think, but there's been a lot of joy in it. When all is said and done, we all came through pretty healthy and probably about as happy as we let ourselves be. I am so grateful for having a loving, supportive family - I've seen friends that aren't so blessed. So I treasure every memory and every word and every opportunity we've had to be together, be it in person, on the phone or via the Internet.

So celebrate the rest of the season and know that I love you all.

The Case of the Velvet Claws

Did the rest of you read Perry Mason books? I think I read my first one after I'd read all the Agatha Christie books I could get my hands on at the liquor store - my one source for buying books as I remember. They had one of those paperback spinners - I have no idea what other kinds of books they had in there - but I remember getting my mysteries there.

I have a special project going at the library right now - repairing and putting new covers on the Erle Stanley Gardner collection. It's been great fun going through them all. We don't have a complete collection, but what we have came from the author's personal library. His wife donated them after his death. They're pretty fragile, but they circulate regularly and we do our best to keep them glued together. Prices are astonishing - the cover price on one of them was $1. The covers can be pretty lurid, like old Police Gazette covers.

I'm always looking for new series to read, so I think I'll start this one to see if I still enjoy them. The Case of the Velvet Claws is the first, published in 1933. I'll let you know how it goes.

Jim Jones, Brother to Grandad Jones

I might be behind everyone else on this, but I think I've found Grandad Jones' brother Jim. The last story I heard was that he disappeared when their mother took off. If I have my links correct (and I'm pretty sure I do), he showed up in Oklahoma and married his stepfather's niece, Lena Mayfield. They were married for about 14 years and had five children. Unfortunately, he left Lena and disappeared, so after the divorce decree, I haven't been able to get any further. I'm going to do some more poking around in other family trees to see if I can find pictures, etc. If there's anything I'm missing, be sure to let me know.

June

Summer is here.  How do I know?

Tomatoes

Zucchini

Christian's Birthday

Happy summer, everyone!

A Week Well Spent?

I'm halfway through my "stay-cation" and figured it's time to evaluate. My original intention (ha, ha) was to tackle house projects: cleaning cupboards, sorting through paperwork - you know the kind of stuff. But has that happened? Oh, no. I've nearly finished a baby afghan, read some books, took naps. The house looks pretty much the same. I have come to the bottom of my seemingly endless book stash, which means a fresh start when I'm back to work. I am feeling better, so that says a lot.

But my major project of this week has been genealogy. The computer keeps beckoning, and I've found myself sneaking away while everyone else watches tv to do "just a little more." I found some organizing tips online, and slowly, but surely, things are taking shape. Ancestry.com is great, but it is so tempting to just follow the "leaves" without digging any deeper. My challenge has been finding ways to do the digging with any level of success.

I found that I wasn't getting any sense of what the lives of these people were like - no sense of getting to know them at all. Not being sure how to begin, I pulled out Shirley Miller's book. It's unbelievable how much she was able to accomplish. She told me once that she stopped using the Internet - too much junk came into her inbox to make it worthwhile - so it was all done with slogging.  I decided to take her book and make sure all of the info was included in the Ancestry files - her work might be helpful to others out there, and it's nice knowing it is available to people who might be able to use it. It's been enlightening for me, and I'm starting to get a sense of the family story - more so than by just following the "leaves." The book is nearly empty now, and I feel like I have a better start. I'm also getting the bug to go see some of these places. Who knows - there may be a field trip in the offing!

Signs of Spring

Woke to another gloomy morning, but it matters not, because it definitely feels like spring. It's hard to say why things feel different from last week, but they do. We're spending more time outdoors. The yard is aswarm with hummers and house finches. The apple blossoms are gone, replaced with little green apples. The patio looks more inviting all the time.

Spring is not my favorite season - fall and winter are much more appealing to me. I never get tired of rainy days and I love watching the clouds over the hillsides on my drive to work. Maybe what I'm enjoying now is the release of energy - out of the house and into the world at large. Primarily, kid energy. The current MO is to have dinner pretty early and to send the kids outdoors to play basketball, ride scooters, whatever they can do to burn off some of that energy. There's nothing worth their watching on tv, so why not keep them out in the fresh air as long as possible. Even we grownups are more active in the evening. A little yard work, tinkering on the Sprite, lots of little stuff going on.

I'll bet this all sounds very familiar to Mom, I just didn't appreciate it like I am this year. So here's to spring, longer daylight hours and lots of outdoor time.

Nature Morning

When we woke up yesterday, it felt like spring. No one needed to stay indoors for the day, so we searched out an adventure. Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary is in Modjeska Canyon, about 30 minutes from us. We hadn't been there in fifteen years or more, but we remembered it as a quiet outdoor place to be. The kids were willing, so off we went.

Fifteen years has brought some changes to the sanctuary. It is overseen by Cal State Fullerton and is a popular spot for school visits, etc. The site was originally the vacation home of a Los Angeles banker (named Tucker, obviously), but not much remains of the original house - the porch and the well are all that remain. The porch has been maintained as a "bird porch" with benches on the porch and a variety of feeders hanging in the trees outside it. At certain times of the year, the feeders are overrun with hummingbirds, but yesterday there were hummers, jays and a grosbeak to watch. Since I was last there, paths and bird-watching shelters have been added. The kids had a great time watching squirrels and poking around near the koi pond.

There was also a 75-year old desert tortoise and a feral cat or two. And of course there was a small museum/gift shop. The gift shop was very popular. We came home with a "tortoise egg," a ceramic owl, a hand puppet and a hummingbird patio clock (on the $5 clearance table). James made a new friend.

We started on a ranger walk, but it was getting so close to lunch time that we gave it up. Lunch at Fuddrucker's on the way home made a perfect end to the morning.

Nothing too exciting, but we were reminded that we spend a little too much time at home "getting things done." We all came home tired, but kind of refreshed. I can see going out again in the early morning just to spend some time on the bird porch with a cup of coffee. Maybe you and I can go sometime when you're down, Mom.

Goodbye to an Era

Any one in my family will tell you that I do not care about cars. When it's time to buy a new one, I send Jim out and say "Bring back whatever you want. I don't care." And I don't. Rosanne cares much more than I do. Christian and Mackenzie care more than I do.

Fifteen years ago she and Matt went out with Jim (at least I think they went) and they came home with a white Explorer. To me, it drove like a truck. It never seemed all that comfortable. It had a lot of space for loading stuff, and boy did we pack it in sometimes. The back seat used to seem roomy, but has felt more cramped in the last couple of years.

Well last week it was time to say goodbye, and I found out I cared. There were a lot of memories in that car - it was part of our family for a long time. I hope its next life is as much fun and that it is as useful to another family as it has been for us.

So, goodbye, dear friend.

Still Thinking

The atmosphere around here is definitely different - my "interior" atmosphere, that is. We still deal with the day-to-day stuff with the kids and everyone's hectic schedule atmosphere. I'm tired. It's time for a change. I won't go into lots of detail here. I'm fine, but I'm ready to make some changes - and I hope they are major. For me it will mean more reading, more knitting, less tv, and less cooking! And fewer library shifts. I know you are all my cheerleaders, and we are moving toward easier times here. Enough said for now.

As to my latest book (The Fate of Mercy Alban - Wendy Webb), I was hoping to be able to recommend a rousing ghost story. But it wasn't strictly a ghost story, and it was "pretty good," not great. However, it was a good read, not a waste of time. I got Mike's book recommendation from Goodreads the other day - I hope to see more.

Peter Robinson

I've just finished the latest book in Peter Robinson's series with Inspector Banks, Watching the Dark. For those of you who haven't read his books, I highly recommend you give them a try. The characters are so well developed, and if you read from the beginning of the series forward, you learn to know his detective very well. My favorite book series are those in which I find people I would really like to know. So try them.

This poor blog is gathering dust, I know. I've been doing a lot of thinking about it - my good intentions are getting me nowhere. It kind of feels like my life has become such a routine that there isn't much to share over and above what goes into our checking in letters. But the original intent of the blog was not to share news. My hope was to start conversations, which has happened a few times. I really miss our times of being together, so I plan to muster my ideas and get this working again.

Love you all.

Book Review: Step-Ball-Change

This book was so much fun. Refreshing story involving a stable married couple weathering all the storms that come from being part of an active, slightly crazy family. The lesson in this book - embrace the things that make you happy.