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 This Blog contains day-to-day thoughts and other nonsense.  {c} ![Merit Badge in Community
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I'm starting to see your name everywhere I go *^*Bigsmile*^*. Thank you so very much for all you do around WDC! It is people like you, who make WDC such the awesome place we call our second home *^*Heart*^*
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Tracey](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/genre-Community-210.gif) Thanks to intuey GoT Survivor!  for the MB![Merit Badge in Cheerleading
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I wanted to give you a badge you didn't have yet, and this cheerleading badge suits you. You are such an encouragement to many members of this site, including me, and I wouldn't know what Writing.Com would do without you. *^*Smile*^* You're a gem, Barbs. Thank you for your friendship and everything that you do. Love, Me *^*Smile*^*](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Cheerleading-210.gif) Thanks to pencilsoverpens  for the MB![Merit Badge in Funny
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I've never laughed more, thanks Barbs](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Funny-200.gif) Thanks Wolfdale  for the MBThanks to pencilsoverpens  for the awardicon for this blogThanks to Equilibrium for the pretty green ribbon she pinned on my poetry folder. Thanks to Alfred Booth for the Awardicon for Happy Book and for my wonderful, vibrant sig. |
| 6:15am I was still circling the airport this morning. Someone rang the doorbell. We live in the middle of nowhere and, while we have one, no one ever rings it. I got up to see what was going on. A fellow was at the door wondering if we would care to have our driveway blacktopped. As luck would have it, Tony and I had been talking about doing that very thing this summer so I invited him in. Tony joined the discussion and we opted to proceed. 9am A crew of eight, three pickups, a steam roller, a dainty grader, a bobcat on steroids, a paving machine, two dump trucks, and a flatbed all pulled up at 6817. They began scratching around on the gravel drive and soon were shoveling blacktop. Noon. One driveway finished. Gear loaded and pulling away. The last of the crew making the edges neat. Mr. W is looking for payment. 12:15pm Good job done and we, considerably lighter in the pocketbook, are happy. |
| Bread, the staff of life, is considered the mainstay of our diet. My mom was not a bread baker and my sister and I grew up on Wonder Bread sandwiches. I have to admit, we loved it. Grandpa Gliss called it "wind bread." If I pressed it flat, I was left with a rubbery piece of goo. Ignorance is bliss, I guess. I never gave the qualities of the bread I ate a thought, until I married a man who grew up in Europe. He scoffed at my early offerings in the bread department. We were living in Chicago then and I learned to appreciate "real bread." We quickly fell into the habit of buying Gonnella's Vienna Bread. It has a wonderful crispy crust and firm inside. We ate sandwiches open faced with good cold cuts and cheese, fresh pepper and tomato. I also lost my old habit of buttering bread. We switched to mayo if we used anything. Then we moved to small town central Wisconsin. We were back to Wonder bread. It has taken years but now local grocery stores carry specialty breads. With the advent of frozen bread dough, bakeries can afford to make a few loaves of this and that for folks like us. I'm hoping that others may realize what a fabulous thing good bread is. It's slow in coming though. |
Just in case some of you have not been following the spring poetry SLAM, the winners have been announced. It will be worth your time to stop in and read the finalist's entries, at least. Go there from here: "SLAM!"  The top ten finalists and their entries are found in the forum at the bottom of the page as "FINALE-Round 3" entries. |
| My mom was a wonderful person in many ways but cooking was not one of them. When I married, I inherited a lovely mother-in-law. Anna was old world Hungary personified and a true domestic goddess. She was very generous with me and shared her cooking and baking skills to the extent that I was willing to learn them. She never measured or wrote anything down, so learning meant that I sat at her worktable and recorded her every move as she prepared one thing or another. She is gone now, but to this day, I am the only one who can duplicate her superb casseroles and baked goods to a tee. Even her own daughters are not able to recreate accurately the things Anna did in her kitchen. One of our favorites is a cholesterol bullet called Rakott Krumpli (rah-kot krump-lee). This peasant-style casserole was never made for guests as it was considered too plain. Grandma served this dish with boiled ring bologna, or old-fashioned frankfurters, or roast or ham. The exact nature of this hearty potato and egg dish varies from kitchen to kitchen so feel free to experiment. This recipe is for Grandma Anna's version. 8-12 medium potatoes Salt 8-10 hard boiled eggs, peeled 1 cup sour cream 1 small pkg extra-think sliced bacon 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 stick butter 1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs 2 Tbsp melted butter Cut bacon slices into 1/4 " bits and fry til crisp. Drain. Reserve small amount of bacon for the top. Boil potatoes in skins in salted water, just until fork tender. Drain and let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel and slice 1/4 " thick. Arrange a third of the slices in the bottom of a greased casserole-baking dish. Next, slice half the eggs on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle 1/2 the crisp bacon bits over the eggs. Dot with butter. Spread half the sour cream in a thin layer over everything. Salt lightly or to taste. Repeat layers. Add final layer of potatoes on top. Top with reserved bacon and breadcrumbs mixed with melted butter. Pour heavy cream over the whole works. Bake covered at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 15 minutes. (Length of baking time will vary depending on the warmth of the eggs and potatoes that you are slicing. If they are still warm, bake as directed, if cold, you will need to bake for an extra 15 minutes or so.) If necessary, brown crumbs under broiler for a minute or two. Serve hot. |
| Is it true? I understand that Hasbro has a new PLAY-DOH scent. . .Eau de Kid. Yes, children can now use the FUN FACTORY extruder or FUZZY PUMPER tool to create enticing and appealing original creations with a likable new smell. Children love it. And well they should. The perfume heads of the industry conceived it. It was only a matter of time. Now a motorized tricycle has made an appearance here. I have seen youngsters on powerful ATVs and 4-wheelers, now, a motorized trike. Was it a commercial product? Was it homemade? I don't have answers, only questions. I do know it's an accident waiting to happen. An iceberg smaller than 15 feet long is called a growler. 15-30 ft is a bergy bit, and only those longer than 30 ft are called icebergs. On March 21, 2000, an iceberg the size of the state of Connecticut calved off the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica. It was named B-15. Some time after that, it fractured into two pieces. The larger of the two was the size of Long Island, NY and was named B-15A. Satellite photos of these icebergs can be viewed at http://amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/ice_images/icebergs/ross/2000/ROS00081b.JPG . Another more current view of B-15A is at http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookingatearth/ice_berg_ram.html |
| For the past nine weeks or so, I have been writing daily blog entries in this place. Some 750 views have been logged in that time. Pencils has given it an awardicon and I thank her for it. However, the most rewarding part of blogging for me is the loose and informal blog-ring of folks from all corners of the world whose musings I read on a daily basis. I can always count on Zack and Party to make me smile and sometimes laugh right out loud. Kare offers wonderful poetry and a sensitive look at life from a different perspective than my own. Alfred is very special in an obtangular sort of way. Lauren and Ann write so eloquently of day-to-day events that they become extraordinary. I can now play a hand of Texas Hold Em with Lexi. Helen, Christine, Steve, Lin, Sarah, and Maricor have opened windows to other lands and customs that never fail to interest me. And, Tor is alternately funny and philosophical, and many times both. Mavis keeps us all stimulated with her math problems, Sybil stories, and the move to her new home. What a great group you folks are. I am lucky to be even a small part of it. I enjoy these contacts immensely. So much that I often put you before the laundry, the litter pan, the dishes, writing in general, and even sustenance! So, to all you out there, thank you for entertaining me and for your support and friendship, too. I appreciate. |
| Tony and I hopped in the car for a leisurely ride up to Hawkeye's Dairy in Abbotsford. It is THE place to go for an ice cream cone in our region. I had a mint chocolate-chip and Tony had a dip each of cow-tracks and praline. However, that is not what I want to write about. We have been married for 38 years and, in all that time, Tony still does not know how to take a relaxed ride. We get in the car with that intention but his Chicago driving habits kick in every time. His unhurried rides are anything but. We always take the most direct route to and from wherever. Side roads are not considered unless I am driving. We take four-lane highway whenever available. We always ride in the left lane, which forces others to pass on the right. We have discussed this until I have given up. Tony keeps his foot on the gas right up to any stop occasion necessitating a hard brake every time. We never wait behind someone if there is room to scoot around him on the right. We fly through tiny burgs as if on the open road. Some day the local law will snag him. He follows the car ahead too closely unless he is going to pass. On those occasions, he starts from half a block back. In his defense, there are two causative reasons for this behavior. His dad was his teacher and he learned to drive in Chicago. Grandpa M. was problem No 1. He was a horrible driver, impatient and possessed of a poor understanding of the rules of the road. He had no concept of yielding the right of way to others. Unfortunately, some of that rubbed off on Tony. Then, too, driving in Chicago is not a tranquil affair.  Anyone dilly-dallying there gets a rude horn blast or equivalent sign language to let him know that he/she is creating angst amongst other drivers. Use of the car there is a purposeful act. A leisurely drive in Chicago is an oxymoron.But, we have lived in podunk-ville for 36 years now. Dithering is de rigueur here, and I have long hoped that his bad habits would abate with time. So far, no soap.  |
| Last Christmas we received Harry and David Fruit of the Month deliveries. It's a gift that gives for a whole year and we have enjoyed the selection and variety they provide. The June package came yesterday. In it, there were three papaya and three limes, artistically arranged and nested in deep foam and tissue. Papaya and lime. I rarely use either so the combined selection left me wondering what I was missing. Are these eaten together or was it just an artful color marriage by the H&D people? Tony has already eaten two of the papaya and Aunt Helen, the third. That leaves three lonesome limes searching for purpose. One month we opened a box to find exactly 24 cherries arranged neatly in rows. It seemed comical at the time. The topnotch, blemish-free nature of everything they ship is, of course, part of the quality of their product. It does make for a beautiful and artistic presentation but seems a bit over the top to me. Barbs, wandering off to search for lime recipes. |
THE PERKS OF BEING OVER 40 Kidnappers are not very interested in you. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first. No one expects you to run into a burning building. People call at 9 PM and ask, "Did I wake you?" People no longer view you as a hypochondriac. There is nothing left to learn the hard way. Things you buy now won't wear out. You can eat dinner at 4 P.M. You can live without sex but not without glasses. You enjoy hearing about other peoples operations. You get into heated arguments about pension plans. You have a party and the neighbors don't even realize it. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge. You quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into the room. You sing along with elevator music. Your eyes won't get much worse. Your health plan is beginning to pay off. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size. |
| It is official now. Our household has moved forward into the 21st century. Aunt Helen recently celebrated her 93rd birthday and one of her birthday presents is an XM radio. "Listen Large!" the box says. I took the day off yesterday to figure out how to run the thing. So far, I have it plugged in, hooked up to the indoor antenna, activated, and turned it on and off using the remote. This technology is clearly being marketed to the young listener. There is a long list of available stations and I see several that Helen would enjoy. She normally listens exclusively to Wisconsin Public Radio. Although it is not included on the list, Public Radio International and one station that broadcasts exclusively classical music are included. I can just see her surfing channels and landing on the Opie and Anthony Show, Trucker's Channel, or Extreme Talk. She would be scandalized to say the least. Aunt Helen is "Church Lady" personified. |
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Thanks for these Barbs, we really miss you around here! Update us on everything some time alright! 