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  My blog was filled up. I'm too lazy to clean it out. So I started a new one. |
| We all love buffets. Especially "all you can eat buffets". You might not want to be piggish at a wedding buffet or in someone's home, but at a restaurant, many people feel they need to get their money's worth. And we tend to be wasteful as well as overeat. Something looks good, but we don't like it after all, so after a bite or two, it's left on our plates. In our minds, we didn't eat that, so we get to try something else on the next trip to the service line. Oh, just a little of this, a taste or two of that. We tend to get one whole day's calories in one meal, even before dessert. Potluck suppers are just as bad. You go to a club or church dinner, and what do you see, but a lot of different comfort foods! There will be store bought things slipped in, but most will be handmade. Potato salads, macaroni and cheese, baked beans with ground hamburger, various vegetables, casseroles, fruit salads, and pies. The thinking there is "I get to try somebody else's cooking." So you take a few spoonsful of almost everything. And you might hurt someone's feelings if their dish is not disappearing. You couldn't hurt a friend's feelings. You have to take a little. And it's worse than in a restaurant because you don't want the cook or baker to see you leaving their dish on your plate or trying to dump it discreetly in the trash. Learning self-control at buffets and potlucks is very difficult. A half hour on a treadmill does not burn off the calories of one piece of pie. It takes several days to get back on track and do damage control. For me, I try to limit portions, but I still succumb to choices. I hate cucumbers and mint. Almost everything else I will tackle if given the option. Meat is not a big temptation for me, especially if there are plenty of vegetables and fruits and starchy things. And we tend to take healthy vegetables and add fats and starches or cheese to them to take to these potlucks. I am currently trying to recover from such a potluck before I go to a brunch on Saturday. I know that a friend will be bringing eggs Newburg. We'll also be having Mimosas, monkey bread (sweet and sticky), fruit, and many other things, since most of the guests are experienced cooks. Oh, well, amp up the exercise and skip lunch. I'll waddle through. |
| I went to an estate sale near my home. The old couple were collectors with many varied interests. It was wonderful to look at them all, many which were antiques. The items were not priced to move quickly. Once again, I was reminded how material things have such temporary value to us. It seems like most of us are collectors of something, sports memorabilia or whatever. Unless we have heirs interested in the same things, they will be sold off or donated upon our demise. The polite comments will be something like, "He certainly had a variety of tastes." The less kind will sound something like what I've heard, "What on earth was he thinking of? Spending all that money, going to all that trouble, and not enough space to display it (or store it)." But we just can't help ourselves. We see it, we want it, we get it the best way we can. I once collected coffee mugs from all the places I traveled. It looked like a tourist shop. But I moved too many times, and most of them have disappeared. I have a curio so full of bells that no one notices them. My brother died leaving me over 5000 comic books, most unwrapped, most mass produced, which means they have no value. First edition books need special storage. Antique lace and great grandma's hand-tatted tablecloth aren't items you can easily display or use without risk. I once babysat for a doctor who collected antique surgical tools. Those are of no value to anyone but another doctor, maybe, or a museum. Antique farm equipment is interesting, and expensive, but is only good to set around as an ornament that needs upkeep. A lady in my former town of residence collected anything with Campbell Soup kids on it. That's one of the more unusual ones I've heard of. She had a whole room devoted to them. Who knew so many objects had been made with that logo? Maybe it's our sense of ownership, or wealth, that collections feed. For some people, it may have been from being poor at some point, of not having enough, so now there is a lot, collected a little at a time. Maybe we're like squirrels, packing away nuts for a hard winter, but each with different ideas about the nuts. Or is it some misguided concept about the finer things in life? I had a friend who saved Southern Living magazine for years. They have beautiful pictures, great recipes, and travel ideas. They were downsizing, so she had to get rid of them. No one wanted her large collection. They went to the trash after all those years of storage and dusting and display. For some foolish reason, I once saved programs and ticket stubs from special events. I stopped that, and have thrown a few old ones away, if the programs didn't have a family member listed somewhere. I once saved greeting cards, but I got over that. My dad still has his and gets them out from time to time. He'll display one from Mom or some other family member. They obviously have sentimental value for him and keeping them makes him happy. Collections are a part of our lives. We cherish our own and don't understand someone else's. Painted plates, teaspoons with flowers, thimbles, pocket knives, duck calls, Thomas Kincaid anything, wooden toys, whatever you name, we collect them. And they might still be around after we aren't. |
| Bacon has fallen in and out of favor over the years. It was high in saturated fat and sodium, so dieters abandoned it. A nation suddenly obsessed with heart health spurned bacon Then the nitrates made it fall out of favor. But some how it stuck around and has surged upward again. You now buy nitrate free bacon. And it comes in thinner slices for those counting calories, but not wanting to abandon it all together. You find bacon in salads, side dishes, and even deserts. I remember way back when you'd find chicken livers wrapped in bacon at nice wedding receptions, but that fad is gone, mostly because of the livers. When I myself was spurning bacon for health reasons, I discovered there was almost nothing at a church potluck in which I could indulge besides bread. I wondered why bacon had to go in everything, and that was before it went into cupcakes and cookies. Recently, on Wheel of Fortune one contestant described himself in his one moment in the spotlight as a lover of bacon all the time. Wow! One of the most important things about you is that you love bacon any time of day! I also saw a recipe in a popular magazine for candied bacon. I suppose this love affair with bacon began with farmers and cowboys because it kept so well, even under adverse circumstances. You cut the mold off the ham or the side of bacon and use it. Plus the bacon leaves a nice grease for frying other foods or making gravies. When people worked harder and walked more, the extra calories and fat in their vegetables or breads didn't hurt so much. I admit that frying some bacon over a camp stove or fire will stir up a whole camp ground, and get people talking to you. The outdoor air, the smell of smoke, coffee, and bacon does wake you up and comfort you. I once saw a TV documentary on food fads. It went through over a century, decade by decade. TV dinners in the aluminum trays were included, and then microwave foods. Freezers, blenders, food processors, and toasters all played a part in food history and fads. It would interesting to see that again in an updated version. It would include more international influences, organic, gluten-free, computer shopping, and Applewood bacon. |
| Despite my motto that only dull women have immaculate homes, I, too, will succumb to spring cleaning. There's the usual sweeping, mopping, and dusting. But there's the closets and drawers that don't get used much; they need attention, too. I do ceiling fans from time to time, but never all at once. Time to do that. I'm not going to open all the windows and air out the house which was popular in the past. Pollen is already out, and I don't need to breathe it 24 hours a day. I recently emptied all my kitchen cabinets and refilled them with the help of a cousin. So I'll skip those. But it's time to let go of knickknacks and mementos of things gone past. My generation's memories mean nothing to the younger ones, except maybe family keepsakes. Old table cloths and bed linens that haven't been used need to go. When going through my own clothes, shoes, and jewelry, I'm going to ask, "Do I love it?" If not, that means I'm not going to use it, so get rid of it. If shoes are worn down, except for my lawn and garden shoes, they need to be cast in the trash. Sentimental value for clothes has no place. I have to streamline. Some toys and miscellaneous things are going to disappear. Louvered closet doors have to be washed. They look nice, but I'd never choose them again because of the cleaning difficulties. The storm windows need cleaning. Upholstery has to be steamed. Decks and patios need cleaning when it's not so chilly. This whole spring ritual is about getting rid of the dust and the staleness, and refreshing our environment. It helps us to get on with our lives, evaluating our priorities and outlook, and getting a fresh start. It might be more important than New Year's Day and resolutions. For instance, I have decided I have too many interests. I like to read, I like to write. I have rooms full of books which I can't give up. I have notebooks, and boxes or notes, and computer files of writing. But I also like to crochet, embroider, sew, and do other crafts. I have a lot of those supplies, too, mine and my mother's which I have not had time while working to use. When doing my spring cleaning, I have to decide whether to keep holding these supplies and unfinished projects or get rid of them. I'm slower than what I used to be. I don't have as much energy. I can't do all the things I want to do. How do I decide what to get rid of? I have to 'spring clean' my life, my goals, my ambitions before I can finish cleaning the house and garage. I think it may be why I've had such a prolonged trial sorting and organizing my home. I didn't know what was important to me. I moved into this house, already full with my father's things, and some of what was left of my mother's. All of my brothers and my nieces had left things here. I couldn't get rid of someone else's things, but there really wasn't room for me and my belongings and household goods. Over time, I released some of my things. Then a brother died, and Dad suddenly inherited all of his things. We washed all of his clothes and donated them. He was a collector, so the things he cherished had nostalgic value as well as potential market value. Unfortunately, Dad has ruined a lot of the art work and broken up the unopened toys. It's time to let go of those, even if we lose money. I've even wondered if I need to abandon writing. I'm not great at it. It would give me more time to take care of daily living tasks. I'm not happy with that thought. It doesn't last long, but it is a possibility. So I may be writing less while I work on those closets and try to evaluate my direction. It's my head, maybe, that needs the spring cleaning. |
| Today I am wishing for everyone at WDC to have a wonderful day. Regardless of religious beliefs or spiritual leanings, I hope this is a day of peace and contentment and joy. For me, it is a day of worship and fellowship with friends. On the home front, we have a big meal, an Easter egg hunt, and some child spoiling to do. My nephew has already asked if I got his Easter present yet. "Is this another Christmas or birthday?" I asked. He informed me with a lovable smile that children get things on Easter. "But why from me?" It turns out his other aunt and uncle who live in another state mailed him a card with money in it. So I guess something is expected from me, too. Fortunately, I do have six candy-free baskets ready. They're getting flower seeds, magnifying glasses, snack size raisins, and small dollar store items. The girls are getting 3d butterfly stickers and the boys are getting Matchbox cars. And we will say grace at dinnertime. Judging from the crowds at the grocery store this afternoon, Easter is a big day for eating with a lot of people. I doubt many churches will see an increased attendance, but Easter still holds the call for family to gather. The weather promises to be good, despite the snow a week ago, and the cold breezes earlier this week. So whether you're having lamb, ham, or turkey, or a Big Mac, enjoy. Be grateful for choices. If you have to hide or seek eggs, have a positive attitude. It's only once a year. The bulbs have come up, the trees are budding, the car is covered lightly with a coat of pollen. It's time for renewal, in the earth, in our selves, in our family and other relationships. |
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