Thursday, November 13, 2008
Right Under Me!
I thought dogs chewing on shoes was a myth and I thought once I had my dogs way past the puppy stage, I was in the clear. Apparently this is not true. 2 years ago, one of my dogs, the second one ate the little bit of suede off the back of my brand new sneakers. I wear them anyway, though I do have the decency to cringe when people notice. I just can’t bring myself to invest in another possible chew toy. Two days ago, I notice my dog, same dog, chewing frantically and contentedly under the table. RIGHT UNDER ME! Deep in my subconscious something woke up, I had not given any of my dogs a bone in months. I had not bought any pig-like ears or anything; I had not made ox-tail soup either. I bent down, peered under the tablecloth and found my second dog eating the heel of my favorite pair of boots. They are suede with big brown buckles and nice heels and comfortable as H. E. double-hockey-sticks. I was floored, and I screamed, because frankly, I don’t even have nightmares bad enough to beat out my favorite boots under attack. Luckily the one remaining shoemaker in my town is still alive and working a few days a week. He did his best, and I can wear them as long as no one looks too closely at the teeth marks. Once that man retires, I may have to ship my shoes away to get fixed…
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Update on Latest Obsessions
The hat has finally arrived, leading to endless discussion on whether or not to take those stupid stickers off. I don't understand why anyone would want to wear a hat with stickers on it anyway. I don't care if it proves authenticity, or price, isn't the point supporting the team, and not the dollar? Luckily my son thinks the stickers are stupid as well. We are now sticker free and still number 1!
My daughter is not easy to deal with right now, she is moaning that New Moon was not as good as Twilight because there is not enough romance and I guess she is not into werewolves. Halfway through the third book, Eclipse, she seems happier, but is stressing about where the next book is coming from. I am on New Moon and it is just about to get interesting...
Original Post
My daughter is not easy to deal with right now, she is moaning that New Moon was not as good as Twilight because there is not enough romance and I guess she is not into werewolves. Halfway through the third book, Eclipse, she seems happier, but is stressing about where the next book is coming from. I am on New Moon and it is just about to get interesting...
Original Post
Revisionists Strike Again! Holocaust Survivors to Mormons: Stop Baptisms of Dead Jews
The revisionists are always hard at work. the practice of post-humorously baptizing people of other faith by proxy in the Mormon faith is atrocious. I want to be reunited with my loved ones after I die, but I am not going to lie about who they are or what they believed. I cannot believe that anyone strong in their faith would condone this practice. Clearly if someone is a Catholic, Methodist, Jew, or Moslem and lived and died in their faith, to be re-baptized years after they died to beef up the rolls of the Mormon Faithful is a insult.
This twisted practice, by the group of people most respected for their genealogy records, shakes my confidence in their information to the core. I strongly support the American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors who are denouncing the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I do believe the Mormons are responding to the outcry, I give them credit for that, but the practice of re-baptism by proxy is what I protest. I do not care what faith people are, they should be allowed to hold onto it as it is a PERSONAL belief. The Mormons clearly believe that this is the only way to be reunited after death, but to change genealogy records is wrong. That goes beyond faith to revisionist history. Honestly, there are parts of every faith that are hard to swallow, and this is their embarrassing problem that they are forcing onto others who don't deserve it. If I died and some relative of mine became Mormon and tried to re-baptize us all by proxy, I would haunt them for eternity.
By what right do they do this? How is this different than trying to erase whole races or groups of religion? Clearly there is no associated violence, but it is a death of a religion all the same. I live my life simply, I do not believe we can be responsible for anyone else's soul but our own. I cannot vouch for what anyone will do or not do, because honestly, I only know my own mind. I hope that someday, someone in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gets a clue.
Click on the link to read the original article.
This twisted practice, by the group of people most respected for their genealogy records, shakes my confidence in their information to the core. I strongly support the American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors who are denouncing the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I do believe the Mormons are responding to the outcry, I give them credit for that, but the practice of re-baptism by proxy is what I protest. I do not care what faith people are, they should be allowed to hold onto it as it is a PERSONAL belief. The Mormons clearly believe that this is the only way to be reunited after death, but to change genealogy records is wrong. That goes beyond faith to revisionist history. Honestly, there are parts of every faith that are hard to swallow, and this is their embarrassing problem that they are forcing onto others who don't deserve it. If I died and some relative of mine became Mormon and tried to re-baptize us all by proxy, I would haunt them for eternity.
By what right do they do this? How is this different than trying to erase whole races or groups of religion? Clearly there is no associated violence, but it is a death of a religion all the same. I live my life simply, I do not believe we can be responsible for anyone else's soul but our own. I cannot vouch for what anyone will do or not do, because honestly, I only know my own mind. I hope that someday, someone in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gets a clue.
Click on the link to read the original article.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Guess who moved into the neighborhood?
I am going to lose it. All of a sudden, after 10 years of living in our little suburban home, a rooster has moved into the neighborhood. No I do not mean some overdressed guy taking up residence around the corner but an actually a real rooster that my dogs go hunting for every morning. He crows somewhere in our little chunk of town and my dogs go insanely crazy! Now there is farmland in our town, but nowhere in a 1/2 mile radius from us. This rooster is probably lurking in the woods behind our house. There is some landlocked property there and I think a little hiking trip is taking place today through our patch to find this distraction. I am going to have to put up chicken wire to keep the dogs out of the woods now, because every morning they are off to find this rooster. In the ten years we have lived here, this patch of woods has yielded 1 bunny, 3 turtles, a few cats and a groundhog, along with some daffodils that the neighbors throw back there after Easter and Mother's Day. We have never seen any deer or anything. It was a benign patch of woods until a few weeks ago. Now I am thinking, with the economy so bad, maybe I should get a few chickens and let them wander back there with said rooster? Fresh organic eggs might make up for me having to chase the dogs every morning.
Update on the Coffee Press
If the water is too hot and you put coffee in, it will boil up and spill all over the place, NO LIE!
Latest Obsessions
For those of you with kids, you are probably quite used to the daily and weekly obsession changes. I mean I am simply minding my own beeswax when a breathless 10 year old comes running up to me babbling about something or other. At least 9 or ten times a day this week he inquires if his Phillies World Series Championship Hat has arrived in the mail yet. Today is sunday, so technically I should be off the hook. I even gave the little $%#! the tracking number so he could follow the package and stop bugging me. It didn't work. He still keeps looking in the mud room for the package and talking about it. I am sure in church today when he lights a candle, it won't be for Great Uncle Tony or Poppy, it will be for that damn hat. After the hat arrives, he will be onto something else. Bakugan figures and cards seem to be an ongoing obsession, every Monday he wants to race off to the Toys R Us or the Walmart to see if new creature marbles were delivered.
If my husband says he wants to take a ride to get a Starbucks, my son throws in a Toys R Us request. 
My daughter has a new one too, she is reading that Twilight series by Meyers and cannot put that first book down. I got it out of the library yesterday afternoon, she will finish it very soon. She is talking about using her babysitter money to buy the series because she wants to "keep them" for her kids. She wants to re-read them like her Harry Potter books. I have always pushed for Library books, because I want to keep the library in business and because if you read as fast as my daughter and I do, you know that any book has to be absolutely amazing to actually purchase. I cannot afford either of our book habits. We would spend more than the heaviest cigarette smoker on their worst weeks. Unfortunately, I had bought the second book in the series for my daughter thinking it was the anthology, it wasn't so now she wants to own them all. We couldn't even get her to talk to us yesterday, she laid on the ottoman in a very uncomfortable pose and just read. I will get that book after she is done with it to see what the hub-bub is all about. If it is good, we may send a request to the Library Fairy that the entire set will be under the bookshelf on Christmas morning.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
No Good Excuse
Yesterday I disappointed my daughter; I told her I spent 2 1/2 hours watching back episodes of Paris, My New BFF. She couldn’t understand why I wasted my time. I protested, “It’s iconic reference research,” but she wasn’t budging on her position that I was stunting my brain development. Since my daughter is 13, I have to keep on top of all the tv shows that she may be watching in the future. Of course I just want to watch Lipstick Jungle and Grey’s Anatomy, but if I don’t understand which way the girls are growing, how am I ever going to get through her teenaged years? I don’t yet allow her to watch VH1 or MTV but she wants to and it is only a matter of time until she is streaming back seasons of The Hills and DeGrassi. She caught me watching Brooke Knows Best on my ipod the other day and I didn’t even have a response other than it was free to download.
OK, now that I have proved my reasoning I am going to just offer up the truth, I was curious. It was a fun show to watch in a perversely, slightly sickening way. I was watching a bunch of young ladies and two men dye their hair, throw themselves at men, and drinking themselves into a stupor to get to be best friends with a celebrity user. I laughed at their poor judgment and groaned a few times. I don’t blame Paris Hilton, I blame the girls that really cry about being her friend. I expect some of them signed up for the show to get their faces out there, but some of them are so over –the-top crazy about Paris that it is painful to watch. The girls that attempted to stick up for themselves were quickly vetted out. I have no idea why there were there in the first place; they must have stayed at the crazy bar a little too long, because I would never pick them to be anyone’s best friend.
I am going to stay on top of the idols of the day because they do influence my daughter’s life. The more mainstream these weird shows become, the more normal it will be for our youth to keep perpetuating the insanity.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Enjoy the Flash!
As I uploaded pictures from last night into my laptop this morning, I was bit annoyed that the men complained about the flash of the camera, we could have gotten some great shots of me and my sister. Instead I have a bunch of pictures I really don't like and we have no table shot at all. I need some good shots of me and my sis. Anyway, loved dinner last night, it was too delicious! We took my sister and her man, my kids, and in-laws to A Touch Of Italy in Egg Harbor Township and had a wonderful time. I adore a leisurely dinner with good service and they certainly treated us right. It didn't matter that is was pouring hard enough for me to start looking for the closest Ark, the restaurant was very warm and welcoming.
Our waitress Dana was so cute and funny and she brought us the hottest rolls right from the oven. She took such good care of us that I actually felt spoiled. We used to go to this restaurant a lot, just me and my family, and we had a great waiter named Steve. I don't know what they pay their staff here, but I have never been disappointed. I had these amazing sun-dried tomato & broccoli rabe ravioli. YUM! The cannoli was not authentic, not enough ricotta or something, but everything else was fabulous. Now I am stressed about what I am cooking for dinner, nothing will top that. That is always the downside to a great meal, you want more, and you want it everyday. I guess I will have to break out the cookbooks today. We just put some pumpkin bread in the oven, and the chicken stock for the Matzo ball soup is already cooling so I can scape off the fat to form our matzo balls. My kids and I am thoroughly enjoying the days off from school. I was up early looking at the Halloween photos from my friend Kim and returning long overdue emails.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Embarrassing
It is a shame that so many people were worried about voter fraud yesterday. In this beautiful country, where we get to vote freely, no one should have to worry that his or her vote won’t be counted, that their voting machine won’t work, and that there are not enough paper ballets to go around. I just don’t get how the election officials were so unprepared. Everyone knew that record numbers of voters were on their way. Next election, I am going to volunteer.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Casciano Coffee Bar and Sweetery
Casciano Coffee Bar and Sweetery is the best place to go after voting, Ahhhhhhhh, the foamy latte, We got some great shots of the Eagle Theatre Restoration and we are listening to conversations about the election. On the TV is Obama and his family voting, he is taking an awful long time to vote, Talk about milking a photo op. I guess it is to be expected, but I am getting jaded by all the posturing of the candidates. 15 minutes so far.... still going... still going... better than the energizer bunny... ah shucks this is ridiculous. Anyway, back to the lattes and Banana Nut muffins, uuuuummmmm....
Too Young to be Old
I am officially old. Physically I am 42 years young, but I am old in the sense that I remember and mourn the loss of local businesses that used to get me through my life. It took me a while to build up these relationships because I am from North Jersey originally. When I first moved down here, I used to run home every weekend, sure that I was stuck in a shopping wasteland.
After a few years of hitting the parkway every Friday, I adjusted and learned how to live my life without driving 2 ½ hours to get a bagel. I assimilated and put down roots in the muck and sand of South Jersey. Driving around on the weekends, learning my way, I established relationships with stores and service centers in the Brigantine and Atlantic City area. I was finally living here. Then, about ten years ago, my favorite mechanic sold out and moved. This was quite a blow. Who else would I trust? Al had been sending me away for years saying, “You don’t need brakes yet, Michelle. See me next year. They are just squealing because they are dusty.” By the time I needed brakes, he and his son Ronny were gone.
A few years later, one of my favorite supermarkets closed. I used to drive 40 minutes to the Zagara’s in Marlton, NJ, just to get my favorite granola, cheese, organic vegetables and the bagels I was missing from New York. I loved this store, they had beautiful white shopping bags with sturdy handles and red strawberries on them and I always felt thoroughly spoiled walking out of there with my purchases. Every “specialty” market felt second rate to me after they closed. Whole Foods and Trader Joes are just down the road apiece, but they don’t have the same sunny atmosphere.
I feel betrayed when a local store I shop in closes. I have invested in them, why aren’t they here for me? Should I have shopped more? When I married and moved to the town of Hammonton 15 years ago I had to relearn my shopping habits again because I had moved from the shore area. New butchers were needed, gift shops, mechanics, body shops and hairdressers. I loved the shopping in this town though, I could pretty much get everything I needed, the people were friendly and the stores and businesses were family-owned. Now I am not moving again anytime soon, but the businesses around me are moving on and changing hands. In the last few years we have lost our beloved body shop, trust me, I needed Petetti’s right around the corner from me.
We have also lost my husband’s favorite pizza parlour, the owners sold out and retired. They supposedly still make the pizza the same way, but it does not taste exactly the same. Our amazing Toni’s Custard Stand where we used to get fried chicken and ice cream sandwiches is now a Mexican food stand. Baskets by Inferrera’s, my favorite gift store, is no longer on the avenue, but lives on in a back room not open to leisurely gift browsing. There is not the same cache of buying a beautiful gift basket when they sit next to the frying chickens in their butcher shop.
I am not complaining, because we all get older and have to readjust our priorities and business plans, but it still hurts a bit when I realize that my radiator will be fixed by a stranger, and not by our trusty mechanic on Broadway. He left no forwarding address, which is probably best, because we have been trying to track him down and he probably just wants a rest after years of serving his community. People die, retire, or need a change of pace, and if they own a business, their changes affect us all. I myself hear from people that they miss our family donut shop and deli. I do feel guilty that it closed; I do miss our customers and the amazing subs we used to make. Christmastime is not the same without banging out 2,000 cookie trays with my family and co-workers. But Christmastime cannot sustain a year-round business and I understand first-hand how hard it is to staff a store with trustworthy people.
So what to do? I just sit here in my forties just like an advanced senior citizen. I remember all the good times, all the lost businesses and friends, and I make sure I shop locally. I want to make sure that the stores I still love and frequent are here for me in the future.
After a few years of hitting the parkway every Friday, I adjusted and learned how to live my life without driving 2 ½ hours to get a bagel. I assimilated and put down roots in the muck and sand of South Jersey. Driving around on the weekends, learning my way, I established relationships with stores and service centers in the Brigantine and Atlantic City area. I was finally living here. Then, about ten years ago, my favorite mechanic sold out and moved. This was quite a blow. Who else would I trust? Al had been sending me away for years saying, “You don’t need brakes yet, Michelle. See me next year. They are just squealing because they are dusty.” By the time I needed brakes, he and his son Ronny were gone.
A few years later, one of my favorite supermarkets closed. I used to drive 40 minutes to the Zagara’s in Marlton, NJ, just to get my favorite granola, cheese, organic vegetables and the bagels I was missing from New York. I loved this store, they had beautiful white shopping bags with sturdy handles and red strawberries on them and I always felt thoroughly spoiled walking out of there with my purchases. Every “specialty” market felt second rate to me after they closed. Whole Foods and Trader Joes are just down the road apiece, but they don’t have the same sunny atmosphere.
I feel betrayed when a local store I shop in closes. I have invested in them, why aren’t they here for me? Should I have shopped more? When I married and moved to the town of Hammonton 15 years ago I had to relearn my shopping habits again because I had moved from the shore area. New butchers were needed, gift shops, mechanics, body shops and hairdressers. I loved the shopping in this town though, I could pretty much get everything I needed, the people were friendly and the stores and businesses were family-owned. Now I am not moving again anytime soon, but the businesses around me are moving on and changing hands. In the last few years we have lost our beloved body shop, trust me, I needed Petetti’s right around the corner from me.
We have also lost my husband’s favorite pizza parlour, the owners sold out and retired. They supposedly still make the pizza the same way, but it does not taste exactly the same. Our amazing Toni’s Custard Stand where we used to get fried chicken and ice cream sandwiches is now a Mexican food stand. Baskets by Inferrera’s, my favorite gift store, is no longer on the avenue, but lives on in a back room not open to leisurely gift browsing. There is not the same cache of buying a beautiful gift basket when they sit next to the frying chickens in their butcher shop.
I am not complaining, because we all get older and have to readjust our priorities and business plans, but it still hurts a bit when I realize that my radiator will be fixed by a stranger, and not by our trusty mechanic on Broadway. He left no forwarding address, which is probably best, because we have been trying to track him down and he probably just wants a rest after years of serving his community. People die, retire, or need a change of pace, and if they own a business, their changes affect us all. I myself hear from people that they miss our family donut shop and deli. I do feel guilty that it closed; I do miss our customers and the amazing subs we used to make. Christmastime is not the same without banging out 2,000 cookie trays with my family and co-workers. But Christmastime cannot sustain a year-round business and I understand first-hand how hard it is to staff a store with trustworthy people.
So what to do? I just sit here in my forties just like an advanced senior citizen. I remember all the good times, all the lost businesses and friends, and I make sure I shop locally. I want to make sure that the stores I still love and frequent are here for me in the future.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Halloween 2008
Enjoy all the pictures of Halloween 2008. It almost didn't happen because of the Phillies Parade, but Freddie got us out of the city on time.
BubbleShare: Share photos - Play some Online Games.
BubbleShare: Share photos - Play some Online Games.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Phillies World Series Celebration
Citizens Bank Park!
BubbleShare: Share photos - Craft Ideas
We decided to go to the parade since my husband has been talking about it since before we met. I thought it might be a nice idea to "Sleep Over" instead of fighting the traffic on Friday morning. We booked a hotel, got our tickets to the Lincoln Field Rally, packed and headed out. It was very spur of the moment and I am so glad we did it.
Our hotel, the Econo Lodge in Philadelphia, .7 miles from Lincoln Field. Lovely staff, horrible electric outlets. This place doesn't earn a star for their rooms, it is a very low budget place, but their staff more than makes up for the rooms. It is a short walk to the stadiums.
The Penrose Diner food is good. They are right across the street from the Econo Lodge. This is where my husband got to shake hands with the Phillies first base coach, Davey Lopes. Guess he had time for breakfast before the parade. Nice staff, they were all dressed up for halloween and I never so a diner so full of red before.
Everyone walked all together in the streets lining up for the parade. There was not one person in a bad mood, it was wonderful!
Everyone walked all together in the streets lining up for the parade. There was not one person in a bad mood, it was wonderful!
The Spectrum, soon to be torn down. I know it is in bad shape, but it is sad to see the past broken up for shopping and bars.
This was a freaky shot, we went up to "visit" my husband football seats, I cannot imagine sitting up that high on a cold snowy day. There is no leg room and the pitch is so crazy that you would fall over seats if you stood up a sneezed real hard. I know that the new stadium seats are closer to the field, but I thought is was worse than Veteran's stadium. I am not going to an Eagles game in those seats, no way, no how.
My son in his Phillies gear.
Family Photos! Love those helpful strangers.
The William Penn Curse Is Dead!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
It's Going to be a Long Winter...
Yesterday, I had to buy tomatoes for the first time since mid-summer. My garden is only producing the smallest sized tomatoes now, as it is close to the end of October. They are impossible to slice for sandwiches, so I went to the store to buy some. The taste was not the same at all, even though I bought them on the vine. The tomatoes smelled good, but the lack of flavor sent me to my garden to eat a few grape tomatoes right off of the plant. It is going to be a long winter. I have a few lonely peppers, some leaf lettuce and my little tomatoes left. Underground, my carrots are still growing very slowly. I bought the Danvers variety and they will not be ready until March, although I planted them in May. I must remember to buy a new variety next year.
Halloween Parade for Eagle Theatre
Our fearless characters
Linus, me and the Float.
This is what I have been working so hard on the last few weeks. It was a lot of work, but oodles of fun. We have such a great group of creative people. It is inspiring!
Friday, October 24, 2008
My "Special" Pinky
My Pinky will never be the same, my pinky toe that is, not my sister. I broke it by trying to put the foldable TV table away. I dropped it instead and smashed the #@$% out of my toe. This is what happens when women clean the house, they get attacked with furniture. We should just know better by now; men should move all the big stuff that they leave out. Anyway, it has been over a month, it is still really red, and I still can't get my sneakers on. I am going to lose the little nail too, I can just tell. I assume that when the cuticle of the nail stays black for over a month, that it may not even grow back? I might be getting a fake pinky nail at the salon for the rest of my life. Acrylic on my feet? eeeeeeaaawwww! By the way Wendy, thanks for giving me that table, me and my pinky toe will remember you always.
I am not going to get excited...
I am not going to get excited, I am not going to get excited..Oh, h...e...double hockey sticks, I am a little bit excited. It is a smoke day. There is simply too much smoke from the forest fire to open the schools. I have all these wonderful plans for my day with my kids and nephew now, we can do ANYTHING! I am thinking I can get so much done. BUT you know that I will probably be sitting on my duff reading everyone's posts from twittermoms or somewhere. I always do this, If there is an extra day of life, i think I am going to get so much accomplished and I get all excited. I should just amend my expectations and KNOW that I will not get a thing done, the house will actually get messier as all the kid's friends come over to "visit." "Visit" is code word for, " I know teachers don't have to go to work today, could my kids hang out with your kids?" It is always fun, so I am not complaining, but my husband does wonder why our house looks like tornado alley when we have been home all day. Ok, I am at least calling my sister for a good talk, baking something good, and I am throwing another layer of paper mache on the character heads, I will post about that experience later. I am also going to get the fabric and make Lucy's dress today. OK, there are my plans, Everyone of you crazy moms better not post today or you will throw me off my game.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Mole Day
Happy Mole Day!
I have been driving my daughter crazy with mole day jokes for the past three days. She may be leaving the family fold over it. I plan on texting her and bugging her all day. Too much fun. I tried to convince her to wear a big felt mole on her face but she wasn't going for it. Maybe in high school. I mean, who doesn't want a MOLE? She wasn't even excited to make her little stuffed mole. What a great science project, I mean how often do you get to make a stuffed animal for homework?
I have been driving my daughter crazy with mole day jokes for the past three days. She may be leaving the family fold over it. I plan on texting her and bugging her all day. Too much fun. I tried to convince her to wear a big felt mole on her face but she wasn't going for it. Maybe in high school. I mean, who doesn't want a MOLE? She wasn't even excited to make her little stuffed mole. What a great science project, I mean how often do you get to make a stuffed animal for homework?
Friday, October 17, 2008
Don't Feed the Animals...
Tonight we wendt to a family party for my sister in law. It was BYOB, (Bring your own baby). So there are 4 babies of various stages under 1 year old and my sister in law is throwing Cheerios at them and they were shoving them in their mouths. I was laughing so hard because when I give my dogs treats I make them sit, and shake, and take each morsel from my hand in a gentle manner. This was a Cheerios free-for-all, they were scrambling around the carpet grabbing Cheerios with their chubby little hands. Too cute! They were falling over and rolling around trying to get the little o's.If I threw food at my kids, they would throw it back, they are too old for such cuteness.
Not a Five-Star Restaurant...
Today my ten-year old son told me a little story. He said they had chicken patties for lunch in school yesterday, but it was only half a patty and half of a hotdog roll. Apparently, his class had gotten to lunch too late to get the whole sandwich, there wasn’t enough left of the regular rolls or patties, so each kid received half a chicken patty on top of half of a hotdog roll. The funniest bit was the part that happened before they even got to the cafeteria. Their teacher was perturbed about the way they were pushing and shoving to line up for lunch. She said, “Calm down, it is not a five-star restaurant.”
According to my son, she was right, “It was more like a negative 5,” he told me while giggling at the same time. My poor son, spoiled by home-cooked meals, complained that he didn’t have enough time to eat the ½ patty on ½ bun because, “ I wasted all my time trying to figure out how to eat it and laughing about it with my friends.” We put ketchup on it and tried to eat it, but it was hard. The lunch ladies are never going to live this down. I wish I could have been there.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
A love affair...
I am supposed to be making Halloween costumes for a float, clearing out a shed and writing three papers due this week. My bedroom is a mess and I am pretty sure that the laundry has set up it's own system of government by now. So, where do I start? I know, Coffee! I think I'm in love, love, love with that coffee press. For those of you who don't know about the three years of coffee drama I recently went through, you many think I am obsessing. I may be, and that's fine. But I have a coffee press now and I think I can tackle the aforementioned jobs.
You see, it all started with a beautiful cup of coffee I had on a camping trip with Wendy in college. It was Chock-Full-of Nuts coffee in an old fashioned percolator. Delicious, right? I liked it. I had always drank tea, my whole life. Now I liked coffee. It was good. Then my friends Maggie and Ralph moved in, we lived together during college. They were big time coffee drinkers. Maggie had this little spanish percolator, she steamed the milk and I liked that. But she moved to Puerto Rico and took her coffee making skills with her. Now Fernando gets what I had used to have, my own live-in barista. A few years later a beautiful Krupps, ten cup coffee maker made it appearance; my friend Michele gave it to me when she bought a different color one. After 10 years of making one cup a day, it got cranky. It started spitting my beloved brew out the sides and down the front of the machine.
Wendy, decided to give me a new machine. I liked it very much, but it was too big for my ONE cup that I needed each day, and the grinder was way too noisy. We used it for a few years. It also had a lot of parts to clean. Every time Wendy asked me if I like it, I felt bad because she spent so much money on it. It was okay, but the thought was better than the machine. I visited friends in florida and had the chance to use Kevin's one cup machine with the little plastic cups of flavored coffee. I thought it was cool. One cup, no mess, what could be better? I went home, looked up the machine, it was Three-hundred dollars. I thought, no way!
My husband bought me a one cup coffee maker by Melitta for Christmas. it was Fifty dollars. The big coffee maker went into the cabinet to be used when we had guests. Best gift ever, I thought, I loved the one cup pod machine and used it for two years in my classroom because I wasn't finding the time to use it at home. My sister, Pinky, bought me a case of their coffee pods. I made coffee for all my friends in the morning. We were all so happy.
Then, I mistakenly went to Pinky's house and she made me a latte. A real latte with her Starbucks machine. OK, that was it, The coffee I had been drinking was "just coffee." I knew there was something way better out there calling my name. I started buying other pods for my machine and it didn't like it, it started leaking and I couldn't make coffee at home on the weekends without lugging it home. The other teachers started to get nervous, and brought in their own machine. When I went to Starbucks, I was no longer getting my Mocha Frappiccino, I was buying lattes. I started going to Starbucks on my way to school once a week to treat myself, but the other days I was unhappy. I was going broke over brown water.
For some reason, I resisted buying a new coffee maker, after all, everyone else always bought me one, and I just couldn't decide. I wanted strong coffee, I wanted my froth, and I couldn't afford to keep going into Starbucks. So I went cheap, I bought a little $3 coffee funnel and some good coffee and went coffee commando for a few months. I patted myself on the back that I had solved all my problems, and very cheaply, I might add, though I missed the froth.
Well, then I saw the cooking channel and a chef using his coffee press. I had seen them before, but never in use and always thought they looked so complicated. According to the show, they were easy, and my obsession started anew. Thankfully my sister, catching my schizoid behavior, and probably unconsciously admitting that she started the whole problem with the amazing latte in the first place, bought me a coffee press. I used it and it was so easy and the coffee was amazing. I started using my immersion blender to make frothy milk. But this created a big mess and the thing made a lot of noise.
I ran out and got a little froth whipper at the Goodwill store. I am now in coffee heaven. I have miles of quiet froth, and my kids and husband are bugging me for coffee. They have learned how to use the press and expect caramel macchiattos every weekend. (I really need to get some decaf for them.) After reading what I have written, I must have driven everyone around me crazy for more than the three years I originally thought. I was in L.L. Bean the other day looking for raincoats for the kids and I saw a camping coffee press. Too cool, now I have to go camping so I can buy it. No doubt after reading this, one of my friends will get it for me. They always come through when we are talking coffee.
You see, it all started with a beautiful cup of coffee I had on a camping trip with Wendy in college. It was Chock-Full-of Nuts coffee in an old fashioned percolator. Delicious, right? I liked it. I had always drank tea, my whole life. Now I liked coffee. It was good. Then my friends Maggie and Ralph moved in, we lived together during college. They were big time coffee drinkers. Maggie had this little spanish percolator, she steamed the milk and I liked that. But she moved to Puerto Rico and took her coffee making skills with her. Now Fernando gets what I had used to have, my own live-in barista. A few years later a beautiful Krupps, ten cup coffee maker made it appearance; my friend Michele gave it to me when she bought a different color one. After 10 years of making one cup a day, it got cranky. It started spitting my beloved brew out the sides and down the front of the machine.
Wendy, decided to give me a new machine. I liked it very much, but it was too big for my ONE cup that I needed each day, and the grinder was way too noisy. We used it for a few years. It also had a lot of parts to clean. Every time Wendy asked me if I like it, I felt bad because she spent so much money on it. It was okay, but the thought was better than the machine. I visited friends in florida and had the chance to use Kevin's one cup machine with the little plastic cups of flavored coffee. I thought it was cool. One cup, no mess, what could be better? I went home, looked up the machine, it was Three-hundred dollars. I thought, no way!
My husband bought me a one cup coffee maker by Melitta for Christmas. it was Fifty dollars. The big coffee maker went into the cabinet to be used when we had guests. Best gift ever, I thought, I loved the one cup pod machine and used it for two years in my classroom because I wasn't finding the time to use it at home. My sister, Pinky, bought me a case of their coffee pods. I made coffee for all my friends in the morning. We were all so happy.
Then, I mistakenly went to Pinky's house and she made me a latte. A real latte with her Starbucks machine. OK, that was it, The coffee I had been drinking was "just coffee." I knew there was something way better out there calling my name. I started buying other pods for my machine and it didn't like it, it started leaking and I couldn't make coffee at home on the weekends without lugging it home. The other teachers started to get nervous, and brought in their own machine. When I went to Starbucks, I was no longer getting my Mocha Frappiccino, I was buying lattes. I started going to Starbucks on my way to school once a week to treat myself, but the other days I was unhappy. I was going broke over brown water.
For some reason, I resisted buying a new coffee maker, after all, everyone else always bought me one, and I just couldn't decide. I wanted strong coffee, I wanted my froth, and I couldn't afford to keep going into Starbucks. So I went cheap, I bought a little $3 coffee funnel and some good coffee and went coffee commando for a few months. I patted myself on the back that I had solved all my problems, and very cheaply, I might add, though I missed the froth.
Well, then I saw the cooking channel and a chef using his coffee press. I had seen them before, but never in use and always thought they looked so complicated. According to the show, they were easy, and my obsession started anew. Thankfully my sister, catching my schizoid behavior, and probably unconsciously admitting that she started the whole problem with the amazing latte in the first place, bought me a coffee press. I used it and it was so easy and the coffee was amazing. I started using my immersion blender to make frothy milk. But this created a big mess and the thing made a lot of noise.
I ran out and got a little froth whipper at the Goodwill store. I am now in coffee heaven. I have miles of quiet froth, and my kids and husband are bugging me for coffee. They have learned how to use the press and expect caramel macchiattos every weekend. (I really need to get some decaf for them.) After reading what I have written, I must have driven everyone around me crazy for more than the three years I originally thought. I was in L.L. Bean the other day looking for raincoats for the kids and I saw a camping coffee press. Too cool, now I have to go camping so I can buy it. No doubt after reading this, one of my friends will get it for me. They always come through when we are talking coffee.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Cursing Comics
We went out to a comedy show last night with some friends and it was a good time. But It would be nice to see a comic with a cleaner act, I am a bit tired of cursing comics and potty talk. The parts I liked best were real and pretty clean. Life is funny, people are funny and we don't have to dirty things up to be cool. Cursing should be saved for housework and bills.
Golden Gate Managers Vote to Build Suicide Net
So, I am reading this article in the NYT about the 50 million dollar plan to put a net under the Golden Gate Bridge to discourage jumpers. Considering the economy, that may seem like a great idea, but honestly, is this really viable? I can just see friends daring each other to jump into the net, costing rescue teams and the city untold amounts of dollars. Plus, we really are messing with someone's last wish. If they want to jump, who are we to stop them? I am not a strong advocate for the live and let die mentality, I would do anything I could to prevent someone from taking their life, but 50 million dollars? Lets get real. People put their pets to sleep when necessary operations don't fit their budgets. I just thought it was ridiculous. Put a bunch of people to work, like social workers, let them patrol the bridge looking for jumpers. It will cost less, and the jumpers will have someone to talk to who may help them out of their personal predicaments.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Piano Lessons Paying Off
After years of badgering my daughter and my son to practice the piano, I have my revenge and payoff. My daughter actually wrote a song, and a good one at that. She composed the music and everything. It was what I always hoped she would be able to do if she ever got the whim to do so. I love writing lyrics but the inability to write my own music held me back. I wanted my kids to have a better shot if they were so inclined. Now, if I start calculating how much this has cost me, lets see...$17.50 a lesson for 6 years at one lesson a week... That is $5, 460.00, One Beautiful song...priceless!
COFFEE
I love my coffee press, I love my coffee press, thank you Pinky, my sister. I realize I haven't thanked you in over a week for this delightful addition to my life. Isn't it pretty? I had a bit of caramel topping this morning as well and now my daughter is eyeballing my latte. Have to froth some more milk!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
The Hothouse
Just got back from the Pinter Play, the Hothouse, by the Lantern Theatre Company. It was very good to see some of our favorite actors again, Peter Nolan, Peter Pryor, and Luigi Sottile. As always, they give good show, though Lush could have been a bit sleazier, he certainly was menacing. Peter Nolan was extraordinary and I haven't seen him since Richard III. At one point when he was frozen (staging) he was staring at us for 10 minutes straight, it was unnerving because I never caught him blinking. It was hard at that point to focus on the action between Kristyn Chouinere and Mike Dees, but I gave it my best shot. Note to director Kathryn MacMillian, make him stare at the floor, or warn the audience on stage right. There was an actor making his debut this season, Mike Dees, he gave an engaging performance, "Certainly not un-engaging," I am sure we will see him again. Peter Pryor is always impressive, his facial expressions tell the whole story. This was the second time, I believe, that I saw Kristyn Chouiniere, her movements are so deliberate and natural at the same time. You simply can't look away when she is present. As far as interacting with the audience, there was none as there always is in the Shakespeare performances. I was expecting some interaction based on reviews, but the staring was perhaps enough. The scenery was a departure from the stripped down sets I am accustomed to at this theatre company, the different seating arraignment was invigorating and it was a great use of theatre space. During intermission, I was set upon in the restroom by a theatergoer unfamiliar with Pinter. She was demanding answers about what the play was about. I don't think I gave her satisfaction, after all I don't look through her lens. I simply answered, "Who's Crazy? Unfortunately, the absurdity of the "Rest Home" reminded me of my last position of employment. Pinter does understand the psyche of "institutions."
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
The American Dream
The American Dream
I was inspired as I watched the interactive art zoetrope by Peter Hudson on the TV Free Burning Man site this morning. "Tantalus" so completely summed up what many Americans are feeling about their country. It was an eerie display of torsos and arms reaching for golden apples dangling enticingly out of reach. I wonder if we are the only nation that feels this way. I mean, we never hear about the Italian Dream or the Bulgarian Dream, do we? If we Google it, we actually have a wikipedia entry for the American Dream, while other countries do not. Go ahead and try it, I did. It was the theme of this year's gathering in the Black Rock Desert and Peter's deliberate use of only part of our Star Spangled Banner pushes the reality of unfinished business to a place where we cannot ignore it.
Hudson brought up good questions in his interview, what exactly is the American dream anymore? I know my vision may not match my neighbors, because of my religion, political leanings, age bracket, sex, and economic status. Is there just one dream we all share, is it simply freedom or is it something else? Is it possible that as we grow larger and more diverse that this utopia can never be achieved or maintained for a reasonable period of time? Do smaller groups that share a common ideal ever achieve their vision? I guess the Burning Man group might be able to answer that. Hudson's fantasy of people "experiencing each other" after his second trip to Burning Man may compete with someone else's mission to seek out budding artists for capital gain. The zoetrope that Peter created is made up of many arms reaching for many apples, some are closer to realization than others, and no two appear alike. Makes you think...
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Whole Foods Experience
The staff were so nice to me, and that was a relief. Sometimes, when I go into a speciality store the service is rather cool. They were friendly and helpful at Whole Foods. My checkout person even gave me a shopping bag that used to be a plastic bottle, because it was my first time in the store. The store smells fishy in the produce section, but it was rather late at night, so I imagine they were changing out all the ice. I thought the cooked foods looked a bit overdone, but Whole Foods has a wonderful selection of foods ready to be cooked that I would try. It is like a gourmet, Health Food, Organic, Local Market all in one. I will definitely return when I have more time to compare prices. It seems that they have everything you could ever need for a recipe from the Silver Palate Cookbook, which, incidentally, I Love! If one has dietary restrictions, there are tons of choices, no gluten, no carbs, no wheat, all organic, etc. The frozen foods section was not as big as I hoped, but I was literally running through the store and didn't get much time to really look at it. I need to see if they make any more sauces than the ones I saw in their frozen pasta section. They had Fra Diavlo and White Clam, but I can already make those. I am looking for new ideas or sauces I do not make everyday, like marsala. They had Double Devon Cream and gruyere goat cheese, so it all looks promising.
Making tomato sauce from scratch
How to Make Homemade Tomato Sauce
Use Those Fresh Romas from the Garden
By Michelle Wendt
As published on Associated Content
This year my family planted cherry and grape tomatoes. It was our first year gardening after a three-year hiatus; we were just planting for household eating and not for canning or freezing purposes. Having no room to plant melons is always a disappointment, but the gentleman around the corner grows them and he typically sells them to us. Stopping by to get the melons, we found out that he was flush with ripe, Roma tomatoes and selling them for a $1 per half-bushel container. I told him that I already had enough tomatoes, but he was stressed that they would go bad before he could sell them and he argued with us in his Italian accent, " Take them home, make up some sauce, it's good eating. They gonna go bad here."
Well, we are not the type to let down a little old man, especially a neighbor, so we bought a bushel and prepared about 8 quarts of sauce from them. My thirteen-year-old daughter Haley, who is learning how to cook, practiced blanching the tomatoes in boiling water for two minutes. Then we let the hot tomatoes cool for a few minutes and sliced them in half. By grasping the ends of the tomatoes we pulled the skins right off. It was so easy. We had a bit of trouble with a few of the stem ends so we kept a small paring knife handy to assist us with the more unruly skins. My sister Pinky informed me today that if I had scored the skins before blanching, I would not have had this problem. According to her, this method also works well when skinning peppers. Haley had a great time skinning them and kept pushing me out of her way, I was stuck just slicing them in half.
After peeling the tomatoes we put extra virgin olive oil in the bottom of our stock pot and dumped in the pulpy fruit. My friend Belinda used to give the tomatoes a squeeze to get out any stray seeds before she cooked them down, but Haley and I decided to skip this step; Roma tomatoes do not have many seeds at all, so it is not usually a problem for me. We added fresh oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary and marjoram from the garden, and dried parsley and red pepper flakes from the pantry. Each one of the fresh spices grows very well and I am always delighted to utilize our abundant herb garden. We picked, washed, minced, and added the Italian spices a bit at a time as the tomatoes cooked down. Belinda used to say that if we just added the spices at the beginning, they would not be as aromatic or tasty as they would be if we kept adding some during the cooking process.
Simmering the tomatoes for an hour and half, we started to get a bit impatient that they weren't "cooking down" as fast as we wanted them to. Haley used the immersion blender to break up the more stubborn pulp and I added whole garlic cloves and minced garlic. I like to remove and use the cooked whole cloves and some butter to mash on Italian bread later. It is delicious! After pre-cooking our sweet Italian sausage in the frying pan, we added it and the juices to a portion of the sauce and allowed the meat sauce to simmer some more. The reason we reserved some of the sauce was to have an ample supply of both marinara and meat sauce on hand during the winter.
The sauce was finally done and we had to think about storage options. I save all the quart containers from the deli and Chinese food takeout, and I do not mind writing on them a bit. They fit well in the freezer door and are an invaluable resource to us as we make huge batches of soup all year long. After putting sauce up in the containers, we cleaned up our little mess and the rest of the family pitched in at this point. My husband explained how he would take care of the pots just like he had when he was young. He grabbed some of the Italian bread and took over the stockpot. Soon, my whole family was standing over the pots with slices of bread and scooping out the remains. It was the perfect end to a wonderful afternoon and I will remember the happiness of cooking with my daughter as we use each quart of sauce this winter on our pizzas, linguini, and parmesan.
Use Those Fresh Romas from the Garden
By Michelle Wendt
As published on Associated Content
This year my family planted cherry and grape tomatoes. It was our first year gardening after a three-year hiatus; we were just planting for household eating and not for canning or freezing purposes. Having no room to plant melons is always a disappointment, but the gentleman around the corner grows them and he typically sells them to us. Stopping by to get the melons, we found out that he was flush with ripe, Roma tomatoes and selling them for a $1 per half-bushel container. I told him that I already had enough tomatoes, but he was stressed that they would go bad before he could sell them and he argued with us in his Italian accent, " Take them home, make up some sauce, it's good eating. They gonna go bad here."
Well, we are not the type to let down a little old man, especially a neighbor, so we bought a bushel and prepared about 8 quarts of sauce from them. My thirteen-year-old daughter Haley, who is learning how to cook, practiced blanching the tomatoes in boiling water for two minutes. Then we let the hot tomatoes cool for a few minutes and sliced them in half. By grasping the ends of the tomatoes we pulled the skins right off. It was so easy. We had a bit of trouble with a few of the stem ends so we kept a small paring knife handy to assist us with the more unruly skins. My sister Pinky informed me today that if I had scored the skins before blanching, I would not have had this problem. According to her, this method also works well when skinning peppers. Haley had a great time skinning them and kept pushing me out of her way, I was stuck just slicing them in half.
After peeling the tomatoes we put extra virgin olive oil in the bottom of our stock pot and dumped in the pulpy fruit. My friend Belinda used to give the tomatoes a squeeze to get out any stray seeds before she cooked them down, but Haley and I decided to skip this step; Roma tomatoes do not have many seeds at all, so it is not usually a problem for me. We added fresh oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary and marjoram from the garden, and dried parsley and red pepper flakes from the pantry. Each one of the fresh spices grows very well and I am always delighted to utilize our abundant herb garden. We picked, washed, minced, and added the Italian spices a bit at a time as the tomatoes cooked down. Belinda used to say that if we just added the spices at the beginning, they would not be as aromatic or tasty as they would be if we kept adding some during the cooking process.
Simmering the tomatoes for an hour and half, we started to get a bit impatient that they weren't "cooking down" as fast as we wanted them to. Haley used the immersion blender to break up the more stubborn pulp and I added whole garlic cloves and minced garlic. I like to remove and use the cooked whole cloves and some butter to mash on Italian bread later. It is delicious! After pre-cooking our sweet Italian sausage in the frying pan, we added it and the juices to a portion of the sauce and allowed the meat sauce to simmer some more. The reason we reserved some of the sauce was to have an ample supply of both marinara and meat sauce on hand during the winter.
The sauce was finally done and we had to think about storage options. I save all the quart containers from the deli and Chinese food takeout, and I do not mind writing on them a bit. They fit well in the freezer door and are an invaluable resource to us as we make huge batches of soup all year long. After putting sauce up in the containers, we cleaned up our little mess and the rest of the family pitched in at this point. My husband explained how he would take care of the pots just like he had when he was young. He grabbed some of the Italian bread and took over the stockpot. Soon, my whole family was standing over the pots with slices of bread and scooping out the remains. It was the perfect end to a wonderful afternoon and I will remember the happiness of cooking with my daughter as we use each quart of sauce this winter on our pizzas, linguini, and parmesan.
Monday, August 18, 2008
How to Make Homemade Tomato Sauce
Use Those Fresh Romas from the Garden
By Michelle Wendt
As Published on Associated Content
This year my family planted cherry and grape tomatoes. It was our first year gardening after a three-year hiatus; we were just planting for household eating and not for canning or freezing purposes. Having no room to plant melons is always a disappointment, but the gentleman around the corner grows them and he typically sells them to us. Stopping by to get the melons, we found out that he was flush with ripe, Roma tomatoes and selling them for a $1 per half-bushel container. I told him that I already had enough tomatoes, but he was stressed that they would go bad before he could sell them and he argued with us in his Italian accent, " Take them home, make up some sauce, it's good eating. They gonna go bad here."
Well, we are not the type to let down a little old man, especially a neighbor, so we bought a bushel and prepared about 8 quarts of sauce from them. My thirteen-year-old daughter Haley, who is learning how to cook, practiced blanching the tomatoes in boiling water for two minutes. Then we let the hot tomatoes cool for a few minutes and sliced them in half. By grasping the ends of the tomatoes we pulled the skins right off. It was so easy. We had a bit of trouble with a few of the stem ends so we kept a small paring knife handy to assist us with the more unruly skins. My sister Pinky informed me today that if I had scored the skins before blanching, I would not have had this problem. According to her, this method also works well when skinning peppers. Haley had a great time skinning them and kept pushing me out of her way, I was stuck just slicing them in half.
After peeling the tomatoes we put extra virgin olive oil in the bottom of our stock pot and dumped in the pulpy fruit. My friend Belinda used to give the tomatoes a squeeze to get out any stray seeds before she cooked them down, but Haley and I decided to skip this step; Roma tomatoes do not have many seeds at all, so it is not usually a problem for me. We added fresh oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary and marjoram from the garden, and dried parsley and red pepper flakes from the pantry. Each one of the fresh spices grows very well and I am always delighted to utilize our abundant herb garden. We picked, washed, minced, and added the Italian spices a bit at a time as the tomatoes cooked down. Belinda used to say that if we just added the spices at the beginning, they would not be as aromatic or tasty as they would be if we kept adding some during the cooking process.
Simmering the tomatoes for an hour and half, we started to get a bit impatient that they weren't "cooking down" as fast as we wanted them to. Haley used the immersion blender to break up the more stubborn pulp and I added whole garlic cloves and minced garlic. I like to remove and use the cooked whole cloves and some butter to mash on Italian bread later. It is delicious! After pre-cooking our sweet Italian sausage in the frying pan, we added it and the juices to a portion of the sauce and allowed the meat sauce to simmer some more. The reason we reserved some of the sauce was to have an ample supply of both marinara and meat sauce on hand during the winter.
Likely Page Break
The sauce was finally done and we had to think about storage options. I save all the quart containers from the deli and Chinese food takeout, and I do not mind writing on them a bit. They fit well in the freezer door and are an invaluable resource to us as we make huge batches of soup all year long. After putting sauce up in the containers, we cleaned up our little mess and the rest of the family pitched in at this point. My husband explained how he would take care of the pots just like he had when he was young. He grabbed some of the Italian bread and took over the stockpot. Soon, my whole family was standing over the pots with slices of bread and scooping out the remains. It was the perfect end to a wonderful afternoon and I will remember the happiness of cooking with my daughter as we use each quart of sauce this winter on our pizzas, linguini, and parmesan.
By Michelle Wendt
As Published on Associated Content
This year my family planted cherry and grape tomatoes. It was our first year gardening after a three-year hiatus; we were just planting for household eating and not for canning or freezing purposes. Having no room to plant melons is always a disappointment, but the gentleman around the corner grows them and he typically sells them to us. Stopping by to get the melons, we found out that he was flush with ripe, Roma tomatoes and selling them for a $1 per half-bushel container. I told him that I already had enough tomatoes, but he was stressed that they would go bad before he could sell them and he argued with us in his Italian accent, " Take them home, make up some sauce, it's good eating. They gonna go bad here."
Well, we are not the type to let down a little old man, especially a neighbor, so we bought a bushel and prepared about 8 quarts of sauce from them. My thirteen-year-old daughter Haley, who is learning how to cook, practiced blanching the tomatoes in boiling water for two minutes. Then we let the hot tomatoes cool for a few minutes and sliced them in half. By grasping the ends of the tomatoes we pulled the skins right off. It was so easy. We had a bit of trouble with a few of the stem ends so we kept a small paring knife handy to assist us with the more unruly skins. My sister Pinky informed me today that if I had scored the skins before blanching, I would not have had this problem. According to her, this method also works well when skinning peppers. Haley had a great time skinning them and kept pushing me out of her way, I was stuck just slicing them in half.
After peeling the tomatoes we put extra virgin olive oil in the bottom of our stock pot and dumped in the pulpy fruit. My friend Belinda used to give the tomatoes a squeeze to get out any stray seeds before she cooked them down, but Haley and I decided to skip this step; Roma tomatoes do not have many seeds at all, so it is not usually a problem for me. We added fresh oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary and marjoram from the garden, and dried parsley and red pepper flakes from the pantry. Each one of the fresh spices grows very well and I am always delighted to utilize our abundant herb garden. We picked, washed, minced, and added the Italian spices a bit at a time as the tomatoes cooked down. Belinda used to say that if we just added the spices at the beginning, they would not be as aromatic or tasty as they would be if we kept adding some during the cooking process.
Simmering the tomatoes for an hour and half, we started to get a bit impatient that they weren't "cooking down" as fast as we wanted them to. Haley used the immersion blender to break up the more stubborn pulp and I added whole garlic cloves and minced garlic. I like to remove and use the cooked whole cloves and some butter to mash on Italian bread later. It is delicious! After pre-cooking our sweet Italian sausage in the frying pan, we added it and the juices to a portion of the sauce and allowed the meat sauce to simmer some more. The reason we reserved some of the sauce was to have an ample supply of both marinara and meat sauce on hand during the winter.
Likely Page Break
The sauce was finally done and we had to think about storage options. I save all the quart containers from the deli and Chinese food takeout, and I do not mind writing on them a bit. They fit well in the freezer door and are an invaluable resource to us as we make huge batches of soup all year long. After putting sauce up in the containers, we cleaned up our little mess and the rest of the family pitched in at this point. My husband explained how he would take care of the pots just like he had when he was young. He grabbed some of the Italian bread and took over the stockpot. Soon, my whole family was standing over the pots with slices of bread and scooping out the remains. It was the perfect end to a wonderful afternoon and I will remember the happiness of cooking with my daughter as we use each quart of sauce this winter on our pizzas, linguini, and parmesan.
Stargazing Party Brings Summer Back Home
The Best Evenings Are Right Outside Your Door
As published on Associated Content
We were recently invited to a bonfire to celebrate the end of my daughter's musical theatre program. This was the third cast party we had attended and we enjoyed it so thoroughly because of what it didn't have that all the others did. There were no tiki torches, and there wasn't a pool or hot tub surrounded with themed lighting. There was no fenced-in yard with a swing set or bar full of Sangria. What there was, was a sky full of stars above a wide-open field, a homemade swing that sat three, a crackling fire, and great companionship. The guests were each instructed to bring our own camp chairs and favorite snack, and to wear shoes that would not keep us from the games.
We arrived and played football for a while until it was too dark to see, and then the game of jailbreak commenced. Outside of the fire circle were the shadows of our children chasing each other around and giggling as they each were caught. The best entertainment was in the night sky. We oohed and aahed as each parent discovered planets and constellations, shooting stars and satellites flying across the sky, and even some wayward meteorites that my husband swears were merely fireworks. We argued over the position of some of the constellations and searched in vain for the Little Dipper. One couple laughed over the winking stars that were really fireflies. At one point a flashing light swung quickly across the sky and the kids all got excited thinking it might be a UFO. I thought it was a military object, my husband said it was a helicopter, but whatever it was, we spent the rest of the evening with our eyes trained upon the heavens looking for whatever we could find.
I have never had a conversation before where I didn't look at someone's face as I spoke to him or her, but it was not a hardship; I simply could not stop watching the atmosphere. So we all chatted facing upwards and chuckled about it as we did so. I recalled how many hours I spent gazing up at the clouds and the stars when I was a child and I was contented knowing my children enjoyed the same uncomplicated pleasures. It was a simple, effortless evening, and it certainly beat watching TV, going to the movies, or playing video games.
I plan to make our own fire circle in the backyard this week and really enjoy the rest of summer and the autumn. We have lots of deadfall in the woods beyond our yard and plenty of space that we never use. The simplest pleasures of life do not require cash, fancy yard furniture, or even a ride in the car, they can be found right outside our own back doors.
As published on Associated Content
We were recently invited to a bonfire to celebrate the end of my daughter's musical theatre program. This was the third cast party we had attended and we enjoyed it so thoroughly because of what it didn't have that all the others did. There were no tiki torches, and there wasn't a pool or hot tub surrounded with themed lighting. There was no fenced-in yard with a swing set or bar full of Sangria. What there was, was a sky full of stars above a wide-open field, a homemade swing that sat three, a crackling fire, and great companionship. The guests were each instructed to bring our own camp chairs and favorite snack, and to wear shoes that would not keep us from the games.
We arrived and played football for a while until it was too dark to see, and then the game of jailbreak commenced. Outside of the fire circle were the shadows of our children chasing each other around and giggling as they each were caught. The best entertainment was in the night sky. We oohed and aahed as each parent discovered planets and constellations, shooting stars and satellites flying across the sky, and even some wayward meteorites that my husband swears were merely fireworks. We argued over the position of some of the constellations and searched in vain for the Little Dipper. One couple laughed over the winking stars that were really fireflies. At one point a flashing light swung quickly across the sky and the kids all got excited thinking it might be a UFO. I thought it was a military object, my husband said it was a helicopter, but whatever it was, we spent the rest of the evening with our eyes trained upon the heavens looking for whatever we could find.
I have never had a conversation before where I didn't look at someone's face as I spoke to him or her, but it was not a hardship; I simply could not stop watching the atmosphere. So we all chatted facing upwards and chuckled about it as we did so. I recalled how many hours I spent gazing up at the clouds and the stars when I was a child and I was contented knowing my children enjoyed the same uncomplicated pleasures. It was a simple, effortless evening, and it certainly beat watching TV, going to the movies, or playing video games.
I plan to make our own fire circle in the backyard this week and really enjoy the rest of summer and the autumn. We have lots of deadfall in the woods beyond our yard and plenty of space that we never use. The simplest pleasures of life do not require cash, fancy yard furniture, or even a ride in the car, they can be found right outside our own back doors.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Tips for Dealing with Strangers on Craigslist
Be Cautious when Getting Rid of that Eyesore in Your Yard
Tips for dealing with strangers on craigslist
by Michelle Wendt
Read This article on my Associated Content Page!
Tips for Dealing with Strangers on Craigslist
Be Cautious when Getting Rid of that Eyesore in Your Yard
Today was my first real experience using craigslist. I posted an ad for a FREE swing set, two hours later the old eyesore is gone and I have more space in my yard. This whole experience was not without it's dangers and pitfalls. With a little planning, you can get rid of your old stuff and still feel safe. Within five minutes of me posting my seven-year-old swing set, rusty pictures and all, I had eleven replies and people were begging me to pick them, strange people I didn't know. Before ever placing an ad that could bring strangers to your door, take a moment to consider if you know of someone you are already acquainted with that may be able to use your old junk. Offer them the rights of first refusal.
If you are unable to give your junk away to friends, there are a few things to consider when allowing someone you don't know to come to your house. I was a bit cautious in giving out my address, after all, who wants strangers coming to their yard? I wrote the ad specifying that I would not provide tools or access to my house to use the bathroom or for any other reason. I figured this would keep any potential freaks away. When they pulled up I looked out of the window and wrote down their license plate number. Absolutely do this whenever you are letting strangers on your property. I locked the house door behind me when I went outside to greet the couple and pointed them to the rear yard. I had my cell phone in my hand. My three mini-schnauzers were barking madly from the inside windows, but I still I kept my distance at all times. Always keep something between you and strangers, preferably something you could throw at them if necessary.
The man brought his own tools and generator, since I would not be providing electricity. Do not provide access to your house, ever. I have no outside power line and I was not going to run a line out of my house, it would mean the house would be unsecured. Yes, I am a type A personality.
I was relieved that he was prepared with an electric saw and I was all set to go back into the house when his toddler made a beeline for the swing set and started swinging. When I write beeline, I mean it, I had to ask the couple to remove the child from the set as bees had made a hive in it a few years ago and it might not be safe. I can tell you, my first thought when she sat on the swing was, "What if she gets hurt on my property?" What could I have done? I should have made sure that the child did not come on my property. I could have dragged the swing set to the front yard. In this litigious society, we cannot be too careful about who is on our property and we cannot ever let our homeowners policies lapse. When writing your own ad you can always specify that children are not permitted on your property.
How do you pick from all the replies? I wondered that myself, they all wanted my set, at least 3 repliers wanted the set immediately. I even got a few sob stories, "I am interested in the swing set and can take it apart. My kids having been bugging me for one for some time now and being in the midst of a divorce I have not had the financial ability to provide one." I continued opening the emails and thought about how to decide.
The one I hated to turn away was from a grandmother; "I really could use this for my granddaughter, who spends a lot of time with me. It would be a great diversion from having to go into the pool with her all the time."
To be fair I chose the person who got back to me the quickest. Hindsight tells me that I should have picked the one who agreed to all my type-A requests, which I did.
After packing the pieces up in their truck, the scrapping couple left, taking my eyesore and a whole lotta bees with them. I have saved myself a trip to the town dump, an uncomfortable conversation with my husband about dismantling the set, and painful bee stings, but it was an unsettling experience just the same. I actually got an email from the couple that picked up the swing set after I thanked them, "If you ever decide to sell your patio set we would be interested," Clara wrote. Okay, now I don't know if I should feel uncomfortable or not. Is this the start of an ongoing relationship, will they be back scavenging everything made of metal in my yard? Probably not, but it freaked me out. Take your ad down immediately after the item is gone from your yard and do not reply to any further inquiries.
As far as my experience with Craigslist goes, I think it is a valuable resource for everyone, but I will always be cautious with people I am not familiar with. When I sell my living room furniture in the coming weeks to make room for the new set, I will bring the furniture out of doors so we don't have any strangers in my house. The safety of my family is worth me dragging it outside.
Tips for dealing with strangers on craigslist
by Michelle Wendt
Read This article on my Associated Content Page!
Tips for Dealing with Strangers on Craigslist
Be Cautious when Getting Rid of that Eyesore in Your Yard
Today was my first real experience using craigslist. I posted an ad for a FREE swing set, two hours later the old eyesore is gone and I have more space in my yard. This whole experience was not without it's dangers and pitfalls. With a little planning, you can get rid of your old stuff and still feel safe. Within five minutes of me posting my seven-year-old swing set, rusty pictures and all, I had eleven replies and people were begging me to pick them, strange people I didn't know. Before ever placing an ad that could bring strangers to your door, take a moment to consider if you know of someone you are already acquainted with that may be able to use your old junk. Offer them the rights of first refusal.
If you are unable to give your junk away to friends, there are a few things to consider when allowing someone you don't know to come to your house. I was a bit cautious in giving out my address, after all, who wants strangers coming to their yard? I wrote the ad specifying that I would not provide tools or access to my house to use the bathroom or for any other reason. I figured this would keep any potential freaks away. When they pulled up I looked out of the window and wrote down their license plate number. Absolutely do this whenever you are letting strangers on your property. I locked the house door behind me when I went outside to greet the couple and pointed them to the rear yard. I had my cell phone in my hand. My three mini-schnauzers were barking madly from the inside windows, but I still I kept my distance at all times. Always keep something between you and strangers, preferably something you could throw at them if necessary.
The man brought his own tools and generator, since I would not be providing electricity. Do not provide access to your house, ever. I have no outside power line and I was not going to run a line out of my house, it would mean the house would be unsecured. Yes, I am a type A personality.
I was relieved that he was prepared with an electric saw and I was all set to go back into the house when his toddler made a beeline for the swing set and started swinging. When I write beeline, I mean it, I had to ask the couple to remove the child from the set as bees had made a hive in it a few years ago and it might not be safe. I can tell you, my first thought when she sat on the swing was, "What if she gets hurt on my property?" What could I have done? I should have made sure that the child did not come on my property. I could have dragged the swing set to the front yard. In this litigious society, we cannot be too careful about who is on our property and we cannot ever let our homeowners policies lapse. When writing your own ad you can always specify that children are not permitted on your property.
How do you pick from all the replies? I wondered that myself, they all wanted my set, at least 3 repliers wanted the set immediately. I even got a few sob stories, "I am interested in the swing set and can take it apart. My kids having been bugging me for one for some time now and being in the midst of a divorce I have not had the financial ability to provide one." I continued opening the emails and thought about how to decide.
The one I hated to turn away was from a grandmother; "I really could use this for my granddaughter, who spends a lot of time with me. It would be a great diversion from having to go into the pool with her all the time."
To be fair I chose the person who got back to me the quickest. Hindsight tells me that I should have picked the one who agreed to all my type-A requests, which I did.
After packing the pieces up in their truck, the scrapping couple left, taking my eyesore and a whole lotta bees with them. I have saved myself a trip to the town dump, an uncomfortable conversation with my husband about dismantling the set, and painful bee stings, but it was an unsettling experience just the same. I actually got an email from the couple that picked up the swing set after I thanked them, "If you ever decide to sell your patio set we would be interested," Clara wrote. Okay, now I don't know if I should feel uncomfortable or not. Is this the start of an ongoing relationship, will they be back scavenging everything made of metal in my yard? Probably not, but it freaked me out. Take your ad down immediately after the item is gone from your yard and do not reply to any further inquiries.
As far as my experience with Craigslist goes, I think it is a valuable resource for everyone, but I will always be cautious with people I am not familiar with. When I sell my living room furniture in the coming weeks to make room for the new set, I will bring the furniture out of doors so we don't have any strangers in my house. The safety of my family is worth me dragging it outside.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
OCEAN CITY “POPS” INTO HAMMONTON FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rosaria Mineo
609.970.4400
OCEAN CITY “POPS” INTO HAMMONTON FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY!
HAMMONTON, New Jersey– The Friends of the Eagle Theatre keep building momentum as they bring the Ocean City POPS to the Hammonton High School Performing Arts Center for one night only on September 20th, 2008 at 7:00PM.
Bring the whole family for a night of fun, exciting music and great entertainment as the “ POPS Goes Broadway”, conducted by Maestro William Scheible.
Celebrating his 21st year at the helm of the Ocean City Pops, William Scheible has transformed the Music Pier series into one of regional critical acclaim. Maestro Scheible has conducted over 800 concerts, presided over more than twentyfive Broadway and operetta fullstaged productions.
This is the second major concert event that the Friends of the Eagle Theatre have sponsored, emphasizing the group’s dedication to accessible and entertaining productions that can be enjoyed by everyone in the community and region.
All proceeds from the event will benefit the non-profit organization, Friends of the Eagle Theatre, and their efforts to restore the Historic Eagle Theatre, located on Vine Street in Downtown Hammonton. The restoration of the Eagle Theatre will create a much needed small performance hall which will be used for theater, dance, music, movies and other artistic purposes.
Ticket prices are $20.00 per ticket and the seating is general admission. Tickets are on sale now at Casciano’s, Simply Stationery, Dance Magic and Serenity for the Day. Tickets are also available online at tix.com or by calling 609-561-1199. Tickets will be available at the door.
“The people of Hammonton are excited about having the opportunity to have such a wonderful event as the Ocean City POPS in their hometown. I have attended numerous Pops concerts and am thrilled to be able to share the joy of the Pops with the community.” said Marion O’Neill, member and a long-time fan of the POPS. “
For more information, please contact Rosaria Mineo at (609) 970-4400.
Rosaria Mineo
609.970.4400
OCEAN CITY “POPS” INTO HAMMONTON FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY!
HAMMONTON, New Jersey– The Friends of the Eagle Theatre keep building momentum as they bring the Ocean City POPS to the Hammonton High School Performing Arts Center for one night only on September 20th, 2008 at 7:00PM.
Bring the whole family for a night of fun, exciting music and great entertainment as the “ POPS Goes Broadway”, conducted by Maestro William Scheible.
Celebrating his 21st year at the helm of the Ocean City Pops, William Scheible has transformed the Music Pier series into one of regional critical acclaim. Maestro Scheible has conducted over 800 concerts, presided over more than twentyfive Broadway and operetta fullstaged productions.
This is the second major concert event that the Friends of the Eagle Theatre have sponsored, emphasizing the group’s dedication to accessible and entertaining productions that can be enjoyed by everyone in the community and region.
All proceeds from the event will benefit the non-profit organization, Friends of the Eagle Theatre, and their efforts to restore the Historic Eagle Theatre, located on Vine Street in Downtown Hammonton. The restoration of the Eagle Theatre will create a much needed small performance hall which will be used for theater, dance, music, movies and other artistic purposes.
Ticket prices are $20.00 per ticket and the seating is general admission. Tickets are on sale now at Casciano’s, Simply Stationery, Dance Magic and Serenity for the Day. Tickets are also available online at tix.com or by calling 609-561-1199. Tickets will be available at the door.
“The people of Hammonton are excited about having the opportunity to have such a wonderful event as the Ocean City POPS in their hometown. I have attended numerous Pops concerts and am thrilled to be able to share the joy of the Pops with the community.” said Marion O’Neill, member and a long-time fan of the POPS. “
For more information, please contact Rosaria Mineo at (609) 970-4400.
Cuil- The Newest Haystack
Cuil- The Newest Haystack
Cuil.com is a new search engine created by former google designers. I like the three column feature, I feel like I can read a whole paragraph from each selection and really know which one is the search answer I need. It does not have the insanely cool features that Google has however, it is just for searching. I found different sites that I could not find on Google and vice-versa. I believe my best bet is always to use a variety of search engines when I truly need to find something. As a Google-lover, it is not always easy to stray, but when in need, I will search through every haystack. Today my sister and I went searching for lost relatives and connected with some cousins from my step-father's side of the family. Interestingly enough, we could not get any further with our own blood relatives unless we paid the ancestry site a fee. There must be a way to get the information we want without having to pay a fee. I approach this process every few years and then give up after I hit the ancestry website roadblock. If anyone knows a REAL- FREE website, I would go needle hunting again.
Cuil.com is a new search engine created by former google designers. I like the three column feature, I feel like I can read a whole paragraph from each selection and really know which one is the search answer I need. It does not have the insanely cool features that Google has however, it is just for searching. I found different sites that I could not find on Google and vice-versa. I believe my best bet is always to use a variety of search engines when I truly need to find something. As a Google-lover, it is not always easy to stray, but when in need, I will search through every haystack. Today my sister and I went searching for lost relatives and connected with some cousins from my step-father's side of the family. Interestingly enough, we could not get any further with our own blood relatives unless we paid the ancestry site a fee. There must be a way to get the information we want without having to pay a fee. I approach this process every few years and then give up after I hit the ancestry website roadblock. If anyone knows a REAL- FREE website, I would go needle hunting again.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Teaching My Kids How to Cook
This article can be viewed at the following link at associated content.
Teaching My Kids How to Cook
Please share this link with your friends.
Teaching My Kids How to Cook
Please share this link with your friends.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Why Should Students Blog? One Teacher's Experience with Middle-School Blogging
Why Should Students Blog? One Teacher's Experience with Middle-School Blogging
How and why one teacher introduced blogging to her middle-school students.
Please read this article where I posted it on Associated Content. Share this link with your friends.
How and why one teacher introduced blogging to her middle-school students.
Please read this article where I posted it on Associated Content. Share this link with your friends.
Technology Training on a Tight Budget: Sharing is the Answer
Technology Training on a Tight Budget: Sharing is the Answer
If Your District Won't Pay for Technology Training, There Are Free Services Available
View this article at the following address, it is published on associated content. please share this link with your friends.
Go here.
If Your District Won't Pay for Technology Training, There Are Free Services Available
View this article at the following address, it is published on associated content. please share this link with your friends.
Go here.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
San Francisco's Incoming Streetline Parking System to Briefly Dull Our Senses
San Francisco's Incoming Streetline Parking System to Briefly Dull Our Senses
We have evolved as humans. No longer do our men go out and hunt for days to catch a animal for our needs, instead full meals can be brought to our front doors by the various local delivery people, UPS and Fed Ex. As technology takes over more of our lives, hunting for sport and parking spots has long surpassed hunting for actual sustenance, and women and men alike turn to technology to increase their chances of a "Kill." I read in the New York Times today that San Francisco is implementing a Streetline smartphone system to help drivers capture a parking spot and cut down on inner-city congestion.
Since I hail from the New York City area, I can spot someone heading purposefully toward their car to pull out as easily as a duck hunter can spot a returning flock of Mallards. We both know to not give away our position, as we wouldn't want others to notice our potential strike. San Francisco automobile owners will soon be able to pay their meters from their offices and the only license they will need to park will be their cell phones and a quick hand on the wheel. Congestion will go down as more drivers learn to navigate the new parking system.
It will be interesting to see if decoys start thriving, as soon as a new technology is implemented it seems that there is an equal reaction to circumnavigate it. I can imagine teams of hackers ungluing the sensor devices from the streets or sending false reports to protect the actual free parking spaces every time they want to throw a party. What will become of our natural stalking instincts, will the Streetline permanently dull our senses by excluding of the daily circling of the neighborhood blocks as we search for a parking spot? I think not, even though we live in cities far away from the traditional hunting/gathering existence, we will always find something to pursue. We may soon be competing for taxis from our iphones.
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/
We have evolved as humans. No longer do our men go out and hunt for days to catch a animal for our needs, instead full meals can be brought to our front doors by the various local delivery people, UPS and Fed Ex. As technology takes over more of our lives, hunting for sport and parking spots has long surpassed hunting for actual sustenance, and women and men alike turn to technology to increase their chances of a "Kill." I read in the New York Times today that San Francisco is implementing a Streetline smartphone system to help drivers capture a parking spot and cut down on inner-city congestion.
Since I hail from the New York City area, I can spot someone heading purposefully toward their car to pull out as easily as a duck hunter can spot a returning flock of Mallards. We both know to not give away our position, as we wouldn't want others to notice our potential strike. San Francisco automobile owners will soon be able to pay their meters from their offices and the only license they will need to park will be their cell phones and a quick hand on the wheel. Congestion will go down as more drivers learn to navigate the new parking system.
It will be interesting to see if decoys start thriving, as soon as a new technology is implemented it seems that there is an equal reaction to circumnavigate it. I can imagine teams of hackers ungluing the sensor devices from the streets or sending false reports to protect the actual free parking spaces every time they want to throw a party. What will become of our natural stalking instincts, will the Streetline permanently dull our senses by excluding of the daily circling of the neighborhood blocks as we search for a parking spot? I think not, even though we live in cities far away from the traditional hunting/gathering existence, we will always find something to pursue. We may soon be competing for taxis from our iphones.
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
It is Feast time again. The South Jersey newspapers are full of ads from local merchants, the kids are on the phone making plans to meet their friends at the corner of the church and carnival trucks and RV's are parking in the lot off French Street. Driving down Third Street in Hammonton, it is easy to get excited about family fun as Mount Carmel Society volunteers reassemble the wooden structures. As each construction takes shape we are one step closer to the most delicious sausage and pepper sandwiches, lovingly prepared by the Friends of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel at the Saint Joseph Food Stand.
The 133rd annual Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and carnival will begin on July 15th and run through the 20th with the opening of the concession stands. The actual Feast Day kicks off on July 16th at 4pm when the statues from Saint Joseph's Church will emerge and be carried through the streets in the yearly procession of Saints. The dedicated that come from all over South Jersey and beyond to take part in the confessions, devotions and the Holy sacrifice of the Mass will be treated to a fireworks display. The carnival rides will be running, providing lots of thrills for families. This year's best prize will be a new 2008 Cadillac CTS and also a fantastic 50/50 prize. The car raffle is only $5 a ticket and the largest percentage of previous winners have been local residents that bought their tickets directly from the stand on-site. All funds raised benefit the Catholic Churches and families of Hammonton
The saints who will be represented in this years procession include: St. Joseph, St. John the Baptist, St. Ann, St. Jude, St. Lucy, St. Anthony Abbot, St. Rocco, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Rita, St Vincent Pallotti, Millagrossa, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Padre Pio, Assumption, Sacred Heart of Jesus, and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
It is Feast time again. The South Jersey newspapers are full of ads from local merchants, the kids are on the phone making plans to meet their friends at the corner of the church and carnival trucks and RV's are parking in the lot off French Street. Driving down Third Street in Hammonton, it is easy to get excited about family fun as Mount Carmel Society volunteers reassemble the wooden structures. As each construction takes shape we are one step closer to the most delicious sausage and pepper sandwiches, lovingly prepared by the Friends of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel at the Saint Joseph Food Stand.
The 133rd annual Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and carnival will begin on July 15th and run through the 20th with the opening of the concession stands. The actual Feast Day kicks off on July 16th at 4pm when the statues from Saint Joseph's Church will emerge and be carried through the streets in the yearly procession of Saints. The dedicated that come from all over South Jersey and beyond to take part in the confessions, devotions and the Holy sacrifice of the Mass will be treated to a fireworks display. The carnival rides will be running, providing lots of thrills for families. This year's best prize will be a new 2008 Cadillac CTS and also a fantastic 50/50 prize. The car raffle is only $5 a ticket and the largest percentage of previous winners have been local residents that bought their tickets directly from the stand on-site. All funds raised benefit the Catholic Churches and families of Hammonton
The saints who will be represented in this years procession include: St. Joseph, St. John the Baptist, St. Ann, St. Jude, St. Lucy, St. Anthony Abbot, St. Rocco, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Rita, St Vincent Pallotti, Millagrossa, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Padre Pio, Assumption, Sacred Heart of Jesus, and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Best Looking Roomie Award goes to...
Two of my best looking roomies, it must be the Puerto Rican sun. Chico, who used to hit us if we tried to wake him up, was a great roomie during college, he would cook up steak and keep the records spinning all night long. An aspiring DJ, he played Springtime Love one summer so many times that I have it permanently embedded in my consciousness years later. Living with Chico was so much fun, we definitely lived it up. That was the first townhouse I lived in with a phone jack in the bathroom. His crazy family would come and go and were so much fun, filling the house with parties, music and drama. He would fall asleep on the floor of the living room after playing music all night and we would have to poke him with a broom so we didn't get beat up. That was the year of tea with Peach Schnapps and coffee with Baileys, we never bought milk or sugar, we just kept a speed rack in the kitchen. Maggie was another great roomie, I lived with her after Chico. She has a way with plants, food, and people. Living in Brigantine was perfect for a bunch of singles, we had an outdoor beach shower and the best light for Maggie's plants. She had a bunch of ponytail palm trees that never made it after she moved in with her boyfriend.
This day she came back from PR to visit and we all got together at the Pomona Exit of the parkway for a quick reunion. It was too much fun and we made Chico late for his girlfriend's party, but it was a once in a lifetime kinda day. We canceled our dinner plans and met him in his shiny car and took some pics. I cannot believe that Mags lives so far away now, when I saw her it was like the time never passed at all. I am not sure she felt the same, aside from us both being a little chunkier, she hasn't changed a bit while I have settled down from my crazy youth. Aren't they good looking?
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
New Spain Hotel by Frank Gerhy
Elciego Hotel is a bust. I am all for unique architecture, but this building blurs the line between interesting and grotesque. I am sure that the engineering is the prettiest part, it looks like a clumsy first attempt to awe and aspire. It fails. Tim Burton could've done a better job. As I look at it, it looks like a heap of scrap metal left on a beach, though does connect seriously to the last year of storm damage. Perhaps it just needs to be placed along the gulf coast to get the proper perspective from passersby.
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