Beryl's Tulsa Blog

Giving Up My Small, Smug Frugalities - Day Two

2012-02-23T11:42:00.003-08:00

So far, so good on my plan to give up my small, smug frugalities (SSF's) for Lent. I am looking forward to being in Southern California next week and changing from Starbucks to Jamba Juice and Strickland's excellent ice cream. Please, someone in Tulsa, take up the slack at the Oklahoma Starbucks. Just remember to leave $1 tip - think of it as charity, if you like. It will make a difference!

Please Let Jamba Juice Make It Through Lent!

2012-02-22T18:59:00.000-08:00

OK Guys - This is important. We've made it through some really rough years economically as a nation. A lot of little businesses that make our lives more pleasant have just squeaked by too. Places like Jamba Juice and Pink Berry and Michael's and JoAnn's and our neighborhood Starbucks are still there for us, as are those wonderful employees who know what we like to drink and (at Jamba Juice) can still make us our special favorites long after they have disappeared from the menu. (Yes, I know that Michael's is an arts and craft store, and JoAnn's is the same but with fabric, but the idea is the same.) So what have I been hearing today? People are giving up spending money on their little pleasures for Lent! For Lent, Guys! Showing their devotion to God, but severely impacting these small businesses and their employees. First thing this morning, (right after Water Aerobics, that is) (Water Aerobics being where the first person announced their intention to quit their daily Starbucks habit), I began my Lenten plan by going to this woman's Starbucks and getting .........A Chai Tea Latte!! And tipping $1. I wish I could start a movement to make Lent a brighter time for these businesses and their employees.

So my point, and I do have one, is that for Lent I am giving up my small, smug frugalities. I'll still make my own tea, but not all of it. I'll try to buy at least one cup of tea or fruit smoothie or yogurt at one of my neighborhood establishments every day and I'll tip $1 when I do. The tip alone is a $42 commitment, (but I always tip people who serve me; I'm not complaining about the $42) so this is going to cost me around $100. Buying things I can easily and cheaply have at home will be harder for me to do than to give up, say, tea or candy or eggs.

Feral Fowl and Pool Fun

2012-02-21T20:47:00.000-08:00

This morning we had a substitute Water Aerobics teacher - the wonderful Sandra is in Maui on vacation and we sure miss her. The woman was very cute and fun, but didn't really hold everyone's attention, so the conversations wandered even more than usual. Jerry said I should explain on my blog that Not-Lucille (Beverly, that is) reminded her family of Lucille Ball when she was younger, which made it even funnier that the teacher kept calling her the wrong name. Then Carol (I think) said she bet I only told stories on my blog that made me look good. So, of course, Barbara (who you might remember is my "girl-crush") says, "I'll bet you never wrote about the time I nearly ran off the road laughing at you mistaking a horse for a donkey". Which, of course, I had admitted here. (If it's grey, I thought it was a Donkey. Evidently Donkeys are a little more complex.) She went on to tell everyone how I also thought these sheep were young buffalo. (So, you can see why I like her so well. Plus, all the time she is making fun of me, she is giving me this cat type look that just cracks me up.) (She has mesmerizing eyes!) OK, my point, and I do have one, is that everyone kept coming up with more outrageous stories, most of them involving animals in the wild until the woman with the angelic face who has been married for more than 30 years to a Marine (bundle of surprises every time she opens her mouth) tells me that there are feral Emus running around the country side around Tulsa. Huh? And she knows this because she (up until 2 years ago) worked on a cattle ranch and the wild Emus would come out of nowhere and scare the cows. The reason there are all these feral Emus is that the best snake oil salesman in America sold all these rancher on the idea of raising Emus just like cattle - except it is way more difficult to ranch an emu than a cow. Who Knew? So these ranchers just abandoned the Emus, but the Emus turned out not to actually need Purina Emu Chow, and lived fine on all the native food freely available in the wild. And found each other and multiplied. Good (Emu) Times!

Some Closet Pictures

2012-02-20T21:26:00.000-08:00

Anne of The Frump Factor showed a few pictures of her closet and challenged us to post our own. I love my closet, which for the first time since marrying 33 years ago, is all mine! Oops, now that I look closely, I see John's antique Panama Hat and his Filson's Safari Hat nestled among my carefully selected Target hats. John just put up a row of racks right behind my hanging clothes so I can hang up my collection of necklaces.

Food And Romance

2012-02-19T18:20:00.000-08:00

On Friday, John took me to The Chalkboard, a charming place to eat. The appetizer was terrific, Olive Tapenade Topped Hummus with Roasted Garlic. The Salad was very good, with unusual proportions of Dried Cherries, Dried Apricot, and Candied Nuts - could have been a dessert, but since we shared it, it was nice. The main dishes were the reason we won't go back. John's Sea Bass smelled a little too fishy, but was OK - just OK. My Beef Wellington was awful. If you've never made it, you might not know that it's one of the easiest fancy entrees you can make. Almost impossible to wreck, unless you burn it. And the whole bottom of it was. Oh well, there are other places in Tulsa to try. And it was a sweet place for a romantic evening.

In a romantic vein, since John knew he was away on business for Valentine's Day, we spent a little more time together the weekend before, even going to Target together. Since our Target has a Starbucks, John got me a Chai Tea Latte. Anyone who knows me, knows that I don't like the taste of coffee, (je n'aime pas le café), so I have never actually had a Latte of any kind. Who knew they made them with Tea? But I am so hooked now - that warm, frothy creaminess and sweetness from all the spices. Oooh!

I Wish I'd Said That - And Where Do I Go To Join

2012-02-18T16:43:00.000-08:00

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple.

With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
Jenny Joseph

Anyone who know me, knows my distrust of Internet searches and Wikipedia. If I want to know something, I go to the library and look it up in an Encyclopedia (singing the Encyclopedia Song as I spell the word). But I must admit to looking up the Red Hat Society on Google since I was only slight fuzzy on its history. I knew that it was inspired by a brilliant J. Joseph poem and that it started out in Fullerton, California, the city where I was born. Wikipedia says Sue Ellen Cooper was the founder. Who am I to argue? It says anyone over 50 could join. So I am qualified agewise. What I couldn't find was where to go to join them. I hope I don't get unqualified for the fact that my Red Hat most certainly does suit me - it being an old Beret and me having been raised by a French mother.

Vitamins, Anyone?

2012-02-17T21:14:00.000-08:00

Do you take vitamins? I can't remember the last time I went a day without a Vitamin D supplement. I figure it's the price you pay for using so much sunscreen. Do you use sunscreen? When I was in Seattle, I used it everyday, making sure my hands, face, and wrists were always protected. So what am I doing now that I'm living someplace where there is actually some (and often lots) of sun? Constantly running out of sunscreen. So now I have a couple things on my Walgreen's list - more sunscreen and darker makeup, since I'm now too tan for the old stuff. And speaking of old makeup, did you know that there is a website that gives you the age of your makeup by using some code printed on it? Google it, if you don't believe me. I'm not checking mine, since if it looks good, I'm still wearing it, no matter how old it it - except for eye makeup. I'm not fooling with my sight. (And when it gets too old, you can get those raccoon eyes - ick!)

Do You Do Fresh Herbs?

2012-02-16T18:23:00.002-08:00

I love fresh herbs! When ever I find good fresh French Tarragon, I know I'll be making Beef Stroganoff, which can be made with 20 ingredients, or not quite as many. If I just have butter, Worcestershire sauce, and tarragon, I'm good. Of course, there's the beef and sour cream, but everyone knows that. I actually add a tablespoon of good quality catsup, too. Try it, it makes a difference. But this week, I didn't find any fresh Tarragon, so I settled for the old reliable - Thyme. There was also some wonderful Dill that I splurged on. That was going into Cauliflower Soup. But the Thyme went into everything. It's the most useful thing you can throw in your cart. This week it went into Roast Chicken, Chicken Stock (which involved putting the skin and bones back into the roasting pot with boiling water), 12 Chili Bacon Chili, the Cauliflower Dill Soup, some Ratatouille (all right, I didn't actually have an eggplant, but it had everything else), Butter Sauted Mushrooms, and (still to be assembled) Lasagna. Good Times!

More Stores Please!

2012-02-15T19:54:00.000-08:00

Just because everyone else manages to give Ugg's a bad name by only wearing the funniest looking ones and wearing those funny ones with really unusual outfits is no reason to avoid the brand totally. Those suede clogs are cute and comfortable - and with that snow we had on Monday, the fuzzy wool lining the toes was worth its weight in gold. I also have a new pair of those Cole Haan flats with the same construction as a pair of Nike sneakers. They were on sale in Hawaii, the last place I was that had an actual Cole Haan store. Please bring to Oklahoma the following stores: Trader Joe's, Nordstrom, Cole Haan, Ikea, Sur la Table, and just for fun - Hermès. Any ones you'd like to add?

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T13:56:00.000-08:00

Yellow roses are my favorite cut flowers. Nice to wake up to a bowl of them on the table with an adorable card from my Sweetie!

No One Should Ever Take Home Their Whole Pie

2012-02-13T18:46:00.000-08:00

I had an unusual conversation with my friend Carol at the Potluck at the Y on Friday. It involved an untouched Homemade Cherry Pie. This pie had been cut into 8 slices, but there wasn't any serving utensil and at the end of the party, there it sat. I took a piece and sat down with Carol. I could see her eying the crust, which was amazingly flaky. So I passed her a bite, explaining that I was actually too full, but was going to take at least two pieces, even if I ended up throwing one away when the pie makers back was turned. So Carol admitted that she had been know to take extra serving of homemade, but unloved Potluck offerings, knowing that she didn't have the points (some kind of Weight Watcher's thing - she always says that she has been on Weight Watchers for 45 years, I guess like an AA member) and couldn't actually eat any, just so no one took home their whole dish. We hit upon a better idea, and just began to oooh and aaah about this wonderful pie, until we had enough other people running to grab a piece, that it all got eaten.

Bacon 12 Chili Pepper!

2012-02-12T20:00:00.000-08:00

Bacon 12 Chili Pepper! I read about this on Class Factotum's site. The post where she takes Tupperware to a Chili Cook off to take home the leftovers. It's pretty usual for me to have 6 different pepper at all times - I am a pepper fanatic. (This is bringing back visions of old Dr. Pepper commercials. "I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper, Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper too?") I always have Red Bell, Poblano, and Jalapeno peppers. Usually I have Yellow, Orange, and Green Bells, too. So I got some Anaheim, Fresno (a totally wonderful small red pepper with a little heat and a wonderful flavor that is underutilized), Serreno and Wax peppers. That wiped out the pepper department of my local market. I think what made this Chili special, besides the Bacon, was that I was forced to improvise with Pickled Peppers. (No tongue twister jokes for me!) I added chopped Pickled Banana Peppers and Pepperoncini. I chopped them all and added an equal amount of chopped yellow onion and fried it all up in Olive Oil. I got something new to me - the local butcher called it Arkansas Bacon. I asked where they got it from, meaning what part of the animal - would it be leaner? And of course the butcher said "Arkansas" and laughed, but picked out 2 pounds of the leanest strips for me. Next time I make this, (and it is terrific, so there will be many more batches of it), I'll use at least 4 pounds. So now I've got all 12 chilies, onions, bacon, frying in oil, add 6 cloves of minced garlic, 3 cans of diced tomatoes, 2 small cans tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried), 1/4 cup cumin, 1/8 cup ground New Mexico peppers (the New Mexico pepper is called a Hatch pepper and these are my absolute favorite pepper, but they are almost never available fresh and even when they are available, they are not widely distributed), and salt and black pepper to taste. Boil this until you are ready to eat. Remember that hot peppers get hotter the longer you boil them. (At least that's what I believe.) I am a Pinto Bean lover, so I add 1 pound (dried weight) of them that I've soaked and cooked, but it's just as good without - and more authentically Chili.

A Baby Changes Everything

2012-02-11T19:16:00.000-08:00

99 people have commented on the most recent post on that wonderful blog, Faux Fuchsia. In that post, Faux gives us a beautiful picture of her mother past, and her mother present, along with the incredible land she lives on. She gives us pictures and pithy chatter and beauty advice. Let's face it, her blog is amazing. She wrote almost daily before she got pregnant, during her pregnancy, and her maternity leave from the law firm, we know only as the "Coalface", an Australian term meaning pretty much the same thing the "Salt Mines" means to an American. She's been back at work for a week now, and noted in this most recent post that she was considering giving up blogging. Unless I was missing something, only Cybill, who I am not familiar with, and I said that she should consider herself and her child and do what was best for them, without any regard for what her readers wanted. It's the old female problem of trying to please, the common weakness that spawned the "Don't Say Yes, When You Want To Say No" revolution.
What's wrong here? This woman has a new baby, a demanding job, and a significant other (a Mr. Faux Fuchsia, as it were). We should thank her for all she has given us and wish her the best.
Would we all pay for a subscription to read her blog, so she is financial able to quit her job and just garden, cook, dress, etc and blog about all of it for us? Is it worth $1 a post, and are there enough of us who would pay the $1 per post to make it worth it? How about $1 per month, the amount I pay to have Martha Stewart's Living magazine delivered to my Nook? Just a thought.
Please don't stop reading because you think I'll be billing you for reading this - unlike Faux Fushia, I am retired with all my children grown and out of the house and a husband who works constantly, so writing this is my recreation. Heck, if you asked me, I might just send you a $1 for reading my blog for a month!

Spice Cake With Peanut Butter Frosting - Origin?

2012-02-10T17:33:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to take to a Pot Luck is a Spice Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting. (I actually had two potlucks to go to today.) (I love Pot Lucks, so this was pretty cool.) But back to my point......A good Pot Luck should have no duplicate dishes. I have a foolproof way of insuring that I don't bring the same thing as anyone else. It's the odd combination of Spice Cake and Peanut Butter. But today, I was stunned - stunned, I tell you, when an elderly lady came up to me and told me this was her brother's favorite dessert. How could this be? She had spent her life in Oklahoma and I had spent mine 1500 miles away. I asked her what her ancestry was - she said Cherokee, German, and Irish. I was about to give up finding a connection, when she said, oh, and my grandmother was full blooded French. Does Peanut Butter Frosting sound like a French thing to you? Me neither. Unless, of course, it started out as Almond Frosting and unable to get almonds, both our families substituted Peanut Butter. Marzipan Frosting on a Spicy Fruit Cake is not an uncommon dessert for a European.

Madame Marie Skłodowska-Curie

2012-02-09T21:30:00.000-08:00

One of my childhood heroes was Madame Marie Skłodowska-Curie, the Polish woman married to a French man. I'm not going to go into what it was about her that impressed me, anyone can read the encyclopedia (singing the Encyclopedia Song to self while spelling "encyclopedia", as usual). But my most favorite thing was that she worked side by side with Pierre, her husband, with constant intellectual stimulation. So tonight I was absolutely delighted to hear the Curie relationship referred to on The Big Bang Theory in almost the same vein as I think of it. One of history's great love stories. As Amy said to Sheldon when they were working together in her Biology lab describing her idea relationship, "Marie and Pierre Curie working side by side, Bathed in the glow of their love and the radium that would eventually kill them. That's the story Disney should film."

What Was J C Penney's Thinking?

2012-02-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

For maybe a week, there have been ads on TV with people screaming at the top of their lungs, punctuated with a view of a mailbox with coupons too numerous to count flowing out of them. The only effect these commercials have had upon me is a bit of lingering psychic upset. I never got to the mute button in time, but would hit it as soon as I could. If someone had asked what I thought of the new Penney's ad, I would have had nothing to say (not a normal occurrence). I had no idea these were Penney's ads. I had no idea that Penney's was planning on doing away with the deluge of coupons and special offers and just planned on lowering all their prices to as low as any coupon could make them. Isn't that a great idea? But the only reason I found out about Penney's great idea is because I need a new pair of athletic shoes and John is out of town, so I decided to go to the closest place that carried New Balance. But when I got there, I found this great pair of Privos for half what I would have paid for them usually. And this pretty bracelet and a scarf and pair of earrings and a 20 piece set of Lock'n'Lock storage containers.. still well under $100 for all that.

Remember Your First Romantic Ideal?

2012-02-07T20:27:00.000-08:00

They're bring the Disney Classic, Lady and the Tramp out in Blue Ray soon, which is a great excuse to play little snippets of it on TV. I know I'm not the only one whose idea of romance was formed the moment those two doggie noses met at the middle of that strand of spaghetti.

Here I am on my first day of school wearing one of the terrific dresses my mother made. And no, that's not a shadow around my left eye - I had a black eye from playing with my older brothers the day before.

Remember When?

2012-02-06T20:21:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about my father was his laugh. Once he got going, he would laugh until tears rolled down his face and he could barely stand up. One thing that always got him going was watching Broderick Crawford, an Oscar winner who played the Chief on the 1950's era show - dudududta- Highway Patrol! My father was an actual California Highway Patrolman, a member of the CHP, the nickname that later was used for another show - Chips, (that Eric Estrada masterpiece of flaming car crashes which my sons loved as toddlers). My father would crack up over every procedural error, all the car chases, the guns fights (often counting the number of bullets Crawford could get from a 6 shooter - 7+ more often than not), Crawford's ridiculously worded pronouncement at the end of each episode, and especially the poorly concealed emblem on the real CHP car they used. Simpler times! Good Times!

But it wasn't all simpler. Who remembers having to use the eraser end of the pencil to wind all that runaway tape back onto the cassette? (And how much better the cassette was than the 8-track?) What magic the CD is! No fast forwarding back and forth, trying to find the start of that special song. And looking everywhere for a pay phone? And seeing the zippers running down the costumes worn by Aliens in the movies? Having only one choice of leisure athletic footwear - Converse? Everything you wore wrinkling? No garbage disposals or dishwashers?

My Christmas Cactus Thinks It's Christmas!

2012-02-05T19:50:00.001-08:00

When we got home after weeks away, this was how the Christmas Cactus looked. I think it was happy to be all alone in a quiet house. That thing it's sitting on is a binacle, part of the navigational equipment on old ships. John's grandmother married a sea captain and after his ship, The Hollywood, was retired they gave him the binacle. It spent many years in the Seattle Museum of History and Industry, since its carved base was so unusually.

Good Night's Sleep - Blog Therapy

2012-02-05T19:01:00.000-08:00

I didn't sleep well last night, which might not mean anything to a lot of people, but is unbelievable for me. John and I are easy sleepers. He is famous as the guy who slept through an audit - why shouldn't he? It's only money and he was pretty sure he didn't owe any more. And it was nice and quiet at the IRS. I usually sleep when he is driving. Once I fell asleep on a train and woke up two stops past where I wanted to be. Except for labor and an appendix attack, there isn't an ailment that has kept me awake at night. So you get it, right?
{And now I going to write something that no one actually needs to read - I am just using blog therapy. I have found that things that rumble around in my brain with no resolution can be banished by writing them in the blog. And I really need a good night's sleep, which means I have to get rid of this today.} {I have removed my graphic account of the traffic accident that was haunting me, because the Blog Therapy was successful and no one else needs have to have that image.}

I could blame it on my GPS, but we were the ones who misunderstood and took the wrong turn. The wrong turn put us smack in the middle of a construction zone with no u-turn possibilities. Isn't it odd how that wrong turn resulted in at least a half hour delay? And that half hour put us in a place we weren't supposed to be at exactly the moment of an awful crash?

Dinner At The Farm

2012-02-04T10:59:00.000-08:00

Just in case you weren't jealous enough, I get to have dinner with very special people today. That's right, John and I are having dinner at the Farm - the one made famous by Catherine of Aesthetic Alterations . She is cooking up a storm, and all I have to do is bring the olives. Pretty exciting!

I love eating food someone else cooked! I also love cooking. I am surprisingly uncritical of my own or anyone else's cooking, even though influenced by some of the best cooking in the world at my French grandparent's. I am absolutely convinced that you have nothing to lose by entertaining anyone with a meal. If the food is amazing, they will think you amazing. If the food doesn't turn out, they will be sympathetic, since everyone has had a failure of their own. And it might convince them to entertain, since "my food couldn't turn out as bad as that". Quote from a guest (after my Carne Adovada turned out a little too spicy) who was afraid to have people over due to overdeveloped perfectionism gene. (And shouldn't she have said "turn out as badly"?)

Crudités And Tea At The Ritz - Plus A Recipe For Easy Vinaigrette

2012-02-03T19:32:00.000-08:00

When I was little, my mother referred to the ubiquitous carrot sticks, celery stalks, and black olives served together as "crudités", and it tickles me every time I hear the term, and you know that it's used a lot these days. But then my mother was smarter and a lot classier than the other mothers in the low rent neighborhood we grew up in. She used to bake a loaf of bread, (in fact she always made her own bread, as did I when I had young kids to feed), and slice it lengthwise into three "layers". Then she would use two different fillings, stick the whole thing back together and cut it into slices. (She usually did this once a year.) She told us this was how they served it when you had Tea at the Ritz (in London). Did we believe her? Not really. Was she right? Absolutely. The first time I had Tea at the Ritz in London, they served just such a thing. It turns out that my mother had been to London as a child and had Tea at the Ritz and even thought she never had the kind of money her parents did, she took some of those elegant touches and used them whenever she could. Thinking about this reminded me of her Vinaigrette, which I whipped up to marinate some mushrooms for tomorrow. She would take 1/3 cup vinegar, (wine vinegar if possible), 1 cup oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp dried mustard, (or 1 tbsp prepared Dijon), 1 tsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. She would shake it up, but I like to stand a wire whip up in it and roll the handle between my palms until it looks creamy. (Think about that Boy Scout demonstration trying to start a fire.) To vary it, sometimes 1 tsp paprika got thrown in for good measure. Then she would put it on a lot of weird stuff that no one else ever served, like uncooked spinach. That's right - prior to the '60, no one in the US would dream of serving spinach raw. Good Times!

Happy Ground Hog Day!

2012-02-02T14:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Ground Day! And for Catholics, happy Feast of the Presentation Day. (Formerly know as Candlemas, but at some point blessing all those candles lost its status and no longer warranted a whole day. Plus, a Feast Day is just better.) In honor of Candlemas, here's the anecdotal recipe for Grandpa Emile's Pancakes, or EPs, as my cousins would say. They are really crepes and best done in a blender.

Beat 6 eggs and add 1 cup milk and 1 cup flour. Beat until smooth. Makes enough for 4 people. (or 6people if they are light eaters.) For every additional person who comes through the door, throw in another eggs. When you've used up a dozen eggs, it's time to start a new batch.
Rub your hot pan all over with a cube of butter, and pour in enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan while turning and tipping and coaxing the batter to the edges. Flip if you like, but it's so thin, it cooks right through. Just remember to roll or fold the less browned side to the inside. It's just prettier like that. Jam, syrup, or sprinkle with powdered sugar and squeeze a fresh lemon over it.

Are You Good At Backing Up?

2012-02-01T22:56:00.000-08:00

Are you good at backing up in a car? Did you ace your parallel parking on your driver's test? I did - but then, I'm one of the 7% - a left hander. (Sinister!) But even though I'm a good backer upper, I don't agree with my husband on the issue of the best way to park in ones garage. Now, this never came up before, since we lived in a house without a garage, or any type of driveway at all for over 25 years. (And if we are keeping track, that would mean that for 8 years, [33 years of marriage minus 25 years in a house without a garage], we were just so madly in love that I could have parked on the roof, and he would have thought it was sweet.) (Of course that doesn't account for the 3 1/2 years we dated, but I think we both only had driveways then and the issue didn't come up.) What issue? Whether cars should always be backed into your garage? To me this doesn't make sense - you are entering a narrow building at a time when you are probably more tired than when you left it. I think that when you are leaving your home all fresh and rested, you are in better shape to be backing up. And you are backing up into the wide open spaces - easier to than trying to fit between the walls of the garage. But John thinks you should always back into the garage - no logical argument offered - to him it's the only sensible thing to do. Isn't that sweet?

Honolulu Luau

2012-01-31T18:06:00.000-08:00

Year of the Dragon Begins!

A real live Luau! Bit of trivia - the pig we see being taken out of the pit at the Laua is served to the staff. The guests are served pig cooked in the kitchen to state health standards. This is Deborah Ann's Poi face! And my "I know better than to taste the Poi face".

Nice New Lipstick

2012-01-30T20:11:00.000-08:00

My favorite lipstick of all time has been discontinued for years and I am just about to run out of my last tube. I really thought by now Chanel would remake the color (Dynamic #75) at least, but I am going to have to find a replacement in another brand. Nuance by Salma Hayek for CVS has the same consistency, but a very limited range of colors. A fabulous red called Paprika, which I love, but nothing close to the dark peachy rose coral of Dynamic. I've decide to use two shades at the same time and settled on this new Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait (#25) and Candy Apple (#35). Turns out that Candy Apple isn't even close to Apple color and is extremely close to the color I want, no mixing required. And the formula, which feels very peculiar going on, (sort of like a Bert's Bees product without the sting) is fabulous and long lasting. Winner!

Do You Do The De - cluttering?

2012-01-29T17:47:00.000-08:00

Every single time I declutter, I regret it afterward. Even if I haven't worn it for a year, I feel that I need one (for example) sequin tank top. Ever time I get rid of my sequin top because I haven't worn it, I just end up buying another. Cooking is always easier when I have the right tools. A Spartan kitchen is not as easy to cook in. And I do like to change my crafting routine without needing to make a special trip and buy everything all over again. (Except Quilting - it's just too hard and I'm not going to try it again.) Oh, and there's that weight fluctuation thing that means having jeans in three different sizes doesn't just make sense, it's necessary. Plus the books - although with my Nook, I now have all the classics that used to take a whole wall of shelves in one little book sized machine. Add all my magazine to it, and the Nook is my kind of decluttering.
So now, I don't declutter. I throw away trash and worn out clothes. I donate the odd gift and give my children items that they covet. I don't buy things I don't want, and if I do slip up, I just return the mistakes. But most importantly, I make a point of having good storage. Thanks, IKEA.

Turn Off Your Kindle!

2012-01-28T16:03:00.001-08:00

Did you know that there was a Tulsa Soaring Society? Neither did I. And I'm telling you that's not good news. John flys so much for business, the last thing he needs (or that I need for him) is a hobby flying gliders. I thought he was going to join his office's shooting group. Or one of the many Bass Clubs - you know, where they go out and fish for one particular species of Bass.

On another note, when flying to Hawaii on Alaska Airlines, they continually made the announcement that it was time to turn off all electronic equipment - then they specified "computer, phone, electronic games, and Kindles". So I asked if my Nook was special and didn't need to be turned off. (Just to be silly - I do know better!) But it turns out that the Kindle thing is part of the script, written by Alaska, which is headquartered in Seattle, just like Amazon is. Pretty tricky. Kind of like subliminal. Remember the original Exorcist? It has these really scary images spliced into the film and wow, was it creepy!

Aloha Hawaii!

2012-01-28T05:01:00.000-08:00

Left Hawaii and have arrived on the mainland. I would happily get right on a plane back! I wonder if I can find some kind of beach substitute in Oklahoma? But then, I can hardly wait to have some Barbecue that doesn't have Pineapple Juice or Soy Sauce in it. And I never saw Grits on the menu anywhere. But I did forget to pickup some of those Spam Flavored Macadamia Nuts to go with the evening cocktails. Did I really?

Do You Do This?

2012-01-26T14:48:00.000-08:00

I think after 33 years of marriage, you can put me firmly in the committed relationship category. But after only 3 years, I found myself nodding off when John would tell a story I had already heard. (So, even if you have only been together a few months, this question is for you too.) I try to keep a look of rapt attention on my face and am pretty sure I pull this off. I try to be zoned out enough that I don't try to move the story along a little faster by telling some of it myself. (John deserves better than this.) Then one day, I realized that I was telling the same story a few times myself. I looked over at John - he still seemed interested. He's a smart man; he must remember the anecdote. But there was no hint on his face. So I devised a test - I started occasionally (every 6 months or so) telling him stories that bored even me. And then I'd watch his face for that hint of a yawn. And there is a difference. He is still sweet and polite, but I can tell he would really like my story to either end or get more interesting. But my interesting stories never seem to get old to him. So, is everyone else as nice as he is? Are you? Is your Sweetie?

Pelulo = Beryl

2012-01-24T23:44:00.000-08:00

Went to Dole Pineapple Plantation, but since you've all seen pineapples courtesy of Hawaii Five-O, either the vintage version or the current one, I'll show you the bracelet I got with my name in Hawaiian carved in it.

2012-01-23T16:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, John went gliding from Hickham Field. This is Walter, a very experienced pilot, giving him last minute instructions. Good plan, since it's extra windy at this end of the Island.

Where DId That Come From?

2012-01-22T09:07:00.000-08:00

I know you were all shocked by yesterday's revelation. In the light of morning, it has begun to make a little more sense to me. We were at dinner at Chai's Bistro in Honolulu at the Aloha Tower. (Wonderful food.) There was entertainment - Danny Couch, who may have been a drummer for the famous Don Ho, but was certainly following in his singing footsteps. He had perfect black hair and a was wearing a black dinner jacket. And he was bubbly. (Like Tiny Bubbles?) (But not in the slightest bit sleazy. We were with Michele Takemoto, (beautiful, interesting, funny), Walter and Deborah Ann, (they practically glow with love and happiness), and Deborah Ann's mother, Katherine. A great group, but most of the talk was business, so I had Katherine all to myself at our non business end of the table. The only way to describe her is that she is a Magical Person. She's the big sister you tried to be, making everyone feel so special and powerful. She called John "her own personal tour guide" for driving on a little siteseeing tour of the Island. It made him happy each time she said it. I think her influence got him dreaming and reinventing himself. As a singer in a little lounge, with Zach on the drums and Amanda on the guitar, or harp - it is a dream, after all. And the "sleazy" thing was not so much in the spirit of the word, but more to distinguish the dream from a Barry Manilow style to the quiet thing he had in mind. What a nice man I married!

He Can Still Surprise Me

2012-01-21T23:57:00.000-08:00

Tonight at dinner, my husband announces that his dream job would be to be a "sleazy lounge singer". Who knew?

Hawaiian Flowers

2012-01-20T19:52:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite plants when I was growing up was the Bird of Paradise. They had them at Disneyland when they first opened. Beautiful and exotic.

Guilty Little Secret - I Love Korean Soap Operas

2012-01-18T23:01:00.000-08:00

When I'm in Hawaii, I can continue an indulgence I developed in Seattle - watching Korean Dramas with English subtitles. (Don't seem to be any in Tulsa - I, myself was shocked.) In Hawaii, the station KBFD (that's really their call letters) runs a couple a day. I am out in the sun during the day, but watch one in the evening. I like how clearly defined every one's role in the Drama society is. I don't know if this is true of actually Korean life. For example, on several occassions, it has been said that a man can get another wife, but only has one mother. If the wife can't win over the mother, she is in real trouble - often she just has to leave. Newlyweds don't need to look for a new home after the wedding - they will just move in with the groom's family, where the new wife needs to take over many of the chores previously performed by the groom's mother. You're not losing a son, you're gaining a maid.

Honolulu Views

2012-01-18T21:32:00.000-08:00

Two views from the plane and two from the balconies of our corner room.

Why I Am Where I Am - Because I Know Better Now

2012-01-17T17:11:00.000-08:00

I really thought that living in the most expensive neighborhood you could afford made good sense when my kids were growing up. I have decided that I was wrong. Keeping your stuff in the cheapest place you don't absolutely hate gives you the freedom to do what I am doing now. A combination of traveling and not worrying about money. I think my kids would agree that living in an unnecessarily expensive neighborhood wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Just saying.

These pictures are for my son, who spent his time in Paris remarking on how small the cars were. We finally saw a decent sized car. And some more really small ones!

French Foods - A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Drools

2012-01-16T23:09:00.000-08:00

King's Cake

2012-01-15T16:52:00.000-08:00

Charlotte, Catherine, and me, taken by my daughter. We met at chez Catherine for King's Cake, an evening that stands out as one of the best of the Paris trip. These women are truely awesome!

I Know This Is Crabby - You Probably Have Better Things To Do Than Read It - But "Norm Violators" Drive Me Nuts

2012-01-13T04:37:00.000-08:00

I'm in Tulsa for today, and flying to Hawaii tomorrow to meet my husband. I spent just enough time in France to release my inner French girl - at a 50% rate, that is. Here's what I mean. My level of disdain for those who weren't obeying even the simplest of social rules on my trip back was at an all time high. Michael Cunningham from some University (I think in Kentucky or Tennessee) dubbed these people "Norm Violators" or some such term. (OK, maybe I'm too jet-lagged to write this, but I find writing in this blog removes a lot of excess thought from my brain, allowing it to function better - which when I was younger, wasn't that big a change, but is now.) So, here are just two, but I think you'll agree, they are awful.
The first happened when we got on the plan. We were in the row with two seats, one window and one aisle. There was a lone 5 year old boy in my daughter's window seat. She actually had to tell him that he was in her seat and please move. His mother was in the seat in back of him. His mother had to tell him to move out of Amanda's seat and he finally did. But, get this, his mother (an attractive Argentian married to a lawyer in Pasadena) (this comes up later, maybe not today, though), had allowed him to pick his seat, including in his choice, seats that were not even on their tickets. He chose to sit in Amanda's seat and his mother let him. Do you wonder why children seem so much more annoying these days? When he moved, he sat in back of Amanda and proceeded to kick the back of her seat. I will give the mother credit, she told him to stop - well, actually she gave him a series of reasons why stopping was the right thing to do. I decided the right thing to do was to switch seats with them, so we were in back of them. An 11 hour flight is already too long without an unhappy child behind you. For some bizar reason, this family had the two seats in front of ours and the two seats behind ours. I'm sure when they chose this odd sitting arrangement, it was made clear that someone (us) was going to be sitting in the seats between, or they would have been assigned them. If they had just waited until we were on the plane and asked us, we would have happily switched, and their child would have had a good lesson in social practice. But they chose rude behavior.
Then there was the guy who came up to the side of me and pretended he was already in the customs line with me - and it was a long line - longer than any line I have ever been in, and that includes Space Mountain and Raiders at Disneyland. We weren't even that close to the front, but almost at the point where all the ropes are set up and line jumpers can't blend in so easily. So I turned to him and asked, "Are you looking for the end of the line?" He whispered "No." So I announced "Well, you're not with me" just loudly enough that he drops back a few families, but stays in the line. He just wasn't going to wait. Don't know how many other people were doing this, but Amanda actually had to run through the airport to get on her next plane.
Happy Friday The 13th!

Dinner With Agnès And Friends

2012-01-11T15:57:00.000-08:00

An evening with an old French friend, Agnès and her lovely roommate Susan. Actually the word Agnès uses is "flatmate". Agnès' English is flawless, but she still enjoys letting out a room in her apartment to an English speaker to keep current. Although Susan is from India, English is the language spoken in her home, so this is a perfect match. Not to mention that Susan gets along perfectly with Agnès' wonderful daughter Maryanne. Agnès made a fabulous chicken dish with barley and we drank Kirs and Burgundy. Good Times!

More Paris

2012-01-10T15:17:00.000-08:00

Can you see the words? Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood - roughly translated. The Hall of Justice was beautiful. Since he's an attorney, I thought a picture of my son with this in the background would be just perfect.

La Tour Eiffel

2012-01-09T15:33:00.000-08:00

La Tour Eiffel and some views from it. I was the only vote for walking up the stairs, so we took the elevator instead. It was very, very cold and windy. There is a nice warm bathroom (toilet, in France) (used to be WC, abreviation for Water Closet) at the top. Never pass up a free bathroom in Paris, especially if you are freezing.

Just Paris Sites - Don't Expect Anything Clever

2012-01-08T02:52:00.000-08:00

First picture is of my son Nick and his girlfriend, Kelsey, looking at the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. Then we all walked and took more pictures - this one includes my daughter Amanda. Good Times!

Macarons De Paris

2012-01-07T17:34:00.000-08:00

I like how different people's taste can be. Take the simple subject of the Paris Macaron and which shop has the superior product. I am a big fan of Pierre Hermé, with their complex flavors and wonderful texture. But a woman I totally respect for her unerring taste, disagrees and prefers Ladurée saying that they are less sweet and more satisfying. (Or some such silly talk - I don't actually listen that closely when someone is dissagreeing with me - no matter how wonderful I think they are.) Plus, she is a huge fan of the Hermès brand of accessories, so maybe I misheard her. But in the interest of science, my daughter Amanda and I began standing in the very long line at Ladurée for Macarons and other pastries. While there we were handed a sample of a new flavor - Almond and Marshmallow. It was very, very sweet. I could barely finish it. When we gave up on that line, we moved to the line where we could only get the macrons by the box. We were given another of the Almond and Marshmallow. This one I wrapped in the napkin and put in my pocket and left. So the pictures I have are of Pierre Hermé Macarons. The Chocolate Foie Gras was amazing, as was the Mandarine and Olive Oil, Cassis, and Salted Caramel ones. Good Times!

Grace Jones

2012-01-06T14:40:00.000-08:00

I thought Grace Jones was scary in the James Bond Movie. So when I walked into this exhibit and saw her head with eyes closed, I was a little wary. Then when the eyes opened and laser lights shot out, they didn't need to embellish with a loud roar - but they did. Let me tell you, I jumped! And when I was trying to capture both aspects in picture, I jumped every time it happened, even though I was prepared for the next time.

More From Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs

2012-01-06T07:07:00.000-08:00

That table is full of ceramic fruit - one of my favorite things. I love fruit jewelry and this is just so much bigger.
The bed and chest were wonderful in real life, and there was so much more.
Maybe tomorrow, I'll post some of the Grace Jones stuff. Remember her? She was quite scary.

Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs

2012-01-05T09:59:00.000-08:00

I'm in Paris - Here are some pictures I took today at the Museum of Decorative Arts. I am too sleepy to say more right now, but you have to go there! If I have enough time, I'll go back.

Oou La La!

2012-01-03T16:38:00.000-08:00

My life is so exciting that I suspect everyone is quite jealous, but since I'm a nice person, I have tried not to brag too much. That being said, tomorrow morning I'm flying off to Paris for the week. Paris, France, not Texas. I know, I'd hate me too. What happens the week after Paris? I'm joining John in Hawaii, where is has a one week business trip planned. I'm lucky I have any friends at all.

Do You Recognize These Cookies?

2012-01-02T13:24:00.000-08:00

Every year one of the companies that John does business with sends him a box of these Caramel Cookie Waffles. They are amazing! If you set one of them over the top of a cup of tea, the heat ever so slightly liquefies the caramel that is an integral part of the cookie - not quite a sandwich - and the result is Heaven. One year, due to a computer glitch, the cookies didn't get sent. When John called on this customer in the Summer, they apoligized to him. He replied that it was actually a relief, since what he thought had happened was that the cookies had come while he was out of town and that his wife (me) had eaten all 48 of them before he got back. Not true, but it would have served him right for traveling so much!

Black Eyed Peas

2012-01-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

There's a lot in life that I prefer to take from my memory and ignore the lure of expanding my knowledge of a particular subject on the Internet. Of course, the Internet can't be trusted for pure fact, which explains my reluctance on most subject, but on Superstitions, you must wonder why I hesitate. The fact is that I love my superstitions, as few of them as I have, that is. My favorite one is that eating Black Eyed Peas on New Year's Day is lucky. Just ask my children, who have had to humor me by eating at least one of them. I usually used the bone from the Christmas Ham and made Hopping John, which could be smothered in Salsa. Yum. Living on the West Coast, I had a hard time even finding Black Eyes Peas. I usually bought them dried since that's my preferred form. (Tests have shown that the glycemic index on dried beans after soaking and cooking, is lower than on canned ones. Plus I can control the amount of salt that way, since the salt from the ham has to be compensated for.) So what am I doing with canned Black Eyes Peas? It turns out that in Tulsa, eating Black Eyed Peas on New Year's Day is what everybody does. The stores were out by the time John went out to get them yesterday. Having spent all year seeing them at the stores in at least 3 forms - dried, canned, and frozen, it never occurred to me to buy them ahead of time. Heck, I even saw fresh ones at one point. Oh, and the rest of the stuff in the picture (Tito's is the most fabulous Vodka - made in Texas) is for John's superstition - a Bloody Mary for New Year's Morning breakfast is also lucky. Who Knew?

Happy New Years!

2011-12-31T22:23:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! And Happy Anniversary to John and me! (33 years!) Good Times!

Scratchy Aunt Coat

2011-12-31T19:34:00.000-08:00

Did you have any Great Aunts? I had a bunch of them - and I only ever met the ones on my mother's side. One of them had been a flapper, Aunt Alyce, and she taught me the Charleston. Lovely woman. There was Aunt Laurel, who we visited at Lake Havasu, in the days when it was just a small desert town on a lake - before the town bought the actual London Bridge, you know, from the "Falling down" nursery rhyme. One time, she asked me how I liked my bacon. I figured this was purely an intellectual exercise. It never occurred to me that she would attempt to make bacon specially for me. I told her that bacon was best fully cooked so the fat was a little crispy but the pink part was still soft - not too hard. That's still how I like it, although now I try to just eat the pink part and remove as much of the fat as possible. But my point - and I do have one - is that one of the coats that is in the running for inclusion in the Paris trip wardrobe, is one I chose specially for it Great Aunt quality - it's very scratchy. I got it at the Goodwill and it was quite expensive by Goodwill standards. I have to wear it with turtlenecks. And every time I hug someone, I explain the old aunt connection which they totally get. It's so comforting. It's also very warm. The next coat is a brown down number. It has great zippered pockets with flannel lining. It is brown and limits my scarf choices. It's warmer than the scratchy aunt coat, and it also zips shut. My last picture is of the coat I have taken for the last 10+ years. It has a wool flannel liner, buttons up the front, and has deep pockets. This is the coat that I was wearing in London last year, when I got Pickpocketted. Not a problem, since I always assume that I will get my pockets picked in London, but freaky, since I knew these two guys were probably Pickpockets, and they still got me to take my hands out to gesture and then got my small folded map (the only thing in my pockets) while my hands were out. So does this look like an expensive coat, or did they target me because it is so long and out of date, that they figured I was too clueless to protect my valuables? I am leaning toward the Scratchy Aunt Coat, if only for sentimental reasons.

Strickland's Ice Cream Pie And Aveda Foot Treatment

2011-12-30T21:46:00.000-08:00

Just a few highlights of my Christmas festivites - a pie with Peppermint Bark flavor Strickland's Ice Cream made by my daughter and the Aveda Foot Relief that was a present from Kelsey, Nick's lovely girlfriend. (She is coming to Paris next week - how fabulous!) She is such a nice woman and so beautiful that even in Paris she will stand out.

If you have a Strickland's near you, lucky you! (We don't have one here in Tulsa.) The Peppermint Bark flavor is made with Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark. They don't make any money off this one, but it is only once a year, and with all their flavors, Strickland's does it right, or they don't do it at all.

Back In Tulsa, By Way Of Texas

2011-12-29T17:55:00.000-08:00

Woke up in Tucumcari, New Mexico to a beautiful morning. It's the last important New Mexican town on I-40. We were in Texas about an hour later, what with the 75 mph speed limits. You know you're in Texas when everyone starts driving like crazy. So I couldn't believe that the only "Welcome To Texas" sign was this one with the adage - "Drive Friendly - The Texas Way". Huh? I understand the wild driving since even at its narrowest, that is one big state, and getting anywhere takes a lot of time. And Heaven help you if you need a bathroom, since those blue signs that say "Rest Area" on the West Coast can actually say "Picnic Area" in Texas, and that is exactly what is there. A bunch of picnic tables with no bathrooms. Not even decent tree coverage. I almost forgot to write about an accident (and there were quite a few) we passed on the way to Christmas. Just outside of Dallas, there was a crashed Smart Car - front all bashed in, but - and here's the interesting part - the people who were in it, got out and looked just fine. Whew! I expected the worst. And the woman in the Jag who was the other part of this accident was a Janet Jackson look-a-like, (or the real deal), so there were lots of extra police cars on the scene to keep the gawkers moving along.

I always love the big cross at Exit 295 on I-40. It's really the middle of nowhere. And the El Rancho Hotel where all the stars stayed when filming all those Westerns in Gallup, New Mexico mostly in the 40's and 50's. Good Times!

This Is A Restaraunt?

2011-12-28T23:02:00.000-08:00

I wondered why John was taking me to a place called the Gaslamp Strip Club, in the trendiest part of San Diego. But we were meeting one of my most favorite people, Nelson, so the where didn't really matter. I was relieved to find out that it was a restaurant, if just barely. It seems they provide fabulous meat (or tuna), but they make you cook it yourself. No one is stripping - but the walls are covered with Vargas prints.

See's Candy For The Well Bred

2011-12-26T09:46:00.000-08:00

It appears to be unhealthy for me to live in a state without See's Candy stores. I used to stop in and get a few pieces about once every two months when out shopping. And of course, I told you about John's Marzipan, so that would be two or three more times when See's was actually the intended destination. This Christmas, I have been back four times! I would get home and remember one of my favorites and have to go back and get it. Or I would tell my family about the wonderful seasonal one, like Cranberry Orange, White Mint Truffle, or Mincemeat and they would realize that I had eaten them all, and (except for the Mincemeat, which only I like), I had to return and purchase some more of the seasonal favorites for them. But basically, I have eaten 12 pieces per day for four days, instead of 3 pieces every two months. And this is unhealthy. So it turns out that for health reasons, I will have to retire back to the West Coast, when John quits working.

And speaking of John, that is a picture of his Christmas box of Marzipan. Still untouched on December 26th. What discipline! He is amazing. He is also the reason there are no empty candy cups in the box. According to my well mannered and well bred husband, when removing a piece of candy from the box, the paper is to be taken too. Who knew? (He also had those 5th grade dance lessons where he learned to Cha Cha like a pro! Cool!)

Merry Christmas and French Onion Soup

2011-12-25T22:05:00.000-08:00

I have had the best Christmas. Great breakfast with family and afternoon movie (Newest Sherlock Holmes). Turkey dinner with all the trimmings - including an engagement announcement by my daughter. Wedding to take place sometime this Summer. Until I can think straight, I'll just give cooking instructions for the easiest, cheapest dish I know. French Onion Soup. Save all your meat scraps, bones, and steak doggie bags and freeze them. When you are ready to have soup tomorrow, either fry the hodge podge meat mixture in 1/4 cup good olive oil or bake it at 350 degrees for an hour - just get it all brown and crispy. Then cover it with cold water and add onion, celery, and (if you want - I never do) some carrot. Simmer at least an hour, but up to eight hours. It may be an old wife's tale, but nevertheless, I don't cover the pan, since I have always been told that it will "sour the broth". Cool it down, refrigerate overnight, remove all the solid fat from the top of what should at this point look like brown jello. Then heat it up, strain out everything and throw it away. Now add what ever white wine you would like, and salt and pepper to taste. Slice 6 yellow onions (white onions are too strong), and fry them in your hugest frying pan in half olive oil and half butter. As soon as they turn carmel colored thrown them into the broth. On a nonstick cookie sheet, arrange as many slices of french bread as you have guests, cover them with good Swiss cheese and broil until melted and a tiny bit browned. Throw a piece of bread with the cheese in each bowl full of soup and you're done. If you are lucky enough to have French Onion Soup Bowls, you can put the bread on top of the soup and then add the cheese to the top and broil at this point. Before the advent of the nonstick cookie sheet, this made a much better tasting soup. Now, I can't tell the difference.

Happy Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T22:51:00.000-08:00

Who Do You Get Mistaken For?

2011-12-23T23:15:00.000-08:00

Went out to the South Coast Plaza Mall in Southern California today. It was great! They were almost paying you to shop. Really cute $60 nightgowns turned out to be $11 for no reason at all. I never use credit ((NEVER)) (really), so I missed out on an additional 10% for using their credit card. Waited through a long line in See's, but their candy is worth it. (There are no See's Candy stores in Tulsa.) I always give John a pound of See's Marzipan for Christmas and another one for Valentine's Day. If he has eaten it all before his birthday in April, he might get another pound. Interesting crowd in the line - the man in front of me had 8 gift certificates and was taking forever. The woman behind me accused me of cheating at my Nook Solitaire game - really!? It's electronic, for Pete's sake. As much as I wanted to just forget about the candy, I was not going to give her my place in line. But my point today is that for some odd reason, when I am in Southern California, at least once a week, some stranger (it's always a stranger because anyone who knows me knows better) will ask me is I am Meryl Streep. Huh? I used to just say "no", and as often as not, that didn't convince them. Now I tell them that if I was Meryl Streep, I would fire my trainer and my dermatologist. Such a change - when I was in my early 20's, strangers would actually call me Joan - thinking I was Joan Baez. Huh? Now this was in the days when smokers ruled the world and I very rarely was able to breathe through my nose; the solution decided upon by my ENT doctor (ear, nose, throat) was to undeviate my septum. And since he was already mucking about, he might as well remove the bump. I actually had a date insist on taking me to a Joan Baez concert (just shoot me next time), to convince me that I could actually be her sister. And that convinced me that I should just quit blow drying my long, curly hair straight and say "Yes" to the nose bump removal - the weird hippie tax cheat look was not for me. So, who do you get mistaken for? Or do you have to be in Southern California for that to happen? Please don't tell me it only happens to me!

I added this picture which Google found when I searched for Maryl Streep Images in Public Domain. But I added the caption so you know who should get credit for it.

Boredom Alert - Travel Update And Tamale Report

2011-12-20T21:44:00.000-08:00

Tonight we're in Phoenix, forced to the south of our proposed route by a threatened blizzard. This adds just enough time to necessitate another night on the road. I thought I was less than happy about it, until dinner tonight. At 8:42, we checked into a beautiful new Holiday Inn in the downtown, and asked the woman at the front desk for a dinner recommendation. When it turned out that that place closed at 9, we walked across the courtyard to a small Mexican grill - not a chain and I don't even remember anything other than that the name should have had "Sam" in it. In the Christmas spirit, I had one Red Beef Tamale and one Green Corn Tamale. They were fabulous - like the ones I remember having at my grandparent's. Handmade by Abuelos to supplement their family's Christmas fund. You can't mass produce a great tamale.
By tomorrow evening, I should be petting my son's dogs and baking some Gingerbread Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting. Good Times!

Women Of America Unite!

2011-12-19T20:47:00.000-08:00

Having spent the day on the road, stopping at lots of different places, I realized that we women must ban together for the good of us all and insist that men no longer be allowed to design or engineer Toilet Paper dispensers.

Elote Cafe - But Just For The Food This Time

2011-12-18T17:52:00.000-08:00

Finally got to eat at the Elote Cafe, you know, the one that has the Masked Mexican Wrestling. The food was great. Even though it was lunch, I had a dinner item, the Chicken Enchiladas. For a side I had "Elote", which is this incredible roasted corn with a chili mayonnaise type of sauce. They only serve Black Beans, so I got sweet potatoes for my other side dish. (Wish they'd had Pintos- their creamy flavor would have complimented the Enchiladas nicely.) This notion of choosing "sides" is not something I saw very often in Seattle, but I really like it. Everyone else had salads and there wasn't a bit left on any of their plates. Very successful visit. But I am waiting until Catherine is back in town before I go for the Masked Wrestling. I know it will be lots more fun with her infectious laughter. She's the genius photographer behind Aesthetic Alterations, and is in Paris for Christmas. How to top Paris at Christmas? - Why Masked Mexican Wrestling in Tulsa, of course.

If you're not too busy, on the 23rd you can meet LuchaClause. Bet that would be a new experience for anyone.

Do You Do Queso Velveta Dip? Should You? Should Anyone?

2011-12-17T13:21:00.000-08:00

From the Sublime (Smoke - The Restaurant) to the Ridiculous (the Velveta - Rotel Dip I made for the YMCA Potluck). I decided to take my role as Oklahoma transplant seriously and made up the unofficial state dish from ingredients found at Walmart. It was easy and kind of fun and made everyone at the potluck happy. What more can you ask?

Smoke On Cherry - The Pictures

2011-12-17T12:53:00.000-08:00

Sherry had the Scallops on Bacon Cheese Grits, just four Scallops, but I have never seen anyone who was able to finish them all, and the House Salad. I can't resist the Bacon and Egg Salad, and you might notice that this is the first time that I have been able to practice enough restraint to take a photo before digging in. Our waitperson, Christine, was wonderful. And that's Abbie the Fabulous, who will even climb on a chair to get the best picture of your group. With food this wonderful, you don't need the best staff to bring it to you, but Smoke has the Best anyway. Good Times!

Smoke On Cherry - Perfection!

2011-12-16T23:37:00.000-08:00

Had dinner tonight at Smoke On Cherry and loved it as usual. What I noticed tonight, that I hadn't before, was that the Hostess does a really good job. The four of us walked in on a whim on a Friday night - no reservation. She had us seated within minutes, kept all the tables filled, and found spots for everyone else who came in. This is the first time I remembered to take a picture of the Bacon Egg Salad before eating any of it. Very nice new (to us) waitperson, Christine. Fabulous special dessert. I just can't say enough about this place. But since it's so late, I am going to wait until tomorrow to show the pictures from tonight.

Christmas Lights Beyond Description - Rhema Bible College

2011-12-15T05:58:00.001-08:00

Wow!

How Many Chicken Stories Fit Into A One Hour Exercise Class?

2011-12-14T14:42:00.000-08:00

Today in the pool at the Y, Mickey, (you remember her - she's the one who is married to the Russian guy and could be a swim suit model), told the tale of one of her chickens who got sick of the rooster's attentions and ended it all by drowning in the water trough. This story was not a response to Sue's story about pet Goldfish drowning on the Bible. (Is that the correct term - without water, the fish can't breathe, so it would make sense to call it drowning.) I could Google for an answer, but that would only bring up a bunch of people like me who aren't actually expert in the area. As a matter of fact, that is probably how my team in one of the last Pub Quizzes in Southern California, won the tie breaker round. The first question was "Who wrote Gift of the Magi?" Of course the answer is O'Henry, but the other team came up with Ray Bradbury. And they were shocked when the Quiz Master told them they were wrong. Turns out if you thought it was Ray Bradbury and iPhone searched for "Ray Bradbury wrote Gift of the Magi" the first thing that comes up is some blogger who says exactly that. It's still the wrong answer. And hardly in the spirit of fair competition. But my point, and I do have one, is that if you tell one chicken story in Oklahoma, (I was telling the one about how my sweet little pet chickie turned into a nice sized hen/chicken dinner, but because my mother's family is French, I wasn't all that surprised), you will get another one - and another - and another. Good Times!

Learning Experience

2011-12-13T19:54:00.000-08:00

You know how there are warnings on some cosmetics not to store them at temperatures that are too high or too low? Well, when you've spent your whole life on the West Coast, you have never paid any attention to this. That's why all the body lotion I stocked up on when I found it on sale, is now the consistence of milk. I just stored it in my garage, where it got up to 116 degrees this summer. And down to 18 degrees just this month. Now I know better.

Monday Fun

2011-12-12T19:42:00.000-08:00

Oklahoma has more fresh waterfront than any other state, or so I'm told. And all of the lakes are man made. I haven't seen many of these lakes, so when the price of gas went down to $2.94, I filled up and set out. I had to stop at Collingsville's library for their book sale, 'cause even with the Nook, there is still the take-off and landing, when you need something "without an on/off switch" as the flight attendant would say. From there, it is only 20 minutes to Skiatook Lake, but you have to go back about 50 years at least. In fact, the Lake has a kind of prehistoric feel to it. The roads around the lake remind me of rural Southern California in the '50's, with cattle ambling comfortably across.

Talking about lakes reminds me of a story Sue told in the pool at the Y last week. She came home one day and found that her daughter's pet goldfish had committed suicide, by jumping out of his dish - but the thing that made it funny was that the fish had landed on her daughter's Bible and died there.

My Mother's Christmas Divinity Can't Be Made When It Rains - Who Knew?

2011-12-11T13:18:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas, my mother would whip up a batch or two of Christmas Candy - Divinity was always made, colored with the juice from a jar of Maraschino Cherries. It was put out on Christmas Eve and we would dance around the table which had her lace tablecloth with a length of red cloth underneath, until permission was granted to begin the feasting. For the decades I lived in Seattle, I tried valiantly to reproduce this treat for my family, only to be rewarded with a sugar and egg white soup, instead of that fluffy cross between a marshmallow and a meringue, with just the right amount of chewiness, that my mother made. What I didn't know was that the constant drizzle that was making me so unhappy living in Seattle, was also responsible for my Divinity not turning out right. Who knew? Although, I must admit, Seattle could really do a good Christmas, with the world class Nutcracker Ballet, wonderful shop window displays, plays and concerts, and beautiful lighting displays. For those few weeks, it made up for the grey.

Saint Cecilia Church Cookie And Candy Sale

2011-12-10T18:03:00.001-08:00

John and I spent a little time in Claremore this afternoon at Saint Cecilia Catholic Church's Cookie and Candy Sale. It was quite wonderful. They had an amazing array of home baked goods - from Anise Flavored Pizzelles (something I make every Christmas, but haven't found my Pizzelle Iron since the move, so haven't done yet) to Uncle Bill's Brown Fudge (an amazing cross in both taste and texture between the best Caramel you've ever had - like the ones Fran makes in Seattle- and Butterscotch Fudge). My assortment came to $9, and it would have cost $12 to just buy the nuts to make them. Plus getting to meet some of the nicest women who were manning the sale. Good Times!

How True - But Can We Sue?

2011-12-09T23:04:00.001-08:00

This morning, during a particularly strenuous exercise involving much leaping out of the water, retired teacher Gail was hear complaining, "This exercise is giving my boobs whiplash!"

Didn't Stay For The Whole Story

2011-12-08T20:02:00.000-08:00

Heard as a lead in to the 10 o'clock news - "Woman graps everything she needs and starts building a meth lab - in a Tulsa Walmart!"? But then I turned to Chelsey Lately, so I didn't get the rest of the story.

Dear Rest-Of-The-World,
In Tulsa, Prime Time TV is one hour earlier. This means that Chelsey Lately is on at 10, and Jay Leno is on at 10:30 pm. I love it! You have no excuse for getting enough sleep here.
Sincerely,
Beryl

Christmas Fun!

2011-12-08T10:51:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me has already been introduced to my weakness for Christmas Movies. There must be thousands of them and the Hallmark Channel plays the biggest variety of them. Since I also have a life, there isn't enough time to watch them all. I still have two Holiday Potluck Lunches (and I found this great Egg Plate at the Goodwill for 25 cents, but someone else has already signed up for Deviled Eggs, so I am trying to think of what else fits nicely in an Egg Plate) and the company Christmas Party at Post Oak Lodge where we spend the night after the party in this huge lodge. As the perennial designated driver, this is my once yearly chance to enjoy a cocktail or two. And then the drive to Southern California to celebrate Christmas with my children. This year Nick is bringing Kelsey, which will definitely brighten an already wonderful time. I can hardly wait! Good Times!
But, back to the Christmas Movie dilemma - which ones can be cut from the lineup? Anything with Anne Heche goes on the no see list. (Why they keep making movies with her, I will never know.) Kristy Swanson (the original Buffy from the movie) is surprisingly good at the genre. If the description includes the term "heartwarming", use caution, because sometime those are just manipulative tear jerkers, with no redeeming social Christmas value. Still leaves a lot more to watch while putting together the Christmas Jigsaw Puzzles.

Oklahoma Weather Explained By A Native

2011-12-07T15:33:00.000-08:00

My new car needed air in the tires. I didn't know it until a message came up in the spot where the speed usually is displayed numerically. There is still that round speed indicator that was good enough for every other car I have ever been in, but, frankly, I am now spoiled. When I am going 70, I like to see the number "70" in 2 inch tall letters. I am going far to fast to try to figure if that needle is closer to the 60 or 80 on the dial. And Oklahomans, even though I think they are quite polite, like to drive fast, so you need to keep up. But back to my point, and I do have one - I needed to get that message off my dashboard, which meant that I had to get the right air pressure in my tires. And John is out of town this week, so that meant I had to figure it out on my own. I found the sweetest little tire place very near to here and was happily surprised to have them, for free, check and fill all my tires, including the spare in the trunk. (OK, I hear you - where else would you have the spare?) The spare was almost flat, by the bye, so it was lucky this young guy, Austin, thought of it. Austin really impressed me with his thoroughness, but also with his sharp reflections on life in Tulsa. I won't bore you with anymore of his observations, (although if you are easily bored - no, let me change that, if you are normal in your boredom tolerance, you would have quit reading after that speedometer thing), but his take on the weather in Oklahoma was nothing short of brilliant! He said that the weather in Oklahoma can be summed up in one word - Bipolar! Wow - at that moment I knew I was in the presence of a Wordsmith worthy of Will Rogers.

BookSmart Tulsa Scores With Onion Christmas Evening

2011-12-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

I suppose it was an attempt at Political Correctness that caused BookSmart Tulsa to start an event advertised as Christmas Exposed with an adorable rabbi, complete with yarmulke and stole. He was too self deprecating for my taste, but others found him amusing. There was a DJ from NPR who read this awful, manipulative 10 year old story (that I suspect will be read again next year), which tries to make you believe is written from the point of view of a young child. Long story short, the author kid's family finds some poor family waiting for a bus in the rain. The dad wants to give them a ride to the next bus stop because it has more shelter, and ends up taking them home and letting them have his own kids' presents that they had unwrapped Christmas morning but had left under the tree. One of the poor kids doesn't have a sweater, so the mother gives her the only sweater owned by one of the not previously poor kids - although now she is the poor kid, since she will be the cold one, not to mention that her presents have been given to strangers, so she is a really poor kid. Then the most stupid line of the evening comes - (something like) - this was the day that the children learned that giving is better than receiving. Huh? These are young kids and none of them were giving away anything - just had parents take their Christmas presents away and give it stranger kids. Formulaic heartwarming and not even done well. But then Gary from The Onion took over and made the evening worthwhile. Hysterical! Two of the recalled Christmas toys reported in the Onion were Uncle Harry's Uncannily Realistic Play Money and Black Widow Barbie With Mate 'N' Kill Action. And then there was the article titled Vatican Employees Unable To Relax At Holiday Party With Pope Around - and more. I laughed so much that I actually bought his book - full price - and not in e-book form. Good times!

Waiting For Snow

2011-12-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

In Seattle, the TV weathermen always got the snow wrong. They would predict it for a week or so, change their minds and say there wouldn't be any - and then it would snow. My hair is a better predictor of snow than them. Anyone who has been around me in winter knows that my hair loves snow - it starts dancing around my head and puffs up to 3 or 4 times its normal (or as normal as kinky curls can be) size the day before it starts to snow. Once, when my friend Judy (of the Peach Cobbler fame) and I were visiting Portland, she turned and looked at me with a touch of panic in her voice says, "Beryl, have you looked in a mirror?" No doubt about it, my hair was predicting more snow than usual and we needed to get home to Seattle - quick - before it started. Portland was snowed in for days, but we got out before it happened. But back to my point, and I do have one - can I expect the Tulsa weathermen to be as good about snow prediction as they have been about all the rest of this Crazy Oklahoma Weather?
BookSmart Tulsa is doing Christmas with the Onion at the Hardwellan tonight! Be there or be square!

A Few Wet Friends

2011-12-05T06:17:00.000-08:00

Water Aerobics classes at the Y are a great source of amusement on a daily basis. But also a great source of friendships. There are some wonderful people in the pool and it changes on a regular basis. Last week I found myself following a 70 year old into the building. She was wearing her bathing suit with a short jacket and Croc's. In 40 degree weather. But Roma is never boring, (she is scary smart), so I wasn't surprised that much. And she has Red hair! I asked her if her parents knew about the Roma tomato when they named her, and she replied that there might have been a wine named Roma - that was more like her parents.
And then there's Margret - she is such a lady. Which means that she can give you any insult and add, "Bless you heart" to it, and make you feel all warm and fuzzy. (Also very smart.) And beautiful, like a slim, honey blonde Paula Deen.
Norma is mid to late 80's, with Mrs. Claus hair, sparkly, stylish earring, and very fashionable bathing suits. She just got the all clear from her oncologist, so were all very relieved.
The instructors all do a fabulous job of keeping the class going, even with nonstop chatting. Cynthia is a Chiropractor who only practices on a substitute basis to keep her license current. She had the most beautiful eyes. (Did I mention that most of the women in the pool have on full makeup and at least half have their hair done perfectly?) And Audrey finds a new fun game for us every week, that has us out of breath in no time. Cute Maria is from South America and ended up in Tulsa working as an engineer, had kids, and now is the toughest teacher imaginable. But my favorite is Sandra, who I also go bowling and to line dance class with. She has the Country Music tape with Boot Scootin' Boogie. Good times!

Hoorah For Leslie!

2011-12-05T06:02:00.000-08:00

Looks like my niece just passed the California Bar. No official word yet, but she is listed on the Bar website of successful Bar takers. Pretty exciting for her. She is the only one of my niece/nephew mob to have been interested in a career as an attorney since Junior High (or Middle School, for those of you in the Northwest). All the others had to have it suggested to them in College. Or after College graduation, which is when my son decided to go to Law School. I am so excited for her! She has achieved her lifelong dream career - not a lot of people can say that. And she and her sister, Celia, are the sweetest, nicest women you will ever meet. Very cool!

Christmas Movie too Good For The Hallmark Channel

2011-12-04T16:02:00.000-08:00

It's Undercover Christmas, with Jamie Gertz (anyone remember her from Square Pegs with Sarah Jessica Parker as the nerdy high schooler?) as a cocktail waitress / witness being protected by an FBI agent while having Christmas at his parents' house. I would have bought a copy of it long ago if I hadn't remembered the title incorrectly as House Arrest Christmas. Pretty close, but not close enough to find it on Amazon.

Credit Or Not?

2011-12-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

My idea of a perfect morning involves sleeping a little late, an omlette for breakfast, an hour or so of reading, and then visiting with friends. You will note that exercise of any form is not included. But for the rest of the day to work, I have to include exercise. I am not a fan of pure exercise, but if I didn't go to the Y, I wouldn't have met so many wonderful friends. And it is necessary to work off that omlette's calories. And reading on the treadmill with John is just as easy as reading on the couch and provides some husband/wife bonding time. So, every morning includes exercise. Yesterday morning I really stepped it up on the treadmill - ran very fast for 5 minutes and then slowed it just a bit for 5 minutes until John was done on the eliptical - about an hour. Then we went to the German American Christmas Festival and walked around. By the time 7 pm came around, I was already pretty exhausted, add to that my after dinner tea and Baileys, and I was out like a light. So John got to pick out the Saturday night Christmas movie and tells me he actually watched Hallmark's A Princess For Christmas, described as "A Duke reconnects with his family at Christmas", or something like that. I was already convinced that this movie would be way too sickenly sweet for me. There is no way, with me fast asleep and a sporting event on another channel, that John actually watched this thing. He is insisting on getting credit for it. Guess I'll have to give it to him.

Bacon And Tulsa

2011-12-03T09:16:00.000-08:00

Is Tulsa really the 7th most Artery-Clogging Cities In The U.S? Some health magazine says so - and it thinks that it's mainly because of its low walkability score. Really? Not the Barbecue? Or the Bacon? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Barbecue and Bacon! But yesterday the ladies from water Aerobics went to a Victorian Tea Room in a Mansion in Claremore (my favorite small Oklahoma town), and I ordered a cup of Cream of Broccoli soup. When it came, there was at least 1/2 cup of crumpled bacon on top that hadn't even been mentioned in the menu. It was just taken for granted that it would be a welcome addition - and it was, for me. After all, I did order the Bacon Marmalade Bruschetta at Smoke on Cherry the last time. It's funny that the fact that so many Tulsans smoke wasn't considered the most important factor. While my allergy to cigarette smoke made me a little nervous about this relocation, I must say that Tulsans are the most polite smokers I have ever been around. This is a good place to be!

Oklahoma Houses

2011-12-02T19:57:00.000-08:00

I love renting- it's the most stressless living situation imaginable. Which you can't imagine unless you have been a home owner for the decades it takes for roofs to leak and plumbing to fail. But it's nice to see how affordable home ownership is here. If you manage a MacDonald you can afford a sweet little home. If you're a lawyer or engineer you can afford an amazing house, something that would be at least a million dollars in Seattle. But if you're Garth Brooks, well, just let me say, I was speechless when Barbara, one of my water aerobics friends drove me home from lunch in Claremore by way of the Brooks estate. I had driven this way before, but never in Winter when the trees are all leafless and you can see that there is actually someone living inside the fence. As we sat in the car watching three beautiful deer walk around inside, we didn't notice a white pick-up pulling up at the gate, driven by some guy in a baseball hat. It was definitely time to leave. As we drove the rest of the way, following one of my favorite routes that went by the house with the Llamas and the baby Buffalo's, both Barbara and Pam, who was riding shotgun (West Coast meaning of the word "shotgun" being appropriate here), burst into such laughter that I feared we would go off the road. I guess I was mistaking unshorn sheep for young bison. And grey horses for donkeys. Good times!

I Wish I'd Just Read The Encyclopedia, Instead Of This Month's Selection, And How Julie Andrews Makes Lemonade Out Of Her Lemons

2011-11-30T10:24:00.000-08:00

Do you belong to a Book Club? Do you always feel worse after reading the selection? The cure is to watch Julie Andrews in Eloise at Christmas singing Jingle Bell Rock in the raspy voice that is all that's left after a botched surgery (according to John, my encyclopedic husband). Do you all sing the Encyclopedia Song when trying to remember how to spell "encyclopedia"? I've sung it twice already for this short post. "Look inside this book and you will see, Everything from A clear down to Z!" Thank you Disney and Jiminy Cricket!

All I Want For Christmas Is World Peace And.....

2011-11-29T16:43:00.000-08:00

I want some of those Wii games that have Dance in the title - Dance Party, or Zumba Dance Party, or - you get the idea. I want DVD's of Christmas Movies, French Comedies, and British Sitcoms. I want shooting lessons, maybe with a bow and arrow. And a concealed carry permit. Stuff I need to live in both the worlds that I currently inhabit.

Cracking The Code To Tulsa Thrift Shopping

2011-11-28T18:35:00.000-08:00

I may have already covered this, but since it is the most confusing thing about shopping in Oklahoma, it, perhaps, bears repeating. The prices at the Oklahoma thrift stores have very little to do with the original retail price of the item. For example, today there were three pairs of shoes that caught my eye - two pairs were used Born brand, being examined by a little old lady who wanted them for her dog to chew on, instead of the Born shoes that she already owned and wore, that her dog would not leave alone. Since her eyes were bad, I had to point out to her that these too small shoes were $25 per pair, way higher than she (or any rational person) expected to pay for shoes that were less than $100 when new. She tossed them back in the bin, where they landed next to a pair of $8 shoes, brand new Escada Couture, absolutely never worn, and probably around $1000 originally. This is bad news for thrift store shoppers who like the Target, Kmart, QVC, and Walmart brands - Katie Lee and Miley Cyrus brands are very overpriced. I'm guessing that the pricers at the Goodwill and such stores charge more for the brands they are familiar with. Luckily, I like Eileen Fisher, Misook, and the like. And Escada - maybe next time those shoes will be in my size. Yeah!

Does Moscow, Idaho Even Have A Ballet Company?

2011-11-27T14:11:00.000-08:00

In Seattle, I used to take my kids to see the Nutcracker Ballet every Christmas. It was fabulous. World class! Maurice Sendak sets and amazing dancers. Luckily, Patricia Barker wanted to live in the Northwest, so I was able to see her dance many times. A truly magical start to my Christmas - so magical that from the time she was 5, (the first time I took her), Amanda never uttered a peep during the program. Zach was just as well behaved, but not quite as enraptured as Amanda and I. Nick lost interest quickly, so he got to stay home with John, who never went. So, when I saw that the Moscow Ballet was coming to Tulsa to do the Nutcracker and promised world class ballet, I checked into it. Around $60 per ticket and no kids to go with, so it wasn't going to happen. I was slightly disappointed - until I read the review after the performance. I'll just give you one point which the reviewer made and that sums up his whole point - he thought he was going to see a ballet company from Moscow, Russia, not Moscow, Idaho. Evidently he was confused.

Shop Local Saturday

2011-11-26T17:45:00.000-08:00

We did our part - John got a haircut. Can't get much more local than that. And we stocked up at our small locally owned liquor store. And none of that cheap Chinese whiskey for us. I was so proud!.

More Christmas Bakery Excitement

2011-11-26T09:43:00.000-08:00

Well, there is hope for Oklahoma yet. I walked into the more upscale grocery store off Hgy 169 and sitting right there by the door was a display with Holiday Bakery items. Since we were headed for one of my Water Aerobic instructor's house for dinner and cards, (something we had never done before - might not be a West Coast thing, or our friends weren't the card playing type), I picked up a huge plate of assorted Brownies. Looked pretty good but, as usual, they just weren't all that scrumptious. I really do think they need to use better, or fresher, baking powder. (I suggest Rumford's - it's aluminum-free.) And butter instead of shortning. But that's not the point - and I do have one - on the same display with the Brownies, was one of my other most favorite Christmas baked treats - Panettone. It's the Italian's answer to the British Fruitcake. My grandparents used to serve it at Christmas. When I lived in Seattle (shudder), I had to search everywhere for it. I finally found the Cost Plus World Market chain and would run there at the beginning of the season to get my fix. My favorite had raisins and citrus peel and candied angelica (and I don't actually know what angelica is, but L'Occitane used to use it in a shampoo for dry hair that had the most divine scent). Yum! But you guessed it already, didn't you, since a reoccurring theme of my Oklahoma home is the lack of decent shopping - along with no Ikea or Nordstroms, there is no Cost Plus in Oklahoma!! So, you could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw one of the bright yellow packages with the picture of Panettone right there next to the mediocre Brownies. I just don't understand why this particular brand had to be made in Brazil. Or why they used candied papaya. But they are quite proud of the fact that their raisins are Sunmaid. Nevertheless, I am already on my second loaf of the season. And, yes, that is a Blue Willow pattern plate. I promise I will get out the Christmas dishes today.

Bad Holiday Commercial For Audi

2011-11-25T06:48:00.000-08:00

Who is Audi trying to appeal to with this commercial? You see a tall, cute guy in a suit with an overnight bag and a large, merrily decorated shopping bag with Christmas presents peeking out the top come in out of the snow. He enters a room with a huge Christmas tree and calls out, "Mom....Dad". And then rather plaintively, "Guys?". While this is happening an attractive couple in their 60's sneak out of the house and get into an Audi and roar away on the snowy road. The screen goes to black with white writing that says, "Make new holiday traditions." then back to the couple in the car as they put a few more miles between them and their son who has come home for the holiday. The husband turns to the wife and says, "He'll be fine."
Will he?

Nick's Coming To Paris!!

2011-11-24T09:44:00.000-08:00

Yeah! I was hoping my oldest would do a little world travelling. When I invited him to come to Paris with Amanda and me, (and bring his girlfriend if he liked), I was excited about the possibility that he might, but realistic about the demands of his job. (And that the appeal of traveling with his mother and sister wouldn't hold a candle to going to Vegas with his law school buddies.) But last night he sent me his airline confirmation. He'll just be there for 4 days, so Amanda is probable working on the most magical 4 day tour possible. And we'll have another 4 days without him for the girl stuff. The last time I went to Paris was a little over 2 years ago and my second son, Zach went with me. We were meeting up with Amanda who had gotten herself into a Parisian college in order to save on tuition costs, and had a month break. Zach was an amazing traveller, learning enough French to order off the menu and make simple purchases in just a few days.
Now don't go getting all jealous of my life - I have to live in Oklahoma to be able to live like this. But I have 3 great kids and a charming husband (Amanda is the one who came up with that description for John and it is just perfect). Waiting in California for tons of love and petting are two of the cutest grand dogs (Morkies - Maltese mother and Yorkie father) and a 22 year old Himalayan who I hope makes it one more Christmas. (I have said this the last 6 Christmases, but she keeps hanging in there.) And a place to stay in Southern California, my own room where I have already put up the Christmas lights so they'll be ready when we go there on December 19th. (And where most of my sewing lives.) Alright, even with this living most of my time in Oklahoma thing, I still have it pretty good. And I am truly thankful.

Ick, Ick, Ick, Ick, Ick - You Get The Point!

2011-11-23T22:44:00.000-08:00

Back in Seattle, we had Raccoons - lots of them. Five of them lived under my garden shed. (The Barnlett, so named for its resemblance to a tiny barn.) At some point, they ate through the roof and moved into the Barnlett. I am NOT a fan of Raccoons! Since moving to Oklahoma, I have not seen a single live Racoon. I have seen lots of dead ones lying by the side of the road. (No, I am not going to check the grammar of lay, lie, laid - it's just too complicated with the animal being dead and all - so how different is it from putting down an inanimate object and leaving it lying there. Book = Dead Raccoon for grammar purpose.) But back to my point, and I do have one - from the Raccoons I have seen since moving to Oklahoma, I was under the impression that the strain of Raccoon that live (and had died) here were tailless. Or at best had short, stubby little tails. Then I made the stupid mistake of saying something about the different tailless Raccoons of Oklahoma to a real Okie, and guess what he told me. Warning - this is where the "ick" comes in. They aren't tailless - I had just never seen one before the tail collectors had gotten there. Although he called these guys "hunters", I can't think of them as that legitimate.

Holiday Gingerbread From Starbucks!

2011-11-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

It's finally here. I don't know what to call it when I try to ask when it is coming to the local Starbucks, since they have changed the name THREE times. Good Grief! Ginger Loaf, Ginger Slice, and now Holiday Gingerbread. Or at least I think that's what they were calling it. I was drooling so heavily that I had to bolt for the napkins in the midst of ordering. And, yes, I ordered more than one slice, or there wouldn't have been a picture. And I had to order more than one slice just in case the great gingerbread drought of Ought 9 (the year when Starbucks RAN OUT of Ginger Slices at the beginning of December - the year when I didn't get a single piece), should reappear. This stuff is Heaven and very Christmasy. It is a ginger flavored quick bread with chopped candied ginger and a cream cheese frosting with candied orange peel sprinkled on top. And, yes, I know I could duplicate it in my own kitchen, but I should never have a full batch of it in the house at once. It has to be bought piece by piece and consumed in the same fashion. I really tried to send off tiny loaves of the stuff to my family along with the Springerlie and Spritz and Chex Mix. And Family, don't feel bad if you didn't get a loaf, because unlike the Peppermint Bark, which I only sent to the ones of you that I really like, no one got any of the Gingerbread with Cream Cheese Frosting.

I Love A Good Book

2011-11-20T18:32:00.000-08:00

What the heck were my sister, Claire and sister-in-law, Marya doing at a school book fair together? They don't even live in the same town. But the most important thing is that these two fabulous women found a present for me! Beryl - A Pig's Tale by Jane Simmons arrived yesterday and I've already read the whole thing. OK, it is just a 3rd grade book, but it had over 200 pages. I'm already operating on a highly sentimental level, thanks to the Hallmark Channel and their constant Christmas movies, so I can't be sure, but I think this one is a real tear jerker. At dinner last night, my favorite non-fiction writer predicted that it would end happily, with Beryl finding a new home. This guy is good! (Or perhaps he had already read the book?) But oh, the twists and turns and surprises along the way. No, I'm not going to tell.

Another Saturday Night In Tulsa

2011-11-19T19:40:00.000-08:00

I had a great time tonight! Went to the Philbrook and saw the Christmas Trees and Garden Lights with another Oklahoma Transplant, Catherine of Aesthetic Alterations and her very entertaining Significant Other. John really enjoyed the evening and is on the computer looking for some of the books we discussed right now. What an amazing couple!! There just isn't enough space to describe all we talked about. Since her birthday was Monday, I made her a card to celebrate her new Kelly bag with mini croissant and madeleines inside. And John met Santa. I got a great top with red stripes at the Goodwill for $4 that is by Misook. Good times!

The Tulsa Sherlock Holmes Society Has Such Interesting Members!

2011-11-17T22:13:00.000-08:00

Not everyone agrees with me about the waste of time (I think) it is remaking old movies. Tonight at the Sherlock Holmes Society meeting, one of the gentlemen mentioned that he would love to see Barbarella remade. Good grief! So I told him I would only agree to the concept if Jane Fonda was cast in her original role. And he agreed with me - after I pointed out that the concept of the movie works even better as the meanderings of a nearly senile woman. And that Jane Fonda might just look better naked today than she did in the original - many, many years and exercise classes ago.

Going To France

2011-11-16T20:37:00.000-08:00

This January I am cashing in airmiles and going to France. Pretty exciting. Amanda is coming too. I'm not looking forward to all that French being spoken - it always makes me a little edgy, but Amanda is very excited to be able to practice. Anyone who has ever travelled with me knows what a light packer I am, so if you need me to bring back some French stuff for you, just warn me ahead of time so I can bring my one allowed checked bag - empty, of course. Of course, if I do take a checked bag, I will stick a few bottle of wine in it for the trip home.

Hallmark Channel Christmas Movies

2011-11-15T16:44:00.000-08:00

John is on a short business trip, so it's a perfect time to watch those Hallmark Channel Christmas movies that I DVR'ed to watch alone, since some of them are just too sentimental to watch with him. He watches and likes most of the Christmas movies that I do, but some of them are just over the top. Tonight I watched "Cancel Christmas", and sniffled and snuffled the whole way through. Hint - dogs and widow/widower plus wheel chairs and a pony. Oh my! I don't think I should even DVR "A Dog Named Christmas", which is described as "A man finds homes for dogs during the holidays". Not only is it a guaranteed bawl-fest, it would send John running to the pound to bring home a couple dogs. I am pretty sure he can wait until his birthday, April, to bring home some dogs, but it's a struggle. And it looks like they might have remade "Miracle on 34th Street" again and called it "A Case For Christmas" with Dean Cain. The original did need to be colorized, (not film noir - didn't need the shadows and lights to heighten the suspense), but that made it perfect. No need to remake!! Couldn't we all list at least 10 movies remakes that were better the first time? Three of them would be the "Miracle on 34th Street" ones.