For the Love of Cooking

Everyone views love differently. I like to think I'm a sort of Italian grandmother trapped in a 25 year old body. I love to feed people. If I could spend the rest of my life just cooking for everyone I love, I would. You know I love you if I want to cook for you. To me it's like giving someone a little piece of edible feelings. I cook when I'm happy. I cook when I'm sad. I cook a lot if I'm angry. Trying out a new recipe and seeing peoples reactions is just about the highlight of my day, although having someone say "Oh, will you cook 'this' for me?" might even better.

It's funny though, because I never expect anything to turn out well. Maybe it's a 'hope for the best, prep for the worst' type of attitude, but I'm really not kidding. The other night, I cooked up a meal that I basically made up. I had an idea of what I wanted it to be, but mostly winged it. One friend was in from out of town, and I thought it'd be fun to make something new for him. I had him take a bite, and he with all seriousness looked my in the eye and told me it was horrible. I almost cried, luckily for my sanity he quickly said it was great and he was joking.

Cooking to me is like a scrapbook. Certain flavors and tastes and combinations send me back to wonderful times in my life. The crunch of snap peas takes me to my grandmothers kitchen table in summertime. One slice of apple pie and it's Thanksgiving, no matter what time of year. The smell of Cajun spices and it's like I'm back in New Orleans on a bar terrace cracking crawfish in the summer heat. Tastes and smells combine with places and people in a beautiful ribbon through my life.

Oh, son of a...

It's 9:46 pm on Sunday night. I worked all weekend. I had the plan to do next to nothing tomorrow. And by nothing, I mean organizing my garage, sorting things for a yard sale, canning my raspberries, and making apple butter hopefully. Oh, and picking more peas and probably canning those. And cleaning my house that has sat for a full weekend empty. But...

I just realized my sister's birthday is tomorrow.

I do not have a present.

I have not even fathomed what to get her.

Now, I have less then 24 hours to come up with an amazing present for a beautiful lady who has just about everything.

*insert inappropriate words here*

Quote of the Day

Butch saying the blessing on the food last night: "Please bless the sick and deflected,"
(Supposed to be 'sick and afflicted)

Lila's Home Adventures

So this week was filled with paint and baseboards. The area Lowe's was kind enough to match the paint for us. To bad they matched it wrong, so touch up turned to full painting duty. We did all of my office and then installed the baseboards. They look great compared to the old cheap stuff.

Then last night the AC went out. SUCKY. I don't think any of us slept much. I know I spent 2 hours pacing with Miss Teether at 3 AM. This morning we found a great cooling guy to come and replace the intake motor costing a nice chunk of change. Upside is the house is cool again and we are able to hide from the heat.

While scouring the house for any info on the AC unit I did find a book that says exactky what brand and shade of paint is on our walls so hopefully Lowe's suckiness will be in the past and touching up will be all the rest of the rooms require.

Quote of the Day

The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.

-Winston Churchill

Snap Peas!

I stopped by a friend's house yesterday (the Boy was chillin' with Grandpa and having some 'man-time') and interrupted a pea-picking bonanza. The whole family was out (literally, 4 generations) picking both snap peas and snow peas. I'm not sure if it was a combination of the intense heat we had and the lack of moisture, but these bushes are just throwing out peas like it's going out of style.

We picked several grocery bags full of each, and I was lucky enough to be able to sneak some off before Nana (as the Boy call her) noticed. Well, she noticed and she just smacked my knuckles and told me I was naughty but didn't take back my pea contraband. Once I managed to pry the Boy back to our house, I showed him the snap peas, showed him how to pop them open and then watched him promptly inhale them all. I think I got one out of the whole bag.

At least he likes veggies.

Friday Funny

WTF Part 3

I'm really starting to wonder who the hell is in charge of our Dept. Of Transportation, if they're even elected, and how the hell I can get them fired. Beyond that even, who looks at county road projects and says 'Ya' or 'Nay', because they are also on my list of people with whom I'm quickly losing patience.

I understand that our weather here isn't the most accommodating when it comes to road construction. We have 3 months of hot followed by 9 months of cold, sideways rain. Everything has to be squeezed into a horribly small time period. That doesn't excuse blatant stupidity. For example, in a very large flood early this year, a portion of road was washed out right outside town, but not on a 'main' route. It was hastily patched, and included a HUGE speed bump asphalt dump type thing. It stayed there for 7+ months. A friend mentioned the other day they had taken it out so I decided to drive out and take a look. They did take it out. They also left in its wake an unmarked section of (now) gravel about 10 feet long at the peak of a hill in a 50 mph zone with gullies on both sides. Smart, real smart.

Friday I drove out to the Logger's to check out the chickens and the garden and came to a section of road that had been completely torn out. It isn't even gravel anymore. It's just ungraded dirt. I drove, and drove and drove. By the end of it I realized they had torn out probably 6 miles or so of road. I'd swear it was longer, closer to 10. The road wasn't in amazing shape, but it worked. It's a back country road that's basically only used by the people who live on it or have a reason to be down there.

I asked around and found out that the county decided to remove a set of 'dangerous s-curves' somewhere in the middle of this mess. To do so, they had to buy out a portion of a family's hay field (that was full of hay). Apparently removing an asinine amount of road from each side was also required. Moreover, they did this prior to one of the hottest weekends of the year, when the road is actually traveled a lot because of its easy river access. Now it has huge potholes and they are going to have to re-grate it all before they do a thing to fix it.

The 'hazard corners' in question

There are a few things in this world that get my goat, but this sort of thing is one of them.

Breath....

So I have been up to my ears in family and dogs. First off, I picked up a new foster dog who had been attacked by another dog and is now scared of any dog larger than she is. She's sweet and playful and will find a home quickly. I have also been dealing with a neglected dog who's living conditions are becoming better as the days go by and an 80 lb brute who was abandoned by his owner in the back yard. So dog stuff has been keeping me busy.
On top of all the dog stuff, we had a pretty exciting weekend, especially for my middle son Bruiser. He turned eight this weekend and for a Mormon family this is a huge deal. It means he is able to be baptised. His birthday was on Friday and we gave him most of his gifts, little brat got spoiled rotten this year! Saturday he got baptised and even more gifts and a special birthday dinner out. Sunday he got to sit up front with the bishop and was introduced as the newest member of the Church. I was so proud of him standing up there. He looked so grown up in his suit and tie!
Anyway, hopefully now that all the families have gone home and I got the kids detoxed from all of the sugar the grandparents gave them, things will settle down enough to blog more.

Parenting

I am surrounded by parents, as we all are, and as my own children grow I pay more attention to the parents I see around me. What they do that works, what doesn't. I see the toddler throwing a tantrum and wonder about the parent behind that child. I see a sweet polite helpful child and wonder the same thing.

I am a firm believer in parents raising children as much as possible and have been blessed with the ability to be home with my kids. I know many such women and still I see so many differences in the way we do things. Since we are all different people that is not surprising but some things others do completely confound me. Like the women desperate for a child to fulfill her. She plans and plots, uses fertility help even though she doesn't need it, and gets pregnant. She talks of her joy in the child, all the things she wants to do with and for the child. Then the child is born and she puts it in a chair so she can go about her day without a worry for the child. Instead of nurturing, the child is more a fashion accessory. Then there are the women who talk of homemade baby food and cloth diapers and co sleeping and sling wearing. They talk about how good their plan is but once it comes time to implement it they realize how much work goes into these things and give up but bash those who didn't try that way first.

Don't get me wrong, I applaud all women who do all they can for their children. I know there are many ways to parent, to teach, to love. I just hate seeing people have children for any other reason than that they want to provide life and love to another being. I hate seeing women who are looking for a way to trap their guy, an added tax deduction, a fashion statement, or because they think they are supposed to. What happened to children being the product of love and of a want to share the love between mates with a being that was created by that love?