Seasonal Sensations

 

Friday, June 29, 2012 – Seasonal Sensations

I just got back from a wonderful lunch of seasonal specialties at Seasons 52.  Some of the items we enjoyed were flatbread with roasted eggplant and tomatoes, flatbread with artichokes and feta, mini-tacos, peppers stuffed with mushrooms, grilled tofu with mango chutney, and three amazing salads.  The occasion was the first official “Girls’ Day Out” get-together.  I’m part of an informal group of women teachers from AHS who want to meet periodically during the summer for fun adventures.  Our original plan was to go into DC, see the new exhibit at the National Archives, and then have tapas for lunch at Jaleo.  But with the weather forecast warning of excessive heat (temperatures over 100!), we decided to postpone any outdoor activities.  Instead, we met at Tysons Corner Center (the local mall), which has a bountiful array of eating options.  Seasons 52 turned out to be a perfect place for our group of five, with its healthy menu, reasonable portion size, and fabulous flavors.  We even ordered (and shared) five mini-desserts, passing them around the table in counter-clockwise fashion so everyone could sample them. 

Elliott (and Sylvester, his 4-wheeler) came along for the ride, although not for our lunch.  While we were willing to make him an honorary member of the group, he preferred to go off on his own once we arrived at Tysons.  The plan worked out beautifully.  Since he no longer drives, he has lost the opportunity for independent outings, and he was delighted to have a couple of hours to himself.  With no one to hurry him along, he was free to wander through the mall and to browse in stores at leisure.  When he got hungry, he noticed signs for what he thought was a restaurant called American Grill.  He kept walking through the mall, following the signs, looking for the restaurant, until he finally realized that the American Grill was actually the store called American Girl.  Rest assured that he didn’t starve.  He stopped at Panera for soup and a sandwich.

When we met up after lunch, he was sitting contentedly on a bench, reading his Kindle.  He still felt full of energy after more than two hours of walking.  Even though it was hot outside, he insisted on going for a short walk after we got home.  In fact, he said all the walking made him feel better.  So keep on walking, Elliott!   

Elliott's New Look

 

Thursday, June 28, 2012 – Elliott’s New Look

Even a little pain won’t keep Elliott from maintaining his stylish image.  We went shoe-shopping yesterday and he bought his first-ever pair of Nikes.  And after dinner last night, we went on a date to REI where he bought a pair of khaki shorts, with lots of pockets.  You can see his new sportif look in the photos.  Now all I have to do is convince him to come back to the gym and exercise! 

Continuing this week’s pattern of lunching out, I had a delightful Ethiopian meal yesterday.  My friend Phoebe, who’s a collage artist, joined me at Enat in Alexandria.  I highly recommend their samboussa.  When you bite in, the crispy crackle of the fried wrapper reveals a perfectly spiced filling.  And the vegetarian sampler was plenty for the two of us.  We finished up our eating adventure with some unusual coffee, flavored with cardamom.  By the way, Phoebe’s work is available as cards or prints at her website, SacredSpaces.  I think I should set up a website for Elliott.  I suggested it to him several years ago when I was writing his life story.  He resisted vehemently and I dropped the idea, but it’s finally time to drag him into the 21^st century. 

Thursday was busy with two doctor’s appointments for Elliott.  His orthopedist said there’s not much more he can try for his back pain.  Surgery is out of the question due to his age.  But he thought Elliott should give physical therapy another try.  So we have an appointment scheduled in July with a therapist to set up a program.  In the meantime, at least he has the pain pills. 

Knowing how severe Elliott’s pain is, I try to ignore the little twinges that I occasionally feel.  My neck has hurt for the past couple of days, but I’m pretty sure it’s simply due to some muscle strain from hauling large, heaving paintings around.  I try not to complain.  Being married to a much older spouse means that I’m always the young one (it’s all relative), and there’s a certain expectation that I’ll maintain a youthful image.  But I think a lot about aging and I know that I’m not exactly young anymore.  Especially with the contrasting models of aging that Elliott and my mother present, I wonder what my own future holds.  There’s so much I still want to do – writing, art, travel, and more.  Will I have another 30 years of good mental and physical health, or should I try to fit everything into the next 5-10 years, just in case?

Summertime, and the eating is easy.

 

Tuesday, June 26, 2012 – Summertime, and the eating is easy

The calendar is filling up again.  We scheduled eyelid surgery for Elliott in early August.  Please note that this is for medical, not cosmetic, reasons.   However, if anyone knows any modeling agents interested in slightly older but extremely photogenic clients, …. 

Elliott took advantage of his largely pain-free last couple of days to continue the garage cleanup.  Can you believe we had six of those roll-up or fold-up reflective windshield things lurking behind boxes?  They’re all in the trash now.  And all of the paper goods are now carefully arranged on the shelves – at least until we stock up again at Costco.

This is turning out to be a week of lunching out.  On Monday, we ate at Wegman’s, after the morning appointment with the eye surgeon.  Elliott thought that a small wheel of Brie, a croissant, and a cup of coffee would make the perfect midday meal.  I, on the other hand, grazed at the vegetarian offerings (apple and fennel salad; barbequed tofu; a combo of jicama, corn, red pepper, and asparagus).  We went out with Katie to a local Italian restaurant for lunch today.  It was one of those unpretentious family-owned places that we used to find on Long Island when I was growing up.   However, this restaurant was in a strip mall where you can also find Mexican, Salvadoran, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Indonesian, Japanese, Afghani, Pakistani, and Ethiopian food.  I just adore the culinary diversity of the DC region.

Since we’ve been filling up at lunch, I’ve tried to keep dinners as simple as possible.  On Sunday, I threw some ripe tomatoes, cucumber, yellow bell pepper, and Vidalia onion in the food processor and made gazpacho.  It tasted like summer in a bowl, but Elliott found it too acidic for his taste.  I wasn’t surprised.  I just fried up a bratwurst for him.  (It’s been this way for years.)

It would be nice if our tastes in food coincided, but he’s actually quite easy to please.  When we were walking through the aisles in Wegman’s, he stopped and said, “I’d really like some jello, some strawberry jello.”  I hadn’t bought jello in years, but for dinner tonight, he got his beloved jello, along with bread and peanut butter.  I guess it brings back memories of his childhood when jello was often the featured dessert.  You’ll notice in the photo that there’s extra sugar sprinkled on top.  According to Elliott, that’s the way his mother always served it.  (Would you like some sugar with your sugar?)  Meanwhile, I was more than content to finish off my dinner of crudités and hummus with a bowl of organic strawberries and plain Greek yogurt.  

By the way, Elliott also enjoys eating “real” strawberries.  His favorite way of eating them is to hold the berry by the stem and then dip it into a mound of powdered sugar.  After he takes a bite from the bottom, he dips the berry back into the sugar. Double dipping obviously isn’t a concern.  I was shocked, but he swears he’s eaten berries this way since childhood.  We always keep a supply of powdered sugar on hand, and store it in a container that is close to thirty years old.  We bought this original container of sucre glace at LeClerc (the supermarket) when we lived in France and just kept refilling it over the years.  It’s probably highly unsanitary, but we’re both strongly attached to it.  However, I’m afraid that one of these days a hyper-vigilant health inspector will swoop down and confiscate it.    

With all of the errands we’ve been doing outside the house, we haven’t had much time for other projects.  Late this afternoon, we finally started going through the drawers of the flat file, and took a very quick look at the collages.  There must be more than fifty of them, in various sizes and proportions.  Deciding which ones to frame is going to be difficult.

Update on Elliott

 

Sunday, June 24, 2012 – Update on Elliott

Elliott’s life, and to a large extent, a mine as well, continues to be defined by his level of pain, which changes from one moment to the next.  He’s now experimenting with a Lidocain patch in addition to his extended release painkillers.  Even when he gets some relief, he’s exhausted from the near constant struggle to deal with the pain.  As a result, he has to lie down frequently during the day, and he uses his walker even in the house.  I refuse to say he shuffles along, but he definitely moves more slowly.

Although his life is limited by his physical condition, Elliott hasn’t stopped working on his garage cleanup project.  He has found some real treasures, including the old apron he's modeling in the photo.  Our trash containers are filled to the brim, and we’ve made several more trips to Goodwill.  In addition, we’re working together to sort through paintings in the garage and to choose pieces to hang on the blank spots on the walls.   Size is a consideration.  Many of Elliott’s paintings are very, very large, and we simply don’t have the wall space to accommodate them.  However, there are a number of “smaller” pieces (48 inches or less) that have been stacked in the garage for years.   Since they’re covered in thick brown paper, I have no idea what they look like.  When we took them upstairs a few days ago, I felt like a kid with a pile of presents to unwrap on Christmas morning.  Most of them looked familiar because they belonged to series such as Zs or Division of the Square.  But there was a big revelation when we removed the wrapping from one painting I’d never seen before.  It was a black and white painting from the Cube series, dating back to 1979.  The composition was clean, spare and very linear, which gave it a startling freshness.  

We started the actual installation yesterday and so far we’ve hung seven of Elliott’s paintings.  There are still some small blank spots on the walls, which we’ll fill with my collage work.  During the coming week, we’ll go through the pieces that are stored in the drawers of the flat file and choose some for framing.  Then I’m thinking of holding a Summer Salon to usher in the “new” works that will grace our walls.

Also, we made a trip down to the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton so I could pick up my second piece from the fused glass workshop (seen from different angles in the photos above).  Matt came along, and after seeing all the fused glass on display, has decided that he wants to do some work in this medium. 

School's Out, and I'm Plaqued

 

Thursday, June 21, 2012 – School’s Out, and I’m Plaqued

Yes, school’s out – but this year, I don’t feel that crazy mixture of elation and exhaustion that used to reach its peak in mid-June.  Without the academic year to structure my life, there are fewer built-in highs and lows.  After twenty years, that’s something I’m still adjusting to.  In fact, on Tuesday, I attended the AHS end of school year luncheon, an annual ritual held at 10:30 a.m. at a local restaurant.  Although I was delighted to see my friends and former colleagues, I listened with a tinge of envy as they spoke excitedly about their summer plans, and how they will use these brief two months of freedom.  Many have travel on the agenda.  One is taking a two-week Mediterranean cruise, another is flying out to Madison, Wisconsin to start a road trip.  On one hand, I’d love to tag along.  But on the other hand, I’m quite content to spend a low-key summer close to home before we embark on our own travels in the fall.  

And Wednesday night, I was plaqued (see photo above), signaling the official end of my FCPS career.  Along with the plaque, I received a white rose and a goodie bag with a trail mix bar and some candy – not a bad reward for 20 years of service.  The plaquing occurred at a special ceremony held in the auditorium at a nearby FCPS high school, and it followed a reception for retirees and their guests.  I wasn’t sure what kind of food would be served, so I took the precaution of pre-eating (eating before going out to eat), a practice I often follow when the menu at an event is in doubt.  Shortly before we left home, I whipped up some gallo pinto, the Costa Rican rice and black bean dish that I adore, figuring that it would sustain me for at least a few hours.  

It turned out that the reception, which featured live music and a buffet prepared by FCPS Food Services, was quite elegant.  In fact, it almost made me forget that I was in a school cafeteria.  The food certainly wasn’t the standard cafeteria fare.  The buffet tables were overflowing with meatballs, scallop-wrapped bacon, mystery roll-ups, fruit platters, various cheeses and crackers, crudités and dips, hummus and pita chips, and of course, an array of mini-sized desserts.  Elliott enjoyed the equivalent of a whole meal.   He rose to the challenge of cutting off a piece of oozingly soft brie from the cheese display with only a toothpick (utensils were noticeably absent), while I used the dual-cracker method to scoop up some shrimp salad. 

At the ceremony that followed, each retiree was recognized individually.  While I was sitting in the audience, awaiting my turn, I thought of all the years I’ve watched my former students proudly stride across the stage at Constitution Hall to receive their diplomas.  After my name was announced, I went up on stage to receive my plaque and shake hands with the superintendent of FCPS and the members of the school board.  The moment seemed surreal, and passed in a blur.

Meanwhile, my patient, Elliott, alternates between comfortable and uncomfortable times.  He’s baffled by the unpredictability of his lower back pain.  He wonders if it’s caused by too much activity.  I suspect, however, that it’s caused by too little activity, and I’m trying to get him to join me at the gym again.  It would be better than his most recent obsession – trash wrapping.  This somewhat bizarre behavior started around the time of his birthday celebration when he finally decided to clean out the garage.  He has a triage system: items he thinks we can use, items that can be donated to Goodwill, and items that are destined for the trash.  But unusable items cannot simply be dumped into a trash bag or directly into the large green plastic trash bin.  Oh, no, not at all.  The item must first be meticulously wrapped in several layers of newspaper, which must be secured with tape or string.  Only then is the tidy package ready to be deposited in the trash container.  Since I’m not generally with him in the garage during this process, I wonder what valuable items he may have designated as trash.  Likewise, items destined for donation are wrapped and placed in an apple box.  (Elliott favors apple boxes for packing.)  I wonder if my plaque will soon join other treasured heirlooms on display at the local Goodwill store.

Where's Elliott?

 

Monday, June 18, 2012 – Where’s Elliott?

Where’s Elliott?  Where’s that smiling silver-haired charmer?  Where’s Mr. 99 and Doing Fine?  Where’s my workout partner and dining companion?  A grumpy centenarian who has no appetite and no zest for life has taken his place.  Will the real Elliott please come back? 

Sadly, the last week or so hasn’t been kind to Elliott, and he’s somewhat discouraged.  It’s a combination of factors – ongoing back pain that isn’t responding to the pain medication, difficulty getting in touch with his pain doctor, and lingering upper respiratory symptoms that are sapping his energy.  I sympathize with him, but his constant complaints and demands are wearing me down. 

One bright spot was our Father’s Day celebration on Sunday.  Matt treated us to dinner at P.F. Chang’s.  Elliott claimed he wasn’t very hungry, so he just ordered an appetizer of spare ribs.  I started off with the vegetarian lettuce wraps.  The food was yummy and we got to eat with our hands, which is always fun.  When Elliott said he didn’t want to share a vegetarian main course with, I mentioned an interesting article I’d read in the Sunday Washington Post about limiting greenhouse gas emissions through reduction in meat consumption.  I tried to convince him that becoming a vegetarian would help prevent disastrous climate change.  We had a pretty lively discussion, but Elliott remained skeptical.  Matt, who ordered his favorite Chang’s spicy chicken, wondered how chicken compared to beef in terms of production of methane byproducts.  He isn’t usually an adventurous eater, but he decided to try something new for dessert – banana spring rolls with coconut pineapple ice cream.  Quite tasty, and the crispy outer wrapper is a nice contrast to the soft banana center.  

Sunday was a busy day for me since I worked out in the morning and spent most of the afternoon at the Workhouse Arts Center.  The fused glass piece I made at the previous week’s session had been fired.  I worked on a new circular piece (10-inch diameter) that will be fused, draped, and ready for pickup next Sunday.  

I made a quick visit to Greenspring to check on Katie this afternoon.  All is well.  Now I’m just waiting for Elliott to become his charming self again. 

A Walk in the Woods

 

Sunday, June 17, 2012 – A Walk in the Woods

Just a few houses beyond mine, Convento Terrace opens up onto a path through the woods.  This path is one of my favorite walks at any time of year, but it’s an especially delightful way to escape from the heat of summer.  When I set out this morning, right after breakfast, the air still holds the crisp edge of night. 

There’s something deep and elemental in the smell of the forest.  The multi-layered scent brings back memories of times that barely remain in my consciousness.  It’s a mixture of life, death, and rebirth.  Trees fall – from the wind, from lightning strikes, from simple old age – and decay, losing their identities, only to be recycled into new life.  Aside from a curious chipmunk that runs alongside the path, no animals are in sight.  Perhaps it’s too early for the squirrels to make an appearance.  But I can eavesdrop on the early morning chatter of the birds.   

Splatters of sunlight fall through the leaves, caressing the tall proud tree trunks, illuminating treasures on the forest floor.  Some branches swoop in graceful arcs; others extend at awkward angles like broken limbs.  I study the shapes and sizes of leaves, the textures of tree trunks.  Few colors interrupt the riot of green and brown.  A stray wild strawberry and a cluster of clover beg for attention.  I’m suspicious of a three-leafed plant growing rampant beside the path – poison something?  How I wish I could recognize all of the different kinds of flora and fauna. 

Sometimes the woods hold a slightly menacing feel of the unknown, but today I feel safe in its tangled embrace.  The rock and leaf strewn path beneath the soles of my walking shoes creates an invigorating tingle and puts a spring in my step.  Suddenly, I emerge from the woods at the far end of the path.  The morning sun flings its warmth across my shoulders.  What a splendid way to start the day.  

Recipe for a Rainbow

 

Saturday, June 16, 2012 – Recipe for a Rainbow

I just discovered how simple it is to make a rainbow – take sunlight, then add water. While I was out watering the grass and flowers a few minutes ago, standing in the sunshine, thinking about what a splendid day it was, I found beautiful rainbows popping into view.  I did a little experimentation and realized that the rainbows appeared only when the sun was in back of me.  Wow!  So simple, but awesome, too.  I obviously don’t remember much of the science I learned in school.  But I did remember that there’s a Jewish prayer to say upon seeing a rainbow.  I couldn’t recall the Hebrew words, so I made up my own prayer, in English, to fit the moment.   So often we fail to notice these wonders, these gifts that are right in front of our eyes. 

And just a few minutes after I got back into the house, our neighbor, Mike, rang the door bell.  He was bearing a plate piled high with freshly made beignets.  Mike is an excellent chef (he specializes in desserts), and he was offering as many as I wanted.  I thought a few seconds, and took only two.  Elliott will enjoy both of these delectable treats with a cup of coffee.  And I will enjoy knowing that my willpower to resist the evil twins (Sugar and White Flour) is strengthening.

We accomplished a lot even before lunchtime today.  By nine a.m., I’d gone to the Fairfax City Farmers’ Market, and we’d driven out to Fair Oaks Mall to buy a new toaster oven at Macy’s.  We finished up the morning with a workout at Lifetime.  I picked some fresh mint from the garden to add to a chopped salad for lunch.  Now I’m sipping iced tea and looking forward to a fairly quiet afternoon close to home.  There will be time to work on a new design for tomorrow’s fused glass workshop and to practice chanting my next Torah portion. 

By the way, all that crazy medical stuff going on at the beginning of the week is under control.  I think my body was sending me a message to slow down.  But I had a lot to do during the past week related to my mother’s move to assisted living.  After considering all the options, I got her a cell phone and that makes it much easier to keep track of everything.  I'm grateful that she’s very content in Renaissance Gardens, and she’s participating in a wide range of activities there.  Reflecting on the transition, I think the experience was harder for me than for her.  Although the rational side of me knew that it was time for her to make the move to assisted living, the emotional side was torn apart.  It’s hard to accept that I’m losing her, a tiny bit at a time, to the dementia.  And I know it will get worse, that we’re just somewhere in the middle of a long, long process.  

Floating

 

Wednesday, June 13, 2012 – Floating

I woke up Monday morning with a strange feeling.  I don’t know exactly how to describe it, except to say that I felt lighter than usual, especially my head.  It was almost like the feeling I’ve had from drinking a second glass of wine – that feeling that I’m not really all here.  But I certainly hadn’t had anything to drink in the past 24 hours.  So I went off to Lifetime for my usual post-breakfast workout, which turned out to be anything but usual.  First of all, I kept yawning as I went through my routine, even though I’d gotten a full eight hours of sleep the night before.  Furthermore, I didn’t feel like I had my normal strength, and even more disturbing was that the feeling of lightheadedness seemed to intensify as I continued to work out. 

I decided to spend the rest of the day at home, where the sensation that all the molecules that make up the cells of my body were doing a little dance continued.  In fact, when Elliott asked me to take him to see a friend on Monday evening, I told him I didn’t feel like I should be driving. 

I went to bed around 10, my head still floating, but certain that a good night’s sleep would take care of this bizarre condition.  Unfortunately, as soon as I got up Tuesday morning, I realized that things had only gotten worse.  With every movement, even just a slight turn of my head, the lightheadedness increased.  Along with the lightheadedness was a sense of queasiness that made it impossible to finish my bowl of oatmeal.  This was definitely interfering with my life.  So, instead of changing into exercise clothes, I called our family doctor.  She surmised that my allergy symptoms (sinus congestion, fluid in ears, coughing, throat swelling), which started to get really the weekend of Elliott’s party, may somehow be contributing to the extreme motion-sensitive lightheadedness I’m experiencing.   

I’m now taking several medications to treat the allergy symptoms, and I now feel much less like my head is about to float off into the clouds.  However, I made an appointment with my neurologist, just to make sure there’s nothing more serious going on.  (Yes, I admit that I’m one of those people who always imagines that some dread disease or condition is responsible for even the most minor medical problem.)

Back in the Studio

 

Sunday, June 10, 2012 – Back in the Studio

After a break of many, many months, I finally got back to doing some art this afternoon.   I went down to the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton and worked on a fused glass piece.  It’s a medium that’s relatively new to me although I’ve always been attracted to the translucence of glass.  Many years ago (in my Boston days), I did some work in stained glass (small leaded windows).  Those pieces are currently packed away in a closet in the house, where they’re covered with a thick layer of dust.   In the intervening years, I’ve turned my attention to painting, drawing, and collage.  I’d never even heard of fused glass until I visited the Workhouse Arts Center a couple of years ago.  As soon as I could, I signed up for a workshop.  In the fall of 2010, created my first pieces of kiln-fired fused glass, two serving dishes.

Unfortunately, due to other responsibilities and our travel schedule, I had to delay taking another workshop until this month.  My four hours in the studio today were exhilarating.  Doing creative work of any kind makes me feel young again.  That’s not surprising – think of Elliott, devoting himself to art full-time when he reached his late fifties.  It almost certainly helped him remain youthful in mind, body, and spirit as the years went by. 

The piece I started today is an 8-inch square, photographed on the workbench at the glasshouse.  Before I left, I put it into the kiln for firing.  The extremely high temperatures will cause the glass pieces to fuse together.  For this particular piece, a second firing, using a mold, will produce a “draped” shape.  Working in the medium of fused glass requires a lot of technical knowledge that I’m just beginning to acquire.  I couldn’t have made this progress in fused glass without the assistance of my instructor, David Barnes, a wonderfully talented glass artist.  If you live in the area, you can stop by the glasshouse and see several examples of his work, along with work by other glass artists.  It’s a great place to find unique gifts.  

 This is the piece I worked on today.  It's ready for firing.

These are the two pieces I did a couple of years ago.  They got their finished shape from a process called slumping.

Life in the 2nd Century (According to Elliott Thompson)

Life in the 2^nd Century (according to Elliott Thompson)

It’s remarkable to live to the age of 100.  Elliott accomplished that feat on May 25, 2012.  But what’s even more remarkable is the manner in which he’s living in his 2^nd century.  There’s no sitting back in a rocking chair for this centenarian.  He’s as active as ever.  Here’s a sample of some of his activities since he reached the century mark exactly two weeks ago:

Entertained 200+ guests at his 3-day 100^th birthday celebration

Helped clean-up from the party by eating all the leftover birthday cake and mini Baby Ruth bars

Worked out at Lifetime Fitness

Regaled houseguests with tales of his early years

Packed up Katie’s household items

Wrapped up paintings that we sold 

Watered the flowers out in the garden

Re-arranged furniture in the house

Checked his email and Facebook accounts on a daily basis

Supervised everyone else’s activities

Today was a typically busy day.  It started with a dual-purpose field trip to the Ikea store in Woodbridge, about 20 miles from home.  First of all, we went there to purchase a desk for Katie’s new place.  Just as importantly, we went so Elliott could eat lunch at the Ikea restaurant.  He starts to salivate at the mere mention of Ikea’s Swedish meatballs with gravy and lingonberries.  It isn’t just the taste he loves, but the associations he has with this classic Scandinavian dish that his mother used to make when he was a child.  He even asked the server in the cafeteria line for an extra spoonful of gravy – because he was 100 years old!  (Yes, Elliott manages to inform everyone he meets of his special age.)   While I’m not a fan of meatballs myself (I prefer the gravad laks), I love to see Elliott eat with such gusto.  It took a while, but he ate every one of the 15 meatballs included in the $3.99 serving.  And since he was enjoying himself so much, I gave him permission to lick the remaining gravy and lingonberries from his plate. 

We spent the remainder of the afternoon at Greenspring, where I took the lead in assembling the desk for my mother.  I had no problems following the instructions, and 90 minutes after I started, Katie had a lovely new desk where she can sit to do her crossword puzzles.  My civil engineer dad would have been proud of my accomplishment.  Before we left Greenspring, Elliott and I hung a few paintings, a Chinese embroidery, and a Persian mirror on the walls.  Overall, we’re quite pleased with the results.  In less than a week, we’ve managed to transform my mother’s new abode into a very attractive home.  

Is it over yet?

 

Thursday, June 7, 2012 – Is it over yet?

Our last houseguests departed just about an hour ago (around 1 pm), en route to Texas.  My step-daughter Debbie and her daughter Dana stayed here last night after a week-long road trip through Pennsylvania and Delaware.  Marshall (Debbie’s brother), who had been staying with us since the birthday celebration, went with them to lend a hand with the driving.  With their departure, the house is entirely ours once again.

My mother, Katie, is in her new assisted living unit at Greenspring, and she seems to be adjusting well.  The furniture fit right in, and Elliott and I will hang the paintings and art on her walls in a couple of days.  It’s amazing how much time and energy even a minor move, like this one, requires.  I’m more convinced than ever that we’ll stay put in our house for quite a while.  I couldn’t bear the thought of any more packing or unpacking. 

Meanwhile, we’re living with some bare walls since we sold 10 of the pieces in our “gallery” to guests who saw them at the celebration of a century.  At first, I found it hard to consider parting with them.  The works you create seem like your children.  But Elliott’s cooler, more rational approach won out in the end.  And I must admit that it’s better for the art to be enjoyed than to be hidden away in storage.  We’ll just have to go through the garage and the flat-file drawers to find some other pieces to hang.  And I might even get back into the studio. 

Also, I finally completed the jigsaw puzzle that some of you saw (and worked on) at the party.  It was based on a photo of Elliott and me taken in Rome in 2000.  Working on the puzzle turned out to be very therapeutic when I was physically and mentally exhausted from everything that’s been going on these past couple of weeks.  I’d forgotten how enjoyable this simple, non-electronic activity can be, and how restful it is for my brain.  

The Last of the Leftovers

 

Saturday afternoon, June 3, 2012 – The Last of the Leftovers

When our celebration weekend came to a close, we were left with mountains of uneaten food.  While some was unopened, and could to be donated, the refrigerator was still stuffed with several pounds of grape tomatoes, olives that had garnished the sandwich platters, a bag of lemons, heaps of baby carrots and celery sticks, and mounds of cut-up broccoli and cauliflower.  I was determined not to let the food go to waste, so I had to come up with some ideas quickly to make use of the fresh produce.  One of our first post-celebration meals was angel hair pasta with a cold uncooked tomato “sauce.”  Basically, I threw a lot of grape tomatoes into the food processor, chopped them coarsely, and put them in a colander to drain for about an hour.  I also chopped up some of the kalamata olives and some fresh garlic, which I added to the drained tomatoes.  Then I seasoned the mixture with a few spoonsful of kalamata olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar (another night I used lemon juice), some sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.  The cool tomato mixture was zesty and refreshing on top of the steaming angel hair pasta, which cooked in just a few minutes – a good dinner for a hot night.  

Another night, I decided to make use of an abundance of fresh baby spinach by cooking up a spinach frittata for dinner.  It was like a crustless quiche.  First I sautéed some diced onion in olive oil until it was just transparent.  I added the spinach, which I had sliced coarsely into shreds, and sautéed it just a minute until it wilted.  I added some salt, pepper, and dill to the vegetables.  While that was cooking, I beat up half a dozen eggs in a bowl, then added the cooked spinach and onion mixture to the eggs.  I also crumbled up some feta cheese and added it to the eggs.  I made sure my Calphalon pan was well-oiled and poured in the egg mixture, turned the heat to very low, and covered the pan.  I let it cook about 20-25 minutes until the eggs were set.  Then I put it under the broiler for a minute or two, just to brown the top.  We cut the frittata into wedges, and since there was still some of that chilled tomato mixture in the refrigerator, I used it as a garnish on top. 

Finally, I turned to that old standby, vegetable soup, as a way of transforming the last of the leftover crudités.  Chopped carrots and celery, along with chopped onion, went into my big stockpot.  I sautéed them in olive oil until tender.  Then I added a few heaping tablespoons of one of favorite ingredients, Indian ginger-garlic paste.  For seasoning, I added turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt and a little cayenne pepper.  After a few more minutes of cooking, I added nearly all of the remaining grape tomatoes (chopped up in the food processor first) and cooked it a little longer.  Then I added 2 cups of red lentils, 1 cup of brown basmati rice, and 12 cups of water.  When the lentils and rice are done, I’ll stir in some lemon juice, garam masala, and chopped cilantro.  Maybe I’ll use the immersion blender to make the consistency smoother.  I’ll wait and see how it looks in an hour.  It’s simmering on the stove right now, and it smells delicious.  A dollop of plain yogurt, more chopped cilantro, and some diced tomatoes on top would be a good garnish.  

 

Thus, my exercise in culinary creativity is concluded, at least for a couple of days.

Blogito Ergo Sum

 

Saturday, June 2, 2012 – Blogito Ergo Sum

Apologies to Latin scholars if my grammar is incorrect, but I think you get the idea.  (I blog, therefore I am.)  Unfortunately, time to write is in very short supply these days.  With Elliott’s recent centennial celebration (yes, we still have houseguests) and my mother’s upcoming move, I am busier than ever.  Meanwhile, my writing addiction is clawing at me and screaming for attention.  I vow to grant myself at least 15 minutes a day at the keyboard. 

In addition, I’ve decided that “retired” no longer describes my current work status.  Rather, a more accurate term might be “redirected.”  If that’s not an option on Facebook, I’ll settle for “self-employed.”  After all, I certainly work although I may not get monetary payment for it. 

And speaking of earning money, the big birthday bash had a surprising and quite pleasant side effect.  Many of our guests used the gallery guide I prepared and toured the house to see a mini-retrospective of Elliott’s work and some of mine as well.  One individual expressed an interest in acquiring 10 pieces (eight of Elliott’s and two of mine) for quite a respectable sum.  After careful consideration, Elliott and I decided to accept the offer.  We’re pleased that our creations will go to a loving home.