Sunday, May 29, 2011

Bring On Summer!

Hi Friends!  It's finally here, the unofficial "official" start of summer.  Time for airing out our feet, shortening our hemlines, and baring our shoulders.  Bring on the parades, deck chairs, and soft serve ice cream.  But when we think of our favorite time of year, the first thing that comes to mind?  BBQ's!

Here are my top ten favorite picnic foods (feel free to remind me of any that I may have missed due to my favorite picnic drinks):

10. corn on the cob
9. cheese balls
8. potato salad with mustard
7. hot dogs with Michigan sauce
6. bacon and horseradish dip
5. steamed clams
4. watermelon
3. macaroni salad with tuna and eggs
2. Sm'ores
1. deviled eggs

Three cheers to the Red, White, and Blue!
And may Summer stay with you in all that you do.




Thursday, May 26, 2011

Negativity

Why is it that negativity breeds more negativity?  Why doesn't it end with the first negative?  And don't two negatives create a positive? 

People seem to revel in negativity.  Enjoy it even.  I don't understand why you would want to be miserable and make others miserable.  If you don't like your friends, change friends.  If you don't like your job, find a new one.  If your kids don't behave, be the parent and make them.  If you don't like the way you look, talk, walk, dress; get off of your butt and do something about it!

Be negative if it makes you happy!  Recruit negatives with your lies and propaganda!  Just don't bring down the rest of us with your nonsense.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Boston Rob

I was a little busy last week preparing for the end of the world and suddenly found my DVR completely filled.  Of course I discovered this after it had stopped recording my shows. (Thank you SOAPNet for getting me back on track.)  

And thank you to which ever comet was supposed to pick up the chosen and whisk us away to heaven; or where ever that billboard said we were going.  And instead left us alone.  So, since the world didn't end on Saturday I decided to catch up on my shows on Sunday.  Enter the season finale of Survivor.

Billed as one of the best seasons ever, by Jeff Probst anyway, I have been faithfully watching week after week and as you probably know from a previous post I am basically convinced that Redemption Island is located on some Hollywood back lot.  That being said I was still rooting for Matt to redeem himself and walk away with the million dollars.  Or maybe Ashley or Grant.

But to my utter disappointment, Boston Rob won.  I can't believe it.  They got rid of Russell, the hands-down best Survivor player ever, around day 6, but this schmuck makes it all the way to the jury.  And they voted for him?  I can't believe it.  He screwed over every single person sitting there in judgement of him.  He looked down at all of them and still they gave him the money. 

His wife was already handed a million dollars.  Isn't that enough?  Isn't it time to start thinking about a real job?  This was Rob's  fourth time playing.  At least those lifers on the Road Rules Challenge are twenty-somethings that don't know any better. 

And worst of all; he is so irritating!  I want to go fishing with his disgusting Red Sox hat and use that dumb pink shirt as Charmin.  Those idiots on his tribe put him up on a pedestal and worshipped him.  I really don't get it.  But then again Hollywood back lots do turn out some pretty bad stuff these days. 

In the future Survivor writers, it is so much more interesting when the person with the hidden immunity idol gets voted off while it is sitting in his pocket.  Or when the strongest alliance double crosses a member right before the final three.  Or for something new, how about taking the strongest and most deserving players to the jury vote?  And leave the crazy Phillips and coattail rider Natalies on the beach.

I had to stop watching Dancing With the Stars when Bristol Palin made it to the finals.  I think I might have to stop watching Survivor, too.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

The Wedding Spoon

Hi Friends, its Irish Heritage Thursday!  Today we will explore the "Wedding" Spoon.

Some years ago, my crazy Aunt K gave me a silver necklace with an intricate spoon attached.  It was very unique and I loved it at first sight.  Yes it had a spoon on it, but this is an aunt that enjoys spending her free time training women how to survive in the Adirondack mountains (alone and without makeup or hairdryers), carries her own Maple syrup in her purse (imitations just won't do), and picked up a full sized canoe on a bus trip to the LL Bean store in Maine.  I figured that she just liked the necklace and was thoughtful enough to buy it for me.  Crazy, right?  I was wrong...

The lovespoon dates back to 17th Century Wales.  A young man would carve a spoon from a single piece of wood and present it to his sweetheart.  It came to be regarded as an engagement token and would signal the seriousness of his affection.  The handle would be carefully carved with birds, hearts, wheels, and balls.  Each signifying good luck, the blessing of children, wealth and good health.  The more intricate the detail the greater the skill in carving it.  The greater the carving skill, the more distinguished the artist.  (And the greater the catch.)  If you accepted the lovespoon, a serious courtship would follow.  Your final destination?  Domestic bliss where you might put your spoon to good use in your cottage kitchen.  Or for those of us that can't cook, what a great conversation piece. 

Being unable to cook might not make you such a great catch in the 17th Century.  Luckily, we find ourselves in the 21st Century.  Where people that are special to us still present us with tokens of their affection.  Thanks Aunt K.  I wear the necklace often.  I believe that it brings me good luck.  And though I never intended to marry you, I love you just the same!


Lovespoon

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Are You Too Old?

Have you seen this?  The Today show recently ran a segment about fashion and age.  A British poll revealed that there are certain items that should not be worn past a certain milestone.  For example:

*no mini-skirts past 35
*no bikinis past 47
*no bathing suits (at all) past 60
*no stilettos past 51

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29054368/vp/43006312#43006312

I think that if you have the body (and the confidence) wear what you are comfortable in at what ever milestone you find yourself approaching.  Just steer clear of the Junior section once you have left your college years behind.  Yes, that means no more odd numbers ladies.  And gents pull up your pants!  We like to look at nice butts...

 

Thursday, May 12, 2011

How Could You St. Rose?

How could you my alma mater?  How could you help me launch my career and then invite a commencement speaker like Michelle Rhee to trash everything that I stand for as a teacher?  How could you bestow an honorary degree upon a person who has such contempt for education?  How could a teacher college support such a teacher hater?  Someone who has bragged about firing teachers, who speaks of doing away with public education, and who may have cheated her way to the upper eschalon of the talk circuit?

How could you St. Rose?  I will remember this when you call upon me to help fund your next education building, or when you ask me to help launch the career of the next student teacher.  I will have to stand proudly next to my fellow teachers in our Union and politely say, "NO!"

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Really?

I just left a modified baseball game in which the coach is carrying 18 young adolescents for 11 field positions.  Because youth sports have morphed into the professional realm, in this case Major League Baseball, said coach often includes a designated hitter in his line up.  Or maybe he is just cleverly "starting" an additional guy each game.  (He is my brother after all.)

While watching the action, I actually heard a parent say, "he better not sit the bench again today AND only DH."  And only DH?  What kid wouldn't want to hit and not play the field?  Any kid that has ever sat through a modified baseball game, that's who.  The action moves pretty slow.  Those 7 innings could (and will) take hours.  The only two guaranteed to be busy are the pitcher and catcher.  Unless of course there is a concession stand with hot pretzels and nachos and purple and blue freeze pops.  But I digress...

Back to "only DHing".  I'm sure the poor left fielder her kid is hitting for each inning would eagerly switch spots!  Or the pitcher whose arm is about to fall off!  Or the other 6 kids that are actually sitting the bench!  Put me in coach, I'm ready to play!

This is the underlying problem with youth sports:  ignorant parents.  They don't understand that every kid can't start every game.  That every kid might not play every position.  That in a high school game, every kid is not going to play.  And that maybe they should leave their ignorance buried quietly in their small mind and permit the coach to develop game strategy.

Ignorant parent wisely decided to sit far away from the coach and the bench.  "(Her) mouth might get (her) in trouble."  Do you think? 

A word of advice to ignorant parents:  you never know but the coach's sister might be listening!  And will blog about it... Play Ball!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Hail All Mother's!

Yesterday was my first Mother's Day and instead of staying home and allowing my family to pamper me, I spent my day visiting other mothers.  And enjoying it, for the most part.  I breakfasted with my mom, attended a baptism, and visited with my mother-in-law.  The hash brown potatoes and bloodies at breakfast were killer, the adorable child that was Christened had the whole church to himself, and conversations with my husband's mother are always exciting.  My mom gave me a beautiful plate that she made with my daughter and a tissue in my card (she knows me so well!) 

There was one odd thing that stands out however:  at the church the priest kept asking that people raise their arms in an extended salute to all of the mothers.  It was a little too Third Reich for me...

Anyway, my husband and child were with me all day (which was awesome) and they gave me a beautiful new bracelet.  It got me thinking about gifts for Mother's Day.  There are always the usual suspects:  flowers, cards, jewelry, dinner; but I think that there are some gifts that you don't need to search for on line or try to find a parking spot for. 

Here are my top 5:

5.  Take my car and have it cleaned (inside and out)
4.  Make the bed with crisp, clean sheets (and make the corners tight)
3.  Make dinner (without asking me what I want)
2.  Rub my feet (for an hour or two)
and
1.  Tell me that you love me as soon as I wake up and before I go to bed!

Having a child is thanks enough for me, but sometimes it's nice to go above and beyond.  Happy Mother's Day (Everyday)!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Survivor

Is it just me or is the current season of Survivor being filmed at Club Med in Nicaragua?  Sure the ladies are sporting their dirty bikinis and they could all use a meal or 10 but to my untrained eye they look pretty darned good.  Not one of the castaways has gotten sunburned despite the 100+ temps that Jeff keeps taunting them with.  There is not a spot of frizz in their hair, a shadow under their arms, and Boston Rob's beard is still perfectly trimmed. They have cloth lawn chairs, spices for their food, and they haven't even bothered with the Survivor auction.  A reward challenge consisted of 60 seconds of chocolate cake.  Where are the edible insects?  Where are the local delicacies?  Where are the infected bug bites and blocked colons?  Who couldn't survive this tropical paradise!

And let's not even go to Redemption Island. Or let's!  Shelter?  Built!  Food?  Provided!  Flint?  You got it!  No wonder Matt's likes it so much there.

Please send me to Club Med for a month and give me a million dollars, too!  Or let me spend half of the month is a posh hotel and sit on the jury.  It's better than my current weight loss plan...