Birthday Weekend

This past weekend we celebrated my birthday!  It was special and memorable and greatly appreciated.  My family is amazing.  We had a nice lunch at a winery and restaurant, birthday cake (not Traina's, but delicious nonetheless), and wonderful gifts.  Most of all, we were together and for that I am especially grateful.

Giving Thanks 2019

Thanksgiving was filled with lots of good food, good friends, wonderful family, and plenty of gratefulness!  

We appreciate all who could join us.  Here are a couple of photos to remember the day.

Tommy, JimA, Norma Grace, Jim, Josh, Ross

Melody, DebB,

Frazier, Karen, Ansel, Randi, Mae Mae, Pop

Margery Daw and the Judson P.O.

I love the Judson Post Office.  It may be my favorite place in Longview and it isn't even in Longview.  Apparently it's in Judson.  The two ladies (only two and both ladies) who work there, Karen and Tasha, are incredibly nice and know everything there is to know about postal services.  They both appear to be about my age which totally explains Karen, but in no way explains Tasha. Very progressive parents obviously bucking trendy names.

I can't say enough good things about this place.  Anyway, on my last trip to this wonderland, the ladies were discussing See Saw Margery Daw.  Although Karen had grown up singing this song, Tasha knew nothing of it.  So she asked me if I knew it and of course I said yes.  And continued that it was a song we sang while see-sawing on the playground which thoroughly delighted P.O. Karen.  She surmised that it was because she (Karen), unlike Tasha, had grown up in Louisiana to which I said "me too!", concluding that Louisiana is clearly the Mother Goose mecca.

Well, that was that, but I got back in the car and tried remembering the words.  I could only come up with the second line and wasn't certain it was correct.  So I googled it, of course.  Turns out I was correct, but it started a ball rolling that has led me here - Mother Goose should be illegal and take with it all the tragic Bible stories and all the grim Grimm fairy tales (I culled both the latter way back before they could terrify my own children).  

Somehow Mother Goose slipped through the gaping crack at our house and frankly, some of the Disney movies we still watch would qualify.    

The evidence is overwhelming and if you've ever read (and given any real thought) to the above-named stories, you'd come to no other conclusion.  And it has taken me this long to figure this out?  And, worse, I read these to my children?!

Advertising (aka brainwashing) is amazing isn't it?  Just say it's great and we believe it.  And worse, perpetuate it for generations.

Here is our copy of this horrible book which is now in our fireplace where it belongs.  This one fire-starter has nearly 300 of these gems.

The creepy front cover

The back cover, proclaiming how this book (acclaimed by "teachers and librarians") is magical and has been delighting children for over 50 years.

Page one indicating just how many times this horrid book has been printed and reprinted since 1916 . . . I bought this in 1985 so I imagine it's been reprinted every year or two since.  Rand McNally, stick to maps.

If you don't remember some of these delightful and magical lines, let me refresh your memory.  This one is all you'll need.

See saw Margery Daw

Jack shall have a new master. 

You can come to your own conclusion.  I don't know who Jack is, but for Margery . . . oh, it gets better.

She sold her bed and lay upon hay, 

And pisky came and carried her away.

For wasn't she a dirty slut, 

To sell her bed and lie in the dirt?

Nursery rhymes.  Nursery being the key word here.  Toddlers.  

While there was apparently no real Mother Goose, the historical concensus is that the original stories "rose from political disaffection in a largely invented Flemish language (yikes!), an effort described by Iona and Peter Opie (nursery rhyme authorities) as the most extraordinary example of misdirected labor in the history of English letters".  

Yes, "the most extraordinary example of misdirected labor in the history of English letters".

I couldn't agree more. 

Honden Holiday

So it's been just shy of 4 years since we took our last road trip.  It was a 2 week drive from Belgium, south to Barcelona, the French Riviera and circling back through the Bordeaux region of France.  Splendid obviously.

So this is not that, but it is a vacation and turns out, it was so much better than I expected.  We headed east, then south to Dauphin Island, Alabama in the Gulf of Mexico.

Dauphin (not pronounced like the porpoise) is French for heir apparent - and in this case, the eldest son of the king of France.  The island was originally named Massacre Island (google that), but was renamed for Louis XIV of France's great-grandson and heir (dauphin), the future Louis XV of France. 

There's only one road and you can see the Gulf and the Bay at the same time.

We've two dogs (Winslow & Eames) that aren't quite as welcome in our neck of the woods as they are in Europe.  Hence we took a road trip for dogs.  Dauphin Island, Alabama is touted as dog friendly so we decided to find out just how dog friendly they are.

Neither of them was too keen on getting in the water.

Ross joined us and it was really nice to spend time away reading books and working crossword puzzles and cooking.

We rented a beach house on the Gulf because a beach house not on the Gulf is just a house.  We got lucky in our choice because it was perfect.  The inside was great, but it was the expansive porch that kept us outside nearly every waking hour.  After almost 6 years without hearing a wave breaking on the beach, it was hard to stay indoors.

The weather was quite nice for late October.  A tropical storm nearly delayed our trip one day, but it moved out quickly and left behind several beautiful, sunny and warm days ahead.  Our final day included a pretty good thunderstorm, but it was interesting to see the big waves and turbulent water.

Dauphin Island really is an island with a long and high bridge connecting it.  With only 1200 residents it is quaint and very nostalgic.  There are no red lights and only one four-way stop.  There is no fast food - none.  No big chain grocery stores - only one smallish market called the Ship 'N' Shore.  You're basically an hour away from much of anything and we liked that.

The island has been dubbed "The Sunrise and Sunset Capital of Alabama", but I'd find it hard to believe there are better of either anywhere else.  It is situated such that both are gorgeous so we made sure not to miss a single one.

 Sunset

 Sunrise

 Sunrise

 Sunset

 Sunset

 Sunset

Sunrise

Jim did a little fishing ...

and he and Ross took the ferry to check out Fort Morgan.

A little mishap on our departure, but the rental agency responded quickly and we were on the road again!

I can definitely recommend this little island, but if you're looking for a pristine white sand beach and sparkling blue water, this is not it.  However, it is a calm alternative to the fast pace of Destin and it's dog friendly.  I hope we can visit again very soon.

Eating Keto

Toward the end of 2016, first of 2017 we began a low carb diet generally known as the Keto Diet.  It was Ross who introduced us to it and we've been doing it ever since.  Fortunately with his help we got started with some delicious recipes and learned a lot about how it works.  Not to mention why it's good for you.

We all lost weight, but we also changed our complete perspective on food in general.  I will say it was a challenge initially because of that.  Fast food, processed food, sweets - we were definitely addicted to all of those.  Learning that fat is good for you is still not easy when coming from a generation that has been told exactly the opposite.

Foods high in fat like butter and nuts aren't as bad as we've been led to believe. A sugar substitute called erythritol is our new best friend in the kitchen.  And there's still room in this diet for a decadent dessert and a glass of wine so that helps! 

Counting carbs is one way to get started, but there are numerous websites out there dedicated solely to great low carb recipes.  Also, once we got the hang of "low carb", we adapted many of our own favorite recipes.

Here are just a couple of our many new favorites:

Chicken Pizza Crust

1 lb ground chicken

⅓ c shredded mozzarella cheese

⅓ c grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg (beat before adding) 

2 tsp garlic salt

½ tsp pepper

olive oil

Preheat oven to 400F.  Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and cover in olive oil. With hands covered in olive oil, press chicken mixture onto cookie sheet until it is evenly distributed and less than ¼ in thick (or as thick as you like your pizza crust). Prick with a fork. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes until it begins to brown on top (and not just the edges). 

Take out of oven, put on your desired toppings, and place back in 400 degree oven until cheese is melted and begins to brown - this should take 5 minutes or so. 

Crust freezes well!

Ideas for toppings:

Ranch dressing as base Butter as base

Grated cheese Small mozzarella balls

Turkey pepperoni Sauteed (or raw) onions

Cooked ground beef Fajita chicken

Sauteed (or raw) green bell pepper Leaf spinach

Olives Mushrooms

Peppers (jalapenos, banana peppers) Crispy bacon

Rotel tomatoes

Play around with mixtures of different cheeses to get great variation in your pizzas! As written above, this recipe makes one large pizza; however, it is easily doubled to make two.

Jim’s Perfect Cheesecake

Crust*:

1 stick butter, melted

1 ¼ c almond flour

¼ c coconut flour

¼ c erythritol

Pinch of salt

Cake:

2 lbs (4 pkgs) cream cheese, room temp

1 ⅓ c erythritol (granular)

1 T vanilla

4 large eggs

8 oz sour cream

⅔ c heavy whipping cream

Note: Let all ingredients reach room temperature before beginning.

Crust:

Preheat oven to 325F. Wrap heavy duty foil around bottom of a 10” springform pan to make it watertight.  Set aside. Melt butter in a pan over low heat or in microwave. Remove from heat, add other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Press crust evenly into the bottom of the prepared springform pan (the bottom of a glass or a measuring cup can help with this). Prick with a fork. Bake for ~15 minutes or until it starts to brown. 

Cake:

Whisk (or use stand mixer) all the ingredients together until smooth. DO NOT OVERBEAT, even if some very small cream cheese pieces remain, it’s better than overbeating it. Overbeating it will not lead to a traditionally dense and smooth cheesecake. 

Pour cheesecake batter over prepared crust.  Place springform pan in sauce pan with straight sides, slightly bigger than the springform pan. Using a pitcher, add about 1” of water to the pan for a water bath.  Bake at 325F for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Do NOT overcook or the cake will be dry. Let cool and remove from water bath, cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight. 

To remove from springform pan, carefully run a thin knife around the inside of the pan, then release the form.  Replace springform ring, cover with foil and refrigerate. Freezes well too!

*Half the recipe for a THINNER CRUST and bake about 10 minutes:

½ stick butter, melted

¾ c almond flour

4 T coconut flour

5 T erythritol

Pinch of salt

Neighborhood Club

After living in our neighborhood nearly 4 years, we attended our first HOA meeting.  Mostly out of curiosity.  There were no cocktails, but there was bottled water and cake. Overall it was a good experience. I was relieved it wasn't a yap session on how great things could be in a perfect world and what we needed to do to get there.  Or worse, just complaints.  Instead it was fairly formal with an agenda, minutes and committee reports.  

First world problems were reported on. Like the bridges over the lake were repaired and painted.  The lake is being dredged due to the 449th local church (1 for every 182 people) being built upstream and depositing all their silt downstream. The security cameras were upgraded at the entryways.  Things like that.

There's always that one person who needs to tell something, anything and he was there, but otherwise it was mostly mundane.  We already decided to attend next year. BYOB.

Better late than never

Last week, I received this email message from our bank, which I'll call "Our Bank".

Our Bank's top priority is to protect our customers.  We are committed to providing you with more secure options that help fight against fraud.  For this reason, we are pleased to inform you that Our Bank Visa debit cards now offer EMV chip technology with enhanced fraud protection. The embedded chip protects your information, helps prevent fraud, and makes your transactions more secure. Your current debit card does not have the protection of EMV chip technology.

We need your help to better protect you against card fraud! It's important that you replace your card with an EMV chip card immediately. Please visit a branch of Our Bank or contact us today at 123-456-7890 to receive a new Visa debit chip card! Thank you for your prompt response to this matter.

Yes, it's late 2019 and Our Bank caught up to 1994!  

EMV technology was introduced in Europe in 1994.  Quick math - that's 25 years ago.  Like when Tonya Harding attacked Nancy Kerrigan, O. J. Simpson was chased in a white Bronco, Whitewater scandal . . . you get the picture.

So thanks, Our Bank, for making it your "top priority to protect your customers".  Better late than never, right?

A Cabin on a Lake

In an attempt to add more property maintenance to our lives, our new hobby is searching for a little camp house on a not-too-big lake.  And it has turned into quite the search.

We have a fairly short list of criteria and prior to riding by, we peruse the photos online. Here is where we often discover some remarkable decorating ideas.  One of my favorites is this one.

Puffy vinyl sofa, matching armchairs equipped with console and cup holders.  Stuffed deer heads, obligatory big screen, adorable mini rockers, all enhanced by a shop light.  Incredible.

When we find suitable decor, we ride by.  The location appeared online to be a decent place on a beautiful little lake, but so far we drive away saying "well, once again, screwed up a perfectly good lake".

But we have learned a lot.  A whole lot about lake living and, for the most part, it's not what you think.  

Or maybe it is exactly what you think. Our price range has offered some interesting opportunities.  If you've got a half million, which we do not, you're good to go.  Otherwise it's a fishing camp fixer-upper that may have plumbing and may not.

The mobile/manufactured/trailer house is the only way to go.  I've never been a fan of these, but I do appreciate their versatility.  You're not stuck selling your dream home like we've always had to do. Just hitch it up and move on.  Or that's how it should be.

Did you know that in the U.S., travel trailers/campers go back to the beginning of auto travel. But the modern mobile home was marketed in the 1950's as inexpensive housing (not just camping) primarily for their mobility.  However, in the '60's and '70's they became longer and wider making it difficult to move around easily.  They were meant to be permanently set up and left.  Perfect for lake living.  With no pesky HOA.  A free for all if you will.  

I once made a faux pas (not just that once) to a couple from Canada - "Jim and I lived in some pretty unique places, but we never had to live in a trailer".  To which the guy said, "Barb grew up in a trailer - in the tundra - without heat - slept in her coat."  There you have it.  Foot - mouth.  

Or the time we were dining with a couple of Jim's colleagues and I mentioned "our kids were teens, but it seemed most adults our age were getting an Asian baby to fill the gap".  Which was absolutely true. To which the guy said "we just adopted Japanese twins" followed by a history on how difficult it is to get a baby (much less two) from Japan.  Proof.

If you've never traversed east Texas, you probably shouldn't start now.  I'm pretty sure any one of the areas we've driven around in could (and should) compete for a "Deliverance" remake.  Years ago we thought Holiday Harbor in Jefferson was an anomaly.  In fact, there are Holiday Harbors every half hour from here to any other state.  And that name alone is delightfully eerie.

What's in a name?  We decided if and when we ever found the perfect cabin, we'd definitely give it a name. We found one lake where the owner isn't allowed to stay more than 14 consecutive nights.  I can only assume it's to keep the drug trade strictly a hobby.  No full time dealers here.  Jim suggested we could name our camp "The Schengenla".  You must have been a foreigner living in Europe to appreciate that.  I definitely got a good laugh.

While I'm no city girl, I'm in awe of lake life.  The innovation that erupts out of "necessity, mother, invention..." would impress anyone.  Like sheet metal roofing used as fencing to obscure your meth lab.  Genius.  Countless immobile autos in your yard so you're never more than a few feet away from a spare radiator or side mirror.  

And the reason these folks can be so innovative is because they've never thrown anything out.  When you've got that much crap to pull from, it's staggering what you can accomplish.  With all this gear filling up a half acre outside, imagine the bounty inside that double wide.

So the search has been fun and frustrating, educational and entertaining and I hope to update this post when we find that classic camp, on a slab, we know is out there.  Somewhere.  Maybe.

Diagonal Driver Diatribe

As noted in my post entitled "Text and Drive", I am astounded (read horrified) at the average driver here in Shortview.  Since I rarely venture out of the house, I really have no idea how people drive elsewhere, but I know for sure I'm probably driving in the most dangerous big town in Texas.  It's likely documented somewhere on the internet that Longview Texas is among the most dangerous places to take to the road.

At least Texas did catch up with much of the nation when a law took effect in late 2017 that prohibits texting while driving.  It hasn't deterred some of the drivers I see on the road, but hopefully statistics will show that it saved lives.  Somewhere.

I had to take a driving test when we returned to the States. Although it must have been in the manual somewhere, I missed it - running a red light well after the light has turned is mandatory.  I read a newspaper article recently (seriously) reminding drivers in our area to count to three before taking off at a green light as, and I quote, "it may save your life".  A green light.  Yes, your light has turned green which ordinarily means it's your turn to go, but no, not here.  That's the time when one, usually two and maybe even three cars still go through the intersection.  I worry about being rear-ended when I don't run the light.  Remember, count to three or four or . . . stay home.

A couple of years ago I read an article in our local newspaper about a 74 year old doctor - one month from retiring - driving his vintage 1999 Lexus from his home in an older neighborhood headed back to his office after lunch.  Broadsided.  Killed.  The 37 year old driver of the honking Ford F250 admitted to running the red light.  That doctor never got to see that article about counting to three.  

I google that driver's name from time to time - nothing ever happened besides a ticket for failure to yield.  Where is the outrage?

Then there's the driver who pulls into traffic if there's any chance he/she can make it without being broadsided.  There won't be a soul for a mile behind you, but if there's the slightest opening, they're pulling out.  In front of you.  Mandatory.

I could go on and on so I will.  There's the weaver who weaves in and out of traffic, continuously exceeding the speed limit to get ahead.  At best he/she will make it to the next red light one car ahead of you. Unless they run it and most likely will.  

Now to the menace of every large parking lot.  For unknown reasons, WalMart, Lowe's, and the like have parking lots twice as big as they could ever fill up.  With this comes the diagonal driver.  Without fail, I see them every time I enter one of these establishments (which I try to keep to a minimum).  Another mandatory driving technique.  Why would you go up and down each aisle when you can go diagonally across the parking lot?  I definitely see the logic.  I just can't figure out what would happen if we all did that.  Oh wait, I think I know.

Be careful out there!

Before and After

I do love before and after photos . . . rooms, landscape, hair.  Definitely hair.  

Jim and I relish a home improvement project.  Even redoing something we've already redone if we live there long enough.  When one's done we're on to the next one.  Oh wait, that's mostly me.

Anyway, in nearly 40 years of marriage, we've renovated everything in every house we've ever lived in that we thought needed it.  Never questioning if we could do it.

In 2016 I posted some housing projects we completed very quickly after our December 2015 move to Longview.  So I'm updating with a few of the old and some of the new projects around the house.

The new pergola . . .

Just an idea at this point

Then a good bit of hard work

Voila!

A matching trellis on the other side

 Then I decided to paint all the dark wood trim white . . .

Before

After

Before

After

Carpet is right up there with wallpaper, I really don't like it - so . . . we are finally carpet free!

Disgusting, right?  I don't even want to know what that is.

Of course, removing carpet from the stairs meant completely rebuilding them.

Worth it

Former owner, Big Ed's idea of sealing the stones around the pool was caulk.  And not just a little caulk. He was committed. 

I mean he was filling in 2" gaps with this stuff

Removing all the caulk and the stones and putting them back with concrete was a JOB.  And speaking of job and just for my own record - I hand painted the entire cool deck, then rolled it once alone, then Jim helped me put a third coat on it.  I hope never to do that again.  I know it can't compare to Jim and Ross mixing and pouring concrete and re-setting all those stones!

Worth it

So, I definitely haven't posted every home improvement project and these definitely won't be the last.

Playing Catch Up

Here she goes again, nearly 4 years into our stint as 'Americans returned'.  We settled into our old lives as if nothing had changed.  Except that it did.

It changed.  A lot.  I'm still floundering in that world of blissful ignorance, while keenly aware that lingering there will only disparage the future.

How often I said to my children "you can be happy or unhappy wherever you are - it is up to you".    

Avoiding the general public is my daily assignment.  Our oasis is just that - a refuge, relief, or pleasant change from what is usual, annoying, difficult...

While time isn't flying by here, it isn't standing still either.  We don't travel like we used to do and I don't take pictures like I used to do.  They typically are a grocery list - box wine and band-aids.  Maybe a broken sprinkler head to remind me what to get on the weekly hardware run.  The trash truck regularly dumping hydraulic oil in front of our house.  Things like that.  

But life is good and sometimes I manage a shot or two.  Or I get great pictures sent to me!  

It's been nearly 3 years since I posted any family photos. I scoured my photos and came up with a few, in no particular order, that make me smile...

Like this one of Ansel on his first day of preschool

Jim finishing up his second violin.  I also took a video of him playing it, but he's convinced he needs a little more practice.  And while I might agree, he's already better than I'd ever be.

Randi looking beautiful and happy on her 36th birthday!

This house-shop was a good move indeed.  He's gotten our money's worth out of that formal living room.

Frazier and Norma Grace looking super cute and excited about their first day of school.

Ross looking very happy with his new car!

Happy 10th birthday, Frazier!

Planing 101.  Along with files, planes are one thing you can never have too many of.

What a great photo, right?

Jim, Ross, & Pop

Hanging out on the deck at Mae Mae and Pop's

Happy 30th birthday, Ross!

Opa sprung for a couple of cowgirl/boy hats at the Canton Flea Market

Spring 2019 birthdays

Enjoying our new pergola

Happy 3rd birthday, Ansel!

Taste testing a Belgian beer brought by Jim's colleague from Genk.  

Cheers, Guido!

Christmas morning at Randi and Josh's beautiful new house!

Christmas dinner at our house

My birthday celebrated at the local vineyard and winery, Enoch's Stomp.

2018

One of the photos we used for our 2018 Christmas card

A nice surprise visit from my brother Tommy and his wife, Marian.

My goodness, I do need to catch up.

Happy birthday, Randi!

A little luau and Frazier entertaining on the ukulele Opa made for him.

Ross and Jim on Father's Day 2018

Trying out the lathe - another word for huge mess :)

It was just too nice to stay inside

I think this was Mother's Day 2018.

Melody, Tommy, Mae Mae, Pop, me and Jim

Yes, definitely Mother's Day 2018

I just like this picture

And this one

And this one :)

Eames enjoying the snow

Ansel, not so much.

This was November 2017 and yes, it actually is brain surgery.

We were lucky to attend Travis and Lauren's wedding in October 2017.

Tommy, Melody, Lauren, Travis, Mary Reid, Jane and Andrew

And while we were in North Carolina for the wedding, we swung by to visit our friends who were in Scotland while we were in Belgium.  Carole and Steve.  It was so nice to see them again.

This is Norma Grace's birthday party in 2017 so she was turning 5!  

She's 4th from the left.

Norma Grace helping Uncle Ross with homemade pizza

Oh wow, this was the previous Mother's Day 2017

Same

I just like this picture

March birthdays again - I think this must have been 2017

Norma Grace's dress helps identify this event - Valentines Day!

Opa brushing up on his Flemish

Back when Norma Grace used to spend Fridays with me :)

Christmas at our house - 2016 I think

Cookie baking - probably 2016

My documentation of life at the Fraziers has got to improve!  I miss seeing all these happy faces in photos and posting them to remember.  And clearly I need to - I can't even keep the year straight!