I had the LAZIEST Mother's Day. Jimmy and Jude allowed me to just dilly-dally in bed all afternoon - I watched tv, I played computer games, I read, I ate food that I didn't have to make off a breakfast tray. It was heavenly. I realize that most mothers want a nice brunch or dinner or something, but I was just too exhausted. I really needed the day to rest and recuperate. I hope all of you mothers out there had a beautiful day, and that you got treated with exactly what YOU needed.
Oh, and in honor of Mother's Day, here are some glamorous pictures of my two mothers...
Mama!
Mommy!
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I have been loving the latest season of Game of Thrones. The other day I found this article 16 Games of Thrones Characters Who Are Giving You Major Deja Vu. You know, I watch a ton of British tv, and I always see the same actors over and over, but some of these blew me away. I mean, I knew that the women who plays Margaery Tyrell also played Anne Boleyn on The Tudors, and the actress who plays Osha was Tonks in the Harry Potter movies...
and Ser Jerah was the dastardly Sir Richard on Downton Abbey...
But I was totally blown away to realize that Littlefinger is the same actor who played Tommy Carcetti on The Wire!
Oh my God!
...I mean, I've been obsessively watching Game of Thrones and The Wire concurrently, and it never occurred to me ever! A testament to Aidan Gillen's abilities as an actor.
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I personally would like to add "Please stop posting glamorous pictures of yourself and exaggerating your mediocre acting career." I realize that this doesn't resonate for most of you.
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Jude and I finally went and saw 42, the movie about Jackie Robinson, and we both enjoyed it very much. He wasn't so sure if he wanted to see it, as he has decided that he isn't into baseball anymore now that he has discovered the joys of track and swimming, but I suspected that it would appeal to him and his innate sense of social justice, and I was right. He's been talking about it ever since. Yes, it is a little overly earnest, and sentimental, but it's really well-acted and extremely moving. I highly recommend that you all take your kids to see it. It's a great story of heroism and strength. Be warned that the language is a little rough, and there is repeated use of the n-word (at one point, Jude actually covered his ears because of it), but it certainly was historically accurate, and the word is never used casually - the hatred behind it is very impactful. And there's a little sexy stuff, but it's all sweet married people who love each other sexy stuff, so I was fine with it. Go see it!
Chadwick Boseman, who played Robinson also happens to be super cute. Just saying.
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I stole this off a friend's Facebook page, and I'm fairly sorry for it - I don't know this woman, and she's probably horrified that a picture of her has gone viral - but really?
This is in a McDonald's. So wrong. On so many levels.
Jimmy, my weird husband. I love him despite his weirdness. And quite possibly because of his weirdness. Yes, he is high-maintenance. Yes, he has his issues. But he has a tremendous heart, and great integrity, and I believe the fact that he is universally beloved by old people, babies, special-needs children and dogs, is testament to the true nature of his spirit.
My boy, Jude. Every day, I thank God for the gift that is Jude, for entrusting him to me in this lifetime. I truly understand how blessed I am to have been able to finally have a child at the advanced age of 42, many women cannot. He is my light and my joy. Even when he's a pain in the butt.
Having had my Mama and Daddy. I miss them tremendously. They died too soon. But I would much rather have had a short time with these two loving, intelligent, fine people, than a lifetime with lesser parents.
Jimmy's family. Mommy, Pop, Aunt Grace, Tony, Niki, aaaaaaaaall of the extended Italian family. I came to them as a very tall, non-Italian, Texan, orphan, and they whole-heartedly took me in and embraced me as family. I am blessed to have them for me, and doubly blessed to have them for Jude. A boy needs grandparents (I never had any) and he couldn't ask for better.
My family and friends in Texas. Though I don't get to see much of them lately, just knowing that they are there, that I still have a link to my past and my childhood, that there are people who remember the child I was, gives me comfort. Plus, they're a lot of fun.
Friends. I'm blessed with a number of amazing, quality people around me who I believe truly have my back. I like to think that I have theirs as well.
Jude's tiny Catholic school. I have found a tremendously close-knit, loving, supportive, like-minded community, who believe in nurturing a child's body, mind and spirit. I may not adore every aspect of the place, or every teacher (or every parent - oops, did I say that?), but I wouldn't want him to be anyplace else. Plus, they're a lot of fun too - we Catholics love to party!
My church and church choir. What are the odds that I could find a church that is so liberal, with a choir that is so traditional? Always a joy.
Our sweet little house. It's not fancy. It's not big. But it is ours. And it's home.
Fancy, our dog. The sweetest little dog on the planet.
Health. My health, Jimmy's health, Jude's health, the in-law's health. Don't ever want to take that for granted.
Work when I can get it. I'd like to get more of it. But I'm grateful for what I get.
My writer's group. We've only been together for a few months, but this small group of women have been instrumental in getting me focused on some real writing. It's become a safe place, much "this can't leave this room" sharing is done. I look forward to it every month.
My old friends from college, who I've reconnected with. The best people on earth, and truly, the funniest human beings I've ever known. I adore them all.
Jude's Fourth Grade teacher, Miss Johnson. (Cue the music)
Haaaaalelujah! I am LOVING this young woman. She's new this year, and
she's also the most creative and most engaging teacher he's had so far.
She seems to love teaching, and love all the children. And Jude is doing
so well with her! Very happy.
Jude has finally found his sports. After years of watching him struggle with baseball and soccer, he has found his calling. Or callings I should say. That boy can run and swim. He loves it and he's good at it. And a special thank you to Roger, one of the fathers at our school, who has stepped up and stepped in to revamp the athletic department, and created the school's track and cross country teams. Changed my boy's life.
All of you faithful readers. Who read my ramblings and put up with the
fact that I am a terrible reader of other people's blogs. I truly
apologize, and am grateful for all of you. Even you lurkers who never
comment!
Southern California's beautiful weather. Thanksgiving Day? High - 73 degrees. Low - 54 degrees. Couldn't ask for better weather.
Grandma's china/silver/crystal/linens. The one and only benefit of being the soul survivor of your family - you inherit it all. I love, love, love setting a table with all of Grandma's beautiful and elegant belongings.
The love of cooking and entertaining. I really do love it - preparing a special meal and serving it for special guests. It's one of my favorite things to do. And I think of what Thanksgiving must be for folks who don't much enjoy the preparation, and it must be a real drag.
This year's table of Thanksgiving guests. Family, friends, friends who are like family. Beautiful people, every one. Love them all.
Leftovers. Enough said.
That nice hot bath at the end of the night with a big glass of Cran-Bourbon Orange cocktail. Aaaaaah!
I hope you all had a beautiful, love-filled Thanksgiving that was as excellent as mine.
It's the countdown to the holidays! And while it might prove tricky if we were to all try to actually send cookies to each other, I would love for us all to share our favorite holiday cookie recipes!!
Grandma Betty's Snickerdoodles? Cousin Mary Frances' Fudge? Aunt Hulga's Berlinerkransers? Share all your favorites! Your one very favorite recipe or a whole batch!
Spin it. Post it. I'll link it!
Share your spin! Highlight the code. Copy to your HTML. Et voila! Linked!
Thank you to everyone who asked/prayed about how Mommy fared Hurricane Sandy. A couple of you even sent me personal emails asking how she was. She would LOVE to know that she is so cared about by people "from the internets", but I can't tell her because then she would know I talk about her. Anyway, thank you so much. She, Pop and Aunt Grace rode out the storm together on Long Island, and came out just fine, and luckily, their electricity came back on within 24 hours. A big tree blew over in the backyard, but thank God, didn't hit the house. Instead, it landed on top of the neighbor's above-ground pool and pretty much trashed it. We're hoping the insurance will take care of it.
Now, when I say that Mommy came through the ordeal just fine, I don't mean to say that she wasn't a total and complete nervous wreck, because she was. MUCH worrying and fretting and blaming and second-guessing. But hey, that's Mommy. Pop, the war vet, actually said to me "Gretch, it made me wish I was back in Korea." My b-i-l Tony and his wife, the Amazing Niki, STILL don't have electricity, and so are staying with Mommy and Pop. Now remember, I stay there for many weeks at a time every year, but Niki and Tony are locals and so have never experienced this joy. Niki called the other day, sounding like she was about to have a nervous breakdown, and told me that her esteem of me has risen tremendously. She's asked me to please say a novena that she survives the ordeal. It would be nice if all of you would join me.
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I had the nicest visit on Friday with Aimee from AimeeWrites!!
Me and Aimee - aren't we cute?
She was down in LA from Seattle, visiting her sister, and so after years of an avid on-line friendship, we finally got to hang out. Actually, I picked her up at her sister's office, and gave her my ten cent tour of Hollywood, which consisted of driving around to all of the hotspots and pointing to them out the window while the two of us gabbed and gabbed about every damned thing under the sun! I mean, we never stopped talking! I don't think we finished a single subject, just kept tangenting from thought to thought. Never a dull moment. We did stop for lunch, where we were joined by Elizabeth...
Me, Aimee and Elizabeth. All cute.
I realize that I look exactly the same in all of these long-arm shots. I should really stop taking them. Or maybe do a series of them. Kind of a retrospective of unattractive long-arm shots of me with various friends.
Anyway, much fun was had by all. Aimee was just exactly what I thought she'd be like. Smart, funny, fun. Isn't that amazing? Every time I meet somebody I've only known through blogging, I'm never disappointed.
So if any of y'all are headed this way, let me know. I'm up for another ten cent tour if you are.
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On Saturday, Jude FINALLY had his first swim meet. He did great! I realize that video of someone else's child's sporting event is exactly what all of you are dying to see, so I'd hate to disappoint. Here is Jude in the 50 yd. Freestyle...
That is me, hooting and hollering. And yes, he did win his heat by a LONG way, but unfortunately, it was a slow heat, and he didn't win a medal. But for a first time out, I think he did tremendously well.
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For about 4 days this week, Jimmy and I BOTH kept forgetting to buy our little dog, Fancy, her food. She was completely out. I realize that we are just the WORST doggy parents! We kept going in to feed her and realizing that we still didn't have any food, but we were too tired and lazy to make a special trip to the store. It's pathetic. I kept feeling guilty and therefore filling her food bowl with her treats. Lots and lots of treats. And yesterday I found out that Jimmy had been giving her Honey Nut Cheerios!! Apparently, he would pour it into her bowl just like it was kibble, and she gobbled it up! This can not have been good for her, right? Feel free to chastise us both!
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All the kids, and I do mean ALL the kids, at Jude's school are obsessed with this tremendously silly video...
Have any of you ever heard of it? It's a Korean pop star named Psy. I can't figure out if this is a world-wide phenomenon, or just Jude's school. His school is right in the middle of Koreatown, and we have lots of Korean students, but Jude has discovered all sorts of "Gangnam Style" parodies on the YouTube, so it must be popular elsewhere. Who knew? I apologize to all of you who just listened to this video, because you will now be singing this song for the rest of...your life. I can not get it out of my head. "Heeeeeeey, sexy la-dy!" ERghhhh.
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Yesterday, when I finally got around to taking down the Halloween decorations, I discovered a large, creepy, real spider living on the fake spider webs I'd wrapped around the bushes in front of our house. And I couldn't figure out quite how I felt about the poor spider. Did he just happen upon this enormous web and think "Hmm, maybe, if I hang out here, the other spiders will think I made this myself and be terribly impressed." Or maybe he was just very confused, and thought that maybe he'd spun this huge web and forgotten, but decided to stay there anyway. Or maybe he was just extremely enterprising, and thought "I don't know why the hell some human hung this web here, but it's mine now!" What do y'all think?
I'm afraid I don't have much to say today. Mostly because I am a little worried about Mommy and Pop, my in-laws on Long Island. This damned Hurricane Sandy is hitting them pretty hard. Their electricity went out yesterday afternoon, and I haven't heard from them since. Mommy has a cell phone, but she's so paranoid about it running out of battery, that she has it turned off, and will only use it if they have a real emergency.
I know that they are well-stocked with food and candles and medicinal blackberry brandy, so I feel sure they're okay. I'm more worried that they're driving each other crazy. I said to Mommy yesterday morning, "What on earth are you doing to do if the television goes out? You might have to actually talk to each other!" Her answer? "We might kill each other!" I suggested she should track down a deck of cards or something. Neither of them reads at all. I really can't imagine what they'll do in the dark for several days. Who knows, maybe it will rekindle the romance. Naaaaaah.
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I ran my 5K! I actually ran it and finished it! I was...slow. But not the slowest. I kept thinking that I must be at the very back of the pack, but after I crossed the finish line, people continued to trickle in behind me for the next 5 or 10 minutes. So I must not have been as slow as I thought. It was STINKING HOT too - 86 degrees out there in Pasadena, which made it much harder than it needed to be. They had told us ahead of time that they would have water stations "throughout the course". So I didn't carry a water bottle with me. Well, they turned out to only have ONE water station, at the halfway point. And it was the first half of the run that was in FULL SUN. So by the time I reached halfway, my butt was dragging, and my mouth and lips had gone completely dry. I thought I might die. Really. I thought "I might just pass out from dehydration. Wouldn't that be embarrassing?" And it was the fear of embarrassment that kept me going until I got to the water. Then, after I finally got some water, the course turned around and we were running in the BLESSED SHADE! It was like a miracle. So the second half of the run was much easier, and seriously, I was just thinking that I must have about another mile to go when suddenly there was the finish line! And best of all, I raised $525 for the Epilepsy Foundation!! Hurray for Team Sophie, who raised $6,306.00 altogether. I took a picture of myself with Elizabeth, who masterminded Team Sophie, but it's so terrible that I am going to spare us both much misery and not post it on the internet. Here are ugly pictures of me before and after the race.
Before: Avec Sun, Sans Sweat
After: Sweaty, and too exhausted to notice that my thumb is in front of the lens.
Not too much the worse for wear. To all of you who contributed - THANK YOU so much! It's not too late to make your contribution - CLICK HERE to go to my home page and make a donation.
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The other night, Jude, Jimmy and I were watching an old horror movie, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, and after a scene where the old-fashioned lady and man were kind of courting each other, Jude suddenly said to me "Girls are different now than they used to be." "How is that, Jude?" I asked. "It used to be that girls fell in love with you if you were handsome and kind," he said, "but now they just want you to be sexy. What's wrong with girls these days?!" Jimmy and I were slightly floored! Who knew he was such an old-fashioned soul?
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This is a really funny website...Engrish. It's all about being lost in translation. Here are a few I loved...
I always suspect that's what they did in there.
This sign was marking the Smoking Section in a Tokyo restaurant...
I want to find that seat!
I have no explanation for this one...
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What do y'all feel about helicoptering? You know, being a "helicopter parent", the one who swoops in and saves the day? I am torn. On one hand, I really know that Jude needs to learn to be responsible, and be proactive in getting things done, and putting things where they belong, as opposed to having me nag and remind him constantly. But at the same time, I don't want to see him fail for stupid, silly things. Yesterday, I totally helicoptered, and I'm a little ashamed. But not. When I was cleaning "the pile" on the dining room table, I found Jude's Spanish homework, that he had failed to stick into his backpack, and that I knew was due that day, and if he hadn't turned it in, it would have dropped his grade a full letter grade. Soooooo...I drove it down to the school and saved his butt. What do y'all think? Should I have let him take the fail and would it have taught him a lesson? Or is he just a typical scatterbrained boy, and I was kindly keeping him from getting a poor grade, which I know would have CRUSHED him? Am I doing him a disservice by saving him?
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Okay, I'm going to go watch the Sandy news. My thoughts and prayers are with Mommy and Pop and ALL of you east coasters! Go see Stacy and more randomness. Pretty please.
Thank you to everybody who sent up prayers for my mother-in-law Mommy during her cataract surgery. She came through with flying colors. She has to go back in a couple of months to do the other eye, but now she's not as nervous because she's been through it once. I must say, I earned some major daughter-in-law points this week. As a special treat for Mommy, I baked her favorite Chocolate Pecan Pie, wrapped it in plastic, froze it, then overnight mailed it to her in New York. It was a huge hit. Apparently, the USPS did a good job of keeping it in one piece. "It was perfect, perfect, perfect!" said Mommy. I'm hoping this hasn't set a dangerous precident - I'm afraid it wasn't exactly inexpensive. But Mommy was so thrilled that it was absolutely worth it.
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Best Halloween decoration I've seen in a while!
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Over the weekend, Jude's teacher assigned them an extra credit science project - building your own volcano. Man, did we build one hell of a volcano! Thanks to a brilliant book called...
...Jude's volcano was a big hit. I was really proud of how much work he put into this thing. I mean, I helped a lot, but he really did most of the work himself. We paper mached, we painted. We did about 12 experiments, mixing various proportions of vinegar, dish detergent, water, red food coloring and baking soda to make sure the eruption was really impressive. In the end, we went for overkill - 1 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup water, a good squirt of dish soap, about half a bottle of food dye and THREE tablespoons of baking soda. Apparently, it was the biggest and messiest eruption in the class!
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I want one!!
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The other day, a homeless man, who was begging outside the post office, told me I looked pretty. And it made my day. How sad is that?
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I'm afraid I have created a...Whovian. I have been a loooooongtime fan of the British sci-fi series Doctor Who, I used to watch it back in the '80s when PBS aired the old shows on Saturday mornings. Well, I've been letting Jude watch the new Who episodes, and he's totally obsessed. I've been DVRing them, and it's all he wants to watch. We've even been watching old episodes from the '60's and '70's, and he can now recognize all of the old Doctors. If you've never watched the show, I realize that you will have no idea what I'm talking about, but, in short, this tv series has been running off and on since 1962, and so far 11 different actors have played "The Doctor". This is explained on the show because "The Doctor" is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, and every time his body is about to die, he "regenerates" into a new body. Thus the new actor. Very clever, actually. So all Whovians have a favorite Doctor - much contention in this area. I'm afraid that this is real, true, diehard GEEK stuff, and I am doing this to my poor, unsuspecting child. But what can I say. My fear is that he'll want to go as Doctor Who for Halloween, and NOBODY will know who the hell Doctor Who is.
Inspired by the fact that Jude's school has THREE half-day Fridays almost every month this school year (the Archdiocese of LA is mandating some sort of Catholic school teacher training- I have no idea why), I went slightly mad and purchased Disneyland Annual Passes for Jude and I! I got the really super cheap ones for SoCal residents that you can only use on weekdays. But I figure that if we take off right after the half-days on Fridays, we can get to Disney by 1:00, and stay until the park closes. I'm kind of excited. Let me know if any of you want to join us. So yesterday, Jude had the entire day off school, and we headed out to christen the new passes. Jude's friend George and his wonderful mom, Julie, met us there, and we had a great, if exhausting, day. These passes are park-hoppers, meaning we can go back and forth from Disneyland to Disney's California Adventure. So we finally got to check out the new Cars Land attraction...
I have to say, I think they did a really damned good job. You feel like you're walking right into Radiator Springs.
Those are fake mountains, y'all!
Good job, Disney. I fear I will be seeing quite a bit more of this place over the next year.
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After last week's rant on word problems, Sarah at 32 Flavors sent me this...
True, so true.
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Guess what? Jude joined the cross country team at school!
Guess what? I volunteered to run with the kids in training! First practice was this morning at 7:00am!
(that was me, smashing my forehead into the keyboard in disgust at my own stupidity)
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Stable humor.
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Hey guys, on Thursday morning, could you send out prayers/white light/good vibes/whatever you believe in for my mil Mommy? She's going in for cataract surgery. It's not serious, but I'd really appreciate the prayers. I had a wonderful moment the other day, when I truly reveled in my good fortune that I have a mother-in-law I enjoy so much. Mommy and I got into such a giggling fit on the phone that we both were crying - couldn't stop laughing. I was teasing her about Pop having to take care of her after her operation. We decided she needed to get a little bell, and just ring it all the time to torture him. Or better yet, take her cell phone upstairs and call him downstairs on the main phone. "Steve! Come fluff my pillows." "Steve! I need a little snack." "Steve! Could you bring me a vodka tonic?" Hehehehe.
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Okay, I'm afraid that's all I have in me today. Too much Disneyland and cross country. Go see Stacy and the others.
Alright. I am hereby paid back for cruelly boasting about the mellow, mild weather we've had out here in SoCal all summer. This last week has been HOT. I mean REALLY hot! Proof...
104!
That is hot, y'all! Last night it finally cooled down some, and reached a lovely low of 65 degrees, but today it's back into the 80s. So consider me chastised!
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As a testament to the quality of humor shared with me by my peculiar mix of Facebook friends, I offer you...
Theater geek humor
Trekkie humor
Mom/Computer Geek humor
I seem to be a friend to all the geeks.
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The other day, I was talking to my dear, chocoholic mother-in-law, Mommy, and she told me how excited she was that it was Mallomar Season. She said that three people had bought her boxes because they know how much she loves them. "I ate FIVE right away!!! One, two, three, four, five. FIVE Mallomars!" When she was telling me this, I naturally assumed this "Mallomar Season" thing was just one of Mommy's usual peculiar Mommyisms, but I looked it up and sure enough she's right! Turns out that Mommy's favorite chocolaty cookies are seasonal! They are only available in the fall/winter. I guess they reason that they would melt during summer months. Hmmm...I think I might have to go buy a box!
If you see Mommy, make sure you buy her a box!
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Sunday was Jimmy's birthday, and we had our usual family celebration - we all gathered around the coffee table in the living room, watched a DVD of Jimmy's choice (this year he wanted the making of the Beatles "Love") and ate a decadent four course meal, which I made. This year's menu was a bit of a mish-mash of Jimmy's favorite foods...
I did something a little different with the mussels this time, and Jimmy flipped out! Even Jude sucked down about a dozen of them. Here's Jimmy drinking the juice right out of the bowl...
Jimmy, enjoying his birthday mussels
And here's the recipe, though I must admit that I was a little fast and loose with it...
Steamed Mussels This Year
1 1/2 lb. fresh mussels
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bottles clam juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp. minced basil
3/4 cup chopped tomatoes (I actually used halved cherry tomatoes)
salt and pepper
Heat the oil in a deep saucepan. Add garlic and heat for only about a minute. Add in the clam juice and wine. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Add basil and stir through. Throw in the mussels and tomatoes, cover with a tight lid. Simmer until the mussels pop open. Pour in a big bowl and serve with lots of crusty bread to sop up the broth. (Or just drink it out of the bowl like Jimmy.)
A couple of months ago, I got an email from the folks at BlogHer asking if I'd be willing to do a review of Dove Hair Conditioner. And since between the sun and the beach and the pools I had been absolutely frying my poor hair all summer, I thought "Sure!" (plus, I must admit, I'm a sucker for getting free stuff in the mail!). Then I realized that the time they were sending out the free bottles was when I was in New York visiting the in-laws, and I thought it would be a great opportunity for my beloved 83-year old mother-in-law, Mommy, to review the product too! So the nice people at Dove sent me a big bottle of Dove Nutritive Therapy Nourishing Oil Care Conditioner, and Mommy and I got to product testing.
My thoughts...
The conditioner they sent me - Nourishing Oil Care - is supposed to "revive dry, rough and frizzy hair". Which I have to say, my hair has been. Especially when I was in NY and the humidity was so awful. And I have to confess, I was a little doubtful, since I'm more of a "leave-in product" kind of girl, regular conditioners don't usually do much to defrizz my hair.
But I was pleasantly surprised by the Dove. It's really thick and rich and smells nice. And it leaves my hair feeling extremely soft. Like...really, really soft. Decidedly softer than other conditioners I've been using.
Did it get rid of all the frizz? No. But it tamed much of it. And remember that frizz is my hair's bane. And it impressed me enough that I now want to get the Dove Leave In Smoothing Cream, which they suggest on the back of the packaging, but I haven't been able to find at the grocery store. I'm thinking that the two products together will tame my hair beast.
So I vote thumbs up for the Dove Conditioner.
Mommy's thoughts...
[For those of you unfamiliar with Mommy, please check out Beauty Tips From Mommy, which explains quite a bit about the woman. You should also remember that Mommy's hair is...how should I say this...processed. A lot. Really, really processed a lot. I don't think it's been without a perm and color since about 1978.]
I liked it! I think it highlights the hair and makes the color nicer. Shinier! I've been kinda losing my hair lately, and I think it made my hair stronger! It restored it!
[I have no idea what this means. Nor do I know if "hair restoration" is part of what Dove Conditioner is supposed to do. But Mommy thinks it works. Which is, of course, very Mommyish.]
So Mommy votes thumbs up for the Dove Conditioner.
That's two thumbs up! Hurray!
Wait! Don't go yet! There's a sweepstakes! You can win a $1000 Spafinder gift card! And who doesn't want that! Dang! Just follow the link below, answer my question, leave your info, and you'll be entered to win. What's my question? Hmmm...the Dove people kindly told us to make up our own questions...how about...Describe your dream hair - if you could have any kind of hair in the world, what would it be?
So here's all the sweepstakes info. Good luck!
Enter to win a $1,000 Spafinder gift certificate!
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
COMMENTS TO THIS POST ARE NOT SWEEPSTAKES ENTRIES. PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR ENTRY METHODS FOR THIS SWEEPSTAKES.
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This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. Winners will have 72 hours to claim the prize, or an alternative winner will be selected.
Today, Jude and I are on a plane, headed back to Los Angeles after our 3 week visit with the in-laws. My beloved mother-in-law, Mommy, is, no doubt, sitting alone, eating chocolate, watching General Hospital and crying softly to herself. (Remember to read Mommy in the voice of Edith Bunker) "I sit and I think of aaaaaall the good times. And I cry..."
Mommy is very good at guilt.
And so, in Mommy's honor, I will give you some Random Mommy Thoughts. For last years RTT: Mommy Edition, click HERE.
Mommy leaves Christmas decorations up year round. Evidence...
This one plays "The Little Drummer Boy".
I have no explanation for this. I just thought you'd like to know it.
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The other night, when Jimmy was still here, after a long family dinner, the boys started teasing Mommy about her many gentleman callers during the time when Pop was on hiatus. (For those of you who missed it, Pop left Mommy for another woman known as "That Woman" for 20 years, then came back). She'd had a couple of her vodka tonics, and got so silly! Giggling, blushing. There were, apparently, several single gentlemen who pursued Mommy during this time, but she never succumbed to any of them. I'm not sure if she was pining for Pop to return, or torturing him with her misery and aloneness. Anyway, Jimmy and Tony kept teasing her about one particular man named Andy, who came by all the time. Jimmy always called him "The Kisser" because every time Mommy walked him to the door to say goodbye, he'd make a dive at her, pin her against the wall and try to give her a kiss. Then, after he left, she ran upstairs and rinsed with Listerine and covered herself with Lysol!
Pop sat through all of this reminiscing with a decidedly disapproving look on his face, but you know he totally deserved it, what with "That Woman" and all. I think Mommy LOVED being portrayed as desired by other men. Totally what Pop deserved!
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Mommy washes her dishes with a bar of Ivory soap...
This has bewildered me for years. I mean, was this ever something that people actually did? Or is it just Mommy? "It's the way we do it." is the only explanation I've heard.
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Mommy was absolutely delighted with all her birthday presents from us and from Tony and Niki. TWO pairs of flashy earrings. Two slutty tops (with short sleeves to cover her arms). Niki found her a necklace with a gem in it that's supposed to calm nervousness. We'll see if it works. Here she is, modeling one of the blouses and the flashy earrings I gave her.
Please notice that she's posing in front of her collection of flashy earrings, which hang on the earring holder I made for her several years ago. Mommy believes that as far as earrings go, the bigger the better. Once, I gave her a pair of lovely, delicate earrings, and she actually hung them on the bottom of a pair of huge hoops "so you can see 'em"!
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I have mentioned in the past that Mommy is a complete and total chocoholic. She will eat it for every meal if nobody is looking. About 15 years ago, I made her a Chocolate Pecan Pie, and she totally flipped out. It's her absolute favorite thing in the world. So I've taken to making one for her every time we're here, with strict instructions that it's just for her, no sharing. She will eat that pie for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night medicinal chocolate snack until it's all gone.
So you can have a little bit of Mommy in your life, here is the recipe. Hope you love it as much as Mommy does...
Mommy's Favorite Chocolate Pecan Pie
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/3 cup butter, melted
dash salt
1 cup pecan halves
6 oz. chocolate chips
1 unbaked pie crust
Beat eggs and sugar. Add syrups, butter and salt. Stir in pecan halves. Sprinkle chocolate chips in the bottom of the pie shell and pour the pecan mixture on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Horde in a cool corner and take tiny slices all day long when nobody's looking. Great for breakfast with a cup of decaf. Or eating in bed while watching a video taped episode of General Hospital.
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The other day, I saw a quote from Mother Teresa which immediately made me think of Mommy -
"It's not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing."
And that's Mommy. She doesn't do much, but she puts an amazing amount of love in all she does. Think...Mother Teresa with "blonde" hair, a slutty tank top, flashy earrings and medicinal Scotch. Watching General Hospital. And worrying. And eating chocolate.
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Okay, that's all the Mommy you get. Please visit Stacy and all the other random thoughts folks!
And one last thing...
It's only two more days of voting on this silly Top SoCal Mom Blogs thing, and I've slipped out of the top ten. Can y'all do me a favor and click the link below, scroll down and vote for me? Thanks SO much!
Mommy, Pop and Aunt Grace are all over 80 now, and I'm afraid that they are all finally showing it. They still look good...
Mommy and Aunt Grace - looking fabulous at Mommy's 83rd Birthday dinner.
Pop - still rocking the colorful pocket handkerchief
But to look good isn't really to feel good.
It absolutely breaks my heart. They've been such a constant source of love and support for me for so long. It just kills me that they are each slipping into old age in their own way. And it's happened so quickly. In the last year, the changes are drastic.
For Pop, it's the physical. He's always been as strong as a bull. Really truly. In his youth, he was not only a minor league baseball player, playing on a Yankee's farm team, but he was a Golden Gloves boxer they called "White Lightning". He fought in the Korean War. He owned and managed his own book distribution warehouse for 40 years, getting up at 4:30 in the morning and heading down to that warehouse. He only retired a few years ago at 80! But now his body is failing him. While he was always a mass of aches and pains, it never got in his way. He was always on the go. But now he just can't do it. His mind and spirit are still as fiery as ever, but his body can't keep up.
For Aunt Grace, it's the mind. I am SO scared for her. In the last year, she has been forgetting more and more. Now, I find myself telling her the same thing four times in an hour, and she still can't retain it. Sometimes she's absolutely normal and extremely sharp, watching her CNBC financial news and obsessing over the stock market, but other times, especially late at night or early in the morning...or if she's had a martini...she just isn't herself. I worry about her in Manhattan all by herself. While she's still very physically active, and in truly excellent health, I fear that she'll be walking someplace and forget where she is and get afraid. Or forget to turn the gas off on the stove or something like that. And we're all afraid to talk to her about it because she's so stinking stubborn and independent. Breaks my heart.
And Mommy? Well, Mommy is still Mommy, thank God. But her fears and worries are getting worse, if that's possible. I mean, we actually had to lie to her TWICE this trip about where we were going, so she wouldn't have a freak out. When we got back from kayaking the other day (which was super fun, btw) and confessed to her where we'd been, she STILL had to take some medicinal blackberry brandy over what COULD have happened but didn't. "In a boat?! On the water?!" Sheesh.
And physically, her arthritis is getting really crippling. Saturday was her 83rd birthday, and as a special treat for her, I scrubbed the bathroom. Odd birthday gift, I know. But this woman is truly, the CLEANEST person in the world (second only to Aunt Grace, but don't tell her I said that), a woman who has always had everything in it's place and every inch of her house cleaned and scrubbed and perfect. But I'm afraid that the bathroom had devolved quite a bit. I guess she just can't see the dirt, and can't get down on her hands and knees and scrub properly. I had thought she might tell me not to do it, but she gave in immediately, which tells me just how hard it must be for her. She was so excited over how nice the bathroom was after I cleaned it that she called the Cathys (all of Mommy's friends are named Cathy) and told them about it "I can see my reflection in the tub!!!".
And the saddest thing of all? Many times I've mentioned Mommy's penchant for what she calls "that slutty look" and all of the "slutty tank tops" I've given her over the years. Well, she has finally, at age 83, decided that her arms just aren't what they used to be, and she needed to start wearing tops that cover her upper arms. So for another birthday gift, I found a couple of slutty tops that had 3/4 sleeves.
I am suddenly faced with the possibility of losing them. And I guess it's making me particularly aware of how lucky I am to have them.
My own parents died when I was still so young. Jude never met my Mama or my Daddy. But these people have embraced me as a daughter-in-law so completely. I am absolutely blessed. And you couldn't ask for better in-laws. They never question or try to control me. They are genuinely filled with unconditional love for me, which I realize is very rare.
And Jude adores them. Absolutely adores them. Even though they are on the opposite side of the country from us, he thinks of them all daily. And I thank God that he has these wonderful old people who worship the very ground the child walks on. For these last three weeks here in New York, he's been giving and accepting as many hugs and kisses as he can.
Mommy giving Jude "a million kisses". Please note Mommy's rollers, Grace ironing in the den, and the poetic placement of the heart-shaped wall decoration.
People think I'm crazy to spend 3 weeks of Camp Mama in New York with the geriatric crowd. Well, all of this is why we're here. I want Jude to get as much time with them as he can before they go.
So when I whine and gripe about how nutty they are, and please know how much I adore them. And feel free to remind me of how lucky I am.
