Arranged for you...

Two Summer Salads

2010-08-09T20:39:00.000-04:00

The last two nights we have opted for summer salads, with the main portion made on the grill, to avoid cooking in the present heat wave. Both recipes originated with Fine Cooking magazine and were only sightly modified to fit our heart healthy goals.

Last night's Southwestern Grilled Chicken Salad with Tomato and Black Bean Salsa was a good start but needed some zing. The chili powder, cumin, coriander and brown sugar rub seemed to lack something. The overall recipe had great potential and we think it may be helped by using a jerk seasoning rub and some fresh peppers from the garden. Cowhorn or poblano peppers would have really raised the ante for that Southwestern flavor. This recipe is going back for modifications before we post it at frogsncats.com.

Tonight's dinner was a surprising combination of tomatoes, watermelon, feta cheese and shrimp. The shrimp were marinated in smoked paprika and lemon/lime juice for a great flavor that still let the shrimp taste come through. The unexpected combination of tomatoes and watermelon was tastier than we thought it would be. The only thing I modified in this recipe was cutting way back on the olive oil and salt and using seasoned pepper for more flavor.

The recipes both called for frisee, which I assume is overpriced lettuce, so we used Romaine. The slightly modified recipe will be posted at http://www.frogsncats.com/.

Summer = Corn on the Cob

2010-08-08T15:26:00.000-04:00

Growing up in the Midwest, I was surrounded by fields of corn. There was nothing better than having Farmer John stroll out into the field and stuff his overall pockets with sweet, fresh corn for us. We would soak it overnight in salty brine, in the husk, and then throw it on the grill the next day. When the shucks were burnt, we pulled it back to reveal the best sweet corn-on-the-cob ever, and then dipped it in melted butter and covered it with salt. It still makes my mouth water. I once ate 13 cobs in one afternoon!

This is NOT heart healthy! No question. I'm not saying I wouldn't still love it, but we needed a better alternative.

We still put the unshucked corn on the grill. In winter, we microwave it in the shuck, 4 minutes per ear.

But we have discovered that mixing 1 tablespoon of low fat margarine, 1 tablespoon plain yogurt and 1/4 teas. chili powder yields a wonderful tasty spread for two ears of corn. Don't even miss the salt.
This is a summer treat we can still enjoy.

Avocado Salmon Stack - Perfect for Summer

2010-08-05T19:30:00.000-04:00

It has been so hot!! Who wants to cook and heat up the kitchen? So tonight I prepared a recipe that we have always enjoyed and gave some serious thought to how we can make it even better for us.

The basic recipe is for greens (lettuce, or arugula and radicchio) covered with diced avocado and foil wrapped skinless and boneless pink salmon. The dressing is a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and minced capers. We have never made the recipe exactly as it was found, because I never make the recipes exactly as they were intended. We leave out the red onions, because we don't like them and the minced shallots just seem extraneous. But now that we are trying to be more heart healthy, I wonder what other improvements are possible.

The original nutritional information listed calories 530, from fat 420; fat 46g, saturated fat 7g, carbohydrates 23g; fiber 11 g; sugars 5g; protein 16g; cholesterol 25 mg; sodium 1030 mg That's not very good.

FAT - the first thing to address would be the olive oil. I cut the olive oil portion of the dressing in half.
The main source of fat is the avocados but most of the fat in an avocado is monounsaturated -- the "good" kind that actually lowers cholesterol levels. Only 2 grams from the salmon.

SODIUM - If you should only have 2300 mgs a day, according to the American Heart Assoc., then this recipe would give you 45% of that. The packaged salmon has 280 mg, so one thing we could do would be to cook fresh salmon and chill it. Processed food = sodium. I had already left the unneeded salt out of the dressing all together.

CARBS - The high fiber content of 11 grams tends to offset the carbs. We improved this by pairing the meal with fresh cucumbers and tomatoes as well as a toasted slice of whole grain bread. Really raised the fiber level.

So the next time we make this recipe it will be even better for us, and still a good cool alternative on a hot day.

Red Snapper - It has to be Creole

2010-07-29T20:32:00.000-04:00

I couldn't think of any other way to fix Red Snapper. Something about it just screams New Orleans. We happen to have a bounty of ripe tomatoes and spicy peppers from the garden, so this was too easy.

The sauce was just chopped fresh tomatoes, hot peppers - in this case Topepo Rosa -, minced garlic, seasoned pepper, a little Worcester sauce and red wine vinegar. I added dried basil, but I think the flavor would have been so much deeper with the fresh basil, chopped. There was a dash of hot sauce for good measure. After softening the vegetables in a little olive oil, and adding the tomatoes and other ingredients, I brought the sauce to a boil, added the RedSnapper fillets, and let it simmer, covered for about 15 minutes. Really good.

Today we received a copy of The New American Heart Association Cookbook. I already can't make enough meals to use up all the wonderful sounding recipes I have been finding and here is this 600+ page recipe book! We could just start at the beginning and work our way through!

Cooking, and eating, hasn't been this much fun for a long time!

A Busy Week Cooking

2010-07-26T14:53:00.000-04:00

As promised, we spent a busy week trying out new recipes. The first was Black Bean & Goat Cheese Quesadillas with Guacamole. Again, this meal started with an intriguing recipe emailed to me from Fine Cooking magazine. They also provided a recipe for homemade tortillas, so I tried that too.

The tortillas were more trouble than I expected and left the kitchen covered with flour - probably the fault of the cook not the recipe. The instructions said, "It should be more or less circular, though an amoeba shape is fine too." We had the amoeba shaped variety, though a few got closer to round as I practiced with the rolling pin. Jose, our HVAC tech, says corn meal tortillas are better and not as messy. I'll try them next. (Jose only works on the system when peppers are being harvested from our garden!)

The tortilla recipe will be posted at http://www.frogsncats.com/, but with a few modifications. Next time I would use a teflon coated skillet and very little olive oil, and as previously suggested, I would try cornmeal.

The Quesadillas themselves were very dry, but the leftovers were improved greatly by reheating so making them ahead of time may be the key. I have had better Guacamole. This recipe was nothing but the avocados and fresh lime juice. It definitely needed more.

The hit of the week was last night's Portabella Mushrooms with Garlicky Swiss Chard. That is definitely a keeper! Fine Cooking had suggested Sirloin Steak with Chard, but I wanted to improve the heart healthy aspects of the recipe, so we substituted large portabellas. I took a hint from our old favorite broiled mushroom recipe and brushed the mushroom caps with an olive oil and lemon mixture, adding some fresh chopped rosemary. The Swiss Chard in the garden had just gotten big enough to yield some leaves so the timing for this was great. Larry couldn't get over how good it was. The little bit of olive oil and a sprinkling of cheese contributed the only fat in the meal.

Garlic is a wonderful addition to so many of these meals. The next adventure will be planting our own. We have done it before with good success. You plant on the shortest day and harvest on the longest day according to Georgia gardening lore, so now is the time to order. The catalog recommends planting between October and January.

It pays to read the label

2010-07-19T14:57:00.001-04:00

     A trip to the supermarket takes a little longer now. Reading the labels and comparing the contents is an exercise in amazement and discovery. I have been fooled before by labels that say "heart healthy", "low sodium" and "fat free".

     Just today I sought out fiber rich canned black beans. The low sodium variety listed 180 milograms of sodium on the label. But in the health food aisle I found Eden Organic Black Beans with "no salt added" - only 15 mg per serving. No cholesterol, 1 gram of fat (not saturated or trans fat), 18 grams of carbs offset by 6 grams of dietary fiber. 7 grams of protein. All good! These will be in our low impact black bean quesadillas this week.

"No salt added" seems to be the phrase that is the most reliable predictor of sodium levels, as opposed to "Low Sodium" which is low relative to what? Between two cans of green beans, the only difference in nutritional content is the milograms of sodium - 400 mg for one and 10mg for the "no salt added" variety.

I know what you are thinking... "but the no salt ones don't taste good."    My answer is that the "no salt added" ones taste different and the flavor of the beans can be enhanced by adding things like seasoned pepper or balsamic vinegar, or both! Better yet, buy or grow fresh beans that taste good plain.

Penzey's Spices offers a variety of seasonings that we have found to be very flavorful and more than adequate in replacing salt. Adobo seasoning is one of our favorites for seasoning chicken, fish or pork. Penzey's recommends it for guacamole as well. No sodium. It's companion for Mexican cooking is Epazote which has a good relationship with all kinds of beans. No sodium. I don't like to be without either of them.

This is a seasoning chart I have carried with me for 40 years. I have no idea what the source was but it served me well as I learned to cook.

This herb used for	Appetizers & Soups	Meat & Poultry	Fish & Shellfish	Vegetables	Salads	Eggs, Cheese, Sauces
ALLSPICE	Vegetable, Pea, Mock Turtle, Tomato	Spaghetti Sauce, Spiced Beef, Tongue, Meat Loaf	Clam Chowder, Court Bouillon for Cooking Fish	Red Cabbage, Beets, Pumpkin, Sweet Potatoes	Orange and Grapefruit Salads
BASIL	Tomato and Vegetable Soups	Liver, Lamb, Any stew, Beef Stew	Bluefish, Halibut, Mackerel	Cabbage, Egg Plant, Squash, Turnips	Mixed Greens, Seafood, Tomato Aspic	Any Cheese, Rice or Macaroni Dish, Spanish Omelet
CLOVES	Tomato, Pea, Potato, Bean	Ham, Pork, Veal Loaf, Duck, Beef Stew		Beets, Beans, Baked Onions, Winter Squash	Fruit Salads
CURRY POWDER	Cream, Pea, Asparagus, Tomato, Cheese Spreads, Avocado Dips	Chicken, Lamb, Beef	Fish stews or Shellfish	Carrots, Cabbage, Rice, Beans, Mixed Vegetables, Tomatoes	French Dressing or Mayonnaise	Scrambled or Deviled Eggs
MARJORAM	Spinach Soup, Oyster Stew, Vegetable Juice	Pot Roasts, Any Stew, Gravies & Stuffings	All Broiled Fish, Creamed Crab or Scallops	Carrots, Onions, Peas, Spinach	Mixed Greens, Chicken, Seafood	Any Egg or Cheese Dish, Creamed Sauce for Vegetables
OREGANO	Soups, Minestrone, Tomato, Vegetable, Avolemeno	Fried Chicken, Kidney Stew, Pork Veal	Melted Butter served with Shellfish, Fish stuffing	Mushrooms, Onions, Tomatoes	Mixed Greens, Potato, Seafood	Omelets, Italian Sauce
PAPRIKA	Cream Soups, Chicken Broth, Potato Soup, Canapes	Veal,Lamb,Pork,Beef	Any Fish or Shellfish	Cabbage, Cauliflower, Potatoes, Squash	Fruit Salads, Dressings	Baked, Poached, Omelets
PARSLEY	Garnish in Canapes & Soups	Stews, Steak Sauce, Stuffing, Garnish	Parsley Butter, Fish Stuffing	All Vegetables and in Lemon Butter for Potatoes and Carrots	In Salads or add to dressing	Seasoning & Garnish - all dishes
SAFFRON	Chicken Soup, Soup Stock	Chicken, Lamb, Veal	Halibut, Sole	Onions	Deviled Eggs, Seafood	Spanish Rice, Saffron Butter Sauce
SAGE	Fish Chowder, Cottage Cheese Spread	Poultry Stuffing, Sausage, Stews	Baked Fish, Stuffing	Beans, Onions, Tomatoes		Spanish Omelet
TARRAGON	Soups, Tomato, Vegetable, Cheese Spreads	Chicken, Game, Turkey, Sweetbreads, Veal	Any Fish or Shellfish	Asparagus, Celery, Green Beasn, Peas, Tomatoes	Any Salad Dressing, Chicken, Sliced Tomatoes	Any Egg or Cheese Dish, Sauces, Bernaise, Tartar

Summer Squash - Use it up

2010-07-18T20:17:00.002-04:00

In our ongoing quest for healthy food, we slightly modified a recipe from Fine Cooking magazine. The vegetable garden is producing more than we can eat, primarily cucumbers right now, but also yellow squash.

I had received a recipe in my email for Grilled Sausage with Summer Squash, Fresh Herbs & Olives. When I checked the sausage we had in the freezer I found that even the chicken/turkey sausages, that we had been eating because we thought they were good for us, have a bunch of sodium and fat. The next option was to substitute skinless chicken breasts. I rubbed a minimal amount of olive oil on the chicken pieces and sprinkled a tiny bit of Lawry's Seasoned Salt on them, leaving them whole for the grill.

Once the chicken was on I chunked a big yellow squash into 1 inch pieces and tossed it in a bowl with a little olive oil and Lawry's Seasoned Pepper, a salt-free mix of black and red peppers. The garden had given us a few yellow bush beans so I threw them in with the squash. This went into a grill basket and joined the chicken on the grill.

While they cooked, I chopped fresh basil and parsley from the garden with some mint left over from the Middle Eastern Lentil Loaf.  Threw this in a big bowl with a tablespoon of capers. The recipe called for halved kalamata olives but having accidentally bought the ones canned with red jalapenas, I put them in a separate dish for Larry to add at will.

When the chicken was done, I cut it into eating size pieces and added it to the bowl with the roasted vegetables, tossing everything together.   Larry is not a fan of lemons but I squeezed fresh lemon juice on my serving. No extra salt was needed. It wasn't missed.

We both loved it. Every bite offered a different combination of fresh flavors. We post all our favorites online, so this will be added to our website . As we discover and enjoy new heart healthy recipes we will post them with a small heart symbol

Stay tuned since we have an ambitious agenda for dinners this week. Lobster Rolls, Black Bean and Goat Cheese Quesadillas with home made tortillas and guacamole, Portabella Mushrooms with Garlic Swiss Chard and Summer Bouillabaisse with Smoky Rouille - all modified from recipes sent to me by Fine Cooking magazine. No, I am not on commission. They just send really fine recipes to me every day!

Lentil Bean Loaf?

2010-07-08T19:30:00.003-04:00

Okay, so it sounded like it had great potential. I had to try anything that included so many intriguing flavors. Better Homes & Gardens called it "Nutty Meatless Loaf". Hugely high in fiber with 13 grams per serving and lots of protein.

It took a long time and lots of pots and pans to prepare. 40 minutes for brown rice really slowed me down, plus rehydrating the lentils, but golden raisins, garlic, toasted pecans, mango chutney, fresh mango - who could resist? The end result was actually very attractive with the loaf smothered in a chutney, mango and chopped red pepper topping. The taste was as interesting as the ingredients promised but very dry to the mouth. The additional fresh mango that we paired with the loaf slices and even more chutney made it pretty palatable.

I'm afraid that it will be in the "good experiment but we won't have to have it again" category.
As it turns out, we WILL have to have it again - and again - because as the old joke goes, "There's lots of it!" Anyone who thinks they want to try it will find it in the March 2010 issue of BH&G.

Wow! Great Pizza

2010-07-06T19:12:00.003-04:00

In our ongoing quest for heart healthy meals, I decided to make pizza sauce yesterday, since everything jarred in the supermarket is full of high fructose corn syrup, fat and salt. We microwaved the final bag of last summer's Roma tomatoes from the freezer, skinned them and hung them to drip in a jelly bag, reserving the tomato water for soup. Dripping the moisture out really speeds the sauce making process.
Sauted chopped onion with the last of the frozen chopped Poblano peppers (again 2009 garden) and minced garlic. These were added to the tomato pulp with chopped fresh basil from the garden and parsley (from the market)and some dried oregano. We threw in the leftover Baby Bella mushrooms in the refrigerator and cooked it down. No salt. Some ground pepper.
Tonight we got out the Boboli crust and I read the label again. It sounded healthy when I read it quickly in the store. A more careful examination revealed that the nutrition stats were for one of SIX servings from one small crust! The "heart healthy, whole wheat" crust is great if you only eat a tiny piece of it!
We had gone this far, so we proceeded. We spread our homemade tomato paste and added chopped deli ham on top. Larry's half had the first of our new season 'Felicity' jalapena peppers on it. One taste sent me to the canister for a spoonful of sugar to kill the heat. My half had a whole can of anchovy fillets. The pizza had to be cut in half before baking to prevent migration.
A few chopped olives and some shredded Asiago cheese and into the oven.
What a treat. Yes, it did take a long time. Prep was more than 5 minutes. But so worth it since every bite was full of fresh flavors.

Relearning how to eat

2010-07-04T19:41:00.005-04:00

My husband was surprised with bypass surgery 2-1/2 weeks ago and since then we have been learning how to eat! Reading labels is a startling experience with many of our regular favorites now on the don't buy- don't eat list. But it has also opened us up to experimenting with food that actually IS good for us and making it enjoyable.

Not every meal has been a big success. The chick pea, no-fry falafel patties may have been better if we had had an onion in the house. Since we didn't, I substituted yellow bush beans (which we have a mountain of from the garden)to replace the moisture. I used lots of gourmet ground pepper instead of salt. The year-old frozen oat bran pitas had not improved with age. So overall, though nourishing, it was NOT an acceptable dinner.

Tonight we had our first actual meat meal. Well-trimmed boneless pork ribs with corn-on-the-cob and butternut squash. Who knew that you could enjoy corn without butter and salt? I found a recipe on
Eating Well.com for Mexican Grilled Corn.

2 tablespoons low fat mayo
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Squeeze some fresh lime on the cob and then spread with the sauce. Sprinkle finely shredded cheese on the corn. We used Asiago while the recipe recommended an aged Mexican cheese called Cotija or Parmesan. Never missed the salt and butter. It was delicious. So much so that we are going to run out and buy more corn tomorrow. For two ears of corn, half the sauce recipe would suffice.

The butternut squash has been decorating the kitchen counter since last fall. Now that new ones are growing in the garden, we need to finish eating last year's crop. Our norm would be to cut it in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and add butter, chopped pecans and brown sugar. (yeah, no wonder he had high cholesterol.)Tonight we sprinkled Splenda on the squash and that was pretty acceptable. Since the garden is already producing more Butternut and Acorn squash, it will require some research to dress them up.

Another interesting and satisfactory dinner. Tomorrow the plan is to make our own salt-free pizza sauce, from last year's frozen tomatoes, and see what we can use to top a whole wheat Bobolo pizza crust! Maybe bush beans?

Pre-industrial Revival

2009-10-14T11:29:00.003-04:00

I obviously did not think this through. When my vendors retired, leaving my customers without the product they are devoted to, it seemed sensible for me to take over the manufacturing. It became a quest. The retirees had trashed the machinery that was used to make the product as well as ALL their paperwork, including their customer list. Still I was determined. They finally divulged the source of the raw materials and gave me a release of the UPC code and trademark. I moved confidently forward.

A firm in Ohio was contracted to extrude and cut the 4" long sticks of adhesive, while I searched for packaging material and arranged for new labels. Shortly before they arrived, the company that was to have packaged them changed their minds. "Okay," I thought, "I will pack them myself."

This is when the pre-industrial revival took place at my house. In the age of machines I find myself* folding boxes, by hand; cutting parchment paper, by hand; wrapping 5400 sticks, by hand; filling boxes, ten to a box, by hand; placing inserts in boxes, by hand; and finally - labeling, by hand. The guy in Ohio asked if slave labor was still available in Georgia. I replied, "Only at my house."

(*credit to my husband for folding boxes and cutting paper and having good ideas.)

Sope Creek and the Rain

2009-10-12T13:47:00.004-04:00

I wasn't happy to be crossing over Sope Creek, which had become a raging river. The bridge seemed a less reliable construct with the dead tree trunks pressed against it's uprights from the recent flood.

Safely home, in my house on the hill, I look down on what we euphemistically call a creek when it is actually a drainage ditch I suppose. It is always wet, fed by the springs that are so strong they almost popped the neighbor's pool out of the ground once when it was empty. Water drains from 40 acres around into our creek, which then rushes through the yard toward Katy Creek. Katy is usually low and quiet and occasionally home to beavers. This seasonal rush of water discourages them from staying. The water in Katy runs downstream to flood the yards of several neighbors, sometimes crossing our road and making it impassable, before it goes to join Sope Creek and then the Chattahoochee River.

I can only imagine that those who suffered from the awful flooding a little over a week ago have to be terrified by this new and overly generous downpour. By the time I woke, we had already received 1 1/2" and it continues raining this afternoon. It is nothing like the 20" that some people received during what they called a 100-year flood. Still you would like to see it stop. We have enough for awhile.

After two years of drought and the accompanying sacrifices, Mother Nature has nearly refilled the lake that gives us drinking water. "Near full pool," is the way the newspaper describes it. Perhaps today will top it off.

Video of Sope Creek in it's angered state, as well as just after, showed up on YouTube. What the video does not show is how it calmly meanders among the rocks in normal times, when mothers and their children can sit on the big, flat rocks and dangle their feet in the shallow water.
Just not today.

Feeding Frenzy!

2009-09-04T15:17:00.005-04:00

We finally made time to make an early morning trip to the(not so)local PATAK Bohemia Meat Market in Austell, GA, about a 38 mile round trip. The smell alone was worth the trip and others thought so too since there was a line outside the door waiting for the door to open.

Once inside a server greets you from behind the refrigerated cases and asks for your order. She follows you all the way to the cash register, filling a basket for you along the way. We came home with ground beef, New York strip steaks, butterflied pork chops, Polish ham, Bohemia Smokie sausages, beef stew meat, beef sliced thin for Rouladen (Rolie Polies), and of course we couldn't resist the Bratwurst and a long, thin smoked sausage. I added corned beef for Cream of Rueben soup, and then we got to the cheese case. We decided on brie (Larry's favorite), smoked gouda and Greek Manouri. Larry had grabbed up a nut roll that looked similar to the family holiday specialty - Kolachke. I couldn't resist finishing with marzipan. The whole order was only $72!!

You would think that would have been enough, but here at home, just down the street, Friday morning is time for the really local Farmers Market. My previous visits had been disappointing, in the rain, hiding beneath an umbrella. Today is breezy and beautiful and all the venders were out.

After a tasting tour to get an overview, I picked up fresh-picked corn, South Carolina peaches, buttery brioche, a quart of unpasteurized buttermilk, and a Tuscan dipping blend of dried tomatoes, garlic, onion, parsley and spices. I was intrigued by a Fruit Blend Pasta (tangerine, lime, lemon, raspberry) from Pappardelle's. Natural hot pepper jelly from Pearl River Vineyards and a hot Mexican three-pepper sauce for Larry filled my bag to the brim.

So we are prepared for the weekend. No eating out required.

What's Up With Coffee?

2009-08-11T10:10:00.003-04:00

It has to be said. Starbucks coffee doesn't taste good. I am all for the ambiance and lemon pound cake, but the coffee... And now even McD's is trying to copy the over-roasted burnt flavor. On my flight Thursday, Delta served the same awful coffee. By the time I got to my sister's I would have given a lot for a decent cup.

I had a friend some time ago whose husband was in the wholesale coffee business and they laughed at how Starbucks burnt the coffee beans to get their distinctive flavor.

To my palate, coffee should be smooth, hot and mellow. Finding a cup matching that description is becoming more and more difficult.

For the "hot" part, my nephew Dean has invented a cup that instantly reduces the heat of your brew to drinking level and keeps it there practically forever. He let me try out the most recent proto-type this weekend. What a pleasure to drink a whole cup of well-brewed java at the perfect temperature - for the WHOLE CUP! In my office I pour a cup, too hot to touch, set it aside, and finish it luke warm, but at least the flavor is consistently good.

I hope to get some input on this subject from Larry's cousin JavaMom who used to own a small group of coffee drive-thru's. Am I the only one on a quest for a decent cup of coffee?

Celtic Thunder

2009-07-31T13:07:00.002-04:00

WOW. We watched the new Celtic Thunder concert on PBS last night, complete with pledge breaks, and again it was wonderful. Young Damian's voice has plummeted from the 14-year olds high pitched but mellow sound to a baritone. That was a surprise. Many of the favorites from the first concert we heard were brought back and the repetition was welcome. If you have never heard them go to their website and listen to the generous video that is posted there. http://celticthunder.ie/index.php

Music has always been so important to me. I only regret that I gave up playing music as an adult - although a 61 year old drummer probably isn't in high demand! The piano though is another story. When I practice, which is rare, I scare the cats to death. The sound fills up our cathedral ceilinged living room and even if you aren't playing well, it sounds pretty good in that resonating chamber.

Last weekend I installed powered speakers for my computer which allows me to blast my favorite music at the decibels I prefer. Much of my digital music library was lost in transitioning to the new computer, so some rebuilding will be in order as time permits.

We will be going to the Celtic Thunder concert in Atlanta, and although it is hard to believe that it could be better in person, at least it will not be interrupted by pledge breaks.

Flowers on a Budget

2009-07-22T15:54:00.006-04:00

We have returned to the real world after supervising the 500+ person national convention of my husband's lineage society. He and his compatriots of the Georgia Society of the National Sons of the American Revolution had been preparing to host this convention for nearly 6 years.

The weekend before it started, we had 30 or so volunteers at the house, stuffing over 500 registration bags and eating brownies. The wives lucked out - being able to stay in the kitchen, preparing name tags and talking - while the men sweated it out in the garage.

That Monday, more volunteers arrived to move everything to the hotel - stuffed bags, bulletin boards, vases, books, etc. Then a trip to COSTCO was in order to pick up 99 cases of food for a charity project planned.

Thursday night, real activities started, with a volunteer party at Maggiano's. The 70 or so people who were involved gathered for food and conversation, plus a little wine. Yellow polo shirts were handed out to identify Georgia folks who would be available at the Congress.

Friday, guests started to arrive from all over the country. And again Friday evening, eating, drinking, and talking were the chosen activities.

My husband spent his time managing the millions of details for each meeting room and guest, coordinating the hotel's response to our needs. Most days, I spent hours with my computer creating assigned seating lists for the Monday luncheon and Tuesday/Wednesday banquets. But I was released for the flowers...

Many months before the Congress, I had released requests for quotes to a number of florists, detailing our needs. The first estimate was $13,000. The second was $10,000. The budget was $3,800. Clearly, I was going to have to figure out how to do them myself, with the help of other wives.

The solution came from the inspiration of a glass vase, called a Serenity vase. Not a bubble vase, but one with an elegant shape. I chose yellow roses and we cut each of three stems between 2 and 3 inches long, placing them inside the vase. Then we added three pieces of looped lily grass, each almost reaching the rim. Of course, a little water to keep them hydrated. Because they were placed on 10-person tables, we magnified their presence with mirror squares. The hotel added three votives to each table. The result was simple and elegant.

For 43 tables per banquet, this solution was very doable and very cost effective.

A florist was chosen to provide the podium spray and six long, low arrangements for the head table, color coordinated with our roses. A few extra vases were also placed on the 3-tiered head tables, thus tying the florals together.

For the ladies luncheon, a 13 table event, we replicated a Colonial centerpiece found on Julie Mulligan's Floral Lifestyle BLOG. The Colonial Centerpiece was appropriate to the speaker who spoke about a historic structure near the Old North Bridge of Paul Revere fame.

Our final expenditure for flowers was close to $2,800, a full thousand dollars below the budget.

After the covention, anyone visiting our home would have had to ask "who died?" since I am unable to discard any flower until it is absolutely dead. All are compost now, save a lovely Hydrangea blossom that was in a bouquet we received in our suite at the hotel. A lovely reminder of the week we spent with friends.

KIVA - the easy way to help the world

2009-03-22T13:21:00.004-04:00

I just received another notice from KIVA. I received partial payments on my micro-loans and so I had accumulated over $25 in my account and could turn around and lend it again.

Most people have heard of micro-loans and so had I but it took me awhile to find time to investigate. When I found out how really easy it is to loan money to entrepeneurs around the world, I was truly amazed. I currently have 8 loans outstanding in such diverse places as Mozambique and Cambodia, but each loan is only $25. This same $200 keeps recycling from one small business person to another. As the loans are repaid, the money can be loaned out again.

This is one-to-one. No politics. No corrupt governments taking the aid. The repayment rate is extraordinary since each loan is administered for free and local to the business person.

$200 is not a lot of money to us. To any of us, even now. But to Thanh Thi Vu in Vietnam, a loan of $450 allowed her to buy pigs and sedge for her mat weaving. In addition to harvesting wheat twice a year, this income supports her and her three children. Her loan is already 67% repaid.

For my lender photo, I used a picture of my mother as a young woman. In her journal, read after her death, she wrote, "I hope our kids are very generous, when it comes to worthy causes. All the good you do comes back into your own in some form."

Find an entrepeneur you can identify with and loan them some money to make their ambitions reality.

The winter begins - time for thought

2008-10-28T12:28:00.003-04:00

Tonight we will have frost. For Georgia, this is very early. The green tomatoes and beginning peppers are still in the garden, with only those that had a hope of ripening brought in during yesterday's warmer afternoon. The fish in the pond are hunkering down with no further interest in food. They will enter the winter in a semi-dormant state, near the bottom of the pond. The cyperus has been cut back, it's umbrella palm foliage was cut last night and relegated to the compost pile. On warmer days, the fish seem to feel exposed without the foliage cover that hides them from hungry blue herons. We talked about floating a hula hoop covered in landscape fabric to give them some security through the season.

Last weekend we bought an upright freezer. This was necessary if we are to have a turkey for Thanksgiving. When the kitchen was remodeled, the contractor failed to leave sufficient room for our refrigerator, so he had to buy us another one - but quite a bit smaller - with a useless freezer. The new freezer was installed in the garage, where it sits happily sucking up energy.

We have been trying to vote. Early voting in Georgia started on Monday with some folks waiting in line for up to 8 hours. This morning, thinking the frenzy may have passed, Larry headed out early. He called to report that at least a thousand people filled two lines outside the polling place. Everyone is anxious to have their say. This is a good thing. Unfortunately, today they are very cold as temps sit in the forties.

I voted today for an office building in Buckhead - one of our commercial districts. I voted by writing them a letter of support. The Pinnacle Building has chosen to kill the building's outside lights at night to save energy. This public display of personal responsibility pleases me. I wrote to them to thank them for making a responsible decision. There seems to be a disconnect between our use of energy and the fuel crisis, not to speak of the water crisis in Georgia. Electricity uses water and fuel.

During the Carter years, the President wore his cardigan and we turned off our lights, even giving up Christmas displays, in an effort to help ourselves. Have we lost the ability to help ourselves? Are we no longer able to take personal responsibility in a way that impacts our national destiny? Try for a minute to think of a problem that would not be resolved through personal responsibility. There are so few. Even diseases for which we believe ourselves blameless are often linked to our own health decisions.

Speeding. Cars exceeding the speed limit. They are hurrying to get back to the gas station where they can complain about paying too much for gasoline. According to the Energy Dept., every 5 miles that we drive over 55, adds 20 cents or more per gallon to our expense. DRIVING FASTER EATS MORE GASOLINE! What part of this do we not understand? We not only use more gasoline, but cause more accidents. This is a no brainer to me. It is stunning to me when I read of states where they are considering RAISING the speed limits.

Anyway - Winter. With the garden asleep and a warm, comfortable home, there is time to think.

Substantially Complete

2008-05-05T20:47:00.003-04:00

When people ask if the kitchen is finished, I honestly didn't know how to answer. Then our lawyer friend David gave me the legal term - "substantially complete". I think this means you can't sue if you threw them out before they finished. So our kitchen is substantially complete.

Without dwelling on the unfortunate problems that cropped up, which we can't now do anything about, I can honestly say that it looks great. The cork floor is terrific even though it will never lay flat due to the uneven slab on which it was placed.

So Larry and I will finish those last details that need doing. These will all be handled in my lifetime, though not anytime really soon. The before and the after.

Week 11 of the Remodeling

2008-04-21T21:49:00.003-04:00

I skipped week 10. The good thing was that the floor was installed. The cork is wonderful in feel and appearance. When you walk on it, it feels soft and somehow warmer than the old floor. Strangely, the first time I walked on it I felt that I was standing on something taller - although it can't be more than half an inch or so.
Like everything else, it was a challenge. The pocket doors to the living and dining rooms had to be removed and one cut shorter to clear the new floor. This involved removing the door trim - twice - which by then was so beat up that it had to be replaced.
As we anticipated, the refrigerator was a problem. It did, indeed, fit in the space provided, but only if we don't plan to open the door a lot or remove the drawers. This is why I didn't blog last week. I was generally too upset to be civil. The options included tearing out the cabinets, backsplash and granite and moving the desk unit over to where it should have been, OR , buying a new, smaller refrigerator. I opted for the new, smaller frig. We will lose 2 cubic feet and have to adjust to a bottom freezer unit, but we gain 3 inches in the width and don't have to move anything. At this point I just want this over with so we can move back into our kitchen. This was the speediest solution. On the bright side (I'm trying to see the bright side) we will gain an ice maker.
Long before we moved in, the water line behind the outside wall had frozen and split. When we installed our refrigerator with icemaker there was water flowing out from under every cabinet in the kitchen. We shut it down. When we replaced the refrigerator, we opted not to get an icemaker because we didn't want to tear the wall out for the repair of the line. So, with this remodeling, we had access to the wall and installed a new, plastic water line, on the correct side of the installation, in case we ever replaced our frig. So things work out as they should.
The dishwasher... did we discuss the dishwasher? Ours didn't fit. Well actually it did fit, but then the drawer next to it wouldn't open. The contractor took my dishwasher and found us a new one with a flat front, no curve, that will allow the drawer to clear. It is a nice dishwasher, a KitchenAid with a stainless interior, which is what we had. It loads in a sensible way, unlike some that I've seen. Again, the up side is that this one more closely matches the new, brighter kitchen. Ours was black - but nearly new - so we hadn't planned to replace it.
I figured out a way to get back some of the drawer space that we lost. Larry had brought home a good quality drawer from a piece of office furniture. They wanted the furniture but not the drawer. It is a nearly perfect fit for underneath the cook top. The carpenter has expressed some doubt about mounting it there because of the proximity of the gas flame shield. I don't know how to check on that, but I can't imagine that there would be real danger from flames beneath the cooktop. We really need this drawer because without it we have no place to keep cooking utensils. And if there's anything I love, it is kitchen toys.
So the drama continues. The wonderful flooring refuses to lie flat in the laundry. The new refrig arrives Thursday. Was the backsplash sealed today? I don't know. The new door frame needs paint.
Life goes on. I am hosting bridge Wednesday whether or not we are done. I never imagined that we would still be trying to finish.

Tuesday, Week 9

2008-04-08T20:31:00.004-04:00

I think I can see the light now - at the end of the tunnel, I mean. Today the tile man finished grouting the backsplash, while two carpenters started at the top of the "punch list" and worked their way through it. They even suggested some things that never made the list!

The kitchen has turned out to have a Tuscan look to it, which was unintended, but I like it. Now I wonder if the table and chairs will match. If the chairs look too country, I can slip cover the backs. We wouldn't want to give up our big, sturdy oak table. But the tile has definitely given me a longing to fill the kitchen with lemons and rosemary sprigs, strands of braided garlic and big jars of olives.

Tomorrow afternoon, the flooring man will start on the cork floor, expecting to finish sometime on Thursday. The pocket doors will be challenging, but he seems unfazed. He even took the installation directions home to read - a man - took directions to read! Will wonders never cease? Leon has been doing floors for 27 years so I'm guessing that he knows what he's doing.

Monday Week 8

2008-03-31T20:55:00.003-04:00

It was a busy and productive day. We finally have appliances and they look great. I hesitated about the bisque oven and cooktop but they match perfectly.

Steve the electrician arrived early to complete his long list of jobs. He provided an outlet for the cooktop, hooked up the oven, hung the light fixture, changed out switches and outlets, and added bulbs to the canister lights. He mounted the plant light above the sink, to benefit the plants that will live on the window shelves.

Bud and Red came and finished a lot of the finish carpentry work that remained, including placing and installing the bookshelf on top of the desk countertop. They will add a cabinet door to the top to hide our less attractive cookbooks.

Winfred, the plumber, finished everything on his list. Installing the dishwasher, sink, and cooktop. We actually have water in the kitchen now. Pretty exciting. Winfred had also installed the hot water recirculating pump that we have benefitted from for several weeks. Larry loves being able to shave with hot water for a change.

Several challenges remain. It seems doubtful that the refrigerator will fit back in it's space. One of the only two drawers left in the kitchen runs into the dishwasher. Some of the lights aren't turning on. Tomorrow is another day.

Tomorrow, my brother, the kitchen remodeler arrives about lunch time. His commentary will no doubt be priceless. Too bad I can't make him the dinner I promised.

End of Week 7

2008-03-29T19:15:00.005-04:00

Thursday, the last of the drywall patches were completed and the painters finished the second coat of paint which enriched and deepened the colors.

The exciting day was Friday, when the granite countertops finally arrived. The 'Lady's Dream' granite, all the way from India, was finally installed in our new kitchen and looks great. The stone has wonderful movement and variety and the under counter lights really make it shine.

The largest piece was so heavy that three men just barely were able to lift it and carry it into the house. Dex, the fabricator, says that they "make no money on tornadoes or hurricanes, because the house may move but the granite stays put." He is also preparing a cutting board for us, made from the sink cutout.

Now I am having second thoughts about the tiles I chose for the backsplash. The 12" tiles, placed diagonally, will not fit between the counter and the shelves, so each one would be cut. The full tile would only show behind the cooktop, under the hood. The color doesn't seem perfect either. If Walter has not already ordered and/or picked up the tile, I may select a smaller, lighter tile.

Lots left to do. Carpenters have a list of details to finish. Plumber has to hook up faucet, disposal, dishwasher and gas cooktop. Electrician has a long list. Removing the wallpaper revealed holes in the wall that somehow were not filled before the painters came, so they need filling and painting. The backsplash must be installed and the cork floor is to be installed when everything else is done. So one more week, maybe two.

Wednesday, Week 7

2008-03-26T21:05:00.002-04:00

No pictures today. No progress today. I took the day off to play bridge with my ladies group and calm down. Tuesday was not a stellar day.

I awoke with high hopes for an action-packed week and the very first thing two painters showed up, neither of whom spoke English and one of whom was talking on his cell phone and ignoring me in my own home. By the time the young, smart, painting contractor showed up, I was already angry. I am the child of immigrants and have no problem with legal immigrants, BUT I must have someone with whom to communicate when they are working on my home!

The previous day I asked the carpenters if the caulking didn't need to be done so that the painters could touch it up (the caulk is white, the cabinets are ivory). "No problem," I was told, "the painters can do that." The painting contractor says, "No, we don't do that."

So I called Walter, the contractor, in charge of coordinating these things. While we talked, the painting contractor decided that my kitchen was not ready for painting. The drywallers hadn't patched the walls yet. So the painters left.

Walter called in the drywallers who thought I had complained somehow about their work. Lots of attitude when they arrived. They were surprised to find that the electrician had opened up the walls to get to the wiring, tearing up the work they had done the last time they were here. And they arrived unprepared to complete their work. No sheet rock. They stayed and mudded the imperfections in the walls and ceilings with sanding to follow at a later date.

In the meantime, Walter advised that the countertop fabricator wanted me to drive some 60 miles one way to approve the granite slab that "looked sort of red" to him. (While this is all going on, I have customers calling and orders coming in.) I advised that I didn't have time to drive to his shop and what would I see since I had personally chosen the slab to start with. Turns out, the fabricator did not have the slab I had chosen and put my name on. Walter and I agreed that he should go and get it!

I feel certain that every job has one extremely bad day. We have now had ours.

Monday, Week 7

2008-03-24T20:45:00.003-04:00

If you have ever attempted to miter a corner, you can imagine the challenge that faced the carpenters today in trying to miter a corner on a rope trim! Nearly impossible. It may, in fact, require some hand carving to smooth the outside corners and has already required some caulking. Unfortunately, the caulk is not the color of the cabinets so it may also require a little dab of paint later. Details, details.

The larger rope spindles frame the sink cabinet and appear to be in good proportion to the overall trim.

Tomorrow we have painters. The final coat of paint and the dangerous decision about the laundry. I will, or already have, asked the painters to add just a touch of the dark green to the ivory in the laundry room to echo that color. If it's awful - big deal - we will just have to paint it again.

Wednesday I will take a day off to play bridge and see real people.

Thursday will be exciting because the countertops are coming. Then I expect the kitchen to start looking like it will be finished someday. Still no word on when the backsplash will be done or by whom. The drywaller needs to be scheduled first and I haven't heard about that either.

Friday, Week 6

2008-03-21T13:11:00.003-04:00

As everyone told us we would be, we are in week 6 of the 4 to 5 week project.

There hasn't been much to blog since progress was delayed by the arrival of the "skins" and we took last Friday off to travel to Phoenix for a glorious stay at the Arizona Biltmore Resort.

The skins finally arrived and after several days carpentry work, the kitchen is shaping up. Today Bud and Red are finishing the crown molding and light rail and have installed the pop-up shelf for the mixer. The bookshelf has to wait until after the countertops are in.

Dex, the granite fabricator, came to make a template on Monday. The countertop will be done next week. Dex has a lovely South African accent and perfect manners. Both carpenters have praised his skills at countertop installation having worked with him before.

Next - the drywallers will return to repair the holes in the walls from the electrical work. The countertop will be installed and the final painting will be completed. The tile backsplash will fit into this schedule somewhere, with diagonal 12" x 12" tiles finishing the wall. The electrician will return to hook up the oven and the stovetop, as well as hang the chandelier over the dining table. The plumber, I imagine, will also be involved in hooking up the gas cooktop, as well as the sink plumbing and dishwasher.

Then , the floor. The beautiful, linear, cork floor. Both Walter, the contractor, and I have been fearful about putting in the floor too soon, for fear of damaging the resilient material. I have also been worried about the leak we had in the dishwasher, hopefully fixed, since the flooring instructions warned "wet maintenance in strictly forbidden!" Larry is worried about HOW resilient the flooring will be to the table and chairs and traffic. Websites for cork flooring state that it has been in service since the late 1800's in some public buildings. I am hopeful.

So what do we think? 8 weeks? Will my brother Berny (the kitchen remodeler) and his wife arrive before we are done?

Tuesday Evening, Wk. 5

2008-03-11T20:20:00.004-04:00

Some significant progress has been made. The painters completed the first coat of the new paint colors and it makes the room look like a different place. The second coat should add great depth. Because the laundry room is small, we chose to have just one dark wall and paint the remaining walls the trim color. The three laundry room walls ended up being ever-so-slightly green, or faint kahki-colored. I like it. I have asked the painting contractor to add the smallest touch of the dark green to the ivory paint for the laundry room to enhance

the echo of the darker green in the kitchen without making the room too closed in.

Almost all the cabinets have been set now, with the exception of the oven cabinet. All further work is awaiting the arrival of what are called "skins", the finishing cover for the unfinished plywood sides of the cabinets.

Today the electrician finished roughing in the electrical work and we now have functional switches hidden beneath the cabinets, along with the outlets and the under-cabinet halogen lighting. I understand that xenon lights are cooler and last longer and are less expensive to buy and operate, but we had a small communication breakdown and I have been assured that "everyone" is installing halogen, so we too have halogen. All fixtures will be unseen behind light rails with decorative rope trim.

The decorative trim design is repeated in the new cabinet hardware, installed yesterday and today. We are only short three pieces. Everything else is in. This should be a unifying element for the kitchen.

The primary unifier will be the granite countertops, chosen to pick up all the other colors in the room. We are now waiting for an appointment to have the template made for the countertops. Walter says the under-cabinet lighting will really make it "sing". I will just be pleased to see what I am doing after 22+ years of working in my own cast shadow.

Today Steve, the electrician, with the assistance of 6"4" Bud, one of the carpenters, installed the new living room chandelier. We have shopped for a replacement on and off the entire time we have lived here. The first visitors we had to the new house, before we even had furniture moved in, were Rod and Debbie. Debbie looked up and said, "What an ugly chandelier. So that's going, right?" Well, Debbie, it is finally gone!

I expect that nothing else will happen this week. Monday morning, week 6, hopefully the skins will have arrived and will be installed. The drywallers will return to patch the holes in the wall made by the electrician to access his wires, the fabricator will come to make the template for the countertops and then, maybe Tuesday, the painters will return for a second and final coat of paint.

Thursday A.M. Wk.4

2008-03-06T11:03:00.004-05:00

It was a busy start this morning, with the electrician, carpenters and painters all here at the same time. Now, at 11 a.m., the two painters are working quietly in the draped kitchen.
Steve, the electrician, arrived early, but not early enough to prevent another crew of carpenters from taking the 8 ft. ladder. Exactly the one he needed to hang the new chandelier. I questioned the carpenters in the driveway, but they took it anyway. Steve tried to do some work in the kitchen, but then gave up and went away when the painters arrived.
Carpenters Bud and Red were here briefly to finish Larry's desk, moved to the workshop. The frame had been inadvertantly thrown away in the tear down, although Larry had saved the drawers and slides and I had saved the countertop from the dumpster. Bud cleaned up the garage where they have been cutting during the recent rains.
Painting contractor Brad arrived with two painters in tow. I don't know how he is keeping track, since he didn't write anything down. Maybe he was a waiter in a previous life. Brown under the chair rail, green above the chair rail, ivory on the
chair rail. Different paint, same ivory color on the ceiling. The laundry room, without chair rail, gets one accent wall of green and heavy duty ivory paint on the remaining three walls, since this room doubles as our mud room. I'm confused and hope he is not. Better yet, I am hoping that Arturo and Pinky are not confused.

Larry pointed out to me last night that we lost three drawers in the reconfiguration so I have no idea where we are putting the silverware or other kitchen utensils that used to fill those drawers. This is one of the details I should have caught in the planning stage. Another is the 5-6 inches lost by using a too small cabinet to the right of the sink. Spacers will cover the void, but useless, space.
I was surprised to find that the corner cabinet, with it's turntables, touted as the one thing that gives you MORE usable space in your kitchen, actually is a big space waster. The cabinet is round, leaving big voids behind it, and is not as deep as the square cabinets. If this cabinet were manufactured to be square, with a round turntable inside, there would still be usable space in the corners. I imagine they are concerned about things falling off the turntable and then being entirely inaccessible. The corner cabinet also does not allow you to have drawer space there either. This is a lesson from which I will not benefit since I do not plan to do this again.
If I were to advise someone starting this project, I think I would say to place less emphasis on the final appearance and concentrate hard on the details and functionality of the final spaces. As is so often true, looking good and doing good are not the same.
So the day, and me, have calmed down some. As I told Larry, I look forward to the day very soon when he is the only strange man in my house.

Week Four

2008-03-04T20:33:00.004-05:00

We began week four by getting hot water. For the 23 years we have lived here, getting hot water to the kitchen has been problematic because the water heater is at the far end of the house. Winfred came Monday and installed a recirculating pump with valves in the master bath upstairs and the laundry bath downstairs. It is surprising to turn on the faucet and have hot water - without waiting!
This will be a big disappointment to our cat Tipper. We have always kept a bucket in the shower to catch the cold water while we awaited the hot. Not wanting to waste this water, we would carry it downstairs to use watering our many plants. At the sound of the bucket handle falling, Tipper would stop whatever he was doing, from eating to sleeping, to get a taste of the special bucket water. We no longer need a bucket. Maybe we can fill it once in awhile just for him.
Today we have a significant number of cabinets installed. The laundry

cabinets, in fact, were ready to fill with food and cleaning supplies that had been hidden in a nearby closet. Bud has framed in the ironing board and tomorrow will fit it with the new door. The vent was installed over the cook top area and Red built out the cooktop valance.
Our friend Ken took pity on us and brought over Italian food for our supper - a big container of stuffed shells, meat balls and Italian sausage - Mmmmmm Mmmmm Good.
Of course after three weeks anything that doesn't come in a box to be microwaved would be pretty good, but this was definitely a special delivery.

Thursday - Week 3

2008-02-28T16:46:00.003-05:00

The kitchen cabinets have arrived. The contractor,Walter, said the Pearl-colored cabinets were coming and I managed to see the panicked look on his face when I said, "Were they supposed to be Pearl?" The two carpenters, Red and Bud, are brothers.
They, along with Walter, helped unload the welcome delivery.

Earlier, Wendell and Ernie finished up the drywall patching, leaving an empty canvas for the brothers to move in the cabinets.

We have inadvertantly chosen cabinets that match the doors in the kitchen. The hand of providence no doubt. Larry and I didn't give a moments thought to what is called the "cross and bible" pattern on our doors when we thumbed through the catalogues, narrowing our search for cabinet styles. Later in the showroom, I never gave the doors a thought. Today, I see that they are perfectly matched.

The finish is slightly whiter than I might have chosen. I have enjoyed the warmer golden ivory that we used on the kitchen trim in the past. We hope to warm the room by painting the ceiling the same ivory chosen for the chair rail and other trim. I learned to like this at bridge-friend Rhett's house, where the kitchen ceilings are a nice soft yellow.

It is a dirty job. Although everyone has done a good job cleaning up after themselves, the miniscule dust particles creep out to invade the grains of the wood floor in the living room and settle on every flat surface nearby. After the carpenters and drywallers leave, I have wet-mopped the kitchen floor every night in a vain effort to control the dust. Larry has mopped again after he gets home to keep us from tracking the dust all over the house. Some small corners of the house have not been impacted by either moving everything we own that belongs in the kitchen, or cooking appliances misplaced, or relocated cats. We are both anxious to get the house back in order and live as we are accustomed to, but with a new kitchen!

Tomorrow, more cabinet work. Maybe an electrician, but he is still awaiting an insurance adjuster for the damage to his home.

Mid-Week Three

2008-02-27T20:02:00.005-05:00

It is an excruciatingly slow process. There was a big flurry of activity first thing this morning. The two drywallers, two carpenters,and Walter, the contractor, were all here. Great anticipation because this morning the cabinets were scheduled to arrive.

Wendell and Ernie finished mudding and sanding the kitchen walls and ceiling. For an extremely messy job, they do a really good job of cleaning up.
"Wendell specializes in dustless drywalling," Ernie informed me. And it was indeed pretty dustless. They will need to come back to cover the hole remaining from the old flourescent fixture. They thought something was going to be there. Also, the laundry room needs to be finished. When done, they vanished - no word, no sound.

Steve the electrician didn't come today. I suspect he is still dealing with the tree that landed on his house yesterday morning when the big winds blew through.

And the cabinets no-showed. I finally gave up around 4:30pm and left the house to ship orders at the post office (talk about excruciatingly slow). This defines the process I think. Anticipation and disappointment. But I remain hopeful - maybe tomorrow.

Unavoidable Delays - Week 3

2008-02-26T10:58:00.005-05:00

I was awakened by the weather alarm radio - strong thunderstorms moving our way. It was not yet 6 a.m.

Unfortunately the electrician had a tree fall on his house, so he obviously can't come today. Even without Steve, there should be some forward movement. Someone named Wendall is coming to do the sheetrock patching required in the kitchen.

Today I was hoping to have the chandelier replaced in the living room. Just before the kitchen remodel began, we updated the furniture in the living room, and part of that redo is replacing the chandelier

that noone has liked since day one. It never really bothered me, but... I put it up on Craigslist and noone there wants it either. Steve was unable to hang the new chandelier on Monday because he didn't have a long enough ladder and the ladder he planned to borrow was working elsewhere. So nothing happened Monday.

This afternoon we will have visit number four from the local furniture company. Unable to replace a warped door on our new wall unit, they are bringing in an entirely new pier. Although this doesn't sound disruptive, it required that Larry unhook all the connections to the new television and remove it to prevent damage. We also have a loaner TV cart, since our new one won't arrive until April! I am seriously considering keeping the floor-model cart just to prevent the ungoing disruptions and allow us to settle. The unnamed (so far) furniture company is sending us a $300 gift certificate because they have caused so much aggravation.
"So that we can buy something else disfunctional," Larry commented. The company already replaced the new end table that was defective.

The good news - yes, there is good news - is that the two new couches are super-comfortable, even draped as they are with sheeting to prevent the dust from finding them. Steve the electrician will eventually get here to hang the new light.

I read recently that the head of a small country had called his noblemen together and asked them to give him one phrase that he could use to reply to every possible situation. The phrase they came up with was, "This too shall pass."

Kitchen remodeling week two

2008-02-22T13:39:00.003-05:00

The electrician was faithful to his word. He did finish roughing in before his self-imposed deadline of 3 pm on Wednesday. It was unavoidably messy, with drywall dust and insulation all over the floor, but we now have canister lights, "cans" they call them, and the appropriate power available for planned under-cabinet lights and switches. The switches will all be under the cabinets, hidden behind the light rails, so no switchplates to interrupt the flow of the tile backsplash.

The plumber and helper also arrived Wednesday. Being very aware that they needed to leave the kitchen to turn off water and reach the attic, I politely (I hope) asked them to kick off their shoes before leaving the kitchen to avoid tracking drywall dust all over. They did take off their shoes, and then walked through the dust in their socks with much the same effect. Guess I didn't make myself clear.

My friend Cheryl, the most diplomatic person on earth, kept a box of plastic shoe covers and offered them to anyone entering her home to work. I am just bossy. Instructions from Cheryl are received like a gift. If only I could be her student.

It is difficult to remove the drywall dust from the grain of my hardwood floors which it reached by sneaking beneath the closed kitchen doors. We did turn off the heating system fans to prevent it from gathering strength in the vents. Because we have to continue walking through the kitchen to access Larry's office, the garage, the laundry, the outdoors, I have mopped the floor repeatedly each evening in an effort not for cleanliness but for dust reduction. It is not possible to mop enough.

Walter, the contractor, and I have discussed my desire to have the space "really clean" before bringing in anything new. It is obvious that when the house was built many things were built over construction debris. Since dirt finds a way, I want the space as clean as possible before cabinets or flooring come in.

Now we are waiting for the cabinets - scheduled for delivery about Wednesday next week.
Some drywall work will be done early in the week. Since I have chosen a cork floor - beautiful stuff and resilient for my back - Walter and I agree that it has to be installed last. Too much opportunity for damage. Cabinets, finish plumbing and electrical, appliances, countertops, painting, and last the floor.

We will take these few days off and move forward again on Monday.

Kitchen Remodeling - Days 5 thru 8

2008-02-18T19:19:00.005-05:00

Friday was Day 5 and not much happened. Just when I was ready to leave the house, the plumber and helper showed up for about 15 minutes and then left again, promising to return on Tuesday.

Of course, nothing was scheduled for the weekend. Larry worked on the built in ironing board which, as we suspected had no insulation between it and the original siding that was put on the house, beneath the cedar shake. I had some suggestions but was asked to leave the room. Keeping tensions down during this time is critical. So far I think we are doing great.

This morning, Monday, the contractor and electrician showed up. The electrician is a nice, young guy named Steve. He made copious notes about what he is expected to do and then had to leave - Columbus Day and his child was out of school. Walter delivered the can lights for the ceiling and then we sat down to see the pre-construction power point presentation which we hadn't gotten around to yet. It assures me that there is a predictable psychological roller coaster that runs through the remodeling process and that at the end all will be well. It also says that even when I don't think anything is going on - something is.

Walter said his people would rough up the wallpaper, spray it with chemicals and then take it down. When he left, I took it down. It was like stripping masking tape and came down easily.

No roughing up, no chemicals. I hated losing the wallpaper, the design of which had tied the kitchen together. I hesitated in the laundry room, thinking that perhaps we could leave the paper in that small area, but it had already been damaged by removal of the ironing board framing, so it had to go. I did save a nice roll that had come off cleanly and was in good condition. Perhaps I will use it to mat a picture for the kitchen - in honor of the old design.

In the meantime, the cats are in the lap of luxury. They spend most of their day in the solarium which has been outfitted for their needs and ours. Day one,
Tipper sharpened his claws on the Oriental rug - a big no-no - so we covered the rug with a piece of canvas duck that I had ordered to cover the second chair. We had already called into service the piece of canvas from Larry's Mom that she had used beneath her painting easel to prevent accidents. Both good upholstered chairs are covered with sheeting and fur. Carpet samples help cover the edge of the Oriental and provide a scratching place. Of course, kitty litter inevitably is everywhere. I vacuum daily.

The cats wander into the now empty kitchen and occasionally try out their new-found freedoms to explore how far they can go in other directions. During the severe thunderstorm yesterday evening, I let them go whereever they felt safe. Tipper chose the bottom shelf of the brand new end table in the living room. The new living room furniture is also covered with sheeting to protect it from the dust, so this could be confusing to little cat brains. So far so good.

Tomorrow we expect the electrician at 8 a.m. I told him Larry would open the door. I don't do morning. The plumber should be here too. "I will be done by 3 p.m. on Wednesday," the electrician announced confidently. I like that in a man.

Kitchen Remodeling - Day Four

2008-02-14T13:50:00.005-05:00

We heated up the solarium,so the cats were comfortable, but we have had a chilly night. It dropped to 22 degrees overnight and the heating system that serves the kitchen/living/dining area refused to transition to back up heat. Larry woke up to 60 degrees in the dining room for breakfast and in the low 50's upstairs in his bonus room. He woke me by bringing me my parka, "You'll need it when you go downstairs."

The heating contractor must have found out that he didn't get all the money that was left. They will be here this afternoon to investigate, although the high is expected to be 60 degrees today.

No plumber today. The low temperatures result in frozen pipes in Georgia, which burst, causing flooding, and this is a good thing for Larry. Lots of insurance claims. The plumber is tied up on a big job today so will come tomorrow.

The other surprise is that we don't have a refrigerator with an icemaker! When we replaced the refrig, we didn't get an icemaker because we didn't have a water line. Larry says the refrig won't last forever, so go ahead and run the new line. Someday we may want it.

Salvation Army came today and took away our old, faithful sectional. Hated to see it go but maybe someone else will appreciate having it. The new furniture is covered with sheets to protect it from the dust. We could almost get one of the cars in the garage now except that Home Depot came and delivered the new cooktop and double oven.

Lots of traffic here lately. So far only one of the trucks has driven over the garden in an effort to turn around.

Tonight we will dine on Greek chicken, with mashed potatoes and Mediterranean pasta and steamed broccoli. I bought it yesterday from a meals, ready to go, shop. Something special for Valentine's Day. I put Larry's candy in a "special place" and have no idea where it ended up in all this confusion. With any luck I will find it before he gets home tonight.

Kitchen Remodeling - Day Three

2008-02-14T13:17:00.003-05:00

Well - although this is plenty excitement for me, writing about it isn't as interesting as actually being here. I guess the personalities contribute a great deal to the experience.

Walter, our contractor, is very comforting. He assures me that not only will everything be glorious when the kitchen is done, it might even be fun! He was chosen because of a recommendation from my garden club friend Dianne. Walter has been working in her subdivision for five years, being passed hand-to-hand, and doing repeat business with many of her neighbors. Dianne herself had her master bath done (just finished) and was amazed to come home one day and find that there were toothpicks all over the walls. The grout lines were so small that the toothpicks defined the spacing for the tiles.

So far Walter has talked me into granite countertops - I thought they would be too expensive, but it is the same price as Corian. I chose a beautiful slab that picks up the brown and ivory and has a vein of green in it. It is called Lady's Dream. I found a tile that will be used for the backsplash, in a diagonal configuration, to compliment the granite. Both go with the paint colors we had chosen in 2001, when we were GOING to do the kitchen and I lost my job.

Of course, the unintended consequence of this choice is that I can't really use stone-look flooring because it would look bad next to the real stone. Real stone is too hard. I searched for something that would look right and found linear cork flooring that is more than perfect. It will be good for my bad back and is beautiful. My only reservation is the warning on the pamphlet that says "Wet maintenance is strictly forbidden." What does that mean? Will it float?

In my ongoing search for flooring, countertops, cabinets, etc., I have met lots of interesting people. The manager of Georgian Stone is a very knowledgable woman who started with the company in a clerical position. She told me later that when she saw our cabinet sample and color selections, she already knew I would choose Lady's Dream. But she is part psychologist, so she let me look at everything, leading me, eventually to the slab that I chose.

Today I met the plumber, Winfred, a very nice man who sounds very confident and practical.

He will return tomorrow to run a new copper water line, INSIDE the insulation, and arrange for the dishwasher to move from right to left so that we can accommodate a corner cabinet lazy susan. He will also price on-demand water heaters for the kitchen and laundry bath which are furthest from our main water heater. With Georgia's drought, we can't be running the water, waiting for it to heat up.

The kitties had a chilly night. The heat pump that serves the solarium is camped on the same circuit as the oven that was removed. Of course that circuit was turned off.

More adventures to come.

Kitchen Remodeling - Day Two

2008-02-14T13:00:00.003-05:00

Not much changed today. The carpenters removed the shoe molding around the baseboard and took off the door and frame that used to cover my ironing board.

The ironing board was installed badly 28 years ago and there is no insulation behind it to shield us from the outside temps. Tonight I put packing tape around all the edges to prevent the wind from just blowing right in. Larry thinks this might be a job for Great Stuff insulating foam.

We discovered that the vent over the cooktop doesn't actually go anywhere. It was sort of duct taped to a short tube that barely made it past the insulation in the attic. It will have to be vented outside.

The good news is that Red opened up the sheetrock on the outside wall and found that the long-ago termites had only scratched the surface and hadn't actually damaged the wood. The copper water tube, however, had been installed on the OUTSIDE of the insulation - which explains why the tube burst before we even bought the house. We haven't had an ice maker in 22 years - no water line to feed it.

It seems that as soon as we decided to remodel, the money committed to this project screamed out for the rest of the money to come along! Last week we had to have a furnace and heat pump replaced that failed unexpectedly after only 6 years. Today, in addition to the remodel, we had to have upgrades to the security system. The frequencies assigned to the cell-phone type backup system had been revoked by the FCC. The FCC, however, didn't offer to pay for the upgrade.

The furniture company came to try unsuccessfully to fix the flaws in the new furniture. And the Salvation Army came with a full truck to pick up the huge, old three-piece sectional with two ottomans. They are coming back Thursday.

Enough turmoil for one day. Some progress though. The carpenters hung the saved cabinets in Larry's workshop, except for the one that should be over the desk which accidentally got thrown in the dumpster. Until we replace the desk, we don't know where to hang the cabinet.

Tomorrow is plumbing estimate day.

Kitchen Remodeling - Day One

2008-02-14T12:23:00.005-05:00

Monday, February 11

We were ready to start. After weeks of moving items from the kitchen, a little bit at a time, the day had finally come. We had overnight guests Thursday. Went out of town Friday and returned Saturday night for the final cleanout.

The guest bath vanity wasn't as big as it looked - or maybe the microwave was bigger - anyway the microwave is now in the office on the spare desk. This is inconvenient since the food that you would microwave is downstairs, at the other end of the house, in the refrigerator, which is now in the garage. The coffee maker is in the upstairs bathroom.

I bought a small selection of prepared foods to see if any of them are any good and a friend loaned me her small CrockPot, so we won't starve, although we won't be eating very well.

About 11 a.m. this morning the contractor , Walter, arrived with his two carpenters - brothers Red & Bud. They proceeded to tear out the cabinets, saving a few for Larry's workshop, leaving a barren landscape that made the cats think they had arrived on a different planet.

The cats, by the way, are gleeful. After 14 years of being confined to the kitchen, garage and outdoors, they are now living a luxurious life in the solarium, with chairs to sleep on. They have never been allowed to be on any furniture, so this is a real treat. Of course, the chairs are covered with sheets and canvas, to prevent happy kneading of paws from damaging the upholstery. The oriental rug, on which Tipper already tried claw sharpening, is now covered with a new piece of canvas duckcloth. They have numerous spots for napping and can see the bird feeders from the upholstered chairs. What more could they want.

I will probably never have any control over them again.

So tonight we tried Asian noodles in a bowl. They came with a high carb sauce and some dried vegetable scraps. We combined this with left over rotisserie chicken for the first of many wonderful meals to come.

Milwaukee as Vacation Spot

2007-09-02T20:20:00.000-04:00

Having just been to Milwaukee, I am again thinking that it is a perfect place for a charter trip. Years ago, I started making a list of the wonderful places to see and things to do and when the list was very long, my husband said, "Stop. Nobody is going to Milwaukee for three weeks!" Okay, so maybe not three weeks, but how about one week?

A centrally located hotel, relatively new, in the center of everything - or - the historically significant Pfister on the east side? That is the question. I think the Westin, within easy walking distance to the Milwaukee River and the fabulous Pabst Theater, as well as the Performing Arts Center and lots more. We can visit the Pfister for a special lunch and still enjoy the historic architecture and charm.

What to do first... perhaps an overview of the city from a Milwaukee River cruise with a short cruise onto Lake Michigan. What better way to appreciate the beautiful skyline as it runs along the shore of the Lake?
Then lunch at a riverside restaurant. The afternoon might include a visit to the beautiful Milwaukee
art museum designed by Santiago Calatrava.

What's a vacation without time for a nap? After the museum, there is still time for a rest before dinner at the wonderful Karl Ratzsch restaurant. The best in German food from Sauerbraten to Weinerschnitzel. After some good Rhein wine and seven layer torte for dessert, probably time to head back to the hotel.

Given good weather, day two will be casual. The bus leaves for the Boerner Botanical Garden and the fabulous display of peonies in bloom. This peaceful spot offers lots of room to walk or sit, as one wishes.

A box lunch, eaten at the surrounding park, will fortify the group for a trip to the antique airplane museum in Hales Corners.

On the way back to the hotel, serious plantaholics can be dropped off at the Mitchell Domes - a three dome display of indoor horticulture.

Dinner will be open as long as the group returns in time for an entertainment event at either the Milwaukee Performing Arts Center or the Pabst Theatre - depending on their schedules.

Day three provides time to shop and eat at the wonderfully renovated Third Ward. This district was once home to factories and warehouses which have now been converted to upscale stores, condominiums, and restaurants. An afternoon architectural tour, including a drive along the lakefront, gives weary feet a rest and ends in Miller Valley for a brewery tour. In the evening, visitors can choose a small theatre venue or a sporting event, or a quiet night at the hotel.

How long will visitors stay in Milwaukee? I don't know, but there is plenty to do and see and I think people who never get past Chicago are missing the boat.

Visiting Gastonia

2007-07-18T20:04:00.000-04:00

Life doesn't leave much time for blogging, but Larry and I had such a nice experience in Gastonia, North Carolina, that I thought I would share it.

We were on our way home from the National Congress of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Larry's responsibilities as congress chairman had made our time in Williamsburg pretty hectic, so we took a leisurely couple of days to meander home.

Dinner with Frances in Virginia Beach, and then a drive through the farm country of south Virginia to reach our old vacation grounds at Nags Head in the Outer Banks. The ferries were going to eat up most of a day so we took a right turn at Manteo and crossed over to the mainland. At the beginning of the bridge we found a touristy spot where they sold driftwood and seashells. We found some flower arranging treasures there and it started us thinking about what we might be missing as we speed along the interstate.

At Exit 17 on I-85, Larry turned off. The sign said there was a Shiele Museum and Planetarium, and another sign pointed to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, a lovely garden which we had visited in it's infancy. We found no further signs to the museum but followed the signs we did see to the Farmer's Market in Gastonia, NC.

Apparently this is a very popular spot since we had to wait to park! We saw people going back to their cars loaded down with bags of various sizes, all bulging with produce. I grabbed one of our big canvas bags and we headed into the big market building. At the first booth inside, Larry was attracted to some beautiful ears of white corn. The Market, at Broad Street and Long Ave., sits near the railroad tracks and we had no trouble finding it as the signs were arrayed along the main road in town.

This makes sense to me - a farmer's market where the produce is actually grown and harvested right there. At home we have a farmer's market where we don't have any idea where the produce comes from, but we are pretty sure it arrived by truck at the BIG Farmer's Market down by the airport.

Locally grown, freshly harvested and not trucked across the country. That makes sense. As a girl, I worked on the truck farm owned by my girlfriend Leigh Ann's parents. We went out in the field early, before the heat of the sun became intense. The black silt became embedded in every pore of your skin. We thinned lettuce and pulled radishes. Back at the house, we floated the radishes in a big horse trough to separate the good from the bad and bunched the good ones together with rubber bands. Then we climbed into the pickup truck to go and sell at the farmer's market. Locally grown, freshly harvested and trucked from New Berlin to West Allis, Wisconsin.

The selection in Gastonia was diverse. Larry chose a softball-sized watermelon and I picked a big, heavy cantaloupe. A locally grown strain of white-skinned cucumbers were intriguing, so we brought some home. The farmer informed me that the small ones we bought would not yield mature seed, but promised to swap with me later in the summer. I will send him some Burnt Russo tomato seeds from our garden.

At the end of the row, on the left side, we met a farmer who insisted that we take two ears of a bi-color hybrid corn named "Obsession". The clear yellow and white kernels were as shiny as glass and he obviously was pretty proud of them since he gave them to us for free. We ate them shortly after arriving home and now we understand the name "Obsession". The small cobs were sweet with generous kernels.

Loaded down with our produce, we made our way toward the door and the car, but stopped to talk with the local Lions who sold us a new broom and told us about where there were other attractions in town.

So we were right to suspect we were zipping past some interesting stuff. We will try to plan more time on our trips to take a few exits we haven't taken before. If you are going that way, the Farmer's Market is open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday during the season. Try the bi-color corn.

Born Volunteer

2007-02-16T19:39:00.000-05:00

I was an orange juice monitor in kindergarten and things haven't slowed down since. I thought about it today as I sat in a room full of women I had just met, at the women's club I have just joined, and I was focusing on not volunteering to DO anything. It won't last. It never does.

While there, in fact, I accidently volunteered to join a committee to determine the eventual use of a piece of trust property in our neighborhood. It wasn't intentional. The man said, "Would this be a conflict of interest for you?" He meant because I am chair of the county land trust, could I also serve on his committee. "No. It's not a conflict," I answered, and before the words left my mouth I knew I had once more volunteered.

Don't misunderstand. I support volunteering. I encourage volunteering. It's the right thing to do to keep community activities moving forward. But just once, I would like to join an organization, a club, a group, and try to just be a member. Let someone else make the effort, set the table, brew the coffee and I will just show up. I just want to try it.

At the changeover meeting of a local board, the new members were introduced and the old members introduced themselves. I am both old and new - held over. Each one in turn announced their name and their job designation. When it came to me I said, "I am Karin and I am here because I have skills."

As television's Monk often says, "It's a blessing and curse," having skills. It's good to know how to do things and be self sufficient but there are many who are not and they come to you like pilgrims to prophets. At first grateful for your assistance, later they take you for granted, and later still they are angry if you are unavailable. It is not a satisfying progression.

Sometimes I think fondly of time to myself. I could finish the painting on my easel. I would have to dust it first because it has been waiting for a long time. I could set up a seed starting area to prepare for spring in the garden. I could actually read a book. But this daydreaming will have to wait, because I have things I have to finish tonight - volunteer things.

Flower Show Judge School

2006-03-09T20:10:00.000-05:00

Just took the test this morning. Course II National Garden Club Judges School. They gave us three hours but after 90 minutes, having reviewed, I was ready to leave. It is never a good feeling to be the first one to leave a test room. What did I miss? Did I give it enough attention? This is a feeling I have had before - in college mainly. It didn't usually turn out too well there.

This morning I felt pretty confident though. The answers really were still in my head much to my surprise. As I drove out of the parking lot I remembered the answers to those I feel certain I missed. Now there is nothing to do but wait. It will be weeks before the manila envelope arrives in the mailbox with the scores and judge's notes.

Hope the horticulture judge appreciates that my answer about defining a perennial was meant to be a joke. "A plant which, had it lived, would have returned year after year." This is the most commonly used definition that I am aware of, so surely she has heard it before.

There was a lot covered in two days. Judging broad leaved evergreens and daffodils, awarding top ribbons, setting up a Standard Flower Show, Creative Design, and color theory. Even if I do not become a judge, many of the things we learned will assist me as classification chair of the local show.

This year I may write the schedule. I have had a theme in mind for several years and would like to work it out. It is not an original theme but one that would be challenging for the designers, interesting to those who view the designs, decorative for the show hall and appropriate to our community this year. We are building a new fine arts center and I would like to have the designers interpret pieces of fine art - familiar fine art - paintings that people recognize.

It would be better to have this kind of show in an art museum, as they do in Houston, but we have a state fair building to work in, so it will have to do.

A Good Start to the New Year

2006-01-01T20:07:00.000-05:00

What better way to start the New Year than in the garden? It was one of those rare days when the temperature is unseasonably warm, the mosquitoes are gone for the winter, and it was quiet. No leaf blowers, no screaming neighbor's children - you could hear yourself think and take time to listen to the birds. The quiet was punctuated by occasional leftover fireworks in the distance.

There is never a lack of things to do in the garden. A perfect day beckons you and you move easily from one thing to the next. Each chore, if they can even be called chores, leads you to the next. A patch of tiny 1" mondo grass was being intimidated by an approaching bed of liriope. The liriope removed was perfect to stem the erosion near a coral bark maple. The perennial bed near the maple needed to be edged and the grass removed was just the thing to fill a bare spot near the vegetable garden. Ah, the vegetable garden. The mulch needed some rearranging and some weeds needed to be pulled. On the way to the compost pile with the weeds, I walked the steps down to the moss garden and found they needed to be swept to remove the fallen leaves and reveal the beautiful patterns of the stone. While sweeping the steps, I discovered that the dry creek bed was also full of leaves and, with rain approaching, it too needed to be swept. And so it goes in the garden.

My alpha cat circled the work area, talking once in awhile, exploring the garden, leaping on imaginaries in grass beds. Can this actually be called "working" in the garden? When the cold returns, as it certainly will, my head will be filled with plans for next year's garden. The catalogs are already piling up. A cold winter's day, not so fine as this one, will find me inside, making lists and plans for more wonderful days working in the garden.

A Chinese New Year To Remember

2005-12-27T14:46:00.000-05:00

I am one of those people who get kind of down after Christmas, without anything to look forward to until Valentine's Day. But then I discovered Chinese New Year.

This holiday usually falls on a date that suits the after-holiday blahs perfectly. This year, it will be January 29th and will begin the Year of the Dog. Just enough time to plan an event, yet not too soon after the traditional American New Year's festivities.

The Chinese have lots of wonderful New Year traditions. For many years, my husband and I have organized a mixed bag of friends to join us at our favorite Chinese Restaurant for a celebration. We order an appropriate number of dishes, served family style. Everyone pays their own way.

The preparations are the most fun for me. Of course, there's a floral arrangement for the long table. Decorations relate to the animal who is chosen for the new year. In the past we have also added paper dragons hanging from the ceiling.

While we wait to be served, we look over printed information about what animal our birth year represents. There's lots of information to download at
http://www.new-year.co.uk/chinese/calendar.htm
Each animal has characteristics that are supposedly reflected in the person with whom the animal shares a year. Dogs, of course, are loyal.

I buy red envelopes and visit the bank for crisp, new bills. The Chinese gift young, single adults and children with money in red envelopes to insure them of good fortune in the new year. We bend the tradition a little by gifting the servers who take care of us, even though they are adults and usually married.

I researched the internet to find fortunes and we made up a few of our own. My favorite, "A man wrapped up in himself is a small package." Then we hand folded tiny origami (Japanese) envelopes and folded the small fortunes inside. Each of our guests chooses a fortune from a red enamel bowl and reads it to the gathering. It is sometimes strange how appropriate the fortunes are to those who receive them.

The restaurant staff seems to enjoy the event as much as the guests.

It takes a little time and coordination, but gives everyone something new to look forward to when the trees and candles have disappeared. Give it a try to brighten your January.
Check the main website for fortunes, graphics and floral ideas.

Letting go...

2005-12-07T21:34:00.000-05:00

I have a confession and I want to share it with those of you who may understand. I have trouble letting go of my flower arrangements.

Yesterday I made six arrangements for my garden club's Christmas luncheon and I was very fond of them. It was hard to give them away. Did they go to someone who would appreciate them? Were they good enough to give to someone else? Will the flowers hold up? What about the maypop? I never used maypop before. Will it be wilted tonight?

At home I have the same problem. The Thanksgiving cornucopia that I was so pleased with is looking pretty shabby, but it hasn't been thrown out yet. It should be, but it hasn't. I removed the wilted chrysanthemums. The leaves have been rearranged to hide the bare spots. Soon we will have to blow the dust off if I don't remove it to make way for something fresh.

Photographs make it a little easier to part with them. The special arrangements will stay with me digitally speaking.

I used to think it was because I had cut the material from the plants in my garden, and having raised and pampered the plants, I was a little attached. But even bought flowers have the same effect. Is there a 12-step program for this?

December already

2005-12-04T13:48:00.000-05:00

Now I know Christmas must be coming because I am wearing funny socks and gaudy holiday earrings. The Christmas tree is up and decorated. The panic to get the cards written is starting to be felt.

At our house, the top priority is finishing the ornaments. For 37 years we have made ornaments for family and ancient friends. Each year, we puzzle over what to make, and work on prototypes, and figure out details until - like now - we have to hurry to finish to get them in the mail.

When the families were small, there were fewer ornaments to be made. As the nieces and nephews began to have lives of their own, they were added to the list. Good friends made later in life were added as well. It is still a short list that hovers around 30-35.

As we decorated the tree last night we revisited ornaments past. "Remember when we glued this one and then put them in the stain and they all fell apart?" And we had the annual discussion of which are our favorites. We added comments on which ones we would never do again because they were too hard. And we considered possible designs for the future. We're good at thinking about this project. Getting started early enough is another thing.

Which reminds me that I still need to have five centerpieces in time for the garden club luncheon on Wednesday. Still without inspiration about something truly memorable, but that usually comes after I start. The good news is that the holly has put out lots of beautiful berries this year and is large enough to take a lot of trimming.

I hope that some of the visitors to Arranged for you... will share photos of their holiday arrangements. I really would love to see them. Send digital photos to karin@arrangingsupplies.com

Tis the season

2005-11-29T20:28:00.000-05:00

I know it's the Christmas season now because I burnt my fingers today with the hot glue gun making ornaments. It's sort of a tradition at our house, but was extended today to a group of garden club friends while we prepared for our annual Christmas Luncheon.

It is the tradition of our garden club for the officers to host the Christmas get together. This includes decorating the tables and making a small gift for each member. This year's gift is an angel ornament. The two six-foot long tables were covered with feathers, beads, trim, glue, scissors, wire cutters, ribbons, angel "hair". The resulting angels covered the creative spectrum from angelic to wild haired, and culturally included Irish, Chinese, Indian and angels of color.

Our creative fires were stoked with a plate of Christmas cookies.

As this year's president, I will have the privilege of making the centerpieces, but I still have a few days to marinate my thoughts on what they will be.

Instead of exchanging gifts, our club has decided to participate in the Figleaf Project of the Garden Clubs of Georgia. We will each bring packages of handkerchiefs, underwear or socks to send to one of the state hospitals for those patients who do not receive these necessities from their families. We earlier decorated small felt Christmas stockings for these same patients to wear during the holidays. Each stocking includes a dollar for the patient to spend at the hospital commissary.

In this year when we have experienced so many disasters here and throughout the world, these small kindnesses seem not nearly enough.

The New Georgia Aquarium

2005-11-25T18:31:00.000-05:00

We were fortunate today to be among the first 60,000 visitors to the new Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta. What a fabulous attraction. You could easily spend the afternoon just gazing at the main tank, which is enormous. and watching the variety of fish that it houses, including the two whale sharks, Ralph and Norton.

The smaller exhibits were also amazing -the five beluga whales, the jellyfish, the penguins. We will certainly return - probably when the hectic crowds of the opening have passed. It would be wonderful to sit quietly, alone, and just watch.

After walking about two miles inside the aquarium, we headed for home. Here I found that the Christmas arrangement on the mantle had finally died. Yes, Christmas. Because I take photographs for the website well ahead of the holiday, our house is usually decorated by unseasonal designs and often by left over flowers and foliage in vases.

So in keeping with this new habit, I suppose I should start on the New Year's Day design, or perhaps even Valentine's day, just to stay ahead. Would it be too early to start on Easter? Yes, I think so.

Tomorrow, just for us, I think I will build a mantlepiece design. I can take advantage of the newly reddened holly berries, and the white pine sprays I cut from the neighbor's trees so that we can see to safely leave our driveway. I set aside some particularly attractive pine cones and some lower branches of the magnolia are now large enough to trim. These simple ingredients may be enough, along with a few white candles on brass candlesticks, to dress the mantle for the real holiday to come.

A Traditional Thanksgiving

2005-11-24T11:33:00.000-05:00

We have embarked on our traditional Thanksgiving - four hours cooking, 15 minutes eating, and an hour or so of cleaning up. All so that we can have turkey sandwiches and leftover pie tomorrow.

The house already smells like fresh-baked bread and soon the scents of the pumpkin pie will start to float around. I am committing a sort of heresy today. I am trying someone else's pie recipe - one other than my mother's recipe, which is THE primary tradition in my family.

We have included some others in our feast. We topped up the thistle seed feeder for the goldfinches that refuse to fly further south. The bird feeder is freshly filled and the meal worms, set out for the bluebirds, are being devoured by the Carolina wrens. The hickory nuts that were damaged when I was trying to drill holes in them (for arrangements of course) were set out in a flat for the squirrels, who devoured them instantly, or possibly planted them throughout the garden and in wintered outside pots.

As I opened the can of condensed milk for the pie, the cats gathered at my feet. They are convinced that only good things for cats come in cans. I resisted. They will have turkey giblets from a can while we eat our dinner.

Last night we roasted chestnuts for the first time - not over an open fire - but in the oven. The split shells were still difficult to remove and I took a vow never to try this again. This morning we found a worm climbing on the outside of the compost container - probably from the shells I put there last night. Now I must examine the nut meats carefully, looking for worms, before chopping them for the dressing. My husband suggested putting the meats in the microwave and cooking the worms. "Once they're cooked," he said,"you'll never know the difference."

There is much to be grateful for. I just read this morning, "If the only prayer you ever say is 'Thank you', that is enough."

A Fresh Perspective on Your Garden

2005-11-23T21:08:00.000-05:00

Arranging gives you a fresh perspective on your garden and what you plant in it. You will begin to plant for the varied foliage and colors that make your arrangements interesting and, in turn, your garden will become more interesting as well. You don't have to buy flowers to make beautiful arrangements. You can even use fruits and vegetables and then eat your creation!

Particularly at this Thanksgiving holiday, the use of vegetables and nuts seems appropriate. The holiday just conjures images of a bounty of vegetables spilling from a cornucopia. I made one for myself, of found foliage in the garden, dried material I had sitting around, hickory nuts that I found in the parking lot at the YMCA and pheasant feathers that I had saved from a previous arrangement. I'm pleased with it.

Several Christmas holidays ago, we visited with our family in the San Francisco area. We were laughing at the Saturday Night Live skit where actors spoofed Martha Stewart by building an arrangement from "found items". The arrangement included crushed beer cans and old dog bones. Later, when the family went for a hike on Mount Diablo, everyone spontaneously began to put "found things" in their pockets. Even the kids came home with sticks, cones, rocks - all contributions to what became our Christmas table centerpiece. No cans or dog toys, but when our "found stuff" was supplemented with foliage from the garden, we had a very respectable looking arrangement.

Enjoy your holidays. There is lots to be grateful for.

Did you ever just want to talk?

2005-11-22T20:00:00.000-05:00

I think there are people out there who want to talk with someone about their hobby. People with questions. People with answers. I would like to add a message board to the site for that purpose, but let's start slowly. How about a blog? You can respond and people can respond to your response.

I had a call yesterday from a woman who was looking for monkey puzzle vine for her arrangements. I was able to find a designer in Florida who advised that it has been declared an endangered plant and so is no longer sold. It used to come from Costa Rica. Being endangered means it also can't be sold by people who already own it. Like ivory, this creates a trade in the material which may encourage others to poach it. Yep - plants get poached too.

Flower arrangers are usually gardeners in my experience. We started digging in the dirt and then wanted to bring our gardens inside. I wanted to enjoy my garden no matter what the temperature or the weather, so arranging seemed like the perfect answer.

My only frustration was with the limited access I had to all the toys available. The local "big box" had floral foam and some styrofoam and that's it. I wanted more. I live in a major metro area and have lots of places to shop and still couldn't find everything I wanted. So it occured to me that there must be arrangers all over the country - many of whom do not live next to dozens of stores - who would also want these things. So I built a website:

http://www.arrangingsupplies.com