Moving is hell on earth, they say.

Every time I think I can't do another thing, I think to myself, "Don't worry, you won't ever have to do this again if you don't want to!" It gives me the strength to go on for another half hour or so. This move is dragging on all month long. I don't know why. Probably because I refuse to take any vacation time for it. Plus I'm not a skilled packer because I hate to organize things but I know I have to, so I procrastinate since that's what I do best. I paid rent on my apt for November so I've put myself in this position. But now I am afraid to look at my bank account for fear that I won't have enough to rent a truck for my second-hand furniture. But I ought to start from the beginning instead of the end.

I found out that the roof needs fixed, the wiring needs updated before I can even put a dryer in or use a microwave and coffee maker at the same time, the carpet had a big hole in it and the lawn needed mowed but I don't know how to turn on a lawn mower!

Last week, I sensed anxiety lurking beneath my typically cocksure exterior when I found myself calling X whining, "Are you going to get out here and help me or not." Thankfully, I recovered from that fit of delusion within 24 hours. On my day off, I arrived at the house early. All by myself, just me. I had made an impulse purchase of some laminate wood flooring because I **thought** it was cheap. And now I had no idea how I'd get the carpet out and the flooring in. I felt lost. I fumbled around with the carpet where there was a big hole, and found that it came up easily. I got a hammer and a flat head screwdriver out of my little tool box and found that, while difficult, these items made it possible to rip out the trim and the pieces of wood nailed to the concrete that have little nails sticking up to somehow hold the carpet in place. I suffered some setbacks. I could not get some of it up and wanted to give up. I rifled around the workshop for something else to use. I cursed the former owner's family, who moved all of her things and took all of the tools out of the workshop. Yeah, I wanted to use Elizabeth's late husband Jack's tools, I'll admit it. But I was also pissed off that they would remove those tools from a place they'd been for 60 years. Jack had painted each tool turquoise and outlined a spot on the wall for each, so anyone would know where to return it. Now there are just outlines.

But I still rifled around. Then something caught my eye. An oddly shaped tool was hanging off one of the workbenches. Obviously they missed one. It was turquoise, after all. I pulled it out and thought, "hey this would work!" It looked like an iron snake, about 1 ft long. In minutes I had all the nasty wood strips with nails in them up and in a box, ready for the alley. I cut the carpet and padding up, rolled it all up neatly into small bundles and tied them with string. Then I called my brother and told him I needed him to help me with something.

He was worried. He knew what I wanted. I wanted him to get over there and take the carpet out for me. But when he got there, he was surprised to find that I had already done it! He helped carry the junk to the alley. Next day, I knew I had to paint at least the living room and dining room because I don't like dusty pink in EVERY room! I got my supplies and even bought a paint sprayer that ultimately didn't do much but waste my time and expensive paint.
And splatter the ceiling. By 2 pm the next day, the painting was complete. Good thing, because I had to be back working by around 2 a.m. The day after that, I checked my personal cell phone on my way home from work. Two missed calls from Brother. I called him back. "Where you at?" he questioned.

"On my way home."
"Which home?"
"A. P. T."
"Well come over to your new house. I want you to see something."
"What, what's the matter."
"Nothing, just come over."
"What are you doing over there?"
"Just get over here."

Lo and behold, Brother had spent all day laying my flooring. It looked incredible. And it helped make the paint color look not so much like a circa 1987 Golden Girls episode. I was SO grateful.

Finally, I wanted to thank Jack for having that tool in the first place and then hiding it so the evil family members couldn't steal it from us! I was grateful to Elizabeth for taking such meticulous care of the house for all those years. I was grateful to Brother for being such a good, kind guy. How'd he ever finally grow up to be this wonderful man? Finally, I was grateful to X for being SUCH A jerk on the phone that I decided I'd rather sleep on a floor with no electricity at ALL then to seriously consider begging him for his unskilled, grudging assistance.

Because you know what? I don't need him! All I need is to accept that I can take care of it myself.
I'm going to get a part time job at Home Depot if they give discounts. I have LOTS of stuff to do.

Yummy Pumpkin Dip

In the process of moving, I found a recipe I must have copied from somewhere. Sounds like something to try, perhaps.

Yummy Pumpkin Dip

2 8-oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 lg can pumpkin
2 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger

Whip together and serve in hollowed out small pumpkin. Serve on a plate covered with black licorice "worms" or any halloweenish candy such as candy corn. On the side, place ginger snaps for dipping....

Cranberry Pumpkin Upside Down cake with Niece

Niece and I made the most wonderful cake. It was SO easy. Niece wanted to stay at my apt all day, and our habits are simple: we either go to a museum or make something yummy. I had to make something anyway for a potluck the following day, so it worked out perfectly. She wore a brand new apron that I WAS going to give her for Christmas. I found the recipe in a friend's current Sunset magazine (Nov 07)

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter, + more for pans
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon dark or light rum (used dark)
1 1/3 cups cranberries , thawed or fresh (used fresh)
2/3 cup toasted coarsely chopped, toasted walnuts
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil (used safflower, all I had)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Whipped cream (eh, used cool whip because it was for a potluck)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9-in. square pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in brown sugar until blended. Remove from heat and whisk in rum. Pour mixture into prepared pan, evenly covering the bottom.

3. In a small bowl, combine cranberries and walnuts; arrange evenly over brown sugar mixture.

4. In a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed, beat eggs, pumpkin, oil, and granulated sugar until smooth. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir flour mixture into pumpkin mixture. Spread batter evenly over cranberries and walnuts.

5. Bake until a skewer inserted in the center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes in pan. Run a thin-bladed knife between cake and sides of pan, then invert cake onto a serving platter. Remove pan and parchment, and let cool at least 20 minutes. Serve slightly warm or cool, with whipped cream.

Holiday Dos and Don'ts

From our good friends who gave us the Woman's Home Companion and its wonderful "Cook Book."

In light of my tentative plans to bully every relation into coming to my (soon - to - be - I - hope) new home for Thanksgiving, I've been flipping through old magazines and cookbooks like a crazed fiend.

But of course, the plain sensibility of these tips in the small excerpt below have brought me back to reality. Somewhat.

Don't do more than your household is equipped to do with ease and distinction. The secret of good service is not to attempt too much.

Don't have more guests than you can take care of easily. People remember a restful well-served little dinner. No one has a good time at a crowded badly managed party.

Don't attempt dishes beyond your culinary skill. Try the fancy ones on your family before springing them on your friends.

Don't try to be grand. Everyone sees through it and nothing is so forlorn as a pretentious party. The most distinguished entertaining is simple, done with ease and naturalness.

Don't leave everything until the last minute. A tired flustered hostess is no good to herself or friends.

Do let the menu, service, decorations, etc., have the stamp of your personality. The talked-of party is the one reflecting the taste and individuality of the hostess. Mere correctness and routine are dull.

Do keep your table decorations low and the candles high. Your guests might like to see one another; mounds of flowers never furthered good table talk.

My new kitchen

I never knew how much time and money getting a freaking mortgage costs, but will it ever be worth it!

There have been few opportunities like this in my life, and I am ever so grateful that someone is willing to loan me money to buy a house that someone is willing to sell to me for the amount I can pay. It's worth much more. And I think it's the best house in the whole world.

Yes, that's a pink stove. I move in two weeks!

Belated vacation thoughts

I spent a week up North taking care of my elderly grandmother.
Couple cute things Grammy says:
"Swell"
"I don't give a rat's nose..."
"MH, would you be kind enough to..."

I mentioned that I enjoyed hearing some of those and she commented that my grandpa (who died while my mother was still a child) used to say, "I'll be go to hell" about everything, even when they were in public. She claims that it embarrassed her for years but talking about it to me produced a giggle. She told me again the famous War Story. He was on Iwo Jima. It's pretty much the exact story of Flags of our Fathers, except for a few small details. He wasn't one of the guys raising the flag, but he did endure some terrible things. What I love is how this has been talked about in our family for years, and we thought it was OUR story. I guess it wasn't!

Although I can't stand the sight or smell of any meat, I knew that Grammy would not be happy without her regular meat-centered meals.

For breakfast, I usually made for her eggs and bacon or sausage. Good thing she likes her bacon crispy. I tried making a dish fondly referred to as potato-egg-cheese-stuff (pictured before I threw everything in a skillet). She loves that. It's a mixture of omelette ingredients plus whatever meat and cheese is sitting around.

One morning we had french toast. Another morning, we made cinnamon rolls and Grammy "made" a heavenly cream cheese frosting for them. I measured and mixed, but she told me exactly what she wanted done! She used to make cinnamon toast for my brother and I when we would spend the night at her house.

For dinner, I was on my own in deciding what to make. She naps during the day, so I couldn't very well wake her up to ask what she'd prefer to eat in a couple hours.

I dug out a few of her old cookbooks and used the local fundraiser ones. I found recipes that she had submitted and used them! I made a salmon loaf, fried chicken and beef stroganoff. Chicken salad (pictured) for lunch once. I found it curious that she didn't have there any of her Irish recipes. She said, "Now why would I give my best recipes to people I don't even know?"

We drank coffee all day long, but went without the whiskey, thankfully. Although, I did see a stockpile of Irish and Scotch whiskey in one of the pantries. I wondered why she didn't ask for it. Her chief duty was to think up things for me to get for her at the store. One trip was to satisfy her sweet tooth. Although there were already countless sugar-packed goodies scattered about in little dishes or shut away in cupboards, I ended up with a list for the following:
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (the small ones)
Small Hershey's Candy Bars
3 Kinds of chocolate, small sized in a big bag
Pepperridge Farm Milanos
Pepperridge Farm Sugar Cookies
Pepperridge Farm cookie of your choice

But I made sure that she had lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. It was Peach season so they were a staple.

A couple of days, Grammy was tired and crabby. She sometimes had trouble walking. It was a pleasure to wait on her and take care of every small need.

She now lives in a house that my uncle bought for her to live in. It has extra bedrooms for family members to visit for extended periods. It is a beautiful house. The kitchen is amazing. I can't remember ever having so much fun just cleaning a space. Her bedroom looks like a young girl's dream room. The bed linens are pink and white, and the bedroom set is from her old house, except it was from one of the girl's rooms. Funny that she is now using her children's furniture. It works very well for her needs.

We did indeed spend many hours playing Scrabble. I won maybe two or three games out of the dozens we played. I think she has the whole Scrabble Dictionary memorized.

Home Stuff: Tile Ideas

More likely than not, any kitchen I own will need to be gutted. I'm thinking of incorporating decorative tiles.

Here is a beautiful medallion from Terrapin Tile. I used to collect an old china pattern from the '60s by Noritake called Cielito Lindo. I still have it and have considered bringing it out again. This might go well with it, if I could get blue. Green is nice too.

Today I seem to be leaning towards greenish bluish tiles for some reason. I don't know why. This Morning Glory tile from Earth Song Tiles is another possibility.

I love the designs at Ravenstone Tiles. This one is called Windswept Tree. I think it comes is different sizes.

TilesandTiles.com offers free samples! Must investigate them more.

Vacation. What will I do?

I think this time, I'll have plenty of opportunity for quiet reflection, since I'll be spending a week Up North taking care of my Grammy. She likes Scrabble, coffee with Irish whiskey and a DROP of heavy cream, and Cobb salad with Roquefort dressing. I like Scrabble and coffee. And I don't mind a drop of Irish whiskey, so I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time.

Last time I was there, I was able to get her to give me some of her old recipes. I treasure them! I think this time, I'm going to borrow a camcorder from one of my aunts so I can record her telling some of her favorite old stories. She loves to tell stories with no real point. That must be where I get it from. But still, I love them all. There is one she likes to tell every time anyone brings up the subject of donuts.

"Ooooooh JesusMaryandJoseph child, how blessed we were when Momma found an extra few pennies for us, before we lost her bless her soul I miss her like the dickens what a good woman she was and my lovely granddaughter reminds me of her every time I see her beautiful smile she does.... where was I? Anyhow darling, Mamma would give us a penny, and I would take the twins over to the bakery, you don't know what a luxury it was back then to live near a bakery where you could get the freshest bread for nothing. And Lord forgive me for it but oh how I did love to eat the donuts and the cake that you could buy for just a penny! Bless her soul, she had such a good heart, much like my beautiful granddaughter before me today, and oh! She gave me the best gift a mother could give a daughter, my dear. My child-like faith in God, MH. I have always had a child-like faith, I'm sure you know, and it was herself who gave it to me, yes it was. Anyhow my dear, by and by there was no more coffee and not a penny for that, not to mention bread. And it was oh such torture living near such a thing as a bakery then. But when we did have that extra penny again, why do you think we relished such a thing as a donut? Because we were lucky to have our lives. The Lord rewards gratitude and punishes arrogance, MH, and that is why there but for the Grace of Him goes me. "

Can't wait!

Couches!

I need to buy a couch for the new house. Or whatever it will be. I already know sort-of what I want, and it probably won't match my old stuff. Oh well. I've learned that comfort is important. As previously complained about, I have lived without a couch for YEARS, and I'm getting quite sick of sitting on the floor every time I want to watch a DVD.

The ad I have tacked to my fridge with a pizza hut magnet is this one from Pruitt's. They have it listed at the furniture company's website as being on sale for $798 but my ad is from the big "7-7-7" sale, in which it was only $777. I'll try to get that price if I choose to go over there. I don't like pillows for backs of couches, but hey. It's cheap. er than the other sectionals out there. I've saved this same couch ad I don't know how many times over the past year or so. It's always a different price.

I would go to Ashley Furniture, but they are notorious on complaints.com so I'll just go on to the next big retailer.

Thomasville offers what they call the MetroSectional but I don't know what the price is. I like it because it seems just the right size for little old MH who won't need much room at all!


Wow! JCPenney has furniture! Who knew? Their prices aren't half bad, either.

This one is called the Kelsey and it's on sale for $899. If you want the ottoman, it will be an extra $199 though.

Murphy Bed, Wall Bed for office / guest / sewing rm

First thing's first. I received a quote from the Murphy Bed Company. Very pricey for what I wanted, which was a wall unit with book shelves and just a couple of little drawers. I guess when your NAME is Murphy bed, you can do that. But it did cause me to consider doing a bit more research. Not saying the pricing is BAD, because it isn't that bad. I guess.

FlyingBeds.com has some wonderful options and from the website, a bigger selection. I'm considering the SmartBeds because I want to use a spare bedroom for additional things besides being a guest room. I have not been able to tell which beds are absolutely *not* standard mattress sized though. Looks like some of the mattresses pictured are too thin. They have a link to the Twirly Bed, which is definitely something I'd like to have. But dang, the prices!

I checked out the specials page of Wilding Wall Beds. Eh. Nice beds but can't they do any better when the stuff is damaged? Sheesh! I have to admit that these prices are generally better than the rest from what I've seen so far. And it isn't much.

I can only find one place in AZ that claims to have them. Classy Closets in Scottsdale or Chandler. No price lists.

I'll add to this post as time goes on because I want to keep the info organized!

A new home for MH? Could it be?

I'm VERY happy: copied from my other blog...



So I've moved on to what I want. I want a house of my own!

I called a mortgage place yesterday to see how many decades it will be before I will actually be able to buy a home on a FIXED rate. And surprise! When they called me back I was tentatively approved for over TWICE what I thought I would ever be able to spend. This is thanks to all the raises I've been getting lately I guess. Plus my credit hasn't been completely wrecked by the divorce. Wow. Do I deserve a stroke of good luck? Crap, I know I just jinxed myself with that last sentence.

So now the search is on for a new home. I took some time while not being able to sleep last night to write down my must-haves:

• AT LEAST washer/dryer hook-ups. No more coin-op or take-out laundry for MH! Yay!
• Area for a dog to run and play. Grassy area. So I can have a dog. Plus I need at least a container garden.
  
• BIG kitchen (or at least room to enlarge kitchen) because I have three awesome metal cabinets from the forties that NEED to stay in the kitchen.

IF it's a condo or townhouse:

• Lots of storage
• Two bedroom w/ at least 1.75 baths
• Private outside area for my morning coffee
• LOW HOA
• Nice neighborhood to preserve my morning run.

IF it's a house:

• It CANNOT be newer than 1960 (unless I just go with brand new, which I doubt)
• Fence
• Two baths or room to grow
• Original kitchen and maybe baths
• Must not add up to more than I can afford INCLUDING extras

What I will need to buy: I need a couch. I have not had a couch for three years.

I want to buy a Murphy bed for the guest room/space so I can also use it as a sewing room and office. There is an awesome Murphy bed that has a desk top on the outside, which gently floats down when you pull the bed down. It probably costs around $3 grand though. I could frickin' make my own for that kind of money! But that's what I want.

I NEED to get a new bed. The last time I had a brand new bed, it was when my parents bought me a daybed when I moved out. That was, let's see, 17 years ago! I slept on the daybed for 10 years. Then I bought an old full-sized bed from craigslist for $40. It is from the fifties. I don't recommend sleeping on a mattress from the fifties, even if it is from SEARS. When my sister came to visit, I broke out the air mattress for her. It's a queen size! She raved about how comfortable it is "for an air mattress." After she left, I thought it would be fun to try it out and I have been sleeping on it ever since. It's SO much nicer than that crappy old thing. So I need a new bed. I might upgrade to a queen size too. Not sure.

That's really all. Except for appliances if the "new" place doesn't have them. But I sincerely hope it does. I want AUTHENTIC appliances. I want the counter-top RANGE and the WALL oven.

I think I'll copy most of this post to my other blog and try to keep all of this boring house crap over there.

Another niece, another birthday...

One of my nieces just turned thirteen.

To celebrate, we lunched at her favorite Italian restaurant, then headed - where else- to the mall. I haven't been this tired since her birthday last year, which definitely took its toll. Thankfully, we didn't have to relive the "make-over" experience, which turned out to be not entirely a success. No, this time I played it safe. I bought a B&N gift card. That is always sure to win the approval of her overprotective dad.

I also resisted suggesting that she try on the darling spaghetti strapped dresses that are so popular this year and still selling like hotcakes here in the valley. We perused just about every store in the mall, I think. My most memorable visit: Williams Sonoma. They had the CUTEST choo choo train cake forms and cookie cutters. Also the sweetest octopus bundt cake pan and apron. I'll be back when my nephew turns seven in a few weeks. He is beginning to think of himself as quite the chef lately.

The clothing at the mall was largely forgettable. Too much Three's Company, not enough Donna Reed. The sales were hardly sales. Maybe I'm a cheapskate.

Although we were still completely stuffed from lunch, Niece wasn't going to leave the premises until we hit The Cheesecake Factory. I ordered the Godiva Chocolate cheesecake and a cup of coffee while she ordered the new White Chocolate Macadamia Nut. After my second cup, I had sufficiently re energized my poor old bones enough to make a second trip to Sephora so Niece could finagle a couple of Bare Minerals purchases to the tune of over $120! Gracious. These kids are getting more expensive by the year.

All in all, it was a great day, and I don't regret one penny I spent.

Stay awake during a road trip

The older I get, the harder it is for me to stay awake at the wheel during a long road trip. Here are some great tips from Justin Glow at my favorite travel blog, Gadling.

Six Tips to Stay Awake on Road Trips

I am in the early stages of planning for my next vacation. It was easy to rule out international travel this year, due to the horrible value of the US dollar. I am still not sure where I will go or how I will get there. I have ideas, but I think I will save them for my next post.

And the benefits keep on coming; wine and its antibacterial agents

According to a news release by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, wine has been found to "combat oral bacteria."

"Overall, our findings seem to indicate that wine can act as an effective antimicrobial agent against the tested pathogenic oral streptococci and might be active in caries and upper respiratory tract pathologies prevention"

Soon we'll read about the wonders of wine's stain-fighting action. I would pay big bucks for a good merlot guaranteed not to stain white cotton capris.

Olive oil outside of the salad bowl and skillet

Found this excellent blog, Curbly; and 25 uses for olive oil.

Spice Racks

In my other blog, I discussed at some length what I gave my niece for graduation. When she does finally get her own place, she will be well taken care-of with housewares. My mom and I have stored just about everything she would need, and Niece has been given veto power. If she doesn't like something, it just goes to the Salvation Army.

Today, it occurred to me that one thing Niece will need is a spice rack. It was one of the first things I bought when I moved out. I felt like such an adult as I proudly placed it on the counter next to the stove! So I've been looking around. Here are some of my favorites:

From abodecookware, Define 6. I LOVE teak, and the metal containers are nice, since it's always a good idea to keep spices in darkness. I just wish that for the price, £31.95 plus shipping, we could get more than 6 at a time!

iKitchen has many great choices, and I see that they are having a Memorial Day sale right now. I'm going to record the regular prices, since I don't plan on buying today or tomorrow. First up, the Magnetic Canister set by Pfatlzgraff. I like the idea, but I also think it's important for each spice to be labeled, and that the cook doesn't have to search for the label. It is priced at $41.99. My personal favorite is the KitchenArt Carousel. It is compact, and stackable. There are pre-printed labels to stick on the outside, and it can even measure in 1/4 tsp increments. Ouchie! $49.99 is a bit steep, but a quick eBay drive-by calmed my shocked nerves. I found one listed at $9.99 plus shipping. Before moving on, I have one last favorite from iKitchen. It's also by Pfaltzgraff; a 24-Jar Revolving, with cute little jars and clearly labeled tops. It is pricey at $55.99.

TheTubularSpiceCo is another wonderful site. They have a few outstanding gift sets, one of which comes with a set of measuring spoons, a funnel, and a unique mortar & pestle made of stainless steel. Hm. I don't know if I would use a metal mortar & pestle. Another gift set comes with measuring cups and the tubes are set in a wood block, which is pretty cool. The only problem with the tubes (which I think are groove-o-matic, don't get me wrong) is the cork tops. Cork doesn't last as long as glass. Eventually, the cork will dry out or will get damaged after being used, and what do you do then? The pictured gift set is on sale for $89.99. Check out what they have over there! They also sell organic spices. Yes!

Again, I realize that these are pricey, but I am swooning over this beautiful work of art from Williams-Sonoma. If I had this set, I would probably end up turning the jars inward and using my own personal labeler. It costs a whopping $115.

StacksAndStacks has a few reasonably prices options, and a great selection. I like their square stainless lidded jars with mini-grinders. It can be stored on the counter or on the wall. Great for young people! It has nine jars and comes with labels! Great! I think it's a steal at only $32.99. For small spaces, this stacking spice rack has three drawers, and you can just throw your spices in there as soon as you get home from the store. Also a smart option for young adults. $39.99.

I would love to find some product reviews on some of these items. If anyone has experience or opinions about them, they are welcome to post a comment.

Old Recipes

I have a vast collection of old recipes. The hand-written recipes on 3x5 cards are my favorite. My grandmother gave me many of hers, which contained some of her mother's; who died when my grandmother was only a girl of 15. Wow! That's a long time ago! It's wonderful to have something of my great-grandmother's, written by her own hand, and was valued greatly by her.

My appreciation for these old recipes began when I was in junior high. I was extremely shy as a child. My mom had a unique idea. On Saturdays, we would rise early, stop at Dunkin' Donuts, and head straight for an estate auction somewhere nearby. She would give me $20 and encourage me to bid on whatever I wanted.

I made some great buys. Once I bought an old army trunk full of antique hats and purses. When we got home, I pulled everything out and matched the hats and purses together. My bed was completely covered. I tried on my favorite hat. I grabbed the "matching" purse, and put my Bonne Bell lip gloss in, and pranced around the house for awhile. Soon, I reached in to retrieve the lip gloss. I couldn't feel it. I opened the purse wide, and saw that there was a hole in the lining at the bottom corner.

I fished out the gloss, thereby making the hole even bigger. But I could also feel something else. I fished it out. It was an old $5 bill. I was so excited, I started checking all the purses. From them, I found over $200 in old bills. It was a wonderful lesson, and the people behind their old belongings became fodder for my imagination and appreciation. I spent hours thinking about the previous owners of my finds.

One time, we attended an auction at a beautiful old home. Everything was so fancy, I could not bid, having only $20. One of the last things to be auctioned was an old box full of newspaper clippings, stationary and - that's right - 3x5 cards. I bid on it just because I didn't want to leave empty handed. I got the whole box for $1, as nobody else wanted it.

When I got home, I emptied the box on my bed, as usual. I organized the papers. The recipes stood out to me. Firstly, some of the dishes seemed tasty. Secondly, I thought it an awful large amount of work for a person to print out each of these cards, dozens, maybe over 100 of them. I gathered them up and ran down to the kitchen, where my mom was preparing some Saturday sloppy joes. I showed her the cards with amazement. She laughed, and pulled out her own box. "Here are my favorite recipes. Someday you will have your own box. It makes life easier."

I saw my mother's familiar, neat cursive, patiently instructing the reader how to prepare some of my personal favorite things to eat, such as "Special Occasion Chili Dip" and "Roast Beef Stew." I asked her if I could have her recipes when she dies. "Of course, you can have them any time you want them." I went back to my room to put everything back in the box.


I thought about the lady who had loved those recipes. I wondered how in the world someone could forget about their mother's prized recipes, which were prepared for the health and enjoyment of her family.

Ever since that day, I have never passed up an opportunity to get my hands on hand-written recipes. Somehow, I believe that someone should appreciate them, and I do. I have probably fifty recipes for chocolate cake, but it's not only the recipe that endears it to me. It is the handwriting, the stains from use, the comments added later like "good!" and especially the love that went into the preparation of the food each and every time the card was used.

Summer entertaining and the perfect gift - Bedside Pitcher

I call this the perfect gift, but of course it isn't for everyone. Just MOST people. It is an excellent housewarming gift. I like to give this to anyone who has a guest room whenever the occasion calls for a gift.

Where can you find one of these? They aren't as common as you would think. I have purchased at least a dozen from Pier1, and at only $7.00, it is a KILLER deal, especially when you have to nurture your inner sucker if you fall for Crate & Barrel's pricing for what appears to be the same exact thing at $14.95.


Wrapables offers a slightly different design, which I do not have. Looks cute. I like the handle. But I'm not paying the advertised $21.95 and that's final.



The sad loser is Restoration Hardware. What a disappointment! Nice design, but is it WORTH $25? Do not think so, dear. They do redeem themselves slightly with looks to me to be the most attractive design out of them all, with a price which unfortunately is not as bad as some. They call it their Bottle Carafe.

One might suspect that I am a cheapskate. But it's not the case. As I always say: When you are poor, you are either responsible with what little you have or you are an idiot. The idea of being cheap is not a factor. Anyway.

I may be persuaded to spend a bit extra just because I love VivaTerra. Their version of the above is recycled and seems to have a slight blue-green tint. $24.

The wonderful thing about these little sets is that you do not have to use it for just water. You like mojitos but your friend wants a margarita on the rocks? No problem! Make a small pitcher of each. Great, it's only 10 a.m. and I'm already wishing I had a mojito.