one week ago... {april 30, 2022}

Reflections on last Saturday, April 23, 2022.

It's been a week since L and A were married. What an event! It was perfect for them: a reflection of their love for one another and their love for family, friends, and life. This week I've been thinking a lot about their wedding weekend, writing thoughts and looking at photos to cement memories.

An April wedding in Chicago carries a lot of uncertainty when it comes to weather. Will it be rainy, will there be snow or even a blizzard (it's happened), will it be cold, will it be warm, what to tell people to wear (keep your eyes on the weather app and bring a couple different changes of clothes). It was ugly and rainy on Thursday and Friday. The weather app kept changing for Saturday but then the angels stepped in, smiled down upon L and A, and gave them an absolutely gorgeous wedding day. It was breezy, but hey, that's the Windy City for you. Sunday it went back to cloudy with a little bit of rain. 

My daughter is a beautiful young woman. Every mom will say that about her daughter and it's always true. But to see her in her wedding dress with the glow that love and happiness bring, took my breath away.

The memory table in the foyer. My parents, T's dad, dear friends who recently passed, A's dad, and grandparents. Those are the angels who willed this beautiful day for the kids.

My boys escorted me to my seat. Talk about a lump in my throat. My oldest and youngest, one will be a dad soon. They each gave me a hug before going back to line up in the procession. My boys. What a precious memory.

T walking his daughter down the steps and the aisle. What a beautiful father/daughter moment. And then the question, "Who gives this woman to marry this man?" "Her mother and I." T gave A a big hug that said, "We love you and we know you will take good care of our little girl." She will always be our daughter but now she will start a new and exciting role as A's wife. 

The officiant was nothing short of amazing. He nailed the spiritual aspect of marriage but wasn't preachy. He brought real life into the ceremony. His words made L and A relax, smile, and laugh with their happy tears. So many guests commented that he was the best officiant from any wedding they had attended. This young man has a promising future ahead of him. 

After the ceremony, cocktail hour with a mariachi band. We knew the evening ahead was going to be fun, but these guys amped up the start of the celebration.

The the bridal party introduction. The groom's parents were introduced with "Sweet Home Chicago," dressed in Blues Brothers style with hats and sunglasses. T and I made our entrance to the Doobie Brothers "Long Train Runnin'." Without love, where would you be now...people were singing.

The rest of the evening was dinner and cake, speeches from FOB T, the maid of honor, and the two best men. All tear jerkers (for me).

When it was time for the dances, the DJ asked everyone to come to the dance floor and make a circle around L and A for their first dance as husband and wife. People obliged and stayed for the father/daughter dance and then the mother/son dance. A and his mom are good dancers. Their song segued into "Vivir Mi Vida" by Marc Anthony which then brought everyone to the dance floor. And people danced all night long.

Weddings are such happy celebrations. They bring together family and friends, the people who mean the most to L and A and to their families. Half of the people attend the wedding because of the bride and the other half because of the groom. But they all are there to celebrate the couple and the promise of a new life that is ahead of them. 

mac and cheese {april 29, 2022}

42 years ago my mom gave me this Betty Crocker's cookbook. This was the beginning of a three generation line of succession: Her mom had a Betty Crocker cookbook, she had a Betty Crocker cookbook, and back in 1980 it was my turn to carry on the tradition of owning a Betty Crocker cookbook. My girls don't have many cookbooks; they turn to the internet to find recipes. I want this tradition to continue for four generations so Santa will put this book underneath the Christmas tree this year for them. Who knows...maybe they will find a recipe that will carry along with them for 42+ years.

My most used recipe, macaroni and cheese, is on page 117 in that book. I made the mac and cheese when T and I were newly married and lived on a tight budget. That macaroni and cheese gave me calm dinners with my four kids. Every single one of them liked it. No "Eeeewwwww" or "This is gross" when this was on the table. It was comfort food when they didn't feel well. When the kids were involved in sports, I served it at many team dinners. When they went off to college and lived  in apartments, I made this mac and cheese to take to the apartment gangs, usually during exam week when stress was high and food was sparse at the end of the semester. 

This weekend I made a triple batch of macaroni and cheese to go up to Cleveland to be consumed at a Diaper Party in honor of my son and his soon-to-be-born baby boy. If you're wondering what a Diaper Party is, it's the guys version of a baby shower. The guys supply the soon-to-be dad with diapers and they grill out and drink beer. Smoked meats, mac and cheese, and beer. Life is good. And when my grandson is old enough to eat solid food, I will use this recipe to make macaroni and cheese for him, tell him that his daddy loved it, and hopefully he will love it, too.

The ingredients are ready to go. Before you comment on the Velveeta, I like to use it for macaroni and cheese. It melts so easily and is delightfully cheesy. It has been the cheese of choice for 42 years.

The big puddle of cheese sauce.

Mixing the cheese sauce into the macaroni. This huge bowl came from the Sears snack shop when my dad was a store manager. The snack shop closed and my dad bought a bunch of the industrial sized mixing bowls. To this day, I use it all the time with big recipes.

hoppin' john {april 28, 2022}

I am a practical and efficient grocery shopper. I go in with my list, know what brands I like but keep an eye out for sales, and have my credit card in my pocket so it's readily available when it's time to pay. There is another side to my practicality and efficiency. It's the one where labels catch my eye (I have purchased so many bottles of wine because of the label), where a twist on the usual veggies begs me to buy it (hello Romanesco, golden beets, watermelon radish, and rainbow Swiss chard), and where the product is the same but different (yellow-eyed peas instead of black-eyed peas).

Yellow-eyed peas are like black-eyed peas but have a yellow oval in the middle instead of a black one. They are popular in the South. In parts of South Carolina Hoppin' John is made with yellow-eyed peas instead of black-eyed peas. 

My pantry has quite a collection of beans and legumes. I have slowly been reducing the number of packages so I can buy some more goodies that have caught my eye. Cranberry beans...yes, please!

I've wanted to use the yellow-eyed peas and the perfect storm came together for last night's dinner. A ham hock left over from Easter, the yellow-eyed peas, brown rice, and veggies from the fridge that needed to be used. Hoppin' John.

Hoppin' John

Ingredients

1 rib celery, diced

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 small green bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces dried black-eyed peas (about 1 1/4 cups)

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 heaping teaspoon Cajun seasoning

2 cups long-grain rice

Scallions or green onions, chopped, for garnish

Cooked collard greens, kale, beet tops, or turnip greens, for serving

1/3 pound bacon, or 1 ham hock plus 2 tablespoons oil


If you are using bacon, cut it into small pieces and cook it slowly in a medium pot over medium-low heat. If you are using a ham hock, heat the oil in the pot.


Once the bacon is crispy (or the oil is hot if you are using a ham hock and not bacon), increase the heat to medium-high and add the celery, onion, and green pepper and saute until they begin to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir well, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.



Add the black-eyed peas, bay leaf, thyme, and Cajun seasoning and cover with 4 cups of water. If you are using the ham hock, add it to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for an hour to an hour and a half, (less time or more depending on the freshness of the black-eyed peas) until the peas are tender (not mushy).




While the black-eyed peas are cooking, cook the rice separately according to package instructions.



When the black-eyed peas are tender, strain out the remaining cooking water. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste the black-eyed peas for salt and add if needed. If using a ham hock, remove it from the pot, pull off the meat, and return the meat to the pot.



Serve the dish either by placing a ladle-full of black-eyed peas over steamed rice, or by mixing the two together in a large bowl. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serve with collard greens, kale, beet tops, or turnip greens.


wordy wednesday...quiddle {april 27, 2022}

This is the last Wordy Wednesday in celebration of National Poetry Month. 

Teaching was my second career. When I did my student teaching with 5th graders, my boss teacher introduced a vocabulary/poetry/writing lesson with a poem, "Quiddling with Words." I love this poem for so many reasons: introduction of some catchy words (perforate, ricochet, quiddle), defining perforate and ricochet in the poem where the reader can visualize the words rather than reading them from a dictionary, the fact that poems don't have to rhyme, the "aha!" alphabetical order moment. So much to learn from a short, fun piece of writing.

flowery walk {april 26, 2022}

When T and I left for Chicago last Wednesday our spring temps had been chilly. Although the flowering trees showed signs of blooming, the flower buds were shut tight. While we were out-of-state, Ohio had a warm (hot) streak and when we returned on Monday, the trees were in full bloom. A couple of the cul-de-sacs in the neighborhood are lined with hawthorn trees and it was such a beautiful sight to see these flowering sentinels lining the streets. White petal confetti sprinkled the lawns and lined the sidewalk. I'll take this springtime snow over winter's any day.

oz park {april 25, 2022}

13-acre Oz Park was created in 1974 as part of an urban renewal program for Lincoln Park. In 1976 the park was officially named Oz Park to honor Lyman Frank Baum (author of the Wizard of Oz)  who settled in Chicago in 1891, several miles west of this area.

After our joyful but exhausting wedding weekend, T and I needed a relaxing breath of fresh air. An evening stroll with our daughter's dog was just what all of us needed. The park was bustling with children playing at Dorothy's Playground, a Little League baseball game at the ball diamond, tennis and pickleball players on the courts, dog owners watching their dogs on the open field (a dog park would be a wonderful addition), walkers enjoying a stroll on the sidewalks, people sitting on the benches in the Emerald City flower garden to read, visit, or enjoy their ice cream cone from the across-the-street Dairy Queen. Oz Park is a green oasis in this urban neighborhood. 

"No one can love who has not a heart, and so I am resolved to ask Oz to give me one."

        

   I’m afraid there’s no denyin’

                            I’m just a dandy lion

                            A fate I don’t deserve

                             I’m sure I could share my prowess

                             Be a lion, not a mouse

                             If I only had the nerve.

                                                               

"Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

"The sum of the square roots of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side. Oh joy! Rapture!"

they're married! {april 24, 2022}

After a two year wait, these two are married. Here's to love. Here's to forever.

***Photos: Svarda Studios, Chicago, IL

rehearsal {april 23, 2022}

The Fantastic 4.
A sibling bond like no other.

Sweet child o' mine, my beautiful daughter-in-love...coming soon sweet child o' theirs

My boys, my boys, my boys...talking 'bout my boys

The first of many heartfelt, tear inducing speeches for the weekend.

Sister tattoos. One got covered up by the spray tan but it's there forever, just like the bond between my girls.

chicago {april 22, 2022}

"My kind of town
Chicago is my kind of town
Chicago is my kind of raz-ma-taz..."

~ Frank Sinatra

The day before daughter's wedding. I knew this would happen. I'm awake to see the sun rise over Lake Michigan from my window with a sliver of a lake view. The city is quiet at 6:00 a.m. and watching the sun inch its way up is a beautiful way to start the day. All my kids are here, my siblings and their families arrive today, friends are on their way. It's such a blessing to have so many people you love all in one place to celebrate love. 

east meets west {april 21, 2022}

"Oh, east is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet."

~ Rudyard Kipling

"Well, Art is Art, isn't it? Still, on the other hand, water is water. And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now you tell me what you know."

~ Groucho Marx

wordy wednesday...tintinnabulation {april 20, 2022}

In keeping with Wordy Wednesday and National Poetry month, this week's word comes from Edgar Allen Poe's poem, "The Bells."

Tintinnabulation (noun): the ringing or sound of bells

The Bells

~ Edgar Allen Poe

Hear the sledges with the bells—

 Silver bells!

What a world of merriment their melody foretells!

        How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,

           In the icy air of night!

        While the stars that oversprinkle

        All the heavens, seem to twinkle

           With a crystalline delight;

         Keeping time, time, time,

         In a sort of Runic rhyme,

To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells

       From the bells, bells, bells, bells,

               Bells, bells, bells—

  From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.

The bell theme rings big for me this week. Saturday wedding bells will ring for my daughter and the love of her life. Today is also my goofy chocolate Lab's birthday. He was 13 years old when he crossed the rainbow bridge in 2020. When the doorbell rang, he would bark relentlessly at the door. This sweet boy had a big, loud bark and would scare off any solicitors before I opened the door. 

Hunter
4/20/2007 - 6/2/2020

 

clash of the seasons {april 19, 2022}

Blue skies and sunshine one day, snowy the next, 80° this weekend. 

April Fools...again!

breathe deep {april 18, 2022}

The blessings (or possibly the curse) of being an English major, word nerd, no-typos-in-my-paper-writing perfectionist...

Daughter's wedding is this Saturday and we're giving welcome bags to the out-of-town guests staying at the hotel. My daughter asked me to write the note welcoming the guests to Chicago. After lots of rewrites, it was time to take the notes for to the printer. I had proofed and proofed and proofed that note. All good. The notes were copied, I was trimming them and there it was. I omitted one little, itty bitty word. Damn. I thought to myself, "Di, let it go. The guests are interested in what's in the goody bag, not the note." I let it go for two days. I tossed and turned that second night. I told T that it's worth the $8.00 to reprint them.

Can you find the missing word?

Next skill to be put to use, alphabetizing 200 table place cards. A Google spread sheet, index cards, legal pads, a pen and orange highlighter got these cards for each table's cards being kept in its own a Baggie to an alphabetized line up placed in a cute little box for transportation to Chicago. 

The devil is in the details. Did you know that this idiom comes from the earlier phrase "God is in the details"? It expresses the idea that whatever one does should be done thoroughly; that is, details are important. Tuck that little bit of trivia away to dazzle a conversation!

easter blessings {april 17, 2022}

This is such a beautiful time of year, especially when the full moon rises. April’s full moon has the nickname of the full Pink Moon because of all the blooming flowers and trees, in particular the pink creeping phlox. 

The full moon of April is also called the Paschal Moon if it occurs before Easter, which happened this year.

This full moon lit up the night skies of Earth with a stunning lunar display that came among a rare convergence of holidays for Easter, Passover and Ramadan.

T and I had gone out for dinner and when we walked out into the parking lot, this brilliant orb immediately caught our eyes. It's not a great photo (iPhones can only do so much) but nonetheless that moment where a gorgeous moon, Easter, Passover, and Ramadan coming together at the same time was a sign of hope from the one above who loves us that maybe, just maybe, the world can figure out how to get things right.

*Hold on to faith. It is the source of believing that all things are possible. It is the fiber and strength of a confident soul. 

*Hold on to hope. It banishes doubt and enables attitudes to be positive and cheerful. 

*Hold on to trust.It is at the core of fruitful relationships that are secure and content. 

*Hold on to love. It is the greatest gift of all, for it shares, cares, and gives meaning to life. 

*Hold on to family and friends. They are the most important people in your life. They make the world a better place. They are your roots and the beginnings that you grew from. They are the vines that have grown through time to nourish you, help you on your way, and always remain close by. 

*Hold on to all that you are and all that you've learned, for these things are what makes you unique. Don't ignore what you feel and what you believe is right or important. Your heart has a way of speaking louder than your mind. 

*Hold on to your dreams. Achieve them diligently and honestly. Never take the easy way out or surrender to deceit. Remember others on your way and take time to care for their needs. Enjoy the beauty around you. Have the courage to see things differently, yet clearly. Make the world a better place, one day at a time. Don't let go of the important things that give meaning to your life.

~ Author unknown

random saturday sights {april 16, 2022}

Saw a total of 15 deer on a walk through the woods

Quack, quack, quack

Springtime wishes

A favorite flower of spring

And another favorite

Breath taking full moon

 

friday food for thought {april 15, 2022}

Instead of meat and potatoes, we had fish and potatoes for tonight's dinner. I had some potatoes that needed to be used, some shrimp in the freezer, and was thinking about comfort food. Google was my friend and I found a recipe for fish pie that caught my eye. The recipe was more labor intensive than I thought...used a lot of pans, but it was delicious. Hit the spot.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Beginning

Middle

The End

Fish Pie

1 lb. salmon

1 lb. cod

15 shrimp

1 c.milk

2 bay leaves

1 t. peppercorns

2 large shallots

2 T. butter

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. flour

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

2 lbs. potatoes

Peel and chop the potatoes to make mashed potatoes. 

Chop and sauté the shallots in the 2 T. butter. 

Put the salmon, cod, shrimp, bay leaves, peppercorns, and milk in a pan. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the fish to a plate.

Pour the milk through a strainer into a 2-cup measuring cup. Remove any skin, bones, and shells from the fish. Flake the salmon and cod, cut the shrimp into bite-sized pieces and place in a greased casserole dish. Gently mix in the sautéed shallots and parsley.

In a small pan, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir well. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually add the milk a little at a time. Stir well to keep the mixture smooth. Pour over the fish.

Spoon and spread the mashed potatoes over the fish. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

thursday thoughts {april 14, 2022}

Nine days until daughter's wedding and it's time to tie up loose ends. Lots of driving to pick up my dress from the seamtress, numerous trips to the printer for table numbers, place cards and other signage, a visit to the wonderful woman who makes my gray highlights magically disappear, Costco for goodies to put in the welcome bags at the hotel. Details, details...

The other day while highway driving, the dark clouds came in and the sky opened up, first with the big splatty raindrops and then buckets of water. My windshield wipers couldn't keep up with the deluge. As I was following the highway's slow lane edge line, AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" came on the radio. Made me LOL and slightly loosened the white knuckle grip on the steering wheel. Later on that day and keeping with the highway theme, Rascal Flatts' "Life Is a Highway" played. "Life is a highway, I wanna drive it all night long..." The music fit the day.

Burpee Seed Company is having a promotion, Sunflowers for SOLIDARITY, until April 17. All proceeds from sunflower seed sales will be donated to the Red Cross and International Rescue Committee to aid in relief efforts for Ukraine. It's National Gardening Day, too, so another coming together of signs to do something. 🌻 My heart breaks for the Ukrainian people. Flowers and food are two of my interests. Both flowers and food bring comfort to people so my hope is that this small purchase from Burpee and a donation to World Central Kitchen will bring some comfort to the people of this war-torn country. 🌻

"Flowers make it better." ~ Frank Treadway

wordy wednesday...daffodils {april 13, 2022}

One of my very favorite springtime sights is the host of golden daffodils that graces the front yard of the “daffodil house” in Oakwood. 

Almost 20 years ago a man bought a couple of the old Oakwood mansions, tore them down, and built “The Farm.” So much drama ensued…the Oakwood residents were outraged. A farm house along mansion row! With the building of this new house, a beautiful landscape evolved. He initially planted 10,000 daffodil bulbs and over the years the amount of daffodil blooms has increased to 160,000. Vehicular traffic slows down to gaze at the sea of yellow, walkers, bike riders, car drivers all stop to take photos. And you don’t have to stay in the street to marvel at the two acres of daffodils. Paths have been created for people to stroll among the loveliness and breathe in the scent that fills the air.

And to keep the National Poetry Month going, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," by William Wordsworth.

                                I wandered lonely as a cloud

                                That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

                                When all at once I saw a crowd,

                                A host, of golden daffodils;

                                Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

                                Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

                                Continuous as the stars that shine

                                And twinkle on the milky way,

                                They stretched in never-ending line

                                Along the margin of a bay:

                                Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

                                Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

                                The waves beside them danced; but they

                                Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

                                A poet could not but be gay,

                                In such a jocund company:

                                I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

                                What wealth the show to me had brought:

                                For oft, when on my couch I lie

                                In vacant or in pensive mood,

                                They flash upon that inward eye

                                Which is the bliss of solitude;

                                And then my heart with pleasure fills,

                                And dances with the daffodils.