MIDWEEK MUSINGS: SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE

MIDWEEK MUSINGS  find me in birthday mode, especially with my real' birth' day this past weekend. Many of you know from previous posts / being with me that birthdays are a big deal in my family.  Birthday cake for breakfast and opening cards and presents with home birthday parties as a kid. So it was going to be a real letdown being alone at home.

You see even after the flurry of celebrating out West, plans had changed for my b-day week back home as the Atlanta branch would not be joining me. The quiet hit hard upon my return so I was glad my Birthday Group's lunch get-together was this past Friday before the real birthdate.

Everybody kept asking me what I was doing on the big day.

Well, a text arrived asking this birthday girl to light Sabbath candles at Temple Friday night services and as I sat down, I was asked if I had plans for my birthday lunch. Well, then I did.

AND fortunately,  my brother and sister-in-law had extended an invite to go out for Birthday dinner if I didn't have plans. So since I didn't, they responded they would pick me up at 6pm on Saturday. What was strange was they didn't ask me where I wanted to go. (I attributed this to my brother carrying on my Dad's z"l  ways   :)

Saturday, the birthday salutary phone calls started early as everybody knows I'm an early riser. The day flew by and dinner time arrived but  even en route my guessing of where we were headed ensued unanswered. When we finally parked by Loca Luna, a place we had never frequented together, I dismissed the choice as my sister-in-law probably had a gift certificate from there. ( Her patients show their appreciation in gift cards)

Anyhoo, the hostess took us to the outside patio and I thought dang nobody is out here for a reason, it's still really warm. Unbeknownst to me there was a separate private dining room off that side patio and as I walked in I was greeted by a bunch of folks yelling 'Surprise.'

SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE

This now 70 year old really was surprised and the week's quiet was everybody trying to keep the secret.  About 30 family and friends from all aspects of my life in Little Rock were there to help me celebrate my new decade.  

There were balloons, a photo board, cards and gifts. 

Appetizers and dinner filled another table.  California fam treated us to a round of choice beverage, making sure the bday girl had her Gin & Tonic. 

Photos are trickling in but let me say this was not an easy endeavor bc people don't have home phones any more. Sleuth work didn't always pan out as FB friend requests weren't always fruitful for the party instigators. SO it wasn't that you were forgotten. 

You are all in my heart.

Maybe we should always leave a list with addresses/ phone numbers of potential invitees for any occasion.LOL. Not so easy without phone books. Here's a sampling of my Southern life in the room.

Old Friends from school days and their spouses- newer friends ...

friends from raising kids together...

friends through Master Gardeners...

and neighbor friends...

shul friends

and family...

                              

They all did a great job of keeping the secret... 

                        Thank you most of all for your friendship.

 I'm feeling my Life is aged just right with friends to make it perfect.

*more pics including fam will be added at a future date

TUESDAY TUNES: HEARTBEAT

 An oldie crept into our Jazzercise workout this week by Enrique Iglesias...  Maybe since the status of my heart has been all over the place these last 5 years this song speaks to me...

Do you remember this one?

HEARTBEAT

MONDAY MUSINGS: WHIP , WHIP IT GOOD

 This Monday has me thankful for the reasons to get together to share a meal. An elementary school friend initiated a group to reunite monthly to celebrate birthdays. It was one social date that enabled me to join in going to eat lunch out with other women of the same age. We all had gone to school with each other in elementary, junior / senior high school.

The deal was the last birthday 'girl' would arrange the place and date with the upcoming birthday person. Life happens and illness is hitting the group's members more and more. So I took it upon myself to make sure we had a summer get-together and decided to have the celebratory gathering in my home rather than going out.

Bringing back my traditional midwestern summer salad potluck idea where everyone brings something to add to a salad was a big hit. Folks commented that salad tasted better than fixing one for oneself at home. The camaraderie certainly doesn't hurt in addition to it being truly a great gift to give myself to be able to share my space.  

Dessert was yummy too as it was a new simple icebox cake. The baker, yours truly, didn't read the directions carefully and learned the difference between whipping half and half versus heavy whipping cream. Since the first batch was soup after overnight in the frig, this baker ( ha ha) decided to freeze it and remake the recipe using heavy whipping cream and place the frozen batch in each serving bowl with the new batch on top. 

Here's the easy peasy recipe, a great summer dessert.

3 c heavy whipping cream

3/4 c confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)

1 t vanilla/ almond/ Kahlua

1 1/2 packages thin oreo cookies (Walgreen's had tiramisu stuffing) 

Line small loaf pan with good clear plastic wrap with extra over edges to cover top of dessert as you will be lifting the entire loaf out of dish to serve.

I chilled whipping bowl before 3 c heavy whipping cream to strong peaks.

Mix in confectioner sugar and flavoring.

Place a cup of whipped cream in bottom of pan

*Save 2 -3 cookies to crumble and place on finished product before serving!

Layer oreo cookies covering cream before adding a larger layer of whipped cream for subsequent layers alternating with the layer of oreos.

Let sit in frig at least 6 hours.

Delish

Happy Birthday Group minus a couple...

FOTO FRIDAY: DON'T FENCE ME IN

FOTO FRIDAY: The eyesore of the neighbor's backyard fence is becoming more palatable from my view with art. 

My motto: Take a lemon and make lemonade.

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was: a video of the car ride near Big Sur.

Enjoy: Don't get car sick. A young videographer took this for me!

TBT: BIRTHDAY WEEK 10 YEARS AGO CELEBRATING A NEW DECADE

 TBT: Won't be celebrating with all my Midwest buddies to begin this decade like I did in this photo from 2014 but I am looking forward to my Birthday group of school mates joining me to celebrate with a salad luncheon tomorrow. 

Fingers crossed to fit into the same outfit to recreate this pose tomorrow! 

May we all be blessed with good health to keep making new memories.

MONDAY MUSINGS: GOING VEGAN?

 As I spoke about in  MIDWEEK MUSINGS 

this week I had a learning curve making a vegan picnic. 

The recipe for Mexican Street Corn Salad seemed easy enough if one knows where to find the supplies...

Whole Foods came through for me which is ironic as I visited one of their suppliers TBD while I was in Carmel. Full circle in one week's time no less...

It's been a while since I shared a recipe but this one is a keeper.

• 4 ears  corn /canned/ frozen corn kernels ~ 6c 

• ½ t salt

• 1/2 c red onion chopped

• 1/2 red pepper chopped

• 2 med. fresh jalapeno seeded peppers chopped  

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 t ground cumin

• ¼ c mayonnaise

• ¼ c chopped cilantro

• 2 T grated cotija cheese

• 2 T lime juice

1. Grill greased corn ( I used olive oil) and salt/ cook in skillet

2.  Cook / stir until slightly charred, about 5 minutes. ( i added the red pepper too)

3. Add onion, jalapeños, garlic, red pepper, and cumin; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Stir in mayonnaise, cilantro, cotija cheese, and lime juice. 

5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This is definitely a crowd pleaser.

I served with Scoop chips but you can have tortillas...

ENJOY

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: MAKING MEMORIES

 Before leaving for the west coast, an email arrived from some couch surfers visiting Little Rock who didn't need lodging but wanted to find things to do while they were in town and did I want to meet up. 

Since my absence would prevent me from joining them, I compiled  a list of places to go since they had both a car and bikes. We also made a date to meet upon my return to go on a picnic.

Well, this almost 70 year old had a delightful outing with this young couple from St. Cloud, Minnesota ( not that far from my old stomping grounds the End of the Rainbow Valley ). Another one of their housemates also joined us. She is from Verona, Italy. The three are in town to work at our local hostel. 

When inquiring as to food possibilities, the couple informed me they are vegan and could bring their own food. No, I insisted, they would be my guests. Yet, doing a vegan picnic was stretching my cuisine with a big learning curve as not all stores carry the products needed.

The farmer's market and Trader Joe's helped me with the veggies but it was Whole Foods that came to the rescue for the vegan mayo and non- dairy products like sour cream and cheeses.

Our setting of being at the Old Mill was well received as was the picnic.  (I will post the Mexican Street Corn salad recipe under this week's past Monday Musings.)

The world became a little smaller Monday and we are all looking forward to getting together again during their month stay. You are never too old to make new friends regardless of age...

TUESDAY TUNES: RUDIMENTAL and THESE DAYS

 TUESDAY TUNES this week rings true being the BIG birthday year to remind us of These Days. Take a listen to Rudimental and of course, the lyrics.

THESE DAYS

TUESDAY TUNES: FIND ME FALLING

TUESDAY TUNES had me hearing a new tune out of a new NETFLIX release of a ROM COM by the same name. I think you'll enjoy Harry Connick Jr. singing this gem as much as I. By the way, the movie's backdrop is Cyprus which is as beautiful as well. 

Who doesn't love a sweet love story?

FIND ME FALLING 

MONDAY MUSINGS:BERYL

A name is a name is a name/ is it? Last Tuesday Mother Nature decided to bring an old friend from my El Paso days back into my life in a different form.  

I had never met a Beryl before 42 years ago and then our paths crossed and we became fast friends and then new mothers. Yet, it was a different Beryl that entered my life last week as I was supposed to embark on a trip westward to meet a new grandbaby. 'Hurricane' Beryl decided to send her path right down Highway 30 with weather predictions veering her torrential downpours and winds eventually lessening and veering north of us before my 5 am departure. 

The airlines had even offered flight changes over 48 hours before the storm with no penalties. Options were to leave later in the week but  since the week before I had finally found an Uber driver who would pick me up at the ungodly hour of 3:30 am for a 4:30 boarding time, I gambled to leave departure time the same but change my connecting flight to a later one just in case there was a delay. The storm was supposed to be gone before takeoff time...

Then another variable entered the plans as I had been asleep barely 3 hours when my cell buzzing awoke me. The texts were from my Uber driver who didn't feel comfortable making the trip as he lived  40 minutes west out in the country. He apologized to which I texted back, "I understood." ( Remember I used to live in the boonies not long ago where roads could wash away/ trees  end up blocking roads... ) 

The wind was howling. It would pour a while and slow down until another gust brought in more rainfall.  I tried Uber unsuccessfully... it said a driver was nearby to please wait, but then no info was forth coming ...zip. Sorry, try again later. 'Fraid not, no time.

 In between rainfalls the luggage was placed in the car. Keys would be dropped off for my brother to pick up my car later from the airport short term parking as I would text him later. 

Waiting was not easy.  Radar showed a break in rainfall and about 3:30 so I headed to the airport the back way avoiding highway driving with its flooded underpasses. It wasn't raining until right before the airport. Beryl's namesake must have been looking out for me.

Security apparently only opens at 4 and then wouldn't you know TSA agents weren't there so everybody went through the same line. Thank goodness for a smaller airport and this traveller was at the gate with time to spare... Our plane was there but alas a delay. Why ?

 No crew.  Half an hour later we were notified their shuttle driver from their hotel was a no show. Eventually, they appeared with a round of applause and fortunately, I had made that later connecting time in Dallas.

Glitches are just part of travel nowadays. My return trip has to be less chaotic, right?

 Meanwhile, I am going to enjoy this new bundle of joy...

 

FOTO FRIDAY: A CALIFORNIAN GREEN THUMB

FOTO FRIDAY: My daughter-in-law in California has quite a green thumb with both flowers and fruit trees in addition to being quite handy at creating an irrigation system and places to root new plants. 

Take a look at her wonderful work. She inherits it honestly from her parents whose entire backyard is orchids and fruit trees.

TBT: 10 Years Ago Today WISCONSIN

TBT: 2014 Today Jennifer and I celebrated our 'special' birthday month (just a decade apart.) We enjoyed some of Manny's yummy pozole rojo. Our outing's highlight was going to unload a truckbed of tree branches at the city dump where it will be mulched... We know how to live.

I think we'd be just as happy today sharing the same kind of day-only she'd have to be in California today...

I'm still 10 years older.

FOTO FRIDAY: NAILED IT

FOTO FRIDAY: NAILED IT. 

Have you ever watched that show where low-skill bakers try to replicate a recipe and then exclaim " Nailed it " to an almost unrecognizable finished result? 

Well, I wonder how many takes it would be for me to master watermelon sticks. Regardless of their shape, the 20+ guests at yesterday's celebration helped the juicy sticks disappear 

The Experts:

Mine:

NAILED IT!   LOL

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: SEEING THE WORLD THROUGH ROSE COLORED GLASSES...

 

Recently I was gifted a pair of rose tinted glasses while attending one of my favorite fundraisers for Arkansas HUNGER relief ALLIANCE.

Does it seem as ironic to you as it did to me to be eating a gourmet meal prepared by some of our city's favorite chefs and staff with donated foods and beverage while raising money for food insecurity.

A very crowded room was served by volunteering state legislators on both sides of the fence.  Kudos was also given to our Governor Sara Huckabee Sanders for initiating reduced lunch vouchers. 

Both a raffle and life auctions in addition to table and corporate sponsors raised a nice chunk of money to ensure the continuation of local, county and state pantries and food programs to have monetary resources to help those with food insecurity.

It made me think twice as I wrote my check and pledged my support while donning those pink tinted glasses  that "Seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses” which refers to individuals with a tendency to see everything in a positive light, albeit potentially unrealistic light may be countered with greater objectivity and accuracy perhaps is an unduly optimistic view." In a country as wealthy as ours, why are there people without food?