Things I saw this weekend...because a Vet gave me the freedom to do so.

A ridiculously beautiful sunset. Which I got to enjoy with my babies.

 

A very happy puppy. He's mine, and he went swimming for the very first time.

Two adorable kids. Also mine.

 

Sheer bliss.

Sheer Bliss Part Two.

Good friends.

These are just a few of the many things Im thankful for in my life, a life blessed with freedom to be who we are.  And to live in a free country comes with a steep price tag, which is paid for everyday by people in the military and the families who support them as they protect us.  Thank you, from a VERY PROUD AMERICAN!

Mason Jar Lanterns. I love all things Mason Jar. I drink beer out of them, and put candles and preserve into them. Hmmmm...Intriguing.

I love Mason Jars.  So much so that I just capitalized BOTH Mason and Jar. You'll probably see many things involving Mason Jars on my blog, but mostly during canning season. However, I was feeling a bit lonely and missing my Mason Jar so I came up with an alternate for the non-canning season. Well, that and I happen to have dozens of them in my kitchen taking up space in the "off season" so I needed to find a use for them. And VIOLA! We have lanterns.

 

I have a front porch which I love, and my family and friends and I all spend a lot of time there in the warmer seasons. It's my favorite gathering place. But I also have an ugly hanging light which draws mosquitos in droves, seemingly like a neon arrow right over my head. And it's not the most complimentary lighting for those of more "mature"  than a 20 year old, but not AS mature as, say, a 90 year old.  So here's a great alternative. All you need is:

Wire (16-20 gauge is easiest to work with)

Needlesnose Pliers

Wire Cutters

Mason Jars (Heart)

Filler of your choice (I chose white rocks, but sand is great too)

Tea Lights

Plus any decorative "stuff" (I chose ribbon & seashells) and a hot glue gun, for said "stuff".

 

Start by wrapping two 6 inch pieces of wire around the mouth of the jar. Meet them in the middle, and loop them around. Keep it as even as possible, if not the lantern will tip forward instead of hanging straight up.



Once this step is complete, loop a longer piece of wire into one of the loops you just made.  This wire can be any length you choose, I made random lengths. Because I'm random and that's how I roll.

Twist the wire up and around itself. Does that make sense? If not, loop it up and cut it the hell off. I did both, just because. From here, you can take all kinds of artistic liberties. If this is for a wedding (congrats on being rustic and adorable and environmentally friendly in your lighting), you can print a ribbon with the bride's and groom's names on it, or a hanging tag with lovely phrases. Or if you're not getting married (me!!!), you can hang them from a tree in your yard for a backyard cocktail party or on your porch. I set them on my mantle for example pics, but I assure you some will be on my front porch and some hanging in my backyard trees, and quite possibly hanging from my RV.

These really were very simple, and took me no time at all to make. I'm instantly in love with them, and they make really cute and unique hostess gifts too! Plus, I can empty them and put preserves in them in the canning season. Awww...Im just kidding, that would be gross. But if yours comes to you in a seashell decorated Mason Jar....act like you don' t notice.

This is a great project for a "beginner" DIY-er. If you're really new and don't know what that means, it's do-it-yourselfer.  And if you're an expert DIY-er, get fancy! I'd love to see some pics when you're done. Go get crazy with a Mason Jar (heart)!!!! And because I haven't said so lately, THANK YOU for reading. I heart you, too. As much as a Mason Jar. Which is  A LOT!

I'm imperfectly perfect me, are you imperfectly perfect you?

Most people who know me know that I’m not a big TV watcher, but I did DVR Oprah yesterday and watch her farewell. And whether you like her or not, it’s a huge accomplishment and you can’t take that from her. She has inspired people every day for 25 years. People have given of themselves and their hearts and wallets because she’s inspired them to do so. And she had many valid and wonderful statements yesterday to share, including that you need to believe in yourself every day and just KNOW that you can do what will make you happy.  You can choose to be miserable in your life, with your job or your spouse or your very path, or you can CHANGE it. NOW.

She also talked about letting go of shame. I hadn’t given it too much thought prior to her saying it over and over again. Frankly, I thought she was being a little redundant until I realized even I hadn’t begun to think about it until the 15^th time she said it.  And then it hit me… so many people feel shame about something they’ve done in the past. Or perhaps who they were at one point in their life.  Or even something done to them at some juncture. And they’ve not accepted it, or dealt with it.

I’ve frequently said (and I will say it a few HUNDRED more times!) that pride is the worst human trait. And I’m not speaking about being proud of who you are I’m speaking out being prideful. Of not being able to say you’ve done some things you regret, or that you don’t like who you are.  Maybe you can’t accept that you have anger issues, or depression, or you’re just a mean jerk! But here’s the thing…. You can change that. You can shake off that deep seeded sadness or self resentment and make it better. It’s free will.  You can start again, that’s the joy of being blessed with one more day to open your eyes and make things right.

And we’ve all been there, haven’t we? If you said “no”, maybe you should reread the part about being prideful?  Knock yourself down a few pegs and remember when you weren’t so inspired, so good or so kind.  I’ve had a couple of times that jump out, mainly when I was a teen and an all around ahole. I can say ahole here, right? I was spiteful, angry and disrespectful. And I repeated those traits at the end of my marriage. And the connection?  That I wasn’t happy with myself or my direction.  Once I figured out my “game plan” to getting back on track, or on a track at all, I was better. Not great, not perfect, just better. And sometimes, better is all you need to be.

So when I decided to start this blog, it was with a promise that I would be truthful and authentic, and reveal my bumps, bruises, warts and all. And there are many. But I tell you with absolute joy and certainty today, that I wouldn’t want to be anywhere or anyone else. I kind of like being imperfectly me.  And I hope that my journeys, the ups and downs and everything in between will help someone along the way. Not quite Oprah status I know, but just…me.  Imperfectly perfect me.

Fun Stuff for the weekend in and around Bucks!

Just because my darling cousin Karyn inquired about local events this holiday weekend, here you go. It made me realize I haven’t posted them yet!

And there are some great events, so say to heck with the weather and get yourself out there and live your lovely life!

Friday Night:

Yey! Fireworks in New Hope/Lambertville at 9:30PM. There are a lot of great stores, shops and eateries open to host you and the family. http://www.newhopelambertvillefireworks.com/

For adults, its Jazz Night at Crossing Vineyards in Washington’s Crossing.  It runs from 8-10pm, the Eric Mintel Trio is performing. It’s $20 per person with wine and cheese for purchase. http://www.crossingvineyards.com/

Also for adults, just in time for Bob Dylan’s Birthday (which is today), Highway 61 Revisited is performing at the awesome little Sellersville Theater. And for my parents, Steve Brosky & Jimmy Meyer are playing one of our favorite little joints, the Riegelsville Inn.  http://www.riegelsvilleinn.com/

On Saturday, there is a Memorial Day Parade in Penndel/Hulmeville. Begins at 9am in Hulmeville.

And there’s a Saturday morning bird walk at Peace Valley Nature Center in Doylestown, and it’s free!  http://peacevalleynaturecenter.org/

For those of you looking for something fun on Sunday, there’s a Naturalists Foray into Herps, Amphibians  & Reptiles at Peace Valley. May be great for a cousin with two little boys… cough cough.

On Monday, there are several parades, including one of my favorites in Newtown Boro. Begins at 9am.

Also, there is one in Morrisville, at 9 beginning at the Morrisville Presby Church.

And one in Langhorne at 9am, beginning at 115 W. Richardson Ave.  And they even have the most FUN event for kids (that we always participated in), which is the decorated bike contest!

Lastly, because I love the Earth Center for the Arts, they host a Monday night class from 7-9 for Wildlife Woodcarving, if that’s your cup of tea. Or wood shavings.   And you’ll get to make a sandpiper decoy! http://www.ec4ta.org/

Whatever you end up doing, celebrate carefully and respectfully. And don’t forget to honor those that this holiday is really about.

How's your rainy Wild Rumpus going?

I don’t know about you and where you live, but in my neck of the woods, it’s wet. We get rain, then a little more rain, then thunderstorms.  And for those of you who don’t know, I do not live in Seattle where this is normal, I live in good old Bucks County, PA.  For what seems like months, it’s been raining. Now normally, I’m fairly passive about weather. But these days, everything in and out of the house (including me) feels like moss is going to start growing on us any moment. I change my clothes five times a day because they all feel damp, except sweats. And despite my general dread of sweats, I’m rocking them. And not to mention, it is interfering with my gardening BIG TIME. I had one day this weekend to get it done, and instead I was struck down with the stomach virus, so that’s a no go. Gardening+worms+gifts of intestines left in my garden by Sebastian the Cat=very, very sick me. So I lay in bed, moaning and generally feeling sorry for myself instead.  I don’t understand why it seems that weeds need no sunlight at all, only rain. And my veggies need the sunlight, so the weeds have won this round for sure. I’m trying to get creative and figure out what weeds may be practically used for, but I’ve got nothing except my Revenge Salad in the earlier post. And this year, I planted wildflowers which are great, but they look suspiciously like weeds. And since I’ve never grown them, I really don’t know and I’m afraid to pull them. So hopefully, my weed garden turns into a wildflower garden any day now.

In the meantime, I’ve returned once again to my love of reading to get me by. I started to trace back to what I remember as the first books I remember reading. Can you do that? Go waaaaaay back. And I don’t remember much about….well, much of anything, but I remember this.

My parents are both avid readers, thank Goodness, and I know they read to me. But the first books I remember reading independently, I got from my Aunt Barbara. I remember it was raining the day she gave them to me, so maybe I was complaining like I am now and she thought they’d keep me busy? But I think she just knew I’d love them. If I remember correctly it was a box set, but I know it included The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. So I tend to think it was Chronicles of Narnia. But I loved that book in particular. So much so that years later, I saw the movie straight away. Me and all of the other parents who had fallen in love with this book, and our kids who looked bored because they hadn’t read the book yet.  And the movie, despite its Hollywood special effects treatment, still didn’t compare with what I had drawn inside my head.  What a world I had made up.

And this, I’m happy to report, still takes place in my head all of these years later.  And the importance of reading is why I don’t go insane each time (out of approximately 350 times a day) my 6 year old asks how to spell something or if S-A-F-E-T-Y (super slow motion) spells safety.  Because he’s learning one of the best skills he could ever possess.  When I read books with a little magic in them, I have no problem imagining it. Or a vividly described landscape or character.  This is something I hope I’ve passed down to my children, because it is one of my absolute favorite things. IMAGINATION!  It’s one reason that both of my kid’s favorite book is “Where the Wild Things Are”, because each time I’ve read it to them, I do so with crazy voices and sound effects and jump around when the wild rumpus starts.

So, I ask, when was the last time you had a wild rumpus? Don’t forget to roar your terrible roars!!

Remember when you dedicate your book to me, Michelle has TWO L's.

I raided the book shop yesterday.  This is where I can be found on days that I have a few quiet hours, in the mom and pop book shop in Newtown. I ended up with a stack for myself, and a stack for the kids, as usual. And mine was a random stack, as it always is. A cookbook, of course, a journal, a Sookie Stackhouse novel (can't be all serious reads!) and a book called “Learning from the Heart”, which says it’s a lesson on living, loving and listening. Compassion, more than anything I think. I had never heard of the book, though I was very familiar with the writer, he’s a regular contributor to NPR. But once I flipped it open, I did what I always do: I read the book dedication. And tonight at dinner, I passed it to my daughter and had her read it because I found it to be the most moving dedication I’ve ever read. She read it, gave me her feedback (she agreed with me) and promptly told me I was weird for reading the dedication.  I asked, astounded, why she would say that. It’s always one of my favorite parts. She answered that it was weird (there’s that word again!) and it wasn’t like the book was dedicated to me. Well, no. Not this one, at least. Maybe there would be someday?

But more so, what I realized is that I have always wanted to be a writer.  And I know this because I have written and rewritten my book dedication in my mind a thousand times. I thought this was something everyone did, but apparently not.  Kind of like the question I ask almost everyone, “If you had a boat, what would you name it?” I think I ask that because it’s secret code for finding other day dreamers like me.  You envision yourself on a beautiful ocean sailing away and obviously, the boat HAS to have a name or the day dream is just…off and inaccurate.  Mine, not shockingly at all, is “Wanderlust”.

Anyway, focus Michelle. Book dedications.  Some of them have been funny, many of them obscure and often cryptic. Some of them are secret messages to loved ones that didn’t want their names shouted from the rooftops in adoration. For the record, I do. So when you do write a book, dear reader, you spell my last name WIRE. And Michelle has TWO L’s.  And a note about my wit and intelligence (and beauty!) would be fab.  Okay, thanks.

 Ayn Rand dedicated Atlas Shrugged to her husband and her lover. Which, I may add, were two different men.  F. Scott Fitzgerald dedicated his “Once again, to Zelda”, despite the fact that during the writing period he had virtually driven her to insanity. Guess he owed her something!  Ironically, the book “End of the Affair” was dedicated to the author’s mistress.  Subtle.

Without further ado, here is the dedication that began it all, from “Learning from the Heart”, by Daniel Gottlieb.

I dedicate this book to my precious daughters, Alison and Debra.

Your births opened my heart to a lifetime of love and devotion.

I have watched you crawl and walk and fall in love and rebel. I’ve watched you get hurt and suffer- and then heal. With delight and awe I have watched your bodies, your minds, and your souls develop.

Now I watch you love whom you love with grace and compassion, devoting yourselves to making the world more just for those who need justice.

We have brought each other great love and blessings. In the past, your lives were in my hands and that brought me joy. In the future, my life will be in your hands and that brings me peace.

 

Here’s your homework, reader. Dedicate your book. If you were to write one (even if you do not intend to do so) who would be so dear and influential to you that they would win that page? Then, once you decide, you should tell them. How cool would that be to know that you deserve such an honor?  Better yet, write it and mail it. Here's mine:

For my loves: past, present and enduring.  My family and my children, the greatest of them all.

Everyday Courage. Yeah, Im talking to you.

Last week, I started writing a post on courage. I wrote, I scratched out, I wrote again. Sometimes an idea in my head takes time to tumble out onto paper, or in this case, a computer screen.   I wanted to point out that people overlook themselves EVERY day. YOU overlook YOURSELF every day.   I read somewhere that CAPS in an email indicates slight mental imbalance. Thank God this isn’t an email.

And for some reason, what I wanted to relay was really crystal clear in my head, but I couldn’t get it down. So I plugged into my IPod, and listened to “F*cking Perfect” by Pink. And I reread for the thousandth (is that a word? Ehhh.. spell check didn’t pop up, so that’s a good sign.) “Phenomenal Woman”, by Maya Angelou.   And I sat with my head bobbing, singing silently and reading and writing, jamming away on my IPod. And I’m certain I looked crazy to anyone who doesn’t live with me.

How do you tell people to stop and give themselves some credit? Why do I care? Because I wasn’t someone who gave myself credit, and then one day I had to make myself a promise.  Have you done that? I’ve made myself small promises, like all of us. You know, like that I wouldn’t eat fried food. Or smoke. But this new promise was big. I promised that I would live with grace, no matter what.  And I happened to make myself this promise on the first day of my separation after ten years of marriage. Ugh.

Through verbal assaults, threats and challenges, I stuck to it. But I literally had what I jokingly referred to as “Stuart Smiley” moments, where I would repeat my mantra to myself.  Instead of “people like me”, it was “live with grace”. And you know what? It worked.  I refrained from name calling, anger (most of it) and being provoked into fights.  Although the people at H&M think Im bonkers after a particularly bad episode where I walked around the lingerie department muttering “grace” out loud.  But that’s okay.

And I look around at the people I know, and their every day courage. And you all amaze me. And I wonder if you’ve stopped yourself and realized that if it were one of your friends, you’d pat them on the back and think you were lucky to know them?

Do you know how much courage it takes to be a single mom? To start your own business based out of your own creativity? To be a fierce business woman in a male industry? To announce to the world that you’re a lesbian and believe in love across gender lines? To live every day as a recovering alcoholic or user? To leave an abusive relationship? To be a parent? To face the world as a widow? To foster animals that you’ll get attached to and have to give away? To be a teen girl who faces bullies every day? To be yourself?

Or simply to wake every day, being authentic and true to yourself?

If you don’t recognize yourself in anything I’ve written, then STOP and give yourself credit or do something worthy of credit.  And even if you do recognize yourself, I will ask one more thing of you. Live your life with tolerance and kindness.  Remember that you live your life in the way that’s best for you, not the way that’s best for everyone.  Everyone has their own path, and walking a mile in someone else’s shoes is invaluable.

When someone cuts you off, try to think that maybe they have a wife in labor or a loved one they need to speak last words to. Yes, it’s entirely possible that they’re just a jerk. But maybe, just maybe, there’s more to their story.  Please remember that there’s ALWAYS more to the story. Your story.  

New Dinner Idea...Brick Chicken. Huh?

I've been on the hunt lately for ideas for simple, healthy recipes. Easy, right? Well, they also have to be easy for an almost-cross-country trip and easy RV cooking. That means, they also have to freeze or refrigerate well. So whether you're busy with work and want to prepare meals over the weekend, or traveling and preparing ahead of time, I offer Brick Chicken with Skillet Wrinkled Potatoes drizzled with Cilantro Pesto. I'm going to provide a link to the recipes, and pictures I took along with some tips, and finally the final review. Stay with me here... and start looking for a brick.

Timewise, make sure you begin with the chicken. It takes about a half hour on the grill. The recipe says to reduce the heat once you put the chicken on, but do yourself a favor and reduce it to medium beforehand. We can THISCLOSE to it being blackened brick chicken.  And the brick is to keep it in place, with the heat sealed under the baking pan and to keep flavor in.  I know this because I had to explain it to perplexed boyfriend (and grillmaster) quite a few times. He wanted to use a rock from my garden, but I pressed on until he dug up a brick from the barn. My justification was that it's called BRICK chicken, not GARDEN ROCK chicken.  I know, not a great justification but I'm not good under pressure.  Once the chicken is on, start on your potatoes. The recipe calls for new potatoes, scrubbed and put into a skillet with salt and enough water to cover the potatoes. Then you boil it down, until the potatoes are ashy and there is a little water left in the skillet.



The pesto recipe calls for "blanched" almonds. Not Blanche that I know, as in Devereaux, the saucy sexpot from my beloved Golden Girls. This one is much less fun, and it takes a whole lot more work to get their clothes off.  As in, you have to cover them in boiling water for NO more then a minute, then in cold water, and their skin "should" come right off. Not so much. If it had been the Devereaux variation, I could've soaked it in wine and the skins would've fallen right off. So my recommendation? BUY sliced, blanched almonds. They sell them.



Cilantro, Olive Oil...



I  added a clove of garlic, because it was slightly bland for my taste. But once some salt, pepper and garlic were added, it was perfect and a new version of pesto, which I liked. Once, everything is done, drizzle the potatoes with the pesto, and add some crusty bread. Yum. Daughter liked it a lot, boyfriend heartily approved, son declared he would NOT eat it because it was green (the pesto potatoes) and I enjoyed the rustic, earthly flavor and it's simplicity. Now, keep in mind that you need to buy a whole chicken (you need the skin as well) and remove the backbone. Um....no. So I opted for a split chicken, and then stood by and made faces while boyfriend took care of the backbone. I figure if he can harvest a deer, he automatically gets the dirty work in the kitchen.  Also, as I said, you need the skin so that you can add the fresh herbs/garlic/olive oil mix UNDER the skin. The pictures looked gross and it felt slightly dirty while doing it, so I just opted out of pics. But it does make a world of difference in sealing in the flavor, so push through.

 And there you have it.  A simple, herb filled, rustic dinner that can be prepared in advance, in a grill, over a fire or in a skillet. But always with a brick. I don't know why, it's just fun to say you cooked with a brick.  I served it with haricot verts, or for the less fancy, french green beans. But the kids don't run screaming when they hear "haricot verts", they just look perplexed. So I go fancy. They only protest is when they realize they've been snickered at the table, and that haricot verts is not some delish dessert or something fun, it just good old green beans with a stage name.

Recipes can be found by clicking on the hype links above, and the pesto recipe is in the recipe for the potatoes. This pesto is really versatile, so add it to your summer line up!

Summer Party Time! And ingenious burgers!!

I'm pushing summer along, so in order to help I'm going to post a couple of summer time recipes you can use for your Memorial Day party. If you're having one, I didn't get my invite... Just saying. But I'm going to let that slide and post these recipes anyway for you, because the burger one is especially fun.

I throw a lot of parties, and cook-outs are one of my favorites. When I started to look around for something a little out of the ordinary, not just plain burgers and dogs, this idea fell into my lap. Well, kind of out of my mailbox, nestled into this months issue of Better Homes and Gardens.  What is this ingenious idea? It's so simple in its brilliance that I wanted to take credit for it, but figured one of my readers may have a BH&G subscription, and that would look bad.

MIX-YOUR-OWN Burgers!  Genius! I hate serving plain jane burgers, but I'm always reluctant to add onion or herbs in case someone else doesn't like them. So instead, you pre-portion ground beef (or turkey, or veggie burger stuff. Dont know exactly what's in that. I'm a carnivore.) into Ziploc bags, and each guest can take one and head over to the "mix your own" station. You can put anything out that you think would go into a good burger: shredded cheese, bacon, pickles, onions, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, peppers, various fresh herbs. The possibilities are endless. You could do taco burgers!! I'm a tad excited over this. Because the BEST part is that guests just throw their choices into their snazzy little Ziploc, zip it, and mix it. Hands remain clean and burger free.  Then just hand it over to the grill master, and there you have it: customized burgers. And while the grill master is grilling up those burgers, they can also grill up this great side to go with the burgers:  Grilled Corn on the Cob, which is one of my absolute favorites. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 head(s) of garlic


• 4 teaspoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil


• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon


• 1 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter


• 1/4 cup(s) chopped cilantro


• 1/4 cup(s) chopped tarragon


• Salt


• Freshly ground black pepper


• 6 large ears of corn, in the husks

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut off the top third of the garlic heads. Stand them cut side up on foil and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of oil. Wrap the garlic in the foil and bake for about 1 hour, until very soft. Squeeze the garlic into a bowl. Stir in the lemon zest, butter, cilantro, tarragon, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper.


2. Light a grill. Peel back the corn husks, keeping them attached. Discard the silk. Spread the herbed garlic all over the corn. Fold the husks back over the corn and tie the tops with string. Wrap the corn in foil.


3. Grill the corn over moderate heat, turning, until the kernels feel tender, 15 minutes. Remove the foil. Grill the ears over moderately high heat, turning, until the husks are nicely charred, 5 minutes, then serve.

Enjoy! Now go start planning. I'll wait for my invite in the mail....

Nebraska. And a small explaination of why I'm so odd.

I'm a huge believer in fate.  Fate in the manner that you will be exactly where you need to be, even if you don't know why at the moment. The last two years have been a rough time for me. And I've had a couple huge hurdles to deal with. Once in a while, I have an epic freak out and cry, which is not normal for me. At least not to cry out of frustration and anger, but I'll cry over a Hallmark card or commercial in a heartbeat. It, luckily, doesn't happen often.

So when vacation time came around last year, my best friends asked if I wanted to go with them to Nebraska, I jumped on it. All I knew about Nebraska was that it was QUIET. There was no noise, no traffic, no lawyers (of mine, at least), no exes. I figured I'd finally get the chance to hear myself think. So we set out last June, our little gypsy caravan. And I LOVED it. Sean's (half of my best friend couple) parents and brother live in Nebraska, literally smack dab in the middle of America, an hour outside of Lincoln. For weeks, we enjoyed fishing off their dock at the lake, walking around their beautiful property, going to wine tastings with Sean's congenial and hilariously charming dad, and stuffing our faces with his mom's awesome cooking.  And our kids hung out around the bonfire at night, enjoyed time outside, you know, in nature! With very little TV. And no video games. I was in heaven.

It happened that Kristi's (that's the best friend) birthday fell on a weekend while we were there, and we got to go out to the big city (Lincoln. Okay, not so big.) to celebrate. Sean's brother invited along some people, who were lovely. But one was more lovely than the others. She just kind of "sparkled". Did you ever meet someone who sparkles? Most of my friends are sparkly, they live life with zest and you can tell. I dig that about them. Anyway, back to Lincoln. So this chick, Chandra, was just adorable and I immediately invited her to come stay with me. After one night of knowing her. Seriously, it was like I was hitting on her. But we just connected. I think something told me we would be friends, despite the distance. And we are. A year later. And you know, a year is a long time in "I met you one night in a bar in Lincoln" time. So what does this have to do with this post? Well, she has a blog. And it's awesome. She's candid and hilarious. And self depreciating, which is always good.

And for some reason, she asked me to contribute to a new project on her blog titled "Fire & Heart". I am extremely honored to have been asked. It's a project about what fires you up and inspires you and drives you to action. I didn't have any struggle to write this because I remember my epiphany moment like it was yesterday. So please, follow this link and read it. If you know me well, or just a little, this short story is a huge part of who I am today. And you also get to visit Chandra's blog. After all, she's sparkly. How could you resist? You can find it here: http://earthfoodexperiment.wordpress.com/

If you can read this bumper sticker, I've lost my trailer.

As I may have mentioned a million times, I love to travel. And I love to travel by car, not by plane. If you’re not one of the lucky few who have flown with me, be grateful. I will say that it often includes a brown paper bag, Xanax and a little plastic bottle of wine. I don’t care if it’s 7am.

Fear of flying notwithstanding, I have always chosen road trips anyhow. When we were younger, my parents where the royal couple of road trips. We took trips all over, which often included some sort of disaster along the way. But some of those disasters amount to hilarious memories that we have now. I had quickly discovered that, in addition to inheriting my father’s height and my mother’s nose, I’ve inherited the disastrous vacation gene. Disastrous may be too strong of a word. So I’ll use “challenging”.

I mentioned in a previous post that I recently bought an RV. This seemed ideal enough, since I’m traveling pretty extensively this summer out West. And given that I’m a nature lover, the idea of waking up in the middle of the Rocky Mountains and opening my RV door to see snow capped mountains while I have my coffee? Dreamy with a capital D. Sounds so romantic, don’t you think?

So you can see how actually having to TOUCH the previously referred to “shitter” (aka the sewer hookup) did not align with my romantic vision. Either did the downpour that wasn’t in the forecast. Or the blinking dashboard indicator on the Ford that kept saying “TRAILER DISCONNECTED”.  Or the breaking of the jack stands to level the RV, which resulted in a slightly crooked and wobbly RV. I felt like I was in a boat, with all the water and the wobbling. And I’ll tell you that I could have never been a chef in any kind of galley kitchen, because I stabbed, poked and tripped over myself. And then it led to the crashing realization that my ass really is as big as I think, as indicated by my inability to navigate around the kitchen table or “squeeze” by anyone including the dog.



Through the tears of my “big ass” epiphany, we did manage to take the kids to Knoebles, and all was right with the world. Even though it was a soggy, cold world. If you haven’t been there yet, you need to go. It fit in perfectly with my goal of living a bit more simplistically and less materialistically. You don’t pay any admission to the park, so grandparents can come along for free. You can pack a meal, or buy it there for a steal. Food and drinks were really affordable.  And the games down the shore that cost you $5 to play, and all you really get is the feeling that you’re a sucker? You can feel like a sucker at Knoebles for $.25! A quarter, people! I dumped all my change out of my bag that I’ve been meaning to cash in, and it kept my boy busy for a whole 10 minutes. That’s a lot for a hyperactive 6 year old boy, trust me. I got to eat my pierogies in peace!!  

You have the option of an all day “all you can ride” pass for $31, or you can buy tickets like you would at a carnival. We opted for all day passes for the kids, and a pack of tickets for the adults. It worked perfectly.  http://www.knoebels.com/carousel-roller-coaster.asp  You don’t pay for parking, you can pack a lunch, bring the grandparents and step back in time. And with such affordable prices, you can even splurge on the $2 rain poncho. Just in case.

As I may have mentioned a million times, I love to travel. And I love to travel by car, not by plane. If you’re not one of the lucky few who have flown with me, be grateful. I will say that it often includes a brown paper bag, Xanax and a little plastic bottle of wine. I don’t care if it’s 7am.

Fear of flying notwithstanding, I have always chosen road trips anyhow. When we were younger, my parents where the royal couple of road trips. We took trips all over, which often included some sort of disaster along the way. But some of those disasters amount to hilarious memories that we have now. I had quickly discovered that, in addition to inheriting my father’s height and my mother’s nose, I’ve inherited the disastrous vacation gene. Disastrous may be too strong of a word. So I’ll use “challenging”.

I mentioned in a previous post that I recently bought an RV. This seemed ideal enough, since I’m traveling pretty extensively this summer out West. And given that I’m a nature lover, the idea of waking up in the middle of the Rocky Mountains and opening my RV door to see snow capped mountains while I have my coffee? Dreamy with a capital D. Sounds so romantic, don’t you think?

So you can see how actually having to TOUCH the previously referred to “shitter” (aka the sewer hookup) did not align with my romantic vision. Either did the downpour that wasn’t in the forecast. Or the blinking dashboard indicator on the Ford that kept saying “TRAILER DISCONNECTED”.  Or the breaking of the jack stands to level the RV, which resulted in a slightly crooked and wobbly RV. I felt like I was in a boat, with all the water and the wobbling. And I’ll tell you that I could have never been a chef in any kind of galley kitchen, because I stabbed, poked and tripped over myself. And then it led to the crashing realization that my ass really is as big as I think, as indicated by my inability to navigate around the kitchen table or “squeeze” by anyone including the dog.



Through the tears of my “big ass” epiphany, we did manage to take the kids to Knoebles, and all was right with the world. Even though it was a soggy, cold world. If you haven’t been there yet, you need to go. It fit in perfectly with my goal of living a bit more simplistically and less materialistically. You don’t pay any admission to the park, so grandparents can come along for free. You can pack a meal, or buy it there for a steal. Food and drinks were really affordable.  And the games down the shore that cost you $5 to play, and all you really get is the feeling that you’re a sucker? You can feel like a sucker at Knoebles for $.25! A quarter, people! I dumped all my change out of my bag that I’ve been meaning to cash in, and it kept my boy busy for a whole 10 minutes. That’s a lot for a hyperactive 6 year old boy, trust me. I got to eat my pierogies in peace!!  

You have the option of an all day “all you can ride” pass for $31, or you can buy tickets like you would at a carnival. We opted for all day passes for the kids, and a pack of tickets for the adults. It worked perfectly.  You don’t pay for parking, you can pack a lunch, bring the grandparents and step back in time. And with such affordable prices, you can even splurge on the $2 rain poncho. Just in case.

Ode to the Richboro Elementary kids... unknowingly a thread in my fabric.

I never thought I’d find myself in a position to give advice to a teenage daughter.  I was entirely certain that I would not have children; I’ve never considered myself a maternal type.  I wasn’t the girl who dreamt about a big wedding, and a white picket fence and kids in the yard.  Truthfully, I hadn’t thought that far ahead and I wouldn’t have even considered myself a role model.

But then…my daughter happened. And it was terrifying and exhilarating. But truthfully, I kind of coasted by on things when she was younger; I just had to make sure she was clean and fed. But now all of the sudden, I’m a deer in the headlights.  She’s asking questions that make me want to feign memory loss and pretend like I don’t know my own name.   But then I remember that I got myself into this, and now I’ve got to get myself out.

She’s in middle school now, so she has a lot of questions about what I’ll call the “human dynamic”. But since we all know teenagers are not quite human, I’m going to call it “hormonal hell”.  And I’m going to say this right now: I adore my daughter. She is the coolest little chick I know. She’s artistic; she’s creative and wildly intelligent (more than she gives herself credit for). And she and I have been the three musketeers since Z came along in 2004, but prior to that she and I were a team. It was her and I, thick as thieves. And I’m blessed that MOST of the time, I think she likes me. But I’m not quite sure. She does say that her friends think I’m cool, you know, compared to their moms.  But I think that’s winning by default, you know like when someone you’re racing trips?  So I don’t know if that's a compliment or not. Thirteen has me very confused, so I can’t imagine how she feels.

My daughter’s best friend is my best friend’s daughter.  And my best friend and I are both very self assured, creative and outspoken women. We’ve raised our daughters with the understanding that we love them for their creativity, passion and innocence. We didn’t want them to grow up too fast, and we didn’t want them to feel like outcasts for their artsy side.  Sometimes it seems that love and upbringing has made it a culture shock at school.

I try to relay to them that you get older, things change. That your memories get selective as you grow. You remember the kids you grew up with in an affectionate way and you overlook the trivial problems you had, though they seemed huge back then. That you have fallouts with people you grow up with, but you get older and move on. She seems doubtful. And then, despite my horror, I refer to Facebook.  I point out people I’ve known since elementary school, people who make up the fabric of who I am and the memories of my childhood.  

As school years passed, we had our differences. We fell in with different sets of people, sets who didn’t always get along or agree. And we frequently found ourselves on the outskirts of arguments, reluctant to be involved due to our history with the other person on the sidelines. Sometimes it was unavoidable; you were forced to make a choice in the uncomfortable world of peer pressure, just like her friends are.

Now, looking back, I marvel at the range my little neighborhood has grown to.  One is a newbie to FB living in New York and his cool older brother in the Northeast, another set of siblings I’m still in touch with and are both great moms, one living in Montana I presume following her passion for animals, one is a beautifully inspired teacher, one lives in Richboro right down the street from me and seems to be a redheaded spiritual sister, the other just bought a new house in Holland and is raising the family I always knew she’d raise beautifully. And finally, my best friend growing up who lived right next door.  She has grown into someone who I love to pieces and we’re so like-minded, it doesn’t seem to matter when months go by and we haven’t spoken, we’re totally on the same wave length when we do talk.

These are hard things to explain to a thirteen year old girl, especially when I think back to my 13-year-old self. Awkward, bookworm, shy (unbelievable, right?! The people above will back me up here!) and never sure that I would feel comfortable in my skin.

So I thank my neighborhood kids, I have a ton of memories with each of you in it.  Some good, some a little rough, but all an important thread in the fabric that has woven this life.  And even though she won’t understand now, the stories I relay about the neighborhood soccer games, the neighborhood crushes, the bus rides on the back of the bus, of how great Halloween USED to be in our neighborhood, she will understand when she grows and learns. And I hope that when she grows to be where I am in my life, she looks back with a smile when she thinks about those “kids” and understands that sometimes, it takes years to learn from those people around you.  And if you’re lucky, all you learn is how to be yourself.

My Hero

 



My mother was a stay at home mom, and a great one at that. She got up with my father when it was dark out and made him dinner and packed his lunch, every single day that I can remember. Then she cooked for my older sister and got her off to high school, with me in middle school and with my younger sister in elementary school. And while we were gone she cleaned the house, shopped and did all that other underappreciated stuff like having dinner on the table at almost the same time every night. Amongst a million other tasks.  And my mother didn’t just help us; she helped girls in trouble every day. Girls whose own mothers and fathers had turned their backs on them due to an unplanned pregnancy.  She drove miles and miles, at all hours and in all weather, to help girls who had no one to turn to before calling an anonymous telephone number in the phone book. As her daughters, none of us could understand what that was like, to have to turn to a stranger before your own family.  And those girls could have gotten anyone coming to pick them up, but they were lucky enough to get my mother. Who would listen to them and not judge them no matter what they said, and they said a lot. Something about my mom made these girls want to talk, to tell her details they had never told anyone. She understood them and supported them, because she believed in the decision they had made to keep their baby, even though that was sometimes the hardest and least popular choice.

Over months, she would help them find housing, diapers, food, a job. Or sometimes it was just providing an ear to listen with. And slowly, these girls would get on their feet, and leave the nest. They would fall out of contact, moving on with their life with their child and my mom would continue to answer the phone that rang at 2am and run to help a nameless, unknown girl. But then my mom would get a school picture in the mail of a smiling little girl, or a delivery announcement for a baby boy, and she would share it with us with a smile of pride, like they were her kids. And in a way, I knew that they were. Because they, much like me, wouldn’t be here without her.

  I love you, mom. Happy Mother’s Day.

Bathroom Barfer

Occasionally, you come across something that you have to share, as a service to those around you. Sometimes, it’s useful information like recipes, coupons, DIY tips. And sometimes, it’s something so stupid, ridiculous and hilarious at the same time that it actually makes you question yourself because you sat for the last 20 minutes reading it. Not that I do that. But I “have a friend” who does. So, in honor of taking a few minutes out during the day to just make yourself laugh, let’s talk about Craigslist “Missed Connections”.

It’s no secret that I had been out of the dating game for well over a decade, and even when I was dating, I didn’t like it. So, when I did start dating again after my split, I realized that I still hated it. I had a single friend who was glorious at dating. Now, she is naturally sports-oriented. Me? Not so much. So she approached it like a sport, she was organized, she kept her eye on the ball and I swear she had a play book and roster hidden somewhere. I had none of that; I am a naturally crappy sports player and dater. And now I know why. Craigslist “Missed Connections” solved it all. I was going about it ALL wrong!

Some people (my friend) are naturals. The rest of the world is still fumbling around, split between hot messes (again, see “Missed Connections”) and me, who in my dating awkwardness still happened to land a guy who holds the door for me, laughs when I spit something out that was probably left better unsaid and is the last guy I can imagine writing a missed connection labeled “Bathroom Barfer”. I’d like him to stick around for a while, so that I can avoid being any of these following titles taken directly from MC, under the section of guys looking to reconnect with girls they’ve admired in these various situations:

Apr 28 - i'm a big fat guy and you're a big fat girl - m4w - 24

Apr 28 - two drunk girls on Lancaster walk - m4w - 22

Apr 26 - That Fine Lady In Pants At Target - m4w - 33 * just a note here, I thought EVERYONE wore pants to Target?! Guess not.

Mar 22 - sorry i was needy on friday - m4w

And, of course, the Bathroom Barfer, who garnered this lovely sentiment of adoration from a stranger: “hey i was going to puke my guts out and you were already puking i think thats great and i want to get to know you with the chance you will look at this; i think i found my soul mate learched over a potty heaving rotton love into a toilet bowl !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Clearly, my aversion to throwing up in public toilets (or at all), my intolerance of improper grammar and my insistence on correct capitalization of the letter “I” has been holding me back all along. Thank you, Craigslist MC, for clearing this all up. I owe you one.

Local Events This Weekend...

If you're a Bucks dweller, with a penchant for local food and/or wine (Ooh me! Me!) then check out these local events this weekend. And checkout my sweet little tulip from my garden. Had to slip that in, because it makes me smile every time I go outside and see it greeting me. 

It's important to me to highlight the local farmers markets here. We've gotten so used to running to the big box stores for everything that we have lost sight of how this little convenience to us has really affected our local farmers and artists. Not to mention, our loss of a connection as a neighborhood and community. And in turn, we also end up buying "easy", highly processed foods and meats, and veggies and fruit coated in pesticides and chemicals.  So please think about heading to a farmers market by you this weekend, talk to the growers and your neighbors there. Make a connection, you never know who you might meet and what they might bring to your life. And check out one of my favorite chicks and her blog on Earthfoods, which can give you some tips on what to make with that food you buy there:  http://earthfoodexperiment.wordpress.com/

Friday is First Friday in Doylestown, http://firstfridaydoylestown.com/. Good night out for the family. Or, you could stop by Shady Brook for the Wine Concert Series, which will have the Mango Men this week, http://www.shadybrookfarm.com/summer_wine.php.  Both events run from 6-9.

On Saturday, try to make it to the Doylestown Farmers Market between 7-12, where you can find seasonal, chemical free, and low input vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruits; bedding, vegetable, herb plants, container gardens, and orchids; jams, pie filling and preserved products; pastured chicken and eggs, duck and duck eggs, turkey, goat, and lamb; artisan bread, baked goods (cookies, cakes, biscotti, pies, stromboli, Greek pastries); handmade soaps, lotions, and skin care products; goat cheeses, yogurt, milk and meat; mushrooms, honey, maple syrup, granola, and prepared foods. Locally handcrafted woodenware, beeswax candles, alpaca yarn and other products, glass jewelery. Whew! That's a lot, all in one place. Support your local farms and artists!  This is located at W. State & Hamilton St., Doylestown, PA 18901. I'll be there, maybe I'll see you!!

The Wrightstown Farmers Market is also going on from 9-1pm, at Wrightstown Twp. Municipal Bldg (parking lot), 2203 2nd Street Pike, Wrightstown, PA. Smaller but excellent for staying local for eggs, soap and in season produce.

And of course, don't forget your Mother on Mothers Day! There are a ton of local wine tastings and events going on. Or a Pork and Sauerkraut Dinner at the Riegelsville Fire Company, if your mom digs that kind of thing. Sorry, mom. You're on your own for this one.

This here's an RV....

 

It's tough to get that across without having that Uncle Eddie accent and shiny white leather shoes.  If you don't know who Uncle Eddie is, run, don't walk, to your computer and immediately log onto NetFlix and order National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. You have been seriously sheltered and left out.  

For the rest of you in "the know", I am conjuring up pictures of Uncle Eddie emptying the "shitter" into the street drains and kidnapping Clark's boss. I will not be doing any of those things, but I am indeed becoming the proud owner of this RV:

  

As you may have guessed by my blog title, I'm a bit of a traveler. My life plan until my early 20's was to buy an old pickup, drive until I came across a little town I liked and become a waitress and settle there until I got bored (which would have been about 1.5 weeks) . However, I hit some hurdles. Like the fact that I once dropped an entire tray of extra-large Wendy's sodas after insisting to my entire family that I could do it. After which I'm certain my older sister screeched something like "See! I told you you'd drop them!" Thus, killing my confidence to be a waitress forever. And don't forget my lack of funds, given my tendency to jump jobs and go surf or camp instead. Oh, and then there was that small little happening of getting pregnant with my daughter. And since I couldn't strap her to my uncoordinated, unemployed back while I drove across the country and found a job other than waitressing, I took the responsible route of forcing my children into a weekend gypsy lifestyle. Which is to take long road trips where they MUST look out the window, enjoy nature and in my infamous words, "suck it up". This "suck it up" quote can be applied to being bored, thirsty, hungry or any other complaint. Feel free to use it.

So back to my RV. I'm traveling again this summer, back to beautiful Nebraska with the best friends to see their wonderful family, and then on to Colorado and Wyoming. And at some point, I did the responsible thing and started to budget.  I realized that a group of five (boyfriend, me, my +two and his +one) was kinda pricey. Which is pretty much what my parents have been telling me.... forever.  My small realization that a trailer would be cheaper and a better investment led me to where so many of my musings do... to Craigslist. And here I am, en route tomorrow to pick it up.

So wish me luck tomorrow and look for updates on rv life, the shitter and my future purchase of white patent leather loafers.  Okay, well maybe not the shitter.

Unique and Recycled Ideas for Container Gardens

Not everyone has space or time to maintain a large garden, or maybe you're just dipping your green thumb into the pool to see how you do. Either way, container gardening is a simple and easy way to get started, and if you're like me you prefer to find an affordable and earth conscious way to do so.  So here are some ideas using materials you probably have in your house right now.

Do your own version of "dumpster diving" into your recycling bin, and pick out the large containers, like the soda bottles or even large cat little containers. Cut the tops off of the bottles, and poke or drill holes in the bottom.  For an added bonus, you can have the kids paint the outside for a charming extra touch. For the cat litter containers,  you can spray paint the outside only, and drill holes in the bottom for drainage. Even better if they're the kind with handles, so that you can relocate them to follow the sun. Don't forget about your yogurt containers (the ones with the plastic lids are great for seedlings as little greenhouses!) and plastic take out or fruit crates.



My personal favorite is using colanders and even metal wire wastepaper baskets.

 

Just line the baskets with peat moss, and fill it with potting soil then plant your seedlings. Plant some herbs in those colanders and there you have it, a perfect herb kitchen garden!

Tired of those #$@*!-ing dandilions? Revenge Salad.

As a die-hard nature chick, I have a problem vilifying any part of nature. This includes dandelions and creeping Charlie, but the latter has become the recent target of blind fury. It's creeped into my veggie garden, which dogs, cat and children in my household know NOT to do unless you're invited. That being said, if you are not the nature lover or are just out of patience, you can exact some revenge on the little suckers with this recipe.  Oh, but if you have a dog, maybe you should pick them from your dogless neighbors yard.

You'll need:

1/2 pound of torn dandelions (that's a lot out of your yard! Hooray!)

2 chopped tomatoes

1/2 tsp of dried basil

1/2 red onion

Throw all ingredients into a bowl. I'd toss in a few strawberries to even out the flavor, maybe some goat cheese. Because everything is better with goat cheese. And a strawberry vinaigrette. 

Bucks County Foodshed Alliance Meeting... You should go!

"Bringing Food Production Back Home,” will be led by organic gardening pro Paul Thompson, president of the BucksMont Organic Garden Club. Thompson is a  veteran of 35 years of organic vegetable production, and he'll share ideas about creating a backyard food supply and answer questions for experienced as well as novice gardeners. For example:

• Which vegetables are the easiest to grow?


• Which crops will save my household the most money?


• What can I grow that’s tasty, easy, nutritious — and new and different?


• What are the most efficient and productive organic gardening techniques?


• How can I expand my growing space and increase my yields?

This is a good starting point for beginners!

http://www.buckscountyfoodshedalliance.org/index.php