I’m flat.
I’ve got nothing to say.
I’m tired and I had a rough day.
Good night to you.
Good night to me.
Today is done I’m glad it is through.
Tomorrow I will be the person I was meant to be.
Cornucopia Religion
There are two topics you’re not supposed to discuss in mixed company, politics and religion. Politics are so convoluted and ridiculous, I don’t want to discuss politics unless it is to rile my unwavering Republican mother-in- law. We spar politics in good fun but we know our audience.
Religion is not my strongest suit, forgive me if I offend or misspeak. No preaching allowed or accepted, thank you very much.
I have a strong Catholic extended family. My oldest aunt is a nun, Sister Phyllis Ann with Sisters of Mercy, now retired, approaching her 70th year in the convent. Catholicism is in my blood. My immediate family didn’t practice Catholicism or any religion beyond dinner prayers, weddings, and holidays so I know some but religion was not a strong influence in my upbringing. My husband comes from deep Catholic roots attending weekly mass, Catholic elementary schools and Loyola Jesuit High School. His mother wanted Vince to become a priest. I find this hilarious. I haven’t been struck by lightning yet, confirming God has a sense of humor too.
When our worlds collided, Vince and I did what came naturally, we turned away from Catholicism because it didn’t suit our lifestyle. We were yogis, attending advanced level Ashtanga yoga classes 2-3 times per week. We were practicing Buddhism. We had a Buddhist wedding. Namaste, the light in me bows to the light in you.
Since our family has grown exponentially. we have not had a strong religious focus in our home. We say prayers, follow traditions and practices but we have never joined a church as a married couple or family. We weren’t inclined when we lived in Arizona, the religious atmosphere was thick in Orange County but the churches didn’t fit with us. Now that we’re in Washington, I am suddenly inclined to go to church. Why? I don’t know. Trace and I want to go to St. Paul’s Cathedral, an Episcopal Church which I know nothing about other than the Episcopal Church was created during the American Revolution to separate from the Anglican Church of England. Huh, how about that.
Costco is probably not the place to seek religion yet on my first trip to Spokane’s gigantic Costco, I found myself stalking a nun. A nun! In Costco! Shopping! Tell me when this has happened to you, because this was my first nun sighting in Costco. She was in full habit, head to toe whites. I spotted her in the cheese section. I tried to take her photograph for proof but felt too stupid and couldn’t go through with it. Our next interaction was in the freezer section. We were both buying the megamix pack of ice cream novelties. I wanted to ask her which church she was affiliated but I backed down. I am not shy, what was wrong with me? Out of respect, I couldn’t interrupt her with my ridiculousness.
Back home, with my internet powers activated, I found The Sisters of Mary Immaculate Queen in Spokane, also known as “The Singing Nuns”, who wear full habit. Awesome. The Singing Nuns will perform their 18th annual Christmas Evermore Concert. Mount St. Michael is a traditional Roman Catholic Parish we may have to check out.
I am a Mormon Magnet. Don’t take offense, it is true. I attract Mormons. It’s my overexuberant, cheerful, DIY approach, plus my passel of kids. The LDS church and I have conflicting personalities thought.
I have adopted Jewish religious traditions into our family life. For Hanukkah we have a menorah and light a candle for each of the 8 holy nights. We have chocolate gelt and play dradel and eat potato pancakes too. I don’t know the prayers, but I have some story books and read Hanukkah stories to the kids. I have never been to temple and don’t see Judaism as a fit for our lives either.
Today is the first day of Ramadan, celebrated by our Muslim friends. We discussed the month of Ramadan tonight with the kids. Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, improvement and increased devotion and worship. Ramadan is m obligatory month of fasting. No food or drinking liquids between sunrise and sunset. Summertime days are 14 hours long and hot. In Spokane today, from sunrise to sunset, the day last 15 hours and 45 minutes. The days aren’t short. That only leaves 8 hours and 15 minutes for sleeping, but the night is when, during Ramadan, you eat and drink, prepare the next meal and clean up. Ramadan Mubarak to my friends celebrating Ramadan. I can’t join you in your fast, but I support your efforts and faith.
I am a fan of Cornucopia Religion, the best bits and pieces of all religions lumped into one where every day is a holiday of something. Wouldn’t that be fun? My husband can start a band, I may just have to start a new religion. Everyone is accepted, no purple Kool-Aid allowed, otherwise anything goes according to the rules we establish as we go along. Pretty much how I run the rest of my life.
Honestly July 8, 2013
When we moved, we sold all of our furniture because our furniture was over 10 years old and kid thrashed. We also sold our furniture because our new home was built circa 1940’s and has mid-century style that doesn’t suit our old furniture. And, we sold our furniture because we didn’t love it enough to move it.
Now that we’re here in Spokane, we are without furniture, though not entirely. The house came with a beautiful dining room table with two leaves, chairs and matching buffet. The guest room is completely outfitted with a queen bed, and dresser. We sold the bunk beds and other bed sets, but we moved the mattresses. We also kept our office chairs, camp chairs and beach chairs. The house also has many built-ins, bookshelves, banquette, dressers and shelves. Plenty of furniture to call our house a home, for now.
If you have bought furniture, ever, you know that purchasing furniture is no cheap process. If you add the words “mid-century modern” or “MCM”, the price tag is increased to meet popular demand. We have a budget, we have a plan and we’re making good progress.
We have identified a new couch, accent chairs, a chaise, an area rug and some accessories. Mr. Frugal is holding the purse strings tight before purchasing until he’s certain that I’m 100% certain I won’t have buyer’s remorse. I see it as a stall tactic but that’s for another blog post. We are shopping at consignment stores, vintage stores, thrift shops and, of course, Craigslist. So far, we have bought vintage bed sets for the boys, a credenza for my office and a lateral file cabinet for Vince’s office. This weekend we purchased a 71″ early 1950’s coffee table from Craigslist. The coffee table is an awesome, DIY refinishing and staining project I can’t wait to get started on. I’ll post the before and after photos once it is complete, or will blog about any disasters or replacement purchases later.
When we, the entire family, arrived at the coffee table seller’s home, the boys tumbled out of the car into a wrestling match on the front lawn. Why? I have no idea, must be a boy thing, they wrestle everywhere. Vince and I entered the home, leaving the boys to fend for themselves, checked out the table, agreed on the price and I paid the man. What really transpired is that I handed the cash to Vince who handed the money to the seller. Everyone was happy, we went home with a new coffee table and a new project for me.
Last night, around 10 PM, the coffee table seller sent me a text saying he is either miscounting or he misplaced $20 of the total cash we gave him. He apologized and asked if I could confirm that we did pay him the $20 in question. Before we arrived at the house, we stopped at the ATM to withdraw cash for the purchase. I didn’t spend any other money after buying the coffee table. I counted the cash in my wallet and, sure enough, I short paid him $20! I texted back that I had shorted the sale and I would be in the area Monday night for soccer practice and would drop off the $20. I felt terrible. I was surprised that both Vince and the seller didn’t double-check my counting at the time of sale. Word to the wise, always double-check my math, even at base level counting. The seller texted back that he appreciated my honesty. Sure thing homie, that’s how I roll.
I passed this perfect sign on my honorable mission tonight to pay my debt in full.
This is the end of today’s blog post. Please ignore the ads WordPress is posting on my site, holding me hostage for payment to stop the ads.
Bicycle! Bicycle! July 7, 2013
There is a lot going on in Spokane! We moved here so that is an event with a big star on the calendar in itself. Spokane Hoopfest was the last weekend in June. July 4th extravaganzas throughout the country the following week. This weekend, unbeknownst to us (hey we just got here), we walked right into the midst of the Lilac City Twilight Criterion. At the time of discovery, we did not know what was going on other than an obvious bike race. Internet powers activated, we learned that the “Crit” is a 0.79 mile race through downtown streets raced counterclockwise with six turns and is sponsored by Spokane Rocket Velo.
The first event is a kids race at 6:45 PM, which we didn’t see but think this could be great for our boys next year. We did see some moms with kids and bikes spread out on the sidewalk outside of The Pizza Oven restaurant waiting for their pizzas. The kids were decked out in race shirts, riding their BMX bikes. Perfect.
Men’s and Women’s age groups then follow. The best event to see would be the Men’s event at 8 PM as it is the fastest race of the night. With our shopping and movie agenda, we missed this race. Again, next year.
The night ends with a Citizen’s RagTag Rally, an open event for everyday folks to ride their bikes around downtown Spokane while the streets are blocked off to through traffic. Both the Kids event and RagTag Rally are free. Way to give back Spokane Rocket Velo!
I took video of the event but I’m unable to upload the video. Sure, WordPress’s ad videos can be shown, but not my video. Hmph.
The only casualty I heard about, none witnessed, was told to me by the North Face salesman. He said, and I repeat, that a woman was oblivious to the race and ignored the caution taped off corners and walked into the race course with oncoming cyclists. Apparently people were yelling at her but she paid no heed. A cyclist clipped the jaywalker with his handlebars, did not fall, and continued the race. The woman’s status is unknown but I’m certain she’s going to have a bruise. Pay attention people!
From my research I’ve learned that Spokane hosts Spokefest on September 8, 2013. This piece was copied from the www.spokefest.org website: in celebrating the joy of cycling, the beauty of Spokane,healthy lifestyles and the environment. Last year over 2,000 cyclists of every age and ability took part in the fifth annual SpokeFest! Help us make this SpokeFest an even bigger celebration, so get out your wheels and join us. This ride has something for every rider, from the racers to the folks dusting off bikes for the first time this year.
The “Crit” is not my style of cycling. Spokefest has my name all over it. Spokefest offers four courses. I have my sights set on a 20-mile ride from Riverfront Park to 9 Mile Falls that is billed as covering some of Spokane’s most beautiful riding.
I have a slight problem though. Remember when we had a huge yard sale and sold all of our stuff? Vince decided we needed new bikes and pulled all of the bikes out of the garage to sell. After selling one bike, mine, he changed his mind and put all the bikes back into the garage. Vince then went out and bought BMX/trick bikes for himself and the boys, adding to our bicycle collection yet still no bike for me. Clearly, you see where I rate in this house.
Seems that I need to go buy me a bike.
Please disregard any advertisements or video’s below this post. WordPress requires payment to not have ads displayed. WordPress receives payment from advertisers to promote ads, and payment from subscribers to block ads. Way to CYA from all directions WordPress. Boo.
Trouble Right Here in River City July 6, 2013
Yes, Right here in River City we had trouble and it start’s with T which rhymes with…well that may have worked for the Music Man but has no bearing on our evening. Maybe it does. T rhymes with C and that stands for Car. The demon of our evening.
Our plan for our evening out was to visit some local furniture stores to see what we could see, grab some dinner and then see Lone Ranger at River Park Square AMC 20. The kids didn’t shred the furniture stores or make the salespeople crazy or beg for some obscure piece insisting we NEED it. So far, so good. We ventured from my meal plan and ate dinner out, trying Luigi’s Italian Restaurant for the first time. Again, so far, so good. We left the restaurant and walked to the mall and movie theatre, stopping to catch a few-to-ten laps of the Lilac City Twilight Criterium. Awesome. Also on our route, we passed in front of the North Face store, one of Vince’s all time favorite brands. Not only did we stop, we had to take advantage of their 30-50% off mega sale. Let’s just say the boys have rain jackets should it ever rain.
Note: locals have mentioned Spokane has two seasons, Winter and July.
Back to my story. After our brief shopping spree, we make the 8:15 showing of Lone Ranger at the AMC 20. Opening weekend, my SoCal programming tells me the theatre will be packed. Not even close. Score! We enjoyed the movie, walked the few blocks through a relatively quiet downtown to our car to find the battery dead.
Car trouble is a total buzz kill after a great night out with the family. Really, at any time, but when you have tired kids and a tired mom, definitely a buzz kill.
We jumped the battery and let it charge for 20 minutes or so. We then made it three-quarters of a mile before the battery dies again. The battery is clearly not holding a charge. The battery is less than a year old so Vince is saying something about the alternator or the regulator has gone out. This, of course is another language to me. Thankfully, he was driving. We pull over again, get another jump and drive the remaining mile and a half before the battery dies again, right in front of our house.
Let’s count our blessings. We made it home safe. The battery and the rest of the damn car made it 1237 miles without issue, less than 2 weeks ago. I love my husband’s mechanical abilities. Only the fingers on my right hand are crossed (hidden behind my back) so that the car dies and I get a new one (my car is a 1998 Audi A6 wagon. I love it, it has been good to me, but it has enough issues that “no car payment” isn’t completely justifying ownership for me much longer). Lastly, this blog post is completed at 11:50 PM keeping me on track with my goal to blog daily. YES!
Good night.
Editorial comment – Spokane is known as River City and Lilac City. The Lilac City Twilight Criterion was awesome to see and I’ll post about that event, with photos in the morning.
Oh the Sights You Will See July 5, 2013
We have our own menagerie. One old tall and gigantic black lab; three sibling cats, a girl and two boys; two small corn snakes and a crested gecko. The reptiles room with the boys, Dale the Beast has the free reign of the house provided he’s capable of climbing any stairs required, and the cats are sequestered to the basement. We live in harmony with our pets. That is, of course, until someone leaves a lid ajar, or forgets to close a door, or the dog, more in his heyday than now, cruises the neighborhood up to 5 miles away. As Dale nears his 14th birthday, he deserves a shout out for his glory days, mainly in Parks AZ where he stirred up plenty of trouble, made friends before we did in the neighborhood, and caused plenty of heartache and fear of loss due to his wanderlust. Seeing him now, barely able to climb stairs, unable to walk to the corner of the block, makes us reminisce of days gone by when he once caught a jack rabbit. Now Dale just spends his days sleeping and eating and rolling over to sleep and eat some more. He is still a great dog and I think, at last, I can out run him.
Last night was one such day of the cats, Jerry, escaped the basement when we went out to see the 4th of July fireworks. This is a finished basement supplied to keep kids and cats happy. Unless the door is left open. In addition to the door being left open, a window was left open, the only window that isn’t screened in the house. We’re not entirely sure the cat fully escaped, but the odds are good. Upon our return, we looked around the house and called for Jerry with no response as any aloof cat would do. We went to bed knowing that Jerry, despite his curiosity, loves his warm bed and would return.
Sure enough, at 4 AM, the cat jumped on my bed and startled me. I did the natural wife thing, I woke up Vince to have him get up and put the cat in the basement. When Vince got up, the cat bolted and Vince couldn’t find him. At 4:30 I was wide wake but forced myself to go back to sleep. I slept until 8:30 AM! 8:30!!! I jumped out of bed, thankful I already claimed a vacation day from work, and suited up to go on my daily walk around the neighborhood. No time to blog, no time for coffee – the horror! I drank a glass of water, found Jerry hanging out in the laundry room, tossed him into the basement and headed out the door.
Since moving to Spokane, my walks have been around 6 AM, local to our house, not too far, 1.5 – 2 miles tops. As South Hill is as unplanned a community as one could get, each street has something new to offer. South Hill is not on a grid system as most cities. The streets twist and turn, no two houses are the same and the sights are spectacular.
Today I walked 3.5 miles, my longest excursion yet and I’m feeling it tonight as I write this post. Here are some photos of today’s journey. I love my new neighborhood. I hope you do too.
Moss!
Time to Celebrate July 4, 2013
Today we celebrate the 237th year of United States Independence. For most, the day is not recognized or celebrated for our separation from England. The 4th of July is a glorious celebration of red, white and blue flags and banners waving at the beach, picnic, barbecue, summer fun and fireworks.
How are you spending your Independence Day?
We are declaring independence from moving! No unpacking, cleaning, organizing, building, shopping or arranging today. At least for a few hours. Today, we are blindly following a lead that promises an ideal swimming hole for our first dip in the Spokane River. We’ll barbecue at home then make our way to see the Spokane Fireworks Extravaganza at Riverfront Park. Simple fun and good food are the makings for a good day ahead. Whatever your plan is for the day, I wish you and your family a Happy 4th of July! Go USA, long may our flag wave.
Enough star-spangled hoopla.
Did you know that I am a huge fan of Ball Mason Jars? This year, Ball is commemorating their 100th Anniversary by recreating blue colored mason jars like the jars they made years ago, specifically from 1898 – 1937.
Not only do the jars have a symbolic nod to their past, their blue hue is very timely for 4th of July festivities. Smart marketing! I have no time to can or jam at the moment, but canning and jamming are weighing heavily on my mind. I need to get this house in order so I can get stocking up for winter.
This week, we spent time in the basement of our 1942 home, checking out exciting stuff like the mechanical room, available storage, and because it is a partially finished basement, the 3′-4′ crawl space showing the exposed pipes and other eye-crossing stuff. I really didn’t do anything other than enjoy the twenty degree cooler temperatures found in the basement compared to the 100+ degree temperatures in the rest of the house and outside. Vince, on the other hand, was grumbling and puzzled why contractors or previous owners did the wacky building or repair jobs. The curse of being a general contractor. To me, it looks like a bunch of working pipes and wires. To him, it is a jumbled Rubik’s cube begging to be corrected. Whatever, do what you want, I’m chillin’.
Eventually I surfaced to the main level to deal with the seeminly unending supply of boxes. Vince ventured upstairs later with the boys in tow, tracking me down in the living room declaring that he had a gift for me. Had to be a dead rat or something horrid if they were all interested, I thought. The gift turned out to be an old half gallon blue ball mason jar! Internet research tells me that Ball stopped making blue mason jars sometime around 1937. The lid is zinc, and the #3 is the mold number used to form the jar. Peach-something was once housed in the jar but no more. Based on what I know, the jar is at least 76 years old.
US Independence was declared in 1776. Looks to me like I have a new 4th of July decoration to treasure.
Parents of the Year July 3, 2013
Please allow me to introduce you to the 2013 Parents of the Year: Vince & Beth.
Yes, it is only July with a lot of year left, but we are strong contenders if not winners for sure for Parents of the Year. Let me explain, then you be the judge.
The moment we pulled into the driveway of our new home in Spokane, WA on Friday, June 22, the kids were ready to get their bikes unpacked from the trailer so they could explore the new tree-lined neighborhood. We made the boys wait until we toured the house, stretched from the 20+ hours of driving over three days, and then started unpacking. Once their bicycles were free, the three boys, ages 12, 9 and 7, zoomed off to check out the elementary school.
Twenty to thirty minutes passed before Trace, the oldest, came home to report that Andre, the youngest, was injured and couldn’t make it home. Vince jumped on his bike and rode the two blocks to the school to assess the situation. I was on pick up duty with the car should he call. Sure enough, the call came and I drove the two blocks to pick up the boy and the bike.
Andre was crying. His thumb hurt and was swelling fast. He could move the thumb and we assessed it wasn’t broken. Vince went to the local pharmacy and bought an Ace brand thumb/wrist support brace. We decided to wait to see what happens. As every day passed, his thumb got better. He no longer needed the brace.
Andre seemed healed. He was eating, sleeping, going to the bathroom, getting dressed and playing video games. Going to the movies and Spokane Hoopfest were no problem. His normal everyday routine was back on track. He wasn’t riding his bike but we chalked that up to his inability, due to thumb injury, to use his right and only handbrake on his BMX bike. When we were at Lake Coeur D’Alene on Sunday, we noticed that Andre wouldn’t swim. Andre played in the water but wouldn’t physically swim from point A to point B. He would only catch and thow the football with one hand, his left hand. He carried his right arm like it was wounded. On the beach we, with enough of our own breaks and bang ups to have just enough experience with sports medicine, assessed his range of motion, muscle strength and resistance tests. With the focus on his thumb all week, it was nine days after the initial injury before we realized that his shoulder hurt. Based on our assessment, Andre could not raise his arm overhead and there were pressure points that hurt. It did not look good. Great.
Something was definitely wrong though we still didn’t believe the injury was warranted Urgent Care, maybe he just bruised his shoulder, maybe just a sprain. We knew that nothing would be done for his shoulder other than rest, wrapping it, and not using it. The plan was to find a doctor on Monday. Right, find a doctor. Remember, we’re new to the area. Nothing like an injury to get established with a family doctor.
On Monday, the first doctor’s office I called wasn’t accepting new patients. The second office talked to me for a half hour then referred me to urgent care but invited me back when we get settled. Why would I call a doctor when I’m settled? I only call doctors when it is urgent. The third doctor I called was chosen because the office is ridiculously close to my house and the doctor has the first name as my oldest son, Trace. A very rare name. The receptionist told me another patient in the office also had the same name. Does that violate HIPAA? In our Trace’s 12 years, we only know of Trace Worthington, professional skier and Trace Atkins, country western singer, never had we actually met someone! Now there are 3 Trace’s living in the same city!
Back to Andre.
Dr. Trace had an appointment available on Tuesday. On Monday night, Andre and Niko got in a fight and Niko punched Andre in his wounded right shoulder. Brothers! The pain, screams and tears were very real. Andre settled down pretty quick and we managed to survive the night.
On Tuesday, Andre and I went to see Dr. Trace. He and our son Trace could be cousins. Dr. Trace really reminds me of my nephew. Fascinating. Another thing that I found interesting in the doctor’s office was that all signs are in English, Spanish and Russian. Coming from Southern California where signage is posted in English, Spanish, and either one or all of Korean, Vietnamese or Chinese. For the record, I can’t read Russian any better than Korean, Vietnamese or Chinese but I was fascinated to see new signage. Apparently there are a lot of Russians in Spokane. Who knew?
Again, back to Andre.
First we told young Dr. Trace the tale of how, now 12 days earlier, Andre was at the school playground with his brothers. Andre climbed up the slide (how many times have I told all my kids and probably yours too, don’t climb up the slide?). He then attempted the daredevil feat of moving to the next slide and slipped and fell off the apparatus. He landed on the soft cushy pad and tweaked his thumb and shoulder. I explained, rationalized, justified to Dr. Trace that we, being the on-top-of-it parents that we are, waited so long to bring Andre in to get checked because he was functioning well through daily life. Dr. Trace was kind enough not to pass judgement. He examined Andre’s thumb. Not broken but the bottom knuckle needs to heal and Dr. Trace said to keep wearing the brace. If he takes off the brace for repetitive action, like playing his beloved video games, only do so for short periods of time. Andre almost cried with the news of video game restriction. Dr. Trace knows little boys and reassured him he was allowed to play video games. They had a brief discussion on controllers and thumb action, the movable controller knob hurts him to use but the buttons do not hurt. I sat there and listened and appreciated the conversation.
For Andre’s shoulder, Dr. Trace advised x-rays. Matt the awesome x-ray tech played freeze tag (without running and only Matt was it), to get Andre, a squirrelly 7-year-old, to hold still long enough to take 4-5 x-rays of both shoulders. One shoulder to see what it should look like due to growth plates and the other to see what, if anything, is damaged.
Back in the office with Dr. Trace, we viewed the x rays to see a funky jagged part on his right arm that is smooth on the left. Dr. Trace conferred with a radiologists who confirmed Andre’s arm is indeed broken. Dr. Trace and I shared a laugh and he called Vince and I, jokingly, Parents of the Year. Thank you, thank you, yes we are indeed.
The break is an impact fracture and has some special name, to my husband’s chagrin, I can’t remember. Because the break is at the high point of the arm so close to the growth plates, Dr. Trace has referred us to an orthopaedist and sent us on our way with Andre’s right arm in a sling and his right thumb in a brace. Andre is the walking wounded. The orthopaedist, we’ve been advised, won’t do much other than assess and x-ray again in the future but that may change at the pending appointment. Andre’s arm will not be put in a cast but perhaps he’ll get a more high-tech brace or sling.
For as squirrelly and wiley and obnoxious Andre can be most days, it always amazes me what a good patient Andre is for any medical staff, from phlebotomist to neurologist. He doesn’t scream or cry. He answers their questions in complete sentences. He allows examinations without fuss. You would be amazed to watch him give blood. He has coached older kids giving blood for the first time, talking them off the ledge. Andre, when he first had to begin having blood withdrawn regularly, has only pitched a fit when he was told he couldn’t take a vial of blood home with him. I should bring everyone up to speed, Andre has a seizure disorder that is medicinally under control which requires blood work 2-3 times per year. He has also had every procedure from spinal tap to MRI and even had an ambulatory helicopter ride (in an Ohio thunderstorm with yours truly). We have been advised that Andre shouldn’t ride a bike, climb trees, and various other top priority boy stuff due to his condition, but we have decided that Andre only gets to be 7 once and he should live and enjoy life. Besides, he manages to get hurt on his own, as any rambunctious kid, without any seizure involved, ie broken arm, see above.
How are we going to have Summer Fun now? Our first stop after the appointment was to the grocery store to stock up on ice cream novelties. Nothing heals wounds, breaks, bruised egos, or a feeling bad for your kid better than popscicles and ice cream. For the rest of summer, slings can get wet. We’re still on track to keep jumping in the lakes.
Back to Basics July 2, 2013
Hello July. It’s summer and I have a new kitchen sporting a beautiful O’Keefe and Merritt 6 burner, double oven gas stove. It’s time to get cooking.
In 100+ degree temperatures, the last thing anyone, including me, wants to do is turn on the oven, let alone expend any energy to shop and cook. We have to eat, so we have to cook. I plan in advance to removes the stress of “What’s for Dinner?”. Nothing is set in stone. I flip-flop days, make something entirely different instead and go out if we feel like it. Planning our menu monthly sets me up to have great meals for my family without a lot of fuss.
Here’s our family menu for July. I pull my recipes from magazines, favorite cookbooks, family favorites or just add salt and pepper and grill. Keep it simple and enjoy!
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Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
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1 Almond Chicken Salad |
2 Ground Turkey Tacos |
3 Hot Dogs Baked Beans Cole Slaw |
4 BBQ Ribs Potato Salad Watermelon |
5 Grilled Fish Rice Green Beans |
6 Pasta with Sausage Peppers & Tomatoes |
|
|
7 Grilled Ribeyes Corn on the Cob Sliced Tomatoes |
8 Chilled Cucumber Soup w/Artichokes and Lemon Rice |
9 Chile Verde Rice & Beans |
10 Spaghetti & Meatballs
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11 Grilled Chicken Tabbouleh |
12 Grilled Shrimp & Veggie Skewers |
13 Tequila Lime Chicken Corn Cakes Sliced Tomatoes |
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14 At Home Clam Bake Sausage, Clams, Corn, Potatoes, Zucchini |
15 Corn Chowder |
16 Chicken Fajitas Rice & Beans |
17 Greek Salad with Chicken and Quinoa
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18 Lamb Meatballs with Cucumber & Pita Saffron Rice |
19 Grilled Fish Rice Sugar Snap Peas |
20 Pulled Pork Sandwiches Cole Slaw |
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21 Fried Chicken Potato Salad Watermelon
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22 Gazpacho with Grilled Shrimp |
23 13th Wedding Anniversary! We’re going out! |
24 Chicken, Grapes, Pasta, Feta Salad |
25 Bean & Cheese Burritos
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26 Shrimp Stir Fry with Rice |
27 Grilled Italian Chicken Sausage with Caprese Salad |
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28 Hamburgers Corn on the Cob Milkshakes |
29 Summer Vegetable Soup |
30 Grilled Fish Tacos |
31 Jessica arrives!! Lamb Chops Orzo Salad
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Hot Newbies July 1, 2013
Door-to-shore, thirty-two miles east of our house, is Lake Coeur D’Alene. A comparable distance to our go-to beaches in Southern California, Newport Beach or Salt Creek Beach. Spokane, in addition to the Spokane River, is centrally located to 20 some odd lakes. Where do newbies like us go to cool off in this heat wave? As SoCal transplants, we are programmed to think about parking and crowds. Our summer plan is to visit as many of the lakes as possible to figure out which one suits us best. We decided to start with Lake Coeur D’Alene.
Beaches stretch the California coastline, lake beaches don’t always exist, or aren’t accessible without a boat. If you ask a local, they tell you to just grab a chair and claim a spot. But where? We packed our chairs, towels, sunblock and feedbags, loaded into the car and headed east to the lake to find our spot. We didn’t leave the house until 11:30, being programmed as we are, we thought we would be hard-pressed to find a beach, let alone a spot to call our own.
We seriously need to deprogram. By following Lakeshore Drive, we easily found a few public beaches scattered between spectacular houses with private beaches. We opted for Jewett House Public Beach and staked our claim on the rocky beach. Jewett House is a city owned 1900’s home, right on the lake, that is available to rent for events. We parked less than a block away, for free. Though the beach had plenty of people, we easily found a spot at the water’s edge.
The boys were bemoaning the fact that they didn’t have their boogie boards. Apparently they missed the lesson on lakes to learn that lakes only have boat wake waves, no waves like the ocean. Their reaction was priceless. They had no idea what they were supposed to do at the lake. Understanding that the lake was fresh water, not chlorinated or saltwater, boggled their minds as well. Vince is a SoCal boy and knows the ocean well. Me, I was raised going to Nickelplate Beach in Huron, Ohio on Lake Erie. I also spent some of my summers at my aunt and uncle’s lake house on Bass Lake near Baldwin, Michigan. It was the 70’s so “freshwater” in Lake Erie at that time is debatable but I know lakes.
The sun was crispy hot, the water at Lake Coeur D’Alene was clear and cold, but tolerable. Some locals told us they don’t bother getting in the water until late July or August when it warms up. Our kids stayed in the lake all day. They quickly learned that in a lake, you toss a football, play monkey in the middle, swim to the buoy and back, skip stones and just cool off. Who needs a boogie board?
It turned out that I was the one at a loss what to do. My normal beach routine is to read, swim, flip, read, swim, flip to perfect my rotisserie tan. In all the morning hoopla, I forgot to pack my book. Dummy!! I haven’t read a book cover to cover in weeks. Weeks! I survived our beach day by jumping in the lake. Vince swam to the buoy a few times and managed to take a nap. Our only issue was that our spray on sunblock, that everyone used was expired. The sun was intense and we fried…except in the spots where we later applied the suntan lotion. We are all a striped mess.
Our first lake beach trip was a success, but we all agreed on one thing, we need a boat.
multi-hyphenated-me 