Susiej

The articles are extremely well-written, the how-to sections are direct and useful (how to avoid paying late fees for video rentals when you are late), and the personal profiles are dramatic; people are out there living lives I can only imagine. I’m hooked on Best Life, but I just finished Men’s Journal, September 2008, cover-to-cover. Wired is another magazine that never fails to impress me; pure, cut-to-the-chase tips — how to make Martha Stewart’s Wii cake, and how to make a photograph look vintage, step-by-step.

These men’s magazines dispense information that I can instantly plug-in to my life; there’s no fluffy coating hiding the mantra that prevails in most women’s magazines: “Eat less, do these exercises, and buy these clothes, and your life will be just PERFECT!”

Looking for an out-of the ordinary adventure vacation? Who would have thought of “Five Shipwreck Dives You can Find Just Offshore.” Or Snob-Free wine collecting, and how to order wine on-line. Check out a men’s magazine for the answers and more.

Perhaps, the real reason I’m attracted to these articles has more to do with my future, than my present. I’m intrigued with the five men profiled in Men’s Journal who have built upscale tree houses, where a man can bask in “serenity and simplicity.”

But the story that keeps swirling in my head is the profile of Timmy Turner. Ever heard of him? Neither had I. His story surpasses Lance Armstrong’s battle against cancer. No, Timmy didn’t have cancer… he had a brain infection. An infection he got, they think, after Timmy surfed Huntington Beach after heavy rains filled the water with human and industrial waste.

Timmy is a maverick, a surfer, covered with scars from his adventures, that include, but not limited to surfing in Indonesia and hitting the coral reefs.  He’s a star form the cult-surfer movies he’s made, including Second Thoughts, and The Tsunami Diaries - which is the story about his efforts to deliver 75 tons of food and supplies to the neglected remote islands. His most recent adventures involve surfing the Arctic Circle.

The part of the story that captures my attention is when his “mother sent his older brother to Indonesia to drag Tommy back to college after four months away. He didn’t come back.” I’m intrigued by what his mother’s reaction might be to the scars on his pinky, the scars on his back… many of them stitched up by buddies out in the middle of now where. And then, the image of the Mom sitting in the waiting room, while masses await the outcome of the brain surgery that involves cutting half of his skull away. This was once her baby, so many, many years ago. Well, not too many… he’s still in his twenties.

I’m so intrigued with the men profiled in these pages; men who live lives so passionately in a masculine way that is somewhat unfamiliar to me. Maybe I’m preparing myself for the stories my boys will send home someday in postcards, e-mails, or perhaps through the pictures that appear on their blog.

For now though, I’m just trying to awaken my boys to that inner subtle nuance… you know, the one that triggers inside most females when they walk into a kitchen full of dirty dishes and say, “Gee, I need to clean this place up.”

I know, I can dream — and keep reading about this mysterious creature they call Men.

Check out my favorite snack, here.

Filed under: Life, boy, health, holidays, parenting by SusieJ - 2 Comments →

Of course you aren’t. Because you understand that giving your child a set of chores to do each night gives them life-long skills that will enhance their lives, spare them from pink boxers, and even enrich their marriage.

Some kids are getting cheated… a lot of them. A study of 1,343 children by the Maryland Population Research Center at the University of Maryland, found a 12% decline  in the time children spend on chores since 1997 and a 25% drop from 1981 levels, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Now the kids aren’t even learning how to properly sweep the floor, sort the garbage, or dry the dishes, and this lack of knowledge, the WSJ says, will have negative implications in society as this generation ages. A study of 506 U.S. couples published in 2006 in the American Journal of Sociology revealed that U.S. marriages tend to be more stable when men participate more in domestic tasks.

What are the kids doing instead?  The WSJ cites more “worthy pursuits” such as reading, studying and youth groups. The article failed to mention, “time playing the Wii.”

Nor, did the article mention the truth.  Kids aren’t doing as many chores today because Moms of this generation got smart.  If you want something done right; do it yourself. This will save you time in the long haul.  The bathroom really will be clean and fresh; and so will the floor, and back of the toilet and under the seat, if you do it. This is far too important a job to leave to the kids.

So, inspired by the research, and not wanting to be responsible for any future martial conflict in their lives, I dug around and found it in my heart to spare a chore for one of the kids. My five-year old packed our lunches for the car trip during our recent exodus from the lake. He carefully made us ham and cheese sandwiches, patiently asking each person what they would like: Pickles? Mustard? Jelly? Once he was done, he labeled each bag with our name and carefully put them on each of our respective seats in the van.

He also knocked over the carton of oatmeal, while I was moping the floor, so the oatmeal got wet, he stepped in it…. you get the picture.

Did I eat my sandwich? No. As soon as I heard his starving, famished teen-aged brother with the bottomless pit of a stomach start asking everyone, “Are you going to eat that?,” I passed mine on to him. I didn’t have the heart to eat it.

P.S. I’m giving away Yoplait Yogurt here — and everyone can print their very own $1.50 off coupon. Actually, I”m giving lots of stuff away. Check out these links: Click here and here.

Filed under: Laugh, Make Something, Science, boy, holidays by SusieJ - 6 Comments →

Lots of Wet Clothes that weren’t supposed to get wet…

Untangled lots of lines… one reel of fishing line used, in fact.

Decorating the boat for the parade…

Future plans…

The first flush of beans for supper…

Hey, the Ironman’s Here…

Flares, $2/piece for the ring of fire…

A dry boy fell into the lake…

Peace and quiet doesn’t last long here…

Filed under: Life, holidays, the lake house by SusieJ - 13 Comments →

More snow came for Easter. I think the effect was quite beautiful.

Thanks JC, for the Easter Bunny’s arrival.

Filed under: Life, boy, holidays, wordless wednesday by SusieJ - 14 Comments →

Dear Mr. Mrs. R.,

I wanted to write you both to tell you how grateful we are that you were up at the lake that weekend when we drove up during the winter storm. Thanks for calling us while we were still in the car, asking us if we wanted you to turn the heat on so it would be warm when we arrived. Glad the key was easy for you to find.

The drive was treacherous, the storm came suddenly leaving spotty black ice patches across the road. When we finally pulled into the lake lane, we were nothing short of amazed to see both of you standing in our driveway with shovels in hand, snow blowing across your faces, on a path clear for driving, and the walkways already cleared up to the house. I know we said thank you at the time, with our stunned, mouths, gaping open in surprise — well I think we did — but I wanted to be sure.

Although it was no shocker to our littlest guy, we were bewildered to learn that Santa Clause knew the address to our lake house! He said, “See, I told you that Santa wouldn’t forget about us.” In his mind, the presents had been dropped off, of course, on Christmas Eve, and had been waiting for our arrival all this time. And again, how prudent of Santa to know that there was no Christmas Tree at the lake, and to provide one for us.

Your dinner was fantastic. I think it has been several years since I was able to sit down and enjoy my meal while someone else kept my boys entertained… and actually get them to eat!

And Mr. R., this part is for Mrs. R.: Sometimes, a girl who spends so much time with 5 men, needs someone to talk with just for the sake of talking. I love sitting with you at your kitchen bar, decorated in vintage Coke memorabilia, while you tell me how it used to be at the lake. I’m grateful to have someone to tell my stories to about what the boys said or did, and thank you for laughing at the parts of the stories that seem so overwhelming to me. Your giggles have a way of changing my perception.

And Mr. R, you amaze us, especially the boys, at how well you keep that pot belly stove going, and create so much heat in the cabin all day.

That weekend, thanks to your big touches, was one of the most remarkable winter weekends we’ve had in a long time. I can’t wait to see you again this summer. Let us know when the “garage sale” weekend is, as we have a rubber raft we’d like to relinquish to a new owner. And yes, we’ll have some of your home made ice cream too, after we’ve hit the blueberry patch.

Thanks again,

SusieJ

Filed under: Life, holidays, the lake house by SusieJ - 7 Comments →

Girls, this is your year
to catch the man of your dreams
for Leap Year rules say,

Proposals from girls
can only be accepted
in this “catch-up” year.

The solar year is
longer than three sixty-five,
by five hours plus.

In 46 B.C.
Julius Caesar made one year,
445 days.

Now, it is known as
“The Year Of Confusion,” still
it corrected years of drift.

The Gregorian
calendar implemented
a complex system.

Now, one out of four
century years can observe
a catch-up leap year.

2100
will not be a leap year, yet
2000 was.

So, try this cocktail
made in 1928
to toast the leap year:

THE LEAP YEAR COCKTAIL

From The Joy of Mixology: The Consummate Guide to the Bartender’s Craft created by Harry Craddock of the Savoy Bar in London created it to celebrate Feb. 29, 1928., also known as Sadie Hawkins Day.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces gin
• 1/2-ounce Grand Marnier
• 1/4-ounce fresh lemon juice; twist of lemon peel

Instructions:

Shake the gin, Grand Marnier and lemon juice with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon peel.

Filed under: Life, eat, haiku, holidays by SusieJ - 17 Comments →

Filed under: Life, boy, holidays, wordless wednesday by SusieJ - 14 Comments →

Cabin fever is running rampant through my soul, as the melting snow reveals the bleak brown mud and not-yet-green grass outside everywhere I look. Bleak. I keep turning my thoughts to the lake, and how I can’t wait for the weather to turn warm, to see green and sunshine, and to pick black raspberries. I reached for a cookbook, trying to figure out something exciting to make for dinner, and the book just opened up to the pie crust page… so I took this as a sign, an all-American as Apple Pie sign, and I followed through. I will share with you here the recipe for a foolproof, flaky, butter pie crust, that doesn’t even need those tablespoons of ice water.

I made 6 pie shells in advance today, and froze them. I know, it’s so convenient and easy to just buy those ready-made pie crust shells, and just keep them in your freezer. But the list of ingredients is horrible. To entice me, and maybe you, to make your own pie shells, this recipe here uses less fat than most pie crusts, and incorporates oats and or nuts to give the crust a nuttier flavor, while boosting the nutrition. Here’s a close-up of the crust… you can see the flakes or oats, that will taste heavenly once they undergo that baking in the oven.

Meanwhile, the boys punctured the silence that comes along with baking with their acts of wrestling and screams of “He took my lego,” when there are exactly 1,529 other pieces exactly like that one in the tub. (I’ve picked them up enough times to know.) I’d like to add something here. If you have never raised little boys, you may be under the mistaken impression that I never see them all day. You may envision them outside, braving the elements in all kinds of weather, just to quench that male-driven desire to explore and conquer. The truth is, rarely… I mean rarely, are they outside. For some reason, they prefer to stay inside, always within earshot, as they build their skyscrapers, their trains, sneak crackers out of the cupboard, all the while leaving amazingly huge messes.

They pop by just long enough for a scoop and a pour.

I love their little hands. It would be nice if they played outside, though, once in awhile.

Meanwhile, as it is President’s Day after all, I did my Patriotic duty and tried to stay focused on the task at hand.

Here’s the recipe for one low-fat, foolproof 9″ pie shell:

• 1/3 cup rolled oats (not the instant kind) or almonds or pistachios or walnuts
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut in slices.
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar — I learned this from Aunt Joyce. (This keeps the crust flaky and light, and no you can’t taste it. Technically, it keeps the gluten from forming in the dough, which would make the pie crust chewy.)
• 3 tablespoons sour cream (Low fat is fine.)

If you want to quadruple this recipe, which I highly recommend to save yourself some time, just multiply all the quantities times four. Today, I multiplied everything by 5, and ended up with six shells. (Might have had something to do with all the distractions I had today with the Legos?)

1. Grind the oats or nuts in a food processor for about 30 seconds until they form a fine coarse grain, 30-45 seconds.
2. You can continue to use the food processor here, and add the flour, baking powder and salt. Or mix these ingredients into a bowl.
3. Add the butter slices. If you’re using the food processor, add the butter slices all at once. If you’re doing this by hand, add the butter into the dry ingredients a bit at a time, and work the mixture with your fingers until it is a coarse meal.
4. Sprinkle in the vinegar, then add the sour cream all at once into the food processor. If you’re working by hand, only add a tablespoon of the sour cream at a time.
5. Knead the dough on a floured surface, preferably on waxed paper a couple of times.
6. Set the ball in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes.

Now the fun part, the rolling:

1. If you have doubled or tripled the dough, divide the dough into the appropriate quantities and pull out enough for one pie shell.
2. I used two sheets of waxed paper to make the dough wide enough to fit into my 9″ pie shell. I smeared a bit of olive oil on the sheets and my rolling pin to keep the dough from sticking.
3. Once I had the disc in the right shape, I laid a fresh waxed paper sheet into the pie pan, smeared on a little olive oil and carefully laid this disc on the waxed paper, letting the dough take on the shape of the pie shell.
4. I continued the steps, pulling a new ball of dough out until I had the six, with waxed paper layered between each shell. The whole time I was thinking about how to make sure I had enough left-over dough to make pinwheels. Whenever my Mom baked a pie, she would cut off the leftover dough around the edges, and make pinwheels. She’d slather the dough with butter, cover in cinnamon and sugar and roll the whole pastry piece up into a roll, about 1 inch around. Then she’d slice them and bake them in a pie shell.
5. Once I had rolled out each disc, and layered them in the pie shell, they are ready for the freezer. Tonight, once they are firmly frozen, I will CAREFULLY, as they are fragile, remove the pie shell from underneath, and place the entire stack into a large freezer bag. They will keep for three months.

As we still have black raspberries in the freezer, I made a black raspberry pie tonight for dinner. My favorite way to do the crust is to fold the crust over the top, so the pie is in almost its own little pouch. However, this leaves no dough leftover for pinwheels. On second thought, Mom only had two kids fighting over pinwheels, and maybe scraps of dough was all she needed. I guess I’ll have to devote an entire pie shell to pinwheels.

In honor of your country today, make yourself some pie.

Filed under: Life, eat, holidays by SusieJ - 7 Comments →

From one brother to another,

The worksheet.

The valentine.

If you’ll be my valentine I’ll buy you a Batman.
I’ll play trains with you.
I’ll watch Toy Story with you.
I’ll play Batman and Superman.

Filed under: Laugh, Life, boy, holidays, memories by SusieJ - 11 Comments →

I got a heads-up before I walked into the kindergarten room, where the valentines were already being gingerly placed into classmates boxes. She said, “I don’t know how you’ll react, but my daughter really likes your son, and she made a special valentine for him. She sat for a long time, trying to figure out what it should say.”

I laughed, and told her it was sweet, and that I thought my son would happy to have her card.

After moving through the halls at school, with toddler Batman in tow (everyday is Halloween), trying to spend “equal time” in each son’s room, we carried what was left of their cardboard valentine boxes, valentines and candy wrappers home.

Later, he innocently showed me the “big valentine” she made. What does it say, he asked? Well, it starts with “XOXOXO” — do you know what that means? No, he said.

I said, it means, kiss hug kiss hug kiss hug. He looked away, and put his head down, hiding his smile. When he had recovered himself, I continued:

“You are sweet like candy

Thinking of you

on Valentine’s Day

Love ______”

His eyes turned red, as if they burned, and he started to rub them. I remembered the time when we came to the sad part of the Wizard of Oz, and he said, “Why are my eyes wet?”

I said, “You know what?”

“What?”

“She’s one of the smartest kids in your class. Do you know how I know that?”

“No,” he said.

“Because she knows what I know…. you are sweet like candy.”

Filed under: Life, Tears, best shot, boy, holidays by SusieJ - 23 Comments →

Love is a choice, not an act

I’ve taught you have to give a great kiss; how to choose a great bottle of champagne, and how to stay faithful in your relationship — however you define it. Now, it’s time to tell your significant other exactly what it is you do want. Researchers say the biggest cause of dissatisfaction in relationships is that couples rarely talk to each other about what they want. We both just assume the other person knows exactly how we feel.

When I explained how to make a dream come true, number 5 clearly states that one of the keys is to write your dream down to coax it into life. We can’t have all of that frustration brewing, seeping out disrupting our sleep. We have to get what we want.

Most of you said you just couldn’t come up with anything. I think Jani summed it up perfectly: “It’s hard to want something for Valentine’s Day without sounding selfish.” Jani, and to all of you out there, it’s OK, and sometimes necessary, to be clear about what you want… has nothing to do with being selfish.

Apparently, you’re all not alone out there with this shyness and apprehension about Valentine Gifts. I glanced through the WSJ (February 9, 2008; Page W6), and found an entire article lamenting the proper etiquette of the Valentine gift, and how much weight it carries on the future of the relationship. So, before I announce the winner to the Valentine Wishes contest, I thought it might be fun to look at what the WSJ says are the best his and hers Valentine’s Gifts. If you need some ideas on what to buy, or ask for, this list of gifts might help you:

For Him:

Digital Photo Keychain: How cool is that? a four-ounce, Digital Photo Keychain that serves as a James-Bond type brag book of you and the kids. (The WSJ did not rank this first..it was number three, but I thought it was too cool to keep in third place.)

Sinatra. The Frank Sinatra 4CD/1DVD set. That’s a classy gift, and it stays romantic as long as you don’t throw in the WSJ’s recommendation for The Godfather DVD Collection .

Stationery. (I love typing that word, by the way…I love how it ends in “ery” and not “ary” because “ery” has an e like “letter.”) Mrs. John L. Strong has monogrammed note cards you can have stamped in silver with his initial in masculine colors like milkweed and French blue; $95 for 20 cards and envelopes (mrsstrong.com). I think Sam, because she has such an eloquent way with words, would love to have this gift too.

For Her

Fair Trade Roses and white calla lilies. Sam’s Club is offering fair trade Roses this year from Ecuador, with some proceeds reserved for Ecuadorian day-care centers, scholarships, adult-literacy programs and housing funds, while also offering fair wages to their workers. A dozen fair-trade red roses for $64.44, from samsclub.com. Lilies, grown on certified farms in Colombia, in a clear glass vase, $69.99 from 1-800-flowers. Louann spoke eloquently and clearly from her heart, and I could definitely see her loving this gift.

Silk Scarf and Candles. $45 Burmese-silk covered heart-shaped box tied with satin ribbons from redenvelope.com that contains three scented candles instead of candy. Me, I’d rather just have the Chocolate to eat by candlelight. Amy, with the bee and soul post, this could warm your heart.

Romantic Meal at Home… and she doesn’t have to cook… or clean up. The easiest way to do this, is via Amazon.com’s”Romantic Quail Dinner for 2,” sold by Just Caviar, which includes quail and caviar for $187.50. Caviari is supposed to be an aphrodisiac, as are asparagus, oysters, truffles and champagne. My thought, honey, if you’re reading this… Quail? Quail? I don’t like quail… I think. However, I would do anything to get out of cleaning the kitchen. I could see Leslie, who spelled out e-x-a-c-t-l-y what she wants, appreciating this gift.

The challenge was to:

1. Write a post outlining just one little — or a complete list — of things you’d like, or you’d like done for you on valentine’s day this year. This can be in the form of a letter, a poem, or you could even use a picture to say your 1,000 words. Just generate your wish. Guys, you’re included too. This could be a real education for your significant other.
2. Once you’ve written your post, link your post to this post’s perma link.
3. Leave me a comment here with your post title so that I can add you to the random.org drawing on February 9, 2008 at midnight. (Midnight is much more romantic, don’t you think?)

The prizes are:

• A private e-mail from SusieJ sent to your significant other outlining the details of what you’d like.
• $20 gift certificate from Red Envelope.
• A softcover book compilation of each and every entry entered in the contest. You choose the cover by sending me the jpg of the photo you want, and I’ll have the book printed and sent to you.
• Copy of the new book by Nadine Haobsh, Beauty Confidential: The No Preaching, No Lies, Advice-You’ll- Actually-Use Guide to Looking Your Best. Guys, there’s stuff in there for you too.

I’m thanking God right now that I did have the foresight to make this contest random, because I am so thankful I don’t have to pick the best one. So, here goes. www.random.org picked ….. Jani! Congratulations.

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone…

Filed under: Life, contest, holidays by SusieJ - 20 Comments →

How to make a creative Valentine Box.I’ve put together a collection of the Valentine Boxes we’ve made over the years to inspire you to make your own creative Valentine Box. Warning: These will not involve shoe-boxes and stickers. We’re thinking a bit outside the box, no pun intended.

Somewhere, as a child, my I got this crazy idea from my parents that Valentine Boxes have to BE something. Not a shoe box with stickers… but something else, not just a valentine box.

My first valentine box, in first grade, was a doll, dressed in a full-length red crepe paper tissue dress. The loop of her gown was where the valentines were hidden. Throughout the room, the kids had the same idea.. . some Valentine Boxes were covered wagons made from oatmeal boxes, cowboy hats, race cars and flowers. There were absolutely no shoe-boxes decorated with heart stickers. Yawn.Naturally, I wanted to continue the same tradition for my sons when their classes started Valentine Parties.

1. Our first one was this basketball hoop valentine box.
   
   We cut a cereal box so that just two inches of the bottom were left, as a tray, and kept the back of the box as support for a Nerf basketball hoop. A can of red spray paint and some stickers, and friends shot their valentines in the box.
2. Next, I got a little more creative and found that a simple $8 investment in a a dozen bagels from Panera will net you this extra special box.
   
   This box is a gem. Our first valentine box from this was a robot.
   
   complete with metallic gray spray paint, bolts and screws for eyes and noses and metal mesh as a heart. We even used wire to spell out his name.
3. The possibilities are endless. You could use the face to make a beauty queen, or the perfect Frankenstein.
4. I learned the hard way that is best to prime your box first.
   
   If you don’t the words bleed through your final product.
5. I will pass on a very time-saving, valuable lesson I’ve learned here: Let your kids have creative license over the design.
   This is tough work!
   
   This is very TOUGH work!
   
   
   Let them learn to appreciate, and love their own mistakes.
6. Next, set a rule. You can only use found objects in the house for embellishments.
   
7. Try, very hard, not to interject with stupid statements like I make: “Nobody has white eyes. Why don’t you use these white buttons, and glue smaller blue buttons on top to that it looks like a real eye.” Children really don’t want you to be logical. White buttons with black paint over the top it is.
8. Then, you will have a complete Batman
   Yeah, I think it looks more like BatDog too, but I thought it best not to bring this up.
9. The same box makes a great Buzz Lightyear.
10. For the kid who has outgrown cutsey, you can always make the I-Pod valentine box. This is made from a rectangular piece of Styrofoam wrapped in foil. With marker to identify the controls and fav song.
11. 
12. A pocket in the back made from a recycled aluminum casserole pan serves as the holder for the valentines.
13. 
    With a recycled box, some spray paint and some junk… the possibilities are… endless.

Filed under: Life, Make Something, Thursday 13, holidays by SusieJ - 36 Comments →