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Monday, May 7, 2012
Seven years
Today Jeremy and I celebrate our seventh wedding anniversary. Marriage is an amazing thing when it works, especially if you meet your mate when you're young and so inexperienced with life. I marvel at the journey we've taken since our first date when he was 19 and I was 20. Each day has its joys and its challenges, but I will never doubt his love and faithfulness to me and our kids, as well as his uncanny ability to make me laugh. Happy anniversary, babes.
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Saturday, May 5, 2012
Detours and pie
I took Jossie to get her bangs trimmed this morning. As I'm scared to even cut my kids' fingernails, I leave haircuts to the professionals. As we headed to Jossie's beauty parlor, we drove over the recently completed Halsted Street bridge.
This bridge closed in December 2010 for heavy-duty reconstruction, a month before Jossie's birth. I complained mightily. It stood between our condo and my life's essentials - the pediatrician's office and the grocery, to name a few. We learned the detour and gave ourselves extra time to accommodate for the extra traffic. This past December, the bridge opened to our glee, until we found out that the portion of Halsted just south of the bridge was now closed for construction work. And this detour was even worse than the last. Fooey, I stomped my foot.
Just a few days ago, I started think about the good that came from these closures. Our stretch of Halsted was a lot quieter. There was significantly less traffic. I could easily make a left turn from my own street without having to wait for forever.
Yet now the street is open again. Jossie and I took our first victory lap over the new bridge this morning as we sped along to our morning full of bang trims and errands. The distance between Points A and B has shortened once again. But this time around - that darn detour has taught me to really appreciate this little life's ease.
***
Despite my fear of making my own pie crust, I do like to make pies. I summon my inner-Southern lady as I pull out ingredients like pecans, corn syrup, vanilla, and brown sugar. Since it's Derby Day, I consulted one of my Kentucky-born and -bred friends for the best Kentucky Derby Pie recipe; it is not for the faint of heart.
The best Kentucky Derby Pie
1 refrigerated pie crust
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup bourbon or water
4 large eggs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons cornmeal
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sprinkle pecans and chocolate chips evenly onto bottom of pie crust; set aside.
Combine corn syrup, sugar, brown sugar and bourbon in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Whisk together eggs, melted butter, cornmeal, vanilla extract and salt. Gradually whisk one cup of the hot corn syrup mixture into egg mixture; add to remaining hot mixture, whisking constantly. Pour filling into prepared pie crust.
Bake at 325 degrees for 55 minutes or until set; cool completely on wire rack. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
This bridge closed in December 2010 for heavy-duty reconstruction, a month before Jossie's birth. I complained mightily. It stood between our condo and my life's essentials - the pediatrician's office and the grocery, to name a few. We learned the detour and gave ourselves extra time to accommodate for the extra traffic. This past December, the bridge opened to our glee, until we found out that the portion of Halsted just south of the bridge was now closed for construction work. And this detour was even worse than the last. Fooey, I stomped my foot.
Just a few days ago, I started think about the good that came from these closures. Our stretch of Halsted was a lot quieter. There was significantly less traffic. I could easily make a left turn from my own street without having to wait for forever.
Yet now the street is open again. Jossie and I took our first victory lap over the new bridge this morning as we sped along to our morning full of bang trims and errands. The distance between Points A and B has shortened once again. But this time around - that darn detour has taught me to really appreciate this little life's ease.
***
Despite my fear of making my own pie crust, I do like to make pies. I summon my inner-Southern lady as I pull out ingredients like pecans, corn syrup, vanilla, and brown sugar. Since it's Derby Day, I consulted one of my Kentucky-born and -bred friends for the best Kentucky Derby Pie recipe; it is not for the faint of heart.
The best Kentucky Derby Pie
1 refrigerated pie crust
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup bourbon or water
4 large eggs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons cornmeal
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sprinkle pecans and chocolate chips evenly onto bottom of pie crust; set aside.
Combine corn syrup, sugar, brown sugar and bourbon in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Whisk together eggs, melted butter, cornmeal, vanilla extract and salt. Gradually whisk one cup of the hot corn syrup mixture into egg mixture; add to remaining hot mixture, whisking constantly. Pour filling into prepared pie crust.
Bake at 325 degrees for 55 minutes or until set; cool completely on wire rack. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Carry on
Yesterday I was recognized for my 10 years with Openlands at our board meeting. The same board member who called this to the board's attention, also spoke with me before the meeting. He told me how sincerely proud he was of me and my accomplishments. I am never good at thinking on my feet, so I simply said thank you with a tiny tear in my eye - when I could have said so more.
A week ago, I told a friend I wasn't sure what to make of being with one organization for so long, but I concluded with "well, I'm happy, and that means something right?"
It's the people who go beyond being my coworkers and my board volunteers. It's their passion for our work and their compassion for one another. Even after a particularly stressful week, I still feel blessed of where I am. My salary helps our family, to be sure, but beyond that, I've made a conscience decision of where to work. It is a place that remembers that family comes first and fits with my lifestyle. And, truth be told, it feels good to knock things off of my to-do list at work when home can be so...messy.
As I was leaving work, headed for the elevator, I told a co-worker with a tired smile, "All I want to do is go home and climb under the covers."
"But, instead, you have to go home to care for two little people," she said, reading my mind.
Yet then she went on, past my own thoughts.
"Two people whose favorite person in the whole world is you."
And so I am carried on. Work is hard and work is rewarding but motherhood is still the greatest job for me.
I was immediately put to the test - Jack was a grump. With our strategic planning process at work, we're learning a lot about the "presenting issue" - the real issue behind the issue. This can be applied to parenting.
Jack was upset about Maria leaving with his second booster seat but I know underneath it all, he was just tired and needed his mama's cuddles. And again, I carry on, as I held him, hoping and praying I'm making the best choices by working full-time and still trying to be the best hands-on mama I can be for my kids.
That's all the best we can hope for, right? That we are making the best choices for ourselves and for our families. And that everything evens out in the long run.
Happy Friday, gentle readers.
A week ago, I told a friend I wasn't sure what to make of being with one organization for so long, but I concluded with "well, I'm happy, and that means something right?"
It's the people who go beyond being my coworkers and my board volunteers. It's their passion for our work and their compassion for one another. Even after a particularly stressful week, I still feel blessed of where I am. My salary helps our family, to be sure, but beyond that, I've made a conscience decision of where to work. It is a place that remembers that family comes first and fits with my lifestyle. And, truth be told, it feels good to knock things off of my to-do list at work when home can be so...messy.
As I was leaving work, headed for the elevator, I told a co-worker with a tired smile, "All I want to do is go home and climb under the covers."
"But, instead, you have to go home to care for two little people," she said, reading my mind.
Yet then she went on, past my own thoughts.
"Two people whose favorite person in the whole world is you."
And so I am carried on. Work is hard and work is rewarding but motherhood is still the greatest job for me.
I was immediately put to the test - Jack was a grump. With our strategic planning process at work, we're learning a lot about the "presenting issue" - the real issue behind the issue. This can be applied to parenting.
Jack was upset about Maria leaving with his second booster seat but I know underneath it all, he was just tired and needed his mama's cuddles. And again, I carry on, as I held him, hoping and praying I'm making the best choices by working full-time and still trying to be the best hands-on mama I can be for my kids.
That's all the best we can hope for, right? That we are making the best choices for ourselves and for our families. And that everything evens out in the long run.
Happy Friday, gentle readers.
