Friendship

Wating for my coffee to kick-in this morning, thinking I should call DA and set up a breakfast, my eyes laze around my world, out the window to the lilac bushes that need a trim.

Flashback to 1993 standing in DA’s driveway surveying her broad front yard. Oh, you have a great collection here, perfect for easy-care gardening, I say. Yes, the hosta, the vinca, the shrubbery were all here when we bought the place – all we do is mow and trim and mulch, says DA. Neat, I say, and you have lilacs too – what color are they?

Mind you, this is one of my first encounters with DA. I am new to suburban momhood, where we bond over diapers and coffee, and DA was a friend-prospect, a member of a babysitting cooperative/club where I would sit for her kids, she would sit for mine. Trust and caring needed to be built between us, precious cargo of children at stake, and all that.

We were also standing with another coop member – musta been a meeting at DA’s house that was dispersing. Oh, no, says DA, these are not lilacs – they’re some other SPECIAL plant, she says, these never get flowers or anything.

Hmm. Heart shaped leaves, grey bark, suckers shooting up – plus the fact that the rest of the yard is so not-special, how could this shrub possibly be the one standout in a crowd? The better part of valor dictated that I defer, let the matter drop, move on!

“I think you cut them back at the wrong time, they just haven’t set any buds yet,” I say. “This is definitely a lilac bush. I have two in my yard, and I do not believe that there are any other plants with leaves like the lilac.”

My stance was based on 1) the fact that I had seen 6 or 8 other lilac bushes, 2) I had two different kinds in my suburban yard, and 3) I had no impulse control and would basically say the first thing that popped into my head.

Both DA and the other one protest immediately.

“Well, my dad is a landscaper, I know this is NOT a lilac” says DA.

“Oh, no, I have these in my yard and they never get flowers either,” says the other one.

Ok, DA I didn’t know well then. But the other one grew up ON Manhattan. Her exposure to plants was in her family’s produce distribution warehouse (can’t remember her name, as I have developed a mental block against idiots I have met. Well, ok, this block is toward anyone I haven’t seen in a long time, you know, two weeks, say, not just idiots, so don’t get insulted if I don’t know your name next time I run into you.) She was the one at the Newcomer’s Club who wanted to know the name of a good plant place, because her pink flowers in front of her house were dying and she needed to know what to do to keep them alive. (Duh. Pick off the dead ones and forget it, that’s what rhododendron blossoms do: bloom and die.)

My memory insists I dropped this, but I suspect there was more insulting insistence on my part, being sure, well, 90% sure, these shrubs were lilacs. Being as there were two against one, and these two were not my younger siblings, I did not win this argument. Plus, at a certain point I was fascinated by these special plants, and determined that I would go home, figure out what they were, and then get me some, too.

Fifteen years later, I was again standing in DA’s driveway looking at her garden. Purple bunches of fluffy flowers poked up here and there over the top of her shrubs. Now, you are thinking, DA and Delamonda have been friends for a long time. Delamonda has not said anything about this lilac business all that time. Such a nice friend! Coulda said “I told you so” 15 times by now but didn’t!

Uh, no.

In reality, what with two growing children upon whom to lavish my attentions, a full-time job sucking up chunks of hours week in and week out, and the Internet being fresh and new and dial-up, I did not get far in my search for The Special Shrubbery. In reality, I don’t go to DA’s house (too many kids) and DA doesn’t come to my house (too many pets and some kids too). Plus, she trims all her shrubs at the same time of year, so if she does get around to trimming them one year, the next year there aren’t any flowers. She is at my house fall and spring, and I am at her house summer and winter, so the opportunity to see the flowers are few and far between. The likelihood is small that I was at DA’s house at the right time to hang in her driveway long enough to notice lilacs in bloom.

Therefore, Delamonda said to DA: “Looks like your lilacs are doing well. Remember that time Manhattan was here and I told you I thought these were lilacs and the two of you swore up and down that these were not lilacs?”

And this is why DA is my friend: She laughed. She didn’t remember, she did not care that I had insulted her, she did not care that she had been wrong or that I had pointed it out – or if she did, she really did just laugh, out loud.

“Yeah, they get flowers if I don’t trim them in the spring, I think. And whatever happened to that woman? What an idiot!”

Being friends is not one of those things that I do well. My friends carry me, maybe because I try hard to be a good friend. I have moments: occasionally I send a card on time, most of my party guests get Thank you notes, I go out for coffee when I am perfectly happy to drink the coffee I make at home. If anyone actually called me in the middle of the night, would I get up and go help? I haven’t ever had to find out.

I appreciate people who befriend me. I like to think I am amusing. I admire people who go places and do things that maybe they wouldn’t do if their friends weren’t there.

Crafty Luncheon cancelled!

As a museum patron, I donated the volunteer luncheon for the Job Lane Farm museum. I love luncheons! I have food for 30 people! Sadly, our lovely little faire got cancelled by rain! Oh, I will have to eat all this food myself. Yum.

My menu:
Chicken and Grape salad
Chicken Caesar wraps
Egg salad
Cheese spread
Potato casserole
Apple Pie
Peach and berry cobbler (one dish)

Rolls and mini-croissants
Tea, coffee, lemonade, water

I have a Girl Scout meeting tomorrow: we will eat all this stuff then!

Tomorrow I will have pictures.

Mi, mi, mi, meme!

I got this from a foodie blog: http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/uncategorised/the-omnivores-hundred/

Here’s a chance for a little interactivity for all the bloggers out there. Below is a list of 100 things that I think every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognise everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers.

Here’s what I want you to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake - all
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Flamingo Flocking!

Our Girl Scout troop wants to run a flamingo flocking campaign. What fun! Everyone we ask says yes - we will need to get some birds!

I watched our town day parade the other day, with the Girl Scouts and my daughters marching. Those moments of small town life make tears well up! Sweet little girls, earnest politicians, the Public Works guys in our town's trucks and bulldozers, followed by the marching band and the Girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts.

Our booth in the field was a hit - we sold most of our cookies and all of the little rubber ducks we bought for a game. No one wanted the prizes - they wanted the ducks!

We made money, had plenty of snacks, and had a ringside seat to the festivities - I love having a booth at the fair!

Girl Scout meeting

Sunday's Girl Scout meeting ended too soon! Our Senior girls got together to come up with some fundraiser ideas and boy, they have plenty! The troop has some very different personalities: some studious, some glamorous, some TOTALLY EXCITED ALL THE TIME! Co got hot drinks and kettle corn - our favorite troop activity is eating.

We will flock people with flamingoes, the theme being Think Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month! at our booth for town day. Our families will donate food too - yum! We should have a lot of fun! We have 9 girls registered for the new year, and our town day will be our "last" fundraiser for the year before October 1. Most likely all 9 will show up at some point or another to get their nails done and help sell - we usually can't get rid of them once they arrive at our booth! Our advertised plan is the trip to Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay - the one girl who wants to go gets free air travel so maybe we'll actually get to go!

My main contribution for the day will be my presence - although I need to consume fried dough several times during the day!

Who would have thought?

My busy weekend caught me up in how wonderfully my life gets filled!

Our museum Craft Fair buzzes with estrogen - so many ladies and their hand made goods! I spent no time looking though, but helped pop up the ez tents and guided the minivans to back up to the shoe-polish corners on the grass - 3 hours! Slipped into my not-glamourous 18th century garb and burbled about the beehive oven for an hour, working on my fascination factor. My triumphant moment: rescuing a family from our most venerable (read talkative!) guide once I realized they had been in the parlor for 45 minutes!

At 11 I put on my Girl Scout uniform and dashed to the Service Fair at the council office. What a refreshing afternoon! People recognize me from trainings, and say hi! Some know me through my daughters and give me the latest on their own girls. Others read about me on the forums and like to just see my face!

Mostly, back in suburbia, I have memories of our recent vacation, and I realize: I choose this existence and grow and learn in it! Tada! Who would have thought?

The First Day of the Rest of my Blog

So, today I have decided I will blog every day. Nothing profound - just a little list every day, maybe a tidbit.

My life is suburban - the girls are back in school, happy with their teachers, happy to see their friends. My job continues to move along slowly - no surprises! I drive my minivan everywhere, even though I bought a bike in May to ride the 6 miles there and back - it's been too hot! Instead, my friend Bea and I walk around the block every day...IF we don't have meetings or doctor appointments or company coming over or kids to retrieve. So, consquently we don't walk much!

After work, I met up with Moo and her mom, to go off to their first Girl Scout troop meeting as merged Cadettes. The group of 7 girls brings 4 from one troop and 3 from another - my visit was to introduce myself and my camping club that the one troop belonged to last year. Our first trip is set for October - which means cold weather hereabouts and some of them were a little nervous. There are cabins though, so if we get too cold we'll move! Around here, we could have snow or a heat wave for Halloween!

Two of the girls are mentally challenged, and didn't camp well last year. We work on communication and conflict-resolution a lot when these girls are part of the group. My friend Jude has a good handle on their behaviors and that helps tremendously - she's been their leader since the beginning (maybe Daisies?).

I'll attend even more meetings, starting tomorrow: House Museum Guides tours, Girl Scout leader fair and trainings, Parents Association meeting, Teen Girl Scout meeting, Marching Band uniform fittings, Girl Scout Leaders meeting, Principal's meeting, Parade Committee, Brownie meeting, and Saturday is the parade and Girl Scout recruiting day. Some days there are 2 meetings, if you are counting! Plus working and getting my girls to Marching Band practice and back.

Tidbit: found out about the behind-closed-doors life of Bea! So titillating to find out what other people do at home. No secrets being given away here - sorry, I am looking for readers and I can't alienate my friends!