A Tragic Love Story...of Sorts

Even though my husband Tony and I are vegetarians, I had long wanted to buy a BBQ grill. During the lockdown I took the plunge and purchased a small electric BBQ grill with all the bells and whistles.

My favorite thing to cook on it was cabbage. Trust me, it's delicious.

1. Use about 1/2 cabbage and cut into 4 pieces. Place each quarter on a separate piece of aluminum foil.

2. Sprinkle about 2 tbsp of soy sauce and 1 tbsp of butter over each cabbage piece. Season with freshly ground pepper.

3. Fold the sides of the foil over each cabbage quarter, sealing to form a packet.

4. Place on the grill and cook until tender - about 15 to 20 minutes.

I loved my little BBQ grill and often wondered why it had taken me so long to buy it. But then disaster struck. I remember the day as if it was yesterday. I had the cabbage packs ready for grilling. Tony plugged in the grill and turned up the heat. But, instead of grilling veggie burgers, my husband grilled the BBQ brush that he had left inside the grill. It smoked, it burned and it melted all over the inside of my beloved grill.

The pictured BBQ Journal never sold on my Etsy shop. It, like my beloved grill, will R.I.P. forever. 

 

Hike

verb

1. walk for a long distance.

Tony has always been a hiker. Me, not so much. A hike for me was just a full day of shopping. But a few years ago, I heard about the Victory Trailhead. Just 4.3 miles from our house, door to door in just 11 minutes.

Yesterday was our first hike of the year. Tony, Alex - our dear friend and Hair Stylist Extraordinaire and me. The weather was perfect, calm and cool. The trail was green with thousands of wildflowers yawning as they awakened from their winters nap.

The trail is considered moderate and there are hills to climb, but Tony and I have hiked this trail many times. A mile in and a mile out.

We were all having a lovely time with lots of chatting and laughter. Time and the miles just flew by. And then reality hit. We walked too far. What should have been a 2-mile hike became a nearly 4-mile trek.

I can honestly say that this 79-year-old really felt her age! The walk back was brutal. The hills seemed to multiply but I walked…one step at a time. The only thing that kept me going was the thought of a hot shower, but the only way out was to keep on walking. Which I did.

PS. As soon as I heal, I’m ready for another hike.

 

Love it or Hate it?

Within a 4-mile radius of our house there are 6 Dollar Trees. Not enough you say? Well obviously, Dollar Tree agreed because last week they opened a 7th DT just 1.2 miles from my house.

Years ago, when everything was $1.00 and I was working, I would treat myself with a weekly visit. One day I checked my bank account and realized I was spending between $40 and $60 a month on things that I didn’t need, didn’t use or that eventually ended up in the trash.

Now I only shop every 6 weeks or so and rarely spend more than $10.00. There are a few things that I love like Strawberry & Cream Alberto V05 leave-in-conditioner. It’s great for my curly hair and it’s a steal at $1.25 when it sells on Amazon for $8.96. Other things I love are garden gloves, lemon hand sanitizer and poster board for protest signs – all of which are $1.25.

There is only one thing I wished I had purchased from DT. A "Day of the Dead" melamine dinner set. I saw it 3 or 4 years ago, stared at it and kept on saying to myself, you don’t need it, you don’t need it, you don’t need it. And so now, every October I go to 6 Dollar Trees searching for the set. This year it will be 7 stores I visit.

 

Lydia Maria Child, Abolitionist

Today is an important day in history, but I write this to honor not only the great MLK, but also a woman whose name you might not know - Lydia Maria Child.

Let me start at the beginning. I recently read an entire book about the history of onions. (Don’t. Ask. Why.) It included a few historical recipes, but one caught my attention. The author of the recipe was a woman who lived in the 1800’s and her name was Lydia Maria Child. I was curious as to whether she was related to the famous Chef Julia Child, so I did a little research.

No relation, but what I did discover about Lydia was that she was an amazing woman who made a difference. Yes, she was a brilliant writer and a poet – she wrote the poem “Over the River and Through the Woods” - but much more than that, she spent her life fighting for Women’s Rights, Native American Rights and African American Rights. Her contributions were so vital to the emancipation of Slaves that in 2007, she was inducted into the National Abolition Hall of Fame, in Peterboro, New York.

Happy Birthday Martin Luther King Jr. And an early Happy Birthday to Lydia Maria Child born on Feb 11, 1802.

Make YOUR Voice Be Heard

John Lennon wrote my favorite song "IMAGINE" in 1971. It is a permanent protest song and a lasting emblem of hope.

It was inspired by John Lennon's desire for two things. The first being world peace. The second being a world that is devoid of borders, religions and material possessions.

Coincidentally or not, my favorite holiday song is also written by John Lennon. "HAPPY CHRISTMAS (WAR IS OVER). I cried when John Lennon was killed. But his memory and his message live on. 

Now, more than ever, we need his music. 

 I Believe in Fairies, Do You?

When I had a shop on Etsy, I sold hundreds of tea-dyes journals. My most popular journal by far, was the Fairy Journal.

My inspiration for the Fairy Journal had always been Peter Pan's constant companion, Tinker Bell. I remember watching the play performed live on TV, starring Mary Martin. When Tinker Bell was dying, it was up to the audience to save her life. But only, if we believed in fairies. Peter asked us to clap our hands together, and I did. I was 14 at the time (1960) but I vigorously clapped. 

And yes, Tinker Bell lived.

 

"Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon fruit is sweet

But the fruit of the lemon is impossible to eat."

The lemons in our backyard are ready for picking. I found this recipe in 2018, and it has become a staple in our house. (It freezes well.) So, despite the Peter, Paul and Mary lyrics, the lemon is NOT impossible to eat. Try it, you'll like it!

Lemon Loaf, NOT Lemon Cake

INGREDIENTS:

Flour - 1 cup                                                    Sugar - 3/4 cup

Baking Powder - 1 tsp                                     Eggs - 2

Salt - a pinch                                                    Zest from 2 or 3 lemons

Butter at room temp. - 1/2 cup                        Yogurt - 2 tbs

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

2. Cream together butter and sugar.

3. Add the eggs and beat well.

4. Add the lemon zest.

5. Sift in the flour mix.

6. Gently FOLD together.

7. Add yogurt. Do not overmix.

8. Transfer into loaf pan lined with parchment paper.

9. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. 

10. Top with lemon syrup:

            a. 1 tbsp lemon juice

            b. 1/4 cup of water

            c. 3 tbsp sugar

            d. Heat ingredients until sugar melts.

Perfect for your next Tea Party.  

In a World of Black & White, be the Vibrant Stroke of RED

In the past, "four-eyes" was a common playground taunt a child might use to insult another child who wore eyeglasses. I heard it many times. I was born with a condition called amblyopia or lazy eye and spent years going to ophthalmologists where they tried their hardest to strengthen my lazy eye. Nothing worked, except for glasses.

I have two sets of glasses, One pair for close work and one for distance. Last week I had my yearly eye exam and although my eyesight hadn’t changed dramatically, I did need a stronger prescription for my reading/computer glasses. At one of my favorite eyeglass stores, Warby Parker, I found a frame I liked – it was greenish/grey and befitting for an elderly lady.

As the gal was writing up my order, I confessed that I really would have loved to get red framed glasses. She stopped filling out the order, went over to the wall shelf and returned with a bright red frame. I had no choice but to try them on. And I loved them but…not too confident I asked, “Can a 79-year-old woman get away with wearing bright red glasses?” Her reply, “If not now, then when!”

I’m tracking my order online and my new raspberry RED glasses should arrive later this week. 

Ready for Tomorrow's Protest Rally

Gone but never forgotten. May your soul rest in peace.

 

Needle and Thread

I’m rather new to Facebook Marketplace, but in the last year or so I have managed to sell a few inexpensive items. This past November I listed a lot of special Christmas Tree ornaments. They were all purchased in the 80’s, when I celebrated the holidays with a tree and my main hobby was quilting.

After I posted the listing, a lovely gal traveled the distance – about 15 miles – to view my 11-piece sewing themed ornament collection. She told me that growing up as the youngest of 8 children, her wardrobe consisted mainly of hand-me-downs. Since most of the clothes needed minor repairs, her mother stitched them together with thread and love.

When she saw my ad, she immediately knew that to honor her mother she would make a small sewing themed Christmas tree. As she shared her story she choked up and found it difficult to talk. I must admit I too felt teary eyed. My darling ornaments went from one loving home to another. A Christmas miracle.

.

 

What's In Your Bag?

Nothing says 1950’s like cherries. I love the retro cherry theme and own a cherry skirt plus two cherry sweaters. For years I had been searching for a cherry purse to add to my wardrobe, and last month when I saw the one pictured above for $8.50, it was a done deal. This is a cheap copy of the very expensive Coach cherry bag, but to me it’s priceless.

On YouTube/TikTok there is an ongoing trend where gals open their purse and share what’s inside. I have watched over 2 dozen videos and am constantly amazed at the contents of these purses. Some of my favorite unusual purse items include: paper toilet seat covers and paper soap, a portable fan, miniature bottles of booze and eye masks for naps on the subway.

I think the inventor of "What's In My Bag" was Hillary Clinton. During her campaign she carried a bottle of Hot Sauce with her at all times. I, on the other hand, carry just 5 items. All rather boring. I think I need to start carrying a tiny bottle of spice!

 

Black Lives Do Matter

I grew up in an all-white neighborhood where I attended an all-white elementary school. Back then I only knew one black person, Rose, our maid who worked for us twice a week. One day to clean and one day to do laundry. She would iron downstairs in our knotty pine walled basement, and I always looked forward to laundry day. I can close my eyes and smell the steamy aroma coming from hot iron on freshly washed clothes; hear the beat of gospel music on the radio and feel the joy I felt when I was with her. 70+ years later I may not remember her face, but I still remember how she made me feel. Loved.

When I was perhaps 6 or 7, my family drove from New Jersey to Miami Beach, FL for a special Easter vacation. The one memory of that trip that is seared in my brain took place at a restaurant stop in North Carolina. I needed to use the restroom, so I raced to the lady’s room. My mother, by my side, literally grabbed me by the shoulders and held me back. She bent down to my level and in a whisper pointed to the sign above the door that read COLORED ONLY. She then led me to the WHITE ONLY lady’s room and tried to explain why I wasn’t allowed to use the COLORED ONLY bathroom. As a child I couldn’t understand and as an adult I still can’t understand. At home we shared a bathroom with Rose, so why couldn’t we share one in this restaurant?  

This blog post makes me angry and very sad. It’s now 2026 and although things have improved, racism still exists.  

 

Is 79 Elderly?

A few months ago, while checking out at our local Trader Joe’s I noticed the gal in front of me. What got my attention were her fabulous nails polished a bright blue.

Immediately, I had a bright blue memory from about 40 years ago. I was at the Laurel Canyon Ice rink where Casey was taking her first ice skating lessons. Moms would huddle together in the chilly bleachers and chat while our darling daughters and sons learned to move around the rink without falling. One day a mom showed up with a bright blue streak on her rather unkempt brunette locks. When I asked her why the blue hair, she shared that she did it to break out of mom-mode.

After I left Trader Joe’s I knew I needed to break out of my elderly-woman mode. No to blue hair, but I set a goal to paint my nails outrageous colors. I am currently wearing retro blue/green nail polish and am smiling.