Ask & Tell - Until DADT Is Overturned

Driving home tonight, listening to the wild and wooly Boston Red Sox game on the radio, I was certain it would become the topic of this post. But when I arrived home I read the disappointing news about First Lieutenant Daniel Choi. As I mentioned the other day, Lt. Choi, an infantry platoon leader in the Iraq War and an Arabic linguist, was facing discharge from the military because he publicly acknowledged he is gay. This statement of truth is in violation of the wrongheaded Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy (DADT). Unfortunately, the panel of New York National Guard officers today recommended Lt. Choi be discharged from the Army because he violated DADT. The recommendation must go up the chain of command, but as of this writing there is no firm deadline for that final decision.

I am asking everyone to contact the White House to urge President Obama to sign an executive order halting all “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) discharges while the policy is under review.

Here’s how to do it:

Via the Internet: Click here to send an e-mail.

Via Telephone:
Comments: 202-456-1111

Switchboard: 202-456-1414

FAX: 202-456-2461

Via TTY/TDD:
Comments: 202-456-6213


Via Postal Service:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Via Twitter: Use the address @BarackObama and @whitehouse (both of these are verified accounts)

Thank you.

: : UPDATE: You can click on this link to go to the Courage Campaign website and sign a letter to Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, urging the repeal of DADT.

150 Years

Bernard Madoff, age 71, was sentenced to 150 years in prison today for his elaborate, far reaching and long running Ponzi scheme, which defrauded - robbed - hundreds of people and organizations of enormous sums of money.

Perhaps because of the scale of the monies lost, coupled with the notoriety of some of the investors, there has seemed to be limited sympathy for the victims. (Burt Ross has posted several powerful pieces over on The Daily Beast chronicling his experience as one of Madoff’s victims, including the impact statement he read in court today.) But it is important to note that Madoff was a confidence man of the highest order. He was not some shady fly-by-night guy with an office in a strip mall. He founded his investment company back in 1960; was instrumental in the creation of NASDAQ and served as Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Securities Dealers. He had stature of long standing in the Wall Street community and, even more importantly, in the regulatory end of that industry.

It also must be made clear that investors with Madoff received conservative (albeit impossibly steady) returns on their “investments”. They received detailed, completely fictitious statements from Madoff showing their “holdings” in stocks - many of which were blue chip and widows and orphans stocks. Looking at those statements, I’m sure people felt comforted month in and month out that they were investing their hard earned money wisely, with a talented man shepherding their resources, for their children’s educations and their own retirements.

Beyond Madoff as an unparalleled con man, he also betrayed his investors’ trust in a deeply shameful way by targeting fellow Jews. This tremendous Ponzi scheme was simultaneously an Affinity scheme. Madoff worked his way from individuals to non-profit Jewish organizations, ultimately causing tremendous losses to Yeshiva University, Maimonides School and Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel’s own Foundation For Humanity, to name a few.

It is not clear how many other individuals who participated in Madoff’s Ponzi/Affinity scheme will be prosecuted. But considering the depth and breadth of the fraudulent activities, I have to believe many, many more criminals will be brought to justice.

I have no sympathy for Madoff. 150 years in a federal penitentiary? The gonnif (thief) should live so long.

Across Time

I stopped by Ilva’s blog today and she mentioned a very interesting photographic artist named Bobby Neel Adams. I went by his website and looked at his “Age-Maps”. As Ilva put it, his Age-Maps “both delight and disturb”. I had a similar reaction - plus an immediate desire to try my hand at the technique. So with all due respect and in the sincere hope that Mr. Adams perceives imitation as the sincerest form of flattery, I made this photo composite. It’s Chuck merged from two photos; one at age 7 and the other at age 64.




And yes, I know what a truly good sport Chuck is!

Notorious

I can’t state exactly how many times I’ve seen the movie “Notorious” (1946), but every single time I watch it I am drawn in immediately. It’s partly the skill of director Alfred Hitchcock and partly the taut writing of Ben Hecht and partly the fine acting of the entire cast - especially the gorgeous Cary Grant and the stunning Ingrid Bergman. More than just technical genius, there is something mesmerizing about the entire film. Each time I watch “Notorious” I hold my breath during the scene in the wine cellar and, of course, the walk down the sweeping staircase at the cusp of the denouement. Six decades past its creation, it remains not notorious but glorious.

Good Men and Women All

I am posting a copy of the letter I received from The Courage Campaign. Lieutenant Dan Choi may be fired from the military for having stated he is gay. This statement of truth is in violation of the wrongheaded Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy (DADT). Please read the letter and then click on the link at the bottom to sign a letter of support.


A Letter From Daniel W. Choi:

Dear Reader,

On Tuesday at 8 a.m., I will stand trial for speaking three truthful words: “I am gay.”

On Tuesday, I will face a panel of colonels who will decide whether or not to fire me -- to discharge me for "moral and professional dereliction" under the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

On Tuesday, I will try to prove that it's not immoral to tell the truth.

As an infantry officer, an Iraq combat veteran and a West Point graduate with a degree in Arabic, I refuse to lie to my commanders. I refuse to lie to my peers. I refuse to lie to my subordinates.

My case requires that I provide personal testimony from people who can attest to my character. That's why several members of my military unit have written letters of support and offered to testify on my behalf.

Now I need your help. ANYONE who believes the Army should not fire me can take a stand right now. I am bringing a statement of support to Tuesday’s trial and I need you to add your signature to it. Will you support me by signing this statement before Tuesday?

I want to thank the 141,262 people who have signed the "Don't Fire Dan" letter launched a few weeks ago by the Courage Campaign and CREDO Mobile to President Obama, asking him to take leadership to bring this tragic policy to an end.

The momentum is building. This week, 77 members of Congress signed a letter to the President citing my service as an example of why DADT should be repealed. And a Gallup poll was recently released showing that 69 percent of Americans -- including 58 percent of Republicans - favor allowing openly gay men and lesbian women to serve their country .

As I learned at West Point, deception and lies poison a unit and cripple a fighting force. That's why more than 70 of my fellow West Point graduates have also come out of the closet to join Knights Out, the organization I co-founded to build support for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

The only way we will eventually overturn “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is by speaking up together. You can help me fight back right now by adding your name to my statement of support. On Tuesday morning I will bring your signature -- and thousands of others -- to my trial as a demonstration of your collective support.

National security means many things, but the thing that makes us secure in our nation and homes is love. What makes me a better soldier, leader, Christian and human being is love. And I'm not going to hide my love.

Love is worth it.

Thank you for your support.

Daniel W. Choi
1LT, IN
New York Army National Guard


I urge you to take a moment to click here to support Dan. Thank you.

Dining Al Fresco - Sort Of

After the recent town meeting, we stepped out of the steamy auditorium into the misty but mercifully cooler night air. As we walked to the car we realized we were really hungry. Banking on a short meeting, we’d only eaten a late lunch. But at near 11:00 p.m. nothing in our little corner of the world was open. I began listing dinner options available at home. Soon, Chuck began listing off other options. That’s how we found ourselves driving into a nearby town to the “open late” Wendy’s drive through window. We ordered a couple of cups of chili and parked neatly between the lines in the not quite deserted lot. (Yes he does take me to the nicest places!) I unpacked the containers of chili from the bag; then the little pouches of Saltines; then a couple of pre-wrapped napkin-knife-fork packets. I looked in the bag. I shook the bag. No spoons were included. Sigh...

Chuck chivalrously high tailed it on foot to the drive through window to get the spoons. He returned quickly, opened the back door of the car and grabbed our container of traveling supplies. He sat back in the driver’s seat, pulled out a couple of our own plastic spoons and announced that Wendy’s no longer provides spoons. Yes they still sell chili, but they no longer carry spoons! The staff had no explanation, but found it equally odd. Wendy’s chili isn’t an eat it with a fork sort of food. It’s a more liquidy, sloshy sort of chili. As we dined we continued to speculate on the the corporate mindset. As we crumbled our Saltines onto the chili, Chuck wondered if their plan was for us to use the crackers to sop up the liquid and then fork the chili cracker mixture out. I suggested maybe we were supposed to eat all the chunky bits with the fork and then try to drink the liquid at the end. When all was said and done - including the theorizing and the chili - we had no good and logical explanation for Wendy’s no-spoon policy. It struck us as just some corporate pencil pusher’s misguided attempt at cost savings. I did call Wendy’s headquarters and left a message suggesting it wasn’t a good idea to tell customer’s to stick a fork in it - the chili that is!

The Ayes Have It

Living in a small, rural Massachusetts town means we have a participatory (A.K.A. “open”) annual town meeting. Occasionally they are sparsely attended. But our first town meeting after we moved here 16 years ago was so crowded that the fire chief said we were near capacity. So a slew of us sat up on the stage in bleacher seats, facing the majority of the townspeople. (“Hello new town!”) Our most recent town meeting was not as beastly hot as normal, but significantly longer than usual. In advance of the meeting, there were two schools of thought about it: 1. the town (like the rest of the Commonwealth) has no money so the meeting will be incredibly brief or 2. the town has no money (like the rest of the Commonwealth) so the meeting will be lengthy and contentious. If you chose “2” you are correct!

I have a love/hate relationship with town meeting. Ours is not as quaint and folksy as some of the ones I’ve read about up in Vermont. Town Meeting Day up there is a state holiday in March, which in Vermont is still decidedly winter. In some towns there is a lot of knitting and covered dish lunches. Here in Central Massachusetts there’s no food and hardly any knitting because our town meeting is typically held in June and it’s just too darn hot. What I do love about town meeting is that any registered voter can show up, sit on uncomfortable folding chairs, listen, raise their hand, be called on by the moderator and ask a question or voice an opinion. If you have a good strong voice which you can project throughout the hall (like Chuck and I both have!), you can stand at your seat and be heard. If you have a wee voice you have to go to the microphone or the moderator has to repeat your question. Of course the down side of anyone being allowed to speak is that anyone is allowed to speak! But as the hours go by and the room grows warmer and my arm is starting to ache from overusing my fan, it becomes an exercise in patience and respect to listen quietly to someone who is, in my opinion, talking to hear themselves talk or is voicing a view which is the polar opposite of my own.

What I consider the most important and honorable part of open town meeting is that we vote by voice (by acclamation) or, when a two thirds majority is required we stand to be counted - literally. It’s hard. Especially if the discussion on the article has been heated, long and involves spending more money. You could be sitting next to a neighbor or friend or fellow congregant and one of you is standing on the yea, while the other is standing on the nay. (Sometimes that split decision happens between Chuck and me, which causes us to joke that the voting is “tearing families asunder”!) But this form of voting is the physical manifestation of “standing up to be counted” which impresses the heck out of me every time I do it. Sometimes there is a motion from the floor to have us vote by secret or paper ballots. But that motion requires a floor vote and rarely passes. And as the evening wears on and the temperature rises, it is extremely rare to get a paper ballot through, because it is ponderously slow and inefficient compared to the more public alternatives. For national, statewide and town elections we still have our polling places and our secret ballots. But for working out the details of an amendment to a noisy dog by-law or parsing the dollars and cents of the school budget I wouldn’t trade annual town meeting for all the tea in China.

For Milton & George

Chuck and I were both fortunate to have great Dads. My Dad passed away an impossibly long twenty-one years ago. Chuck’s Dad passed only a few months ago, back in February. Today we are missing them both. We miss the best of them; when they were each in their prime and in their full powers. And we miss being able to share something funny or a memory or a bit of good news with them.

The saying goes that any guy can be a father, but it takes a special man to be a dad. So here’s to all the dads, grandfathers and great-grandfathers. And here’s to all the godfathers, big brothers, uncles and good men who serve as father figures. Happy Father’s Day to you all.

Invention’s Mom

When I serve plain fresh fruit, I often add a little sauce of yogurt and honey, thinned with a splash of orange juice. I just spoon the yogurt sauce on top and let it find its way in and around the fruit. The other day I was in a hurry. In addition to being in a rush, I was out of yogurt. But I did have some sour cream. Yogurt and sour cream are kissin’ cousins so I gave it a whirl. But instead of a sauce, I just layered it all up in two little bowls. Here’s how it went:

Fresh strawberries, sliced in half
Fresh blueberries
a sprinkle of turbinado sugar over the fruit
several tiny dollops of (Breakstone’s Light) sour cream on top of the fruit
a dusting of cinnamon sugar over all

Oh my, yes indeedy! Yogurt and sour cream may well be related but not even my favorite thick Greek yogurt (Fage) would be able to beat this assemblage. Very creamy, very decadent and Chuck and I both agreed that as the ingredients bumped up against one another the sour cream tasted more and more like thick whipped cream.

Rockwell

The other day we headed out to The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. We have been wanting to go for ages. I don’t want to discourage anyone from visiting, but we were a little disappointed. The museum is in an exquisitely beautiful location. Picture Tanglewood but add an artist’s studio and a museum building which echoes the design of a New England church. The interior design of the museum is a lovely intersection between modern and traditional, with touches of slate for flooring which grounds it nicely to the environment. The ceilings are high without being cavernous and are trimmed with simply designed, yet massive crown molding which provide a frame for each gallery space.

Out of what appeared to be eight gallery spaces, only five were open and hung with Norman Rockwell pieces. The remaining ones were roped off and being prepared for a contemporary sculpture exhibition of the works of Rockwell’s youngest son Peter. Complicating matters, the museum has mounted a ten city traveling retrospective of Rockwell’s work. That will be on view in Stockbridge beginning July 4th of this year. These two situations left us feeling as if the Rockwell pieces which remained on display, while wonderful, were slimmer than we had expected. Strolling through the gift shop before departing only emphasized the missing pieces, as we looked at prints of the artist’s most famous works.

Two other occurrences left us puzzled. The first was the illumination. The lighting throughout the gallery spaces was uneven. The center room had an enormous skylight which, on a partly sunny day, left it flooded with bright, diffused light. That allowed each painting in that room to be appreciated with ease. The adjacent octagonal room held the iconic “Four Freedoms”. This space had diffused, natural light spilling in from a window in an adjacent room, which left two of the paintings in some shadow. The other three rooms were all quite dim, one, painted in deep tones, was positively gloomy. Even though each piece of artwork was individually lit, they were not “spotlit”. Had the lighting been consistent throughout, we would have assumed it had something to do with preservation of perhaps unstable materials. But moving from bright to dim as we walked room to room left us squinting.

The second problem was grammatical. Alongside each piece of Rockwell’s art a lengthy, informative description was hung. Beyond the typical year painted and materials used, facts about the development of the painting or the inspiration for the piece and even Rockwell’s personal circumstances at the time were included in these narratives. Unfortunately so were typographical errors - including words transposed and others run together. We enjoyed learning the background for these paintings, but the typos became a distraction.

Both Chuck and I have been lifelong fans of Norman Rockwell’s work. His lighthearted pieces make us smile and his serious pieces never fail to move us. Standing in his last, and what he considered to be his finest, studio gave us a little chill knowing it was the room which had once been filled with his intensity and his creativity. Viewing “The Marriage License”, each of “The Four Freedoms”, “The Golden Rule”, “Home for Thanksgiving”, “Saying Grace” and, perhaps most moving, “New Kids In The Neighborhood” was a memorable experience. We just wish that all aspects of the museum had risen to the same level as the best of Rockwell’s work. And despite the surprising shortcomings of the experience, we might try to get back sometime during July or August for the return of “American Chronicles” in hopes of viewing some of the “missing pieces”.

Watershed Moment

It was a long, painful, drawn out struggle, but on June 17, 1991, the ruling government of South Africa finally repealed the Population Registration Act of 1950. This particular moment was seen as pivotal in the ultimate dismantling of apartheid. It would be three more years before Nelson Mandela would be elected President of South Africa. The last eighteen years have continued to hold tremendous challenges for the citizens of South Africa. But this eighteen year milestone is an important one to acknowledge.

Liberal? Get A Clue!

I have to laugh when I hear folks on the right calling President Barack Obama a flaming leftist, bleeding heart liberal. I have to laugh or I’ll cry. I supported then candidate Obama and happily voted for him in the election. Progressive/Liberal that I am, I knew he was a brilliant guy, but I also knew he was a pretty conservative-verging-on-middle-of-the-road politician. Don’t get me wrong, compared to the Bush-Cheney-Rove group who dragged our nation down in the mud for the last eight years, Obama and his administration are more than a breath of fresh air. They are returning us to our moral compass and our core Constitutional values. But President Obama is not the dream come true of progressives and liberals.

Case in point: for some unknown and frankly unfathomable reason, the Justice Department under the current Obama administration, has filed a brief in Federal Court defending the “Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA). In a nutshell, DOMA says that if a same sex couple is legally married in one state, no other state is obligated to recognize that marriage contract and bars the Federal government from treating any such marriage as a legal marriage. Both candidate and President Obama supported a full repeal of DOMA - that is until the Justice Department filed this inexplicable and deeply offensive brief last week.

President Obama and his administration have a full to overflowing plate of issues to be addressed. I get that the economy and wars and health care and a plethora of issues all need attention. But that’s no reason to do a 180 degree turn on a moral issue. This isn’t a gay rights issue. It’s an equal rights issue. To learn more you can watch the video clip from tonight’s Rachel Maddow Show, where she interviews Howard Dean. Maybe someone in the Obama administration could take a look at it as well and review some of the President’s earlier statements as a “fierce advocate for Gay Rights”...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Here Chip!

After a mysterious three year odyssey, there’s a happy ending for a seven year old dog. Abby, a beagle cross, was found in Denver, Colorado last month, with no visible tags. Luckily, prior to her disappearance in 2006, her human had gotten her microchipped. A scan at a Colorado animal shelter enabled staff to to track down the owner who had moved to Kentucky. You can click to read more about Abby’s story.

Even though all of our cats and dogs have always been indoor pets, ever since the pet microchip technology became available, we have had them all chipped. We know that it only takes a split second for an open door to provide an attractive inducement to the outdoors and “away”. There has been controversy about microchips, not about their safety or efficacy, but about the lack of a consistent universal reader to scan all brands of microchips. You can find some good advice from the Humane Society and I would recommend discussing it with your veterinarian. But that teeny microchip, the size of a grain of rice, really can bring about a welcome reunion.

Global In 140

So much has been happening here in the United States, it is easy to lose sight of some of the big stories unfolding around the globe. I’ve found that most of my political thoughts have turned into Tweets over on Twitter. Despite the goofy sounding name, Twitter has been extremely busy with folks voicing opinions, as well as sharing links to breaking news. They have also been holding the mainstream media’s feet to the fire over insufficient coverage or slanted coverage - from every possible angle!

Here are some of the topics which I’ve been following and what I have been Tweeting about recently - all in no more than 140 characters:

The Iranian Elections:

Iranian elections: 80%+ voter turnout - fraud is suspected & Mousavi may be under house arrest! (http://is.gd/112t1) The world is watching!

Hard to get current info on Iranian elections! (Try Huffington Post: http://is.gd/11rxT ) U.S. not accepting results! The world is watching!

Brief, fascinating article in NY Times on #CNNfail & the role Twitter has in Iranians communicating about elections: http://is.gd/11OA1


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Sunday Speech:

Is it just me or did Netanyahu's description of a disarmed Palestinian State sound like US 1800s policy putting Native Americans on the Rez?

Putting Netanyahu's speech in better perspective & a broader context: http://is.gd/12caB - from @NJDC


Zimbabwe:

President Obama & his administration have not overlooked Zimbabwe! Supports Tsvangirai; chides Mugabe: http://is.gd/12cRT


Of course, I intersperse these political Tweets with comments rooting on the Boston Red Sox or chatting with friends. You can find folks of every possible political stripe, business people marketing their wares, music fans, author groupies and even people who Tweet in haikus. Twitter continues to be a yeasty (yes, occasionally wild and even raunchy - thank heavens for the “block” feature!), fast paced and fascinating global town common.

Family & Fish

Last April, shortly after we returned from Chuck’s father’s memorial service and interment out in Washington state, we recorded a program on the Boston PBS station, WGBH. It was called “The Gefilte Fish Chronicles”. (Perhaps it was the nearness of Dad’s passing, but we just couldn’t watch it until this past week.) It is a very funny, yet deeply moving documentary about one family’s preparations for a Passover Seder. But that sentence doesn’t begin to capture the “behind the scenes” look at three elderly sisters of the Dubroff clan as they clash, kibbitz and kvetch their way through six weeks of food preparation in advance of Pesach.

The Dubroff family is blessedly large and to host a Seder for dozens of people requires enormous quantities of food and many willing hands set to seemingly unending tasks. All of which is done under the leadership of the sisters, who are doing so much more than fulfilling a religious obligation. They are also honoring their parents Abe and Minnie Dubroff in continuing a wonderful family tradition. Their great and enduring gift is the way they have risen to the challenge, year after year and brought the subsequent generations into the mix. Now, they are sharing it with the world.

Chuck put it best when he wrote:
“We laughed.
We cried.
We got hungry.
We ordered the DVD and the cookbook.”

By the way, you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy “The Gefilte Fish Chronicles”. Dollars to doughnuts, if you come from any ethnic background with strong traditions of family and food - and if the phrase: “That’s how (not how) Mom always did it.” has ever been heard in your kitchen, then you’ll feel right at home with the Dubroffs!

Here’s where you can learn more, watch a brief video clip and order your own copy of “The Gefilte Fish Chronicles” - and the companion cookbook.

High Cheese

I really like Jerry Remy, the color commentator for the NESN television broadcasts of Boston Red Sox games. And I miss Jerry ever since he took a leave of absence to more fully recuperate from lung cancer surgery and some subsequent infections. Selfishly, I was worried about what the broadcasts would be like with a string of substitute co-hosts joining play-by-play guy Don Orsillo in the booth. But it has turned out great. Two former Red Sox players Dave Roberts and Dennis Eckersley, along with a few other broadcast veterans, have filled in for Jerry. Each one has his own style and has managed to be both informative and entertaining. Miraculously, none of them have been annoying; none of them have been cringe inducing or had that fingernails-on-a-blackboard quality about their on-air performance. (All of which puts the miserable baseball broadcasters over at ESPN and Fox Sports into sharp relief!)

My personal favorite has turned out to be Dennis Eckersley. “Eck” is a colorful guy. His grammar and syntax occasionally require a road map, but it’s his creative, inside-baseball lingo which leaves us charmed and chuckling. Eck was a pitcher and has innumerable ways to describe a pitch - my personal favorites: “high cheese” (an excellent fastball) and “salad” (bad pitching)*! He also speaks his mind giving frank opinions about players - both Red Sox and opposing players - but he is never mean spirited. Mind you, Eck doesn’t have much of a governor and has been caught swearing and stumbling through the occasional awkward malapropism. No matter, he’s a breath of fresh air. I wish Jerry Remy all the best, especially a swift and complete recovery. But he can rest assured, the Red Sox color commentary is in good and very interesting hands.

*Here’s a link to a good Eck Glossary.

Party Planning

So we were visiting with my Mom in Rhode Island. She had an appointment with the ophthalmologist and we provided the jitney service, because they needed to put drops in her eyes which makes driving challenging. After the doctor’s visit we stopped for lunch at a place in East Greenwich called T’s Restaurant. The decor was charming and artistic. The service was prompt and friendly. The food was pretty good. Happily, Mom really enjoyed her sandwich and the side of cole slaw. As we were leaving, we were looking at some of the paintings in the lobby. Chuck and Mom stopped at a table which had some information, including take out menus and a catering menu.

I don’t have to type anything else do I?

Yup. It was just a split second before Mom suggested we consider having T’s cater her post-funeral get-together - which we have now officially named “Mom’s wing-ding”! We were all laughing and then she asked me to read off some of the catering menu selections. I did. At which point Mom proceeded to either nod approvingly or scrunch up her face in disdain as I listed off the myriad choices. Lord love a duck, she really does enjoy planning the party she will be the guest of honor at, yet never attend!

“Solemn Remembrance”

President Obama has released a statement on this afternoon’s terrible shooting at the United States Holocaust Museum, in which a security guard was killed.

"I am shocked and saddened by today’s shooting at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. This outrageous act reminds us that we must remain vigilant against anti-Semitism and prejudice in all its forms. No American institution is more important to this effort than the Holocaust Museum, and no act of violence will diminish our determination to honor those who were lost by building a more peaceful and tolerant world.

Today, we have lost a courageous security guard who stood watch at this place of solemn remembrance. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends in this painful time."

We extend our sympathies to the family and friends of Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns, who gave his life in the line of duty.

We must stand up to hate.
We must work toward peace and justice.
Three places which do such good and honorable work are:
The United States Holocaust Museum

The Southern Poverty Law Center

The Simon Wiesenthal Center

To Clarify

Leaving the ballpark before the game has ended just to try to beat traffic is a sin. If your team, specifically the Boston Red Sox, is ahead and you get up to leave, it is a venial sin. However, if you get up to leave the park, for any reason other than a life threatening medical emergency, while the Red Sox are trailing, it is, in fact, a mortal sin.

So behave yourself.
Or plan your Hail Marys, Our Fathers and fiery afterlife accordingly.

Do A Happy Dance With Her!

Happy Birthday Morgan!

Morgan’s’s birthday is Monday. But because this DancingMouse lives in Australia, it already is Monday there and therefore time for good wishes, now!

D-Day

June 6, 1944.
Stunning bravery.
Staggering losses.
Ultimate victory.
Enduring gratitude...


The PBS show “American Experience” has a very good website devoted to D-Day.

I’m Honored

Genealogist, photographer and mensch George Geder has awarded me the Janice Brown Puckerbrush Award of Excellence.

The explanation of this award which he shared on his blog is indeed humbling. 

Pink Granite is wide ranging and not a blog devoted exclusively to genealogy. But my relationship to those who came before me informs every aspect of my life, including PG.


Thank you George. Thank you for inspiring me and continuing to raise the bar!

Two Xs

I’ll keep this brief.

On this day, as I have been on so, so many other days, over more decades than I care to count, I am grateful for these.

And, just a few months before my fiftieth birthday last year, I learned that there was no law, no proscription requiring this prescription to be cycled three-one-three-one-three-one ad infinitum. I already was profoundly grateful because, after the dream of children had passed, that prescription and two compassionate doctors saved me from undesirable surgery. But the freedom from that incessant and onerous pattern - however briefly it shall be true for me - has been a Godsend.

I promised I would keep it brief.

And New Hampshire Makes Six!

The state of New Hampshire became the fifth state out of the six New England states and the sixth state in the United States (including Iowa) to legalize same sex marriage. This leaves Rhode Island as the only state in New England where same sex marriage is still illegal. California had legalized same sex marriage but it was overturned in November via Proposition 8.

Perhaps the most transformative aspect of living in a state where same sex marriage was legalized May 17, 2004 is that the sky did not fall. None of the dire predictions and specious arguments made by the opponents came to pass - in particular the idea that allowing same sex couples to marry would undermine “traditional” marriage between a man and a woman. It didn’t happen. And that wonderful, ho hum normalcy has been one of the most powerful arguments in favor of marriage equality.

Just For Fun

In Adobe Photoshop CS3 I made an 11 x 8.5 piece of paper. Using the Paint Bucket tool I filled it with yellow. Then I duplicated that yellow layer. On the new top yellow layer I made stripes. (I was going for high contrast not great beauty!) I used the Rectangular Marquee tool and filled each strip using the Paint Bucket tool.


Then on that striped layer I applied Filter > Liquify (Brush size 300, Density 50, Pressure 100). I glided back and forth horizontally with the brush, as if I was dragging my finger through wet paint. When I was done, I clicked OK.


To play a little bit more, I went back in via Filter > Liquify (Brush size 300, Density 50, Pressure 100). This time I glided back and forth vertically with the brush. When I was done I clicked OK.

The reason I duplicated that very first bottom yellow paper is because when you drag the paint around using Liquify, you actually pull it away from the edges. Having the plain yellow paper underneath fills in those gaps in color.

I can imagine creating digital papers which replicate the marbled effect of starch papers used on the endpapers inside the covers of antique books.

Have fun!

Confidence

It’s an Allium, but I have no earthly idea exactly which variety (probably Chives - Allium schoenoprasum). There are a gazillion and one species of Allium. I didn’t plant it. I inherited it or, more precisely, it conveyed with the property almost sixteen years ago. Nestled in at the feet of the Milkweed, neighbored by Celandine, up against the south facing side of the barn, they emerge each spring so suddenly that they always surprise us. Never seeming to be intimidated by stories of their hybridized giganteum cousins, these lilac starbursts throw off their papery shells, confident that they are just as worthy as any hothouse Rose to grace a bouquet or corsage.

I Didn’t Recognize Them

Several summers ago, I was in the living room one morning when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something pass by the window. I looked quickly but nothing seemed amiss. Then our English Springer Spaniel, Paddy, (of blessed memory) began to bark furiously and raced toward the same window. A herd of Holstein cows was trotting through the garden, up the hill, through the dooryard and down the driveway!

What to do? Well, they were coming from the opposite direction from where a neighbor’s cows often got out. Had they been those cows, I would have known to head outside and begin herding them back home, using a cornstalk or branch to wave them along. But this was a much bigger herd. It’s a small town so I figured I would call the police. I did. As soon as I described my location and the direction the cows had come from, the dispatcher had a pretty good idea who the cows belonged to. This neighbor, who lives on the far side of a hill to our north, had similar problems in the past. But the cows had never before gotten quite this far. This time they went for a pleasant stroll through many acres of woods - up hill and down dale as it were - and then crossed the stone wall on our northern boundary, traipsed through our four and a half acres and were headed up the road - to visit the other oft wandering herd perhaps?

Well, everything was soon sorted out. All the cows were rounded up and none were the worse for wear after their outing. Late that afternoon, Paddy began to bark again as a huge pick up truck drove up the driveway and parked outside the kitchen door. An impressively, nay imposingly, tall, burly man stepped out and introduced himself. He was our town’s Fence Viewer. He was there to see if the visiting cows had done any damage to our property, our land or even the vegetable garden. I reported that all was well. He asked many questions, wanting to be absolutely certain that no disgruntlement would fester into a grudge and cause problems later. I was finally able to reassure him and he stepped back into the enormous truck and drove off.

Just another day in the country...

We Must Continue To Speak Up

In light of yesterday’s assassination of Dr. George Tiller, I felt compelled to re-post my statement on abortion.

- I wish, that from this moment on, no woman would ever have to make the decision to have an abortion.
- I wish contraceptives, including the morning after pill, would always be readily available to all women.
- I wish that all young people would be taught age appropriate sex and health education.
- I wish that all young people would be taught that abstinence is a legitimate choice, at the same time they get clear information about all forms of contraception.
- And I wish that abortion would always be safe and legal and available to all women.

Like Whales' Tails

This bunny has been happily grazing both on our lawn and on the wide and wild variety of plants/weeds which edge said lawn. Late afternoon into eventide seems to be his/her favorite time of day to dine around here. The reason I know it’s the same bunny is because he/she has let me get close enough to take some pretty clear photographs. When I took a closer look at the pictures, I noticed the right ear. Sure enough, just the way cetologists identify whales by the unique markings on their tails, this rabbit has a very distinctive double notch pattern on its right ear.

I don’t know if this bunny is a native New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) or an Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus). I’d be delighted to learn it was a New England because unfortunately they are classified as “vulnerable”. But either way, it is cute as a bunny!

As always, feel free to click on the image to get a better look.

Papamoka

I began this blog because I had to. Once I figured out what a blog was, the desire to start my own was powerful. I expected it to be simply a way to stay in touch with family and friends. Then “strangers” stopped by, who have now become friends. (I used to put friends in quotation marks but after two and a half years friends is accurate!) Surprising to me, many of those visitors were from very far away - England, South Africa, Australia... Then, in September of 2007, I was mentioned in Worcester Magazine’s Blog Log. Suddenly I became part of a community of Worcester County Bloggers.

Now, one of those fellow Worcester bloggers, Papamoka, is in need of assistance. Maybe you will have a suggestion for him. Maybe you have walked in his shoes and will have a word of encouragement for him. Maybe you just want to hold him and his family in your thoughts. Here’s the link to where he posted about the situation he is in right now.

Thank you...

Lovely

Here is an example of the way the Lily of the Valley I mentioned yesterday (Convallaria majalis) have settled quite happily in their new bed. This side of the house gets morning sun, but soon falls into deep shade for the remainder of the day. Many years ago, I planted Ivy (Hedera helix), Winter Creeper (Euonymus fortunei), Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) and Hosta all along the eastern side of the house. (Why yes, it was my ground cover period!) I just plopped them in somewhere between willy-nilly and evenly distributed. Because they have thrived, I can treat it as a nursery bed and divide a Hosta or pluck some plants to go be fruitful and multiply elsewhere. They all play well together and never fight, so I consider it a success!

Spunky

I love the spunkiness of these Creeping Phlox (Phlox Subulata) and all the native perennials which push up each spring. The Phlox are nearly past, but they have an amazing capacity to, well, creep. Several years ago I hastily transplanted some phlox from an area out beside our stone wall to a sandy spot in full sun in front of our barn. By hastily, I mean I used a bulb planter to twist and dig a clump at a time for transplantation. Those few clumps soon knitted together with the other phlox to form quite a carpet. I first used this down and dirty technique to relocate a slew of Lily of the Valley pips from the west side of the house to the busier eastern side, next to the driveway. It worked fine and I’ve employed it ever since. Perennials: spunky and tough enough to survive my gardening - thank heavens!

Tiny Tech Triumph

For years, actually decades, Chuck and I relied on various Day-Timer calendars and planners to help keep us organized and sane. While Day-Timer continually adds new products and features, they maintain their core product line. Which, for creatures of habit like us, is a really wonderful corporate policy! But as our lives and routines have changed and as our technology usage has evolved, we’ve been moving away from paper calendars and planners to software based ones.

When we bought our first Apple laptop four years ago, it came with Address Book, exactly what it sounds like and iCal, the calendar application. We used them intermittently at first, but then the first round of holiday cards were ready to be printed and their envelopes addressed and we suddenly had a big motivation to learn Address Book. When we got our second Apple laptop two years ago, iCal moved onto our radar. Chuck and I had long coordinated our calendars on a monthly and weekly basis. We would flip through to make sure we had each other’s appointments jotted down to avoid scheduling snafus. But we soon realized that if either of us noted a birthday or a dentist appointment in iCal, we could have it show up automatically in iCal on the other computer. Sweet!

For quite awhile we’ve been syncing our iCal calendars and it has been an absolute breeze. But for some reason we had problems syncing our Address Books from one computer to the other. Recently, we slogged through a manual sort of all our Address Book “cards” - so called because when you import or export the .vcf vCards individually, they look like traditional Rolodex cards. But even after we had checked all 180 cards, we still couldn’t sync automatically. So Chuck called Apple tech support tonight and after much backing and forthing, our Address Books are syncing up a storm!

Next stop: something portable to handle such nifty software. Oh please Apple, send the iPhone over to Verizon Wireless and soooon!

Yum!

A couple of weeks ago I posted about a gal named Wendy who lives in Scotland and has a lovely blog called A Wee Bit of Cooking. I made her Lamb Pilaf recipe tonight and it was super! No regular reader will be surprised that I did play with it a little. (Does substituting beef for lamb constitute more than a “wee bit”? I enjoy the taste of lamb, but really can’t tolerate the smell as it cooks.) I’m quite convinced I am incapable of following a recipe to the letter! But Wendy’s Pilaf was satisfying and scrumptious. She recommended serving it with a dollop of yogurt. I used some thick Greek yogurt added some mint, basil, dill and finely minced cucumber to make a sort of Raita, which I served on the side in a small sauce cup. And for all of you in the Southern Hemisphere heading into winter, this Pilaf recipe is a must try now.

Memorial Day

In honor of Memorial Day, I wanted to suggest some veterans charities you might wish to learn more about and support:

Fisher House: is "a home away from home" for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers. The homes are normally located within walking distance of the treatment facility or have transportation available.

Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust: supports physical and psychological rehabilitation programs, meets the special needs of veterans with specific disabilities – such as amputation and blindness – and aids and shelters homeless veterans.

USO - United Service Organizations: supports the troops by providing morale, welfare and recreation-type services to our men and women in uniform.

National Military Family Association: works to educate military families concerning their rights, benefits and services available to them and to inform them regarding the issues that affect their lives and to promote and protect the interests of military families by influencing the development and implementation of legislation and policies affecting them.

ReMind.org: is a movement of the Bob Woodruff Foundation that educates the public about the needs of injured service members, veterans and their families as they reintegrate into their communities and empowers people everywhere to take action.

With gratitude to all who are serving now and all those who have gone before them. With special appreciation for those who gave their lives in service to our nation, in particular Uncle Carl.

But Molasses Wasn’t One of the Ingredients

Last night I had one of those nights in the kitchen when I was all at sixes and sevens. I’m embarrassed to admit that I am not a big planner when it comes to meals. I tend to walk in and wing it. Usually that works out just fine. But last night I couldn’t get in the groove. It was a simple meal - grilled tuna, brown rice and a tossed green salad. Normally I take my grilled tuna in an Asian direction, but last night I wanted to go Mexican/Southwestern. It was the change in direction which did me in. I started with an avocado dressing for the salad. I had never made that before and the first go round had it too thick - more like guacamole. So I introduced some seasoned rice wine vinegar which thinned it and added additional tang, with a hint of sweetness. But while I was winging the dressing, I wasn’t grilling the tuna or preparing the rice. And the tuna needed a “new” dry rub to fit the Southwestern twist. Do you see the problems developing?

In the end, it all worked out and we really enjoyed the meal, A jarred Pace Salsa Verde was put to work in the dipping sauce made from the reduction of the tuna pan drippings. The Salsa Verde also accented the rice. And that avocado/guacamole/green goddess dressing was a fun change. But at every step I felt slow as molasses and not in control. The funny thing is, I’m looking forward to making it all again someday. Dollars to doughnuts it will go smoothly. In the meantime, the dandelion is here as a reminder that ordinary, simple and run of the mill is just fine. Even if I still crave more exotic experiments done on the fly.

Unfurled

Last year, I confessed the neglectful way I had treated an Amaryllis plant which is actually a Hippeastrum. It continues to sit on the windowsill above the kitchen sink and we have been attending to it. Apparently the Hippeastrum is quite satisfied and this year has rewarded us by adding two additional blooms to last year’s three!

I am duly humbled.

More Candles Please!

Happy Birthday Wendy!

Wendy’s birthday was Tuesday. So while I was wishing Roo and Sue and Jake and myself Happy Birthday, I should have included Wendy! It looks like she’s having a wonderful time with her Mum Fiona up for a visit from South Africa.

Talking Point

I’m shy. I was extremely shy as a little kid. Then, in third grade, with the help of Mrs. Farley, I began to turn things around. By the time I hit high school and college I was an extroverted introvert. So much so that as a college upperclassman, freshmen sometimes thought the gregarious, outgoing me was inebriated. My friends would tell the newcomers “Nope. That’s just Lee.” Later, life threw me a couple of curve balls and I found myself right back in Shyville. It was safe there. Quiet and invisible has its rewards; safety chief among them.

Happily, my life has been very good for many years now. Most of the time, folks I meet have no idea I’m shy. But sometimes I struggle mightily. One of the places where I still reflexively retreat is in large social situations with all new people. That dreadful, awkward, painful small talk one has to make with complete strangers, can leave me quaking in advance. Every social faux pas I have ever made threatens to play in a continuous loop before I arrive at the gathering. Once there, I have to muster my courage and latent acting skills to banish the deer-in-the-headlights-look or the equally likely I’ll-just-stand-here-and-look-at-the-framed-certificate-of-occupancy-over-here-in-the-corner.

Well, I just found a cheat sheet to help me in those ever so strange stranger moments. Gretchen Rubin of the Happiness Project has “Seven Tips For Making Good Conversation With A Stranger”. The suggestion which resonated most profoundly with me was the following question:

”What’s keeping you busy these days?”

It’s brilliant isn’t it? Instead of “What do you do?” you can ask: “What’s keeping you busy these days?” which allows the person to answer from any area of their life they’re comfortable with. If they want to tell you they work for a collection agency and your name sounds familiar - fine - awkward but fine! But they might volunteer that all their free time is spent Geo-Caching and wouldn’t that be interesting.

Having been on the receiving end of some blunt and insensitive questions over the years, I want to spread the word that “What’s keeping you busy these days?” is a gracious and welcome way to begin a conversation with a stranger; especially a naturally shy one like me.

Oh What A Night!

We were at Fenway Park in Boston last night! Our niece Kate gave us a call Monday afternoon inviting us to join her at last night’s game. She had come into three tickets through a friend of a friend and was kind enough to think of us. She did not have to ask us twice!

This was only my third trip to Fenway. Chuck and I went together for the first time in the summer of 2001. Let’s just say that while being at Fenway Park and seeing the Red Sox play in person had been fabulous, there were some extenuating familial circumstances which threw a big wet blanket over the whole experience. Shortly after that trip, we were at my Mom’s condo in Rhode Island regaling my family about the high highs and the low lows of the night. Kate, along with her sister Carrie, slipped away to Mom’s bedroom to make a call. The next thing we knew, they were asking if we were free on such-and-such a date near the end of September. Unbeknownst to us, the two girls had called to get us four seats at Fenway. They were determined to give us a totally satisfying night at the ballpark watching our beloved Red Sox together. That was how, just a couple of weeks after September 11, 2001, we all went to the park and had a great time from start to finish. The event was certainly overshadowed by the recent terrorist attacks, but somehow the joy was also heightened. There was a sense of collective determination, courage and patriotism palpable in the crowd that night.

Last night was our third trip to Fenway Park. The Red Sox were playing the Toronto Blue Jays. The weather was perfect: mild, clear and dry. The seats were amazing. (If you click on the photo above, you can more clearly see the panoramic view from where we were seated behind home plate.) The place smelled good - the special incense of grill smoke, sausages, hot dogs and popcorn (with only a faint whiff of spilled beer near the end!). It looked good - from the new seating, to the Green Monster, to the sea of red hats, tee shirts and jackets proclaiming our membership in Red Sox Nation. And it sounded good - laughter, cheers, boos, vendors hawking food and souvenirs and the crowd singing: the National Anthem, Take Me Out To The Ball Game and Sweet Caroline.

I have to admit that it is very distracting being at the ballpark. In many ways, it is much easier to watch and follow the game closely at home via television. At the park, there is a relentless three ring circus of sights and sounds competing for your attention. Sometimes the side action is so compelling that you need the scoreboard to catch up with the primary purpose of the event. But when David “Big Papi” Ortiz came up to bat all eyes were on him. The crowd rose to their feet to cheer him on; willing the Designated Hitter and fan favorite to break out of his home run drought. It didn’t happen last night, but Papi hit one high and hard out of center field tonight!

Was last night a great night? Absolutely! Not just because the Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 2 - 1, but because once again we were in the living, pounding heart of Red Sox Nation. For the third time in my 51 years I was able to viscerally feel what it’s like to be on baseball’s sacred ground. No, I didn’t genuflect, but I could have. Especially walking out of the underground concourse and up the ramp into the park. At first all you can see is blue sky above the heads of the throng of people in front of you. Then you emerge from the tunnel and the green of the field spreads out before you. It takes your breath away.

Yeah, it was a great night.

Thanks Kate!

Fifty-One

I don't feel a day over 50 and yet here I am, 51 years old today!

Happy Birthday to me!

<);o)

Where’s Dale?

These guys are so skittish that I had to take the shot through the storm window on our kitchen door. The chipmunks also provide endless entertainment/taunting to the cats. We know one is outside when we hear a combination meow/chirp from a cat perched in a window with her tail switching back and forth at a brisk clip. If we approach, the cat will look up at us as if to say “Puhlease let me outside now! I would so catch it in an instant!”

Happy Birthday - Cubed!

Happy Birthday to Roo
as well as Sue and her son Jake !
Enjoy!

Pink & White Safari

I went out in the yard this afternoon to take a few photographs. I was headed for the lilacs, but along the way I spotted this lovely pink tulip.


I was working on zooming in on the flower and letting the background slip into soft focus when something moved.


Eeeeek! It was a white(!) spider! Spiders are not my favorite creatures on the planet. But being a good blogger (with an inquisitive mind) I tried to zoom in on the spider. Unfortunately, shuddering does not lend itself to excellent photographs!


But then I got this shot. I’ll be darned if the white spider didn’t have a pink(!) swoosh on each side of its body!


Despite being a spider (shudder) it was very cool!

Words

There’s a good television show on the USA network called “In Plain Sight”. It focuses on a couple of U.S. Marshals who serve in the Federal Witness Protection Program. The lead character is Mary Shannon played by Mary McCormack. Her partner is Marshall Mann, played by Fred Weller. At the very end of this second season’s opening episode, entitled “Gilted Lily”, Mary speaks in a voice over as her sister says goodbye to her deceased boyfriend in the morgue. In the background Alison Krauss, along with a chorus, sings “Down In The River To Pray” a capella.

The voice over was so striking, so poetic, we tried to find it online. No results led us to transcribe it. I’m sorry I can’t credit a specific writer, but here it is:


My addled brain tries to connect the dots
wondering how it is we’ve come to this place.
Cold, stark, blue-light lodging
indifferent to hope, desire, love;
lacking all but the most basic amenities.

Perhaps this stainless steel and formaldehyde rest stop
stands as a post-mortem reminder.
A kind of finger-wagging refrigerated warning
hung for all to see:

“For those inclined to feed the bears,
beat the light,
traverse thin ice,
run with scissors,
get rich quick:
Here but for the grace of God goes you.”

Me - Ow!

Last January, we got our cat Cassie through her Iodine-131 treatment which left her healthier, calmer and less prone to the crazy bedtime habit she had developed of bouncing off the walls with a sudden, prolonged burst of energy. Now, the cats have decided that they wish to have a sunrise breakfast each morning. Charming - Oui? Not so much! What’s odd is that it didn’t start gradually as the days grew longer here in the Northern Hemisphere. Instead, I think they had a meeting, decided they wanted to get a bright and early start every morning. Then they worked out which one would crawl prance up onto my shoulder and meow - - - first!

As a result, my eyes snap open and it’s very hard for me to fall back asleep again until the alarm goes off. Closing the door to shut them out of the bedroom leads to piteous meowing from the other side, which also begins at dawn. I’m running on appreciably less sleep now than I would like, which leaves me foggy brained and cranky. Hence this wonderfully insightful, clever and amusing post - Oui? Sorry, not so much.

I am hoping that this coordinated feline demand for a sunrise breakfast extinguishes as rapidly as it developed. Because right now, the long nights and later sunrises of next winter seem really, really far away.

Time For Change

The United States policy pertaining to gays and lesbians serving in the military, known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” came into being in 1993 during the Clinton administration.

Last night, Clifford Alexander, former Secretary of the Army appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show. He presented the most cogent and forceful argument I have ever heard against “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”. You can watch the video below.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Food & Laughter

We had a wonderful time down in Rhode Island yesterday where we celebrated Mother’s Day with my Mom. We went over to Legal Sea Foods in Warwick, where we met Carrie and Kate, my sister Gail’s daughters. We spent about three hours laughing and eating. With five around the table, we each ordered a different entree which allowed for tastes all around. Add in oysters and calamari as appetizers and a selection of desserts, we turned it into quite a smorgasbord. Our server Susie was great and caught on right away to our celebratory mood. Mom was in high spirits from start to finish - her getting a little choked up when Carrie and Kate presented her with a bouquet of flowers notwithstanding!

All in all, it was pretty darn perfect.

Mom's Day

Happy Mother’s Day!

Weekend Breakfast

So, you know how to make French Toast right?

O.K. good.

After you take the bread out of the egg mixture, press it gently onto a plate, upon which you have generously sprinkled dried, grated, unsweetened coconut. Repeat on the other side. Then place it gently on the greased griddle as you normally would, except you might need to lower the heat just a teensy bit. (We get our coconut in the bulk food section of Whole Foods.)

Then serve the way you normally serve French Toast: with maple syrup or dusted with powdered sugar or with a warm fruit compote - maybe strawberries and blueberries to which you have added a splash of Grand Marnier...

Enjoy!

Cue The Klieg Lights!

For too long I have treated cabbage as an ingredient when it deserves more of a starring role. I’ve made corned beef and cabbage and cole slaw of course. Then I began using cabbage as an ingredient in stir fries and simmer sauce dishes a few years ago. After that came my Rumbledethumps adventure ( Yum! ). When we were out in Seattle, Chuck’s sister Carol was rummaging around in the refrigerator as she whipped up a meal for us and she ended up improvising cabbage with onions. When we got home, I took it to the next level. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you:

Cabbage Is King

Olive oil
Sherry
Onions - chopped or sliced
Garlic
Bacon - cooked & crumbled
Cabbage - Green - cored & chopped coarsely
Salt
Pepper
Butter

Saute the onions in the olive oil over medium heat until they begin to soften.
Add a splash of sherry and let it simmer for a bit.
Add some crushed garlic.
Toss in some crumbled bacon.
Add in the chopped cabbage and cover. Simmer on low heat, stirring periodically.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add a bit of butter if needed/desired.
Cook to the level of doneness you prefer. You can leave the cabbage with a bit of crunch or let it wilt dramatically.

I think this could be very nice with some chopped apples tossed in near the end of the cooking process or perhaps some golden raisins.

Enjoy!

A Vexing Problem

I get frustrated with myself when someone who is truly irrelevant to me and to my life manages to say something which wounds me. In this instance, I understand intellectually that what they accused me of is not only completely false but says far more about them than it does about me. But I still find it difficult to stop replaying the exchange. Although in this most recent example I am proud of having comported myself calmly, accurately and with dignity. It also helps that I had a witness (a completely, wonderfully biased witness) in Chuck. He too remained calm in the moment and supported me swiftly without getting the least bit angry on my behalf.

As the days tick by, I know my hurt feelings will fade. I just wish I could dismiss the incident more quickly. Until I do, I am reminded of a line from Robin Williams’ 1979 comedy album “Reality...What A Concept”. He was doing a bit which revolved around (and digressed from) Shakespeare. In an exaggerated version of a Shakespearean accent he proclaimed loudly: “Assholes do vex me!!!”

I couldn’t have said it better myself!

More Than A Wee Bit

It’s happened again. I followed a trail of breadcrumbs in the blogosphere and wound up somewhere wonderful. A woman in Scotland blogs about food and life and captures it all with lovely photographs. Her name is Wendy and her blog is A Wee Bit of Cooking. She’s not all about the haggis. There’s a lamb pilaf recipe Morgan linked to which sent me there in the first place and a black bean and sweet potato burrito recipe, both of which deserve further exploration.

The only problem is her photos of the countryside around Inverness are so achingly beautiful that I want to pack up and move there - immediately.

Chuck? Sweetie? We need to talk...

Progress!

"I did not come to this decision lightly or in haste. I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage."
Governor John E. Baldacci upon signing a same sex marriage law in the state of Maine.

The law has yet to go into effect in Maine and opponents are promising a fight, but enormous progress has been made. Next door, the New Hampshire legislature has also approved a same sex marriage law, but must wait for Governor John Lynch’s five day waiting period. During that time Lynch can veto the bill, sign it or simply allow the clock to run out and it will become law without any action on his part. (More details available here) When the laws in New Hampshire and Maine go into effect, Rhode Island will be the only state in New England to be without a civil same sex marriage law. Come on Little Rhody...

Spring!

There was no duct tape nor bungee cord used on my photo safari, but I did have a Key Grip. The weather turned out to be even more challenging than expected. Instead of rain there was a steady, heavy mist and lots of gusty wind. An umbrella would have been an ineffectual tool in such a swirling mist. So my favorite Key Grip (A.K.A. Chuck) offered his handkerchief and I did my best to keep the lens dry. Each time I focused the camera I was struck by the tender beauty and the lush shades of green overtaking the gray brown landscape of a long, icy and damaging winter.

39 & Still Holding

Happy Birthday to my eldest sister Karen! While I am headed for 51 (Egads!) in just a couple of weeks, Karen is miraculously younger than I am!

Happy Birthday Sis!

Be It Resolved...

Looking at Roo’s photographs has strengthened my resolve to get out in the yard with my camera. Despite the recent gray mizzly-drizzlyness around here, spring is marching on. I can see the deep dark violet of the lilac buds even through the rain streaked windows. So tomorrow I need to dodge the drops and see what I can capture on film. I’m thinking I can rig something out of an umbrella, a bungee cord and duct tape as a traveling drape! Or I’ll see if I can coax Chuck into playing the role of Key Grip...

Revisionism - On The Fly

You know it has been a very low, slow and exceptionally lazy Sunday when your “accomplishments” include: cooked (and ate) brunch, cooked (and ate) dinner, fed cats - twice, scooped kitty litter, showered and called Mom.

Can I blame it on the gray, drizzly day? I can sure as heck try!

Oh! I did Tweet on Twitter a couple of times and I watched the Red Sox lose to Tampa Bay - again. Actually, whenever the Red Sox lose a game, it is automatically followed by a period of angst and worrying. So that took up quite a big portion of the day. Which means my day was down right jam packed with activities!

I feel so much more virtuous now!

Joe’s Salmon

You know how much I like Trader Joe’s. I like most of their basic ingredients as well as many of their prepared foods. One favorite is the Mojito Salmon. (Please don’t let this post be the kiss of death!) It’s in the frozen food case. You get two pieces of salmon filet covered with a mojito sauce. I partially defrost it in the microwave so that I can easily separate the two pieces of salmon. Using two gratin dishes, I put a layer of cooked and rinsed black beans in the bottom of the dishes. (I like Goya’s canned black beans. They make a great pantry staple.) I drizzle a couple of tablespoons of V8 juice on top of the beans. Then I place one salmon filet on top of the beans in each dish. I spoon the mojito sauce on top of the fish and then tent and cover tightly with aluminum foil. I bake it in a hot oven - more or less according to package directions. You don’t want to overcook the salmon, but all the moisture trapped by the foil provides a lot of forgiving wiggle room on the timing.

Tonight I served the TJ’s Mojito Salmon with big round couscous (sometimes known as Israeli couscous) which I had cooked up with lots of dried green herbs: mint, basil, oregano and dill. I also steamed some green beans and tossed them with marinated artichoke hearts and lightly toasted pine nuts. Yum saith Chuck and so say I!

More Housekeeping

The other day I recommended (urged, beseeched, implored, exhorted) you to back up your computer. Today, I’m writing on the importance of having a will. About ten years ago Chuck and I finished our wills and all the attendant documents. It was not an easy task for us. Looking at death, dying and life expectancy is not our favorite sport - unlike my Mom! But with the recent passing of Chuck’s father Milton, we are even more mindful of the importance of a clear will.

Milton was a dot every “I” cross every “T” sort of fellow. Something for which Chuck and his sister are both enormously grateful. But even the detail oriented Milton had a few bits and pieces left undone. Nothing major, but with each paperwork snag, we count our blessings that these are only small details to be sorted out and that Dad did not die intestate.

Ricë over at the Voodoo Cafe was asking for advice from folks who had used any on-line legal sites to draw up a will. She received a lot of recommendations, but I have to vote for a family attorney. We love our attorney. She’s intelligent, compassionate, knows Massachusetts law and is reasonably priced - a truly winning combination! But what she provided, besides a host of thorough legal documents, was peace of mind.

In light of our current experience with all things related to a last will and testament, we will likely be meeting with our attorney once again. First off, it’s just a good idea to revisit the will a decade after its writing. Secondly, we want absolutely everything to flow as smoothly, automatically and painlessly as possible for our beneficiaries, should we both get eaten by alligators tomorrow.

Which reminds me, if the alligators only nibble and we are hospitalized, we want our health care proxy forms to be crystal clear as well!