Coming Home
From as early as I can remember, and for as long as my grandparents lived on the McCurdy farm, there was a black safe on one side of my grandparents’ bed. Grandpa C.R. used it as his nightstand; on top there were two ashtrays overflowing with his Masonic pins, tie tacks, cufflinks, and spare change....
A Glowing Home Update
Patience is key in many situations. Up until last week I didn’t realize how important patience is in saving time and making accurate decisions. Let me explain. The upper level of our story and ¾ home has interesting textured paneling. Not only is it textured, but it covers all of the walls and the ceiling...
Ok, Trisha Yearwood, You Win
Country music singer turned TV cooking host, Trisha Yearwood, is ruining my life. Ok, maybe not my life, but certainly my waistline. My husband wanted to watch Yearwood’s show “Trisha’s Southern Kitchen” on Food Network last week because she had her husband Garth Brooks helping out in the kitchen. He also said one of the...
One Hot Hotdish
I shopped for the ingredients of a Midwestern comfort food one gloomy, rainy day. Just the thought of Tator Tot Hotdish, which I hadn’t had in quite some time, made me look forward to supper. But I had no idea tots were so hot. I posted something on the online world of Facebook that I...
Gobble, Gobble, Turkey Gobbler!
It’s been years since I worked in television news, but every year around Thanksgiving I am reminded of the perfect turkey sandwich I stumbled upon while reporting in the southern Valley. Let me tell you, it was the perfect day. Work ticked along like clockwork, the sun smiled brightly and we were on a fall...
Some People Hate Birthdays
I fully recognize that some people hate birthdays. Maybe they don’t like the attention, they might hate cake, or they don’t like being reminded about getting older. I am not one of those people. I love celebrating birthdays, whether it is mine or someone else’s. I love the promise of a new year, the...
My Grandpa C.R.
During these last few years, my grandpa C.R. was sometimes puzzled about why he was still on earth. While he might have felt that his lessons had been learned and it was time to move on, he didn’t realize that he still had many lessons to teach from his tan recliner. After we lost Grandma...
The Great Tamale Quest
I had no idea that I liked tamales. None at all. Until a fateful day in Texas. Let me tell you about it. First of all I should tell you about tamales. They’re traditional in many countries, but I prefer the recipe and flavor of the Mexican tradition. Those are made of masa, a corn-based...
Under the Light of the Full Moon
The full moon is an interesting time in the lunar cycle. There’s something with the gravitational pull that makes crazy things happen. I don’t pay too much attention and don’t ask me to explain the theory exactly, but I do find it interesting. Having worked in a television newsroom, whenever we got bombarded with a...
It Must Be a Trick
After almost two years of wedded bliss and nearly nine years as an official couple, I’d like to think I know my husband quite well. Lately I’m finding that my Rolodex file of his recorded likes and dislikes is completely wrong. Or is it? Last week Terry came home from a shopping trip with ginger...
We All Scream for Ice Cream
As a little girl I had a list of things that fascinated me and most of them had to do with living in larger cities. That’s the only place they had public transportation like buses and subways, shopping at all hours of the day, and things like ice cream trucks that would roam neighborhoods and...
Holding on to Memories
I have long been fascinated by what makes memories stick. Why do some people remember everything about a moment, when someone else who was there remembers nothing? Different things impact us in different ways and we are all attached to memories for different reasons. Some of the simplest things will trigger a wave of flashbacks...
