I will be 55 years old on April 1. Yep, ITS MY BIRTHDAY!
I cant believe I'm that old! I can remember when my mom turned 55 and I was thinking she was about to kick the bucket any time. Mom is going to be 75 on May 13 and she is HOT! She's a firecracker!
So 55 years ago, mom was excited to have her first baby. I was suppose to be boy named Stevie. I weighed 8 lbs and I was breech. I guess when I did finally make my out into the world, my ankles were still wrapped around my head. (That was the last time I could ever assume that position.)
And once in her arms-- I'm sure I was smiling up at mom snickering, "April Fools Day Mom!"
My mom loved playing jokes on all her kids on April Fool's Day. She would yell from the kitchen, "BREAKFAST! My 3 brothers and I would run to the table in anticipation. We knew what was coming and would giggle as we sat down to the predictable meal. It always included salt in the sugar bowl, dribble glasses that held our orange juice/cod liver oil cocktail and the famous slotted spoons that were already placed in the cereal bowls that were filled with milk and cheerios. Next to our bowl of cereal was placed the ever famous sugar cinamon toast that was cut into finger size pieces. The cinamon was replaced with chili powder.
During the entire breakfast, my eyes were fixed on the big silver cake cover that mom had placed in the middle of the table. And every year, I would lift that shinny cover and NOTHING would be there! There was NO cake under that lid. Every year...I bit the line..hook, line and sinker. And when I got home from school, that cake cover was still on the table taunting me. I would slowly lifted the lid and with my head placed on the table I would peeked under the lid when it was just 2" off the table...Mom would pop out from behind the living room wall singing "Happy Birthday" and snapping pictures of me starring at the most awsome cake that she had made for me while I was in school. JUST FOR ME. The problem was... the cake was made out of cardboard and the frosting was crisco and flour. (I'm still smiling when I see that cake in my mind's eye.)
Now dont you all start feeling badly for me.The story gets better.
At the end of the day, after dad came home from work, after dinner was over and the kitchen was cleaned up, mom would tell me to sit at same table and close my eyes. I could hear my brother's giggling behind me and my mom whispering, "shhhhhhh." I heard the match getting lit and could smell the sulfur when she blew it out. Once again my mom's voice but this time it was directed to my dad, "Honey turn off that TV and get in here!" And then her big voice "OPEN YOUR EYES!" The room was dark except for the candles on the cake. The family all joined in to "Happy Birthday" and my brothers would add "you look like monkey and smell like one too!" The cake was chocolate with double chocolate frosting. DELICIOUS.
Mom had her camera glued to her right eye, snapping pictures and laughing. I was doing my best to blow out those candles that would NOT blow out!
Thank you mom for the wonderful birthday memories! I love you too.
JEWISH TEACHINGS
When I first joined this family, 10 years ago, I knew very little about the Jewish religion. The kids and I bonded in making the fabulous wall hanging. As we planned out the quilt and cut each piece of fabric, they explained what each applique meant to them. It adorns our dining room wall. Im hoping she uses it as her hoopa but I think its wishful thinking.
It was the largest quilt I had made and it was the first time I quilted a piece myself. As you can tell, it does not hang very well but every lump, bump and wave is packed with stitches full of love and great memories.
MEET MY FAMILY
I love this picture. I have named it "ALL MY CHILDREN."Wendy, Jake, my newest daughter, Annie, Jim, Brit and Alex.
Very nice looking children, dont you think?
This picture was taken at my Jim's wedding on7-7-07. Great day uh!
Mom & DadGail and Chris
The Making of SPAETZLE
A couple of years ago, Dave and I went to Germany for the first time. While we were there, I was trying all kinds of foods that I had never tasted before. I liked everything I tried including the blood filled ravioli like thingys that were floating in a squash soup. The one dish that I have made at home since our visit is SPAETZLE. What a great pasta. Here is the recipe I use and I hope you will try it too. Very easy and it doesn't really take that long to make. You can always make the pasta up a day ahead and fry them up the night you want to add them to your menu.
- 1 cup all -purpose flour
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 gallon hot water
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
DIRECTIONS Mix together flour, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Beat eggs well, and add alternately with the milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. I drop small little dollops, the size of a jelly bean, of dough into boiling salted water. I usually try to get a couple of dozen of these dollops in the water and then watch them float to the top. When they float, they are done. It only takes a few minutes. Pick them out with a slotted spider spoons and place in a bowl. Put your next batch in the water and repeat until you have all the dough completed. Next have a large skillet hot with 1/4 cup of butter and a few cloves of crushed garlic slightly saut ready to add those cute little spaetzles. Fry until brown. Sprinkle those great chopped chives for garnish. Yummy.
MY FAMILY LOVES THESE and I usually make a double batch for the 4 of us. I serve them along with pork chops or a roasted chicken.
MY FAMILY LOVES THESE and I usually make a double batch for the 4 of us. I serve them along with pork chops or a roasted chicken.
My Post Card Art Work
Here are a few of my fiber postcards that I have made. I love experimenting with different techniques.Montana Landscape
I lived in Missoula, Montana for 45 years before I moved to Kentucky and now Chicagoland. Lately, I have been homesick for my home state. I have been trying my hand at making a 4'x5' landscape of my beautiful Montana.
This is the largest landscape I have attempted. I am like'n the way its looking but it diffently is taking longer to make than my art postcards.
I love Fiber Post Cards
I belong to many Fiber Post Card Groups in yahoo. I love making these little works of art. I find it very exciting to receive a fabric/fiber cards in the mail. I cant wait to touch them, examine them to see what technique was used in making this particular piece of art.
Every card I have been given has its own personality. I have liked every card. But once in awhile, I receive a card that makes me go "ahhhhhhh." It is so awesome and I am honored that someone would make such a wonderful gift for me. I can tell that this card was made with much love and respect for the art. The artists that made this card has given so much of herself in this little 6"x4" postcard.
For the artist who put that extra touch in your work...THANK YOU. You are the best.
If any one wants to join a wonderful fiber postcard group, my favorite is
Postcardmailart@yahoo.com
I'm a Grandma!
I am a first time grandma! I knew I would be an emotional grandma but I didnt think I would be this emotional. ohhhhhhh heck.. Who am I trying to fool? I am a blubbering idiot.
And the first time I laid eyes on my granddaughter, Rylan Grace. I blubbered. Once I had Rylan in my arms...uncontrollable blubbering. I was a mess.
The day my son, Jim called to announce the pregnancy of his wife, Annie, I blubbered. The tears really don't bother me that much although it can be embarrassing. Its was all the people in .the Walmart hygiene isle that got a little upset with my tears of joy. Of course they didnt know it was joy blubbering. Once I shouted out that I was going to be a grandma!.... GROUP HUGS ALL AROUND in isle #15.
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