Mesmerized by a squirrel

Sue Lyon Springfield
New US citizen, new US voter

This morning I sat and stared at a squirrel for the longest time. He perched on the half wall outside my French door and appeared to be staring at me, though I know he couldn’t see me. But he was motionless, and the longer he stayed, the more I was mesmerized. Both of us stared, as though frozen in time and space. And then, with a sudden flip of his tail, he was gone. They are, I admit reluctantly, such cute little creatures. I wish they weren’t so numerous and so destructive.

It was a lovely day today, harbinger of spring just around the corner. In the low eighties with bright, sunny skies, and that pale green of new buds on the trees. The redbuds are beginning to bud, and tonight I saw a dogwood with faint blossoms. Our Chinese pistache is slow to bloom, but Christian scraped a piece of bark, found green, and pronounced it healthy. It’s still early March, and I cling to the almanac wisdom that says March 15 is the first date it’s safe to plant without fear of frost. Jordan and I need to make lists of herbs for my moveable garden and plants for the pots—fountain grass in two, but we may try some other things too. I’d like sweet potato vine in the two urns outside my door, with something in the middle—but what? Choosing plants is half the fun this season.

Tonight Jordan, Christian, and I went to a party—a rare occurrence these days for me. The occasion was a celebration of my Canadian daughter’s US citizenship. (I’ve explained that relationship many times, but here goes again: her mom is in Ottawa, Ontario, so I am her FW mom, because every girl needs a mom close by.) Sue, Canadian by birth, never showed much interest in changing her citizenship, or so I thought. When I’d bemoan the fact that she couldn’t vote, she’d say something like, “It’s hard to give up your country” or “I’m still Canadian at heart.” She has probably lived here close to twenty-five years.

So I was surprised this winter when she announced she was studying to take the citizenship test. Apparently, there are some hundred study questions. And then one day, she took her test, which turned out to be an oral interview where she was asked ten questions. I am quite sure she now knows more about our constitution than I ever will. She passed, of course, although she admitted to more nervousness than expected.

Then it was some time before the swearing-in ceremony which she shared with a hundred or so others. Sue, who is not a sentimental person, was quite moved by the ceremony.

She also instantly became an enthusiastic voter and is excited about getting to vote in local elections this spring. In a heavy political discussion one evening she asked me if I thought there was corruption at polling places, and I said it was always possible. And that I thought in some cases there was voter intimidation. She sort of jumped to the defense of those who work voter registration, reminded me they are all volunteers, and said when she goes to vote she’s going to thank every one of them personally. I think maybe all of us should take the citizenship class and test over again, just to remind us of the importance and privilege of voting. Sue sure gets it right.

The party was lots of fun, with doors wide open to the yard on this spring-like night and a duo playing mostly soft jazz in the back yard. I hadn’t seen the yard in a while—last time I was there it was winter and dark and I couldn’t see outside. But it is lovely with a small pool, a fire pit, a huge dining table, and lots of paving around a center patch of grass. I did what none of us should do at a party, visited with those I usually see frequently, though I hadn’t seen Subie and Phil in a long time—she had knee surgery and couldn’t drive, and I couldn’t drive to them. And Renee has been out of town. I did greet some neighbors and people I knew and met some new folk, including a couple who were devoted Elmer Kelton fans and raved about his classic novel, The Time It Never Rained. My kind of reader, since Elmer, as an author and as a friend, was a favorite of mine. I guess Sue must have told them.

All in all, it was a lovely evening, lovely party, and nice to be out among folk.

Is next week spring break for you and yours?  Plans? I’ll be right here, watching the traffic as people from all over head to our world-class zoo. Most of the year I love living down the street from the zoo, but during spring break, especially on half-price day, we are virtually prisoners in our own house. I’m trying hard to be a good sport and think of all those kid who are going to have the joy of a day at the zoo.

Life is good.

Looking ahead, looking back

Linda and me--who knows what Christmas!

 

This is one of those evenings—no thoughts for a blog because it seems to me not much happened today. Yet I feel I haven’t been good about blogging this week, and I tell myself surely I can come up with something significant to say. Ah, there’s the rub: significant. Sometimes when I start a blog without knowing where I’m going, words suddenly come tumbling out. Not so sure that will happen tonight.

Not off to a good start. Just tried to place my Central Market order for curbside delivery tomorrow and just before I clicked “Place my order,” I noticed that it said “Pick Up Austin North Lamar.” I’d love a trip to Austin, but that’s not in the cards for tomorrow. We are busy planning ahead for spring break.

When you live in the Berkeley neighborhood of Fort Worth, as we do, spring break is a mixed blessing. Zoo traffic is unbearable and clogs our streets until we cannot get out to go about our business nor, once out, can we easily get home. Each year the FW Police work with neighborhood officers to plan way to handle the traffic, but there is apparently no ideal solution. This year we have placards to place in our cars that will, theoretically, allow us entrance to the neighborhood on a street closed to the public (Shh! I’ll never tell which street) and also allow us to park on the street, though we are encouraged to park in our driveways. When your driveway was built in 1922 to accommodate cars of that era, getting three cars in is not easy. None of this bothers me, because I don’t drive any more, but it is a hardship on the rest of the Alter/Burton compound.

I am planning ahead in another way. Sunday the Burtons will drive to Fayetteville and tour the University of Arkansas campus with Jacob. And son Jamie will come from Frisco to stay with me. Jamie will bring his guitar, and I’ll hear lots of Joan Baez. And I’ll do what I often do—cook something for him that he’ll enjoy but the Burtons would not eat. On my Sunday night supper menu are corned beef, twice-baked colcannon potatoes, and roasted carrots—yes, I’m rushing St. Pat’s Day a bit, but I particularly want to fix the colcannon. I’ve never had it but have read about it with longing. And Jamie loves cooked cabbage. I used to sauté it with butter and sour cream for him.

For those of you with no Irish roots, colcannon is a mix of cooked cabbage and, usually, mashed potatoes. The recipe for a baked potato is the first I’ve seen, but I figure I can get them stuffed and ready to go in the morning and reheat before dinner. Not sure yet when I’ll roast the carrots. My hot plate/toaster oven kitchen is a major problem with menus like this, because I can only cook one thing at a time. If both the hot plate and the toaster oven are on simultaneously, the circuit breaker for the entire cottage goes. And I can’t get out there to fix it. Cooking will be a nice Sunday project, with time out for church on the internet.

Looking back instead of ahead, this was a week of renewing ties. On Tuesday, Melinda, who was production manager when I was at TCU Press, came for lunch. I fixed a chicken casserole that I really love (see yesterday’s Gourmet on a Hot Plate blog) and we had a good visit, catching up on family news. But publishing gets in your system I guess, because we talked a lot about books we’d worked on, people we’d worked with, and the press itself.

Then Thursday a friend of some forty or more years came for lunch and brought both the new man in her life and the lunch. Both were delightful. I’m sure Dave Wasserman was a bit bored when Linda and I caught up on old friends and family, but he was most gracious. And when we got off on other subjects, I thorough enjoyed talking to him. Linda moved to Taos a year or so ago, and, as I pointed out, is not a good communicator, so I go too long without hearing from her. Dave is said to be a better communicator, so I suggested he and I exchange emails and he could catch me up on Linda’s doings.

Old friends are truly treasures—so much life we have shared. I am big on communicating—I keep saying friendships are like gardens: they need constant tending. So I’m grateful, for instance for Martha and Dick in Omaha who I haven’t seen for several years but who I hear from almost weekly. Or Barbara, my high school BFF who follows my blog, occasionally comments and emails from Mississippi. So many whose friendship I valued have dropped away because of distance, and I miss them. Someone once said, when someone disappears from your life, that means their part in your story is over. In a very few cases, that’s a relief; in many more, it makes me sad.

Happy weekend everyone—and happy Spring Break. Stay safe.

 

All roads lead to … the zoo

Zoo traffic on Park Place
This is a good eight blocks or more from the zoo entrance.
Photo courtesy Amy Allibon.

Those of us who have lived in Fort Worth’s Berkeley neighborhood for a year or more (in two separate stretches, I’ve been here thirty-two years) know to hunker down on the Wednesday during spring break. That’s half-price day at the Fort Worth Zoo, and the neighborhood becomes, well … a zoo. Today, we saw the worst traffic congestion we have ever seen.

All roads in and out of Berkeley—Forest Park, 8^th Avenue, etc.—were backed up as were side streets within the neighborhood. We were beleaguered, unable to leave our homes. The worst was that first responders would have been unable to reach us in case of medical emergency or fire. And some frustrated drivers became careless—I heard several reports of people driving on the wrong side of the street to circumvent long waiting lines. I know there was a steady, slow procession of cars on my street—the thoroughfare that leads directly to the zoo. I wondered how much fun the zoo would be if you had to sit in your car for a couple of hours to get there, and then half the city was shouldering in front of you for a glimpse of the lions—or a turn at the Port-a-Potty.

Balancing those who worried about danger were those who thought it was wonderful to see so many people enjoying our great zoo and to think of families having this outing together, many of whom might not have been able to afford full price. When some people said “Just wait and pay full price,” one neighbor pointed out rightly this was an equity day—a chance for some to enjoy a privilege most of us take for granted. In my memory, zoo admission was free. Today it is $16 for adults and $12 for children, with a higher discount for toddlers.

Complaints flew on our neighborhood listserv, and everybody had a suggestion which ranged from it’s no big deal to who should have planned this. Our Berkeley Place Association president, Amy Allibon, got a lot of undeserved flack. She met with a police officer newly assigned to traffic control at such events. He assured her, “We got this” and, she implies, was a bit misogynistic in his attitude. She surmises he learned a lesson today.

Several good suggestions came out of today’s pandemonium, and I’m sure they will be addressed in coming days as we—and we hope the city and the zoo—plan ahead for summer half-price days and the dreaded spring break day in  2023. It did make an interesting day in which I got little done except reading emails.

A bit of history: The zoo opened in 1909 with one lion, two bear cubs, an alligator, a coyote, a peacock, and a few rabbits. The zoo now is home to 7,000 native and exotic animals, representing 542 species, and covers 64 acres. Active in worldwide conservation and education programs, the Fort Worth Zoo also offers classes and events members of the association and local children.

I’m all for supporting the zoo and encouraging everyone in Fort Worth to visit it. Time was when my kids, grandkids, and I made an annual all-day trip. We could walk from my house, and it was a highlight of the year for us. The grandkids, now all at least in their teens, are too busy these days, and I can’t do the required walking, so that’s another memory to treasure. I want to share that memory with other families, and I want them to have the joy of a day at the zoo. But I also want to feel safe in my neighborhood and able to go about my day without being blocked by traffic. I’m sure there’s an equitable solution, but it will take neighborhood association, zoo officials, and police working together.

The week that was

 

Granddaughter Morgan with Sophie
She once tried to sneak Sophie to Houston, so
I keep an eye on both of them.

Spring break turned life topsy-turvy for me last week, and I almost felt like I was raising teenagers again, trying to keep track of where everyone was. Two families skiing in far-apart places in Colorado, another on an Alabama beach and then living it up in New Orleans (and making me jealous with meals at Antoine’s and Commander’s Palace). And Jamie here with me most of the week. A different but very happy week.

Jamie said he was going home Thursday after supper. At midnight, I told him I had to go to bed and said goodbye. Next morning, his car was in my driveway, but he came out at 8:30 and said he was leaving—we did our goodbyes again. He reappeared at 11:00, having gone to Ol’ South for breakfast, taken his computer, and sat there and worked—brought me corned-beef hash for my lunch, and we said our goodbyes again. This time I checked a couple of hours later, and he was indeed back home in Frisco.

I loved having him here. We both worked all day—he in the house, me in the cottage—but came together in the evenings. One lovely evening, he played his acoustic guitar while I fiddled on my computer, and another night, of course, we met sweet Eden for supper. I got to cook things he will eat that the Burtons won’t—our St. Patrick’s Day dinner with corned beef, potatoes, carrots, and sauteed cabbage was the big hit, but eggplant Parmigiana and chicken Divan weren’t too shabby. All in all it was a great visit.

Sophie enjoyed the visit too—wanted so badly to play with Kosmo, his Pomeranian. She did that growl-y thing with her butt in the air and her face down on her paws, and he’d just bat her away. She is, after all, about twice his size, and he is most fixated on Jamie. Still, Sophie had lots of extra attention all week.

My pasta concoction

I kept up the cooking after Jamie left—Friday I fixed Jean my “clean out the fridge” version of pasta primavera—artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, chopped green onions, a small can of salmon (the good stuff), and pasta with olive oil, lemon, and Parmesan. Saturday, Colin and his family stopped on their way home, brought lunch from Carshon’s Deli, and Colin gave me long lectures on Sophie's weight. Linda came for supper. I served her more of the eggplant, and she said it might be the best meal I’d ever served her. I wanted to protest—over the years I’ve served her a lot of meals. Surely some others stood out!

By last night, life was back on track—Megan and family in Midland where they will spend a couple of nights, Colin and family home in Tomball (where they had a water pressure problem), Jamie back in Frisco, and the Burtons safely back on Park Place Avenue. I’m ready to get down to serious work, more cooking, and a routine. Such topsy-turvy times are nice breaks, but I’m pretty much a routine person.

Beautiful sunny day today with just faint wispy clouds in the sky. Sophie has been sunning herself on the patio, looking so content. She makes me sleepy. I’m off to eat leftovers for lunch, take a nap, and tackle, once again, that neighborhood newsletter. Feeling so blessed by life.

Taking a break

Friends, it's spring break, and I'm taking at least a long weekend maybe more as a vacation. I'll be spending a lot of time with Jacob and his mom and maybe some other family. So I'm not going to write or post blogs (unless something outrageous comes to my mind--you never know). I'm tired of talking about politics, and I'm sure you don't need any more "This is what I did today." I plan to read a lot, so maybe I'll come back early next week with "What I read recently." And I'll do a bit of cooking, so maybe I'll have recipes. At the least I hope I'll come back with fresh content.
A few days ago Blogger told me I had 5,860 hits on a post. It was about my reaction to watching the Democratic debate earlier in the week and then spilling wine all over my kitchen (one of my more clever moves) but you can't tell me that many people read it. I think their program went haywire. Yesterday and today I'm back in the 150-200 range, which is normal and makes me happy.
Suppose I can come back from vacation and reach 5,000 again?
Anyway, you all be good, take care, keep up with the news, and I'll see you early next week. If you have spring break too, enjoy!

Goodbye, Spring Break

A few years ago, my entire family, all sixteen of us, spent Christmas in Breckenridge to ski--well, most of the others ski but not me. It was to be the dream vacation--renowned ski area, huge house that fit all of us comfortably, though some complained about their sleeping arrangements and there was almost mutiny when I pulled seniority and claimed the master bedroom because it was the only one on the same floor as the living area. It was also the largest, with its own bathroom.
But our dream vacation didn't turn out so well. Everyone got sick--my oldest son before we even got there, several of the others almost immediately afterward. Colin claimed it was the sloppy Joe I'd fixed the last night in Fort Worth. I have always claimed it was the fast food chicken restaurant in Amarillo. Finally the other day, Colin admitted he knew I didn't make anybody sick. But you know something's wrong when kids tell you they're too sick to open Christmas presents and just want to go back to bed.
Then my youngest son, Jamie, got altitude sickness; his oxygen levels were so low that someone told me they should really have hospitalized him, but they sent him home with oxygen. Son-in-law Brandon had a less severe case, and at least one of their children was sick.
In the week we were there, I got out of that house once. The car got stuck in the snow. Ice was everywhere, and I was nervous about footing. I think Breckenridge is probably a really cool town, but I never saw it. I spent most of my time working at my computer at the dining table--shoot! I could have stayed home and done that. A lot cheaper.
By the time we stopped for the night in Dumas, Texas, we were on flat ground and back home and all felt fine. I hope that's our last high altitude adventure.
This spring break has been Breckenridge redux. Colin and family went skiing at Wolf Creek with another family: so far the report is that he has a sinus infection, my nine-year-old granddaughter has the flu; in the other family, the dad and oldest daughter got the flu plus the girl got pink eye. Z-packs and Tamiflu abounded.
Meantime, at home, Jordan had a sinus infection, and I've been fighting a cold for three days. It's not really bad--certainly not bad enough for doing more than drinking tea and soup and waiting for it to go away. But annoying. I had great plans for spring break--Jacob would be with his grandparents, and I would have lazy mornings, lunches and dinners with friends, and long naps. I've gotten the long naps but cancelled two lunches and two dinners. The good news is that I got a lot of writing done.
But I'm ready to get back to routine.

Spring break

The Houston Alters ski Santa Fe

Jordan and Christian at Ruidoso

Spring break means different things at different phases of your life, I’ve found out.This year, for me, it means that none of my family are safely where they belong, a thought that sort of disquiets me. Colin and his family, above, are skiing in Santa Fe--not sure how they had the nerve to go to Santa Fe and leave me behind, but they did. Megan and her family are in Beaver Creek, Colorado, and Jamie and his family have gone to Seattle so Maddie can see the University of Washington (if you want to be cool, say U-Dub). and Jordan, Christian and Jacob have gone skiing in Ruidoso. The latter is a bit funny--Jordan does not ski, end of discussion; Jacob tried one day at Christmas and wasn't particularly enthralled, but maybe he'll do better this year. Christian loves to ski.

I worried about a long, empty week where work and no play would make Judy a dull girl, I filled my dance card too full and am having a really busy week. Yesterday I had lunch out and friends in for leftovers from Sunday night supper. Tonight I have had breakfast, lunch, and dinner out and am worrying about when I'll ever get my 1,000 words for the day written. Tomorrow I have a breakfast date but an otherwise empty calendar--except I think I should really run to the grocery store. And Thursday evening Colin and his family will stop overnight, bringing with them the friends they're traveling with, so I'l have a full house and a full guest house. Friday morning, we'll all go to Colin's favorite restaurant, Carshon's Deli, for breakfast. Then they'll be gone, Jordan will come by in the late afternoon, and Saturday I will cook for 16 people for Jordan's b'day.

Meantime, Sophie and I know how to relax. I'm sleeping later in the mornings--no Jacob to hug on his way to school in the mornings--and I'm getting nice, late, long naps in the afternoon--no Jacob to pick up and do homework with. Here' Sophie relaxing. I suspect she'd rather have Jacob and the activity he brings. She'll welcome Morgan and Kegan Thursday night.