Things that make me cranky

Remember the World War I poem, by Rupert Brooke, I think, or Julie Andrews singing in The Sound of Music about the small things that make them happy? In a sort of negative take on the idea, I got to thinking about things that make me cranky. It started Friday morning when the TODAY show was pre-empted by the French Open on NBC--I hate it when my favorite programs are pre-empted. I especially look forward to Meet the Press on a lazy Sunday morning. And lately KERA has been one of their many eternal fund-raising campaigns, kicking off Simply Ming and Jacques Pepin, whose cooking shows I like. Makes me grateful for the food channel. I support KERA but I'm tired of Suzie Orman and Wayne Dwyer.

I got a bit cranky yesterday when I found the cat on the kitchen counter eating off lunch plates I had left unscraped while I saw Jordan and Jacob to their car--it crossed my mind she might eat the tuna that Jacob left behind but she didn't. She ate the hearts of palm that Jordan left untouched and I was going to save. A cat eating hearts of palm?

I get a little cranky when I think of tomorrow morning's 7:30 dental appointment to have a crown replaced, and during the school year I got a lot cranky and downright rude when some parent parks across my driveway to let the little darlings out or lets them out in the middle of the street just behind me as I start to back out--what are they thinking? At least I don't have to worry about that for a couple of months--school's out!

On the whole, though, I don't think crankiness is my natural state. A lot more things make me happy, like cooking for friends. I've spent part of the morning making salad dressisng (a recipe from the cooking class earlier in the week) and chopping--fruit for fruit salad, mushrooms and scallions for a pasta dish the kids call "Green Noodles." The recipe originated when my brother was dating his first wife and she invited him to dinner, only to find she didn't have any money for groceries. She cooked with what she had in the cupboard and fridge--isn't that how the whores of, where is it? Venice?--invented puttenesca sauce? Anyway, she put butter and lemon in a skillet, added cooked spaghetti, and that was hit. Over the years I've changed it until today I use spinach tagliatelle and add sliced mushrooms, chopped scallions, canned artichoke hearts, an ice cub of pesto from my freezer, and fresh grated grana cheese.

One thing that has brought me great joy this weekend--I've been having an email corresponce with my oldest granddaughter, 10-year-old Maddie. It started when I emailed her about how excited Jacob got when he noticed a picture of Maddie and Edie that has been on my side table for months! He apparently just saw it. Maddie answered, and then wrote me about her new internet research project she and her dad are doing and then she even left a comment on my blog about our common woes with cilantro plants. Such fun.

Cooking

I said last night this blog had veered away from its origins--writing, cooking, and grandchildren (well, not the latter). Tonight it's purely cooking, and its bragging on myself. It was one of those days that I didn't know what I wanted--nothing struck me as right. So when I came home I defrosted two boneless chicken thighs and decided I'd figure what to do with them later. About six, I snapped some green beans and put them on to steam, and then looked at the chicken, remembered I had a recipe Jordan and I had liked. Got it out and it called for browning, making a sauce and reducing it, and then roasting for 45 minutes. Sorry, it was six and I wanted my supper. So I pounded the thighs flat, floured them, browned them, and took them out of the skillet. Added some garlic to brown, then some chardonnay--not quite half a cup--and cooked it down a bit, added a half cup chicken broth, a bay leaf, and some thyme, and simmer the whole thing util it thickened. Put the chicken back in to warm, rewarmed a few of the beans with butter and salt, and had the most delicious dinner. I was tempted to lick the pan that sauce was so good--okay, when I got it back in the kitchen, I really did lick it. And I have one thigh left for when I eat lunch at home Friday.
I've been eating out more than usual this week--lunch Tuesday with a colleague and friend, breakfast today with an author from Arizona, lunch with an old friend from TCU administration, lunch and dinner out tomorrow. Tis the season.
Tis also the season when I feel things piling up but don't know what to do in advance--can't pack now for a trip ten days from now. Can't eve pack tonight for my one-night visit to Frisco this weekend. Packages are all wrapped, and I'm figuring about getting them to people. Can't get serious about writing with the holidays looming. So I guess I'll read. Am in the midst of Carolyn Hart's Death of the Party and enjoying it.

Animals and dinner and family

This is Wynona in his favorite position in his favorite place--my bed. At 17, he is definitely an indoor cat. So imagine my surprise this afternoon as I walked from the garage to the front porch and he rounded the neighbor's fence coming toward me. With my arms full and my poor balance, I couldn't pick him up, so I called to him to follow me. Set everything down on the porch as fast as I could and turned to go after him, but there was no need. He had indeed followed me, and then, meowing loudly all the while, made his way to the front door, as though demanding, "Where have you been and why have you left me out here so long?" I'm relieved he didn't run into the neighbor's cat--they have regular cat fights through the front door, but I'm afraid at his age--and declawed--he would lose in an actual battle. Alos relieved that he didn't wander out into the street, which is a busy one. The woman who so wonderfully cleans my house said he had gotten out through the back door, which I suspect she left open when she went to clean the guest apartment. Anyway I am much relieved to have him safely inside.

And this morning, Scooby who is always reluctant to go outside and has to be coaxed before I go to work at 8:00 a.m.--I'm sure some day I'll forget and leave him leashed to his bed--demanded barkingly to go out at 6:45, when I had just stepped out of the shower, was dripping wet and fairly cold.

Betty and I went to Pappadeaux tonight and split the best ever scallop dinner--scallops with brown butter sauce served on green beans and crispy onions. I can never get scallops to have that nice brown crust that these did, and yet they were perfectly cooked, not overdone and rubbery.

A major triumph today: after my ignominous fall at the dentist's office, I worried about getting up. Elizabeth came and gave me some hints, but Jeannie today said the magic thing. If I walk myself down into down dog, I can walk myself back up. I discovered that if I get on all fours, and put my hands on the flour, I can bring first one knee up and then the other and stand up. I did it about five times to be sure, and I am so proud.

Colin and Lisa will arrive tomorrow night in time for supper; then Mel said she and Jamie would be here in time for supper, so in addition to all else I had planned, I'm cooking casseroles for five to seven adults and five to six children.. I think I'll make tamale pie with polenta--fairly easy and I can make a double batch plus a huge salad. And that's dinner! I am so excited about all of us being together.

This morning I sneezed and sneezed. When I got to work Melinda had the same problem, and when we gathered for staff meeting about ten she said, "I hope I'm not trying to get sick." Well, talk about the power of suggestions--I immediately thought maybe my head ached, and there was this post-nasal drip down my throat. I decided I was going to talk myself out of getting sick. No way I want to miss this holiday. So lunch with Jeannie, a nap, and dinner with Betty distracted me,and I'm fine. I also re-did the seasoned oysster crackers--I'd left a major ingredient out, made pesto out of the last of my basil, wrapped two Christmas presents, and am ready to get back to the cookbook.

As one of my authors said to me in an email today, life is good.

Another Jacob day

Jordan and Jacob arrived just before eleven this morning. Before that I lingered over the newspaper, made German potato salad for supper, chicken salad for Jordan's lunch (she ate the whole thing! I was happily eating leftover salmon croquettes, and we gave Jacob pb&j which he loved). She left a little before noon for several engagements, and Jacob and I were on our own. About 12:30 he got quiet, and I knew it was nap time, so we both had naps--me for an hour, he for two and a half hours, during which I did get some things done. Then he played in the playroom--he loves the doll house--and I read manuscripts and proposals, actually got quite a bit done. About 5:30, Jay (the handsome neighbor) came for supper (Susan was sick in bed). Jacob was delighted and spent two hours happily playing with Jay whom he adores. In the midst of that, a telephone repairman arrived. Jacob was shy, hiding behind Jay, and then he decided the repairman, Chad, was his best friend and spoke volumes to him in Jacobspeak. But Chad was a nice guy and took it in stride. Tonight my phones all work and my alarm system works, my TV that I couldn't work before is now functioning again, and the world seems in its place. One more visit from AT&T to wire one last TV and I'm done.
Jay and I ended up sitting at the dining room table discussing a couple of manuscripts that had been sent to me for review. It was interesting to hear his reaction, after spot-reading--he was pretty much right on with what I was thinking. I had brought three queries and a new chapter home to read and got it all done today. Not much on my own work. And I didn't make the pesto--got to harvest that basil. Maybe tomorrow.
After Jay left, Jacob was quiet and watched a DVD while I cleaned up, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and generally settled in. Finally I read, and then he wanted to go into the living room, which is where we were when Mama and Dada came. Sudden new life because he was so glad to see them. Tonight he's tired, I'm tired, and so the world goes.
Jordan brought me his school picture, and I decided he goes to a wonderful school. He's wearing a tocque and a white chef's shirt with a whisk in his hand. It goes in my cookbook for sure.
Thanksgiving is upon us--why do I feel unprepared for the arrival of all my family. Usually I'm organized to the teeth, but not this year. I'm going to realx and enjoy them and see what happens.

The holidays are upon us

This is the time of year when I abandon writing, career concerns, everything except my office, which is blissfully quiet though I did a ton of work this morning--mostly breaking hearts with rejection letters. But at home I've been busy cooking--I have a freezer full of desserts and tonight I made sausage and cheese balls (washing the pans is more work than making them!). My dining room table is wrapping central, though I'll have to clear it by Monday when the contributors to Grace & Gumption come for a holiday happy hour. But I've wrapped presents for those children I won't see at Christmas but will see at Thanksgiving, and for others I think I'll see before then but am not sure. I've double scheduled myself with the TCU Press Annual Autograph Extravaganza on Friday Dec. 5 and my party on Dec. 6. I guess I'll collapse on Dec. 7.

It's cold here--close to freezing last night, so that I asked Jay, my handsome neighbor, to carry in my basil. I'll make pesto of it this weekend. But nothing else on m porch appears devastated. Freezing predicted again tonight, and it surely was a sharp wind today. Yes, I wanted cold weather so I could wear winter clothes, but maybe the 50s would do instead of the 30s.

In east Forr Worth, on the north side of I-30, there's a runty mimosa tree that is decorated every year for Christmas. The story is a once-homeless woman decorated it so the homeless in Fort Worth would have a Christmas tree. She did it for many years, but after she was unable to, the neighborhood took up the tradition--and now the little tree is decorated for Easter, Halloween and other holidays. Leslie Gordon wrote and self-published a great children's picture book about it. I first heard of it when Melanie called to say she'd heard about it on NPR and could I find a copy for Maddie and Edie. She said they looked for the tree every time they came to Fort Worth. I got them a copy. And now TCU Press has reprinted the book, because Leslie sold out her initial printing. We're excited about it, and I plan to give it to the other grandchildren in the family. Want a great Christmas gift for children? Try The Homeless Christmas Tree by Leslie Gordon. Even if you don't live in Fort Worth and drive by the tree, it's a heartwarming Christmas story.