Leftover chili

Chili only gets better when it's left over. The other night at our chili cookoff, Jay was just a tiny bit scornful of my chili because it had beans in it. I know very well true Texas chili does NOT have beans. And don't fall into the trap of thinking chili is from Mexico. It was "invented," "concocted," whatever by chuckwagon cooks in Texas. In fact, native Mexicans look down their noses at it as some inferior Texas dish. True Texas chili never had tomatoes either--basically just meat and seasonings, cooked a long time.
I admit I'm not a purist. Judy's Mild and Tentative Chii has tomato sauce and beans, but it's so easy and so good. You simply brown a lb. of hamburger or chili ground beef with 1 medium onion and as much garlic as you want--I used four medium cloves. Drain off the juice and brown again, so you get that good browned taste. Then add 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce, as much beer as you want (I used a whole one because I kept letting it cook down--and even then it was pretty thick, like stew, which chili isn't supposed to be). Add chili seasonings to your taste--I used four very generous teasoons, plus a  couple of dashes of Tabasco. Let it all simmer. Just before serving, stir in beans--I used Ranch Style, rinsed, but Elizabeth uses black beans. Either one is good. Offer toppings of grated cheese and diced red onion. I bring this up again, because I had the last of the chili for supper tonight (I'd sent a bunch home with Jordan). It was sooo good that I began to regret giving some away. My chili may be mild--Susan said it had a bite to it--and not real Texas chili, but I really like the recipe. Next I'll move on to Judy's Sloppy Joe, which I also love.
Elizabeth Edwards' death surprised all of us. Yesterday's announcement led us to believe that she had a few weeks left, so the news of her death today was a shock. But a blessing. I suspect once she'd made the announcement, she was ready and just let go. The media, social and otherwise, is full of sympathy, praise, there seems nothing to add. But I have to say, for myself, she was a role model in grace and strength and determination. Would that each of us could live life as fully as she did, both its joys and its sorrows. God bless her family, even John who was reportedly at her bedside with the children.
My dog has a new and puzzling problem--he who has always tried to sneak in the house whenever he could is reluctant to come in at night. He hesitates, looks at me, looks off into space, takes a few steps closer, and then stops. I finally have to pretend to close the door--and then he comes in. Similarly, he's a little slow to come into the office--we went through this several months ago, but I thought he was over it. I don't know if it's age or if something scared him inside. He stays briefly in my office and then wants to go to his bed, when of course I hoped he'd want my company. But he's one content dog in his bed. Yep, I think he needs a friend.

Stuff--including more rain

We bought this pillow for Megan thirty-five years

ago or more at a farmer's market. Its survived four children and seven grandchildren, though lately it had begun to lose its stuffing from seams that were coming apart. Such stitchery is not one of my talents, so I took it to a company called Clothes Carpenter where they fixed it for just over $20. I mentioned that its really dirty, but I don't know what to do about that. The woman at the counter said yes, she'd thought about it too, but she had no ideas. Jacob will be delighted to have it back--he likes to put it sidewise behind his head at the end of the bed while he watches TV. I think he thinks its his now--hope his Aunt Megan doesn't want it back.
This morning I got up at eight and turned on the TODAY show as I wandered into the kitchen. They were about to air Matt Lauer's interview with Elizabeth Edwards. Her book, Resilience, has just come out in paper, and she''s added a chapter to the new version about her decision to end her 32-year marriage to John Edwards. So I did what retirement allows you to do--I stopped (okay I did feed the clamoring cat) and watched. Usually the TV is sort of in the background while I go about the morning but I wanted to hear what she had to say. I have enormous admiration for the way she's handled a series of body blows--the death of a child, terminal breast cancer, and the news of her husband's affair, which she gradually figured out was not the one-night stand he'd led her to believe but a long-standing affair that produced a child.She has maintained, at least in public, a grace and dignity, and she still says she married a mrvelous man--he just changed over the years, as people do. We've all seen that in our lives. I was touched beyond words when she said she hoped for eight more years of life so she could be there for her younger children--who of us wants to face, head on, the fact that we may not be here in eight years?
As for John Edwards, she says co-parenting is going well. He is an assistant coach at one of the children's softball games, she goes to the games, and he comes over to talk to her. That they can maintain a camaraderie after all that's happened to them is remarkable, and I admire both of them for that. I'd like to think that in his own way he still loves her but has accepted the consequences of his own actions. Classy lady.
It's raining here again today, after a cool day. We can't complain--rain in the summer is wonderful. But tonight it feel steamy again, even though the temperature is relatively low (in Texas in summer, temperature is always relative--I get so tired of hearing the heat index that I wish they'd never invented or discovered it--it just makes you feel hotter!).
I had a pleasant lunch today with two friends from TCU's Human Resource Department. They both knew I was going home for a nap, so when I said, "Have a great afternoon, ladies," they chorused, "Shut up!" But I actually came home and wrote 2400 words, part of my memoir for the memoir class I teach. I meant to write about parenting but 2400 words never got me past the adoption of my four babies. Meantime my agent is encouraging about getting my short stories on Kindle and sent me some good correspondence he had with a legendary editor about my first mystery--she promises to read it soon.
As usual, life is good.