Jeannie and I had lunch at the Swiss Pastry Shop today--our standard lunch there is one bratwurst, kraut, and potato salad. I said, "Okay, the question is, are we having Black Forest Cake (their specialty) or not, and she responded, "We are." I do NOT want to talk about what that did for my Weight Watchers Points, but it was sure good. Actually, I felt pitiful and entitled to a splurge. After eight hours in the car yesterday, my back gave me fits during the night last night and when I first got up. After I moved around a bit, it was okay--but there are still sore spots today. I'm beginning to rethink that drive to Colorado at Christmas.
Other than that, it's been a day of catching up on small details that have been cluttering my desk--acquisitions work for the office, emails to answer, and so on--I actually got a lot done, in addition to a grocery run, a long nap, and 40 minutes of yoga.
I'm still fascinated by the Teddy Kennedy coverage on TV--sorry about the anonymous writer who left a comment. I don't think the Koepechne family would agree with my assessment of Kennedy's life either and leaving the scene of an accident cannot easily be dismissed as youthful indiscretion--yet I still think he grew into his shoes and did devote his life to public service as well as to raising his nieces and nephews. I admire him.
Now I think I'm ready to start a new novel. I just finished Carolyn Hart's Dare to Die and enjoyed it a lot as I do all of Hart's work. When I think about the Death on Demand bookstore series, I think what a bold move it was on Hart's part to name the major characters Max and Annie Darling. Come now, did you ever meet anyone whose last name was Darling? And yet it works so perfectly in that series. I'm a fan.
Showing posts with label Ted Kennedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ted Kennedy. Show all posts
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
More thoughts on death
I have been riveted to the TV today, every time there was something on about the Kennedy family in general or Ted Kennedy in particular. I think my neighbor, in her forties, was right when she suggested the Kennedys resonate with my generation particularly. Certainly they had a lot of warts and faults, and Joseph Kennedy, Sr., was fairly frightening in his pursuit of power and influence. But I always wonder how three sons came out of that environment, raised in luxury, to care so much about the ordinary person. What I'm hearing today is that Ted Kennedy may have the most lasting legacy--he was of course the only one who lived to old age and then was not allowed to grow old peacefully but struck with glioma. Yet he lived out his last days with a beautiful grace, still devoted to the causes he believed in, making appearances when he could. I think he truly was able to put Chappaquidic behind him by proving his worth and legislative skill over the years in the Senate. The Lion of the Senate, indeed. The coverage has been fascinating to me--I'm watching now a 2-hour PBS special on the entire family, their history, and their legacy. There have been too many deaths that have hit close to home lately, and even so my prayer list grows longer. Yesterday I added Lisa's nephew who has cystic fibrosis and is losing lung fuction far too rapidly--I think he's about seven or eight, but I'm not sure. And today a woman I used to walk with early in the morning died. As Jim Lee says, "There's a world of hurt out there.
With Jordan in Mexico, I fixed dinner for Jacob and Christian tonight--chicken burgers, which Jacob seems to love, "Christian's" green beans (with bacon and vinegar--sort of like my mom used to do wilted lettuce), and salad. I think I thought I was making salad for Jordan, who eats enormous amounts of it, but I got too much dressing for the amount of lettuce. Still, it was good, and I was enjoying it, when some of that vinegar-y dressing went down the wrong pipe. I coughed, I drank water, my eyes watered, and when I could speak it was with a high squeak. It has happened to all of us, but it sure is uncomfortable. Christian said he decided he didn't need to do the Heimlich manuever because I was coughing, but Jacob's concern was really touching. He kept asking, "Juju okay?" or "Juju sad?" (because of my tears). When I went to get a Kleenex, he followed me into the bathroom, obviously worried. I finally recovered enough to get him strawberry ice cream, and he decided all was well with the world.
The salad that did me in was one of our favorites, but you have to have a good wooden bowl: slice a garlic clove and rub the bowl thoroughly; then add salt (I used Kosher) and dry mustard and rub that into the bowl. Then put blue cheese into the bowl and add plain old cider vinegar--that's where I got off on the wrong foot. Added too much vinegar and then had to balance with oil, but I don't think I ever got to the usual 1/3 vinegar to 2/3 oil ratio. Anyway, you mush the blue cheese up with the vinegar really well, until the blue cheese disappears into the liquid, and then add olive oil. Then add greens and toss. It's really good, but tonight I fell into two of Jordan's common failings--getting it too tart and making too much dressing for the salad.
I was amazed this morning at how much there is to do besides desk work--get ready for dinner, do my yoga, start a wash, etc. But I did make progress on the cookbook. Betty and I went to lunch at one of our favorite places--the Tokyo Cafe--and had a salmon sashimi salad with roasted beets, goat chese, and a good lemon vinaigrette--neither soupy nor too tart like my salad dressing.
With Jordan in Mexico, I fixed dinner for Jacob and Christian tonight--chicken burgers, which Jacob seems to love, "Christian's" green beans (with bacon and vinegar--sort of like my mom used to do wilted lettuce), and salad. I think I thought I was making salad for Jordan, who eats enormous amounts of it, but I got too much dressing for the amount of lettuce. Still, it was good, and I was enjoying it, when some of that vinegar-y dressing went down the wrong pipe. I coughed, I drank water, my eyes watered, and when I could speak it was with a high squeak. It has happened to all of us, but it sure is uncomfortable. Christian said he decided he didn't need to do the Heimlich manuever because I was coughing, but Jacob's concern was really touching. He kept asking, "Juju okay?" or "Juju sad?" (because of my tears). When I went to get a Kleenex, he followed me into the bathroom, obviously worried. I finally recovered enough to get him strawberry ice cream, and he decided all was well with the world.
The salad that did me in was one of our favorites, but you have to have a good wooden bowl: slice a garlic clove and rub the bowl thoroughly; then add salt (I used Kosher) and dry mustard and rub that into the bowl. Then put blue cheese into the bowl and add plain old cider vinegar--that's where I got off on the wrong foot. Added too much vinegar and then had to balance with oil, but I don't think I ever got to the usual 1/3 vinegar to 2/3 oil ratio. Anyway, you mush the blue cheese up with the vinegar really well, until the blue cheese disappears into the liquid, and then add olive oil. Then add greens and toss. It's really good, but tonight I fell into two of Jordan's common failings--getting it too tart and making too much dressing for the salad.
I was amazed this morning at how much there is to do besides desk work--get ready for dinner, do my yoga, start a wash, etc. But I did make progress on the cookbook. Betty and I went to lunch at one of our favorite places--the Tokyo Cafe--and had a salmon sashimi salad with roasted beets, goat chese, and a good lemon vinaigrette--neither soupy nor too tart like my salad dressing.
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