Following my own advice.

I haven’t written a blog post in several weeks.  I just was too hesitant, to be honest, as some things have really gotten under my skin lately and I don’t want this blog to ever come across as negative, or  “lecture-y”.  I was afraid my thinking, how I was feeling, would come out in my writing, and that’s a self-imposed no for me.

However, a lot of good has happened around me since Christmas and I hope both my outlook and my inner reflection have improved. Do you ever find yourself in a bit of a funk and it just needs to work itself around? That’s what I was hoping for. As James Brown would say “Get up offa that thing and make yourself feel better”.

Hubs retired, his last work day was December 28th.  The night before his very last day we had a bit of a surprise get together at one of our favorite spots, a local brewery. Almost all of the family was there, we are very lucky to have so many close by, and a couple friends. He was completely surprised and shout out to Maple City Dentistry for being in on the secret and shuffling his scheduled appointment around a bit.

We followed that up with a New Years Eve night out, very unusual for us. I have recently reconnected with an old friend and we ushered in the New Year together, our resolution being not to let thirty years go by again.  We were the oldest folks at Journeyman Distillery that night but we didn’t much care, and we made a quick stop in to the Acorn Theater's NYE party as well, super late and time for it to be over, but we listened to a couple songs from the band. It was a good time.

Following that, we traveled to Key West for a week to celebrate retirement and spend money like we have it.  Key West was terrific. Just the perfect response to retirement in that it caused us to slow down, to relax…to retire, if you will. We made plans, we chucked plans. Key West was a good bridge to what life will be like going forward.  

We have always talked a bit about travel. We are not campers or RV people. Seeing RVs shoved into campgrounds practically on top of each other, and I know that isn’t every park, made me cringe. Anyway, we spent a bit of time talking about how to plan for future trips and get-aways.  Our first step is making independent lists of where we would like to go and then compare those lists and start thinking about how to make it happen.  We want to travel in the US a bit, there are so many great places to see.

Christmas is like a blur, now, in some ways.  Our vacation already a week behind us.  We came home to snow and super frigid temps and now it is suppose to rain all evening.  We also came home to a blood red full moon and a lunar eclipse and that’s hard to beat. 

I follow a casual acquaintance on Instagram and she posts a lot of inspirational quotes.  One really rang true for me this morning as I was finishing this post…

One day or day one.  You decide.

Do you boil?

Last week we went through a couple additional days of some very intense snow, maybe another 12 to 14”.  It wasn’t, as the weather man reminded us, a blizzard as there was no wind, no whiteouts, but it was cold and lots and lots of snow.

That did not deter us from having a family get-together, share some seafood and good times.  This particular event is better outside, I must say, as it is kind of messy.  But, it was also lots of fun and good eating.  For those of you who see my Facebook page a couple of these pictures may look familiar.  It’s not the first time we have done a seafood boil, and also not the biggest crowd.  I didn't realize I was on a two-year schedule with these boils but that's what Facebook tells me. Key to the seafood boil is friends, family and a willingness to eat with your hands!

I have a few non-seafood eaters in the family.  I know, right? We had pizza for the kids and adults (1, there was 1) that didn’t want seafood.  There was also a fair amount of wine and beer, which is perfect with seafood, and homebaked French bread, which was also perfect.  I did all the shopping ahead of time but in the past have folks bring a bag of shrimp, crab legs or smoked sausage to dump in.  I included corn, onion, lemon, crab boil seasoning and new potatoes.  We served 13 adults and there was some left over, but, I admit…this is not good leftover stuff. Keep in mind the shrimp and crab are already cooked so I just thawed those bags of goodness and layer on top, maybe long enough to steam up a bit.  (Full disclosure.  This time I used two roasters and one had better shrimp than the other as it was in the boil less time.)

After layering the dining room table with paper and removing all the chairs…that’s right, you had to stand, and providing plates for those that just really wanted/needed a plate, and three rolls of paper towels.  A big bowl, huge, a hand me down from my late mother-in-law, in the center for shells and corn cobs, half eaten potatoes.  Yes, the potatoes with your hands, too.  Just grab it and bite.  3 cast iron skillets for butter and a couple bowls of just mixed cocktail sauce.  You get the idea ~ it’s a free for all.

We had a good time.  A nephew discovered the key to removing large slivers of crab from the legs and handed it to others gathered around the table, to make sure everyone had their fill, cause he's like that, bless his servant heart.   We were barbarians.  The Olympics on in the background, kids supervising kids, and life is good, folks, life is good.

The 2018 Indoor Crab Boil - 13 Adults and a good time. 

2016 Crab Boil - my pot overflows. 

2014 Crab Boil for 4th of July for about 30 adults -
with grilled asparagus even 

2012 - For family and visitors
with cod fillets instead of sausage

2010 First Crab Boil

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Ethel Merman

It's alright if you think I'm going down a short but twisted path here...I have to recommend battery operated candles.  I can not believe I am saying it either!

I, on a whim, ordered a set of battery operated pillars from QVC.  Again, I can't believe it either!  I thought they would work out well in a couple places where a night light would be good but I just don't care for night lights much.  Weird, I know. 

So I ordered this set of 8 candles of varying sizes by a company called "Candle Impressions" which is funny.  I mean, they are selling items that impersonate a candle...that's clever, admit it.  Besides that, here is what is so cool about these fake candles as compared to other fake candles that I have seen. 

First of all, they are a good fake.  Enough said.

Second, they have a built in TIMER!

I think this is genious.  I have seen them with remotes but I think they are more expensive; these timers...awesome.  They will stay on for five hours.  Which is just about perfect when you think about it.  You turn them on the first time when you want them to come on every night, then they come on the next night at the same time.  Isn't that grand?

So, you know I recommended the set of three green strainers.  You know I recommended the red spatula and most recently I raved about the big yellow bowl.  You can trust me.   I can not recommend the turquoise set ~ that just makes no sense for anyone.  When it comes to fake candles, I think simple and ivory is best. 

Here I grouped three of them behind this fun metal piece on top of a china cabinet.  They're like 3, 4 and 5 inches tall maybe, use two AA batteries and have been lighting up dark spaces at my place since July 5. 

I do a couple impressions, Ethel Merman for example, and maybe one or two of people in my past...er, probably best not to talk about it.   Not always flattering and some that have gotten me in trouble.  But, these Candle Impressions? Dead on.