He Should Be Thankful It Was Thanksgiving

For years we've had a holiday tradition in this two person household. We alternate who prepares the holiday meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Even with two it can be quite a chore. Maybe even more so than for those who gather with family that provide extra hands. We've always managed rather nicely though the more elaborate the dinners became, in a competition we'd deny, one person doing the duties was difficult at best. Especially when it came to getting everything to come out on time. When it was Hub's turn I'd insinuate myself into the process to help do the dishes and utensils used in prep work to save a horrendous mess at the end.

As we've aged and slowed a bit, or had lapses in memory as to where the heck we left the blasted potholders, we talked about changing the rules. One could plan the menu but we would both help with the cooking. It had gone no further than talk until yesterday.

Being my usual generous self, I told Hub to call me if he needed help, fully expecting to settle in on the couch awaiting his feast. I heard maybe 30 seconds of grumbling before he called out, "Here, you can make this dish!" Surprised, I went to see what my chore was to be. The vegetable dish. It was a brussels sprout and butternut squash combination with a vinegrette dressing.

I looked around for the dishes with the prepped veggies, herbs, etc. He handed me a plastic bag full of sprouts and the squash. "Here." Chopped herbs? Measured vinegar, mustard? "The vinegar is in the pantry, the mustard is in the fridge." Okay. We definitely were not on the same playing field!

"How long does it have to bake?" "I don't know! I'm reading the recipe!" I caught myself short of getting short. After all it was Thanksgiving.

Okay, I had to prep the sprouts, par boil them and put them in an ice water rinse. I had to peel, seed and dice the squash, par boil it and put it in an ice water rinse. Fry bacon. Saute shallots, Chop herbs. Make the vinegrette. "Baking time?" "It doesn't have to be baked but I need to time it with what you're doing!"

Let's look at this. The turkey was in the oven. The stuffing was in the oven. We had finished with the appetizers and cleaned up those dishes. We eat in shifts you see. Helps the stomach settle between courses. The dessert was prepared and waiting in the refrigerator.

All he had left was to mash the potatoes and make the gravey! Of course he decided the potatoes had to be peeled at the same time I had to peel the squash. " Where the heck is that peeler!" "We have two. It's in the drawer."

The wonder of it all is everything finished exactly as it was supposed to and was one of the best dinners we've ever put together!

As we finished eating and were sipping the last of the wine I commented on how our kitchen isn't exactly designed for two people working together smoothly without planning. We were constantly tripping over one another. Hub said, "Yeah. When you give me my assignment for Christmas I'm going to make my little corner of the kitchen off limits and have everything I need right there!"

Want to bet? Oh, he'll have his assignment, all right, but if he thinks I'm going to make it easy on him, I'll have to remind him of my inner Grinch!

Oh heck, I probably won't. It wouldn't be in the spirit of the holiday. I just could have used a little forewarning on the changing of the tradition! And when it comes right down to it, tripping all over one another was rather fun and the dinner a mutual triumph! Who needs competition?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Eat Hearty

Spunk Or Punk?

I've gotten tired of Sarah Palin complaining about the abuse her kids get from the media. If she hadn't trotted them out, including at the time unmarried and pregnant Bristol, perhaps the media would have let well enough alone.

She is, however, still complaining yet is front row in promoting Bristol and her finally ended run on Dancing With the Stars . Bristol lost. She deserved to lose and to have been booted long before the finals. The politics behind these shows is legendary so the speculation about Tea Party voters en masse is probably true.

I am glad Jennifer Grey won. I've never watched the show, it's not my (ahem) cup of tea, but I have seen Jennifer Grey dance. Years ago. With Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing . Not that many watched her, most female eyes being on Patrick. But she did dance and certainly held her own. That she can still do it at 50 while dealing with neck and back pain is deserving of a win on that alone!

But you know what? Another reason I'm glad Grey won is because Bristol lacks class. Maybe it's symbolic of the whole family after listening to the dialog between them on Sarah's Alaska escapade. Bristol did not take losing well. She had
this to say,

"Going out there and winning this would mean a lot. It would be like a big middle finger to all the people out there who hate my mom and me."

Classy.

I watched the skeet shooting episode with Sarah and Bristol and came away with another less than favorable impression. Frustrated because of her mother trying to help her shoot properly, she stunned Mom with the admonishment "Take your prom hair back home!"

Prom hair? If I had said that, in the tone she used to my Mom, I'd have been back home myself and none too happy about it. Mom, taken aback, didn't know whether to be angry with the sass or admire Bristol's spunk! Spunk? No. I don't like Bristol very much. For entirely different reasons and in a different context for which I do not care for her Mother.

What they do have in common, though, is that they bring their bad press on all by themselves.

Why Does It Never Stop?

We are approaching the time of year when, if not shopping, people tend to be more friendly and in better moods. Thanksgiving. Family gatherings around bountiful tables. Even the less fortunate are usually provided with a good meal.

Christmas. Holiday music can't help but cheer. More family and food and gifts and maybe even a remembrance of what the Holiday is about. Both holidays, a mere month apart, will seem so distant but a week after when we return to normal; school, jobs, the cold streets ~ and war.

The headlines today tell us of the North Koreans attacking an island off South Korea with the promise of more. Afghanistan. Iraq. Israel vs. the Palestinians. Iran against everyone along with al Qaeda and the Taliban. Untold African nations within their own borders and without.We have the Mexican drug cartels at war with each other and anyone who happens to get in their way. We even have our own citizens at war against the TSA for stripping away one right too many.

I write about conflict far too often. I wonder what the militias are up to. I fear we haven't enough resources to handle one more. Why does it never stop? What is wrong with man that conflict must be war, killing. Death.

The biggest mystery of all, to me, is from Genesis 1:27 ~

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

How so?

Happy Tails

Sometimes as we stagger through our everyday lives good things come along. Like fine wine, good food and friends - and dogs.

As a short week for me comes to an end I'm happy to reflect on a few days away from the everyday world. Our initial trip to Seattle was to attend the exhibition of Picasso's works at the Museum. Before that, however, we met up with our favorite wine tasting friends in Woodinville where we hadn't been in years. As happened last spring when we were tasting in Prosser, we were met by a dog at the very first winery. And as before he made a beeline toward me. I loved it.

As conversation ensued we found that a book is being written about the winery dogs of Washington. I, of course, thought this was beyond wonderful. As I sat down to write this I did some browsing, hoping to find a picture or two. Well there are dozens. There are winery dogs in Napa and British Columbia and a hundred other places. They are pets. Some are rescue dogs. Many have wines named in their honor. Like the bottlings to benefit Michael Vick's victims.

We stayed at The Willows which has it's house dog. Ruthie. We knew her from a previous visit and were delighted to find her still at her post handling complaints from her heated, massage bed just inside the door to the lobby. She doesn't get any complaints but is the recipient of numerous tummy rubs. Her only competition for attention this trip was a bull dog who was as big a ham as he was ugly. In the most lovable sort of way.

I got to thinking about the civilized things the world is missing - the ambiance of wine country inns and restaurants and tasting rooms. The tastes and the bouquet of not only wine but food too. The camaraderie of friends having a good time. And the company of dogs.