Evolving Sweetie

Are You Ready for Some Football?

As you can see by the change of banner, football season is upon us. I'm a very fortunately football fan. My wonderful sister takes me to a good number of Seahawk home games. And along with a fair share of the gang, I've U of WA Husky season tickets. Both are very different gaming experiences and crowds. Seahawks - up close and personal, great views of sideline activities, deafening and rambuncious. Huskies - nosebleed section (albeit a great place to see plays develop), views of Rainier and the Lake, youthful excitement and college pride. Fun times. 

Yesterday, the Huskies eek'd out a win over the E. Wa Eagles. Gotta say there is a reason the Eagles were the Nation Champs in their division - the QB has quite an arm! The game was sewn up in a last minute heart stopping interception in the endzone by our boys. If this is a preview for the season, I should start taking an aspirin a day now! Yikes!

The bonus of Husky football is tailgating. Yahoo! We kicked off our 2nd year tailgate in fine style. I spent 2 nights into the wee hours of the morn and Sat AM in my kitchen chopping, cooking and sauting. That is a very happy state for me.

Menu consisted of BBQ Bacon wrapped Jalapeno Poppers from the Pioneer Woman's Cookbook, Wings prepared two ways. First Jerk Style with the jerk marinade from Steven Raichlen's Indoor Grilling with a Jerk Sauce from a last minute web search when the wings needed a tad more pop. Both recipes gave the wings great flavor, depth and lovely spice without too much heat.  The 2nd wings preparation were the Bayou Cajon wings from the same Steven Raichlen book  - dry rub & sauce. Yum! Think it was a tie between the two preparations as a clear winner was not declared.

The tailgate ended with a Taco Salad Bar with lots of fixings. Except I realized much later the I forgot the avocados in my fridge. The boys had a variety of homebrew, domestic and imported beers, while the ladies drank Jameson & Gingerales. Good times.

 

POSTCARDS from Husky Stadium 2011 Home Opener

Beth, Gin & Jen

Parker, B & Guest

Eric & Guests

The E Wa family

Pete & Ty

Ty & Corey

Steve & Dee

Me and the girls (love my crazy hair!)

Last of the poppers and wings - too busy cooking to capture many food shots

Yes, that was a climb!

Parker & I in seats

The Band (note the length of the shadows)

Beautiful day on Lake WA

Bro-In-Law's guest appearance on the visiting team sideline

2 minutes left in the first half the sun peaked below the roofline...Time to bake!

Golden Sunshine

The Mountain's out

Note the length of the shadows now...fun to watch the shadow play from on high

Shadow of the goal post almost make it to the 50 yard line.

Game winning play was in the corner of this endzone right in front of us. 

 

Oh, it certainly wasn't a pretty win, but it's still a 1 in the "W" column. Let's make it a little less hair raising against Hawaii next week. Okay boys?!?

 

 

Friday Night - Summer Edition

Life has been moving at break neck speed recently. Work exhausting and spilling into evenings and weekends. An endless knot of sleep, work, food, water garden, snuggle cats....repeat. Even when I've had something to explore or say here, sleep and rest prevailed. I've definitely missed being here and sharing.

Overjoyed for my friday off today. A much needed step off the merry-go-round. My schedule will be changing in a few weeks and the fridays off will be no more. A blessing while it lasted. I'll make the change beneficial in other ways. 

Tonight was the perfect summer evening spent in the park across the street from my home. The friend family had our 2nd annual Clam Bake. Version 2.0 had beautiful weather. I love that I was on the ground level of this tradition in our clan and that we are enjoying our neighborhood. A few lobsters and many clams were sacrificed. Laughter, relaxing, drinks and good company. A glorious, fun filled evening. 

This year big story was the police had to come to evict someone from our paid reserved picnic tables. Apparently the Russian family staked the table out for hours and wouldn't move even after the park rangers got involved. The special part was that they were all still in spitting distance when it was all said and done. We prevailed, but it definitely added the element of absurd to the festivities.

At sunset, I made my way over to my garden patch to give the plants a good drink. I'll post pictures later this week. My p-patch is in full summer glory. As I reached the garden, to my delighted surprise a moonlight movie was playing in the amphitheater "Where the Wild Things Are". Pulled up a patch of grass and was enchanted by the movie, the stars and the night air. 

A magnificently wonderful way to relax after such a hectic, stressful patch. 

The Muppets - Bohemian Rhapsody

This video has been making the rounds on Facebook the last few days. It's the funniest thing I've seen in awhile. 

 Made my day! Needed a dose of Animal and the Swedish Chef. Enjoy!

Laughtrack

The heat has fried my brain this week. Last thing I've had the mental power to do is write. None the less -  I'm compelled to urge you, if you are in the mood for a laugh, to check out 'The Hangover" currently in the theaters. Don't remember laughing that hard in a very long time. The previews spoils it a little bit. But its a damn good 90 minute reprieve from life as you know it. The perfect summer time comedy of errors.

Brunch Success

Last weekend was a very active weekend. I held a very successful summer brunch - as is now my tradition. Of course I made WAY too much food. But that is part of my deal. My whole table was filled with food. And I got the opportunity to bake which is my favorite. Made the Almond Meal Coffee Cake from Tartine with Raspberries. It turned out scrumptious as always.

And yes, I did try Bacon cookies. The recipe I linked to last week for Bacon Pecan lace cookies and Bacon Shortbread. The Bacon lace cookies were pretty easy to prepare and delightful, although mostly tasted like pecan buttery toffee cookies. I liked the bourbon twist. The bacon neither made or broke the recipe. 

The Bacon Shortbreads didn't make it to the table. They were made from whipping the bacon fat and adding baking ingredients. Frankly, they tasted like eating unflavored bacon grease - YUCK! And the fat in the cookie got so hot baking that they were scalding to touch test. Lost a finger print there. Immediately tossed the whole batch.

My last baking venture for the brunch was trying a new banana bread recipe. It was heavenly with or without walnuts. Definitely a keeper - replacing all my other bb recipes. I love breakfast bread recipes with buttermilk. It produced a very dense and moist breakfast treat.

Also had an array of brunch meats. More bacon that should be legally allowed - my whole condo and hall smelled of cooked bacon! Wonderful chicken and gruyere sausages - my favorite from Costco. And a trio of salami's from Salumi. The most unusual and biggest hit was their Mole salumi.

Add some fruit salad, mango, cheeses/crackers and herbed scrambled eggs and call it brunch. Of course you can't forget mimosas, good coffee and juice-boxes for the kids. 

Lovely to open my home and spend some leisure time with family and friends. A beautiful morning!

Do the Puyallup - Spring Version

Sunshine graced the PNW this weekend. It's been fun. My neighborhood was hopping with the Library's spring book sale, Children's Hospital plant sale and a large rummage sale. While I kept the financial damage to a minimum, I did add 30 books that I need to figure out where to store. Sigh! I know I have a problem...

Saturday evening was the Parkers annual Tiki Party. Cranked up the heat and we all donned our summer wear. Fun time as always. Happy 40th Parker - welcome to the club!

Since the Tulips were still not blooming, we decided to head down south and go to the Spring Puyallup Fair today. Quality family & Aunt Jeannette time - I LOVE IT! It's a miniature version of the large Fall Extravaganza. But the prerequisites - fair food, rides and animals - were all there. What else do you need? Emmie's favorite animal is piggies. We were all excited to see her reaction to the barn full of them. She was in hog heaven (yes, the pun was intended, thank you.) 

Piggies Em!

Mairead's favorite - horses - were in the 2nd barn. All of the miniature variety. Our girls were taller than them.

Here's your horses honey.

The family shot worked better this week!

Next stop was to find the Piggie Races. A short, fun little show with miniature pigs racing for oreo cookies. The bandstand was full. Aunt Nette lucked out and got a seat on the ground with 2 girls in her lap. Wished I could've snapped a picture of it. We had a blast! My turn to be in heaven.

Here they come...

There they go.

Em sporting the Pig Nose.

With all trips to the fair-grounds, the experience is not complete without sampling the cuisine. While Mike & the girls scoped out a funnel cake, Heather & I hunted down the famous Fisher scones. You can't go to the Puyallup without a hot, dripping with raspberry jam scone.

As we made our way to the kiddieland rides, the girls needed to rest their feet. Too bad they aren't tall enough to have their feet reach the massage plate. The girls each picked a ride. Mairead - the hot air balloons and Emily - the airplanes. Looks like fun.

Kiddieland Bear.

Waiting for the ride to start. Are we having fun yet?

Up and away!

This is my favorite shot of the day.

Time for the Airplanes.

Next up was to find lunch before we all headed home to settle down for a nap! The girls & Mike opted for hotdogs/corndogs. The sisters honed in on cheeseburgers. Yummy!

Tired little girl loving her Daddy!

Pig nose round 2 - we lost one during our snack venture. 

Lunch spot.

Mmmm meat on a stick!

Ketchup face.

Final piggie face for the day.

Thanks for sharing our fun morning at the Puyallup Spring Fair.

What's Your Reading Style?

Yesterday, I stopped into a coffee shop to reward myself with a mocha after completing the Discovery Park loop trail with a friend. Reward is the appropriate word as I have kicked my daily mocha habit. What's that applauding I hear? It's my wallet cheering my major accomplishment - its a step. 

Anyhoo, I was holding a few books I've been mulling over and the barista asked me this thought provoking question:

"Can you read more than one book at a time?"

It seems that I always have a handful of books I am working on at any given time. So my simple answer is yes, I'm a champ multi-tasker. But its more nuanced upon further examination. My results are askew and alarming.

1. Fiction demands my undivided attention. Stories that elevate my imagination, curiosity or empathy become all consuming. Barely a moment of personal time will go by without the book in my hand until I've reached the conclusion. I treasure the flash of courtship with these new worlds. Unfortunately, its been years since I've had enough spare energy and emotion to truly invest in novels.  I wish I could remember the last full length fiction work I've read. 

2. Enter Audio Books. NPR has trained me well. I love listening to stories as I go through the tasks of my life. I first tried audiobooks on our trip to Europe in 2006. They became the magic key for me and travel. While knitting keeps my hands busy, an audiobook prevents my mind from tracking time. And they keep me entertained while cleaning, planting, exercising, crafting and walking. I've devoured a dozen or so books this way through the last 2 years. Eat Pray Love, Middlesex, the last Harry Potter, Into the Wild, Animal Vegetable Miracle to name a few. Exclusively, one book at a time.

3. With Non-fiction, there's usually 3-5 books I am pursuing at any given time. Ashamed to admit that I've become a serial skimmer. I've created my own personal reference library with dozens of partial read books. Recent themes I'm exploring include spiritual awakening, grief & recovery, career satisfaction, photoshop, wine regions, knitting, organization & chaos, writing, cooking, travel, health.... harmonizing well with my life challenges. Wish I could impress you with my deep love of history, poetry, scientific exploration, politics or biographies. Nope, my bookshelf provides a pretty accurate portrait of my psyche.

My current hit list:

• A Life at Work  by Thomas Moore 
• Sacred Contracts  by Caroline Myss
• Secrets of Simplicity  by Mary Carlomagno  
• Broken Open by Elizabeth Lesser
• Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois
• Simply Felt by Margaret Doughtery & Jane Emerson 

So, I pose the question to you dear friends:

Can you read more than one book at a time? 

What's currently capturing your reading attention?

Junior Returns Home

Writing to you from giddiness central here. My boy Griffey is coming back to Seattle to close out his career. It's rare in this day in age for a player to return to his roots for a victory lap. And I will be ecstatically cheering him on.

I moved to Seattle in the midst of the Mariners' historical 1995 season. Major League Baseball and the Pirates had done their damnedest to beat the fan out of me in the early 90s. Any Pirate fan can't forget the heart wrenching endings to the 90, 91, 92 seasons and the subsequent fire sale from which the franchise has never recovered. Bonds...oh don't get me started, my blood still boils over on that man. Throw in a strike killing the end of the 1994 season and I had thrown in the towel on the whole sport. 

And then the Mariners and Ken Griffey Jr happened to me. Being alone in Seattle, I'd spend evenings at TS McHughs watching the Mariners games. The enthusiasm, joy and spirit the team played with in their chase for the M's first ever post season hooked me in heart and soul. And it was Ken Griffey Jr that lead the charge. Junior was able to reach the little girl in me who'd sneak her transistor radio into bed to follow the Pirate games well past her bedtime. Junior inspired that same pure love of the game that I had long ago forgotten. The Mariners reminded me of how fun, strategic and exciting baseball was. It was a magical time that forever bonded me to this city, this team and of course to Junior.

When Griffey asked to be traded to Cincinnati, that little girl in me was heart-broken, absolutely crushed. But by then I belonged to the Mariners. Safeco Field became my happy place. Eventually I just became thankful to Griffey for rekindling my love of baseball.  

In 2007, Griffey returned to Safeco Field for the first time with the Reds. Injuries had kept him away from the 2001 All Star Game. Ginny & I had tickets for the Sunday game of the series. I'd not had that much fun at a ball game in years. The amount of love the sold out stadium heaped upon Junior was incredible, genuine and heartwarming. It was impossible for us to root against our Griffey, so we cheer for him AND our Mariners. It was amazing. That afternoon was a wonderful gift for me as it was only months after Chuck passed and those hours at the ballpark was the first time I was fully present and happy again. Such a joyful breath of air.

The Griffey we receive will not be the superstar he was when we had him last. Injuries and age have taken their toll. But he'll mentor our young club, be the dream DH we've been craving since Edgar left and give us all pleasure in watching that sweet swing for one last season. It'll be a fun, love-fest of a season in "The House that Griffey Built" aka Safeco Field.

Ken Griffey Jr is going to be back in a Seattle Mariners uniform. A beautiful sight to behold.

Here we go Steelers...

Any member of Steeler nation knows this battle cry..."Here we go Steelers, here we go!".  As much as I have become a Seattle-ite, my heart bleeds Black & Gold. The Steelers are woven into the very foundation of who I am. It's not something that can really be understood by those who have not had the privilege of growing up in western Pennsylvania. The Steelers are the common binding thread for our community, our religion, our heart and soul. It's countless games watched with our fathers & grandfathers, our friends and our neighbors. It is pride in our glory, our perseverance through dark & uncertain times and our hopes for brighter futures. For the sons and daughters that have flown from our hometown, the Steelers bring us back in spirit and keeps HOME alive in us. 

Tomorrow, my beloved team plays for another AFC Championship. The stakes are high. We play our most hated rivals for a chance at the game's ultimate prize. Part of our family is from Baltimore and are rooting as hard for their team. Personally, this is a cake walk for me compared to the Seattle-Pittsburgh Super Bowl. It was torture to root against your 2nd team, your husband, your friends, your colleagues and your city. But ultimately, you can't root against part of our soul.

I'm extra excited about tomorrow's game because my Dad is in town. A good portion of my childhood memories of my Dad are us watching the Steelers games. It's been 13+ years of living in Seattle and I can't watch a Steeler game without calling my Dad at least a few times per game to share it. It's a ritual I think we both treasure. Actually getting to watch a game with my Dad is pure gold, I can't believe that we get to share such a big game in person tomorrow. 

So with BBQ chips, wings and terrible towels in hand Dad, Heather, Mike, the girls and I will be cheering on the Steelers. Here we go Steelers, Here we go!  Let's bring another Championship home. 

All in the delivery

Cruising around one Saturday afternoon, I was listening to Weekend America and applauding the topic of conversation. The discussion revolved around how real life trauma ruins your ability to engage in entertainment. The topic was relevant to the host as Mike Myer's "Love Guru" had just released. The host previously loved Myer's craft, but since then his daughter was born with dwarfism.  The movies which always feature a height challenged sidekick were now intolerable to witness.

It reminded me of a conversation I had with a counselor when Chuck was in treatment about Grey's Anatomy.  Chuck & I were watching an early episode where Yang and Alex have to give lots of people their test results. The gag was they had only good news to deliver and the overjoyed patients kept hugging them. After about 45 minutes of this, Chuck turns to me tears streaming down his face "Why couldn't someone have said that to me?" They were making light of a moment we so desperately wished for. The counselor's theory why medical dramas are so popular in our culture is they give us practice at handling disease, traumatic experiences and death. Our society does little otherwise to help us prepare for these eventualities. The truth was it wasn't hypothetical any more. We did not need practice, Chuck & I were living it. Empathetic detachment - no longer possible.

Which it brings me to the tale of 2 shows I watched last evening. Both themed around coming to terms with loss. My lesson  was it's all in the delivery.

First up we have Grey's Anatomy. I've already survived their exploration into tongue cancer. So, I figured I had won my immunity.  But they had to tread onto the one sacred wish that everyone in my shoes harbors. One last time to see, to talk to and to touch their deceased love one. I was trembling with fury that the finality of the loss I fight so hard to make peace with would be blatantly exploited in a doctor and dearly departed love reunion. My ability to remove myself was horribly compromised and it sparked another internal fight against wishing for impossible things. It's one battle that I will win again, but I'm furious to be suiting back up.

Fortunately, I tuned into ER for the first time in years as well last night. Anthony Edwards was coming back for this episode and I loved the show when he was on. I met Anthony the summer after high school when I was a bright eyed, passionate, soon-to-be theater student. He was extremely kind, funny and genuine the few times we talked. Huge soft spot for him ever since.

Last night's ER episode had to be one of best hours of television in recent memory. While both shows were handling recovery from loss, ER maneuvered it with such grace, dignity and humanity. Angela Bassett's performance as a doctor fighting memories of her son's death in the midst of saving another child was riveting and heart breaking. It was an honest, gut-wrenching portrait of living with grief and the long term struggle to rebuild. Truly stunning.

Anthony Edward's "Dr Greene" was shown in flash backs as the doctor fighting to save her son's life. It was during the timeline of the character's battle with cancer. From this viewing distance, I could fully see the genius in his performance as someone in active treatment. I purposely try to remember Chuck in healthier times. Yet, there was the same vulnerability, grace, wisdom and compassion that were hallmarks of Chuck's last few months. And the naked fragility that is the miracle of life. It was a gift to be reminded. To me those memories bare witness that cancer could not keep Chuck's true essence from shining through.

Perhaps it is not fair to compare the 2 shows. Grey's is a cornucopia of comedy, drama and romance and ER a dyed in the wool drama. But if the sources I turn to for escape from my world want to keep pulling me back to it, give me the realistic and gutsy portrayal any day.