A Short Tour and Saturday Night Supper

We can finally leave the house by the front door or walk through the garage to the driveway and street. Richard went outside with salt and a heavy shovel and managed to crack through the ice. A couple of hours later he could manage to shovel the ice away.

And now for the tour (all photos taken from the sunporch -- the yard is not navigable, yet)...


What looks like snow is actually all ice. The sign says, "Garden Tours 50 cents." The birdhouse/hat had silk flowers around the brim that are probably adorning a squirrel's nest -- they just disappeared about two months ago.


This is our patio just waiting for a barbecue and at this time of year I don't need the umbrella to shade me from the sun.


This is the sun room. If you look closely enough you can see Azrielle (BIG black kitty) on the far chair enjoying the toasty warmth.


This is a clivia that is about to send up a bloom cluster. In about a week this should be in full bloom. The flowers are bright orange.


This was tonight's supper -- macaroni and cheese. The recipe follows:

2 cups cold milk
3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
1 tablespoon whole grain or brown mustard
1 tablespoon onion powder
4 tablespoons of chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces of shredded cheddar, smoked gouda, or Havarti (or a mix of your favs)
4 ounces of Velveeta (I know this seems pedestrian, but the stuff really melts well!)

1 pound cavatappi (De Cecco makes these -- they're like an elbow macaroni that is longer, twisted, and totally out of control. If you can't find these, use a macaroni that will hold onto the sauce -- like shells or penne rigate (with lines))

1/4 cup Italian-flavored bread crumbs
1 large baking dish sprayed with butter Pam

Preheat the oven to 375.
Place butter in a saucepan until melted. Add flour and whisk until incorporated. Add cold milk and cook until thickened and bubbling over medium heat. Whisk frequently guarding against burning. After thickened and bubbling, over low heat add mustard, freshly ground black pepper, onion powder, and chopped parsley. Add cheese, whisk until cheese has melted. Remove from heat. Taste for seasoning.
Boil macaroni, drain, and pour into prepared baking dish. Pour cheese mixture making sure it is evenly distributed. Sprinkle bread crumbs across the top and then spray them with butter Pam. You can also drizzle olive oil or melted butter if you prefer. Bake for 35 minutes. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Thelma and Xaviera Ride Again

The sun finally came out today, it's gotten very windy again, and for the first time in a few days the forecast does not include sleet and freezing rain. While on the way to the gym (only about four miles from our home) yesterday, I drove through areas that just looked wet, and then ten yards down the road all the trees and bushes sparkled with thin coatings of ice. The heavier coatings of ice do the most damage. After the ice storm occurs and then begins to melt, the trees' limbs snap off and it sounds like gun and cannon fire. I'm glad that didn't happen this time as it's really frightening. We have gotten off prettily easily so far, but will see what the rest of winter brings us.
Well, I made it to my lunch with Roberta and we, as always, had a great time. Chris, another one of our 'gang' from the middle school joined us. We laughed, we cried, we shared fried oysters. One of the things we talked about was the names we had for each other. I was Thelma Clapsaddle and Chris, our librarian who made all the boys drool, was Xaviera Bundersnatch. We couldn't remember what Berta's nickname was, although when we went out, she liked to tell people her name was Vickie. We talked about the time that our group (minus me this time --there were about eight of us and at the time I might have been the only one married) dressed up for Halloween as the Farkle Family (this was a "Laugh In" feature, I think) and showed up at the house of our principal, Mr. Brumbaugh, an older, statesman-like gentleman who surprised them by asking them all in for a drink. Mr. Brumbaugh (we NEVER called him by his first name; never even considered it) and his wife had the distinction being in-laws with Gerald and Betty Ford as Mr. Brumbaugh's daughter married Ford's son. It was shortly after the wedding that Nixon resigned (1974) and Ford became President and the newlyweds, on their way to New England, I think, found themselves surrounded by the Secret Service. But again, I digress.
What is really amazing is that a core of us are still very close. We worked hard together, we played hard together, and we laughed really hard together. When we gather now, nothing has changed -- (well somethings have (a few of us are grandmothers, for instance, and none of us look exactly the same -- (gravity sucks)) -- but the bond is still there, as is the laughter, the loyalty and the love we have for one another.