For all you mom's out there . . .

Peanut butter oatmeal cookies

Follow-up to yesterday's post . . .

This recipe from my Mom's old cookbook.

Ingredients:
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- half cup of shortening
- 1 cup beanut butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 cups oatmeal
- 1.75 cups of flour

Preheat the oven to 350.

Mix ingredients together.

Roll into 1-inch balls.

Place on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10 minutes per batch.

Yield varies depending on number of dough-eating spectators . . .

Merry Christmas Eve!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Happy Mom's Day!

Today, ye socks, I am thinking how very lucky I am not only to have a mom in the first place, but how extra lucky I was to get the mom I got!

"Mother's Day" is too formal for this occasion, so let's just call this Sunday "Mom's Day," ok?

Here are a few of the reasons why I think I'm so lucky:

1. My mom is never afraid to try something new, such as making and posting digicam self portraits for yours truly to pirate and post in this dryer!

2. She gave me a leg-up in the world, making sure I could read and write even before I went to kindergarten . . . sometimes using the steamed-up window of our microwave as a makeshift chalkboard.

3. She steamed-up the aforementioned chalkboard while boiling water for macaroni and cheese, one of the many comfort foods that peppered my childhood landscape.

4. She taught me not only how to drive, but to love the adventure of a roadtrip during countless cross-country journeys we made while following my dad's military career from base to base.

5. Going with her to estate sales, auctions, flea markets, and antique shops made history a very tangible thing to me even at a young age and one of my great passions even to this day.

6. I know I can call her any time, day or night, and she'll answer.

7. Ham and cheese!

8. She can beat me in Lexulous, Boggle, and other word games. ("Can" doesn't mean "always does!!" Sometimes, I get lucky!)

9. Music from MoTown to Anne Murray.

10. Osgood and coffee on Sunday mornings.

Wow, I could go on and on . . . this list thing was probably not a good idea, because it's pretty much an endless task . . .

Suffice it to say, like everyone else, I think I've got the best mom in the world, and wish her a VERY HAPPY MOM'S DAY!

Mom's birthday dinner

So, a small group of us got together to mark the occasion by checking out this restaurant that I drive by all the time and vow to visit but never have.

Actually, I have a laundry list of such places since moving to the new neighborhood. But, the one in question this evening was PAXIA at 2611 Edgewater Drive.

It was a little too chilly to enjoy the patio, so we went inside and really got a kick out of the over-the-top Mexican decor and the not-so-subtle mariachi music they were piping into the dining room.

The menu was far-too-subtle, no description of the dishes being offered. This handicapped at least one person at our table, who simply wanted a chimichanga or something similar to it. The waitress recommended the flautas with a couple of special modification requests to the chef.

The birthday girl spotted an interesting chicken entree with a cocoa sauce, probably the most exotic dish brought to our table. Yours truly stuck with the enchiladas suizas.

To hold us over til the food arrived, we ordered some queso fundido as an appetizer. It was great. But, they only gave us three tortillas, a definite handicap. And, since the waitress chose that moment to go AWOL, we ended up having to raid the basket of chips she'd left on our table to finish off the queso.

Everyone agreed the entrees were delicious, too . . . if a bit pricey. But, the presentation detracted from the experience. They brought a small bowl of beans and another small bowl of rice to the table, announcing it was being served "family style" and if we wanted more all we had to do was ask. But, this is not a "family style" restaurant, and for the prices they charge they should put everyone's sides on their own plates.

We decided to split a dessert to top off the meal, but were disappointed to discover only two were available: flan or sopapillas. We took the latter, which were served "family style," too. This meant, one big plate of honey-dripping goodness and no smaller individual plates to save the tablecloth. Really turned out to be a mess.

Bottom line: Glad I can scratch this place off my to-do list. But, I don't think I'll be back for dinner until the service and presentation catch up with the prices.

Oh, and happy birthday, Mom!

Shout out to my Bodo!

Well, I FINALLY got a hold of my baby sister on the phone today, after repeated failed efforts and much consternation.

Anyway, I had fun talking with her.

But, she did TRY to give me a hard time about my delinquent postings here in the dryer.

She should have known better.

I mean, after all, her little blog hasn't been updated since JUNE 19th!!

And, I have access to a virtual library of embarassing old photos of her teenage years.

The one posted here is fairly tame (NYC, 1989), but she should be forewarned that I've got some real doozies in my arsenal!

So, who was your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother?

Interesting question to pose on this Mother's Day, no?

Modern western genealogy (the study of family history for ye socks who are not "in the know") generally focuses on groups of people associated with specific surnames.

Isn't that terribly patrilineal of us?!

I mean, half of our genes came to us from the maternal side of ye olde family tree.

So, if you'd like to begin the addictive oddyssey of tracking-down your elusive female ancestors to honor Dear Old Mom, check out this online course:

https://admin.acrobat.com/_a55262008/mothersmother/

Happy hunting!

Nothing says "Happy Mother's Day" like . . .

BBQ Chicken!

At least, that's what ye socks from Apopka have taught me over the years ...

Since my primary maternal figure has to work tomorrow, I decided to mark Mother's Day a little early this year by making her a meal.

She actually had to work today, too. So, I was able to go over to her house and do all the food prep before she got home.

Note to socks: Nothing will make you appreciate your kitchen more than trying to cook in somebody else's.

But, I digress.

The beautifully grilled chicken breasts were served on a bed of dirty rice that included (but was not limited to) some French style green beans and diced tomatos. The rest of the ingredients are the closely-guarded secret of the chef.

It was preceded by a tossed salad that yours truly spiced-up just a little with a grated red onion, and topped with some of that awesome Marie's brand dressing that one usually feels guilty about buying because it's too expensive.

Of course, the meal was accompanied by a light wine.

And, dessert consisted of a finger food tray of fudge, California cherries, and thin cheese slices.

Jealous much?!

Last full day in Mount Pleasant

And, it was a good one.

Not only was it Mom's birthday, we celebrated it by skipping cake in favor of a big steak dinner! I guess, you have to take you calories where you can get them after Thanksgiving . . . Actually, my brother-in-law and I were hoping for a big old rack of ribs, but Publix up here apparently doesn't carry such delicacies. So, he'll have to wait til his next trip to Florida for an education in Cracker grillology.

Of course, it wouldn't be a fall Saturday in the South without some college football. I was actually more than a little irritated by the quadruple overtime in the Tennessee-Kentucky game, because it delayed coverage of the annual Gator romp over the 'Noles. By the time they switched to The Swamp, it was already the second quarter and I missed Tebow's first big touchdown run.

The South Carolina-Clemson game was actually the most exciting game of the afternoon, and not just for the opportunity to watch The Evil Genius stalking the Gamecock sidelines. It was a real nail-biter, went down to the wire. Fortunately, it turned out the way Keith wanted it, so he can hold his head high in church tomorrow.

All in all, a good day. Kinda dreading the drive home tomorrow. But, all this makes all that worth it.

Road trippin'

Wow, I can't believe it's already been a week since I was getting ready to go on the big Labor Day road trip up to South Carolina.

I also can't believe it's taken me this long to post one of the pictures we took while we were there.

That's my mom, sister, nephew, and niece, in case you were wondering.

Nothing quite so exciting planned for this weekend. The road trip just leads HOME this afternoon. And, that's a good feeling, too!

Hope all you socks out there have a good weekend yourselves.

Cheers!

Who knew Sanford was such a fun place?!

Getting home a little late tonight after the awesome book-signing appearance at Sanford's "Alive After Five" festivities.

I am a bit ashamed to admit that I have never attended in the past. But, after seeing things from the sidelines this month, I am already looking forward to July 12th when I can walk up and down First Street myself!

Thanks again to Yvette at Maya Books for playing the gracious hostess. You are awesome, and so is your store!

Thanks to "homey" for the ride, keepin' it real, and kickin' it old school.

And, a "shout out" to the many nice people I met during the course of the evening, particularly:

T. Brown, the friendly lady who had the space adjoining mine

Mr. & Mrs. Bob McManus

Pete & Ann from Osteen

Nancy Miller (Chuck Wight's generous mother-in-law)

my "neighbor" Bill Newman

the friendly folks for the fair tax

April's mom

And, with that, I bid you all a good night . . . . zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Happy Mother's Day!

I'm probably the only person you know who marked at least part of the day in contemplating mitochondria.

Abbreviated "mtDNA," it's the part of your unique genetic code that was inherited exclusively from your mother. And, she inherited it exclusively from her mother, and so on, and so on, ad infinitum.

Anyway, from a genealogical standpoint, it is much harder to trace these maternal lines--at least in western cultures--because surnames change with each generation.

I've only been able to trace my own mtDNA back to an Irish emigrant named Elizabeth Gallagher, who lived in Brooklyn, New York, in the 1850s.

My dad could trace his line to a Sarah Brown, who was born in the old Fairfield District of South Carolina in 1768.

And, my cousin Joanna can trace hers all the way back to 1600s Connecticut.

Well, before I get off on too much of a tangent, I hope those of you reading this in the blogosphere take time today to think about the unique things your mom passed on to you!

Oh, yeah, and two words for my mom: Ham and Cheese!

Weekend picture gallery

Took the guy at CVS wayyyyy too long to get these "one hour" pictures developed, but here they are:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=ow3xb1l.amncshxp&Uy=fnn903&Ux=0

Carrying on

With everything going on around here lately, I could not host my annual St. Patrick's Day feast. So, this year, the regular feasters came to my mom's house. Everyone enjoyed the traditional corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, and good fellowship. It was not only a welcome diversion, but a way of starting to get back to a degree of normalcy.

Today, I also made Mom keep another tradition by attending the last day of the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival. Those of you who know her are familiar with her collection of festival posters that she proudly displays in almost every room of her house. Well, now she has a new one to add to the collection.

Also ran into Tom Levine at Brandywine Books. He was signing a couple of books he's written. It was nice catching up with him, as I hadn't really had a chance to talk to him since he ran for Mayor of Orlando a few years ago. Still the same old Tom.

Oh, and the Sentinel published Dad's "official" obit in today's paper:

http://www.legacy.com/orlandosentinel/DeathNotices.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=86865168

But, it's not as good as the feature article Erin Ailworth had in yesterday's paper.

Thanks again to everyone who's called, emailed, etc., since Dad's passing. Please know the encouragement is greatly appreciated even if I don't respond to every message immediately.

Lt. Col. Skip Morgan (1948-2007)

Lt. Col. W.S. "Skip" Morgan, age 58, of Orlando, passed away at his home early this morning. He was the 9th generation of a pioneer Central Florida family, and worked as a paper boy for the Orlando Sentinel during his early years. He was an Eagle Scout.

A 1966 graduate of Oak Ridge High School, he was a classmate of Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty.

He was also a 1970 graduate of The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. He shared rides with author Pat Conroy from that military college to their common hometown in Florida. And, during his senior year, Skip was named to the elite Sumerall Guard drill team.

After college, Skip embarked on a career in the U.S. Air Force, interrupted only briefly by a stint as a pilot with the now-defunct Air Florida.

He received commendations for his efforts to retain highly-trained military pilots during the Cold War when commercial carriers were competing for their talents.

His last assignment was at The Pentagon, where he worked with Gen. Colin Powell on arms control agreements with the former Soviet Union.

He retired in 1992, and returned to Orlando.

Skip's great passions included big game hunting, Civil War history, genealogy, and his family.

Sadly, he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's Disease in 2002, and succombed only after a 5-year long struggle with the illness.

Survivors include his wife of 36 years, Leigh Anne; son William of Apopka; daughter Mrs. Keith Simmons of Mt. Pleasant, SC; and 2 grandchildren.

Arrangements are being handled by Woodlawn Carey Hand Funeral Home, with interment to follow at Greenwood Cemetery in downtown Orlando.

The family suggests donations to the Alzheimer's Association of Central Florida, 988 Woodcock Road, Orlando, FL 32803. (http://www.alzflorida.org/)

Shedding some new light

Again, I have to thank the good friends who have been helping us thru our trying times.

Today, it is Duran and LeeAnn Jenks, who came by to help install a new overhead light in the old diningroom where Dad is now. (The old chandelier just wasn't functional, much less appropriate for the situation.)

But, it was more than the handyman know-how that we appreciated. The visit was nice, too. And, I think even Dad can pick up on the "good vibes" at some level.

Mom is at about 80% right now, and really picking-up some nursing skills. She is already quite adept at administering medication, and I'm taking lessons.

Quiet Friday Night

No real news to report from the home front, and that's a good change!

Things are starting to get on an even keel as we familiarize ourselves with all the medications, treatments, etc., for Dad. He even seems to be joining in the new rhythm of things, if only subconsciously.

And, we've been tremendously blessed by so many good friends. I particularly have to thank Ellen Burnell, who has been nursing Mom back to good health following her surgery on Thursday. She prepared us a scrumptious spaghetti dinner tonight.

A nice, quiet Friday night. We're savoring it.

Double whammy

Today was the big day. Mom's surgery PLUS Dad's arrival.

First, Mom's surgery. Everything went well. She's already back home, and ate a piece of toast before going to bed. The doctors expect she'll be close to 100% by the end of the weekend.

Now, Dad's arrival. What a circus that turned out to be! But, the way things have been the last five years, it was almost appropriate.

I was told they would have him at the house at 4pm. So, imagine my surprise when the ambulance driver called from the driveway at 3pm!!

Needless to say, I dropped everything and rushed over there to let them in. They were really good guys, and reported no problems during the entire trip.

The frustrating thing was there was nobody from hospice to help me get him settled. In fact, I was completely alone with Dad until about 5:30 when Mom's friend Ellen brought her back from the hospital. The nurses didn't appear until about 6:45!!

Yeah, that's right, nurses. Plural. Sally and Dennis. And, they were great. With them in the house, I finally felt comfortable enough to run up to Walgreen's and fill prescriptions.

Exhausted, I finally got home a little while ago, and am going straight to bed after posting this. Something tells me there will be many more days like this over the next few weeks . . .