Living Well: August 2005 Archives

School days, school days,
Dear old golden rule days.
'Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic,
Taught to the tune of a hick'ry stick.
I was your queen in calico,
You were my bashful barefoot beau,
And I wrote on your slate,
'I love you, Joe,'
When we were a couple of kids. Colby's first day of college was Tuesday. She was nervous sick having not been in classroom since 6th grade. She isn't comfortable driving alone and Steven and I took her to school. She needed to check the bookstore for her psych book as it had not been in stock previously. This is what she told me later that evening when the house was quiet and we waited for Steven come home from work - "Dad waited while I purchased my book. He carried my books and walked me to class." That is the first time in her life someone other then I walked her into school on the first day. Yes, I know she is 18 but she didn't mind. She let him walk her in because she knew it would make him feel better -if not herself. I can't even begin to tell you how excited Steven was to take her to school. He took the morning off to do so. The women in his office thought it was the sweetest thing they had ever heard. Wednesday was Gracie's first day of second grade. Again Steven took the morning off so he could be with her and walk her to class. He carried her bookbag and walked her down the long hallway. Her teacher is a very nice young woman. I think she will have a good experience in this class. Yesterday wasn't the most perfect day for Gracie. Just before lunch she was physically ill and I was called by the nurse to come pick her up. So we had a half of a first day. Her teacher gave all of the students a ziplock bag containing the following: 1 cotton ball 1 hershey's chocolate kiss 1 sticker 1 penny 1 star 1 tissue 1 band-aid 1 eraser 1 Life Saver A little note tucked in read: The cotton ball is to remind you that this room is full of kind words and warm feelings. The chocolate kiss is to comfort you when you are feeling sad. The sticker is to remind you that we will stick together and help each other. The penny is to remind you that you are valuable and special. The star is to remind you to shine and always try your best. The tissue is to remind you to dry someone's tears. The band-aid is to reminf you to heal hurt feelings in your friends and yourself. The eraser is to remind you that evryone makes mistakes and that it is okay. The Life Saver is to remind you that you can come to me if you need someone to talk to. I wonder how many children in that class will grasp the true meaning of those items and learn to trust and respect their teacher and classmates. Today is my first day at home all alone. Everyone is gone to school or working. What will I do to fill my time? I went to the bookstore yesterday and picked up something to fill my time (other than chores): The Secret Life of Bees, The Good Wife Strikes Back, and True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters. Cup of coffee anyone? Put your feet up and we can sit in the quiet still of this morning and lose ourselves in another world. What are you currently reading?

Q: "Why is American beer served cold?" Steven and I are not drinkers. We do have a glass of wine with or after supper in the winter when that little touch of the vine gives you a little added warmth as you sit by the fire. I do enjoy margaritas in the summer by the pool but my pool isn't built yet! I am not an expert on beer or wine. Until a little over a year ago I did not even drink wine save for a very rare glass of a sweet white dessert wine or an even rarer glass of champange. Then one day I had a glass of a red marriage wine from Australia and found my tongue for red wine. Several years before I discovered wine I had an opportunity to visit Europe. While there I learned we Americans are swilling beer that is disgusting in comparison to the beer available in Europe. In the Netherlands I finally found a beer I could drink that did not leave me feeling thirsty or as if something had taken a dump in my mouth later. Every popular brand of American beer leaves me feeling as if I need to run a gardenhose down my throat and turn it on for a half hour to quench my thirst. Why is that? That beer was Leffe Blonde. A true abby beer from Belgium. Delicious! As time passed and I tested and tasted other beer from Europe and England I found the darker the beer the better I liked it. While we were on vacation we had lunch at a little pub type restaurant and Steven ordered one of the beers on the menu of "80 International Beers". He ordered the one I wanted to taste. I did NOT drink a beer. Don't send me email about drinking while pregnant. I said TASTE. I had one swallow that swished on my tongue because I wanted to discover the flavors. At least two bottles of beer will be included in each basket I make for Christmas this year. One will be the Leffe Blond and the second will be Young's Luxury Double Chocolate Stout. This is a most incredibly smooth beer. It is so dark that light does not pass through the glass. The head forms and is the most beautiful creamy head that is almost like silk on your tongue. You will want to drink this beer cool but not icey cold. You want to sip and savour and enjoy every tiny bit of it in your mouth. I promise you this is a beer that deserves to be given a fair chance. You MUST acquire and test this one out. It is not a beer you want to drink every day. It is not really a beer you have with a meal. You might enjoy it with a dark chocolate dessert. Beer and chocolate are excellent pairings! (I am thinking this beer might be excellent in a recipe I have for a chocolate cake made with a dark stout. When my shipment arrives I plan to try it. If it turns out the way I hope I might also add it to my cake-in-jar gift list.) This is one of those you pour on a crisp evening, sit by the fire with a good book or movie in your most comfortable jammies and simply enjoy and relax. How will you do that? Especially those of us who do not live in Europe or England or near a big import house. Let me tell you how! Order your import beer online! The shipping charges suck but for a treat every once in a while and to taste great beer from around the world. I find it is worth the effort and shipping cost. I do not buy beer in cans. I use one of the two following online sellers depending on which one is offering the bottled beer: Liquid Solutions and Vintage Cellar. These are the first of several things to go into my Christmas basket this year. And yes, I have begun thinking and preparing for Christmas. Hate me. I am usually finished with all of my shopping by the first of October. My house is always decorated the weekend following Thanksgiving. It is my most favorite time of the year. So you start thinking about great beers and Christmas and How To Pour Beer and I am going to figure out how to get THIS for my Christmas baskets. A: "So you can tell it from urine." -David Moulton ******************The electricians were in my house all day long. They got here at 6:50 am and left at 5pm. I have great lights! I have 3 prong recepticals to plug things into! I did not have internet or electricity or our network for many hours yesterday. Photos to come later. I have to catch up on everything I missed yesterday. (Recipe for the stout cake is under the cut.)