Sigh. Was it mean of me to post photos of cake like that? It was delicious, like red velvet always is. Happy birthday celebration for Katie at her and Greg's place. It was so fun. Karen. Kate. Katie. Me. Sitting, cake eating, and champagne/coffee drinking. So wonderful. I loved Karen's up-do. I missed Becky and Alicia. I could not finish my cake. So Kate eat the rest of it. The night was so fun. We chatted. We laughed. I love them.
Last morning on the lake: wake up and look out at the gorgeous water. Then, naturally, go for a final jet ski run :) I drove this time, a crazy 30 mph! But that's kind of fast when you consider the force of those machines and the big waves. Maybe I'm not as wild as Kate who prefers to go 60!
Get ready, say thank-you to Karen's family, and head on down that crazy bumpy road to... a coffee shop straight out of Gilmore Girls. Very sweet. Delicious food and the biggest desserts you have ever seen!
Around 4pm I headed back on the road, following Karen and Alicia with Kate in tow. It was great to have a few hours to just catch up. It was so fun to drive down the road and see the city come into view after a few hours... it was good to be home. Sunburned, crazy bleached out hair, and dry skin besides it was a fabulous weekend!
Drove the hundreds of miles from the city to a sweet little town called McGregor. I did not get lost, the car did not break down, and I had the windows down the whole way. It was an easy drive minus the crazy bumpiness of a gravel road right before Karen's cabin. I am not a country girl! Paved roads = easy driving.
Karen, Kate, and Alicia came out and were waving at me when I arrived. How can you not love a greeting like that? I got on my bikini right away, and walked out on the porch...
See? I told you I wasn't playing. This is the best place on earth to live. Since we are deprived from normalcy during the winter months... it was time to get our share of vitamin D. I need it, oh I need it!
We spent the afternoon lounging, riding on the jet-skis, and "roughing it" by munching on: fresh Washington cherries, brie on carr's crackers with raspberries on top, mango slices, and gigantic strawberries with fruit topping. Did I forget to mention the hint of lime chips, thick salsa, and pink champagne? We don't mess around.
In case you are wondering, the lovely ladies are: Sam (Karen's high school friend), pretty in Irish green Karen, Alicia, your's truly, and boo-boo. Our photographer/entertainment/Kate's big bro and SAE (how's that for an introduction?) Ryan took that lovely shot.
Ryan did better than well stuck in a cabin full of crazy ladies. He can out talk anyone (and I mean ANYONE), and was a countless source of laughs. I believe my favorite quote from him was: "the most beautiful a woman looks is when she has just given birth... to your baby!" LOL. Hilarious!
When evening rolled around we promptly changed from sundresses to our fourth of july gear- which for me included the AOPi yoga pants that I wish I could quit. A sick addiction, as I have an image of myself wearing them in a four season's eque nursing home someday. They are that good! Karen's family was such a treat to be around (her mom, dad, sister, aunt, uncle, and cousin all stayed up the road at the "big cabin"). They were so kind to us, and treated us like royalty! Dinner was fantastic, and I gasp, tried a veggie burger. It tasted good. Alicia and I could not resist snail hunting on the beach as the night began to arrive...
Before we knew it it was fireworks time. Of course we had to sing American songs before the show started... nothing will beat Ryan belting out "I'm Proud to be an American" in the "Creed" style. Too funny. There were certainly some good fireworks and sparklers... stay tuned for part 2!
Boo-boo (yes, that's Kate) came over last week. I was tired, it had been a long day, a day when I considered taking a mammoth nap once I pulled into the driveway (in the car. I know. sad) But, she suggested dinner. And I felt invigorated.
Here's what we whipped up, spinach and parm stuffed chicken. Delightful.
Can you see how good it was? I will certainly post the recipe readers. Here it is, keep in mind this is not low-cal, but is anything really divine? No. Plus there's the protein factor, so go into this guilt free:
You will need:
6 cups (6 ounces) fresh spinach
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup freshly grated parm cheese
Salt
Ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of ground red pepper
2 chicken breasts, split (or just stuff under the skins, like I did)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Method:
•Preheat oven to 450 degrees
•Cook spinach, drain, and chop
•Melt butter, saute onion in pan and add mushrooms (for 5 minutes)
•Mix parm, salt, pepper, nutmeg, red pepper and spinach
•Add onions and mushrooms. Mix with fork
•Stuff mixture under skins/inside of chicken pieces
•Heat pan, add oil, and cook chicken 5 minutes on each side
•Transfer to baking dish, bake 20 minutes then turn and then 20 again
•Enjoy : )
And I love having friends that I can cook with. I love Sunday dinners with Emma, and brownies with Karen, achieving "stiff peaks" with Katie... it is all good.
Yesterday I had my usual fun running around with papa bear. We found the coolest 1950s chrome table- cannot wait to show you all. It's all coming along so well. Then I felt like a queen when I put together two chairs from Pottery Barn. Furniture assembly has never been some strong suit, but perhaps the universe is being kind to me after the mental trauma that was the expedit shelf!
We eat thai for lunch- and I am loving vegetarian curry : )
You know we were people watching, but what else do you do when you're near Calhoun Square? We saw it all- boys all glammed out in sparkly jeans, two drunks (at noon?), and some ladies in some real scandalous outfits. Or as papa bear so kindly put it, "you know, not everyone looks good in the latest fashions" lol!
We drove out to get Karen in Maple Grove, and headed to the Hosiers. I noticed something new in their yard once we parked- some sort of art instillation, and Karen was loving it. "I would like my grave to look like this" she says, so we naturally took a picture so we will know! Yes, we are weird like that- I love us in this second picture, all flowy in our sundresses. We looked like such a pair, and I guess that's what happens when you and your best buddies think alike at times : )
The party was really wonderful, interesting really. They had a few speakers who had lived in other places come and talk about what it is like "coming back" to the United States. So perfect for Karen, who just returned from Northern Ireland. Once the crowds left, we settled into the screened in porch. The same porch I played in countless times as a child. The Hosiers are like a second set of parents. They were so very kind and presented me with a graduation gift.
It was the most heartfelt gift. A true Shaker piece of furniture, that Uncle Steve hand crafted for me. No power tools, the simple way. In their letter to me I was struck by the love, and how much these people have been there for me my entire life. One part that particularly stood out to me was:
"You are truly American. You are the daughter of an African American man whose ancestors were most likely slaves. You are also the daughter of a white Northern woman, Pennsylvania if I remember correctly. You have also been a Mormon, a uniquely American faith tradition. In short, you turned out as interesting and as varied as your parents. Traveled, wordly, but American."
Isn't that lovely? What wonderful people. I love my new Shaker bench : ) The rest of the evening we talked and laughed- spanning so many topics as usual: traditional wood furniture, Newsweek's new format, the Holocaust museum, wonderful movies/books...
On the way home Karen and I were cracking up: analyzing all the men in our lives, and retelling ridiculous stories for dad. It was so funny.
I love my life, and could honestly die today fulfilled. Good people, good times.
Katie planned the most brilliant sister-get-together. All six of us met up at the Original Cheesecake Factory (crazy big portions) for a "Monday night dinner" at 6:30pm. Just like old times. Joy is defined as many things, and one of them, for me, is dinner with my sorority sisters. I feel blessed and honored to know, love, and be loved by these amazing women.
It was great. I got the salad and apple crisp and stayed for the conversation, way after the ice cream had melted and the whip cream was less than stiff peaks.
We chatted about many things:
•Engagement rings and wedding bands (so typical girl talk, but it's good!)
•Who in their right mind would only bring TWO pairs of pants for a SEMESTER abroad, like the "suggestion" list said to?!?
•Cute dresses and where they were from
•Boyfriends' families
•Racial and political issues
•Kids at work
•Our sorority, ritual
•Plans for a fun party at papa bear's house [maybe] :)
•How blessed we are to have each other!
They made my night.
My elegant, gracious friend (and fellow AOII) Katie had me take some photos for her this afternoon. She's working on an assignment for her communications class, and wanted to display how despite the recession- some small luxuries (like a cup of coffee or tea) should not be given up. That it's the little things that can be special. We were going for a very classy, old-style movie look. Elegance and grace cannot be bought, and they are therefor recession proof!
To see the rest of the photos from the shoot go here.
I was thinking the other day about how both of my grandmothers, Amelia and Dorothy, are such classy ladies and old photographs reveal this perfectly. They both came from blue collar backgrounds, raised lots of kids on little money, but looked gorgeous and had impeccable manners and grace. Perhaps it was the era, but I would like to think it's a family trait that I can hopefully grow into.
I spent at least an hour on the phone with my darling friend Lindsay, now a gracious Mrs. I love her, and cannot believe it's been since early last summer that I saw her:
I may have four papers and two tests before Friday, but I would never turn down a fabulous conversation with a dear friend far away. Something's gotta give, and if I have to stay up late it will be that way, but no regrets. Grades aren't everything, and I wish I had "known" that earlier. I'm not saying a C is acceptable, but no one ever turned me down for a job because I didn't have a 4.0 cumulative. I'd rather "waste" myself on friends.
Dearest Karen,
Happy St. Patrick's Day. I know you will be celebrating high style there in lovely Northern Ireland. Stay safe. I think of you always, and pray for you often (sorry if that sounds weird, ya know how I am). I cannot help but think of you on this holiday. I miss you, and I love you, and I will be there when you come home on the eve of my graduation. Get lots of rest on the plane because there will be a fabulous party to attend once you arrive! You are fabulous and fun, and I am so lucky to know you and call you a "sister."
xoxo
Katie
It's no news that it snows a lot in MN. Or that it gets cold, like -30 cold. But The University hardly ever, and I mean ever shuts down. Once my sophomore year they canceled afternoon classes, I still had a class till 2:30 and had to ride the bus home. Not fun.
Yesterday however... had African American history, and came out of class at noon to see the sky full of snowflakes, colored an inspirational gray. I hurried home, hoping that my 5:30 class professor might send an e-mail out. Looked exactly like Keat's The Snowy Day outside.
Instead, something better happened: the University called off all afternoon classes. Yes!
This meant, me in front of Oprah getting homework done, and feeling super cozy.
Around 7pm SAM came over for a joint philanthropy event- watching The Story of Stuff. Obviously very politically bent, but here's what I took out of the whole thing: clearly we were doing something right around the 1950s, because that is when American happiness peaked (now don't get all Revolutionary Road on me!). I do not see this budget crisis as a crisis, I am deciding to view it as a blessing because it will enable us to spend more time with family, cooking at home, making stuff, playing games instead of working long hours for less, shopping all the time, eating out, and watching TV. I am thankful for friends who share my views. I am ready for the focus to turn from material to familial. I think my generation is going to be like our grandparents.
Since I had made such a dent in my homework Katie, Kate, and I decided to venture out in the storm to the grocery store. I had some things to pick up for my Wednesday date next week (J and I are going to cook instead of go out, because it's better!). Trying to get back up the hill to the parking lot was not working, because of all the snow. It took four sorority girls to push Katie's car up, with her gassing. So fun.
Then we made brownies, and ended the night watching one of my all time favorites, the ORIGINAL Yours, Mine, & Ours. Like the Henry Fonda version. As in 1968. Kate and I were so excited, talking about old movies and how we love them. I mentioned Robert Redford in The Great Gatsby, and she says, "girl you know that Mia Farrow!" Yes. Life is good.
