Anyone who grew up in Birmingham would remember The Pizitz as a wonderful department store in the center of down town. We lived in a new part of Birmingham away from town in a home designed and built by my parents with four children Long Sunday afternoons we played kickball or later teather ball. A whole wall allowed one to hit a tennis ball for hours. Games played like Annie Over where a tennis ball was thrown over the roof and if caught the one that caught it would sneak around and then try and hit the opponent with the ball thus making them go to the other side. If you could run around back to your side you didn't have to go to the other side. The game was won when one side had all the team members of the opponent. Daddy made is own grill with cinder blocks and a steel grate that he would light hickory wood under for the most divine Sirloin Steaks. No one lived near by so you could ride your bike up and down the gravel road without seeing a soul. I had a Mimosa tree I climbed to look out. We had horses we rode and because the house was made for children there were large rooms where we could roller skate inside with our boot skates. When the milkman came we would ride with him to the end of the road and walk back to the house.
We went to Highlands United Methodist Church so we did come to town for church.
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Sloss Fest and More.
During that time I got my job as a Lab Tech for Southern Living. Very overweight I started swimming at UAB and trimming down. I remember those long sexy men passing me as I huffed and puffed to make the lap but soon I could make it back and forth without that much effort. Southern Living wouldn't give me health insurance until I weighed 180 so I would have to go in every week to weigh. Anne Moore who weighed 103 pounds would be sitting at her desk eating a danish. Finally I got to 180 and got my health insurance provided by the company. I did get to 129.
One thing we were doing was interviewing past employees of Sloss. I got my gentleman to talk to and he said, why do you care about that old place? He died the next day and I quit interviewing. That booklet of all the interviews is in the Sloss visitor center. From the highest to the lowest paid we found them. They became the the leaders of the tours and it all came so real for the visitors. I loved when they would blush when talking about the bustle on the furnace that resembled the bustle ladies of the that day would wear. The pig iron was called that because it looked like baby pigs sucking their mamma's tits.We got enough support and money to hire a director, Randy Lawrence. He let me climb on the top of the furnace to shoot the city with the furnace in front. I can remember how scared I was because I used to be afraid of heights.
Fast fast fast forward to the Sloss Fest I just attended. I went on Sunday and called an Uber to take me over. They would not allow cameras so I shot everything with my cell. I went by myself and was the only person over 50 as Mimi said. She went on Saturday and was somewhat abused by the conditions. The rain held off and I talked to all the children and found out what they were up too. New York, Natchez, Tuscaloosa, they were from all over as well as local. They loved their cell phones and their looks were well hysterical. I was there from 2 o'clock till 10:30 but I paced myself. The mud was very thick but they had Bobcats clearing and the cleaning crew was right there to make sure everything was very nice. While waiting for the last show of the night, Alabama Shakes to preform I was helping the cleaning crew by kicking cans toward them when I slipped and fell into a big mud puddle. Everybody around me gently helped me up making sure I was okay. I looked like Pig Pen from Charlie Brown. I could not stop taking pictures when the phone started squawking, saying you are running out of power. I still couldn't resist. After the second song Alabama Shakes preformed I started going up stream like a salmon and headed to call my Uber. When I got home I pulled off my very muddy Tevas and plugged in my phone with 1% left. I made it back, thank heavens. Wonder what the people of Save Sloss would think? I bet they would be jump up and down happy but nobody could have imagined back then, Sloss Furnace could be the home of such an extraordinary experience.
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Travels with Momma
I had just finished my Sophomore year at Brooke Hill when I went to Europe with momma. This is when my fear of needles began. We were getting out vacinations for the trip and of course I saw myself as fat and I had not eaten lunch or breakfast and I stuck my arm out for the shot and fainted flat onto the floor blacking my eye and terrorizing the nurse. The property where UAB was being built was on the land where my great grandfather's home was. The city condemned the property it sold for $3000, with that check she bought two airline tickets Birmingham to Frankfort, Germany for herself and me and we were off. We landed and rented a car. We didn't speak a word of German but smiles got us a lot. Momma on the autobahn well 120 kg read our odometer and we were being passed like we were standing still. I remember translating the exit sign as Aus fart. Momma would scream with laughter. We stayed in the most lovely little inn with the most wonderful down duvets. We slept away the time change. We drove to Bonn. Momma was so excited about the open market. She bought a kilo of Bing Cherries that were put in a paper sack. We were hungry so we went to a very elegant restaurant, we opened the door and the entire bag of Bing Cherries sprang open at the bottom and shot all over the tile floor. The entire wait staff scurried around picking up the wayward cherries. We sat down and Momma struggled over the menu trying to understand what she was getting. I pointed to an item. The next minute the waiter took away my knife and fork and brought me a tiny fork. I had ordered snails. Being adventurous and hungry I ate them and they were yummy.
The trip took us many places.My younger
brother and sister were living in France at the time so we picked them up and headed for Pamplona to watch the running of the bulls. Momma loved Ernest Hemmingway. Somehow I had gotten away from the group and ended up with a guy about two years older than me. He held me close and gave me a kiss. I barely remember the bulls rumbling down the street after that. Now when I was Florida State Music Camp I had my very first kiss. Randy Weiss was Jewish and had a proper Jewish nose and we both had braces. He gently turned my chin towards him and I thought oh my God we are going to get our braces entangled and his nose plunged into my cheek and I couldn't help it but I started giggling and then a real laugh started well that ended that. He avoided me from then on. We kept on through Spain and we were eating a meal and a man heard we were from Alabama. He asked why the people from Alabama hated Black people. I looked at him and said we don't hate blacks we hate Yankees. This was taught to me by my Great Aunt Nell. We did run out of money a couple of times and had to wait for checks Daddy was to send on a cable that always took more time that she expected. One time we found a little hotel in London. The lady quoted 9 pounds a night but when were carrying the luggage up the third flight of steps the owner says it will be 12 pounds. When momma objected she raised her hands and said, Me makka a mistake. That became a cliche in our home and many times we would say that and it would trigger that memory of Momma turning us around to the door and leaving in search of a place we could afford. I guess these memoies were triggered by the recent running of the bulls. I still have my scarf from that night when I discovered the joy of kisses.The jug is wearing it. in the photo.
The trip took us many places.My younger
Monday, July 10, 2017
Diabetic Hell
My father was diagnosed with Diabetes in the early 60's.The urine test daddy would give himself only registered a blood sugar of 180 or higher therefore he lived with a high blood sugar almost half his life.Normal, that is people with a working pancreas have a number between 80-120. Because of his high blood sugar it damaged his kidney and other complications. Daddy was a comedian at heart and I remember him injecting the needle and coming out of the bathroom and running after me with me squealing in terror. Daddy ended up losing one kidney and then was on a very restricted salt free diet. My freshman year of college Daddy was given 6 weeks to live. Being Daddy's little girl I was devastated. Dialysis had just begun when he became so sick but he would go to the clinic and it took two days when he was very sick but he revived and then he had to do the process all over again. The improvements are amazing. Momma became totally committed to Daddy's care and during the five years he lived they went to retrace the 35 anniversary of the service he gave in World War II. They found the farmer who gave them Christmas dinner in Luxembourg. Daddy would tell only funny stories of his war experiences. His brother and he enlisted
together and spent the time together throughout. Christmas dinner the farmer put his hands on his head and wagged them. Daddy said Paul they are serving us donkey. We all laughed with delight. The last time I saw my father was Christmas Eve, he had gotten sick and had to be in the hospital. My horrid husband told me he had to return to Virginia to go to work and when I told Daddy, he said Ladybug you go with him he is your husband. Sadly I left. I could have stayed another five days because I was teaching first grade. Later I found out he didn't have a job but was pretending to go to work. In the four years we were married he had 19 jobs and 2 years he had returned to school. He never went to class either. What a joke. Daddy died March 12 on their wedding anniversary.
Diabetes terrified me. The worst part was my fear of needles. Even a prick of my finger would leave me trembling. I remember having to have blood drawn for my marriage to the ex thinking do I really want to do this. Jane said oh yes you can and I held out my arm with eyes closed tight. I had gestational diabetes with Jennie and the Brookwood doctors and nurses were manic about my care. I had to weigh roast beef before eating it and every week I had to go to the doctor to be monitored. With David I told the doctor in Auburn I had gestational diabetes with my first child but it didn't seem to register. I had a doctor's appointment in June and they didn't do the test to see if I was prone to diabetes and then July they were busy. September I told Arthur I had lost another 4 pounds in one day and he became concerned and I went to the doctor to find at 7 months pregnant I had lost 50 pounds. Ketoacitosis had been eating all my fat cells and boy was I sick. I peed every hour and exhausted well no body can imagine.I was still shooting for the magazine through all this. I remember driving back from Auburn to turn in my equiptment and I told Tommy Black I probably wouldn't be able to come back and he said there at the bottom of that divine staircase, Sure you will come back but I was right never returned as a travel photographer, a job I absolutely adored with my whole being. I just thought I was pregnant. No pills for me I went straight to injections with insulin. I started trembling and told the nurse there was no way I could do that shot. She looked at me and said it's for your baby. I shoved that needle right in and sighed a moment of relief. And so my life as a diabetic began.
Shots twice a day with checking my blood four times. The monitors back then took 2 minutes to give the reading. You would be amazed what David Appel could get into in two minutes. One time I turned around in the lady's room and he had put three rolls of tissue into the toilet. I had swam, always trying to lose weight, and given my shot and then Arthur got home and he had said we would go out to eat. I started feeling very weak and the lady beside me in line said are you okay. I told her I was diabetic. She was a nurse and they called the paramedics. They tested my blood and it was 12. I got to eat ice cream. Arthur wondered where I was but didn't realize it was me being treated.
Highs and lows became a part of my life. One time I told David to put on his ballet outfit and Jennie her karate. In 2001 I was returning from Birmingham and looked at the speedometer and it was 70. I thought it was broken but I was really going that fast. I had a small fender bender in Harpersville and the lady looked at her car and said it's not a problem. It was raining and I barreled down 280 into Alexander City when I saw a red light ahead. I slammed on brakes and crashed into a lady trying to turn left. I could not figure out how to get out of the van so I waited for the police to help me. I was fine but they took the lady to the hospital but she was fine too. I checked my blood and it was 39. When we got to the police station I saw a candy machine and bought a Butterfingers and ate it while I waited for them to get Arthur. I went back to get the stuff out of my van and found the she crab soup and roulage Mae Gathers had made for me while I photographed her was all over everything. My camera and all the supplies for the next year as an art teacher were in total disarray. Turned out the pump I had, a model they discontinued, had given me an injection without my knowledge. The van had four flat tires and was demolished. I was blessed to walk away from that one.
Prior to getting the pump I had an A1C of 14 for about 2 years. No matter what I did it would not go down. Normal is 6.5 so I was very sick and just plain exhausted. I became a part of a trial for Kirklin Clinic and I was given one of the first pumps so you can they were still getting the bugs out.They've come a long way. I went down to a 7 A1C after the pump so it really works. Kinda like a pancreas in that it gives small amounts of insulin but then when you eat you give an amount to compensate for the food you have consumed. It is brilliant. My only problem is when I try and exercise. Without being able to determine how much insulin I should give makes me go into a low blood sugar.
I guess the worst part of being diabetic is they consider it a pre-existing condition in the health insurance industry. When it was time to sign the divorce papers I held out until 5 minutes before going to court giving up the request to have the ex pay for health insurance. He flat out refused leaving me with sincere Hell. The first three years I was on the Cobra Plan which I'm sure someone thought hey she can get married or a real job and have Health Insurance, oh no not me because when Arthur wanted the divorce my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. I choose to be with my mother and try and keep my small business. The horror of what was happening drove me to attend UAB to get my certification renewed so I could teach early childhood and K-12 art. This was 2006 when every teaching job was taken I saw a teaching job for a second grade teacher to finish the year and the principal told me there were 250 people applying for that position. The insurance wrote me letters saying I was not eligible for their health insurance because of the pre-existing diabetic condition. I ended up with the state insurance plan costing $4000 deductible and $700 a month. It killed me to dip in my retirement account but that was all I had. My business made some money but after alimony and child support ran out I was biting bullets to get by. Insulin went from $35.00 a vial to $147.00 so getting insulin was difficult since the deductible was so high. In two weeks I would go through a vial of insulin. The biggest catch was when my Primary Care doctor was going to refuse to write my prescription because I couldn't afford to pay $300.00 for the tests he wanted me to have. My pump died and I couldn't afford to replace it. The doctor gave me insulin I would give shots but the problem was about 4:00 I would go into a low blood sugar. Wrecked a couple of cars. My car insurance was canceled. I held my head up. Jennie could tell if I was having a low blood sugar and would call a neighbor who would feed me jelly and orange juice. One time Jennie called and I had been asleep and when I awoke I sounded groggy. I screamed don't you dare call Lue Ann, I was asleep. Then Obama Care. The house did not have access to Internet so I would go to the library and I immediately clicked on the sight but I was so frustrated it left me crazy. Jane mentioned her friend who was the director of Aids Alabama had trained their people to guide individuals through the maze. And thus I became devoted to Agee Baldwin. He guided me through and I could get my pump again and I got a real doctor who know everything there is to know about diabetes. I was back and haven't had a significant low blood sugar since I got my pump. I wrote to President Obama and told him my plight and how they should rename Obama Care to Obama Cares. He wrote back and I think actually signed it.
together and spent the time together throughout. Christmas dinner the farmer put his hands on his head and wagged them. Daddy said Paul they are serving us donkey. We all laughed with delight. The last time I saw my father was Christmas Eve, he had gotten sick and had to be in the hospital. My horrid husband told me he had to return to Virginia to go to work and when I told Daddy, he said Ladybug you go with him he is your husband. Sadly I left. I could have stayed another five days because I was teaching first grade. Later I found out he didn't have a job but was pretending to go to work. In the four years we were married he had 19 jobs and 2 years he had returned to school. He never went to class either. What a joke. Daddy died March 12 on their wedding anniversary.
Diabetes terrified me. The worst part was my fear of needles. Even a prick of my finger would leave me trembling. I remember having to have blood drawn for my marriage to the ex thinking do I really want to do this. Jane said oh yes you can and I held out my arm with eyes closed tight. I had gestational diabetes with Jennie and the Brookwood doctors and nurses were manic about my care. I had to weigh roast beef before eating it and every week I had to go to the doctor to be monitored. With David I told the doctor in Auburn I had gestational diabetes with my first child but it didn't seem to register. I had a doctor's appointment in June and they didn't do the test to see if I was prone to diabetes and then July they were busy. September I told Arthur I had lost another 4 pounds in one day and he became concerned and I went to the doctor to find at 7 months pregnant I had lost 50 pounds. Ketoacitosis had been eating all my fat cells and boy was I sick. I peed every hour and exhausted well no body can imagine.I was still shooting for the magazine through all this. I remember driving back from Auburn to turn in my equiptment and I told Tommy Black I probably wouldn't be able to come back and he said there at the bottom of that divine staircase, Sure you will come back but I was right never returned as a travel photographer, a job I absolutely adored with my whole being. I just thought I was pregnant. No pills for me I went straight to injections with insulin. I started trembling and told the nurse there was no way I could do that shot. She looked at me and said it's for your baby. I shoved that needle right in and sighed a moment of relief. And so my life as a diabetic began.
Shots twice a day with checking my blood four times. The monitors back then took 2 minutes to give the reading. You would be amazed what David Appel could get into in two minutes. One time I turned around in the lady's room and he had put three rolls of tissue into the toilet. I had swam, always trying to lose weight, and given my shot and then Arthur got home and he had said we would go out to eat. I started feeling very weak and the lady beside me in line said are you okay. I told her I was diabetic. She was a nurse and they called the paramedics. They tested my blood and it was 12. I got to eat ice cream. Arthur wondered where I was but didn't realize it was me being treated.
Highs and lows became a part of my life. One time I told David to put on his ballet outfit and Jennie her karate. In 2001 I was returning from Birmingham and looked at the speedometer and it was 70. I thought it was broken but I was really going that fast. I had a small fender bender in Harpersville and the lady looked at her car and said it's not a problem. It was raining and I barreled down 280 into Alexander City when I saw a red light ahead. I slammed on brakes and crashed into a lady trying to turn left. I could not figure out how to get out of the van so I waited for the police to help me. I was fine but they took the lady to the hospital but she was fine too. I checked my blood and it was 39. When we got to the police station I saw a candy machine and bought a Butterfingers and ate it while I waited for them to get Arthur. I went back to get the stuff out of my van and found the she crab soup and roulage Mae Gathers had made for me while I photographed her was all over everything. My camera and all the supplies for the next year as an art teacher were in total disarray. Turned out the pump I had, a model they discontinued, had given me an injection without my knowledge. The van had four flat tires and was demolished. I was blessed to walk away from that one.
Prior to getting the pump I had an A1C of 14 for about 2 years. No matter what I did it would not go down. Normal is 6.5 so I was very sick and just plain exhausted. I became a part of a trial for Kirklin Clinic and I was given one of the first pumps so you can they were still getting the bugs out.They've come a long way. I went down to a 7 A1C after the pump so it really works. Kinda like a pancreas in that it gives small amounts of insulin but then when you eat you give an amount to compensate for the food you have consumed. It is brilliant. My only problem is when I try and exercise. Without being able to determine how much insulin I should give makes me go into a low blood sugar.
I guess the worst part of being diabetic is they consider it a pre-existing condition in the health insurance industry. When it was time to sign the divorce papers I held out until 5 minutes before going to court giving up the request to have the ex pay for health insurance. He flat out refused leaving me with sincere Hell. The first three years I was on the Cobra Plan which I'm sure someone thought hey she can get married or a real job and have Health Insurance, oh no not me because when Arthur wanted the divorce my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. I choose to be with my mother and try and keep my small business. The horror of what was happening drove me to attend UAB to get my certification renewed so I could teach early childhood and K-12 art. This was 2006 when every teaching job was taken I saw a teaching job for a second grade teacher to finish the year and the principal told me there were 250 people applying for that position. The insurance wrote me letters saying I was not eligible for their health insurance because of the pre-existing diabetic condition. I ended up with the state insurance plan costing $4000 deductible and $700 a month. It killed me to dip in my retirement account but that was all I had. My business made some money but after alimony and child support ran out I was biting bullets to get by. Insulin went from $35.00 a vial to $147.00 so getting insulin was difficult since the deductible was so high. In two weeks I would go through a vial of insulin. The biggest catch was when my Primary Care doctor was going to refuse to write my prescription because I couldn't afford to pay $300.00 for the tests he wanted me to have. My pump died and I couldn't afford to replace it. The doctor gave me insulin I would give shots but the problem was about 4:00 I would go into a low blood sugar. Wrecked a couple of cars. My car insurance was canceled. I held my head up. Jennie could tell if I was having a low blood sugar and would call a neighbor who would feed me jelly and orange juice. One time Jennie called and I had been asleep and when I awoke I sounded groggy. I screamed don't you dare call Lue Ann, I was asleep. Then Obama Care. The house did not have access to Internet so I would go to the library and I immediately clicked on the sight but I was so frustrated it left me crazy. Jane mentioned her friend who was the director of Aids Alabama had trained their people to guide individuals through the maze. And thus I became devoted to Agee Baldwin. He guided me through and I could get my pump again and I got a real doctor who know everything there is to know about diabetes. I was back and haven't had a significant low blood sugar since I got my pump. I wrote to President Obama and told him my plight and how they should rename Obama Care to Obama Cares. He wrote back and I think actually signed it.
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Mildred's Fried Chicken:
Mildred touched my life twice. She was the cook at Vestavia Elementary school and also at Cobb Lane. Her fried chicken was as divine as her personality.
Salt and pepper the washed chicken breast, skin on and bone in. Drop in a bag of about cup of flour. I like old bread sacks.Use a cast iron skillet with vegetable oil. Vegetable oil can withstand the heat of cooking fried chicken. Drip a bit of water and if it dances in the oil you can gently put the chicken breast skin side down in. Be careful because it can spit and cause the oil to jump around. Let it cook on high about 3 minutes. Flip breasts. Turn down the heat to medium and cover. Let it cook about ten minutes. Check to see if done. Remember there are many variable to consider such as size of boobs, not cooks the chicken's. These are just guidelines but the hot to medium and cover should give crispy yummy Fried Chicken.
What's next for this blog?
Well what comes to mind is my Laundry Skills. They did not come from my mother but were self taught out of absolute necessity. When I was at Southern Living I would travel so much, one of my first questions was where is the nearest Laundromat. I would pack dirty clothes and wash on the road. Another trick was to buy clothes. Never forget traveling to Norfolk extremely pregnant getting to the airport, got a quarter out, looked in the phone book for maternity shops and drove to the shop and purchased two pairs of pants to wear because I had nothing to wear. No cell phones back then. When I moved to Auburn we still used a laundromat and the one thing I needed was a washing machine and dryer. Taking clothes to the Laundromat pregnant was not a dream come true. Finally Alabama Power delivered our machines and I started my love affair with laundry. Well actually it took a little longer. We moved to the new house and David had been born and at that time I was still using hot, throwing everything in and praying for the best. I would get entire loads completely blue and some were completely pink and throwing all the clothes away did not work after a while. I decided at that point to become the true Laundry Queen. Being in Auburn full time was actually extremely boring so I had to develop things to keep me excited. Getting stains out became a true thrill. Putting in a red dirt stained sock and have it come out clean gave me a true rush. I scolded David for spilling something on his shirt and he looked at me with cherub eyes and said, but Momma you got the mustard stain out of my karate uniform. He used to complain that his baseball pants were too white which indicated he didn't get to play much. The true test to getting a clean load is hot hot water, Clorox, and Tide. Separate the wash dark and light. Very important! Boy did I feel accomplished after weeks when both children returned from Camp Mac. Check for stains and pour Tide directly on the stain. If you need to soak that is when the top loader washer is the best. Horrible dried in stains need soaking. Ordinary stains will usually come out with the Tide method. If the stain does not come out do not dry. The rush comes when you open the door pull out the clothes. Clorox has left me sad because I have lost pants due to Clorox splatters but if the clothes can handle the Clorox go for it. Darks are just thrown in washer and put on warm and let her rip. When they come out of the dryer hang them up tee shirts and all. I never iron until I actually am about to wear it. I do remember many hours ironing Arthur's shirts. Wonder if the adulteror does that. Sorry Jennie and David couldn't resist. Just did something that worked. I sprayed the Clorox Cleaner with Bleach for cleaning counters onto a stain and it got it out. True rush!
Mildred touched my life twice. She was the cook at Vestavia Elementary school and also at Cobb Lane. Her fried chicken was as divine as her personality.
Salt and pepper the washed chicken breast, skin on and bone in. Drop in a bag of about cup of flour. I like old bread sacks.Use a cast iron skillet with vegetable oil. Vegetable oil can withstand the heat of cooking fried chicken. Drip a bit of water and if it dances in the oil you can gently put the chicken breast skin side down in. Be careful because it can spit and cause the oil to jump around. Let it cook on high about 3 minutes. Flip breasts. Turn down the heat to medium and cover. Let it cook about ten minutes. Check to see if done. Remember there are many variable to consider such as size of boobs, not cooks the chicken's. These are just guidelines but the hot to medium and cover should give crispy yummy Fried Chicken.
What's next for this blog?
Well what comes to mind is my Laundry Skills. They did not come from my mother but were self taught out of absolute necessity. When I was at Southern Living I would travel so much, one of my first questions was where is the nearest Laundromat. I would pack dirty clothes and wash on the road. Another trick was to buy clothes. Never forget traveling to Norfolk extremely pregnant getting to the airport, got a quarter out, looked in the phone book for maternity shops and drove to the shop and purchased two pairs of pants to wear because I had nothing to wear. No cell phones back then. When I moved to Auburn we still used a laundromat and the one thing I needed was a washing machine and dryer. Taking clothes to the Laundromat pregnant was not a dream come true. Finally Alabama Power delivered our machines and I started my love affair with laundry. Well actually it took a little longer. We moved to the new house and David had been born and at that time I was still using hot, throwing everything in and praying for the best. I would get entire loads completely blue and some were completely pink and throwing all the clothes away did not work after a while. I decided at that point to become the true Laundry Queen. Being in Auburn full time was actually extremely boring so I had to develop things to keep me excited. Getting stains out became a true thrill. Putting in a red dirt stained sock and have it come out clean gave me a true rush. I scolded David for spilling something on his shirt and he looked at me with cherub eyes and said, but Momma you got the mustard stain out of my karate uniform. He used to complain that his baseball pants were too white which indicated he didn't get to play much. The true test to getting a clean load is hot hot water, Clorox, and Tide. Separate the wash dark and light. Very important! Boy did I feel accomplished after weeks when both children returned from Camp Mac. Check for stains and pour Tide directly on the stain. If you need to soak that is when the top loader washer is the best. Horrible dried in stains need soaking. Ordinary stains will usually come out with the Tide method. If the stain does not come out do not dry. The rush comes when you open the door pull out the clothes. Clorox has left me sad because I have lost pants due to Clorox splatters but if the clothes can handle the Clorox go for it. Darks are just thrown in washer and put on warm and let her rip. When they come out of the dryer hang them up tee shirts and all. I never iron until I actually am about to wear it. I do remember many hours ironing Arthur's shirts. Wonder if the adulteror does that. Sorry Jennie and David couldn't resist. Just did something that worked. I sprayed the Clorox Cleaner with Bleach for cleaning counters onto a stain and it got it out. True rush!
Friday, June 16, 2017
In the kitchen....
Here I am in my kitchen cooking like a wild woman.. When you cook you must first find the recipe, hunt and gather, get the timing right, and then get down to business.
Finding the recipe is critical. I knew someone who would not have a clue what she was cooking nor read the recipe before starting and in the middle of the recipe it would say soak overnight and she would say oh that's not important and then it would taste like, I'm not going there. So read the recipe. I just baked a cake for a friend's 60th birthday, In fact it's in the oven right this second. I do not like whipping egg whites to a hard peak. It seemed in every recipe that was important so I kept hunting. She wanted chocolate but could not have nuts. I found a recipe in The Progressive Farmer Cookbook given to Aunt Jennie in 1960 from her dear friend Clarisse. She spoke to her on the phone every day at 2:00 after As The World Turns. You could set your watch by Aunt Jennie.
Hunting and gathering because if you are missing a critical ingredient well you are up the creek without a paddle. First look in your own kitchen to see if that box of baking soda is really there and the vanilla has more than a quarter of a teaspoon. I like 3x5 cards for my lists or backs of envelopes although they still get left but do you best to keep your list in your pocketbook. I can swear like a sailor to realize my list is on the counter in the kitchen, Hey these things happen. When that happens look at the box in the grocery store and find a recipe that will work. Best pecan pie is on the back of light Karo Syrup and the best Mac and Cheese is on the back of pasta so if that happens it's okay just be flexible.
Timing is critical. If company is coming at 6:00 and it's 5:59 and the steaks are still frozen I don't believe they will accept an invitation unless they are homeless. Baking cake this morning was important because you cannot ice a hot cake and the birthday is tomorrow so I will ice and decorate in the morning. Plan your life around the timing although I know life can get in the way of the schedule. That's when you cut up two tomatoes and dump a drained can of small LeSuer peas into the bowl dump a couple of tablespoons of Hellman's and serve as if you have been slaving all day. Have stand bys available. I thought I would tell the adulter this recipe and say it was my ex's favorite salad. He hated it... Hee hee hee. Still want to but could not ever speaking to that woman.
The preparation is the fun part. I do remember the Cooking Staff at Southern Living would always mention they cleaned there kitchen after every meal prepared. I remember trying to cook with Jennie and David at my feet, trying not to step in spilled apple juice ( they were born before sippy cups) I remember David pouring his apple juice out of his cup as if he was discovering gravity. I wondered how the kitchen staff would handle two children three and four in the kitchen with them. Tricky but then they grow up. Rejoice in the time spent and the fact they grew up. Cake is done and it smells divine.
Finding the recipe is critical. I knew someone who would not have a clue what she was cooking nor read the recipe before starting and in the middle of the recipe it would say soak overnight and she would say oh that's not important and then it would taste like, I'm not going there. So read the recipe. I just baked a cake for a friend's 60th birthday, In fact it's in the oven right this second. I do not like whipping egg whites to a hard peak. It seemed in every recipe that was important so I kept hunting. She wanted chocolate but could not have nuts. I found a recipe in The Progressive Farmer Cookbook given to Aunt Jennie in 1960 from her dear friend Clarisse. She spoke to her on the phone every day at 2:00 after As The World Turns. You could set your watch by Aunt Jennie.
Hunting and gathering because if you are missing a critical ingredient well you are up the creek without a paddle. First look in your own kitchen to see if that box of baking soda is really there and the vanilla has more than a quarter of a teaspoon. I like 3x5 cards for my lists or backs of envelopes although they still get left but do you best to keep your list in your pocketbook. I can swear like a sailor to realize my list is on the counter in the kitchen, Hey these things happen. When that happens look at the box in the grocery store and find a recipe that will work. Best pecan pie is on the back of light Karo Syrup and the best Mac and Cheese is on the back of pasta so if that happens it's okay just be flexible.
Timing is critical. If company is coming at 6:00 and it's 5:59 and the steaks are still frozen I don't believe they will accept an invitation unless they are homeless. Baking cake this morning was important because you cannot ice a hot cake and the birthday is tomorrow so I will ice and decorate in the morning. Plan your life around the timing although I know life can get in the way of the schedule. That's when you cut up two tomatoes and dump a drained can of small LeSuer peas into the bowl dump a couple of tablespoons of Hellman's and serve as if you have been slaving all day. Have stand bys available. I thought I would tell the adulter this recipe and say it was my ex's favorite salad. He hated it... Hee hee hee. Still want to but could not ever speaking to that woman.
The preparation is the fun part. I do remember the Cooking Staff at Southern Living would always mention they cleaned there kitchen after every meal prepared. I remember trying to cook with Jennie and David at my feet, trying not to step in spilled apple juice ( they were born before sippy cups) I remember David pouring his apple juice out of his cup as if he was discovering gravity. I wondered how the kitchen staff would handle two children three and four in the kitchen with them. Tricky but then they grow up. Rejoice in the time spent and the fact they grew up. Cake is done and it smells divine.
Monday, June 5, 2017
I've been missing you. Sorry!
Since I last wrote much has happened. Most importantly is I have moved into a new apartment which was at once the Pizitz Department Store. A treasured memory of growing up in Birmingham was to go downtown usually after church at Christmas and Easter to see the windows at Pizitz and Lovemans and Burger Phillips. Trains would move around smiling and turning Santa who had a twinkle in his eye to astound the children. Easter time the little furry bunnies would carefully hold their eggs and move their little heads. Whole families of little bunnies filled the window and we watched with sheer delight. The photo of me above is significant because the outfit I am wearing in the Santa picture is what I would wear to see the windows at Christmas. Notice the mink muff and imagine me with it around my neck with a satin braided ribbon. Oh the softness of that little muff and a magical texture to this day I remember.
Anyone who grew up in Birmingham would remember The Pizitz as a wonderful department store in the center of down town. We lived in a new part of Birmingham away from town in a home designed and built by my parents with four children Long Sunday afternoons we played kickball or later tether ball. A whole wall allowed one to hit a tennis ball for hours. Games played like Annie Over where a tennis ball was thrown over the roof and if caught the one that caught it would sneak around and then try and hit the opponent with the ball thus making them go to the other side. If you could run around the house back to your side you didn't have to go to the other side. The game was won when one side had all the other team members. Daddy made is own grill with cinder blocks and a steel grate that he would light hickory wood under for the most divine Sirloin Steaks. No one lived near by so you could ride your bike up and down the gravel road without seeing a soul. I had a Mimosa tree I climbed to look out. We had horses we rode and because the house was made for children there were large rooms where we could roller skate inside with our boot skates. When the milkman came we would ride with him to the end of the road and walk back to the house. Isolated yes but a joy growing up. I would complain that my only friends were trees.
The best thing was Aunt Jennie who lived right next door. Her sister, Aunt Nell lived with her in a house that was build mostly by my father and his brothers. My Grandmother was there too but she tragically died of of breast cancer when I was 7.That affected my mother quite deeply. The chicken salad sandwich recipe Aunt Jennie did was made because Mimi died close to my mother's birthday and she wanted to help momma over the sadness she felt. Another time I will reminisce with Aunt Jennie and Aunt Nell stories.
Living at the Pizitz is so very wonderful and I am so happy. Willie the big black and white dog and I walk around the block but sometimes we venture to Railroad Park for an extended walk. We are smack dab in the middle of downtown.The house momma loved so much is on the market and I am slowly trying to sort out the good from the not so good. I am in the middle of books right now. It is painful but I found someone whose high school burned and they are trying to get the library filled with books so a whole trunk full went with her. It is slow but I am chipping away at it. We did have an estate sale and many things did sell but a lot was left.
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