by Christine | Life, Observations
We did our tour of the yard, as we always do. It’s the first thing he says to me usually, after our hello hugs. “Let’s take a garden tour!” And we do. I picked lemons, because that lemon tree has the finest lemons on it anywhere. Meyer lemons, of course. The tree is only a few years younger than I am.
Dad likes to sit in this chair in his garden. But when I asked him to, he wouldn’t, lol. Tomatoes on the far left and far right. Pole beans and sunflowers behind them.
We usually take our time, go from one corner of the small yard to the other, talking about what was growing, what he’d gotten rid of, what he wished he’d planted.
But this time he wears out fast. Pneumonia, he says. On meds. I’m fine, he says. I eye him. He’s thinner than the last time I saw him. Worn. So we retreat to the cool of the house and sit on the couch he and my mother had picked out years ago now. I’ve never liked that couch but I suppose it will live on long after I am gone. Some pieces of furniture are like that.
We sit there, holding hands. The skin on the back of his hand is so soft, loose. His fingers are gnarled by arthritis, and yet he still manages to type on a keyboard. We talk. He mentions a short story he wrote, a companion piece to the one he wrote about his dad, my grandpa. Grandpa sold off the family farm and equipment and livestock for pennies, so he could take his family out of Nebraska, escape the dust bowl of the late 1930s. That was dad’s original short story, about the sale. The new short story is about the journey to Oregon.
You remember it, don’t you? Living on the farm in Nebraska? I stroke his hand. So soft.
Not really, he answers. Just bizarre things, like Dad pouring kerosene down a cow’s throat because she was bloated. The kerosene helped the cow vomit up the bloat. Oh, and one time the neighbors gathered to castrate some of the piglets. Lots of screaming that day. Piglets are noisy.
And Mom, he says. When the time came to thresh the wheat, all the farm families would pitch in and hire the thresher, and everyone would go to a farm and get ‘er done. When our turn came, Mom would be cooking all day and she’d lay out a lunch on a huge table outside under the trees. Chickens and ham and steak, beans and whatever we’d grown in the house garden. Everyone would sit around and eat. Then the next day, they’d go to another farm and thresh their wheat.
But I didn’t do too much, he said. I was too little.
And then he pulls out of the past. I’m going to the Western Writers Association conference on Tuesday, he says. In Las Vegas. Jo will go with me, make sure I’m taking my pills.
I frown at him, but I know he won’t back down.
Chet Cunningham’s office.
I’ve got nine projects to pitch, he says. Twelve or thirteen on the shelf that no one wants. But nine to pitch. I’ll sign up for as many pitch appointments as I can, he says.
Conferences can be really tiring, I say. Make sure you rest.
Oh, I’m on a panel, he says. But I won’t go to many workshops. Want to talk to people mostly.
We fall into a comfortable silence, our hands still holding on. I remember the last time I saw my mother, the day I put my head in her lap and cried because she looked so confused about life. A week later, she had died from an infection that got into her bloodstream.
Dad has pneumonia, and he’s going to a writer’s conference. It is so like him. I hold his hand gently, and engrave this memory, this time, this conversation with him, deep into my heart.
by Christine | Wine Friday
In these days of high unemployment and wild uncertainty, it’s nice to relax with a bottle of wine that doesn’t break your pocketbook. I’m here to sort out the memorable from the truly awful, and each bottle is under $10.
What to drink to celebrate the longest day of the year? With a getting-close-to-full moon on board, to boot. Well, if you’re looking for something different to try, may I direct your attention to the lovely rose´wines? And for those of you who know me, by all that is holy PLEASE stay away from the dreadful “white zinfandel” wines. They were only made to get non-wine drinkers to drink wine, not because anyone in the wine world actually LIKES them. (My opinion! And if someone in the wine industry DOES like the “white zins”, I’d love to talk to them and ask them – why?!!)
But – onward. To Rose´, which is not and has never been “white zinfandel”.
Wrapped up in paper, it makes a cute gift!
Fuchsia Rose´ Wine 2011 California Alcohol, 13.9% by Volume; $8.87 on sale at Vons
On the Label: The label won my heart. It’s got a lovely 50’s design on it, and there’s no folderol on the back.
My Take: This is a light, easy-sipping wine that surprises with its high alcohol content. You might want to splash this over ice, and add a nice berry-flavored sparkling water. My hubby gave that to me yesterday and it just tasted of summer. Earlier in the week, we had it “full strength” so to speak, and it blended with the day – it didn’t demand I pay attention to it, for good or bad. So…
My Rating: ~ Drinkable ~ Plus it’s got a pretty package!
Folie a Deux Menage a Trois California Rose´ Wine 2011 Alcohol
A pretty color, yes?
13.5% by Volume $7.39 on Sale at Vons.
On the Label: “A delightful blend based on three varietals – Merlot, Syrah and Gewurztraminer.”
My take: Again, loved the simple labeling. The wine was fruitier than the Fuchsia, deeper in color and flavor and went well with the night’s fish offering. But it would have handled chicken salad or a white pizza just as well. This wine would ALSO make a wonderful spritzer.
My Rating: ~ Drinkable ~
So whatever you end up doing on this longest day of the year, may there be laughter, good food, excellent company, and a wine that doesn’t make you think too much.
Note: apparently, our summer solstice hit at 1:04am…so tonight, enjoy the summer solstice aftermath, lol!
As usual, this is just my honest opinion and depend upon my mood, the weather, and what cycle the moon is in. Your taste buds will differ.
~ Until the next time, cheers! ~
~oOo~
My Rating System: Undrinkable; Barely Drinkable; Drinkable; Very Drinkable; and the ever-popular “Stay Away! This is MY wine, you Slut!”
Demon Soul and Demon Hunt are available for the Kindle and Kobo! Have you fallen into the Caine Brothers’ world yet?
by Christine | Cooking, Life
Who could resist making a cake with the name Chocolate Peanut Butter Fun Cake? Not I! It was Saturday, and I was hauling trash out of going through the magazines in my office, and I stumbled upon a Bon Apetit magazine from the 1950’s March of 2012. So I leafed through it, ripping out recipes that looked good, and I stumbled upon the aforementioned cake.
The photo in Bon Apetit that totally captivated me.
What got me, though, was the writing above the OH so yummy photo – “This vegan batter is generously versatile: The pastry chef uses it for wedding cakes and cupcakes, too. Funnily enough, its recipe is similar to one from the 1930s for something called a Depression cake.” ~ Nathanial Meads
Vegan. Cheap to make. I was SO in. Plus, chocolate. Hello! (As well, Father’s Day loomed the following day!) So I made the ridiculously easy batter with ingredients I always have on hand (all purpose flour, sugar, natural unsweetened cocoa powder, kosher salt, baking soda, vegetable oil, vanilla, chopped bittersweet chocolate) and made the cake.
Let me tell you, licking the spoon after the cake was in the oven was – well, heaven. Rich chocolate with bits of kosher salt? SWOON-worthy!
Peanut Butter Fun Cake, made by Moi from the recipe in Bon Apetit, March 2012. Okay, so the chocolate isn’t shaved…it still looks yummy, right?
The hardest bit to do was the peanut butter buttercream for the topping. It was involved (double boiler, anyone?) and used egg whites, so there went the vegan thing. But the oldest son LOVED licking the bowl clean after I frosted the cake.
My reaction to the cake? The cake itself was dense, chewy, lovely and rich with that hint of salt that made everything FANTASTIC. The icing was a bit much – rich and peanutty and overwhelming. But I was the only one who felt that way – the others were too busy scarfing it down. My oldest son has already decided I should make this cake for his every birthday. My husband said let’s not restrict it to birthdays, so my middle son pencilled in September (birthday month) and January (New Year’s) for the cake.
This is the very first time anything I’ve made has been scheduled for a remake, so far in advance. I guess they liked it!
What about you? Do you have any recipes that the family clamors for? Please share if you can! Oh, and if you want the recipe for the cake, go here to Bon Apetit. Enjoy – er –
bon apetit!
~ Until the next time, cheers! ~
~oOo~
by Christine | Life, Observations
If you want to catch up, the beginning of this adventure starts with Part One – The Train.
So, I arrived at the Santa Fe Station in San Diego, thrilled with my journey on the train. Now I had my backpack on my back, and basic directions on how to get to where I’d be meeting the hubby. Luckily it was in a restaurant in Little Italy – and there would be wine at the end of my journey.
With the help of a tourist map of the area, I figured out which way to go after leaving the station, hefted my backpack and began the walk. Up “B” St to India St, turn left, then up India until I got there. There? My destination – the Spaghetteria. (And yes -it’s as awkward to say as it looks.)
As I walked, I passed closed storefronts and open art galleries. The farther up hill I went, the busier the area got – and soon I was in the heart of Little Italy. Aging Italian men were smoking cigars and gathered together outside; little clumps of them, up and down the street. Kids dodged in and out of groups of adults.
Louche teenaged girls straggled behind their parents, giggling and talking. The scent of pizza and pasta and garlic mingled with the fragrant cigars and a surprising amount of twenty-somethings smoking cigarettes. Lots of people were out and about, and since the time was past 8:30pm, the restaurants were packed. Laughter and music and fun – the street was hopping, and I loved it.
Unfortunately I had miles, a long way – sigh…a few blocks that were all up hill to get to my destination. I walked wistfully past the Italian restaurant that The Accomplice (the Without Walls theater production that my hubby Tom Ashworth was doing through the La Jolla Playhouse) had been in, the wonderful Trattoria Fantastica (desserts to DIE for); past Filippi’s Pizza Grotto (more about Filippi’s later); across the street and up two more streets where the nightlife wasn’t anywhere near as vibrant, before I got to the Spaghetteria.
I was surprised. The restaurant was HUGE – but the street, up here, was almost empty. The restaurant, too, held maybe eight people and could easily have seated 200. Maybe 250. Whatever, I made it. Found the hubby, got a wonderful hug and kiss, then he escorted me to the bar. They had two more shows to do that night before we were free to go to dinner.
I ordered a glass of wine. Two groups came in, I sipped, they figured out the end of the puzzle, and “I fought the law and the law won” came on for the last time that night. They were done. The hubs and I hightailed it out of there (as it had a chilly atmosphere and a waitstaff that looked like they’d rather be anywhere but there) and went to Filippi’s.
Best Damn Pizza Ever.
Now, Filippi’s is not your typical restaurant. You walk in through a market – a wonderful Italian market. It’s also a bit on the old fashioned side of things, and they make no apology for it. No WiFi, no outdoor seating (which means no cigar or cigarette smoking), no TV sets. (Sounds like heaven to me!) You can’t make reservations, so you walk in and you wait. Often, the line is out the door. Luckily as we go in, we’re the second ones in line. Totally doable. (Before we’re seated, there are 30 people lined up behind us – and it’s almost 9:30pm.)
This is the first place Tom took me for dinner, back when we were first dating. His fondest memory is ordering a bottle of wine – and the waiter brought two glasses, even though I was quite obviously under age. (17 – yep!) So this was a lovely, nostalgic, romantic dinner for us.
We had pizza, a carafe of house wine, the antipasto salad (which had a marvelous, tangy-sharp cheese in it – we found out later that it was an aged provolone? Tom bought some and we’ve been enjoying it ever since), and a boatload of wonderful memories that had us laughing and talking and enjoying each other. And the pizza, let it be said, was fantastic.
Thanks to theredvelvetcouch.blogspot.com for use of the photo.
I mean, seriously. Doesn’t that look fantastic? It was the perfect meal for the end of a long, fascinating day. Tom and I finally closed the place down and headed for our home away from home for the weekend – The Boat.
Since I lost my small camera, I don’t have some photos that I wish I did. But here’s a photo of the marina at night.
The view from the boat, Shelter Island Marina.
Sleepy and happy to be together, it was great to be back at the marina. The air had that soft quality that it gets when the temperature is just right, the next day promised to be foggy, and all was well in my world.
Thanks so much for stopping by. When was the last time you went on an adventure, either by yourself or with a friend? Let’s talk!
~ Until the next time, cheers! ~
~oOo~
Demon Soul and Demon Hunt are available for the Kindle and Kobo! Have you fallen into the Caine Brothers’ world yet?
by Christine | Observations, Wine Friday
There are two full shopping days left before Father’s Day. Two days to decide what to buy that Dad in your life. What to feed him. Where to go. Oh, the pressure! But never fear, I am here to help you with your beverage choice for the Father’s Day grilling!
Not All Dads Drink Alcohol.
My much-loved Dad, Chet Cunningham, author of over 300 novels and many non-fiction titles.
Mine doesn’t. Never did. As he likes to say, he managed to live through both college and the Army (Korea), and came home without a taste for alcohol or cigarettes. He was, however, more attached to his Coca Cola than ever.
So, what to bring for the festivities to the dad that doesn’t drink? There are a wide variety of sodas out on the market that are both fun and very adult, and I’m not talking about the type you find in your typical grocery store.
You can go your normal soda (because there ARE a lot of options in a grocery store), or you can give him something a little different. For instance, have you heard of Drank? Or the Superliminal Purple Stuff Pro-Relaxation Formula? How about the iChill? These sodas are the counter to all the Red Bull and Monster energy drinks. They are non-alcoholic “relaxation” drinks.
“Funktional Beverages created Purple Stuff, packed with herbs and amino acids that supposedly calm the mind and body, and aimed it squarely at the urban 18- to 35-year-old males who once pledged their loyalty to amped-up energy drinks.” That’s a quote from an article at the Washington Post – you can see the whole article here. Okay, so – 18-35? Most dads are older…
Blenheim Ginger Ale
Not Your Momma’s Ginger Ale.
I admit, the above relaxation drinks intrigue me…but not exactly right for my dad, you know? He’s chill enough! So I’m going to go with a standard – The Blenheim Ginger Ale. Why?
It’s Nuclear!
No, really. Even a bunch of early 20’s young men had a hard time drinking this. My 19 y/o likes it in a shot glass (and he’s the only one in the family who can finish a whole bottle with dinner). As a side benefit, the ginger in the ale clears your sinuses right up.
I went to their website, and apparently they have two (or maybe three) different strengths of ginger in their ale. I can guarantee you, if you bring a six pack to the party, you’ll have people buzzing about your cleverness! (At least, my son enjoyed a certain notoriety when he brought a six pack to the party. He also came home with three bottles, lol!) Pricing: $7.00 a six pack but I’ve only found them “in person” at BevMo , and they were selling them by the bottle I think for about $1.50 (not that I’ve looked anywhere else).
Not sure if this is right for your dad? Go with the excellent standbys – Henry Weinhardt’s creamy Root Beer or Orange Soda (both favorites with my family). And those you CAN pick up at the grocery store.
Is Dad a Beer Drinker?
If your dad is a beer drinker, please keep in mind what kind of beer he prefers. If he’s a Bud Lite or Coors Lite fan, then look for a new “lite” beer that he might like and stay away from the Beers Around the World. IF, however, he prefers a Guiness, then go visit your neighborhood Costco or Cost Plus World Market and pick up a box ‘o beers from
Create your own Six Pack at Cost Plus World Market!
far-flung places. Or at World Market, you can create your own six pack – and finally put that Bud Lite up against the Coors Lite. Can you say Blind Taste Test?!!
But – Where’s the Wine???
Ah, you wine lovers! I haven’t forgotten you. I’ve got a brilliant, easy-drinking wine that’s also easy on the pocket book. I’m foregoing the typical outline that I usually do (but heck yeah I’ll be rating ’em!)
First up? My new favorite, CDR – Cotes Du Rhone AOC, a dry red wine that is a
Cotes du Rhone, NV from Costco. See the wine stain on the label? Taste-tested! Christine approved, lol!
product of France. Alcohol content, 14% by Volume – and priced at $8.95 at Costco. This is an easy-sipping wine that is rapidly becoming my new favorite go-to. The color is a deep purple-red, the fruit is lush and the finish is silky. It will go with anything you decide to grill on the BBQ this Father’s Day.
My Rating: ~ Very, Very Drinkable ~
If your dad likes white wines, well this is the perfect time of year for a Sauvignon Blanc. One of my favorites is the Kenwood Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, with a screwtop (no cork issues!). 13.5% Alcohol by Volume. My original posting on this wine is here, if you’d like to read it. Price was $8.99 on sale at Vons.
My Rating: ~ Very, Very Drinkable ~
So There You Have It!
Options for Father’s Day, to suit almost every taste. As for my dad? He prefers a Coca Cola. He’s had to cut WAY back on his soda intake, but I think for Father’s Day he’d be allowed one…
As usual, this is just my honest opinion and depend upon my mood, the weather, and what cycle the moon is in. Your taste buds will differ.
~ Until the next time, cheers – and may your Father’s Day be filled with Love! ~
~oOo~
Demon Soul and Demon Hunt are available for the Kindle and Kobo! Have you fallen into the Caine Brothers’ world yet?
My Rating System: Undrinkable; Barely Drinkable; Drinkable; Very Drinkable; and the ever-popular “Stay Away! This is MY wine, you Slut!”
