I'm not confused. I'm just well mixed.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Their stories

It is a brisk Autumn day somewhere on the West Coast. Three generations of family and dozens of friends have gathered to pay their final respects. A bugler plays "Taps" as the old solder is laid to rest. It's taken 60 years but now he's finally able to join the buddies he left behind on the beaches of Normandy.

It is a rainy winter day in the Southwest. A father reads the latest e-mail from his daughter. In his mind she will always be his little princess, forever 6 years old with pigtails and a pretty pink dress. However, daddy's little girl is all grown up and serving on a ship somewhere in the ocean. He looks up at all the photos on the wall, sighs, and says a prayer for her safety.

In a VA hospital somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, the old man looks at the young nursing assistant and tells her she reminds him of the girl he met while on a 3 day pass in Seoul. His eyes glaze over and and his mind wanders back to that day oh so long ago. As he starts to tell his tale, one of the nurses comes in and tells the confused young women not to be alarmed, he does this all the time.

It is a warm summer night in the Midwest and the campfire is crackling. It's the perfect end to the perfect weekend. The last 15 months of deployment have been hell. Through the weeks and months what kept him going was the promise he made to his boys that when he came home they'd load up the camper, pack the fishing gear, and head out in search of the one that got away. He looks over at the kids, sticky from making s'mores, squeezes his wife's hand, and smiles.

It's a beautiful Indian Summer day in Washington DC. A group of men gather at one section of the Vietnam Wall. They do this every few years. Now of course they are more likely to be carrying AARP cards than the draft cards they once had. They laugh and joke, and show off the latest photos of the grandkids. As they read the names, the memories and stories start to come back. For a few hours, they are together again.

Farther down The Wall stands a mother. Her hair has turned from soft brown to snow white. She comes here year after year, always to this same spot. She traces her son's name with her fingers and the tears fall down her cheeks. She wants only to bring him home so he can be closer to her but she can't. Three little letters next to his name tells her that her boy has yet to be found.

It is a muggy spring day in the South. The little boy hops out of the van clutching the bouquet of brightly colored balloons. He is so excited, he gets to eat ice cream later today and play with his cousins at Grandma's house. His little 3 year old legs start running. His mother calls to him and tells him to wait for her. She is carrying his little sister with one arm and a bouquet of flowers in the other. The little boy stops and waits. They slowly make their way across the decorated rows until they reach the spot they are looking for. The mother sets her daughter down on a blanket and then helps her older child put the balloons next to the headstone and arranges the flowers in the vase. She feels something tug at her leg and looks down to see the girl has crawled over to her. She sits down on the ground and pulls the girl onto her lap. Her son sits next to her. The little girl points to the headstone and says "da da?"
"Yes, replies her mother, "that's daddy"

In the truest sense, freedom can not be bestowed, it must be achieved.
-Franklin D. Roosevelt




* I hope you enjoyed my Memorial Day tribute to those who have served our country or are currently serving. The people and places written about in this post are a work of fiction.*

Friday, May 14, 2010

Old McDonald had a......

We all know the song. In fact I'll bet you are singing it right now. Yes, that wonderful song about a farmer and his very noisy animals is a classic that is taught and sung to millions of children all over the world. My own kids love it and I've sung it more times than I really care to admit.

It is because I am always singing this song I decided to have some fun with it and thus the alternate versions of Old McDonald were born. Just this morning Carolyn and Andrew were laughing at me while I was doing my best "American Idol" version of Old McDonald. Of course he was not on his farm. I haven't decided if Mr. McDonald is a very busy businessman who likes to acquire new real estate or if he has a lot of cousins he likes to visit. Anyway, I thought I'd share with you a few versions I and the kids have come up with. At the very least it will save you from always having to bark and moo.

Version #1 Classic setting of the farm...use animals like geese, mice, goats, and llamas. Really, what does a llama sound like?

Version #2 My personal favorite, the convenience store. Items I have used include gum (chew chew here), soda pop (burp burp there), potato chips (crunch crunch here), soap (slip slidey there), toilet paper or Kleenex (wipe wipe here)...you get the idea. The kids love coming up with things to try and then having to make up a sound or action to go with it.

Version #3 The zoo. I have to give Carolyn credit for coming up with this setting but it really works. This is also a great version for incorporating both sounds and actions. The monkeys jump around and make sounds, the gorillas beat their chests, the lions roar, and the elephants move their trunks.

Version #4 The ocean. This one can get pretty difficult but it does work. Whales go squirt, fish go swish, sharks go chomp, and mermaids sing la la la. I challenge you to make seal sounds and not laugh.

Version #5 Geographical settings. This is very similar to the zoo except you pick one area like jungle or swamp and only use those animals.

Ok, there you have it. New twists on an old favorite. The fun part about this is once you start with a verse, the kids will either laugh at you or follow along and try to make up the next line. By the end of the song everyone will be laughing and singing.

Now if you'll excuse me. I've got to go listen to the radio. I've got that Old McDonald song stuck in my head.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Queso bean dip

According to the calender, it's supposed to be Spring. According to my front window...it's anything but warm and sunny. Anyway, we are now in the season of BBQ and open houses, wedding showers, and rehearsal dinners and any other excuse to throw a party.

Part of the fun of parties is the food. Yes, all the delicious and yummy food one can eat will be on hand at any given day, time, or place. Normally, I like to do some sort of dessert whenever I'm invited to a party. However, there are times when I know that there will already be a lot of sweets at the event. This is where I pull out the time trusted chips and dip. It's simple, it's practical, and just about everyone will eat it. Of course I could just go to the store and pick up a container of generic flavor dip and throw in a bag of boring chips but really, what fun would that be? I've decided to share one of my favorite dip recipes.

Most people like cheese dip of some sort and most people like Mexican-type dips. The very popular method of mixing processed cheese (Velveeta) with salsa produces a very yummy dip and of course you can also buy that type of dip in jars but in truth, you get very little nutrition for a lot of fat and calories. I happen to like bean dip but once again, if you buy it in the little cans it is loaded with fat and calories. My solution was to create my own bean/cheese dip.

This recipe is super simple and very user friendly. There is very little prep involved and takes about 15 minutes from start to finish to make.

Queso Bean Dip

1 16 oz can of fat-free refried beans (try not to use flavored)
1 16 oz jar of mild or medium salsa (can use home made)
4-8 oz of fat free or low fat sour cream
1 package of shredded cheese* (sharp cheddar or Mexican blend.)
1 bag of tortilla chips

In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the salsa and refried beans.
Add 4 oz of sour cream ( half a small container)
Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese
Place bowl in microwave and heat for 30 seconds on high.
Take bowl out and stir
Taste mixture--add more cheese and sour cream if a more cheesy or creamy taste is desired.
Place bowl back into microwave and heat for another 30 seconds on high.
Take bowl out and mix until you get a creamy texture. If not hot enough or smooth enough then microwave for another 30 seconds.

Serve with tortilla chips.

There you have it. A simple yummy dip that everyone will love. If you want a firmer, more taco-like version then microwave the beans and salsa together and then layer the sour cream and cheese and top it with black olives. You can also use shredded lettuce and ground beef taco meat but I find that is really messy.

One last suggestion from me is to make this dip and try it out before bringing it to your next gathering. I prefer a more salsa taste to my dip so I use less cheese and sour cream. Also, the more watery the salsa, the thinner the dip. *Do not use fat free cheese. The fat free versions are not very good at melting.