I have been anxiously waiting for this moment and it looks like it might happen. As many of you know, Kathy and I are avid theatre fans. We like live shows and have misses our trips to NYC to see some musicals.
We have also missed going to the Hershey Theatre where we have season tickets for the Broadway package. Well, last week I had an email from the treater stating that they are reopening in November.
The first show will be Waitress. It was part of last year’s package, but like everything else it was postponed and then canceled. Now it is back on.
We were told that the tickets we had for last year’s performance would be honored in November. There is nothing we need to do except show up on the date of the show.
To make the day even more exciting we heard from our theatre friends. They are from Reading and have had the seats behind us for many years. We have gotten to know them from talking with them before shows and at intermission.
A few years ago we started meeting for lunch before the show. We attend the 2:00 matinee on Saturday. I heard from one of the ladies and they are looking forward to the shows starting and us getting together for lunch once again.
It has been too long and we can’t wait. Maybe things are slowly getting back to some sense of normalcy.
During this Easter season, even with so much trouble going on in our country and the world. I can’t help but feel a sense of joy. Joy is not something we can go out and buy or something that can be given to us by another. Joy is found in our hearts. Each of us finds joy in different ways, but it is there for all of us.
Joy can be found in watching a baby sleep, or in my case watching a cat sleep, especially when he is on my lap.. I know the mischief he can cause when awake, but when asleep he is so calm and peaceful. I can’t help but smile.
Joy can be found having dinner out with Kathy to celebrate a special occasion, in this case an anniversary or eating in the car after going through Burger King’s drive through. Even sharing a simple meal at home brings me joy.
What else makes me happy? A bright sunny day. Blue skies dotted with puffy white clouds banish thoughts of gloom.
There are so many other things that bring me joy, some big and some little. All I know is that when I need it most joy will be there for me.
Joy
Joy is not limited
or confined to a specific size or shape.
Joy reaches out in all directions
touching more than just one person at a time.
Joy is found in our hearts
not dependent on anyone else.
Joy - may it find us when we need it most.
After posting about getting my second covid shot Terje suggested I need a cake to celebrate. Never one to turn down a cake I took her up on her suggestion. I gave it some thought and it seems to me that in some aspects baking a cake is like writing. Let me explain.
The first thing I had to do was decide what kind of cake I wanted. Did I want a pineapple cake? a coffee cake? a pound cake?
When I write I need to decide on a topic.
I decided on a red velvet cake.
Next I had to decide if I wanted a layer cake, a tube cake, of pan cake’
When I write I need to think about who my audience is going to be.
I decided on a 9 x 13 pan cake.
Once I decided on the pan size I needed to prep it which means I had to grease and flour the pan. I also had to find my recipe.
When I write I need to decide what genre and format I want to use.
O course, I can’t bake a cake unless I have all of the ingredients. So, I pulled out everything I needed and measured out the amounts of each item called for in the recipe.
When I write, depending on what I am doing, I need to gather my notes, outline, our use some other graphic organizer to get my thoughts in line.
Next comes the mixing; putting the ingredients into the mixing bowl in just the right order.
When I write I try to put my thoughts down in a logical order otherwise what I am writing might not make sense.
When mixed thoroughly, I poured the batter into the prepared pan.
When I write I check to see if what I wrote follows the guidelines for whatever form I chose to use.
I place the cake into the oven and now I just sit and wait while it bakes. Watching a cake rise is as much fun as watching paint dry. I check for doneness at the appropriate time. It might need a bit longer in the oven.
When I write I walk away from whatever I wrote and come back to it later to see if I am still happy with it. This is also the time for revisions.
When the cake if fully baked I take it out of the oven and let it cool. Looks good enough to eat.
When I write I get to a point where I am finished and pleased with what I wrote.
Next comes the icing. For me a red velvet cake needs a cream cheese frosting. So, back to my book of recipes to find the one I need.
When I write, even though the piece looks good there might be something a little extra I can to make it better.
Now that the cake is baked and iced it is time to enjoy.
If I am writing a post for SOL I hit publish and send it out there.
So, my friends, thanks to Terje’s suggestions I have a slice to post and a slice to eat. Terje, I share this with you and anyone else out there who would like some.
Anyone reading my posts knows I am obsessed with food. I like eating. Unlike many families who sit down and plan a weekly menu on Sunday, we don’t. We might decide at breakfast what we want for dinner that night, or we might wait until late in the afternoon to have that conversation.
This week, however, is different. It is Holy Week and that means certain restrictions for us. One thing we both decide on is that we don’t want to have a refrigerator full of leftovers that we can’t eat.
Let me explain. We are Byzantine Catholic and there are some things we cannot eat this week. Wednesday is a meatless day as is Holy Saturday. Good Friday is a day of strict abstinence which means we can’t eat meat of any kind of dairy products. This is different than Roman Rite Catholics who abstain from meat only.
So, what does our menu plan for the week look like? Well, on Sunday we decided on take-out Chinese. We usually each get two meals out of whatever we order. That means leftovers, but they will be fine for Monday.
Tuesday I need to go out to get a prescription refill. Of course that means dinner out. Maybe Taco Bell since it near the Wal Mart I go to for my prescriptions.
Wednesday is a meatless day so grilled cheese and tomato soup is on the menu. This meal always hits the spot for me and besides, the cats like it too.
Thursday we want a meal with no leftovers. Well, we have two single serving chicken pies in the freezer. That and a salad will do for Thursday.
When we first got married we thought Good Friday’s dinner might be tricky. We soon found out it is not. We will do some raw fried potatoes, fried in Crisco so no dairy products used, zucchini as a vegetable, and a can of salmon as the main course.
Saturday is another meatless meal. A few weeks ago I make a shrimp casserole with black beans, tomatoes, tortillas, and cheese. I can pop that in the oven, make a salad to go with it and call it dinner. Sounds good to me.
Easter Sunday we feast on ham, yams, and a vegetable yet to be decided.
So, having a meal plan for the coming week will help us get through the Holy Week.
I know that we are very near the end of this challenge. However, I decided that I am not going to finish it. Therefore, there is no post to read today. So, you can stop reading here.
Why is there no post? Well, if you are still reading even though I don’t know why you would be. let me tell you. I am not writing today simply because I don’t feel like it. I know that is not a valid excuse because by now we should all be in the habit of daily writing and posting. I guess I’m not.
There is no post today because of the weather. Still here? Why? It is a dreary rainy day; not one condusive to writing. I would rather stay in a nice warm comfy bed with the covers pulled up around me and three cats making me a prisoner of the covers.
I am sure there are much better posts you could be reading right now. I am not posting today because I am in any way depressed. In fact, I feel fine. I have stacks of good books waiting to be read. There is plenty of food in the house. There is no pace I need to be so I don’t have to go out in the rain.
I know that I just lost my chance of saying that I completed the March Challenge by not posting today but so be it. There’s always next year.
I guess the biggest reason I am not posting today is because I have reached that point of the month where I really have nothing to say. So, instead of boring you with my ramblings I just decided that I would give you the chance to read some of the wonderful posts that are out there. I simply am not posting today.
I had mentioned previously that Kathy and I received our second dose of the Pfizer vaccine last Saturday. I had heard that many people had more severe reactions to the second dose than they did with the first. I thought I would compare my reactions to those put out by the CDC as possible side effects. Here goes:
CDC says: I experienced:
Pain at the injection site
Pain at the injection site lasting one day.
Redness at the injection site
No redness at the injection site.
Swelling at the injection site
No swelling at the injection site.
Tiredness
No more tiredness than usual.
Headache
I did not experience a headache.
Muscle pain
I did not have any muscle pain.
Fever
I did not develop a fever.
Chills
I did not experience any chills.
Nausea
Thankfully I did not feel nauseous
.
So, to show you how my mind works I can’t help ask, “Why did I not suffer any side effects?” Was there something wrong with the vaccine that I wasn’t affected? Had it gone bad? Is my body not making antibodies? Is there something wrong with me? Am I not normal? (Don’t answer that.)
I need to give it a rest. I know, a piece of cake.
One of the Lancaster shows we went to had a display of Quilts of Valor. You may be familiar with them or maybe you’re not. Just in case, here is what a quilt of valor is taken from the Quilt of Valor website https://www.qovf.org/:
What is a Quilt of Valor?
A Quilt of Valor® (QOV) is a quality, handmade quilt that is machine or hand quilted. It is awarded to a Service Member or Veteran who has been touched by war. The Quilt says unequivocally, “Thank you for your service and sacrifice in serving our nation.”
To use the term Quilt of Valor, Quilts of Valor or QOV, the quilt must be a specific size, must have a label with required information, it must be awarded (it is not a gift) and it must be recorded.
As you can see, there are specific guidelines that must be followed. The size is not bed size but more a lap quilt size. Typically the predominant colors in a quilt of valor are red, white, and blue. These colors were requested by veterans. A gold can also be added to the mix.
These quilts are usually made using a traditional pattern, many times with a patriotic theme…Ohio Star…Rail Fence…Churn Dash…Log Cabin.
There are many patterns for quilts of valor out there all you have to do is search the web.
Here are a few we saw in Lancaster.
Instead of giving any kind of commentary I think I will just let these quilts speak for themselves.
If you wanted to, you could also buy a pattern or a kit. Here is a pattern Kathy bought.
I thought I would take a break from quilt posts today so that I could wish someone special a very Happy Birthday. We both started teaching at Upper Dauphin the same year, she as a 7th grade reading teacher and me as a reading specialist. That was back in 1975. We have remained friends all these years. I know I am a better person for having known her.
Happy birthday, Dolores. May your day be filled with love and happiness.
D evoted to her students, she was always what they needed her to be.
O n this day 83 years (I hope I have this correct) ago she entered this world to make it a brighter and better place.
L oving wife to Dennis; devoted mother to Gary, Scott, and Donna.
O verflowing with wisdom.
R eady to help with whatever was needed.
E ncouraging students and coworkers to not give up but try different approaches if one didn’t work.
S omeone you could always count on for advice or just an ear to listen.
For today I thought I would look at some winners. Although to me all quilts are winners, these ten have taken ribbons from Honorable Mention to Best of Show. All of these quilts were seen at Quilt Odyssey which is held in Lancaster, PA.
This particular quilt wan First Place. I just cant even imagine designing something like this.
This quilt, as you can see, won Best of Show in 2017. I can see why.
So many quilts today are machine stitched and machine quilted. However, exceptional handwork is still appreciated.
People can also do amazing things with their machines.
This poor quilt only won an honorable mention. Hey, I would take it.
Another poor Honorable Mention quilt. Kathy is a fan of Hawaiian quilts. Although not a typical Hawaiian patter, this quit follows the style.
I really liked the use of color in this second place winner.
All of those points on this third place winner blew my mind.
Animal quilts don’t typically win awards, but this elephant got a second place ribbon.
Since there was a Best of Show neat the beginning of this post I thought I would end with another Best of show from a different year.
I think I have one more quilt posting to share with you on another day. We’ll see.
