Peaches Prattlings











{April 22, 2016}   A Happy Passover

Today is the first day of Passover, so much celebrating has begun!

I know we’ve talked about Passover before, so I hope you don’t mind a little more.

Passover is the telling of the story of the Jews exodus from Egypt. It took them 40 years, only fitting the seder takes a few hours! The seder is the meal and service all rolled into one. There are symbolic foods that go with the seder and have a certain place in the seder, or service, when they are eaten.

There are certain prayers said during the seder representing different things and over different foods. There are four glasses of wine to drink,  there is matzoh to represent the bread of affliction, eggs to represent new life,  salt water to represent our tears, karpas, or greens represents the flourishing is Jews in Israel, maror is the mortar that held the bricks of the pyramid together, and so much more.

We gather around the table and each person has a haggadah, which is the prayer book that tells the story of the exodus, what everything means, blessings over the different foods and when to eat them,  there is symbolism in everything! Maybe you were like me and had the Maxwell House haggadah when you were a kid!

There are very traditional seders and less traditional. When I was younger, they were more traditional,  but still do much fun. Our seders lasted for hours because we were laughing, singing and eating. Oh, and observing of course!

After EJS came on the scene, we stated having seders in Boston at GES’ house and they became like my “orphan” thanksgiving in Atlanta.  All different families coming together to celebrate and we had more and more wee tots at the table.  When EJS was born,  I got her Sammy Spider’s First Haggadah and GES took that and marked it to go along with the traditional  haggadahs that we had so we could use them together.

This also cut the seder down quite a bit since most of the little kids, all under 8, have the attention span of a gnat, especially when you get them all together! We conver all the bases and basics but not to the level as when GES and I were kids.

When I go to PSM’s family seder tomorrow,  it will definitely be more traditional..and take a lot longer! But just as much laughing and singing and food.

There is so much more to tell you,  tomorrow!

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{April 22, 2016}   A Happy Passover

Today is the first day of Passover, so mush celebrating has begun!

I know we’ve talked about Passover before, so I hope you don’t mind a little more.

Passover is the telling of the story of the Jews exodus from Egypt. It took them 40 years, only fitting the seder takes a few hours! The seder is the meal and service all rolled into one. There are symbolic foods that go with the seder and have a certain place in the seder, or service, when they are eaten.

There are certain prayers said during the seder representing different things and over different foods. There are four glasses of wine to drink,  there is matzoh to represent the bread of affliction, eggs to represent new life,  salt water to represent our tears, karpas, or greens represents the flourishing is Jews in Israel, maror is the mortar that held the bricks of the pyramid together, and so much more.

We gather around the table and each person has a haggadah, which is the prayer book that tells the story of the exodus, what everything means, blessings over the different foods and when to eat them,  there is symbolism in everything! Maybe you were like me and had the Maxwell House haggadah when you were a kid!

There are very traditional seders and less traditional. When I was younger, they were more traditional,  but still do much fun. Our seders lasted for hours because we were laughing, singing and eating. Oh, and observing of course!

After EJS came on the scene, we stated having seders in Boston at GES’ house and they became like my “orphan” thanksgiving in Atlanta.  All different families coming together to celebrate and we had more and more wee tots at the table.  When EJS was born,  I got her Sammy Spider’s First Haggadah and GES took that and marked it to go along with the traditional  haggadahs that we had so we could use them together.

This also cut the seder down quite a bit since most of the little kids, all under 8, have the attention span of a gnat, especially when you get them all together! We conver all the bases and basics but not to the level as when GES and I were kids.

When I go to PSM’s family seder tomorrow,  it will definitely be more traditional..and take a lot longer! But just as much laughing and singing and food.

There is so much more to tell you,  tomorrow!

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{April 21, 2016}   We’re home…let’s cook!

We got home from dad’s and it was time to get down to business.

Tonight is erev pesach, that means night before passover, which begins tomorrow at sundown. We’ve tales about passover before and I’ll talk more about it tomorrow,  today is for cooking.

There is so much food to prep and cook, there are menus, recipes, shopping. We send out a list to people coming to see what they can make and then GES and I figure out the rest.  When we were kids and my mom’s mom still had it at her house,  grandma, me,  mom and GES would cook up a storm the days before. 

Then when it moved to my parents house, me,  mom and GES would cook,  grandma was still responsible for the homemade applesauce,  which I always teased her was not sweet enough, she’d pretend to hit me,  it was our thing.

Then,  it was GES and I cooking and hosting at  dad’s and then after EJS came into our lives,  its been in Boston ever since,  with GES and I cooking and hosting.

So, this year,  as we always do,  we make a plan and then away we go. This year,  instead of cooking a few chickens,  Costco cooked them for us! 10 rotisserie chickens, done!

We started at Costco and got most of what we needed,  then the grocery store for the rest. We headed home and after some dinner,  decided tonight would be desserts, the rest tomorrow. Some stuff, like the soup was made last weekend and frozen, matzoh balls tomorrow.

Since it was desserts, we made matzoh brittle, yum! Macaroons, yum! And cookie jam drops, omg, yum! I can’t wait to eat tomorrow!

I can’t wait to tell you all about tomorrow!! Better yet, come join us!

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See…Y U M!!

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And the plan of attack, from the planner herself, my sister!



Today we bid farewell to Washington, DC and hello to NYC.

We left Washington after a little shopping trip, loaded up the car and away we went. We were going to go to my dad’s house in NY to spend the night and then drive back to Boston tomorrow. That’s what they did going to Boston,  overnight at dad’s then on to DC.

We got to dad’s house after a relatively smooth trip,  a few pit stops and one for lunch. ACS had already decided where he wanted to go for dinner,  Denino’s pizzeria and tavern,  best pizza in NYC!

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I did not partake in the fabulousness that is Denino’s, I had a salad.  My thinking was that I had a slice of pizza last week in Atlanta,  I wasn’t sure at that point if I would be coming with them,  so there you go,  they had a slice of heaven and I had a salad,  yum.

Now…no boo-hoos for me! After dinner it was across the street to Ralph’s for some cremelata, I figured if I was going to knowingly eat something that was going to mess with them,  it had better be worth it! Oh…it was!

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It was great to be back home,  feeling nostalgic and getting to enjoy a bit of our childhood.

Very sweet dreams tonight!



Another jam packed day!

The day started early,  but that meant breakfast! And breakfast in the south means…Waffle House! The All-Star Breakfast. What could be better? Nothing!

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On the way home we stopped by the package store,  ST needed some supplies for the weekend and I picked up a few things for some people I know, wink wink. After we got back to the house,  I packed up my stuff, loaded the car and headed to Starbucks to get some work done for a few hours.

On the way to pick up RJS for our dinner date with JCT, I had something happen for the first time ever. I ran out of gas! On the highway! I knew I needed gas yesterday and thought I’d get it today and totally forgot. So, all of a sudden the car starts stalling, duh! I managed to get the car from the hammer lane to the right shoulder! Whew!

I called ST and he reminded me about GA511, they send the State Farm HERO units out.  They asked where I was,  that was easy! Mile maker 111 in 85S. Could I have stopped in a more perfect spot??

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The truck arrived and the hero himself,  so to speak,  put one gallon of gas in the car and made me feel better,  he did the same thing himself last week!

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After my hero left,  ha ha, I found a station,  got gas and headed to pick up RJS. We had a bit of traffic to sit in,  so lots of time to catch up!

We made it to dinner, had a great time with JCT, laughing,  catching up,  we’ve known each other, this October, 7 years! Wow! We met on the same day on a new project and became instant friends,  we met ST on that project as well. Pretty cool,  huh?

After dinner, I drove RJS home and we caught up some more,  talked plans and dresses and stuff. Eventually I realized it was late and headed to JCT’s house for more catching up, just the two of us.

When I got there,  she gave me the new “sleep” hat her mom made me,  totally rad!!! Don’t you just love it! Mom rocks!

Maybe one day I’ll actually be able to make something like this!

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I love being spoiled by two amazing moms! JCT’s and SDL’s, they make me feel like one of theirs,  thank you!

And now my friends,  it is time for sleep.  Repacking in the morning and off to the airport for the next great adventure! Thanks everyone for making this week fabulous!!!

And a very happy happy birthday to one of my best friends! MM! live it up,  it’s your day! Xoxo



What? She just got here,  how can she be six? Where did the time go?

Today is a very special day! Miss A turned SIX! I imagine you guessed that from the title. Wow, six! And what a day we had for that very six year old.

Ready, here we go,  you might need a nap, we were busy!

The day started a like early, there was a bran muffin with raisins for a breakfast tease. Over breakfast I asked if she had any advice for MGS who turns six next week.

Then it was up to get dolled up! Black riding pants, pink tutu, white long sleeve top, sparkle t-shirt proclaiming “I was born to sparkle”! and cool boots.

She was put together and out the door we went.

First stop…horse riding, with a blinged-out helmet, a little extra being with a tiara on her helmet.  Do you see DIVA on the back? Oh yeah! She was fabulous!

Not to mention,  the entire staff sang happy birthday! Awesome!

After horses, off to brunch, remember, the muffin was the breakfast snack! We stopped at IHOP. The girl could out-eat me in a skinny minute! Eggs, pancakes with strawberries and whip cream and because it’s her birthday,  ice cream sundae, more strawberries and whipped cream.

And to top it all off, they sang happy birthday!

After breakfast head to the Blue Ridge Mountains to an apple orchard for a tractor show.  We got there just in time to see the pink tractor.  Then we went on a tractor tour around the orchard, very cool.  They grow 52 different varieties of apples!

Back inside to shop and maybe get a snack…maybe. ha ha! Butterscotch pudding, vanilla pudding, 1/3 of a banana, peach pie with ice cream.  Full yet?

We took a stroll in the meadow and by the lake,  very picturesque!

After a while, time to leave.  Heading back,  it was about dinner time, and we found a Cracker Barrel, chow time! Chicken-n-dumplings, coconut cream pie with whipped cream. Oh my!

More singing and silliness!

Then back home for bath and bed.  That sounds like a great idea!

Happy birthday Miss A, you wonderful, finny, silly, goofy,  bright,  loving little person. I’m so happy you’re in my life and I’m in yours.

Good…night!

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I was thoroughly refreshed after four hours of sleep, but would it be enough? I was spending the day with my sister’s family, you know, a marathon!

I happened to wake  up on my own at 8am, greeted the girls, had waffles made my ACS, he and MGS went off to gymnastics and EJS, GES and I went off to karate. After EJS went into class, my sister and I went over to Walgreens to pick up a prescription and then what do you do while you’re there? Why…walk around and look at deals, of course! And we found some good ones!

Including red noses for everyone! Do you know about Red Nose Day? This year it’s May 26th and every red nose product [red noses, bracelets, sun glasses, headbands with pompoms] purchased helps to fight kid poverty. “What’s poverty?” asks the nine year old when we picked her up and I gave her her very own red nose. So I explained.

I explained while we were on our way to Cradles to Crayons. This is a volunteering event that GES and EJS have participated in several times and I did once, I’m not sure if you remember me telling you about it. This is where people bring donations to the local high school and then the volunteers sort everything from clothes to books to toys. There are stations everywhere! We ended up in toys, counting and cleaning. Do you know how hard it is to count puzzle pieces when people ask you questions!

If an item is all in one piece, functioning and in good shape, it goes to donation, if it’s not the best, maybe it’s a coloring book that has one or two pages drawn on, or a pair of shoes with some scuff marks, it goes to Salvation Army. There were over one hundred kids, of all ages, and parents volunteering. It’s a very cool event and collect so many items that it helps so many kids.

What they do: Cradles to Crayons provides children from birth to age 12, living in low- income and homeless situations, with the essential items they need to thrive – at home, at school and at play. We supply these items free of charge by engaging and connecting communities that have with communities that need.  https://www.cradlestocrayons.org/

After volunteering, EJS chose to go to the bagel shop, so she GES and I got bagels, took them home and enjoyed them in our jammies and sweats on the couch! ACS and MGS got home from lunch, well, ACS came in, MGS was having a great nap in the car, which was safe, dry and warm in the garage, ACS even brought out a blanket for her. She hasn’t napped like that for a long time, she was probably out there another two hours after they got home.

There was playing and hanging out until it was time for dinner and we were meeting another family, well part of the family, at the local Japanese Steak House, Fuji for fun, food and fire! Then off to Orange Leaf for frozen yogurt and home for night-night.

As the girls were falling asleep, ACS and I channel surfed, it was quite interesting, a documentary on drugs, March Madness, the Final Four and Pawn Stars, yup, interesting. He went up, GES came down and the two sisters watched the movie Sisters. It was just as funny as I remembered and I may have laughed so hard I peed in my pants, that funny!

I told you…marathon! It’s been quite the day and now it’s time to drift off to sleep, I hope. My goal is to fall asleep before 4am, who’s with me! Pleasant dreams my friends!

Cradles%20to%20Crayons

 

 

 



Yup, that about covers it.

You know how when you’re not feeling well and you stay in bed and day or two and then you feel like you’re fine and ready to conquer the world? And you know when you do that you realize that you’re nuts and probably should have stayed in bed? Yup, that’s me. Go figure.

The Nyquil and Dayquil have been great, making me sleepy and stay in bed,  getting up every once in a while to stretch the legs, make tea,  you know how it goes.  So, today after being in bed almost two days, I figured, why not,  time to go out. Away I went.

I took the train to the movies, ulterior motive…the theater was near Chinatown,  guess what I’m going to do later!

I went to see ‘Hello,  My Name is Doris’, staring Sally Field. I must admit it felt a little weird not having popcorn, but I was saving room. The movie,  I loved it. It was charming and sweet and loveable and awkward and funny and well, A+!

Sally Field plays Doris, an older woman who just lost her mom,  they lived together on Staten Island and she commutes on the SI Ferry into her job in NYC.

Really enjoyed it,  a lot of fun,  good supporting cast.  I love seeing Tyne Daly as a foul mouthed, on occasion,  radical.

She meets the new art directorat her company and develops a crush. She’s sixty something [or as Naomi Judd once said, sexty] and her crush…let’s just say…isn’t.

She daydreams and fantasizes she isn’t ready to act her age, her clothes are fabulous, all mish mosh, mismatched and fabulous, cat-eye glasses,  saddle shoes. I totally see me in the future,  just without the fake hair. C’mon, friends who have met me,  you can see it,  can’t you?!

The tag line “She’s not ready to act her age”. Totally get it!

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After the movie walked a few blocks to Chinatown, I knew exactly where I was going. When PSM and I went to Chinatown for New Years Eve we saw it and I know I would go back sometime.

My Thai Vegan Cafe, ‘Authentic Thai cuidine, unique vegan preparation’. Really good, I can’t remember the last time I had wonton soup,  yum! It’s nice to go somewhere that I don’t have to ask what the base is on the soup or if there’s anything I can’t eat in something. Wahoo!

Now,  I’m back in the apartment, eating a slice of vegan NY style cheesecake. Mmmm.

And…I’m eating it in bed because I am officially tired! I may have overdone it, but it was all worth it!! I may pass out before I finish eating!

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Today we had a party for one EJS, who turns NINE tomorrow.

What a day we had! I got to GES’ house, hugs and kisses all around,  then it was off to Karate with EJS, she really is getting stronger with her kicks and punches. She was even called to the front row of the class, that is not a common thing for lower level students, that’s what she told us when class was over. The Master instructor called her out after class to tell her how well she did.  Go EJS go!

Then back to the house,  make rice crispy treats,  never knew how easy they are,  butter, rice crispy cereal and marshmallows. 

A few errands and then the girls started showing up. Thirteen in total with EJS and MGS, oh my!  It was a great mix of girls, some from school, temple, book club, family friends and camp, very nice.

Since they were from different places,  not everyone knew each other, I had all the girls sit in a circle and we played an ice breaker game to get the girls to relax,  laugh and maybe learn each other’s names. It worked a little, by the time they started the festivities,  the girls were laughing together.

We started in the dining room with instructions,  we were having fun with food.

They started with decorating their own containers with markers and stickers.

Next,  on to the fun with food… first, they were making candy sushi! We made two different sizes of rice crispy treats,  blocks and long thin pieces. Then take a Swedish fish or gummy worm and either roll it in the longer thin piece or put it on the block,  then wrap it in fruit roll up like seaweed. How cool is that!

Next was melting chocolate and crumble cookie pieces to pour into molds and then after they harden in the freezer, wrap them in foil for their own candy bar.

Lastly, we had different flavored puddings, whipped cream, cookie crumbles, Graham cracker crumbs and mason jars to put it all in,  with labels hand made by each girl.

Perfect timing, as one group of girls left a station, they went downstairs to play, then,  after we finished taking the chocolates from the freezer,  it was time to sing and eat ice cream cake. Pure perfection! Parents started showing up just about that time.

After most of the girls left, five stayed behind, four were spending the night, was doing a sleep under,  she would stay until bed time and then go home.

The girls put on their pj’s, watched Paddington then headed upstairs to set up the sleeping arrangements air mattresses and sharing and floors and mommy and daddy’s bed, play a game, while they waited for the sleep under to head home and one other girl to come back.

By now, it was almost 10pm and I headed for the hills,  or at least my place and my furry kids [and yes, they did exactly what I said they would].

Tomorrow, more fun with family and a birthday dinner.

I told you those nine year olds could party!

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{March 8, 2016}   What did you do for dinner?

I went to Canada!

One of the things I love about traveling for work is trying new places to go and eat. I did that tonight.

Today I was teaching at a hospital right by the border, so,  what to do for dinner…head in the direction of Canada, ask border patrol for a suggestion, Strada West it was.

I traded with the agent, she gave me toys place and I told her about Manis/Massages and Martinis, fair trade.

Eat and sip is the tag line. Do they cater to vegan and gluten free, yup! Had a seat at the bar,  ordered a side salad and an eggplant sandwich on a gluten free bun, a good one! It had avocado, lettuce, peppers, some really bitter greens and brie. I took a chance on the brie, I’m surviving. The hand cut fries were really good,  brought the rest back to the valet at the hotel.

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Back to the border,  nothing to declare and on to the hotel to relax and talk to you.

What does tomorrow hold?



et cetera