This quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson sums up my feelings and desires this spring. In Texas, the wildflowers are in full swing this time of year. Delicate pink and yellow primroses and orange Indian paintbrush line the highways and byways, as well as carpets of bluebonnets, the State Flower. Last year when the pandemic was just beginning, I was nervous about venturing out to the garden center, so I didn't buy or plant anything. My standing garden, built by my son-in-law Matt and me a couple years ago, stood empty. This year, I made up for lost time. First, I planted some gorgeous annuals in front. These are called dipladenia, which have small trumpet-like blooms in white, pink and red. They will grow into a large dome-like shape. I need to add some new shrubs to replace those that got killed off in the big freeze, but that can wait until next month. My new walled garden in the back yard features red oleander, Mexican feather grass, dwarf gardenia, a striped yucca and a butterfly bush. In front of those, I put in ten perennials, including Shasta Daisy, pink dianthus, red salvia, purple dianthus, catmint, and Texas primrose. Many have burst into bloom, with an array of colors. I smile every time I look out the window at this glorious display. The aforementioned son-in-law and I visited the local nursery to purchase herbs for the standing garden, which include parsley, two kinds of basil, two kinds of rosemary, Greek oregano, and thyme. We also planted several kinds of peppers and mulched everything to keep the moisture in. I found that other kinds of vegetables didn't do very well, so we skipped those. However, I did put a patio tomato plant in a container and it's already producing lots of yellow blossoms and little fruits. Today, I planted five large containers of annuals to add some color to the pool deck. Each one got a bright pink geranium, delicate purple vinca, white zinnias, purple petunias and new to me, a red gazania. As the weather warms up and we get lots of sun, they will quickly fill out the container. I filled some smaller containers with impatiens, which will do well on the shaded patio. Now, my challenge is to keep all of it alive and thriving in the Texas heat, which will be upon us soon!
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Although it's only late March, spring is definitely underway here in Texas. The Bradford Pear trees have already finished blooming and trees are just beginning to leaf out. The weather has warmed into the 60s and 70s most days. After a year of quarantine, I have a lot of pent-up energy for outdoor projects. Luring my three grandkids with a pancake breakfast, I got them over here to help me clean up the pool deck and transfer the furniture cushions from the garage to the back yard and rip open the trash bags in which they had been stored -very popular with Noah.
I want to "plantscape" the patio, so I headed 20 miles away to IKEA, where I have purchased large plants in the past. After winding my way through the Marketplace section, I came to the area where they have been before. Alas, no live plants. The trip wasn't a total waste, as I picked up new bathmats for our bathroom and metal skewers for kebabs. On the way back home, I stopped into Lowes and picked up four new patio plants, although they aren't the big ones I really wanted. My big yucca plant was damaged in the freeze and I'm waiting to see if it sprouts any new leaves. We used to have a big Bradford Pear tree in the front yard, but it split open in a storm. These are considered junk trees, so we opted to cut the remainder down, grind the stump and plant a young maple tree. Unfortunately the new tree snapped in half during a wind storm. There had been a low wall of brick pavers around the first tree and these had just been stacked inside the fence, so I hit on the idea of using them to create a planting area. With the 50+ pavers, Our lawn service guys built a 15' x 4' planting area against the backyard fence. They filled it with good soil and even moved my standing garden to the other side and filled it to the brim. This morning, off Andy and I went to the local nursery to choose some plants. It was not an original idea. The place was crowded with happy gardeners taking advantage of a beautiful warm day. The nursery's "half-off" section offers beautiful plants at a bargain price, and with the advice of a helpful employee, we chose five heat-resistant, low-maintenance plants to start our new garden. I plan to add to them with some colorful perennials at a later date. The next task is to plant five large containers around the pool with colorful annuals that can stand the Texas heat, but I'll wait a couple weeks to do that. I also want to fill my standing planter with herbs and some other veggies at some point. Looks like I'll be doing a lot of watering in the coming months! 'll confess, there hasn't been much for me to write about recently, hence my absence from the blogosphere. During the past year, I've been doing a lot of cooking and baking, since we haven't been able to eat out much. We love Mexican food, which is everywhere in Texas. Here's a recipe that I developed myself, initially just using what I happened to have in the pantry and freezer. It has a richly intense flavor, without being overly spicy. Pork and Poblano Stew 1 1/2 -2 pounds of pork loin, cut into 1" cubes 2-3 fresh poblano peppers 2 T. olive oil 1 large onion, diced 3 cloves of garlic, minced 2 t. cumin 2 t. chili powder 1 t. salt 1 t. pepper 1 cup chicken broth 1 16-oz. can of petite diced tomatoes 1 16-oz. can of green enchilada sauce First, prepare the poblano peppers (this takes a bit of time). Char the skins of the peppers using a gas grill or open flame on a gas oven. Place the charred peppers in a paper bag and let them steam for 10 minutes. Then slide the charred skin off under running water. Cut off the stem end of the peppers and carefully open them up. Remove the seeds and dice the pepper into 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside. Heat 1 T. of the olive oil in a large pot (I use my Dutch oven) and add the onions and garlic. Saute until transparent. Set aside. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and brown the pork cubes. Add the onion and garlic back in, along with the seasonings. Stir to coat. Now add the chicken broth, tomatoes, reserved poblano peppers and enchilada sauce. Stir to combine and simmer either on the stovetop or in a 325 degree oven for about two hours, or until the pork is fork-tender. If the stew seems too liquid, remove the top to let the sauce reduce. If it's too thick, add a little more chicken broth. Taste frequently and adjust seasonings. Serve over rice, steamed new potatoes or a square of cornbread. I like to put a dollop of sour cream on top, especially if it came out too spicy for me. Serves at least four. Note: Some poblano peppers can be fairly spicy, but you can't tell from looking at them! After growing up in northern Ohio and living on the East Coast for many years, we were accustomed to winter weather. But snow, ice and single digit temps in Texas? In the seven years we've been here, there have only been a few flakes of snow that didn't even stick to the ground.
So this week's severe weather, chronicled extensively in the national news, was a shock to the system. Texas is simply not equipped to handle it. Electric and gas power and water systems failed, leaving many people in real misery with burst pipes and no heat. We were fortunate in that our own power outage lasted just six hours. My daughters were not that lucky. By Monday afternoon, Hannah showed up with all three grandchildren in tow because electric, gas and water were all out at her house and everyone was cold. With the gas fireplace running, it was fairly comfortable in the family room. Alison and Matt came, too, because they had the same problems. Soon our small home was awash in winter coats, gloves and boots. The kids actually did a pretty good job of entertaining themselves with electronics, as well as drawing and painting at the kitchen table. They helped me complete the 1,000-piece puzzle I'd been working on and we played Uno and , Scrabble. The grandchildren, who had not seen snow here before, were unfazed by the frigid temperatures and made short forays into the back yard to throw snow at each other, shouting the whole time. The first morning, I made scones, which quickly disappeared. Sandwiches for everyone at lunch and beef stew with carrots and potatoes for dinner. Alison brought two cakes from Whole Foods. The next morning, it was pancakes and fruit. Hannah brought over the entire contents of her refrigerator and bags of snacks from Target, so there was plenty of food to go around. It was fun to have everyone here, although quite chaotic at times. The second night, Matt brought their two cats over to enjoy the warmth of the laundry room. Their elderly American Eskimo had already taken up residence with Toby, who largely ignored him. Hannah, who has a team of 70 reporting to her, took over my office and continued to work. When Whole Foods reopened, Alison reported that it was absolutely crazy there. It was absolutely eerie to go anywhere. A quiet had descended on the streets and few lights were on. People here do not own snow shovels and the cities have no plows. Almost everything was closed. At night, we watched food shows on TV and just hung out together. It was actually great fun to have almost everyone here--Reagan stayed home with their dog, Luke. Our pool has a thick layer of ice and we don't know yet whether there has been damage to the pump. By today, the snow-packed streets and parking lots were beginning to clear. The main roads are fairly dry and temps will rise into the high 50s and 60s in the coming week. The trees are beginning to bud and flocks of robins are everywhere. Now that's more like a Texas winter! Today I received my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. On an unoccupied sixth floor of a health system office building, I joined others in the 1b group, snaking around in a socially-distanced line. After a temperature check, I was called to a numbered table to fill out some paperwork, then to another table to have someone enter my information in the computer. I wound through a hallway to reach the nurse, who asked me a couple questions and then administered the vaccine. Joining many others, I took a chair and waited for 15 minutes to see if a reaction might occur. A paramedic and crash cart stood by, just in case. The hundreds of people I observed were either my age or older or had a disability. I was in and out in less than a half hour--very efficient indeed. Vaccine #2 will happen in two weeks. Andy and I registered with Dallas County, Baylor Scott & White Healthcare and a local non-profit organization, figuring one of them had to hit. Strangely, I heard from BSWH, but Andy didn't, even though his underlying health conditions are more serious. I was told that a big batch of vaccine was on its way, so perhaps he'll hear soon. Covid-19 hit too close for comfort a few weeks ago. My eldest daughter, Alison and Hannah's two kids all tested positive. Fortunately, Alison had only mild symptoms but had to stay home from work for two weeks per company policy. Lena and Noah did remote learning for the same time period, and because Booker had been exposed to his mom, he also stayed home. Meanwhile, daily life continues to be incredibly boring. We take care of the house, watch movies, cook and read. I'm midway through a 1,000 piece puzzle of Gustav Klimt's Woman in Gold. Toby and I get out for a walk a couple times a day and I use the recumbent bike several times a week. On the weekend, we generally get together for a family meal at Hannah's, which is always nice. Once in a great while we go out for a meal but keep our distance from others. The only good news in this scenario is that we're not spending much money on eating out or entertainment! The federal government and other organizations will be making a big push in the coming weeks to get as many Americans as possible vaccinated. This we must do to bring down the rate of infection and tragic death toll. In the meantime, wear your mask, keep your distance, wash your hands and get the vaccine as soon as you can. Our country (and the economy) needs you to do your part. So, the Christmas decorations have been packed away and the furniture back in place. The only hint that Christmas is just over is the beautiful pink poinsettia my daughter gave me. It's a time to regroup and move into 2021. I have a few projects underway. Hannah provided prints from our family photo shoot back in October and I'm framing them for a display in the hallway. My closet needs a once-over, culling little worn items for the thrift shop. A 1,000-piece puzzle of Woman in Gold by Klimt awaits. I'm also hoping for a new writing assignment from Nemours.
Winter in Texas couldn't be more different than in Toledo, OH where I grew up. I remember bitter cold, big piles of grey snow and skies that rarely saw the sun. When we lived in Littleton, CO, the weather tended to be mild and sunny, but occasionally we had big snow storms. The post-holiday months in Berwyn, PA and northern Delaware, where we lived for a total of 25 years or so, were usually very cold and snowy. Our eight years in Williamsburg, VA were marked by two snow storms that each dropped two feet of the white stuff and paralyzed the town. In North Texas today, it's 65 degrees with not a cloud in the sky. The weather is generally quite mild during the next few months, with only an occasional dip into the low 30s. While my three grandchildren would love to see snow, I can live without it. The corona virus continues to play a big part in everyone's lives. We have been very careful, staying home as much as we can, ordering groceries online and only seeing our immediate family. Andy and I registered with Dallas County to receive the vaccine, since we are both (way) over 65 and have underlying health conditions. I hope that with the new administration getting in gear, vaccinations will be ramped up considerably. The national news is heartbreaking, with so many infections, hospitalizations and deaths. I will admit to being rather nervous about the whole thing. Although I've never had insomnia in the past, there are nights when I just can't get to sleep or wake up and can't settle back down. The only cure is to get up, have a snack and watch TV for a couple hours (Nashville on Hulu is my favorite) until I get good and sleepy. This drives our dachshund Toby nuts. He really wants me to go back to bed so he can curl up on the duvet. I give him a treat, let him sit on my lap for a while under the blanket, and eventually he curls up in the corner of the couch until I'm ready to return to the bedroom. I hope everyone who reads my blog will stay safe by wearing masks, washing hands and staying away from others. Get vaccinated as soon as possible. If we all work together, this misery will be a thing of the past. Of the many Christmas decorations I've collected over the years, my Santas are the ones I love most. It began while Andy and I were on a trip to Germany in December 1985. In a gift shop, we found a smoker--kind of a Father Christmas--dressed in a dark red suit. You can lift his body from the base and put a cone of incense there. Light it, replace the body and fragrant smoke comes out of his mouth. Originally, he had a pipe in his hand, but it got lost during our many moves. That Santa started a trend. We started to look for others that would complement his hue and demeanor. Consequently, most of the nearly 40 guys in our collection tend to be Father Christmas types. Almost all sport dark rather than bright red coats and only a couple are smiling. My four largest ones sit on the mantel. One has a long quilted coat and the other three look like woodsmen with packs on their backs. Each has a snowy white beard. When I was working for the Nemours Fund for Children's Health in Delaware, I would bring the four Santas in to display (no room in our condo) on top of a beautiful glass-fronted bookcase in the living room of Shands House, the beautiful home where our offices were. They looked right at home there, but when I retired they moved to Texas with me! There are several I bought in shops at North Carolina's Outer Banks, including one made in Africa, a chubby box with a removable top. Our most recent Santa, a gift from Hannah, has a basket of wine bottles in his hand, a tribute to her Dad's interest in wine. Some of our Santas have fabric clothing, and others are ceramic, wooden or metal. A few hold candles that can be lit at Christmas time. A rather blocky fellow, purchased at the Swedish Shop in Wayne, PA, holds a lantern in one hand and a small Christmas tree in the other. When my mom passed away, I inherited four large Santa figures people had given her, as well as a tall painting of a dour Father Christmas that fits nicely in one of our niches. There are a few I purchased from Paoli Memorial Hospital (where I once worked) gift shop and two that my daughter Alison found at a garage sale. She and I were looking around at the Christmas Shop in Paoli (now closed, unfortunately) and found a grumpy Santa we couldn't resist. I have another guy purchased in the Amish/Mennonite country in Indiana and even a small one I bought at Cracker Barrel! The three tiniest ones, including one that opens up, were gifts from Secret Santa exchanges. When my grandson Noah, now 6, was just starting to talk, he endearingly called the Santas "ho-hos." He still loves to tour all the decorations, pointing things out and winding up the music box (which plays I'll Be Home for Christmas) inside the "traveling Santa" who is loaded down with a pack of gifts and a rolling suitcase. One year, he was at our house after the Christmas decorations had been packed away. With a concerned look on his little face, he asked, "Ho-hos die?" I assured him they were napping in the garage until next year and opened a box to show him. My husband still refers to them as "ho-hos." In this year, when we have badly needed some Christmas cheer, I've enjoyed my Santa collection more than ever. Merry Christmas and a healthier New Year to everyone who reads this post. I love everything about the holidays. I adore family traditions like building a new gingerbread house, making and decorating gingerbread ornaments to give away, buying Advent calendars and having a cookie decorating party at Hannah's for the kids which ended with the plastic tablecloth covered in frosting, sugars and sprinkles. My grandson Noah, age 6, is beyond excited by it all.
When driving, I listen to either the all-day Christmas station, which mostly plays pop standards like Jingle Bells and All I Want for Christmas is You, or the classical station, whose play list includes beautiful orchestral arrangements and more traditional music. I've always loved the ancient carols, including Once in Royal David's City, The Coventry Carol, The Holly and the Ivy and I Wonder as I Wander. Then there are the spirituals such as Mary Did You Know, Rise Up Shepherd and Follow, and Go Tell it On the Mountain. My favorite carols are the ones in a minor key. They seem especially appropriate this Christmas with the physical and economic suffering, as well as the loss of life that has been with us since spring. Yesterday, we watched one of my favorite Christmas movies: The Family Stone. The five children of a college professor and his wife gather for Christmas, with the eldest son bringing his uptight girlfriend to meet everyone. While there are many hilarious and awkward moments, there's also an undercurrent of sadness. The mother of these young adults, played by Diane Keaton, has had breast cancer and she is once again sick, although not everyone knows. She stares disconsolately at a Christmas ornament and later marvels at the snow coming down, knowing that time is running out. When the family gathers the next Christmas, she is not there. There are two new grandchildren she will never know. I thought of all the thousands of families whose loved ones will not be with them this Christmas because of COVID-19, and the cruel reality that many will not even be able to gather and console each other. We are so fortunate that most of our family lives nearby (except Pete, who lives in Richmond, VA). We feel comfortable in our little "pod" and are extra careful about exposure to others., so we've all stayed healthy so far. My fervent Christmas wish is that the vaccine we will receive in the next few months will be effective and bring the pandemic to a halt or at least under control, that our economy will begin to recover and that next Christmas will be a happier one for our country. After resting up from my surgery of last week and advancing my diet from liquids to soft foods, I was able to enjoy at least some of the menu items from our Thanksgiving feast, especially the softer things like sweet potatoes. Alison and Hannah had chosen the menu from Whole Foods, including a turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy, cranberry sauce, as well as three delicious pies.
Since our decorations were already up, today I decided to help Hannah get her house in gear for the holidays. Reagan brought the boxes in from the garage and worked on assembling the 12-ft. tree that goes in the living room. He enjoys the process of assembling each section and "fluffing" the branches as he goes. With Hannah's help, the kids and I tackled the smaller lighted tree that goes on the landing outside their upstairs bedrooms. They loved unearthing all of their ornaments, including Disney-related, Paw Patrol and even a Black Panther one, which Noah pronounced "cute". There were some I had bought for them over the years and even a few from Hannah's childhood. Hannah and I got out the decorations she has for the hall table and put those in place. Then we did the fireplace mantel with their polar bear stocking holders, lighted garland and decorative branches. By this time, I had run out of gas and returned home to take a nap. If they still need help tomorrow, I'll be there. The kids are into Christmas in a big way, and joyfully unearthed their Elf on the Shelf dolls, named Darth Vader and Princess Leia. Their parents will find new hiding places for them each night and each morning, there are shrieks of happiness as the kids discover them in the Christmas tree, behind a wreath, in a bowl of candy or even in the freezer. Noah talks about Christmas on a daily basis and if he's getting whiny or disrespectful, all Mom has to do is mention calling Santa and he immediately reverts to good behavior! Tomorrow, I'll take them to choose a new ornament apiece as well as an Advent calendar to help count down the days. These years of Christmas magic are fleeting and we all want to take full advantage of the fun. I look forward to Christmas baking and planning a great menu for Christmas Eve. In these stressful times, I'll take all the fun and good times I can find. I think all of us have been yearning for something fun and inspiring these days. So today I made my cranberry chutney to accompany Thanksgiving dinner with the gang. Here's the recipe--easy to make and delicious with turkey, chicken or pork, it keeps for a long time in the fridge. Cranberry Chutney 1 bag of fresh cranberries 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 brown sugar 1 navel orange 1 lemon 1 Golden Delicious apple 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup raisins (or dried apricot or pear) 2 t. pumpkin pie spice (contains ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove) 1 T. balsamic vinegar 1/2 t. salt I cup cranberry or orange juice, if needed Place the cranberries and sugars in a large pot like a Dutch oven. Zest the orange and lemon, adding to the pot. Then cut a slice from the top and bottom of the orange. Go around the orange, cutting along the curve to remove the white pith. Do the same thing with the lemon. Chop the fruits, removing any seeds, and add to the pot. Peel the apple, cut in quarters and remove the core. Then dice in 1/4 pieces. Add all three fruits to the pot, along with any accumulated juice from the cutting board. Add dried fruit and the spices, stirring together. Simmer for about 30 minutes. The chutney will thicken, so you may want to add up to a cup of cranberry or orange juice. Stir in the balsamic vinegar. Put into a covered container and let rest for a day or two to marry the flavors. The oldest of our two gingerbread houses is looking pretty tired, so it will be trashed. Today I made two batches of heavy-duty gingerbread dough (recipe from an old Junior League cookbook), rolled them out in sheet pans, baked and cut out the pieces from a cardboard pattern. I used a round cutter to make "windows" to be backed with aluminum foil. Andy will help me assemble the pieces on a wooden base, using toothpicks for nails and some Elmer's white glue. The house will later be decorated with royal icing and lots of candies and cookies. It smells heavenly and will keep for several years if properly stored. On Saturday night, our family will gather to help us decorate our tree and get out my Santa collection. We need their help to bring the stuff in from the garage, move furniture and assemble the tree. Then it's pizza and salad for dinner. You may be wondering why I'm doing this all so early, besides doing fun things to relieve quarantine boredom. Very early on Thursday, I'll check into Baylor Hospital in Dallas for a second operation on my esophagus. The first attempt a year ago to clip off a pouch that causes trouble swallowing did not work. So they are trying another technique to staple it--hopefully by endoscopy. Unsure how I'll be feeling after a couple days in the hospital, I wanted to get a jump on the holidays and come home to a beautifully decorated house and Christmas tree. |
AuthorI'm Chris Barabasz, retired from a 35-year career managing communications for health care development (that's fundraising for you civilians). I'm a wife, mother, grandmother and freelance writer. My husband Andy and I moved from Delaware to Texas to be closer to our daughters and three adorable grandchildren. Archives
January 2024
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