Tales of the Ordinary Days

The final product...details below I grew up in Iowa, the land of endless corn. Knee high by the Fourth of July; it was always in abundance. I loved this succulent indulgence since a small girl. Corn on the cob was prepared and available at every church picnic and summer family gathering. A side for the special family meals prepared by my mom. But she warned me against too much of a good thing. Mom often said "Don't eat too much. Remember, corn is what they fatten the pigs with." The phrase has stuck with me for life. But I still love corn. And I eat it. Just not too much. Memories of sweet corn not only includes biting into a juicy cob, but the less pleasurable job of shucking the corn. This was the part that we did not like. It was a task my brothers and I avoided, although not very successfully. Prior to a family gathering, we would sit on top of buckets in the back yard, shucking corn into garbage cans. The silks would stick and the husks would fly as we tore...

I sneeze when I'm full. I mean, I really sneeze. Like twelve times. The waitress will ask if I'm okay and many times I have to excuse myself to the restroom. It's embarrassing. But at age forty-five, although I have done this my entire life, I haven't figured it out. I continue to eat too much. And I continue to sneeze. I thought this was just a rare affliction until it was brought to my attention that my son, Ben, has the same problem. The last time we had a big, BIG, family dinner at the Outback, we both ended up in continual sneezes. He couldn't bear the thought of inheriting this unattractive trait, but he did. One would think that we would know to stop eating once the hint of a sniffle would come on. I am getting better. I did stop tonight after one sneeze following a fajita and a margarita. But a higher standard should be the expectation. I picture an assembly line with bells going off when capacity is reached. Shouldn't my sneezes be the same? On...

A shot on the ferry leaving Martha's Vineyard I met Cape Cod yesterday. And I like it. Quaint. Quiet. Historic. A natural beauty. It's lovely. I also tried a second version of clam chowder from a restaurant nestled on the water in Martha's Vineyard village of Edgartown. A different recipe, but just as good as the Black Pearl in Newport. We started the day with a ferry ride to visit this great island and finished it with a pleasant surprise awaiting in Chatham, Massachusetts. Today was a busy day showered with both spurts of sun and later with cloudy skies. I overdressed in jeans and flat boots, but was resourceful in finding a store selling cute green shorts and Reva flip-flops. Although the shorts ended up in a bag, the flip-flops replaced my boots. A very nice, warm spring day on the East Coast. We hear we may be missing "some weather" in the Midwest?? After a scenic drive up the coast and through the interesting coastal communities, we arrived at our ...

My new little lobster friend Today was a day full of seafood, mansions, and friends. After completing our work meetings at noon, Garrett and I went out to seek a luncheon feast on the "best" chowder. Per recommendations from the concierge and Omaha friends, we headed to The Black Pearl. We were not disappointed as the chowder with Westminster crackers held up to expectations. Next on our East Coast tourism list was the touring of Newport mansions. We started with the Breakers; which is the Vanderbilt mansion. We toured three mansions in total and were exhausted by the end. All came with audio tour guides and were incredibly interesting; both from a historical and biographical perspective. But rich people are a strange breed. Although it was all fascinating, it really made me miss my tulips in my own back yard. They are much better than the gold hog heads blazen on the Vanderbilt dining room ceiling (imported from France, mind you). It all felt quite sterile and ...

A mid-day walk on Thames Street Day two of my adventure was a day full of technology and a look into the future of healthcare. Did I mention that I love what I am doing? I LOVE what I'm doing. I haven't had this much fun in years. My professional growth is bubbling over and it feels great. Many have asked me if I have started my new job. I really don't know how to answer this question. There is a perception that I packed a box from Lutz and have now set up a new desk somewhere else in Omaha. Nope. That is not my new reality. No "About Schmidt" boxes of files. No family photos carefully unpacked on a neat new desk with IT set-ups awaiting me. No doubt I am working, but it feels more like a revolution. A grass roots effort. Building relationships. Solidifying partnerships. Doing the right things for the right reasons. A perfect match to my DNA. And I am having a ball. Two years ago over a glass of wine at Bonefish Grille, Garrett asked me what my perfect w...

A great seafood dinner in Newport First off, Happy Birthday to Ben Lane!! The big 17. Thank-you for letting me sing you the happy birthday song when I woke you up. Sorry that I failed again as a mother by not calling in to school and allowing you to miss your first class. I did not realize that every other good mother in the world did this on their child's birthday. I am hoping the $20 you find after school will make it all a distant memory. As for me, I forgot about the birthday boy being mad at me by the time I made it to the airport. My flight left by 10:10 and my adventure began. Garrett and I met with our flights adjoining in Chicago and then on to Providence. We rarely get to fly together, so this leg of our trip, in and of itself, was a treat. The Rhode Island temps are at 60 with the tiny state just starting to burst in blossoming color. Garrett was quick to point out the many tulips we saw surrounding the old houses and mansions. There were some pink beauti...

Yesterday was an ice cream day. And that doesn't mean that all was well in the world. A McDonald's ice cream cone can be clarity to an unclear day; calm to the restless. Basically if things aren't going right and wine isn't the answer, that ice cream cone will do the trick. Why not Dairy Queen, you ask? Because my fifty-four cent splurge (tax included) makes me feel even better. My parents shared this trick with me. On our many road trips, we would go out of our way to find a McDonald's with this inexpensive treat. A vanilla cone is a cone is a cone...just a lot less expensive from McDonald's. That cone was enjoyed over many great conversations with my parents. I think of them and smile when I follow their lead as a solo act; an indulgence I am happy they shared. Yesterday was also an ice cream day because of the awesome spring weather. With my sun roof open and shades on, I enjoyed my cone and a little drive. There was no purpose to my drive, other tha...

I love making goulash. Today was a goulash day. It's one of Zach's favorite foods. He was over to mow my lawn and asked the question "What's for lunch?" My response of goulash was a welcomed suggestion. The recipe is my mom's. I refer to her handwritten note each time I make it. This is why I love goulash. I love to read Mom's note with the specific instructions on preparing this concoction. The paper is stained and weathered and stored loosely in my Joy of Cooking cookbook (a gift from my mom). I love my old cookbooks with notes from grandmothers and aunts on favorite recipes. I have entire cookbooks that were typed on an old typewriter and bound. Most give credit to the cook. A favorite cookie from childhood can be found by locating my neighbor's name in the Remsen Oktoberfest recipe book published in the 70's. In this treasure are newspaper snippets and handwritten recipes tucked throughout it's pages. As I bo...