Feasting to welcome 2012

As always, we open the year with lots of food, fun and family. It has been (MY) our tradition to hold our Xmas party (although we had a good one Dec. 25th as we were all present and accounted for) on January 1st...because I know there are no lame excuses about having to be with an in law or out law....and that we can bring out our prayers and wishes for what we hope for in the coming months of the new year.
It has always been private..because ...it should.
But food wise.....hmm, we try to keep traditions alive. Food comes in form of Spanish fiesta party fare, the ubiquitous Cocido Espanol(puchero, pochero whatever one wants to call the dish) that boasts of a strip of pork belly, a small chicken and beef shank with the marrow staring out at you, some sliced chorizo de bilbao and then a medley of vegetables from cabbage, potatoes and carrots with the addition of garbanzos. Add to that a side of roasted eggplant salad, redolent with garlic, onions and olive oil (which I used to burn my fingers with stove top till I see the skins blacken and shrivel then the light bulb lit and I now use the danged broiler), a sauteed in garlic, spanish style tomato sauce (which should really be dumped into the broth). Daughter Bambi has gotten this down pat.
Truly a celebration of Plenty.
Then I ambition to make lengua with mushroom sauce and a Paella Valenciana complete with sea food, chicken , pork, chorizo and pinoy saffron with toppings of boiled eggs, green peas and pimiento strips. Two dishes I had to learn or rather teach myself to make otherwise....Cafe Babareeba would never be in my budget and all the others I have tasted are nowhere near authentic. Kylie has nailed the Filipino fruit salad to an anticipated wait each time we push her to make it. I bought a Virginia Ham over the summer...I massacred the first one I ever got from my Virginia cousin, so this time I hope I cook it right...making it almost hamonado with the pineapple juice and brown sugar might do the trick.
So far, that's the plan, let me see what happens next. abangan ang susunod na kabanata.

Hummingbird

Went to a party yesterday in a beautiful home. Walked with the owner and we complimented the beautiful garden, plants and flowers. He proudly showed a huge butterfly he snapped a picture of early that morning. And then he said he also had hummingbirds. I have never seen a hummingbird other than in pictures or tv. I look around so many times in hopes to see one but never in my 25 years here. So I said a little prayer, Lord if I could see a hummingbird then I know my prayers will be answered. Just a thought prayer sent out there.
Suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I saw a little creature flitting in and out of the bell shaped flowers. The it was gone. I saw a hummingbird!!!! But not close enough, still, a prayer answered was the sense of being I felt.
So we walked on and I didn't say anything because it was too far and too fast. As we neared the bellflower plant, with its attractive orange blossoms, I saw it again, it's as if God said, here, to prove to you I answer your prayers, here's an encore and sure enough there it was, the green little hummingbird hungrily sipping nectar and honey from each blossom,flitting in and out of each bell, disappearing into the flower and coming out heading to the next.After taking my quiet feel of the wonder of prayer, of the hummingbird, I shared with my companions that the little one was there. So we watched silently as little hummingbird took its fill of the abundant food until it flitted away into the dusky evening.
The impact of this leaves me in awe of the Lord, He listens and answers, even for what one may think is a trivial matter, seeing a hummingbird. But He answered to let me know that He is there should I need Him through this challenging times. That as we try to salvage an account we are losing, I can pray for His help. That with my wanting resources to open the MACC, He will hear my prayers. And most of all, to take care and blanket my family with His love and protection, He is there for me. Thank you Lord, thank you hummingbird for bringing me His message of love and hope.

Three Years, mom

How fast time flies and suddenly you've been gone 3 years. Yet each day I see you
in pictures and memories. Yesterday, the latest dream I had of you, I woke up happy and feeling your love, just like I did when I was a little girl. It was a darkly dream, but I felt your presence and the love. The happy loved feeling kept me going through out the day.
The kids miss you, I miss you.

So, my little vignette for this deathday anniversary: the enjoyment of spooks, occult, afterlife, horror movies, ghost stories, the macabre, not too many will believe that you actually exposed us to this since we can remember. My interest in vampires, led by the Drac, the Arthur Ford and Jane Roberts, behind the door, etc...plus (hey JB you have my collection) my books that have everything from ectoplasmic emanations and ghostly pics, getting scared of Fright Night and other REAL vampire and Hammer films, mom, this I owe to you.

Primanti Brothers maridel vs food

So after watching so many food shows on tv, here I was at the Primanti Brothers restaurant, filled to capacity due to the ballgame. No plates, just heavy duty wax paper for their 2nd most famous item on the menu (beer being number one), the heart attack cheese steak served on thick challah type bread with a vinegar based cole slaw and lots of fresh fries all piled up into the sandwich and a picture of the guy in Man vs Food hanging on the wall. Ok, so how does one eat this contraption? I ate the first half without a problem but tackling the second half was easier, took out the fries and the other half of the bread, there! But I was so stuffed that i was reeling...tums anyone?
I have to admit it was pretty good but......Chicago's Italian Beef still rocks, and maybe Max's of Chicago's gyros layered over cheese and burger on a giant bun still wins the award of heart attack burger.

ships passing in the night Baltimore-Washington DC

After a harrowing experience going through the GPS convoluted route of driving through
30th (kind of really notorious like Mission in LA) where gleeful son-in-law excitedly took cel photos of what the WIRE show features in their weekly grisly murder filled town, I finally bit the bullet for an acela two stop train as against a stop every stop local train. And there's this polite kid who also was a bit lost in his trying to get to the same place I was. And a lady who was traveling the same route so we tag teamed on the train. The kid is a Saudi high school senior taking advanced classes here to gear him towards what he may want to do for college. After making sure he got his return ticket at the amtrak counter, she and I ran for the blue line to transfer to the orange line, she to the Courthouse and me all the way to Vienna. And along the way she was excited to meet up with her cousin who finally,after two harrowing assignments to Afghanistan as press attache, they allowed him to come home and study some more and take the test to press attache in Milan, he deserves it after having to deal with the bind laden thingy. She trained in from Atlantic City. She and her hubby are celebrating 25 years this year but are hesitant to go to Europe because of anti american sentiments and I said, that will always be there, but the time is now to visit those places and hopefully cousin Rick will be in Milan, so remember to wear your Blahniks...or Ferragamos, so they won't know you're an ignorant American.hahahaha. And on that note we parted...another ship passing through the night and all they will remember is the Mrs. A part or cupcakes.

Ships passing in the night Pittsburgh

A comment made by daughter Bambi that I am so like my mom chatting up strangers....and so it is.
Dropped of the Bells on 6th and Pennsylvania as they walked their way across the bridge I decided not to drive off into the unknown and lose my way around the streets of Pittsburgh. So I parked and paid what $7???cheez, cheaper than Chicago. After randomly walking up and down the streets within the area in the steamy heat of a 99 degree summer afternoon, i decided to wait for a bus and do the GYN thing of getting on and letting the bus run to its end and come back hopefully on the same bus. But Pittsburgh and its many unknown to me bus lines and where they may lead made me wait for the casino bus after I realized that the couple I asked about the buses (who do not ride buses) had finished dining out and still saw me walking around stupidly. After an exchange of pleasantries, i waited and waited for the once an hour Saturday bus, looking at the Pittsburgh folks and telling myself they look the same as the Chicago folks, NOT, something about them told me there was a difference
So I finally got on the bus and asked for a round trip which the driver obliged giving me for 3.25 the little paper ticket. So off he drops me at the Rivers Casino. I got a free cup of coffee, scouted around for the food places, took a few pictures just so I can remember where I was. After losing ten bucks in the 25cent poker slots, i decided it was time to go. So i walked way out to the bus stop after chatting the security who told me many of their staff went to Chicago to open the new casino right by jaybee's. So I waited at this bus stop while listening to this man talking on the phone. So i asked when the bus was coming and he said they run every hour on a Saturday (oh great) but not to worry it it comes at 9:17 (ugh!!! until he said it was already 9:10, sigh) and I heard him say he was going to the Starbucks on 6th and Penn (yay, May I piggy back cuz that's where I have to meet my kids)...and then, you got a transfer? That doesn't work, it has to be used on another forward route but not on the same (oh no, another $3)oh well. So the bus comes and by this time, Gary has already told me about his collapsed veins on his legs and that he has had an operation putting a stent in and that his other leg was bloated (manas to us) and he was ready for another operation where he doesn't take days off because he has work in the casino as a walking supervisor...and that he was born and raised in Connecticut but has lived in Florida working casinos for the past 18 years. He had to come to Pittsburgh to care for a sick uncle who finally passed away and so he was giving himself a few more months before heading back to Florida. He missed being sent to Chicago for the new casino because he was only with the company 4 months and the requisite was 6 months. After fireworks and a bit more chitchat before Bambi, Sam and Daniel showed up, I bade Gary goodbye until the next time who knows when.

random thoughts travelling to DC

Sometimes I wish I weren't lazy and relying on fading memories and thoughts as i travel the countryside. So many rich and fertile thoughts run through my mind as i catch forests, hills and rivers richly abundantly lushly growing all around, mixed with thoughts of coconut trees and wafting breezes from salt sprayed beaches. I chose to be here, di ba? So from a flat landscape of the mid west, to the hilly ups and downs of Pennsylvania, I realize the scope of the thought...ang laki-laki ng Amerika, pare!r