How hot is it?

Your GPS will only give you directions north.

I am not a winter person so the summer months are my favorite season...no large utility bill for heat as Mother Nature can take care of the task but with
temperatures close to triple-digit over the last few days I have become a reluctant user of AC. I have tried tricks like getting the house to just the right comfort level, closing doors, drawing blinds and then turning off the AC until my dog starts panting which is the signal to turn the AC back on for awhile.

My outdoor activity is limited but I enjoy the feel of the warm deck on my bare feet as I water my "pot" garden and delight in how the plants have responded to the heat and humidity with rapid growth. Yesterday, just for the fun of it, I decided to give my house a bath and hosed it down from top to bottom and like a little kid enjoyed the back spray.

My one worry with this heat is for the fledgling bird that still nests under my front porch canopy. I imagine that the heat up there must be intense but whenever I check his little head can be seen peaking from the nest.

The weather has also given the area some interesting cloud formations that seem to speak of heat as well.

No Strings Attached

No strings attached...sounds good...sounds too good to be true and it usually is too good to be true. This is the case when those words are applied to a relationship.. We all want something from a relationship so that in itself means there are strings. What are these "strings"?

Love - Well, lets face it, a relationship without love, is kind of abysmal.
Romance - Romance adds the butterflies in the stomach, even to regular activities.
Respect - If two people don't respect each other, co-existence is near impossible.
Passion - Having passion in a relationship is like having salt in a recipe. Without it, there will be color, but no taste.
Empathy - Empathy is very important in a relationship. Lack of empathy would render the relationship abusive.
Understanding - It is important to be able to understand each other. It is through understanding that a connection develops, and respect and love can be discovered.
Acceptance - If you are in a relationship with a person, you need to accept him/her for what he/she is. If you have it in the back of your mind that you will eventually change him, then the relationship will not work out.
Friendship - Basically, in a relationship, you need to be able to laugh at each other, cry with each other and yell at each other. Who better to do that than a friend?

Winter Solistice

This year the winter solstice (shorted day/longest night) will occur on 12/21 at 23:38 GMT. It last for just a moment but is celebrated as the turning point from autumn to winter.  In reality it is simply the point in time when the earth's  tilt is the furthest from the sun. In some areas of the world this does not bring the winter season as the begining  and ending of a season has no basis in science but is determined by the cultural calendar. In some cultures, winter begins on Novemeber 1 and spring takes over on February 1. In my world winter begins on December 21/22  and ends on March 21/22 even if Mother Nature tries to spread her love of cold and snow to two other seasons.

Stop The Walker Power Grab!

Reversible Skirt...A Memoir by Laura McHale Holland

The author has put forth a gripping tale of her family history. When Laura was a toddler, her mother, Mary Agnes, committed suicide. Her father, in order to keep his family together, remarries quickly, bringing the new wife home and telling his three young daughters simply that this is their mother. The confusion in the minds of these young girls is exacerbated by the unthinking cruelty of their "mother". The reader is drawn into the story as along with the children, you look for some reason behind all that is happening and keep hoping that there will be a fairy-tale ending to this wicked stepmother tale.

Havasu Means Blue Water by Ivory Simone

I recently read the above book by Ms Simone. The story is an interesting tale centered around a young woman's work on her Master's Thesis and the topic of which is centered around the death by mob of a young black woman. (The character refers to it as a lynching but as the story relates it is an actual shooting that causes the death.)I was intrigued by the beginning of the story which is set in a school and our "heroine" is a teacher who encounters a troubled and troubling student but then the reader is thrown to another setting for the character. This erratic style of story telling makes one prone to setting the book aside often but if one can continue to read a story does finally evolve that is worth reading.

Friends With Benefits

Recently two of my Facebook friends used the term "friends with benefits". There is a current usage of this term that has a sexual connotation but I started thinking about the people that I have met over the years and those that became friends were a direct result of the "benefits" that we could offer each other.

Studies have shown that people with friends are more likely to survive a serious illness than those without friends. Stress is more manageable when you can talk to friends. People who interact with others, face to face, by phone, mail/e-mail, via social networks tend to live longer and healthier lives.

A good friend is more likely to point out health concerns and persuade you to seek medical assistance when you might be reluctant. Friends can help you kick bad habits, maintain that diet, get exercise, and get involved in other activities that keep you young at heart. Research has shown that having a diverse group of friends can boost resistance to many viral infections.

Loneliness feeds on itself. The more you stay by yourself the more anxious one becomes in social settings. This is a major issue among the elderly who have outlived many of those that were close to them. Losing ones spouse/partner after retiring and relocating can be more difficult when there are not friend to turn to for comfort and for providing the encouragement needed to get back into living your life.

It is important to maintain or renew contact with friends/family who can serve as links to your own history.

Friends can make us laugh when we are feeling low.They can give us courage when facing a life changing decision. Friends can make us feel invincible to life's blows and enable to see them as temporary setbacks.

Friends can give us the confidence to dream and to strive toward making those dreams reality. Friends lighten our day with humor. Give us honest answers to tough questions about ourselves. Friends give us a shoulder to lean on when needed, help us to dry our tears. We can share embarrassing secrets with our friends.

So do I have friends with benefits? The answer is yes!

PETITION: 250,000 strong to tell Boehner and Republicans not to end Medicare

PETITION: 250,000 strong to tell Boehner and Republicans not to end Medicare: "PETITION: 250,000 strong to tell Boehner and Republicans not to end Medicare: http://dccc.org/medicare"

To Daddy

To Daddy

In Memory of Johnnie Bailey Anderson Allen

Every year since 1988, when Memorial weekend rolls around, I remember the day my mother died. It was a beautiful day, one of those rare Memorial Days when the weather was being kind to us. I was at home with the kids (Jan had gone up north to help his brother with something) and we were planning to walk down to the lakefront and then do some grilling in the evening. The phone rang and it was my sister with the news that Mom had suffered a massive coronary and died. I remember not shedding a single tear but going about the routine, calling Jan to arrange for him to come home for the kids. He told me he could not come home as he still had things to do for his brother...and still I did not weep.

I made calls to the library to get the full text of a poem that ,the summer before, my mother had said she would like read at her funeral. I went on the outing with the kids and then when we got home I told them what had happened and that I would be gone for a few days.

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush.
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

All of the kids from Wisconsin rode down together, doing some bonding as we made the journey, sharing memories and laughter. We all did our part in easing things for my father who had lost his best friend, his soul mate. I remember sharing laughter with him when he came upon my brother and I trying to get my mother's ashes into the urn that we had purchased and his comment of "Okay Johnnie, you said you wanted to fit into a size smaller." Along with my father, I met with the minister prior to the service and talked about what music she had wanted, told him of the reading of the poem at the cemetery, etc. As is inevitable there was some tension among siblings but we made it through it all. The poem was read while her ashes were scattered.

And still I had not shed a tear.

Afterwards we gathered with family and friends and talked about our memories of her. Everyone had wonderful memories of her as she was just that kind of person. And still no tears were shed.

About six weeks later, I was at home preparing a meal for the kids when I thought of a question that I should ask my mother and it struck me that she was not there to reply. I became angry, cursed her for leaving, then collapsed onto the kitchen floor in tears. This is where my kids found me and asked why I was crying. I replied, "because my mother died." and one by one they knelt down and put their arms around me, telling me that it would be okay. And with that I knew that she was still there and that had been her answer. She would always be there for me.

Time Has Flown

I can hardly believe that it is almost June. The spring was a typical Wisconsin spring with cold, snow, rain, heat, cold, rain, rain, rain...my spring flowers bloomed and quickly faded away.

Madison was an exciting place to be this spring and it looks as if things will continue to be so through the summer.Each week brings with it another underhanded move by our "beloved" governor that keeps the pot boiling for all the activist of both parties as well as the independents.

In addition to the political events summer brings with it all sorts of neighborhood events, Concert on Square, etc that make living here so much fun.

Second Opinion

Recently I did a review of a children's book call Dream and I had not given it the best of reviews. However, I recently received a hard copy of the book and my four year old grandson was visiting and saw the book. He asked me to read it with him and as we went through the story he asked questions and expanded on the idea of each page as we went along. So not only did the book hold his attention this time but it encouraged him to think about the concept of doing things that might seem impossible.

Voting

Once again we have controversial election with late votes showing up. Now I do not think that this was fabricated votes but one must wonder about the process when over 7000 votes can simply get "misplaced" because of the counting/reporting process that was put in place.

I would like to see the voting process become more simplified and modernized.
Register to vote and enroll using your SS# and set up double passwords.
On election day, you have the choice of casting your vote from any location where you have secure internet access. Municipality would provide access via city hall, schools, libraries, etc. Votes would be tallied instantly.

The Time Is Now For Change

It is election day and for the most part April elections are pretty quiet. This year, however, there has been an outpouring of discussion about every elected position that is up for a vote. Back in November 2010, people voted for what they thought was going to be positive change, forcing bi-partisan cooperation in Washington and locally. This did not happen and now people are ready to re-group and make some more changes.

Virtual Choir

Naked Apple Pie

This is a real easy dessert and can be "thrown" together at the last minute. I like to use a real tart and juicy apples for this recipe.

Beat 1 egg in medium bowl. Add:
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 c. flour, sifted with 1 t. baking powder
2 medium apples, pared, cored and chopped
1 c. pecans or walnuts
Spread into well greased 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas

8 large flour tortillas

1 Can Cream of Celery Soup

1 Cup sour cream

1 Small Can Chopped Green Chilies

3 Chicken Breasts, cooked and chopped

1 Small Can Sliced Ripe Olives

8 Oz. Grated Cheddar Cheese

3 or 4 Scallions, chopped

Mix soup, sour cream, and chilies. Spread about 1/8 of this mixture over the tortillas. Add some chicken, cheese, olives and onions. Roll up and place in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheese, onions and scallions. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Greek Turkey Burgers

 Recently I started going through my large collection of recipe clippings, trying to put them into some sort of organization. I have several ring binders with clear plastic page protectors and have organized many of my clippings using this method. However, step two was to actually go through and discard duplicates and recipes, that while interesting, are  not likely to make it onto any of my menu planning. Then there was the "To Do" list of recipes that I would like to try in the near future. I have decided to add at least one new recipe to my meal planning each week and to post the most successful on the blog. Here is recipe #1:

Greek Turkey Burgers

1 pound ground turkey breast meat

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 tablespoons nonfat sour cream

4 pita bread rounds

1 small cucumber peeled and diced

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Prepare grill according to manufacturer's instructions. Remove cooking rack from grill and spray with cooking spray.

In medium bowl, combine turkey, olives, parsley, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Shape into 4 burgers approximately 4 1/2 inches in diameter.

Grill burgers 5 minutes per side, until meat is no long pink in center. Spread 1 tablespoon sour cream on each pita.

Place cooked burger on bottom half of each pita and top evenly with cucumber and 1 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese. Fold over top half of pita and serve.

Serves 4.

Dream

I recently had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of a children's book Dream by Adam Montierth with illustrations by Adam Deveny. The message of the book fits with the motto I have had since high school, Never the difficult, Always the impossible. The book tells kids that anything is possible if you dream. Illustrations are colorful and catch the eye. At times the writing seems inconsistent with the age level of a picture book. I tried reading it to my 4-year old grandson and often found myself paraphrasing the author's words in order to redirect the attention back to the story.  However, the message did get across and spurred a conversation about what you can and can't do in life so all in all I would say that it is a good book.

Fight On Wisconsin

A budget that puts corporations before people? A state senator who calls police officers, firefighters and teachers fighting for their rights "slobs?" A state house closed to the public? Is this the Wisconsin we want?  I for one do not want this to be my Wisconsin. Walker was elected based on misleading, vague promises and now even those who had been among his supporters are waking up to the truth. If left unchecked, I fear that the once leader in progress state will become Wisconsin Incorporated as the big money backers take over our power plants, our prisons, our schools, and more and more of our farms.

 It is time for us to stand firm in our fight to win back the rights that have long been the building blocks of our states success. Give thanks to the 14 who stood in defiance of the Koch puppet.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_d592bfbc-4cfb-11e0-92e8-001cc4c03286.html