Past Blogs

Americans used to have something called civic pride. Communities would come together to build new libraries, beautiful schools, parks and playgrounds and other civic improvements. Everybody would be uplifted. The common good was a phrase that all citizens understood, even if they called it “home town spirit”.

Those days have faded with the rise of greed, selfishness and a new definition of freedom. Freedom is now defined by many as “free to think only of myself”.

The lamentable Supreme Court decision, ironically named Citizens United, gave Democracy another serious blow as it ushered in a new age of plutocracy. The amount of free speech we get is now equal to the money we have. The wealthiest citizens and corporations (they are citizens now as well) tell us that others have more benefits than we have and promise to take those goodies away. Then the rich encourage us to hate those ‘others’, the ones who don’t look and act like us.

We will hang our flag this Fourth of July, but it will be with sadness. We will hang our flag because my Aunt was given the flag for her service as an army nurse in World War II. We will hang our flag for all those who fought for and believe in true freedom for all, the old fashioned kind of freedom that has civic duty as its partner. We will hang our flag in remembrance of our country’s great achievements, back in the days when we knew how to work together. And we will hang our flag in hope that America gets back its heart.

We designed our front yard to be eaten. Now with wings aflutter and holes in the leaves, the entire front of our house has become a giant cafeteria.

Years ago, I stood in a botanical garden surrounded by butterflies. The sign said that anyone could create this paradise by planting bird and butterfly friendly plants. Why would anyone plant any other kind I wondered? The only problem that I could foresee was that my husband and I are lousy gardeners.

We have been working on this project for sixteen years. Those who know us understand that our failures and mistakes have been monumental such as the fifty cone flower plants that all dropped dead for no apparent reason.

But we persevered, and things are finally coming together. Seven butterfly species were all gorging on nectar the other day and numerous birds including hummingbirds visit every day. Bees are everywhere, some are as big as jawbreakers.

Yesterday my husband captured a magical goldfinch moment. Click here to see and hear the party.

If I say “watermelon”, you might say “summer”.

In varying degrees, many of us favor different foods for different times of the year. My father-in-law was on the low end of seasonal eating. Fried meat, potatoes, beer and ice cream served him well year round. His only concession to season was fresh corn on the cob in August. On the other end of the spectrum, Japanese cooks not only  vary the foods with the times of the year, they also consider colors and tableware. One of the most memorable meals of my lifetime was a fall dinner I had in Japan. Squash soup and golden crab cakes on dishes of varied earth hues and a centerpiece of fall flowers, branches and leaves combined to created a total aura of autumn.

Summer is here, and my kitchen will become a summer kitchen. The baked potatoes , hearty soups and casseroles of winter will be on sabbatical. In their place will be dinner salads, stir frys, broiled open face sandwiches and picnics. Most of our summer meals are eaten outdoors on the deck, and I cannot imagine diving into a bubbling casserole of scalloped potatoes on a steamy summer evening.

Here is a quick, easy recipe that is perfect for a 90 degree night.

Corn and Avocado Dinner Salad

• 1 can Summer Crisp or Steam Crisp canned corn…(Purists would insist that this be cut off the cob which would be wonderful, but I refuse to feel any guilt about this shortcut.)
• 1 medium size avocado, diced
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
• Juice from 1 lime or equivalent Nellie and Joe’s Lime Juice
• Fresh chopped chives or onions to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Bacon crumbles for topping…turkey or soy bacon if you are not into pigs

Mix everything together, chill and head for the patio with some crispy French bread, fruit and wine. The recipe serves two generously and can be doubled or tripled with ease.

Bon Appetite!

I do not have a gambling gene in my body. I simply don’t get it. Why would anyone want to throw away perfectly good money for a one in a trillion chance to get rich? The math is shouting “NO” at me, and I’m listening.

The rare occasions when I have done any form of gambling stand out like red flags in my memory. In my entire life, I have put exactly two quarters in a slot machine. This was done under duress.

My husband, daughter, son-in-law and I were passing through Atlantic City on our way to Margate, New Jersey, to see Lucy, the historic, elephant shaped building. My family strongly suggested that I needed to have a once-in-a-lifetime slot machine experience. To be a good sport, I sadly bid my two quarters farewell.

I’ve been in Las Vegas on a number of occasions, always on my way to someplace else. I do agree with architect Robert Venturi that the city is a fascinating mirror of America’s pop culture and ephemeral architecture. However, remembering what happened to my two quarters in New Jersey, I do not feel compelled to make a financial contribution to pay for all the neon and ticky tacky architecture.

The gambling industry is working hard to make all of us use the word “gaming” to refer to their lucrative rip off of the masses. I think that the nice sounding word “gaming” should only refer to using Monopoly money in a board game. “Gambling” occurs when the real stuff goes away.

I am not a believer in self-help books. Although the bookstore shelves are brimming with them, I believe their true purpose is to make canny authors rich.

The main focus of all these tomes is identical….read the book and you will know yourself, find yourself and then fall madly in love with yourself. Narcissists rejoice!

I am, however, in favor of  self awareness, and I would recommend a delightfully whimsical children’s book from 1975 as the ultimate guide to personal understanding.

Written by Remy Charlip and Lilian Moore, Hooray For Me! is 32 pages of creative self exploration. It starts with the obvious:

• I am my mother’s and father’s daughter.
• I am my cousin’s cousin.
• I am my aunt’s niece.

Then, as the pages unfold, less thought about identities are revealed:

• I’m my dream’s dreamer.
• I’m my shadow’s body.
• I’m my family’s dishwasher.

For a lovely exercise in creative writing, put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and discover your multiple identities. I bet you will be exhilarated by your many roles and a bit overwhelmed at all you do.

Note to lovers of children’s books…Caldecott winner Vera B. Williams made her illustrating debut in Hooray For Me! In addition, Brian Selznick, a fan of Remy Charlip, dedicated The Invention of Hugo Cabret to him. Mr. Selznick also asked Remy to pose as Georges Melies in his book and he agreed.