An End To 2010

Not sure if I should cheer or be sad that 2010 is over.  It was a crazy kind of year.  But then, what year isn't, especially in this family.  Maybe if I look back on the past 12 months, considering highlights and lowlights, I'll be able to better assess the year.

The only problem is that now that I've turned 47, I can't remember ANYTHING!  Which is a problem.  Truly.  For example, 10 minutes ago, as Bill and I sat on the couch watching Monday Night Football (see, I can be a Good Wife some of the time ....), apparently he had told me not to move, because his plate of cheesecake with raspberry sauce was resting on my leg.  Either I wasn't paying attention, or, more likely, I did acknowledge his caution and then promptly forgot it, because ... yes, I moved my leg, whereupon the cheesecake -- and Very Red Raspberry Sauce -- went flying, and, well, I was reminded of how I can't remember anything and of how I largely disregard much of what is said to me.

Oh well.  Back to remembering 2010.

It was actually a Very Memorable Year.  On a very sad note, my Aunt Catherine died.  Still hard to believe, frankly.  My best friend's father also died from cancer, which I know she also still finds hard to believe.  And, it shouldn't have surprised us that our small practice is Not completely recession proof, causing us to struggled economically, like so many other small businesses did this past year.

On a happier note, though, Ethan had a great senior year.  His swim team won the State Championships, and he graduated from SJP and moved onto Boston College where he is excelling.  Will settled into Boston and Suffolk, found an apartment and roommates he loves, worked a variety of jobs, cut his finger in the Keon's kitchen, and got a mullet haircut to close out the year (don't worry, it's already cut; told him he had 24 hours to fix it or no Xmas gifts for him ... and he knew I wasn't kidding!).  Kristen went back and forth with jobs, settled further into life in Bellingham, and closed out her year by spending Christmas in Massachusetts with us!  Julia spent a last year at St. Michael's School, had the Best Camp Experience a child could ever have, and switched almost seemlessly into a new middle school.  Most importantly, Melissa had a Fabulous year, and Got Engaged!  (She told me I could tell people, and she knows the blog is always a possibility for news announcements!)  The Extremely Lucky Guy is Justin Symington, originally from Connecticut and most recently employed at the Island School in Eleuthra.  No details yet on date, location, and color of the bridesmaids dresses (though Julia did confirm almost immediately that she would be a bridesmaid).

As for me  ....  2010 was a Big Year.  Big because it was big for my kids, and Big because of that little 25th Reunion thing at PU.  We raised over $20K for two fantastic charities, and set up a charitable event (PURR) that will become an annual part of Reunions at PU -- no easy feat, and no pun intended.

Chinese class was also an interesting part of 2010.  I still don't know exactly how Julia did in class, but I'm thinking she did a bit better than me, which is Absolutely no surprise.  To fill you in on the details of how I did, let me share the email I received from Bonnie Cao, the instructor:

             Hi Catherine,  I know that you take the Chinese class for Julie and don't 

             care about the grade. You did very well in the final and got 58 out of 70. 

             You should be proud of yourself. You're so occupied with your job as 

              professional attorney + wife + busy mom with many kids + an owner 

             of 3 golden retrievers but you still managed to come to attend most of 

             the classes. I’m impressed with your strength and enjoyed your presence 

             and your humor in class.  I’m doing the grading now. After I added all 

             your points, it comes out a total of 72.4% (5% attendance + 9.4% quiz1

             + 58% final), which is C in grading. I don’t think it’s fair to grade you a C 

             since you missed the Quiz 2 (15%). I’d like to give you an “I” which mean 

            “Incomplete”, for I’m sure you can definitely get an A or B if you could 

             take the Quiz2, because you are a smart woman. Please let me know if that’s

             OK. I have to finish and submit students’ grading by tomorrow.

So funny on So many levels it's hard to know where to begin.  When was the last time any instructor ever asked the student if the grade given was OK?  This email was followed up by two more telling me that "Incomplete" actually meant I would have to take the course over for a grade, and a final one indicating to me that she had to follow college protocol and, sadly, give me a C.  Goodness Gracious.  I'm just happy I learned the Chinese words and characters  to say hello, thank you, could you please tell me the time, are you busy, and grandmother on the father's side.  Now if I only learned how to say "Oh My God!" and "Hys-f-ing-sterical!" then it would all have been More than memorable.  

As I close out 2010, let me share with you one additional tidbit I learned during the cultural portion of Chinese class.  It's that both Julia and I share the same Chinese Zodiac sign -- The Rabbit.  As luck (or misfortune, actually) would have it, the next Year of the Rabbit is ... 2011!  And, contrary to my long-held misconception, it's actually extremely Bad Luck for you to have the corresponding zodiac of the pending year.  In other words, if Julia and I aren't extremely careful -- or, if we don't wear some sort of jade talisman to ward of evil spirits -- 2011 could be a very unfortunate year for us.  Oh well, I'm not all that worried.  I have my jade talisman necklace on its way from Etsy.com, and I'm actually already looking forward to 2011.  It's gonna be Youxiu -- Excellent!

Why I Love Catholic School Boys

If this story doesn't make you tear up before the holidays, nothing will.  No doubt Catholic boys can also be rambunctious and disengaged, but the ones who decide to participate in the spirit and commitment of the community around them certainly become sons and husbands we can all be proud of.  Fabulous to know of small, good deeds around holiday time.  Click on this title:  Stories to Inspire.

Two EASY Holiday Recipes

Yes, we are obsessed with food.  We are not eating All of the time, but we love good food, and love cooking food that we consider good enough to splurge on, throwing calorie caution to the wind.  With this premise in mind, my sister phoned last week to tell me about a recipe she loved.  I've now made it twice, and have it on my Christmas menu.  The recipe is for Savory Parmesan Biscotti (click on the name to get there).  They are cheesy, buttery pieces of heavenly tasty crispy dough that go perfectly with a light hummus or white bean dip -- and even better with red wine.  Here's a small picture, to whet your appetite:

Sadly, I don't have a picture from my second suggested recipe, because all pieces were Devoured the other night before I got a chance to photograph it.  Who knew that my kids love Peppermint Bark?  I made it for the first time and they finished off a healthy portion, expecting a larger batch in time for Christmas.  Couldn't be easier to Melt/Microwave two bags of Girardelli Milk Chocolate chips, and spread them out on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil.  Over the milk chocolate, spread 1.5 bags melted Lindt White Chocolate chips.  Working quickly, sprinkle over the warm white chocolate one package of peppermint candy canes, crumbled.  Because my candy pieces were having trouble sticking, I then melted half a bar of Bittersweet Chocolate and drizzled it over the pan.  Sometimes mistakes look beautiful, and I would drizzle again even were I to get the candy pieces to stick!  Put the tray outside to harden, then break into pieces.  So easy, and Yummy.

For all wondering about Amaryllis, here's a picture of my potted beauties ready to bloom in time for the holiday:

All the pots are designated for recipients except for one that has a Long way to go before it blooms.  Maybe for someone on Valentine's Day?

And did you know we will have a total eclipse of the sun tonight/early tomorrow morning?  

We may not have snow here -- it's currently snowing on the Cape, and there's a couple of feet already in the mountains --  but there are plenty of other natural marvels to behold.  You know, like Dan Connolly, right guard for the NEPatriots, accomplishing the longest return by an offensive lineman in history!  Go Pats!

AND -- Congratulations to my niece, Bridget Sullivan, newly engaged!  Hooray!

P.S.  My resolution for the New Year may be to Not watch Regis and Kelly in the morning.  Yegawds, it's like crack cocaine; you just can't seem to tear yourself away even though you know it's terrible for you.

How Quickly Life Can Change

Not so much for me -- Thank God -- but for two local families who lost loved ones over the weekend.

In one case, a woman was struck and killed by a drunk driver.  In another, a father passed away after suffering a fatal heart attack.

Both deaths are made incredibly sadder by the facts surrounding them.

In the first case, the woman killed was only 30 years old.  A wife and aunt, she was at the State Police barracks in Andover, picking up an accident report for her husband.  As she walked to her car, where her mother was waiting in the circular driveway out front -- at 3:00 on a Saturday afternoon -- she was struck by a truck that veered completely off the road and into her.  In the weeks preceding her death, Cindy Ray had been getting her spare bedroom ready for her 3- and 5-year old nieces who would be staying with the Rays while their Marine parents were on deployment overseas.  The trickle down effects of her absence are palpable.

As for the drunk driver ... he is also a local resident, 50 years old, with four children.  He has never been in trouble with police, has no record whatsoever, and couldn't recall striking anyone/anything when eventually stopped by police, though he did admit to having a few beers at a friend's house.  Three of Robert Bryant's four children are in college, and his wife attended his arraignment where the judge reduced his bail from the requested $100,000 to $50,000.  Here's a link to the article with details:  Drunk Driving Tragedy.

I had a conversation with Ethan a few weeks ago when he called on his way home from a weekend retreat in Newport, RI with other students from BC.  He told me that he didn't have much to say when asked to speak to the group about facing and surmounting difficulties in his life, but he was completely stunned by several of his classmates, whom he said appear highly functioning on the outside, carrying on as if nothing were wrong, but who have immense emotional baggage and difficulties to deal with every day.  One student has a mentally ill mother, while another is afraid to go home for the holidays because her father is an alcoholic and she doesn't know what will happen when she gets home.  I can't imagine what the Bryant children will face when they return home from college for the holidays.  All their lives are changed forever.  I hope all my children will make a promise to themselves to never get in the car after they've had a drink, to always have a designated driver -- or call  me -- even if it's the middle of a Saturday afternoon.

The other death is of a once close friend, former State Trooper Major Bob Laprel.  Two of Bob and Mary's children are the same ages as Melissa and Kristen, and were in the same classes through elementary school.  Bob suffered a fatal heart attack on Sunday morning and died at the hospital, at the age of 59.  He had four children, two grandchildren, and was the much admired and respected patriarch of his family.  He was also a BC grad, an avid historian, a runner, and one of the nicest and most genuine people you would ever hope to be around.  A mutual friend told Bill of his passing, further informing Bill that one of the reasons Bob became an avid runner was because  his own father had died too young from a fatal heart attack.  Bob's death hit Very close to home, for Many, Many reasons. We were lucky to be considered friends of his.  Here is the article in the local paper about him:  Bob Laprel.

So ..... If these stories aren't proof that you Can't put off Living, I'm not sure what is.  We all consider ourselves lucky not to be suffering from cancer, or any other debilitating and/or fatal illness.  Most of us don't  think about how lucky we are to Not be at the wrong place at the wrong time, though; it's just not how we carry ourselves through the day.  Perhaps we can make more of an effort to start thinking affirmatively, to Not put things off, to seize the moment, and to Engage in the crazy world around us.  In other words, time to get my ass up off this bench and get on with it!

Holiday Dinner Party Menu

I'm always looking for a menu that inspires me, and will inspire my guests.  It's not always easy to bring together meat/fish/veggie/starch in a complementary and memorable way.  Along with this challenge, nothing puts me more in the spirit of the holidays than sharing delicious food and wine with friends.  One of my favorite meals all year is our annual New Year's dinner, which is a foodie feast for the senses.  This year I won't be cooking dinner, so I'll have to find culinary satisfaction on other date ... like tonight!  I usually break in new recipes on friends, but this time I decided to go with a couple of recipes I've used before, and a dessert I haven't.  Bon Appetit!

Here's the menu and links to the recipes, with hopefully helpful comments.

First course:  Arugula Salad with Roasted Pears Stuffed with Gorgonzola    I covered a medium-sized platter with baby arugula and baby spinach, then sprinkled the extras from the recipe -- toasted chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, and crumbled blue cheese -- on top of the greens.  I then squeezed half a lemon over the greens, and drizzled about 3 tablespoons of olive oil.  Placed the cooked pears on top of the greens, and let guests scoop their own Pear-fect salad.  A Big hit; will definitely make again.  Beautiful and delicious.

Main course:  Rack of Lamb with Dijon Rosemary Crust, Roasted Baby Carrots with Brown Sugar Ginger Butter, and Lobster Macaroni and Cheese.  I put together the ingredients for the crust hours ahead of dinner, then prepared the racks and let them sit out at room temp before my guests arrived.  Into the oven at the same time as the carrots, and 25 minutes later both entree and veggie side were cooked Perfectly.  Bill couldn't Believe the racks came out juicy, with pink centers, without a thermometer.  The racks really were a smashing success, only to be upstaged by the Lobster Mac n Cheese, which every guest wanted the recipe for.  It takes a bit of time to make the stock from the lobster shells, but I'm convinced this step is what makes the dish so unique and delicious.  I added about 1/2 pound extra of lobster meat, and upped the pasta to a whole pound.  Everyone had seconds, and there are still some leftovers for tonight.  As for the carrots ... no recipe necessary.  I purchased organic carrots with their tops attached; peel the carrots and chop off the tops.  Place carrots on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for approx. 25 minutes.  Mix together 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, 3 Tbsp. brown sugar, and 1 tsp. ground ginger.  Pour over the carrots and serve on the platter with the Racks.  (I slice the racks in half, with approx. 3-4 ribs to each piece, for guests to then slice themselves).

Dessert:  Honey Ricotta Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce.  Growing up in an Italian household, there was always Ricotta Pie on the table at holidays.  I used to love it, but as I got older it seemed to get too sweet for my tastes, and I wasn't a big fan of the grainy consistency.  Well, this recipe (kudos to Giada DeLaurentis) completely knocks out the traditional Ricotta Pie.  It was probably the creamiest cheesecake I've ever had.  It was also super light, which is nice after entrees like Rack of Lamb and Lobster Mac n Cheese.  You could easily taste the ricotta, and it was Extremely easy to make.  I didn't cook it in a water bath, because I've had mixed results with that process, and as a result the top did split.  Didn't matter, though, because I plated the dessert in the kitchen and then served it individually, so no split was evident to my guests.  Another keeper, and most likely on the menu for Christmas Dinner.

My Entire House Looks Like A Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

I don't know how to explain it.  For some reason, this year  my Christmas decorating is simply not coming together in any meaningful way.  In fact, forget meaningful; at this point I'd settle for predictable or "nice".  Instead, nothing seems to be coming together, and all the holiday decorations seem thrown onto the wall and mantles as if they were some toddlers' finger paint landscapes.

Take the outside lights.  Please.  We've gone around the bend this year with multi-colored lights and blinking snowflakes.  Of course, we only have the multi-colored because the store ran out of the correct brand in single colors.   And we didn't have enough to go very high on the branches, so the front yard tree actually looks like a fat, squat Russian nesting doll on the Las Vegas strip.  When I think about going higher with the lights, though, I'm quickly reminded that I can't sit on the toilet without pain because .... when I was climbing the tree to put on the lights, my left thigh landed heavily on several patches of the 1/2-inch stubs of twigs sticking out of the main branch, causing a bruise to the underside of my thigh that looks like a red, purple and blue stained glass platter.

The living room mantle is in desperate need of help.  The wreath is up and looking good, if a little like Caesar's gold olive-leaf crown is missing.  The garland and angels that are guarding over the gold wreath, though, just aren't doing it for me.   My decorating instincts can't be confirmed by anyone in the house, though, because in true husband fashion, when asked for his opinion on the decorations, Bill answers, "If you like them, I like them."  And, as if to prove that I raised my son perfectly, ready to become a good and supportive husband, when I ask William for his opinion on the decorations, he answers, "They look good.  I like whatever you like."  Lord help us. Only Julia has the courage to say, "I'm not sure."

While I try to change up the mantle decorations every year, we are very much traditionalists when it comes to the tree.  We kick off  "Putting Up The Tree"  by saving our tree purchase for the coldest day of the season.  That way, when we get to the lot, there's no debate allowed since it's 33 degrees and windy and we have no hats or mittens.  This year, unfortunately, the tree that looked good on the lot actually looks a bit thin and not exactly as full and wide as we thought when we got it home.  Perhaps the tears in our eyes from the cold blurred our vision?  Of course, we have to "let the branches fall a bit," before Bill puts the lights on (sadly, Julia actually did believe he was going to put the lights on during the football game ... silly girl).  The tree does smell nice, though, and after 18 years, we have finally figured out how to buy a tree that's the right height without having to trim two feet off the top.  As for actually decorating the tree, there's simply no time.  Our days and nights are booked solid, at least until Saturday morning.  Doubtful we can hold Julia off until then, but I'm leaving that to Bill The Lights Guy.

The only glimmer of hope I have for some fairly attractive decorations are the potted amaryllis plants that will head out the door as Christmas presents.  I'm sure I haven't told Chasing Shade readers This Year's Best Idea For Christmas yet.  It won't help you now -- typical of this blog, I know -- but it Will definitely help you next year.  Here it is:  In late October, as soon as I saw them in the market, I purchased seven Amaryllis "sets" for  .... wait for it ... $5 EACH! ..... to give as teachers' gifts and hostess gifts throughout the holidays. The $5 set includes the amaryllis bulb, double pots and dirt.  I planted them at Halloween, and they should be almost blooming by Christmas.  I also purchased some ribbon and Rust-oleum Spray Paint for Plastic in Forest Green.  All total, the cost for the seven gifts came to $55, which is about the cost of one potted amaryllis from my favorite florist.  The best part of this idea is that there is No baking involved, No wine bottle gift bags involved, and No wondering the afternoon of the event about what to bring!  Score!  Next year I just have to remember to purchase about 10 of the sets, so I can keep some for myself to place strategically around my own house. ... you know, to compensate for the Other Decorations that I haven't quite figured out yet.

Stay tuned ....

P.S. And Tom Brady (you know, Thankful-ness...)

Yes!  Total and complete annihilation.  Now That's what I'm talking about.  45-3 Domination.

Of course, being a Boston sports fan, there is that well-recognized nagging awareness that at some point in the foreseeable future, We Will Lose to the Jets, and not in a pretty way.  Let's enjoy last night.