Pileated!!!! Martin yelled out, “Pileated!” with an enthusiasm I only muster for a hot slice of pizza oozing cheese, sauce, and pepperoni the way my mom’s pizza did. But Martin is not your average guy. And we were not at a pizza joint. We were tromping around in the cold, gray drizzle of the North Hills of Pittsburgh counting birds for the Christmas Bird Count, something I didn’t…
It’s been tough getting into the Christmas spirit after recently losing Uncle Richard and my nephew Marc last December, but I’ve busied myself with walks, spending more money than I should, hosting friends, stressing out over whether I’ve gotten enough gifts for people, and non-stop baking. The worst thing about getting older and losing the elder in the family is realizing that elder post is now filled by…
Some blogs are easy to write and some have to be pulled out of you. This one is being pulled because with every word I write, I’m still in disbelief that Uncle Richard is gone. He passed away in the early hours of November 22nd. Although I knew it was coming because he’d been ill for several months, I held out hope he might make it through the…
Sorry I’m a little behind in posting the winner, it’s been a rough week, but more on that next blog post. The winner is…not me, or Anderson, who made it in for Thanksgiving. We were skunked by a seven-year-old, who won this year’s Annual Cutthroat Tunno Pumpkin Pie Competition. He even fluted the crust! It was my great-nephew Alessandro, who took the kids trophy last year. He got…
I’m finally getting around to doing all the traveling normal people do when they’re young, now that I’m in my 60s…and I’m loving it. I finally got to Washington D.C. and left with a serious appreciation for our country and the sacrifices of those who helped build it and those who fought and died to keep it free. I went with Carolyn, who can arrange a tour of…
A crisp breeze and golden, twirling leaves signal the end of summer here in Pennsylvania which thrills me. A person can legally only take so many clothes off in sweltering heat and humidity, but you can always put more on once it cools off. So fall is time for my favorite attire, turtlenecks and corduroy jackets. Most autumn days find me tromping through the woods, amazed at the…
Remember a post or two ago when I was whining about the Dove mini fiasco? About how I went maniacally through an entire box only to find one single mini that was chocolate inside? You, no doubt, also recall that, pushed to the point of no return, with a lot of time on my hands, and an appalling minimum of shame, I called customer service. The young man…
Who knew that one little change can take an ordinary vegetable like cauliflower from tasty to killer good? Apparently, my daughter did. She learns this stuff from other people’s food blogs and then tells me. The woman she currently likes is Carla Lalli Music and I can see why, she’s a great cook. At least I know my daughter got started on this food journey because of me,…
My mom’s handsome hero, Bob Barker passed away over the weekend. Someone posted that he lived as close to 100 without going over, which is dark, Price is Right humor. I think Mr. Barker would have probably chuckled at that. Thank you to all my friends who said they were thinking of me and my mom. I know I’ve posted, “Da Holy Hour,” many times now, but in…
Today, I sanded and painted like a madwoman. I have been doing this for months now because I moved into a condo that needed some work. I’ve painted five hardwood doors, first sanding them thoroughly, then putting four coats of paint on each side. That meant I also had to sand and paint each door frame. I just finished painting my living room and have now painted every…