Crab...There Shoulda Been Eight!

Last night we had a wonderful dinner with some very special friends. It was our annual crab feed started many years ago by our friends, Barbara and Bill. Remember how I was telling you on Monday that Dave and Jim are best friends? Well, there use to be a third musketeer, and that was Bill. Those three were such a kick together and loved each other like brothers for many years. Long, very sad story, short...we lost Bill to cancer 5 years ago. Bill and Jim had been close friends since they were in Cub Scouts together and grew up on the same street.

Bill and Barbara started an annual crab feed to celebrate her birthday in January. It became a tradition, a bit of a sacred cow, to all of us and something we looked forward to every year. After Bill's passing we didn't have it for a few years. I think, although unspoken, we just couldn't. But the last three years we have been doing it again and it is wonderful. We never circle around the table without thinking of him and how much we miss him...there shoulda been eight last night! He is always with all of us in spirit.

Bill

The funny thing about the crab feed is if you are hosting you don't cook anything. You just go get the crab and get the house ready. So the first thing I wanted to do was put a little spring in the house and get the Valentine's Day mantel put away. I didn't do too much because it seems way to early for Easter so..this is what I did.

The mantel rebirth...

I put this hemi-sectioned bird cage up. It is really a neat spring accessory. It actually can be hung on the wall as the back side is flat but I decided to just set it on the mantel with some candles.

A Spring Rabbit...too old to be a bunny!

I got out my old stuffed rabbit that we have had for years and years and stuck him up there with a couple of little books, one of them is The Velveteen Rabbit. (The books should be straightened up a bit and not hanging over the edge. Lazy phot0graphy) These are the kind of photo botches that use to make me crazy, when taking photos for my portfolio of houses. The glass candle sticks needed some fat pillar candles but I didn't have any yet, so used these amber bejeweled votive cups...they worked in a pinch.

I love these little bird staring into the nest as if anticipating...

Voila!

I took down my apple green and berry wreath and put up the picture I like to use now until the fall. This is an original water color that I bought at Goodwill for $35.00 one year. I treasure it! It is the best thrift store item I have ever found. So that was all I did to the dining room decor to get ready. It is looking a little more springy and didn't take much time at all.

Next order of the day...selecting the china, etc...

These dishes Jim and I have had for years. He has always calls them our presidential dishes. I renamed them our Mount Royal dishes because this same pattern was used in the mini-series North and South by the Main family, the Mount Royal Plantation owners.

I usually use black napkins and stemware.

They have this touch of lavender in them so I arranged these flowers to go with them. I am no flower arranger (Maureen don't look too closely), but I wanted something that was low enough so you didn't have to remove it during dinner. I didn't have a short vase so I used a cut crystal biscuit jar someone gave us. It worked just great and what else can you use a biscuit jar for anyway?

Thank heavens for baby's breath that
helps hold the flowers in place.

This shot is for Nellie since she had one
of a candle through a glass on
Tablescape Tuesday this past week..

Friday evening arrived and the guests came with their contributions to the dinner...

Lee and Dave brought the most gigantic,
delicious artichokes and the very best
lemons we have ever tasted.

Stacey and Rob brought this incredible wonton, green salad with grapes, peanuts and all kinds of other wonderful salad ingredients.

And Barbara brought crunchy French Bread, Mud Pie and a beautiful fruit torte. Somehow I missed a photo of all that. Oh yes, now I remember... She and Lee were serving the dessert while I was lazing around, chatting with Stacey! I am so bad...Sorry Barb and Lee!

The funny part about this whole dinner party thing is that the once the food and people gather around and all the food comes out on the table you could have used paper plates. No one really notices and you just sit back and enjoy your good friends, and the food and forget about the rest.

It has served its purpose by then; setting a nice, welcoming mood for the real event, and letting me fool around with the part I love best. This dinner could not be more perfect for me. My comfort zone personified...the decor and buying the crab, and Jim unwrapping it and throwing it in a bowl. Perfect.. and that crab is the best fast food on the earth, by the way!

So once we are ready to eat all the mismatched dishes for crab shells etc. emerge and we try to find a spot for everything. As you can see, Jim even brought the melted butter to the table in a pan. Yikes..oh well. As I told him earlier, when we were getting ready, he could have worn his PJs to the dinner. These are those kind of friends...like family, where you can just relax and be yourself.

Lee, David, Rob and Stacey!


The friends..Lee, David, Rob, Stacey, Barbara,
Jim's empty chair and me.
Poor Jim I forgot to get his photo during dinner.


Barb

Lee and Dave

Stacey and Rob
The young'uns of the bunch

I hope they all enjoyed the evening as much as we did.
Thanks for coming guys, and Bill, we missed you, as always!

One THOUSAND Three Hundred Steps~Give Away

Today is the one thousand three hundred and first time I have clicked on "New Post" on this blog. I use to wonder how people wrote an entire book about something that was three or four hundred pages long. Well, now I know. The answer is one day at a time. One thought at a time, one key stroke...slow and easy just like the tortoise as he plods along on his journey. I started this blog near Christmas of 2007 and so for the last three years I have posted nearly everyday.

The reason I started blogging was that I challenged some young adults in a Family History class I was teaching to try something new and add one aspect of family history of their choice, into their lives routinely. I chose blogging as my challenge and the rest is history. So many wonderful things have happened to me because of it. For one thing, I discovered I really can do something that I would have thought absolutely impossible three years ago! I have learned that believing is seeing, not the other way around.

Our Grandson Ross climbing~Follow Your Dreams!

Writing as a discipline has helped me to grow and know myself and my thoughts better than anything else I have ever done. It has helped me work through various situations and challenges just by organizing my thoughts and feelings. It has put some structure to that endless sea of thoughts swimming in my head, like a school of fish circling aimlessly in a big tank. It has become a favorite way to creatively pass time and to keep my mind alert and excited about the wonders of God's universe and all the beauty in living life.

It has given me gratitude and a keener awareness of how wonderful our life really is and how many blessings we enjoy continually, even in hard times. It has shown me how much fun we have in black and white. The mind can get foggy on those things and I envision myself reading all these wonderful adventures and reliving them when I am really old and all else fails.

It has helped me communicate with our children and grandchildren in a fun way. It is something they can choose to read or not... on their own time schedule. When I post on my blog I still feel like they are seeing my heart and that they can hear my voice whenever they want to. As I have said before, it is like I have left the backdoor open and the light on at home whenever they want to visit. I will never stop being their mom even if they are long gone from the old homestead. I have seen some moms kind of turn that off when the nest is empty...I am not one of them. My family stays in my mind and heart continually.

Blogging has taught me that one day at a time I can accomplish what I need and want to accomplish, if I just keep at it. I am learning to apply that to other aspects of my life with more confidence. And to know that, life is time...no matter how you spend it, God willing, you are going to be one year older on your birthday. By small and simple things great things are brought to pass.

Baby Steps, Just Keep Going,
Keeping it Up, Never Giving Up!

The surgeons I used to work for would say this, if asked how they could go to school until they were 30? "I knew I was going to be 30 regardless, so why not spend time making my future better and in the long run, easier...by getting a great education."

Spending time today engaging in a concerted effort to improve tomorrow makes sense to me. Applying that concept to all my goals has improved my life one day at a time in many areas. Who knew blogging could create that kind of change in person? Accounting for your life through writing is therapeutic. It makes you emotionally more healthy and centered, especially if you get real and share your true thoughts and feelings. If you don't want to do that in an open blog, do it in a private one.

You will be surprise at the bouquet planted
one seed at a time!

Blogging has also been so wonderful in terms of the fellowship with each of you. I have learned with you, cried with you, laughed with you and learned to love you through your posts, pictures and comments. Your kind words of encouragement and appreciation for some of the posts I have done have buoyed me up and made me keeping coming back for more. You have let me know you have found value in stopping by and that has meant so much to me.

My counter tells me I have had thousands of visits from over 64 countries. (Really?) Most of you remain anonymous to me. So this is what I was thinking....I am going to have a give away to commemorate 1301 posts and I want to meet more of you.

If you become "a Follower"I will enter your name into the drawing. To become a Follower go to my actual blog if you are on a reader. On the sidebar at the very top you will find the Followers gadget. Just click on Follow and follow the prompts. Easy. Then leave a comment saying that you are a follower. If you are already following, just let me know that in a comment as well.

Next Wednesday I'll choose a winner. I have no idea what the give away is yet but now I have a whole week to search for something awesome to say thank you for your friendship and support! I am so grateful for all of you! No matter where you live in the world your prize will be mailed next week. Good luck! And thank you all again for the lovely time it has been these past few years. And if you are just jumping on board for the first time, that is great too!

How Can I Thank You?

Today I received this comment from a sweet lady that doesn't blog but found my blog through her daughter and my friend, Shaun. Since I couldn't go to her blog to respond I am responding in this open letter to her.

This is what she sent me:

"Dear Bonnie: One of my favorite things is to read your blog daily. You are very multi-talented. I don't blog but there are a few blogs I love to read and yours is Numero UNO! Another of my favorite things is your husband's million-dollar smile in every one of his photos! He always has a happy countenance to go along with your own beautiful smile! Thank you for being a pleasant part of my days. --Dorothy--(Shaun's mom"

Dear Dorothy,

These roses are for you!

Do you have any idea how you have made my day by sending this message? This is a perfect example of how the Lord blesses us through the lives of others. You didn't have to reach out as you did, but I so appreciate your kind words. To be 'numero uno' in someone's book is a rare privilege and it makes me want to try harder to give you something great to read each day.

I know a lot of people read blogs and never comment and that's fine. But it is very heart-warming to have someone stop in and say hello and let you know you added something pleasant to their day. Thank you for going the extra mile!

Recently my good friend, Faye, gave a talk at a special fireside we have each year when the Stake President and his wife speak to us. Faye, spoke about how the little things that people do can make such a difference in the happiness and well-being of others. She sighted several instances where this had occurred in people's lives and the giver of the sweet, small thing had totally forgotten it over time, or had been totally unaware of the impact. But the receiver kept that treasured moment in their hearts and it changed them for the better.

So thank you, Dorothy, for doing that for me today. No wonder I just love your daughter, Shaun, so much, she has got a wonderful mom! Stay tuned to One Designing Woman, I'll work harder then ever, you've inspired me to keep at it.

Blessings to you, Dorothy, and Thank You again! I hope my friends will stop by and meet your beautiful Shaun. She has the cutest, most concise way of blogging and I think that is a real talent! And my Jim is going to love your comment about his big, happy smile!

Bonnie ♥ ♥ ♥

Traditions with People We Love

Over the years we have been so fortunate to meet and love many wonderful people, just as you have, I'm sure. Isn't it fun to have things you do together on an annual, monthly, or more frequent basis? I love the traditions we make with friends and family that strengthen our bonds and give us special time together. One of my favorites is going to church together with special friends. We have been members of our church now for over 30 years. During that time we have watched a generation of our kids grow up together and most now have families that are half grown themselves. I love that sense of community we have with these old and dear friends. I love the foundation of truly knowing each other and being there for each other through thick and thin. I love that we can count on seeing them every single week. To me this builds social security. We know where to find our friends and reconnect weekly at the least and sometimes more than once. I love that we are like a big bouquet, each brings something different and unique and enriching to the lives of the others. At the same time our common foundation makes us one.

Our friends we have had at work over the years have also been so good. There is something about working with people, day in and day out that bonds you in a special way. Love it! I think of those friends often even though I don't see them now, they remain a part of my life in other ways. All of the great people we know that come and go through various circumstances have had a good influence, have taught us something, and created good memories. I love that I have been able to connect with many of them on Facebook in the past year. I have been able to reconnect with the first best friend I ever had in my childhood. How remarkable is that? She just turned 60 something this week.

Jim met a very special, life long friend named Bill, when he was in cub scouts. Jim and Bill were neighbors, their parents were friends, Jim and I and Bill and Barbara have been great friends for over 37 years, then our kids all became friends and last summer the fifth generation could be found in our pool playing together in our backyard.

Did you ever try to take a photo of 5 kids in a pool?
I needed a video of this there is no such thing
as a still shot of 5 kids playing in a pool!

Barb's birthday is in January and our tradition for years has been we get together and have a crab feed. Bill knew that this was Barb's favorite way to celebrate her birthday and always made it happen. A few years ago we were all devastated when Bill was diagnosed with liver cancer and passed away. We had our last crab feed with our friends, Bill and Barbara, Lee and Dave, Stacey and Rob during the holidays just about 8 weeks before he died. Somehow after that, the tradition slipped away. It seemed too hard for all of us to think about that empty chair. But this year Barb was ready, so on the spur of the moment we did it Friday night. It was so wonderful to reinstate our tradition.

A sure sign the crab feed is back~
Plastic lined paper sacks for the
shells beside each person's place.
Not lovely, but so functional!

And for some reason it felt OK, it felt like Bill was right here with us again. I think we will be doing it from now on again. It was great fun and a wonderful new bonding experience. Love you guys!

Ahhh!

Saturday afternoon Jim went to Martinez to the rifle range to help our great nephew, Thomas celebrate his 14th birthday. Thomas gets to choose what he wants to do on his birthday and they have had some spectacular adventures over the years. This year turned out to be a totally "guy thing!" I was glad, I don't do guns! They had a great time and Jim's shoulder is not happy this morning!

Happy Birthday, Thomas!

As if that were not enough we got together at my brother Steve and Emily's house last night for a fabulous dinner and for sharing our travel experiences with each other this year with our cousins Bob and Beth, and our brother Gary and his wife Marilyn. We get together a few times a year and watch concerts together on the big screen of our favorite singers and groups, for the Super Bowl, and other times when it is just the 4 couples.

Nobody does Mexican food like Emily!

Delicious, Em!

We love that and it has become a great tradition. Last night we toured Germany, The Cheque Republic, Denmark, Sweden, and Italy. Oh, and don't let me forget Paris!! We also went skin diving near Porto Rico with Gary and Marilyn. (Good thing as that is the only way I would go!) With videos, and stills we shared a lot of fun experiences. We even had a video recording of Steve and Emily's a tour of Drachau. It was very interesting and sad and about as close as I think I could actually get to a concentration camp without losing it! Love you guys, it was a great evening and weekend in general!

And now here it is Sunday morning and time to get ready for church. Some days you just wake up and feel so thankful for all your sweet family and friends. Today is one of those days for me! If you are reading this, you are also my dear friend and just know that I love you too! Thank you for being the spice in our lives! Long live our time-honored traditions! Cheers!

Feasting in Mondragone

Salvatore and Rosa's lovely home.

One of the nicest things happened to us on the day before we left Italy to come home. We had met this really nice man at church who is good friends with Laura and Robert and the boys. Within the past few years Salvatore has married a lovely lady named Rosa. They are a really neat couple and love to have people over for dinner. Cooking is Rosa's forte.

They grow nearly everything they serve or make it from scratch and Laura and Robert were so excited that they invited all of us over for dinner. The kids had been over several times and knew we were in for a treat. This was an amazing experience and a crowning event in our trip.

When visiting another country what could be better than to walk into the home of some local residents and see how they live and entertain first hand? We were saying that if this were to be included on a tour, it would cost a fortune. But there are some things that money cannot buy and this was one of them.

We loved them before we even met them because they adore our kids and grandkids and for their willingness to do this for us, perfect strangers. It was so Christ-like for them to want to do this and the scripture..."I was a stranger and ye took me in" ran through my mind several times while we were there. What they prepared was a feast of love and selflessness, as much as it was a feast of authentic Italian cuisine.

Mondragone is a tiny town about 30 minutes from the autostrada. This is another thing that rarely happens on a tour. Getting off the freeway and seeing how and where people really live is a must. You just cannot get the real flavor of a country without it. We passed thought other little towns, orchards, vineyards~the real Italy and it was a delight. The way was not straight as it wound through hills and valleys into the belly of Italy. Rick Steves' books and videos "Europe Through the Backdoor" took on new meaning on this 2nd trip to Italy! You just cannot hit only the high spots and know where you have actually been. Also you will never know what you could have potentially learned from the broader experience.

Rosa, a little younger than Salvatore, has spent her entire life in Mondragone. She still owns the family home of her parents and grandparents just a few blocks from where she is now living. She still tills the earth and plants her garden there in that soil that has been her family's for generations. It is rather immense for one woman but, this is her life and her passion.

Laura and Robert wanted to help them pay for the meal but they wouldn't hear of it, so we decided to bring them a nice gift. One for Rosa, something for her kitchen and for her entertaining.

We found this beautiful divided dish and platter for her in Nove. She seems thrilled to have them! We also brought them some things they cannot get in Italy like Ben-Gay and Bayer Aspirin. What? The things we just take so for granted, folks, are real treasures to others around the world.

Rosa does not speak English and we of course, do not speak Italian. And yet we had a positively marvelous time with her in her kitchen learning how to make REAL Italian sausage. She made learning about what we were eating a big part of the meal and experience.

Laura does speak beautiful Italian although she says she just speaks a little. She says she speaks it well in certain areas of conversation like, church, buying cheese, getting gas, etc. But to us she sounded like a native and Grandma Gloria said she couldn't get over her perfect accent. And don't forget Ross, who is a natural and is always tutoring Laura on her pronunciation! Salvatore also speaks some English so between all that, Italian hand language and a real desire to communicate~we did fine.

Here is the chopped, not ground pork that Rosa started with and to it she added finely minced fennel, dried hot peppers and salt in perfect proportions. There may have been something else to but it escapes me at this time. Then she taught us how she tightly stuffs and then ties the sausages. Next she takes a sewing needle and pokes the sausages many, many times to remove the air from them.

First she showed us how and then let us do it also.

Gloria stuffing the casing

Laura tying the links

Perfecto!

Just a bowl of home grown garlic
on the counter in Rosa's Italian Kitchen!
Yum, the sweetest flower of Italy!

Salvatore then lit the barbecue and Rosa cooked the sausages outside. The aroma is beautifully indescribable~sorry, ya just had to be there! Their BBQ was interesting. You start a wood fire and let it roar. Then when it starts to form coals you shake them down from the fireplace grate and under the cooking grill. No briquettes in Carinara!

Italian women spend a lot of time
preparing their Delicious Food.
No short cuts for them, they take
great pride in what they serve.

While we waited for the sausage to cook she also showed us how she cooks Italian broccoli which is nothing like the broccoli we know. It is more like a somewhat bitter, green leafy, spinach type of vegetable and very good. While that was simmering we took a stroll through Salvatore's garden and orchard in the backyard.

Salvatore started his tour of the garden by telling us
his property use to look like this...
and pointed to his neighbor's yard!
Then he showed us his Paradise. :-)

Salvatore explaining his

garden and answering questions.

Everything is done with Tender Loving Care!

Robert is such a lover being self-sufficient
through home growing, etc..
I know he is teaching the boys something cool here.

Love these little boys who entertain
themselves while adults have their fun!

Check out the size of that warty looking lemon!

A special kind of lemon that is 100% edible.
Grandma Gloria loved this as she
is an avid gardener herself.

Salvatore teaching the boys how to
make a scallion stem into a whistle.

Roses are interspersed between

the veggies and fruit trees.

Part of the dessert for dinner

They proudly fly their Italian flag over
their little piece of heaven on earth. Laura said
they often fly an American one as well
when the they invite the kids over to visit!

The dinner was like nothing I had ever experienced before. Rosa had been cooking for days for us. She enjoyed the element of surprise as she went back and forth to the kitchen bringing out new dishes for us until we though we would pop. Seriously, I have never seen so much food at one meal. This beautiful large table is large for a reason...space is essential!

The olives were the most beautiful large olives I had ever seen.
I have never seen any this color before
with such brightness and beauty!

She served this pizza cold

And this focaccia bread stuffed with goodies
was amazing and also served cold.

She served the Italian sweet peppers
which are my absolute favorite! They are cooked
differently in the north and south
and both are delicious.

These are just the things I personally put on the table before the meal began. Two and a half hours later we had completed the meal. Literally...it is nearly impossible to eat for that long. I have been trying to figure out where she had all the food stashed that she brought out for us. The table also had that beautiful crusty Italian bread, big chunks of Parmesan cheese, home made salami and prosciutto, it was unbelievable! I cannot even remember it all.

The first course was 3 large stuffed manacotti with red sauce, then seared pork with carrot sauce and sauteed mushrooms and entire plate full and you are starting to get the picture, right? The next course was the sausage and the broccoli, the next course was a beef pot roast with a special red sauce. We were dying because she was the one to serve it all so you couldn't take just a little. And she was piling it on and it was delicious and over the top and I seriously did not eat until dinner the next night.

The sweetest thing was the way she gave it to us with all her heart and she and truly wanted us to enjoy every morsel with gusto. She would watch our faces when we tasted everything and say, "Buono?" Molto Buono!"

And yes, it was more than delicious and given with such love. And you could tell that Salvatore was just so proud of his wife as he beamed and ate all his food! How he did that, I am not really sure, but he did. And the other thing that made this day so special was that Spencer could eat everything Rosa prepared from her home made and home grown ingredients, with no fears. He had a wonderful time and that made us so happy.

It was a very blessed day and we will never forget it. These sweet strangers have now become cherished friends. We love you, Salvatore and Rosa! As we said "Grazie, Grazie"...and I can still hear them saying, "Prego, Prego, Prego!" "Ciao, Ciao!" echoing in my mind. Oh, and did I mention we went home with a carload of food and produce from the garden? Mamma Mia!