A Blue Sky Saturday Morning

The Girls On A Late Afternoon Hike

A Red Tailed Hawk, Looking For Breakfast

First one up at 6:20, came down, turned on the coffee, the latte maker and settled in for another leisurely morning here in Darien.  It's still chilly here, 14º at the moment, getting almost to the 30's by mid afternoon but we may and I stress may have seen the last of the sub zero temperatures.  Not so in Chautauqua which is nine below at the moment.  It's now 7:40 and Rami is up, working in his den but everyone else is still asleep which is great as Marisa needs it and she has a sleep over tonight.

Not much exciting happened yesterday morning, just the usual, a long coffee after taking the kids to school or their bus.  Beth was off at a workshop at 9:00 and Rami was working from home again.  He can close himself off in his office so as to not be disturbed by us which is nice for him and us.  It was another cold morning but I managed to get in a walk with Cody around 10:30.  Evie just potsed around, picking up after the grand kids, a daily chore.  I can remember those days with our kids, and when I was their age.  It seemed silly to pick up your clothes when you knew your mom would do it. That is until I read Mrs Piggle Wiggle, one of my favorite childhood books.  She had the remedy for this sort of thing, counseling the mom's to let the kids' rooms alone until the they could not exit their room and had to be fed through the upstairs windows.  I always liked that story but it made no difference in my messy room. We read Mrs. Piggle Wiggle to both our kids and grandchildren, and they loved it as well.

 Interestingly, the New York Times just had an article about the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books entitled "Mrs Piggle Wiggle, Still Rescuing Parents".  The article can be found at the following address:    http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/19/the-magical-morality-of-mrs-piggle-wiggle/

Posing For Granny

I also spent a good part of the morning watching the Cavs/Golden State NBA game which I DVRed, one in which the Cavs won convincingly, proving that they have the potential to get to the NBA finals.  Beth returned home at noon and we all had a lunch of schnitzel sandwiches on good bread, with mayo of course and tomatoes.  We all watched another episode of House of Card and felt guilty watching a TV program in the middle of the day.  I then read on my Kindle, took a short nap and Marisa and Mitch were home by 2:30.  Evie had made corn chowder for Marisa, a soup favorite from summers in Chautauqua, so she had two bowls for a snack.  We then talked both Beth and Marisa into going for a hike in a nearby Selleck & Dunlap Woods Nature Preserve, interestingly a stone's throw from Trader Joe's.  We were the only ones on the trail perhaps because it was icy, making it difficult to walk without fear of falling.  We managed however and Marisa loved bushwhacking, charging off the trails with Cody in foot high snow.  It was fun for all of us to be out for forty five minutes in the fresh air.  When we got back to the car, we had to go to Trader Joes, to pick up some goodies for the weekend,  cheese corn snack for Marisa, one of the reasons we were able to get her to go on the hike.

Off the Trail

The Beast And His Friend

A Happy Girl

We all then relaxed in the family room, all of us on a device of some kind, enjoying cheese and crackers and a beer before Evie got dinner ready, an easy one, BLT's with avocados, to kick it up a notch.  They were surprisingly filling, especially if you had a piece of Costco's chocolate cake after a sandwich or two.  We then watched the first two  episodes of The Amazing Race, a program the Albarrans have always liked, Evie and I disliked.  Actually, after watching two and a half hours of it, we both agreed it wasn't too bad.  Marisa then went to bed and the adults watched two more episodes of House of Cards, season one.  We have quite a bit to get through before we can watch Season Three which debuted on Netflix yesterday.

No plans for today yet as it's 8:00 and everyone is still sleeping; we will have to see when everyone gets up.

ONE PLUS ONE: JOJO MOYES

After reading Moyes last book, ME BEFORE YOU, which I thoroughly enjoyed as did Evie, I decided to read her most recent, ONE PLUS ONE, to see if she could sustain the readers' interest. And she does, in a formulaic way.  Like her previous novel, she takes two unlikely people, throws them together, sparks fly in the most unlikely fashion, then dim only to be relit by the end of the novel. No surprise.

The story begins with Ed, living a life of luxury, a result of being the founder of a software company that has just been bought out for millions. Unfortunately, he soon loses his job and faces imprisonment for insider trading.  A bit naive, he gives a girl friend(to get rid of her) 500 pounds to invest in his companies stock, knowing the price will go up.  He never thinks about it's illegality until confronted with the evidence.  So much for Ed.  Now to his house cleaner, Jess, with a husband supposedly suffering from depression, who has been living with his mother for two year.  Jess is left to support and raise two kids on her own. To make ends meet, she tends bar in the evenings, cleans houses during the day.  Both her kids are different, so much so that they are bullied by the neighbor hood toughs.  Nicky is sixteen, wears eyeliner, and does not fit in and Tanzie, a 12 year old, is an unlikely math prodigy.

The story takes off when Tanzie is offered a scholarship to a prestigious prep school but her scholarship only covers 90% of the costs.  Some how Jess must make up the difference.  Tanzie's teacher mentions a math competition, one where the winner comes home with 500 pounds.  Jess is determined to find the money for Tanzie and they decide to drive to Scotland to compete in the contest, despite the fact their car has been sitting in the garage for two years and Jess has not driven since.  Meanwhile, Ed has been on a bender, having lost his job, probably his income, and his wife. Feeling sorry for himself, for his selfishness, he drives home from a bar and comes across Jess, kids and dog, in a broken down car, getting a ticket from the police.  Uncharacteristically, he stops because he thinks he has seen this women before.

On a whim, Ed volunteers to drive this motley crew to Scotland, a three day trip and the unlikely romance begins.  The two are ill suited, having come from very different classes, occupations, and backgrounds, but beneath the veneer of their social classes, lurk two good people, people who want to 'just connect' as E. M Forester says in his great novel, A PASSAGE TO INDIA.  After three days of trouble, of sleeping in cars because they have a dog, eating take outs, they finally make to Scotland and the math competition, but Tanzie is intimidated by the testing format and leaves early.  They head home, stopping at various motels, and Ed and Jess fall madly in love.  Things look as though there may be a way forward for everyone.  That is until Ed finds out that Jess had not been entirely truthful to him, that she had previously found his driver's license and 500 pounds after taking him home from a bender,  but never told him.  She used the 500 pounds to hold a spot for Tanzie at the prep school.

Thus, things fall apart and both fall back into their old lives until Ed realizes that he loves Jess, that there were extenuating circumstances, and that Jess had every intention of paying him back.  And the maths competition happens to call him because they left his cell phone number, to say there was a problem with one of the questions, and the test will be given again.  Ed now has an excuse to see Jess, drives to her home,  confesses his love, and tells her about the test.  They hug, and all four and the dog jump in Ed's used car, and off they off to Tanzie's test.  And the book ends.  It was a fun read though the reader has a pretty good idea where the book's going from the beginning especially if you read ME BEFORE YOU.

"TGIF" According To My Granddaughter, Marisa

Photo of Vermont's Green Mountains by Evie

Beth's Interpretation Of Vermont's Green Mountains

It's now quarter to eight and things are settling down, or should I say quieting down.  I was up at 6:30 and Evie was already up making the lunches for the kids, getting them breakfast.  Everyone was up by 7:00 and I then took Mitchell to school, then Marisa to the bus stop.  Now it's time to relax with a coffee and finish this blog.  Beth has a workshop and Rami a doctor's appointment.

The Melancholy Of A Winter Gray Sky

Yesterday was still cold but not unbearable.  Beth went to her art class, then out to lunch afterwards with a few of the people in her class.  Ramiro worked all day from home, what a boon to be able to work from home rather than take the train into the city everyday.  Evie and I hung out, straightened up things around the house, cleaned up the breakfast dishes, before I decided to go to a coffee shop, something different.  It's an upscale joint called NEAT, packed with people, so I was lucky to get a table.  I ordered a latte, sat down to read my book when Beth' neighbor, Stephanie happened by so I offered to let her and a friend sit down as well.  So, as they talked about their kids college plans, I read off and on, as it's not so easy with a couple people talking at your table, the hum of others and the traffic.  So I finished up my coffee and walked outside and it was snowing, big flakes and for some reason it reminded me of Christmas, go figure that.  So I walked around town for ten minutes, enjoying the cold air, the  snow flakes hitting my face, thanking the gods it was not Christmas.

Playing Words With Friends

For lunch, Rami and I warmed up the leftover Greek chicken and rice, a tasty and easy lunch.  Then I watched Sports Center, which were highlighting the big game between the Cavs and Golden State, a preview, perhaps, of the NBA finals.  I finished my book ONE PLUS ONE, by Jojo Moyes, which I liked and started a book my sister Ellen highly recommended called THE PAYING GUESTS by Susan Waters.  So far, so good.  I then took a brief nap until Marisa and Mitchell came home.  Both, liked good soldiers, immediately went upstairs and worked on their homework.  I never remember coming home from school and immediately going upstairs to get my homework done.  This was something only girls did, not guys!  Marisa was editing a short story she had written. I did not know what editing was until I started teaching writing and was never asked to write a short story in high school or college.  So much for the idea that schools are worse than they were back in the 1950's and 1960's.  I think they are better by far.

Happy To Be Cooking For Her Family In Connecticut

I took Cody for a long walk around 4:30, up the neighboring street, Fox Hill, and back and by the time we returned, Cody had had enough, and also ran home to the warm house.  As Evie got our dinner of pork schnitzel ready to fry, I quizzed Marisa on her vocabulary words, and she easily knew some very difficult works. I was curious where her teacher came up with this list.  About 6:30 we adjourned to the sunroom for a great dinner, a platter full of pork schnitzel, broccoli, roasted red potatoes and salad.  Everyone love the pork, even the broccoli was almost gone.  As we were finishing up, I started talking about how I had earlier read a recipe called 'I want chocolate cake' cake.

A Late Night Run To Costco For Their Five Layer Chocolate Cake

Well, that started everyone talking about the amazing five layer chocolate cake at Costco and one thing led to another and within fifteen minutes, Marisa, Rami and I were driving to Costco, to get this mammoth cake.  Costco, of course, was brightly lit and busy.  When Marisa picked up the cake to put it in the cart, she almost dropped it because it was so heavy. We made it home by 8:30, quickly cut pieces of the cake for everyone, and watched some TV until 9:00 when it was bed time for her.  The adults then watched the next episode of Better Call Saul, a much ballyhooed series which I cannot get into, nor can Evie.  So far, it's not compelling, silly at times, and awfully confusing because of it's flashbacks.   Not sure if we will stick with it when we get home.  I was happy to go upstairs to my book and bed.

Almost Friday

The  Mood Changing Exuberance  Of A Blue Sky In Winter

Up at 6:20, first one down to the coffee, though Mitchell is up already as well, showering and getting ready for school.  By the time I drove him to school at 7:00, all were up and about except for Marisa, who came down just as I returned.  And now I have to  drive her up to the bus.  Then my chores are over for the day unless Evie has other ideas.

Yesterday was a great day outdoors, at least compared to the last few weeks of polar temperatures.  It got up to the mid thirties mid afternoon, snow started to melt in some places, and I was able to get some of the walks and stairs cleared of ice, using a deicer along with a shovel.  I would liken walking out of the car the last couple of weeks to walking on glass.  And everyone was gone yesterday morning, so Evie gave the house a quick going over, and I helped a bit, perhaps a little bit though I did drive Marisa to school, Ramiro to the Starbucks, obviously the designated morning driver.  Cody and I had a great walk around 10:00 and for the first or second time, I could picture the idea that spring might be in the offing, the warm weather contributing no doubt to my thinking.  It's back in the 20's today but then it gets gradually warmer, into the 40's on Monday unlike Chautauqua which will have sub zero temperatures today and tomorrow.

The Sound Of Falling Water

Beth got home from her class at noon, so we had an easy lunch of the last of the black bean soup and Evie put together a great salad, with avocados, hard boiled eggs, and lots of greens.  It made us feel healthy for once.  During lunch we got back into our Chautauqua routine, watching both The Daily and Nightly Show.  Afterwards, I read some, took a marvelous nap, and woke when Marisa got home around 2:30, ready for bear.  Nothing like the enthusiasm and ebullience of a twelve year old when her school day is over.  Evie made her a snack, then went upstairs and did her homework, like a good girl, coming down only when she was done, to watch another episode of The Office.  I then took Cody out for his second walk of the day and he was somewhat reluctant, perhaps because he thought it was dinner time, preferring that to a walk.  But he got into it.  Evie then made Marisa a early dinner of grapefruit and a hot dog, an interesting combination.  Evie and I then took her to Irish Dancing at 6:15, stopping off at Sophia's, a small grocery store just around the corner from the dance studio. Marisa wanted to pick up some Starfruit and Dragon Fruit, both from Costa Rica, which they had visited as a family perhaps eight years ago.

An Electric Evie, At Sonny & Frankies

We then drove to the same restaurant we ate at last week in Stamford, Sonny & Frankies.  The bar, like the previous week, was overflowing with regulars and there was only one other couple in the small dining room, but by the time we left, it was practically full.  We ordered beers, of course, and I had another burger, Evie two appetizers, both which were great.  We enjoy the ambiance of the place, the imaginative specials of the day.  We then picked Marisa up at 8:00, happy but exhausted and drove home.  Beth and Rami were watching TV, so we plopped down on the couches as well and watched a half hour of The Voice until it was time for Marisa to go to bed, around 9:00.  We then watched two more episodes of the first season of House of Cards though by the end, I was the only one downstairs and still awake.

Why You Don't Park In The Street Overnight In Stamford

Today looks gray and cooler than yesterday; Beth has art class for a good part of the day and Rami is working from home.  Not sure what we will do other than think about dinner and clean up some, perhaps take a walk with Cody at a nearby park.

Warming Up to 36º in Connecticut

A Professional Looking  Mitchell,  Off To His School Competition 

An early morning here at the Albarran house as Mitchell has a competition for Darien High School's Investment Club near New Haven and had to be at school by 5:45.  So Ramiro took him, let the rest of us sleep in until 6:30.  It's now 7:20, time for Marisa to head up to the bus, and I will be driving her.   I dropped Marisa off at the bus, and Ramiro and I drove to Starbucks for a coffee.  I then drove home and he walked to the train station to the city.  Time for an everything bagel with cream cheese, a coffee, as I finish my blog.

Darien Starbucks at 7:45

Yesterday was again too cold for any kind of real outdoor exercise alas, as both Evie and I wanted to hike some where but the temperatures were in the single digits most of the day.  So we stayed in, doing odds and ends, picking up, but mostly relaxing, watching some TV, reading and playing games on the iPad.  Tacos for lunch, then a nap, some reading until Marisa and Mitchell came home around 2:30.

We got out the six bean dip and tosititos for an after school snack and sat around and watched three more episodes of the third season of The Office with Marisa, and yes, she can quote many of the lines.  Early afternoon, Evie and Beth had prepped our dinner, a marinade of yogurt, lemon, garlic, olive oil and oregano for chicken, and they let it sit for a couple of hours.  Around 4:30, Beth and I ventured out in the cold and the ice, the most dangerous part of the walk, and made it up the hill and back with Cody, no accidents, but some slipping.  It's so cold that salt does not seem to work on the icy areas.  

Beth and Cody, Out For A Walk

Chicken went in the oven at 5:15, just as Marisa announced to Granny that it was 'wine time.'  We sat around the kitchen and talked until dinner was ready, then being the slugs that we have become, we ate dinner in front of the TV, the four of us because Mitchell and Ramiro were not yet home.  Dinner was great, the chicken tasty, Greek like because of the lemon and oregano, rice and cauliflower with balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese, better than ever, two heads devoured between the four of us.  

Mitch got home just as we were finishing, having eaten at his friend's house, and Ramiro arrived home from the city about 7:45, in time to sit down as we were finishing up watching another episode of The Office.  For dessert, Beth had bought Haagen Daz ice cream bars, sinful but good, and we watched The Voice, speeding through the commercials, the only way to watch TV these days, if you are patient enough to wait and hour or day before viewing.  Since Mitch and Ramiro had to get up early, we all went up to bed around 10:15.  

Let's hope today is warmer so Evie and I can  get out side for a walk or hike somewhere.  It's supposed to be sunny, high around 36º.  

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Before School Backgammon With Granny

Mitch In The Morning

I was up at 6:10 and to my surprise, Evie was already up. worried that Mitch might get off early, that his Cuban sandwich lunch might be cold, so she put it in the oven to warm it up.  She sure spoils that boy.  Anyways, it's now 6:50, both Beth and Rami are also up and Marisa just awoke as well. Despite the 3º outside, the kids have school and Mitch just went out to start the car, to warm it up.

As I mentioned yesterday, everyone had things to do, so Evie and I had the house to ourselves till noon when Beth returned.  It was strange for once to be in an empty house, empty that is of family. Evie, of course, spent much of the morning 'tidying' up the house while I read about 'tidying and decluttering' on my Kindle.  Guess which seemed to be more effective, reading about it or doing it.

Despite the cold, I took Cody for our morning walk, and he does not seem to mind the cold, perhaps a mixture of Chow and Shepherd are somewhat immune to the cold.  He can sit outside the door for an hour without wanting to come in at times.  I can see why people who have dogs, especially larger ones that need to be walked, are healthier than people who don't have dogs.  And walking a dog becomes not only a habit but a necessity for both dog and owner.

Late morning, we made another shopping despite the fact that we had a mega shopping day at Costco on Sunday.  I guess cooking for six means a lot more shopping than cooking for two, especially with two hungry grandchildren.  So off we went to Trader Joe's, then Stop N Shop, to get the makings for Cuban sandwiches and black bean soup, our menu for the evening meal.  It was bone chilling cold out, like most of this part of the East Coast and we were glad to get home.

Beth was home by noon, and we had bean dip, tostitos, and a sandwich for lunch.  We sat in the sun room and watched the rest of the Oscars from the previous night, the highlight being Lady Gaga's singing of a medley of songs from The Sound of Music.  She has an amazing voice, hidden from most by her bizarre antics and looks.  She appeared normal last night, perhaps suggesting a change in her career from pop idol to crooner.

Marisa at The Dentist

At 4:00, Marisa had a dentist appointment, so Beth took her, and Evie and I then put together a delicious black bean soup, with sun dried tomatoes, a soup I have always liked from the Moosewood Cookbook.  Lots of beans and tomatoes, some cumin and bit of heat and that's it.  We finished just as the sun was setting so I took Cody for a preprandial walk.

Late Afternoon Walk With Cody

Steeple In Fading Light

When we got back, Beth had returned and we started to put together the makings for a Cuban sandwich.  Mitch was going to an open gym to play volleyball since his season would be starting soon, so Evie made him a sandwich.  He liked it so much that he asked if she could make him another one and he would take it to school for lunch.  Of course, she complied.  Rami got home from the city around 7:30 and we had the black bean soup hot, four Cubans ready for dinner.  By the way, to make a Cuban, get a hoagie bun, spread the insides with butter and mustard, then, in this order, layer swiss cheese, then dill pickles, ham, sliced pork, then another slice of swiss cheese.  Then grill it on both sides till brown, or put it in a panini maker. Ours broke by the way, after one sandwich so we had to use a grill pan.  And you are supposed to press on the sandwich as it cooks, so it really gets smashed together.  It was worth it as we all enjoyed our Cubans, with soup, and watched Chopped with Marisa and when she went to bed, another episode of the first season of House of Cards, then went to bed around 10:30.

Rami just took Mitch to school, Marisa has to be taken to the bus in five minutes, Rami to the train in a half hour, then the morning will slow down some, as the rest of us can relax.  Beth has an appointment at 11:00 and Evie and I have no where we have to go today, except for walking Cody.

School Resumes For The Grandchildren, Alas

“My religion is nature. That’s what arouses those feelings of wonder and mysticism and gratitude in me.” Oliver Sacks

Heavy Sunday Snow Fall

The Albarran Abode -- Classic Connecticut Winter Scene

It's now 7:45 and I have just returned from taking Marisa to her bus since it's so cold out. We wait at the end of the street in the warm car until the bus arrives.  Both Mitchell and Ramiro are gone as well, Mitch back to school, Ramiro into the city.  Beth is off in forty five minutes as well for the morning, so Evie and I will be all by our lonesomes for a couple of hours.

Yesterday morning was one of the beautiful snowy days, everything frosty with glistening snow but by the afternoon, the woods lost their whiteness and beauty, leaving tree branches reaching skyward like hands. We did nothing special for Sunday breakfast, as everyone seemed to take care of themselves, giving the cooks the morning off.  Mitchell fried enough bacon so I could have a copy of pieces (Yum), to go with my yogurt, homemade granola and blueberries.

A Frosting of Snow

Around 10:00, I could not stand it any longer in the house, tried to talk the others into going for walk with Cody but was unsuccessful, so I went out for an hour in the glistening snow, walked up the next street over, up the hill and back.  Cody loved it because it was not too cold but he was covered with wet and dirt when we got home.  I had to really towel him off before letting him into the house.  It was my favorite kind of walk, snow filled yards and trees, sun, and blue sky.

When I got home, Evie and Beth had finished making the Costco list for the week, so Ramiro, Evie, Marisa and I went off to Costco, to have lunch first, a hot dog and coke, before venturing forth into the wilds of the Costco warehouse.  We picked up all the staples for the kids lunches and our dinners, a pork roast for last night's dinner, and no lawn chairs or external hard drive like the last time I was there.  We just shopped for what we needed, a strange feeling for Costco.

Playing Backgammon with Dad

We spent the afternoon in the sun room, watching some TV, playing backgammon with Marisa. Mitch, however,  went over to his girlfriend's house for the afternoon.  Around 5:00, Beth and I took Cody out for another walk just as the sun was starting to disappear, a great time of the day.

An Aged White Oak And Me

Evie and Rami discussed how to cook the pork roast and decided to take it apart and roast the two pieces separately.  They also had a discussion as to when it was done, decided on 150º but Evie took it out at 145º like most cookbooks say. We also roasted potatoes, had a salad, and cauliflower roasted with olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and balsamic vinegar, really quite tasty.  We had lots of pork leftover, almost half the roast so it looks like we will be having Cuban sandwiches for dinner either tonight or tomorrow, depending on our whim.

The Chef Extraordinaire

Beth and Ramiro quickly did up the dishes so we could watch part of the Oscars Red Carpet Show on E and then the Oscars.  We stayed up until 10:00, late enough to watch all the non descript winners, not late enough to see the more interesting winners.  So we read who won on line this morning, a few surprises for me because I thought Boyhood would win Best Picture, and Michael Keaton, Best Actor.

And I forgot...I bought a book yesterday for my Kindle that I have been meaning to read and decided to just go for it.  It's called THE LIFE CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP: THE LIFE CHANGING WAY OF DECLUTTERING AND ORGANIZING: MARIE KONDO.  You may wonder why, with a wife like mine, I might be interested in a book like this.  Well, I hope to help her be more efficient in her efforts to keep our house clutter free and organized, like a good husband!

Rule # 1 Instead of discarding things you don't want, first decide what you want to keep, what makes you happy, then discard the rest. This is the opposite of what most of us do which is to go through stuff and discard what we don't want.  So, decide what you want first, what brings you 'joy,' in Kondo's words, and discard the rest,

A Post Card Like Snow Fall In Connecticut

Snowy Afternoon in Connecticut

7:02

Up at 7:00 to a lovely morning of new fallen snow, trees frosted, sky gray, temperatures in the 20's, a high of 40 later in the day alas, then back to normal, a high of 20's tomorrow.  I was up at 3:00, as the snow plow arrived to clear the drive way, shovel the walk.  I thought it was 6:00 and started to get up until I looked  at my watch.  Fortunately, I went back to sleep.

A big day yesterday for Mitchell, as he was taking his SAT's at the high school.  He was super organized, clothes laid out, a request for an egg sandwich for Evie, ready at 7:10, then off to his test with his father at 7:20.  He didn't get home till after 1:00, longer than usual because the proctors were slow.  He felt good about it which is a good sign.  I kidded him about this being the most important event in his life, would determine his life's path, which, unfortunately, has a ring of truth.  Colleges put too much emphasis on tests like this and parents' place too much emphasis on getting in the 'top schools,' as though it makes a difference (it does to some extent).

Connecticut Humor

Around 10:00, we were all up having coffee, and Rami wanted to go out to breakfast.  Beth, Evie and I declined as we were not very hungry, so he and Marisa went off to enjoy a father/daughter breakfast, of chocolate chip pancakes for Marisa.  They called me just after they left to tell me they were going to a place I would love and did I want to come.  Clearly, it was an old run down type of diner, 'crappy but cheap,'  but I passed.

The rest of the day we hung out as a family, relaxing, as it was nice to have everyone home for the afternoon.  We had leftovers for lunch, none left for today, so it means probably a trip to Costco sometime today to stock up for the week.  Around 2:00, we settled down to watch a movie Beth wanted to see, Philomena,  the true story of an Irish girl, one of many, who found herself pregnant and unmarried, who were sent to a catholic nunnery in Ireland, where they gave birth to their children, then had to spent four years of virtually slave labor at the nunnery to 'atone for their sins of sexual desire.'  Most of the babies were then sold to rich Americans, like a puppy factory today.  The film tells the story of Philomena's quest to find her son, played by the great Judy Dench.  Along the way, the Catholic church, particularly the Nuns, do  everything they can to hide the truth of her son's whereabouts.  Another troubling story about an institutions failure to own up to its sins.  It's a compelling movie and even twelve year old Marisa understood it, liked it though she wondered why her Granny had tears.

Granny and Marisa

After the movie, the four of us, Beth, Marisa, Evie and I, decided to take Cody for a walk because it was snowing out, and we wanted to get some fresh air.  And it was a good idea; it felt good to be out in the cold, the snow hitting our faces, the street turning white with the new snow.  Nothing like nature, the cold and some snow, to pick you up.  Even Cody seemed to have a bounce in his step when we returned.

A Silly Girl Loving the Snow

With Beth and Marisa

Around 5:30, Beth and Rami left for a date night, taking advantage of their babysitters, and saw The Imitation Game, which they both liked before going out to an Italian restaurant in Stamford for dinner.  We lived it up at home, watching more of The Office,, chowing down on chips and dip and corn curls, not your healthiest snack but good.  For dinner, Evie out did herself by frying up some hot dogs, which we had with chips and a coke and we tried to watch an old movie, Nine to Five, which Evie thought Marisa would like but she got bored half way through, so we switched back to The Office,  the last show of Season Two where Jim tells the soon to be married Pam he loves her, kisses her, and the season ends, a great finale.

Beth and Rami were home around 10:00, just after Evie put Marisa to bed.  Beth and I watched some TV before going up to bed around 10:30, to read.

WILD: CHERYL STRAYED

I started this book last year, got turned off by the constant bitching of the narrator early in the text, and put it aside before she started her hike, a mistake because when I picked it up again and plowed through the early parts, I really got into it.  Strayed has written a bildungsroman, a coming of age novel, of self discovery although she was in her late twenties when this piece of non fiction takes place.

Strayed begins the novel with her self destructive behavior, beginning early, when her father leaves her mother, then the arrival of a step father, and their living rough, in a shack which lacked any of the amenities.  She does, however, end up going to college, but stops short of graduating because of her mom's diagnosis of cancer and quick death, which throw her into a few years of drugs, infidelity (she married at nineteen), and despair.  She finally vows to change, divorces her husband, saves some money and decides on a whim to walk or hike the Pacific Crest Trail, starting in California, ending in the state of Washington, 1100 miles long.

Her narrating of her three months in the wild made me want to hike it as well though I would be a bit more prepared than Strayed was.  She buys her gear at REI, depends on the expertise of their sales people who, for the most part, are helpful but she does not talk to anyone or read anything by someone who has hiked the trail.  She has two guidebooks, both indispensable, which save her life. For the most part, she hikes the trail alone, by design, though she occasionally runs into other hikers which offer respite from her isolation, gives some variety to the text, but she always prefers to hike on her own.  The hardships she faces are enough to make anyone think twice before attempting this hike, yet the challenge of it, the beauty of the mountains, the valleys, the accomplishment, make the reader think about trying it.

Because she is so unprepared, she makes her journey much more difficult then it might have been. Her boots, for example, are not broken in and she discovers they are too small.  REI sends her another pair but she must hike at least 50 miles in sandals held together by duck tape.  And before starting out, she never tried her water purifier or her stove and only finds out on the trail that they don't work or she does not know how to work them.  And her backpack is humongous, by far the largest of any one's on the trail.  After meeting up with other hikers, she realizes this and throws away at least a third of what she started the trail with.  As she hikes, she puts together the various pieces of her self destructive behavior, finds peace with the death of her mother, her divorce, and by the time she hits the Bridge of the Gods, at the Columbia Gorge, ending her journe, she has discovered her core, or a new self, I am not sure which, that allows her to begin life again.  As a coda, she mentions how her life comes together, by falling in love again, having two children and a husband who supports her desire to be a writer, which allow her to write this book, some 15 years or so after her hike.  And because of it, she becomes famous.

She ends her book with two quotations which I particularly like and both suggest a new found resilience and persistence in her character:

"Every last one of us can do better than give up."

" The only way out of a hole is to climb out."

I have yet to see the film but will for sure, to see how well they adapted the book to film.  And  if I only get glimpses of the trail which she hiked, first, the Mojave Desert, then the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountain ranges, that will be enough for me to enjoy the film.

Connecticut Warms Up Some

7:00

Finding Books And Films With Granny

It's almost 7:00 and Evie's up, making a fried egg sandwich for Mitchell who is yet to get up.  He wants to eat at 7:10 because it's an important morning for him.  He is taking the SAT's, which were scheduled for January but had to be postponed because of the weather.  This test takes on an almost insane importance in the college roulette acceptance game.  Do well and you might just get your first choice.  Maybe.  And, hard to believe, it's colder here in Darien, 5º then it is at Lake Chautauqua, 1º though both places are warming up some, into the 30's here.  Perhaps a good day for a walk or hike.

A bitter cold Friday kept us in most of the day, with an occasional excursion out in to the arctic temperatures.  First, Mitch and I took Beth's car in for its service, oil and various maintenance, the same place I took my Pilot earlier in the week, a very busy place in Darien because they are trustworthy, good, and reasonable.  Because it is next door to Trader Joe's, Evie made me up a small list and it was surprisingly empty, even though it was lunch time.

Lunch for Beth and I was leftover Chicken Marbella, Thursday night's dinner...always better the day after.  None of us wanted to do much in the afternoon, in fact, Evie and Marisa stayed in their pajamas for much of the day.  We played lots of backgammon as Marisa is becoming an expert at it, wants to play continually.  In between, she is making a braid for her iPad ear phones, a cool idea.  And we decided to have an Office marathon, starting with the first season, the ones where Pam and Jim are at first friends, then on and off more than friends.  I think the earlier show are by far the best, before they end up married.

Baba and Marisa

What's Good?

At 4:00, we gathered up our communal mojo to drive to the library, to look for videos and books for Marisa.  The library was packed with residents, which is great to see.  People still read even though they have so many distractions then we did growing up, like iPads, Facebook, email, etc.  I do wonder if the younger generation is reading as much as my generation because I saw few teens in the library mostly adults and middle school or younger aged kids.  We found three or four movies we thought we might like, and Marisa came home with a pile of books.

The Old Man And The Book

We then played a few games of backgammon, what else, before Evie and Beth went into the kitchen to put together dinner, tacos, Evie and my guilty favorite.  Beth puts refried beans and tomato sauce in with her ground chuck and taco mix, which makes it go farther and is more healthy.  She then stuffs the taco shells with the mixture adding cheese and puts it in the oven for five or ten minutes.  That way the mixture soaks into the tacos, making them tasty.  We did a great job on them, topping each with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, and salsa, a very satisfying dinner.  We then watched a much ballyhooed film (by the Bissells), The Internship, which we enjoyed because it was a movie the entire family could watch albeit few tasteless scenes.  Ramiro walked into the room just as we were finishing because he had spent the day in Chicago.

After filling up on the tacos, he and Beth went into the sunroom to watch some of their shows, and Marisa, Evie and I stayed in the den and watched more of The Office until about 10:15 when we had to make Marisa go up to bed.  So the three of us went up to bed, leaving Beth and Rami to themselves, the end of a quiet day.

Still Colder Than Heck!

Our Son Tom, His Wife Mary, In Cabo, Mexico For A Few Days

Well, another sunny and one below morning in Darien, fourteen below at the lake.  Thank goodness for a furnace, for the comfort of a warm home, for not having to build a fire to keep warm like our ancestors.  I can remember my grandparents having a coal furnace, having to drop a large square of coal, about 12" by 6", wrapped in paper, into their furnace all day long.  That was back in the late 1940's.  As I remember, my parents had a oil/gas run furnace in our new home, built in the late 1940's I think, on Briardale Ave in Euclid, Ohio.  Ours was the first generation to grow up with gas/oil furnaces in our homes, with no need for coal or firewood.

Mitch and Rami, Off To Visit Columbia

Mitchell and Ramiro went to the city yesterday morning, leaving the rest of us home and cosy on a very cold morning.  Mitchell was touring Columbia University, one of his college interests.  For now, he is interested in engineering and Columbia has a very good but selective engineering department. They toured the school, which I remember as like a walled city, of stone buildings, on the border between Manhattan and Harlem.  A highlight for Mitch was eating lunch in the diner where Seinfeld often took place.

Evie and Marisa, Loving Fairway

The rest of us hung out in the morning, no baking or cooking, lots of backgammon, the new passion in the household.  Around 11:30, however, Evie, Marisa and I, drove off to our other favorite grocery story, in Stamford, Fairway, a newer store built in one of the poor, undeveloped parts of the city which is now flourishing because it's near the water.  We have always taken Marisa to this store because we love the vastness of its vegetable and fruit section, like a huge Van Gogh and they have lots of freebies.  Our favorite is the olive oil and vinegar bar.  You can have all the baguettes with oil and vinegar you want.  We ended up buying a bottle of olive oil from the French Riviera for twenty bucks, like a fine wine I suppose.  We then went to the coffee area, where they have huge bags of at least thirty or forty coffees from all over the world.  We picked out a Brazilian and a Italian roast for our mornings.  And I bought our favorite cheese from our life in Istanbul, what Turks call Kashar, the Greeks, Kasseri,  but it's called Kashkaval in the store.  In fact, the women behind the counter was unable to find it at first.  We had to point it out.  It's popular in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. We love it in a toasted cheese sandwich.

Kashkaval...salty and creamy

We shopped for a half hour, then went to their deli/sandwich/bar where we love their French fries, freshly cut and wonderful.  One order is enough for the three of us though I had a Philly cheese steak sandwich, more than I could eat unfortunately.  It was lunch time so the dining area was crowded with workers from the area, feasting on the various delights.  The fries were so hot we had to wait to eat them, dunked, our course, in Heinz ketchup.

We were home by 1:30, in time for me to take Cody out for his daily constitutional,  a walk up the street and back.  And it was cold, so much so that my eyes were watering, my hands frozen by the time we got  back.  The rest of the afternoon we hung out, playing backgammon, Evie and Marisa making more chocolate chip cookies, and I watched the Duke/North Carolina basketball game I had saved from the previous night.

Around 5:00, Marisa's friend Mary came over to play and her mother brought us a nice surprise, a dinner for us, one of our favorites in fact, Chicken Marbella, from The Silver Palate cookbook.  How nice for Evie and Beth, no prepping for dinner, just put it in the oven for an hour.  It was great, the adults loving it, the kids not so much because of the prunes and olives.  We then watched the finals of Top Chef with Marisa, before she went up to bed late, around 9:30.  The rest of us then watched more of the first season of House of Cards before going to bed.  I finished, finally, WILD, and started Jojo Myers newest, ONE PLUS ONE,  which just appeared on my new Kindle. So far, so good.

Another Day, Another Dollar (Not When You Are Retired)

Enjoying The Cold

Marisa Unbound

First one up but at 7:00, sleeping in, as I am definitely getting used to life here.  It looks like another frigid day, though not as cold as Chautauqua which will have a high of 2º today.  What the heck? Where are these temperatures coming from?  It makes it difficult to enjoy the outdoors, to even be outside.  Mitch and Ramiro are up now, Evie as well and it's just before 8:00.  The boys are driving into the city this morning as Mitch is looking at Columbia University and its engineering program as a possible college choice for September, 2016.

Yesterday blends into the other days so I have to think hard about what we did differently.  Not a lot Wednesday I guess.  Beth went off in the morning for a couple of hours, leaving the rest of us home alone.  It was too cold in the morning to do anything outside, so we hung out, played backgammon, the new family interest, as both Mitch and Marisa have learned it and enjoy playing it.  We used to play it all the time in Istanbul.  It's called Tavla by the Turks and we have a Turkish board.  Marisa is really getting it, as she has finally beaten her mother and father.  She loves it.  Around 10:30, Evie needed a few things from the store so Marisa and I drove to Whole Foods, just five minutes away.  Darien is an amazing place for shoppers with a Costco, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Stop N Shop no more than ten minutes away.  Whole Foods is fun to browse but not buy as everything is so much more expensive than anywhere else, 30% more I read somewhere.

Waveny Park Fields

Lodge

Resting On The Trail

A Happy Girl

An easy lunch, then, of Adobo Chicken and rice, then some TV, reading of WILD, then a short nap before we found the energy to actually do something.  It was still sunny out, in the low 20's I think, so the five of us, Marisa, Evie, Beth, Cody, and I decided to go for a long walk at Waveny Park, a huge estate, now park, just inside of New Canaan.  It's a great park, lots of open fields and woods, three or four estate buildings used for various activities, even an area meant for dogs.  We walked for close to three miles through snow trails and woods, perfect for cross country skiing.  Marisa, like Cody, explored the trails, hopping up on stumps, just having fun and we took lots of photos.

Mitch, The Chef

When we got home, it was time to start prepping for dinner.  We were having shrimp with garlic and chili butter, with tomatoes and cilantro.  So Mitch, Evie and I cleaned the shrimp, which Mitch hated.  We then prepped the ingredients, while Mitch sauteed the shrimp briefly in olive oil.  We then added the garlic, chilies, clam juice, for a couple of minutes, then the tomatoes, shrimp, lemon and cilantro  and we had a great dinner, over rice, with salad and broccoli.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Monsters

It sounded like an easy dinner but Marisa, with the help of her father, decided to make chocolate chip cookies at the same time we were making dinner, so there were five of us fighting for space and ovens, including the dog, Cody, who will not move from the kitchen when we are cooking, hoping for a scrap to fall on the floor.  Dinner and the cookies were great, I might add, so the commotion was worth it, everyone pitching in.  By the way, Beth and I were the sous chefs, doing whatever small task was needed, like opening the wine, setting the table, etc.

Shrimp With Garlic and Chile Butter

We then sat up till 10:00, watching shows with Marisa, eating chocolate chip cookies, thinking we might watch more of House of Cards when she went to bed but by 10:00, most of us were tired and I wanted to go up and read my book.  So we will have to save House of Cards for another night.

It's now 8:15 and Beth and Marisa just got up, and the boys are ready to head to the city, on a very cold morning.