“If I knew you were comin’ I’d’ve baked a cake.”
Since my mom always knows when we’re coming to visit she bakes us a cake. Well, she tries but sometimes she gets busy. (Moms have lives too, people!) Usually she finds the time and one of my favorites to come home to is a big, fluffy angel food cake. It looks impressive, is healthier than a frosted cake, it seems to last exactly as long as my visit, and you can eat it with your hands! What’s not to like?!
I was excited to learn you can take the traditional AFC up a notch by adding chocolate chips. And for the gluten-free readers out there this is a great option for you in the sweets and treats department. DO try this at home!
*Photo courtesy of Gluten Free Desserts.
Filed under sunday cake day Angel Food Cake chocolate Gluten-free recipes family traditions
In high school I wrote a term paper on The Great Gatsby. I thought I knew that book inside and out. Apparently what I read differs greatly from the cinematic version Baz Luhrmann has in his head. At first I was taken aback at the idea of anything but a strict interpretation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel but after watching this trailer a few times I wanted to be drawn into the world Luhrmann is creating which is ritzier than the Gatsby my teenaged self imagined while pulling thematic connection from the text.
I love Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! for their fantastical, shiny takes on stories the public already thinks about and experiences in one way. I applaud his efforts to expand our minds and travel with him to see where his vision can take an audience. I really want to love this version of Gatsby and look forward to seeing it this holiday season - though probably not in RealD.
In case you were digging it, the song in the trailer is Jack White covering U2’s Love is Blindness. LOVE.
Filed under Baz Luhrmann Carey Mulligan Joel Edgerton Moulin Rouge Romeo + Juliet The Great Gatsby leonardo dicaprio movie trailer movies RealD Love is Blindness U2 jack white Cover Songs
“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”
— Carl Jung
Filed under Carl Jung quotes words of wisdom chemical reaction human transformation
If you’ve seen the romantic comedy Going the Distance you’ve experienced the hilarious rant by Charlie Day where he poses the question: Where ARE all the baby pigeons? Well, I’ve found them!
In case you weren’t aware of it, Jeremy and I share our apartment with two pigeons. They live on the porch, under our grill and don’t pay any rent so we rarely mention them to visitors. Some people have heard about how these pigeons - who we’ve dubbed Harold & Maude - are strangely drawn to our porch above all others. They first arrived not long after we moved in and they discovered under the grill ( which has a nice protective cover over it) the base is nearly empty with only a propane tank. This left plenty of space wide open for two love birds to move in. H&M attempted to settle down while Jeremy repeatedly cleared out the scraps of straw, twigs and nails (yes, nails) they brought under the grill in an effort to discourage their nesting efforts. At a few points our pigeon friends left town, but even after months without seeing them they found our porch once again and began building. H&M recently returned and the nest-building was ON in earnest.
The other day I suggested that we just allow H&M to move in. Sure, they poop on the porch and it’s messy, but we don’t do any porch entertaining, just grilling, so why not take a cue from the amazing children’s book The Best Nest and allow the pair to settle down. If we’re welcoming it’ll be easier to ask them to contribute when the rent is raised in October, right? Maude immediately took up permanent residence under the grill and the nest has been growing. Two nights ago we could hear her cooing under the grill cover so we went out to see what was going on and she just sat and stared at us when we walked in her front door unannounced. Unflinching she stood her ground and didn’t skitter off as usual. What was up?
Maude was about to give birth! This morning I went out to the grill to see if she was still plopped down in her best nest Maude was there, and this time she flew away when I opened the grill cover to check on our roommate. Underneath her were two new residents!
You can see from the previous night’s photo there were no eggs. These babies were laid very recently. We plan to avoid preparing any meals which require grilling in order to let Maude do her brooding (new word, I just learned this is the official term to use when a bird sits on her eggs to incubate them) which I gather from the collective knowledge of the Internet will take 18-21 days.
In the meantime - what should we name the babies when they arrive? Hal and Ashby perhaps? Jeremy Junior and Diana Two? Post your suggestions!
Filed under Harold and Maude animals pets pigeons grilling
HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY BLOG!!!
Today marks the first birthday of the This Is Me blog. While I have missed a few days along the way due to travel today also marks my 365th blog entry so somewhere along the way I filled in the blanks and not only kept this website filled with information but did so “daily”.
I’m proud of this accomplishment. One year is a long time in many respects and a lot can happen in 365 days. A lot has certainly happened to me in my previous twelve months and having this shared journal of those experiences, thoughts and images along the way is a wonderful, comprehensive way to look back on a single chapter of my existence.
Like many things in life, the reality of having a blog I committed to posting something on daily was a bigger undertaking than expected. Some weeks I was chomping at the bit to share information and others left me completely out of inspiration, but I pushed through and found wonderful little things to share highlighting small, bright spots in the big life I am trying to lead - just as I’ve always said on this blog in the upper right corner. And I had no idea how long it took to write a quality post worth reading! I’ve learned the true art is in the editing.
Naturally it brings me great joy and satisfaction when people comment, reblog posts or follow my entire blog. But I initially started this as a way to fill time in my sometimes dull days with something bright, positive and optimistic for myself. Now it is also a great way to share part of my life with anyone who wants to see it. This isn’t a deep, dark, personal blog - I’m only showing the happy, shiny stuff (along with fun zombie stuff) - but it is one side of my existence. We too often focus on the negative and don’t highlight the positive. I want this blog to be a big bright highlighter of the positive and spread joy to others. Much of life is terrific and I’m proud to have 365 entries which celebrate that. Thank YOU for coming along with me!
Here’s to the next year and beyond!!!
*Photo courtesy of Delightful Desserts.
Filed under Happy Birthday! Blogging One Year Old cupcakes desserts sparklers celebration personal challenge
“The point of marriage is not to create a quick commonality by tearing down all boundaries; on the contrary, a good marriage is one in which each partner appoints the other to be the guardian of his solitude, and thus they show each other the greatest possible trust. A merging of two people is an impossibility, and where it seems to exist, it is a hemming-in, a mutual consent that robs one party or both parties of their fullest freedom and development. But once the realization is accepted that even between the closest people infinite distances exist, a marvelous living side-by-side can grow up for them, if they succeed in loving the expanse between them, which gives them the possibility of always seeing each other as a whole and before an immense sky.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
Filed under Rainer Maria Rilke Letters to a Young Poet marriage quotes
The other night over vegan taco salads a very good friend and I were chatting about whether it’s worth the potential emotional backlash to bring up touchy subjects with friends and family. For instance, it is really important to me that people thank me for gifts. I do realize not everyone is as diligent about these things as I am and that’s fine (really!), but not being thanked for a wedding gift is bothersome. It is widely accepted and expected that people send thank you notes for wedding gifts. Sure, they might take a long time to write but six months seems like a reasonable window to get around to them. Is it a big enough deal to address someone directly about this issue? Probably not. Does it still bug the heck out of me? Definitely.
How about that co-worker who clips their nails at their desk or listens to music too loudly or talks about personal stuff on the phone all day. Is it worth the awkward conversation and potentially dissatisfying and uncomfortable aftermath to broach the subject? Maybe. Maybe not.
I’ve just learned about a website that cuts out the stress and allows you to directly reach out to someone anonymously via email. It’s called A Friend Says. You simply put in the person’s email address and a message telling them what’s on your mind. So simple. So cowardly? Perhaps, but if you really can’t talk to them in person about an issue - however big or small - this is one option. And it’s good to have options.
You also have the option to send a positive note. Maybe you want to compliment someone anonymously and brighten their day. The site works for that too. There are plenty of examples of that use on the site where you can scroll through messages others have sent. Some are funny, some are sweet and some address serious issues. Make of it what you will - it’s free!
*Many thanks to fellow Latin alum and prolific author Neil Strauss for bringing this website to my attention.
Filed under A Friend Says anonymous words of wisdom Neil Strauss Latin School of Chicago
