Worry Dolls and Jane Doe

We found a fun book at the library a couple of weeks ago, called "Silly Billy", written by Anthony Browne. It is the tale of a little boy who worries at night, and has trouble sleeping. Finally his Grandmother gives him some worry dolls to tell his worries to. He puts them under his pillow at night and sleeps like a log! At the end of the book there is a short explanation about Guatemalan Worry Dolls. I found a place to purchase some fair trade worry dolls, and have a set for each of the Elaines!

This afternoon, on our lengthy amble down to the mailbox, we passed a big clump of deer fur in the pine trees. We have passed it for the past 3 weeks or so, and I keep telling J that it must be where the deer were sleeping, even though I was sure that the truth was much more ominous. Today, however, J noticed more hair on the opposite side of our path, and insisted that we follow it. What followed was an impromptu anatomy lesson in the back field as we discovered the entire skeleton of a deer. Both girls were fascinated by the stark, white bones and shiny black hooves. We discussed the insects that were still feeding on minuscule parts of the joints. We talked about what could have happened to this deer, and determined that it was hit on the road, succumbed to its injuries in our pine trees, and was dragged down the hill by unknown carnivores. J wanted to call my Dad (an avid hunter) right away to find out how to determine the sex of the animal. I'm very proud of my two budding scientists and their developing sense of reason!

Oh the amazing things you come across in the country!

T

Nancy's Holy Bread

Thought I'd post a picture of N's beautiful holy bread. I leave it to N herself to describe the significance of the stamp on top and the part the bread plays in her Orthodox service. I thought it was gorgeous (smelled good, too)!

And here is a little taste of our Easter morning. I wish I had been on top of things enough to actually bake hot cross buns, which is my childhood tradition, but instead we had pound cake (which strikes me as incredibly pagan, as does staying up to all hours the night before stuffing Easter eggs with chocolate Crunch bites while watching Chocolat--but oh, well). And yes, we are still a family of four live and one-in-hiding.

K

Mammograms and Mechanics

I need to take a break from pancreatic carcinoma, achalasia and peptic ulcer disease for a few minutes...studying GI this afternoon!

I had my first mammogram this morning for evaluation of a breast lump. Despite the awkwardness of exposing my bosom to 3 strangers in the past 2 weeks, this went well. Preliminary report from the radiologist reveals that all is ok!

Much more painful, in fact, was the visit to the auto mechanic which followed. I went for a simple oil change and tire rotation, and came away with anticipated repairs of over $1000. Most vexing of these is the need for new tires, coming 10,100 miles and 11 months after the last tire change. Our Toyota Sienna, is AWD, which is a necessity to navigate our driveway during the winter. As much as I love this vehicle (can't believe I actually said that I love my mini van!), I detest the run-flat tires that came standard. The last tire replacement was actually covered by an extended warranty on the original vehicle purchase. This time, I'm told that there is NO WARRANTY unless the wear is even over all the tires. Of course, these lovely tires not only wear out early, they cost more than your average tire, and take longer to change. The only benefit is that we don't have a spare tire in our trunk.

While I was stewing about this on the way home, we stopped at Giant Eagle to return our Redbox DVD rental. I also picked up a bottle of children's Tylenol to replace what Jenna reluctantly drank down over the past 48 hours with her fever (gone today, thank goodness.) Lauren insisted on carrying this and dropped it in the parking lot. Before I put it away at home, I discovered it sitting on the table in a pink, sticky puddle. At that point, I was ready to lick it off the table in the attempt to alleviate my pounding headache! However, all is cleaned up, children are quiet, and the fine print of medical texts are making me dizzy.

All this to say: mammograms really aren't that terrible!

T

Taco Night

I was lucky enough to marry into a family with some solid traditions different from my own. My husband's parents were missionaries to Hispanic populations in many states, but originally in South Texas/Mexico. They adopted several Mexican foods, and "Mennonite-ized" them, including tacos and our yearly Christmas tamales. We received a "tortilla-dora" (tortilla press) as an engagement gift from my parents-in-law, and as much as I enjoyed eating them with the in-laws, I thought it would clearly gather dust in my cabinet.

Now, 17 years later, we are using our second tortilla-dora as we used the first one to death, and taco night is a weekly tradition. I learned to make fresh corn tortillas at the side of my mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

I start with Masa Harina, very finely ground corn flour, and boiling water, to make the Masa (tortilla dough). This is rolled into balls, then pressed between the two iron plates of the tortilla-dora.

The pressed tortilla is placed on a very hot, flat iron pan, and cooked on 3 sides.

The finished tortillas rest in a towel lined basket or bowl to steam.

My husband ate tortillas twice a week during his Jr High and High School years, as his mother found it a good way to get vegetables into him. It was a momentous milestone the day each of the girls ate their first taco! We eat the tortillas with a sweet/sour ground meat (this is the Mennonite influence), cheese, lettuce, onions and tomatoes. During the winter months we rely on canned tomatoes so as to avoid the anemic, firm grocery store variety. The finished product is topped off with salsa (homemade as supplies last) and devoured with relish.

J has recently started helping to press the tortillas, so I find myself passing this tradition on to the next generation so that Taco Night can remain an important fixture in the Martin family for years and years (and years) to come.

T

Easter Sunshine, Family & Movie Review

Another snowy Easter past! Although this one was much less surprising than last. It was lovely to enjoy the sun as the girls scrambled for colorful plastic eggs filled with nickels and Reece's Peanut butter cups (many of which will disappear during my late evening chocolate attacks).

It was also lovely to enjoy the visit of my parents for 3 1/2 days, which was greatly anticipated by the girls (and myself). I not only enjoy seeing my parents, but reap great rewards from my Mother's help with meals, laundry and child care. We ate well, as always (manicotti, smoked turkey, peach/raspberry cobbler, bean soup, etc, etc), but also enjoyed outings to the Waynesburg Livestock Auction, violin lessons and the Carnegie Science Museum.

We watched a couple of movies, one of which was worth commenting on. "Enchanted" was indeed an enchanting film of a typical, happy animated princess, Giselle, who does not have a care in the world. After meeting her handsome prince, she is ambushed on the way to her wedding by her future Step-Mother-in-law, who is not willing to give up her reign to make way for her step-son and his new bride. Giselle is pushed into a wishing well, and comes out in New York city, fully un-animated, and learns a bit about true love and reality. It is charming, witty, silly enough for the kids and has enough meat for the adults. A gem of a Disney film.

T

Shearing the Sheep(dog)

This weekend I decided it was time for the dog's annual Spring shearing. We typically let his hair grow a bit longer in the winter to insulate his little, old bones. I didn't have the patience to work out mats this winter, so didn't let it get as long as usual, but the results were equally impressive.

So, just in time for Easter, we found this sweet, old dog inside all that stinky fur!

He is, by the way, back to normal after his episode the other week. Maybe a bit more anxious than usual, but he is nearly 14 people-years old after all!

T

A Good Read

I just finished reading the excellent historical novel, "Girl With a Pearl Earring" by Tracy Chevalier. It is the story of the creation of Vermeer's painting by the same name . I felt transported to Delft in the Mid-sixteen Hundreds, since the authors' attention to detail was so intricate. Vermeer has been called "the painter of light", and there was a vivid sense of color and light in this book.

Last week I read "The Third Sister" by Julia Barrett. This novel continues on where "Sense and Sensibility" left off. It follows the youngest Dashwood sister, Margaret, as she becomes a lady and finds a suitor of her own. This story was not as inspired as Austen's original, in fact, I found it a bit insipid. There aren't many books that I leave unread, but this one came very close.

On a final note, the girls rented "Ice Age" (2002) this weekend. They have watched it 3 times now and laugh themselves silly each time! It is indeed an amusing, if historically incorrect film. Of note, the Cave Men characters could not speak, but the woolly mammoth, giant sloth, and saber tooth tiger could! The "Tae-Kwon Dodos" were my favorites, as they drove themselves to extinction by their own silliness. Our recent trip to the museum to see fossils of all these animals helped put things in perspective, at least for Jenna. Lauren just enjoyed it with the unadulterated glee of the very young.

T

Thespian Ben

I think B. may have a career in acting.
He's a natural.
Unbeknownst to him while going for a
walk in the snow he assumed the character from.....
Ezra Jack Keats "A Snowy Day."

Watch out Oscars.

S.

The Meaning of Dreams

Calling all budding dream interpreters out there...

I had a troubling dream Friday night. In this dream, I spotted two little grey mice running across the bedroom floor, and asked my husband, "where did those come from?" He pointed to the open attic access in the ceiling (which we don't have), where I saw hundreds of mice pouring from the ceiling, falling to the floor, then scattering all over my house. I woke up determined to clean every surface of my house! (Hasn't happened.)

While this dream may have been prompted by my visit to the Museum on Friday, where we saw myriads of stuffed moles, shrews, mice and rodents of all sorts. Or perhaps by watching the Brady Bunch episode Friday night where Greg brings home a white mouse for a Science Project, Jan unwittingly sets it loose, and Alice calls the exterminators after spotting it in the kitchen. I have to wonder...do these night time occurrences really mean anything?


A quick check of http://www.dreammoods.com/ revealed the following information: "To see mice in your dream, symbolizes domestic problems, business loss, deceit, and insincere friends. It represents minor problems in which you are spending too much time dwelling on. To dream that a mouse jumps on you or into your clothing, foretells of scandal in which you will largely figure in."


I have a recurring dream in which I realize that I haven't checked my college campus mailbox for weeks and weeks, but can not remember the combination, or even which box is mine. I still wake feeling troubled, 17 years after graduating from college! According to Dream Moods, "To see a mail box in your dream, represents important information that you are about to receive. Pay particular attention to your dream and what message it is trying to convey to you from your unconscious. If the mailbox is full, then it indicates that you have not digested or accepted these messages."

So, I could either be on the verge of some great scandal because of not accepting the important, yet deceiving, information from insincere friends, or perhaps I shouldn't watch Brady Bunch before bed! I'll let someone else with more dream interpreting ability make that call!

T

The Ubiquitous Blue Crayon

J age 11 months

I've learned a bit more each year that I have been a mother. For instance, I learned early on that the Crayola crayons that say "washable" on the package, do indeed wash off of windows, tables and even clothing quite easily. They are, however, water soluable, and after being dunked in the dog's water dish, become remarkably like finger paints in a stick. J also enjoyed sucking on them. This picture was taken after I had partially cleaned her up.

This weekend, the last load of laundry came out of the dryer with unidentifiable bright blue marks all over a few pieces. I took a quick look in both the washer and dryer for the offending agent, but seeing nothing, thought no more of it until today. The first load out of the dryer was even more speckled with blue marks than before! I got up on a stool this time, and was able to fish a 3 cm piece of blue crayon out of a crevice near the lint screen. Who knew that crayon could be so destructive in the dryer? Luckily all came out after another quick wash in hot water!

At the moment, J is lying on the floor and howling. She didn't eat her lunch at school, and now is "hungry for something else than my sandwich". Today I'm learning that the "sandwich with all my favorite things on it" (mayo, cheese, onions, tomato and lettuce) that I have frequently resisted making because it is a pain in the neck, is now "icky". Hopefully J will learn to eat her lunch at school.

Education is a good thing. I am hoping to learn a bit about Cardiology today too.

T

Obstinate, Headstrong Girl!

It was such a beautiful day today, such wonderful sunshine, it seems ALMOST a shame to spend it indoors. How could I refuse though, when my husband suggested a Pride & Prejudice marathon? An entire day curled up next to my hubby on the couch watching Colin Firth/Mr. Darcy? No contest!

A day of P&P, and manicotti until bursting last night, all these excesses seem a very good way to usher in March, to my thinking! Spring is legally only 18 days off, this week is Spring Break, life is good!

Baked Manicotti (recipe from America's Test Kitchen)

Tomato Sauce:

2 28-oz cans diced tomatoes in juice

2 T EVOO

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t hot red pepper flakes

1/2 t salt

2 T chopped fresh basil

Cheese Filling and Pasta:

3 c ricotta cheese

2 c grated parmesan cheese

2 c grated mozzarella cheese

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 t salt

1/2 t black pepper

2 T chopped fresh parsley

2 T chopped fresh basil

16 no-cook lasagne noodles

Heat oil, garlic and pepper flakes in large sauce pan over med heat until fragrant, 1 -2 minutes. Pulse 1 can of tomatoes and juice at a time in food processor until coarsely chopped, 3 - 4 pulses. Stir tomatoes into garlic oil with salt and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in basil.

Combine ricotta, mozzarella and 1 c of parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper and herbs.

Pour 1 inch boiling water into 13x9 inch baking dish, then add noodles one at a time. Let them soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in a single layer on clean kitchen towels. Discard water and dry baking dish.

Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 c sauce. Spread 1/4 c cheese mixture evenly onto bottom 3/4 of each noodle. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. Top evenly with remaining sauce, completely covering pasta.

Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake at 375* for 40 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and broil for 4-6 minutes until cheese is browned in spots. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. Serves 6-8.

Happy March!

T