My Love / Hate Relationship with the Concept of Gwyneth Paltrow

I needed a new cookbook. 

Over the past month, I have successfully (although probably temporarily) eliminated land animal from my diet.  I did not make this decision because I feel that "meat is murder" or anything like that Although I do care very much about how animals are treated,   my motivation originated from my husband's dietary needs.  Slowly but surely, it became evident that I was feeling good - great actually, and controlling my weight more efficiently.  Meat is not forbidden; I am simply enjoying the challenge of eating creatively to avoid it. 

Oddly enough, I am enjoying the cooking side of things, too.  Something in my brain told me that it wouldn't be fun to cook if I didn't make meat.  Au contraire!  I have discovered some excellent flavors and textures.

But I'm a cookbook girl, and I needed a new one that included good recipes.  I love my Kindle for all things literary, but it's just not the same for a cookbook.  The internet is great for providing tons of choices, but I love curling up with a book. 

On my afternoon off, I headed off to the bookstore.  As I walked up and down the cookbook aisle, Gwyneth kept looking at me from the cover of her new cookbook My Father's Daughter.  She smiled at me with her perfect teeth, her perfect size 0 figure...

Something within me refused to pick up the cookbook.  She has led a charmed life, she's a rich and famous actress, she has a beautiful singing voice, and now she's cooking?  I ignored it for about 20 minutes, but after not having any luck with any other chef's works, I caved.  Princess Paltrow had created a cookbook that perfectly matched what I was looking for.  

What did I find when I opened it up and started perusing?  An introduction about how her love of food ties in to her memories of her beloved father, and how they learned to cook together.  She discusses how she turned to health food and macrobiotic diet as a way of desperately trying to heal his cancer, and prevent that future for herself and her family.  How she has introduced her children to healthy eating and respect and love of cooking.  That horrible bitch.  It was truly becoming clear why I hated her so much.   

The fact that her mother was a famous actress, her father was a successful television show producer,  no doubt explains her penchant for all things expensive.  To her as she grew up, wealth was the norm. 

This cookbook, has been criticized for her recommendations of very expensive products and ingredients.  She does recommend good ingredients, but I have (so far) not found them to be terribly unattainable or costly.  

I do admit, she does have a taste and budget for the finer things in life, and her references to movie sets and famous friends makes her a wee bit difficult to relate to, but only if trying to relate to her lifestyle.  In that case, I have next to nothing in common with the woman. 

I find our common ground when I take time to examine her motive for cooking.  

She enjoys it.  She can control the ingredients that she and her family consume.  She enjoys gathering family and friends around the table to laugh and converse.  She keeps her father's memory alive and well, implanting it into his grandchildren with stories and tastes. All things I respect and agree with. 

I like her recipes.  After reading this book a bit further, I have started to like her too, albeit reluctantly.  Despite the fact that she is Hollywood royalty, she seems to keep herself grounded in her family.  This cookbook was not an attempt to flaunt her wealth or status.  In my opinion, it was actually a refreshing look at her as a wife, mother, and someone who is constantly seeking work / life balance, just like me.

I just really wish I was paid as much as she is...

Lemony Quinoa with All Kinds of Good - A Recipe

I had some fun experimenting in my kitchen last night, and think I found a winner!  

If you choose, this is a very filling vegetarian meal on its own.  Quinoa is a very healthy and complete choice, as opposed to noodles, rice, or cous cous.  It is gluten free, contains dietary fiber, vitamin B, and iron.  It is also a great source of protein, as it contains all of the amino acids.  Click Here for more nutritional information on Quinoa, courtesy of Self Magazine.

For the Salad:

2 Cups Quinoa
4 Cups Water, Vegetable Broth, or Chicken Broth (based on your preference)
1 14 oz can of quartered artichoke hearts (non-marinated) drained and rinsed
1 Cup of Kalamata Olives, drained and rinsed
1/2 to 1 Cup of chopped red onion, depending on how much you like onion
1 cup sundried tomatoes, sliced into strips (if yours are packed in oil, rinse them off a bit)
1 English Cucumber, cut into quarters and sliced
4 to 6 ounces of crumbled Feta Cheese
3/4 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped julienne style

For the Dressing

1 clove of garlic, minced
Zest of 1 Lemon
Juice of 2 Lemons
1 1/2 teaspoons of dijon mustard
1/2 Cup of Olive Oil
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
A pinch of sugar, if needed

1.  Prepare Quinoa according to package directions, using the veggie or chicken stock if desired, typically 2 cups of liquid to one cup of Quinoa.  Ideally, make this ahead of time and allow to chill prior to making the salad.

2.  Combine the remaining salad ingredients, through the cucumber in a large bowl.  Add the Quinoa and thoroughly combine everything together.  Add the Feta and Basil Leaves and toss to combine.

3.  Combine the dressing ingredients, through the mustard, in a bowl.  Whisk these ingredients together thoroughly.  Whisk in the olive oil as you pour it.  Add the Salt and Pepper to taste.  If the lemon flavor is a bit too tart, add a pinch of sugar. 

4.  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss again, coating the salad with the dressing. 

This will serve about 4 as a main course (or 2 leaving nice lunch leftovers), and about 8 as a side dish.  I recommend topping each serving with a tiny bit of chunky, crispy finishing salt (such as marsh salt) and an extra sprinkling of Feta. 

Variations:  The addition of some sliced roasted red peppers and/or pine nuts would be quite tasty.  You could also swap out the feta for some fresh mozzarella.  You could swap out the cucumber for some  steamed or roasted asparagus pieces. 

In addition, if your carnivore instincts are kicking in, this would be excellent with some lemon or sun dried tomato marinated grilled chicken.   

Doing Things Badly - Great Read!

Just read a great article by Katherine Weissman entitled "The Joy of Doing Things Badly".  Very encouraging and inspiring read!

Click here to read Ms. Weissman's article!

Things that Shouldn't have to be Said

1.  Never Shake a Baby. (Sign hanging in Tower City - Cleveland, OH)

2.  Yield to the Train.  (Sign hanging at a railroad crossing somewhere near Wooster, OH)

3.  Caution, handle with care - I'm Hot! (On Coffee Cups EVERYWHERE)
(Erie Island Coffee took a stand.  Their cup sleeves say "Of Course its Hot!")

 4.  Stop for Pedestrians in Crosswalk

Why Cook?

So many of my very close friends and family members ooze with artistic passion and talent.  I have always been a bit envious, not that they have talent that is simply not possessed by yours truly, but because they find such solace in creating and sharing a piece of themselves with the world.

Given the fact that my attention span rivals only that of an amoeba, my sporadic quests to become one of the artsy-craftsy folk have always ended - crashed and burned to be more accurate.  In the closet of the little room I call my own, you will find unfinished:

• Knitting Projects - Oh yes, my tension was praised, as was the consistency of my stitch size.  I lost it when a dropped stitch was noticed a few rows back, and my patience lacked to fix it.

• Scrap Booking - All the adorable supplies sit in a lovely, designated plastic storage container.  What's that you say?  I have to take the time to get photos printed to scrap book?  I guess that would mean that I would need to be vigilant about taking photos in the first place.

• Sewing - The machine sits, awaiting my attention,  as does some material, a "Sew-Easy" pattern, and all of the notions needed to get the job done.  But what happens if I mess up?  The project would end up like my knitting.  So why start it in the first place?

• Drawing, Painting, Sculpting - I tremendously enjoy viewing all of the various works of art, but the world around me expresses extreme gratification that I do not even attempt to create my own.  My 8 year old heart was smashed in pieces when my art teacher found that I was the only student that didn't have one single piece worthy to hang in the school art fair.  In 20/20 hindsight, it was probably best that the "No Child Left Behind" endeavor did not yet exist.  I not only deserved to be left behind; I probably should have been exiled to an uninhabited desert island.

My passion lies in cooking.  Over the last several years, I have come to the conclusion that cooking is a boon for someone like me.  Here's why:

• Cooking has a definite start and finish, and usually the finish is within a single day's span of the start.  Even big meals, like Thanksgiving, might take days of planning, but the actually cooking action is over within a solid 24 hour period of time. 

• The end result of the effort of cooking gives instant gratification.

• Cooking DOES provide solace an a sense of accomplishment, and it is something that one can take to the next level with creativity and passion. 

• Meals bring family and friends together.  It shows people that you care about them.  Good meals (and even the failed attempts at good meals, i.e. Bridget Jones' blue soup) are typically enjoyed with smiles and laughter.  

• 9 out of 10 times, errors made while cooking can be easily remedied with a dash of this or pinch of that.  If they can't be fixed, there is not days, weeks, or months of time invested in the project.  In addition, one does not feel like they need to store the effort for posterity's sake (nor could they if they wanted to). 

My kitchen is my studio; my guests are my audience.  It is with a full heart and satisfied palate that my dishes are cleaned at the end of the meal.  And my guests can usually find me asleep in my chair with a satisfied smile on my face, before they even leave my home. 

Welcome to Chez Spence.

Mmmmm...Honey!

As a customer service representative, and a manager of a team of customer representatives, I have extremely high standards.  My belief is that our clients pay our salaries and keep us in business, and we have to give them a reason to want to continue doing this year after year.  Therefore, doing more than our competitors is not only crucial, but standard. 

I have a hopeless flaw of holding others to the same standard that I erect for myself.  From my company's standpoint, they have told me that this is one of my strengths and a big reason for my supervisory position.  Those that have to provide service to me, as a customer, may not agree with my superiors.  Sometimes I even "lose my cool" with those computers that answer the phone, at which point my co-workers respond "it can't understand the tone in your voice, Rach; save your energy!" 

Fortunately, I have learned the meaning of that old adage "you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar".  Two recent victories show that this is a very true statement.

My grocery store is wonderful.  Polite teenagers (crazy, huh?), beautiful meats and produce, reasonable prices are all great reasons to bypass the grocery store that is, literally, right in my backyard and drive into the next city.  It always frustrated me, however, that their hot pepper selection was always a bit jumbled together, and picking up the wrong hot pepper could be a big problem.  I sent this grocery store an email, and I told them how great their store is, including praise for their employees.  Within the email, I offered one piece of "constructive criticism", and asked them to post pictures of the hot peppers.  I sent the email on a Monday.  They responded to me within a day or two thanking me for taking the time to give them feedback, and that they would take my comment into consideration.  The next time I went to the store, less than a week after my email was sent, the pepper pictures were posted!  I know that this is such a small feat, however, as my husband pointed out, our world was altered for the better. 

Last Friday, I was preparing to celebrate my father's milestone birthday.  I called the caterer and, giving them slightly more than 24 hours notice, attempted to order their pork and sauerkraut for a crowd.  Their menu said "24 hours notice required".  The worker that answered the phone told me that they meant 24 "open" hours, and that there was probably no way that I was going to get my pork and sauerkraut.  She had to make a phone call, but told me not to get my hopes up.  Although I would have much preferred to go with my first instinct and snottily remind them that to a non-restaurant lay person, 24 hours means 24 hours, and 3 days would mean 24 open hours, I pulled out the honey dipper, apologized for giving them short notice, and asked her to see what she could do.  I also sent the manager a nicely worded email, stating how much my family enjoyed their food, how unfortunate it was that I misinterpreted their wording, and could he please work with his staff to try to accommodate my request.  Within 10 minutes, I received a call back, and the next day's pork and sauerkraut was delicious!

Unfortunately, sometimes the receiver of the honey does not do what I want them to do.  At that point it becomes a personal satisfaction thing for me.  I know that I treated that person with dignity and respect, and kept control of my emotions.  This little victory should not be under estimated, either. 

Watch out for Pirates

Here's a great idea for your Tuesday. If you have a yacht, don't sail it near Somalia. And if you feel the need to go somewhere that requires passage anywhere near Somalia, don't go.

I don't know if you've heard, but there are ruthless, blood thirsty pirates there; real ones, that don't work for Disney.

You could die.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Prioritizing

I am on the road to being a full-fledged work-a-holic. This realization, which came to me over the past week, is frightening.

With the exception of caffeine, I have really never considered myself an addict. I've never even tried marijuana, and cannot even stand to be under the influence of prescription pain medications, even when in excruciating pain. Addiction to work, however, has slowly been creeping up on me.

The 8 hour workday/40 hour work week used to be the "norm" for me. I attended college in the evenings and on weekends for the better part of 7 or 8 years. As graduation approached, I felt the need to dive deeper into my "career" and strove for promotions and authority. I wanted to feel fulfillment and accomplishment.

Today, a 50 or 60 hour work week is not uncommon - and that is only the time I spend at the office. When I leave, it comes with me. The only thing I have to think about and talk about is work.

At some point, my brain started thinking that doing a good job means putting extra hours in. When I see co-workers staying late, I feel guilty leaving on time...so I stay. When I get home, I realize that my brain is still focusing on work. I'm exhausted. I'm dissatisfied. I have nothing left to give my husband, my family, and my friends. I have no energy left to exercise, or cook a healthy meal. My weight is creeping up; my attitude is turning negative.

The all-knowing and all-powerful Wikipedia states that, in addition to substance abuse, "addiction can also be viewed as a continued involvement with...an activity despite the negative consequences associated with it".

Now that the negative consequences have been identified, I realize that I am developing a problem, and I have to figure out a way to break this bad habit before it becomes an full-on addiction. The time has come to reassess my priorities, and recognize the fact that I am at a crossroads.

This past Friday, I came into work with the goal of leaving on time. I told myself that I had to accomplish certain goals, and that working past 4:30pm was not an option. I even got up and left a meeting with my boss in order to leave on time. It felt wonderful. Liberating. Healthy.

Like anyone trying to overcome an addiction, I need to give myself a short term, attainable plan in order to achieve the big long term goal.

My plan for tomorrow is to get in on time and get out on time. To do the best job I can in an 8 hour day, come home, and leave the work at work. And then...well, I take it one day at a time and try to make it through the week, month, year, and beyond.

Work is important, and it has its place. Time, however, is something that I can never get back. Over-investing time in work is like feeding a bad stock more money. Rather than admit that I am making a bad investment, I convince myself that if I just keep putting in more and more time, there will be a big pay off. This is a more dangerous gamble than the stock market. One can always figure out a way to make more money and recoup loss. I am destroying my health, my relationships, and my attitude, and I can never get back the extra, pointless time that I am giving work.

This must stop...I will stop.

Getting Back on Track

I can't believe that it has been February since I posted a blog entry. So much for new years resolutions! Time to get back on track.

It has been a crazy five to six months. We've had ups and we've had downs. Fortunately, things have calmed down a bit and we have been getting back to normal.

We have decided to relocate Chez Spence, however. We have made an offer on a home with some trees and acreage. I am so incredibly excited. I am guessing that we will probably not get this one, and as much as I like it, I will work very hard at not being disappointed if it doesn't go through. For recording purposes, I will do my best to paint a verbal picture.

The home is a cedar and wood structure built in 1986. It is a bit more of a contemporary style colonial, but it is surrounded by woods, and it really just works with the land. The house is hidden from the street; it has a winding driveway with one of those cute little wooden fences that really aren't there for any other purpose than decoration. The landscaping is beautiful. Even though the house is in the trees, it still gets plenty of sun. The backyard is also beautiful. There is an area of grass yard, and then the rest of the acreage is woods. The back of the house is equipped with a large deck, hot tub (or the 220 line needed if they take it with them), and even a fish pond with a waterfall. Neighbors? Well, they are there, about a football field length's distance on either side and woods to hide them. The inside is almost to our liking, just a few little tweaks. Most importantly (next to the nature, of course) it has a BEAUTIFUL kitchen with Viking appliances. 4 bedrooms, living room, family room, dining room, sun room, and a finished basement. Neutral decor throughout.

As bittersweet as it will be to leave our home, I am quite excited for a new beginning. More to follow!

Do I actually have the same genes?

I do not ooze pride that I have the attention span of a gnat.

My entire life, I have watched the women in my family do all kinds of fun artsy crafty things. I do not have so much luck with the artsy and crafty stuff, to the extent that I'd think I was adopted if there wasn't such a strong resemblance among me and some of my relatives. I really do not care too much about my lack of craft-ability but there is one exception. It has come to my attention that I am the only female in my entire family that cannot sew.

Lead by my 89 year old grandmother, my mother, aunts, and girlie cousins all have the ability to turn on their sewing machines and produce something useful. Even my youngest cousin that is more than two times younger than me can do it.

In most things that I do, I am not typically one to defeat myself before I even try something. Not to toot my own horn, but usually I am resourceful and tenacious enough to learn many new things. When it comes to sewing, however, I freeze. I own a sewing machine, but I have no idea how to use it. Patterns, pinning, cutting, ironing, tracing, sewing....AHHHH! I just do not see a way that I will ever learn.

The list of 2010 New Years resolutions, however, says I will learn. I think that I am going to use the month of March to figure it out, or hit up one of my lovely and talented family members to help me figure it out!

Managing...

My healthy choices calendar, that is provided to me the the wellness folks at work, asks a provoking question this month..."Are you in control of your to-do list, or is your to-do list in control of you?"

It's kind of a funny question, or at least it was until I gave it some thought. In looking at my typical to-do list, it has become quite clear that my current method of to-do listing is ineffective and downright futile. My to-do list defeats me before I even get started.

The lists are LONG. Somehow I manage to list everything that I want to get done, and convince myself that it will all get done in the course of a single Sunday. In reality, even the most efficient person could not finish what is on my to do list in month, let alone a single day.

Moving forward, I am going to attempt a new method of to-do listing. I am going to make a Routine List for those things that must get done each and every week, and I'm going to make a Wish List consisting of those things that I would like to accomplish.

Ultimately, the goal is to make a to-do list that consists of goals that are both attainable and effective. The weekly list will now consist of items from both the Routine and Wish Lists. The trick will be to keep the Wish List items in check. No more than 3 per week, and less than that if necessary, depending on the task.

Now it is time for me to stop typing and start doing.

Back in the Groove

After a very disappointing second week of 2010, I am doing a relatively good job with the third [insert self-pat on the back here]. I am proud to say that my plans for organizing my life are going quite well. In working in new little habits here and there, I am seeing great strides towards success. While it is understood that the weekend will always need to be reserved for bigger projects, I have found that putting in an extra half hour per weekday makes for a much more leisurely weekend. Slowly but surely, I am seeing myself stick to little routines. Baby steps.

In other news, I am the Toastmaster this week. For those not in the know, there is an organization called Toastmasters International. This is a club that anyone can join to hone or develop their public speaking and mingling skills. My employer decided that we should have our own Toastmasters chapter; due to our location on E 9th Street, we are the Rock and Roll Toastmasters. The overall goal for the members is confidence. To be honest, it is quite daunting and intimidating at first - everyone has to do a short, impromptu speech every week, and everyone must organize large speeches to give to the group through the year. The other catch is the "Ah" Meter. A bell is rung each time someone uses a filler word to hopefully achieve a Pavlov effect to eliminate the filler noises. The Toastmaster has to choose the theme of the meeting and basically oversee it, transitioning from segment to segment. There are also other roles throughout the meeting. I was assigned Toastmaster this week, and it's a bit scary. I might run away screaming, except for the fact that I am already seeing improvement in my own personal and professional presentation. I think that the theme of the week will be Conspiracy Theories; that should be fun.

The portion of the New Years resolution dealing with the nightly sustenance at Chez Spence is also going quite well this week. The meals are planned and shopped for; they are diverse and healthy. For this week's cuisine, I turned to my February issue of Real Simple magazine. The recipes this month are awesome. I have made three so far, and plan on making three more through the rest of the week. Last night's Balsamic Glazed Lamb Meatloaf was fine restaurant worthy, and the slow cooked Sweet and Spicy Pork from Sunday received rave reviews. Both were - real simple. If I plan and shop for the week, I have no problem cooking when I get home from work, and to be honest, I enjoy cooking when I get home from work. The minute I have to think about what's for dinner upon my arrival home, we end up at a restaurant. My goal is to keep these instances few, far, and in between.

My Recipe Manager software is a boon for my goal. It houses my recipes and makes my shopping lists for me by store section. I load the shopping list on my I Pod. I can also plan out the meals on the software's calendar for the week. I do not load every recipe that I own on this software; I primarily use it for my regular use recipes, and also my magazine recipes. It does require a little bit of a time investment for loading, categorizing, etc., but the results are so worth it. I am trying to use time on the weekends to go through my magazines and get as many recipes loaded as possible.

And now for the disappointing report on my exercise for the week. If I lie, I only set myself back, so here goes total honesty: It's not going so well so far. Pilates has become a staple, but I have not put in the Spin Class like I promised myself, and I haven't been getting in my other time in either. Hopefully I will have a better report next week. This is one area that I really need to work on the Work/Life balance.

And now, I don my insurance agent hat and work to make it a great day for myself, my clients, and for those around me. Whatever hat you put on today, I hope you strive to have the same effect on the world around you. Cheers!

Not even 2 weeks in, and I blew it!

Apparently I am not such a good juggler. Last weekend proved to be extremely successful, yet the rest of the week was nothing but failed new years resolutions.

There is a room upstairs that is all mine. For the past 8 years, it has been all my mess, honestly. The room is unique because of the access to the walk up attic. The room's closet actually has a door in the back that leads to the attic. Unfortunately, things don't always make their way back into the attic after holidays, dinner parties, etc. When we remodeled last year, we painted the room a beautiful rosy terra-cotta an laid new carpeting. I was excited and resolved to clean out and furnish the room. To get started, I cleaned out the attic a bit, but my mess still remained for a while longer. I could not seem to figure out what I wanted to do with my little space.

My cousin Amy, who is a professional framer, gave me the precious gift of framing my college diploma. She gave me the finished product last Friday and asked where I was going to hang it. I told her it would be hung in my room if I could ever get the motivation to finish it. Well, the beauty of the diploma inspired me, and I was able to finally clean out, furnish, and arrange the room. It is amazing and I love it. I still have to hang the diploma, and another beautiful picture that my friend Lindy painted for me, but it is almost done.

Perhaps that was such a big undertaking that I did not have anything left for the week. Also, in my defense, it was an incredibly crappy work week. I only cooked two days this week, and ate out three. That is in direct violation to my resolution stating that I would eat out of the house only once during a week. I did make it to my Pilates class, but failed to take any spin classes or make it to the gym any other days.

To pat myself on the back, I have not been on Facebook in 2 weeks. That is a tremendous success for an addict such as myself.

Hopefully, calling myself out on my failures will inspire success next week. Giving up is not an option.

What a Disappointment!

I'm sure people will think I'm crazy, but I am extremely disappointed. For the past 2 days, the Cleveland area was bombarded with weather propaganda about this terrible storm that was coming our way. We were supposed to have woken up to a million inches, and then pummeled by another few hundred thousand inches, only to have woken up to about a billion more inches tomorrow morning.

In honor of this winter apocalypse, almost every single school in the northeastern Ohio area was closed. Salt trucks were out in full force. Grocery store shelves were getting bare.

Well, here's the latest scoop. It is around 6:30pm, and we should have been buried alive by now. It barely snowed all day. It is barely snowing now. From the looks of the radar, even the snow belt was not hit with anything.

I think that the school kids banded together and bribed some meteorologists. That is the only logical explanation. They didn't want to be back at school for a full week, so they made an arrangement to get the schools closed. My hat is off to the few schools that didn't fall for it.

Off to a Good Start for 2010 - Only 358 days to go AHHH!

Well, I didn't think of any resolutions to change; I am quite happy with my selections, and I did add a book club with a good friend. So far, I am off to a good start. I have packed my lunch every day this week (applicable to weight and dollar management, two birds with one stone HA!). I have also exercised, though Spin Class was full when I went on Monday night; I guess others have New Year's resolutions too. At the moment I am off to Pilates. I have also cooked every night this week, except last night, when we didn't eat at all except for fruit and crackers. We didn't go out to eat, as we strongly resisted the compelling cluck of Chick Fil A, so I guess that still counts in some strange way.

Rach and I are off to a good start with our book club. We have started with the Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, and I am loving it. It is allegedly one of the first published Mystery novels. Anyway, Rachel received a Kindle for Christmas, I have had my BeBook - most classic novels past their copyright dates are free in formats for both e-books. The little rat already finished the story. I need to get snowed in so that I can score some extra time to catch up. This gives me an idea - we might need another blog for this project!

Organization - ouch. This is a tough one, and I have to really make a concerted effort. I SO need to de-clutter and learn to part with things I don't love (see www.flylady.net).

French and sewing so far are both no-go's. Oh well, 358 days left, right?

New Years resolutions, 2010.

Goals: Simplicity. Attainability. Specific when possible.

Disclaimer: Subject to Change through December 31, 2009

1. Continue the following never ending quests:

a.) Better organization both at home and at the office

b.) More consistent physical fitness

c.) Improvement of time management

d.) Budget dollars more effectively

2. Become a better listener, suppress urge to constantly express opinion.

3. Keep up to date with journal and blog.

(Writing makes me feel better and keeps me accountable)

4. Learn to sew. (Challenge to be more well rounded)

5. Get serious about learning the French language. (Challenge to be more well rounded)

6. Cook 6 out of 7 nights a week, carefully planning shopping each week. (Exception: kitchen construction timeframe)

7. Work towards losing and keeping off the final 10 pounds prior to health day at work in May, subsequently improving BMI.

8. Started book club with Rachel D. in an effort to keep my brain occupied.

About Relocating...

Well, moving was a really fun thought for a while, until we started looking at the costs involved with selling our beloved Chez Spence. We met with a realtor last night.

The good news is that we have a nice house, and though we would never recoup what we put into it, the official outlook is that we should be able to sell it in a reasonable amount of time, and we would definitely get more than we bought it for. This is, from what I hear, a rare prediction in this market. The problem is that the fees and commissions are quite hefty, which for us really adds to the blow of the market. We expected this, but when we saw it in black and white it sunk in a bit deeper.

Since we are not in a position of unhappiness, nor have we made any commitments to other properties, it's looking like we are going to hang around here for a while. This is definitely not a bad thing. I truly love my home and my neighborhood. I just wish it was a little quieter and more private.

We are still digesting and deciding, but as of today, 1/6/10, that is the way the decision pendulum is swinging.

Relocating Chez Spence?

Today is New Years Eve, 2009. I took the day off, and am happily sitting here in my wrap/blanket (NOT a snuggie), and I'm watching a picturesque, light snow falling outside.

Out my window, disturbing the tranquility, I can also see cars driving down the street. The creepy neighbor lady walking outside in flip flops and her robe (did I mention that it is snowing?) to pick up her paper. My two next door neighbors are men who are obsessed with their leaf blowers and are leaf blowing their snow. I have always lived with this type of suburban noise, and I have had enough, and so has Scott. We are officially looking to relocate Chez Spence to somewhere quiet, wooded, and secluded.

This is not to say that my suburban neighborhood is not an awesome place to be if you enjoy the close proximity of neighbors. We are within walking distance to everything we need - the market, the library (one of the best in the county), the brand new recreation center, not to mention all of the schools. The coffee shop, that is also a short walk away, is charming and brews a mean bean. The doughnut shop takes me back to the year 1956, and I am burning some of the calories I consume because, guess what? I'm walking there, too.

The convenience of this city cannot be beat either. Our location is roughly a 15 minute round trip to the airport, and we equidistant from 3 major freeways in the area, within about 7 minutes of each. We are far enough away that we are not inconvenienced with the noise and traffic. We are also on the same side of town as our friends and family.

And then we can talk about the nostalgia: Scott's Grandma has a picture with her class in front of our historic little cabin, because she attended the high school here. My Grandpa used to drink at the bar at the end of my street. My mom used to ride her bike from her home that was one city over.

Emotionally, I am quite attached to our home. It is comfortable and beautiful. We moved here when we were first married, and have made many memories. I will sob uncontrollably in the event that we decide to sell this house.

Any of these would be good reasons to stay, but as I age a bit, I am looking for something different. I long for peace and tranquility. I yearn look out my window, at my large piece of land, and watch wildlife and see trees. I am not a country girl, nor will I ever be. I like conveniences and hate well water. I am also not a fan of new construction, and prefer the charm of older homes. All of my likes and dislikes put me into a bit of an awkward position in my quest for homestead happiness. Most areas with acreage have well water, and are most commonly populated with homes built after 1970. These areas are also typically about a half hour from civilization.

Finding an area that meets my critical requirements will definitely be a challenge, but these areas do, exist. There is a village about 35 minutes east of my current location. The taxes are high, the house prices are high. The scenery is priceless. Deer are plentiful, and wild turkey roam the landscape (I didn't even know that Cleveland had wild Turkeys!). They call it a "Bird Sanctuary". A river runs through the town, and there are cliffs and valleys. People donate some of their acreage to a land conservation program to keep this city green and spacious. I, personally, love snow, and this location is located within the "snow belt". Within a 10 to 15 minute drive you will find some of the best shopping in the area. Also within that distance are 3 major freeways.

It seems like a dream, but with the right planning and timing, it will become our reality. My memories of our first house will come with me, though I will vacate the home itself. I know that I am preparing to embark on an emotional journey into the next stage of my existence. It should be quite interesting.

Since I last wrote, I received what will be one of my favorite Christmas presents in the years to come. My boss, Kim, took fellow Team Leader Karen and I to a cooking class and dinner with Chef Loretta Paganini. To be honest, I did not know who she was when I arrived, but now I will never forget her. She is a local cooking celebrity, originating from Bologna, Italy. She runs 2 schools, right here in my beloved Cleveland, one for "home cooks" (see www.lpscinc.com) and the other to train professional chefs (see www.icasi.net) . In doing a bit more research, I see that she is the chef behind Simply Gourmet on the Discovery Channel.

The class was entitled "Cooking with Wine". We were permitted to bring our own wine and watch the show. Karen and I even participated in the program by stirring risotto for [exactly] 23 minutes - it's one of the secrets to perfect risotto. Needless to say, I was inspired on many levels. Chef Paganini combines her love of culinary arts with a flare for entertaining and obvious desire to teach - and it is the perfect combination. The food was absolutely delicious. I was reminded of how much I love to create things in the kitchen, even if they are other people's recipes at this point in my life. I have rededicated myself to learning technique and to being the best home-chef I can be for my family and friends.

That leads me to this past Saturday. It was gray, cold, and a bit snowy. A fire was roaring in the living room. I decided it was time to learn to roast a chicken properly. Rather than reach for my "Set-it-and-forget-it" Ron Popeil rotisserie, I reached for the masterpiece by Julia Child Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It's not a coincidence - I do admit that I was a bit inspired by the movie Julie and Julia. To be honest, I never thought that roasting a chicken was anything fabulous, nor did I see anyway that it could be. I was SO wrong. I roasted the chicken on its side, just like Julia instructed, and basted it regularly. I made a mushroom sauce consisting of cream and port wine. Scott and I flambéed the chicken in cognac. I even followed her directions for pan roasting fingerling potatoes. I learned so much as I studied and followed the recipes exactly. It was an amazing meal made with relatively simple ingredients. It is no wonder that the woman is touted as a legend. She explains why, not just what. There is actually chemistry and physics involved in cooking.

High on my success from Saturday night, I decided to pull out the recipes that I received from the cooking class. I made Osso Bucco (veal shank) in Gremolata Sauce, and poached pears with port zabaglione. Again, we enjoyed an amazing meal with relatively simple ingredients, and I was able to learn new techniques.

This week, I am keeping it simple with Fettuccine Alfredo, Roasted Red Snapper in mustard sauce, and Chicken Piccata, all things that I can easily make after work and last minute shopping. Then it's Christmas. I am not cooking for the holiday; we are going to be guests this year. I am already contemplating my culinary challenges for the weekend, however...

In case this is my last entry prior to the holiday, in case someone is actually reading my scribbles, I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas.

New Years Resolutions = Pie Crust Promises

Mary Poppins teaches the concept of the "pie crust promise" - "Pie crust promises" are "easily made, easily broken". I think that it is safe to assume that, with rare exception, this is how the typical new years resolution is defined. We all view the new year as a sparkling, clean slate. Another chance to make this year better than the last. The slate can only be so clean, however. Old habits and life in general always seem to get in the way of everyone's good intentions. The editor of Real Simple Magazine points out in her January editor's note that studies show most new years resolutions are disregarded by February 17. Based on my personal study of my own patterns and behaviors, there are two problems:

1. I expect miraculous complete change, as opposed to gradual improvement.

2. The list is too long and therefore impossible to achieve.

To the first point, I tend to fall "off the wagon" the first time I fail. Rather than learning from my mistakes, I give up. This is the danger of perfectionism: if it can't be done absolutely flawlessly, it is not worth doing at all. Marla Cilley, the "Flylady" and author of Sink Reflections, and www.flylady.net points out this danger and reminds her readers that even a little improvement is better than no improvement at all. As the saying goes, "old habits die hard", and new habits take a long time to root (typically, a minimum of 21 consistent days, or about 30 to 40 repetitions according to most information on the web).

Secondly, I think that the knowledge of a new year will give me some kind of superhuman powers to change everything about my life, my personality, and my habits that I do not consider acceptable. The list is long, and impossible. Again, perfectionism kicks in - if I cannot do it all, I just will refuse to do anything at all.

Based on my research and self reflection , I am improving upon my resolution list this year. I will give myself credit for things that were accomplished in the past year; be realistic by aiming for improvement and not necessarily complete change; and will add a few challenges that, if achieved, will make me a more well rounded person. I am also desperately hoping this blog will keep me accountable.

Reflection on 2009's resolutions:

1. Lost 15 pounds and did not gain it back.

2. Consistently attended a weekly Pilates class.

3. Exercised more consistently.

4. Cooked more, went out to eat less.

5. Became a bit more organized; learned to use what I have and get rid of what I don't use.

First draft of New Years resolutions, 2010.

Goals: Simplicity. Attainability. Specific when possible.

Disclaimer: Subject to Change through December 31, 2009

1. Continue the following never ending quests:

a.) Better organization both at home and at the office

b.) More consistent physical fitness

c.) Improvement of time management

d.) Budget dollars more effectively

2. Become a better listener, suppress urge to constantly express opinion.

3. Keep up to date with journal and blog.

(Writing makes me feel better and keeps me accountable)

4. Learn to sew. (Challenge to be more well rounded)

5. Get serious about learning the French language. (Challenge to be more well rounded)

6. Cook 6 out of 7 nights a week, carefully planning shopping each week. (Exception: kitchen construction timeframe)

7. Work towards losing and keeping off the final 10 pounds prior to health day at work in May, subsequently improving BMI.

Is Anything Special Anymore?

My friend from back in high school, Kate, recently blogged about the old holiday specials, and how you tube reconnects her to those specials, allowing her to relive her childhood nostalgia while she watches Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph, Charlie Brown, etc. on her computer, any time she wants. Isn't it amazing how technology makes these things so available? This brings an interesting question to my mind: is technology a blessing, or is it a curse?

Like Kate, I remember a different time. This slightly unnerves me, as I do not consider myself to be old, but it is amazing how different things were when I was little. We had one color TV for the family, and one tiny black and white TV that someone could watch if they wanted to deviate from what everyone else was watching. They both had dials that we had to turn, and we didn't have a remote control. Cable was not available where I lived, so I was stuck with regular TV channels, and had to adjust an antenna to get good reception. At some point, we got a Betamax - the predecessor to the VHS. Since this was not common yet, there were not too many things even released on video cassette.

At Christmastime, my mom would always look for the nights that the specials were on. She would tell us about them, usually a couple days ahead, and me and my brother would be excited all week to watch them. We would have treats; we got to stay up a little bit past our bedtime to watch. It was truly magical. We knew that we wouldn't get to see these specials for another year. We tried to tape them on our Betamax, but inevitably, someone would pause to avoid a commercial and forget to press record again and ruin it.

Somewhere between being little and 'tweenhood, videos began to be released and available anytime. At that point, everyone had a VHS. Then, cable became the norm in most households. Our beloved specials were played regularly after halloween on the cable networks. If we couldn't find the special we wanted on cable, Blockbuster Video and others had the movies for rent and for sale. And so it began - specials became normals.

In 2009, there are devoted holiday networks on digital cable and satellite. Holiday movies are made by the dozen each year. The "classics" are available on collector DVD's and streamed from Netflix. As Kate points out, they are available on You Tube at the push of a button. By the time the holidays are over, everyone saturated and sick of the movies, the music, and everything else that goes along with this time of year. When I mention to our niece that she can come over and watch a Christmas special, she looks at me like I'm crazy because she's seen them all a million times.

I mention my friend Kate that I "reconnected" with when we "friended" each other on Facebook. I can express my thoughts in writing on this blog for anyone to read. Information on anything is available in a couple of keystrokes. The list of how technology enhances our lives goes on with things much more important than what was mentioned. Given the chance, I would not go backwards.

I cannot help feeling a bit robbed, however. Technology has been a strong contributing factor to the removal of the "special" from our lives. Nothing is scarce or anticipated; what we want, we can have in a matter of seconds. I used to think that the holidays became lack luster to me because of the aging process. That is probably partially true and inevitable. After much thought and soul searching on the subject, it has become apparent to me that I do not like the extreme availability of things that were once special. What magic aging did not ruin, availability has obliterated. No technological advance will ever be able to bring back that feeling.

Coming to this realization gives me the chance reclaim some of the magic in the season. New traditions can be created. In my heart, I can make the normal special once again, and be ultimately thankful for everything available at my fingertips. Someday, this time in my life that seems mundane now, will be special in my memories, too.