That's Bananas

        Yesterday was really busy. I had a long list of errands that I usually complete while our friend, Sarah, comes to play with Christopher. However, Sarah was busy in her other life as a librarian, so I braved my list with a toddler and Irish Setter in tow (yes, the same duo that had me up in the wee hours of Sunday morning for various obstinancies). After breakfast, we were off to the grooming salon to drop off the dog, big box store for some necessities, UPS store to ship some boxes, consignment store to drop off some clothes, dry cleaners to leave other clothes, dollar store to buy supplies for an upcoming MOP craft, clothing store to return a shirt, and back to the grooming salon to pick up the dog. In the middle of all of that somewhere, we returned home and I scrubbed the dog's crate and cleaned the kitchen floor, arranged the pick up of yard waste, and made plans for dinner on Saturday. All of that before 1 p.m.
       Both child and dog were well behaved and I was feeling quite accomplished when we finished. As I was making an afternoon snack, I spied some really ripe bananas in our fruit bowl and decided that a treat for such a busy day would be a nice, warm slice of banana bread. Any time I start to see brown spots on our bananas, my mind instantly goes to banana bread. In fact, I will confess that maybe sometimes, I let the bananas get a little brown. I've tinkered with a few different recipes, and last night, I exchanged vanilla Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and tossed a handful of white and semisweet chocolate chips into Martha Stewart's classic banana bread recipe. The result was perfect with a tall glass of cold milk.
       The other thing I like to make with overripe bananas is a delicious breakfast smoothie. I don't know if I've ever followed a recipe for making a smoothie. Instead, I just usually open the fridge and assess the pantry, then stuff the blender with my findings. I've been inspired by some of the green smoothie recipes I've seen on Pinterest, and this morning, I decided to experiment with the remainder of my brown bananas and some baby spinach. I tossed in some ice cubes, a few large dollops of vanilla Greek yogurt (my new favorite ingredient for sure!) and a large tablespoon full of peanut butter. The textures and layers of brown, yellow, green and ivory looked really lovely in my blender and I really wish I would have snapped a pic for the blog before I pushed the liquefy button. The results were delicious, and Christopher and I enjoyed a healthy, filling addition to our breakfast of whole grain waffles.

Camellias, a Winter Surprise

      
        On a chilly Wednesday morning, my friend Annmarie and I decided to visit the Norfolk Botanical Gardens to take a peek at the early blooming camellias. I hold a particular fondness for this flower because during our first year in our house, I was surprised to look outside one frosty February morning to see pink petals blossoming on one of our trees. In previous locations, I had always considered February to be a cold and sometimes dreary month. It always seemed to be the time when winter dragged on and the most you could hope for in terms of foliage were damp, decaying leaves from the previous autumn. Not so in Virginia where the camellias have changed my outlook on the shortest month of the year. Each year, I've welcomed the bright, cheery blossoms as a beacon of the coming spring.

Virginia Weekend

     Pinkies up at the Olde World Tea Company

          When I think of exploring historical Virginia, images of Monticello and Colonial Williamsburg immediately flash through my mind. Though I have certainly made a point to visit both of those history-rich locations (just a few times), our area is also full of smaller, but equally historic gems that can make for pleasant weekend adventures.
       On Saturday morning, I headed to Smithfield with my fellow Moms on Point Steering Team members for our leadership retreat. Our destination was the Olde World Tea Company, but we had a fun car ride through a little bit of the Suffolk countryside. There are several large, old farmhouses and barns along the way that I admire, and the weather was clear and rivers sparkling in the sun.
      Smithfield, known as the "ham capital of the world" for its eponymous pork products, has a main street lined with boutiques and cafes in restored houses from the Colonial, Federal and Victorian eras. The Olde World Tea company is in one of these quaint houses, and we spent a refreshing morning sampling some fine teas and treats (I highly recommend the formosa oolong and sweet potato pot de creme). It was good to catch up with friends after the busy holiday season and start talking about our plans for the new semester that starts next Friday. By the end of our retreat, I commented that I felt as relaxed and peaceful as if I had just spent some time at the spa.
       Sunday afternoon was cold and windy, and the perfect time to see a lunch matinee at The Commodore Theatre in Olde Towne Portsmouth. Though I haven't written about Olde Towne on Belletrist, it was my home my first year in Virginia and I adore its restaurants and attractions. The Commodore has been a favorite date location for us for several years. The theater and lobby are a gorgeous Art Deco restoration project that is reminiscent of a Jazz Age supper club. Before the movie begins, you can order a meal or snack from a tabletop phone. We saw the second Sherlock Holmes film, and though I did not like it as much as the first in the series, I was still impressed with the special effects cinematography.
        It was too dark to take pictures of the beautiful curtain or murals in the Commodore, but I was able to snap a shot of Matt ordering our lunch:

These are a few of my favorite things...

     I thought it might be fun to post some of the things that have tickled my fancy in the past week. They might not be enough to warrant their own post, but they've certainly caught my interest.

Downton Abbey - My new guilty television pleasure. Originally a British series, the second season just started on PBS in the United States. The clothes! The great house! The English countryside! Those things alone make it aesthetically pleasing enough to tune in. However, the storyline, set in the Edwardian era, balances a fair amount of social and political history with its soapy drama. The first season is available on Netflix, and I caught up during a rainy weekend marathon with lots of cookies and hot tea.

Pinterest - My friend Keeley mentioned this website to me while we were at the gym. Basically, it is an online resource to share and collect ideas for every sort of interest. It's part social networking (since you can "like" and comment on others' posts) and part inspiration file (since you can collect and sort pictures of ideas, projects and tips into different categories on your boards). I've found loads of ideas for sewing and cooking, as well as activities for Christopher. Now if I can only stop collecting and start implementing :).

Cast Iron Dutch Oven - I made the most delicious and easy dinner in my new 6.5 quart cast iron dutch oven last week. I've collected several recipes over the years that require a dutch oven, but since I didn't have one, they remained untested in my recipe binder (from the days of yore before Pinterest). Matt and I found one a cheery red one at a very reasonable price, and my inaugural meal was such a success that I imagine it will quickly become a favorite piece of cookery in my kitchen. There is something homey about preparing an entire meal in one pot, and I felt like a real cook when I lifted the lid to poke the meat and vegetables around with my bamboo spoon.

Banana Republic - Some lovely people gave me Banana Republic gift cards for Christmas. When I went to use them, I discovered that they were having an amazing sale with many items that were an additional 50% off their sale price. I was able to get a perfect dinner dress for $30. While I was making that purchase, I took in the new arrivals and was excited to see lots of nautical details and navy blue. I've been working on incorporating more navy in my wardrobe since it isn't as stark as black with my pale complexion. Even the most casual styles look crisp in navy. I will definitely be stopping back in Banana Republic for some new Spring clothes.

It's in the cards

A selection of my holiday stationery

     My wrists and fingers have been giving me some trouble over the past week, so I haven't been able to get my holiday thank you notes out as promptly as I had hoped.  I really like handwritten correspondence, and in our ever paperless world, sometimes the only opportunity for me to send a note or card is as a thank you for a gift or hospitality. 

      Since my elementary days writing an Irish pen pal, I've also really enjoyed choosing beautiful stationery to express my thoughts. My early selections were scrolled with ballerinas, puppies and flowers, and I had a very bright folder of Lisa Frank paper and stickers that I was quite proud to mail. Next, in college and my first years working, I loved to buy notecards decorated with the works of some of my favorite artists. These cards were pretty and vibrant, and reminded me of museum visits in the United States and Europe each time I opened my paper drawer. 

      When I became a married lady, I was thrilled (THRILLED!) to order my first formal stationery. Since I was young, I had admired the engraved monograms on cards sent by my great aunts and I had pored over the sections in our etiquette books that covered what items belonged in a well stocked stationery portfolio. It might seem archaic to wait until I was married to get nice personal stationery, but I was trying to be practical. I didn't want to invest in good paper and be left with an unused pile in my maiden name once I married.

     My favorites are from Crane&Co. I think there is something luxurious about the weight and texture of their papers and the designs are simple and elegant. For all occasions, I have copper monogrammed notecards in a creamy ecru, and I also get seasonal cards with my full name embossed across the bottom (even though I was excited to have a married monogram, I still like seeing my maiden name spelled out in ink). To fill out my paper drawer, I also pick up the occasional box of cards inspired by Asian art (such as Koizumi's birds above) that can usually be found on the discount shelves at bookstores. 

 

Twelfth Night

     After a long winter's nap (aka a very busy but delightful holiday season), I've decided to get myself in gear and back to Belletrist. This evening the decorations are down and I've decided to celebrate the end of the Christmas season by baking a Twelfth Night cake.
     Twelfth Night (January 5 or 6) marks the end of the twelve days of Christmas and Epiphany, when the wise men made their visit to Jesus. I've always been rather fond of it since I played Feste in Twelfth Night during college.
     In several areas of the Gulf Coast, particularly Louisiana, the custom is to bake a King Cake to mark Epiphany. In colonial America (my particular area of interest), the tradition was to take down Christmas decorations by Twelfth Night and to use any unspoiled fruit from those decorations to make a cake. If you have ever visited Colonial Williamsburg and seen the beautiful wreaths with apples, nuts and oranges, they are exactly what was used to make Twelfth Night cakes.
      Another fun tradition surrounding the Twelfth Night cake dates back to Tudor England. A bean was baked into the cake and the finder was declared the king for the night, and could make rules that would last until midnight when everything was put back to order.
      If you are interested in the recipe for a traditional Twelfth Night cake, you can view one here. For my recipe, since I had also promised my husband a chocolate treat, I modified Martha Stewart's classic chocolate bundt cake recipe. To make it more authentic, I added ground cinnamon, chopped dried apricots, and golden raisins. I plan to top it with a chocolate and Bermudan rum glaze once it cools.
      Don't worry, I didn't forget the bean. I have a dried lima tied on the end of a ribbon to insert for more child-friendly discovery, but hopefully he'll be sleeping long before his rule ends at midnight.

Closet Keeping, Part Two

Here are three of the items from my wardrobe that I decided to keep even though I don't actively wear them:

 

        Wool Skirt (Circa 1960s, worn early 1990s). If I could manage to squeeze myself into this skirt without removing internal organs, it would still be one of the favorite pieces in my wardrobe. It represents not only my junior high school years, but also my first experience trying out my mother’s fabulous collection of clothing. I have been told that my mom and aunt (aka the Strother Girls) were quite the head turners in their youth and wore some great self-made and department store clothes. This skirt was my first find from “shopping the attic,” which quickly became a yearly fall ritual. Vintage wasn’t cool yet, but I didn’t care. I loved the swish of the heavy wool and the way the orange yarns stood out among the mélange of black, grey and cream. The fabric was decidedly itchy, but I just made sure I wore it with good black tights and a smooth camisole under my sweater.  It was my go-to skirt for dress up days before band performances and I once wore it to present my science fair project to the judging panel.

         Cotton Shift Dress (early 1990s-mid 2000s). This dress dominated my summer wardrobe for over a decade. There was a time when if you sniffed it, even freshly washed, you could smell beachy air and sunscreen. It was a random, inexpensive find – my mother and I were buying supplies for our annual beach trip and its colorful and unique pattern caught my attention. I had a love affair with brown since it worked well with my reddish hair and freckles, so I paired the dress with any number of brown and tan sandals and light sweaters. Mostly, I wore it barefoot and over a bikini – lounging on large, flat river rocks, strolling along the beach, hanging out on a boat or reading in a porch swing. Once, when I was packing up an apartment in 90 degree heat, a friend commented that she couldn’t believe I was wearing a dress while moving furniture and I laughed since it felt more like second summer skin than something to wear to a barbeque. Eventually, the zipper broke and I discovered it cost far, far more to repair than the original purchase price.

           Velveteen Jacket (2000s). I fell in love with this jacket the moment I saw it hanging in a boutique on the Getreidegasse in Salzburg, Austria.  It embodied all of the things I love about European fashion: luxe fabric, sophisticated detail, incredible fit. I feel like in the United States, you often have to shop at a much higher price point to find the same qualities in clothing. The jacket has an edgy quality that was certainly aspirational when I first bought it, but soon became familiar as I wore it out to impossibly chic clubs and galleries in Spain, Italy, Germany, the UK, Netherlands and New York. I think my confidence in wearing it helped me take more chances in terms of experimenting beyond my usual style. I used to put the jacket over some of my other European finds – a bronze leather mini skirt, slim grey cigarette pants, or jeans with a perfect cut. It makes me think of young, fun times hopping trains, sitting in cafes, navigating cobblestone streets and looking at great art.

Closet Keeping, Part One

     In the past few months, I’ve been parsing our house in preparation for our move next summer.  In my rich experience with moving, especially moving without knowing how much space you will have at your next destination, I’ve learned that sum of your possessions has a direct correlation with the quantity of stress you will experience in process.  I’ve also learned that the earlier you start preparations, the less hair pulling, stress eating and general unpleasantness you incur during the actual event. You also don’t have to worry about rewarding movers with a bottle of fine liquor for packing a storage unit beyond their capacity guidelines (that is a story for another day). 

     My first project has been clearing out our closets. I chose this task first because aside from books, it is the largest undertaking. Plus, a consignment shop recently opened in our neighborhood giving me timely motivation.  I figured that consigning clothes would give me the opportunity to generate money from spending money* and to narrow down our personal belongings at the same time. It’s win-win all around. I have a habit of seasonally weeding and donating clothes, but this is the first full-scale review I’ve done since we moved into our house.

     When I started to sort through my clothing, I decided that I had to be unemotional. If something didn’t fit, if I hadn’t worn in in at least a year, or if I had several things just like it, it had to go. I separated every piece of clothing I owned into piles: keep, consign, donate, and undecided. Some clothes went easily into the piles. Others foundered between keep, consign and undecided. 

     I was reluctant to get rid of some of the items in the undecided pile because even though I no longer wore them, they held a certain place in my heart. The red skirt I wore the day Matt proposed still fit, but I have only worn it a few times since. I reminded myself that there are several photographs of me in it, so I finally decided that someone else might love it like I did. Other pieces were not so easy. Just taking a picture would not do them justice in my memory. I noticed that the ones that were the hardest to make decisions about were decidedly tactile. Touching them instantly took me back in time and made my memories more vivid.

     As I mulled these items over, I remembered an article about five personal belongings you should preserve for memories. One of the contributors posited that it was just as important to save some everyday clothes as it was to keep special things like wedding dresses. This made me think about an exhibit I visited years ago at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. It was a chronology of British fashion, from work uniforms to coronation gowns that spanned several centuries. It was fascinating timeline that I later used as inspiration for decorating a 50^th anniversary charity ball by asking former patrons to borrow and exhibit their gowns representing different decades. 

     Why couldn’t I curate my own personal clothing timeline? It certainly wouldn’t be as voluminous as the V&A exhibit, but what was the harm in keeping a few carefully selected items to let me have the occasional trip down memory lane? I decided that I would keep up to five everyday items that I no longer wear and “induct” them into my permanent collection. Before they could be included on this list, and not just put in the undecided section in my closet, I would have to decide that they invoked special memories and represented my sartorial tastes at a particular time in my life. 

     Tomorrow, in Part Two (since this entry has turned into something much longer than I expected!), I’ll profile some of my choices. Who knows, maybe I will decide to lampoon the J. Peterman catalog (have you ever experienced it? I haven't had a hard copy one in years, but the site is just as delightful).

 *My husband and I have a long history of tongue-in-cheek justification of our expenses starting with his assertion that buying a PlayStation3 with BluRay was actually saving us money since we wouldn’t have to buy a BluRay separately. We are fully aware this financial reasoning doesn’t balance out.

Thinking about Gratitude

Yesterday, I watched the sweetest scene unfold in our living room. Christopher brought his ride-on rocket to Matt because the sounds were not working. A few days earlier, Matt had tried replacing the batteries, but it had not resolved the problem. Even though he was sure that the rocket was unfixable, Matt got out his tools and began disassembling the toy into many pieces with Christopher watching intently. As Matt worked, examining wires and the control panel, Christopher looked happily at his father and said “Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for helping me.” His voice was clear with true appreciation. Matt paused to look at me, and we shared a wonderful smile.

It has been so important to us to instill a sense of gratitude in Christopher. I am constantly thinking about the character traits and virtues that are important and how I can help Christopher to adopt them and understand their value. I would have to say that gratitude tops my list of important characteristics. I feel like it is a cornerstone of humanity, something that we can absolutely not survive successfully without. Cicero said “Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues but the parent of all others” and Martin Luther called it “The basic Christian attitude.” To me, its lesson is all encompassing. Gratitude is not just something we feel, it is something we should act upon and demonstrate in our daily lives.

Unfortunately, in busy modern life, sometimes gratitude is pushed aside. All too often, it seems like the focus is on finding someone to blame rather than someone to thank. A criticism has become easier than a compliment. With strangers that we deal with day to day, it might seem more important to complain about bad circumstances than to give praise in situations that exceeded our expectations. With friends and family, who hasn’t delayed sending a handwritten card or making a phone call to thank someone for a gift or kind gesture?

Recently, I read about John Kralik’s book “365 Thank Yous”, a collection of daily thank you notes to individuals that have helped him in life. I haven’t read the book yet, but it instantly got me thinking about some of the people that would be recipients of my notes. Certainly my parents, who instilled the values and sparked the passions that have carried me through life. And undoubtedly Matt, for knowing the heart of me like no other person and providing leadership for our family. Then my thoughts turn to some of the people that I have minimal contact with, but enhance my life on a day to day basis. The waste collection driver that honks for Christopher every Monday as he picks up our garbage because he knows how excited Christopher is to see the big truck lift and dump the can. The man at the lab that gave me his place in line so that I could go through more quickly since Christopher was waiting with me. The airline agent that let my overweight luggage slide because she could see I was upset that I was leaving my mom for a year in Japan. These small acts have touched me, and enhanced the quality of my life.

In this season of Thanksgiving, it has been a delight to read some of the daily status updates of my friends that have taken the challenge of posting what they are thankful for each day. I think sometimes Thanksgiving gets swept aside in the rush to the holidays. Their daily posts have slowed that pace down and given me daily reminders in the ways that all of us are blessed.

I’m thankful that Christopher is beginning to understand gratitude, that he was able to thank his daddy and tell him why he was grateful. The scene gave a twinge to my heart because I thought his words were so sweet, but I knew that Matt’s attempts to fix the rocket would probably not work. In the end, it wasn’t the working rocket that mattered, it was Matt listening to Christopher and taking the time to look at the broken toy. The gratitude was in the act. “Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for helping me.”

I'm back!!

It's been forever since I posted on my blog. Every once in awhile, I feel an itch to commit some words to the keyboard, but I haven't managed to do it. Part of that is that I can't get over the hump of writing the first post in three years. However, recently I've feeling especially motivated because I've been catching up on the blogs of some of my friends. I know I'm biased, but their blogs have contained some of the most thought provoking and entertaining commentary I've read on the Internet in awhile. It's a fun dialogue they've got going and I'd like to join it. Plus, our family has a lot of new adventures heading our way. I need to get my rusty fingers in good working order, and now is as good time as any to start.