I Believe in Gershwin Therapy

So here we are, at the start of the Christmas season and the world is getting

crazier and nastier by the day!  There are days when it is embarrassing to be

human.  This is nothing new, men and women have always behaved badly, and

to understand this, all we need to do is read history.  Of course, many want to

re-write history, or eliminate it completely, but when we do, we lose an 

important tool for us.  We need to understand what happened so that we endeavor

not to repeat those mistakes!!!

I'm not going to lecture my dear readers about all the bad men AND women of

history because it's been done.  Power corrupts and it can have a huge

impact on anyone who has a brush with power.  As Lord Acton once

stated ....

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Great men are almost always bad men.

That being said, I am really here today to lift your spirits from the

bad news that we are exposed to on a daily, and minute by minute

basis.  I suggest Gershwin Therapy.  I use it often when something

gets me down.  All of his tunes leave me humming and dancing

around the house and give me an all over sense of joy.  The tune 

that is most therapeutic for me is I Can't Be Bothered Now.  If you

don't know it, here is the link to happiness ...

I also love a good Shirley Temple movie, and my favorite is

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.   That cheerful little moppet brought

happiness to many during the Great Depression, and why not?

Since we already know that bad things happen, why not 

fortify ourselves with a little happiness?

I love when she sings Come and Get Your Happiness.

And finally, and most importantly, I lean on my faith.  My faith gives

me strength and focus when the world around me seems to be falling

apart.  

I have been reading this little book each morning.  It reminds me to 

follow His path no matter how crazy the world is around me.

And one more thing to ponder.  God wants us to be happy.  He gives

us strength and protection and He gives us musically creative people to

lift our spirits.  So in the words of Gershwin ...

Bad news, go away, some back someday ...

And if you are still not convinced, here is another quote worth noting:

Music is God's gift to man, the only art of Heaven given on earth,

the only art of earth we take to Heaven.

~ Walter Savage Landor

Cheer up, have faith, and make it a good day!

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Somewhere In My Memory

A few days ago as I was checking out items at Hobby Lobby, I was

chatting with the clerk.  We were discussing how crowded the store was

and how it seemed like everyone was particularly feeling the Christmas

spirit this year.  She asked me if I already had everything I needed to 

decorate, and I told her that I do, except for more lights, which is very

typical of me.  She proceeded to tell me that the young women like to 

adopt an entirely new Christmas decorating theme each year and purchase

everything new.  That concept seems very sad to me.  While I understand

that trends come and go and there is always something bigger, better, more

in style, etc, there is also something wonderful to be said about Christmas

decorating traditions.

Each year as I pull out the boxes of decorations, I am really opening up

boxes of memories.  These are magic moments when the past once again

comes to life.  In the photo above, there is a little ceramic boot and two

tiny Santa votive mugs.  These three items belonged to my Mama and

every year she placed them on the kitchen window sill above the sink.

Mama was never one for kitsch, she was very sophisticated, but for

some reason these three items were very dear to her.  

To get a feel for how old these items are, I discovered that the price tag was still 

on the bottom of the boot.  I just Googled the store and discovered that Woolworth's

went out of business in July of 1997.  That was twenty years ago, but my guess is that

Mama probably purchased the boot and the Santa votives back in the 1960's.  I will

never part with these.  Even when I am old and gray and don't have the energy to

put up Christmas decorations, I will still display these three little kitschy items

because of the happy memories they bring to me each year.

This snowman is not nearly as old as those precious items from Woolworth's,

but it is a favorite of mine and I haul it out every year.  It's been on the front

porch in Idaho and it was in the tartan train case last year in a wintery vignette.

That vintage tartan train case was a Christmas gift from my sister Robin who

always surprises me with just the perfect gift because she knows me 

inside and out!

I hope that these young women who completely change their Christmas

decor each year, hang on to a couple of items.  One day their own

children will appreciate the precious memories of Christmas past.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Why I Am So Grateful

I have been very fortunate.  Yes, I have suffered heartache during

my life, but we all do at one time or another.  Rather than focus

on loss and heartache, I am choosing to focus on what is right and

good about my life.  Certainly, this time of year causes us to

reflect on our blessings.

I have been blessed with loving family and friends throughout

my life.  I am especially grateful for the dear friends and family

members I spent time with this past September.  It was so

wonderful to go back home to Chicago and see dear friends,

my beloved cousins and my college roommate.  It was a wonderful

and memorable reunion that lives in my memory.

I am grateful that we survived Hurricane Harvey.  It was an extremely

frightening storm that caused so much devastation.  Yes, we lost a lot

of tree limbs and we are still recovering from the damage to our yard,

but our house was spared and we are fine.  So many had it much

worse than we did.  

Our beloved little Bentley lost his vision this year.  It was hard on all of us

at first, but he has adjusted so well and is still happy and enjoying his life.

He will be twelve years old next month, and we are so grateful to have him

with us every day.  He is a true blessing.

We are blessed to have a lovely home that is our refuge from the busy

outside world.  

We are healthy and have no health worries.  In fact, we have no

worries at all.  

Most importantly, we have each other.  David and Bentley and I 

are a small family, but a very happy and content one.  For that,

I am so very grateful.  

I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.  May you all feel as

blessed as we do.  I will see you after the holiday weekend is

over.  Have fun, be safe, and enjoy those closest to you.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Yummy and Delicious Lunch Ideas

I am not a big sandwich eater.  I like them, but not too often.  What I 

really enjoy for lunch is something healthy and flavorful.  Today, I have

three choices for you that are favorites of mine.

First up is this baked sweet potato.  A couple of weeks ago, I was having

lunch with my hubby at Jason's Deli.  I had a baked sweet potato, filled 

with lightly sauteed baby spinach and topped with shaved Asiago cheese.

Yummy!!!

I love that this combo is packed with vitamins, minerals and lots

of flavor.   If you are not a big fan of spinach, you could just

bake a sweet potato and top with the Asiago and that is good too.

This next option is a mix of roasted veggies over baby spinach (there's

that spinach again) and served with a side of brown lentils.  I just roast 

whatever veggies I have in the fridge.  I drizzle this with some olive

oil and a splash of lemon juice.  

Cooking lentils is easy.  I take 1/2 cup of dried brown lentils, rinse

well under cold water, then add to a saucepan filled with 1 cup of

water.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cook for 20 to 30 minutes.

Any leftover lentils will happily live in the fridge for about a week.

Use them in salads or add to soup stock.

This a a big salad with hearts of Romaine, sliced grape tomatoes, 

seedless Kalamata olives, a little bit of sliced red onion, blue cheese 

crumbles and croutons.  Toss with a light vinaigrette, I make my

own with Balsamic vinegar, EVOO, S&P.  

These lunches will fill you up, give you energy and keep

your waistline slim.  Enjoy!

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

My Creative Process

I was very fortunate when I was a child because my parents never 

harnessed my creative spirit.  There were art projects of mine all over

the house.  Most of the time I was building houses.  I used the standard

kid's building sets but I also raided Daddy's wood stash and old paper

bags from the kitchen.  Sometimes there were little paper bag house 

villages scattered all over the family room and one had to be careful 

where to step.  Surprisingly, my very neat and organized Mama was

not a bit bothered by what some would consider a mess.  When her

girl friends would stop by they would ask her if my all my projects

bothered her, and she said no.  She understood that my little mind

was working 24/7 on important projects, and that she was fine with

it as long as I was happy.

I lived with the Moto ~ If you can dream it, you can make it.

I didn't understand the term mantra back then, but that is

what it was, my own creative mantra.

When I wasn't building little villages, I was creating costumes

for myself.  When I came home from school each day, instead of 

putting on my play clothes, I put on one of my costumes.  Most 

often I was a cowgirl, but sometimes I would dress like people 

from other lands.  Once after Daddy returned from a business trip

to India, I made a sari out of an old pillowcase and put on a stack

of my Mama's bracelets and drew a dot on my forehead.  I wore 

that outfit for days.  My poor parents never knew what to expect.

I also learned that creativity could be very persuasive.  When I was

seven years old, I wanted a pair of penny loafers like all the big girls

had.  I was still wearing some Oxford tie up shoe because my Mama

was very careful about my growing foot and did not want me wearing

any shoe without enough support.  I pleaded for loafers, but Mama 

said I had to wait a couple of years.  Don't ask about her reasoning,

 there was no arguing with her.  

I decided that the best way for me to have a pair of loafers was to

make my own.  So, one day after school, I took brown construction

paper, scissors, tape and 2 pennies and made my own Paper Loafers.

I worked very hard on them all the way to dinner time.  After 

dinner I raced back to my room to finish my shoes.  I finished them

by bedtime.  I was so excited about them and wanted to wear them

around, but I was supposed to be in bed.  I took one of my Mama's

cosmetic mirrors and set it up on the floor like the ones in shoe stores.

I said goodnight to Mama and Daddy and closed my bedroom door.

I was walking around my bedroom and admiring the paper

loafers on my feet when I heard a knock on the door.  It was

Daddy.  He could see the like shining under the door and wanted

to know why I was still awake.  He came in and saw me modeling

my shoes in the cosmetic mirror.  When he asked me what I was

doing, I had to explain the whole situation.  I am sure he was

laughing to himself, but he didn't let on.  

Although I never begged for or cried about real loafers.  My

approach was unknowingly subtle.  Daddy convinced my Mama that

if I wanted the shoes so badly that I would resort to making my own,

that perhaps I could have some real ones, but only wear them for 

limited periods of time and not to school.

Years later, I went to a counselor who specialized in discovering 

the best professional field for individuals.  My first assignment was to

write about my first major achievement before the age of ten.   I

wrote about my paper loafers.  She told me that in all of her years

handing out this same assignment, she never read a paper like mine.

Her conclusion ~ I should be in advertising!  She said if I could 

so calmly and easily convince my parents to change their minds,

I must have the knack to do it as a profession.  

I actually did spend some time in advertising :-)

What I have learned about creativity is this ~ we are all creative.  Each

of us has a spark of uniqueness.  We don't have to be professional artists, we

just need to let the inner child come out and play once and a while.  I

assure you, it's the most therapeutic activity you will ever do.  Let your

mind wander and your spirit soar.  Don't be your own worst critic.  Just

have fun.

Okay, I am going to end this blog post right here and go hang some

wallpaper in one of my miniature rooms.  Have a great day!

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

Cozy at Home Fall Mornings

I love a cozy Fall morning.  It's cool and gray outside, so I walk around

the house, turning on some lamps to bring a glow to all the nooks

and crannies.  In the Fall, there are two times of day I love, the mornings

just around sunrise, and the evenings at sunset.  The house looks

especially cozy to me at those hours.  

Favorite spots where we love to sit and read the paper.  Looking for good 

news, and for me at least, avoiding the bad.  Going through the style

section and looking for recipes.  Cooking takes on a special charm for

me at this time of year.  This past Sunday I made the first pot roast of

the season.  When David came home from playing golf, there was

the wonderful aroma of something in the oven.  Pot roast with 

carrots and onions over wide egg noodles is one of his favorite

meals.  To me, a perfect Sunday is pot roast in the oven and football

on TV.  

This is my favorite cool weather cozy breakfast, a big bowl of hot

oatmeal topped with blueberries. 

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope y'all have a great day!

Tablescape Thursday

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

I Grieve For Our Nation

Another mass shooting.  This time in Texas, not far from where I live.

The city I live in is a small one.  It is referred to as the Crossroads area.

We are surrounded by ranch land, oil wells and some of the most 

charming small towns found anywhere in our country.  We are one

hundred miles away from each of these three cities, Houston, Austin,

and San Antonio.  It is always a pleasure to take a drive from our

home to any one of these three major cities because the scenery is

often so bucolic.  In the spring, you see miles and miles of 

Bluebonnets and the Indian Paint wildflower in the fields where

Longhorn and a huge variety of other types of cattle graze.

It's a sight to see, and I treasure these views.

You will also find some of the prettiest old courthouses anywhere.

Tiny little towns, with small populations and it's as though

each one competed to have the loveliest courthouse. 

There is a wonderful variety of small and independent restaurants.  

Places that seem to turn back the clock and give the diners a sense

of home cooking how it used to be.

Miles and miles of country roads that are usually very quiet, except for the days

during the Round Top Antique Week.

One does not expect a tragedy of such proportion as we learned of

yesterday in Sutherland Springs.  A very small town on the way to San

Antonio on Route 87.  A highway that we have traveled on so very

many times.  Such a small little place where everyone knows one

each other.  The kind of place that we all dream about, where life

is so peaceful and idyllic.  The residents of this small town will 

be forever heartbroken becasue of the tragic events of yesterday.

For years now, since that fateful day of September, 11, 2001, we 

have assumed our foes lived outside this nation.  Now we are

learning that the foes are right here, fellow citizens living among us.

I spent three years living and working in a foreign country.  It

was very exciting and I would not trade my experience for 

anything.  When my time there was completed and I returned

home, I was so happy and proud to come home to the land

I have always loved so much.  I never imagined that life here

would become so violent, so troubled.  I am so very saddened

by the hatred and violence.  Why are we turning against one

another?  Why have the lives of so many innocents been lost?

Why is there such discontent in a land where we have so much?

I think of all those who have risked their lives to have the

opportunities this great nation provides, yet there are some who

just don't appreciate what we have and want to destroy

everything for themselves and others.  It breaks my heart.

Susan and Bentley

The Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Recently I was watching an episode of the Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network.

I am especially fond of Ina and like her recipes.  She showed how she makes

what she considers the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich. 

We love grilled cheese at our house.  I just love cheese, period!  Perhaps

it's because I grew up on the North Shore of Chicago, and we were so

close to Wisconsin ~ the dairy state.  I have made grilled cheese sandwiches

similar to Ina's before, but decided to try out her recipe.  I will warn you,

this sandwich is not approved by the American Heart Association, and I

am fairly sure that a cardiologist would cringe at the ingredients.  We 

decided it was worth the risk.  

The inside slices of bread are coated with a mixture of mayo and 

Dijon mustard.  The cheese is grated.  I only had cheddar, but Ina

uses a combo of cheddar and gruyere.  I baked four slices of bacon, like

Ina, and cut them into big chunks.  Ina used grilled onions (I often do this)

but David wanted just sliced raw sweet onions instead.  To assemble the

sandwich do this:

Coat inside of slices bread with mayo and mustard

Layer on shredded cheese

Add chopped bacon

Add sliced onion (or grilled onions)

Another layer of shredded cheese

Top with bread, butter both sides and grill

Yummy!

I usually serve grilled cheese sandwiches with homemade tomato soup,

and often it's made with red peppers. So easy and tasty.

Chop onions and saute in EVOO, add a clove of chopped garlic and

saute briefly.  Add a can of diced tomatoes, a couple of chopped roasted

red peppers and a quart of chicken stock.  Bring to boil, and let simmer

for 30 minutes.

I like to add a spoonful of tomato paste too.  It boosts the flavor.  Salt and 

pepper to taste.  Puree soup in blender.  Return to pot, add a splash of half and

half and heat through.

David gave last night's meal a thumb's up.  Tonight we will be having

a much lower calorie, lower fat meal ;-)

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley

The Mystery of the Missing Person

I love a mystery, always have, always will.  I started reading Nancy Drew as

a young girl and she lead me on a life long path of getting to the bottom of

suspicious activity.  If something strange or mysterious happens, I am like 

a pit bull and can't let go until I have the answers.  

The other night I could not sleep.  I am not sure why.  Perhaps I had too

much coffee too late in the day.  I sometimes do that, and I blame it on the

Donut Shop Keurig coffee I love so much. Whatever the reason, I was 

awake.  I didn't want to read because I thought if I turn turn on a lamp,

the light stimulus would threaten any sleep potential, so I turned on the

radio to an overnight talk show I sometimes listen to.   That show is

Coast to Coast AM.  It's so entertaining.  Sometimes the guests talk about

extraterrestrial beings, or ghosts, or big foot.  It's often over the edge and I

end up laughing.  On this particular night, the guest was talking about

missing persons.  The kind of missing persons who leave no trace and

often no reason for their disappearance.  

The guest explained that there are often patterns regarding the type of 

person that goes missing. They are often quite religious in their beliefs, and

are often very well educated.  He mentioned a particular German scientist

who went missing following a hike in the mountains in the western US.

In fact, the guest said that missing persons are often of German descent.

This struck a chord with me.  I have a dear friend who told me about

his great grandfather who was a prominent Lutheran pastor.  He went 

missing and no trace of him was ever found.  He left behind a wife, and

family, and loyal parishioners.  No one ever really learned why he 

disappeared nor what happened to him.  I cannot imagine how difficult

and heartbreaking that must be for the family and friends.   There are 

many legal issues also associated with such a disappearance which add

to the pain and stress of the loss.

I started to do some research as to how many people just disappear and 

what the circumstances could be that would prompt the situation.  We

all know that children can and do disappear every year.  According to 

statistics, approximately 33,000 children are missing on any given day.

That is a huge number.  I had no idea it was that large.  The thought of

children being away from home is so terrifying to me.  The situations they

may encounter are too frightening to think about.  What can be done to

prevent this tragedy from occurring and how can we find these kids?

The number of missing persons is higher for adults.  It's approximately

50,000 at any given time.  Adults may, or may not leave willingly.  

The causes for slipping away unannounced are many.  Drug and alcohol

abuse is a prominent factor as is dementia.  There are also some who

are unhappy and choose to leave their spouse and or family without a

trace.  Financial problems, depression or anxiety can facilitate a 

person's decision to flee.  Perhaps crime is the basis for their choice.

As I was listening to the show, I wondered how many scientists who are

close to solving, or have already solved a problem that could be of benefit to

humanity?  Could their disappearance be considered a case of foul play?

When my friend's great grandfather disappeared without a trace, the

realm of forensics was far less sophisticated than it is today.  That being

said, how would one walk out the door one day and just vanish with

no trace of them to be found?  Have they altered their appearance?  Are

they leading a double life?  Were they kidnapped?  Were they abducted by

alien beings and are now living on a ship out in space?  Or if you follow

the concept of rapture, have they been whisked away and we are the

ones who have been left behind?  Something to ponder.  If I could

consult Nancy Drew, I would.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley