I'm a week behind

Last Friday at about 8 a.m., the USPS central distribution center in Jackson called and said they had a box of chicks for me. I don't live in Jackson. In fact, I live an hour and 15 minutes from Jackson. I asked why my chickens were there. She said they had come in on Fed Ex and someone had forgotten to put them on the truck to my town. The next truck would be tomorrow or I could pick them up in Meridian which is 45 minutes from here.

I knew that those chicks had been shipped the same day as the turkeys which arrived the previous day, and that if I didn't get them home and heated, fed, and watered quickly that there would be 25 chicks dead - a few months too early. So, another trip to Jackson seemed imminent.

Have I mentioned that I have a truly wonderful little sister who lives in Jackson. O.K., she's not little anymore, not that she's fat or anything (she's actually very thin even though she has two children under 4), but she did get older. No matter, adult or not, I will always think of her as my little sister(She's 10 years younger). I wonder if that offends her?

Anyway, I called and she offered to collect the chicks and bring them out to the farm. She did. After we got the chicks situated, she began beautifying my front yard. She cleaned the front beds, pruned branches from my Natchez White Crepe Myrtles, mulched, planted two gardenias, and made two beautiful flowering pots. She was a maniac.

All I had to do was feed her family and pay for the plants. I won't mention how far over budget she went.

I was glad to have a beautiful view from the front porch since my Master Gardener MIL would be arriving the next day, but I was more excited to have unscheduled time without a holiday event to just be with my little sister. We had fun.

A Different Look

Princess, my 8 year old girl, has had a big week of changes. She moved up to a new more challenging ballet class with the "scary, yapping"(her description) ballet director as her teacher, auditioned for The Nutcracker, and had 10 inches of her hair cut for donation to Locks of Love (her idea, not mine).

I'm proud of my baby for wanting to give to less fortunate children, but I liked her hair long. Sure, it is more trouble long, but she handles her hair grooming now except for ballet buns. I was afraid she would look older with short hair and I knew that producing that regulation, slicked bun for ballet would be more difficult with shoulder length hair. I didn't push her to keep it long, though. I only reminded her and her stylist of the ballet company's hair rules. Princess said, "Mom, I can just slick it and get some of that fake hair." I asked, "Why should you cut your hair and then run out to buy someone else's?" She said, "Those little girls need hair to feel pretty." Hair cut. L, the hair stylist, kept the front a little longer for me and suggested starting the bun with duel pony tails.

I was right, though. She does look older which is a little sad. Also, this morning's audition bun left much to be desired. Yet, there was a bun, and "scary, yapping" artistic director didn't mention hair failure. Turns out that the artistic director is not as scary and yappy as she thought based only on his pre-performance version of himself.

I will get used to it. Her hair grows fast.

Ratatouille

We had Ratatouille with Linguine last night for supper. 'Tis the season of eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Actually, I almost killed my eggplant early in the season so do not yet have even one eggplant of my own, but my sister has more than she wants and shared, and the bell pepper came from my mother's garden. Though the ingredients are fresh and local now and that should be reason enough to savor Ratatouille, we had Ratatouille because of the movie.

Last week my hubby and I took the children to see Ratatouille. We had both seen good reviews and were interested so we drove the 20 miles to the nearest theater for a rare family movie night. The movie was certainly entertaining - a rat with special talents seeking more than the colony could provide and making a liaison with the dreaded enemy. I do have one caveat. You must be thoroughly able to separate your reality and enter the world of Remy and Linguine. Even with the completely beautiful animation, I found it difficult to stomach scenes with the full colony of rats moving and of any rat touching the food in a restaurant. Call me squeamish, but my willingness to suspend disbelief was stretched as far as it could go. Rats and food don't mix. Yet, I really liked the idea of a most unlikely candidate for chef rising from the gutter to stardom. My opinions and hangups aside, my children loved the movie and have been asking for Ratatouille daily. They were ecstatic when I served their requested Ratatouille atop Linguine (one of the characters from the movie) garnished with a slice of fresh mozzarella and a piece of crostini.

Here is the recipe I used that came (I think) from a 2004 Martha Stewart Living, which my mother gave every household in the family as a show of support of Martha during her ignominy because she felt Martha was singled out because she was a strong woman while men in a similar position would have been applauded for a job well done, yet it really sounds like an Ina Garten recipe since the zucchini and eggplant are roasted. Perhaps there was a feature on Ina Garten in Martha Stewart Living in 2004, yet I checked the Barefoot Contessa website's index of books and didn't find the recipe. I salute and bow to whomever created this version of Ratatouille.

Ratatouille
1 eggplant -- cut into 1" cubes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
4 zucchini -- medium, cut into 1" cubes
1/2 cup olive oil -- plus 2 TBLS
2 TBLS thyme -- coarsely chopped
salt and pepper
6 lbs tomatoes -- about 10, peeled and seeded and quartered
2 bell pepper -- roasted and skinned
4 garlic cloves -- finely chopped
2 onions -- halved and cut into half moons
1/2 cup basil -- coarsely chopped
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley -- coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 400. Toss together the eggplant, zucchini, 1/2 cup oil, 1 TBLS thyme, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper on a large baking sheet. Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are golden, about 1 hour.
Cut peppers lengthwise in 1/2" strips. When eggplant and zucchini are done roasting, heat remaining 2 TBLS oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add garlic and onions and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and peppers. Cook until tomatoes are soft, about 7 minutes. Add eggplant and zucchini, 1/4 cup basil, and remaining Tablespoon of thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes. Stir in parsley and remaining 1/4 cup basil. Cook until heated through, about 1 minute more.

I've been busy eating - Watermelon

And peaches . . . And blueberries . . . And corn . . . And zucchini . . .And . . . Mississippi summer has kept me busy eating and preserving. Since I last wrote, which I realize was a while ago, my family has eaten 8 fabulously sweet local watermelons, scads of blueberries from my neighbor, and peaches picked from our own backyard. I'm at a point that I don't want to look at another cucumber or squash and corn has lost its early season luster. We harvested five or six hundred ears of corn, which I cut from the cob and froze. My hands were like claws for days, but we have enough corn to eat corn once a week until next corn season. We are still eating corn, reluctantly, from the garden, but I'm finished freezing.

In addition to the corn, we are picking peas in 5 gallon increments. Once picked, we shell, blanch, and freeze them. Of course, we eat our share. Butterbeans started this morning. I picked an enormous basket. We'll eat as many as we can, but will freeze most of these, too. About the time the butterbeans finish, the canning tomatoes will be ready.

I know that in some places the canning, pickling, and freezing is drawn out over a few months, but here harvest seems to be fast and furious. There is not much time for anything else, if the garden is doing well. Though the work is grueling and hot, the rewards are great. The satisfaction of seeing all those bags of peas, corn, beans, peaches, and berries lined up in the freezer and seeing those beautiful jars standing as sentinels in my pie safe is extraordinary. Knowing that the food I will serve my family during the year is safe, delicious, and didn't travel to my table from points unknown is priceless.

I'll be scarce for a few more weeks, then will try to find time to write. I've taken pictures of the various canning projects and will post when time permits. Until then, think of me cooking and eating the best, freshest foods available. I'll be down the road in a few minutes looking for another melon. I traded eggs last time. I wonder if they've eaten them. Would a jar of honey be an equal trade?

Bouquets!

Princess danced this weekend and she was rewarded for all her hard work with the pleasure of a job well done, stage time, and FLOWERS. She loves flowers and we have been trained by her apparent glee and profuse thank yous to reward with flowers every show. On Saturday my MIL and Sister-in-Law traveled to Jackson to see the show. They brought a bouquet of long stem pink roses. My mother and father couldn't be at the show, so they sent a bouquet. Those flowers, along with the ones we presented, elicited great excitement from Princess. "I've never had three bouquets before!" She wanted to hold them so each bouquet could be seen separately which is impossible without looking like a television antenna. With coaching, she was convinced to hold them all in one arm for a few pictures, but then it was back to the flower antenna look. She was just so happy to get flowers.

We carefully stored all the flowers that would fit in an ice chest for transport home. One bouquet wouldn't fit, so she carefully held it out of the sun while we ate and then all the way home, covering it with tissue paper to protect it more. Once we got home she carefully scrutinized each flower - smelling it and naming it (or trying to) - then arranged and rearranged and rearranged again in vases. Finally she decided to combine the flowers in two vases, since they looked too crowded in one. Her pleasure at being surrounded by flowers is so great that I want to have flowers for her every day.

But then, I suppose they would cease to be special.

Thanks, capejasmine for arranging for such beautiful bouquets! You made me look like a "together" mom.

Happy Birthday Pink Panther

We've had a birthday! Pink Panther has turned eleven and I am wondering just where those years have gone. Seems like just yesterday when I was studying his little toes and fingers thinking how tiny they were. Now, I study his fingers and toes only to see if he has washed them. They aren't tiny any more.

We didn't have a big party because he had a Scout Camporee this weekend and we didn't want to invite people only to have him come home so tired he couldn't stay awake. They spent the weekend competing in a catapult competition. They lost, but had a good time!

For his birthday, Pink Panther asked specifically for a few presents - a didgeridoo, a welding helmet (not held together with duct tape), and an iTunes gift card. When they were all unwrapped, I realized how interesting his choices were. He has so many interests that really have little to do with me. I used to be his center, his primary focus. No longer. Anyway, back to the presents.

He got interested in the didgeridoo when we were studying Australia, so my husband and I agreed to buy the didge so he can make all the animal sounds he wants. My daddy has been teaching him to weld, so my parents gave him a new welding helmet. Princess have him the iTunes gift card because she and he have recently become interested in having their own music (I still get to preview purchases). He saves money obsessively and got some more to add to his stash from Mr. Wisteria's parents. I like the interesting person he is becoming.

Make a wish and blow!! But, don't spit on the cake. I would like a piece of that banana cake with cream cheese frosting.

Reality

The morning I left the Alluvian and the Viking Cooking School for home, I said to one of the people I had met the night before, "Back to reality." I'm not exactly sure what I meant when I said, "Back to reality," because it could have had a thousand nuanced meanings. I could have meant that my life isn't great and the weekend was a diversion from misery, but I didn't mean that. I love my life and can only think of a few things that I would change. I could have meant that the lull in regular activity was a diversion from reality. I could have meant that the surroundings and activities were so structured that they provided a break from reality. I could have meant that the surroundings were so spectacular that they seemed out of place.

Whatever I meant when those words escaped from my lips, I had a fabulous diversion in Greenwood, MS. My fantastic mother-in-law gave me and my sister-in-law a weekend cooking retreat for Christmas. We attended the Viking Cooking School, which is not so much a cooking school, as a place for you to use and fall in love with Viking equipment and socialize. I have been to a professional cooking school and this is nothing like that. This was just fun. By the time I left, I felt as if I knew people who hours before were perfect strangers. By the time I left, I had eaten well over any one's calorie allotment for a day, but had done so by eating well made and delicious food, not a bag of Robin Eggs. By the time I left, I felt relaxed, lucky, and just plain happy.

We stayed across the street at the Alluvian Hotel and Spa. Accommodations are unbelievably spacious, luscious, and just astounding. Go to their web site and have a look. The complimentary Southern breakfast is the final touch - the little extra that all true Southerners feel the need to add. All this and I haven't even mentioned what wonderful companionship my sister-in-law is. She even suggested we go to a bookstore. She suggested it. I promise.

Turnrow Books is a new independent bookstore in Mississippi. We have a wonderful literary tradition here and independence is our mantra. The entire first floor of this wonderful store focuses on the South, particularly Mississippi. Many of you are thinking it must be tiny. But, Mississippians are verbose. We cook, we date, we marry, we divorce, we read, we write, we grow flowers, we arrange flowers, we decorate houses, we take pictures and we want to talk about it. All these beautiful books are here. I bought a book because I have a passion to support independent book stores. I also have a passion for Southern writers. Plus, I needed a memento of my excursion. My husband understood.

Let's talk about my sister-in-law (I don't think she reads here so I can talk about her). My sister-in-law is one of those rare people for whom I can think of absolutely nothing negative to say. She is kind, happy, never meets a stranger, remembers names, cares about others, sets boundaries(and keeps them), and is honest even with herself. She has fantastic college age children (I hope my children turn out so well). She is together. I loved watching her interact with people across the enormous work table. I loved watching her explore the room. I loved watching her turn perfect strangers into friends. She is the Old South.

She also knew the way to the Alluvian. I never called for directions before I left home. I just pulled off Highway 82 at the first Greenwood sign. I saw the parts of Greenwood that Viking and the Alluvian and the investors behind the four or five block downtown restoration would prefer you not to see. It is a different world. Reality. Not to say that the well read, well polished public face of Greenwood is not reality, too. It is just a different reality. If the South ever comes to terms with the dual realities, it may not need to write.

Verdi Cookies!!

Today, was a sister day! My baby sister (Of course she is not a baby anymore since she has a four month old and a three year old of her own, but she is ten years younger and I can't teach myself not to think of her as the baby) came out because she is reading Verdi at her son's two day a week pre-school tomorrow and she needed a snack. Instead of the usual goldfish and juice, she wanted something more personal, so we designed figure-eight Verdi cookies in both immature and mature python skins. Honestly, I may have pushed her into it. I can't remember, but aren't they cute.

I think they turned out beautifully, but I can't help believe the cookies are a bit over the top. Did we go too far? Can you go too far?

The Not Christmas Eve Dinner

For the past forty-something years I have been having Christmas Eve dinner at my parents' house. I may have missed one when I lived in Chicago, but I can't remember it now. Even after all my siblings and I got married, had children, and convenience would demand we stay at home Christmas Eve, we persisted in tradition. This year was different. Mom asked everyone before she actually sent the invitation for the day before Christmas Eve dinner.

The change in date was the only noticeable difference. I still provided appetizers, dessert and kitchen assistance, Baby Bear decorated the mantles and tables with beautiful greenery, Susan produced the perfect salad and reminded us about social intelligence, the sons-in-law and my father manned the grill, sister-in-law brought a dessert, and my brother and his family were late (he always has a valid excuse). Even with the activity of a full house and the chaos of the Christmas season, this cooperative can usually pull off a celebration worthy of a food and entertaining magazine. This year was no exception.

We started with goat cheese souffles in phyllo, cheese ribbons, and a champagne toast. My nephew, who toasted, "Let's bump to the future.", many years back has obviously gained some maturity and made a lovely toast. Because it is a standing joke, Susan toasted, "Let's bump to the future."

Since we have outgrown the dining room, Mother set an extra table in the living room that is visible across the foyer when both sets of double doors are opened. We felt together. For dinner we had Susan's Crunchy Romaine Salad, Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas with Sesame Seeds, Grilled Salmon, and Spoon Bread (a fancy cornbread). For dessert we had chocolate cake, coconut cake, ambrosia, and buttermilk fudge. Delicious!!

Then, a singing and piano performance and the PRESENTS!! I'm glad I took extra time to find great gifts. I like the faces when the gifts are a perfect match. Though the gift that captured the crowd was given by my sister - a set of metal puzzles.

Next, tradition was broken. Mother had a dirty Santa game for the men. A couple of the men wear ties every day and a couple almost never, so the game had that interesting twist. After all the ties were exchanged, maliciously re-exchanged, and exchanged again, the girls and women gathered for the yearly bow picture. Then, everyone gathered around the piano for a sing along - traditional, not so traditional, and down right silly.

As the years pass, the traditions seem to gain in importance. The time with my brother and my sisters becomes more precious. I appreciate my parents' efforts to make special memories, and I know I am lucky.

I am over-filled with holiday spirit, and I still have two more celebrations this weekend.

The Search for the Perfect Christmas Tree

Even though I would have preferred to wait a week or so before Christmas tree shopping, schedules and the short supply required that we make a mad dash to the local (10 miles away) Christmas tree farm. Those searching for a tall tree know to arrive at the Rosebud Farm Thanksgiving day. We waited a couple of days, so there were only 20 large trees remaining. We chose a 9' Leland Cypress that was somewhat narrow at the bottom. Our tree is not as natural looking as we would like because the drought caused the trimmed branches not to regrow as quickly, but we like supporting the local farm.

In previous years I have been jealous of my older sister's Christmas tree. In fact, just yesterday my younger sister and I were trying to decide what it was that made the other sister's tree so beautiful. We talked about ornament type and placement, type of tree, and other somewhat intangible elements. We also talked about our jealousy. My older sister does not even have a tree, yet I know I will ultimately have tree envy.

Yesterday, I was excited to see and place some of the children's handmade ornaments. We have made something for the tree almost every year - bell wreaths, Tab can angels, construction paper Rudolphs, and glitter stars. They were also excited to see their special purchased ornaments my mother gives each grandchild. Then we unpacked older ornaments - an apple given to me by a student along time ago, a cat my sister sent when she lived in NYC, snowflakes and an egg my aunt made, silver balls from my first married Christmas, and a few ornaments from my childhood and my husband's Santa ball ornament made with one of those nylon thread covered balls. Once we finished decorating, the children and I sat down and looked. Of course, I was judging. We need bigger lights, more lights, and larger ornaments. I need to rearrange the ornaments. The tree is a little crooked. I can't help myself. Then, the children started oohing and ahing and pointing out their ornaments and their joy was contagious.

Our tree is beautiful, I just wasn't seeing it properly!

Leftovers!

Sometimes you can't fully appreciate Thanksgiving until the leftovers are served. Our images of the Thanksgiving table creaking under bowls heaped with the bountiful harvest and the "Hallmark inspired" loving interaction between family drive the expectations for this holiday to an almost unattainable level. We make too much food and we try to force family interaction. Unfortunately, the large gathering and the full table make it difficult to fully enjoy the individual.

We started Wednesday night with chili and Scrabble at my house. The Scrabble game was one of the more amusing I have played. My brother and nephew came after most people ate and after the Scrabble game began. My nephew acted as roving helper. Coining words and selling them is his forte. Unfortunately for him, I am a hard sell. My sister and I know too many words, but we laughed until tears were dripping. Next, we drove to Mother's house and had birthday cake for my niece. My sister's son came home with us. I was scared that he and Pink Panther would stay up all night, but I checked on them at 11:30 and they were sound asleep.

The actual Thanksgiving Day festivities seemed quiet because my brother was at his in-laws, but the house was still full. Counting my little sister's new baby, there were fifteen (of 20) of us. There was an enormous quantity of food: a green salad with pears, walnuts and blue cheese, turkey, cornbread dressing, green beans, spinach, homemade rolls, sweet potatoes, pound cake, fruit cake, pecan pie, brandied fruit, and cranberry sauce. I may have forgotten something. Most ate more than needed, but there were still leftovers.

I love Thanksgiving leftovers more than the real meal. True, the ambiance is not of the Thanksgiving quality, but at the big meals there is simply too much food to enjoy anything. Today, for lunch I had Southern Cornbread Dressing with Cranberry Sauce. For supper, I had a piece of Pecan Pie. By the way, the pie was better with honey. Everyone, including my dad, thought it was the best. Eaten individually I could savor the flavors. I could taste the honey in the pie and the onion in the dressing. Yesterday, everything blended.

I think family gatherings are the same. I love the big festivities when everyone is together and other obligations (like work, school, and activities) are not distracting or limiting, but I can't fully enjoy the individuals in my family when we are sharing such a limited time and space. I've noticed that when our whole family is together, the individuals gravitate toward their childhood roles in an adult way. I, too, find myself easing into my traditional place of comfort, even though I am aware I am doing it. Amusing on the surface, not allowing for growth and change can prove offensive. As far as I know we didn't have any seriously hurt feelings or explosions, but I don't feel that I connected anyone. I wish there were leftover days for brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, and parents.

Reverse Sister Day

Today, I went into the city for a meeting and birthday shopping (pink skates). I deposited my children with my sister and headed out for an unencumbered meeting. After the meeting, I went to retrieve my children from one sister and then walked next door to my other sister's to help her with plans for an addition to her house. We didn't get to spend much time together but it was indeed a reverse sister day and I needed it so much today.

I do network maintenance for a few businesses. One is my husband's Livestock Auction. He is having a sale tomorrow. He asked me to go check his ancient (and I do mean ancient) system. He said a monitor had a line through it and nothing else. I thought no problem. I have salvaged every piece of obsolete computer equipment I have taken out of every business I have ever helped to step into computer bliss so I could have spare parts to keep my husband's system going. His auction software is functional for the limited business he does so why spend money? Anyway, when I replaced the monochrome monitor with another monochrome monitor (does that date the computer for you?) I realized that the problem was not just a monitor it was the server. The hard drive for the server had collapsed without any warning. The server is so old and so oddly configured that I am not able to substitute, at least not before tomorrow when I had this meeting in the city today. I did not sleep a wink last night and had that chest tightening defeated, I may throw up feeling all day. True panic.

But . . . I did what any "Let nothing get in my way" computer geek would do. I wrote a database program for tomorrow's sale. I have only a little left. The only problem is that the computer will not be able to issue the seller checks. I suppose people will still accept hand-written checks. I feel better. I may be able sleep tonight unless I start worrying that the program will not work when the calves start selling.

Sister Visit Update

My sister and her son left a little while ago. We had a blast. We made pesto for the freezer (lots of it). We made THE SAUCE. She rescued a chicken from The Yellow Dog's mouth. We re-queened a bee hive (I injured the queen accidently a couple of weeks ago and she obviously didn't recover). We chatted. She cleaned my kitchen. She cleaned my kitchen. I shared half of the pesto, sauce, cucumbers, tomatoes, zinnias, and anything else she wanted. Did I mention she cleaned my kitchen. Do I have a great sister or what?

Sister visits are one of the best things about Summer. Maybe she'll come back in a week or two when the peas are ready.

Sister Visit

One of my sisters is in town. We will make sauce this morning when everyone is awake and fed, but the official sister visit started last night at Mother's house. I had been wanting to try a new recipe that I knew my husband and children would not fully appreciate so I made the Zucchini Tart with Feta for my sister and mother. The recipe appeared in the May 2006 Saveur Magazine.

Zucchini Tart with Feta

1 pc Puff Pastry, Frozen -- thawed and chilled
12 sm Zucchini -- about 2 1/2 pounds trimmed
Salt
3 tbsp Butter, Unsalted
1 sm Onion -- finely chopped
10 ea Tomatoes, Cherry -- finely chopped strained in a sieve
1 cup Cheese, Feta -- crumbled
1/2 cup Cheese, Ricotta
2 tbspp Basil -- chopped
Pepper, Black -- to taste
1 Egg -- lightly beaten


Preheat oven to 350. Fit pastry into a 9" x 12" baking sheet, pressing it against sides. Score around bottom inner edge of pastry (beside crease where bottom meets sides), being careful to not cut all the way through, with a paring knife. Prick bottom of pastry all over with a fork, line with a sheet of parchment paper that fits in bottom only, and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake until edge of crust begins to puff and color, about 25 minutes. Remove weights and paper. Bake until bottom is golden, 6 - 8 minutes more. Let crust cool.

Grate 4 of the zucchini on large holes of a box grater into a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of salt, toss well, and set aside to let weep for 30 minutes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel and wringthoroughlyy to remove moisture.

Meanwhile, slice remaining zucchini into 1/4" thick rounds. Working in batches, blanch rounds in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 minutes. Drain and spread out on a paper towel lined sheet pan; set aside.

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Spoon out and reserve part of the butter. Add onions and cook until soft, 5-6 minutes. Add grated zucchini and cook, stirring often, until just beginning to brown, 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; let cool.

Stir tomatoes, half of the feta, ricotta, basil, and salt and pepper to taste into zucchini mixture. Stir in egg and spread mixture evenly in crust. Arrange zucchini rounds, slightly overlapping in rows, like tiles, on top. Bake for 15 minutes, then brush top with reserved butter. Continue to bake until crust is deep golden, 10 minutes more. Let cool to room temperature, then sprinkle remaining feta over top. Cut tart into 6 squares.

This recipe is not a 30 minute quick meal, but the princess and I got it done within an hour. Much of the prep work can be done while the puff pastry is baking the first time. The tart was worth the extra steps and prep, though doubling the recipe (if you have the zucchini) is the way to go since puff pastry is usually packaged with 2 sheets. During this time of the year having a few zucchini recipes that don't taste like the same old thing is an achievement.

After we ate, we Scrabbled. Scrabble has become a sister visit tradition, especially when my older sister visits. We play friendly games with no penalties for coined words or questionable spellings. The dictionary is there to keep the game fair and the English language intact, but never for ripping points away from a player. Last night the etiquette police was called out in an attempt to dislodge a possibly off color word from a triple word score. Even at the risk of offending good taste, I stood my ground and collected my points.

In an hour or so, we will continue to garner memories, when my sister arrives to help me with my vegetables.

Did I mention what an amazing MIL I have?

My MIL is, truly, a Southern woman -- gracious, beautiful, and strong. Even at 75 she has maintained her feminine shape, dares a hair to turn gray on her naturally brunette head, drives all over the country, maintains a beautiful yard, volunteers profusely, has a full social calendar, and still has enough time to make me and my children feel extra special when we invite ourselves to her house. She even has a drawl that would make Scarlett O'Hara jealous. I am amazed - constantly. O.K. I feel a bit inept, too.

I wonder if they taught all of that at Mississippi State College for Women (now Mississippi University for Women) or if she was born that way or if her Mother taught her. The children and I were running late because the air conditioner was not working in the van and decided, after 15 miles, to return home and change vehicles. She called by the time we got to Greenwood to find out if we were stranded somewhere. When we arrived she greeted us at the car and we visited on the back patio and I got her to show me her flowers. She knew every species (She is a Mississippi Master Gardener) and exactly when it would bloom. We went inside and dinner was prepared with seemingly no effort. It was just whisked onto the table (obviously prepared before hand and warming on the oven, but we never saw the effort).

After dinner my MIL had chosen a movie especially for the children and sat down to watch it with them while leaving the most recent copies of magazines I enjoy, but don't subscribe in our room. She also retrieved a new book she thought I might enjoy. After the movie, the children and I slipped off to a perfectly made bed. The starched sheets are cool and smooth. The blankets are encased in the sheets so there is no scratchy wool touching you and the whole experience is finished off with a comforter to create the perfect weight and starched linen pillow cases on an abundance of pillows.

In the morning we had a full breakfast with sausage, biscuits, cinnamon rolls and slushy orange juice. Again, produced with no visible effort. She had also read the newspaper and found an article about sleep deprivation because I had mentioned something about another article the night before. All the special touches like gardenias and magnolia blooms in vases, the magazines specially for me, the movie for the children, the starched sheets, the article clipped from the paper, the guilt free supper, and the slushy orange juice make a person feel welcome.

When I first married my husband, I took these things for granted. We only visited at Christmas because we lived so far away. I suppose I felt we were special visitors. Now, I know that anyone who shows up gets the same treatment. She is a true Southern woman who would have it no other way.

I am going to practice so I can continue the tradition. Where is that starch?

Valentine's Present

Today, we were going to make Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing in every shade of pink and red! We typically make cookies for every holiday and share them with the local octogenarians. They love the cookies and visit. We love their stories. We will have to wait for tomorrow or Monday, though. We are sick!

On our way home from Orlando my youngest started throwing up. We were going to try to make it most of the way home, but pulled into a motel for the night. My daughter could not go further than a less than optimal motel in Marianna. She felt better, though not good, Friday morning and we made it to our home and our own beds. Friday night my husband got sick, too. This morning was my turn. This evening, I'm feeling better and will find my bed shortly.

As I lay in my bed or in the tub waiting for the next wave of nausea, I realized our family was really working together and I attribute this to homeschooling. When you keep your children close to home, they get to see and live real life. They learn, among other things:

• Cooperation
• Respect
• Self Reliance

My 9 year old son, the only person among us not sick, made pancakes for my daughter who felt like eating for the first time since Thursday lunch. He also kept the fires going, fed the animals, and made soup for supper. My 6 year old daughter loaded and unloaded the dishwasher, got water for me and her father, made get well cards, and amused herself all day, though she was not feeling super. I felt loved and I felt fortunate to have children who knew what things needed to be done and knew how to do them.

My children are just "normal" children and our family is not one of those super structured, teachers of home and farm skills type families, yet, because, on a daily basis, the children participate in life they are able and willing to "pitch in" when the adults need to stay in bed. Instead of being pushed out of the door to catch a bus with a pop-tart, homeschool children are able to help make pancakes or some other real breakfast food. They are not in school during the eight hours a day in which most of the chores are done, so they know what needs doing and how to do it. My goals for homeschooling never included producing children who could make breakfast and otherwise be self reliant, but what a present. I think my children deserve double cookies!

Sugar Cookies

• 4 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375. Butter baking sheets. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add dry ingredients, one cup at a time alternating with the milk and vanilla. Wrap and chill for an hour. Roll and cut. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely before decorating.

Royal Icing

• 3 egg whites
• 4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• Pinch of salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Beat on medium high until stiff peaks form and the mixture is nearly triple in volume. Divide and color. To make run out(completely cover tops of cookies in smooth icing) do outlines with thick icing, then add a few drops of water to icing to thin and fill in with this. If you have a problem with raw eggs mix egg whites with a little regular sugar then place over a simmering pot of water until sugar melts, stirring constantly. Proceed with the recipe.