My Weight Gain, Someone Else's Fault

      O. K. I am shaking my head on this one. It seems that obesity is on the rise in the US and it is not the overweight person's fault or in the case of a child, the parents fault. It turns out to be the fault of the cereal maker or the fast food places the sell the products, blah, blah, blah.

MMMmm, I wonder if anyone has thought that it may be prudent to refuse the 'extra' that is offered to you for only a few cents more. Or if you accept it, take it home and make another meal rather than eat it on the spot.

The Kellogg's cereal folks are giving their cereals an overhaul and removing some sugar. While it is true that some of the cereals taste like a too sweet dessert, some of the blame has to sit with those who refuse to eat what is considered  proper portions. I know that I am guilty of this. The only thing that saves me is that I don't care for already sweetened cereal. I like corn flakes and Kix (yum!) and I can guarantee that I eat more than the suggested portion every time I have cereal.  Just recently I have started using a smaller bowl and pouring 1% percent milk instead of whole milk. I won't talk about how long it took me to get to this point with the milk. 

When it comes to food many of us have a "more is better" attitude, particularly when it comes to fast food, where even a small drink is fairly large. And why would anyone need a hamburger with more than one patty? or a 1/4 of pound of meat on bread? Come on guys--the weight blame is on us.     

Sometimes the Answer is Right In Front of You

     It's amazing, sometimes you know the answer but have not asked yourself the right question. But that's O.K. I have it now.  I am still getting used to the financial aspects of retirement--I am not complaining, just still getting used to living within the confines of a different budget. Time was, a bill came in and I just paid it without thought to my checking account. It has been a decent morning even though I was unable to reach a few of the people I needed to. It gave me time to ponder and watch Suze Orman. She annoys me, but I think she is a financially savvy woman. I can watch the same show repeated and learn something different each time.

I have another early morning biz thingie in New York this month. I have been careful not to lock myself in tight corners this month--well not too tight anyway. If I can get through this week, I am good to go with the remaining June weeks. Am going to a dance recital tonight. I am so proud of Dee. It will be lovely to see her work. We will celebrate later this evening.

Memorial Day Thoughts

      I am not sure why, but this Memorial Day weekend feels different from past MD's. I can't put my finger on what it is.

I made no plans to get away because I will be away in a couple of weeks. Later today, I will watch a couple of Cagney & Lacy episodes. I just received the CD's this week. Very excited. I watched two episodes and started on a third, when I thought, "My stars, I've been sitting here a long time." I had forgotten that the shows were an hour long. There are 4 discs with 6 shows on each one.

I just removed a mass card from my purse. My friend Sandy has died, she was so ill, she must have prayed for release. I will file her memory away with those of other friends and loved ones I have lost. It is a bit disconcerting--the list is growing. I should be writing but instead I am watching PBS cooking shows, they always take my mind away from troubling thoughts. Later I will make grilled zucchini as a side for my tuna salad. Yum?

While tossing paper this morning I came across a scrape of paper with Childcraft books written on it. It was a reminder to look them up online. I was happy to find information about these books, for the longest time I thought that my memory of them was wrong. My mom bought a set (24??) of these wonderful books when I was a preteen. The covers were bright orange and each volume was amazing. One of my favorites was full of art; I think I looked at the page with Van Gogh's "Starry Night" every day. There was also a picture of a piece of sculpture, a child with dog. I traced it time and again. I am thinking Rodin, but I don't really recall. We had no money so I am sure that my parents paid for the books 'on time' forever. I wish I had thought to tell them how much those books meant to me. I can't be sure how my brother's felt--I made them listen to me read every Aesop(sp?) Fable in one of the books. (smiling)

Gotta leave you Mr. Bloggie because hunky Ming Tsai is showing us how to make a spicy chicken dish. Think I'll make myself some Jello.

After The Rain

    I still can't believe how quickly the rains came. One minute it was sunny and gorgeous, two older women were sitting outside sunning themselves. The next minute the sky had turned so dark it was almost black; minutes after that the rain and wind arrived. If it had not been so strange, it would have been funny to watch the women scoot away quickly. By 3:30 my brightly lit apartment needed the lamps turned on. As much as I love rain, I felt lucky that I had stepped in the house when I did.

The same areas in New York and New Jersey seem to be catching the brunt of rain. This morning the newscaster mentioned Chappaqua(sp?) this morning and I thought, why is that name familiar to me. I don't think I have ever known anyone living there and it is never in the news. Then it hit me, Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn in the movie, The Desk Set. Tracy mentions the town while he and Hepburn having lunch on the roof of her office building. It's odd that I would think of that while looking at the downed trees. I am sure that others who love movies as much as I do will understand that this stuff just stays with you.

Morning Musings

  This morning while watching the news I heard that a man was killed outside of his 'nice' house. The apparent reason was robbery, he was targeted because the outside of his house "was nice and neat", so the young men thought the family had money. It turns out that the man killed worked three jobs to pay his mortgage.

Today first class stamps go up to 41 cents. The forever stamps are the same price. So what's the point of that?  I wonder if when you step to the window and ask for stamps, you will be asked, "Would you like forever stamps?" Probably not. It will be up to the consumer ask for the stamp.

This week end I saw a excellent play titled "The Sea". When the actor's first appeared, my first thought was, "oh jeeze, a Chekhov-type play?" I ended up loving it. This is what Wikipedia says:  The Sea is a play written by the English dramatist Edward Bond in 1973. It is a comedy set in a small village in rural East Anglia in the Edwardian period. The play draws on some of the themes of Shakespeare's The Tempest. The play is set in 1907 in an East Anglian seaside community and begins with a tempestuous storm. A well known and loved member of the community dies at sea, and the play explores the reactions of the villagers and the attempts by two young lovers to break away from the constraints of the hierarchical, and sometimes insane, society.The play was originally produced at the Royal Court Theatre in 1973. It explores the reactions of the villagers and the attempts by two young lovers to break away from the constraints of the hierarchical, and sometimes insane, society.  I know that sounds like misery but it was actually very interesting, the town drunk who lived on the outskirts of the village was also the wisest person in town. (laughing).

I had a pancake lunch before I saw the show-a real treat for me. After the show I stopped by Chez Josephine a few doors down, for a glass of wine. I sat outside and read (always have my book with me).  God bless NYC, they put tables and chairs anywhere, don't they? Jean Claude Baker owner or figure head of the restaurant walked outside and showed something to the couple near by, I thought it was a menu. Then he brought it to me, it turns out that he had just returned from Abyssinian Baptist Church where he had given a eugoloy for Adam Clayton Powell's first wife. The eulogy he showed to us was typed and had a letter from  Sen. Barack Obama attached. For some reason I found his sharing this very personal thing with strangers a bit sad. His reminds of Toddy from the movie "Victor/Victoria". Mama Josephine would be proud. Her son has flamboyance and a certain style. (smiling).  

Here is the, Isabel Washington Powell obit.  in a Martha's Vineyard newspaper. After reading Mrs. Powell's obituary, I thought, who better to give  her memorial eulogy than Josephine Baker's son.

 

Happy Mother's Day

To all moms whether birth mothers or extended family mothers .

 

Thanks to Kids Domain for clip art

 

Busy Times

      I pretty much boxed myself into meetings and commitments this past month. Not particularly smart on my end. Business important and busy is good, but not to excess :-(

Yesterday I was out waiting for the bus to New York by 6:20a in the morning for a 8:00a breakfast event that lasted less than 2 hours. I arrived 'almost' on time, the cabbie thought I said 16th street instead of 60th street, no need to say that caused unhappiness for both of us. Still it worked out fine, I was just a few minutes late and the cabbie and I worked out amicable fee. Heading back to Port Authority was a piece of cake because you can't possibly confuse that with Penn Station (smiling) The breakfast I attended was given by Working Mother magazine; WM honored three mothers in the categories of innovator, icon and inspiration. The WM folks really know how to conduct a breakfast event. They said 8a to 10a. and meant it, we were finished so quickly that I thought there was something wrong with my watch. The event was was held in a lovely room at the Harmonie club. I felt so good upon returning home that I bought a Napoleon to treat myself. Yum! Once I got home and started eating it, I remembered why I had not bought one of these desserts in years, they have to be the world's messiest sweet to eat.  

It's odd that I can make a 8:00 meeting out of state and can't get to a 10:00a meeting that is held literally across the street from me. I am back in NY tomorrow to see a show, but it starts at 2:00p so I have time to do a bit in the house and maybe go to supermarket if I get out early. Speaking of shows I saw Ailey at the PAC last Sunday. I had not attented a performance in a while, and had forgotten how much Ailey moves me. After all of these years, I still cry during Revelations. Amazing. 

Heading out this morning to mail a couple of Watkins catalogs to people I met at the flea market. I did not expect to do well, but was surpised that I did sell some greeting cards that I put together. I was surprised because I figured this particular spot would not bring in greeting card buyers. I must to remember to "never assume."