Pizza

Within my circle of  hometown friends, there is often a discussion, while looking back on our growing up years, of where things were located and what's there now. One of the most popular subjects to discuss is pizza places, and who made the best pizza pies back in the day.  I've yet to discover who is the 'winner' in each of these debates, and it really doesn't make a lot of difference to me at this point. 

But, to say "Pizza is pizza" would be a terrible mistake. That just isn't true at all!  {Frozen pizza doesn't ever enter into these conversations because it's no where near 'real' pizza, however palettable it may be. ) I'm not sure that there can be a 'real winner' in this discussion, because each of the pizza joints made/makes it differently somehow, and one's own personal tastes are not the same as another's.  While some sauces are thick, others are not, some are acid-y, others are sweet.  Some pizza makers add a lot of cheese, others are skimpy in their offerings. Crusts may be thick or thin, crunchy or bready.  I think it all depends on what combination is best to satisfy you.

I'm a  lover of most things Italian. I've often said that if it has red sauce, and white stretchy cheese, I'm good with it. That is a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much.  I am a little more fussy about my pizza, however, especially since we moved away from what places I knew to be the best ones.  Arriving in the south, I knew I had to explore them, to locate a favorite.  I asked my 20 yr veteran to southern living where we could get his idea of the 'best.'  Ironically enough, his answer was "New York Pizza."  We discovered that the Italian owners were from NY city, and boy! did they know their stuff!  It became an immediate favorite.

Unfortunately, the closest of their two places closed, and in order to get one of their delicious pies, we have to travel 12 miles (20 min.) each way.  We've decided that with gas prices as high as they've become, the only way we'll get a NY Pizza is to buy one while we're already in the vicinity. We've even been known to buy a couple at the same time, eating one and freezing the others.

When NY Pizza closed, another took it's place, but it wasn't very good, and we abandoned it after two or three good tries.  It soon sold out to another ...a Greek man runs it. It's fairly good, but we still hunted for a replacement that might be better.  We found it. It's called Real Pizza, and believe me, it is real, as well as really good.  It's only about 4.2 miles from us. The offerings are multiple, the sizes are too, and the prices are better than average.  We've got it made now!

We had take out from there last night. I wish I'd opted for pizza, as my husband did. I chose a 'sub' of chicken, bacon and mozzerella cheese with ranch dressing, which has been different each time I've had it, depending upon who makes it.  Last night it was disappointing.  Mike had chosen Hawaiian pizza, which was quite tasty, with its ham and pineapple.  (somehow, it seems strange to me to see that combination on a pizza, even though whenever I've had it, I've always liked it. ) While we were waiting for things to warm, our neighbors popped in, and we got into a discussion about pizza.  They raved about one they had back home in Iowa. It was made with the usual ingredients, but then Canadian bacon and rinsed and dried sauerkraut were placed on the top before baking.  I'm sorry....but that's criminal!  I like sauerkraut, but cannot fathom ruining a pizza with it!

To say that 'Pizza is pizza' is definitely a mistake.  What say YOU about pizza?

A Letter...

Yesterday, as I do every now and again, I spent some time looking for new genealogy info on my family.  My great-grandmother was born and grew up on Nantucket, Massachusetts. It had been a while since I'd checked the Nantucket Historical Society website, so that's where I spent some of my time.

There's a good bit of on-line resource at that site, and you can search and even print from the site. I found pictures there some time ago of my Gr GrGrandparents grave stones. It's a rare day when I find something on that side of the family, and I really know little about my GrGrandmother and her family on the Island. A few details have been offered to me by my mother's generation, but those stories all took place after she'd married and moved to Long Island,NY.  It's thrilling to me to find each tidbit, to add to my scrapbook and to show my children.

So, yesterday I did a search of the Fisher name, and before long I found a letter, which I was able to view, and to print.  The woman was writing to her son, George, who'd gone off to California during the Gold Rush.The letter was written by Maria C. Fisher in 1849.  I knew that was my GrGr Grandmother's name. I might have wondered if the writer was my family member, had she not signed it as 'your affectionate father and mother, Henry B. and Maria C. Fisher!

I've been at this game of researching our families for more than twenty years now. Piece by piece, line by line, scrap by scrap I will find all that I can in order to put our story together. It never ceases to bore me, and I foresee yself continuing my investigation for years to come.

A Mother's Life

As any mother knows, it's a real job to handle.  Under the best of circumstances, with children who are as perfect as any child could be, it's a lot of work to raise children.  I'm thinking of some at the moment, who have larger challenges than most of us do, and their jobs require even more energy and strength.

One mother that I know has a child who was diagnosed with ADHD as a preschooler. She was able to get help for her little one with mild medications and good preschool training, so that when the child was ready to go to elementary school, she was aware of the behaviors that would be expected of her.  As the years passed, her medications have had to be adjusted with her growth. Now that child is nearly a teenager, and is undergoing the changes that come to all kids at that time of their lives. It's not an easy time for any of them, but coupled with medications for a growing individual, it's posing some real times of trial and stress.  This mother is a strong woman, and she deals as well as she's able, as a single mom.

Another I know rode a roller coaster for a few weeks, having been given a diagnosis for her daughter that the 14 year old had cancer.  I can only imagine the thoughts that went through the minds of that mother as she looked upon the child she'd given birth to such a relatively short time before. I would think that she wondered if the dreams she had for her daughter would come to fruition, and what would
lie ahead of them in the future.  Finally, a surgery was done to see what the size of the cancer was, a biopsy was taken and, a week later, the report came that there was NO cancer! (Was there a mistake in the diagnosis to begin with? I choose to believe that it was a healing...an answer to the innumerable prayers being said for the child and her family from those all over the country...and perhaps beyond!) I am so happy for that mother and the family! I have no doubt that if the alternative had been the case, they would have done all that was possible to fight for the return of good health for the young lady. What parent wouldn't?

There's another mom whose child is being bullied by classmates. This youngster is only eight years old, and has some social issues, but children can be so very mean. This mother has to fight for her child in that circumstance. She must navigate the school system, reporting what she knows to be violations of the rules and attempt to gather aid from the teachers and authorities in the school. She must determine for herself  how to help her child at home. She listens to this child spill out her feelings of lonliness and hurt because others won't play with her. She tries to develop skills in her youngster which will help her to be a little less sensitive to the cruel remarks directed at her, without causing her to become an uncaring and vengeful child.

I raised five children who are now raising their own.  I didn't have such issues as these to deal with, at least not to some of these extremes.  My heart hurts for these....and other moms who have Autism, physical disabilities, mental disabilities, and multiple untold other situations to deal with.  It isn't easy to be a mom.... or a dad either, I'm sure.  May God grant each one the strength and wisdom that it takes to accomplish their assigned duties and then some.

Random Thoughts: FIVE Days Later....

Where does the time go???  I realized this morning that it's been a few days since I've written...but FIVE days? I seem to have a few random thoughts, but not a whole lot to write about...so I'll offer these.

My husband told me the other day that a bird...I think it's a wren....has built a nest over the 'industrial' type light that is hung over our outside entry to the sunroom. I looked...and yes, there it was, a mud and grass clippings nest, on the top of the light shade. We don't like to disturb nesting birds, so I imagine we'll be walking from front door to back yard for awhile. Not only do we want not to upset Mama Wren, but we don't want to be 'dive bombed' either. I'm not sure that there are eggs in the nest yet, but she was sitting in the nest yesterday....and this morning when I looked, but she saw me through the door glass, and took off.  We'll be watching from inside to see what develops.

The vegetable garden is underway. Mike has turned the soil over in most of it. I tried to help, and lasted about 15 minutes before the hip slid out of gear, and the shoulder screamed under the weight of the soil on the spade. (Here is where I could growl and grumble about my aches, but why bother. It's pointless.) We bought a few beefsteak tomato plants the other day, and they will be replanted in large pots that are deep enough to make happy, healthy tomatoes.  We'll get our zucchini, crookneck squash, bell pepper, cucumber plants just before we're ready to put them into the ground. We also bought some Bodacious Corn seeds, which we'll plant in a different area in a few short rows. It's a trial on the corn, as we've never tried to plant it before. Next year, we hope to have a much larger area ready to till...with a rotor tiller!

The flower gardens are bursting forth with glorious color!  The trailing verbena is thick and lovely...dark purple. I noticed the other day that the red "Hot Lips" and the lavender "Mexican Heather" are showing their true colors, as is a vine of Wisteria, the first blooms have appeared on this vine that we brought with us from NY 5 1/2 years ago. Now that plant, as much as I love the blossoms, is going to be a challenge to control. It is prolific and and will take over without real guidance and much pruning.  We want to keep it under control, in a 'bush' type of structure, rather than let it trail off and climb trees and other things.  So much is blooming now that it's hard to list it all!  The roses have a milliion buds, so I look forward to their promises fulfilled!

Spring is a wonderful time of renewal....and work!  The lawn requires weed killer and feeding. What started out to be nice, green, weed free sod continues to grow more weed than grass, regardless of the weed killers. I guess it's due to some of our neighbors allowing the weeds to form seeds, which fly and plant themselves in other lawns.  I'm not that fussy, to be honest with you. If it's green, it's fine with me, so long as it's kept mowed.

A few other thoughts occur....but they must be saved for another day. I'll try not to be gone so long next time!

Surprises....

MORNING'S SILVER SURPRISE

The warmth of dawn drew me from

The shelter of the night.

I entered the damp silver air

And was welcomed by the tune

Of rhythmic dripping from the leaves.

As I wandered about the familiar paths

The light grew stronger.

I looked into the garden on the east side

And was bewildered.

There upon the tall grasses sat white

Strangely shaped structures, still wet from rain.

I went to explore their formations,

Looking much like feathers from a distance.

Nearer to them, I could see that

They were delicate, silken webs.

They sat on low grasses, like faerie bowls

And within the openings of the garden fence

Like tiny bug nets.

And there! There ...strung within the fork

Of the fragile branches of a vine,

Were theads of silver, beaded with crystal dew drops!

Treasures in my garden....awaiting my awakening

And my awareness.

KBW 3-14-2012

Written Heirlooms

Today I'm going to 'borrow' a topic from my friend, Ben, who wrote about his grandmother's postcard. I thought for a moment that I had nothing like that, but quickly, the thought was changed, as things tumbled across my mind.

When my grandfather served in the early days of the US Coast Guard, he had many hours to spend entertaining himself while he was not on duty.  He was stationed at different Long Island Coast Guard Stations, which today would not take long to travel to, but in the beginning of the 1920's, they were quite a distance from home.  Grandpa was a craftsman, he built model sailing ships with intricate rigging and sails made of tin cans. He made beautiful macrame items, as well. Mom still has a belt and a ladies pocketbook knotted by Grandpa's hands.  But, another interest he had, which falls under the blog topic, was calligraphy. There are beautifully scribed cards, the size of business cards, which are swirled and feathered with a talented hand and a quill pen.  These pieces not only show that he was good at the art, but what he wrote speaks too, of what was on his mind. Each card reads "Walter and Lillian". My grandmother was on his heart as he 'doodled'.

When my paternal grandfather passed away, in his possession was a 'grocery list'. It has a date on it, which at the moment escapes me, but it was somewhere in the mid-1800's.  My grandfather was one of the younger of seven children, born in 1886.  His father was a steam boat captain, piloting local waters to ferry people from Long Island to  New London, Connecticut. He lived on Shelter Island, and my guess is that he 'took orders' for staples and needful items from his family and neighbors. Then he'd deliver the goods when he returned home.  It's interesting to see the items, much of which we don't hear much about these days....lye soap was popular, and multiple orders of bay rum were among those.

On my husband's side of the family, there is much written material....letters that date back to before the Civil War, more recent letters to an aunt from Edward  R. Morrow. (Yes, THE Edward R. Morrow) There are two books written by his uncle, Samuel Gailey Mortland under pen names. These collections of his poems are indicitive of life as he lived it and understood it. There are his strong opinions of political people, his praises of Teddy Roosevelt, his memories of his boyhood and  thoughts of family and events.

It is wonderful to look these things over from time to time, as each viewing gives me new insight into those who put their hand to paper so long ago.  I, like Ben, wonder whether anything I've written will survive to future generations, and whether or not they will consider my words to be trash or treasure.
I guess I'll never know for sure!

What I Miss...

Most days, I'm extremely content to live here and be surrounded by all that I have been blessed with. There are days, though, when things creep into my thoughts...things that I miss seeing...or doing.

Back home, the ocean continues to roll in, stealing the sand from the shore, spraying salty mist into the air, luring souls to the beach with its song. I miss the sea...and this year, whether I get back to my old hometown or not, we will visit the coast of SC. Being a 'land-lubber' has it's drawbacks, and not seeing that enormous  wet vista is one of them.

This morning, though, I'm missing Lilacs.  We had five or six tall, wide bushes of them when we lived in East Hampton.  They were fragrant and lovely, and never disappointed us.  I miss walking out of the kitchen to the deck and seeing their welcome and smelling their fragrance.  Those variety of Lilacs won't survive the heat of the south, and in order to grow any, we'd have to be very careful in our choosing of the right ones.  It's time. I'll investigate, and then scour the nurseries ....I'm missing Lilacs, so I'll take whatever will grow here, and be grateful for them.

Hydrangea too. There are various ones that will grow heartily here, but I don't yet know which ones. I belive that I can find them...I've seen them in people's yards....large and bright blue, due to such acid soil as we have.  I will have to add those to my 'find' list. 

But, at this moment...I'm going to join my husband with our coffee on the patio, and decide just how we'll spend this 84 degree day.  See you soon!