I Ate Oyster Stuffing!

I was talking with a friend today about their Thanksgiving holiday and they told me that they had oyster stuffing with their meal.  And so I said I never had oyster stuffing and then they said that  I could try some of their leftovers.

Now this scared me.  I’ve never eaten oysters and how do you tell a friend you are afraid of something like an oyster?  So I put on a brave face and I said I’d be glad to try some of the stuffing, but I insisted it shouldn’t be too much.

Out came some nice hot oyster stuffing.  It was brown.  It had stuff in it.  It smelled sort of salty.  I instantly panicked.  But my friend was so positive that I’d enjoy it that I did what a person has to do sometimes and I stalwartly  popped a bit of the brown stuff into my face.

I said ” I taste something like salty mushrooms”.  My friend said that was the oysters.  I said ” Are you sure?  Cause it tastes like salty mushrooms.”  My friend laughed and said  “It’s the oysters!”

If that is true then I ate oysters!  I’m still not at all sure that oysters and turkey go together now that I’ve eaten oyster stuffing, but I can’t say that it was the worst stuff I’ve ever eaten. Vegemite is the worst stuff.  This oyster stuff  was just like stuffing with a fishy taste and a salty mushroom flavor.

So since I’m so brave I get to ask a question…What do you enjoy eating that might be considered an acquired taste?

love,

mo

Soft Clothes

Do you think it’s a sign of age to want to wear soft clothing?  It seems to me that the older I get the less I want to dress in fussy things.  If a shirt has buttons that poke me I’m not  wearing it.  If my pants aren’t comfortable I am not wearing them.

I have plenty of items in my closet that just sit there.  I bought them when it didn’t matter that a zipper might feel itchy on my skin, or when a fabric felt rough.  I bought them for looks.

Looks!  Now I want to wear clothes that fit and that feel supportive.  Don’t I sound ancient?  But I can’t deny this sensation that it’s more important for me to feel good than to look good.

If you see me and you wonder who dressed me I’ll understand.

love,

mo

More Coach Sexual Abuse?!

Jerry Sandusky is old news now?!  The new guy is Bernie Fine!  Can you wrap your heads around this because I can’t.  While I know that abuse happens, it’s hard to accept that abuse happens and people hide it!

I’m afraid we are going to have to change  some rules in society before we can eradicate this evil problem.  Here in PA authorities are pressing charges against Sandusky for indecent sexual practices because they think that a jury won’t convict him for rape!  Well, that is pretty fancy talk.  It isn’t that the jury is stupid and that they think that rape is only something that happens with a male and a female with sexual penetration and threats- juries want to follow the letter of the law and we pride ourselves on being a country based on laws and precedents!

Our laws need to be changed!   They need to be brought into line with our current thinking on sexual  crimes.  They need to be fixed!

Hunters go where the deer are.  Adults who want to abuse children are going to work in places where they can get access to children!  I’m not suggesting that every single person who holds authority over children is really a child abuser at heart- what I am saying though is that we can’t avoid the  fact that abuse is, and always has happened and we can’t let our children down!  We can’t make them prove that abuse happened to them.  We can’t force them to live their lives feeling separate and used.

I’m angry.  What about you?

I think it’s time we stop feeling like it’s a social faux pas to ask coaches, teachers, scout leaders, dance instructors what their feelings are about children!  I think we should expect that they’d ask themselves the very same questions and if they feel sexually stimulated by children then I ho”pe that they’d do the decent thing and step away from a profession that puts children at risk.

I hope that we finally have conversations about this.  I hope we are ready to really deal with the problems that are unearthed.  I hope we can “make a clean breast of it.”  I hope children can feel safe.

love,

mo

 

Arthur Christmas!

I was lucky enough to go see Arthur Christmas this evening in 3D.   I wasn’t sure what it was about and whether it was worth seeing in 3D so I checked Rotten Tomatoes for reviews.  Well, It was a fun movie and I agree with all the viewers who said it should be a traditional holiday flick.  It is a charming and fun and light hearted holiday story.   I am willing to say I think it would be appealing to all ages!

Be prepared though for a Santa that is British.  In one scene all the members of the Claus family are sitting at the table opening Christmas crackers and Arthur slips on a crepe paper crown.  This is one holiday tradition that you might have to explain to some children but it was jolly fun nonetheless!

Go see the movie if you get the chance and I highly recommend the 3D.  The imagery is sophisticated enough that it’s worth viewing in depth.

love ,

mo

 

Just How Many Homeless People Are in Pottstown?

I had posted about the ‘homeless problem’ here in Pottstown.  Now before I continue let me make it clear that I don’t think that the problem we have here in town has anything to do with the fact that there are people who are homeless.  I meant that it worries me that there are issues that most of us don’t think about that people who have no shelter have to live with!

Karla Romberg sent me some information about the Homeless in Pottstown because she saw the post I did.  I hope it’s okay that I share what she sent to me.  And, please, if you feel that any of the material, or information I share in this blog is inaccurate or just dead wrong, please, please just email me.  I am always willing to fix, or redress any mistakes.  Karla sent me some updated stats and some information on some outreach programs in the area-

Thank you Karla!

The Ministries at Main Street Homeless Shelter houses 15-30 people per night during the winter months

    – County Officials believe there are 50-80 single adults living on the streets in the TriCounty Area

                In Pottstown School District, about 15 students could be considered homeless

                Source: “Left Out in the Cold,” Pottstown Mercury, March 20, 2007

There are some who chose not to come into a shelter but the 50-80 single adults number is in the county as a whole.

I would like to invite you to the TCN Community Awareness Event: Rethink Homelessness

that we are holding next Wednesday. It is 12 Noon to 1 PM, in Smith Family Plaza.  I have attached a flyer.

As the TCN Homeless Committee is just beginning, we are continuing to educate each other so we can collaborate well and use our resources well.  The committee feels that it is important to educate the community that there are homeless in Pottstown.  As you mentioned in your blog, it is not always easy to see that we have this issue in Pottstown.  And a person many not know how to navigate the system in order to get help.  So our education initiative begins.

I hope to meet you on Wednesday during lunch and please let me know if you have questions that I might be able to help with.

Karla Romberg
Co-Chair, TCN Homeless Services Committee
TriCounty Community Network
260 High Street
Pottstown PA 19464

 

Sleep Over At Cabela’s Tonight, Maybe Win a Free Gun!

Cabela’s wants customers to start lining up for their Black Friday Sale and they are doing it by offering the first 800 people in line envelopes.  Inside those envelopes are several prizes like gift certificates and sweatshirts, but one lucky person will win an 875 dollar rifle!

The first 800 people, over the age of 18, in line before 5 a.m. on Friday at all U.S. Cabela’s stores will each get an envelope with a giveaway.

One of those envelopes will hold a coupon for a Browning A-Bolt Medallion .300 WSM rifle with a Cabela’s 50th Anniversary gun case. It is worth $875.

The envelopes will be given out at random and 40 will be for a Cabela’s camouflage hooded sweatshirts.

Five will have $100 gift cards, 10 will have $50 gift cards, 50 will have $25 gift cards, 100 will have $10 gift cards and 594 will have $5 gift cards.

The stores open at 5 a.m. on Friday.

In previous years, customers began lining up at midnight for Black Friday sales, but the store expects the line to start earlier because of the giveaways.

Whoopee!  Just don’t shoot your eye out!

Happy Hunting!

love,

mo

Fat Folks Aren’t As Quick to Get Alzheimers!

Before I begin I’d like to admit that any time I find a story that makes me feel that it’s okay to be fat I enjoy it.  I am fat and even though I’d like to be half my size the fact is I’m not.  I’m F-A-T.  There aren’t many health stories that make me feel happy about my figure, but I found this one and I’m dragging it back here so you can read it too.

It seems fat people suffer dementia late in life, whereas thin people, or people with a Body Mass Index less than 25 suffer dementia earlier in life.  The guess is that it has to do with the plaques that develop eating away at the hypothalamus. Here is where I found the story.

So, um, is it good news or bad news that I’m probably going to remember I’m fat at least until I’m in my late 80’s?

Well, it certainly helps me choose whether or not I’m having pumpkin pie and cookies today!

love,

mo

Should Men Avoid Barbecues and Well Done Meat?

We’ve all seen these studies that tell us that something is bad only to hear later that it turns out the original study was wrong and that whatever it told us to avoid is actually good for us.  Since I’m not fond of adding to the hype I hate to publish every story that comes along to tell us how to avoid getting cancer by not eating certain foods, but this story about men having higher levels of prostate cancer when they’ve admitted to eating a lot of well done meat seems worth at least  considering.

Here is a bit of the story from the Daily Mail in the UK…see what you think.

Men who ate grilled or barbecued burgers that were well or very-well done had around twice the odds of aggressive prostate cancer than those who never ate meat or ate it rare or medium-done.

The figures for beef, such as steak, were similar.

Previous studies linking red meat to prostate cancer have produced mixed results – but this may be because they did not separate out the most deadly form of the disease and did not focus on overcooking and cooking at high temperatures.

Cautious: Dr Rachel Thompson, of the World Cancer Research Fund, claims the results could have been distorted by the men not recalling what they had eaten.

Cautious: Dr Rachel Thompson, of the World Cancer Research Fund, claims the results may have been distorted by the men not recalling their diets fully

The Department of Health’s scientific advisors said earlier this year that red and processed meat ‘probably’ increases the odds of bowel cancer.

They advised eating no more than 70g a day. Over a week, this amounts to three sausages, one small steak, one quarter-pounder and three slices of lamb.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2065482/Well-steaks-double-prostate-cancer-risk-Even-small-amounts-cooked-meat-dangerous.html#ixzz1ebEYU6nd

 

 

Beer Batter Bread!

Tomorrow is the day when we all sit around and enjoy a big feast right?  Well, those of us who are lucky enough to have the economic wherewithal, or families or friends that can provide us a big feast will get to enjoy the traditional big meal, but today was just the day before the big feast!  So at my house with college kids coming home and band kids getting ready for the big game tomorrow at Pottstown High we needed something quick and inexpensive.  We decided on fried chicken and macaroni and cheese.  It wasn’t the healthiest meal but it was quick.

Earlier in the day my daughters decided they wanted to make brownies for our holiday meal.  I was already going to make a cake but then I saw that I only had self rising flour in my pantry.  I know, poor me!  Look, the point is that I wanted to know if there were any easy recipes for self rising flour and tada!  I found one I liked.  The kids weren’t as excited by it but I certainly enjoyed it.   Here it is-

Beer Batter Bread

3 cups self-rising flour

3 tbl sugar

1 can (12 oz) beer

I added a bit of garlic and some cheese and I baked it at 350 for about 45 minutes in a casserole dish.

I guess the bottom line was that it was simple, quick and it made it look like I’m a whiz in the kitchen.

Have a great Thanksgiving.

love,

mo