Saturday, February 7, 2009

Life in My World—Smatterings for a Saturday

Photobucket
laundry makes a great book prop!

Calvin got a dog for Christmas. We’ve had lots of dogs through the years, but the last two vanished without a trace. There could be a good storyline in their abductions . . . if only we knew.

Our new dog’s name is See-more II. Whenever we go anywhere Calvin is on the look-out for wild game (even on the New Jersey turnpike). One day as we drove the back roads to a lake with a milkshake reward for whoever saw the first deer, Calvin boasted, “Do you know why they call me See-more?” We agreed that we did not and he said, “Because I see more of this and I see more of that and I see more game than anyone else.” A year or two later while driving through the mountain passes I cleverly responded to his repeated, “Do you know why they call me See-more?” with “Do you know why they call me Mrs. See-more? Because I see everything See-more misses.” So See-More II is joining See-More I and Mrs. See-more and we do hope he likes us and doesn’t chew on shoes, run between our legs or under our bike tires.Calvin has gone to Idaho to pick See-more II up from Trevor. Trevor calls him Pee-more and is more than ready to hand him over.

Ideas for meals are easy when Calvin is gone; I fix stuff he would curl his nose at if he was here. Today I made a big pot of split pea soup. It is ham-flavored, smooth and good. I do wish I knew someone who liked it; Calvin will thank me if he can’t smell it when he walks in the door.

My to-do list while Calvin is gone is:

1. Print mine and Ty’s journals. I love reliving the rich experiences in our lives, but it’s also several hours of tedious cutting and pasting and printing and hole-punching a year’s worth of entries.

2. Organize this year’s teaching files. They just get the best of me sometimes.

3. Read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, actually it is my reward for tackling the less-fun chores.

4. Do the page in my circle journal assignment. Last summer some of us started a Circle Journal Group. Twelve of us chose topics for our journals—everything from Good Things to Family Recipes—and set up a rotating order. I’ve really enjoyed the circle journals project. I have Heather’s journal of “Simplify” this month.

5. Find a home for the split pea soup . . . or freeze it.

6. Make a batch of fruit leather.

7. Do the ironing.

I just got a call from an old friend. She used to teach me in Primary. She remembered that I had helped our neighbor, a German woman who was raised under Hitler, write a piece of her life history and she wondered if I still had a copy of it. Sadly, I don’t, but it was fun to visit with my friend anyway. And, she confessed she did have a copy of the history somewhere, she just couldn’t find it. I hope she finds it as she promised to send a copy, but regardless, it was fun to hear her voice and shortly reminisce about our neighbor.

If your husband was gone, what would you fix to eat?

Would you curl your nose at split pea soup?

17 comments:

hennchix said...

How fun Jane!! A new puppy! What breed is it? I make stuff no one else will eat too, like Greek salads and stuff.

Deidra said...

Chris likes nearly everything I make (or he'll tolerate it for a few meals anway). I usually just don't make anything to eat when he's gone. He gets a real kick out of eating "bachelor food" when I'm gone.

Cassidy said...

If Bo was gone, I'd make soup too. It's so satisfying. I LOVE split pea soup!!! I wish I lived close enough to you so you could pawn some off on me! :)

Miller Family said...

I Love split pea soup. I would definitely make that and tons of spinach salad if my husband was not here for a meal (or my kids for that matter). Enjoy your soup. I vote you freeze it so you can pull it out another day and enjoy it!

Haley Krumblis said...

Ha Ha Aunt Jane, this one is too easy! Since my husband is gone MOST of the time!!! The good thing is, is that I make all the stuff I want to try and when he gets home he is easy to please since his stomach has shrunk and he has been stuck on MRE's!!!

SANDERSON / MCCONKIE FAMILY said...

Nicole named her dog, Jazz I when Nicole was put on the Today's Generation Jazz team. Then I ran over Jazz I cried for 3 days and now there is Jazz II. Paul didn't want the first white poodle but he was so tired of watching me cry that he got the ads out and found the second white poodle. NOW THAT'S LOVE!

Kim Sue said...

eggs, usually scrambled and on a sandwich but also quiche, omlettes, scrambled with salsa on top, etc because I love them and my husband doesn't eat eggs.

Unknown said...

I'd have to get rid of the kids, too - then it would be lots of soup, but NOT split pea. Yuck. And spinach salad. And stir fry.

Lyle and Mary: said...

I don't cook when hubby's gone, he dislikes the fastfood joints, and they work for me. No cooking, no mess to clean up. Wendy's salads lasted me two meals so I thought it was quite a bargin.
I think your son-in-law has the correct name, since he's the one who's been living with See-more. Your house must not have enough stress with all the kids gone, so you added a dog...good luck with getting through the puppy stage!

Alisa said...

What I would eat would depend if the kids were with me. We do eat a little more simply if its a weekend when Jay is gone, but the kids still have to eat, ya know?
Really if its just me, I would run and grab a sandwich from Jason's deli because I would not have to think about how much it was going to cost for a whole family to eat out. (here is a funny- Jay just walked by and said- "if you were gone, I would just eat licorice")

melanie said...

If Milo's gone you can bet I'm not cooking. Sometimes I don't even cook when he's here and we go for grilled cheese and not homemade soup. Easy.

A dog? Oh man, I feel for your shoes. And hopefully not your carpet. ha ha

Love the smattering post.

Becky said...

I tend to not eat much when Jeff is gone. I'll fix something for the kids and put them to bed. Then, if I get hungry I'll make a sandwich or eat a bowl of cereal.

Split pea soup *sounds* yucky to me but I have never seen, smelled, nor tasted it...

Looking forward to pics of the puppy!

Carolyn said...

Oh I hate to eat without Brent. Luckily, I haven't had to do that too many times so far. And I love it! And...I hate split pea soup. Sorry! I hate the way it feels in my mouth and working in the pea field for so long completely turned me off from peas. Ha.

Anonymous said...

I wish I could come and share a bowl of that soup! I love it, but of course no one here does.

I always make "brinner" when Linc is gone. He isn't a breakfast for dinner sort, but give me pancakes anytime! I also love making misc meals, where I use up stuff, like heat up the rest of the meatloaf and fried rice and with a quesadilla on the side. My girls think it is like a 5 course meal...I like clearing out my fridge without wasting and not really cooking :)

Anonymous said...

Oh- and I hope you LOVE that book. I really enjoyed it!

michelle said...

I like split pea soup! I like to make a big batch of something when Marc is gone and then eat it all week. Quite often, it's chicken/pasta salad.

Your list sounds like a whole bunch of happiness to me.

Rebecca said...

I love the See-more story, you two are pretty witty together! Micah is gone late into the night on Wednesdays, I confess, I just eat Ramen!