Call me CRAZY!

It's 9:15 and already over 90 degrees and I'm making soup!  Yup - you can call me crazy!!  the totally UNcrazy thing is that it is going to be hot, hot, hot all week and I will have lovely,healthful soup already prepared for the week.

Here's the recipe:

Mexican Black Bean Soup (Serves 5...or 1 for five days!)

• 2 (15 oz) cans black beans.  no salt added
• 2cups frozen mixed vegetable
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 2 cups frozen chopped broccoli florets
• 2 cups carrot juice, fresh or bottled
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup prepared black bean soup, no salt
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste (I used 1 tablespoon)
• 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

Combine black beans, mixed vegetable, corn, broccoli, tomatoes, carrot juice, water, soup, cilantro and chili powder in a large soup pot.  Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 20 minutes.

Serve topped with extra tomatoes, scallions and pumpkin seeds

Audible.com

I love to read; I always have.  My parents were not big readers, but I fell in love with the written word very early on.  My father used to scold me for 'always having my nose in a book'!  I convinced them to buy (used) the complete collection of the classics and I read those books over and over again.  There were twelve in the series and four books were bound in faux green leather edged with gilt, four others in faux red leather and the final four in faux blue leather.

I still love reading and I always have three books that I'm reading at any given moment.  One on my iPhone which I enjoy as I'm driving; one on my Kindle and one 'real' book on my bedside table or in my poolside bag.  I did not want to make the switch to Kindle at first but quickly realized that lugging along books, while traveling (even paperback), was silly.  I LOVE my Kindle and recently upgraded to the paperwhite edition and it is fantastic!

I also REALLY love Audible.com.  I was especially dependent on this while I was making my long, long commute for the past several years, but even with a short commute I find it more pleasant to 'read' a book on the way to and from work than to listen to the news.

Yesterday I purchased two books on Audible.com but couldn't get them to show up on my phone. This morning I called customer service.  What a very lovely experience.  Two nice young men provided friendly banter (asking if I lived next door to Brad Pitt since my address is North Hollywood - clearly they've never been to LA and don't know the difference between Hollywood and North Hollywood!!) while I was patiently and expertly walked through fixing the technical 'glitch'.  I'm happy to say the problem was not the result of end user error!!

My son, my son....

I have always tried to be a parent who supports her children, who encourages them to spread their wings and fly and never, ever to hold them back.  That philosophy is being put to the test in a major way!

Nathaniel has been planning and working toward getting approved for a transfer from Apple, Santa Monica to Apple, NY.  The approval, the move to full time from part time and a raise has finally come through for him.  I really admire his perseverance, for this was not an easy task.

Of course I am excited for him - this is a new and wonderful adventure!  I am very proud of him.  He is being brave, taking (calculated) risks and broadening his horizons.  I am extremely happy that Jordan and Meredith have decided to move to a bigger apartment (they live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn) and have asked Nat to become their tenant in the extra bedroom!  A perfect solution for a mom on the West Coast with her only two kids on the East Coast.  I love that they will all be living together.  It makes me feel so happy and I will worry less about both kids.

I am struggling with my own emotions - feeling 'left behind' in LA where I never wanted to live in the first place.  I was perfectly content to stay for the rest of our lives in Old Lyme, CT.  Trying to be a supportive wife with a full time and busy career, two young children (7 and 2)  and so reluctantly agreed to support my husband in building his career and moved in 1991 far, far from anything I'd ever known and completely isolated from family.  I adjusted just fine to LA but the marriage didn't survive.  Three years after moving we were separated and then divorced.

And so, I feel at a crossroads once again.  I am settled in my work and enjoying the lower level of stress. I am feeling healthy and enjoying my life.  I have been very grateful for the weekly time with Nat sometime mom's meatloaf for dinner or my famous chicken alfredo - other times just a pizza, but always fun! So now I must make another big transition.  Do I really want to live all alone in LA?  Do I want to consider a move across country.  I am 7 years away from retirement.  I thought I would relocate AFTER retirement.  UGH!  Sometimes I hate change!

My biggest fear is what would happen if I got sick again.  Far, far away from everyone.  It is not good to live in fear; this I know.

For now I will focus on the joy of Nathaniel's success!   Boy - I am VERY proud of you!  YOU rock! You are my most special son - you who look at me with the eyes of my father - I love you; and will miss you terribly!  Go conquer the world...the Big Apple is waiting for you!!

A Weekend Away!

Refreshing Margaritas!

Donna and I decided to have a girls weekend away.  We chose Phoenix as our destination - an easy one hour flight from Burbank!  We arrived without delay and enjoyed our afternoon with a delightful lunch, some local shopping, driving around to see some sights and checking in around 4pm at the luxurious Biltmore Resort.  It is a Waldorf Astoria Hotel and it is wonderful. Eight pools, several golf courses, numerous restaurants, gardens and delightful little cottages in which one might stay - which is what we chose.

delicious butternut squash and roasted vegetable open tacos

I got up at 4 the first morning and joined others in a hike up into the nearby mountains.  It was guided by hotel staffers who provided us with granola bars and water.  So beautiful.  It was good to have hiked in the early part of the day since by noon it was 109 degrees!

This is our pretty stone cottage...so quiet and peaceful

The grounds were really lovely and it is a totally dog friendly place!

I've heard of lawn bowling, but never lawn chess!

We relaxed, sat by the pool, toured the city and had a lovely, lovely time together.

nearby mountains

pretty landscaping

dogs are allowed to swim in this!

We ended our adventure by joining Kirk and Laura, Cindy and her brand new husband Wayne and Cindy's friend Joan for tapas and cocktails before heading off to the airport.  It was great to see them all (though too briefly)!

The car we rented was a Jeep Liberty and it was lots of fun to drive.  Here we are returning the car and headed back to Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix headed for home.

I am thinking, now, that taking little, easy trips may be better than planning for big, long ones where I tend to come home more exhausted than before I left!  In this vein, Olga and I are planning a two day get away over Labor Day to San Simeon.

the 'getaway girls'

Happy Birthday Daughter in Law!!

Today is Meredith's Birthday!  I love having a daughter in law - and not just ANY daughter in law - THIS one in particular!!

Meredith is a wonderful smart, funny, thoughtful, creative, accomplished and lovely young woman.  I am SO glad she is part of our family!!

Today is YOUR special day Meredith...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!

Meredith and Jordan - happy on their wedding day!
(M on left, J on right)