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Day 46/365: Belly Button Piercing

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Day 46: Jewelry in the Belly Button...oh my

This isn’t where I expected to give my daughter her sweet sixteen present. For some reason I was thinking more girly? She actually asked me last summer, while we were at Linoma Beach, and pointed out several belly button rings and jewelry. The approach was more like, “Would you consider letting me get one for my 16th birthday?” Considering this was more than six months away,  she had a good strategy.

My answer, “I will consider it, but can’t give you an answer yes or no.” She was happy with that and didn’t push. Occasionally I would get a reminder during the year, or a comment about friend or classmate who had a belly ring. Not pushy, and not every comment was positive, some were more inquisitive in the line “I wonder if I can still run track with one?”  But it was always followed by “Are you still considering it?”

Normal concerns circled around the possibility that belly bearing shirts would follow, but since she had never worn those before I was assured it wasn’t going to be a problem. This accessory was more of an addition to her existing bikini attire during pool, beach and sun bathing activities.

Timing was an issue. It needed to be early enough before swimming season so infection wouldn’t be a problem, and even leave some time to take Lifeguard classes in the spring, if she decided that was the summer job she wanted.

After consulting with many friends on where they went to get theirs done, we left on a chilly January Saturday to Dr. Jacks Tattoo and Piercing in Omaha, Nebraska. Walking in you would think every 16 year in Omaha had the same idea. It looked like a cheerleader convention. More young girls than anyone getting tattoos, maybe they need to rename the shop. After my ID and hers was checked against each others, Jen filled out the form and waited.

She was nervous, asking if it would hurt. The technician said, actually the anticipation is worse. It will be uncomfortable for about 1/2 second, some have told me it’s anticlimactic. I was impressed with the aftercare discussion. “For 48 hours, don’t touch it with your fingers, don’t wiggle, don’t move it, don’t slide it, don’t mess with it, just don’t.” A saline spray rinse was provided and instruction given. Found out later other locations have the cleaner as an “option” which you pay extra. Thus the reason for some infection stories we had heard during the last six months.

I wasn’t the only Mom with a camera, and Jen wasn’t complaining this time. Facebook pictures had to be posted,…duh? But not before she posted them. Hence the delay on this post.

Here is the result. Tiny, and so far, four days later no signs of redness, swelling or irritation. So I think it’s going to be fine.

Day 46: Belly Jewelry

Day 45/365: Beef and Barley Soup

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Day 45: Beef & Barley Soup

It’s time for food again, specifically soup since it’s still winter. This is another version of my Beef & Barley Soup, each version varies slightly depending on what I have in the refrigerator as leftovers. I love soup, with a little planning it’s so easy, and simple. I keep chopped celery, onions,  carrots, pre-cooked hamburger  in the freezer along with frozen stock and it all goes in the pot together in less than 5 minutes.

The joy of homemade stock/broth. Stock is a bit heartier and gives homemade soup a hearty flavor, nice and rich. What I make is more like broth, but it accomplishes the same thing. You can buy chicken stock from the grocery store in boxes, cans, or even bullion cubes (only if your desperate on the cubes…) if you don’t have any prepared, but homemade is healthier, less salt, and I think tastier.

For those who haven’t saved or made their own stock it’s easy, really. I save chicken broth, potato water (from boiling potatoes for mashing), pork drippings, (just add some water to the juice at the bottom of pan), and lately even the drained water from corn. Okay, purist will say this isn’t stock, but broth, but I get wonderful results in the end, so who’s to say I’m wrong.

When I roast a whole chicken for supper I put the leftover carcass in a big pot, add water to the top, bring to a boil, then simmer for oh…an hour, maybe two. Sometimes I’ll throw in some celery or onions for added flavor, but it’s not necessary, especially since I’m putting all those ingredients in the soup. Then I pull out the bones and put the liquid and chicken meat bits in plastic containers (glad containers, ziplock, orange juice jugs, ice cream buckets, whatever I have) and store in the freezer.

Recently I had a couple pieces of leftover chicken that didn’t get eaten, a leg and thigh. I put them in a smaller pot and made 2 cups of stock. Easy, easy.

Now that I’ve covered stock/broth let’s get to the recipe, remember exact amounts are NOT crucial, soup is a magical food that is actually hard to mess up. More water can be added if the mixture is too thick.

Ingredients

  • 8 cups stock
  • 16 oz fine stewed tomatoes (I used my homemade with celery, onion, carrots)
  • 1 1/2 lbs cooked hamburger (I prepare 5 lbs ahead of time and put in 1 lb bags in freezer)
  • 1 cup green beans
  • 1 cup corn
  • 1 cup diced or sliced carrots
  • 2 TBSP dried parsley
  • 1 TBSP dried sweet basil
  • 1 tsp black pepper (to taste)
  • 1 tsp Lowrys Seasoning Salt (my daughter calls this “special salt”)
  • 1 cup barley (added the last hour)

Directions

Add all the ingredients except the barley, bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat and simmer for one hour. Then add barley. Simmer for an additional 45 minutes or until the barley is tender. Makes approximately 12 one cup servings. Eat, and freeze leftovers in single serving containers for later. If you have any.

When is it done? I tell my kids when you can smell it outside it’s done. My Marine son recently tested this method when he was home on leave. The aroma was driving him crazy inside, his sister came home and said “What smells so good? I could smell it from outside” Nathan declared. “Soups done!”

More Soup and Stew Recipes

Day 44/365: Colonial Home

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Day 44: Colonial Home

One of my fondest memories of my teen years was historic old Main Street in South Windsor. I would ride by bike from East Hartford every Saturday morning into the country to look at horses. I was just a little horse crazy as a 13 year old girl and knew where every horse lived on my four mile “route”.  People were more than friendly and let me pet and feed them carrots. This weekly ritual lasted many years and resulted in many friendships that have lasted over thirty years.

One of the families on my route took pity on me and convinced their son to let me ride their horse and eventually give me lessons. I got involved in the Scantic Valley Riders 4-H Club, and showed small sorrel quarter horse, Wimpy’s Kelley at the Hartford County 4-H Fair and the Wapping Fair in the late 1970’s.  She was the first horse I rode on a regular basis and lived over thirty years.

When I moved from New England I began to appreciate the history of the area and homes I took for granted that were built in the 1700’s were suddenly interesting. It’s part of the charm of the area that you can’t get anywhere else in the country. Homes built during the birth of our nation, historic homes still standing, like the one in the picture above that stands proudly under a blanket of snow.

 

Day 43/365: New England Blizzard

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Day 43: Snowy Red Barn, Ellington, CT

Winter storm Benedict brought a record snowfall to the State of Connecticut. I was lucky to be there when I was to remember great snows of my childhood which brought back memories of snow forts, snowball fights, and sledding at Wickham Park.

New England snow is different than Nebraska snow. It is softer, gentler, and quiet. Even though Benedict was officially called a blizzard. Compared to Nebraska storms, Benedict was a whisper.

I spent several hours shoveling snow in the driveway, and enjoyed it. There wasn’t a 50 mph wind cutting through me, and the temperature was almost a balmy 27 degrees with a slight breeze of maybe 10-15 mph. A vast difference from most shoveling conditions in Nebraska when the temperature is in the teens with 50 mph winds.

Bowing to my middle aged years I took several breaks, took pictures of the birds in the backyard, and just let memories linger. As I entered the “plow ridge” at the bottom of the driveway I paused.

Here was another difference. In Nebraska the street plows wait until the snow stops before getting to the residential areas. If a plow had come by my Mom’s once, they came by at least a dozen times pushing and packing snow at the bottom of the driveway. The streets looked good and passable, if you could get out.

As I paused to start the heavy lifting a pickup with a blade drove by, I glanced and nodded. He stopped, asked if I would like the bottom pushed out, and I smiled and gave the thumbs up. In less than two minutes the bottom was clear. Turns out, he was the son of a neighbor two houses down and 45 years later I meet  Bobby Milton. A name I hadn’t heard in many many years. I didn’t know him, and he didn’t remember me, but he was probably 10 years older and into racing cars when I was in elementary school. But when I mentioned his Great Dane, Xeno he smiled and said, “You really did grow up here.”

He then went across the street and pushed out another neighbors driveway where a nine year old boy had been shoveling for several hours. It was a random act of kindness, one of several in the week I will remember.

Day 42/365: Remembering Mom

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Day 42: Mom Loved Flowers

Mom loved flowers. Not the extravagant fussy kind like roses, nor the hot house flowers such as carnations, but random, creative arrangements of lilies and wildflowers, with a profusion of color. It was always a challenge at Mothers Day and her birthday to find creative arrangements to send. She always enjoyed describing them to me over the phone. I think she would have been happy with this.