Northern Noise

"Everything's complicated, even those things that seem flat in their bleakness or sadness."  ~Nick Hornsby

So the Papa has decided that the boy needs to start eating more foods.  There's some history here, as the boy was allergic to almost everything except blueberries, sweet potatoes and rice until he was about 2 years old.  Even as he slowly outgrew some food allergies, there were so many foods he couldn't eat that we had to be really careful.  When he was 3 there was a big sign in his cubby and the kitchen at preschool that indicated: Don't feed the boy.  I thought it was funny; Bob thought it was sad.   So now Jed is older and he can actually eat a lot of stuff.  And since so many gluten free foods are now available, the possibilities are wide.  However the boy is picky.  I don't entirely blame him; he's always needed to be careful of what he eats, and he wasn't exposed to a variety of foods in his young life. We have been in the habit of cooking food for us, and something separate for Jed.  Although he eats a lot of veggies and fruits, he's pretty much a h

So a few nights ago my husband shared with me that he had never eaten a Twinkie.  What?  What sort of person lives 53 years and never eats a Twinkie??  Granted, he's from the south where Moon Pies and Yoo Hoo is more common, but no Twinkies??!!  Then, upon further interrogation it comes to  light that he's never eaten ANY Hostess snack product.  No Ding Dongs, no HoHos, no Snowballs.  WTH??? So I go to the grocery store and ask the worker where I can find Hostess snack products.  When I do find them, in the bread aisle, by the way, they're on sale.  10 snack products for 10 bucks.  What a deal! So I buy one of each (2 Ding Dongs, as I figure I should eat one too) and bring them home.  Given that it's a school night, Bob doesn't want to go crazy with the sugar, so we plan to break 'em open for a wild Friday night. Tonight when we get home, the dog slinks out the door before we even make it in.  Bad sign.  Turns out she's gone onto the kitchen table and f

I just watched a documentary on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with son and husband.  As I really thought about the bravery and sacrifice of this man, it brought me to tears.  Although the Civil Rights Movement and the Voters Act were not the product of one man, they would not have happened without one man. What a perfect day when the one man, endowed with bravery, charisma, the right words, integrity and faith find a country ready for change, people needing a leader, and a cause worth dying for. "I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant". ~ Martin Luther King Jr.  I need to remember to ask my mom what she thought about MLK, Jr. while he was alive.  I wonder what my grandparents' take on him was?  So many white people it seemed, believed in the cause and treating people equally, but couldn't support shaking things up, preferring t

Tator tots don't get the recognition they deserve.  They're better than fries; they have texture and crunch on the outside. They are yummy covered with cheese.  They are good dipped in ketchup or equally as tasty with blue cheese dressing.  They can top a yummy casserole, be covered with gravy for a twist on traditional potatoes.  They are the perfect food for a cold Friday evening.

I'm (to quote my husband) mad at the world today.  I think I'm just tired in this dark, cold weather.  I need more hours in the day, more energy all the time, and more know how about getting my job done.  I really, really like what I do, but I'm feeling like I don't know how to do everything, or at least how to do things efficiently. And then there's my house.  I'm just going to ignore the crappy aspects, like the fact we replaced the heater, fridge, washer/dryer, bathtub, bathroom pipes, and pump.  I'm going to perseverate on the fact that it's messy and impossible to keep clean because there are no closets, cabinets or shelves in which to store and put away.  I can get rid of only so much stuff, hence the mess. I'm also grumpy at myself because I know I need to lose weight by eating healthily and exercising, but I lack willpower and discipline.  Aargh. Maybe I'm not really grumpy.  Maybe I'm just "intense."  Nawww, don't

Why are there so many songs about SATURDAY night, and yet I can't think of any about Friday? Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting Just Another Saturday Night and I Ain't Got Nobody Saturday in the Park One More Saturday Night Let me tell you about Fridays at the Hadaway House.  Friday's are officially christened "Fend For Yourself Friday" and mama don't do no cooking on Friday nights.  The kids can place an order by Friday morning - Fred Meyer or Papa Murphy's - but if I don't have it by closing time, they're out of luck.  Aileen typically goes for mac n cheese, or maybe a cheese pizza.  Jed is a gluten free pepperoni pizza (and he celebrates not having to eat his veggies with a little bootie dance).  Bob is a Marie Calendar's Chicken Pot Pie, large size (unless I stop at Papa Murphy's).    Mama's the wild card.  Maybe an avocado w/ tuna salad, maybe artichoke dip and triscuits, maybe cheese fries....  with an adult beverage.

On CNN tonight, they showed videos solicited by Jimmy Kimmel of children being tricked by their parents on Christmas.  For example, instead of a Mr. Potato Head, a child opened a potato.  And their parents videotaped their misery.  Although it reflects poorly on me, I will say I laughed cruelly, even while admitting that it was awful for those kids. Then I reflected that, on my sweet 17 year old's birthday on December 6, she wanted Ugg boots.  They're a bit spendy, and we debated whether to buy them.  Then, I had an idea.  In fact, to quote the Grinch, "It was brilliantly awful idea".... he he he.  Cut to  Ali opening her presents.  She reached for the first one, saw the Uggs boot box and exclaimed "You got them!!"  Then, she tore open the box and found - 1 boot!!!  "What the heck?" she looked quizzically at her parents. "Uggs are expensive."  I responded.  "We figured we'd give you one now and the other at Christmas."

New Years resolutions have always irritated me, although I understand that a new beginning brings the promise of change.  So I've mustered my resolve to write more.  And so it begins.... I think I haven't been writing because my life isn't that exciting, and my son's funny sayings aren't quite so anecdotal and easy to package.  I haven't had big thoughts lately - or ones worthy of sharing, I suppose.  Lots of my thoughts are pretty random and might have folks questioning my sanity.  So, I'm going to have to find topics to write about that are meaningful, of interest to me and anyone else who might stumble across it, and yet don't make me seem like a raving lunatic. Edward Abbey wrote, " Good writing can be defined as having something to say and saying it well. When one has nothing to say, one should remain silent. Silence is always beautiful at such times."   I'll try to respect that sentiment.  The rest, is silence.