They’re taking my computer away for a while so it can be relocated along with myself. As our laptop met a sticky end not too long ago and the new one on order but not due to arrive for several weeks I will once again say goodbye for a bit to move. I was hoping to beat the hot weather, but I lost the coin toss. Sweltering or not, the time for rehearsals has passed so it’s time for the big performance.
People are suffering severely from the weather all over the map so I won’t complain. Last week was gorgeous and cooler than normal which allowed for the bulk of the small things to disappear from here and reappear there. I do find myself peeking over the railing at our ailing pea green pool with some longing but it is what it is and I haven’t had enough shots in my lifetime to convince me it would be safe to submerge myself in that water. Also, I believe the frogs have left their offspring to guard the homestead and who am I to argue with them for frontage rights.
Since reading Chicago John’s post on won ton ravioli, I’ve been searching for won ton wrappers to give them a try. At last the other day I found the elusive wrappers hiding in the produce section. I’m sure there’s a logical reason why they were in the produce section I’m overlooking, but for the life of me what that would be totally escapes me. This is not the first time I’ve found things in the market in odd places. Once while living in in a southern state I was directed to the tortillas also housed in the produce section next to fresh corn. Being made of corn this made some convoluted sense, but since I didn’t find the flour tortillas in the baking department I found myself once again confused.
While in a large department store a few years back I searched in vain for candles. A young kid wearing a vest with a name tag pinned to the front walked by. Assuming he was either an employee of the store or someone enamored with the store’s choice in blue vests and name tags, I inquired as to where I might find candles. “In the candle department” came the incredibly insightful reply. “Really?” Thank God the man was there. Imagining finding them in such an obscure location surely would never have occurred to me on my own. Another marriage ago, after traveling some miles looking for a crossing point along a long stretch of river we pulled into a small gas station and corner store in the middle of absolutely nowhere to seek guidance. My mother-in-law hailed a wizened gentleman standing out front and asked how we would go about getting across the river to the other side. Scanning her from stem to stern as though a bug he’d scraped from his shoe, he shook his head and responded. “You go on down to the river and head on acrost it.” I believe I heard him say “sheet”, as he turned around and I do not believe he was referring to changing the linens on his bed. The voice of reason. We thanked him and went on our way. Surely he told his family later how truly stupid tourists were. Probably he was right. Why we had not seen this solution with his vision, definitely had to be viewed as a shortcoming on our part.
Needing shelf paper once again (I have now purchased Walmart’s entire stock through 2014) I headed into the store yesterday. Not the same Walmart where I purchased the first batch, I asked an employee for directions. A diminutive little lady looking to be at least ninety wearing a blue vest with Hazel printed on the tag offered to guide me to my destination. My other half was parked out front. We were running late and the parking lot looked like they were having a free money giveaway inside the store. Hazel, the dearest woman on earth, moved so slowly it was hard to determine if one foot was actually moving in front of the other or if we were still standing in our original location. What she lacked in speed she made up for in words. Traveling from aisle to aisle we discussed everything from her ex-husband, Marshall, a real loser (Hazel’s words, I didn’t feel I knew him well enough at that point to draw any solid conclusions), to her recent struggles with her upper plate and her ten-year old poodle’s battle with incontinence.
Arriving finally at our destination I selected my items, thanked Hazel, and hurried up to the check stand to fall in line behind ten other happy Walmart shoppers waiting to pay for their purchases. Why is it when you’re in the hurry the cashier has to change a tape, the shopper in front of you can’t get their card to work in the machine, or you get behind someone who waits for everything to be rung up and bagged before thinking about removing their wallet or checkbook from the bottom of their cavernous handbag and engaging in a lengthy discussion about the weather? Knowing my other half was out front looking at his watch and reminding himself to remind me of how right he was saying we should wait to go to Walmart until a later time when there were fewer people, my toe began to tap.
Lately I always seem to be in a hurry. Standing there in line watching a huge man dressed in colorful running shorts and a half tee-shirt exposing a considerable amount of flesh beneath the hem pile cases of beer and soda and copious bags of potato chips and cookies onto the conveyor belt, I promised myself several things. First, I promised to ease off on the hurrying a bit and slow the throttle down. Life is passing by quickly enough without me stepping on the gas to hurry it along. Secondly, I decided to cross potato chips off my grocery list. Lastly, I promised myself never to wear black socks with orange flip-flops like the gentlemen in front of me, because it makes one look like a poorly accessorized Geisha.
At any rate, my meanderings for a Monday. I will see you sometime next week. Keep cool. This will help and it is good on a spoon and just about everything else it falls on. It does fall apart after a while, however, so although tasty the following day, not as pretty.
Raspberry Whipped Cream
1 pint fresh raspberries
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. sugar (I used Splenda)
1 tub whipped topping
Raw sugar for garnish (optional)
Place raspberries in food processor and pulse until smooth. Place pureed berries in fine strainer and press with spoon, discarding seeds.
Place berries in mixing bowl. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and sugar. Fold in whipped topping.
Serve over your favorite fruit, bowl of berries or ice cream. Yummy.
























