On Turning 50: Just Do It

Yesterday I turned 50 years old.

I can't remember my 16th or 21st birthdays. I do remember my 30th. I woke up 9 months pregnant and had a burst blood vessel in my eye. My iris appeared to be swimming in bright red blood. It was hideous. All salt in the wound of turning 30, which I saw as the gateway to moth balls, short, tight perms and snap-up cotton housecoats. To the 30 year-old me: You have no idea how young you are. I am rolling my 50 year-old eyes at you right now.

Fifty has been looming in the back of my mind for a few months. I knew there was no escaping it unless I died, which I'm relieved to report I did not. So I decided to mark the inevitable by doing something different on that day.

I made a list. Following are the details of my day, in case a great-great-grandchild someday gives a tiny care or needs a document like this for school or whatever they do for learning in the future.

Woke up. (Admirable start.)

Had absolute sneezing fit due to allergies before I could get out of bed. Was afraid to look in mirror in case I had burst another blood vessel in my eye from the pressure of sneezing, but I didn't. I did note that my dark circles are darker than ever, though. Benadryl for breakfast.

Met Crystal at my bedroom door as I was leaving. She was holding the 10 month-old twins and a sign, "Happy Birthday Nana." I loved it, even though I realized that this is the first birthday I'm actually "Nana" to someone. Last year I was still in my 40s. This year I'm a 50 year-old Nana.

I headed out the door with my new Nathan belt, which is a glorified fanny pack, but don't say that to runners.

I began my long, long journey toward my first goal: Run my own personal half marathon on my 50th birthday, just to prove that I can. I called it the "Poking 50 in the Eye Half Marathon."

The weather was perfect. The autumnal scenery was perfect, minus roadkill. In fact, I even stopped to take pictures. Look at Indiana:

I was on an emotional high.

I felt invincible. I even dared to take this pic of me sans makeup at 50 years old and post it on Facebook.

Then, in the scenery, I spotted the Ragweed and wanted to tuck my tail and run like it was a rattlesnake, but I said to no one, "Hey. I'm 50. I'm strong. I'm running a half marathon (I was about mile 3). I'm invincible. I'm picking this Ragweed up and touching it, just to show how invincible I am!

In fact, I'm 50, and I eat ragweed for breakfast--not cowering before the "weed of rag" anymore.

By mile 8 or 9, I was experiencing pain in my right hip which subsided and then reared its head in my right knee. Then that pain then migrated to my left knee, which began to holler. I stopped at Westside Park, locally famous for various bad things have happened to people throughout the years. I sat on a bench for 5 minutes. I hated to sit because I do not like to walk during a run, let alone sit. But I told myself that this run was about endurance and longevity, not speed or beauty as far as form (Which was very smart of me because if it had been about speed or beauty, I would have called for a ride at that point. You have to know how to lie to encourage yourself when you run.)

I resumed running but couldn't resist stopping for a small Coke from a Burger King. ?? I know, I know. Bad form! But I was thirsty, and it was my birthday, and I had money in my Nathan belt  ....

So I drank that while jogging.  Picture that.

Here are the bricks down the middle of the campus of my alma matre, Ball State University, at about mile 11. If you had told me in 1985 that I'd be running down McKinley Avenue when I was 50, I would have died of embarrassment. As it was, I was dying of exhaustion.

About 2 miles from home,  I dropped on a curb for a few minutes. On a curb, I tell ya! Oh the indignity.

When I stood, I realized that if I insisted on running the rest of the way, I could damage the knee. So I decided to run 100 steps then walk 100 for the rest of the way home.

No, I will not tell you how long the run took me. It was about endurance, remember??

I showered and soon George was home from work. We ate at a locally owned restaurant called Kacy J's. This is here where I met my second goal: To drink my very first beer. Yes, you read that correctly. While I have enjoyed various wines and flavors of margs in the past, somehow I have missed beer. I could not decide which one to order because I had nothing to go on, except that Rachel Ray says Sam Adams is the #2 choice for domestic beers. So that is what I ordered. What did I think of it?  Just OK. I'm not a huge iced tea drinker, have to be in just the right mood. That is how it would be with beer. Right mood, icy cold, maybe.

Goal three of my plan was go downtown to the free Art Walk where various vendors had booths and America's Hometown Band played many patriotic tunes, or the same patriotic tunes different ways, and set off a couple of fire works. It was at the art walk where I had what I would call my birthday cake: a chocolate cupcake frosted with peanut butter frosting. Goal four: Decadence. Satisfied by cupcake.

When we returned home, I proceeded with my fifth and final goal, to re-watch an Oprah show that I recorded February 4, 2011, called Supermodel Legends. I saved this episode for a year and half just to watch on my 50th. Oprah's guests were four former supermodels who were there to talk about aging: Cheryl Tiegs, Beverly Johnson, Christie Brinkley and Stephanie Seymour. There were also short spots, one featuring Paulina Porizkova, which I particularly enjoyed. I've seen her speak about aging elsewhere and have come to really like her. I found this Oprah episode to be VERY inspiring and uplifting; I highly recommend it. And it is from this show that I lifted Ms. Porizkova's line, "Aging is not a right; it is a privilege."

She's right. I'm privileged to have more time here than did my friend, Diane. I'm privileged to spend more time with my beloved and see my children grow up, graduate college, get jobs, get married and have children (All of this is happening right now in my kids' lives). I'm privileged to know my parents in their old age, to share memories with my brothers. I'm privileged to share life with some amazing female friends. I'm privileged to have a body that still works pretty well and can accommodate requests like, "OK, Half-Century Old Body: Get up and run 13.1 miles!" I'm privileged to breathe in and out, to sit, to stand, to hold a cup of coffee, kiss a baby's sweet face.

I made it to 50. I'm here for a reason. I'm not invincible, but I am strong. I know that the year ahead holds many joys and many sorrows. But I'm privileged to wake up each morning and just be here, for other people, for the joy of being, just because of the love of my Creator. And that is what I want to remember throughout this next year.  Waking up is not a right; it is a privilege. No whining about creaking and wrinkling. Just do it.

Gettin' Crafty

It's Staple Gun Inauguration Day! Purchased with some of my birthday money, this little baby will take me far and keep me from asking the church custodians if I can borrow theirs overnight. You can see how happy I am to show this off because I am totally focused on the gun and I don't give a flying fig about the hair in this pic. Obviously. In fact, I'd say I look a little drunk with staple gun happiness here.











Here's what the back of the Hobby Lobby canvases look like. I had spring/summer prints up before, as you can see in this lively floral pattern.

It takes 5/8 of one yard of fabric to do two of these canvases. You just start stapling. The toughest part is negotiating corners--just like learning to drive. Well, at least you don't have to parallel park these.














So I just push the corner in, then overlap each side, staple all together.































And voila! Don't you love to say "voila!"? I don't have that many opportunities to say that. So, you know, this IS a special day. Now what do you think I should do around it? My walls are so bare, and I do love metal artwork ....

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake ~ Fall Into Flavor Finale!

Well, today we conclude Fall Into Flavor, the comfort-food recipe carnival that guaranteed participants 5 new lbs on the thighs by Thanksgiving or my name isn't Mrs. Butterworth! Who could resist that opportunity?

I wanted to go out with a bang this week, and at one point, I was afraid it was going to be a literal bang.

You see, I received a recipe from a co-worker that I had to try, as dicey as it sounds in writing. It's the "5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake," baked entirely in a coffee mug! I knew that if it worked, I would never be without chocolate cake again, and that if I ever wanted chocolate cake but not left-over chocolate cake, this would be the answer.

So I made the 5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake in my 2nd Cup test kitchen as my big Fall Into Flavor swan song.

Let's start with the simple ingredients:

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla extract

The Procedure:

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high).

You probably shouldn't let your child cook her head and eyes while watching the magic mug cake rise, but sometimes you forget about your child when you're awaiting chocolate miracles.

You will see the cake rise over the top of the mug about an inch, and some might drip down the side, but don't be alarmed! It will not explode. I tried to take a pic of it while it was nuking, but it didn't turn out. And as soon as I took it out of the microwave, it immediately shrank back into the mug, so this was all I could capture for you, but while it was in there puffing up, it was as exciting as Jiffy Pop, I promise.

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. Actually, what I desired was to halve the cake, put it in a dessert bowl with a dip of ice cream and cover it in chocolate syrup.




And then I desired to take a bite, but some dropped on the floor. If you should happen to drop a bit on the floor, don't panic; your emergency floor cleaner-upper will be right there before it actually adheres to the floor.

But I did get my bite, and it was delicious, very moist and brownie-like.

So I hope you enjoyed falling, --no-- Diving Face-First Into Flavor with me this Fall.

Please link up to share your recipe, and then


Be sure to come back tomorrow for a big announcement! Yay!

Fall Into Flavor, Week 3 & Pluralism?

Can you believe it's October 20 already?

We are certainly smack-dab in the middle of Fall, although most department stores are time traveling to the future, displaying their Christmas decorations now, bless their commercial hearts.

But we're not there yet, are we. We're still "Fall"ing Into Flavor.

Speaking of "we," Mark Twain said: Only kings, presidents, editors, and people with tapeworms have the right to use the editorial "we." Are you wondering which category I'm in?

Regarding "Fall Into Flavor," I prefer that you choose to share your recipes with me us, but in the spirit of a certain Presidential candidate, I must say that really, the patriotic thing for you to do is give me, um, share with everyone lots of your recipes because we all deserve them so much, equally. And then we will not have to scrounge them up for ourselves [because that's so hard!] or wait on the kindness of your hearts to bless me, er, I mean, us. A-hem.

While we're at it, I'd like some of your Halloween candy, too. I don't like having to trudge around and be all uncomfortable to get candy; I'd much prefer to sit at home in my La-Z-Boy while you work for it and then give me your candy. Works for me! Just spreadin' the wealth around, ya know. Ya.


[Wink.]

Jorge's Favorite Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Icing
Thus, I made it for his birthday. This cake gets rave reviews everywhere I take it. The most time-consuming part is grating three cups of carrots, but my motto is, if you really love Jorge, you will not care that you scrape up your knuckles while making his favorite cake.

Da Cake

Grate 3 c. carrots; set aside.
In a large bowl, mix 2 c. white sugar, 1 1/2 c. oil and 4 unbeaten eggs.
In another bowl, combine 2 c. flour, 1 1/2 t. soda, 2 t.cinnamon, 1 t. salt.
Add wet mixture to dry mixture.
Add carrots and 1/2 to 1 c. chopped pecans or walnuts, if you like.

Grease and flour pan. Bake 300* for 50 minutes.

***
Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8oz. brick of cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter (bam!)
1 lb. powdered sugar
2 t. vanilla

Blend cream cheese and butter. Slowly add powdered sugar and vanilla. Make sure cake is completely cooled before frosting.

And now let's get to sharing, shall we?

Almost Wordless Wednesday: "The Corn is as High as an Elephant's Eye ..."

"And life-threatening walnuts drop down from the sky ...."










Tomorrow: Thursday Thirteen Favorite 70s songs which tell a story.

Fall Into Flavor, Week 2

I love a bonfire in the Fall.

Does Fall spark a bonfire in your heart, fueling longings for favorite comfort foods that you've known and loved for years? Can we know and love those favorites of yours, too?

If so, please join us for Fall Into Flavor. All we ask is that your contribution is a hearty, much-loved dish. No healthy requirements, no particularly exotic ingredients, but probably lots of starch, sugar and ... our friend, Mrs. Lovey Butter.

In case you've forgotten, this is butter.

Hello, goodness of life.





This is not butter. This is a rutabaga.

Hello, root vegetable which could never qualify for this meme. They are not interchangeable. Got it? OK. You may proceed to tantalize our taste buds. My contribution is below.


Butter Pecan Cake

*Warning: This cake is incredibly moist and addictive because the frosting is IN, not ON, the cake. "Nuh-uh, Get out!" I'm serious! It is!

1 Butter pecan cake mix
4 Eggs
1 c. milk
3/4 c. oil
1 can coconut/pecan frosting

Oven 350*. Grease bundt pan well. Mix cake mix, eggs oil & milk for 2 mins. By hand, stir in the can of frosting. Pour, bake for 45-55 mins. Toothpick test, if you wish; but remember, this is a very moist cake. Cool 10 mins. in pan, then remove.

October 4

My brother's birthday and mine are the 5th and 4th, respectively.

Here is a pic from 1966. I was four; he was 12. He says after I was born, he never had a birthday cake made just for him ever again. It was always a "co-owned" cake after October 4, 1962. To that I have always said, "Wah."

Note the extravagance of this beautiful store-bought cake from Ross's Grocery Store. Looking at the spartan walls and surroundings, I can only surmise that my mother hocked all of her Montgomery Ward wall fixtures and Green Stamp rugs to pay for this cake. Apparently, I am also wearing the birthday dress of 1965, considering how short it is. And it's quite a hairstyle when your bangs begin much nearer your crown than your forehead.

This is that same brother on July 4, 1970. We were in Tennessee (staying at the exclusive Waldorf Astoria Mo-Tel) for some reason; I think visiting my middle brother who was in the National Guard. Is this not the longest, skinniest 16 year-old boy you've ever seen? Look at his legs! For some perspective, my mom is 5'10". My brother grew to be 6'4" or 5". And look at that cool 8 year-old.
I'm like the embodiment of Snoopy the dog. Just too cool.

So HBD to my brother, whom we still call Donnie, or Donnie Ray, or Don Diego, who is 54 tomorrow. Amazingly, I'm only 29 or so today.

Today, my plans include going with Jorge and two other couples to a place called Brown County, IN, where autumnal foliage dazzles a county with a rather lack-luster name. We are going to eat, look at trees and maybe see crafts or something, I don't know. I haven't been there since I was the size of the knock-kneed kid in the first pic.

What are you doing this beautiful Fall weekend?

I'll be announcing soon who won the prizes, etc. from last week's giveaways; I haven't forgotten. Don't you forget that Monday is the Falling into Flavor kick-off. Don't be caught like a deer in the headlights--get that recipe ready!

Falling Into Flavor

Fall.
Autumn.

Whatever you call it, I bet if we took a poll, most would say this is their favorite season.

Unless you're asking deer, which you probably shouldn't do because that just stresses them out. Deer have enough to contend with apart from your sadistic mind games, so don't go there.

Anyway.

We all love the comfort-inducing aspect of fall (if you're in Texas, just humor me): the cable knits, the warm colors, the burning smell when your furnace kicks on for the first time of the season, the burning smell of the ham in your oven, the walnuts dropping perilously close to your Yorkie's walnut-sized head, the crispness in the air that makes your large nostrils "glisten" ... ah, it's a magical time.

You can also magically put on a few pounds just by eating butter and evaporated milk-laden goodies.

Which is what this post is all about. Butter. And goodies.

I'll bet you have some favorite family recipes from Grandma that you'd be proud to share. Stews, pies, casseroles, cobblers. Healthy choices are not the focus here. In fact, the more butter, the better. As Diane says, "My hobby is butter."

Every week this autumn (why does that sound pretentious?) I'm going to post a favorite comfort food recipe, or "receipt" as some people spell it. I don't think I'll post it the same day each week because that's tying me down, baby, cramping my style, ya know? I've gotta be spontaneous so that I can combust with creativity.

But I can tell you I'm going to start next Monday, October 6th. So, if you'd like to link, get your recipe ready, and link away. There will be a button on the sidebar, if you like. Not a requirement.

In the meantime, let me share a rich treat, which, although not a receipt, only comes out this time of year like a deer leaping across the highway, briefly flitting by and gone until next fall:
Coffeemate Pumpkin Spice. Mmmm. Fall is good.

For some of us.