Small things

We picked up Emily at the airport last night - non-stop from Raleigh-Durham to STL. That AA flight will soon be canceled, and we won't be able to go non-stop from here to there for her May graduation from Duke. But in the meantime, it was a quick flight for her, and we were so happy to see her smiling face coming down the concourse.

Awaiting us at home was a big pot of leftover beef bourguignon, and Steve made some creamy parmesan polenta to go with it! Soon Max arrived, too, and our little family of four sat around the dining table as in days gone by. Smiling and laughing, planning our holiday doings, it could not have been more pleasant.

After dinner, we shared in watching the Top Chef Reunion show. Even though Max and Em had not followed that show, it was fun to watch the clips and make our observations about the chefs and their triumphs and travails.

It is little things like last evening that make me appreciate my loving family.

Little Bro Moving on Up

Well he's movin on up,
To the east side.
To a deluxe row house in Soulard.
Movin on up,
To the east side.
He finally got a very nice reward.


Fish don't fry in the kitchen;
Beans don't burn on the grill.
Took a whole lotta tryin',
Just to get up that hill.
Now he's up in the big leagues,
Gettin' his turn at bat.
As long as he lives, it's him and big Nate,
There ain't nothin wrong with that.


Well he's movin on up,
To the east side.
To a deluxe row house in Soulard.
Movin on up,
To the east side.
He finally got his just reward.

Steve doesn't like this post; I don't know why. For one thing, RJE is just moving to the east side of town, not really the "east side." Plus I don't think Steve likes the little jingle this is lifted from. At any rate, I am very excited about the new digs, and just had to put something up about it.

RJE - if you agree with Steve that this is no good, let me know.

Holiday baking

I always laugh when someone asks me if I have started my "holiday baking." I do like to cook, but don't usually send out goodies far and wide at the holiday season. I have (admittedly fond) memories of mixing up a big batch of sugar cookie dough, the kind you roll out, cut into shapes with the cookie cutters, bake, and then ice, with Max and Emily. Usually it was all fun until they had each cut out, then decorated about 3 or 4 cookies apiece. This meant I was cutting and decorating the remaining 50+ cookies. One year I even doubled the batch, and was so exhausted by the time the cookies were finished that I wrote in big letters with red ink on my recipe: DO NOT DOUBLE.



This morning I had the luxury of being at home. One cookie that I do usually make at Christmas time is my Little Mimi's gumdrop cookies. Nothing easier! They may not be everybody's idea of a fantastic cookie, but I love their chewiness and not so sweetness. There are only 4 ingredients: spice gumdrops, flour, sugar and eggs. You mix them all up together, spread into a 13x9 pan and bake for 20 minutes. Then you can either sprinkle powdered sugar on the top, or what I like to do is make a thin glaze of powdered sugar and lemon juice and spread very thinly on the top.

OK, my advent calendar is up , my tree is decorated and my gumdrop cookies are made. Let the festivities begin!

In case you would like to try Little Mimi's Gumdrop Cookies, here's the recipe:

4 eggs
2 1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
20 spice gumdrops, each cut in half

Beat eggs thoroughly. Add sugar and continue beating. Add flour and stir until mixture is smooth, then fold in gumdrops. Spread evenly in a 13x9" greased and floured pan. Bake at 350˚ for 25 minutes, or until done. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or ice thinly.

Real Housewives

BravoTV is full of the Real Housewives shows, and the original one is Real Housewives of Orange County. That's the only one I still watch, and I caught up with it yesterday afternoon. The O.C. ladies went to a spinning class in the episode I watched.

So when I hauled out of bed at 5:10 a.m. this morning and got to my very own spinning class, I couldn't help but think back to the O.C. ladies in contrast to the housewives in the W.G. What a great juxtaposition! Why isn't there a Real Housewives of Webster Groves?????

Mismatched shorts and T-shirts vs. exercise togs from Rodeo Drive? The spinning bikes with missing knobs at the slightly grungy YMCA vs. the state of the art bikes in a pristine private club? The refillable free water bottles from our local bike store vs. bottles of Evian? The red, sweaty, make-up free faces vs. the Botoxed and expertly made-up faces?

Come to that - how about housewives going to their weekly book club instead of a LaPerla lingerie buying party? Moms carting their offspring to daycare instead of asking the nanny to get the cereal in the bowl? Women who are running the after school Girl Scout Troop meeting instead of watching the dressage lesson at the stable? How about showing up at the Habitat for Humanity work day instead of the fancy dress party for the symphony?

Actually I don't have any problem with any of the O.C. ladies' activities, and they are lucky enough to have the money to do all the things they enjoy. I'm just saying, we are living the high life here in the W.G., too, and it's all good.

I am thankful

I consider myself to be blessed by the divine spirit for so many, many things.

Herewith, a list of just a few that I think of most every day:

1) My husband Steve, who is my partner in life these last (almost) 40 years.

2) Max and Emily, who are most remarkable children in every way.

3) My parents, Sam and Martha Endicott, who gave me the best start in life one could ask for, and who continue to be bulwarks in my life.



4) A warm, cozy home in Webster Groves, where every season is a joy to experience.





5) The means to travel the world and see any and everything I would like to see.



6) Freedom to think and speak my mind.




7) Little furry cats who give me great pleasure by just observing their antics.

8) An occupation that is interesting and fun, and that allows me to be among so many unique individuals who are creative and energizing.

9) Friends who like to eat, drink and make merry with us.

10) Physical health that allows me to enjoy all the other things!

What Pets Write In Their Diaries

Excerpts from a Dog's Diary......
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk Bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watc hed TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

Excerpts from a Cat's Daily Diary...
Day 983 of my captivity...

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Day 984 of my captivity….

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Bastards!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.

Day 985 of my captivity….

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow –-but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly
released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now.

High school football

Steve and I rode our bikes over to Moss Field in Webster Groves on Saturday afternoon to watch the Statesmen take on Chaminade. WGHS had not lost a game all season, and were the favorites to beat Chaminade in the District championship game. Things weren't looking all that good for Webster by half time, as Chaminade scored a touchdown and extra point rather early, and all Webster could manage by half time was six points, having been unable to get their extra point on the one TD they made.

I was ruminating on the scene at the football game on that sunny afternoon. "Same as it ever was" ran through my head as the cheerleaders waved their pom-poms, the girls flitted by glancing over at the boys, and the boys whooped and hollered.

The Marching Statesmen came out on the field, and played a medley of Maynard Ferguson tunes at half time.

I felt a little sad as I thought it was possible that the Webster team might lose in this first game of the play-offs. They had won every single game in the regular season, and had even already beat Chaminade handily early on. I thought maybe they were just a bit complacent, and I even thought maybe after the half time they would come out and tear things up. But I also reflected that a high school football game is just a blip, or less, in the grand scheme of things and that if WGHS lost the game it would not be such a big deal.

But then, take a look at this video, in which the Statesmen won in the last 6.9 seconds of the game with an 80 yard run for a touchdown!




I, and many, many others have been reveling in this victory since last Saturday! Maybe it will remain in our memories and give us happy thoughts for days, weeks, and years to come.

Guest blogger - Martha Endicott

Since we have been home from our vacation in Italy, we've seen a lot of my parents, Sam and Martha Endicott. A health problem has arisen for Dad, and everyone is dealing with it in the best fashion. Carefully considering options, weighing risks, seeking the optimal care, and staying cheerful, Mom and Dad are an inspiration to me.

While we were in Italy, in fact, I received this e-mail message from my mom, which was such a beautiful little piece, I want to share it with everyone:

Your blogs are fantastic and it sounds as if your trip is everything you could have hoped for and maybe even more! It makes Dad and me very happy to picture you biking all over and enjoying the beauty of that wonderful area. Although it makes any report from the home town seem pretty mundane in comparison one also needs to be able to appreciate the beauty of a simple day full of routine tasks because that is what 95% of life consists of. Yesterday and today are lovely October days so that is worth reporting. The highlight of my morning has been finding a poor little moth beating its wings against my kitchen window in a desperate attempt to return to the big outdoor world - and being able to open the window for him to set him free! It was not as easy as it sounds because he was at the top part and I was afraid to brush him down lest I injure him in some way. It took a bit of time but mission accomplished and little moth is out and about now so I can get on with wiping down the counters and other good tasks of that sort. We do what we can, right?

I'd like this at home!

Normally, I don't wish for household servants. It would feel too weird to have someone around all the time who is not part of the family.

On our recent trip, however, I enjoyed getting up, showering, dressing, doing a little packing, and coming into a dining room where everything is laid out for breakfast.

Hot croissants in the plexi-glass container, little pots of jam and honey at the ready along with butter curls in a dish of ice. Fresh juice in glass containers. Sweet buns and cakes with almonds, or maybe assorted muffins fresh from the oven. All sorts of yogurt from plain with muesli on the side to fruit flavored strawberry, banana, peach, and blueberry. In the covered hot chafing dishes were mounds of fluffy scrambled eggs and alongside them piles of bacon, or in some cases a mixed grill of ham and sausages. Plates of cold cuts and cheeses were spread out in attractive designs. Then a waiter might ask what we'd like for a hot drink: Coffee, tea or hot chocolate? We always had cappuccino, sprinkled liberally with cocoa.

So could someone please come over in the morning and have that ready in the dining room at 211 Rosemont?

La Serenissima

All was serene in La Serenissima.

The wonderful thing about Venice is the magical light bathing the ancient architecture in a lovely glow. This was our sixth visit, and fourth stay at La Pensione Accademia. The hotel is housed in a palazzo which at one time was the Russian embassy.

These photographs are of the front of the hotel, the views from our room, and the small street next to the canal. A room with a view of the Grand Canal - what a pleasant way to recoup after our bike tour!




Here is an observation about Venice: of all the places we have traveled multiple times, Venice remains the most unchanged over the years. Every hotel is still the same, every restaurant is still in the same place with the same name, serving basically the same menu, and indeed every gelato vendor, stationery store, clothing store, mask vendor, glass purveyor, candy shop and flowerstall are in the exact same spot where they were on our first visit in 1987.

Is it over already?

The last day of bicycle touring began with a foggy, misty morning. Leaving our hotel in Treviso in good time for the last leg, we anticipated a pretty ride along the River Sile heading towards Mestre, the drop off point for our bikes. With only 28 miles to go in this final stage, it seemed like it would be a piece of cake. Before we had even left town, though, I rounded the corner of a building to find another person on a bike right in front of me. We both gasped, dodged a little bit, and continued on our way. However, it did remind me that I needed to be careful even still.

As we cycled along this last stretch, the surroundings began to look more and more Venetian. There were canal like waterways with swans, herons, egrets, ducks, seagulls and other birds. The buildings themselves began to take interesting shapes with whimsical colors. We passed this colorful dwelling along the way.

Just about lunch time, we locked the bikes for the last time. Trusty #43 had carried me safely all the way to the end.

After the rain

The third full day of biking began inauspiciously; I heard heavy rain during the night, and we woke to see a very dark sky and wet pavement. My spirits were considerably dampened as well. I knew it would take more than a little rain to dissuade my partner from setting out on our proscribed route, though! I layered on an extra pair of socks as well as my rain slicker under my lime green riding jacket.

Even though the ground was wet, we got in two full hours of bike riding before rain drops began to pelt down in earnest. We knew that there was a train station about two thirds of the way into the route, and it was mutually agreed upon that we'd take the train on into our evening's destination, Treviso. Another hour and a half riding through rain was not pleasant, but showed me that I can even do the hard stuff.

Our hotel was quite charming, and I even exclaimed when I took off my wet socks that the floors were heated. As it turns out, that wasn't the case. My feet were just so cold that the floor felt warm to me! The rain dried up, and we went out walking in this pretty little Northern Italian city which appears to be quite prosperous. As always, we were scoping out more than one restaurant possibility.

They take food quite seriously here, and we popped in and out of all sorts of shops filled with pasta, mushroms, parma ham and sausages, beautiful vegetables, jars of every kind of preserve and honey, and (naturalement) wine.

A cozy little restaurant called Trattoria Toni del Spin provided Steve with some delicious pumpkin gnocchi with cheese, and me with rabbit stew atop creamy sage polenta.

All's well that ends well!

Best part of the bike ride - a nice cuppa!

The second day of biking (Vicenza to Bassano del Grappa) was the stop for perfect cappuccinos at about the 28 mile point. Sunny and cool all morning long, the weather cooperated as we forged upwards gradually to our destination.

What we found at the end of the route on was a quaint little town (pop. around 40000) that proudly boasts a very nice museum belonging to the city where we looked at a special Ansel Adams exhibit, then toured the rest of their permanent collection of art.

Since the town is called Bassano del Grappa, we would have been remiss not to also take in the Museum of the History of Grappa, and sample a small aperitif of said spirit.

Biking the Veneto

Don Quixote and his faithful servant, Sancho Panza(aka Steve and Barb) set out on the first day from Padova heading for Vicenza.

My heart was in my throat as we started out around 9:30 a.m.. I just kept my eye on the yellow jacket on the bike in front of me as I wrangled my big orange bicycle through the crowded streets of Padova.

At last we reached a bike path, and I began to breathe easier. I was even able to glance to the left and right occasionally, to glimpse the passing scenery. At our lunch break, a small sandwich and a power bar kept me going another couple of hours.

Near our final destination, we stopped at Villa Valmarana ai Nani . The next thirty minutes were again spent in heavy city traffic. I kept reminding myself that just the day before I had seen a nun in skirt and wimple trundling along in Padova seemingly unconcerned with the city buses passing her by.

Practice run

This afternoon we made a little excursion before starting out for real tomorrow morning. Steve practiced reading the map and navigating; I practiced just trying to ride the bike. After a few wobbles up and down the alley behind the hotel, we set out in Padova for a ride along the canal going towards a tiny town called Stra. A few missed turns here and there, but we corrected ourselves and made it there and back riding a total of just over 16 miles.