A couple of my friends were very helpful today. Ethel-Val suggested rubbing my temples with lemon rind and then posting a massive strip of rind across my forehead, well-concealed by a bandanna, of course. This because of my migraine headache (fancy timing E-V should come across this tip just today). Well, this idea reminds me that once my University Chancellor said in chapel that to cure motion sickness (he got my attention) you place an ordinary brown paper bag on your stomach. You do? I should keep an ordinary brown paper bag in my glove compartment or purse, because whenever I'm car sick, where is the ordinary brown paper bag? Not at my fingertips, nor anywhere on the planet, rest assured. I've proposed this idea to several people over the years and the 100% guaranteed response is merely a look that says, You've got to be kidding. You know, chin tipped down so eyes can roll up and give you the murder stare, words unnecessary.

Then, CDW was emailing about my Julia Child pot roast. CDW and I always end our emails with some kind of LOVE. Like, Cozy Cabin in the Woods LOVE, which cabin we intend to escape one day with good books, old movies and comfort food galore. Or whatever is appropriate at the moment LOVE. It can get pretty crazy. I've actually saved all our emails because you can only think of all these kinds of LOVE once. Maybe someone will want to read them one day, you know, like the whole world. Here is an excerpt from her email:

Just read your blog...yes, dear...I am having troubles with motivation. I could sit and stare all day...really, I could. I washed Lauren's sheets and they are in the dryer...just washed some sweaters. They will have to dry on large beach towels strewn all over my bed. I hate that. I wish I had room for the old drying racks I used to have. Whatever happened to those things? Probably sold them in a yard sale years ago.

Tell me how the Julia Childs roast turns out...would love to cook like that. I need to own that movie and get inspired again. I LOVED Meryl Streep as Julia...wonderful job. Mary and I love how they cook and EAT in that movie...love how Amy Adams eats and talks...looks mouth watering for some reason...as she eats and talks at the same time. :) Not many people can carry that off.

OK...talking about food has made me hungry. I think I will have a roast beef sandwich with carrots and broccoli and hummus. Not the kind of food we were talking about...but it will have to do.

Patting your meat dry LOVE,
CDW

So, you can see why CDW'S emails are so marvelous. She UNDERSTANDS; she is unmotivated, too. Somehow, that motivates me. And when I get motivated, then she gets motivated in return. It's a dandy, non-vicious circle. Then, she sheds sparky material on my material. I loved the bit about Amy Adams chewing and jabbering at one and the same time. I, KEM, for one, could not pull that off, oh no, I'd have tads of food shooting out like nails from a bomb and sticking on everyone's face or, worse, into their mouths. That's just the way it is.

Well, also, haven't you had things disappear with only a misty recollection, like the sweater racks? Recently, I wondered what happened to my big bulky dining table protector pads (emphasis on big and bulky). They are probably hanging out somewhere with CDW'S sweater racks.

But. But the best thing CDW said was, Patting your meat dry LOVE. Yes, when I watched the movie and whoever talked about patting the roast dry before browning and how crucial that was, the whole recipe hinged on that, yes, I think I read an article in the paper, too, when the movie came out about pats dry, well, me thinks, OH, this movie was worth it for that tip alone --now I shall NEVER forget to pat the meat dry. NEVER. Correction: I shall never forget to pat the meat dry UNTIL I actually finally get around to browning the roast, lo, these many months later, the defunct Mr. Meatman making it even later. It's true, until I read CDW'S sign-off, patting the meat dry was as far from my thoughts as winning a gold medal in figure skating in a couple of weeks. That's pretty far, people. So, I have CDW to thank for completely saving the roast, and thus the day, the day being tomorrow. Even saving my mind, because my self-disgust would know no limits if I failed to pat my gorgeous hunk of meat dry. Not that it's wet, is it? I don't wash beef, do you? At any rate, CDW, THANK YOU VERY MUCH LOVE, KEM. How could I possibly have forgotten something so vital, the whole point of the movie??

Eth-Val is also great because she has offered to come help me clean out my closet and make fun of all my clothes as we go. Well, that is a superb idea except I cannot let her in my house to see what a slob I am. So, the next time I go visit her and we eat more cinnamon toast and examine the latest choppers and bury more frozen toads, I will produce a bag of my clothes, whisk it out from behind my back, and she can tell me right on the spot, Yay, or Nay. I have a sure feeling the Nays will have it. Ethel has very good facial expressions, so I am looking forward to this. I think I will bring a pair of tongs so I can lift the articles of clothing directly from the bag and drop them straight into the fireplace. This time, I will spare the Goodwill.

Today I had a thought that I should drastically downsize my life and daily expectations. I decided that I exist in a constant state of anxiety because my vision of accomplishment is so grandiose and thus impossible to attain, thus leaving me in a constant state of deflation. If my ideas are diminished, then isn't that just THE ANSWER? I really believe it is. It's so simple, why didn't I "get" this before? They do say old age is good for something. My sister says it's good because less hair grows on your legs, patches become hair-free. Bring it (old age) on.

Coming to the end of today's blog . . . ahem . . . My husband is very lucky to be married to me. Here are a few things that make me happier than happy: a new bar of soap; clean sheets (which happens tonight); egg salad sandwiches; The Andy Griffith Show; diamond dust earrings; taking the cooperative Jazz on a walk; emailing. Boy, I'm a piece of cake to get along with, homemade layer cake another happy thing. Which reminds me, I have the best chocolate layer cake recipe, it's called Easy Does It Chocolate Cake, and it is Ethel-Val's recipe from years ago. Hmm, maybe that sounds good with JC's pot roast, but I don't want to go nuts, you know. Or I could use Eth's pot roast recipe, which is easier than JC's and Eth promises it's delicious, which I have no question. Then I would have time to make cake, like Aunt Bea. Good thoughts are just oozing out of my migrained head tonight. Bring on the lemons, too.

Concentrating FULLY on patting the meat dry,
KEM