Buck and Lurlene - The Wedding and Other Memorable Events

Hold your applause

I got married on a cold day in April...sorta like this one. Now if you want to hear some crazy stories of goins on here in the Village, there are none as far-fetched as these. I do hope to post for the next few days...snippets of all that went into the best day ever! (But it wasn't today...so hold your applause)

Flash Back: The Vision

When I was young, I had a vision for my dream wedding. It was rather straight forward; I wanted to get married in my back yard, in the Summer, with watermelons floatin' in the pool.  I wanted a long farm table or two, preferably borrowed from the town park and covered with red and white table cloths.  I imagined Corene and Pearl, from the Horse Shoe restaurant, where I had spent my summers workin the breakfast shift, would assist in fixin a feast of fried chicken and barbeque with all the sides that are proper and fittin a summer wedding feast.  Instead of a cake I just wanted Corene's chocolate and coconut cream pies, sittin on footed glass cake plates as high as we might safely stack'um and still avoid a mishap.  There were would be no flies or bugs, and no humidity.  It would be a perfect day and I would wear a veil I made from the sheer lace curtains that used to hang in my Grandma's front windows, the ones I accidentally cut with her pinkin' shears one day...just to see what lace looked like "pinked".   My dress was simple, white linen with gauzy layers made from the same curtains.  I imagined I would invite Fleetwood Mac down to play Sunny Side of Heaven http://youtu.be/Hh0Rp92f1uA?hd=1)
or, just have a DJ, play it for us, it would be my wedding march...lights would be strung from the house to the back and I'd tie the knot under those pine trees where I had spent countless hours rockin back and forth in the rope hammock, dreamin it all up. 

Up next:  The Reality

 

Head Butt...Head Butt

Well yesterday held lots of surprises.  First, a man from the Richmond City Road works saw Mr. C on the front porch and asked him to move the car so they could patch the asphalt in front of the house.  

 

Need I say more? While I was in the back unloading mulch, Buck picked up the car keys and the rest is history.  He didn't get far up the one way street until he pulled over and parked.  I suppose he was feelin rather proud of himself... until he took a tumble. 

 

I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when I came around the front only to be greeted by a chorus of city workmen hollerin' "Lady...Lady" (No Lionel Richie insight I might add). Everybody had saucer eyes except Buck who was puttin' on his best "swag", something he does after a mishap.  

 

After thankin the neighbors who knew where he lived 

and acceptin' apologies from the workmen who swore they would never ask a man sittin on the porch in a rocker with a cane hangin' off the back to move a car again...

I gave him some Aleeve, a hug and then some choice words, which shall remain private. That bein' said, it was agreed  he would just supervise me while I finished spreading the mulch and I made him promise not to let me out of his sight!  By 4:00 I was ready to wash the smell of fear and Pine Bark off me and catch a cat nap.  Buck thought that was a great idea cause he was tired of watchin' me.  He decided  he was gonna sit on the deck and make sure Busser didn't get into any trouble.  So we had a plan.

 

I got that shower thank goodness cause the next thing I hear is, "Babe...Babe!" (no pig in sight). Needless to say, I flew down the steps and this time there is a'plenty of indication that he and Busser had found some trouble, or as he would say later, "probably ran into a tree", cause he was sportin.a goose egg on the back of his head the size of a softball and a nice blood stained shirt to boot. I was no more good, and now I'm the one with saucer eyes, rememberin that lady who fell on the ski slopes and woke up dead!  

 

So, I phoned the Universal Mother and the Nurse of all nurses, Momma Shook, who at 93 is my only "go to" in times of strife.  She wasted no time and sent us to the Emergency Room lickedy split! 

 

By this time Buck can't remember what happened and thinks a tree limb must have fallen out in the yard and wants to go move it. But I convince him that we will get it when we get home. 

 

The rest is history.  In a nutshell...all's well that ends well and it did.  A special shout out  to our great ED team at Regional Memorial and Dr. McGee for the fine use of a staple gun.   That hard head paid off, and we were home in time to watch "Dancin with the Stars" and eat the great dinner plate that VerDell and Bubba left for us on the front porch. 

 

Thank you all for taking such good care of us...here in the Friendly Village!

The Perfect Pine Cone

To an outsider, it may sound like a rude and callous event, most definitely not in the spirit of the Season of Light; but for the three who taught in elementary schools, it was simply a release in every connotation of the word.  

While we can’t remember just when the first Pine cone party took place it went without saying that it was always on the eve of the last day of school prior to Christmas, or as is now deemed more politically correct, “Winter Holiday”.

Except for Lurlene and Lushious, the remaining Two-Bits were all teachers and while bein’ a teacher in an off month is not easy,  it goes without sayin’ that in December, second graders hopped up on cookies and peppermint sticks, sugar plum fairy dust and Santa are more like ping pong balls than anything human. 

 

But that bein' said, on the last day of school, as tradition would have it, each Two-Bit- Teena-Teacher was honored with a display of Winter Holiday appreciation.  Their desks runneth over with tokens of gratitude that almost inevitably had, “To or For Teacher” engraved, stitched, etched, or on occasion actually burned onto its surface.    It was as if a teacher couldn’t appreciate that which didn’t have her profession or even more perplexing, an apple emblazoned on it.  Now I ask you, when was the last time you received a gift (Mom’s excluded) that was addressed to your profession?   Exactly....point made.

But be that as it may, it came to pass that on the eve of the last day of school, the Two-Bit Teachers would “re-wrap” selected gifts and we; the rude, heartless and yet celebratory, would draw numbers as in a “Thieves Christmas/Winter Holiday” Gift Exchange.  The competition (fueled by a few good margaritas) was fierce and at times raucous as we fought more for the most re-usable gift bag  that must, by rule, (and there were many)  go with the “stolen/selected” gift.    It is also important to add that also included in this Devil's mess were a few well selected items that each of us knew the other would covet, sharpening both our sense of selection and our deduction skills.

And so it was that I;  number 3 on round 3 and frustrated because all the good bags were gone, selected a little bundle of what appeared to be discarded tissue paper.  Only the single piece of green curly ribbon indicated that there may be more to this hapless bundle than met the eye.  The translucent white paper gave way easily to expose a single brown pine cone, unadorned by glitter or faux snow. It was simply, a perfect pine cone.

For just a moment the laughter and the cajoling stopped and each of us felt something akin to a spark that in turn ignited a greater light that seemed to fill the room and our heart.  No one remembered receiving that pine cone, nor did they remember rewrapping it during the confusion that was typical of the last day of school before Christmas/Winter Holiday.  

But there it was, a perfect and simple reminder that in this whirlwind that has become Christmas/Winter Holiday, this season that has been altered to seduce us into wanting instead of giving, getting instead of receiving, there are still wonders and miracles about us…unadorned and waiting to be found.   

I know I speak on behalf of the Two-Bit-Teena’s and all of us here in The Friendly Village in hoping that you find yours during this season of Christmas/Winter Holiday/Hanukkah/Solstice/Diwali/Yule/Sadeh/Koleda and so on.  

Love and Light

Lurlene

Note:  The Pine cone Party tradition continues and has morphed into a “Jingle Bell Swap”.  It remains irreverent and raucous requiring a “game on attitude” a cunning strategy and at least one Whitman’s Christmas Sampler. 

Loose Lips Limeade

A page from the original BSC cookbook - 1991

It's August, and a perfect month to reflect on frozen beverages.  As a matter of fact, I do believe this should be the official Frozen Adult Beverage Month!  But anyway...

I can honestly say that nothin' starts off a great Supper Club like a good ole  "lip loosener".  Makes us  forget we are tired or that our job sucks and any other annoyance of the day.  We’ve all been together so long, some folks wonder just what we have to talk about and well, thing is…we never know until the Loose Lip Limeades (L3's) kick in.   Then, about 30 minutes after serving the first one, it’s anybody’s game.

Just start askin’ folks stuff, or tell an old story with a new twist just to see who takes the bait.  For even more fun, open up with, “Purl told me a funny story about you the other day.”  We all know that Purl has let many a cat out tha proverbial bag, the child can’t help herself.

All that bein said, here’s a general recipe.  Feel free to make substitutions as you see fit.  

Basic Loose Lips Limeade

A can of frozen limeade

Use that empty can and fill it with tequila

Note:  Always use your can!  If it was a 6 oz can, use 6 oz of tequila, if it was a 16 oz. can…ditto)

1/3 can "Granma Ney" or Triple Sec

A tray of ice cubes or more depending on the size of your can…or your blender

Feelin Fancy? Use real lime wedges to squish on top

Dump it all in a blender and puree.  If for any reason it doesn’t render the desired kick, top it with another shot of tequila and stir…or just suck it off the top, you won’t care about the rest of the drink when it’s gone.  

This recipe is deeply rooted in Supper Club tradition and has many variations.

• The Supper Club Margarita when made with bottom shelf tequila (Poor Peppe)
• The Ruski-Rita when made with bottom shelf vodka (Aristocrat)
• The Flora-rita when made with frozen orange juice
• The Champa-rita when made with Cooks
• And last but not least…Bubba’s Best Cruncha-rita, first created when the cap off the bottle went in the blender and currently not recommended due to posin' a choakin' hazard. 

Cheers everybody and just remember, in the wrong company “Loose Lips Can Sink Ships” but in the safe harbor of Supper Club, they just float our boat!  Drink and talk responsibly!  

Slippery

I feel bad, I haven't been cuttin "the Mustard" because I felt like this was a place to do something special, you know, keepin the stories alive and all. But I'm lonely here because nobody else writes and for Godzilla's sake folks, Lurlene needs bait, a carrot, sumpin to go after, so toss me a bone!

So anyway, I decided that I would start to put a few comics from the Book of Lurlene up. After all, they're a part of the moment too. You know like when you go out and somebody says somethin so darn funny or "pointed" as my Momma used to say, and you think, to yourself, "now I'm just gonna remember that forever" and five minutes later not one person can remember exactly what it was, but everybody agrees it was good and it could have been published in the Reader's Digest, if you could just remember it. Well, that's what these are like for me.

This one is "through" VerDell. She and I talk on the phone in the morning, it's like our little "pic-me-upper so I can get through this day Lord" time. I say somethin that has no meaning and is probably not based on any fact and she calls me out on it and we get into a rant or she just says somethin profound without even knowin it, kinda like the other day when we were talkin about how often we find ourselves between in a rock and a hard place and she said, as dry as you please, "good thing we're slippery". Simple as that! Well, I was no more good, I rolled and told her I was gonna write that down and I did, sorta.

So thank you to all my muses and while these won't ever appear in the Reader's Digest, they'll cut the Mustard when words fail me!

Que’ Lime Pie: A true Two-Bit-Teena Summer Dessert

You know, it's a sad thing...summer birthdays, nobody wants to spend the day in a hot kitchen..or even worse, over a hot grill. And don't even think you're gonna get a cake, cause a good one takes forever if you do'um right, or just 50 bucks if you order one from Caroline's, but that's another story. (We love our Caroline's)

So when Purl, and yes I will give credit where credit is due because I often am guilty of overlookin' the fact that the idea really wasn't mine; like with those roasted red peppers I "re-jarred" and gave to the Bee, but I won't go into that here.

As I was sayin' So when Purl came up with this fine ice-box pie it wasn't even digested when the rest of us weren't puttin our own spin on it. Even Bubba got in the mix cause his favorite pie is Rum cream and he thought, "Hell, a cup of 150-rum would just make this even better, and then I said; well, hell to you too, what about a couple shots of cheap Tequila and a pretzel crust, we'd have our-self a good ole Margarita pie! So then Lushious said, "Well hell to the power of three," what about a Cosmo pie for goodness sake?

If it hadn't been for Holly askin about a Pot Pie, I think we could have gone on all night, but we forgive her and her tendency to revert back to her tie-dyed hippy-skinny-dippin and eatin olive sandwiches days.

But be that as it may, we had such a good time that VerDell and I decided this mornin that the Que Lime Pie would be the official Birthday Pie of the Two-Bit-Teena's and if you were born in summer...that's your cake!

So, that bein decided it made it important to get the basics put down.

Start with 1 store bought Graham cracker crust
Add
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 8oz tub Cool Whip (don' t use low fat - it won't work)

• 1/2 cup Nellie & Joe's Key (or Que’) Lime Juice (found in the juice section, not the mixer section)

In a bowl
Mix milk, Cool Whip and juice together
pour into crust. Refrigerate for several hours.

I put mine in the freezer and pulled it out to thaw after folks sat down and it was fine. It refreezes too..as long as the alcohol content remains legal.

So Bone Appetite everybody and Many happy summer birthdays!

Like sardines we were...

Packed in the little kitchen "addition".
Left to right: Mr. Pat (The Manager) Lushious, VerDell, LaNeese, Buck, Dennis, Jude, The Bee, Bubba and Sonny. This was prior to addin' Lazy Susie.

Pat in the Hat

Super Club Myth #17

Disclaimer: Mythological narratives may or may not be based in fact.

All myths, at some stage, are actually believed to be true by the peoples of the societies that used or originated the myth. Pat in the Hat is just one of a series of myths that form the backbone of the Friendly Village.

Pat in the Hat

Did he do it, did he dare?

Cover his face and hide his hair?

Some say “yes”

and some say “no”

But I have pictures that just say so!

New Years Eve of ‘89,

Bottles of champagne and

bottles of wine.

A little Inn and a table round,

Out of the way, so we couldn’t be found.

There were courses of bread, of fish, and meat; all we could do was eat…eat…eat!

Small plates, big plates, platters and all

Supper Club was ready and up for the call.

Lyndon was there to serve us all night,

but we had other plans; another invite.

Off came the Tux and off came the shoes

On came the jeans, the sweaters and crews.

We raced down the alley, quick as we could go

To Bubba’s Backroom where the music won’t slow.

Bubba fried oysters and we had another round

as we sang through the decades

and drummed on the ground.

60’s, 70’s, and 80’s faded

and at the stroke of the clock, we were all elated!

Myra held her arms up high,

“I’m a woman of the 90’s,” she did cry!

Hugs and kisses did abound, but Pat in the Hat; he could not be found.

So, did he do it, did he dare, hide his face and cover his hair?

Nope not then, and nope, not there;

did he ever, a lampshade wear!

But over to the right, sitting on the floor,

Patrick was snoozin’ next to the door.

A hat of foil sat on his head,

Happy New Year, was all that it said.

So, he didn’t do it, he didn’t dare

wear that lampshade on his hair!

A Little Note from Lurlene

To quote the mythologist Joseph Campbell; Mythology is inherently a social construct created by a ethnic or filial group and serves the function of promoting group cohesiveness and maintenance.

Mythology, and its subsequent rites, rituals, festivals, mores, folkways, traditions, stories, songs, narratives and everything else, is created by its culture, perpetuated by its participants and passed down through its generations and families. It is a societal construct that coordinates the sacred/social world of the participants and reminds them of shared ancestry and values while appealing to the imaginations of the future generations.

There are many myths in the Friendly Village, So Mr. Pat, I’m gonna make sure your little nieces and nephews know, you didn’t wear that lampshade. You can thank me later.

I sincerely hope that the Villagers will send me their favorite Village "mythology" so that I can get these stories down; if for no other reason than to fuss over’um on our 80^th birthdays.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Taking Down Christmas - One pound at a time

Winter in the Friendly Village is a foray into the world of taters and all things gravy. Every dinner has its “fluffy” part; fluffy rice fried with garlic and egg, or a pot of Yukon Gold potatoes smashed with a stick of butter and a cup of sour cream. Then there is the ultimate fluffy, that which tops cakes and is whipped into cream and folded into cookies. Each gathering provides just a little more comfort and joy, why even the rum is served Hot and Buttered. Its time out of time, a season without reason, it is indeed a “Marshmallow World” in the winter.

Somewhere between the harvest tones of golden roasted turkey gravy with dressing and the last spoonful of New Year’s Macaroni and Cheese, reality sets in and something mildly depressing occurs; skirt zippers don’t quite reach the top (forget the button, now secured with a rubber-band), the cleaners “shrink” your favorite pants, and you suffer from a chronic case of general “gaposis buttonholis”. Just the other day, Buck casually asked, “What’s that in your shirt, Babe?” to which I screeched, “Christmas, damn-it!”

So here I am in mid-January, joining the zillions of celebrants faced with the task of, “Taking down Christmas” one pound at a time. Let’s face it, we all do it; making resolutions and strict rules about what we “can or can’t have”, rules that are likely to be “bent” or downright broken at the next family gathering. I’ve made peace with that, it’s all good, in moderation. And so I commit.

This time I’m using the arts to focus my journey. My tools are not scales and measures but a focus on colorful foods located outside my favorite “fluffy pallet”. My journal is filled with photographs, drawings, quips and aspirations; and while these are my inspiration, I would be remiss if I neglected to share my passion for Weight Watchers on-line. (Go Jennie from the ‘hood) When Buck was diagnosed with diabetes after much education and classes on how to “balance” meals to keep blood sugar at its optimal rate, I found Weight Watchers, which, to this day I believe is the best “method” plan for a healthy lifestyle there is. So that’s my shout-out for “the Cult” as my friends used to call it. It is what it is; I have to have a goal, a proverbial carrot to chase. It’s the way I’m made.

So be that as it may, I promise I will NOT turn this into a self-absorbed weight-loss blog, but because I like to say in 100 words what most could say in 20. Here are some of the really great foods I prepared last week. (I will spare you the “not so great” ones)

Eating Orange Revisited: Winter Veggie Bisque

This meets my insatiable desire to eat things that are orange

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 tart apple, peeled and chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 russet potato, peeled and diced

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 packages (12 oz each) of frozen, cooked winter squash or the equivalent of fresh baked butternut squash. (I had two packages of frozen and one fresh squash and it worked out well)

4 cups of fat free chicken broth

1 teas ground ginger

¾ teas salt

½ teas ground cinnamon

1/8 teas cayenne

Sauté chopped veggies (I used the food processor) in oil for about 7 min or until tender.

Stir in squash, broth, ginger, cinnamon, and cayenne and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Take soup from heat and when cooled, puree until smooth in the blender. (Do this in small batches)

Return to heat and bring to a simmer. Serve.

And finally, because I love beets and pink cheeks, a fun recipe from the “Cult” files. This is a great “chewy” dish that if fiberlicious and guaranteed to provide you with a stimulating trek to the local Trader Joes or Whole foods grocery.

Roasted Beet and Wheat Berry Salad

2 pounds of fresh beets, golden or ruby red

1 cup of uncooked wheat berries

2 TBS fresh orange juice

1 Tbsp Sugar Free Apricot Preserves

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar

5 scallions sliced (white and light green) or to taste

1/3 cup fresh parsley

½ cup of orange sections cut in quarters (you may use mandarin oranges)

1/3 cup low fat feta crumbled

¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

¼ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)

Instructions – To prepare beets

Preheat oven to 400. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray ( or lightly grease with olive oil)

Cut beets in half and lightly grease or spray, place (sliced side down) on prepared baking sheet and cover with foil.

Roast until tender (about 1 hour depending on size)

Remove from oven and allow to cool, rub with paper towel to remove skin.

Dice or cut into thin match-sticks and set aside

To prepare Wheat Berries

Rinse and place in a small saucepan. Cover with about two inches of water (use you finger to measure, this should be up to your knuckle)

Bring to a boil: reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until wheat berries are tender but not “opened”. This should take about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Drain well and set aside

Vinaigrette

In a small bowl, combine oil, vinegar, orange juice, salt and pepper.

Preparation

Toss wheat berries and vinaigrette together with scallions and parsley.

Top with roasted beets, sectioned orange, and garnish with sprinkle of feta cheese.

I cooked the beets and Wheat berries the day prior to serving. This salad can be served warm or cold.

Bonus: If you got this far in this post, you deserve a little sumpn' special

Hot Buttered Rum

Drinking melted butter seems counterintuitive, but it does slide down easily. In the old days, people used to put all the ingredients in a glass and heat it with a glowing fireplace poker. These days, you use a microwave.

1 pat of butter (see, moderation)

1 teas. Brown sugar

½ teas. Ground cinnamon

¼ teas. Nutmeg

3 oz. dark rum

Hot water

Put butter, sugar and spices in a glass, pour in rum and dash of hot water. Stir, Heat. Makes one serving.

That’s it for now…time to fix Buck a ham sandwich with mayo.

What's the Opposit of Wonton?

And on the 7^th Sunday of Advent, also known as Spicy Mexican Sunday, the faithful gathered around the long table of Bubba and VeraLee to feast. Given there is always plenty at this table, those seated around it questioned the sin of gluttony, which lead Lushious, in yet another blond moment to once again ask, “So what is a virtue?”

I don’t know why Lushious always starts this conversation, unless she is becoming fearful for her soul during the dark winter nights before a “touch-up”. But again, she asked and again, we looked at one another and started to fumble through the opposites of the sins we knew so well. It was sad. Ten village disciples at the table and yet in our combined wisdom, we couldn’t succinctly name all seven. We took to askin’ questions like, “What’s the opposite of just don’t give a fig", in an effort to piece-meal the seven, but it just went downhill.

Given Patience is not one of my personal virtues it didn’t take me long to dismiss the struggling minds, now dimmed by a boatload of carbs and Sea Breezes, and order VeraLee to just “Google it” for God’s sake.

While there were many spins on this theme I think Pope Gregory did a nice job of summing the seven up in layman’s terms. So for the record, we are going to publish this in the Book of Mustard.

(Note:The following is basically lifted without shame or humility from: http://changingminds.org/explanations/values/deadly_sins.htm)

Sins have always been popular areas of focus in the church. An early 2nd century document, the Didache, contains a list of five. Origen produced a sevenfold list and at the end of the 4th century Cassian amended this sevenfold list. Eventually, the Seven Deadly Sins (or Vices) we know today were defined in the 6th century by Pope Gregory the Great, as a set of negative values: the values that you are supposed to adopt is that you will avoid these things and actually adopt their opposites. So we were so very close.

1. Pride is an excessive belief in one's own abilities (ex: Lurlene proudly answers to her nickname, LKIA, Lady Know It All..or the short version, Liar.)

2. Envy is wanting what others have, be it status, abilities, or possessions. (ex: Deedg walked out with one of my camels because he needed one for his nativity)

3. Gluttony is the desire to eat or consume more than you require. (ex: folks who go into the kitchen and secretly sop gravy with a biscuit, the last biscuit)

4. Lust is a powerful craving for such as sex, power and money. (ex: none needed)

5. Anger is the loss of rational self-control and the desire to harm others. (ex: the torpedoes the Manager put on his front bumper)

6. Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain. (ex: may I have your dining room furniture?)

7. Sloth is laziness and the avoidance of work. (ex: long naps, very long naps)

Note how many of these are very similar: envy, gluttony, lust and greed are all about desire. While there is a hidden lack of concern for others in envy and anger. As with other religious rule-sets, these pretty much hit the nail on the head in terms of a system for social harmonization or social control (depending on your viewpoint).

The number seven, by the way, is not only a cabbalistic magical number, it also just happens to be the size of our short-term memory, which is a real limit to the number of things we can hold in mind at one time. This is very frightening because twelve of us couldn’t come up with seven things.

When Pope Gregory defined the seven deadly sins that we should avoid, he also included a counter-balancing set of values that we should espouse and adopt. These are:

1. Faith is belief in the right things (including the virtues!).

2. Hope is taking a positive future view that good will prevail. (ex: I hope she isn’t planning on wearin’ that)

3. Charity is concern for, and active helping of, others. (ex: La’s request that we Please give her birthday gifts to a charity of our choice)

4. Fortitude is never giving up. (on getting that camel)

5. Justice is being fair and equitable with others. (ex: I will only tell you and you can only tell one other person)

6. Prudence is care of and moderation with money. (not bein’ stingy, just prudent)

7. Temperance is moderation of needed things and abstinence from things which are not needed. (ex: Lushious said she wanted Temperance to be her new Teena name…like we need another name, Tempie!)

And so there they are….in a nut-shell. At least that is all I shall explore. For the over-achiever, feel free to explore the other sets listed below:

· The Seven Contrary Virtues which are specific opposites to the Seven Deadly Sins: Humility against pride, Kindness against envy, Abstinence against gluttony, Chastity against lust, Patience against anger, Liberality against greed, and Diligence against sloth.

· The Theological Virtues: Love, Hope and Faith, as defined by St. Paul (who placed love as the greatest of them all).

· The four Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Temperance, Courage and Justice.

· The Seven Heavenly Virtues: Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Justice, Temperance, Prudence.

· The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy are a medieval list of things you can do to help others: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, give shelter to strangers, clothe the naked, visit the sick, minister to prisoners, and bury the dead.

· The Seven Bushido Virtues: Right decisions, Valor, Benevolence, Respect, Honesty, Honor, and Loyalty.

Fightin' Cookies

Lurlene is out of the office this week on a special assignment with Santa, however, always having a stash that can be used to embarrass you at any time, here is an old Bellevue Supper Club Holiday Cookie letter to bring back a few memories. This was the year of the "Fightin' Cookie"

Sweet and Savory Holiday Wishes from The Bellevue Supper Club December, 2008

Start with ten people that shared no biological kinship or previous personal history. Add diversity in age, race, gender, and faith. Place them gently within a city block sided by Claremont, Greycourt, and Lamont Streets, in a tree-lined neighborhood named “Bellevue” in a small southern city called Richmond, and watch the miracle unfold. We were brought together and remain together, in this very special place which we call “The Friendly Village.”

When you open this container, we hope you will know that you are very special to someone in this group….and that makes you special to all of us.

This is our second gathering to prepare treats to share. Some are rich in family history, some are “NOT”. Some of us cook and some of us “clean up” the mess. But we all love our new tradition and even fight over who is baking what…except for Myra…who was given her own special recipe by Our Lady of Greycourt (Saint Joan). No matter the origin, please know that we packed these in an atmosphere of love and festivity…the holiday music was playing, the tree was lit and so were we! We hope you taste our blessings with each bite.

From Leah Rishona: “I'll be dropping cookies off at Nancy's. Two kinds: Banana Ginger Jumbles and Brownie Drop Cookies.” I'm not gonna participate, but I want some for my Mom, thanks and don't leave them on my step! I don't want folks thinkin' I'm not home. And if you see the postman let me know, he messed up again!

From Nancy and Butch: “I’m sticking to what I know, Peppersoka One of my Mother’s recipes, I'm even making it with her cookie press. Making Mom's favorite cookie called ‘Sleigh Bells,’ which are really just a fruit cake type of cookie....not to be confused with Jude’s wonderful fruitcake! Oh, and I almost forgot…. ‘Forgotten Cookies’.....a recipe from my Aunt Mary…it was one of my favorites when I was a child. (Not so much anymore)

From Dennis: As talented as he is articulate, Dennis says, “I’m making short bread and two kinds of cracker type thingys.” So as you look over your selection and you see what looks like a “Cracker thingies,” then you know that is Dennis’s.

From Jude: Jude and Nancy started “Fruitcake Day” last year. They get together to chop, mix, stir and bake. The rest of us get to sample Mr. Jude’s Fabulous Fruitcake! Jude also makes cookies but he likes things simple…his cookies are simple. He won’t say anything more.

From Myra: As you remember….Myra doesn’t cook. So she was gifted a “No Cook” alcohol based cookie that has been a staple of our Lady of Greycourt, Saint Joan. Myra tried to get her cousin to make these for her. Then she batted her eyes at Jude and Butch. Nancy threatened her with a plague of locust so she claims to have actually gone into the kitchen. There was so much fuss that we have accidentally renamed these….“Myra’s Freaking Bourbon Balls” So imagine you are a Virginia Gentleman or soaking up some “Southern Comfort” when you pop this one into your mouth!

From Jene and Claude: “We will be baking the now famous…Dennis stole my ‘Cracker’ Idea and now I have to come up with something else Cookie. It may be an ole favorite that I have never heard of…called Santa’s Beard…A coconut and cherry cookie (No…it’s not cat hair!!) And….I think…I will make a Chunky Pecan Pie Bar Cookie…since I’m chunky and I like bars!”

From La'Neese: Candied Cherry Cookies – “a favorite of my mother's that she always made and shared with friends and neighbors”. They are also called "Stained Glass Cookies" because of their red and green colors….to keep the drinking theme going: Cheesey Cocktail Cookies – “a recipe from my good friend, who finally shared it with those of us who love them.” This is a good "before the meal" cookie - preferably accompanied by a cocktail of choice.

From Patrick and Paul : “Hummmmmm so many choices so little time. I like to keep you in suspense. Will it be the ‘Unknown’ or ‘Element of Surprise Cookie?’

But look again…we got the E-mails to prove Pat is ready for the fight!!!!

From: Lynn

Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 12:55 PM

To: cookiepeople

Subject: Great Cookie Recipe

My sister Patsy sent me a new cookie recipe. It is attached to this email.

Reply From: Patrick coreypk@hotmail.com

Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:35:34 -0500

To: cookiepeople

Subject: RE: Great Cookie Recipe

Finally, a recipe I can follow. Don't you dare try to make these - I'll come after you with a broken tequila bottle.

Reply From: ndvest

To: cookiepeople

Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 14:45 PM

Subject: Fightin’ Cookie

Ahhhh...let the season begin!

Twas the week before Christmas

And all through the Hood

Fighting begins as we all knew it would

La and Patrick with a bottle in hand

Made us all wonder who'd take command

The liquor was purchased

The drinking begun

The last person standing will surely have won.

Cookies with liquor, a great recipe

Will there be any left? We'll just have to see.

Cookie Night’s approaching

The work must be done!

Whatever you do, just be sure you have fun!

Consider the Alternative

In the Friendly Village, most of the time we just put a candle or two on a cake, pie, or martini and call it a birthday. It’s the safe thing to do, given we are all approaching a potential fire-hazard stage. This year, for some odd reason, Jude decided that the world needed to be reminded of my long run in the drama that is, “The Monkey Named June Bug”.

I smelled it before I actually saw it, almonds, vanilla and butter cream, hovering about a perfect circle of fluffy white frosting and cheery yellow flowers. Then, there was a very brief moment of disassociation, because while I like numbers, these two, standing side by side, seemed to taunt; two waxy little brats with their tongues of fire, singing “Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, naaah, you are fifty-eiiiiiight.” I shut them up as quickly as I could with a wish and a blow, but they still stood, silent, yet strangely defiant.

Now, fifty-eight isn’t a “Magic Marker” kind of birthday, you know the ones that indicate the end or beginning of an era (or error). No, those you know are coming and can prepare for by losing weight, coloring your hair, or purchasing something big and extravagant to further signify that you are embracing the zero. Nor is it a “Highlighter” birthday, those transparent little markers there to remind you that the next decade is “approaching” much like Birnam Woods. It is, however, a bit demanding in terms of accountability. It’s like an emergency preparedness check-list of sorts. You should feel like you have some control, because you have the list, but in reality, you are holding the list and thinking that being “prepared” is just too much work.

All of that aside, I am indeed happy to be who and where I am right now. I am putting my stubby 5 and 8 in a little box, filled with images of laughing friends, bits of ribbon, notes and cards, all to be opened and placed with great joy atop my eighty-fifth birthday cake!

Life is good!

A Proper Introduction

Meet the Manager

If you can manage a neon, you can manage anything.

One of the things about livin in the Friendly Village is that you jus never know when you will acquire a new persona. It’s true, here, you can live out your dreams or be forced into somebody else’s, not unlike that new movie, Inception and perhaps just as frightin’. That’s what happened to Mr. Pat. bein so very tall, so very, handsome and lovin’ pointy-toed shoes and the click of a well manicured set of nails as much as the any one of the Neons; he jus seemed to be perfect “Manager” material. So before you knew it, we had adopted him.

Now VeraLee wrote about how the Neons were the precursors to the Two-Bit Teena’s but I’m gonna give you a little chapter from the Manager’s Book, one of the first published on the Free-After Hour Press (ie: my copier at work). It will give you a little background on each of the Neons as well as an idea of what Mr. Pat, (AKA The Manager) had to endure.

How to Manage a Neon (or a Teena)

1. Buy a large car and make sure it is a color that one of the Neons will want when you decide to replace it with a new one (in about two years or until Dennis dents it, whichever comes first) Note: Mr. Pat always studies up on cars, he just doesn't go by what fancies him, he reads and ponders and then buys. But one of his considerations is which Neon (or Teena) will be needin a new car next and what would she want and what color would she want. He likes to make sure we get first dibs and I am still driving "The Villager" while LaNeese still has that zillion year old Volvo Station wagon.

1. Take them shoppin and be sure to have snow tires in case one wants boots when it snows. One year we had a surprise snow and I (the one who only wear pointy toe shoes) had no boots. So Mr. Pat put chains on the car and then picked us all up, cause we always travel in a pack, to go boot shoppin.

1. Learn to make their favorite drink: The Manager has to be a mixologist cause we all have such different taste. Lushious wants fruity sweet and a perfect Cosmo, Lurlene loves her birthday namesake drink, the Radcliffe Martini with hand stuffed blue cheese olives, VeraLee...she's easy, the "Brenda-Rita" that cost a zillion dollars for the ingredients or just stop by and pick up a Gas Station Rita and she will be happy. For La, "Hey..."got a beer?"

1. Never let a Neon pose on her “Bad side or her Backside." This is important because Lurlene will indeed tear up a picture if it's not becommin' He must guard our image at all times and make sure he notices perfect places for us to "Strike a Pose".

1. Arrange to have food available at every performance. (Note: whenever Neons are together it is a performance)

1. Know when to “Just suck around it.” This is a phrase that is a story in itself...so I won't go into it here, but it is a good clean phrase and it means..."deal with it".

1. Don’t sleep with just one. (This takes some explanation too, but basically, when we all went to Chili Beach we stayed in Momma Neeses Cottage in the Trailer Court. That's ten of us in two bedrooms, so often it would be four in a King size bed and one on the floor. Buck couldn't always get down so often I would have to sleep around in what ever bed that was available, not havin' "couple status". So everyone of us, except VeraLee ended up snoozin with the Manager at some time. That's why the next rule.

1. If they (Neons or Teenas) are in the room, pretend you actually ARE sleeping and never open your eyes.

1. There are so many Manager stories, but they will come later. I am so excited that he has accepted my offer to write, because this man can turn a phrase. I'm just a story teller, he on the other hand...has skills, you'll see!

Welcome Mr. Pat!

(In the picture: Sitting: Left to Right Teena Lurlene, The Manager, Vera Lee. Standing: LaNeese Lame' and Lushious. Chili Beach - Momma Neeses "Cottage" sometime in the 90's. On our way to perform at some dive.

Hotter than a Firecracker on the 4th of July

My new landscaping looks like a Christmas wreath that’s been hangin up past its prime; looks kinda green until you touch it and then a zillion needles fall at your feet. Weather man said it’s been over 100 degrees most of June and July’s gonna start out the same.

Christmas in July

Fault findin’ aside, it’s July and that’s just what to expect. But it got me thinkin about July’s past, young July’s and middle age July’s. Big July’s like 1976 and little July’s like this one past. I think the 4th of July is kind of like Christmas. There’s all this expectation about, “What ya’ll are gonna do and eat; where you gonna go and who you gonna have over. Ya’ll gonna be at the mountains, rivah, beach? July just has her own set of expectations.

Back in the early days, Buck and I used to like to go to Washington. It wasn’t a long ride and heck, it was a hell of a show! We figured it was our tax dollars at work, so why not! I always made a funky hat so he could find me in the crowd. When he told me, first time that we were goin’ to the Mall, I didn’t know he meant the “National Mall.” So you know I was surprised when there were no shops. But it was fun. When we first started, it was whatever hotel was available last minute and we stayed in some interesting places let me tell you. But by the end, we learned our lesson and made reservations. We stayed fancy one time at the Willard (special weekend rates you know) but my all time personal fav was the Holiday Inn by the Air and Space Museum. They had a roof top pool perfect for watchin the moon and the fireworks all the while sippin the Captian from a red, white, and blue plastic cup.

The year Sonny got his citizenship we all decided to stay in the Village, given we already had all those little flags, the bunting and all. So the Neons (predecessors of the Two-Bit-Teena’s ) planned a progressive eatin and drinkin croquet game that began on Lamont, went down the alley, over to the Lamae Café, back out to Lushious and Sonny’s, over to “The DJ and the Manager’s House” then to the Bee’s and finally ended at the HOE (House on the Edge) House of Bubba and VeraLee. Each stop had a festive drink and a “heavy Hor” and the challenge of actually getting your ball through the wicket.

I just wanted to add, that the Neon’s were dressed in black Boost-Tee-Ays that we decorated special with sequins and stars and Wonder Woman like attachments just for the event! Only the Bee (who is sadly no longer named the Bee and no longer associates with us) refused to “hook up for the Holiday”. I have to say, folks in the neighborhood were comin’ out just to see what all the commotion was about! I don’t know who won that game, but it did take us about 6 hours to finish, if we did indeed finish. All I know is that when we got to Bubba’s and he cranked up the backroom and we brought out the tambourines, I called it a night. Now that was a good 4th of July, the year Sonny got his citizenship!

One year VeraLee was whining cause the Dali Lama was in DC and she was stuck in Richmond and she knew better than to ask Bubba to take her into a mass of humanity on the 4th of July, (Don’t even mention the DL) So the Manager, kind man that he is and always up for a DC run, offered to take us! Now true he had just taken a likin to a new feller (Mr. P2) who just happened to live in DC, and who lived not too far from the Mall, and he could certainly visit this new friend while VL and I battled the crowd, So after checkin’ it out with Mr.P2 off we went! We flew! Cause the DL was scheduled to speak at noon and it was already nearly that. We parked (TYMU) and just dove into the masses after adjustin our watches and promising to be back at the fountain at a certain time.

VL and I were fascinated by the secret service “Men in Black” all walkin in what else….black suits, expensive sunglasses, and talkin into tiny little ear pieces, just doin’ what they had to to make sure HHDL was safe. But i tell you, they were so “not secret”. After a few turns around the prayer wheel, we headed off to find a seat for HH's talk. VeraLee wanted so bad to be close so I just told her to hold my shirt tail and I promised I would git her up front, we would walk using the intention of finding the perfect seat. I didn’t tell her that we would probably be pissin’ lots of folks off, but it was important to her and it all worked out.

When it was all over, humbled and inspired to be better, we headed over to cool our heals in the fountain and wait for Mr. P1 and 2 to show. After Tapas and a good Sangria on K Street, we got in to see the Viking “Family Reunion” exhibit too, (cause VL was origionally a Black Irish Princess killed by vikings and I was her sister in a past life...but that's another story) but VL wouldn’t let me buy a hat, she said she could find me in a crowd.

Later we all took to headin’ for the “Hills” on the 4th. The Big Time Boone 4th of July Parade held a fascination for us all. Do you know they had 100 year old men walkin in that thing. One would think they would have gottin them a cart or somethin. I did indeed made a wonderful pinwheel head band that landed my picture on the cover of the Watauga County Democrat!

When that parade was over we rushed about 60 miles per hour, round hair-pen turns and hurlin’ cliffs to git to Blowin Rock to catch the next show and do some serious shoppin, eatin, and drinkin. Lushious knew all the back roads, but it was VeraLee who found us a back way home and straight into the parkin’ lot of Harris Teeter so we could pick up the rest of the fixin’s for that night’s dinner.

The Universal Mother let all the folks know that Lushious had brought in about 12 of her little friends for the holiday, so folks came out to see us, Minni and Ken, Miss Hal, Bobby, a truck load of cousins from Pigeon Fork and jus anybody who ever knew Nurse and Zeb stopped in. I wish I could remember how many pounds of ribs and Bar-B-Q and slaw and corn and butter beans and cantaloupe we ate that night; and then how many dozen eggs and pounds of bacon in the morning. Cookin started at 6:00 a.m. when I got up to make coffee and didn’t stop….until I had finished the last “center” out of the “Stick-Boy” cinnamon buns. It wouldn’t be fittin if I didn’t mention the Jalapeno Pimento Cheese and Sourdough bread from the Farmer’s Market. It wouldn’t be the 4th without Jalapeno Pimento Cheese!

After dinner we’d walk down the Mountain to Appalachian State for the fireworks and a few laps around the arena jus to make room for pound cake and ice-cream when we got home. VeraLee usually brought out the Fiction-ary and as usual tested the likes of us all. Better than a story she always said!

Seems like now...we all have our own "places" and I guess that says somethin about success and all, but to be honest, I'd trade it all for another round of croquet right here in the Friendly Village. Happy 4th everyone!