Lemonade Cookies

'Tis the season for these tart cookies!

Lemonade Cookies

1 C butter
1 C white sugar
2 eggs
3 C all-purpose sifted flour
1 t baking soda
6 oz can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 T white sugar

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

In large bowl, cream together butter and 1 C sugar. Blend in eggs. In a medium bowl, sift together flour and baking soda; gradually beat into butter mixture, alternating with 1/2 C lemonade concentrate. Drop mixture by rounded teaspoons onto the prepared cooking sheet.

Bake 8 minutes, until lightly brown. Brush lightly with remaining lemonade, and sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Tidbits from a Monday

I don't like to complain, but I will. I just don't have much energy. I get up early, go to work, come home and I am dead to the world. Every day I say "I will not take a nap today" but the second I get home, I am hobbling up the steps to my room. I don't know why I get this tired every day. I'm not THAT old. But I guess my body feels old.

Today I got to work and found that our computer system was down. I was able to work in Word and I was able to send and receive emails. But the calls I get require me to log info into the computer system. Usually Monday is the busiest day of the week, but today was not as busy as most. I hate answering the phone and people want me to give them information and I can't. And then, on top of that, the roofers are working on the roof at work. I am on the top floor of our 3 story building, so they are right above my head. I don't know what they're doing up there, but it sounds like they are taking a 2 ton machine and crashing it on the roof and I am filled with anxiety as I wait for the roofers and the machine to come crashing through the roof on my head. I find myself yelling "Jesus" all day long. I wonder if that's a Jewish thing. AND, each time they bang on the roof, these big crumbs of dirt come flying through the ceiling and settle on my desk, my hair, you name it.

So I came home exhausted and fought myself over a nap and thought why am I fighting? I need a nap. But I kept it short, and then I went out with old Pepper the dog to work on the garden. I had my little headphones on with music blasting. Pepper used to follow me to the flower garden and lie down with me there, but she is no longer willing to walk that far. So she stays very close to the house and seems content to occasionally roll in the grass.

I love the fresh air. I love getting lost in dirt and weeds. The way I handle ALL big projects is the same - I chip away at it, bit by bit. So I just picked a small part of the garden, dug, sat on my little kid's chair and took great delight in pulling weeds. I think the older I get, the more I take great joy in mindless activities.

And while I love to cook, lately my goal is to expend the least amount of energy to get dinner on the table. Tonight it was hot dogs. With store purchased cole slaw and potato salad. I am really going downhill. I remember years ago, I went to visit one of our claims offices in another city. There were 2 ladies who worked there. One lady came in and said "I reached the lowest of lows last night." The other lady asked what happened. The first lady said " my husband is out of town, so I made mashed potatoes for dinner and just ate them out of the pan." The other lady asked "were they instant or real?" "Real," the first lady replied. "You didn't reach the lowest of lows," said the second one. And that exchange always amused me, and still keeps me amused, 10+ years later.

After dinner, it was time to just plop on the couch and watch a rerun of Two and a Half Men and then Jeopardy.

And I'm embarrassed to say I'm ready for bed.

Mother's Day 2009

Mother's Day 2009. So many who I am close to have lost their mothers and this is a sad day for them. As I was reading one of my woman's magazines the other day, I saw this Dr Seuss quote: "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." And I think it is a fitting quote for those who are missing a mom.

I am lucky enough to have my mother still around. At almost 84, she is like the ever-ready bunny - she keeps on going and going and going. As a matter of fact, she was honored at a lunch on Friday, winning an award for all her volunteer efforts. She has recorded tapes for the blind for many, many years. She is active in a group that makes dolls for the homeless shelters. She makes shawls for women in Somalia, leads a group of women singers that performs at old age homes, works at the food shelter, etc. And she takes care of my dad, who lost his sight years ago.

I give her my food magazines when I'm done looking at them, because she likes to try new recipes - she likes to stay young and try new things. When she invites us for dinner, nothing is simple. There is always a buffet with about 20 items on it. And her garden is just beautiful.

Of her 3 kids, I am told that I look the most like her (only truthfully, if I didn't color my hair, I would have more gray than she does!). I think I inherited from her a need to keep busy. Even when I seem to be relaxing, I am always thinking I should be doing more.

When she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and went through radiation therapy, she made sure she was scheduled for first thing in the morning. She wasn't about to give up a day for radiation therapy! Let it happen and let her begin her day.

She has always been there for her kids and grandkids. She was the emergency contact when my kids were in school, because I knew she would always drop what she was doing and pick up one of my kids if they got sick.

She has held the family reunion at her home for many years. I think no one else wants to be bothered with the responsibility of having those people over. She enjoys doing it.

I am proud of her, for all she has accomplished and for who she is. We are blessed that she is still with us. Happy Mother's Day, mom.

World's Oldest Dog Turns 21

Taken from the N Y Post - the world's oldest dog. I LOVE dachshunds, so I had to put this on here.

Chanel -- named the oldest dog by Guinness World Records last year -- is taking a rare trip from her Port Jefferson Station home to mingle with canine buddies invited to her Manhattan birthday party.

The old girl's red hair faded to white a long time ago. Her cataracts force her to wear special doggie glasses and her bones feel the cold.

Her home is kept at a constant 72 degrees. She eats boiled chicken with whole-wheat pasta, and a specially selected soft treat designed for her ancient teeth.

And she spends her days relaxing at home, only taking walks in the summer.

"She used to run three miles with me every day," said Shaughnessy, a high-school principal's secretary who adopted Chanel from a Virginia shelter as a 6-week-old pup.

"She still enjoys a walk, but now she's carried for a lot of it."

Chanel took the title as the oldest dog last spring when a 28-year-old beagle from Virginia died.

A Brief Glimpse of a Magnolia Tree

Well I've been a bit out of commission lately - mostly because my son Joe, who up until this week, has never studied in his life, has decided to study. Which means he is hogging the computer ALL THE TIME.

But Cousin Deet just sent me this picture that she took when she was in town to see Fiddler, so I had to publish it. If I were halfway competent on this thing, I'd put her blog in as a link, but I'm not, so it's http://themarmeladegypsy.blogspot.com/
Anyway, as anyone who knows magnolias, they are beautiful for just a few days, so we were very lucky to have a magnolia in bloom at the same time our talented photographer was in town.

Fiddler: The Story of a Friendship

Top picture: full cast

Second picture: me and David, out of costume

Third picture: David as Avram

Fourth picture: From left: Sharon (mama), David (Avram) and me (mama)

Fiddler On The Roof is over. And now we can all rest.

Several people have asked when I was going to post about this production. Well, you kind of have to know the background of this show to fully understand why this production was so important. I had alluded to this in an earlier post about Fiddler, so if I repeat myself, bear with me.

More than anything to me, this production was about a friendship. A very strong, loyal friendship between two women. Sheila is the drama director at the local high school. She directed this show several years ago with her best friend Debby as the musical director. The two met in college and they shared the same birthday. They were best friends for 36 years. Both single women, they shared the bond that only single women can share.

My friend Sharon and I have been friends since birth. I remember well our single days. Friday nights at China Gate Restaurant. Saturday nights watching Fantasy Island on TV. We eventually married and had families of our own, but the single women friendship is a unique, solid bond that I will always remember.

Eventually Sheila and Debby worked together on high school musicals. Sheila was the drama director and Debby was the musical director. They agreed on pretty much everything, and they put on some wonderful productions. In 2001, they together directed Fiddler on the Roof. It was a major hit in our small community. The shows were sold out. The production featured students and staff in the cast.

Five years later, Debby was diagnosed with cancer. She was looking forward to working with Sheila again on the next production of Fiddler. They had decided to do it again together. Unfortunately, Debby lost her battle in 2008. Sheila was determined to continue with the production, and to devote it to Debby.

As she details in her introduction in the program, the tough part was finding a new music director. One man's name kept coming up - Brad - and here I'll use Sheila's words to descibe what happened next:

When I first met Brad face to face, I remember telling him that I was not going to try to turn him into another Debby. I then told him that this show was going to be a very tough one for me to get through. I broke down. I'll never forget. Brad, who was a perfect stranger up until that meeting, took my hand and said "Don't worry. I'm here for you. I'll get you through it."

And Brad kept his promise to Sheila. And Sheila kept her promise to Debby.

And those of us who participated in this production felt very fortunate to be part of this devotion between friends.

On opening night, Sheila did a formal tribute to Debby, presenting her mother and sister with a scrapbook she had prepared from email letters written by students who had worked with Debby.

As for the production itself, I have to say it was just fun (other than rehearsing til midnight the few nights before the production). My husband David played Avram the Bookseller, and Sharon and I were mamas and villagers. None of us had performed beyond high school.

It is interesting to watch how a production evolves. Every part of it starts from nothing - an empty stage turns into a realistic looking set created by Ron, a solid guy in overalls who has a full-time job and created this set after working all day. Sandy, the pretty costume lady who amazingly took our shirts and removed the collars (that was probably the least skilled thing she did but we were all very impressed!). Brad, the music director who added a spirit of fun to the musical numbers. Joel, the tech guy, who injured his leg and needed surgery one week before the production - he also had a part in the play that included dancing. We assumed he would need to be replaced, but he continued in both the acting and the tech roles - I have never seen anyone with more energy.

And the cast - the high school kids all knew each other, but many of us adults came into this as strangers. As we got more comfortable, we opened up to each other. Ileen, a grandma, loved to bake and provided us with baked goods for all 3 shows. She also entertained us cause Ileen knows everyone and everything. She probably should have been cast as Yente. And Laura always made me laugh. Two menopausal women trying to remember the basic blocking moves - an almost impossible task, but made much easier with the laughter. Even in the sad scenes, we had to be careful not to laugh. Jean, who was in the show with her talented son Cody, started out very quiet but then opened up and she is the one who decided the mamas should supply all of the snacks for the shows (we did a great job). And the last mama, Sharon, was my reason for being in the show. When Sheila called Sharon to see if she would be in the show, Sharon suggested me. Sharon and I have spent most of our 50 some years together in a friendship that involves laughter more than anything else. In our last production of the show, there is one number where Sharon and I and 2 others are to rush over to lift the bride in a chair and turn around with her in the air. Well in our rush, we smacked into each other and we couldn't move cause we had smacked into each other, and I laugh now at that image as I write this, and we laughed then, and we will hopefully spend the rest of our lives laughing together.

And for David, well, it turned out that he is a very talented actor! Sharon and I loved watching him at rehearsals. His facial expressions were priceless. We are wondering if this is the start of something new for him.

We are all so engrained in the Fiddler mentality that every time we hear any phrase at all, we tie it in to a line in Fiddler.

It felt like this weekend would never get here, but it did, and it went by so quickly. My email friend Ellen, who hears from me many times a day, told me I would go into withdrawal after the show. So far, though, I'm just enjoying the relaxation.

Three days before the final show, I was sure we had no idea what we were doing and that it would be a flop. At dress rehearsal, I had more hope. Then came the performances, and we had 3 great audiences who laughed in the right places and appeared to enjoy themselves as much as we did.

David's Cousin Deet and her boyfriend Rick drove in from Lansing to see the show. Other friends and relatives came to see the production, and I believe they were all very impressed. I am grateful to all who took the time to come see us. It meant a lot.

Just before our last show, Sheila thanked us, and told us we were a "comfortable cast" and by that she meant, there were no egos involved as you sometimes see in shows like this - we all came together to do a job, and we did it. And did it well.

But it was more than just putting on a show. It was about helping one friend complete a promise to another friend. As part of a strong, long-standing, loyal friendship that started when two college girls realized they shared the same birthday. And that seemed to mean the most. To all of us.

Sundays with Suzy

Many years ago, I was required to attend Sunday school at temple. Most years I was just bored and tired, but I made some new friends along the way. However, one year of Sunday school was a nightmare. Why? Because of mean Suzy.

In my youth, I have no memories of anyone tormenting me other than that year of Sundays with Suzy. Suzy was just plain cruel. I don't remember the details of any of her remarks, other than that she was just plain mean. On the few times when Suzy was absent, I could stand Sunday school, but when she was there, I just dreaded going.

Suzy had escaped from my mind (most things these days have escaped from my mind). Well, today I attended the funeral of a friend's mother. After the graveside service, everyone was invited to my friend's house. As is the Jewish tradition, the family sat and ate a meal - a dairy tray. As an aside, I will add that David and I love dairy trays but we have noticed that the only time we ever get dairy trays is when someone dies. Anyway, David likes the lox and other smoked fish and I like the gefilte fish, creamed herring, egg salad, etc. So many treats all together on one tray.

So David and I arrived at my friend's house. I had allowed time for my friend and her family to get there and eat. We arrived, and the family was at the table eating from the tray. David and I stood around talking and then we decided to leave. We went to say goodbye to my friend and she said "come and have some food." I said no, we're not hungry." I lied because I think that those expensive dairy trays are only for the family. She kept insisting and said "I'd like to sit down and talk with you - just come and sit at the table and have something to eat." She didn't have to twist our arms. So we sat down at this long table - 2 tables pushed together, actually. I was at the end of the table. I looked at the other end of the table, and - OMG, it was Suzy! I asked my friend "who is that woman at the other end of the table?" She said "her name is Suzy _______." Holy shit, I thought. My friend asked if I knew her and I said yes, she tormented me many years ago in Sunday school. I hate her.

Well my husband took offense to that remark. "Bonnie," he asked "do you know what she's like today?" And I said "I don't care what she's like today. I hate her." He said "for all you know, she could be a perfectly nice person." I said "no way - once a mean person, always a mean person. Mean people don't become nice." And he gave me his "you are an idiot" look. My friend asked what we were talking about. I said well, David thinks people can change, and I say someone who was so mean can never be nice. And my friend said "I agree with you. I was very tall in my youth, and my mother made me go to dance classes, and one of the girls in that class was so mean to me, and occasionally I see that girl (lady) when I'm out shopping, and she doesn't remember me, but I remember her, and I always think that one day I'd like to walk up to her and say 'you know, you were really mean to me when I was young, and it really hurt my feelings, and anyway, you're ugly.'"

I don't know why that struck me as so funny, but it did.

I am just not the type to approach someone and say something like that, but I can fantasize that I will have that encounter with Suzy, and say the words my friend wanted to say to her tormentor.