It Was A Wonderful Life

Goodbye, Studs. You'll be missed.

I first got acquainted with you when I was 17.
Working: An Oral History ~"People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do."
I still have that yellowed and dog-eared book with my loopy teen-aged handwriting claiming the book as mine. It's travelled with me to Texas, Germany, Oklahoma and back home to Ohio. It's holding up pretty well for a thirty year old paperback.
Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression.
Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Reflections on Death, Rebirth and Hunger for a Faith.
I've read this one at least ten times since my mom passed. It helps.
Studs Terkel died in his home on October 31st at the age of 96. He spent a great deal of his life listening to people and recording their thoughts.
A lifetime of listening. A legacy of listening in his books.

Happy HalloWhat?

My daughter called this evening to tell me all about her Halloween costume. It was only her eighth call today. Her record is 26 calls but that's because she was at work at the Crisis Center and she'd have to hang up and deal with somebody's problems and then call me back to continue our conversation.

She: "I couldn't find anything at Spooky Central or CrapMart so I ordered a costume online."
Wonderful Mom: "Oh that's nice dear. What did you order?
She: "I'm not a deer. I wish you wouldn't call me deer. I don't have antlers."
WM: (gritting teeth) "Sorry de--honey. What did you order?"
She: "MOOOooooOOMMMM, I TOLD you what I ordered when I ordered it."
WM: "When did you order a costume?"
She: " Last week. Remember?"
*crickets*
WM: "Well, what's it look like?"
She: "I'm emailing you a picture. It's Batgirl but it's not as skeevy as the picture looks. Wait, let me try it on." (rustling and sounds of beer cans unidentified objects falling as she changes into Batgirl ensemble.)

She: "Crappers. The top is fine but the pants would fit a 6-foot-tall man. Oh well, it's going back. It's a dumb costume. Hey BlaBla is on the phone, let me call you back."

*ring ring*

She: Hey Mom, I'm going BlaBla's and we're gonna go to the party. I'm not going to go in a costume unless BlaBla has something I can use, she's got a few."

WM: "What's BlaBla's costume?"

She: "She made her own costume, isn't that cool? She's going as a Korean!"

WM: (what? that's so not PC) "She's going as a Korean?

She: (howling and laughing) "A CRAYON!" (yeah, a kuh-ray-on.)

Oh. Never mind.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

budget

Ha. Budget. I bought a butt roast because it was on sale. I'd never bought one before (ewww, butt?) but figured it could go in the crock pot...a 10 pound roast. Or it was $10.00. Something like that. Five pounds of fat removal later I am the proud owner of a crock pot full of shredded meat. I still can't get myself to try it.

Budget my butt.

I'm eating peanut butter.

oh ha ha I made a funny peanut butt-er.

ETA we ate it. It really wasn't bad. Considering that it used to be somebody's backside and all.