I’m going another direction. Baby showers. Yes, a waiter was involved but only at the direction of the “hostess.” I spent a day putting together a baby basket for a neighbor we bonded with as she’d just moved in, pregnant, and her husband had a new job and was working long hours.

Surprisingly, I was invited to the baby shower, which was a dinner for about 10 gals, everyone from her husband’s work besides me. I thoughtfully purchased items and  wrappings to assemble a basket that included everything from plastic keys (the “bow” atop the new basket) to bathtub books.

Dinnertime came and everyone rolled up in their expensive cars. The gals were nice, and I ordered a glass of wine and reasonably priced entree. They were ordering cocktails, bottles of wine, expensive meals, desserts and after-dinner drinks (luckily no booze for the mother-to-be). Then they split the bill.

I’d spent $75 on a gift for a nice gal I’d known for a couple of months and now my dinner was $30 including tip but I had to add an extra $100 to that for their excess. Years later, I believe the hostess should have told me, the outsider, of the arrangement, and said to the waiter that the bill would be shared by all except the mother-to-be (of course she shouldn’t pay). At least I would have had a second glass of wine and perhaps a salad! Cheers, Dee

We thought of taking a weekend getaway for ourselves, and even found a dog-sitter. We wanted to take the train to a nearby city and stay two nights. Now I find that a two-star hotel costs between $300-400 per night out at the airport, and a four-star costs between $500-700 per night, even on discount sites.

This is crazy! Our home is nicer and has much better views than anything we’ll pay a fortune to lay our heads down in for two nights. As far as I’m concerned it’s a big waste of money and I’d rather plan it better and do more research, find a hotel for one night and every activity we’d like to accomplish during our stay.

We could always go somewhere else that doesn’t charge horrendous rates. Dee

It is also one of the most loving things he has ever done for me over the past years, partly because he’s not allowed in the kitchen except to get ice and a beverage.

Because of making most of the round pots and pans oval, rather than round, over the years going through our other kitchens he doesn’t cook and I do. I feed him well, perhaps too well.

I set up the dishwasher to turn on, all he had to do was push buttons. He did it. Is that love or what? Dee

That is the first song I had my “band” sing at age 12. I had no idea it would later mirror my life. I’m now 1,300 to 7,000 miles away from what would be home but luckily we do have one of our own.

When Peter, Paul and Mary sing that song it always reminds me of home. Our families needed to take care of us and now we must prepare for the reverse.

Now we can fly to see them. We do so at least once a year. We did drive last year and it took 24 hours and two hotel stops, with Zoe the dog. We’re lucky BB King’s in Memphis gave us a table with her on the patio, because she was not allowed to stay in the hotel room by herself. Everyone wanted to pet her.

People talk of never wanting to move. We move. We have a dog and she should be in obedience school at nearly ten years old. Everyone loves her and knows her name and she has a sweet temperament.

We fly or drive or train or even take the lake ferry to get to see our folks, because that’s what it’s all about. Family. My mother is gone but I do wish a happy Mothers’ Day to M and Nanny and Ann. They have made me feel like family. Cheers. Dee

Pretty soon I was arranging every birthday and going-away party there for colleagues. Why me? I was the organizer, cook, and the only young single gal who actually owned a punch bowl to bring to company events.

What is most interesting about this place is that during the Great Depression (no, not 2008) people would line up around the block and for a nickel they’d get a plate of beans so they wouldn’t go hungry.

I never went by myself except once, to ask about hosting a staff birthday. After that there were always 8-14 of us.

I’d call the owner’s son and ask for a reservation for 12 for 11:30. He’d laugh and say “we don’t take reservations.” Then I’d say, “It’s Dee.”

We’d show up at 11:30 and the tables were put together and there were already 3-4 PBR’s on the table.The birthday person or person leaving the staff was paid for equally by everyone else.

Ah, yes. I had to arrange for my own birthday parties as well, but didn’t have to pay for lunch!

My husband and I saw part of a series on NYC this morning, about the Depression, and I thought of beaneries and thought fellow readers and cooks might enjoy it. Cheers! Happy Mothers’ Day! Dee

Let’s pretend I’m hiring a sous-chef in my kitchen (besides Zoe the dog).

What came first, the chicken or the egg? And why did a chicken cross a street?

First off, I’d interview that person in person and get to know who he is. I know my husband is a tornado in the house but an expert at work and with anything that needs to be done anywhere, home or farm.

He is brilliant. MIT thought so and tried to recruit him at age 15. I see him as the man I want to have tea and breakfast with for the rest of my life. Also dinner, and lunch out on weekends.

He wants me to get rid of papers, but I have to go through every one, to find his childhood inventions and others like the microswitch on the grain bin.

I think of an artist like James McNeill Whistler who left everything to his sister. His sister left everything to a university and they have his painting studio as it was the day he died. I’ve a very simple print from the gallery that is elegantly framed and architects and others always ask about it.

Then I tell the story. And another of the farm boy who studied physics and became my husband, who is a rare gem himself. Yes, he did build a workshop off the milk barn. That is gone but he did build a small woodworking toolshop for our nephew who was seven at the time. All are handcrafted and sized for small hands.

Some tools are antique. A major one we got on spec and it turns out the owner and I grew up in the same town and worked in another place during college. It took my husband over four months to gather the tools, longer to recondition them. It was a labor of love.

I’ve always been sold on a job, and never had to really interview for one. The result is that I’ve had some good and a few bad results over the years. Now it seems everything is done online or over the phone.

That’s not how you get to know someone. Who are you? I can better tell that when you are sitting in front of me. You would never know my husband’s work attributes, much less his work ethic (milking cows every day) unless he had a face-to-face interview.

People interview nannies and pet sitters now. People in my husband’s business are phone-screened and if it’s a bank it’s a fingerprint and drug check.

Oh, we want someone to re-invent how to trade stocks faster than everyone else, no in-person interview necessary. Would you like fries with that? Interview, tests. Got it? Dee

This did not go out from the NRA today, it came from the GOP directly.

It says that they don’t want background checks, and will hang on to their guns forever.

I don’t mind people having guns. I’d like the government to check who has one, even if that data is erased the minute the new gun owner is clean.

First and foremost if you collect firearms, have a gun safe or cabinet where you lock up your weapons. If you live on a farm or ranch, you are expected to have rifles. Same as if you hunt. Just keep them locked up.

Keep them from young kids, even though you’re teaching him to use that .22. When it comes right down to it, gunfire and accidents account for a lot of deaths and injuries so you are actually burdening the healthcare system while rallying against it.

I am against automatic weapons and magazines because those weapons are used to kill people, not a deer. I’d actually like to learn how to fly-fish one day.

Nothing can be done until the black market in guns is erased. But that means gangs and drug cartels and we haven’t had much success there.

How about the Republican Party hire the NRA to go vigilante and deal with the bad guys? No? Oh, yeah, there is a Constitution. So everyone has to have guns.

If this is the Republican Party’s attempt to take over Congress and the Presidency, keep it up. You’ll assure that Biden is the next President. He’s brilliant and would be great but you can’t see beyond the guns. Dee

I got some “homemade” tortillas that stuck together but everything else went right. I marinated chicken breast strips (of course I sliced them) in lime juice, salt and pepper and some fresh Fresno chile.

An orange pepper was used, along with a large sliced onion. But first I did the tortillas in a dry pan and almost set off the smoke alarms. I placed them between two plates to keep warm and had to take the pan off the heat for a couple of minutes.

Then I added the onion/pepper mix. Now I have to clean the stove. it cooked well and quickly but I had to keep my eye on it. I made guacamole with one avocado, some cumin, ancho chile and lime and covered it.

I took fresh corn off the cob and marinated it with lime juice, added tomato, salt and pepper. It’s raw corn. I should have done more with seasonings but time was critical and we’ll see how it tastes after marinating 24 hours.

After the veggies were done, I took them out and added the chicken, just cooked it almost and added the veggies and we were good to go.

A bit of salsa, sour cream, and I didn’t have Cotija cheese but crumbled a bit of Feta for a little bite.

Hubby said, after enjoying my fajitas probably once a month for 12 years, that this was the best. Isn’t he sweet?

Today I may try carne asada with the sides I’ve already prepared. Enjoy the day, dear readers, Dee

ps Happy birthday to Margie, a dear reader indeed. She has a big one today but gals don’t tell, and guys shouldn’t ask.

So colonists came to Jamestown to escape religious persecution only to eat their shipmates. It seems if the US of A has much to be thankful for.

Our pride, nationalism, inclusion then exclusion, patriotism and using it to further political ends and hurt others.

Perhaps like Hitler and others, we should have a magic pill that kills instantly before we have to answer for our crimes of killing and eating friends/shipmates.

My family came here ten years before Hitler made his move. My father was born in the US, Christian, non-Catholic and probably would have been Hitler Youth had his father not jumped ship in NY harbor.

I just wanted you to know that no-one in my family was anywhere near Jamestown, at any time. Sad news for our nation, Dee

Yes, a friend was called up yesterday. While they always tried to recruit from local schools my brother went to college and is now an executive director of a non-profit organization.

My Dad had to go. As the only college graduate, he got to stripe roads. So he said the troops needed morale and managed and played in a symphony that toured the greatest cities of Europe and never had to double-time again.

His friends all came to him asking to get in. What do you play? Nothing? Here’s a tambourine, et al. There was no war going on, only saber-rattling for the Cold War.

I told my friend to learn an instrument or get cymbals or a triangle. Also, I’ve offered to write to get him into Officers Candidate School. He deserves it and is smart, dedicated, loyal and true.

Yesterday I told him if I had a son, it would be like him. If this eldest child had a big brother, I’d want him to be another friend who would kick butt and ask questions later.

As the Stones say, you can’t always get what you want. But then my husband cooked me dinner, first time in 12 years, and we’ll try it again in 2025 when I’m ready to clean up again after the cooking tornado who cooked toast at age four and just spent the next 30 years before turning it into a grilled cheese sandwich…. Cheers and here’s to making lemonade out of a lemon. Dee