Inspiration Found in Eleanor Roosevelt

"A Woman is like a tea bag - You can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water."
     --Eleanor Roosevelt

White House Portrait

Contemplating how I deal with being under pressure has made me realize that I fair pretty well, even when things look like they are so bleak and I can't see a way out. Let us consider Eleanor Roosevelt as some inspiration. First of all, Eleanor lost her parents at a very young age. Her mother died from Diptheria and her father from Alchoholism. She spent her youth with her maternal grandmother where she was starved for attention. Eleanor did not consider herself attractive and often suffered from depression. She eventually married her 5th cousin, Franklin Roosevelt, only to discover his mother, her Mother-in-Law, Sara, was a huge pain in the ass. Her husband then had a couple of very torrid and well publicized affairs, including the one with Lucy Mercer. Eleanor knew hot water, that is for certain.

Though widely respected in her later years, Roosevelt was a controversial First Lady for her outspokenness, particularly her stands on racial issues. She was the first presidential spouse to hold press conferences, write a syndicated newspaper column, and speak at a national convention. On a few occasions, she publicly disagreed with her husband's policies. She launched an experimental community at Arthurdale, West Virginia, for the families of unemployed miners, later widely regarded as a failure. She advocated for expanded roles for women in the workplace, the civil rights of African Americans and Asian Americans, and the rights of World War II refugees.

(Source: Wikipedia) 

 After her husband died, Eleanor continued to be active in politics. She encouraged the US to join the UN and was one of the first delegates. She fought for equality of women in both pay and position. She took part in the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1999 she was listed by Gallup as one of the most influential women in America. She was a feminist at heart and a powerful, outspoken American.

Eleanor was the mother to 6 children, wife to a President, and went on to do many, many things to fight racial and sex discrimination, she fought for those less fortunate, and she inspired many women to take up a cause.

A brilliant woman with many great accomplishments, it is clear that Eleanor was a strong cup of tea!

Food Smells and Memory Triggers - A Walk Down Memory Lane

Homemade Pretzels, yum!

Today was a typical Sunday in January. That, in my world, means cool weather, lazy Sundays, and football. I got kinda "snacky" earlier and was craving the staple food familiar to all of those who hail from Philadelphia: The soft pretzel. I wandered out to the kitchen an whipped up a batch of homemade pretzels. And while they were good, they are definitely not Philadelphia soft pretzels.

It is funny how certain smells totally transport me back to my youth and some of the more memorable, yet everyday, events in my life. The smell of bleach and Tide combined with moist earth was the distinct smell of my grandmother's basement. It was such a unique smell that I am only blessed with wisps of it on very rainy or humid days. When I was growing up my parents would take us to football, baseball, and hockey games as well as to the more cultural things of theater and concerts. As we would drive out to south Philly, whenever we would get stopped at a red light, you could count on a guy standing in the median selling soft pretzels. Now I don't know if they do that anymore down by the stadiums, but when I was a kid we lived for those soft pretzels with tangy yellow mustard. We also liked to buy dill pickles out of a barrel at the deli, but those I know are gone. My son and my granddaughter never got the joy of fishing out their own crispy dill pickle to wrap in a piece of paper and snack on all the way home from the deli. Pickles in a jar are just not the same.

Baking these pretzels today took me back in time for sure. It was a bittersweet walk down memory lane. How about you? Do food smells transport you back in time?

Here is the recipe for my pretzels. Keep in mind, this is my recipe, not a chef's and they certainly don't even come close to the ones in Philly, but they will sure do in a pinch!

Rancho No Dinero's Soft Pretzels

• 2 packets of Yeast 
• 1 1/2 cups warm (not hot, but warm) water 
• 5 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Garlic powder 
• butter (melted)

Using a dough hook on your mixer, add the water and the yeast to the mixing bowl. Give it a stir. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the sugar and mix. Let stand 5 minutes. Add 3 cups of the flour and the salt to the bowl. Start the hook to give it a stir. Add the rest of the flour. Let the mixer do the work for 3 -5 minutes.

Remove the dough from the bowl and put it on a floured surface. Knead for 3 minutes. Cut up into even chunks (I did 12 and used my crinkle fry cutter). Roll each chunk out into a long rope and form into pretzel shape.* Put on a greased or, like I did, lay them on parchment paper. Brush on the melted butter and sprinkle with salt and garlic powder.

Bake in an oven at 450 for 8 - 20 min (depending on how thick they are). You want them to turn a golden color, but not be hard as a rock. Sometimes slightly under cooked is better than over cooked.

Serve with mustard or butter, depending on your tastes. Dipping it in cheese sauce is a good way to eat them too.

Enjoy!


*if you have baking soda, add half a cup to a saucer of water and bring to a boil. Drop each pretzel into the water for 30 - 45 seconds and then drain before putting on cookie sheet or parchment paper. Then do the butter step.

Rewiring an Antique Lamp - Saving an Heirloom

Over the holidays, my bf and I went to visit with his mother. While there she asked me if I would be interested in a lamp she wanted to get rid of. I was shocked when she showed it to me because it is absolutely beautiful and I think it is worth much more than free. I told her so, encouraging her to hold on to it. She insisted she didn't want it any longer adding she had listed it for sale on Craigslist, but had no takers because it didn't work right; Sometimes it turned on and sometimes it didn't. I knew instantly she was having a shorting-out issue and it was a really easy fix. Despite assuring her I could fix it, she said she didn't want it any longer and if I wanted it, I could take it.

My bf picked it up to put it in the car and the lamp revealed it was not very stable. The spider that is responsible for holding up the shade had much too much free movement, which caused the lamp to wobble quite freely. I made a mental note to take a look at the assembly to see if I could tighten it up somewhat.

$5 fix - New Socket

Old Socket Being Removed

Reassembled Properly

Today I took a run to my local DIY store and purchased a new bulb socket. I took out the bulb, pulled out the socket cover, pulled up the old socket, and undid the wiring. I had examined the lamp cord and found no issues with it, so I just figured for under $5 I could confirm my guess it was just the socket portion. After I secured the wires to the new socket I realized that the lamp was assembled improperly. My guess is that someone rewired this lamp way back in the day (based on the cord the late 1940's) and put it back together incorrectly. This accounted for the spinning and wobbliness overall. I took some time to take it apart and reassemble it, tightening each section as I went along. I could tell I was successful once I put the very heavy glass shade back on. The lamp is solid and turns on and off with ease.

Standing back, I cannot help but admire the craftsmanship of the early 1900's. This lamp is beautiful and highly detailed. I noticed there are small holes in each of the leaves, which means there was most likely crystals that hung from it at one time. I bet this was a sight to behold in the window of a store.

Hand-painted Repousse Glass Shade

Detailed Crown

Repousse Glass Section Mimics Glass Shade

Small Holes Where Crystals Likely Hung At One Time

I am thrilled to be the new owner of this extraordinary lamp. I think it will look fantastic in the Shouse. What do you think? 

Before

After

Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

October gave a party;

The leaves by hundreds came,—

The Ashes, Oaks, and Maples,

And leaves of every name.

The sunshine spread a carpet,

And every thing was grand;

Miss Weather led the dancing;

Professor Wind, the band....

The sight was like a rainbow

New-fallen from the sky....

~George Cooper, "October's Party"

I suffer from Sesonal Affective Disorder. Ever heard of it? The Mayo clinic defines it as "a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year. If you're like most people with seasonal affective disorder, your symptoms start in the fall and may continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, seasonal affective disorder causes depression in the spring or early summer." I fall into the "less often" category. The fact is I dislike summer intensely. I wouldn't define how I feel as depression as much as resentment. Let me explain why I hate summer, but I adore Fall and Winter!

I grew up for the first eight years in Philadelphia. I lived in Florida for four and then we moved to Arizona. I have lived in Arizona for 32 years minus five (college in Boston and a brief 2 years in Chicago).  We moved here in July and from day one I have hated the heat and intense sun. That first summer, and every summer since, I slip into a hibernation mode. I hide inside all day and only come out in the evening. I guess I have always been a night owl, but this quality intensifies every year when the days get longer and the nights get shorter.

"Why don't you just move?" some have asked. I did. For almost eight years I lived in the northern part of Arizona and commuted 101 miles each way to work every day just so I could enjoy rain and snow. If gas prices hadn't become such an issue I would most likely still be commuting. My other strategy is to travel all summer, simply getting out of Arizona for cooler cities. But, alas, my son was young and my family is here so traveling for several months wasn't so easy. Thank goodness, summer only lasts five months around here and temperate, more reasonable conditions, return. 

However, this summer was the hottest summer on record in Arizona. We had the most triple-digit days consecutively since we began keeping records. Scientists and environmentalists say it is because of cement and blacktop retaining heat and reflecting it back during the evening hours. I would agree that is an issue since I can feel the heat through the bottom of my shoes and radiating up into my car from the road as I drive. This was the year I said, "enough!"

Buying land in Oregon has become so important to me because I don't want to continue to live in such hot conditions. I resent summer with its long days, intense sun, and lack of rain. I hate that in the morning I drive into the glaring sun on my way to work and do the same on the way home. I hate the headaches the bright light triggers. I hate sweating every time I leave the house. I need, I desire, I WANT, gray days where cloud cover mutes the glare and filters the suns rays. I want to hear the rain on the roof and have gray, cool days where sweaters are required. I want to wake up to the clean, white blanket of snow covering the earth, to experience the odd quietness of snowfall. Dammit, I want WEATHER!

This week I am headed up to Seattle for fall break to visit my boyfriend. Of course I am glad to be able to see him since long distance relationships really suck, but I am also looking forward to rain. I want to see the leaves beginning to change color, feel cold wind on my cheek, to wear sweaters and light jackets, to feel a cold wind and a chill. This time of year and weather in other parts of the country mean Pumpkin Spice, sweaters, boots, hats, hot coffee, hot coco, umbrellas, and long restful nights.  I want to eat hot soup and fresh break and thick stews. Oooh, ya! 

Not all things about summer are bad. I know this, however I stand by my mantra: "You can always put more clothes on to stay warm, but you can only take so much off." I love you, Fall. Welcome!