Author Archives: kzmclain

Guest Post: All that Jazz

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By Rebecca Borman

One of my favorite cities in the world is New Orleans, and there’s no better time to visit than during the French Quarter Music Festival, which takes place in the spring, usually several weeks before the better-known Jazz Fest.  While Jazz Fest always boasts an all-star lineup of national musicians, FQF focuses on local talent, and, to me, that makes it more fun.  Oh, and the fact that on Saturday and Sunday, there are 23 stages to choose from and over 100 food offerings from “The World’s Largest Jazz Brunch.”

It had been five years since my last FQF, so this year I decided to make the trip.  I considered going by myself, because I’m familiar with New Orleans and the Festival; I knew I could navigate it with no problems.  But, it seemed like it would be more fun to have a group, so I decided to go with a Road Scholar group.  These were some very good decisions!

The tour would begin with a group meeting on the Wednesday afternoon before the start of the Festival.  Since I was coming across the country, I arrived a day earlier, in order to get there in time for the first meeting.  So I had almost a day to get reacquainted with the Big Easy.  I considered what I wanted to do for dinner the first evening; there are so many great options.  I decided to try the French 75 Bar in Arnaud’s, one of New Orleans’ most loved restaurants.  Of course I had a French 75, their signature drink; I also tried some delicious food (I hesitate to call it bar food!).  The next morning I made my way to Café du Monde for beignets and café au lait…no better way to begin a day.

I strolled around the French Quarter, did a little shopping, and enjoyed the feeling of this city, vibrant and laid back at the same time.  Lunch (yes, there was a lot of eating) was oysters and a shrimp po-boy at Acme Oyster Bar.

Once the “tour” started, we had a great schedule.  Every morning after breakfast in our hotel, we were entertained and educated by musicians.  For instance, on Thursday morning we heard the Lee Benoit Cajun Family Band.  They played great music, of course, but we also learned a lot about Cajun music.  I learned the difference between Cajun and Zydeco and, like everyone else, I was amazed by the talent of the musicians.  In fact, after that first presentation I thought the organizers had erred by putting the best group first.  Who could meet our expectations after that?

As it turned out, every other presentation!  The next day we heard Doreen Ketchens and her jazz band, who play every day in the same place on Royal Street.  How cool is that?  As you might guess, Doreen was earthy and laid-back.  Friday, we saw Michael White and his Quartet.  Dr. White is a music professor, whose presentation was tightly organized and fascinating.  Could it get better?  Yes!  Sunday morning Richard (Piano) Scott and his group played for us.  At one point, someone in our group asked for a ragtime piece; these are notoriously challenging.  Richard asked the other musicians if they were game to play something he’d written but they had never heard.  They said if he would play a few bars of the refrain, they would do it.  And, they did!  I thought I knew a lot about music and about New Orleans, but I learned a lot more during these sessions. After our morning activities, and except for an excellent lunch or dinner in one of New Orleans’ amazing restaurants each day, our afternoons and evenings were our own.  We were free to enjoy the French Quarter Festival.  Sometimes by myself, sometimes with another group member, I wandered around the Festival, enjoying the music, eating some of my favorite New Orleans food, like grilled chicken livers with sweet hot pepper jelly from Praline Connection’s food booth.  Since Road Scholar made portable chairs available to us, I would walk until I found a stage that grabbed me and then I made myself comfortable for an hour or so.  I spent a lot of time at the Zydeco Stage because I love that music, and there is always an entertaining crowd with lots of people dancing.

The combination of free time and organized activities was perfect, and the Road Scholar tour was a great way to enjoy the Festival.  The other travelers were interesting and intelligent, and it was really fun to share my love of New Orleans and its music with others of like mind.

  Although it was my first trip with Road Scholar, it won’t be my last.  And I’ll definitely make another trip to New Orleans for its wonderful French Quarter Music Festival.

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow?

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We got back to Denver last Tuesday, and by the time we got everything unpacked and got adjusted to the hour time change, it was snowing…..

May is a tough time in Colorado for people who are eager to garden. The problem is that there is inevitably really nice weather late in April and early in May. The weather’s so nice, in fact, that it lulls one into thinking that our local meteorologist Kathy Sabine will no longer feel a need to warn us that there is cold weather on the horizon. She has put away her fur-lined parka for the spring and summer and is bringing out her umbrella.

I’m pretty good about waiting until after Mother’s Day to put my garden plants and seeds in the ground. I learned the hard way. Shortly after we moved into this house, the weather outside convinced me it would be safe to plant. So I went to my favorite garden store and purchased several hundred dollars worth of plants: petunias and geraniums and tomatoes and peppers and all manner of things that don’t do well in cold. I cheerfully planted.  And then, of course, it got cold and everything died.

You must never plant until after Mother’s Day, everyone told me. And from that time on, I always spent Mother’s Day at my favorite garden store, along with every other would-be gardener in Denver. This year I was still in AZ on Mother’s Day because of my niece’s graduation. And it’s a good thing, too. Because I assure you I would have spent the afternoon of Mother’s Day planting and regretting the decision a few days later.

But Saturday night during her weather report, Kathy Sabine assured me that the freezing temperatures are over for the winter. She thinks.

So I spent a lot of Sunday planting. And when I say “I” I really mean Allen’s girlfriend Emma. Bill and I were out Saturday pulling weeds and looking forlornly at my garden that was so desperately in need of tending when she came out of the house and said, “I would be happy to help you plant your garden tomorrow.” I swear. She really did say this. And she meant it, because when we got home from church yesterday late morning, she was in her gardening clothes and eager to start. I was doing her a favor, really. Really, I was.

And as Emma planted, Bill built fence, just like a rancher….

And so now Emma’s garden, er, my garden has a beautiful fence around it, sturdy enough to keep the foxes out. She, er, I planted a tomato plant, a jalapeno plant, some green beans, carrots, radishes, thyme, parsley, and basil. I also put in petunias, though I will still need to put in more so that my garden can be full of color in a month or so. And, by the way, it really was me who planted the petunias…..

Kaiya has requested a broccoli plant, and I will comply once I can find a broccoli seedling to plant. Because here is the conversation between a clerk at my friendly neighborhood Home Depot and me. “Hello, Ma’am,” she said. “Can I help you find something?” “Yes,” I replied. “I’m looking for a broccoli plant.” “Okay,” she said. “There’s some over there somewhere,” and she flitted her hand in a northwesternly direction, and walked away. I’m not fibbing.

Okay then. Needless to say, I was unable to find it over there somewhere, so I will go to my friendly neighborhood garden store and see if they can be a bit more helpful.

But at least it’s not snowing.

Friday Book Whimsy: Shelter Me

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A few months ago, I reviewed The Tumbling Turner Sisters, author Juliette Fay’s most recent novel. That particular novel may well end up being one of my favorite reads of 2017 (though it was written in 2016). What’s more, following my post, I got a very nice email from the author thanking me for my review. Now, my mom would say that was just good manners, no?

Because I enjoyed that book so much, I decided to give another of her novels a try, and started with her debut, Shelter Me, written back in 2008. First novels can be risky business. The characters can be flat. The story is often somewhat predictable while the style can be unpredictable.

Shelter Me hooked me with the storyline, and kept me with the realistic characters and behaviors. I really liked the novel.

Young mother Janie is still reeling from the unexpected death of her much-loved husband, who was killed in a motorcycle accident. Feeling totally unprepared to be a single mother to her young kindergarten-aged son and toddler daughter, and unable to fully accept what has happened, she lives a life full of anger, confusion, and loneliness.

But suddenly a few months after her husband’s death, a stranger shows up at her door holding a piece of paper that turns out to be a contract for him to build a front porch on to their house. Her husband had made the arrangements, planning to surprise her with the beautiful addition to their home.

After getting over the surprise, Janie gives Tug permission to go ahead with her husband’s wishes.

Now, stop right there. Isn’t that a sweet premise for a book plot? There is just something so delightful as the idea of a husband surprising his wife with a front porch. I think I would have loved this novel even if that was the only thing good about it.

But it wasn’t. Janie’s sadness, often displayed as anger, is so realistic that I could practically feel her rage around me. The supporting cast – an aunt who could be annoying if she just didn’t love her niece so darn much, a neighbor who simply won’t let Janie push her away, and Tug, who is using the front porch to hide his own issues – are believable and likeable.

There was a story line relating to the parish priest who tried his best to provide Janie comfort that seemed unnecessary and simply odd, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book.

Highly recommend.

Here is a link to the book.

 

Thursday Thoughts

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Boas and Squirts
We have hit the ground running in the grandchildren department. We got home late on Tuesday afternoon, and were at a birthday party for Maggie Faith by 5:30. She turned 9, which is simply not possible. Even at 9, she is a diva, thanks to a present she received from Allen and Emma. Who doesn’t want to wear a boa and butterfly wings?…..

I made it over for a quick stop yesterday at the school where Dagny and Maggie Faith were managing to get in their Field Day before the snow hit early this morning. The activities seemed to involve a lot of water. Here is Maggie blindfolded and attempting to make a fellow classmate (and occasionally an onlooker, just sayin’) soaking wet, and clearly having fun doing it…..

I also made a quick stop at a local coffee shop that was featuring the art of Mylee’s class after school, and Mylee, Kaiya, Cole, and their mommy were there. I surprised them as they didn’t even know we were back in Denver yet. Cole was the first to see me, and he literally did a double-take, ran to his mommy, pointed and said, “Nana!”

Road Treats
As usual, we spent the first night of our trip home in Albuquerque, where we had our traditional meal at the Frontier Restaurant right across the street from the University of New Mexico campus. That restaurant alone would make me willing to encourage a grandchild or two to attend that college. The Frontier burrito is delicious, and though I only eat it a couple of times a year, I think of it more than I’d care to admit. As you can tell, I add additional HOT green chile and hope for the best…..

And on the second day, Bill spotted a roadside sign for a bakery in Las Vega, NM, and he was SO THERE. As usual, he was right on, because the bakery was delicious. They specialize in pastries, as the cream puff on the front of the building indicates…..

But the cream puffs in the showcase were stellar as well. I didn’t have one. Too decadent for 9 o’clock in the morning….

Route 66
Much of the interstate highways through Arizona and New Mexico are either part of, or parallel to, Route 66. Many years ago, Bill rode his motorcycle on the entire stretch of Route 66, so he has already seen many of the unusual sights along this famous highway. But as we drove around Holbrook, AZ, looking for a grocery store, we came across the Wigwam Motel. This famous motel (of which I had never heard) consists of units shaped like, well, wigwams. Politically incorrect or not, how cool is that?…..

Oh, the Weather…
And yes, you read that correctly up above. I did say snow. Denver is expecting up to 2 inches, but the people-in-the-know are saying up to two FEET in the foothills of Boulder County and Larimer County. This had better be it. Bring on spring!

Ciao!

Bacon for Forgiveness

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There are a few smells in life that will pull in a person in from the back yard or rouse someone out of bed in the morning. Chocolate chip cookies in the oven. Marinara sauce simmering on the stove. Coffee brewing, or even better, a cup of coffee placed under your nose when you’re barely awake.

And one of these smells is that of bacon cooking. I remember waking up on Sunday morning when I was a small girl to the smell of Mom cooking bacon in the kitchen. Mom didn’t cook breakfast for us that often since she worked almost every day at the bakery. So Sunday morning bacon smells were special.

Bill said his mother made his father breakfast every day of their married life. And every day that breakfast consisted of bacon, eggs, and white toast. Rex probably was used to that from growing up on the North Carolina farm, although my guess is the white toast was biscuits when he was a child, North Carolina and all.

When Mom made bacon, she laid the slices of smoked meat in a skillet, let them cook a bit, turned them over, let them cook a bit, and then repeated until the bacon was cooked through and crispy. She laid them perfectly straight and in a row in a skillet.

All of her kids thought everything that Mom did in the kitchen was perfect, so it was with great surprise the first time I saw my brother cook bacon as an adult. Rather than laying it carefully in the skillet as I did in imitation of Mom, he simply tossed the entire pound of bacon in the skillet until it began to cook. At that point he separated the slices and continued cooking. Heresy. He’s lucky Mom always liked him best.

The first time I cooked breakfast for my mother-in-law Wilma, she watched carefully as I broke some eggs into a bowl. Before I could add any liquid, she casually asked, “Do you use water or milk for your scrambled eggs?”

Gulp. “Water?” I asked more than said. Ding ding ding. It was the right answer. Dodged that bullet.

When I first met Wilma, she cooked her bacon in a skillet like my mom. In her later years, however, she would cut each slice of bacon in half and place them on a paper towel; she would then cover the bacon with another paper towel and cook them in the microwave. The bacon always turned out perfectly.

My daughter-in-law Jll does the same thing. She always (or at least always when I’m there) cooks her bacon in the microwave and it always turns out perfectly. I have tried it my friends. It is safe to say that it has never – NEVER – turned out even close to right. Here’s what happens every single time: I lay the bacon on the paper towel and cover it with another paper towel. I set the timer for the correct amount of time (there is a formula for how many minutes to cook based on how many slices you’re cooking). I check the bacon and it is limp and undercooked. I cook it for another minute. I check it and it is undercooked. I cook it for another minute. I check it and it is undercooked. I cook it for another minute. I check it and it has disintegrated into a dust that formerly was known as bacon. Sigh.

So I continue to cut my bacon in half in imitation of Wilma and cook my bacon in a skillet in imitation of my mother.

Bill and I enjoy the bacon as part of our breakfast. And here’s my dirty little secret: One of my favorite ways to eat bacon is on buttered white toast. There’s something about the butter mixed with the bacon grease that is just good, if it isn’t healthy.

And, also like my mother, I cook my eggs in the bacon grease, breaking the yolk on one for Bill…..

And, while I’m not a huge breakfast eater, there is hardly anything better than bacon and eggs and white toast, just like Bill’s father ate every morning of his married life.

Sunrise, Sunset

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As you read this blog post, Bill and I will be on the road, heading towards our Denver home and some beautiful Colorado weather. We’re leaving AZ at about the right time, just as it’s starting to get consistently warm and then even warmer. Because we stayed later than usual, we experienced one day of over-100 temperature, and that was quite enough, thank you very much. When I telephoned our neighbor in Mesa – an older woman who is a permanent resident – I said, “We’ll see you again in the fall, Patsy. Try to stay cool.” She laughed and said, “Well, I’ll just be staying inside a lot.”

And that’s the very best thing about Colorado summers. While people complain when it hits the 90s, the truth of the matter is Coloradans are rarely confined to being indoors in the summer. Maybe in the winter, but not in the summer.

Our time in AZ was wonderful, as it always is. The opportunity we have to enjoy our AZ family in the winter is not one that we take for granted. We are blessed. It’s true that this winter was not exactly what I would call smooth sailing. We’ve dealt with illness (all recovering nicely I’m happy to say), my sister-in-law broke her back (an injury from which she is also recovering in an amazing fashion), Bill’s mother passed away (at just three months shy of 100 years old), and we all suffer from the aches and pains associated with getting older. But lots of good things happened as well. We had a visit from some of our Denver family in February……..

 

We watched the Cubs play during Spring Training…..

 

We made a trip down south to Tombstone, something that was surprisingly on my bucket list….

I went to more racing events than I expected (and that’s all I’ll say about that!)….

And, of course, we took a hot air balloon ride (something that wasn’t on my bucket list, but I decided it should have after our ride)….

Our niece Brooke graduated from Arizona State University, and will begin teaching Kindergarten when school reconvenes…..

Pretty sunsets…..

And, of course, because it’s us, lots of good food…..

Next time you read my blog, we will be trying to remember where things are in our Denver house!

Pomp and Circumstance

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In a galaxy far, far away (well, really it was the same galaxy but just a period of time that was long, long ago) I graduated from college. Twice, actually. I earned my bachelor’s degree in 1977 (when dinosaurs walked the earth), and my master’s degree in 1993 (by that time, neanderthal humans were around). I didn’t walk across the stage when I earned my undergraduate degree, something I can’t really explain and regretted almost immediately. So when I earned my master’s degree, I made sure that I walked across the stage to receive that hard-earned piece of paper, and that my son Court saw me do it.

I know just how hard it is to earn a college degree while working because I did it for all of the years in college. Poor me. But that is just to say that I couldn’t be more proud of my niece Brooke, who graduated this past Friday from Arizona State University, where she earned a degree in Education, and she worked the entire time she was in school. She will start teaching Kindergartners in a few months. Now that’s hard to believe, because she’s just a kid herself, isn’t she?…..

My justifiably proud bother and sister-in-law Dave and Sami, with ASU graduate Brooke.

Brooke poses with her little big sister Jessie, who last year at this time was receiving her own degree from Northern Arizona Unversity.

Graduation ceremonies are funny, because they take hours, and you really are only interested in about 20 seconds of that time. The 20 seconds when your loved one’s name is read, her name goes up on the big board, and she goes up to receive that hard-earned degree. As Brooke’s time to receive her degree neared to within seconds, the woman sitting directly in front of us stood up to take video of her darling son or daughter receiving their degree. My dissatisfaction with her choice was obvious as I groaned (quite loudly, I’m afraid), “No, no, no, no, no, no, don’t stand up!” Her husband quickly encouraged her to sit, and we managed to get this……

In celebration of her graduation, some of her family and friends gathered for (what else) a meal….

….this time, chicken wings. Nothing says graduating cum laude from a major university and being within months of the first teaching job like chicken wings…..

And on Saturday, the rest of the family gathered to honor Brooke at the home of Erik and Josey, where there was, of course, lots of food and lots of cousins/grandchildren/nieces/nephews…..

And speaking of those little ones, I think college graduations from this side of the family are finished for a few years. Next time, we will be attending graduations of these little ones.

And it will come before we know it!

Saturday Smile: M is for the Million Things She Gave You

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Behind all your stories is always your mother’s story. Because hers is where yours begin. – Mitch Albom, For One More Day

Mothers are generally not only mothers. Mothers are always also daughters and sisters and wives and grandmothers and stepmothers and friends and employees and church members and neighbors and many other things. We all know this intellectually. But at the end of the day, they are simply our mom.

My mother passed away in 1995. I think of her almost every day and miss her like she left for heaven yesterday.

But I am blessed to have had a wonderful stepmother….

Celebrating Shirley’s birthday on her 80th birthday.

….and to have had a loving mother-in-law who joined my mom in heaven recently…..

Wilma and her great grandson Joseph.

All of my mothers have been all of the things I mentioned above. But I honor them today because they have been my mother. And that was and is no easy task.

Jen, Mom, and me circa 1990.

Dad and Mom with many of their grandkids at their home in Dillon, circa 1982.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mother’s in my life, and to all of my friends and family members who are mothers. It’s the most important job we have.

Friday Book Whimsy: The American Heiress

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Still reeling from Downton Abbey withdrawal, I enjoyed watching PBS’s Victoria this past winter. Though based on a true story, there was enough romance and intrigue to keep me interested in a way that I wouldn’t have had it been a documentary. And as I watched the credits after the first episode, I saw that the series was based on a novel written by Daisy Goodwin. And I remembered that while I didn’t have that novel, I did own – and had owned for four or five years – another novel by that author called The American Heiress, a novel I had never gotten around to reading.

The American Heiress is the story of young Cora Cash, a New York socialite living in the late 1800s whose father was rich as triple chocolate fudge and who ran with the likes of the Vanderbilts and the Rockefellers. However, not being old money like the Astors, Cora’s mother thought the way to bring the family name up to that caliber was by having her beautiful daughter marry a British royal. A trip to England ensures that happens.

Cora’s wedding to Ivo, Duke of Warham, appears to be a perfect match. She gets a title and he gets all of that money to keep his dukedom running. And he’s so darn cute and she’s so darn pretty. But marriage to a royal when you are not only NOT nobility but not even British brings its own set of problems. And why is Ivo so quiet and withdrawn? Drama and intrigue abound. But also romance and the glorious upstairs/downstairs relationships we came to love with Downton Abbey.

The American Heiress is Goodwin’s first novel, and I found it to be captivating and interesting. The author sets the stage so clearly that I could practically smell the dust on the chandeliers. I was sorry it took me so long to finally read this book, and I will read Victoria next (even though I know FOR SURE how that one ends).

Highly recommend.

Here is a link to the book.