Over a month with no updates :(

Well I had every intention to update this blog at least once a week (but my list only said "start a blog" so I'm not in trouble !) but life gets in the way sometimes. My mom has been in the hospital or rehabilitation facility since March 29th so a lot of my energy has been with my family. I'm happy to report that her spirits are good and that she is hopefully over the worst of her illness.

I haven't made fantastic progress with my list but I've been able to check off a few things.

I have certainly been visiting my family a lot and did some cooking for my dad while he has been home alone. I discovered an important fact though, dad doesn't like my cooking. I tried making barbecue, baked chicken and vegetables, a chicken casserole and homemade coleslaw only to find each of these still in the fridge barely touched when I would return. He did enjoy my sliced and sugared strawberries, and the "mush" I made him (which is really more like polenta). So in the past week or so I have stuck to taking him groceries that he can make himself and am leaving the cooking up to my Aunt Eva who lives next door to my parents and who is an extraordinary cook! I would choose her cooking over mine any day too!

I did manage to clean out the file cabinet (I know - contain your excitement) and I have read three teen books (OK - I didn't "read" all of them... but for the purposes of this project I am going to count "listening" to them as well). I listened to Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey, and read Fat Cat by Robin Brande. Hattie Big Sky was fantastic, it reminded me of my love for the Little House series that I have read and reread over the years. I recommend it to everyone, young and old!

My most exciting (at least to my taste buds!) accomplishment was ordering fish in a restaurant. I had the Crab Rock (sautéed crab over blackened rockfish) at Jules Restaurant in Ocean City, MD. I've never had rockfish before and it was DELICIOUS!! I highly recommend this restaurant, a friend that I was dining with told me it was the best rockfish she had ever eaten and I trust her, it melted in my mouth. I should have taken a photo! I will learn.

I hope to update more regularly in the future...but I make no promises!
Carol Jen