The Northern Lights

~ MaryG ~ 40 Comments

I think a lot of people in the Northeast (including me!) checked off “See the Northern Lights” from their buckets lists last night. This was especially rewarding for those of us who missed seeing them in May. Who knew our once-in-a-lifetime chance would come twice in one year?

The Northern Lights from my very own neighborhood last night around 7:15pm. I was on my way to choir practice and happened to look up.

This feels like a lot of things.

Remembrance

The lights and colors in the sky last night reminded me of my close friend from college, Carla, who died in 2022. She had brain cancer. She really wanted to see the Northern Lights before she died, but was too sick to travel, so her friends and family found a way to project them onto the ceiling in her bedroom in Santa Fe. It was beautiful.

A Sign

I know I’m not alone in feeling a lot of anxiety about the state of the country and the way it feels like we’re never going to go back to “normal” — no matter who wins the election. I’ve never in my life been afraid of a US election, but I’m afraid of this one.

Similarly, I never once saw the Northern Lights as a kid growing up in Massachusetts, but this year, many New Englanders saw them twice! A little girl standing near me last night said, “this is God.” Maybe so. Or maybe it’s a sign of transition to a new era—an era where completely new things happen.

Unknown new things are scary and I have a strong urge to “circle the wagons” and try to protect the ones I love. (I think to myself, “please stay in Massachusetts where you’ll maybe be a bit safer from gun violence, flooding, dangerous reproductive care, crappy public schools, etc.)

But I know that’s not really possible.

My new granddaughter will hopefully live into the next century. She will live out most of her life in this new era, whatever it may be. I want her to feel free, adventurous, and safe to explore the world beyond her home state.

Living in the transitional time

An activist friend of mine left for New Zealand yesterday. She’s staying until the end of the month. She said she just needed to get out of the country for these last few weeks before the election. I can relate. In some ways, it’s all just too much.

Maybe seeing the aurora borealis is the reminder some of us needed to center ourselves and live in the moment. Humans have been around a long time and have accomplished many great things and many terrible things. Even though it sometimes feels like end times are upon us, there’s a decent chance that something great is just around the corner too.

Final thought: just breathe

Related post:

Northern Lights II

Keep going

~ MaryG ~ 6 Comments

What’s a personal mantra or philosophy you live by?

I finally got around to watching Season Three of The Comeback on HBO and it was wonderful. It’s topical (the writer’s strike and AI are big themes) but also I’ve never loved Valerie more. At 63 years old, Lisa Kudrow’s tragicomic Valerie Cherish somehow gives women of a certain age the dignity they deserve.

Here’s the defining scene (copied from Reddit):

Jane: “I’ve watched you for 20 years, Valerie. 20 years, in an industry that offered you nothing but humiliation. I don’t know how you kept going.”

Valerie: “Isn’t that funny? I never felt that. Humiliation? No. No. Well, I felt when people were mean to me or insulting, sure, you know? But that didn’t serve me. I just needed to get where I was going. But humiliation? No. I think you have to agree to be humiliated, and I never signed up. I don’t know. Just did the best with what I was given, right? Isn’t that what being a human being is though? Right? You just make the best of things. Otherwise, you’re just left behind and miserable all the time, you know? Yeah. Things aren’t always going to be the way you want, right? Not always gonna get the perfect job, or whatever, but you have to make the best of it. You have to adapt. Keep going. Anyway, that’s what I tried to do.”

Jane: “I feel like I’m seeing you for the first time.”

Valerie: “Really? Maybe that’s why you haven’t been able to get this doc right. You’ve been telling the wrong story. Now tell the one about Valerie Cherish.”

Along with Hacks, The Comeback is one of the greatest TV shows ever about women in entertainment. And so so funny 😂

Also, cameos galore in Season 3. Actors I love just kept showing up in scenes.

Oh, the places we went (without Siri)

~ MaryG ~ 32 Comments

What’s the best way to explore a new city?

I just gotta point out that before smart phones, “exploring a new city” was completely different. Young people have no idea.

First, if you were driving there, you could get completely lost just finding the city, because you had to rely on maps—fold-out paper maps or atlases (books of maps). There was no Siri, there was no Google Maps, there was no MapQuest or Waze. There was no phone in your car. There were road signs and your own God-given sense of direction.

In the olden days, the absolute best way to explore a new city, was to meet up with a friend (or a friend of a friend) who lived there. If you were lucky, they’d let you crash on their couch. At night, they would take you to some local dive bar where you met their friends and got a feel for what it was like to actually live in their city.

In the day, you wandered around visiting record stores and coffee shops and tourist sites that you’d heard of by word of mouth (talking to other humans).

My friend Julie and me kicking around San Francisco in 1988. We stayed with a high school friend of hers. We’d driven up from LA where we’d also stayed with a friend in West Hollywood. Fortunately, it was hard to get lost on that drive up from LA. We knew if we kept the Pacific Ocean on our left, we’d get there eventually.

Grandma Déjà vu

~ MaryG ~ 10 Comments

What’s a moment in your life that made you feel truly alive?

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I don’t know if this is a known grandparent phenomenon or what, but something wild is happening now that my granddaughter is two. A real little person. Sometimes she looks or plays in a certain way and I get a total flashback to her mother at the same age, and to me as a young mom. For a fleeting moment, it feels like seeing a snippet of my own life 30 years ago.

Any other grandparents know what I’m talking about? And does it have a name? The feeling is like memory, mixed with pride, mixed with longing, mixed with so much love. Grandma déjà vu is not a good name for it, but it’s all I got.

My daughter and me (1997, I think)
My daughter and my granddaughter this week

💕

But of course, your grandchild is not your child. They are their own new miracle of person. And your own miracle of a little girl has become this amazing unique adult woman, separate from you, and beyond your wildest dreams.

8647

~ MaryG

The genie grants you a wish. What is it?

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Just to be clear, “86” = impeach and remove from office (preferably to a jail cell). I’m also good with death from natural causes or Melania smothering him with a pillow. I do not condone violence (except for Melania smothering him with a pillow).

Be Best.

More baking with pears

~ MaryG ~ 24 Comments

What are your favorite side-hustle ideas?

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Maybe…baking? Or blogging? Or painting watercolors? Or singing?

Nah.

Nobody would pay me money for any of my hobbies, which is fine. I’m no longer an earner. I’ve accepted that. According to my last Social Security Statement, I had reportable income every year from 1980 to 2023. That’s 43 years of paid work. According to financial planners, my husband and I have saved and invested enough money to enjoy a comfortable retirement into our 90s, barring runaway inflation or a global financial meltdown—both of which seem highly likely in our current kakistocracy. I’m not really sure I believe the financial planners, but I’m going with it. However, we’re really trying to keep our spending down these days, which brings me back to baking at home.

We tried yet another recipe with our homegrown Bosc pears: America Test Kitchen’s Pear Crisp. I did that thing where I found the recipe on ATK but I didn’t want to pay for a subscription so I signed-up for a 7-day free trial, screenshotted the recipe, then cancelled the subscription before I got charged. Is that wrong?

AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN PEAR CRISP

Ingredients

• ¾ cup coarsely chopped nuts (3 ounces/85 grams) I’m allergic to nuts so I substituted 3/4 cup of oatmeal (it was a genius substitution, if I do say so myself 😉)

• ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour (2½ ounces/71 grams)

• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar (1¾ ounces/50 grams)

• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

• Table salt

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon

• 3 pounds (1361 grams) ripe but firm pears (6-7 medium)

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Process nuts, flour, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in food processor until nuts are finely chopped, about nine 1-second pulses. Drizzle butter over flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles crumbly wet sand, about five 1-second pulses, pausing halfway through to scrape down sides and bottom of workbowl. Set aside while preparing fruit.

Because I substituted oatmeal for nuts, there was no need to use a food processor. I used only a fork to make the topping.

2. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and pinch of salt together in large bowl. Peel pears, then halve and core. Cut each half into 4 wedges and then cut in half crosswise (pieces should be about 1 1/2 inches). Gently toss pears with sugar mixture and transfer to 8-inch-square baking dish.

Not gonna lie, this step was a pain in the neck. My husband bought a tool to scoop out cores of the peeled pears, but forgot he had it, so he did all this work with a paring knife.

3. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit, breaking up any large chunks. Bake until fruit is bubbling around edges and topping is deep golden brown, 27 to 32 minutes. Cool on wire rack until warm, at least 15 minutes, and serve.

This is the unbaked version. We ended up leaving it in the oven for the full 32 minutes and pears were perfect. Tender and sweet.

VERDICT: Good. 👍 The topping works well with the pears. I had it hot with ice cream for dessert (yum) and also cold for a snack that actually felt relatively “healthy” with all that fruit and oatmeal. It’s not as exciting as the Dutch Pear Pie or Pear Cobbler, but I would make it again.

Related posts:

A Baking Post (Dutch Pear Pie) featured on Freshly Pressed

Another Baking Post (Pear Cobbler)

Stress Baking (Puff Pastry Apple Strudel)

Fruit Trees

A Jackson (Apple Pie)

Deer me

Yoga playlist

~ MaryG ~ 11 Comments

What are five simple exercises to do at home?

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I’ve been going to PT and doing exercises for my foot problem (plantar fasciitis) for many months now. I think my heel might finally be feeling better. I’ve walked 1-2 miles a couple of times recently and it seemed OK. Here’s hoping I can get back to walking 3 miles daily soon—before the dreaded snow comes. This is prime walking season in Massachusetts. 👟🍁

In addition, I do a daily exercise to help prevent vertigo.

Finally, I do a bit of yoga most days. I have three 15-minute yoga videos in a playlist on YouTube that I do in rotation (one per day). These videos are the correct level of difficulty for me. (I’m not a Warrior 3 kinda gal.) The three videos together cover my five top stretches:

  1. downward dog
  2. seated twists to the right and left
  3. warrior 1 & 2
  4. forward fold
  5. child’s pose
Warrior 3 is no bueno for me

Video 1:

Video 2:

Video 3:

I’ve tried this last video a few times and it’s a bit too advanced for me, but I really like this instructor. I may try to work my way up to it this winter.

Goals

Food

~ MaryG ~ 19 Comments

Which relationship has taught you the most about yourself?

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Since food and I have had a good relationship for decades now, I sometimes forget about the early years. In my teens I was was pretty obsessed with being thin. Back then, there was a lot of interest in dramatic cases of eating disorders, especially Karen Carpenter’s death from heart failure due to anorexia nervosa in 1983 (my senior year of high school), but the casual use of Dexatrim (over-the-counter speed), starving yourself and occasional self-induced vomiting was no big deal. All the supermodels had protruding hip bones and thighs that did not touch. That was the goal. I remember a gym teacher talking to me once about being too thin. (I was 5’8” and about 118 pounds.) I thought I looked great. So did my boyfriend.

Thankfully, I mostly quit dieting in college and eventually got into swimming and was a pretty normal eater. I dabbled in vegetarianism, but I ended up consuming so much cheese that it elevated my cholesterol and I also developed lactose intolerance, which thankfully resolved. (Imagine a life without ice cream!) I now take a daily statin to control my high cholesterol, which I blame on my genetics. My parents both take statins, but at 87 and 92 they’re still traveling and eating whatever they want, so I’m not gonna worry about it.

I really love to eat good food now. We have a great relationship. Sometimes I try fancy recipes from the New York Times, but more often I make a few standbys that have like 4 ingredients and always come out great.

One of those is crockpot lemon chicken. A friend of mine once shared this recipe on Facebook and said “this sounds good” —and so it was. I’ve made this recipe dozens, if not hundreds, of times:

Crock Pot Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3–4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thirds
1/4 cup butter
1 packet Good Seasons Italian dressing/seasoning mix
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper, to taste


Directions

1.) Rinse the chicken pieces with water, then lightly coat them in flour. Set aside.

2.) Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add half of the flour-coated chicken pieces. Avoid overcrowding the pan; you will cook the chicken in two batches.

3.) Season with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken for 3–4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. You are not cooking the chicken all the way through at this stage, just creating a golden-brown crust.

4.) Remove the chicken from the skillet and place it in the crock pot.

5.) Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. Cook the remaining flour-coated chicken pieces for 3–4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the skillet and place it in the crock pot.

6.) Sprinkle the Italian dressing/seasoning mix evenly over the chicken.

7.) Pour the fresh lemon juice and chicken broth over the chicken.

I use these packets to make the broth

8.) Cover with the lid and cook on LOW for approximately 3 hours.

My crockpot works as a nonstick skillet too, so it’s literally a one-pot meal for me.

9.) Serve the chicken pieces whole or shredded, topped with the lemon sauce and broth.

Sometimes I serve it on rice. Other times I serve it on cholesterol-free (no yolk) egg noodles

RIP Karen Carpenter. I loved her voice so much. She was one of the greatest altos of all time. If only she hadn’t had such a fraught relationship with food, she would have been 76 now.

A woman-owned small business

~ MaryG ~ 13 Comments

If you could start a new business right now, what would it be?

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I’m retired and have no plans to start a business. However, I’m super proud of my daughter who has turned a passion into a career.

She is a professional astrologer with her own successful business—lunarxluci.com—and a large following on social media, particularly TikTok and also Instagram. She has been featured in publications such as Good Housekeeping and has endless excellent reviews from clients.

In addition to written and video readings, she recently created a downloadable, self-paced Astrology 101 course. It includes 10 in-depth video lessons (about 7 hours), companion workbooks, PowerPoint slides, and 3 celebrity chart breakdowns. By the end, students will understand how to read a birth chart and have the confidence to interpret their own and others’ charts.

Link in bio

So, if you have a new or longstanding curiosity about Astrology and how it can empower you, please check out my daughter’s offerings. A reading or the new Astrology 101 course would also make a great gift for someone in your life who likes Astrology and wants to learn more. You’d also be supporting a hardworking young woman entrepreneur (and mom) with her own small business.

Use the code THANKYOU for a 15% discount on any order.

Thank you!

😊

Mary

♊️ ☀️ ♏️ 🌙 ♑️ ⬆️

(Gemini Sun, Scorpio Moon, Capricorn Rising)

Deer me

~ MaryG ~ 20 Comments

What are your best healthy eating habits?

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So far, the dreaded Nor’easter (windy rainstorm) has not been too bad here in non-coastal Greater Boston. Our power is still on. Most of the Bosc pears are still clinging to our tree.

The deer have been enjoying the ones that have fallen. And since I’ve never seen a fat deer, I’m going to go with “eat a lot of fruit” for my best healthy eating habit.

Mom is unconcerned with paparazzi. Bambi is a bit skittish.
Chewing
Those pears are so good, even Dad finally came out of the woods to try one.

Knock on wood that the storm doesn’t get too much worse and that coastal dwellers stay safe.

Photo credit to my husband on the last two photos and the video. He got a new phone (Google Pixel 11 XL Pro) and it’s got quite an impressive zoom feature in the camera.

Basic stuff

~ MaryG ~ 17 Comments

What are some life hacks that you practice?

1.) Set-up the coffee the night before so you only have to press start in the morning.

2.) Pre-made, roll out pie crusts, specifically these:

3.) If a British lady sits next to you on Day 1 of an adult watercolor class and announces to everyone that she has ADHD and then demands so much attention from the teacher and others that you feel like you’re being pranked, move your seat for the next class.