How to de-stress while on vacation, Part 2

Bowling

Another way to let off a bit of stress while on vacation, is to spent time chucking large balls down a slippery floor and to listen to the crash of resin on wooden bowling pins. If you go bowling with someone who requires bumpers, your score can artificially be inflated by the subtraction of gutter balls. I think I shall always go bowling with the junior set who requires bumpers, so I feel better about myself. (Sad, I know.)

As after a morning of shooting, Grandmary, Grumpa Max, and Auntie Nettie took Mr. Drew out bowling. Grandmary had often taken Drew bowling during her visit, but apparently this was the first time she actively participated. I don't know the last time Grandmary or Grumpa went bowling, but I know it had been about 20 years since I had been. Grumpa had an advantage though, as he used to take my brothers bowling when they were all part of a league. I was so glad that I had been working on my aim earlier that morning. I did better than I hoped I would.

First we had to get decked out in our fancy attire and check each other out. Drew was sponsored by Pixar and Lightening McQueen, (and was a bit put out that he had to wear someone else's shoes).

Here's Drew on his first approach, and his reaction to his first frame.A 3-5 was about what I got: a 4-5.

I like this bowling technique. If I had that booty, I might have bowled that way too. However, no one would want to see that. TRUST ME! After a close first set, with Drew getting a 71, Grandmary a 106, Grumpa pulled a strike in the last frame, ending up with a 119. He had walked off with Drew to the little boys room and Grandmary had walked off to try and get a lighter ball, so they all missed me getting a strike and a spare in the last frame to unexpectedly win the game with a 121. Grumpa was not amused when he returned. I tried not to gloat ... too much.

The second game had Drew improving to a 74, with Grandmary trying to help herself with a couple of spares. Sadly, the lighter ball didn't help her much, as her poor fingers were suffering. She came in with a 98. For the first five frames Grumpa and I were almost tied, with spares and strikes galore. The 6th frame saw Auntie Nettie getting tired and/or Grumpa getting annoyed and he pulled ahead to win 175 to 145. (Competitive much? Not us.)

It was a good thing it was the four of us. If there had been more family members, or more lanes, it wouldn't have been as de-stressing. It's cathartic to bash bowling pins. And to win. And to beat your parents. I recommend it as a new relaxation therapy.

Reversion Therapy

It's also cathartic to spend time with little peeps and be like a child. It's the little things that you remember to enjoy. Things like feeding the ducks,

Or swinging on the swings. (You'd think Drew was scared that Grandmary was going to push him out of the swing. He should have been scared ... cause I did that sometime after I shot this photo. WHOOPS!)What is it with boys and digging in the dirt? I don't see how that's de-stressing. That just stresses me out.

Drew thinks I'm weird.

I saw that face a lot on this trip. Is it me? Or is it a 5-year-old attitude thing? Can he possibly be too cool to hang with his aunt already? Or is it because I'm annoyingly persistent with the camera when I finally do see him? It's probably that.

Coming up ...

BABY TIME!

How to de-stress while on vacation, Part 1

Did anyone notice that I took a slight blogging break? I didn't think so. Good to know. Of course, I was with the majority of my audience anyway.

I just got back from a very brief journey out West to see the family for a momentous occasion, but more on that later. This, and some following entries, are all about how to de-stress while on vacation, after lots of time in airports, in the air, and with family. It involves Auntie Nettie using one of these: If you're a new reader and you stumble upon this, and you're anti-gun, don't read this post. I'm fine with that. I'm not taking a position one way or another. This entry is about how I dealt with some stress, learned about handgun safety, and how to potentially protect myself. It's not about Constitutional rights, the NRA, or any of that. If that's what you want to read about or debate, this isn't the blog for you ... move along now ... Go on ... Click somewhere else. My feelings won't be hurt. Bye, thanks for visiting.

So ... way back in 2009, I alluded to a shooting trip, but I never really touched on it. J and I spent the day wandering around the wilderness, fending off spirit guides, eating, touring ghost towns, and doing some shooting. In addition to all of the pictures I was taking, I also spent New Year's Day 2009 learning how to fire a 9 millimeter -- part of my resolution to try new things in 2009 and have new experiences.

I do have to add more context to this. I did actually grow up with guns in the house, but they were never of interest or curiosity to me, unlike my brothers. It's thanks to their curiosity that gun locks were installed shortly after Dad discovered their explorations. My father grew up hunting in the mountains of the west. My mother grew up on a farm in the south, and one of her childhood stories includes the tale of the time when her father shot a huge black snake off the screen door. My sisters-in-law had rural upbringings and the video of Christina racking a shotgun is ... educational. Most of the adults in the family have been educated on gun safety and have permits, registration, experience, gun safes, gun locks, etc.

Except for me ... the New Yorker ... the one most likely to actually NEED to know how deal with a gun in the case of a mugging, forced entry, etc. I needed to know how to determine if a bullet is chambered, the safeties are on, how to handle the weapon and not accidentally shoot my toes off. Most importantly, I needed to know that the shots that I get off are going to a) scare away someone b) maim them enough for me to get away, or c) stop them dead. I had expressed this to the men in the family, and J was the first one brave enough and with enough time to attempt to teach his older sister.

New Year's Day 2009 in Utah/Arizona/Nevada was very very bright. The undisclosed location in Arizona was affectionately known as the "drunken redneck shooting zone." There were lots of little spots in these nooks and crannies of bluffs in the desert where many people have dumped computers, toilets, cars, and other garbage, and then wailed away at them with various armaments in both sober and drunken states.

The ground was riddled with shell casings and glass and bits and pieces of porcelain and computer bits. Not the most ecologically hospitable environment (or one in which to traverse in Tevas J!).

After driving around a bit, J found us a location that was away from the clay target shooters, the air rifles, and the other big guns (although we could hear them whining around). He saw this port-a-john and decided to use that as the target.

I have to admit. It was a very weird experience on many levels: little brother as teacher; to be holding a gun AT ALL -- even empty and without the magazine in it; to hear all the shots around us; the feeling of the kick back of the gun when I fired it the first time; the hot jackets of the casing flying back up at your hair and almost down your shirt; trying to figure out what eye to focus with; trying to keep your balance; realizing that this is seriously the most uncharacteristic thing you have ever done. I was squinting in the sun, sinking in the mud, and shaking from the adrenaline. My hair was in my face. Sometimes I had no idea where the shot landed. I was trying not to freak out. I didn't kill myself or J that day, which is good, because if I had, Christina probably would have killed me ... and I wouldn't have gotten to go back.

Flash forward until March 4, 2010. More than a year has passed since the last shooting incident and out of the blue Dad announces that he's taking me off for a "shooting trip." It wasn't something I had planned on doing on this trip, but it was good to spend bonding time with Pop.

This time, we had better equipment and a better location. There was no one else at the undisclosed location in almost Arizona, although it did show some evidence of having been used for similar activities in the past, sans glass, toilets, computers, etc. I had darker glasses, a cap in which to put up my hair, a gigantic sweatshirt with a tight neckline (no casings in the decolletage this time), and ear protectors. Dad borrowed a target frame, so that things weren't blowing around in the wind, and that the height would be better. Since this was my second time, I wasn't so freaked out so my hand wasn't shaking so badly. We were able to work on my stance and aim some more. Dad decided to document it (and I took opportunity later to crop these even more.)

All of my shots hit the paper. Here's the target from the first sets of rounds. The first one was way up to the right in the white. The second was in the right 7 shoulder. The third, I'm proud to say (or appalled?) was a head shot. Aside from a few other "wingings" near the ear and arm, I was on the target. We were working on refiring and aim in the clusterings. I'd say I slowed him down a bit.

I have a great deal more practice to do before I'd say my aim was good or that I felt comfortable with handguns. I don't ever expect I will feel completely comfortable, which is probably a good thing. They are serious weapons. I know enough now to know that I need to know more ... and that I hope I will never have to use that knowledge.

At the end of the session, I felt educated and empowered and like I let a little of the stress off.

As a bonus -- I had worked on my aiming issues so I could do well at what turned into a oh-so-slightly competitive family bowling adventure later that day!

Part 2: Bowling

Recipes from Ollie J -- Pumpkin Biscuits

Here's another example of Grandma Ollie J clipping a recipe from the paper and taping it to a recipe card. I have to say, it's a lot of work to get 1 cup of real mashed pumpkin, especially out of season. I, therefore, will be using Libby's canned pumpkin.

Pumpkin Biscuits

Submitted by Mrs. Donald Grady Hall, Rt. 1, Siloon, N.C.

3 cups self-rising flour
1 tablespoon shortening
4 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup cooked mashed pumpkin (1 cup canned Libby's)

Mix the flour and cut in the shortening. Stir in sugar and pumpkin and mix well. Make up like bread and cut into biscuits. Place on greased baking sheet and bake at 425 (in a preheated oven) degrees for 20 minutes.

At first, I had no idea what "make up like bread" meant. It wasn't until I was trying to mix it up that I realized what this meant. It's not like cookie dough that comes together easily; you have to get your hand in the bowl to mix in all the flour and to knead it together.

I made mini biscuits and watched the cooking time -- it still ended up being about 20 minutes. I made the first batch as above. The remaining batches I "gourmeted" up with demerara sugar.

When will Spring be Sprung?

Dear Mother Nature,

I know that there are four seasons, and that winter comes with snow, slush, ice, rain, and sleet. I understand that we need winter, and we need all this precipitation, but ... combined with grey skies, concrete, travertine, sidewalks, and general griminess, all this is giving me a case of the serious Winter Blahs ...

Not even the winter blues, mind you, because I love blue!

I have the BLAHS!

I need fiery colors. I need bright blue skies. I need greens. I need flowers and foliage. I need botanicals.

I suppose I just could just go back to the New York Botanical Gardens and soak in more nature, like Christine and I did back in mid-November on an unseasonably warm Saturday during the Chrysanthemum Festival.

The Orchid Show is under way and those botanicals are exotic enough. I could always hang out in the desert, the tropical, or the rain forest habitats to defrost, as well. Maybe I could walk around the garden paths to stroll away the blues. Perhaps I'd see some snow drops along the forest floor or the waterfall could sooth the savage beast that I've become.

But Mother Nature, in the meantime, could you help a blahed person out, and hurry along a long delicious, mild spring ... PRETTY Please?

I need to see awesomeness of magnolias, crab apples, and cherry trees in bloom. I need to be blinded by a meadow full of sunny daffodils or a row of forsythia. I need to smell the tangy smell of spring dirt just turned over into a planting bed. I need to see the light blue sky filtered through a scrim of budding tree branches. I need to feel the fuzz of pussy willows in my hands and green soft grass between my bare toes. I need to hear robins singing and morning doves cooing. I need to inhale the rich fragrance of lilacs and be transported back in time to when I was a little carefree child. I even need to smell the intoxicating aroma of a light spring shower.

I need to celebrate spring ... SOON please.

Thanks,

Auntie Nettie

Recipes from Ollie J -- Drop Biscuits

Some of the recipes in Grandma Ollie J's recipe box were from other sources, some of which must have come from the local paper. This one, like others, came from other southern ladies, which Grandma clipped and then taped to recipe cards. Even though I never wrote down Grandma's actual biscuit recipe when she ever so quickly whipped them together (from years of experience), I can guarantee you that mayo was NOT one of the ingredients.

Drop Biscuits

Submitted by Mrs. Emma Ward, Rt. 2, Seven Springs, N.C.

2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup milk
2 tblsp. mayonnaise

Sift flour into bowl. Add milk and mayonnaise. Mix all together and beat as making cake. (aka, no lumps)
Drop into greased muffin tins about half full, bake as biscuits at 400 degrees.
Really quick to make and delicious too! (Well, this is half right.)

This dough was very sticky. I only got about 8 biscuits out of it.

I didn't know how long "bake as biscuits" was, so I started out with the timer going from 10-15 minutes. It was actually closer to 20-25 until these started to brown on top. I probably should have baked them even a bit longer than I did.

These are perfectly acceptable biscuits. However, they are heavier, doughier, and not as flakey as the versions I remember, the kinds you get out of the exploding cans, or the ones served at Cracker Barrel. Stick enough honey or jam on them while they are steaming hot, though, and they're fine.

(The next day? Not so much.)

Safety Reminder from "Crash"

As someone whose life was saved numerous* times thanks to wearing my seat belt, I strongly encourage you to buckle up -- always wear your seat belt.

This is probably the most beautiful safety reminder I've ever seen.

Please share this message and help save lives.

Courtesy of the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership out of the U.K.

*Sadly, I'm not exaggerating.

Auntie Nettie's Merchandise 2010

The year is relatively young, but Auntie Nettie has already been busy crafting. I'm determined to work through the stashes of yarn that have been accumulating in the Attic, so I can learn new skills and work through the stash of fabric that is also piling up. (Everytime I open another trunk, there seems to be another random ball or skein of yarn. It's frightening. I knew I was a pat rack, but still!) As a result of trying to use up the bits and pieces, I have quite a menagerie of colorful creatures. Hopefully someone will adopt them and take them home.

Introducing the first 40 of the 2010 creations:

#40: Purple Patchwork Scarf (as of 12/10 no longer available, donated)

#39 and #37: Black Wooly Sheep

(as of 06/10, #37 is not available; as of 12/10, #39 is no longer available)

#38: Fuzzy Roly Poly Panda (as of 7/11, no longer available, gifted)

#36: White Faced Black Sheep (as of 12/10, no longer available)

#35: Blue Brown Bear (as of 12/10, not available, Toy Society Drop, see here)

#33 and #34: Roly Poly Pandas

(not available, these were Toy Society Drops; see here and here)

#32: Mini Jack-o-lantern

#31: Petite Piglet (as of 04/10 not available)

#30: Grey Lambkin (as of 12/10, no longer available)

#29: Everything is Peachy
(as of 10/2011, no longer available)

#28: Crazy Rainbow Bear w/Scarf

#27: Yellow/Blue Patchwork Bear (not available, to be Toy Society Drop by Tammy and Family)

#26: Maroon/Blue Patchwork Bear (as of 06/10, this was a Toy Society Drop; see here)

#25: Purple/Yellow Patchwork Bear (as of 04/10, this was a Toy Society Drop; see here) #24: Teal Bear (not available, to be a Toy Society Drop by Tammy and Family)

#23: Blue Patchwork Bear w/Scarf (as of 04/10, this was a Toy Society Drop; see here)

#22: Blue Whale with White Eyes (as of 08/11, no longer available) #21: Blue Whale with Black Eyes (as of 08/11, no longer available) #20: Wise-Eyed Baby Blue Whale (as of 08/11, no longer available)

#18: Blue Bear w/Scarf (not available, was a Toy Society Drop, see here) #17: Little Strawberry
(as of 10/2011, no longer available)

Christmas Mice:
l: #19, Red Chenille Mouse (as of 08/11, no longer available)

m: #14-16, White Mice
(as of 08/11, #16 is no longer available)
(as of 12/2011, #14/15 no longer available, gifted)
r: #5-7, 9-13, Holiday-Hued Mice
(as of 12/2011, rest no longer available, gifted)

#3 & 8: Pastel Bunny (no longer available) #4: Large Panda Bear (as of 10/10, no longer available)

#2: Petite Panda Bear (not available, was to be Toy Society Drop by Tammy and Family)

#1: Yellow Bubble Afghan (not pictured, but like these)

If you see something that interests you, please drop me a line for prices and availability.