Robin Williams says, "Spring is nature's way of saying Let's Party!"
With everything blooming at one time right now I think Mother Nature must really mean it this year. So we are partying - our way - with food, family, friends, sports and animals. Far be it from us to disappoint Mother Nature.
We can make a party out of most anything. Even doctor appointments. It's that glass half full thing. Jay had an appointment to see his amazing endocrinologist in Chapel Hill. Trust me, having Type 1 Diabetes since age four has been no picnic for Jay but he has learned that it's better to control diabetes than let it control you. So instead of moaning about having a doctors appointment 3 hours from home, we looked at it as a great opportunity for a ROAD TRIP! Jay caught up with old friends from his year at NC State, with old friends from Shelby and with several cousins. I was in the mood for a Road Trip too so I tagged along and enjoyed some R&R at Judy's condo. Jay and I had dinner at the Red Dragon which is our favorite Asian restaurant in Raleigh. Dr. B gave Jay a good report but it was in a sort of "stroke and upgrade" manner. Meaning, he congratulated Jay for having good test results and then outlined ways for improvement. They communicate in a common language - basketball - so basically the advice boiled down to sticking with the fundamentals. Many basketball teams could have used that advice this year.
We made a party out of work when The Hunger Games was released. Having had the fun opportunity to be close to some of the filming of the movie was one of the highlights of last year. I am a total fanatic of all things Hunger Games and love the mockingjay pin that David surprised me with last Christmas. It was such a fun experience and also some really hard work. Turns out movie making is way tougher than it seems.
We were blown away when we learned that David III and David IV were listed in the movie credits. We were also blown away that it became one of the most successful movies of all time in the first week. With all the excitement, Judy called to say she wanted a bumper sticker that says, "I grew up in District 12".
Another party broke out when our friends Walter and Lucille Dalton dropped by for a reception at our house. They have been friends for many years and now Walter happens to be North Carolina's Lt. Governor. Hopefully he will be our next Governor and we were excited to support him in that quest. Susan had recently held a similar event and had advised me that she wasted some energy stressing over things that no one noticed. Boy was she right on that one. With alot of sweet helpers we worked and worked getting the house and yard in ship shape, planning menus and cooking for the reception. I laughed out loud when I received a kind thank you note from one of the attendees. She did mention the food and yard and then waxed poetic about how charming our dogs and cat are. Dingo, Simba and Mr. Cat always steal the show.
I had especially worried that late March is not one of the prettiest times of year for the yard. Typically camellias are blooming and that's about it. But this year, we have had the most unusual warm springtime which made everything in our yard bloom at once. Even things that typically bloom in May were blooming for the reception. Azalea, iris, dogwood, hydrangea, camellia and geramium blooms brought bright colors and a wild assortment of shapes and textures to the yard. This season's blooms are breathtaking. Mother Nature sure knows how to party.
Along about this time, Quinn arrived in town with Mary Katherine and Robert. It started with an adult party - The Heart Ball - which sweetly honored Kathie. Then it turned into a fun kids party for me because I had a couple of opportunities to keep the children. I enjoyed turning back the clock a little and remembering the joy and innocence of little tykes. MK loved picking flowers and playing with Simba and I found a Carolina - I mean Citadel - Blue basketball for Robert. Can't start 'em too early.
Lynn was in town for several days as well and we loved having her over for comfort food. She saw The Hunger Games with Quinn and Sister and then was moved when Tony used the story to illustrate hope and sacrifice during Sunday's church sermon. Growing up in District 12 requires alot of hope and strength. Lynn possesses both and she possesses a profound faith that gives others hope and strength. She is a steel magnolia and I bet she could shoot a bow and arrow if she wanted to.
Mother Nature took our breath another way with some pretty fierce weather in Dallas, Texas. Thank heavens for modern technology and being able to text with David IV who informed us he was 50 feet underground in the stadium tunnel. He and others rode the winds and hail out in about as safe as place as you can hope for. Susan and I were in South Carolina watching live television reports as huge transfer trucks were tossed around like Tonka toys. Thankfully most damages were to property and not humans so we were grateful for that.
Susan and I were in South Carolina on our annual Spring Break Mom Style to watch the Family Circle Women's Tennis Tournament. It's always fun to see tennis at the professional level and always gives me the bug to get out and play again. We didn't play any tennis this time but we did follow the picturesque path from the house out to the ocean for beachwalking.
While I was in Isle of Palms, Allie - who may be the most organized person I know - taught me a new trick for 'boiled' eggs. They are actually baked. She puts the eggs into a muffin pan, no water, and then bakes in the oven at about 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Then she cools and peels the eggs for egg salad or whatever. Allie learned this from Pinterest which I signed up to do several months ago. There are a good many folks following me on Pinterest and to all of you I apologize for not pinning anything but I just haven't gotten back to that yet. Allie tried bravely to help me organize my laptop, ipad, iphone and then synch it all to the cloud. Whatever. After learning that I have two iclouds and 3 email accounts Allie suggested that I need to go on an email diet. Dieting is not my strong suit but I promised to try.
When I returned home I had a request from Katie to blog an Easter Recipe. Here's an easy one that Susan taught me years ago. We were talking about it the other day and Susan pointed out that the best thing is that you can serve it room temperature so you can do ahead of time and then just put in a bowl until ready to serve.
Susan's Roasted Asparagus
Use tender baby asparagus and cut off any tough end pieces.
Layer asparagus in a baking pan in one layer. Use 2 parts olive oil and 1 part sesame oil or you could use all sesame oil. Susan is right - the sesame oil gives it a great flavor.
Brush oil onto asparagus very lightly. Sprinkle on a very small amount of kosher salt. Can't remember if Susan said to but I added a little fresh ground pepper.
Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees. As Susan says, some people like it crunchier than others so you can adjust the time to your liking. Less time = more crunchy. Roasted Asparagus can be done ahead of time. Just put into a pretty bowl and set aside till ready to serve at room temperature. Happy Easter!
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