Lucy, You got some 'splainin' to do...

     Yup, I know, I'm sorry.  I haven't been here more than two months.  I have a confession though. My last blog post was the weekend before I found out I was pregnant!!!!!!  We are shocked, excited, thrilled, horrified and... 17 weeks along.  So, as I pop Tumsnumberidon'tknowwhat, let me tell you what I've been up to lately.

I'm from the country and I like it that way

"Who says you can't go home", "Up on the ridge", "I'm from the front pew of a wooden, white church"... OK, you get it.  Just about every country song ever written can somehow describe where I grew up and, to some extent where I still live.

My parents' house is in the middle of the woods on a two-lane road on the outskirts of two tiny Pennsylvania towns.  Those who have ever heard the expression Pennsyltucky, have a good idea what I'm talking about.  To be honest though, I really only use that phrase to describe the scenery and lack of retail and dining establishments in a 15-mile-radius.  My parents' house is a beautiful Victorian-style home that they built when I was seven years old.

That's not to say that a trip "out on the ridge" wouldn't net you trailers with tires on the roof, six dogs in one yard or an entire fleet of quads sitting in a person's drive way but, that's not my reality.

Last night the LFW and I went to dinner at my parents' house.  I was greeted with a mojito, (or as my mom mixes them, white rum and mint leaf floating on top for garnish!) on the back porch to sip before dinner.  Dinner was chicken, and the side was tomatoes from the garden, mozzarella cheese and italian dressing.  It was perfect and exactly what I grew up on.  Everyone was a bit excitable and eager to start the weekend so, after dinner we got a little country.

My dad lined the bed of a Rhino (side-by-side quad) with old blankets while I filled up a little cooler with a six-pack of Bush Light beer and my sister's boyfriend made sure he had his new 22-gauge shotgun.  I hopped in the driver's seat, LFW beside me and the kids rode in the bed.

We tore off down over the hill in to "the hollow", about 10 miles of abandoned strip mine.  We splashed through every mud puddle I could find until we got to a beaver dam that had been there since I was little.  We skipped some rocks, shot at some trees and LFW lit up a cigar.  When my sister mentioned there was an actual shooting target around the bend, we all piled in once again and LFW tore off down a road he'd never seen before.

When we got to the high-wall with the target, I laughed.  What kind of redneck got drunk enough to put a garbage can lid secured by a roped on the side of a flat rock wall?  I'm still not sure how that thing got there!  But, we shot at it.  My sister even took a few shots and I out-shot LFW.

A few more miles down the path, 2 beers, a walk across and abandon railroad bridge and the sunsetting, we remembered my mom was going in to town to buy s'more supplies.  That was the end of our trip in the hollow.  We got back and were greeted by Rufus, a fire, s'mores, more beer and even mountain pie supplies! It was the kind of Friday night that's good for the soul every once in awhile and I'm so grateful "That's where I come from."

Until next time!

I'm so sorry for your loss

It's a common misconception that funeral directors or their wives have a superhuman ability to know exactly what to say to a grieving family.  Typically I use a generic response like, "My deepest sympathy" or, "I'm so sorry for your loss."

But sometimes it's a little tougher, when you too are grieving the loss of their loved one.  We lost a very special man this week to a very long battle with cancer.  In my eyes, he was a true hero.  He was a police officer, a volunteer fireman and genuinely a kind soul that wanted to help and protect everyone.

I wanted to go see him during regular visitation hours but I didn't know his parents or family at all.  I asked my husband (The LFD) to walk downstairs with me and introduce me to everyone.  What came next was nothing I was prepared for.  At a time of their tragic loss, they gave ME hugs and thanked me for being in his life.  His closest friends expressed their thanks for my support.  It was an amazing experience.  The problem?  I had no idea what to say.

Sometimes, even though it isn't the words, it's the sentiment, a generic response doesn't cut it.  I was rendered speechless (something that is very rare).  I felt like I had let them down because I didn't have the perfect thing to say.  I walked through the viewing room like a zombie and then went home and cried.

I hope I didn't let anyone down or offend anyone, Tony was an amazing man and everyone who knew him should feel blessed by his short time with us.  Our small town will never be the same without him.

So, I Married a Mortician | SMITH Magazine

In an attempt to procrastinate doing vacation laundry since the LFD forced us to leave the pool because he had to go to work, I found this article. It's another perspective of being an LFW but still very, very accurate. I always get a kick out of people's reactions when I tell them that my husband in a funeral director. Apparently I'm not alone. Enjoy the article!

So, I Married a Mortician | SMITH Magazine

Ciao!

Sunday, and I'm all alone

     I imagine my life isn't much different from those married to doctors and other men who are constantly on call.  There's really just no getting away from the LFD's job.  We live above the funeral home in the third-floor apartment and we're in the process of buying this place.
     There was a time when we first got married that I had a very hard time adjusting to the LFD's work-life.  When we were dating, I saw him practically every day.  What I didn't know is that he was getting up super early to get work done and asking one of the other directors to cover an evening viewings he may have had scheduled.  When we got married, a lot changed.  He settled in to his occupation and became a career funeral director.
     I honestly spent a lot of days crying thinking that he was choosing work over me.  It was incredibly selfish but, fate has a strange way of teaching us lessons.
     A few summers ago, we had a very "busy" spring.  I didn't see the LFD very much and as usual, I couldn't really comprehend why he was gone all the time.  Then it stopped.  Business literally came to a halt in the entire county.  There were days there wouldn't be a single death between two counties and we had gone 30 days without a call.
     It was one of the scariest times of my life.  It turns out, summer has been making a habit of doing this.  Apparently people don't die as often in the summer time.
     Today is May 23.  This week has been busy to say the least.  I've seen my husband for about a total of 4 hours awake all week.  Guess what, I love it!  I have a good healthy fear of what may be coming in June and July so I'm thanking God every day for the business.
This is the part of this entry where I'd like to remind you that, if you're offended by my gratitude for dead people, you probably shouldn't read a blog dedicated to my life as a funeral director's wife.
   So, while the LFD is working today, I'm going to go to a friend's graduation party and then go visit my parents.  My work life isn't the most relaxing right now, it's just that I get weekends off.  I'm learning to find hobbies and interests that I wouldn't otherwise have the chance to do if I didn't have as much me-time.  And, I'm very grateful to my best friend Rufus for always being there for a snuggle when I start to feel lonely.  So, here's the real introduction to my life as an LFW.  Until next time,

Ciao!

Clean Eating

So, I went to the "lady doctor" on Friday.  We talked about baby making and not baby making and the like and one of the things he suggested was working on losing a little weight.  A relative suggested I look in to the Clean Eating Diet by Tosca Reno.  It seems wonderful and I'm definitely going to give it a shot!  Basically, the idea is to eat food as close to how it appears in nature as possible.  THAT is the lifestyle part.  Since it is highly regarded by physique contestants, there are certain principles that make it a diet.  Those principles are to:
1.  Eat 4-6 servings of fruit and vegetables a day
2.  Eat 2-4 servings of whole grain complex carbs a day
3.  Eat 6 servings of protein a day
4.  Eat 6 meals a day
5.  Follow the prescribed portion sizes.

So, as my first week of eating clean approaches, I've come up with a meal plan for the rest of the week.
Monday -
Breakfast - Whole Wheat toast with natural peanut butter and a cup of pineapple chunks
Snack - LF Cottage Cheese and strawberries
Lunch - Salad with grilled chicken
Snack - Whole wheat crackers (Kashi), low-fat babybell cheese and carrot sticks
Dinner - Ultimate Smoothie
Tuesday -
Breakfast - Kashi Unity cereal with skim milk and strawberries
Snack - Natural low-fat plain yogurt, granola and pineapple
Lunch - Campbell's Select Soup
Snack - Vegetable sticks, cheese
Dinner - Grilled Chicken salad
Snack - Peanut Butter bread and strawberries
Wednesday - 
Breakfast - Yogurt, toast and strawberries
Snack - Cottage Cheese and pineapple
Lunch - Green Salad, tuna and balsamic vinaigrette
Dinner - Cocktail Party
Snack - Ultimate Smoothie
Thursday - 
Breakfast - Kashi Unity, skim milk and strawberries
Snack - Cottage Cheese and pineapple
Lunch - Golf tournament
Snack - vegetable sticks and cheese
Dinner - Golf tournament award dinner
Snack - probably won't need one
Friday -
Breakfast - Ultimate Smoothie
Snack - Yogurt, granola and strawberries
Lunch - Kashi whole grain crackers, cheese and carrot sticks
Snack - Almonds and apple slices
Dinner - BBQ Burgers on whole grain roll, vegetable sticks
Snack - Vegetable sticks and humus

So there it is!  Throughout the week, I'm planning on giving updates as well as providing recipes for some of the food I'm trying this week.  If you are familiar with this lifestyle or just have some words of encouragement, feel free to leave a comment!  Until next time ~
Ciao!

Preventing Insanity

Every week I create a menu on Sunday night for the following week.  Monday night, I go grocery shopping and buy everything I need to make everything on my menu.
This is probably one of the most important rituals of my week.  With the LFD's schedule and my need for structure, this works well for us.  No matter what is happening, I know I have all the ingredients for a well-rounded meal without going out to the store every night.  I will admit, I typically leave any weekend food that needs bought for Friday night or Saturday morning, simply to preserve freshness.  Below, you will find my menu for the week starting Monday, May 3.  If you see something you'd like the recipe for, let me know!  I'll post recipes throughout the week as I create them!  I hope you find this practice helpful in mainstreaming your own life.  It has certainly helped me!

Monday:  Garlic Chicken, cous cous and steamed vegetables
Tuesday: "Tyrone" subs
Wednesday:  Tacos and tres leches cake
Thursday:  Leftovers
Friday:  Pancakes and sausage or bacon
Saturday:  Mother's Day dinner for LFD's mom and grandma
Sunday:  Coq Au Vin

Let's talk about weight loss

I played softball in high school and was in very good shape.  During the off-season, I worked out at home or at the gym.  In college, I fell off a little bit but still made it to the gym when I could.  I gained about 20 pounds in college but was still happy with the way I looked.

Then, I met the LFD.

Croissants from French Women Don't Get Fat

This is a 3-day project. You won't mind though because they are wonderfully buttery and flaky and well-worth the work! You can use this recipe to make the Ham and Cheese croissants if you don't have a bread maker.

Ham and Cheese Croissants

I used a breadmaker recipe from the Bread Machine: Kitchen Handbook by Jennie Shapter for these but if you follow French Women Don't Get Fat croissants recipe and fill them before the second-to-last step, you'll get the same result!

These turned out wonderfully and they were a great way to get rid of leftover Easter ham! Enjoy!

I forgot about March

I can't believe I didn't post one entry for the entire month of March! I don't have any real excuse except that life got insane as is my custom every year. I had new events at work I needed to plan and host, I tried some Spring cleaning and tacked on a little trying to make a baby this year, just for fun!

*For the record, cycle 2 was a fail, but, maybe this will be our cycle and everything will be happen in threes. This will be our third pregnancy and third cycle TTC. Hopefully it will work!

I hope you all had an amazing Easter or Spring Holiday or just delightful April 4. I promise I'll be more diligent with posts from now on! On the agenda for upcoming posts - Ham and Cheese croissants and regular croissants, more baby-making chaos, Spring Cleaning, and my life and a funeral director's wife. Stay tuned!

* Ciao!

Cheddar, Bacon and Chive Biscuits

After making these biscuits, I now have no reason to go to Red Lobster. They may not be an exact replica, but, in my opinion, they're better! Enjoy!

~Recipe found in February 2010 Bon Apetit Magazine~

Ingredients:

6 thick-cut bacon slices

3 3/4 cups bread flour

1.5 tbsp. baking powder

1.5 tsp. baking soda

1.25 tsp salt

1/2 c. chilled unsalted butter cut into 1/2 cubes

2.5 c. coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/3 c. chopped fresh chives

1 3/4 c. chilled buttermilk

Photo Caption- My blender didn't work so well as a food processor so, I used a masher and my hands but, it worked pretty well!

Recipe:

Position rack just above center of oven and preheat to 425*. LIne heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then chop coarsely.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter cubes. Blend until coarse meal forms, about 30 seconds. Transfer flour mixture to large bowl, Add cheddar cheese, fresh chives and chopped bacon; toss to blend. Gradually add buttermilk, stirring to moisten evenly (batter will feel sticky).

Using lightly floured hands, drop generous 1/2 cup batter for each biscuit onto prepared baking sheet, spacing batter mounds about 2 inches apart.

Bake biscuits until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Brish biscuits lightly with melted butter. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve biscuits warm or at room temperature with honey, if desired.

I can't wait to serve these with homemade Loaded Baked Potato Soup tonight!!!

"To Die For" Hot wings

If I was going to marry my husband, I needed to learn how to make hot wings. Here is what I came up with. This is what we had for our Super Bowl Sunday dinner.

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter (half cup)

2 c. Hot sauce

2 dozen chicken wings (separated)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400*

Fry thawed wings in batches recommended by your fryer for 10-15 mins. In the meantime, melt butter in microwave safe bowl (I use a Tupperware container with a lid). Stir in hot sauce.

When the wings are done, remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to the bowl with hot sauce mixture.

Cover bowl and toss the wings to coat with sauce.

Remove wings from sauce and place on aluminum foil line baking sheet.

*Repeat as necessary*

Bake for 5 - 10 minutes in oven

Enjoy!

A letter to my angels

My sweet babies,

I am so sorry that I wasn't able to bring you in to this amazing world. I can only try to believe that God has a special purpose for you in Heaven and I can't wait to find out what that is when I meet the two of you some day.

Your father and I love you very much. We didn't have the chance to meet you but you were very, very real to us. One of you was with us on our honeymoon. I still have the Ogunquit onesie we bought for you. We were scared and had no idea what we were going to do. We had only been married a month when I found out you were with us but we were also very excited. I remember by the time we were driving home from Maine, all we could talk about was the amazing things we were going to do with you when we got to meet you.

The other, came in to our lives last summer and shared your dad's 26th birthday with us. We felt like we were finally "ready" to go on this adventure again. I tried to do everything right. I didn't touch caffeine, took my vitamins and tried not to over exert myself. Sadly, you were with us for a shorter time than the angel before you. We were suppose to meet you tomorrow. I suppose it's kind of ironic that we're facing white-out conditions and minus 20 wind chills. Your dad and I were joking at dinner tonight that I'd have to have you at home because who knows if we could make back down the mountain tonight!

To some people, you were just a line on a stick. A faint one at that. But I knew. I knew I was going to be your mommy whether I got to meet you in the outside world or not. I loved the feeling of not being able to suck in my belly because you were there. I love that while I was walking through the streets of Newport, RI, I would get a little winded and need to sit down for a minute. I adored the way that even though I had made my favorite meal of cornish hens with all the trimmings, all I ate that night was a can of peas, because that's the only thing I really wanted.

I will never stop thinking about you. I only hope and pray that you are OK where ever you are. Please ask Jesus to bless us while we try to get pregnant again and have a live baby. Know that if we ever have a full-term baby, they will never take the place of you, simply be an addition to you. We love you more than anything in the world. Please be in peace.

Love,

Mommy

Day of mixed emotion

I work for Children's Miracle Network through a local children's hospital in Central PA. Today I had the privilege to have lunch with one of our Miracle Kids. He's six years old and has been diagnosed with Progeria. Progeria is a condition that is often referred to as "early aging disease". This little boy has more life and personality than most people I know. He is very animated and loves to play and be the center of attention. He completely consumed my heart this afternoon.

After parting ways I was then informed by a co-worker who works more closely with the family that he's not doing very well. He's been starting to have strokes (a common symptom late in the disease) and the doctors at our hospital are afraid there may not be very much more they can do for him.

On the way home from my meetings today ( a two-hour drive) I cried. I have never felt so much emotion toward a person I have just met in my entire life. This little boy steals your heart away. This is one of the hardest parts of my job but if a fundraiser I held has helped to buy even one piece of equipment that he used while being in the hospital, it's made it all worth it.

Post holiday cleaning

The tree is down, the mistletoe put away and the cookies are just about gone. If you're like me, right about now you're thinking that the house, apartment in my case, is looking pretty darn bare and boring.

Take this time to fight the winter blues and get caught up on some cleaning by starting a new routine. It has taken me forever to figure it out but, life (housework at least) really is easier when you have a plan of attack!

I've been using a list from Real Simple Magazine to help guide my daily cleaning. One thing I have added to this list is laundry. I am constantly behind on laundry but every night, I take whatever is lying around and put it in my laundry sorter in the basement. This way, as soon as I get a full load, I can throw it in the machine and wash it.

Now that I have the apartment put back together, I'm working on a few small projects to mix things up a little bit. Our fireplace mantel is a bit of a general mish-mash so, I'm working on pulling that together. This is it's current status. As you can tell, it's boring and needs a little updating. The picture above from mantelscapes.com is my inspiration of the new fireplace. I adore French Country style and even though our living room has a lot going on, I think it might help pull it all together.

In addition to the fireplace, I'm also working on our bedroom. There isn't anything "wrong" with it but, it sure has a lot more potential than what we're utilizing. My vision is a calm and soothing room that is a homey feel but hotel-style luxury. This is the room where I should be able to just collapse after a long day and feel completely at ease. Right now, our bed spread is calming greens and browns but, everything seems to be blending together with our wooden bed, cream colored carpeting and wooden dressers and night stands. I'd like to give it all a little bit of refreshing color similar to this bedroom from Real Simple.

So what projects are you planning for the rest of the winter? Share your thoughts and ideas over the next week for your dealing with the end of the holidays and the rest of wintertime!

Until next time,

The LFW

Welcome!

Thanks for stumbling upon the brand new LFW. For those of you who don't know, I am a funeral director's wife. I kind of stole from my husband's "Licensed Funeral Director" title for the name of this new blog.

Not only does my husband work an irregular schedule, I work full time. This is simply a journal of our unique life interspersed with some favorite recipes, cleaning tips and organization skills that translate in to anyones busy life. In short, it's my life as a "LFD's" wife.

Enjoy!

~ Me