Ode to my Mother-in-Law

It's been slow here.  Sorry.  Between kids, family and life, things get crazy.  I get crazy.  Let me sit you down a little bit and tell you the kind of crazy the LFD and the people around me actually deal with.

Hardcore Mudd Run!

As I've said in previous posts, I'm a fundraiser for a local children's charity.  We have a new event happening this year called the Hardcore Mudd Run.  It is a 6.5 mile obstacle run on the side of a ski slope.  It's going to be quite a thing and as the coordinator for the charity they have chosen to support, I get to participate!

Stationery Card

Sweet Sailing Birthday Invitation

Party invitations and announcements for college graduates.

View the entire collection of cards.

How to behave in a funeral home

I never fail to be amazed at the way people act when visiting a funeral home.  So, let's go over a quick list of things a funeral home is not:

1.  Playground - The many rooms might look like the greatest place ever for a round of hide and seek from stinky Aunt Peg, put they're actually for dead people.  That's right kids, that box over there, it has a dead person.  That means you should be more concerned with being on your best behavior to avoid a zombie uprising.

2.  A art or music studio of any sort - I'm personally not intrigued but, I guess I can see the allure of stools and tile floor.  HOWEVER, just because they're there, doesn't mean you should hurl them about to see what kind of sound it makes.  If you want an experiment, let's see what sound I make when you wake my sleeping baby in the nursery above you.

3.  A beer garden or bar - Yes, I know that our little town doesn't have any open container laws, and I'm very familiar with the many Snoop Dogg songs from my youth.  But, if we're going to "pour out a little liquor" for great Uncle Leroy, let's keep it to the hood, farm, or suburban neighborhood in which you reside.

Unfortunately, there is such a veil of mystery around death and funerals that no one is really taught how to behave.  I grieving adults may lead to out-of-control kids but, if you believe you will be so consumed with trying to cope with the loss, find a babysitter.  It's not fair to everyone else that is grieving to also deal with your hell children.

Until next time.
 Ciao!

LFW

It's the little things...

Today was one of those days that just opened my eyes and heart.  I realized I have so much for which to be thankful.  While one of our family members is facing yet another scary, stressful part of their son's young life, I was taking a nap with my beautiful little boy on my chest.

Hello 2012!!!

2011 brought us one of the most amazing blessings of our life.  We waited for Sebastian for five years. After two miscarriages and lots of patience, he arrived on April 25 of this year.  What an incredible little boy he is.  He is growing every single day and he is truly amazing to watch him learn the world around him.

If you want something done right...

Don't ever ask a male co-worker with an inferiority complex. 

I'm back

Through much flip-flopping and experimenting, I dabbled with creating a new blog - The Corporate Housewife - except, it just didn't feel right.  I felt like LFW is where I'm suppose to be.  I might be saying that as a much more loaded statement than as it appears.

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!!!