Just Ask Ida

Don’t Forget to Breathe

Turkey Day leftovers, anyone? I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty much done with all that!

Well, I guess the good thing about havin’ Thanksgiving so early is, it kind of gives us all an extra week of breathing room before the onslaught of holiday parties, open houses and excess. Getting stressed out just thinking about it? Come on, let’s all take a deep breath in. And sigh it out. There! Doesn’t that feel good? In fact, it feels so good, let’s do it again! In, and out. Ah!

My sister Irene and me were talkin’ Saturday morning down to the Busy Bee. We get together once a week for coffee and whatever wonderful thing Babe’s cooked up that catches our fancy.

Irene goes, “Ida, this year I don’t want to get all balled up in craziness ‘round the holidays.”

“I hear you,” I says. “Last year was like that for me. By the time everybody got to the house Christmas Eve, for dinner after mass, I was so worn out, I only half there.”

“Me, too. It was like all of the hullaballoo just caught up with me.”

“Yup. Happens more years than I can count. For Mom, too. Remember how worn out she’d look some years?”

“When are we gonna wise up and do somethin’ about it?”

“Really!” And then it come to me. “’Renie, you want to be my De-Stress Buddy?”

“You bet!” she says. “Let’s come up with a game plan, then we can hold each other to it.”

Over two sides of bacon and Babe’s famous cinnamon swirl French toast with real maple syrup, voila! We come up with our December De-Stressor:

I agree to check in with my buddy once a day, more if needed. You know, if I’m feelin’ overwhelmed, or if things are spinnin’ out of control, I’ll just pick up the phone.

I will only say “yes” to things I really want to do. I will not do things I don’t want to do out of some misplaced sense of obligation. The world does not revolve around me, and it will not come to a screeching halt if I don’t show up.

The house does not have to be perfect! Admittedly, this is a hard one, but I’m doin’ a really good cleaning this week. Then, I’ll just have to maintain it. And if I can’t, that’s OK, too.

If I don’t have time to make something for a party or potluck I really want to go to, I’ll buy something to bring. And if I don’t have time for that, I’ll go empty-handed. (This one makes my heart race a little, but there’s always plenty of food at these things anyways. Folks hardly notice who brings what.) I will just go and enjoy myself.

I will step away from the cheese tray, and the dessert table, and any other irresistible items before I overeat to the point of being uncomfortable. That’s commonsense for most people, but I’m an emotional eater, so being stressed makes me want to take two pints of Ben and Jerry’s and call you in the morning, if you get what I’m sayin’. Once I get sucked into that cycle, well, it only ends in tears.

Instead of buying lots of presents for everyone and her sister, it’s more important to spend good quality time with friends. So I will schedule a get-together with folks who are important to me, and we’ll agree that that is our present to each other. And, hey, not everything has to be in December. A holiday get-together in cold, dark January is something to look forward to, isn’t it? And not just another holiday commitment. Like, instead of givin’ each other presents, Irene and me are going to the New You Spa in Bangor for a massage in January. It’s something we wouldn’t normally spend money on, so it’ll be a real treat. We’ll make a day of it, with lunch, maybe throw in a little shopping at the Bangor Mall (though shoppin’ will have to come first, ‘cause our massage hair might scare the bejesus out of the little ones).

So, that’s what we come up with. It’s helpful just makin’ the list. As my dad says, “Even a bad plan is better than no plan at all.”

So, if the holidays are a crazy time for you, head it off at the pass. Get yourself a De-Stress Buddy and take the pledge. And don’t forget to breathe!

That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!

 

IDA'S PODCAST: Don't Forget to Breath

Give the gift of laughter! Bring Ida home for the holidays
Susan will signing books Friday through Sunday.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30 from 5 to 8 p.m.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
14th Annual Women’s Holiday Art Sale
Jewett-Eastman House
37 Portland St.
South Berwick
207-384-4526
http://www.facebook.com/events/407895385942892/

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 3 to 5 p.m.
(books available 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Susan signing 3 to 5 p.m.)
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 11 a.m.to 5 p.m.
(Susan signing all day)
Studio 315, third floor, head of the stairs
855 Islington St. Portsmouth, NH
207-384-4526
http://www.buttonfactorystudios.com/open_studios.htm

Talkin' Turkey

It sure has been busy down to the A&P, let me tell you, with folks stockin’ up on pumpkin pie filling, stuffin’ mix, Jello, miniature marshmallows and what not. The smart ones are, anyways. Women who plan ahead, picking up the non-perishable items and dry goods, paper products and drinks, a week or two before the holiday. ‘Cause tryin’ to do it all in one big grocery shoppin’ is overwhelming. Just putting together the list is intimidatin’ enough. And you could get a hernia just pushin’ that shoppin’ cart to your car!

Charlie and me go to my sister Irene’s for Thanksgiving. They got more room for all of us over there. I bring the desserts, the green bean bake and the Jello mold salad (or “molded cuisine”, as my niece Caitlin calls it). I was lucky enough to have inherited the mold that’s shaped like a turkey (Irene got the one that looks like a wreath), so Thanksgiving’s mine, Jello salad-wise.

Irene takes care of the turkey, stuffin’ and gravy, and I help her prep the potatoes, squash and the carrot-turnip medley. That’s my favorite part, really: cookin’ with Irene. That and the leftovers!

Now Caitlin and her boyfriend Adam are vegetarians, so she brings a tofu turkey. Believe me, it looks and tastes better than the tofurkey they had in that episode of “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Remember that one? (If not, there’s a link below.) Caitlin makes a vegetarian stuffing, too, and cooks it in a muffin tin. Once her mother saw that, Irene started using the same technique with her stuffing, some in the bird, and the overflow as muffin cups. If you like the crispy part of the stuffing, this is the way to go.

In preparation for the big day, I got a new exercise video. I’d never tried kick boxing, and I thought it was high time I did. You know what? It’s kind of fun. Tryin’ new things keeps you young, right? Though hobblin’ around with achy muscles in places I didn’t know I even had muscles, makes me wonder if that’s really true.

In fact, all the Women Who Run With the Moose are in serious training. Sure, we all love Thanksgiving, but what we’re really lookin’ forward to is our favorite shoppin’ day of the year, Black Friday! At the crack of dawn, we plan to hit the ground runnin’ down to the Bangor Mall. We know from experience that this sort of excursion takes stamina, so we take our preparations seriously.

We have a plannin’ session or two beforehand, where we map out our strategy, when we’re takin’ snack breaks to recharge, and most important, where we’re havin’ lunch! Betty, God bless her, is so organized, she prints out a check-list for all of us:

• Plan outfit
• Charge cell phone
• Set timer on coffee maker
• Organize shopping list, coupons, and sales flyers
• Stock personal first aid kit with pre-moistened towelettes, ibuprofen and Hershey’s Kisses

Shirley makes sure her Bonneville’s gassed up, and we all bring leftover pie for breakfast, which we eat in the car on the way, always with some extra to share.

Now lest you think this extravaganza is all about us, part of our Black Friday planning includes choosin’ a charity to support for the holiday season. You know, something local, like the Senior Center, Food Pantry, or the Women’s Shelter in Bangor. As we’re shoppin’, we pick up little things we think would be nice for these folks. Later, we put together gift bags and deliver ‘em. That’s always a fun day, delivering those bags. How can such a little thing make you feel so good?

This year, there are lots of people who’ve been hit hard by Hurricane Sandy and the economy. So during holiday season and all year ‘round, don’t forget to spread the wealth. You’ll be glad you did.

That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!

Here's that link: “Everybody Loves Raymond,” The Tofu Turkey Thanksgiving

IDA'S PODCAST: Talkin' Turkey

Ida/Susan in your neck of the woods!

NOVEMBER 24:
AuthorFest at Kittery Trading Post
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
With Rebecca Rule and John McDonald. Buy three books, get one for a penny! Kittery Trading Post, 301 US Route One, Kittery, ME. FMI: 888-587-6246
www.kitterytradingpost.com

I’ll be traveling around quite a bit in the next few months, so check back here each Monday for where I’ll be that week, or click on the “Where’s Ida” link to the left to see my full schedule.

If you’d like me to do a reading at your library, organization or what not, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line:
[email protected]
And if your book group wants to read Finding Your Inner Moose, I’d love to be part of the discussion. Especially if food’s involved!

The Royal “We” and Other Odd Behavior

The other day I says to Charlie, “We gotta put the grill in the shed for the winter.” Now, I have no intention of doing this myself. It’s the kind of chore Charlie usually does (after I remind him). We both know that by “we,” I mean “him.”

It’s the same “we” that comes into play when I say, “Boy, that recycling’s sure piling up. ‘Bout time we made a trip down to the transfer station.” Or, “We oughta shore up that bottom step on the deck, don’t you think? Maybe put up a new railing?” It’s the royal “we.”

I got to thinkin’ about it, asking myself if this is a two way street kind of thing. But when it comes to the chores I usually do, I can’t ever remember Charlie saying something like, “Gee, we need to freshen up the bathroom, and maybe give the house a good vacuumin’ this weekend.” Or, “We really should get some new curtains for the bedroom, maybe with a matching duvet and pillow shams.”

Charlie does tend to use “we” when it comes to food, however, as in “What are we cookin’ for supper?” Or, “What are we bringin’ to the pot luck?” That doesn’t quite feel the same, does it? Usually when I’m using the royal “we,” it’s more of a statement, a nice way of askin’ Charlie to do something. “We” is usually followed by “need to” or “should” or “gotta.”

Oh! How ‘bout this? Charlie’s standing in front of the snacks cabinet, starin’ in and he goes, “We gotta pick up some more peanuts and Slim Jims.” Or, “We need a couple bags of Doritos and a package of Little Debbie Cakes.” Now we’re talkin’!

I don’t eat those things (for the most part), and Charlie doesn’t do the grocery shopping (unless you count pickin’ up a quart of milk or a six pack of Bud on the way home), so by “we,” he definitely means “me,” not “him.” That makes me feel better.

Here’s another weird thing that I’ve become aware of lately, and proof that Charlie really and truly doesn’t listen to half of what I say. I go out into the yard where Charlie’s puttering around, right? And I says to him, “What are you doin’?”

And he goes, “Good.”

Later that afternoon, I come in from grocery shoppin,’ and Charlie’s kickin’ back in the den. Bein’ the good wife that I am, I go in, give him a little kiss and say, “Hey there, Charlie. How you doin’?”

“Watchin’ the game.”

Sound familiar? Charlie knows I’ve asked him something, so he answers something back. Takes an educated guess on what I’ve actually asked. Probably better than just gruntin’ at one another. Workin’ down to the A&P, I hear older couples doin’ that: pointin’ at a stick of butter and gruntin’. Now that’s something to look forward to, huh?

Well, I’m gonna go see how “we” are progressing with the raking. Then “we” are gonna scoot down to the A&P to pick up a bag of fried pork rinds and some beef jerky for a certain someone’s huntin’ trip!

That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!

 

IDA'S PODCAST: The Royal We

Ida/Susan in your neck of the woods!

NOVEMBER 16: 
Reading and Signing: "Finding Your Inner Moose"  
4 - 6 p.m.
Barnes and Noble, 45 Gosling Road, Newington, NH 
603-422-7733

NOVEMBER 17:
Signing: Finding Your Inner Moose
11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Skillins Greenhouse Holiday Open House
89 Foreside Road, Falmouth, ME
207-781-3860
http://www.skillins.com/

I’ll be traveling around quite a bit in the next few months, so check back here each Monday for where I’ll be that week, or click on the “Where’s Ida” link to the left to see my full schedule.

If you’d like me to do a reading at your library, organization or what not, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line:
[email protected]
And if your book group wants to read Finding Your Inner Moose, I’d love to be part of the discussion. Especially if food’s involved!