Dang!

A frittata of scalloped potatoes, sauteed shallots and mushrooms, feta and Parmesan cheese accompanied by field greens dressed with a champagne vinaigrette, toast and a fine glass of Trappist ale. Dang!

This was supposed to be day 1 of my new diet and I would like to lose about 15 lbs. I started well with a breakfast of yogurt, fruit and a cappuccino. But then, I read my friend's blog and about how she and her family are moving to England and I became thirsty for ale. I know that my Trappist is not English, but that's what was in the cellar (garage). Certainly this is not a complaint. Trappist ales are some of the finest that I have ever had and I could drink the stuff daily. But, that won't do for a girl who's now officially in her 30's, given birth to two 9lb babies, is pretty much sedentary and takes after her father's side of big boned Germans. Achtung!

Since I'm not self-disciplined and really, like a small child, respond best to pleasure and pain, I'm going to post to the public the progress of my weight loss. As I don't want to suffer the pain of public humiliation, I must succeed. It also helps that my 10-year college reunion is taking place this summer. Must look good for all those people that I really don't know and/or didn't make the effort to keep in touch with. Vanity!

Today's measurements:

Bust = 38 1/2

Waist = 33

Hips = 40 1/2

Weight = 162 lbs

Definitely not a brick house; more like a German Panzer. Dang.

Howdy, Cousins!

Given that this blog hasn't been updated in over a year, and the fact that you all haven't seen pictures of the girls in quite some time, I (John) have taken it upon myself to post some pictures of the girls from 2008. Pauline promises to post more pictures in the future, but for now here's a little something to get you started. Enjoy!

Here are Isabelle and Camille on their first day of Kindergarten and 2nd grade.

Here are cousins Natalie and Logan with the girls and our dog Katie. The girls stayed with my parents while Pauline and I were in London for a few weeks in March.

Here's the whole family during a visit to the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco.

Isabelle became an expert bike rider this year. Camille is still learning, but had a great time riding around the Martinez marina while Katie gave chase.

Christmas time is here. Here we see Isabelle's "game face." She's next in line to see Santa and is making a great effort to mentally prepare herself. The girls asked Santa for American Girl dolls. All that mental preparation paid off because Santa delivered on his promise, giving Isabelle a doll named Elizabeth, and Camille a doll named Kit (after Kit Kitteridge).

I hope you enjoyed the 2008 year in review. I promise to update the blog regularly (if Pauline doesn't get to it first). Talk to you soon!

I Was Wooed By A Leather Clad Hemingway

Ever since I was a small child I have revered and adored books. My father took me for my first visit to the library when I was about 5 years old. Not being a child who reveled in childhood in fact, I found childhood insulting, I bypassed the children's section immediately and settled myself right into the Classical Greek section. I, of course, with my child's mind thought that the best and most important books must be huge. Therefore, needing my father's help in actually carrying the book, I sat at the library table with my copy of Greek mythology. My reading skills were not up to snuff at the time, but I was in book heaven. Not only was I with my favorite man in the whole wide world, but I was also getting my own library card that day. Imagine my delight at being able to take home any book that I wanted!

Many years have passed since that momentous occasion, but love for the written word has only grown stronger. However, my love has become fixated on a relatively small portion of this world's literature. My father and I have replaced the public library with memberships to societies. Please, do not confuse our society memberships with common book clubs. Alas, we belong to a society whose members love words wrapped in leather. That's right, leather bound books my friends. Now, I am well aware of the Freudian implications involved when my father and I receive the latest editions to our libraries and ask each other to feel and smell the books. It is truly a sensual experience that only another lover of the same persuasion could appreciate. My good friend Chad from college teases me and asks me if Hemingway, Tolstoy, or Plato are any better clad in their leathers. One word: Yes. The question, I must assume, can only be rhetorical. Take a strapping man like Hemingway, rub the scent of quality paper and ink on him, clad him in a leather jacket and you've got yourself a recipe for love. All that one may need to top it off is a fine wine and a good smoke.

Good Night.

A Pint With Saint Francis

Today is the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi and I just spent the last hour of my day celebrating it in a pub with my daughters. I was in desperate need of a pint. Immediately, after picking my eldest up from school, we hit the pub. Now pub is really just a fancy name for a bar and going for a pint is really the same as going for a brewski. Nonetheless, I went to the pub and had a pint of lovely "olde world red." However, as I said, I was in desperate need for a drink.



We are a Catholic family and my daughter goes to Catholic school. The youngest is still home with me. As it is the feast of St. Francis and he the patron saint of animals, my daughter's school hosts a blessing of the animals. All are invited to bring the family pet(s) and have them blessed with holy water by our priest. I still find this tradition a bit strange and don't really get it. Nonetheless, I brought Katie, our Craig's List mutt, to get some blessings. Lord knows she needs it. After a successful blessing, Katie proceeded to bite four children causing two to cry and one to bleed. Needless to say, I was stressed, tense and needed a drink.

In order to blend in with kids at a pub at 3:30 in the afternoon, you have to order them some kind of food. I couldn't very well go in, order my pint, and then ask for water for the kids. I was tempted to order big and let the kids pick out desserts to make it look like a special occassion or something. Alas, I settled on the fish and chips and we split it three ways.

Saint Francis, pray for us.

SPLANEYO

I've been inspired by my friend Heather who has produced and maintained an exceptional blog. I love her creativity and eye for beauty that she brings to her blog. What I like most, however, is that I feel I've visited with her and her family after viewing it. SPLANEYO is an ode to motherhood and family and other joys in life. Visit SPLANEYO and you'll see motherhood and homemaking done with grace, elegance, and a sense of humor.



With my blog, I am going to begin by taking an organic approach. I've never done this sort of thing and I don't have a plan yet. I'll let it take a life of its own and see what happens. It'll simply grow from my various musings and hopefully sound not too self-indulgent. I hope you'll visit me once in awhile.

Pauline