Category Archives: Lifestyle

The Great Bra Adventure — Or the Great Divide Between the Sexes

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I’ve had this story swimming around in my brain for a couple of months since our return from France, so when Mama Kat‘s “Bra” prompt was posted, I jumped at it. For the men among my readers — you have NO IDEA how difficult it can be to do something as simple as buying a foundation garment.

The great bra adventure — we ladies have all done it.

Capturing our girls and depositing them into the most flattering and hopefully sexy undergarment we can afford. Finding the right bra is right up there with trying on swimsuits, but since I no longer care about swimsuits, the great bra adventure was my most traumatic experience in recent times.

I remember the exact minute when I had finally dieted my way to a 36C — a lovely size where I could find cute and sexy little pieces of lace and elastic in which to deposit my girls. Unfortunately, the way I got to be a 36 C was to “eat” nothing but coffee for most of my day. Not such a good idea in the long run of life, and not one that lasted very long.

Many years and many pounds later, I’m a 44 DD. I’m living up to what my father called my “sturdy German girl” heritage. I can’t believe I’m actually putting this down for all to see, but I’m going there — right now.

It was time to bite the bullet.

I needed some new bras for our upcoming vacation; I decided that I could not leave my worn bras with frayed elastic out to dry in hotel rooms. I got all excited about going to a local lingerie store called Betty Schwartz — she’s a legend in the Chicagoland area. I “may have” thought I was going to encounter the ladies and the stock featured in Double Divas, but I was dead wrong. I walked into the store for a fitting, was surrounded by ordinary white, beige, and black lingerie and a MAN! No beautiful lacy underwire bras, no corsets, no garter belts, and no Molly and Cynthia. Remember when Ven on Project Runway was so dismissive of the plus-size woman he had to dress? I was not going to put my girls out on display for a salesman, even if he works in a lingerie shop. Thank goodness he called for reinforcements and a woman came out of the back room to fit me.

The story started badly and ended even worse.

There was only one bra in the store that fit me, and not a single black bra for me to even try on. I bought the bra, and ordered another one to be delivered to my house in time for the vacation. I wore it the next day, and found that the underwires in the center poke out when I sit down, thus creating a third “girl.” Could it get any worse? Well, maybe.

I went to every plus-size store in town and several department stores, all the while knowing that some security person was laughing hysterically while watching me try on ten bras at each of these dressing rooms with no luck. Finally, at Torrid I bought an underwire bra that practically could stand up and tap dance on its own. It definitely did good things for the look of my girls, but I would need to buy all new clothes in order to accommodate the padding plus underwire, and I’m pretty sure I might attract some undesirable attention. After wearing it at home, it became clear that I would need a smaller size in this bra. After actually thinking that I had a winner, I had to go back to Torrid to return the sucker.

Now we’re at day four in the great bra adventure and I’m leaving for vacation really soon.

Rethinking my choices, I decided to go to Penney’s and resort to the old lady’s comfort bra, the Playtex 18 Hour 4088. It has a band around my ribcage that doesn’t cut off my circulation. Check. It has thicker straps so that my shoulders don’t get any deeper grooves than they already have. Check. And it doesn’t have underwires that poke me under the arms or stick out like a third breast. Check. And they had three of them in pretty beige and white lace. I was sold.

But wait. I wear black all the time and I needed black bras for this trip and STILL didn’t have a new one. So now, to add insult to injury, I had to go online to order two more in black and hope that they would arrive in time for my vacation. I found them at amazon.com and had them in time for the trip, saved once again by internet shopping.

The ladies I traveled with for this vacation were discussing among themselves what they would pack and what their husbands would need. What a relief it would be to pack like a man — underwear, socks, chinos, button-down shirts, and a couple of pairs of shoes. No concerns about whether one’s underwear is black or white or whether the leopard print bra will show through. No concerns about whether to bring a skirt or not, and if you do, what shoes will you wear with it? They don’t have the packing dilemma that women have when preparing to go on vacation. And I’ll bet that it’s a rare man who has to bare his “appendage” in a public dressing room to see if it fits in his boxers. I’m just sayin’ . . .

Fast forward to our homecoming from France. The bras worked well, even the one with the pokey underwire, and all was well in bra-land — until I remembered that I had paid IN ADVANCE for the underwire bra that I ordered from Betty Schwartz. Not only did it not arrive in time for the trip, it never arrived at all. I couldn’t find the receipt in my stack of papers that accumulated from the trip, but decided to call anyway, and the same guy answered. He told me that they don’t store their special orders by customer name, they store them by the manufacturer of the bra. I didn’t know the manufacturer (since I was on my cell phone), so he couldn’t look to see if the BRA I PAID FOR was even in the shop.

The next day I got a call from a lovely young woman telling me that the black bra I had ordered was in the other location of Betty Schwartz and she asked me if I wanted to come in and try it on. Now we are about six weeks out from my original visit and she’s not talking about the bra I PAID FOR! I told her the whole sad story and she found my original bra — it was in the wrong location and they had never called me or sent it out. Finally, I found someone who provided customer service and she sent the second pokey bra out in the mail. It arrived and I thought I was finally done with Betty Schwartz.

Then they called me again… wondering if I wanted to come in to try on that damn black bra.

I was polite. I really was.

Thanks to Mama Kat for allowing me to get this story off my literal and figurative chest. I’m guessing that my “bra” story is going to be only one of many. It was cathartic, but now everyone is going to know my bra size. Oh, well — my girls can’t hide in real life, so there’s no point in worrying about hiding them online.

I guess the old adage holds true, even in the virtual world. If you’ve got ’em, flaunt ’em!

Be sure to stop by Mama Kat’s Writers Workshop and make some new friends!

Cooked: A Manifesto for Summer Reading

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As tech week for Godspell continues to have its way with me, I’ve actually started to think about life beyond Sunday. And that life includes being careful about what I eat.

It’s not that I haven’t been eating and cooking more carefully. We don’t eat takeout food for supper nearly as much as we did when I was teaching. We know which organic fruits and veggies are musts, and which don’t have to be organic. I’m learning how to make my own salad dressing to control salt, fat, additives and sugar. I’m limiting my morning trips to McDonalds for breakfast. I’m MUCH better than I was a year ago.

But I’m still eager to do more. Yesterday I sent out the call on Facebook for midweek farmers’ markets and found options for Tuesday and Wednesday. With my hometown Saturday market and the Sunday market that is on the way home from church, I can buy most of what we eat this summer from our nearby Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois farmers.

But it’s not just eating close to the soil. It’s actually being proactive about reading labels and knowing what’s in my food.

I’ve been watching Food Network Star on Sundays, and one of the chefs is staking his big chance to have a network food show on what he calls the “culinary sins” including sugar, fat, bacon and liquor.  I’m interested in watching how this plays out, because in his real life back in San Francisco, Russell Jackson “takes local, fresh ingredients and gives them a whimsical twist.” His website for his underground restaurant company is as shrouded in campy mystery as his point-of-view is on Food Network Star, but I think I’m going to like what he cooks. There’s nothing wrong with adding a little wine to one’s skillet.

You’re probably asking how my avowed plan to “eat healthy” connects with the seven culinary sins.

I also saw on Facebook — and don’t lecture me about how Facebook has become my major source of news — that Michael Pollan has written a new book. The Kitchn.com reviewed Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation, and I am eager to hear what else Pollan has to say. I’ve read The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food, but I think I’ll start again with a revisit to Pollan’s writings before I read Cooked. After a year of purposeful eating, I think I’m in a better mindset to read and internalize Pollan’s manifesto, but I can’t actually remember how far he wants me to go in avoiding those “culinary sins.”

So watch for reviews of Michael Pollan’s books this summer, and maybe some recipes. I’ve got my reservations with some reading!

New Bells for Notre Dame

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Our friend Judy came back from her trip to France all agog about having seen these bells being manufactured for Notre Dame. The video is in French, but worth the view to see these beauties!

You can read about the bells in English here at the Paris Perfect Blog.

Since the new bells will be installed in time for Easter, I’ll be able to hear them on our trip to Paris in April. Yay!

 

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While not precisely what Marty had in mind, when she asked us to link up to her cloche party, I couldn’t resist sharing this post. After all, the word cloche is actually French for “bell” and when you listen to the French video, you will hear the word cloche over and over again as they talk about the new bells for Notre Dame. I hope you enjoy this trip to France and a very interesting story!

Tablescape Thursday: Spring into France

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One thing I’ve learned since I’ve started stalking following tablescaping blogs is that when I see a wonderful piece at a good price, I should grab it.

That was the case with this beautiful 60″ x 120″ Indian cotton tablecloth from April Cornell that I got at Home Goods for $24.99. The blue and green paisley with yellow accents was just the shot of spring I needed in my dining room — it’s unclear here in Chicagoland whether it’s winter or spring, so I voted for spring! The tablecloth has mitered corners with a sewn-in border and is stunning. Although it’s actually a traditional Indian paisley, to me it says country French and that was where I went with it.

I got to work gathering up pieces from around the house that would complement the colors of the bold tablecloth but not necessarily compete with it. I started with these very bold placemats. Nope. Too much.

I went back to my trusty pewter chargers from last week (sending a quick thank you to my mother-in-law’s memory) and layered my mom’s sweet china (Claridge from Four Crown China) with the World Market Indian cotton napkin. I like how the clear salad plate shows off the beautiful blue and grey stripes of the napkin.

Since every party at my house always starts with appetizers as people gather, I envisioned the dinner beginning with Basil – Lemon Sorbet as a palate cleanser. It would look beautiful in my inherited sorbet glasses. My mother-in-law loved these swirl dishes; does anyone know what the pattern is?

I grabbed the antique etched glass goblets and simple water glasses for beverages. The combination of complex and simple helps to balance the table.

For my centerpiece, I started with a crystal cake plate and put a large hurricane on it with the bright blue candle. Again, too much and too tall. Then I turned the cake plate upside down and put another of my glass plates as a candle bobeche. Perfect proportions.

As the pieces started to come together, I knew I didn’t even have to get fresh flowers for this table. The silk flowers and vines that I already had were perfect for the setting. The “white” flower ring from Partylite turned out to actually have a complementary yellow cast, and the ivy sets off the beauty of the Chinese and Delft teapots.

Finally, I knew that I had to have some pops of yellow to complement the yellow in the tablecloth, so I pulled out a few pieces of French Quimper pottery from my (mother-in-law’s) collection. They are not usable for eating as they are old and likely have lead in their glazes, but putting four small plates on stands completed the centerpiece.

After I arranged the fake ivy, I realized there was room for another set of candlesticks at each end, so on the table went more Quimper with votives set on top. (You’ve probably figured out by now that I hate getting wax on my tablecloths and almost always use bobeches and votives.)

If my table could talk, it would say, “Passez une bonne journée!”


I’m linked up today to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. Be sure to stop by and see some other inspirational tablescapes!

 

Tablescape Thursday: Celebrating Storks and Babies

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We were privileged to be a part of beautiful baby Lindsay’s baptism and celebratory party. Lindsay’s flowers and her adorable photo served as the inspiration for today’s baby shower tablescape. I tucked Lindsay’s photo from her baptism invitation into a cranberry glass box.

Of course, Lindsay’s party needed to be centered around PINK so I created a floral centerpiece in my favorite hobnailed cranberry glass bowl. Everything looks good in this vase.

When planning this centerpiece, I grabbed the wood carving that my father created for my children of a stork delivering a baby.

When my mother and father visited the Netherlands, my father became intrigued with the rooftops and chimneys in the lovely cities.

Pewter chargers laid on a cream lace tablecloth and cream and pink floral placements set the stage for the place settings.

Every hostess should own at least twenty plain white plates to use as a base for table settings. Mine are Pfaltzgraff Filigree and can go from the most formal table to an outside party on the patio.

On top of the white service plate, I layered a rimmed soup bowl (Claridge from Four Crown China); this was my mom’s china and these bowls work well for salad or soup.

We received eighteen Cristal d’Arques wine and water glasses for our wedding thirty years ago. We assumed some would break along the way — we still have all thirty-six glasses! Our swirly champagne glasses would certainly be filled with pink champagne for this event.

To add a little pink flair, each place setting is topped by a cranberry juice glass with a sparkly daisy.

Setting this table was special for me, as it features both my family heirlooms and the darling grandchild of my heart. Every time I see my dad’s stork carving, I want to visit the Netherlands and find out what inspired him. He’s not here with us any longer to tell me, so I’ll have to see it for myself.

I’m linking up today to Between Naps on the Porch. Stop by Susan’s blog to see some fabulous tablescapes to inspire you!

 

 

 

What to Wear Wednesday: Travel Edition — On the Plane

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I’ve been struggling with the dilemma of packing light for most of my life.

And yes, I know that should actually be lightly, the adverb rather than the adjective. I am being colloquial. 🙂

I’ve been following a fabulous blogger at Fifty Not Frumpy, and she posts inspiring outfits every day.  Since I’m a visual learner — I’ll bet that doesn’t come as any surprise to you — I decided to create some collections of my own to help me pack. If you click into the collection, you will be directed to my page at Polyvore, where you can find specifics about each of the items in the collection.

Travel Edition: On the Plane

Each piece in this collection will be used later in your travel, but will also be comfortable on the plane. Since overseas travel often requires me to arrive in the morning, I don’t want to look like I’m wearing my pajamas when I get to my hotel.  This collection of knits will travel well and will look fresh until you have time to change your clothes.

 Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. – Mark Twain

 

Our World Tuesday: Salzburg’s Mirabell Palace and Gardens

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Travel plus movies. Fun and funner.

As soon as we planned our trip to Austria, I knew I wanted to take the Sound of Music tour in Salzburg. Yes, I was the subject of ridicule among my friends, and Music Man barely tolerated the idea. But how could I go to Austria without seeing where Julie Andrews made cinematic history?

Today’s photo tour takes us to the Mirabell Palace and Gardens where some of the Do Re Mi sequences were filmed.

Remember these steps? I was there, too.

Remember when the children run around the garden and mimic the attitudes of the dwarves? You can do that too!

The Dwarf Garden has a bunch of interesting creatures made of white marble and they date back to the time of Archbishop Franz Anton Harrach in the early 1700s. I think I took photos of every darn dwarf — I knew I would use them someday and here we are.

We also went to Schloss Hellbrunn where the gazebo in which Liesl and Rolf sing “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” has been moved to protect it from trespassers. The interior shots were actually done on a set in Hollywood, but you can get your picture taken from the outside, as I did on a rainy day.

I enjoy seeing the movie locations when I am touring; it makes the fake world of movies seem a little bit more real. If you’re going to Salzburg, don’t let anyone talk you out of the Sound of Music tour. You’ll love it!

I’m linked up today with Our World Tuesday. Please stop by to see the travel stories of other bloggers and share the comment love!

 

On the Menu Monday: Ham and Potato Chowder

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German food may be the original comfort food.

When you think of what warms you up on a cold winter night, do you think of tacos? Or chow mein? Probably not. Do you think of a thick, savory soup filled with chunks of meat, potatoes, and veggies? I do.

When the Germans immigrated to the fledgling United States, one food item that came with them was potatoes, which were introduced in Germany in the 18th century and have become an important staple of German cuisine.

“In general, Germans emigrated to find adventure and greater prosperity. However, Germany, particularly, Bavaria, was hit by the potato famine in the mid 1800s. Some German immigrants sought political and religious freedom. In 1848 there were Germans fleeing political problems in Germany.

Although the Potato Famine in Ireland is much better known in America there was a similar problem in the Lowland countries and in Germany. In the mid 1840s a great parallel stream of immigrants from Ireland and Germany arrived on America’s shores. Bavaria, which had become very dependent on the potato, was at particularly hard hit with the failure of the potato crop. Whole villages from Bavaria, most of them traveled by carts to La Havre, Amsterdam, Hamburg, or Bremen, set sail for America. Most left from Le Havre” (maggieblanck.com).

Today’s recipe is an Americanized and lightened-up version of Kartoffelsuppe, German potato soup. Made with fat-free ingredients and lean ham, this hearty soup will fit the bill on a chilly winter evening whether you’re of German heritage or not. I’d like to think that my German ancestors, who left Germany in 1849 to build a new life in Cincinnati, would have approved of my version of German comfort food.

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On the Menu Monday: Ham and Potato Chowder

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Yield: 8 bowls of soup

Serving Size: About 1 cup

On the Menu Monday: Ham and Potato Chowder

I used this blogger's recipe as a base for my chowder, lightening it up even further. I also added ingredients from the basic German potato soup found here.

Ingredients

  • Extra-virgin olive oil ( I use garlic-infused olive oil for just about everything I cook)
  • 8 oz. ham, cubed (can also use bacon)
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 5 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 medium Carrots (yellow carrots if available), diced
  • 1 stalk of celery, diced
  • 1 leek, chopped
  • 1 pound cubed peeled baking potatoes
  • 1 pound cubed Yukon gold potatoes
  • 5 cups unsalted chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cauliflower, cut into florets
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups skim milk
  • 3/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
  • 2 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup)

Instructions

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Brown cubes of ham; set aside.

Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat.

Add onion, thyme, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Add carrots, celery, leek, potatoes, stock, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bay leaf; bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf.

While potatoes simmer, combine remaining 1 tablespoon oil, cauliflower, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper; toss to coat.

Roast at 400° for 30 minutes or until browned, turning once.

Place cauliflower mixture and milk in a blender.

Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening (to avoid splatters) and blend until smooth.

Pour cauliflower mixture into a large bowl.

Add half of potato mixture to blender; pulse 5 to 6 times or until coarsely chopped.

Pour into bowl with cauliflower mixture.

Repeat with remaining potato mixture.

Place cauliflower-potato mixture in Dutch oven over medium heat.

Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, diced ham, 1/2 cup green onions, and sour cream; stir until sour cream melts.

Ladle soup into 8 bowls.

Top evenly with remaining green onions and grated cheese.

https://gotmyreservations.com/2013/01/21/on-the-menu-monday-ham-and-potato-chowder/

Why not take your German heritage one step further and return to your homeland?

Visit the ruins of Heidelberg Castle or take a romantic cruise on the Rhine.

Great German food is only a plane ride away — or maybe as close as your city’s German rathskeller!

Linking up this week at Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm

 

The Sunday Review: The Greater Journey — Americans in Paris

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After choosing this book for our Book Club, I had high expectations. David McCullough is a wonderful storyteller and has a knack for turning even the driest factoids into a compelling story. The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris is no exception to this writing style.

While listening to The Greater Journey in the car, I kept thinking back on the photos I took from the top of the Arc de Triomphe in 2010. Sometimes people skip going up into the Arc (an easy climb and short lines) and choose the Eiffel Tower instead, but I found the view from the top of the Arc to be breathtaking.

McCullough has chosen a representative group of Americans who went to Paris between 1830 and 1900, where their experiences helped to make them better statesmen, artists, musicians, and writers. He sets their very personal and sometimes mundane lives on the stage that was Paris in the 19th century, a turbulent and fascinating city.

As McCullough says in his author interview on youtube.com, Americans in Paris is a kind of guidebook to Paris and the history of Americans in the City of Light. It’s an accessible and intimate look at a different set of American roots.

The audiobook on The Greater Journey is voiced by Edward Herrman and is easy to listen to, but I also ended up buying a book as there were many photos and references I wanted to come back to. I’m struggling with whether to keep this one in my library or to pass it on to Paris-loving friends!

 

 

If you are interested in getting out of your reading chair and actually visiting the City of Light, please feel free to contact me to help you with your travel plans.

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