Still Too Tired to Blog Much

Could not resist buying it. He was brilliant. I loved "Mrs. Doubtfire," for one.

It's not that I'm technically too tired but that it's 10:38 p.m. and I want to save a few minutes to read...the special People issue devoted to Robin Williams. Have been looking forward to it all day. I want to read about where such a gifted man grew up, went to school, about his birth family, etc...I'm so sorry that the world lost him, but I want to read his story. Also, I guess, I want to see if there are parts of it that would predict this tragic ending.

I want to give enough time to some posts...the county fair is such a scene that I don't want to rush it. So much to put into words. But if I wait too long, I will forget the details....

Good night, sweet dreams.

TCOY

1. Went to Weight Watchers and to support group.
2. Walked around Ridgewood with Punchy--she needed a haircut and dear K. gave me a free shampoo and blowout! We went into Cupcakes by Carousel [I counted 10 WW points for one chocolate mint one] and Leapin' Lizards, which carries Lilly Pulitzer. Got a couple sale items [deep sale]. 
3. Ate bowl of veggies--H. made gazpacho with Elaine's garden tomatoes. Ours are coming in ripe and ready now, too.

Passaic County Fair: Hope to Post Tomorrow

Must rest after that terrifying ride. Good night.

Your First Lilly

Dear, dear Punchy,

Wherever you go in life, I hope you always remember how it felt to wear your first Lilly Pulitzer dress. Lilly is the height of chic, cheerful fashion.

I bought this dress with you in Chatham on Cape Cod this past Sunday. It was $78, which is a lot, but the state does send us a modest amount of money every month to take care of you. That covers some riding lessons, pink bike repairs, extra boxes of Cream of Wheat, the occasional miso soup and sushi--and a Lilly dress for sure.

You look so pretty in it. You just left for an afternoon visit with your Mom. None of us knows yet how your life story will go, the turns it will take. The priority is that you are safe and secure, wherever you are. But Punchy, Punchy, I hope and pray that nobody and nothing will ever erase how it felt to twirl in your first Lilly dress. The feeling of freedom and beauty--and privilege and grace.

In her wry wit, your big sister Figgy once said it was wrong of me to subject her to Lilly clothes when she was too young to know better or protest. She said that in the car on the Cape, when she was in her early teenage phase. She said it to make me laugh, and I did.

Well, Giod bless, and wear your Lilly in good health, little lady.

Love always, 

Alice/Alison/Alicee the names you call me

P.S.

I 'm wearing a favorite dress today, too, though it isn't a Lilly. You took a photo of me in it with my iPhone a few weeks ago:

And one Dan took of both of us:

Too Tired to Blog

Want to read. Good night, sweet dreams.

TCOY

1. Boot camp.

2. Walked Sug.

3. Worked at my desk.

4. Enjoyed seeing horses when I took Punch for her riding lesson. Those old stables--like another world.

5. Nice shower.

Rachel's Mom's Meatball Recipe

My brand of choice, though I've tried way pricier Rao's and other top-shelf labels, too. I could tell Rach thought it was sacrilege to put excellent homemade meatballs in jarred sauce, but..... 

In addition to blow-drying my hair, Rachel shared a recipe today as she wielded a round brush and massaged in a swirly snow cone of mousse. She recently moved into an apartment with her love and made a big pot of sauce with meatballs and sausage on Sunday.

I've never made good meatballs. They were a pain to pan-fry, getting burnt on the outside while still pink inside. I've resorted to ready-made turkey ones [with artificial ingredients and preservatives, and weird flavor] or pricey prepared ones from Kings grocery store, which shrink to minis when I bake them. By the time they're browned through, all the fat has dripped off and they're the size of large gumballs.

These were delicious! Tender and browned easily, no sticking to pan. Thank you, Rachel!

The Secret Recipe

R. suggests a mixture of ground beef and pork, but the store only had beef, so I got that. Per pound of meat, mix in 2 eggs, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 cup grated cheese [R. likes Locatelli brand Pecorino Romano blend, so I got that], 2 to 3 minced garlic cloves and maybe 2 tablespoons finely chopped curly parsley [or dried parsley, 1 T].

Heat olive oil in skillet [use enough to cover bottom], shape mixture into balls, pan-brown. Turn with spoon until browned on all sides. By then they should be cooked through but if not, they will be by the time they've simmered in a pot of sauce.*

They're so good, Rachel said. Whenever I make them, I always eat one plain before I put them all in the sauce. [I did the same and gave Sug one, too. We both loved them.]

Double yum, and more wholesome, less pricey than what I've been buying. Even Punchy ate two. Fortunately, vegetarian H. and visiting vegan Figgy already had plans to go out to dinner....

Good night.

*I told Rachel I 'd be using a large jar of Victoria marinara sauce. She tried to coax me to make a quick sauce with plum tomatoes and garlic, but that was beyond me today--and anyway, Victoria is great.

Dream Roll: New Job

Wow, what a dream. It went on and on. [H. had set alarm for 7:30 to go work on a deadline, so I had extra dream time in a still bed. And believe it or not, Punch isn't up yet. Late night at drive-in.]

I dreamt I was in NYC in the office of an all-female communications firm. I think I was there for a job interview. It was in midtown. 

The woman in charge was dressed so chicly, I can't put it into words. It was like Grace Kelly meets Aerin Lauder. I can't capture it. But boucle Chanel-style suits in pastel or white with silvery threads were the uniform on many workers--one by one, the women emerged from their offices and I thought, I could never keep up with wardrobes like this! Impeccably gorgeous.

I had on a V-neck sleeveless white boucle dress myself, with silvery threads in the weave and glittery beading around the neckline. The silhouette was modern and the length ladylike, skimming below the knee. I had nude stockings and high heels.

The boss liked me but I knew in my heart that this was the only outfit I had that met their style criteria.

Then suddenly, H. appeared, blurting out some question about health insurance. And then one real accessory from my life materialized--my purple Filofax datebook. The number 2 woman was asking if I could go for drinks at 5--so she could get to know me better before they hired me--and I suddenly could not remember for the life of me who was watching Punch back in New Jersey. 

Oh, I can ask Figgy to watch her when Punch gets out of camp, I thought, but then realized  Fig was in school, living in NYC. I checked my datebook and saw that Elaine was watching her till 5--so then the woman asked if I could do drinks at 4. She was getting impatient. 

I then started scrambling, panicking about whether to put calls out to find a daily sitter for Punch so I could take the job.....and then I woke up.

Hmmm. Now. I remember. My bedtime reading was the August issue of Town & Country, with Dakota Fanning, age 20, on the cover, and the feature about her called "Tinseltown Angel." She's modeling glittery trends: big diamond rings, sparkly tops. Aha, silver threads.

And then I remembered the vintage, mint-green, bejeweled cuffs at Wicked Thrift in Orleans yesterday. I tried one on, liked it. It was like the neckline of my dress in the dream.

Oh well, gotta go clean--and Will is on the horn.

Happy sparkly day and maybe I really should get a job after I finish Anthony's book. Obamacare is killing us: $1700 a month to cover H., me and Fig. And the coverage is minimal at that. Dream--or necessity? I think you and I both know the answer, but perhaps having Punchy is clouding the picture.

Tomorrow We Come Clean

Lilly pants & dresses in Wicked Thrift, Orleans. Tammy even had chunky vintage black and white Chanel earrings for $125.

Melancholy sets in when I have to leave the Caoe, even though I know I'm being greedy. I just don't want to  put it behind me. And tomorrow, H. has to haul trash and recycling to the dump and we have to vacuum, scrub the tub and toilet, mop the kitchen floor, sweep the sand off the hardwood..,.and on and on. It's a workout.

   

Music should help--plus new bottles of Windex, Resolve, Chlorox, and a can of Lemon Pledge. I figure leaving all of this in my wake will earn me some points, so Will can see what we used.

I wanted to go to 11 a.m. Mass today but it was a bad morning with Punch. Ugly.

Things I liked later on: 

1. Meeting the two Annes at the Sparrow. Had an iced Mocha Sparrow.

2. Going into Wicked Thrift, right near the Sparrow gift shop. Anne M. scouted out Lilly Pulitzer clothes there. Store owner Tammy did indeed have some great vintage Lilly dresses, about $60, but too small for me. Lots of great stuff in good condition. The handwritten tags were lovely and encouraging, like "Pretty! You can wear sequins and sparkle!" Tammy writes them, and writes songs, too.

3. Went to In the Pink, the Lilly Pulitzer store in Chatham, with Punchy + two Annes. Bought a mobile phone charger for this iPhone--in a cheery pink Lilly floral--and a classic Lilly dress for Punch. I got Figgy a little Lilly patchwork shift when she was around the same age.

4. The Candy Manor, on Main Street in Charham. I love its pink awning. Had 2 fudge samples and bought Punch those waxy soda bottle-shaped candies [yuck] and two peanut butter granola bars dunked in rich dark chocolate, one each fior H. abd me, $4 apiece but big and delicious. "Calling these granola bars is like calling caviar fish," H. said.

5. Kind gift: There's no washer/dryer in our house so I hand-washed the light blue fringed round tablecloth my mother bought and hung it out to dry, but still saw chocolate stains, despite scrubbing. Rang bell of Peg across the street and she opened the doors to her washer and dryer! I'm thankful.

6. Punchy and I pedaled an hour on the bike path this evening, from 6:10 to 7:10. We went to Marconi Beach Road, coasting by white and purple butterfly bushes, campsutes, ponds and a fish-fry place. Peaceful and fun to propel oneself forward on a bike. Brings back youth Love it.

7. H. took her to the Wellfleet drive-in and I read...,

Dream Beach: Chatham

The view from abiove is stunning, worth way more than the quarter you pop into this viewer.