go to your room

When i was young and misbehaved, my mother would do the "wait until your father gets home" thing. Upon hearin of my offense, my dad would always say..."go to your room". Then, he would finish whatever he was doing (eating dinner, watching a TV show, changing clothes, who knows?), and come up to fuss at me. Tell me how disappointed he was with whatever i had done. How he thought that i was better than this. How i was less than he had thought that i was. Often, this was bad enough. Just thinking about it now is making me stomach tense and flip. Anyway, then he would inflict whatever punishment seeme appropriate to him.>>>>>>I am a lot older now but still hate the "we need to talk about this" delay that sometimes comes up in relationships. I have that going on now and have been sick with worry for days...>>>>>>>I had a friend that i saw every week. We had her and her husband over for lunch/games or we went to the their house. We went on walks, just the two of us. But, mostly, we sat on her porch and chatted. It was a good friendship. But, every so often, she would just disappear. We wouldn't hear from her for weeks on end then she would be back with a glib excuse of "i got bogged down with financial stuff" or "we have family coming to visit so i needed a couple weeks to get ready...then their visit....then a month to recover..."(happened three times, even when we entertained the family at our home or hosted them at a restaurant). And, she has friends that don't like me (different story for a different day). So...her ghosting me lately is not an extraordinary event. But it has been over six months.>>>>>>>So, having seen an article in the Washington Post about a friend repeatedly ghosting the writer, i sent it to her and asked what was going on with her.>>>>>>>She responded "we need to talk...and this will be more than a 20 minute conversation...when can you do this?" When i offered that day or the next, i was told.."no, too soon...i might be able to do three days from now...but only in the morning...or any day the rest of that week".>>>>>>>So, essentially... "go to your room...i'll talk to you later"...So,.....i wait....and fret....I honestly don't know what i could have done or said, what i could have not done or said, that would have meritted losing this relationship. I have given up on it being restored...i just want to know what happened so that i don't similarly offend others going forward.>>>>>>> So, Monday afternoon will bring, maybe, some clarity.>>>>>>Maybe.>>>>>>>But at least i won't be as fraught with nerves and nauseated.....maybe. Joe thinks that i'm overreacting (and i am) but i can not just let it go. I want this to be over, one way or the other. I have never outgrown the want/need for "everyone to like me" and that there is someone (not just her but her friends as well) that doesn't like me makes my dread even worse.>>>>>>>Sigh.

Ruby Noodles from Nigella Lawson...and me

RUBY NOODLES is a recipe from Nigella Lawson...that i "improved" and served today, after wanting to make it for over a month. The stars finally aligned and i had an opening in our schedule of meals to shoehorn it in. I am so glad that i did. Both Hubster and i loved it and it is certainly pretty. Fancy and "company worthy"? Maybe not...but definitely going into our rotation..especially as it can be a "desperation dinner"-- what to make when the fridge/cupboard look a bit scanty....>>>>>>>RUBY NOODLES>>>>>>> 8 oz fettucine pasta>>>>>>>1-1/2 C beet juice (used the leftover water from steaming beets in my IP, i always have this in the freezer)>>>>>>>1-2t chopped ginger>>>>>>>1-2t chopped garlic>>>>>>>1T soy sauce and fish sauce (yes!! you _need_ the fish sauce!)>>>>>>>1 lime or lemon, zest and juice>>>>>>>1T cornstart and water slurry (for later, not with beet juice)>>>>>>>topping: 1T sesame seeds...and 1-3 chopped green onions>>>>>>>bring pot of water to boil, add fettucine and cook for ONLY 3 MINUTES, drain and set aside (yes, it is still really stiff and not cooked...work with me)>>>>>>>add rest except the sesame seeds and green onion, bring to boil, reduce to simmer, add parboiled fettucine, cook until done, about 5-7 more minutes>>>>>>>make a slurry of 1T cornstarch and 1T water, dump into cooked pasta to "firm up" the remaining beet juice liquid>>>>>>>cook 1 minute to thickened, serve with topping of sesame seeds and green onion (and dash of sesame oil or plain oil, if you want to be fancy)>>>>>>>i served mine with a side of veg and Hubster's with a side of sauteed sausage. Sosososo yummy! And quick! And RED!! Try it and you'll start saving beet juice all the time just to make this recipe!