Archives for May 2010

May 30, 2010 by: The Domestic Fringe

A Moment to Remember

This is one of the many poems my grandfather wrote in his Red Cross Journal. He was proud to serve in the 82nd Airborne Division and was a prisoner of war during World War II. I love that last line…

Their memory to-day, to-morrow, always will abide.

My Grandfather

Let’s take a moment this holiday weekend to remember and honor those who have fought and those who continue to give their lives in service for our country.

The FringeFamily would like to thank every man and woman who has served and is currently serving in our military. You give your lives and we give our thanks.

Many prayers for you,

May 27, 2010 by: The Domestic Fringe

Surviving Summer – Kid Edition

I am melting.

Winter turned to summer overnight and my mind and body need time to adjust. As I recall, it was just snowing on Mother’s Day. Now, three weeks out, it is sweltering.

I find no shame in saying that I am wimpy, a fair weather female at my best; however, temperatures are rising, school days are rushing past in a flurry of last-minute performances, and the kids have transformed into rambunctious rascals. How will we parents survive this summer’s frantic demands for fun?

I have a few tips to help you keep your sanity as you survive and possibly even enjoy this summer with your kids.

* Forget showers. A regular dunk in a well-chlorinated pool not only kills germs, but it will make your children smile. There’s nothing better than a grinning, sanitized child.

* Buy your children cheap clothes. Fashion is for adults. Kids need quantity, not quality. They will lose shirts, leave socks by the lake, mutilate sneakers, and trade swim trunks. Do not expect them to return for lunch wearing all their clothes.

* Water + Mud = FUN

* Buy stock in cheap ice-pops. You can pass them out to the entire neighborhood through a slightly cracked window. Unless you live in a dirt hut, do not allow the children back inside for drinks. Trust me. Ice-pops also work on bumps and lumps.

* After the children have gone outside, lock your front door. Remember Water + Mud = FUN. It also = work for YOU.

* Don’t plant anything you are not willing to display in small jars and vases throughout your home. If it is growing, your child will pick it. If it is growing in your neighbor’s yard, your child is twice as likely to pick it. Get ready to apologize profusely and pray none of your neighbors are members of the local garden club.

* If you have a vegetable garden, understand that no fruit will grow to full maturity. You will have baby everything – baby carrots, baby corn, baby peppers, baby (green) tomatoes, baby beans, etc.

* Band-aids are infused with miraculous healing powers. Use them. Band-aids decorated with cartoon characters also provide pain relief.

* Understand no child has ever died from eating too many hot dogs. Ease your mind and purchase a bottle of vitamins.

* While shopping for linens, including towels and washcloths, be inspired by MUD. Embrace brown.

While this list is not exhaustive, I do hope it helps. Please feel free to add your advice in the comments and remember, have FUN!

Happy Long Summery Memorial Day Weekend!

May 25, 2010 by: The Domestic Fringe

Nature’s Materpiece

“A Friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of Nature.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882) US poet & essayist.

May 24, 2010 by: The Domestic Fringe

Friends and Flowers

We have friends visiting from Maine, so I’ll be sparse in blogland for the next few days.

I hope you all enjoyed a beautiful weekend.

Thank you for all your kind words, prayers, and well wishes. I appreciate every one of them.

Have a bright and happy Monday!

May 22, 2010 by: The Domestic Fringe

Family Rates @ The Doctors

It’s never a good sign when you need to upscale the size of your medicine bowl that sits next to the coffee pot.

We are dropping like flies here on the fringe, but we are battling the dust mites with our every last little bit of breath.

Dust Mite - Thank God they are too small to be seen with the naked eye!

Dramatic enough?

Hardly.

It’s currently 2:00am and I am awake. I am also lounging on the couch while the air-conditioner drones her cool magic, and I am watching Clean House. I am sure I’ll have dreams of someone coming and cleaning MY house.

FringeMan just finished antibiotics for Bronchitis and if you’ll remember, he also had pneumonia a month ago. He added his own brand of allergy pills and Nasal spray to the medicine mix, but it’s FringeBoy that sent me to find a bigger bowl.

FringeBoy has been enduring allergy testing to he can get immunized to bees. If you’ll remember last summer he was stung by a yellow-jacket and ended up in the hospital. He’s deathly allergic to bees and fire ants, and since that fateful day, we have used no less than forty-two cans of bee and wasp spray.

We are like the marines storming enemy territory when a bee dares to fly past our porch. FringeMan has been known to burst from our front door with a can of poison in one hand and the fireplace shovel in the other. FringeMan battling bees is similar to a tennis match without the LOVE. He swats bees from the sky and then pounces for a kill.

Anyway, these allergies of my son’s are pretty bad. He’s on an assortment of medicine that I am sure no ten year-old should be taking and I’ve been forced to turn his semi-clean/semi-trashed room into a completely sterile environment. I have been commissioned by the doctor to boil pots of water, fill my machine, and soak his bedding in the boiling water for 30 minutes prior to washing each week. I am not joking.

FringeMan’s sister called me the other night, because she was afraid I had gone all Howard Hues. Not the case. I leave those absurd cleaning compulsions to my brother. I have no choice but to be extreme. I’m a little afraid of what this doctor will do if I don’t obey. He’s totally bizarre. Another story for another day.

Needless to say, my son’s room has been sanitized, boiled, and purified. The industrial size air purifier keeps his room more sterile than a hospital room. Trust me, I know this since I spent the better part of the evening in the hospital myself.

A bad asthma attack sent me coughing my way into the ER tonight. Nothing I had would work and a lack of oxygen doesn’t make for an extremely peppy FringeGirl; however, after a breathing treatment and steroids, I am good to go…for at least the next four to six hours.

So you see, we could use your prayers. We could also use the Merry Maids and a vacation in Hawaii, but I’ll settle for a prayer. Easy breathing and controlled allergies are all we’re asking.

Thank you!

May 20, 2010 by: The Domestic Fringe

Chicken & Salsa

Will you forgive me for not including a photo?

I simply forgot to take a picture of this meal, but I need to share it with you today. Mainly because I can’t think of anything else to say, but also because this recipe is quick, easy, and fool-proof.

Trust me on that!

You will need…

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

salt & pepper to taste

Olive Oil

1 bag baby spinach

1 jar salsa

Shredded Cheese – Cheddar, Mexican, or your favorite

1 cup brown rice

In a medium size saucepan cook the brown rice according to the directions on the bag. It’s usually 2 cups water for 1 cup rice and it takes about 45 minutes to cook.

While the rice is cooking…

In a large skillet, add about 2tbs olive oil and the chicken breasts. Brown on either side until the chicken is cooked through. After the chicken is browned slightly, you can put a lid on it to speed up cook time if you’d like. Add a little salt and pepper to chicken also. I used freshly ground sea salt, because I feel fancy grinding my own sea salt.

After the chicken is cooked, move it to the sides of the pan and dump in your favorite salsa. I used an organic container of fresh salsa from the refrigerated section of my grocery store and it was fantastic. You could taste the freshness and the cilantro was just the kick the chicken needed, but you can use whatever salsa makes you sing and dance like Carmen Miranda.

I don’t know what Carmen Miranda has to do with cilantro salsa, but I’m tempted to name this dish Miranda Chicken.

Back to the recipe. As your salsa is warming in your skillet, add the baby spinach slowly. It looks overwhelming at first, but cooks down to nothing. After your spinach is sufficiently wilted, Take your chicken and put it on top of the salsa/spinach mixture and sprinkle the chicken with a little cheese. Cover for a minute until the cheese is melted and serve over a helping of brown rice.

Good and good for you. I think that’s an under 500 calorie meal.

Sound good?