Susan's Birthday Questions 10/19/2020

(One decorates for October birthdays with orange trees.) 

Last week was my birthday. My niece Susan sometimes sends me birthday greetings where she asks excellent questions. She doesn’t know I still have the card she sent six years ago; I meant to answer her questions in the blog I had then, but I never got around to it.

Since I have this year’s card from her right here, right now – I am going to answer her good questions. If you are feeling cynical or overwhelmed about the rest of the world, go ahead and ask yourself these questions. Get out of the news cycle; visit your own head.

What is something you learned to do this year?

This was the year Physical Therapy became my go-to magical miracle. I learned how to do hip stretching exercises on behalf of my poor sore tailbone of last autumn-through winter. This summer I learned quad strengthening exercises which enabled my knee bones to work again. I don’t have a hairstylist, but I do have a physical therapist. That kind of year.

I learned a little bit about how to edit photos in Photoshop before I put them on my website.

I learned that you can put me in quarantine lockdown for eight months and if in the middle of that you ask me if I would like to meet friends to do a socially distant activity outside with people I like and love – I will still have to talk myself into it. I knew I was an introvert. I didn’t know I was this far gone…

I discovered that The National Book Awards books are interesting, compelling, brilliantly written, wildly varied. Why have I not been paying attention all my life to all these awesome books?

Who do you know now that you didn’t a year ago?

My granddaughter is three so obviously I knew her a year ago. But reading to her every day for 10-15 minutes on Facetime has made us “familiars.” She talks to us now. She has opinions. She is bright and chatty, interested and feisty - just the way we want little kids to be. Today we read Barney Bear’s Pizza Shop. Haven’t read it to her in weeks although since March I’m sure we’ve read it four or five times. There’s a part where vendors bring product into the restaurant kitchen and, yup, she knows which one is Sammy and which one is Rita. She reminds us, before we get to that page, that when the bear family sits around eating pizza, she’s the cub in the pink overalls. She said to us today that we should come over to her house sometimes and we can sit outside (she knows coronavirus quarantine protocols better than many Republican politicians) and have pizza together. We think that is a great idea.

What is something about which you have changed your mind?

When Len makes hamburgers on the grill, he puts molasses and soy sauce on the patty that will be his burger. He leaves my plain, because years ago I made fun of him in regard to this procedure. Then, this year, I tasted his burger and OMG it is WAY better than mine. I ate one serving of humble pie and ever since, my hamburgers are immensely more flavorful.

I just now asked him what he does in case you want to try it, too. He says this is for about two burgers of about 1/3 pound of meat each, preferably from meat where the cows got to walk around and eat grass. Use about 1 tablespoon of molasses and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Pat these condiments on one side, flip the burger and do the other side. Do the next burger. These measurements are not precises.

The chemistry of what happens when this sweetness hits the heat and flames – well, this wife could possibly have been more respectful of Len’s meat savvy.

How will you celebrate this year?

I like to utilize (hah) birthdays as an occasion to move and to eat. In the past two weeks, with and without Len, I’ve gone on four nature hikes.

(It is pheasant hunting season at Bong Nature Center. This pheasant stuck close to me for much of my hike.)

On my actual birthday we went into Milwaukee to pick up a book at Boswell’s and then buy some more books. We walked Brady Street to the lake and back. We went to Glorioso’s Italian Market and also to Peter Sciortino’s Bakery and at both places we spent money like thrashing catfish. Sicilian salad, pizza bread, different pizza bread, tiramisu from each place, and more.

That evening we ate more delicious food at home including more bites of those tiramisus.

…

This is my birthday party from the year (4th grade?) when I got a brownie camera. Which is why I am not in the photo.