It is possible that I've mentioned it here before, but my paternal grandparents were absolutely enchanted by the Emerald Isle. Having seen The Quiet Man(1952) one too many times, my Yugoslavian grandfather and his Swiss wife named their kids Patrick Joseph, Jeffrey Logan, and Michael Anthony. If they'd had a daughter, there is no doubt in my mind that her name would have been - now you have to imagine this in my best John Wayne impression - "Mary Kate....Danaher." Yep, they totally would have changed their last name to accommodate the ruse.
The Quiet Man (1952)
A wonderful movie starring John Wayne & Maureen O'Hubba Hubba...err...O'Hara
Committed to their charade, we were raised on a strong Irish-American diet of corned beef, boiled potatoes, and malarkey. Carrying on in the faux-Irish tradition, I decided to turn to the March issue of Every Woman's Magazine from 1952 (the very same year that The Quiet Man was released) for some wacky tacky St. Paddy's inspiration.
Every Woman's: The Woman's Guide to Better Living - March (1952)
I was anything but disappointed to find a fitting recipe for our type of St. Patrick's Day festivities (totally devoid of actual Irish heritage). I daren't fiddle with the traditional fare, but our dessert course allows for the taking of some liberties; Mary Alden's St. Pat's Peppermint Candy certainly fit the bill.
I was sold by the first check mark; "So easy - youngsters can make it!" I 'll take Mary Alden's word for it.
If a youngster can do it, then chances are I will think I can do it and then be shocked at my own ineptitude!
As it turns out, May Alden was not only the Director of
Home Economics for the Quaker Oats Company, she
was a successful cookbook author. Mary Aden's Cook Book for Children is now on my wishlist!
(Source)
Full disclosure: I used generic crispy rice instead of the called for Quaker
Oats Puffed Rice; I didn't even know they still made the stuff. Crispy Rice may
be an adequate substitute but "Shot from Guns" it ain't! Looking more like
Fruity Pebbles than Rice Krispies, I decided in retrospect that I should have
shot the works on name-brand cereal and upped the Irish ante with Lucky Charms!
As per usual, the outcome of my culinary effort is decidedly less spectacular than my initial desire. Although, I'm not sure what I had hoped for as my St. Pat's Peppermint Candies look very similar to Mary Alden's. And really, how life-changing are crispy rice squares supposed to be anyway???
One thing I might change for future St. Patrick's Day sweets is crushing
the peppermints finer. Allowing for larger pieces of candy (so more of
the green would show) also allowed for the possibility of a broken crown!
Because Mr. Tiny is hopping a boat for a weekend wedding, we decided to celebrate St. Patrick's Day a little prematurely and everybody dug in; the consensus was that Mary Alden had a pretty bright idea when she added crushed peppermints to the standard, rice square recipe.
By the look on his face, I knew I had at least one raving fan!
Do you get creative with your Rice Krispie treats? What is the craziest thing you've ever added to the mix? Whether your St. Patrick's Day is spent with all the "traditional" fixings or with a few pals down at the pub, we hope that this March 17 brings you all the luck of a rabbit's foot, a penny, and a four leaf clover!
"I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" - Art Mooney
Southern California is a land of many wonders. But, being a mere adolescent in terms of relative development with the rest of the world, we are bereft of the trappings our elders, namely the beautifully-manicured public parks so often found in big cities and European capitals. Playgrounds (really awesome ones like La Laguna de San Gabriel Playground) abound in our suburban sprawl, but nothing in our neck of the woods provides the order and tranquility of traditional parks except, of course, a good old-fashioned graveyard.
Every once in awhile we like to explore a local cemetery in search of peace, pretty mausoleums, elaborate headstones, funny epitaphs, and even a celebrity or two. Nestled above the beach in Corona del Mar, CA is Pacific View Memorial Park. Sweeping vistas of the Pacific Ocean promise a peaceful rest for all of the residents there. My grandparents claimed their little stake of Pacific View nearly 30 years ago and I would be lying if I said that I didn't think the chief reason for the their pick of plots had nothing to do with their propinquity to that of one Mr. Marion Robert Morrison - better known to you and me as John Wayne!
A humble arrangement of silk flowers honors his memory.
Growing up in the area, I always knew that John Wayne was interred at Pacific View, but I had never really looked for his gravesite. Knowing that both of my grandfathers were/are huge John Wayne fans (my paternal grandfather had a crudely-executed portrait of The Duke that know takes pride of place in the living room of my brother and his wife), I felt it only proper that we go and pay our respects to The Duke. I looked at the time when we entered the cemetery and realized that it was just about tea time; this was our first time having tea with nobility!
I thought, "Find a penny (or quarter), pick it up, and then all day you'll have good luck," but Mary told me it was bad form to remove the quarter form the headstone. I am familiar with the Jewish tradition of placing small stones on the grave, but I had never seen the same done with small change. You learn something new everyday.
We had a vague idea of where his plot was but instead of disrespecting the deceased by tramping all over, I looked up "directions to John Wayne's grave." I followed the first link that came up and expected a plot number but was surprised to find what read like a treasure map. For instructions on how to find the grave go here. After taking thirteen paces past hangman's tree, we found the grave site and said "Howdy" to The Duke. Naturally, my grandfathers were fans of the westerns, but my favorite entries into the Wayne filmography are The Quiet Man and his unforgettable story arc on "I Love Lucy," and "The Lucy Show."
I was actually very surprised that Wayne's grave marker is so unassuming. There are plenty of marble mausoleums and ostentatious gravestones, but his subtle stone marks a plot on a sunny slope facing the ocean among all the regular folks. We only had a short time to visit Pacific View, but we managed to see a few things that day that made us smile.
"Got coffee Lord - then beam me up"
Nearly 102 years old when she moved on to that giant percolator in the sky and Lucille's sense of humor thrived.
Just like the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland -
a grim reminder that "There's always room for one more..."
The Quiet Man (1952)
If you've never seen this film, do yourself a favor and watch it.
John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara at the height of their powers!!!
Pacific View Memorial Park
3500 Pacific View Dr
Corona del Mar, CA 92625
Not so very long ago, I was awarded the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award by my friend Emily over at The Silver Screen Affair. As part of that award and subsequent blog post I was required to list seven, little-known facts about myself. Recently, I have hit one of life's charming, little "bumps in the road" and consequently, "ye olde blog" has definitely suffered. I haven't gotten out of the house very much and therefore have not had much about which to write. In a feeble effort to maintain the blog, I thought I would share an additional bit of personal trivia (something I would not ordinarily do) because I am a "blogger lemming" and after seeing a few other bloggers share their alphabetical information I thought it seemed interesting. Hopefully, I am not alone in that. To get you in the spirit, please enjoy the "ABC Boogie."
"ABC Boogie" - Bill Haley & The Comets
A-Age:
Majority. I always wondered why people hid their true age; now I know it is because it is embarrassing to explain to people that even though you act like you're 14, you're actually 30 - from what I hear.
B-Bed:
I go alone. Nosy, yeesh...
C-Chore that you hate:
Shaving!!! I suppose shaving would better be listed under the category of personal hygiene/grooming but dang, it is definitely a chore. What can I say, I have a big face!
D-Dogs:
They're barking...time for some orthotics.
E-Essential start to your day:
Waking up.
F-Favorite Color:
It is hard to think of a color that I don't like. I am definitely drawn to the primaries.
G-Gold or silver:
This is probably the only one that I can give a completely-honest and unequivocal answer - GOLD, GOLD, GOLD!!!! Silver just ain't tacky.
H-Height:
Am I standing up straight?
I-Instruments you play:
Okay, it's time to get a little serious. Just recently I have discovered that one is never too old to become a child prodigy. Without bragging, I have been told that I am a Fisher-Price Pull-A-Tune Xylophone virtuoso. I am self-taught and play entirely by ear.
J-Job title:
The title that I would give my job is far different than the imprint on my business card. Until the whole go-go dancer/reality show star thing works out, I think it better to simply refrain from saying anything negative.
K-Kids:
Love 'em. No matter how old I get my mentality remains that of a seven-year-old - a very hungry, very opinionated, very surly, seven-year-old that has missed his nap, but a seven-year-old nonetheless. It is their honesty and quickness to laugh that makes kids the best human beings. I could never be a teacher, Sunday School or otherwise, because I think everything kids do is hysterical.
L-Live: Absolutely, despite the ghostly pallor, I am 100% alive - okay, maybe 94% alive in sunny, Southern California.
M-Mother's name:
Sometimes I wish that it was Lily Munster or even Yvonne de Carlo but I got pretty lucky with the mom I have; her name is Deborah.
N-Nicknames:
Occasionally, people drop the "Mister" and just call me Tiny. I am very decorous, however, and do not encourage this kind of behavior.
O-Overnight hospital stays:
None, but there's always tomorrow. That's me, always looking on the bright side.
P-Pet peeves:
Bad drivers - with those who flip me off when they have done something wrong leading the category followed closely by those who refuse to use their turn signals, cutting in line, coughing and/or sneezing (yes, general symptoms of a potential allergy attack/cold drive me bonkers), fake British accents, uncorrected, speech-impediments in adults, people at work who obviously see the sign but continue to exit the restroom without washing their hands, weak hand shakes (especially with the people at work who have not washed their hands), my neighbor of over 20 years who knows my name but puts "anonymous" notes addressed to "driver of this car" on my windshield threatening to call the police when I park in front of his house on a public street with the added suggestion that I park a block away and walk so his "view" will remain undisturbed, servers in restaurants who sit down with me when they are taking my order, being "put on hold" when I am actually present in a store/at an office so the person can take a phone call, slow walkers, when the volume on the TV doubles during commercial breaks...I could go on but I am afraid I'll begin to lose friends and followers...
Q-Quote from a movie:
Where do I start??? I try not to be one of those people who constantly quote films but I am an avid movie watcher and sometimes the quote fits! Basically, any line from The Parent Trap (1961), The Quiet Man, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Also, "Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon; we already have the stars."
Side note: please notice the disparity between
Sharon's dainty tootsies and Susan's gargantuan, bare feet!
Additional side note: I think Maureen O'Hara is one of the
most beautiful women to have ever graced our universe,
R-Right or left handed:
Correct.
S-Siblings:
Two many brothers and two many sisters...get it?
T-Time you wake up:
I think it actually is time that I woke up. Truthfully, I wake up as late as possible whilst still allowing me to get to work reasonably on time.
U-Underwear:
Buy me dinner.
V-Vegetable you hate:
I can't think of a veggie that I hate - except CELERY!!! You can cover it with all of the peanut butter in Peter Pan's arsenal and it still tastes gross! And it has strings! STRINGS!!! It's like getting a stray hair with every bite! Yech!
W-What makes you run late:
I never run if I can help it.
X-X rays you've had:
Is it normal for people to gag to the point of vomiting from routine, dental x-rays? No, I am not asking because it happens to me every time.
Y-Yummy food that you make:
Everything I make is yummy. I am loathe to toot my own horn, but I am a solid home-cook and love to make dinner for the fam. Clean plates and no complaints! I think I'll tole paint that on a little sign to hang above the stove....barf.
Z-Zoo animal:
I've already discussed my siblings, quit asking.
BONUS ABC TRIVIA: I can say/sing the alphabet backwards in under 3 seconds. I'm sure a lot of people are capable of the same thing but really, throw me a bone, it's all I've got.
