Monday, October 09, 2006

Thanksgiving – Dixie Style

I received the following from my sister. It was written by my actress niece, Leslie. Leslie now resides in California- which to tell you truthfully, we all find a bit unusual and exotic for our never venture far from their roots family. My sister and I often comment on how our mother would find great joy and delight in the fact that her couch now resides in Pasadena. Anyway, with the holidays not too far away, please enjoy-

Thanksgiving – Dixie Style

When I was asked to write a blog about my favorite Thanksgiving memory, I was flooded with so many, I had a hard time choosing what to write about. When I was younger, Thanksgiving was a time to hang out with my family and eat great food. I really didn’t think much about the holiday beyond that. I left my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama five years ago to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles, and Thanksgiving certainly carries a lot more weight for me now than it did then. No matter what, I go home for Thanksgiving every year. Now, instead of it being about hanging out with my family, it is about reconnecting with my family. While I used to enjoy eating great food, I now savor aromas and tastes I can only get when I make that 2,000 mile trek home. So many things I used to take for granted about that time of year in the South I don’t anymore: hearing the crunch of leaves underneath my feet, feeling the bristle of wind whip my hair around, watching those long red sunsets through the crisp air. Those are just the moments by myself. After spending the better part of the year alone in my little Los Angelian apartment, it is great to be surrounded by my family: loud, boisterous, welcoming, loving, and always ready to have a good time. In addition to eating all the great food (I’ll get to that in a minute), we spend the evening playing Balderdash and other competitive games like it’s the Olympics, draw names for who we will buy gifts for at Christmas and catch up on what’s going on in everyone’s life. The food, ah, the food. Like any Southern family, we have enough food to feed a small nation. It all tastes good, and it is all bad for you. My very favorite dish is my aunt’s peanut butter pie. When I tell people this, they say, “Oh yeah, I’ve had peanut butter pie” to which I quickly reply, “Oh no you haven’t!” How do I know this? I HAVEN’T SEEN THEM AT ANY OF MY THANKSGIVINGS! My aunt makes the best peanut butter pie ever. I’ve always associated peanut butter pie with Thanksgiving, and now that I travel cross-country to eat it, she makes two for good measure. It may sound silly, but knowing I will get that peanut butter pie the fourth Thursday of every November brings warmth and security to my life. I may not know how successful my acting career will be, but hey, on Thanksgiving I get peanut butter pie. I may be separated from my family for the vast majority of the year, but end of November, I get peanut butter pie. If nobody appreciates my talents and sacrifices, I STILL get peanut butter pie. I have friends who moved to LA from other parts of the country like myself, and many of them talk about how they can’t go home because of the cost of air fare, time off of work, blah, blah, blah. I simply reply, “Well, I have a date in Alabama with a peanut butter pie.” I can’t remember who it was who said the simple things in life bring us the greatest pleasure, but I couldn’t agree more. As you can see, the pie isn’t difficult to make, but I think it is the love instead of the ingredients that make it so great!

From my Aunt Susan:

Ingredients:

8 ounces Cream Cheese
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
16 ounces Cool Whip
1 pre-made graham cracker pie crust

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter, and cool whip until well blended. Pour into the pre-made pie crust. Refrigerate.

For a more peanut butter taste, use 2/3 cup of creamy peanut butter.

Leslie McGuirk
Pasadena, CA

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

My Poor Baby


No matter how old your children are, they are still your babies. Kim, my oldest (soon to be 28), has been having bad back problems the past week. Her problem seems to have started when she tried to pick up her PaPa, who had fallen. She thought she had pulled a muscle, but at the time she was able to go on. Two weeks later it seems to have caught up with her big time. She has been to the doctor, plus a trip to the emergency room. She is having an MRI this morning, as the doctor seems to think there could be a disc problem as opposed to a pulled muscle. She has been in big time pain (I understand back pain, having had a few spells myself) and Paul has taken off at least 3 days of work to be with her as she can't lift Levi into or out of the bed (not even taking into account having to run behind his busy self all day). Keep my baby in your prayers. Kim is one of the joys of my life and I can't stand to see her hurt. You know, if I could bare her pain, I would. I guess you call that "Motherhood".