sandwiches – Ahuva’s Blog

It’s peculiar what things actually drive me to post to my blog. 🙂 I have lots of photos, and stories, and things that I plan to someday write up and post. They are not creating an irresistible impulse to post. What does force me to the keyboard and spark creativity? Someone stating categorically that they use Miracle Whip over mayonnaise.

I never ever never knew ANYONE who used anything but Hellmann’s mayonnaise while I was growing up. It wasn’t until I went away to college that I encountered people who used “salad dressing”. As bad as THAT is, what really destroyed my faith in humanity was the day one of my dorm mates made the run downtown to bring back food for us all. I’d ordered a roast beef sandwich. Now I tend to like my sandwiches dry – nothing on the bread. But if you MUST put something on the bread (a nod to my mother who couldn’t bring herself to make me a dry sandwich), you put on mayonnaise. I realize now that this is because of Jewish traditions. My parents were not at all observant, but there were some lines even they wouldn’t have imagined crossing – just too alien a thought. We never had milk with any meat meal. Never. We never put anything on a sandwich but mustard or mayonnaise. ALWAYS Hellmann’s. My dorm mate – she brought back my roast beef sandwich with BUTTER on it. Butter. I can’t begin to convey the complete and total disbelief I felt when I took a bite of my sandwich and tasted BUTTER. I ended up throwing out the bread and every piece of roast beef that had butter on it that could not be scraped off completely. I’m not sure that I even felt disgust. It was more complete and utter shock. Disbelief. The sense of having entered another reality. Isn’t it great to have the opportunity to go away and live with people who are NOT like you???? I’d never have known of this universe of buttered sandwiches.

So what has compelled me tonight? A passing FB reference about deviled eggs. “I use Miracle Whip, dill relish and mustard…” OMG. How to RUIN deviled eggs!!!!! Yes, with all the real issues in the world, I am driven to comment on the use of Miracle Whip in deviled eggs. I have no post in me about the weather disaster in Texas where people have no heat and no water. No post in me about the tornado that passed within 25 miles of my sister, killing at least 15 people and freaking me out completely until I reached my brother-in-law. No post about the continuing disaster of our political parties. But oh my word – you post about using Miracle Whip and I’m coming right at you!!!! 🙂

Hellmann’s. Always. Light or regular – but Hellmann’s. Or don’t even bother. 🙂

relaxing at The Vault — Relaxing after a long day at the spa

I am having NO difficulty getting into the vacation mind-set this week. Let me clarify that a little – MY vacation mind-set. As you know, I spent Monday at Spa Ahuva. That night I sat down and made a list of all the things I needed to get done this week, things I’d like to get done this week, things that at some point need to get done around the house, and the list of this month’s donations. I had everything written down – 4 separate pad pages. Impressed with how industrious I was going to be, I treated myself to logging in to SL to hear Calli DJ’ing. She was at The Vault, doing a set of sultry tunes. It was the perfect end to a lovely day. I relaxed, chatted with the friends who were there, listened to the tunes, and savored the moment. I went to bed and slept a good sleep – the result of spending the day at the spa and the wonderful music.

Always good to hear DJ Calli spin the tunes

I woke up the next day and stayed in bed, listening to my husband puttering about (he’s VERY noisy in the morning). There was no BC to come and cuddle. She hadn’t ‘tucked me in’ last night, either. So really – it was all HER fault. I was relaxed, thinking no need to move, let my husband feed the cats, when all of a sudden I realized: IT’S TUESDAY!!!!! I need to make 100 sandwiches this morning. It was about 10 to 8 in the morning. Lately I’ve been getting there about 8:05. I jumped out of bed yelling “It’s Tuesday – I need to make sandwiches”. I threw on my clothes, brushed my teeth, made a to-go cup of iced coffee, called to my husband – take care of the cats and raced out the door. I made it there by 8:20. 🙂 The other 3 were already there. When I walked in, Helene called out “The Birthday Girl!!!!” It’s true – they were 2 days early, but I’d already said I was taking off Thursday. Jay had baked me cookies, and they had prezzies for me and my brother-in-law, who also makes the sandwiches on Tuesdays. They had face masks from the soup kitchen we are supporting. They also brought the Birthday Crown for me to wear. 🙂 I need to return it next Tuesday because Helene’s birthday is the following week and SHE needs the crown then. 🙂 As you can see – I look stunning.

birthday princess — I have taken better pictures. Please remember that is unwashed hair. Was not intending to have the “off the shoulder look” – just part of the total being off-balance

We got the sandwiches and lunch bags done and out the door by 9:30. The stupid squirrels had dug up my dill, and my radishes had died, so I had 2 empty pots that needed flowers. I decided to give up on herbs and vegetables for the rest of the season. I’d planned to go way down to my favorite nursery, but was too lazy and befuddled at that point. Missing the morning routine had me completely off balance. I went to the nearest big box store to find something that would supply bright color and survive the sun (the temps have been in the 90s now for over a week). Well, I saw some canna lilies there at a very reasonable price. They looked so neglected. They looked like they deserved to be rescued. I did what had to be done – I bought 2 canna lilies and 2 pots of yellow marigolds. They were sooooo root-bound. Let’s hope they flower.

canna lily 1 — I do hope it flowers – it was so root-bound

I came home, still somewhat off-balance. I looked at my many lists. I made it to the chiropractor that afternoon, before he left on vacation. The nerve! Who said HE could take a vacation??? I made a few phone calls (on my list, unlike making the sandwiches), crossed off buying flowers. I paid the bills, made the donations, and decided the rest of the chores could just wait until tomorrow. 🙂 I have to say, this is the first vacation where I am truly not thinking about work. I see the emails come through on my phone, but I just delete the garbage, mark others as read, and then stop thinking about them. I’m not at all tempted to just send one email, just do one thing. I have a password that is going to expire this week. I’m trying to decide if I should logon and deal with it or just let it expire and deal with it when I return. This vacation is proving a point that my dear friend Honour has been making for years: There is so much to DO if you are not working. I’m NOT going to be bored. Okay, most of my lists are what some would call ‘chores’, but for me they are very satisfying. I’m finally fixing and changing things around the house that have annoyed me for years. There might be something to this whole concept of ‘retirement’.