Sue Spitulnik

Author

Sue Spitulnik

I am a retired grandmother that grew up in western New York State, left for 25 years, and am now back in the area. I happily live with my husband and two cats. I am pro-military, writing, food, family, and quilting. I am con-exercise, insulting commercials, and lack of common sense. I have met some great friends through this website.

Always Prepared

When I was young, I knew some of my class mates were in the Boy Scouts. I heard them talking of earning badges and working their way up through the ranks. There was one boy I had a big crush on that attained his Eagle rank just before he graduated from high school. I didn’t have any brothers, so really all I knew was what I listened to on the school bus. I did get to go to one of their Christmas parties with that boy I mentioned. I digress.

If you’ve never been directly involved in the Boy Scouts, I urge you to go to their web site and read the requirements for a young man to attain the Eagle rank. I looked it up when I was doing research for my novel. I was surprised at how detailed and extensive their training is.

The boy I mentioned was the oldest of six children, and hence was the after school babysitter for his siblings while their parents worked. He was also involved in the school band, on the track ream, and started meals and did laundry at home. In retrospect, I don’t know how he had time to meet the requirements to attain the Eagle rank. I do know his parents were very proud of him. He went on to a career in the Navy.

The badges the scouts earn give them a well rounded education in all sorts of daily experiences. Things that will help them with their every day lives. They also learn to help others, work as a team, and be respectful. The Boy Scouts motto is Always Be Prepared. It’s a good plan for anyone’s life. I wish more youngsters made time for the Boy Scouts.

02/08/2017 1

Literary Themed Quilt

The king size quilt pictured above is up for grabs in an on-line auction to benefit Writers and Books where I take a lot of my writing classes. The web site is wab.org The site is a little clunky, but manageable. The quilt is item #116 and the starting bid is only $240.00 (what it cost to make it.) It is 100% cotton, washable, measures 96 x 96 (or thereabouts) and was made by yours truly. The auction continues for three weeks. Please help my “home away from home” by bidding on this beauty. Shipping will be extra if you can’t go pick it up.

Quilting is what I do when I’m not in front of the computer. It’s easy for me and I get a finished product that doesn’t need multiple revisions!

02/07/2017 0

The National Day of Calendar tells me that Alfredo di Lelio created fettuccine alfredo for his wife when she had no appetite after having their first child. It says it was noodles, cheese and butter. Yum. There is a recipe you can click on, so I did. To my dismay it was made with store-bought jars of sauce. Not in my kitchen! I’ll make mine from scratch, thank you, so much less salt that way! And adding cream is a must. If one is going to eat alfredo sauce, it might as well be the best it can be. You can always add some chicken and vegetables to make yourself think of it as a more healthy meal.

About thirty years ago, my daughter and I went to Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada for the day. Back in the days you didn’t need a passport to cross the border. I don’t remember what the reason for our trip was, but when we came back across the border, the guard asked us if we had bought anything during our stay. I’m way too honest a person; fearing he would tell me I couldn’t take it into the states, I answered, “We have leftover Fettuccine Alfredo in a to-go box.” He got this serious look on his face and asked from which restaurant. I told him, Mama Mia’s. He got a big grin and said something to the effect of, “At least you knew where to get the best. Have a good day.” We are still talking about his comment.

I just looked up on Trip Advisor to find out if Mama Mia’s is still open. It is, but the reviews weren’t all that favorable. Still, I would go back just for the good memory. My daughter is now 42 and she does have a passport. Maybe we should go for a ride and have Fettuccine Alfredo for lunch one more time.

02/07/2017 1

Frozen Yogurt or Ice Cream

When it’s hot out, do you prefer frozen yogurt or ice cream? Well, that depends! If I want something tangy, refreshing, and fruity, I go for frozen yogurt. If I want a fat fix and have my usual caramel craving, it’s ice cream all the way.

Somehow I never jumped on the frozen yogurt bandwagon, or the gelato for that matter. Maybe it’s my age. You know, I’ve always liked ice cream so why change now. I do know there is a common thread to eating it; it’s always better if you share it with someone.

We used to have a Harley before my husband’s back gave out. It was a regular weekend event in the summer to get together with some other Harley owners, have a big breakfast out, then go for a ride. It was the ride that was important, sometimes hours long. We would find back roads that ran through the countryside where the scenery kept our attention and there wasn’t a lot of traffic. Often times, ice cream or frozen yogurt was our lunch. One of our friends, J.C. could find an ice cream stand in the most out-of-the-way places. We let him lead the pack. We are still talking about the fun times we had.

Now days when my husband and I go for a drive in our Mini Cooper convertible, (one has to have some sort of toy) our lunch is still frozen yogurt or ice cream. If we have had a small breakfast, maybe it’s a sunday with toppings and whipped cream instead of just a cone. The fact remains, it’s better because we are sharing the experience.

02/06/2017 0

It’s National Women Physicians Day. According to the National Day of Calendar, 35% of physicians are women and they still earn 8% less than their male counterparts. This day is set aside to honor lady doctors, the strides they have made and bring awareness that those numbers could use some improvement.

I had to think about the fact there are still two male doctors to every one female. I know most of the women I am familiar enough with to talk about our doctors, prefer a woman. I like the lady Physicians Assistant I go to much better than I like the male doctor she works along side. She has more patience (no pun intended), listens to and hears what I say, and makes me feel like she cares about me as a person. She has empathy.

My husband’s niece is the program director for the Cleveland Clinic’s internal medicine residency program. She has many of letters after her name. She says, “That just means I went to school a lot.” Now, with the current travel ban from certain countries, she is fighting to get one of her doctors back into the U.S.. We are very proud of our Dr. Abby Spencer who is regularly getting awards for her work. When we visit her at home, she’s a loving mother, wife and daughter. I would love to shadow her at work one day. I’m sure I couldn’t keep up with the pace she goes and I know I would have no idea what she was talking about when it came to medical lingo. I do know she likes lots of frosting on her cupcakes!

The very long novel I wrote, that I keep mentioning, has a stern older man doctor in it and his protegé is his great-niece. I have plans to give her a personality much like our Dr. Abby’s. It’s easier to write when you write what you know. Hats off to all women physicians.

02/03/2017 0

Marshmallows and Chocolate

It’s National Heavenly Hash Day. In my neck of the world that means chocolate ice cream with chocolate bits and marshmallow swirl in it. According to the National Day of Calendar there are many other recipes from different ice cream makers, including one that is fruity. I’ll stick with the chocolate, thank you.

My husband works in big construction. Not outside on the projects as they are being built, but in the office, figuring out how much it is going to cost to build something, or renovate. He’s called an estimator. Today in western New York it is 20 degrees. I know, it isn’t zero, but it’s cold compared to being inside, and he has to go inspect an old building to decide if it is worth renovating. Bottom line, he’s going to be outside most of the morning. He left the house in heavy boots, warm clothes and his winter coat instead of dress shirt and tie.

What does this have to do with Heavenly Hash? Well, we aren’t 40 anymore, and when my husband gets cold, he doesn’t warm up as fast as he used to. I carried wood in yesterday and told him I would have a roaring fire in the fireplace and the family room up to 80 degrees when he got home. (When we bought our house, the neighbor informed us, our family room was the easiest room on the street to heat with its fireplace. That was learned during an ice storm in 1991 when there was no power for a few days and the neighbors congregated in our big room to play cards, share food, stay warm, and wait for the power to come back on.)

So, who wants ice cream on a 20 degree day. Well, if I’m true to my word, and the fire is raging, a bowl of Heavenly Hash might just be the right thing to have for dessert tonight. Maybe I’ll add some peanuts on his. He likes that.

02/02/2017 0