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Sue Spitulnik

Writing, Sewing, Travel, and Thoughts

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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.

Best Smell Ever

It’s National Chocolate Chip Day. In my opinion, chocolate chip cookies baking is one of the top smells on this earth. I learned to bake at a very young age and have been doing it ever since. To my surprise, the National Day of Calendar informed me that the Nestle Toll House cookie recipe has only been around since 1939. I know that’s a long time, but I would have guessed it was older than that. At least I’ve had the benefit of it for my whole lifetime.

There are many ways to eat chocolate chip cookies; warm out of the oven with permission (when the chocolate is still gooey warm), snuck out of the cookie tin (just before a meal of course), dipped in milk, in small savory bites. I could go on. Probably the best way is to be able to share the event with another person so you can tell one another if they have chocolate on their face.

These days you can buy chips in lots of different flavors, made by different companies. I suggest you buy good ones, you know the ones that cost more. There’s nothing worse than biting into a chocolate chip cookie and the chip has no flavor because it wasn’t made by Nestle or Ghiradelli.

I have a friend that bakes up a storm whenever we are invited for a meal. I rarely eat her goodies because they are tasteless and usually very dry. I feel if you are going to spend your time baking from scratch, use the best ingredients available, and don’t substitute low-fat this and low calorie that, because the flavor goes out the window. But then again, she’s thinner than I am, so maybe her thought process has something over mine.

Chocolate chips can be used in all sorts of other ways than just cookies. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that. And it probably isn’t necessary to have a day to celebrate them because they are almost a staple in anyone’s cupboard that knows their way around the kitchen. Just for fun, celebrate the day by making some fresh chocolate chip cookies for dessert. If you are afraid you might eat too many, give some away. I can already smell them baking!

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It’s a Team Effort

It’s National Military Spouse Appreciation Day. This day is always celebrated the Friday before Mother’s Day. We all know, in the past that would have been very appropriate. The stereo-type still has most people thinking it’s only men in the military, but that is no longer the case. I didn’t check, but perhaps this day should also be celebrated the Friday before Father’s Day.

I’m an ex-spouse of an Air Force member. I’m proud that I was able to serve my country in that capacity. Serve, you ask? You’re darn right! We left our families behind, went where we were told, when we were told, and my kids have no real roots as their schools changed as often as our address did. I don’t mean to sound like I am complaining, but a transient life at the will of Uncle Sam is a lot less grounded than a life close to your own hometown with the folks handy to call on when a baby is about to arrive or one of the kids is sick.

In war-time when a military spouse is deployed, the other spouse is left holding all the responsibilities of the family. I have had people say to me, “Well, you knew that’s what you signed up for.” That’s true, but again, it’s not the same when you are in a foreign country or living on a military installation that is in the boonies of a state you are unfamiliar with. The best part is, the other spouses are in the same situation, and you bond quickly with the neighbors. The sad part, is when you get transferred, you rarely hear from those people again. It truly is a nomadic way of life. In my case, the experiences I had and the places I got to live and visit made up for that.

Some civil service jobs give preference to ex-military members. I feel that should also be extended to the ex-military dependents but I doubt that will ever happen.

I fly an American flag, correctly lit, 24/7. My time as a military spouse has given me an understanding that people not connected to the military don’t have and I’m proud of it. Next time you see a military member and think of saying thank you to them, add, and to your family too. I’m sure they will appreciate it.

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Where Did It Go?

It’s National Lost Sock Memorial Day. How many individual socks do you have sitting on top of your dresser? They lie there waiting, in hopes their partner will be found hidden in a folded sheet, or in a dusty ball under the bed.

My husband has a few and I do to. It’s funny, because I buy the same brand of sock for him year after year. He has brown ones and black ones. I can only tell them apart by the hue of color according to the age of the sock. Which means, they could be matched with each other at most times, but yet, I still have these poor single socks with no mate.

According to the National Day of Calendar, this day is thee day to throw out the single socks and have a little memorial for them. It also suggests you could use them as dust rags, or make hand puppets out of them. I remember making hand puppets when I was a kid. We got out my mother’s button box and found just the right button for the eyes, and nose. Do kids even do that today?

I have a special young man in my life that is a sports reporter. He wears mismatched socks on purpose because he says it’s a good ice-breaker or conversation starter when he’s out in public. I can’t say as I’ve ever seen it do anything but get weird looks from people. My grandson also wears mismatched socks, but he has a better reason. “Grandma, I just pick the first two out of the drawer that I can reach.” Maybe it’s because his mom doesn’t take the time to match them. Either way, it is his form of personal self expression.

If you don’t do it today, the next time you do laundry, give each one of those single socks a little kiss and toss them in the trash. By now you should know the other half of the pair is not going to show back up. Maybe they are in washer or dryer heaven.

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Better When Shared

It’s National Have a Coke Day. If you haven’t had one in a while, or if you live in one of those cities that has added a huge tax to a sugary drink, I suggest you live a little today and have one for old times sake.

When I was a kid, my girlfriends and I would collect some change, or empty pop bottles and go to the corner store to buy some Cokes and a bag of M&M’s. At the time, a Coke, in a bottle, was 10 cents, plus 2 cents deposit. I think a bag of M&M’s was 5 cents. We had to go to the kitchen to open the Cokes with a bottle opener. Then we would go out and sit on the porch to split the M&M’s and drop them one by one in the pop bottle. You couldn’t do it quickly, because each one made the drink fizz. Then we would swish the bottle until all the color had come off the M&M’s. The drink was now a muddy color and not very cold but what a treat. We ate the chocolate last, tipping the bottles upside down into our mouths and thumping on the end to get the morsels to fall. No one ever chipped a tooth, but I think that was just luck.

I don’t think it would be near the fun today because Coke now comes in cans or plastic with screw-off tops. Back then it was a process, a labor of love almost. Sometimes my mother or sisters would see our concoction and with a sneer, ask what we were drinking. I miss the innocence of childhood when such little things made us giggle. I think I would do it even today if my grandson joined me. But he’s a thinker. I can hear him saying, “Grandma, why would you do that?” I guess I won’t ask him if he wants to.

Now days I have Coke in the fridge as a mixer for my adult beverages. I like my whiskey and bourbon mixed with Coke. I know, it’s fattening, but the beverage just doesn’t taste the same mixed with anything else and by itself it is too strong and doesn’t last near as long.

Whether a child putting chocolate in a Coke, or as an adult, adding some adult beverage, it always seems to taste better when shared with a friend.

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May the Force Be With You

National Star Wars Day was first organized in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Toronto Underground Cinema in 2011. Produced by Sean Ward and Alice Quinn, festivities included an Original Trilogy Trivia Game Show, a costume contest and the web’s best tribute films, mash-ups, parodies, and remixes on the big screen. May 4th was chosen because of the play on words, but Star Wars fans didn’t first introduce the often quoted phrase. In 1979, Britain elected the first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. On May 4, the day she took office, the Conservative Party placed an advertisement in The London Evening News, which read, “May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations.” The line was picked up by Star Wars fans everywhere.

Star Wars fans live all over the world. You are probably one of them. When you have a hero like Luke Skywalker and a heroine like Princess Leia, fighting against the evil Darth Vader how can you not get involved. With light sabers, flying fighting machines, a Wookiee, a few robots and the coolest looking characters from other planets or solar systems, you have a sure blockbuster hit movie. Or, I should say movies. The only confusing part of the equation is why they didn’t make the movies in chronological order of the events. That might have been a grand marketing tool to get you to watch the movies over and over.

I know a few people who are avid fans. Everything they do is related to Star Wars; their clothing, the way they talk, their vacations and their Halloween costumes. I don’t quite get that, but hey, whatever floats your boat, or flies your rocket ship. The story itself is the same old premise of good against evil, but the setting and costumes keep you coming back for more. Personally, I like all the beings in the bar scenes. I would love to have the imagination that thought all of them up in fine detail. I would also like to see how the costumes were made and make-up applied for shooting the movie scenes. What a lot of expensive work.

Next time you are feeling defeated, or need some extra strength to make it through a situation in life, grab your light saber and remember, the force is with you. You can do it!

 

 

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So Many Kinds

It’s National Textile Day. Wait, don’t click off because you aren’t interested in sewing. Take a second and look around you. What are you wearing? What is the seat made out of you are sitting on? Is there a rug under your feet, or near-by? Is there a painting on your wall? What kind of window coverings are blocking that bright sunshine, or another day of rain? Is there a wonderful, comfy quilt on your bed that your grandmother made? Do you like going camping in a tent?

Now you have the picture. Each item I mentioned is made out of a different type of textile. Now think about your summer wardrobe compared to your winter one. In the summer we like breathable cotton, rayon and the new wicking athletic wear. In the winter we get out the wool, fleece, and fur. All textiles.

Long story short; you are surrounded by textiles and probably take it for granted. That’s all right, I do too. I didn’t realize just how many there were until I looked at the National Day of Calendar to see what subject/ thing gets special recognition on this day.

Spring is trying to arrive in western New York, and wedding season is upon us. If you get to attend such an event in the near future, take a minute to see how many different textiles you can see during the event. I’m sure it will be beautiful, and don’t forget to count the table cloths.

 

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