Alysia Musing

This post was originally listed on 5/21/08.

Good luck?

As I was out for an early morning stroll with a new puppy friend, I felt and heard a splat on my back and arm.  I was “blessed” with a bird doing his business on me.  My first reaction was something to the effect of “Darn” and then I wondered if it hit my hair.  Since I was outdoors in an area that didn’t have reflective surfaces in the vicinity, I hoped and prayed that the fly by dropping didn’t hit my freshly washed locks.

As I continued to walk my pooch buddy, I thought of how some say that being hit by bird boo-boo is good luck.  How do such beliefs start?  I’ve heard if you accidentally step in horse manure, you would also have good luck.

If this old husbands tale were true, how would my luck change for the better?  Would I come into millions or maybe just find a penny as during a future stroll.

I’ve heard a number of interesting superstitious notions over the years which include: if your hand itches you will come into money to, if a bat urinates on your head you will go bald or, for good luck in the new year you must have a man be the first to cross your threshold.

What superstitious tales have you heard of?

In case you are interested, the bird bomb did not hit my hair, just my overcoat and hand (ick!).  Because of the feathered creatures aim, I didn’t have to take another shower which would have caused me to be late for an appointment.  Maybe that was my bit of good luck!

This post was originally listed on 4/22/08.

I had my very first tea party on Sunday.  I invited a group of ladies to get together for a few hours to sip a variety of tasty teas and nibble delicious desserts while wearing proper afternoon tea attire.  At least that was the plan.

I enjoy entertaining and thought a ladies tea would be an interesting change to my more casual gatherings of friends.  I encouraged the invitees to wear hats and and pretty frocks.  Mind you, though I have a few ensembles that may be considered acceptable for a tea, other than a collection of baseball hats, a variety of winter hats and shower caps, I don’t own any hats.  It is not that I don’t like the decorative ladies hats, it’s just that I have a large cranium.  For those that know me and want to say “oh Alysia, you are much too lovely to have a head that is too large for proper ladies hats, it simple must be all of your extra thick hair that prevents a hat from fitting”, let me tell you something.  I can wet my locks, slick them back into a ponytail or bun and the men’s fitted extra large baseball hats that I own fit snuggly.  Before you spend time making up jokes, I prefer to think my sizable dome is because of all the knowledge that is crammed into my brain.

Back to the tea party.

Now that you have an understanding as to why I did not wear a hat to my own afternoon tea, I’ll share that none of my guests wore hats either.  Their reasons were not nearly as exciting as mine (didn’t want to mess up hair, didn’t have a hat to match dress, etc), but everyone looked lovely nonetheless.

The afternoon was a very special experience for me and my guests.  I even learned a few etiquette tips.  You aren’t to stir your tea, but move you spoon back and forth in the cup to blend (I failed that).  You are to wait for all of your guests to arrive before serving (since some of the guests were late and I was sitting directly in front of a three-tiered dessert display, I had not parts of that).  You are to always pass items to your right (I failed this too.  If what I want was right in front of the person to my right, why should it go all the way around the table to get to me?)

I can’t forget to mention that I tried a few things that up until Sunday I’d only heard of.   The lemon curd was tasty as was the clotted cream.  I feel more upscale already.  I also made a fuss about having actual sugar cubes.   I have never had sugar cubes in my home, but I may need to get some.

Did I mention that I don’t drink tea?  Nor coffee.  I don’t care for them, mainly because they aren’t sweet enough.  I had a fantastic orange tea and added 4 of those nice sugar cubes which made my beverage just sweet enough.  To add to my sugar intake, I sample at least one of each of the wide selection of desserts.  My guests were all tea drinkers and raved about the selection of teas and had several cups!

After reading up to this point, you’ve probably figured out that I did not organize this event.  I have a friend who happens to own the business Taking Tea in Style that put on this fabulous event.  All I did was pick the date, let her know how many people would attend, the size of my table and had the option to select my menu of teas and desserts.  My dining room was transformed complete with linens, fine china and silver, candles, fresh flowers, other fantastic decor and music.  Plus, everything was cleaned up and taken away.  I didn’t have to lift a finger! Taking Tea in Style is available for all kinds of events from sweet sixteen parties to bridal and baby shower to a ladies day for no particular reason and more!  For more details visit www.takingtea-instyle.com

This post was originally listed on 2/9/08.

This is the time of year where plans are made to express love and affection with the giving of chocolates, jewels, flowers and romantic dining experiences. I hope I’m not out of line when saying women typically make out like bandits, while men consistently get the short end of the stick.

What gives?

I figured I would take a poll of men to get their thoughts on what they may be interested in receiving or experiencing on Saint Valentine’s Day. Actually, my polling was limited to New Jersey. Well, I really only asked my husband.

Initially he shared that he wanted me to “blow him away” with some gesture, but refused to give details. He stated that I should know what he likes. What a pain.

His tune changed after he eye-balled a commercial for the new Apple Macbook Air. Uh-huh. Now I regularly hear “it’s only $2000, you should get it it for me” and get to watch him practically enter into a trance if an image of this ultra-thin piece of technology catches his eye.

I love my husband dearly, but he ain’t getting the new Apple Macbook Air for Valentine’s Day 2008. At least not from me.

What is it that men would like on this day filled with hearts and flowers? Have most men have resigned themselves to the fact that this day has little to offer them in the way of trinkets and expressions? Somebody fill me in.

As for my plans on February 14, 2008, my husband and I will share an evening together at a monthly community meeting. Since we first met at a community meeting years ago, I think it suits the day for us.

This post was originally listed on January, 20 2008.

I must admit, that the weekend was off to a bit of a shaky start. I had plans to see the production Me, Myself and I at Princeton’s McCarter Theatre on Friday evening.  Upon leaving my house, I discovered that an inconsiderate owner of a shiny, black Honda Accord was blocking half of my driveway which prevented me from leaving. Not, pleased I called the non-emergency police number to ask that an officer be dispatched to write the owner of the car a ticket. I was told that a car would be sent over. My neighborhood has the good fortune to have the virtual omnipresence of at least a police vehicle or two, so I was confident that I would see a marked car in 2 or 3 minutes.

As I wait for about 10 minutes, fuming because I’m sure to be late for my date for an evening of culture, I notice that there is a Lexus SUV parked directly in front of my neighbor’s driveway across the street. “What is going on, a party?” I wondered. Even with a number of unfamiliar cars parked on the street, there are still an ample amount of part spaces for those visiting.

After getting tired of waiting and giving up all hope of a theater experience in my immediate future, I decided to walk a few blocks where I was certain to find a marked car posted. As I was taking my brisk evening stroll, I again called the non-emergency police number to inquire as to the status of the car dispatched to my place of residence. The dispatcher, whom I spoke to during my first call told me her dispatch number when I inquired as to her name, informed me that a higher priority incident took place ant the dispatched car was rerouted.

At this point, the illuminated tail lights of a Ford Crown Victoria were visible and I inquire if the police car sitting idle at it’s post was a higher priority than giving attention to my issue. After the dispatcher repeated that another car was dispatched and then was called to a higher priority event, I asked her to inform the officer sitting in the car that I was coming up from behind to request assistance. I didn’t want to chance startling anyone sitting in a car on a dark evening that has easy access to a firearm.

When I arrived to the side of the police vehicle, I waved to get the officer’s attention. He rolled down the window and I then explained the situation. He was surprised that I walked “all the way” from my home to where he was posted and offered to drive me back to my place of residence.

I was pleased to hear from the officer that one of his pet peeves was people parking in front of driveways and that he loved writing tickets.

At the end of the night, two illegally parked cars received tickets, but I still missed out on a Friday night theater experience. To the police officer – Thank You. To those who choose to illegally park – don’t do it in front of my driveway!

Saturday faired far better. I met a girlfriend for a late morning cup of hot chocolate at downtown Trenton’s Cafe Ole. My evening included a tasty meal and stimulating conversation at Ewing’s Villa Rosa Ristorante with a group of friends and acquaintances followed by dessert at neighbors home.

The balance of the weekend looks promising with Sunday’s schedule to include a free morning cooking class at the Williams-Sonoma in the Marketfair Mall in southern Princeton and then an afternoon visit to friends to watch football, eat and relax. Monday will include my annual attendance of a breakfast event honoring the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Trenton Marriott hosted by a local alumni chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. sorority.

How do you like to spend your free time? If you are interested in expanding your culinary mind for free or on the cheap, contact your local Williams-Sonoma (www.williams-sonoma.com) and your local Whole Foods store (www.wholefoods.com) for some great options.