Key Lime Pie

/ Sheila / 7 Comments

Summer is officially here, and even in Ketchikan the weather is warming up. The afternoons are bright with the peculiar late day sun that is characteristic of Alaska. The best part of the day is late afternoon, and it stays light far into the evening, elongating the period between getting home from work and dinner: almost like a second afternoon to enjoy and linger in.

One of our favorite summer treats is Key Lime Pie. Couldn’t be easier to make, and you can prep the day before you plan to serve, so it’s a great option for entertaining.

This is the recipe for a classic version of the traditional Southern favorite:

Key Lime Pie

For crust
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs from 9 (2 1/4-inch by 4 3/4-inch) crackers
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For filling
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh or bottled Key lime juice

For topping
3/4 cup chilled heavy cream

Make crust: Preheat oven to 350°F.
Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl with a fork until combined well, then press mixture evenly onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch (4-cup) glass pie plate.
Bake crust in middle of oven 10 minutes and cool in pie plate on a rack. Leave oven on.

Make filling and bake pie: Whisk together condensed milk and yolks in a bowl until combined well. Add juice and whisk until combined well (mixture will thicken slightly).
Pour filling into crust and bake in middle of oven 15 minutes. Cool pie completely on rack (filling will set as it cools), then chill, covered, at least 8 hours.

Make topping: Just before serving, beat cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Serve pie topped with cream.

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Skydiving

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Yes, we really did it. Rob and I did a tandem sky dive jump on his 50th birthday. I wasn’t nervous until about five seconds before we jumped. We were both hooked to a professional jumper who was in charge of the hard part…pulling the chute, making sure we survived the adventure, and most important, keeping us (alright, me) from panic and any resulting hysteria.

The whole thing was surprisingly simple. Signing the release forms took a lot longer than the very brief instruction for a successful tandem jump. There were three main directives: first, you arch your back when you are in free fall; second, remember to breathe; and third, once the chute is opened, you can open your arms and stretch into the wind. That’s it. That’s all you need to know to jump out of a plane.

The short flight up to 13,000 feet was fun, sitting on a crowded bench with fellow jumpers. Most of the group was jumping without benefit of a professional attachment, which I didn’t really appreciate until I was standing looking out of the open door, staring into the air, faaarrr above the ground. I was just starting to say out loud, “I don’t think I can do this,” when I suddenly realized that I was HOOKED to this person I had paid to jump with me, and HE WAS GOING OUT THE DOOR. Obviously, that is a critical part of the experience. I would have been too paralyzed to jump if I had not been attached to another person who made it impossible for me to stay inside the plane.

As soon as we were out the door (didn’t see the first several seconds, my eyes were too tightly shut) I focused on breathing and holding the arched position that was required for the free fall. About the time I was opening my eyes I felt the chute open and the whole experience went into a sort of slow motion. It was beautiful and smooth, and I left the fear way above me, in the space just outside the door of the plane. The instructor gave me a little flight-seeing tour, pointing out different landmarks above San Diego and taking us through a series of gentle turns as we floated toward the landing area.

Would I do it again? I doubt it…not that I couldn’t, but I think it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. Once was enough.

And what did I learn? It was an amazing illustration of the power of connection, of having someone to push me beyond my comfort zone, and then to create a soft landing from a beginning that was frightening.

I thought of how often life is like that: two people connect themselves to each other, and at any given moment may switch out the roles of the professional leading the way and the novice along for the ride. Each person brings their expertise and their courage to the experience, and together, if the jump is successful, they navigate to solid ground and land right side up, feet first, in spite of having times of being upside down on the trip down.

Maybe I’m reaching in my analogy…but it seemed perfect to me. Life sometimes seems upside down, like I’ve jumped out of the plane and am looking for the landing zone. Sometimes I’m in the free fall zone, and sometimes I’m in the peaceful and inspiring space of floating, taking it all in. The key is the jump buddy I’m attached to. Well, it’s an interesting ride, and sometimes unpredictable. But I’m with the same buddy I’ve had for almost 30 years, and I haven’t crashed yet. Must be doing something right.

Here’s to jumping out, taking the plunge, and careful selection of your jumping partner. It makes all the difference when you’re standing at the door, looking out. Be sure you’re strapped on tight, and that you’re connected to someone who will be good for the ride! It’s an amazing experience, but the most important choice is the one you make before you leave the ground. It’s the choice of the jump buddy.

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Training for transition

/ Sheila / 1 Comment

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I’m training my replacement at work. By mutual agreement, I am transitioning to another position in the hospital, one that I will hold until the house sells and we leave Ketchikan. I feel good that this will be a smooth way to move from my current role and still maintain income and benefits. But it’s bringing home the reality of the disconnection process. I’ll be stepping away from some fun (and funny) co-workers who have been good to me, helped me grow, and have been unfailingly kind as Rob and I have been on a merry-go-round of sorting out our lives and next steps.

I didn’t begin my work life in a hospital environment, and in fact, only transitioned to that about five years ago, using a variety of administrative and general office skills to fill an office role in the hospital in Kotzebue, AK. Then, because of that work experience, I was hired for an administrative role here in the Ketchikan hospital. The work is diverse, and although there are some tasks that come around on a regular basis, it never gets boring.

I’m fortunate to have an inside track to understand the complex world of healthcare and medicine in 2011. And of course, I understand almost nothing at a clinical level, since I’m averse to things like blood and needles. And how is it that I work in a hospital at all, you may ask. Well, there is a surprising amount of work that goes on in healthcare environments that has little to do with medicine, and everything to do with the business of medicine. And that’s the side of healthcare that I sit on.

I work for PeaceHealth, a Catholic hospital system that has a core mission of service. I see regular instances of selfless giving. It’s not all about money. I also see the burden that modern medicine, societal expectations, long hours, thin staffing, and a challenging and isolated environment imposes on providers and staff. I hear the comments that physicians make in meetings, see the lifestyle of long clinic days, nights and weekends impacted by call, and recognize anew: it’s a difficult profession.

And what is the point of this to me? It’s given me a view of Rob’s world that I never had before, and helped me to grasp, in a very real way, the issues that he faces on a regular basis. One of my tasks in my current job is managing the primary care call calendar, and I understand the impact of call in a small clinic practice. I hear the talk, I understand the issues, in a way that I could not have understood in the past.

And has it made a difference? I think maybe it has.

I understand a lot more than I did when I moved to Alaska, almost five years ago. It’s been a long road, and I’m not sure what my work life will be like in the future. But I hope I’ll be able to hold on to the realizations I’ve come to, and the insight into my husband and my marriage as both have been shaped by the profession of medicine. It is consuming, almost all-consuming, and I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that we would be very different people if Rob had chosen a different profession.

I know that it isn’t possible for most people to enter into the work life of a spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend. But if you can, even if it’s just for a short while, or in a limited way, it may change your perceptions. And isn’t that what we all need? We want to be understood, to know that the person we share a life with can understand, can empathize. If you could see what I see, know what I know…

Bumps in the road!

/ Sheila / 2 Comments

Last week I was in vacation mode. I was in sunny southern California. There was not one drop of rain the whole week. I got some sun, actually had to wear sunscreen; sat out by a pool one day; ate several meals out doors; wore summer clothes and sunglasses; and I shopped, ate, and slept in. Better still, I was in birthday mode, and we stretched Rob’s big 5-0 celebration out over several days with events and cake and ice cream on multiple occasions.

It was a good week, but now I’m back to reality. 5:00 AM was hard to face this morning, as was the cooler weather of southeast Alaska. It was a nice day here, but I stretched it a bit with my summer clothing. I wore a sweater, but couldn’t bring myself to wear a coat or…horrors…another turtleneck! All done with those options until fall is back on the calendar.

So the birthday week was good. However, there was a casualty of travel. My little netbook that has been my daily companion for the past couple of years had an encounter that effectively ended its life. I’m still not entirely sure what happened, but somehow in the course of travel, the screen was damaged beyond use or reasonable cost for repair. At the time this occurred, the computer was in its padded case, inside my backpack. But the backpack was with some other luggage and must have been jostled, to say the least, in transit. All I know is that everything was fine when I powered down the morning we headed to California, and when I booted up that evening, the damage had been done.

So, I am now the proud owner of an iPad. Since I primarily surf the internet, do email, and write my blog…no gaming or serious use of programs in general…I decided to try the iPad as a replacement. So far, although there are a few losses, there are also some fun gains.

I also came home with an allergy flare, or a cold…can’t quite decide which variety of drippy nose I have, but I’m leaning toward the allergy theory.

Last week was great. But I have to admit I woke up this morning thinking: I’m broke (well, for the month anyway…the iPad and other outings consumed my fun money for June); I’m on an air and water diet after a week of indulging; and I’m sick.

It’s hard to come down from 13,000 feet!

Taking the plunge

/ Sheila / 8 Comments
Skydive in Central New York (CNY) at Blue Sky ...

What a view!

What do you give for a memorable birthday present, to truly mark the moment? Well, there’s no one right answer. But for Rob, who’s birthday is today, it had to be an experience. He always says he values experience more than things, and anyway, as most people have sorted out by 50, there are only so many things a person needs. He’s not one to collect status symbols, or to collect anything, for that matter.

Since we’re in California, it’s easy to focus on the outdoors, another love of his. So I planned a day of:

~early morning walk on the beach

~favorite breakfast

~11:00 AM reservation for tandem skydives…yes, we’re taking the plunge!

~afternoon birthday cake

~Sushi for dinner

~Day’s end in a jacuzzi under the stars

Happy Birthday to Rob, my one and only. And may this be the beginning of the best years of your life!

Image from Wikipedia

Birthdays

/ Sheila / 4 Comments

Happy Birthday!

We recently celebrated Riley’s first birthday. On June 1, Rob will turn 50, and my grandmother will turn 90. I think about the span of these years, almost a hundred years between Riley and her great-great grandmother. Rob is right in the middle. Funny how at the early ages, each year is so eagerly anticipated, and at our point in life, the number becomes something to be joked about, maybe secretly feared, but as much dreaded as celebrated.

Well, I’m all done with that. I can’t turn the clock back, and I don’t even want to. Oh, I wouldn’t mind a discreet nip and tuck in a couple of places, but other than being in need of a bit of cosmetic touch up, I’m beginning to appreciate this stage of life in ways I never anticipated.

I know my skills, my strengths, my good points, my faults. I accept myself, although I am still (as always) seeking to improve. Acceptance doesn’t equal indifference. It just means that I try, fail, try again, and keep smiling.

But perhaps more important, I accept others. Acceptance doesn’t equal approval. But my role in life is not to go about approving of others. My job is to become my best self, and to meet others where they are. My job is to lighten the load where I can, to be salt and light where I can. To bring comfort where I can.

Each of us has a circle of influence and a circle of people we impact. In the sea of humanity, my circle is quite small. My place in life is small. But I can choose to be of value to those in my life. And that’s my goal. I’m excited to have the freedom and flexibility in my life to give, to share, to nurture, to extend myself. At 50, that’s what I celebrate.

At one time, I thought my heart was breaking. But now I find it was breaking open. And that’s a good thing to know, at the ripe old age of 50.

Happy birthday to the lucky ones that have birthdays on the horizon. I’ll never dread another one. That’s a promise I’m making to myself this very day. And if I’m fortunate enough to have my grandmother’s longevity, I’ll count my wrinkles and my days with joy.

Community at The Point

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There’s a little art gallery/beading store/restaurant that I love here in Ketchikan. It’s called The Point, Ketchikan’s only “waterfront art cafe,”

The Point

and it is housed in a building that overlooks the water. You can have lunch and watch float planes landing, or see the big ships docked down the way. On a nice day, the water looks so blue it’s amazing.

The food is just the simple fare of lunch: soup, sandwiches, quiche, cookies. They serve artisan freshly baked bread with their soups, and the cookies are baked in house as well. In fact, from what I can tell, everything is done in house. Which is amazing, when you realize that it is more an arts business than a food business. Or at least that’s the way it began. Not sure these days that the restaurant side of the business isn’t taking top billing.

You can eat at The Point, or if you have a work meeting and want to order, they’ll deliver their full menu for the day to your office. Simple as a phone call and a credit card. And the food is so good, if you let staff know where you’re ordering lunch, they’ll show up with appetites.

But the best thing about this restaurant is that it’s local. Owned and operated by people who have been here for a long time, it reflects the personality of the place. Local artists are prominently featured in the gallery displays. Classes are held there, and at lunch you see a mix of people from town, from all ages and walks of life.

I think the success of the restaurant side of the business is a bit of a surprise to the owners. They seem to be growing in popularity and in menu offerings. I and others have asked if they plan to publish their recipes. I have a sense that they’re on to their own little “overnight” success story. And it’s refreshing to see a small town enterprise doing well…not a chain, another fast food place, not linked to national advertising: just a local effort that is paying off and is the result of hard work and risk taking.

Good for the entrepreneurs! And good for me at lunch!

What I learned today

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My netbook

Blogging has been good for me. I’m sort of a medium computer savvy person, meaning, I can work my way around the standard Microsoft Office programs, and over the years, I’ve picked up a lot of knowledge the old fashioned way: trial and error. Even with the occasional formal class, I’ve learned a lot on my own. I know how to search for answers from online help, and I can frequently find the solution I need when I run into a problem. So I’m not highly knowledgeable in a technical sense, but I’m not bad either.

But with blogging, I’m learning new skills. The program I’m using makes it pretty simple. You can do a lot with a click of a button. But there are tips and tricks that I’m slowly working through. Today I learned to link another page using live text…you know, when you see a word “here” and you click to another page. I learned to do that for my blog. I’ve known how to link other sites or blogs, but this was a new little learning. I love the small victories!

The best part? You can look wonderfully professional (sometimes!) with all the tools that come with the blogging program. Confession: I’m just an at-home amateur. But it’s fun, it’s creative, it’s challenging, and who knows where it will lead?

Yay for the digital world!

Homemade Vanilla pudding

/ Sheila / 1 Comment

May is a fickle month, weather-wise, at least in this region of the country. Last Friday it was warm. I actually felt hot running around doing a few errands in the afternoon. But the cooler temps are back, and I have my sweatshirt on over my turtleneck. Yes, I’m still wearing turtlenecks. It’s my uniform from September through May, so I’m in the home stretch, getting ready to switch over to clothes that at least suggest warmer weather is in sight. But it will be a little while yet before I break out the tank tops.

Tonight it seemed just right to  mix up a little warmth for an after dinner treat. One of my favorite comfort foods, plain vanilla pudding has just the right everything: the right amount of sweet creamy buttery warmth that makes it irresistible on a chilly evening. This makes a small amount, so if you are making this for more a couple of people, you’ll probably want to double the recipe.

Vanilla Pudding

Vanilla goodness

Ingredients:

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups half and half

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan.

2. Whisk in about a third of the half and half, stirring until smooth. Stir in remaining half and half until well combined.

3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened (about 5 minutes, but the time will vary).

4. Reduce heat to low and continue to heat, stirring gently, until the mixture reaches a simmer.

5. Cook one minute more over low heat, then remove from heat.

6. Fold in butter and vanilla extract. Spoon pudding into serving dishes.

I like this served warm, but if you prefer it chilled, just make early enough in the day to chill in the fridge before serving. I always have a bit left over, and it keeps well for a day or two in the fridge. Just reheat briefly in the microwave if you like it served warm.

This is a thinner pudding than the instant variety, but it is simple to make, silky smooth, and has no artificial ingredients!

Enjoy!

Keep Trying

/ Sheila / 4 Comments

Little Riley is transitioning to table food.

Riley

She’s almost off baby foods completely, and is getting less of her daily nutrition from milk now, more from solid foods. Of course, she has a limited diet. Foods are introduced one at a time, and having only a few teeth yet, she is unable to tackle anything but soft or easily dissolved textures. Some foods she has already rejected, at least for now. She doesn’t think she likes peas. She loves pasta, and cheese, bananas and yogurt. Anything that doesn’t suit her taste is quickly moved off her tray to the floor. Surprising how early little kids learn to spit out what they don’t like.

But sometimes offering a food again gets a different result. Does she forget she already tried something and didn’t like it? Maybe her first round rejection was more a reflection of a bad mood, or she wasn’t really hungry. Who knows what a one year old is thinking when it comes to choice?

Sometimes I surprise myself with the same type of about face. I recently tried oysters again. And this time, for the first time, I liked them. I had locally harvested Coffman Cove oysters, renowned for their delicacy, and showcased on seafood menus. Not sure what made the difference: the variety of oyster, the freshness, or the preparation. These oysters were baked in their shells. The shells were easily opened after baking, and the oyster was delicate and delicious, spritzed with lemon and dipped in melted butter. What have I been missing all these years I thought I didn’t like oysters?! Turns out, I didn’t care for raw oysters. But this new taste has me excited to try them again, which I plan to do this very weekend.

Obviously, not everything we dislike at first will grow into a like. Sometimes I become more convinced, a second or third time around, that my first opinion of a food or experience was correct: never going to work for me, or be a first choice. If I’m starving, there are some foods I could eat. But that doesn’t mean I would select them, short of desperate need. In other cases, exposure equals acceptance. I’ve recognized that in many situations. I’ve had to warm up to some things, but eventually, I’ve moved a place or experience…or even a person…from the “dislike” to “like” column in my log of personal preferences.

Stephanie called me yesterday to say that Riley had eaten peas with her dinner the night before. Good job, Riley! Keep trying, and maybe you’ll find you change your mind about a food you dislike, or something even more important. I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve sometimes been quick to judge, to form an opinion, to know how I felt about something, or someone. And then…a different context, or preparation, or even a different mood on my part, and my attitude shifts. Watching Riley experience the early phase of discovery of choice reminds me that I can change my mind, that trying something again can make a difference. And that you can miss out on some good things if you quit trying too quickly.