New year, starting over and finding an old friend

It is 2011. Are you saying "two thousand eleven," or are you saying "twenty eleven"? I've used  both, and I suspect with time I will use the "twenty" designation for the century all the time. I've heard discussions, both online and IRL about this, and the thing that makes me laugh is that apparently no one cared until just recently. We completed the first decade plus without me hearing any discussion about it. I think it's funny how we can sometimes suddenly realize this sort of thing. I remember my grandmother talking about the change of the last century. She said everyone said "nineteen hundred blank-blank" for many years. I remember her saying "nineteen hundred fifty seven." I think it was in the 1920s that she said people began saying "nineteen twenty three."  Well, many say (and I believe it) the world is speeding up, so perhaps we have just "figured it out" sooner.

I've had an interesting holiday season. There has been some good and some bad stuff in Lynilu Land. I've shared a lot of meals and companionship with friends during the past month. Several potlucks, a couple of restaurant gatherings, all which have been wonderfully yummy! I've enjoyed the company of friends even more than the food. Oh, my! What fun it has been! Now I'm having a touch of that post-holiday let down. You know what? We should work on getting together often during the year, holiday or no, spreading the fellowship out and not cramming it so intensely between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.  Anyway, I'm fine after a few days of pouting because the party's over!

On the sad side is the two divorces I mentioned a few days back. Both seem to be moving on, good or bad. I'll just be so glad when it is resolved. One does not have children to consider; they are grown. In some ways that makes it easier, but on the other hand it also results in a greater sense of being alone.The other has children who are furious and devastated, so their mom has to deal with her own emotions AND theirs, but she isn't alone. I don't know which is worse. It just stinks, no matter. If people have just sorta drifted apart and no longer have high emotional ties, it is different, perhaps. Both my girls still passionately love their husbands. I've certainly seen them vacillate back and forth across that infamous fine line between love and hate in recent weeks. I'm hopeful that both will come out on the other side of this with enough to get by financially, with a strong sense of self worth, and without becoming so hardened that they can't move onward and upward. Tall order, I know, but I'm holding out for that!

Many years ago my late husband bought one of the original Ronco Showtime Rotisserie and BBQ units. He was such a fan and frequent purchaser of things that fall into the category of "As Seen on TV." Lawdy, we had so many gadgets! Now, I'll admit, I liked a lot of them. I still use the Magic Bullet, a little mixer/blender, just the right size for doing a single blender drink. I love it for drinks or small chopping/blending jobs.

Anyway, the rotisserie is another one I really liked. But for whatever reason, I have not used it since before he passed away. That was five years ago, and I'm guessing we hadn't used it for a couple years before that.

My hub liked it so well that he bought one for all five kids one year. I don't remember the price, but it was not an inexpensive item. I'm vaguely remembering a figure around $1000 for the whole family. I don't know if all the kids still have theirs,  but Allan does and he uses it often.

So I had a chicken in the fridge, and I knew I had to cook it today. I was trying to decide how to fix it. There is one way that is scrumptious, but it entails treating the chicken (with some things that sound very odd, I might add, but is delicious!), and refrigerating it overnight before cooking it. That was out because of the time frame involved. I pulled out cookbooks and checked my recipes in the computer, but nothing was grabbing me.

Then I remembered the rotisserie. I didn't even know if it still worked. It has been well wrapped and stored in a cabinet on my deck for 4 years. I brought it in, and plugged it in. It did work, so I cleaned it up and skewered the chicken. The nice thing is the rotation makes it self-basing, so unless you want to add seasonings, you have nothing to do but wait. I  opted for some rosemary and garlic in a little butter and olive oil which was brushed over the outside as it made the first few rotations. Lawdy, does it smell good!! I was actually going to have it for dinner, but as the smells began to fill the house, I decided it is for lunch. I'll snack for dinner!

Don't ya love rediscovering an "old friend" like this?