I do not know who Colin Kaepernick is outside of the facts that he comes from my community, he’s a football hero, plays for the SF 49rs and is a man of mixed racial heritage that was adopted as a child by a white family and has ever since supposedly lived a life of privilege.
Recently he did something totally unacceptable. No he didn’t rape any one. He didn’t steal any thing. He didn’t take a life. His sin was that when our National Anthem was playing he did not stand. He sat it OUT. His sin.. He SAT DOWN.
OMG.. This guy makes millions. He’s our hero he owes us. He needs to be our shinning example of what it means to be not just a football hero but an American ideal. YOU DO NOT SIT DOWN WHEN OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM is played.
So it has always been. Our heroes need to be be GODS because.. They can not be anything like us. We need them as examples to be what we imagine we are like and when they are not like what we want in our image we get to KILL them or at lest disown them and Bitch, Moan and Complain about how badly they let us down. It is very hard for us to except that one of our heroes held up the mirror and made us look into it.
Perhaps we should start at the history of slavery in the United States., or by looking at our national anthem and ask ourselves if it really represents the America we are today and the America we want to be? Perhaps you need to consider the third verse. The anthem was written in a time when slavery was how life was in these United States. Black lives did not matter. Black lives and indentured servants were chattel.. property..not to be counted.
Admittedly we do not sing this when we sing our national anthem but there is nonetheless something very chilling and certainly no longer in step with who and what we are today.. Or is there?
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash’d out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
I have a confession to make. I have sat DOWN. I have folded my arms and crossed my legs and bowed my head silently disapproving what I felt was wrong with my country. And I have also marched. I have loudly protested and have done everything I could to try to make this nation live up to the land of the free and the home of the brave. At least as far as I thought it should be.
BFD. Have you used that right lately? I would like to think that some of what I worked for moved us forward. The Civil Rights Act 1964, anti-Vietnam, hell anti war.. The Voting Rights Act 1965, plus a lot of policy tax law and stuff with the FDA and the EPA and fracking and Roe vs Wade. And I’m still working on healthcare and burning my bra.
Tell me when your hero didn’t get up for the national anthem, what have you been working for to make America the nation we want it to be for one and and all? Tell me out side of somebodies idea of patriotism that you have been feed, have you been doing really to make us one nation (indivisible under God) with Liberty and Justice for all.
I do not say the pledge with “under God”. I did’t learn it that way.. and frankly I can’t say it that way easily. I guess you could burn me at the stake because you are all shocked over that. . Just by way of history. This is the Pledge.
Much is at stake in our nation. Perhaps we will never know all the things that caused a football hero, the idol of many to make such a profound statement as to risk the ire of his adoring fans and creating a fire storm that demands us to examine once again what it means to be a patriot. It demands we also take a look at our national anthem and put it in the content of the times it was written. Maybe we need a new one?
Beyond the action of the man, what is important is that we are having a conversation that goes well beyond his action. Black on Black.. White on White.. Green on Green. What difference does it make. It’s all bull plucky. We all bleed red. We are all one tribe. We are all family.
It is time when we become grown up enough to SIT DOWN to stand up
for what we really are about. Go look in the mirror. Ask why you are upset about this. Is this what is really important? You are on a crank about some guy that earns an obscene amount of money for tossing a ball in a stupid game and who is your hero and he let you down..WHY? Or.. what is important is the fact that we really have serious problems? Now tell me please because I am just asking .. beyond this guy who so disappointed you.. let us sit down and talk.
As I said when I started this. I have no idea who Colin Kaepernick is. But I do know this.. he will probably carry a heavier cross then you will ever know. It’s the one we lay on all our hero’s when we feel they have let us down before we nail them to it.
We all have a vision of America. It is a blind men and the elephant. story where every one has their 2 cents to put in. America is so much more then anyone. It is a living breathing slogging to the light praying to save the earth, the air and the water rising above all odds and needs to be so much more then what any poor mortal ever envisioned. To be continued.
The rituals of life, the ties of family and friends, these gatherings to celebrate are the very warp and woof of the cloth that holds us together. So it was that thanks to my daughter in law Tracy’s insistence our granddaughter Amelia was called to the Torah. The ceremony was held on Saturday, May 7th 2016 at 10:30 in the morning at Temple Beth El.
It goes with out saying that Amelia also had to be up for the task. Willing to study and undertake with serious dedication the challenge of learning not only Hebrew but chanting her portion of the Torah and writing her Bat Mitzva dissertation on what that portion meant. This is a big deal. She is now and forever a part of the living Torah.
When Amelia was just a few months old her parents had a family and close friend gathering for her Simchat bat or naming ceremony. I brought the Tallit that my father wore at his Bar Mitzva to wrap her in and she wore that again now as a young woman on this special day.
Temple Beth El is a beautiful and welcoming synagogue. The Cantor Manny Silver and the Rabbi Allan Tuff are exceptional mensch. There is something in my DNA, maybe the product of generations of the daughters of N9a that responds to the rituals of the service that date back a thousand thousand generations. The reminder of Rabbi Hillel’s words “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn”. That is in essence what it means to be called to the Torah.
The Sabbath service both in English and Hebrew so familiar was by its familiarity tender and moving including a special rendition of the Hallelujah prayer sung to Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Ari, Tracy, grandparents Logan and Bernadette Nichols, Uncle Kevin Hawkins and Godfather and cousin Eric Kromelow and I were all called up on the Bema to be part of the service. Ari and I each did the blessing before and after the reading of the Torah. Logan, Bernadette, Kevin and Eric all participated in open the ark where the Torahs are kept and Eric helped with taking off the Torah covering as well as putting it back on for the walk around the congregation after Amelia had read her portion.
Special moments: Ari speaking to his daughter, his voice filled with emotion about her fearlessness.Not being afraid to take on a new challenge or project.
“To my daughter Amelia on your Bat Mitzvah.
Amelia, I am so honored to be your father. Words cannot express how much you have changed my life and how much you mean to me. Love is not big enough of a word to embrace my feelings for you and how much I care about your future and well being.
When you were just a little girl I would always tell you that my job as your parent was to keep you happy healthy and safe.
Well, I will never stop doing that job as long as I live as it is a job well worth doing.
There are so many moments in your life so far that I remember and cherish and all of them so wonderful:
Our father Daughter Dances, every time I dropped you off at school and picked you up to see your smiling face, your first time at Disney World, when you refused to go up to Chip and Dale. When you would tell me that’s Right Daddy! To put me in my place, when you would dress like Dorothy in Wizard of Oz, our first Cubs game together, your first roller coaster ride where I learned you were fearless, the first time you saw snow and jumped headfirst into a pile of it, your first steps, or when you called Dr. Sash to tell him you were finally potty trained! And now to see you growing up and playing softball, studying for your bat mitzvah, on the stage in lead roles, always doing your very best in school, These are all just some of the moments in time that we shared and they will never be lost, and they are my life’s most precious moments.
I am proud of you in so many ways, from the way you treat everyone you know with respect and caring to the way you always tell the truth and talk about your feelings. You will always be the better me, and every time I look at you I am reminded about what is good in this world.
Above all else Amelia you have shown me that you are not afraid: not afraid to make new friends, not afraid of a new school, not afraid to try sports you have never played, not afraid to lose, not afraid to make mistakes, not afraid to learn, but most important of all you have never been afraid to just be yourself.
Again, Amelia, I am honored to be your father, because it has been and will always be an honor to watch you grow into a woman and to continue to see you be the wonderful person that you are. It is indeed a wonder to watch the Spirit of a child grow into the Soul of a woman and I will always love you and be here to keep you happy healthy and safe.
Love, your Dad”
Tracy speaking with warmth and humor about how cautious Amelia was when she was little.
“Dear Amelia:
I noticed very early on in your development, that you approach life with caution.It was interesting to watch this when you were just about a year old.Watching how tentative you moved and played compared to your friend Elle who was climbing and falling…..she seemed to be fearless.It seemed nothing would get in her way.I remember you girls liked to crawl up the and down the stairs in the townhouse…..she would crawl to the top of the staircase then bounce down on her butt while you sat at the top of the stairs waiting for me to carry you down. If she wanted off the bed…she slid down.You sat on the bed crying until I picked you up.
At such a young age, you were analyzing each move contemplating the outcome.It was at that time that I decided it would be my responsibility to challenge you to take risks and swimming lessons seemed like a natural start. You approached your first dip in the pool cautiously (yet enthusiastically) and over the 8 week session, you learned to float on your back, kick your legs, even mastering what seemed to be the scariest…holding your breath under water.You were so proud when you dunked your head under the water and held your breath for the first time.
The next scary challenge was jumping off the side of the pool into the deep end.You stood at the edge of the pool and I stood in the water (toes barely touching the bottom) and then I said, “Now Jump!”You were dead against it.I tried coaxing you in every way imaginable, but you weren’t buying it.You just stood there while I begged you to jump.I even thought a little reverse psychology might work.I said, “Well, if you don’t want to jump, then lets go play in the shallow end forget the deep end with the big kids.” That didn’t work.You happily walked away from the deep end to go play on the steps in the shallow end.
So we swam and played in your “comfort zone” for a while longer then we went back to the deep end to give it another try.This time you agreed, but not without setting some rules. You told me exactly where to stand, to grab your hands as soon as you jumped into the water, and to not let you stay under too long. A lot of necessary preparation, but it was worth it.You jumped. The look on your face when you came up from under the water was pure excitement!You giggled and said, “Again, Again!” And you jumped off the edge again, and again and again until you were not afraid anymore.
Amelia, as you grow, every new challenge you conquer is preparing you to navigate life’s uncharted territory.My advice – don’t let fear get a hold of you. Step out of your comfort zone. Remember, it’s better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life.Yes, life can be scary.You will have to take chances without knowing the outcome. And that’s o.k.You should live your life fearlessly never afraid to follow your passion.
And each time you take a chance and succeed, you are sure to experience that same feeling of excitement and accomplishment as you did when you jumped off the side of that pool for the first time.And by the way, that quality you have “thinking before your act” will serve you well.You should always try to be prepared and have a plan.
And as your spiritual awareness awakens, please remember to listen to the voice of your soul. It is now that the needs, yearnings and feelings of your spiritual inner self should emerge. On your life’s journey, you should always seek meaning, fulfillment, connection, and inspiration. There is no doubt that you possess the courage, the confidence and the intelligence you will need to dive headfirst into the pool of life. And if you ever have doubt or your courage starts to waiver, don’t worry.You are a lucky young lady – you are loved.Few things are more beautiful in life than having family and friends that love you.People that support and care about you.Your Mom and Dad love you so much – we will always be in the deep end ready to catch you”.
But of course the star of the day was Amelia. Posed, smiling, if she had a moment of nerves it never showed. Standing before us a beautiful young woman who analyses and thinks about all the options before moving forward and willing to embracing a world of opportunities. She didn’t miss a beat. Her Hebrew chanting of her Torah portion was impeccable and her dissertation of its meaning was delivered with equal perfection.
“My Torah portion, Acherei Mot, is mainly about the rules that guide us to be the person God says we should be. Some years, it is combined with another portion called Kedoshim which is the holiness code. The Torah says “you shall be holy, for I the lord your God am holy”. These laws were given to us so we could form a holy, thriving society of individuals with similar standards. There are 613 laws in the Torah (the most popular being the Ten Commandants.)Laws are an essential way of life, and without them many things could go wrong or become dangerous, and there would be no order. It’s important to remember that the whole purpose of all the laws is to do acts of kindness and make peace with one another.
This portion of the Torah starts with a story of Moses’ brother, Aaron, whose sons had died in a mysterious fire for not following a law correctly. Why do we need to have these laws that lead us to be holy? Is it to go to wherever you go to follow God and that’s all?The reality of being holy is not just saying that you are involved in a religion. Being holy is being a good person with morals, and being involved in society by helping others. This has taught me that even though helping people may sometimes not seem like it is the most important thing at the moment, in Gods eyes, it is always the most important.
I started studying Hebrew almost exactly one year ago. When I began learning Hebrew, I didn’t know how to read or speak it at all. I started with learning the letters then how to read, and eventually I was able to do what I’m doing today.
With Cantor Manny
What also makes my Bat Mitzvah important is my mitzvah project, As a teen ambassador with an organization, C3 For Change, I raised nearly $5,000 for breast cancer research.The money will support the research efforts of Dr. Jean J. Latimer at Nova Southeastern University’s new Cell Therapy Institute.This project hits close to home for me since my family has a history of breast cancer – my great grandmother was diagnosed when she was 60 years old, and my grandmother and aunt are survivors both living cancer–free for over ten years. In May 2015, my mom was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer.She is thriving and doing well thanks to the marvels of modern medicine.My goal is to continue to support breast cancer research and awareness – next focusing on an educational outreach project. I’m working on a children’s book that will educate young students about cancer through the tale of a healthy human cell called “CeCe the Cell.”
On this special day, I want to thank my family and friends for helping and encouraging me at all times, my Rabbi and Cantor for re-introducing Hebrew into my life, my Nana and Papa for making my lessons a priority, and my parents for guiding me through my bat mitzvah. My Mom and Dad have always supported me whenever I try something new and they both know how to motivate me to do my best.I’m thankful that I can always count on them to be there for me.I Love you both!
Thank you everyone for coming to my service, I appreciate all of you and I’m grateful for your support. Shabbat Shalom”
It goes without saying that such a milestones as this requires a good party to celebrate such an achievement. Off we went to get prepared for the big night and what a great event it was.
The Bat Mitzvah Party was held at the Sea Ranch Lakes Beach Club, a lovely venue on the ocean.
Before the festivities got into full swing
Amelia called up family and friends to light the ceremonial 13 candles. Each candle was accompanied by a special poem.
Lighting the CandlesAmelia gets carried around the room in a chair.
It was quite the party. The day before Ari made his special marinade for the rib eye steaks that were served. They were delicious as was all the food that Toni Lampasone from Wine Watch prepared.
It was wonderful seeing Amelia with all of her friends just having a grand time.
So many special memories of this wonderful day and evening. I hope to add more pictures as I receive them.
Kevin with the Rabbi TuffWith David Lamie sharing some fun
November 23 to November 30 2015: It has been our custom for the past 6 or so years to go to Napa and stay at the Silverado Country Club for the Thanksgiving Holiday. This time of year in the Napa Valley and in neighboring Sonoma wine country the landscape is a blaze of gold, reds, rust, and varying shades of green against if you are lucky a cloudless brilliant blue sky. Even if the weather is overcast the place is enchanting.
If you are traveling from the Reno area, as we do, we take a different road getting off I80 at 113 and taking it to Winters on 128. Winters, CA is a good place to stop. The ARCO station has the cheapest gas and the restrooms are relatively clean.
The town of Winters is also worth exploring. There are some decent places to eat. We have often stopped at the Putah Creek Cafe and Bakery for breakfast or lunch. A few years ago on a Thanksgiving trips to Napa we encountered one of those epic snow storms that can hit the Sierra’s and what is usually a 3 1/2 – 4 hour drive at most took close to 7 hours. We decided we needed a time out and had dinner at Buckhorn Grill almost directly across the street from the Cafe. Winters has some interesting shops and bars and on the road in and out of town a few roadside fruit and vegetable stands that if you are lucky will be open.
Route 128 goes up and over a part of the Coastal Range, the Vaca Mountains complete with magnificent turns, twists and vistas that take you by Lake Berryessa the largest lake in Napa County, The road divides on the left to 121 to Napa and to the right goes on as 128 to Rutherford. Both roads are equally breath taking especially if you are not used to hairpin turns and sudden drop offs that can be challenging to drive.
On this trip after a brief stop for gas we continued on to check in to our home away from home. First item on our agenda was lunch at Hog Island Oyster Bar located in the Oxbow Public Market.
Oxbow is worth a visit. If so inclined you can spend a small inheritance on all the goodies and dining options the Market has to offer. We like dining at the bar at Hog Island. The bar seems to invite conversation between travelers and locals as well as staff and we have never had a bad meal there. If you visit and they have Uni Baked Oysters do not pass those up.
Thirty six oysters later, that included 2 dozen Hog Island Sweet, 8 Uni and 4 Pesto, plus their wonderful green salad and a decent bottle of Chardonnay we were well fortified.
Our next objective was getting a few provisions to fill in on the supplies we brought with us and not wanting to spend our inheritance we headed down the road. Trancas Street is a main shopping street in Napa where you will find just about everything you need that you forgot to bring for your stay. We stopped at the excellent T.J.’s off of Trancas at California to get crumpets, marmalade, Irish butter, organic eggs, and wine for the evening because we do not bring wine with us. That would be like bringing coal to Newcastle. Being the Monday before Thanksgiving the crowds were daunting and finding a parking place was a challenge. One driver, one shopper and two cell phones are essentials at times like these.
I picked out a bottle of what looked like very decent pinot but the sommelier at T.J’s suggested for the same price, less then $15.00, the Bouchaine pinot would be a better choice. I have learned that the good people at T.J.’s know of what they speak when it comes to the products they carry. I have no idea what the other wine I picked would have tasted like..but this one was a winner. On our next trip we will have to visit this winery.
A few things to know about wine tasting in most areas of California. Once wine tastings were free but now the vast majority of wineries change for their tastings. Most require you to make an appointment and most will wave the tasting fee if you buy wine. Plus most will also give you a discount if you buy wine by the half or full case and many wines are only available at the winery. Our recommendation: Make reservations and buy wine and if you really love the wine join the club.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015: Our first Winery visit was Duckhorn. The wines of Duckhorn cover the best of the Northern California Wine Country. They produce everything from Sauvignon Blanc to Petit Verdot. The grounds are beautiful and our tasting was very special complete with the Winery Watch Cat.
They say the cat just showed up one day a few years ago and now she has become the official greeter.
The amount of wine choices can be overwhelming.. But if you are not sure and are a member of the Club you can taste everything. The history of the winery is also worth learning about. There is a real Mr. Duckhorn who is largely responsible for cultivating Merlot in Napa. Duckhorn was sold to G.I. Partners in 2007. The sale fortunately has not diminish the quality of the wine or the excellence of the tasting experience.
Duckhorn wines are not inexpensive. There are many worth your while to put away for a special occasions. What I like about Duckhorn is that as members of the wine club we get free shipping on a case and a 20% discount making some pretty high end wine a little more accessible.
Napa isn’t just about beautiful scenery or wonderful wines. It has some of California’s if not the nations best restaurants. Yountville perhaps best know for Thomas Keller’s French Laundry is home to one of our very favorite, Bistro Jeanty. Here you will find the most marvelous tomato soup presentation that I have ever had and Ashton who insists he doesn’t like tomato soup always get the tomato soup at Bistro Jaunty.
The best mussels I have had in ages. And of course you need wine because you also have the most excellent sole.
This was just the perfect balance for the sole and the mussels. I have Ballentine’s down for our next visit, but as I noted the Chenin Blanc isn’t even among their offerings at their Winery. That leads to many mystery’s. Do they use a blender and juicers and is this only a retail or restaurant offering? Are they putting this out to see how it might go over? So many questions.
Chenin Blanc could be a difficult sell but this is a nobel grape to explore.
We go to Napa to discover new wines and visit old friends. Wine is a living ever changing life-form that like the caterpiller to butterfly goes though a metamorphosis. You cellar some for a reason because that wine will grow younger as it grows old. Losing harsh tannins, mellowing out, becoming a mouthful of joy. Or you drink it early because it is a light, lovely flavor filled mouthful whose moment will vanish all to soon.
Frank Family Winery is a must stop when visiting Napa. The grounds are beautiful and the tasting rooms warm and welcoming in a beautiful restored Craftsman House.
Chances are you will be greeted by Bristol the Estate Chocolate Lab who is likely to follow you everywhere if you scratch him in just the right place It would be worth your while to do the Premium Tasting as it includes their sparkling wine. One of my favorites is the Rouge, made from 95% pinot noir and 5% chardonnay, that as far as I know, can only be purchased at the winery.
The history of the winery and the Frank Family is also interesting. In honor of Rich Frank’s father’s 99th Birthday the winery produced the Patriarch, again, sold only at the winery and in the private tasting room their is a picture of Rich sitting on his father’s lap when Rich was a very young child.
We left Frank Family with a mixed case and three bottles of the sparkling Rouge and went to another of our favorite dining spots, Brix for lunch. We always have a great meal and a wonderful experience at this restaurant and this trip was no exception. Another couple was seated next to us and as is likely to happen when you travel and dine conversations between tables will arise. It turned out the lady was a sister of a long time acquaintance of ours and so we had many stories to share.
Me thinking about our next wine adventure
After lunch we headed off to Charles Krug the oldest established winery in Napa. Though we have passed the winery many, many times this was our first visit and one we will now have on our favorite list. Owned and operated by the Peter Mondavi Family since 1943 the winery produces lovely whites and reds many at affordable prices. We enjoyed our tasting experience here so much that we joined the club and left with two cases of the wine, one mixed white and one mixed red.
Thursday, November 26, 2015: Thanksgiving at Silverado is always a treat. The property is decked out in Holiday Finery and the Thanksgiving Buffet a beautiful delicious display to behold. The best part for me is there is no shopping, no prep, no clean up and no “What are we really going to do with the rest of this turkey and stuff”? to deal with.
In 2012 we met a couple, Terri and Tim Kline, at other of those conversations between tables at the Silverado Brewing Company (alas now gone). As fate would have it Terri and Tim were also having Thanksgiving Dinner the year we met them at the Silverado and so we became friends.
Sadly Terri passed away last year and when we knew we would be back in Napa for Thanksgiving this year, we asked Tim to join us for the Holiday. It was very special catching up with Tim and celebrating with him.
Tom could be Santa don’t you think?
Thanksgiving evening at the Silverado started with hot chocolate, cookies and caroling. We made our way back to our home away from home, enjoyed a cozy fire, a bottle of excellent Krug, looked at the stars and drifted off on very full tummies while vision of tomorrows adventures glided though our dreams.
Friday, November 27, 2015: The House of Duckhorn is home to five very excellent labels among them Paraduxx the house of Duckhorn’s primo blended wines. Having gotten many of them as part of our Duckhorn wine club perks we decided we really should pay them a visit. Paraduxx is a treat. Casual, warm and welcoming and a place to learn about the art of blended wines. As you can see we tasted everything.
Among their other labels are Migration , Goldeneye and Decoy and their Washington State winery Canvasback . There is some thing for everyone in the Duckhorn Family of wines and all of the wines in my opinion are top drawer in every price range.
At a wonderful party in Ft. Lauderdale in September at the home of the owner’s of Wine Watch we met Diego Pulenta whose family owns the Pulenta Estate Winery in Mendoza Argentine. Diego informed me “Duckhorn is my favorite wine. We aspire to create wines like this”. Pretty high praise considering that the House of Pulenta makes some wonderful Malbecs among other very fine wines both reds and whites with soft and lush bouquets. Sadly they are not easily available in our part of the world so I’m on a mission to remedy that.
We went back to Yountville for lunch at Bottoga. A little more touristy but none the less the food and services is very good and you can amble around the center where the restaurant is located and check out the grounds and the V Market Place.
Saturday, November 28, 2015: There are times when believe it or not you do need to chill out and do other things then drink wine. OK you will drink wine.. but you will do it at other places then the wineries. Downtown Napa offers many options to dine at and explore including the Napa 9/11 Memorial. We recommended you spend sometime discovering the many wonderful possibilities. We wanted to make a repeat trip to Pearl for lunch but alas Pearl is no more. It closed last December. Fortunately there is no problem finding wonderful eating options and we found Napkins. and had a lovely brunch and a wonderful time on a perfect day just strolling leisurely around the town.
Sunday, November 29, 2015: There were three winery’s we wanted to visit that had been recommended by Thaddeus but they were not available for our last day on this trip. Not wanting to just stop in at just any winery I did a bit of web last minute research and found Hendry Winery (believe it or not we never had there wines) and that turned out to be the best wine education experience we have ever had. We just wanted to go to Hendry for a tasting but we ended up going on a tour. I was rather hesitant because we have done many tours and well I thought you do one you do them all. There are winery tours and then there is Hendry and this may be my favorite winery in Napa. Low key with an educational tour second to none. If you want to learn about wine and wine making go there.
Mr. Hendry is a maker of cyclotrons. He is very smart, unassuming, charming and says bull shit a lot. He has a passion for what he does and the next time we go back to Napa I want to do the morning tour and taste with him. His microbiologist Jan is a fascinating woman that is an encyclopedia of information. Jan conducted our tour and taste that lasted from 2:00 p.m to 5:30. An extensive immersion in vinicultural to say the least. Go meet him and Jan too. Taste the wine, chill out and dig a different side of Napa. We enjoyed our experience and the wines so much that we joined the Hendry Wine Club too.
We made reservation for Sunday prime rib dinner at the Silvarado Grill. With dinner we enjoyed a fine bottle of Hendry Cabernet. It was the perfect way to end a perfect week in this part of California wine county.
Monday, November 30, 2015: With our wine buggy packed with 6 cases of fine wines we headed back home to Reno.
My Aunt Lu made the best coconut cream pies. My mother made an amazing one as well and if I do say so myself my efforts for a from scratch coconut cream pie were also stellar though they never equaled my Aunt Lu’s. It might be that one of her secrets was making her pie dough with lard. My mother and I used butter and shortening. I think that made the difference in mouth feel as well as taste.
A lot of effort goes into making a proper coconut cream pie. A great coconut cream depends on getting the custard just right. Custard from scratch requires a lot of stirring, temperature control and it is time consuming. It requires patience and concentration and a good eye to know when the custard is right. You need to know what to look for. It’s not really difficult but you do need to pay attention and focus on the task at hand.
A few years ago we were having company over for dinner and I thought the menu just begged for a coconut cream pie for dessert, but time was not on my side for making one from scratch and so I improvised. That was the day the Great Almost Proper Coconut Cream Pie was born and that’s the way I have made it ever since. So far I haven’t gotten any complaints and I’m sure Sandra Lee would approve and Anthony Bourdain would despise it.
I had on hand ready made pie crust, instant vanilla pudding, coconut milk, milk, sweetened coconut, unsweetened coconut and heavy whipping cream that was originally intended for another dessert. All in all, start to finish it took about 30 minutes with most of that time waiting for the pie crust to bake and cool.
So.. if you find yourself in need for a fast dessert for company or for your family or just for yourself this is how to make the Great Almost Proper Coconut Cream Pie
About 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes spread out in a frying pan carefully toasted in a 350 degree oven. Five to seven minutes. Watch it it can burn easily.
1 9″ blind baked pie crust cooled. (If using a ready made one I like the one from Trader Joe’s in the frozen food section)
Put the pudding mix in a bowl add the milks and beat until smooth. Fold in the sweetened coconut. Pour into the pie shell and refrigerate about 10 minutes. This stuff sets up quickly. Beat the whipping cream and sweeten it to your taste. Spoon the whipped cream on top of the coconut custard and sprinkle the toasted coconut on top. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. That’s it.
Yes you should know how to make a proper pie crust and a proper custard. You should take the time and focus on the task at hand needed to making each element just so. If possible you should have children by your side to help and observe and taste the custard remains from the pot. You should share the great experience of real food from scratch cooking. But if time does not permit you can still share and come up with a pretty good reasonable facsimile there off.
It started out to be a return trip to Crater Lake. Ashton and I had been there in 1988 staying at the old Lodge. It was the year before the Lodge was shut down because it was so unstable and there was concern that the building would just fall down on its own. Indeed the Lodge looked like it needed to be cleaned and burned. What the Lodge lacked in amenities in those days was more then made up by the incredible beauty of the place and a fine staff of young men and women that invited us to their Halloween Party. Because the Lodge is open for a short season they have staff only Holidays celebrations. We happened to be there in August for Halloween. It was really an honor to be included and we had a wonderful time. We also lucked out and had a room that overlooked the lake. Though it lacked a tub or shower it had a private toilet and sink and Ashton was able to make a video recording of the sun rise over the lake. (more…)
My mother said when the family arrived in Chicago my Grandfather bought their house outright with gold coins. They settled on the south side of the city. I’m not sure where their first house was located, but I know about the house on Marquette Avenue where my mother mainly grew up and where my earliest memory occurred.
Grandma’s sister Naomi had come to America before Grandma and Grandpa and had settled in Chicago. That was most likely the reason the Kromelow family ended up in that part of America because Naomi’s husband Bernard Porwancher had family that had settled there. There is an extensive Porwancher family in Chicago and like all of us they are now also scattered across the states. Naomi died in 1927 and is buried at Waldheim Cemetery in Chicago.
The first Kromelow baby born in the USA was Theodore, the fourth son, on September 16, 1909, followed by the second daughter Pearl born March 10, 1911, the fifth son Joseph born November 8, 1912 and the third daughter and last baby, my mother Ruth was born February 28, 1914.
Grandpa was hired by Marshall Fields to design furs and he also received awards for his courtier designs. Being a man that did not like to work for others he went into business for himself. Unfortunately ready-to-wear was on the rise and the Great Depression hit. Life was back to being hard. For a time Grandma had a fish market. Grandpa did furs and gowns for those who could still afford them. The house was filled with music because no matter how tough times were Theodore (Uncle Teddy) got violin lessons, Lucille (Aunt Lu) played the piano and Ruth sang.
Harry was maybe 11 years old when he left school and Hy and Jack not much older than that when they went to work to help with the family finances. Higher education and religious education were not in the cards for the eight Kromelow children. Grandma did not keep a Kosher house, none of the boys were Bar Mitzvahed but it was nonetheless a Jewish home with its own traditions and all the Holidays were observed.
The Kromelow kids were down to a man and women bootstrap babies. None of them had any more than a year or two of high school. I’m not sure if Teddy graduated high school but he did attend the Chicago Music Conservatory and was a very talented violinist, Joe became one of the first court stenographers (somewhere we have a picture of him sitting behind his stenographer machine in court and later, according to my mother, Joe got a degree in agriculture from the University of Illinois. My mother, Ruth, worked jobs selling jewelry all over the states and somehow managed to get a nursing degree from Michael Reese Hospital even though she too never graduated high school. What they lacked in education they made up in street smarts and in the end, everyone made a success of their life in their own way.
The Kromelow house was also filled with animals. Grandpa had two American Bull Terriers, Mutt and Cooch among other dogs, that were just the meanest dogs that were ever put on the earth according to my mother. Mutt was so tough that one time when Grandpa had him out for a walk a man with an Airedale challenged him to have their dogs fight. Grandpa warned him to not let his dog off the leash but the man was spoiling for a fight. He let his dog go and the Airedale charged attacking Mutt who was still being held by Grandpa. In less than two minutes the Airedale was dead. Mutt had severed the Airedale’s juggler. No one messed with the Kromelow dogs or dared step on the property except for family if those dogs were loose. They were also the bane of the Kromelow girl’s existence because the Kromelow boys had taught them to go after the girl’s silk stockings when they were hanging on the wash line. Supposedly they feed them gun powder. At one point Grandpa also raised canaries and my mother said he put marijuana seed into their bird feed because it really made them sing.
By 1937 Lu, Jack, Pearl, and my mother Ruth were married. Harry went to work for Jack, Hy was a manager for Hertz’s Trucking Division first in Chicago and then in Pittsburgh and Teddy was playing with several Orchestras and frequently on the road. All of the chicks had left the nest and it was time for another chapter.
Among Grandpa’s many talents was his skill as a gardener. He raised the most beautiful roses and other flowers and had a small vegetable garden at the house on Marquette Avenue. It was this love of animals and gardening and Uncle Joe going to agriculture school that led to THE FARM! I believe the house on Marquette Avenue was sold in 1940 and the River Ranch Farm located in Marengo, Illinois was purchased.
The War and the Farm shaped my early childhood years and though most of my cousins and most of my mother’s brothers and sister were not much involved with it, coming out only on occasion I was there from spring planting through harvest and often in the winter as well before I started school. It also kept all the Kromelow boys with the exception of Uncle Teddy out of active service in World War II because Harry, Jack, and Joe were involved with it and it was a critical industry. Almost everything the farm produced went to the Great Lakes Naval Airbase. I remember the Military Trucks coming out twice a week to pick up milk and eggs. Uncle Hy was also in a critical industry during the War. He headed up logistical operations for Hertz Trucking as part of the war effort that moved supplies over the Burma Road among others.
Each of the Kromelow children have their own life story. I hope to gather those from my cousins and add them to this Family History blog.
Several years ago I decided I just could not face shopping and spending three days cooking another Thanksgiving dinner. It has been been our habit to go to Napa, stay at the Silverado and have our Thanksgiving meal at the wonderful spread they put out.
Initially I thought that this year because of another trip we have planned close to Thanksgiving we should have a quiet little Thanksgiving for a few friends at home so I set out looking for a Heritage Turkey. Our friend Charlie Abowd of Adele’s in Carson City messaged me that he could get one.
Somehow I completely forgot about the original plan and instead we made reservation to go to the Club for dinner. That is until Charlie once again messaged me the week before Thanksgiving that the turkey was landing. It also turned out that the friends we thought who might join us at the Club had made other plans leaving Ashton and I to celebrate quietly at home with a 10 pound bird that I soon learned was very different from any turkey I had ever tackled before.
After considerable research I decided that the best line of attack would be to Spatchcock this baby make a dry rub and roast it up at the suggested high heat recommended by many that do their birds in this manner.
Now I have deboned chicken and removed the breast bones of up to a 25 lb turkey and never have broken a sweat. I have all the instruments of deconstruction necessary for the task.. but I never have dealt with a bird like this. First off a Heritage is one tough cookie. The bones and sinew are very strong. Cutting out the backbone proved to be much harder then I anticipated. Fortunately I had Ashton to help and we managed to get that part of the job done with the aid of a hammer and chisel when poultry sheers and knives failed. Finding and removing the wish bone proved to be another challenge. The anatomy of this bird was significantly different than a Butterball. Despite the challenges we managed to get it properly flatted and dry rubbed down. I made a bed of chopped carrots, celery, onion, fennel and apple, popped it into a 450 0ven and in one hour the bird was ready. Beautifully browned, perfectly cooked. Once properly rested I carved it up. This took some effort as well because as I said these birds are strong and require a bit of a learning curve. The carving wasn’t as beautiful as I would have liked, however the the end results more then made up for the lack of precision knife work.
So we feasted on this delicious, fabulous if somewhat frustrating bird, mushroom gravy, simple baked sweet potato with cinnamon and butter, orange cranberry sauce and Brussels Sprouts roasted with shallots and bacon, a fine bottle of Migration Pinot Noir and of course Pecan Pumpkin Pie.
It was a very special beautiful dinner and one that will be longed remembered.
One other thing of note. Even though this was a very striped down Thanksgiving i.e. I did not make stuffing or cornmeal muffins or fresh string bean casserole or sweet potato souffle, mashed potatoes, apple pie or a salad and coconut curry squash soup as I have when I was really into Thanksgiving the various components still took three days.
Of course one of the advantages of making Thanksgiving is the left overs. Today I will make Ashton’s favorite hot turkey sandwich. Now I am off to get the gravy for the sandwich started, put up a big pot of turkey soup plus bake another pumpkin pie.
I do love to cook and to entertain but all things considered I think we’ll go back to Napa next year. That being said the next time I roast up a chicken it will differently be spatchcocked and if I so decide to get in the mood for another Thanksgiving at home I will do the same with the turkey. It’s the only way to go.
I do not live in Carson City so you might wonder why I should care about anyone running for office there. I have and do spend a fair amount of my time in Carson. I have had more meetings there then I care to think about, I have friends who live there and because it’s an important part of the State I live in I want to be proud of what the world sees when they come to visit our State Capitol.
Not much appears to happen in Carson City when the Legislature is not in session. They only meet every other year for about 120 days . To say I was unimpressed with Carson City when I first moved to Nevada in 1976 would be something of an understatement.
For a good many years nothing much seemed to change but gradually Carson City began to slowly morph into another mall sprawl community with a few new government buildings. The city was expanding South along 395 and East along Technology Way. A new Western Nevada Community College hugged the Western Hills, new high end housing was being built, Carson Tahoe Hospital expanded into new digs and despite boarded up business along the main drag leading to the Capitol it didn’t look quite so scruffy despite being really hard hit by the recession. Then suddenly one summer the grounds of the Capitol looked better cared for and there were flower baskets hanging along the Main street. The place was looking a lot more presentable. One I no longer hesitated to take out of town visitors to for some sightseeing and Nevada history. Which gets me to why I am putting forth my opinion on the Ward 1 race for Carson City Supervisor.
Much of Carson City’s improved imagine can be credited to Karen Aboud, the current Ward 1 Supervisor. Karen has been involved with efforts to upgrade her home town’s imagine long before she ran for office. A major contributing factor is the Greenhouse Project a non-profit Karen founded and spearheaded. The baskets of flowers that brighten the streets are grown there along with vegetables that are distributed to food banks and herbs and flowers that are sold to help sustain the project.
Now I know politics is a blood sport. It can be mean and dirty and what has got me riled up about Karen’s opponent is that she seeks to disparage the reputation and charitable work Karen has always been involved in along with her long standing community efforts. Through innuendo, sly and snide comments she seeks to have her audience believe that Karen is doing all of this just for personal benefit and gain. She tosses this trash out without a shred of evidence to back up her statements. These are the typical tactics of a candidate that has absolutely nothing of substance to offer. Most incomprehensible is her vendetta against the Green House Project. This exemplary non-profit along with making the city more attractive is a teaching experience for children and helps provide a substantial amount of fresh food to those in need. It is held up by many in the farm to table and slow food ever expanding community as a model to be emulated and duplicated.
If the Greenhouse Project was all that Karen did, that would be plenty. But this woman is a dynamo, involved with those she serves and her community on so many levels. What concerns me is in this years election Karen has an opponent who if I understand correctly would undo all the good work that has been accomplished by this project as well as others that Karen supports.
Karen’s opponent’s education and work experience is extremely narrow, having earned only a high school degree and having only worked for a single State Agency NDOT. Perhaps that is part of her problem and the reason for her limited vision. We are not sure exactly what she did do over the years with NDOT, what departments she worked in or what budgets if any and on what projects she was in involved. All of this is loosely laid out in her campaign with out any real specifics.
The major highway project between Reno and Carson has cut the commute time into town but like all such projects it also has a tendency to whisk people traveling from Reno past the heart of the community where ordinary folks who do not work for government bureaucracies strive to make a living. Getting people off of the freeway and into the heart of a little city is challenging and requires multiple approaches to sustain a city core. Karen’s opponent’s campaign is primarily based on “I’m a fiscal conservative and I’m for the middle class and want prosperity for all.” as if those words would equate into creating jobs and maintaining a vibrate prosperous community. Such thinking unfortunately does not lead to either attracting new business, job creation, sustaining existing businesses, improving the quality of life, helping the middle class or remotely creating prosperity for all.What is of perhaps greatest concern is she does not appear to even comprehend what skills and qualifications the office entails.
Karen’s opponent is dead set against Carson City’s plan to improve bike lanes and walk ability because it requires tax dollars. Pedestrian friendly streets and bike lanes are being planned and expanded in every city with vision. Why do you suppose that’s a growing trend? Guess where the money for improvement project and infrastructure come from? Perhaps it comes as a shock and surprise to this person that part of city governments responsibility is to repair and improve infrastructure. Projects like this create jobs and that’s just one benefit. Where people can walk or bike to places where they can shop and grab a bite to eat that benefits businesses and that also creates jobs. Plus bike lanes cut down on traffic congestion. It’s a fact that more and more people are using bikes for transportation. Bike lanes are part of good city planning. The added benefit is improved air quality and equates to a healthier environment. Many of Carson City’s businesses want these improvements. Anyone running for this office should know major project decisions are not made in a vacuum. Citizen input is part and parcel of the decision making process and as I recall a great deal of discussion and meetings revolved around the project.
Karen’s opponent says she wants to attract High-end Manufacturing and Tech Companies that pay high end wages. Name me one community that doesn’t want these kinds of jobs? You have to look at the types of communities such companies locate in. You have to be honest and ask what does my city offer? They to not want to move to a location where their employees will have to live in a shabby, rundown, tired and grubby looking community. That kind of environment is not good for employee retention and that is a major issue for big companies with a highly skilled workforce. Businesses look for cities that have nice amenities and forward thinking community planning. Plus the nicer the environment the lower the crime rate. It’s more then just about tax breaks.
Recently Carson City took a major step to improve their animal services. The Nevada Human Society will as of today October 1, take over the Shelters management. Karen’s opponent would have voted against this contract had she been in power because she says NHS. doesn’t have the experience to handle animal control. Once again her ignorance is showing, in this case about what NHS does and what they will be doing for the Carson Shelter. NHS oversees and coordinates all the animal services for Reno, Washoe County and Sparks, a slightly bigger operation then the one they will over see in Carson City. Their services have saved the taxpayers of Washoe substantial dollars. NHS also does not work in a vacuum. Other agencies and citizens are also involved in oversight. NHS is an example of best practices for a no-kill shelter. Carson City residents will benefit from this partnership and certainly the lives of many animals will benefit as well thanks to Karen and all those who supported it.
One only has to review Karen’s vita to know what she stands for and what her priorities are and to see just how much she puts into helping others as well as what she has accomplished. I would encourage you to compare Karen’s credentials with those of her opponent. The fact that Karen is a savvy business woman in her own right and also works with her husband Charlie in their restaurant Cafe Adele’s equates to an extremely broad understanding of what it takes to get things done to really make a positive difference for the people she serves.
Karen Aboud works for everyone in Carson, not just Ward 1. Much of what she has done has also made a difference for all of us in Northern Nevada. I do not see where her opponent even holds a candle to her and haven’t seen a thing that person can point to as an example of what they accomplished to make their community a better or more vibrant place to live. I can’t vote for Karen. So I’m asking all of you who can to please do so this November 4th. Nevada needs more people in public service like her.
Thanks for listening.
Images:
Creative Commons photo ‘D.C. Ballot Box on U St.’ by Cameron Nordholm on Flikr
It is not know exactly when Meyer and Bertha moved to London. What is known is that Meyer had a brother who had already moved to London. This brother was a tailor and Meyer was to go into business with him. It is not clear if both Meyer and Bertha went to London shortly after they married and if Bertha returned to Warsaw when she was pregnant with their first child or if Meyer went to London before her and she stayed in Warsaw until after the baby was born. What is known for certain is that the oldest of the children Harry, was born in Warsaw on November 27, 1901. A second son Aaron was born in London sometime in 1902 and died before his second birthday. The third son Hyman was born March 29, 1903.
The early London years were terrible. They were poor, dreams and aspirations had failed and Meyer and his brother did not get along in business. The family was struggling. To make matters worse the young bride in less then 4 years was burdened with 3 babies. Harry had developed rickets, Aaron had taken dangerously ill and she hardly had the will to care for Hyman the new baby.
This is the story Grandma told me about that terrible time and how things changed. Aaron was desperately ill. She had gone to the pharmacy for a medication she hoped would help him and on the way home with the medicine for Aaron she slipped and fell and the bottle of medicine broke. When she made it back to the house Aaron was dead. Bertha was devastated. He was a beautiful child. He was so smart he walked at 9 months she told me and he talked before he was a year old. He had a blond birthmark in the shape of a triangle in his hair on the back of his head. He was her joy. She would hold up her hands and say “Which of my fingers would I give up” and cry.
In her despair after Aaron’s death, she thought about taking her life. It was at a moment of desperation when she was contemplating throwing herself into the Thames that her friend and mentor Lady Christameyer came into her life. According to Grandma, Lady Christameyer stopped her carriage when she saw Grandma on the bridge and brought her back to her home. She listened to Grandma’s sad tale and when she learned that Grandpa was a dress designer she made an appointment to have him make her several gowns.
Lady Christameyer was somehow connected to the Court. My mother told me she was a tutor to the children of King Edward. The gowns that Grandpa made for her caught the eye of Lady Christameyer’s friends and soon Grandpa had a thriving Couturier business. Of perhaps even greater importance the good Lady’s influence made it possible for the Kings surgeon to operate on and straighten out Harry’s legs that had become deformed because of rickets as well as help him regain his health.
A little over a year after Hyman was born Meyer and Bertha’s first daughter Lucile was born April 4, 1904. Fourteen Months later Abraham who would be known as Jack was born on August 1, 1905.
The family prospered. Supposedly Grandpa received a royal warrant from the crown that allowed him to create a special label displaying the Crown Coat of Arms of the Lion and Unicorn. That meant he was a trades person to the Court of Saint James and to King Edward of England. I saw that on a label of a cape Grandpa made for my mother.
In the best times in London Grandma was known as Madam Bertha. Both she and Grandpa had added another language to their repertoire, English. They had a lovely Town House and Grandma had help with her growing brood. Both of them had leisure time but Grandpa was really all about his art and the ladies and gents that wanted stylish clothing.
It is possible that when the family was in London they went by the surname of James, but I haven’t been able to find evidence of that.
Grandma told me she loved the ponies, that is to say she liked to go to Epsom Downs and she loved betting on the races. She had a favorite cat that rode on her shoulders and wrapped itself around her like a scarf. One day she said the cat was stolen. Grandma never stopped missing that cat.
Sometime around 1907 Lady Christameyer died and Grandma went into a deep depression. The London fog didn’t help matters. She said she heard voices in the fog and saw Lady Christameyer’s face. The doctors told Grandpa he needed to move her out of London if she was to get well.
Grandma’s oldest sister Naomi had moved to America with her husband Bernard Porwancher some years before. They had settled in Chicago, Illinois. In 1909 Grandpa booked passage for the family on the Hesperian to go to America. They sailed from Liverpool, England to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and then by train to Chicago.
How did that happen? The call came from Ari that she had been born. And how lucky was I to have a daughter in law like Tracy who even wanted me there when their child was born? Getting out of Reno 12 years at the close of Burning Man was a challenge. I got the red eye dust buster American Airlines flight to Dallas and then a connection into Fort Lauderdale arriving about 6:00 a.m. on Sept 2. Her Grandfather, the man I married when I was way to young and way to idealistic picked me up and took me to the Hospital. Bless him for doing that. And then and then.. and then there she was. This perfect most amazing beautiful baby. Our first Grandchild.
How GREAT was that?
Holding your grandchild is an experience like no other. Amelia was the most perfect beautiful child ever born.
Today, September 1, 2014 Amelia Logan Roloff is twelve years old and the future is hers. All those of us who dearly love her, can really say.. is Happy Birthday. next stop 13 and beyond.
May your life be filled with adventure. May you not be afraid., May you continue in the same spirit that you have since you first came into this world. Roar like a Lion, be gentle as the Lamb, wise beyond your years, caring and loving and always filled with joy.
Don’t forget that you can ask questions. Don’t forget you have resources. Don’t forget you are not alone and it’s OK if you stumble because there are hands and hearts to catch you.
I do not know who Colin Kaepernick is outside of the facts that he comes from my community, he’s a football hero, plays for the SF 49rs and is a man of mixed racial heritage that was adopted as a child by a white family and has ever since supposedly lived a life of privilege.
