Cathy Burnham Martin's Blog, page 79
May 14, 2023
Happy Mother’s Day!
Among my many blessings is an extraordinary woman… my mother. Glenna Burnham is active and involved in life every single day. She nurtures us still and loves us all unconditionally. She sets the pace with an unwaveringly positive attitude. She is the most amazingly wonderful role model I have ever known or could ever imagine.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! And to all the other women who do their best to be the best they can be on someone else’s behalf. You make this world a better place.
May 13, 2023
Let Loyalty Live!
Photo by Daniel Lincoln
“Nothing is more noble, nothing more venerable, than loyalty.”
—Cicero (106 – 43 BC)
Roman statesman and philosopher
May 12, 2023
Find Happy Today & Everyday
Image by Mariya Muschard
“Happiness depends upon ourselves.”
— Aristotle (384 – 322 BC)
Greek philosopher
May 11, 2023
Birthday Celebrated
Cathy with Ron, Jim, Janice, and Deborah
“I count my age by friendships, not years, and I count my life by smiles, not tears.”
My sister, Deborah, is visiting from Hawaii and celebrated my birthday with Ron and me and our dear friends Jim Lurvey and Janice Gilbert. We enjoyed a lovely dinner dockside at the Lake House on Lake Lure.
We also introduced Deborah to the historic Biltmore Estate in Asheville. The largest single-family residence in the USA is also the most visited house in America, attracting nearly 1.5 million visitors a year, even more than the White House.
Deborah with Ron
We love the amazing architecture, gardens, and history. The grounds are nothing less than phenomenal, and touring them would take another day or two!
http://goodliving123.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05-11-23-08-koi-pond-video-20230510_112437.mp4
We grabbed lunch at the Stable Cafe, where I loved my Grilled Cheese Sandwich with braised beef, onions, and sauteed mushrooms! (It’s all about the people, places, and passion for food, remember!)
We then crossed town to the famed Sunset Terrace at the Grove Park Inn for dinner… an amazing chilled seafood platter. And another birthday cake, of course!
http://goodliving123.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05-11-23-11-seafood-platter-video-20230510_172821.mp4
Plus, I had so many wonderful well-wishes from so many friends. Thank you so very, very much!!! I feel mightily blessed. YOU are valued deeply.
May 9, 2023
National Foodies Day
May 9th is the day to especially celebrate with everyone else who has a “particular interest in food.” I get it. We all must eat to live, but foodies live to eat!
We are passionate about food… good food… great food. Life is too short to not eat great foods we love. This is a no-judgment zone. Munch it, crunch it, grill it, bake it, roast it, peel it, slice it, or dice it.
Savor the flavor today and every day. ‘Tis no small feat to feast on Life’s “lobacious” deliciousness!
May 8, 2023
Sing It!
“Heaven!
I’m in Heaven!
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak.
And I seem to find a happiness I seek…
When I’m looking o’er our pasture by the creek.”
Theme and variation. I was relaxing on the deck and marveling at the sights and sounds around me. “Dancing cheek to cheek” was playing on the radio, and I found myself singing along. (Shockeroo!)
http://goodliving123.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05-8-23-holly-video-20230504_154904.mp4
Applying a little lyrical poetic license to the last line simply sang out with all I was feeling. We live with pastoral and mountain views, rolling meadows, and fabulous forests. Flowers burst into bloom, we eye waterfalls that burst out of mountain tops, and skies seem so blue they nearly hurt your eyes. Baby birds abound in the many nests for second clutches, while adults dutifully run flight school for the earlier babies.
Lake Lure’s famed Chimney Rock rises just up the street from us. We meet new friends constantly… both 2-legged and 4-legged varieties. The four seasons bring distinct variations, although I admit to appreciating the shorter winter the most.
We enjoy Nature’s glory to the fullest…. Including those like the opossum that engage in our catch-and-release program.
http://goodliving123.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/05-08-23-opossum-video-2023-05-03-07.10.29.mp4‘Tis truly a bit of Heaven on earth. And we enjoy it to its fullest.
May 7, 2023
National Roast Leg of Lamb Day
Lamb is a delightfully tender, moist, and flavorful meat… when prepared well. When people say that lamb’s flavor is too strong for them, they likely had mutton, not lamb. Or it was overcooked. Lamb is one of those meats that is most delicious at medium-rare. If your personal preference is to never see a bit of pink, then cook lamb to the fall-of-the-bone stage, as with pulled pork.
Roasting a leg of lamb is easy. And carving is even simpler than carving a chicken.
Super Simple Roast Leg of Lamb
5-7 lb bone-in leg of lamb, at room temp for 1 hour
3 T olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Garlic powder
1 T each chopped fresh rosemary & oregano
Rub lamb with oil; season well with salt & pepper. Place fat side down on wire rack in foil-lined roasting pan. Sear the top of the meat by placing pan a few inches from the broiler on high for 5 min. Turn meat over and broil another 5 min to sear the fatty side. Remove from oven. Reduce heat to 325°F and move rack to middle of oven. Sprinkle top of roast with garlic and herbs. Loosely tent with foil and place in middle of oven for 1 hour. Uncover and roast up to 15-20 min just until thermometer in thickest part of lamb (but not touching the bone) reads 125°F, which means the roast is rare. Remove from oven, loosely tent with foil and let rest at least 15 min before slicing across the grain.
KISS Tips: Another 5-10° will be added during the resting time, which brings the roast to medium rare. Remove from the oven at 130°F for a medium-done roast at serving time. You can also place 2 c of water in the roasting pan around the lamb and roast your choice of small potatoes, onion wedges, peeled carrots, and sweet peppers, even adding cherry tomatoes in final 20 minutes. Or roast your veggies separately and serve the carved lamb slices over brown or long-grain rice. For fall-off-the-bone lamb, let the lamb roast, covered, for 4 hours till it reaches an internal temp of 160°F. Tented, let it rest as the temperature rises to 175°F. With a bone-in cut of lamb, plan on ½ – 1 lb per serving.
May 6, 2023
Can You Say, “Adult Prom?”
We just attended one… Perhaps I should dub it the “Senior” Prom. It was just for folks 21+ and designed to benefit a local outreach helping children and families in need. Such fun for a worthy cause!!!!
I made some wrist corsages for us gals. And I added matching boutonnieres for the guys, of course.
First, we went out to dinner at KD’s Sea Shack and enjoyed fabulous food with friends. Always yummy! From clams casino and oysters Rockefeller to scallops wrapped in bacon! Yummy!
Then it was off the “The Prom.” We enjoyed a great time and dancing to one of our long-time favorite Carolina bands… “The Trophy Husbands.” Good times and great memories just don’t get better!
May 5, 2023
Happiness Is Yours!
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
–Mahatma Gandhi (1869 – 1948)
Indian lawyer & political ethicist
May 4, 2023
National Day of Reason
It can sometimes seem that the world… or at least our little corner of it… has lost all sense of reason… sanity… and sensibility. All thoughtfulness, respect, and even decency can appear to have vanished.
Pig #1 labels someone else as a pig… as if being a pig was a dreadful thing with which Pig #1 does not self-identify. A liar whines because someone else lied. An obvious “political operative” squawks because politics has wormed its way into everything. A young worker gets financially penalized for working hard, saving money, and earning a good credit rating. Technology confounds as social media platforms claim to be mere outlets for open idea exchanges, while judging and squelching ideas and conversations with which they disagree or take umbrage. A devoted socialist calls out for freedom and human rights, while whittling away at them constantly. A nonbeliever criticizes others’ rights to celebrate, practice, or even discuss their differing beliefs.
We are repeatedly hounded to accept false premises as undeniable truths… and when we hear the tales often enough, we may start to accept them. It takes great faith to not to let the “finger pointers” bully us into self-doubt.
“Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.”
— Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD)
Roman Emperor and philosopher
The last emperor of the Pax Romana, an age of relative peace, calmness, and stability in the Roman Empire commented on the prospects of a future without reason rather astutely. A couple of millennia later, we are still standing, despite generations of challenges.
We must remind ourselves and those around us to fear not. Things tend to have a way to right themselves. We need not lose our good reasoning or hope. Despite those who seem rather openly dedicated to a “cancel culture,” freedom of thought still lives. Keep the faith!
