Of Blogs, Beans & Bears

January 24, 2014August 29, 2018 / Ally Bean / 16 Comments

All the cool kids are telling their stories about how & why they chose the names that they did for their blogs. Read this.

Naturally, I want to be a cool kid, too. So here’s my story of how this blog came to be named, The Spectacled Bean.

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SHORT VERSION: I am nearsighted and wear eye glasses (aka spectacles) all the time. My blogging nom de plume is Ally Bean. Ergo, I am The Spectacled Bean.

LONG VERSION: I knew that I wanted to start a blog, but was dithering around about the whole thing. I kept thinking that if I could figure out the perfect name for a blog, then I’d do it.

Well, one sunny winter’s day Z-D & I went to the zoo. Many of the animals were at their best, loving the coldness. As a result of this, we stopped to watch some animals that until now I’d never paid much attention to.

One of said animals was the spectacled bear. He was moseying around his enclosure and looked rather dapper. Reading the information* about him I knew that he was just the sort of animal that had the right attitude.

I was smitten– and in a moment of divine inspiration I realized that by using a modified version of his name for my blog’s name, I could describe myself. Hence, this blog is called The Spectacled Bean.

~ • ~

{ source }

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* Often described as small, adaptable and elusive, spectacled bears can “… while away the hours in treetops, occasionally feeling the urge to become productive when they build huge platforms out of broken branches, to help them get at out of reach fruit.”

Reflections On Dining Early & Sharing Happiness

December 18, 2013 / Ally Bean / 24 Comments

A FEW WEEKS AGO we drove four hours north to visit Zen-Den’s parents + his sister & her family. It was his mother’s birthday, so it seemed like a good time to see what was up with his mother and his father.

We arrived at his parents’ house around noon and spent the afternoon talking with them. Then around 4:00 p.m. we drove with his parents to a brand new Outback Steakhouse where we met his sister, her husband and their teenage daughter.

We were seated at a long table with banquette seating on one side of the table and chairs on the other. The room’s decor was modern with lots of muted dark colors in geometric patterns and large pendant lights with drum shades. The look reminded me of my late aunt’s home which was filled with mid-century modern furniture.

# # #

WE RARELY HAVE THE opportunity to get together with Z-D’s family so sitting in this beautiful restaurant, eating good food, chatting, laughing was special for us, for me. It reminded me of when my parents were alive and I was a little girl. The three of us would go out to dinner somewhere fancy, usually early because my dad refused to wait for a table. And we would have the best time.

So with my happy past in mind, while sitting there at the Outback Steakhouse I took a moment to look around the table, to really see who was there. And I was struck by the strangest thoughts, out of nowhere. Fragments of my life, I suppose.

# # #

I REALIZED THAT MY niece is the same age as I was when my father died. That my SIL looks so relaxed & happy that she could be half her age. That my BIL, who is retiring this year, is exactly ten years younger than my mother was when she retired. That my MIL, whose birthday we were celebrating, is turning the age that my mother was when she died. That my FIL is so lost in the fog of Alzheimer’s that I doubt that I’ll ever visit with the real man again.

And as for Zen-Den and I, here is what I observed: we are much older now, both physically and spiritually. In some ways, life has worn us out. On the other hand, we’ve learned, adapted, moved on so many times that somewhere along the winding way we’ve both developed deeper understandings of relationships, beliefs, limitations– and the value of focusing on shared happiness.

At an Outback Steakhouse, for instance. On an early Saturday evening. While dawdling around a table after dinner.

Musings While Looking At 7 Pounds Of Cream Cheese

December 4, 2013January 28, 2021 / Ally Bean / 28 Comments

:: As some of you know, in a few days is THE PARTY. At last count we have 54 guests coming to our not-so-little fiesta. Early on, this open-house business holiday party was a small little gathering. Not any more.

Now it is a big party… which, of course, brings me to the topic of this post: cream cheese.

Did you know that 7 pounds of cream cheese = 11,200 calories?

:: I didn’t grow up around cream cheese. My dad liked it, but my mother hated all things cheesy, so not much cream cheese made it into our house.

It was only after I was out on my own, living in Philadelphia, that I became aware of how DARNED GOOD cream cheese can be– especially on freshly baked bagels.

Did you know that 7 pounds of cream cheese is 5″ high x 9.5″ wide x 5.5″ deep?

:: But even here in a midwest suburb, far away from those east coast bagels, cream cheese is a wonder. And, come to find out, it is the basis of ALL PARTY DIPS. Yes, this wondrous substance appeals to young [college interns] and old [retired former co-workers] alike. It’s the yum that binds a party together.

Did you know that 7 pounds of cream cheese will allow me to make 9 recipes of dip (3 recipes x 3)?

Jalapeño Popper Dip

Skyline Chili Dip

Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip

:: And it is on this last note that I find myself dawdling here today. While I know that there is NOTHING DIFFICULT about putting together these dips, I am in awe of the amount of cream cheese that I need to make the dips happen. Looking at the cream cheese piled up in our refrigerator I see a monument– and it reminds me that a house party this large might be a one and only lifetime experience for me.

I mean, 54 guests? What the heck were we thinking?!!

As Promised, Four Haiku For You

December 2, 2013May 6, 2021 / Ally Bean / 17 Comments

[I did this. Which led to this. Resulting in the following.]

[Also, did you know that “haiku” is singular or plural? The same is true for the word “you.” So, if I had ignored the foregoing, then the title of this post could have been: Four Haikus For Yous.]

[FYI – I prefer saying the incorrect title for this post better than the one I put on it. However, I’m too much of a grammar nerd to use the wrong title in print. If I did, what would Google think?!!]

For Jen: