The Catcher in the Rye

I'm not a writer so this won't be poetic or thoughtfully written like the commentaries we will hear in the next few days but one of my favorite authors died today. J. D. Salinger at 91. Even though he hasn't published anything since 1965, his book The Catcher in the Rye is my all time favorite book, hands down. I read Catcher in junior high during a summer break after finding out that it was a book on the banned book list. I have always been an avid reader and read above my age level for a long time and when my mom told me there were banned books I was flabbergasted. I was both intrigued and appalled that people would want to censor books. I wasn't that naive that I didn't understand why so much, I guess my liberalism was budding.

So, that summer in junior high I checked Catcher in the Rye out from the library and fell in love with it. I can't tell you how many times I have read it, or how many school papers I wrote about the book or even really why I like it so much. I didn't really relate to Holden like adolescent boys might but maybe the sense of telling people 'no' or the freedom he chased was what was so appealing. Without getting to philosophical I just liked it, and still like it.

So we come to my Holden, if you haven't guessed it yet, he is named after Holden Caulfield, the original Catcher in the Rye. I wanted to use the name Holden for as long as I have known that I wanted to have children and I'm thankful that I have a husband that was cool with it. Hopefully when Holden gets to be in junior high he will have his interests peaked and read his mom's favorite book.

So I leave you with a famous quote from the book and rest in piece J. D.

I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in a big field of rye and all. ... Thousands of kids, and nobody big at all, nobody big but me. And I'm standing on the edge of this crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to come and catch them. If they start to fall ... and don't look where they're going. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all.

The jury is still out on 2010

January 2010 has not been a stellar month for the Taylor house by any means. There have been some really great things that have happened this first month of the new decade but there have also been some really devastating things. We'll start with the good.

• Holden started crawling while my mom was here. It was pretty neat that someone else was here (besides Jeremy and I) to see such a milestone since we dislike that we are so far away from all of our family.
• Holden is pulling himself up onto things and starting to walk along furniture. We already lowered the crib to the lowest setting. Purpose for the quick crib setting change: Holden learned to pull up on stuff Friday. Sunday we find him standing up bawling in the crib and trying to step on the bumpers. Quick study.
• Holden has figured out the sippy cup finally and he has learned to accept some texture in his meals without gagging anymore. Two very big pluses for mom.
  

Now for the not so good, well the really bad.

• Malachi passed away a couple weeks ago as you might already know from an earlier post
• Our home was burglarized on Friday. The punks didn't take much but the feeling of helplessness and violation is hard to get over. Not to mention the pissed off angry feeling.
  

Even though the beginning of 2010 has really tested our stress levels and resilience, I am forever grateful and thankful for my wonderful husband and beautiful baby boy and very supportive friends and family. I'd share a cute photo but the ass wipe that broke into my home stole the camera.

Sweetness

I had to work today (Saturday) which is a rarity. So Jeremy was a single parent today. The best thing about it, Holden decided to have 4 poopy diapers today (cloth diapers mind you). Awesomeness. Glad Jeremy got to do the dirty work for a change.

In Memorium

We lost our beloved puppy a week ago. Malachi was 5 and the best dog in the world. I'm sad that Holden and Malachi didn't get to become best friends.

It's happened

Holden started crawling this Saturday. Very deliberately and methodically he is making his way to what he wants. Usually something he shouldn't have. I calculate that I have approximately one more weekend before I have to get serious on the baby proofing front. Jeremy has already lowered the crib. We had to break out the baby gates by Sunday. Wish us luck.

Yummy Spicy Soup

I made soup mixes for family members at Christmas time and had a bunch of black beans leftover. So we tried out a black bean soup tonight. I tweaked a recipe I found online and it turned out wonderful. Definitely a great soup if you like spicy flavors, and it was a nice hearty soup for the cold weather we have been having. Best thing of all, it is a crock pot recipe so it would be great for a weeknight meal.

Black Bean Soup with Chorizo
Serves 6

1 lb dried black beans, soaked overnight.
1 onion diced
3 chorizo sausages, either diced or crumbled depending on the kind you find in your grocery store
1 chipolte pepper, seeded and diced.
1 tsp of adobo sauce (from the chipolte peppers)
4 tsp diced jalapenos (I used pickled jarred jalapenos because we didn't have any fresh in the house, but 1 fresh jalapeno would work too)
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp hot sauce
6 cups chicken broth
Salt to taste

Drain beans and add all ingredients to your crock pot/slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Take 3-4 ladles of beans/broth and puree in food processor or blender. Add puree back to soup and keep warm until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream and cheddar cheese if desired.

The soup is quite spicy so just tone down the cayenne pepper and jalapenos if you think it will be too much spice. This is easily made a vegetarian dish by omitting the chorizo and using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

10 Months and an update

I have totally neglected the blog over the holidays. We went home to Omaha for Christmas and got 12 inches of snow on Christmas day. Jeremy's grandparents celebrated 60 years of marriage on Christmas. We had a little party for them the day after. They are very cute. Holden got to meet most of his cousins and aunts and uncles on the Taylor side. He was a trooper, it could have been quite overwhelming, but he didn't fuss one bit about being passed around.

We celebrated New Years back here in Charlotte with close friends. Holden though he should get to stay up late also and refused to stay asleep so we didn't quite make it to midnight before we had to come home. We had a great 2009 and are looking forward to 2010.

Holden turned 10 months old today (also Grandma Hassler's birthday). He has made some big changes this month. He is almost crawling, but with the turning and scooting backwards he still gets to where he wants just not real quickly, which we are ok with. He can go from a crawling position to sitting. He can pull himself up onto his knees if an object is at his level to grab. He loves to stand and hold onto the coffee table, couch, etc. but isn't very stable so we have to be right there to catch him. I think he is going to be a typical little boy with lots of bumps and bruises as he gets older.

We have ventured into the world of finger foods full time now. He still eats mushy baby food but we have now started to explore what he can gum on his own (still no teeth). I learned a neat little trick to help him pick up slippery food like bananas and avocado. We sprinkle crushed graham crackers, cheerios or wheat germ on the finger foods and it makes them easier to pick up. I wanted to venture away from the puffs and yogurt snacks so we have now stocked the kitchen with fruits and veggies, cheese, breads, and pastas. The funny thing is if I give him chunky baby food he gags and chokes on the texture. I can't figure out how to get him to chew the baby food like he does the finger foods. Any suggestions are welcomed.

Holden got to see his great grandparents, aunts and uncles on the Taylor side for the first time this month. He had his first encounter with snow and Santa. Of course celebrated his first Christmas and first New Years. I can't wait until next years Christmas to see how much more interested he will be in presents and everything Christmas.

Now for a photo update on what has been going on in December.

Christmas present from SantaLooking at the Christmas snow with Grandpa HasslerExploring snow for the first time (crying soon followed)Holden and his cousin ArabellaGreat Grandma and Grandpa Rath