Copper Rock Steak House, Why It Is Worth the Extra $$

Let me begin by saying that David and Tamara are 2 of Four Winds Casino's greatest treasures. When you go to a casino, you are pretty much sure that you will leave with less than what you came with. That is the nature of the beast. The point of a good experience when you go out for the evening is whether you leave feeling like you got your money's worth. Well at Four Winds Casino and Resort, you must put aside a little extra cha-ching and treat yourself to top shelf food, drink, and people! David and Tamara are top shelf. Why are they good at their job? Because while you are watching their orchestrated delivery of adult libation, you do not sense at any point that they are laboring at a job! On the contrary, you are lulled into a fine dining experience as you feel like you are friends with the hosts. They are their to serve you all the while welcoming you into their living room. Copper Rock is one of the finest establishments in the Northwest Indiana corridor and the ambiance is equal to a fine living room. Because of the welcoming environment, the ambiance, the superior gastronomical experience, it is superior and it can be considered high quality and it is worth every penny! What can you expect when dining there? You are greeted by friendly accommodating hosts. If you are lucky and get to dine there frequently then they will quickly identify you upon arrival. (try to make reservations as you may never know the wait time) After being seated you will quickly be served purified water, graciously served by attendants and also served a basket of fine breads and spreads to make you wish you had a bottomless pit for a stomach. This is no time for a diet, it is time to enjoy the finest! Be certain to save room for the famed beignets that will leave you rejoicing in chocolate heaven. If I were to have any complaints it is that they do not indulge the diner in any pasta dishes, and they updated their menu removing our absolute favorite; Chicken Saltambocca. Also, I believe it would be wonderful if they were to add light acoustic entertainment. The one thing that I miss the most at Four Winds is that there is no live music unless you go to the Hard Rock, and that is not my cup of tea. Copper Rock Steak House would be perfect. Champagne and LaLuna would be a nice addition. If you prefer a more relaxed dining experience, you can eat at the bar in a more intimate, "laid back" atmosphere at the Copper Rock Lounge. Plus it will be personally delivered by either David or Tamara! Tell em' the Steve and Mary Show sent you! (We wanted to post pictures of David and Tamara, but, they were so busy welcoming concert goer's that they was no time to stop and say "cheese!")

December 12th...Santa lives in Kankakee!

It is true, I have come to this conclusion after 49 years of witnessing Christmas, and pondering the true existence of the fat man in the jolly red suit! Santa lives in Kankakee Illinois, United States of America. Now, I am sure beyond belief that many of you will heartedly disagree. But, rest assured, not only do I know what I am talking about, I have 49 years worth of evidence.

This very day as I was putting together a new recording of Christmas songs, and a reading or two, it hit me. Suddenly stories that I had read in the past to my children, students, and to myself were falling flat. "where in the world is my Christmas spirit that stories that use to fill my eyes with tears were now so trite, so flat, so unemotive?" It was then that it dawned on me. They were in fact far too cliche. It was then that I recalled the last time I had a true Santa moment. Evidence that Santa lives in Kankakee? The last Santa moment was in Kankakee.

I came to realize when I was a little girl that Santa did not exist, well, that is what my girlfriend's mother would try to make me believe. IT is sad, for as you stop believing, it does stop existing. We can make things disappear you know simply, by no longer believing in them. This is science ya' know.

I was so sad that year, what would I do, how could I go forth into another Christmas without the Santa spirit. It was upon discussing this problem with my Mom that she told me "as long as you believe, Santa will come." She was wise, and so it goes, that I have held that belief.

I moved away from Kankakee in the summer of 05' after living there for almost 45 years. I was born and raised there, raised my children there. I was for financial, post-marital, and professional reasons forced out of my home.

I swear since I have moved away from Kankakee, I have no longer had my yearly encounters with the jolly old elf. Seriously, every Christmas by the 23rd of December, I would have an encounter, that would convince me that he indeed still exist. Well, it is now the 12th of December 2009 and I have not really had that special kind of encounter. It does not exist anywhere else in the world, so therefore, Santa must in fact reside in Kankakee Illinois.

I remember all too well, the year there was no Santa..., I could simply say, "well ME, it is time for you to grow up and walk away from childhood fantasies" or, I could simply say, "ME, it is time for you to believe again."

December 7, show me that I can, and I will...

Today was one of those days. It was a Monday. A Monday, sadly, it was not a Monday that was unique to itself. It dawned on me today that I do not like Monday, because for me it is like starting all over again at something that you didn't really like in the first place. It is like coming home from a long vacation, but your home is not really a good, happy, safe, amazingly wonderful place. For me starting back on a Monday is a reminder that I am not really teaching the subject that I have a passion for, nor that way that I believe it should be taught. It is a reminder that I do not like getting up before the sun rises. It is actually not that I do not like it, it is that seriously, it is like an allergy or something. Like the person who is allergic to chocolate, it will surely break them out with zits, so they don't eat it. But, imagine if they were told that they had to.
I mentioned a similar analogie to my students once and a smart young man said, "then why are you a teacher?" Well, he was right on point. The problem is, I never thought about the time I would have to wake up in the morning when I was setting out to make a difference in young people's lives.
Now that I am solidly into this career, (well I am this year) then I have to make the best of it. Making the best of it is close to impossible on a monday morning. Especially when you look out the window and see that it has snowed and your car is covered with the lovely white stuff. You are not sure how bad the roads are, you know you are running short on time as it is, all because you have to make biscuits and gravy for a group of people all against your wishes. Who ever heard of having a food fest when you have to work with kids all day? Seriously, I can barely cop a squat and go peepers, let alone mix and mingle! So, I am facing an entire day of being off kilter. I made it into work with barely a minute to spare. Roads were bad and unfortunately people in this town panic at the slightest snow fall! I was greeted with nonsense, absolute nonsense at every turn. I sank deep into "why in the world am I here" distress.
Well, I made it through my day. Believe me, I could go on and on about the lamentations of ME. Now as I sit on my sofa, Christmas trees lit, supper served, Steve happy and content, (he just made me happy too, as he cleaned up supper ; {} ) and me typing away. It was just a little bit ago as I was putting together my team's quarterly newsletter, just why I am a teacher.
I actually should apologize for being such a scrooge today. I was totally over the edge with intolerance. Now, do not get me wrong, a few of the students that I had to reprimand had it coming. Seriously, they did! But, in hind sight, I want to be like one of my bosses, except for positive emotions, you are not aware that he has any. Only once did I see him really mad. Oh, he makes kids tow the line, but he does with without an emotional change.
I came across this poem, I wrote it about me. It speaks for itself. This poem is the reason I am a teacher. It is why I tried to be a good mom. It is why I struggle so much to just survive at times. It is why at the age of 49, I still do not know what I want to be, really, when I grow up. I guess it is a sign that like my 14 year old students, I am just trying to get by. Like them, I resent being pulled away from my comfortable home, and bed too soon in the morning. It is why sometimes I just need someone to teach me, show me, help me...

Teach me how to say “I Can”
I never really learned that phrase
It is something practiced everyday
For most…
Teach me how to reach to stars
I never really stretched that far
It is something reached for
Far away…
Teach me how to sail the seas
I never really set my sails
It is something only sailors dream
Isn’t it…
Teach me how you live each day
I never really took that breath
That fills and expands
A life…
Teach me how to be myself
I was never really introduced
Robbed at birth and forced to be
Someone else not me…
Teach me how to love
I only know how to say
Three words,
I practice everyday…
Show me that I can, I am
Me…

December 5, a simple Saturday satisfies said soul...

Seriously, it does. Sleeping in, let's go beyond the sleeping in, sleeping straight through the night is sublime. I cannot tell you when the last time was that I slept so soundly through the night as I did last night. I am sure it had something to do with the fact that I worked the entire week at a pace that no woman over the age of forty should have to, not to mention that I was as sick as a dog with a sinus infection the entire week. I am still sneezing, and blowing today!
After waking up at 8:20a.m., (yes, you read correctly, 8:20) I slowly readied myself for a day filled with relaxation, exploration, and gastronomic achievement. Steve, my Saturday partner in crime, announced that he had been waiting for me to wakeup, as he had a hankering for the Blue Plate french toast. The Blue Plate Diner is a favorite of ours. It is located in Lakeside Michigan straight up the Red Arrow Highway from New Buffalo Michigan. The food is wonderful, especially their caramel french toast, and the OOOhla omelete, with tomatoes, tarrogon and goat cheese. This place is so wonderful even their toast and jam is a gourmet delight. Anyway, it was decided, by the baton waiving partner of mine that we would be going soon.
We journeyed towards the east by northeast. The food was as predicted, amazing. Following brunch we traveled further north to St. Joseph, MI and through Benton Harbor. Spending the afternoon looking through a little antique shop called, Days of Yore left us relaxed and discussing how quickly time passes. It is all quite sad really, so much of the old and the simple was traded in for what was seemingly an improvement, but from what I can see, little has been improved. The current architecture is sterile, empty, cookie-cutterish, while the grandeur of the older buildings in Benton Harbor stand empty, neglected, calling out to better days. It was then that I realized that my own memory of the past, past Christmases, my mother, my playmates from childhood are fading from my memory. It was then that I realized the day would come, when memories of me too would be faded, and would be much like the old building we passed by today, fading, neglected and calling out to better days, hanging on by a thin hair of memory. By the time I was done lamenting over this reality of my contribution to the big picture, I sighed, and was satisfied that I am loved, and known. I try daily to contribute to something, to someone, and just be glad to be making memories.
Our journey back into Michigan City was filled with discussion of life, God, and the decision to keep it as simple as possible this holiday season. We settled back into our day, Steve did his thing, and me, I went on to Aldi's (I like to keep it simple, even Aldi's is a little too large for me). It was time to get groceries, time to restock the shelves following a wonderful Thanksgiving week. The grocery cart was filled with goodies. It brings me great joy to feed those that I love. To see the man that I love satisfied through my gastronomic achievement brings about glorious fulfillment.
Saturday was brought to an end with a round of simple songs. Waking up to the one you love, feeding each other's spirit, exploring days of yore, careening along life's highway, preparing feasts of fancy, singing simple songs of love and longing, and knowing, just knowing that today you are loved, simply satisfies, said soul...

“Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear music.” – Angela Monet

It is time to regain my title as "Queen of SoapBlogging"

Soapblogging is a term I coined a couple of years ago. I have always loved he old way in which word was spread, political issues were discussed, and new theories engaged. It was through soapboxing. People would gather their soap box and place it in town square, on a corner, in a park, or anywhere there was a potential audience.

So it is that I take to my soap box, by way of a blog. It is my fondest desire to blog daily. Many blog away at random and this is a good thing. For me, I will blog my way into Christmas. Refusing to be a pansy and be PC calling it holiday for example. No for me it is Christmas. Not necessarily as Christmas has been in the past, but Christmas all the same. I still am fascinated by the story of Christ's birth. To me it matters not whether others choose to discuss the validity of the birth, the outcome is still the same. We gather together in love around the world to recognize the value in loving. So, I choose to love this Christmas. I will share over the next 25+ days random acts of love that I witness along the way. I might throw in a few other tidbits along the way for good measure.

Peace and thank you for joining me on my little journey as the soapbubbles rise forth from my soapblogging, I pray that maybe, just maybe we may experience a little temporal cleansing and come out refreshed, together!

Ciao Bella