Buckeye Mike

Five years ago, I was remembering my mother and reliving the last memories I have of her. It was a very emotional and cathartic time for me, and using this blog to recount that terrible time was very therapeutic.  I go back and read them often, especially when I find myself in times when I need to find peace. They are my refuge, and help me find my center when nothing else makes sense. During that time, I wrote a blog entitled "The Pocketwatch". It is my favorite Christmas story, and has become an annual tradition on this blog. Please enjoy and I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! As a kid growing up, Christmas Eve was always the most special day of the year. Aside from the Santa visit, the day was filled with so much tradition and family that is was more like an event than a holiday. Everyone would gather at my grandparents house for Christmas dinner. Cars would fill the drive way, be parked on the hill, and even in the front yard. It was always a feast, with us k...

I am no stranger to Little Debbie. I remember when I was a teenager, hiding boxes of zebra cakes behind the never-used-no-one goes-behind-bar in my parents basement. I would come home from my job at Kroger, stuff my mouth with a whole box, and no one was ever the wiser. At 42, I wish I could say my love for these scrumptious delights has waned over the years. But alas, I still cannot resist the craving whenever I pass the aisle. And as if the regular temptation of fudge rounds wasn't enough, they have the special ones they only bring out once a year. The big pink heart at Valentine's Day. The Halloween Brownies. And of course, the coup de gras, Christmas Tree cakes. Twice the size of any other selection, this red white and green cake with the sprinkles has been calling my name every year for as long as I can remember. And, difficult as this might be to believe, I took it to the extreme. 2 for breakfast. Another at lunch. All of  December. Throw boxes in the freezer for Chri...

So we bought a cow. No, we didn't add to the zoo. There will be no fresh as it can get milk, cow patties, or "eat mor chikin" signs around the house anytime in the near future. Scratch that. Never, ever. But we did buy a cow. See our friends, the Burnhams, suggested to us that the two families should split the cost of a side of beef before winter truly kicked in. After checking into it, we agreed. On Saturday, the delivery was made. And our freezer is stuffed to the lid In the coming months, the Slusher family table will see many meals out of this purchse. Meatloaf and burgers, ribs and roasts will all make their appearance as the winter passes. And of course that doesn't even include the best part. There has to be 100 pounds of steak. And that is where this post truly begins. As you may or may not know, my awesome little wife is also my sick little wife. And she is my stubborn little wife as well. Last Monday, she had surgery at the Richard Ross heart h...

They filled the water goblet. I drank it. They filled it again. And again I drank it. And again. And again. 17 times. Seven.Teen. The year was 1986, and for the first time in my life I was experiencing fine dining. The white linens on the table. The raw shrimp heaped in the crystal bowl in the middle of the fine place settings. The water goblets that they kept filling, much to my chagrin. I had to drink them. I assumed it was rude not too. I wore a path from our table to the bathroom at the Barnaby Inn in Dennis, Massachusetts. Each time I came back, the goblet was full again. That year was the first time we ever came to Cape Cod. It was the first time that my Dad ever took his new family back to where he grew up. The first time we got to meet my Grandma Kay and Grandpa Newt. I remember loading down that old blue station wagon my Mom had with all our gear and making the drive. I remember sitting at Thanksgiving and having knishes. I remember going into my Grandmas basem...

Day 6 we made the long drive up to Salem. This was Little Red's day, and this is all she talked about all week. It was worth the drive. We learned a lot, about how the witch hunts started, why we dress the kids up on Halloween, and even why we have Jack-O-Lantern's