Tubby (my daughter's I.F.) gave birth this afternoon...to a puppy...and it's a boy!

Yes, Tubby is a boy. (no, my daughter didn't get hold of the People magazine with article about the transvestite man who just gave birth...and no, I'm not proud to admit that I actually read it...)

I had to explain to my daughter that only grown-up girls can have babies, not boys. Apparantly the rules are different for I.F.s. I shouldn't be surprised.

She's been watching a lot of "101 Dalmations", so she's been known to fill her t-shirt with a few stuffed puppies herself and "give birth" to a litter.

Today was Tubby's turn. He was upstairs in her bedroom and I was instructed to be quiet as she shut the door. A few moments later, she opened it and shouted "It's a BOY!".

Then we took the new puppy to the mall with us, and I had to make room in the back seat for Tubby to join us. Because, you know, the puppy is still too small to be out without his mommy.

Candy cigars for everyone!

Well, Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore, but we may as well be.

As many local residents are aware, a funnel cloud was spotted over Stillway Court during the brief but violent storm on Wednesday, July 30th. With the many downed limbs and a few twisted and destroyed trees, power outages lasted over 24 hours for some residents. There were many reports of deck furniture being tossed about, but miraculously, no significant home or vehicle damage, and no personal injuries.

We had no warning whatsoever. The weather station mentioned possible thunderstorms, but they say that every afternoon. So it got a little dark, then it thundered for a minute, then it rained hard. Very hard. I stood looking out my living room window, with my daughter next to me, as it rained sideways and got so white that I couldn't see across the street.

It never even occurred to me that it was a tornado. (and that standing near the window was perhaps a bit stupid...)

It wasn't until I got a phone call from a friend a few blocks away that I heard about the funnel cloud, and how many trees were pulled up by their roots. It really is a miracle that nobody's home was damaged.

According to City-Data.com, Cockeysville-area historical tornado activity is slightly above Maryland state average. It is 42% greater than the overall U.S. average. Apparantly the topography is just right here for "rotation", which is what I've heard a few times since I moved here three years ago. The last tornado to touch down in Cockeysville was in 2001.

A lot of people here said they wouldn't even know what to do if they were in a tornado. (am I the only one who has seen the movie Twister?) I heard that the guy who saw the funnel was so mesmerized that he stood in his doorway drinking his coffee after sending his kids to the basement.

If there is a tornado warning, or if you suspect a tornado, get to your basement, or an interior room or closet in the lowest level of your home. For more information, visit
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/tornado/to_during.shtm.

When I was a kid, we used to tease my mother for putting garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) in everything. She knew they were good for us, but she probably didn't realize just how healthy they really are.

According to Wikipedia:
Chickpeas are a helpful source of zinc, folate and protein. They are also very high in dietary fiber and hence a healthy source of carbohydrates for persons with insulin sensitivity or diabetes. Chickpeas are low in fat and most of this is polyunsaturated. One hundred grams of mature boiled chickpeas contains 164 calories, 2.6 grams of fat (of which only 0.27 grams is saturated), 7.6 grams of dietary fiber and 8.9 grams of protein. Chickpeas also provide dietary calcium (49-53 mg/100 g), with some sources citing the garbanzo's calcium content as about the same as yogurt and close to milk.

I think garbanzos fall into the same catagory as spinach - one of those incredible superfoods that should be a regular part of everyone's diet. And since they come in a can (I've never seen them fresh or frozen), you can't beat them for convenience.

So how do you eat them?

You can sprinkle them on green salads, mix them into chicken salads, cook them in soups and stews, throw them into rice or pasta side dishes, mash them to make hummus, fry them to make falafel, even ferment them to create a drink like sake.

Here's an easy recipe for Jalapeno Hummus (from allrecipes.com) - great for sizzling summer parties!

1 cup garbanzo beans

1/3 cup canned jalapeno pepper slices, juice reserved

3 tablespoons tahini

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

For the last year or two my four year old has had several imaginary friends (I.F.s for those in the know...). Tubby is the main guy, while TeeTee, PoPo, and Grinda only make appearances at select gatherings. I've had to hold the door open for Tubby, set a place for him at dinner, even help set up for a party in his honor. Usually, though, Tubby is cared for by my daughter.

She's drawn pictures of him on the blackboard in our kitchen and he's bigger than I thought. He's slightly taller than my daughter, and sadly, has no body to speak of. He's just a head on two legs, with two arms sticking out where his ears should be. He does have a nice smile though.

I'm sure kids develop IFs for a variety of reasons, though I'm thinking they may be hereditary. According to both our mothers, my husband and I each had our IFs when we were little too. (though I have zero recollection of this)

Sometimes Tubby is around to just "keep company" as my daughter likes to say. Other times, I see her use him to work out social stresses (such as they are for a 3 or 4 year old). There was the time I was in the kitchen and heard her yell at Tubby to get back in line and wait his turn for the bathroom, sounding very frustrated. I remember thinking, you know you're having a bad day when your I.F. is pissing you off! (I'm hoping that she wasn't mimicking her nursery school teacher...)

Whatever the reason, he's been around our house for so long now that I can tell when she's with him. She gets very "busy" and you'll hear her talking under her breath. I'm glad she has him. He's been good to her.

I think things changed yesterday morning, however.

Upon my daughter's request, my husband helped set up a birthday party for Tubby in our basement. The whole gang was there, and all the food was ready. But, alas, Tubby never showed up. My daughter told us that he "growed up and moved away" and that's why he didn't come.

Hmmm. Well, I'm curious to see if he's gone for good or just on vacation. You just never know with these I.F.s. Where ever he is, I hope he's having a good time...