#whiting

[brattylikestoeat]

[ejzah]

The In-Law, Part 2

***

“How’s the orzo coming?” Kensi pressed her chin in the dip of Deeks’ shoulder, peering at the stove, covered in pots and pans.

“You tell me,” he said, scooping up a small spoonful from a medium sized pan and turning to give it to her. “Careful, it’s pretty hot.”

Kensi took the spoon, blowing a couple of times before she popped it in her mouth. “Ooh that’s really good,” she said. Kissing his cheek, she wrapped her arms around the waist as he resumed tending the pots and pans. “You know, you didn’t have to go through all of this trouble.”

“I figured it couldn’t hurt to start off on good terms for our first time hosting Whiting.” He shook his head slightly at the statement. Several days later, he still couldn’t quite wrap his head around the fact Rosa was dating Ellen Whiting’s son.

“You’re a good dad.” She squeezed him extra tight. “Because I have a feeling this evening is going to be all kinds of awkward.”

“Oh, it’s going to be awful,” Deeks agreed. He turned off three of the burners, leaving one in the back on low. “I think everything’s almost ready. Do you think Whiting drinks or would she consider that a sign of moral failing?”

“Mm, I could see it going either way,” Kensi decided while Deeks sorted through their modest liquor cabinet.

“I’ll go ask Steven.” They’d left him and Rosa in the living room to set the table—and probably take advantage of the momentary privacy to make out.

“Ok. I’ll get out the salad and fruit.”

“Hey Steven, is your mom ok with wine?” Deeks asked, poking his head into the living room, a bottle of Pinot Noir cradled in his arm. Rosa and Steven were cuddled up on the couch, watching some 90’s show.

“Oh yeah,” Steven answered with a chuckle, his eyes widening in horror almost immediately. “I mean, she likes a glass of wine after work but not that she drinks a lot or anything.”

Beside him, Rosa pressed her lips together, looking remarkably like Kensi as she patted his knee.

“He knew what you meant, Steven.”

“Yeah, I’m just going to disregard that last part and put this in the fridge.”

“I’m sorry. I just get so nervous,” Steven sighed.

As Deeks walked back into the kitchen, he heard Rosa murmuring something reassuring back to him.

Deeks and Kensi had just finished putting the last of the food in serving dishes when the doorbell rang.

“Showtime,” Deeks muttered grimly.

“It’ll be fine.” Kissing his cheek, Kensi squeezed his shoulders. “And if not, I will make sure your wineglass is always full.”

“Best wife ever.”

Rosa and Steven had already let Whiting by the time they made it out of the kitchen.

“Hi Ellen, glad you could make it,” Kensi said, going as far as to give her a hug.

“Ellen, thanks for coming,” he said, holding out his hand.

“Deeks, that almost sounded genuine,” she drawled. “And no hug?”

“Mom?” Steven gave her a questioning, slightly nervous look, picking up on the underlying antagonistic tone.

“Just kidding,” Whiting assured him quickly. Behind Whiting’s back, Rosa shot Deeks a look and he flashed her a quick smile.

They were doing this for Rosa and Steven, he reminded himself. He could keep the peace for the kids.

“Right. Ellen, would you like a drink? We’ve for water, wine, beer, soft drinks.”

“Definitely wine. In a big glass if you have it.”

“I think we can manage that,” Deeks said, genuinely smiling.

“I’ll go get drinks,” Kensi offered. “Rosa, Steven, you want anything?”

“No thanks, Mrs. Deeks.”

“I have some water, Kensi.”

“Ok. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Giving Deeks’ arm a discrete squeeze, Kensi headed back to the kitchen.

Rosa and Steven sat back down, murmuring among themselves, leaving Deeks to make smalltalk. Perfect.

“You did pretty well for yourself,” Whiting said, looking around the room. “I didn’t really notice last time I was here.”

“Yeah, makes sense with the whole “on the run” thing.” He gestured to the chairs across from the couch. “Have a seat.”

Whiting sat down, looking a little out of place in jeans and with her hair down instead of her usual business casual attire. Hell, the whole situation was bizarre. Deeks took the remaining chair, leaving room in case Kensi wanted to squeeze in with him.

“Marty, you should show Steven your surfboards,” Rosa spoke up, nodding encouragingly. “He’s been wanting to learn.”

“Oh yeah, that would be great. I wanted to learn when I was younger, but mom thought it would be too dangerous.”

“Sure. I’d be happy to after dinner. I can even give you some tips sometimes if you want,” Deeks offered.

“That would be amazing, Mr—I mean, Deeks. Thank you,” Steven said enthusiastically.

“Suck up,” Whiting muttered under her breath.

“Hey, I love teaching kids things,” he defended himself.

“Of course you do.”

The doorbell rang again, saving Deeks from having to respond. “I’ll be right back.” He checked the security camera first, since they weren’t expecting anyone else, frowning when he saw his mom on the other side.

He opened the door, not surprised that Roberta walked right in. “Mama, what’s up? I thought you had a big date with Arkady.”

“I did, but he cancelled on me,” she explained. “So, I figured I’d spend a little quality time with my family. Plus, I ran out of beer.”

“Mom, we’re kind of in the middle of dinner.”

“Oh, sorry. Well, I won’t take long. I just need to borrow a couple beers and the copy of “Moulin Rouge” I loaned Rosa.”

“That’s not—” Roberta pushed past him, ignoring his warning.

Crap, this was not going to be good. He rushed after her, clocking that Rosa and Steven had left the room, before he focused on the inevitable confrontation about to happen.

“Marty, why is the woman in your house? She’s the cop who arrested you,” Roberta exclaimed, way too loudly.

“Yeah, I’m aware.” He exhaled softly. “Ellen, you’ve met my mother, Roberta.”

“Oh yeah, she made quite the impression,” Whiting said sardonically, eyes roving over Roberta with something between amusement and disbelief. “If it’s any consolation, when I arrested Deeks, it wasn’t personal.”

“It was a little bit,” Deeks said, unable to help himself.

“Ok, maybe a little.”

“Alright, what the hell is going on?” Roberta demanded.

“Ellen Whiting is Steven’s mom. So, Mama, I’m begging you, please do not make a big scene.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” Roberta looked between Whiting, who seemed to have settled on amusement, and Deeks.

“Nope.”

“Alright, I have the wine—and what’s going on?” Kensi stopped a few feet short of the living room, three wineglasses cradled in her hands.

“We have a surprise guest,” Deeks shared with a tight smile. Kensi wordlessly handed him the fullest of the glasses.

“I still don’t know how you let her into your house after what she did to you.” Roberta crossed her arms, glaring at Whiting with everything she had.

“Would it help if I told you we buried the hatchet a while ago and I have no current plans to arrest your son?” Whiting wondered.

“No.”

“Hey, Rosa and Steven are going to come out her any minute expecting us to be getting along,” Kensi hissed, drawing a surprised glance from both of the other women. “So, you’re going to suck it up, put on a smile, and pretend we all like each other. Got it?”

“I can probably manage that. As long as I have wine,” Whiting decided. Kensi handed her a glass.

“Fine. I’ll behave myself. But only for the kids.” Roberta shook her head, muttering to herself.

“Lord help us,” Deeks said, taking a healthy gulp of his wine.

[unteriors]

Lilac Lane, Whiting, New Jersey.

[rabbitcruiser]

Lake County was established on February 16, 1837.

[dailymarinefish]

day 26, 18/02/24 - fish of the day is the sand whiting (Sillago ciliata)

[20th-century-railroading]

A fine Whiting morning... by Zeolite C O Via Flickr: Eastbound Conrail TOFC heads into the morning sun at Whiting, Indiana. Home of the world famous Pierogi Fest.

July 11, 1995.

[chaddavisphotography]

A drive thru cigarettes store in Whiting, Indiana on Indianapolis Blvd shortly after entering from Illinois.

[askwhatsforlunch]

Whiting and Spinach Gratin

This simple Whiting and Spinach Gratin make a hearty and tasty dish. Happy Friday!

Ingredients (serves 1):

1 beautiful fillet fresh whiting

a pinch of fleur de sel or sea salt flakes and freshly cracked black pepper

half a lemon

1/2 tablespoon butter, softened

1 cup Creamed Spinach

Mature English Cheddar

Place whiting fillet in a steaming basket over a pot of boiling water. Season generously with fleur de sel and black pepper. Thoroughly squeeze lemon juice over the fish. Cover with a lid, and steam, 15 to 20 minutes, until whiting is cooked through.

Remove from the heat, and allow to cool completely.

Preheat oven to 200°C/395°F. Generously butter an individual baking tin.

Spoon half of the Creamed Spinach at the bottom. Flake half of the steamed whiting on top. Grate Mature English Cheddar generously on top. Repeat layers with remaining Creamed Spinach, fish and more Cheddar.

Place tin in the middle of the hot oven, and bake, at 200°C/395°F, 15 minutes.

Enjoy Whiting and Spinach Gratin hot, with a glass of chilled white wine, like Entre-Deux-Mers.

[missing-girls-and-women]

Rochelle Kenana Stubblefield, 20

Last seen in Whiting, Indiana in 2015. She was 8.5 months pregnant at the time of her disappearance, expecting a boy.

[glenncoco4]

I know it’s not gonna happen but it’d be absolutely hilarious if they did a significant time jump and Rosa was getting married to Steven and Kensi and Whiting were like bffs.

[whitepeopletwitter]

[ankle-beez]

it'd be really cool if everyone put their money where their mouths are and went and saw the new fully 2d animated looney tunes movie that's in theaters RIGHT NOW instead of continuing to scream about the snow white and lilo and stitch remakes

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Corvid Christmas tree. Simple, but beautiful.

[manjaro-official]

"oh boy I sure wish there were a fast, free and private alternative to google chrome"

the humble mozilla firefox:

[rabbitcruiser]

National Start Seeing Monarchs Day

National Start Seeing Monarchs Day is celebrated on the first Saturday of May every year and this year, it falls on May 6. It’s all about raising awareness of the environmental importance of the monarch butterflies and reminding the general population of the issues related to the imminent extinction faced by this species.

History of National Start Seeing Monarchs Day

Monarch butterflies can be found all around North America, mainly concentrated in the eastern parts of the United States. They are considered the most popular species of butterflies in the country. These butterflies migrate every year around late summer and fall. The ones born in the northern and central U.S. and Canada travel all the way to Florida and Mexico and the ones born in the western area migrate to southern California as well. There are also monarchs living in the International Space Station!

Butterflies have a life cycle of four phases. The first is the egg, which is laid under young leaves of milkweed. It takes them three to eight days to turn into larva, which is the second phase of the life cycle. Larvae, also known as caterpillars, are the stage where the species grows the most and feeds very well to be able to form the pupa. The third stage of the life cycle is the pupa, which is the phase where the caterpillar stays within its chrysalis for eight to 15 days before it finally emerges and turns into a beautiful butterfly.

A monarch butterfly can live up to eight months by feeding off milkweed and other nectar plants, which makes them one of the many animal species responsible for pollinating plants and flowers all around. Once they reach sexual maturity and can be considered adult butterflies, it takes them a while to begin their migration process, which happens only once overwintering is complete. Migration takes four different generations to finally be completed.

National Start Seeing Monarchs Day timeline

1758 First Scientific Description of the Monarch

Carl Linnaeus describes and classifies the monarch butterfly in his book “Systema Naturae.”

1775 The Southern Monarch is Described

Pieter Cramer describes the southern monarch butterfly, found in South America.

1819 The Jamaican Monarch is Described

Jean-Baptiste Godart describes the Jamaican monarch butterfly.

2016 Canada Declares Monarchs a Special Species

In Ontario, Canada, the monarch butterfly is considered a species of special concern.

National Start Seeing Monarchs Day FAQs

What month do you see monarch butterflies?

In the United States, monarchs usually emerge through April before flying north as adults.

What does it mean when you see monarchs?

A lot of people see butterflies as a nod to change and transformation. To cross paths with a butterfly can mean that something big is about to change in your life!

How far can a monarch butterfly fly in one day?

Most monarchs travel somewhere between 50 and 100 miles a day!

National Start Seeing Monarchs Day Activities

Go see a monarch

Post about it

Draw a monarch

If you’re within the area where the butterflies might be passing through, why not try to spot some of them outside and take a picture? Not only will it be a beautiful sight to behold, but you’ll get some cool shots for your social media account!

Even if you didn’t get to take a beautiful photo yourself, why not post about the monarchs so all your friends can find out more about them. This can inspire them to go sight-hunting themselves?

Another great way to celebrate is to draw or paint a monarch butterfly and post it on social media. You could even put your beautiful creation up on the wall so everyone can be reminded of this special day!

5 Facts About Monarch Butterflies You’ll Love

They travel up to 3,000 miles

They grow fast

They are quite big

They don’t live very long

They have only one host plant

Monarch butterflies can travel up to 3,000 miles every year across the United States, all the way to Mexico!

Monarchs spend about two weeks in their caterpillar stage and grow an average of 2,700 times the weight they started out with!

When compared to the average butterfly, monarchs are quite big, growing to be just as big as a teacup!

The average lifespan of a monarch butterfly is seven months!

The only host plant, or plant they’re attracted to, is the milkweed!

Why We Love National Start Seeing Monarchs Day

It raises awareness

It connects us to nature

It brings us together

It’s not every day that we get to hear all about the wonderful world of monarch butterflies. So it’s great that we have an entire day dedicated to that!

We tend to feel disconnected from nature sometimes, especially if we live in a chaotic urban environment. This day reminds us to connect with the smallest parts of nature whenever we can!

What better way to get friends and family together than to go sight-hunting for some monarchs around town? Go ahead, take a trip and see what you can find!

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