Excerpts from Betty’s Black Books

September 4, 2017

It’s really starting to feel like fall. On our walk to the café, Gus chased a falling leaf that skittered across the sidewalk in the breeze. He’s over two years old already, and I still can’t get him to ignore blowing leaves- he always runs after them.

To do:

-buy more toilet paper

-buy a new black notebook, this one is almost full

-print photos at drugstore

September 9, 2017

Not much to report today. It’s Saturday and pretty quiet. Not much to do. Stephen came along with me and Gus to the café this morning. We bought a lottery ticket, Stephen just wanted to pick random numbers, but I insisted we get my lucky numbers. He thinks it’s all just random, but my gut tells me this could be it. If we win, I made him promise we’ll move to France.

Speaking of, I think maybe I’ll get him to run into the store on our way home to grab some stewing beef. Feels like a good day to make boeuf bourguignon.

Stephen just said I should write down my boeuf bourguignon recipe here so I won’t forget.

Boeuf Bourguignon à la Betty

1. Toss stewing beef in a bowl with a bit of flour, salt, and pepper.

2. Heat up the dutch oven on the stove, and add a bit of oil to the bottom. Brown the beef in batches.

3. Meanwhile chop up mirepoix- I like it kind of chunky. Once all the beef is browned and out of the pot, add the mirepoix in along with garlic cloves. Sauté for a bit, then add the tomato paste, sauté a bit more. Add the beef back in.

4. Pour yourself a glass of a good, full red, and then give that beef a wine bath!

5. Add in the can of tomatoes, and whatever herbs and spices feel right. I usually go for oregano, chili flakes, and thyme if I have it. Give it a stir, and then put the lid on, slightly ajar, and turn the heat down to a simmer for as long as you can hold out.

6. When your stomach can’t take it any longer, spoon over egg noodles (Stephen prefers mashed potatoes), and garnish with a bunch of fresh parsley and pepper.

Note: sometimes I shake it up with the following things if I have them: parmesan, rosemary, mushrooms, and spinach (though Stephen hates when I add spinach).

April 16, 2018

I just started this new notebook, and found a crisp $20 bill in the pages! It’s so crazy because I know the book was sealed in plastic wrapping when I bought it. Did some factory worker throw a $20 in it? Why would they? Haha, I’m so bewildered! Maybe this book is magical, because it’s just my luck since I forgot my wallet at home today. So at least I won’t have to start a tab at the coffee shop! What a great way to start my week!

April 17, 2018

Okay, this is seriously freaky. Today I found another $20 bill in the pages! I swear that after I found the $20 yesterday I flipped through all of the pages to check for more. And then like magic there’s even more money this morning! It can’t be magic though right? I can’t tell Stephen. He’ll just think I left money in there yesterday and forgot. But I know I looked through all the pages!

April 18, 2018

Glad I didn’t tell Stephen! No money in the pages today. He would have worried. Maybe I just forgot I put it there. Weird.

In other news, Gus’ spring time allergies are acting up again, so I had to stuff some Benadryl in a chunk of cheddar. Sneaky little pup still managed to spit out the pill! I tried again a bit later with a smaller piece of cheese, and it went down. Usually he sits next to me at the café, carefully watching the world. Today, he’s out like a rock, so we stayed home. Poor baby.

April 20, 2018

It’s Friday. Gus’ allergies are improving. He’s not scratching quite as much today.

I think I might go to the spa this weekend. I could really use a massage and a dip in the thermal baths. Maybe I’ll invite a friend, Monica perhaps. She loves the spa.

April 21, 2018

Okay, I have a theory. But I have to write this down, because I don’t know that I could tell another living soul- I would sound crazy.

I think this book is magic. Not random magic, but by writing down what I need money for, I somehow am able to manifest in the book the money I need to do it. Hear me out, yesterday, I wrote that I was going to go to the spa. And this morning, when I opened the book up, there were three, one hundred dollar bills in the pages- about enough for a day at the spa with a treatment and lunch!

This seems to good to be true, but I might as well test it! Here we go: tomorrow, I would like to be a millionaire! (Please and thank you!!!!)

April 22, 2018

Well book, I suppose you think I’m a bit greedy, hey? Instead of a million dollars you gave me a mere five dollars this morning. Fair enough. Lesson learned.

How about this though? I saw a poster at the café, tomorrow night a local singer will be live at the café, raising money for the local food bank. Do your pages have money for that?

April 23, 2018

One hundred and fifty dollars! Well look at you go little notebook! Now that’s a nice donation for the food bank! Thank you! I’ll be honest, I still don’t understand all of your magical rules, but I can tell there’s a limit to how greedy I can be! I will wield you with moderation.

September 2, 2022

Now, my little notebook. I know this is a big request, and I’ve already been so fortunate. But since we’re on vacation in Paris, and I’ve always dreamed of this, I’d like to at least give it a shot.

I’ve been so, so fortunate to visit Paris on multiple occasions in my life, a couple times in my twenties, and I think about once or twice since. One thing I’ve never been able to afford, is to walk into those beautiful shops on the Champs-Élysées, and have a Parisian shopping spree. Trying on the most beautiful couture dresses, getting spritzed with the most elegant perfumes, all while sipping on a flute of champagne.

I know this is a lot to ask, and it’s purely greedy. But is there any chance that tomorrow when I open this book, there could be some shopping spree money?

September 3, 2022

I just had the absolute best day ever! And it’s all thanks to you! Let me tell you everything.

Stephen and I were having breakfast at a café, and discussing our day’s plans. I told him I was going to do some shopping, and he told me to have fun, as he was off to check out the catacombs. After he left, I couldn’t wait to open your pages to see if anything was there, and oh my god! After I counted it up, I realised it was twenty thousand dollars! I couldn’t believe it, this book really is magical!

Giddy with excitement, I left a very generous tip for our waiter, and practically skipped down the street. Where should I even begin?

Not having a real answer to this question, the first shop I came across was the iconic Parisian fashion house: Dior. Walking through the glistening doors, I still felt so out of place, I couldn’t wipe this ridiculous grin from my face. I couldn’t have looked less cool.

Noticing my incompetence, one of the ladies glided over to me, asking in English with a gorgeous Parisian accent “can I help you Madam?” I nodded vigorously. “Oui. Make me look Parisian… s’il vous plait!”

Now unlike the movies, the customer service on the Champs-Élysées isn’t snobby at all. She was instantly please to help me. And after a little discussion, she understood that I really was looking for a full outfit, I was ushered back into a private room, where she settled me into a chic sofa with champagne and macarons. Then, she began to show me different dresses, shoes, bags, and anything else I could imagine.

After she had accumulated a couple of choices, I began to try on the different pieces. And my goodness, they were all such incredible confections! I felt like a princess, or a rich Chinese heiress. It was too much fun!

When it finally came time to pay, I began to pull the bills out of my little black book.

“Oh madam,” she said, in quiet shock. “You are carrying your money around loose like that?” she said with a shake of her head.

I told her I always kept my little black books with me. Anything else, my phone, my purse, I had a tendency to forget.

“Well madam,” she said, “we must simply find you a handbag that is unforgettable!”

And did she ever! Knowing I like a classic style, she presented me a black calfskin clutch with a quilted pattern and gold detailing and cross-body chain. It was like jewellery.

“And see madam,” she said, “it fits your little black book perfectly.” I was sold.

While in just that one shop, I had already spent so much of the money, I decided I would be awfully selfish not to spoil Stephen a bit too. So I asked her if she could recommend a very special place for dinner. She knew just the place, and as a true professional in the luxury industry, she also knew the maître d’, who was able to get us a last minute table at for 8:00 pm.

I met up with Stephen back at the hotel later in the afternoon, and surprised him with the reservation, and told him I was treating him to dinner.

“Didn’t spend as much as you thought you would shopping?” he asked. I couldn’t help but laugh, he was so clueless about women’s fashion. It was probably best I didn’t tell him how many thousands I had just spent on my outfit. After all, it’s not like it came out of our bank account.

I’d write more, but the wine from dinner and all of the excitement of the day really has me ready to drift off to sleep. Bonne nuit Paris!

January 1, 2025

I’m still laughing as I write this. Last night being New Year’s Eve, Stephen and I decided to pull some of my little black books off of the shelf and relive some of the memories! Stephen couldn’t stop laughing when we read about my “magical money books”. I didn’t remember this, and so I was a bit embarrassed at first. But why was he laughing?

As tears of laughter streamed down his face, he explained, while gasping for air and laughing, that he had started putting cash in my journal because the Alzheimer’s was getting bad, and I was always forgetting my credit card pin, but for some reason never forgot to bring my little black books out with me. And the big shopping spree? We had won about $50,000 from the lottery, which is why we went to Paris. Stephen knew I’d always dreamed of actually going into the shops on the Champs-Élysées to splurge, so he had set aside $20,000 for shopping. It was supposed to be a surprise for me, just not a magical surprise!

And to think, had I never written this down, the little bit of magic I experienced, would never have been shared!