The Muse Runs Amok

Life in the Country...

2012-01-25T08:24:00.001-06:00

I love living in the middle of nowhere.

It just takes the simplest of things to remind me of that little fact.

Sometimes, I just need to lie in bed & listen to the coyotes as they sing to each other in the otherwise still of the night.

Sometimes, I just need to peek out the side window & watch as the first blush of the sunrise warms the sky over the lake.

Sometimes, I just need to stand alone in the middle of the driveway underneath the blanket of stars.

Sometimes, I just need to stand at my front window & watch as a pair of foxes trot up that same driveway as if dropping by for a visit.

And, sometimes, I just need to look at my own front door.

My door was looking rather naked since the halls were undecked of their Christmas finery. It's a little too early to put up the cheery Spring orchid wreath, so I set off to find a little mid-winter inspiration. So, off I went to visit my dear friend "Michael", at whose place I found a nice little garland & inexpensive sign.

"Believe" used to be my screensaver years ago, a simple reminder that scrolled across my computer in beautiful Dragonscript font. It was a quieter time, filled with dragons & faeries & many more moments to dream. Stumbling across that little sign brought a wistful little smile, & I decided that I may need to be reminded a bit more often.

So, armed with my simple supplies, & with The Batman's assistance, I formed a new little welcome wreath; just a little reminder that Spring is on its way.

I wonder if my fox couple noticed :)

The Thought Experiment

2012-01-23T07:15:00.002-06:00

Or... how I woke up this morning thinking about... Schrodinger's Cat.

And I decided to do a little more in-depth research.

Then I got sidetracked, & started clicking on Wiki links... which then led to me all sorts of random places.
Like quantum mechanics... and an episode of SG-1... & Douglas Adams... & Van Helsing... and Tears for Fears...

It made me realize that I'm still the same geeky kid I always was, only with a bigger base of things to explore.

I am the same little kid who used to pull down an encyclopedia (thank you, Jiminy Cricket, I can still spell it right!) to look up something simple, like dogs, or quartz, or Jacques Cousteau. And hours later, you would find me on the floor, amid a PILE of books, having leapt from one article to another, eventually ending up at a completely unrelated document, but totally enlightened.

It's what I do.
It's the way I think.
It's how I learn.

A seemingly random pattern, I know.
But everything really IS related, & linked, & intertwined.
And if you look long enough, & click on enough links, You'll see what I mean.

People always looked at me oddly when I said I read encyclopedias.
"You mean, for fun?" was the typical response.
Yes, for fun.
My little set of World Books, probably purchased from some door to door salesman, was the best gift little geeky me ever got.
(Note: I never DID get that Barbie I asked for, or my life may have turned out completely differently!)

Those books nurtured a lifetime full of curiosity & a love of learning.
I "went" places I had never dreamed of, or even heard of, & saw things I never knew existed. I learned about epicenters, & breeds of cats, & discovered the capital of Luxembourg is... wait for it... Luxembourg. (Much like years later, my children would learn the the capital of Djibouti is... Djibouti.)
I learned my constellations, & then went on to learn about the mythology of who & what there were named after.
At one point, I could list the first 100 winners of the Kentucky Derby.

It may seem pointless, my love of random links.
And sometimes, it is difficult to work the basics of quantum physics into everyday conversation.
And no one will play Trivial Pursuit with me.

But it keeps my busy.
And thinking.
And curious.

And I highly recommend it.

Coming Clean

2012-01-21T07:43:00.000-06:00

OK, so yesterday was a "snow day".

Sorta.

The phrase snow day typically brings to mind a blizzard... with white out conditions, hazardous driving, doorway high drifts blocking your comings & goings.

Yesterday really wasn't all that.

If snow were rain, then one might say that it drizzled all day.
It was so cold, that instead of huge, puffy flakes, there were these tiny little things that just sort of rained down all day.
And not really ALL day.
More like from 11 or so on.

So, technically, if I had really wanted to get out & get some things done, I really DID have the opportunity to do so.
The sanders had come through early (much too cold for the salt to work), & the plows even made a couple early passes.
And the driveway wasn't that bad.

But I really didn't feel like going anywhere, or seeing anybody, or doing anything.

Sometimes, it's just nice to have an excuse to keep the yoga pants on all day & not have to worry about mascara or whether your socks match.

So, yes, I kind of blew the whole thing out of proportion in the name of leisure.

And it was wonderful :)

I accomplished things that I wanted to... not that I "had" to.

I spent a little time in the kitchen creating a new cookie recipe.
And for dinner, made a big pot of "warm you to your toes" Roasted Garlic Potato Soup. You know, one of those, "oh my word, so much chopping & roasting & blending" sort of soups that you usually don't have time for.

And I Tabata'd, & corresponded, & did some light reading, & played with the cats.

All in my yoga pants.

Because of a "snow day".

I need those more often :)

Snow Day

2012-01-20T08:06:00.000-06:00

I'm getting snowed in.
Again.
Third day off in a row this has happened.

I'm sensing a pattern here.

Not that I mind.
I would SO much rather it snowed when I can stay safe & snug, with a mug of hot cocoa & a cat or two & watch the snowfall instead of having to drive in the stuff.

It is pretty, I'll give you that.
The swirling flakes, the blanket of white, then, inevitably, the clear blue (or deep black flecked with diamond starlight) skies that follow.

I don't even mind shoveling.
It clears your mind & works your body.

I just hate having to drive in it.
OK, I don't even hate the driving, just all the other drivers on the road.
Who more than once have driven with a speed too fast for conditions, or under the influence, or without a safe following distance & thusly messed up my bumper, my neck... & my rear end.
The car's rear end, to be accurate.

So, I will delight in the opportunity to stay home today.

And put on my favorite music.

And light a candle.

And try a new recipe.

And perhaps an old one.

And read a book.

And watch the snow fall.

"Gut" Instinct

2012-01-14T08:08:00.001-06:00

Sometimes...
You should just go with your gut instinct.

No, I'm not talking about that little voice inside that really does know better when you are trying to make decisions.
However, you should listen to that too.

I'm talking about that little voice that says, "bake brownies"... or "a nice cup of hot cocoa would be good right now"... or, in this case, "you really should make some Vanilla Bean Scones".

Seriously.

That little voice has been nagging me all week.
Every time I open the fridge & see the container of whipping cream staring me smack in the face, I hear it.
And, I hear it sometimes when I reach for that second cup of coffee.
And I even heard it at work the other day.

And, this morning, as I gave in to the fact that The Batman was NOT going to let me spend a leisurely morning in bed waiting for the 6:55am alarm... I was wishing that I had listened.

My little voice is quite wise sometimes.

My French Roast coffee with one packet of Sugar in the Raw & a splash of 1% is sitting hear in a rather lonely fashion, with room right alongside where a vanilla bean scone should be sitting. Well, sitting for a bit until I couldn't resist anymore.

But, alas, I didn't listen.

And by the time I would whip up a batch, & let them cool sufficiently to glaze, & let the glaze harden ever so slightly, the coffee would be gone. Or cold. Or have lost interest in the scone.

So, today, I will do without.

And, perhaps next time, I will listen to that little voice.

Unless it says, "make Petite Fours".
Then I would think the little voice is just being silly!

And, just in case your little voice is now prompting you to make them, Vanilla Bean Scones really are worth the time :)

There was an old woman...

2012-01-11T07:44:00.001-06:00

...who had so many shoes, she didn't know...

Wait, that's not how it goes.

Lived in a shoe.

And had SO many children...

OK, two.
I have two.
Well, two that I've had from day one.
Little genetic progeny of my very own.
Well, half the DNA at least...

But over the years, I have been very fortunate to acquire several more children.
"Psuedo" children, as one of them says.

Children who have filled my life & my heart with laughter, & pride, & love.

The friends of my children, & children of my friends...

My Dance Kids; my Marching Band Kids; my Musical Kids...

They let me feed them, & spoil them, & watch them perform.
We have laughed, & cried, & created memories.
They learned to ignore the camera that inevitably followed them around.
We shared inside hugs, & jokes, & costumes, & more than a few pans of spontaneous brownies.
They texted "I love you" on Mother's Day.
And showed up at my door for cake.

We have shared their dreams, their triumphs, their failures.

They let me watch them grow up.
And became wonderful young men & women.

I treasure each & every one of the children that have entered my life.

And am SO very proud of them all.

And that... was my first thought on waking up this morning :)

One Fine Day

2012-01-09T08:03:00.000-06:00

Can I just sit in my jammies & listen to Sting all day?

The morning dawned ever so slowly today. Almost like it was reluctant to face the week ahead; with a "can't we just ease into this" sort of attitude.

I sat here savoring the hints of pink behind the clouds; candlelight (Ocean Blossom), coffee in hand (Morning Blend with a tsp of Sugar in the Raw & a splash of milk), one cat on the couch, one at my feet (ok, sporadically, as kittens will be)... & Sting.

To clarify... Sting on the stereo.

Not on the couch.

If he was on the couch, I doubt I would be sitting here in my jammies writing a blog!

What a nice way to start the day.
And I'm thinking it would be a pleasant way to spend the entire morning.
(Fine, it would have been a WHOLE lot cooler if Sting HAD been on the couch!)

I won't sit here, of course.

Things to do, errands to run, soup to make.

But at the moment, none of that is pressing, & I'm going to stretch this out until the coffee is gone, & the morning light dims the candle.
And I have to get up & change the cd.

Because then I will probably get distracted & straighten something up, pick up a dish, notice the cats need water...

And the dawn will have faded into day.

And the week will have begun.

And if the week is anything like the way it started, it will be a fine one indeed.

One sec... I need more coffee.

2012-01-08T08:03:00.001-06:00

Seriously.

I got all settled to write & the only thought I had was, "Rats, I need more coffee."
So, I suppose I wasn't really settled.
Or ready to write.

Some days are like that.

Once upon a time, I challenged myself to write something every day, first thing, before the bustle got started.
It didn't matter what; a memory; an anecdote (I love that word); a quick, 3-line blurt of poetry; a reflection on the sunrise.
Something... anything.

I found myself writing in my head constantly. Once I started, I couldn't stop.
It was a little consuming, but my tens of followers checked in daily to see what had popped out.

Then... it stopped.
I'm still not sure why.
Maybe I got consumed. By life... & the bustle... & the negative thoughts that no one needed to read.
And I found myself becoming less & less creative in ALL aspects of my life.
I relied more on stand-by recipes than imaginative concoctions.
Fewer "little touches" of decor were showing up.
Last year, I even sort of "forgot" where all the Christmas decorations went.

And a little hole inside me started growing.
And growing.

I was no longer creative... I was... mundane. (I like that word too.)

And as the little hole kept growing, I realized that I had stopped.
Stopped growing, stopped "doing", just... stopped.
And while I had stopped, the world kept right on whizzing past me.
And I started falling behind.

I watched others keep doing, & creating, & growing.

At first, I sort of sat back & wished, & watched, & stayed stuck.
Then, without really a conscious decision, I started moving again.
Slowly at first.
New recipes started showing up.
And a new wreath on the door.
And a photograph taken at an odd angle.
And a line of poetry.

And I started moving faster, falling back in step, finding my rhythm.

It's doubtful that I will challenge myself to write on a daily basis again.
Sometimes my mind is too busy creating other things.

But it feels good... to be moving... & doing... & growing.
Again.

The Mystery of the Pineapple Jasmine Rice

2012-01-07T07:57:00.002-06:00

Once upon a time, I posted a recipe for Pineapple Jasmine Rice.
I posted it for a friend.
Without ever actually making it.

Oh, it was my own creation.
I suppose I "virtually" cooked it; combining ingredients I imagined would blend together well, using a basic recipe for jasmine rice that I used frequently, but totally ad libbing the pineapple... & ginger... & other things.

And I created a monster.
Well, not a monster per say.
Just the biggest draw to my little recipe blog to date.

Seriously.

Each & every day, that rice recipe gets the most clicks.
And from all over the world.
Of course the majority of my readers are from the US & Canada, but people all over the world seem to get a hankering for pineapple & jasmine rice... together.

Yep, people in Australia, Ireland, Colombia, Malaysia... even remote areas of Russia, log onto the Stuff We Eat on a daily basis for their rice fix.
It just makes me smile.

Who knew that 2 little ingredients would be my international claim to fame?!

I say this with a smile.

I never did it for the kudos, I post the recipes for 2 basic reasons.
First & foremost, so that my son has access to them & can dazzle his friends with his pancake & Creme Brulee skills.
But also because I have a tendency to create on the fly & finally realized that it might work better if I actually recorded what I did vs. standing in the kitchen the next time wondering just how in fact DID I make that (fill in the blank).

And, yes, I did eventually break down & make some Pineapple Jasmine Rice.
I mean, I had to see what the fuss was all about.
And it was pretty good.
Pretty darn good.

Mystery solved.

See for yourself: Pineapple Jasmine Rice

It never gets any easier.

2012-01-04T08:50:00.000-06:00

Watching my son go down the ramp to the TSA check this morning I realized...
It really doesn't get any easier, does it?!

Six years ago, when he was the ripe old age of 16, I sent him through International security on his way to Dublin... alone.
Ok, technically, he wasn't really flying solo.
His dance partner & her mom were on the same 10+ hour flight.
And a family full of friends was meeting him at Customs in Ireland.
But still... it was the first time I sent him off... without ME!

And I watched until I couldn't see him anymore.
I watched him sneak a glance over his shoulder; as he put his belongings into the bins; as he stepped through the scan; as he went of on a Grand Adventure.

The first of many.

I've lost count now of just how many times I have snuck in that extra hug; stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek; waited until he disappeared around that last corner; texted "Love you!" as I walked to the car.

He has grown into a fine young man.
He walks with confidence, not needing to sneak that last little glance.

But I still feel exactly the same way I did oh so many years ago.
And get all misty the entire ride home.
And hate walking into that house without him.
Even though I know it won't be all that long until he is back again; to fill the house with laughter & music & his brand of energy. There is always a little piece of me missing.

He has been gentle & patient with my learning to let go.
He has made me proud & taught me well.
And paved the way for his sister.
Because all too soon, she will be following in his footsteps.
Maybe not the same path, but the same process.

At least I know the ropes now.
Even though it won't get any easier... I'm ok with that.

In the wee small hours of the morning...

2012-01-03T07:13:00.001-06:00

I missed this.
Getting up, the house still quiet, the pale hues of dawn just starting to peak in the distance over the lake, the day not quite needing to be started yet...

Of course, I've already been up for a couple hours, half a pot of coffee is gone, & somebody has already been provided a warm breakfast, lunch packed & scooted out the door, cats are fed, dishes done...

But the day is really just beginning; the morning star still hangs in the sky; I can sit here & start over.

It's probably my favorite time of day.
I can be still.
And think.
Or not.
And watch the world come to life.
And wonder what that world holds today.

It's my creative time.
My clearest focus.
I'm the most energized; it's the best time for me to work out.
Or not.

Too often, the day gets cluttered, blustery & busy & somehow, when I finally sit down at 9pm with a nice glass of red only to remember I never lit the mandatory evening candle, I wonder what happened.
Where did the day go?
What did I actually accomplish?

In the wee small hours, the day is still.
There is no rush.
No scurrying.
No worries.
Just... stillness.
And potential.

And I like that :)

Truth in Advertising

2012-01-02T13:02:00.003-06:00

Caveat emptor.
Or maybe more accurately, "Careful what you wish for."

The little jar of advanced formula eye cream promised me the world.
Ok, it promised me less noticeable fine lines & wrinkles under my eyes.
And, being a woman of a certain age (I'll address THAT little phrase another time) & more than a wee bit prone to both fine lines and vanity, figured, "Oooh, now that would be lovely!"

Well... I started the New Year with a whole new look.
Yes, the fine lines & wrinkles were much less apparent.
The whole problem with that was the reason they were less noticeable.
Unfortunately, it was, um, not exactly the look I was going for.

Think Darth Vader's eyes when Luke removes his mask during the death scene in Return of the Jedi.
(Hey, even geeks worry about their appearances.)
Think four movie chick-flick crying jag.
Think, I don't know, "What did the other guy look like?!"

Not only was the area under my eyes bright red, puffy & unbelievably irritated, it hurt like the Dickens!
On the up side, you hardly noticed those fine lines & wrinkles!

The fault, I'm thinking, was not so much with the cream, as I had used it before. More probably, it was the combination of things I had slathered on the night before in hopes of greeting the New Year with a fresh, young look.
You know, if one cream can promise results, think what might happen if you add in a little serum promised to give you a fresher, younger appearance! And maybe a few rolls of that anti-puffer stuff.
Apparently, I had started quite the little chemical reaction; a little "Dr. Jekyl" potion of my own creation with its own vile results.

Luckily, I also own lotions with the gentle words "hypo-allergenic" & "fragrance-free" on the labels.
A day of cold water compresses & tender application of soothing ointments calmed my Darth Vader look & made me fit to greet the world again, best face forward.

Well, best face with some noticeable fine lines & wrinkles.

And the sad thing is that, given the quick recovery, you know it won't be long until I try something else equally misguided again.

Letting go...

2012-01-01T07:55:00.000-06:00

And thus, begins the New Year.
It is already different from the year I just put to rest.
It... is white.

Yep, snow.
Waking to a brand new year & the first words out of my mouth were, "What the heck?"

That can't be a good thing.

Not so much that there is snow, I suppose it is to be expected.
In Wisconsin.
In winter.
I just didn't know it was coming.

I'm just sort of wondering how getting caught off guard first thing bodes for the New year.
Seriously.
Does this mean that 2012 is going to be a year filled with surprises?
A year that holds things I didn't expect?
Or didn't see coming?

Or is this a sign that I need to pay more attention?
Keep on my toes?
Be better prepared?

Of course, it just may mean that I should tune in to the news more often or check the weather app on my phone.

I suppose I should be sitting here in the quiet of the morning, with the candlelight... my coffee... the stillness... and be looking forward to the year ahead.

Instead, my first thoughts are of my kids who, due to choices to keep them off the roads in the wee hours of the New Year's morning, will now be driving in the first snow of the season.
Not with the drivers who made poor choices to celebrate a bit too much & get behind the wheel while impaired, but drivers who forget that significant physics is involved when you combine snow + pavement + a car/truck/SUV.

And that may be my lesson for the New Year.
That no matter how much I try & protect my kids, to watch over them, to help them make choices that will protect them & keep them safe, there will always be unforeseen circumstances when I need to let go, trust them, & believe that all I have attempted to teach them will kick in to guide their way.

I believe it is referred to as "letting go".

And that, my friends, will most likely be the theme of the New Year for me.
In a good way.

Happy New Year everyone :)

And... I'm done.

2011-12-31T07:42:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, as I had to keep typing 2012 over & over (& over), I kept saying, "I'm not ready... it can't be the New Year. I'm not done with the old one."

And then, this dawn of the day of the eve of the same New Year coming, I looked at the Christmas tree still standing & thought, "OK, I'm done."

Done as in finished. Completed. Finalized. Wrapped up.
Ready to put away the old, carefully wrapped in a sheet of memory bubble wrap, & forge ahead.

2011 was... odd.
Ups & downs; triumphs & frustrations; accomplishments & utter failures.
And change. Some welcome. Some painfully thrust upon me.

And in the end, it was just another collection of 365 days run together in a seamless passage of time.

I don't do the resolution thing, rather I'm kind of on a "continuous improvement" program. And I don't get too caught up in the whole "brand new year" idea. It's all just days anyway. Lumped together by someone who thought we needed to keep accurate track of our time spent circling the sun. (Don't get me wrong, calendars come in handy. Lots. But I seldom have a good grasp of what the actual "date" is.)

But for whatever it's worth, I'm done with 2011 & ready to move on.
Maybe it's just because I like the pretty pictures on the new calendar.
Maybe it's because that same calendar is already filled with milestone dates of lasts, & firsts, & ~sigh~ more change to come.

Maybe it's just because I have a nice Cava chilling for the Ball Drop :)

Happy New Year!

Why start over?

2011-12-29T16:38:00.001-06:00

Facing a brand new year, & challenged once again by the "what are you going to do with it" thoughts, I figured I'd go back to the days when I attempted to post something almost every day.

I could have started yet another brand spankin' new blog. Then I realized that, in spite of the fact that it has been almost 2 years since I wrote anything at all here, people still checked in.

Daily.

So, I'm back. For what it's worth. Sure to have a whole lot more mindless rambles to add to the etherworld.

It's a brand new slate, not looking back :)

Reconnecting

2009-01-16T07:31:00.001-06:00

It has been an interesting week.

I've been quiet. Well, in some respects. I've noticed that I avoid writing when I am in the throes of deep thought. I suppose because I am trying to sort the thoughts & make some sense of them in the first place.

And because, sometimes, facing those thoughts makes me cry.

The new year, in just its first blush of promise, already holds a number of reunions. Oddly enough, one of my "goals". To reach out & reconnect with "old" friends is so easy now, my aim was to make use of technology & get back up to speed with those that I hold dear.

In a strange juxtaposition, two different "me's" are colliding. The "grade school/high school" me & the "bar band scene/college" me.

Three me's, to be accurate. The current "me" as well gets thrown in the mix.

I have been in touch with some wonderful friends not only from High School, but dating back to at least 3rd grade. I'll tell you about the Pink Panthers some time. Some point when I have LOTS of time!

And for a while now, I have been in contact with friends from my college/bar band years.

And what I love is that the friends I had are still friends. Even though we have gone different routes, started families, lost each other along the way, grown up & apart...we are still friends.

We can commiserate about the wrinkles & occasional aches. We can share the grief of losing a parent. We can laugh about the exploits of the kids & remodelling. We can share our joys, our triumphs, our failures.

You forget that...as you are busy with your life, & growing apart from your friends...it is your shared experiences that bound you tightly together in the first place. It just takes a photo, a song, an inside joke, to spark a memory & bring it all back.

This weekend is going to be tough for me.

I send the abandoned son back to the desert. And on the same day, I have a reunion. A 25+ year reunion. Not in a High School gym, but in the rock bar that I spent so many hours in. The name has changed, but I'm pretty sure the carpet hasn't. There is a reunion/CD release party for a band that I used to hang with during the college years. (I prefer the term "band buddy" to everyone out there thinking "groupie". Thank you very much!) The same band that played my Senior Halloween dance. You know, the one where we were so busy flirting with the guys we didn't even know there was music! (C'mon, I went to a Catholic all girls school...what do you expect!)

Names are popping in my head that I haven't thought of in all these years. Faces. Songs. "Oh my god" moments.

But over this all hangs a cloud.

My best friend from High School, my best friend from those band years, my maid of honor, will not be there. Maureen died when we were 29. Cervical cancer. Caused by the HPV virus.

And as I thought of everyone I was going to see, a few names popped in my head. God, do they know? How many times will I need to answer the question, "Where is Mo?" We were joined at the hip. Hoolie & Moron. The "Little Miss Twisters". The top two names on the guest list. Well, unless we needed to get bumped for the music store owner.

And a little piece of me does not feel like dancing. It won't be the same. And it's not because of a wrinkle, or a stiff knee, or a picture of two kids in the wallet.

It's because a part of me won't be there.

That whole, "She'll be there in spirit" line applies, yes. And in some respects, I know Maureen will be there. In a swirl of smoke in the Leeko, in the last chord of a song...

But to not see her smile, or to share the "secret" hand dance...well, it's gonna be hard.

In a bittersweet way.

I wouldn't miss this weekend for the world.

*sigh*

Link on over to The Inspired Room for more inspiration.

Twinkle, twinkle, little light...

2009-01-04T14:49:00.005-06:00

Well, the last of the Christmas baubles are finally packed up & ready to slumber for another year. I always feel a little sad as I "de-deck" the halls. I will miss the sparkle & the twinkle & the "magic".

But, I was thinking, why should I have to miss it? Why not just re-decorate for the new month?

One of my goals for this year is to keep up the "home-making". In my definition, doing those little things that make a house a home: a fresh loaf of bread, a candle (or two, or three), music to match the dinner theme, a bit of seasonal decorating.... Those little touches that bring a smile.

So, it was off to Michaels once again to see if there was any glitter left after the post-holiday frenzy. Things were plenty picked over, with empty aisles & stark bare shelving. They have already begun to move in the Spring flowers. Yep, right there in back of the St. Patrick's Day shamrock garlands & heart shaped Valentine's lights.

All I wanted was some white or silver or blue with a little bit of glitz.

There wasn't much.

I grabbed some "iced" candle rings, but that was about all.

Then, I happened to wander down the Bridal aisle. And a good wander it turned out to be!

I grabbed some "crystal" garland & white wired twinkle lights & perked up a bit. Then some blue caught my eye & I grabbed some turquoise "marbles" to mix in with some left-over "ice" in a hurricane. I figured a little was all I needed.

I'm leaving up a few of the Holiday decorations, including my favorite lit white wreath, the lit "iced" hurricane & the blue, silver & white branch arrangement.

This way, I still get a merry twinkle for these long winter nights.

Join the fun over at The Inspired Room for more great ideas!

20 Things I Love About Christmas

2008-12-19T06:45:00.004-06:00

Well, I'm all snowed in with the first real blizzard of the year, enjoying a quiet cup of coffee, waiting for the kids to get up so I can start the mixer & bake all day! Yum!

I figured it's a great time to get my list of 20 things together to join in the fun over at The Inspired Room.

In no particular order:

1. Twinkle lights. Hung merrily on trees, laced through garlands, looped among mantle decorations, gathered in glassware.

2. Harry Connick Jr. All 3 cd's full of Holiday tunes, & even better, live & in person this year! What a treat!

3. Christmas lists. Not so much the shopping, but thinking of wonderful surprises. To tuck in stockings, or wrap in packages, to bring a smile on Christmas morning. It really IS the thought that counts.

4. Hot chocolate. With tiny marshmallows. In the special "only to be used for hot chocolate" mug.

5. Fresh fallen snow that sparkles like diamonds in the moonlight.

6. Cookies. Special Holiday cookies. Made once a year from recipes handed down from a great-grandma whose name I don't even know. That somehow managed to cross the ocean with Grandma (who died before I was born) back at the turn of the century. From a tiny village up in the Trentian Mountains in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.

7. Candy Canes. The chocolate mint ones.

8. Piling everyone in the car to drive around for hours looking at all the gorgeous light displays.

9. Making sure the tree is up for our Christmas baby. Her brother remarked, "It's just not her birthday without the tree!!"

10. Christmas cactus. A new tradition. A "must have" for when the college son returns from the desert.

11. Wassail. Here we come a wassailing. The smell of the spices filling the air.

12. Merry greetings from friends far & away.

13. The Muppet Christmas Carol. At least twice.

14. Sitting in front of the tree on Christmas Eve. All the other house lights off. The kids tucked snuggly with visions of sugar plums. Remembering Christmas past.

15. The Nutcracker, preferably the Baryshnikov version.

16. Taking the time to stop & do something kind for a stranger in all the hustle & bustle. Making someone smile.

17. Tamales. They just taste better this time of year!

18. The Christmas Waltz. My very favorite song.

19. The magic of Christmas morning.

20. Family. All of them. Nuts & all!

A Faerie Crown

2008-12-10T06:53:00.002-06:00

Since I had the jewelry stuff out due to the snow day & a little time on my hands, I decided to make a crown for the Christmas Faerie. She looked a little bare with just the berries & ornaments. Especially after her festive Fall array.

So, I set about with wire & rhinestones & a few freshwater pearls. I twisted & twined, baubled & bent; and eventually had a crown fit for a Queen.

A Faerie Queen, that is!

And since we've had nothing but snow for a couple weeks now, I decided to move the Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas/etc tree down to the hearth for the season. Gone are the orange lights, & the red & white fits nicely into the rest of the scheme!

A Snow Day & Crystal Icicles

2008-12-09T10:59:00.005-06:00

Well, we are officially in the midst of our first Winter Storm. We've had some good snowfalls already this season, but this one is a doozy! It started with freezing rain that coated the roads, & now we have 6-10 inches of heavy snow.

I didn't even consider attempting the drive to work.

Instead, I stayed warm & snug, twinkle lights lit & Christmas music playing. I have been toying with the idea of making some crystal icicles for the tree, given our new theme this year. I know somewhere in the jewelry jumble there is a stash of unused Czech crystal in just the right hue.

I poured another cup of coffee, popped in a new CD & got to work.

I used stretch cord instead of wire so that nothing interfered with the sparkle.

I tied a double knot in the end, & set to stringing.

I looped the stretch cord back through the last big aqua bead & knotted it firmly. (Sorry, the photo turned out very, very blurry. Maybe I shouldn't have had that extra coffee!)

As soon as the roads are clear, I need to get some Super Glue to dab on all the knots to secure them. I don't want beads all over the house if the big kitten gets hold of them!

Don't forget to stop by The Inspired Room to see everyone's great ideas!

I'll Have a Blue Christmas...

2008-12-08T06:09:00.002-06:00

With the bold new look we gave the Great Room, our old traditional decorations didn't blend so well. So, I hit Michael's again (& now my husband knows what I am up to when I go visit "Mike" so often!)

I stripped the old garlands & added blue & sliver & lots of sparkle!

I decked the halls & sang along with Harry as I did. (Harry Connick Jr is maybe my favorite Christmas music.)

And the results:

We like it so much we may forgo the memory ornament collection this year & redo the tree as well!

Don't forget to stop by The Inspired Room

I've also just joined the fun over at Smiling Sally's Blue Monday

Waiting for Ole St. Nick

2008-12-06T10:18:00.003-06:00

I'm a little ahead of the game this year.

Usually, I am rummaging around in the closet, boxes falling on my head, in a last minute attempt to get the stockings hung with care in time for St. Nick to arrive.

But not this year.

I attribute it to all the wonderful ideas I have been coming across in blogland.

First, the mantle:

And the faerie got something different to ponder:

The stockings were hung...

With a wreath to light up the evenings in front of the fire:

And a certain kitten was quite excited this morning!

Advent Wreath

2008-12-06T10:14:00.004-06:00

I added a little jingle to the Advent Wreath this year as I was revamping the main floor decorations.

Just a silver ball here and there...

And it dressed it up nicely.

:)

For more holiday ideas, visit all the great links at The Inspired Room

North Pole Memories

2008-12-01T07:27:00.004-06:00

I haven't thought of it in forever.

My favorite Christmas decoration as a kid.

It was this tableletop scene of the North Pole. Or as least my vision of it.

It was ancient. I was the last of 6 kids with an 18 year span, & it was probably purchased in my parents early years.

It was also very likely an extreme fire hazard. (Most of my mom's house still is.)

It was the first box I would go for every year when the decorating go-ahead was given. All alone, I would struggle to get this beat up cardboard box, too big for a kid my size, out of the coal cellar (no, we didn't use coal anymore, it was the all purpose "throw it in the coal cellar" storage area) & up the steep flight of slippery stairs. I slipped all the way down one year, but kept my precious box intact.

I would place that box on the floor next to the end table where it was traditionally displayed. Then I would pile up the magazines, odd bits of paper, school photos (Depression era people, my parents never threw anything out. Anything!) and dust off the place of honor. (My mom never dusted either.)

I would carefully pull back the tattered flaps of the box and just sit & look at it for a while. I would gently reach in & touch the different pieces of the scene, as if to make sure they all survived the year in the dank recesses of the basement.

Then, I would carefully place both hands under the base, stand up, & raise my prize out of its box and set it on its table.

Then, I would just sit back on my heels and admire every inch.

First, the forest of "snow" encrusted pine trees. Various sizes, all covered in a prickly white substance that was a bit yellow with age.

Then, the path the wound through the display to the North Pole. Like the lamp post in Narnia. Buried in its forest of pine. Complete with the glitter sprinkled globe on top.

And lastly, the reindeer standing at the base of the pole, looking up in wonder. He had to be Rudolph. At least to me he was. The plastic antlers were a bit the worse for wear, a prong or two missing, & his fuzzy coat a bit worn in spots. The reindeer of my era looked vaguely like the white tailed deer in my back yard, & not the proper caribou appearance of today.

I had to touch each element, as if making sure they were all really still there.
Only then, would I risk life & limb, reach down, & plug in the power cord. There was always a little spark when it slid into the outlet. (See, I have a history of making sparks for the Holidays.) The ritual continued as I jiggled the glitter globe to make the light turn on...and spin.

That was the magic of it all.

The entire piece hummed & whirred in an effort to turn the globe & flash is beacon of red light about a small corner of the room. I would just sit, mesmerized, drawn in.

Some small memory seems to remember a song playing as the light spun. That part is a bit hazy.
One year, my mom simply could not stand the piece anymore. I was ordered to box it up & take it back to the dark little corner it came from. I don't think it has been moved from the spot since, except maybe to be pushed further back into the memories of childhood.

A lot of my growing up is like that.

Part of me wants to go rescue my North Pole & see if it still works.

But I think the memory is better served as is.

The magic will always be there.

For more holiday happenings, visit Melissa at The Inspired Room

A "Charming" Addition to the Table

2008-11-18T06:49:00.003-06:00

This year, I am dressing up the Thanksgiving table a bit.

I needed new wine glasses anyway (the last set has met their demise stem by stem), so I decided to finally take the time to make a set of wine charms.

Now, I've always thought these were a great idea, especially since I have a habit of setting my glass down & forgetting where I put it.

I headed off to Michaels to pick up a few things with an "autumn" flair. I've been spending so much time there lately my husband is starting to wonder who this "Michael" guy is!

I also dug around in the jewelry supply stash & pulled out the Swarovski.

Nothing says "Celebrate the Holidays" like a little sparkle!

I decided to keep with an Autumn color scheme that will also complement the table; olivine, smoke black, topaz...

It was easy enough to bend up the corners of the earring wires so I didn't have crystals running amok to try & search down once the festivities were over.

I'm almost thinking of running back & picking up another set of the leaf charms so I can make extra charms in case my guests would like to take one home! I have a hard time parting with some of the things I create!

And my daughter liked them so much, she informed me I need to pick up a bottle of sparkling cider so she can have her own glass & charm!!

Visit Melissa at The Inspired Room for more great ideas!

The Bucket List

2008-11-15T19:18:00.007-06:00

I don't usually cross-post from my My Space blog, but I took the challenge from Maven & here's what I came up with :

The Bucket List. You know...the things you want to do before you "kick the bucket."

Mave challenged her reader's to compile their list, and I'm not one to back down from a challenge.

Last year while Christmas shopping, I came across the book "2001 Things to do Before You Die" which was written along the same lines. The author provided a list as inspiration to get you to think about the things you would really want to do or try in your lifetime.

I was laughing out loud at B&N, which I do lots.

But I also sing in public.

Yep, to know me is to love me.

Anyway....I stood in the bargain aisle reading the list of things I should do, & realizing I had already done an awful lot of them.

And, yes, some of them are a bit risque & will not be put into print here.

It IS a family page after all. My daughter drops in sometimes. And so do her friends.

And lord knows I embarrass her enough as it is. (See "sing in public" comment.)

My head was still ringing last night from the Edgar Winter concert (which was quite fab by the way) & I couldn't get to sleep, so I started thinking about my list.

It's silly, but on the top of the list is to have someone write a song about me. A song that you happen on while listening to the radio & go, "Dear god, that's me!" and smile.

Now, to be honest, I did have a song written sorta about me once. And performed in public an awful lot. And running into the guitarist (& co-writer) last night jogged the memory. But, it wasn't exactly the type of song I had in mind. Let's just say it contained the lyrics "Little Miss Twister, that's your little sister, Little Miss Twister, she's a dancin' fool."

Singing in public is not all I used to do.

A lot.

I also want to visit Stonehenge. At Winter Solstice.

Except, now they have that blasted fence around it to preserve it. So, it kinda wrecks the effect.

Now, I have been to a dolman in Ireland, a druids' alter & grave entrance. We drove all over the burren looking for the silly thing & would have driven right past had my son not spotted it in the distance. It was near the Vernal Equinox as luck would have it.

All the travel books make it look so impressive & huge. We almost missed it because it was probably only 5 feet high.

But, it was still pretty cool.

I want to travel the Great Ocean Road in Oz.

There is just something so inviting about it.

And, I want to retake the family castle.

Or at least spend the night there. Along with the ghosts.

And, I want to go horseback riding on the beach.

On a desert isle.

On the Black Stallion.

:)

And I want to be considered an artist & author.

Legitimately.

I'm working on that one at the moment.

Oh, & just once, I want to make risotto.

When I think of the things I've already managed to accomplish on my "looking back at the things I want to do" list, it's pretty impressive. And most of it was accidental. You know, "life along the way" sort of things. Which probably makes them that more special.

I've met some cool people, been some very neat places, & had some amazing experiences.

And, hopefully, there is a lot more ahead.

I think maybe my bucket list is filled more with just wanting to enjoy the life I'm living, take it all in, & pass it along to others more than actually wanting to "do" anything.

Yes, Virginia, There Is A Thanksgiving Tree

2008-11-09T17:03:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving is less than three weeks away. The abandoned son is returning from the desert for the feast this year. This makes for a much happier mom, that's for sure.

In fact, we've actually started decorating, for the first time ever.

Most of the Halloween/Harvest decor is still around; I just took down the stripey stockings. They are safely tucked away for next year.

The little Halloween tree received a wee make-over today as I added a string of red lights.

It started out as a silly little idea really, but we are now planning to keep it up all year round, changing the lights to match the season. I stocked up on different colors when I ran an errand today.

It's amazing what a little light will do to create some atmosphere!

We also had our first little snowfall of the year. It was really only flurries, which makes it pretty to watch, but not at all a hassle to drive in.

It makes me very thankful indeed that I don't live in the western Dakotas right now!

Spiced Cafe Mocha Cookies & Dragonlings

2008-11-02T15:41:00.007-06:00

Sundays just seem to be good days to experiment.

I'm still trying to decide on cookie recipes for the big Chorus fundraiser coming up. Chalk it up to my competitive steak, but I'm not going to settle for a simple pan of brownies when it is supposed to be a caberet themed affair

The Italian Lemon Cookies from a couple weeks ago were a hit.

Today's mission was to find something equally delicious, yet complimentary.

I decided on a little Cafe Mocha inspiration. With spices. And you can never go wrong with chocolate.

The results? A very nice blend of spices & coffee flavor amid the chocolate. You know you've found a good combination when the cookies start disappearing while they are still hot!

I'll try & get the recipe up on Stuff We Eat by tomorrow.

After one mess was cleaned up, I decided to play with polymer. Sculpy is pretty much the grown-up version of Playdoh. I had done a bit of sculpting a while back, & figured I might as well use up some of the material I had left. I've been cruising the Elfwood site & settled on attempting a dragonling.

Never ceases to amaze me how a tiny little craft can yield a bigger mess than 5 dozen glazed cookies! I think I'll be cleaning up mica powder for a week!

A Little Autumn Decorating

2008-10-27T20:15:00.004-05:00

I had a few things left over from my rainy afternoon the other week. I decided to add a few more inexpensive items to the mix & see what I could come up with.

I spread everything out, sized it up, & started arranging. And rearranging.

We've had a bit of a cold snap lately, so I brought in the mums & the pumpkins.

And the faerie.

The boys weren't quite sure what to make of her.

After a while, the lounge started to shape up.

My daughter & I got a bit silly at the store, & thought adding some stripey "Halloween" stockings would be a fun idea. The orange twinkle lights added a nice touch.

Here are some close-ups of the details:

There was an extra string of twinkle lights left over, so we dragged out the little tree that sits near the fireplace. The front porch had been looking a little sad & lonely once the mums & faerie had a new home, but not any more!

And the nice thing is that most of the decorating will carry over until Thanksgiving, so part of my prep for the big day is taken care of already!

Caramel Apple Pie

2008-10-21T07:12:00.003-05:00

'I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year (yay!), so I"m already starting to go through the recipes. I like to mix things up a bit & add something new every year. Don't get me wrong, we always have the traditional fare; I just like to add a twist here & there.

So Sunday, I decided to get a bit creative & try something new.

If you've read my list of 20 (40 actually) favorite things about Autumn, you know I love caramel apples.

Yum.

So, I thought, why not put the flavors in a pie?

The results were delicious!!!

Caramel Apple Pie (Click the link for the full recipe.)

At this point, things got a bit messy & I didn't want to be digging flour out of the camera with a toothpick! Plus, I got a little side-tracked while the pie was baking (blog to come).

But once it came out of the oven?

Enjoy!

Autumn Porches on Parade

2008-10-19T16:45:00.013-05:00

When the "drive by" challenge was first proposed by Melissa at The Inspired Room, I knew immediately which porch I would "shoot" first. (Click on her link to enjoy the tour!)

Every year, the family that lives near the High School decks out their porch & yard for the big Homecoming Weekend.

After that, I took the camera with me on errands, back & forth from Marching Band, to work (ok, admittedly making me a tad late on a day or two), on extra drives around the town.

I found a number of porches decked out for Autumn. Some of the pictures are a bit blurry, unfortunately, as I had to zoom quite a ways to try & get a good shot.

I chose my favorites, broke them down by category, and here you have it: My Autumn Drive By.

Best "Themed" Porches. Special merit for most original use of a pot belly stove for the porch in the lower left.

Best "Curb" Appeal, for the porch decorating that started at the street.

Best Wreaths

Best "Extended" Porches

And My Favorite Porch Overall, closeup.

Phew! Now my daughter can stop hiding under the seat when I drive!

My Own Front Door

2008-10-18T14:30:00.009-05:00

Inspired by all the Fall decorating going on around the blogs, I got my own entry way ready for the "Drive By".

Now, I have to admit, I haven't been much for Autumn decor in the past few years. I guess I'll fall back on the excuse that I was just too busy. Or, maybe I was creatively zapped. Or maybe I just go so used to coming in through the garage that I barely even noticed my front door anymore!

I'm glad to say that a little inspiration (and a lot of mums) goes a long way! And I was able to incorporate a lot of things from my "Things I Love About Autumn" lists!

The Enchanted Forest

2008-10-15T06:52:00.006-05:00

As a child, I was lucky enough to live across the street from an enchanted forest.

Really, I did.

An honest to goodness, full of magical creatures, enchanted forest.

You entered through a narrow gate on a little path. The first thing you encountered was a magic lamp post standing smack beside a little fir tree. It was as if it was lifted straight out of Narnia, that little lamp. It stood there, a silent sentinel, guarding the entrance. But it always let me pass.

The path meandered along through ancient oaks & towering pines, eventually reaching a tall stone castle. I rarely stayed on that path, preferring instead to wander off into the trees. In summer, it was always shady & cool. And in autumn, the oaks would burst forth in brilliant reds, yellows & oranges & drop their leaves for me to play in.

The treetops were filled with flocks of crows. They would watch as I walked along underneath, cawing in protest. They weren't actually crows, you know. They were really the evil guards of the castle were the wicked queen lived. I was careful to always walk away from that castle so that they wouldn't alert her to my presence. I knew what she had done to the prince long ago.

Squirrels scampered among my oak trees, pretending to gather acorns for winter. I knew better. They were really magical lions masquerading as squirrels, protecting me as I walked in that enchanted forest.

The wind played in the branches of my oaks, singing & sighing. It wasn't really the wind though. It was the voice of the beautiful princess that had lost her prince to the hands of the evil queen. She still sought him, looking behind this tree & in that hollow. I would help her look, never finding him.

I did find faeries disguised cleverly as flowers; dressed in sparkling white, purple & yellow skirts of petals. I also found faeries flitting around on butterfly wings. There were orange monarchs, yellow tiger swallowtails, & every great once in a while, the Faerie Queen herself would appear, in her black wings & shimmering jewels set in her swallowtail. And I would bow low to her & offer her something shiny that I would always keep in my pocket just in case.

At the top of the hill, my enchanted forest opened into a wide grassy field. The path reappeared & wound its way through milkweed & burr bushes down to the river. The river was where the tree spirits lived. The weeping willows, with their long "hair" reaching down to the water, & their wide "laps" waiting for me to climb up & sit for a while to listen to their stories.

You could see the castle turret from the safety of the willows. Every once in a while you could see the shadow of the queen pass as she surveyed her lands from the top of that turret. I would crawl further up the willow so she wouldn't see me.

I was safe in that enchanted forest. The magic protected me always & follows me to this day.

Other people never saw my enchanted forest. No, they saw only the trees, heard only the crows, & thought the castle was just a college campus.

But I knew better!

Pumpkin Farm

2008-10-11T09:38:00.004-05:00

We finally got a break in the rain on Thursday & got to go play at the pumpkin farm!

Rainy Autumn Afternoon

2008-10-06T07:08:00.005-05:00

I had big plans for my Sunday afternoon yesterday.

I was going to drag the beautiful daughter off to the pumpkin patch & get some great shots for a nice little Autumn photo blog.

Of course, the skies had other plans; I woke to an overcast & chilly day that threatened rain.

Enter Plan B.

Since I had to run errands anyway (#1 on the list, cat food!!!), I decided to stop at the craft store & pick up some things to bring the front porch up to speed for Fall so I could actually include it in the "drive by" on the Oct. 20th blog. As luck would have it, I stumbled onto a 50% off sale! I neglected to get a cart, so I must have been a fair sight, stumbling through the aisles grabbing bits & pieces as the muse hit.

I ended up with a wonderful collection of potential decor.

Never mind that I had just cleaned the house before I left on my little excursion, I spread everything out on the floor & sat back to hope a design sort of hit me.

It did.

I started with the gilded pheasant feathers (in keeping with my "Autumn Images" theme), & added some deeply colored grape leaves (pre-glittered, of course), & finished it off with a little beaded garland.

About this point, it was time to start thinking dinner, & what could be better on a rainy weekend afternoon than filling the house with the smells of the infamous family favorite, Chicken With a Carrot Up Its Butt

I had been to a farmers' market a couple weekends ago & filled the window with a collection of potted herbs to get me through the long winter.

With dinner in the oven, I made up a smaller version of the wreath for the front door. I still need to pick up one of those handy "over the door" holders. Hopefully, the rain will stay away & I can run to the farm at the end of the road & pick up a matching mum (or two) & get the entry ready for the photo shoot.

I managed to get the last of the glitter off the floor by the time the chicken was done (& both the Pack & the Brewers had lost).

I did remember to pick up cat food, but the boys love the chicken as much as we do!

All in all, not a bad way to spend a rainy day!

Warm fuzzies

2008-09-30T16:09:00.008-05:00

Well, Autumn is officially here, with chilly evenings & breezy days.

The perfect time to take out a scarf. Or two.

Or, perhaps, the perfect time to make a new one!

I'll be the first to admit I lacked more than a little self-control last year in the yarn aisle. Anything soft, brightly colored & on sale was fair game! I ended up with a bountiful collection of skeins just waiting to be balled up & knitted into something special.

I also managed to amass a nice collection of various sizes of knitting needles. The bamboo ones are my favorite. They just feel, well, nice.

I've told myself I am not allowed to buy any more yarns until I use a few in the stash. (Believe me, the ones pictured are barely a glimpse of what lurks in the closet!) I had to repeat this little mantra a few times this week. Once, when I got the notice that the mohair blends in the new fall color trends were on sale. Again when I realized I hadn't found the perfect shade to go with that great leather jacket I picked up on clearance.

And yet again when I realized that, while some people eat for comfort, I tend to go shopping under stress & find things that make me feel good. And soft, snoogly things certainly make me feel good!

There has also been talk of adding to the Maine Coon collection. The two resident cats seem to understand & are not terribly pleased with the idea. Although they do like the yarn basket!!

I should also make a point to continue on with the afghan.

Colder nights are coming, and I've got quite a ways to go!!!

Autumn Images

2008-09-27T18:26:00.006-05:00

Inspired by "20 Things I Love About Autumn", here are some pictures of the neighborhood:

When the ad screen comes up to cover the pics, click on the almost hidden "X" up in the right corner & the slide show will resume. I can't seem to pull that out of the coding.

Don't sit under the old pear tree.....

2008-09-24T07:13:00.004-05:00

I know, I know.

The song is supposed to go: "Don't sit under the APPLE tree with anyone else but me."

But growing up, the only apple tree in the yard was a dwarf Jonathon, & not even the dog would fit under it to sit comfortably.

We did, however, have a 100 foot tall Bartlett pear tree smack in the middle of the back yard.

Ok, it was probably only 30 feet at its tippy top, but when you are a very small child (who grew into a petite adult), it certainly seemed gigantic!

I loved that tree.

In Spring, it would burst forth with spicy white blossoms. I would tear off a small branch every year & smuggle it up to my room to breathe in the perfume.

In Summer, I would climb up & sit in the lower branches. I was a tom-boy wanna be. Afraid of heights. And always scraping my knees. The pear tree had a branch just low enough for me to scoot up without a problem. I would also spread out my blankie underneath its shade & have picnics with Pooh Bear. Pretend picnics, with delicious invisible tea.

And in Fall, that pear tree would be laden with the most beautiful, wonderful, fabulous pears in the entire world. Golden yellow, full of juice, & sweetened by the summer sun. In good years, there were thousands of them. (Remember, I thought the tree was 100 feet tall too!) Oh, it was the BEST time of the year! Pears everywhere! The tree would drop them just as they ripened, so the challenge was to find the perfect pear just after it fell, race inside to wash it off, & cut it into halves to eat.

You never, ever picked a pear straight off the ground & bit in.

Nope.

We were an "organic" family before it was cool. And you could bet that the majority of pears had been sampled at least a tiny bit by something that YOU didn't want to sample in return. You know that old joke: What's worse than finding a worm in your pear? Finding half a worm.

Ew.

Traditionally, the pear harvest started in late August & lasted until the first frost. We had pears for weeks.

And weeks.

And weeks.

As the youngest, it was my job to pick up the fallen pears every day. When they first started, it was a joy. I would skip along (really, I would) with my little basket, carefully picking the pears up by the stem, checking for damage, & gently placing them in the ever growing pile. I would sort them as instructed: green, turning, yellow, bruised & worm-holed. This was an important role. You couldn't mix up the stages. Being borderline OCD, I was perfect for the job.

As Fall turned out in her full glory, the job became more of a challenge. Soon you had to fight the yellow jackets for the pears. I only got stung once. But I got that pear. I remember singing that "Bringing Home a Baby Bumblee" song with my revised lyrics every year. And there were ants. If you were good, you could shake each & every one off with a single flick.

Let me tell you, I was good!

And for all my hard work, I got pears. Lots of pears. Pears for breakfast, pears for lunch, pears for dinner.

Mom would peel & can quarts & quarts of pears.

She would cook them up, run them through the Foley Food Mill (long before we had food processors, we had our Foley!) and make pear sauce.

We would give bagfuls to the neighbors (my job again, pulling the little red wagon up & down the block), & deliver them to the kitchen at church.

But not once did my mom ever think to put those pears into a pie.

Not once.

I grew up, moved out to the country, & had a yard full of glorious, old oaks.

Oh, how I missed that pear tree!

But every year, I would receive bags & bags of pears.

More than even I could eat.

So one day, I set out on a mission. Sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor, I searched cookbook after cookbook for a pear pie recipe. (Oh, the sad days before Google!)

I found....one. One single recipe. One lonely little recipe.

For Fresh Pear Crumble Pie

And it looked delicious. I embellished, of course, adding extra cinnamon & ginger. Lots of ginger. And I used my Pastry Pie Crust recipe.

Perfection.

The house smelled wonderful.

It became a Fall tradition, that pie. I took it to gatherings, I made it for Thanksgiving, I made it for no reason at all except to savor those wonderful pears.

And the reaction was always the same. No one had ever thought to make a pear pie.

I'm glad I did.

The tree from my back yard was cut down oh so many years ago. I am forced to beg for pears, or buy them at the grocery store in a pinch. No pears will ever match the ones from my memories.

But at least I don't have to fight the hornets anymore!

20 More Things I Love About Autumn!

2008-09-22T06:34:00.005-05:00

After my initial list of 20 things I love about Autumn, I just couldn't stop thinking about all the wonders the season holds.

And after reading so many great lists at The Inspiried Room, I decided to just keep going!

So, here are 20 MORE reasons to love this time of year!

1. Cattails. The lake down the hill is filled with them, as are all the marshes that line the road into town.

2. Turkeys. Wild Turkeys. Wandering through the back yard. This year's flock is down a bit from last year's turkey brigade when we had 11 every day. They drove the cats bonkers!

3. Marching Band! Yay, band!! I just keep wondering why those guys in tight pants are chasing that ball around the marching field?!

4. Squirrels busily gathering Black Walnuts for Fall; scampering across the road with winter stores.

5. The sound of Canada Geese & Sandhill Cranes.

6. Sunrise. The black velvet cloak of night giving way to the rosy shades of dawn, often with the moon & a planet (or two) still lingering.

7. Chai. Warm, spicy & inviting.

8. Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Yum!

9. The Alba's Annual Halloween Party

10. EPCOT's Food & Wine Festival

11. Burning Bushes in all their glory.

12. Deer. With full racks of antlers. Standing regally by the side of the road.

13. Indian Summer.

14. Scented tea lights flickering.

15. Ring Neck Pheasant. They just LOOK like Autumn!

16. The morning mist that makes everything seem like it is lost in Faerie world.

17. The Oireachtas. The Regional Irish Dance Championships held at Thanksgiving. The dresses, the dancing, the excitement. I miss the months of preparation & friendship getting ready.

18. English Toffee. I need to dig out that recipe!

19. A Vanilla Latte slowly sipped on the patio of Alterra on the shores of Lake Michigan in the crisp morning air.

20. Walking through the park, crunching the leaves underfoot, picking up acorns. Finding Queen Anne's Lace & leaves to press between pages.

And I probably will think of 20 more things as I drive into work today!!!

Why do I love Autumn?

2008-09-20T09:28:00.006-05:00

Let me count the ways.

Or at least let me provide a list of 20 things I love most about Autumn, because after reading Maven's blog The Good Life this morning, I couldn't resist whipping up my own little list & joining the fun.

And, as luck would have it, I needed to drive into the sleepy little town we live near to drop off a panful of Lemon Bars for the Choir Booster booth at the Fall Festival. The sights & sounds helped me remember the countless reasons why I love it when Autumn rolls around.

My 20, in no particular order:

1. The crisp "snap" in the air; warm enough to lift your face to the sun & glory in the warmth, but cool enough to need that jacket you couldn't pass up from the latest sale.

2. Fresh Pear Crumble Pie with the smell of ginger that fills the kitchen. This brings back the memories of the HUGE Bartlett pear tree that towered over my childhood back yard.

3. Boots. You can never have enough pairs of boots. Soft, supple, go with anything, boots.

4. Caramel apples. "Designer" caramel apples. Cut into wedges, with a generous topping of homemade, buttery caramel, warm fudgey chocolate sauce and pecans.

5. The changing colors of the leaves; the waves of colors on the hillside as you drive into town. The rich reds, golds, oranges and browns with a smattering of green still holding on to the memories of summer.

6. Comfort food that takes hours to simmer: stews and sauces, filled with the goodness of "fresh from the field" produce.

7. Bonfires. Complete with S'mores.

8. Snoogly sweaters pulled from their summer slumber.

9. A nice cup of Earl Grey while curled up on the couch with at least one of the cats after a long day.

10. Soups. I could live on soup. And a crusty French baguette.

11. The Full Harvest moon that seems to take over the entire sky.

12. Migration time. For birds & monarchs alike. Just the other morning, as I drove past the corner stables, the horses had gotten a bit frisky & were chasing a flock of blackbirds around the pasture, racing up & down the hill, not letting them land for more than an instant before they needed to take flight again.

13. The first night that it is chilly enough to light a fire.

14. Stargazing, as Orion begins to take its winter place to watch over me.

15. Hot apple cider. Fresh apple cider, warmed with cinnamon, ginger & cloves.

16. Sleeping with the window open & the blankets piled up.

17. Wooly bear caterpillars.

18. Farmer's markets. With the sights, sounds & smells that surround you.

19. Back to school. Even though I have been long gone from having to report for classes, I still pick up something new to learn.

20. Preparation for the Holidays.

And I could probably list another 20 more!!

Go to The Inspiried Room to make your own list!

How the peppers got unstuffed.

2008-09-20T08:57:00.003-05:00

When I was growing up, my absolute favorite food was Stuffed Peppers.

Only....it wasn't.

My mom would spend a day in the kitchen, the counter full of vegetables fresh from the gardens (yes, we had several), chopping & dicing & cooking up a storm in between canning & freezing. She would have a big pot on the stove, simmering for hours. It contained a magical concoction of tomatoes, onions, garlic, seasonings & beef. At the proper point, she would add cooked rice & continue simmering.

Then, the crowning glory.

Fresh green peppers.

Huge green peppers.

Green peppers that grew in abundance in at least two of the gardens. And by "abundance", I am talking a couple bushel baskets full each & very year.

Mom would wash & core the peppers & carefully fill each one with the rich saucy blend. Then she would gently submerge each pepper in the huge pot of remaining sauce and the simmering would continue. The house was filled with the savory smell of Mom's Stuffed Peppers.

We would sit around the family table & mom would ladle out our dinner. Each waiting plate would receive a huge, filled green pepper & an extra scoop of sauce.

Perfection. Well, except for the added shake of salt it always needed.

I would dig into that pepper, removing bite after scrumptious bite of that wonderful filling. I would dig around that pepper, making sure not to miss a morsel.

Until all that was left was the pepper.

A huge, lonely pepper.

Devoid of any sauce.

Sitting there.

Empty.

Waiting for me to eat it.

And, oh, how I dreaded that part; having to consume an entire green pepper, all on its own. No sauce. No nothing. Just a huge....green....pepper.

*gag*

Dinner would then drag on for hours as I stared that pepper down, hoping it would just go away. But it never did. I would lose the battle & choke down the pepper.

But I loved that sauce!

And, come the next year, at birthday time, I would beg for stuffed peppers.

And the ritual would begin all over again.

Huge, empty "unstuffed" pepper & all.

Then, one day, I grew up, had a kitchen of my own, & realized I had the power to change things.

Big things.

Like green peppers.

And, I decided that you didn't need to fill a pot with green peppers. You could use 2. Cut in half. And fill those & let them simmer.

And I wasn't a mean mommy.

If my kids didn't like the green pepper, they didn't have to eat much of it.

And an entire green pepper would be put away with the leftovers.

So, guess what?

You didn't even need to use 2 green peppers.

You could use one.

Cut into pieces.

And simmer those in the sauce.

And no one would have to choke down anything.

"Unstuffed" Peppers

Another chapter begins

2008-09-18T16:10:00.001-05:00

I've been blogging for a long time over in that other "space", but there is a whole 'nother side to me that seldom reared it's pretty little head.

Maybe it is because I have cultivated my own little MS image. Maybe it is because, as a study in contrasts, there are so many facets of my life that don't always gel well together, & like me sometimes, didn't really fit in.

Maybe, just maybe, it is because I had forgotten about the inner domestic goddess I used to be.

You know, the one that used to bake fresh bread to go with dinner; the one that worried about whether or not you could actually eat off the floors, not that you would, but if needed...; the one that everyone made fun of by calling "Martha Stewart" (prior to the messy scandal) or Mrs. Cleaver.

The one that had a recipe for everything, who knew several secret uses for a glue gun, & who could whip up a pair of faerie wings in a snap!

So, inspired by Maven, I decided to set up a little corner here to let the muse run amok.

Amok, amok, amok, amok!