A tasty mess

I haven't made one of these in a while - like years.  But evidently it's made an impression because when Mark had a pot-luck to attend, this is what he asked me to make.  I couldn't find my original recipe, so I did a search and this one sounds like 95% of the one I had previously. The only change I made was to swap the graham cracker crust for one made of Oreo Cookie crumbs.  Skip the sugar, and it is good to go.  Made for a decent breakfast this morning with a cup of joe. 

A walk in Santa Cruz....

 I went for a walk today during the break in the rain.  I had headed down to Santa Cruz for the last minute grocery shopping, and decided to drag my camera along with me.  The light on this solstice day was decidedly odd....  almost metallic on the water.  The moody clouds gave me quite a stir.  I walked from the most southern lot to the Surfing Museum.  On the way north, my focus was towards the water.

On the way back to the car, I was more interested in the homes and gardens along the water.



I love the tromp lei(?) columns on the balcony of this home.



And this wondrous garden not only had a pond and a bridge, but a Mexican pottery gecko hiding in the water....

Mirror Twin Homes...  They were repaving the shared driveway with wonderful bricks.

Whales make me happy

Purple Balustrades

A historical Victorian with fabulous landscape and paint job

And Mondays

Monday.  And the house is quiet for the first time in over 48 hours.  I don't know how a person doesn't go crazy with all that noise all the time.  I can hear a clock ticking in the far room.  The static hiss of the light bulbs.  The scratch of my pen and sleeve as they pass over the page.  A jay screeches in the trees.

Don't get me wrong.  I love music.  There is nothing like good music to set a mood, to get you moving, to score your day.  I can get sucked into the TV as well as anyone. Despite my best intentions I listen* to  more TV than I care to admit.

But this ~ this quiet time when you can hear the rain dripping off the gutters.  A critter rustling in the leaves.  The creaks of the house as it settles again.  This is necessary for the peace of my soul.

I can think, without having to process...

I can imagine, without being led...

I can listen, without having to comment...

I can be still.

On another note, does anyone know what this is?  I found it on my walk the other day.  It's about the size of a large cherry.  I'm assuming it's either not ripe or poisonous since the tree was still full of the fruit.

*These days I "listen" to TV more than I watch it, since my eyes are usually focused on what's going on in my hands.

Rainy days

We went from this on Thursday....

To this today....

Bring it on.  We are ready.  We've got gas for the generator and probably a mile of related extension cords.  We have cords of firewood for the wood stoves.  I've got a gas stove and oven now, so I can cook.  And the water heater is gas too.  The chain saw is sharp in case any of the trees fall down and I have tarps in waiting.

BTW, that's just rain hanging onto the redwood trees across the yard, not snow, even though the forcast is threatening down to 2000 feet this weekend.

Stay warm and dry!

Homecoming

Picture has nothing to do with following words, I just like it!

There's nothing like coming home to a warm fire, the smell of bread in the oven and something tomato and onion on the stove top, some good music on the stereo, and a glass of something tasty waiting for you.  Let's see if I can make that happen tonight.

Possibilities

For some time now, I've wanted to do a set of 2' x 4' paintings for my dining room.  A knife, fork and spoon.  Primitive acrylics.  Something that I can actually do.  I have the canvases and I can get the paints.  I just need to decide which of my silverware I want to use as an inspiration.  I have collected a set of mismatched silverware over the years, mostly at flea markets and other thrift shops, and it's all quite tarnished at this point.  As much as I love the look of the flourishes, scrolls and flowers on the actual handles, I don't believe my painting skill set is good enough to do them justice.  Right now, I'm liking the long handle of the third knife from the bottom.  It has a few details that might be a bit of a challenge ~ I'll have to see if I can't do a draft first.

Benign Neglect

Last year, a friend was leaving the company I was working for and I bought her a purple Christmas Cactus and told her that if she took good care of it, it could live for 20 years.  At the same time, I got a hot pink one for me, thinking, there's no way I can keep it alive even a season, but it'll be pretty while it lasts.

So after it finished blooming (dropping most of the buds), I put it in the window sill with the rest of my succulents, and watered it about every other week.  I noticed some buds on it earlier this month, but since they dropped like crazy last year, I didn't think I was actually going to get flowers. 

And then I read an article, I think it was in Martha Stewart, and it turns out my benign neglect was actually the perfect combination of conditions for a beautiful set of blooms.  Water it occasionally after it drys out, let it grow where it gets normal daylight hours, and is cool during the day and cooler at night.  They suggest a basement window but my house is pretty cool most of the time anyway. 

Of course, it's not even Thanksgiving yet, so maybe I have a Thanksgiving Cactus instead.  Regardless, it's blooming and I'm happy!  I may go get another one this year - in purple this time.

Unemployed. Again.



Pear Leaves in the Fall

So, my most recent contract gig has ended.  It lasted over a year, so I have no real complaints, just how the heck do I get hired next time?  And it's the best/worst time to be unemployed.  Best  - It's the holidays, and I can spend the time to enjoy them without the need to be rush-rush-rush everywhere everywhen.  I might even get out my Christmas decorations for the first time in three years.  Worst - It's the holidays, and I have no extra money to spend.  It's not like I don't have enough supplies and time to make things, just, wow, can I make it work? I'm sure I can.  But still.  I need to take inventory.

I find I do well if I keep to a schedule.  Get my house cleaned up.  Get moving - cardio, yoga, weights.  Don't get sucked into the Internet.  Get out of the house at least once a week - even if I don't have an interview.  Make plans and schemes and dreams - and I will get a job just in time to mess them all up. 

Today was my first day home.  I'm still playing catch-up with the things that have been avoided or "slapped at" over the past year.  It'll take the rest of the week to get everything in order - and I miss a day because I have an appt on the far side of the hill later this week.  At least I'll be able to run some errands that day as well. 

Here's to some good spirits, some good karma, and some good times.



Ten on Tuesday

10 pieces of advice for college freshmen:

1. Stay put.  It'll take you longer to finish your degree if you change colleges.  Really.  Like 2 years longer.
2. That includes your major - make a decision and stick with it.  Chances are, you aren't going to be doing what you majored in anyway.  I did, but most folks don't. 
3. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.  This is advice for all my life.
4. True Love will wait, if it's right.  If it doesn't, well then, aren't you glad you know now instead of later?  (Not saying that you shouldn't have fun or a relationship, just you know, don't get seriously deeply involved (Do as I say, not as I do....))
5. Have fun - get involved.  I wish I did.
6. Be aware.  Walking home from class at 10:30pm and the dude stops the car next to you to ask if you want a ride home?  Um, no.  And ride the bus the next time (or all semester).
7. In spite of your parents (but not to spite them), move into the guy/girl dorm if you are living on campus.  The Virgin Vault is no place to be.
8. You don't have to put on the freshman 20# (this from a girl who's now significantly overweight).  I lost a lot of weight the first year of college - walking everywhere and salad bar in the cafeteria because I was impatient.
9. Take night classes, even if you are not working, just going to school full time.  You will have better chances at job opportunities during the day, if you want/need to work (not competing with high school or as many other students).  You can sleep in later.  You don't have to go as often during the week (they are usually 2x/week instead of 5x/week).  And they usually don't happen on Friday so you can still attend the local party/game.
10. Maximize your credit hours.  Maximizing your per semester credit hours means you will be done faster (and cheaper).  If I take four classes instead of three, I will be done in 3 years instead of four.  Tuition goes up every year, and there is usually some flat fees (which also to up) that you pay each semester.  So I'm paying for 9 semesters of flat fees instead of 12.  And pretend that tuition is $100/class the first year and $110/$120/$130 the following years.  So the standard 3 classes/semester would cost me $4140 and the 4 classes/semester would cost me $3960, saving me $180.  Which doesn't sound like much, but where can you find tuition at $100/class??  Do your own math.

Bison Drive-By

Hey look honey!  Cute Bison on the hill side.....

Look honey!  There's a bison in the road....

And he's getting closer!

He's headed straight for us!

Can he get any closer?

I guess so....

Advice for Yellowstone...

We had a blast, came home more tired than when we left. I’ll be posting blog pictures probably this weekend – I just downloaded the 1000+ last night from the 5.5 day trip.


Words of advice:

• If you can postpone this trip until after Labor Day, you might want to – it’s crowded with end of summer parent/kid combos in August.


• We didn’t need the bear spray or the bug spray, but ran out of two bottles of sunscreen. But we only went on the trails that EVERYONE was going on – if you are off-roading or taking trails less traveled, I’d still bring the bug/bear sprays.


• They were working on the roads near “the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone” and the traffic was horrible. However, don’t miss it, especially if the sun is shining – it’s kinda awesome. (Look for the Osprey nest near Inspiration Point on the North Rim)


• The construction between Madison and Norris (I believe) was advertised as being really bad, but we didn’t really have a problem with it. However, there’s not really that much to see along that road side, so you can avoid it and not feel like you are missing anything.


• You have to see Old Faithful (obviously!), but do it as early in the morning as you can. We got there for the 9:00am “show” and I laughed at how large and empty the parking lot was. At noon, you couldn’t find a place to park and the restaurants were just jam packed with people. Oh, and the cafeteria isn’t open for breakfast – we had ours at the Old Faithful Inn.


• If there are people pulled over on the side of the road and you don’t know what they are looking at (ie. Upcoming Scenic Vista), pull over too – it’s usually some large mammal like a BEAR! Or a BISON! Or even a BALD EAGLE! (I know a Bald Eagle isn’t a large mammal, but it’s still really cool!)


• Which also means – bring your binoculars and the longest camera lens you own. The critters usually aren’t in the middle of the road, but are up the hill a ways from you.


• Usually, means that sometimes, the Bison is coming straight for you down the middle of the road and you could reach out your hand as he walks past your car to pet him. Highly not advised (the petting part – which we didn’t!), but still a story to tell. (Can’t wait to show the pictures!)


• If you have a need/desire for a vegetarian meal – bring it yourself. My veggie sister wanted eggs and hash browns one night (it was on the menu) but they stopped serving that at 8:00 even tho they were open until 10:00 (huh!?!?!). The next restaurant was advertising black bean burgers in addition to the hamburgers and bison burgers – but they were “out”. I suspect they didn’t have much call and so stopped ordering them.


• Bring as many gig for your camera as you can. Those 1000+ pix were on three cards, totaling 20gig (the last card wasn’t full). But I missed a day when we went whitewater rafting – I didn’t bring my camera that day, so I can only imagine if I had the day full of pix too. I had 28gig to play with tho, so I was in no danger of running out. (RAW+L format for my Canon)


• Go whitewater rafting – but do the half day trip, not the full day. You still get the experience, but you don’t spend all day on the river. We used the Flying Pig Outfitters in Gardiner, MT – they had dry bags, storage cubbies, jackets (life and dry), and water booties – all for your use, and free. If they offer to let you “ride the bull” do it – it’s the best seat on the boat! And get there kinda early – parking is a pain.  If you do the full day (including lunch), and you have a special diet, let them know and they will do their best to accomodate you.


• Be prepared for weather. The folks from TX were in jeans and sweatshirts the whole time, while Mark & I were in T-shirts and shorts (or short pants) most of the time. Put the rain jackets/ponchos in your backpack EVERY DAY even if it looks like a clear day! It will rain on you some time – maybe not for long or even hard, but it will rain. Friday night we were at the campsite and we got a winter mix – rain/sleet/snow. So bring sweaters/sweat shirt/layers just in case…


• We went down to the Grand Tetons on Friday and did the boat ride/hike to Hidden Falls on Jenny Lake – way cool. The boats run every 10 min or so, and again, the parking lot was jam packed at noon – get there earlier if you can.


• Plan a full day the night before – you probably won’t see everything you want to, but without a plan, you definitely won’t see half of what you want.  Be open to the unexpected/detours though as well.

Viva Las Vegas

We headed off to Las Vegas (again!) this past weekend to celebrate my newly acquired ancientness.  We got there late, really late, Thursday night and did our usual run to the Wally-world to get snacks and check out the cheap clothes that we can never find here.  It was after midnight before we finally checked into our hotel, the Southpoint.  It's a newer hotel, south of the airport and the outlet mall, on Las Vegas Blvd.  The rooms were great - clean, comfortable, large, with pillow top mattresses and quality cotton sheets.  Also, you didn't hear the kids screaming up and down the hallways, so that was nice.

The highlight of the trip was the Garth Brooks concert on Saturday night.  Again with the late  hour, a 10:30 show, but that meant they weren't trying to clear out the theater for the next show.  It was a smallish theater ~1500, with just Garth, a mic, and an acoustic guitar.  Trisha came out in the middle of the show and did about three songs, with the great ear-worm "walk-away joe".  That song is still running through my head.  Garth did the usual suspects (Friends in Low Places, Wolves, Thunder Rolls and many others), along with selections from his musical idols.  It was after 1:00am before we got out of there.

It was a bit of a challenge to get the tickets, both on the day that they went on sale and the day we went and picked them up.  Since he's not doing other shows any more, and only limited shows in Las Vegas, the tickets went fast and furious.  And they are quite concerned about scalpers - you had to give all the names in your party when you bought the tix, it was printed on the tix, they wanted to see both of our id's when we picked up the tix the day of the show, and then we got wrist bands and "club" stamped.  At show time, they scanned the tix, the wrist band and the stamp to make sure you were the ones who had bought the tix.  Oh my.  Can't say as I blame them, but still. 

All this was follwed up by a shopping spree at the Lane Bryant at the Outlet Mall.  T-shirts, dress shirts, a skirt and a dress (unbelievable!), jeans and a jacket.  Fun fun fun!

We're off book folks....

They had the German cherry pitter, and it works quite well actually.  The hopper kinda stacks up, so you can gently roll the cherries through, but I have to imagine that it works so much better than picking up a cherry, pitting a cherry, pulling the cherry off the pitter and picking up the next cherry.  We were able to process 36#'s of fruit with relative ease.

I know, crazy huh?  I thought that one box of cherries would not quite be enough, so I bought two.  And actually, I'm glad. If this is not the last week the cherries will be available, then it's darn close. 

We spent two afternoons making up jam.  Saturday was Plain Cherry Jane and "Bing" Cherry Jam with spices and Amaretto.  Sunday, we went off book (Ball Blue Book) and started going crazy.  We made Blue-Cherry-Berry, Cherry Marmalade, Cherry-Strawberry, Cherry Vanilla, and Cherry Conserve(Compote?).  All quite yummy, although I think the Cherry-Strawberry and Cherry Vanilla are my favorites.  The Cherry-Strawberry is full of that jammy fruit flavor you read about in your wine tasting notes.  We liked it so much, I actually put aside cherries in the freezer so we can make some more when I get strawberries.  The Cherry Vanilla tastes kinda like the way good pipe tobacco smoke smells.  I think it's going to be great over vanilla ice cream, or maybe as a glaze on some really good meat - duck perhaps?

2010 Jam Plans include:  Strawberry (1 1/2 flats of fruit), Plum (1 box of fruit), and Meyer Lemon Marmalade (whatever is left on the trees!).

I need to preserve (groan!) the recipes for future episodes of "Little Cabin in the Woods", so measurements and notes as follows.

Cherry-Strawberry makes 6.5 half pints

• 2 1/2 c chopped, pitted cherries
• 2 c chopped strawberries
• 1/4 c lemon juice
• 3 1/2 c sugar
• 1 pkg powdered pectin (next time use the low-sugar version)

Cherry Marmalade makes 7 half pints

• 4 c chopped, pitted cherries
• 1 med orange, chopped and seeded (peel included)
• 2 T lemon juice
• Sugar (tbd)
• 1 pkg powdered pectin

Blue-Cherry-Berry makes 8 half pints

• 2 c blueberries
• 2 c chopped pitted cherries  (change to 1 c blueberry, 3 c cherry)
• 1/4 c lemon juice
• 6 1/4 c sugar
• 2 pkgs liquid pectin

Cherry Vanilla makes 7 half-pints

• 4 c chopped, pitted cherries
• 1/4 c Amaretto (altho you don't taste it, I think it supports the vanilla bean)
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped but whole pod cooked in
• 4 c sugar
• 1 pkg powdered pectin (change to low sugar pectin next time)

Cherry Pecan Conserve (Compote?) makes 10 half pints

• 4 c chopped, pitted cherries
• 1 c chopped strawberries
• 1 med orange, chopped and seeded (peel included)
• 1 pkg powdered pectin
• 1/4 c lemon juice
• 4 c sugar
• bring the above to a boil then add:
• 1 c chopped pecans
• 1 c raisins
• 1 pkg liquid pectin

When it's Peach Pickin' time in CA....

Then it's jam making time for me.

This weekend Mark went with me to the Farmer's Market in Santa Cruz.  Well, really, it's a flea market with a selection of farm stands included, and the primary reason we go is to hit the farm stands.  I have impulse issues - when I see all the pretty colors and the yumminess that is summer fruits and veggies, I forget how much the two of us actually eat and end up buying enough for a compost pile as well.  So Mark's job was to keep me in check - don't overbuy, just enough for the coming week.  I know I have an issue (potential!), and this system works for us - most of the time.  Until a certain someone, overcome with the sweet perfume of ripe peaches in a warm tent on a summer weekend, decides that yes, we can deal with over 50 #'s of fruit for a steal of a deal... And let me point out, that certain someone wasn't me. 

So, 50#'s of peaches (not cling-free!), 25#'s of sugar, 8 pkgs of pectin, a little lemon juice, 9 hours, 4 aching feet, small knife nicks and sweat later, and we have 80(!) jars of peach jam, peach pie jam, and probably some peach syrup.  80 jars of jam = 5 gallons of jammy goodness.  I think you know what's coming in your Christmas package.

And silly me, I still haven't learned my lesson.  I'm going to Sur La Table some time this week and see if they have one of these or these in stock.  If they do, we'll be repeating the process again next weekend.  Sigh.

Besides the peaches, I also did two jars of refrigerator B&B pickles, a half-gallon of sugar-free strawberry ice cream, and installed new shelving units in the laundry room.  The house is still a mess but smells of peaches, so it's all good.

80 Jars of Peachy Keen Sunshine

Another birthday, coming up...

   Usually, sometime near my birthday I like to review my goals from the beginning of the year.  It's a handy time for me to do this as you can't get much closer to the middle of the year than June/July time frame.  I'm always surprised when something can actually be crossed off my list, because, let's face it, I have absolutely zilch in the way of follow-through.  This year is, so far, no different.  I've been knitting, and things are getting done, just not as much as I would like.  Losing weight, not happening.  Keeping in touch with my sisters, barely, but almost current.  Blogging, ha! 

  I don't think that means that I need to stop planning though.  Because I do accomplish some of the things on my list, eventually.  Like my tangerine scarf - that's been on the list for about 4 years now.  And finally, it's done.  And the long "add-on" room has the floor and the paint, and is organized quite nicely.  That's been on my list since we moved into the house.  And last year, it finally got done. 

  Things just have to marinate a while before they get finished is all. I have a wish list a mile long.  Some things on it are really old, that doesn't mean I don't want to do them any more.  It just means I haven't done them yet.  I guess it's more of a bucket list than anything else.  This year we have plans to go to Yellowstone and meet up with some family.  Well, that's been on the list for a while.  Really, check it out.  It's more of a part of a bigger whole (like visiting all the National Parks or taking the nephews across the USA) but it's still part of my list.

  So I have the same goals and dreams over and over and over again.  And I make progress on some of them, but at least I am reminded of what I'd like to do and eventually, they might get done.  Should I publish them here and now?  I think not.  Accountability is all well and good, but I'd rather not expose myself to the world.  

  And summer is finally here - maybe?  It's been cool and misty the last couple of days and that is so unlike our summers that I don't know that the tomatoes are going to set fruit.  At least the farmer's market is full of fresh summer produce.  I had a peach today that just dissolved in my mouth - mmm.  But I always feel like summer time is my time.  I love the heat and the sunshine into the later evening hours.  It puts a bounce in my step.

  Navel gazing done for now.  Hope you have a happy!

So I don't forget....

Left to Right

 

• Speckled Butter Beans (Running)
• Tomato, Cherry "Kimberly"
• Dill, "Dukat"
• Tomato, "Black Krim"
• Dill, "Bouquet"
• Arugula, Italian
• Tomato, "Cherokee Purple"
• Basil, Sweet
• Tomato, Red "Extreme Bush"
• Speckled Butter Beans (Bush)

What a weekend....

Saturday:  Brooks & Dunn Last Rodeo Tour

Sunday:  Sonoma County Wine Tour

Geyser Peak:

2005 Alexander Valley Meritage
2005 Ascentia Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
2005 Kuimelis Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley

2007 Block Collection Merlot, J & J Fay Ranch

2005 Merlot, Alexander Valley

Clos du Bois:

2005 Clos du Bois Briarcrest Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Clos du Bois Reserve Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

Francis Ford Coppola Winery:

2007 Director's Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvingon

Trentadue Winery:

2005 La Storia Meritage

Dry Creek Vineyard:

2005 Endeavour Cabernet Sauvignon

Something I want to remember....

It's a writer's blog, all about how to practice to improve....


http://tribalwriter.com/2010/03/17/talent-deep-practice-the-talent-code-mastery/

Ta-daaa!

And there she is, blocked (washed and stretched), dried and ready to wear.  I can't wear it as the stole that it was supposed to be, I'm just too plus size I guess.  But then too, I'm not comfortable wearing stoles.  So I scarf her up and tie her around my neck and basically abuse her.  But she's a bit of sunshine in an extremely rainy winter.

craptastic.

I finished my really awesome scarf this past weekend, and I love it.  Took some really neat pictures too.  But, wouldn't you know it, the camera doesn't want to connect to my computer.  So they are stuck on the card. 

I'll see what I can do about this some time this week.

Is it Friday yet??

It's been a bad morning - just in general. The alarm goes off at 6:00, but I don't drag my butt out of bed until 6:30, so I don't have the time to do more than shower and dress, since I want to leave at 7:00. Step on the scale, and it says I've gained 3 pounds overnight. Frick and frack. I don't think so. I think the scale is grumpy because it is cold and it needs new batteries. But I don't have time to deal with that today. I'll move it to the warmer part of the house tonight. Shower, dress, where's my freaking jeans to wear today? Finally, into the car and the battery is dead. Seems that those magic headlights that turn themselves off had a bad day yesterday and drained the battery. Back upstairs - Honey? Can you jump me? Lift the hood to find that "someone" has put some ABC gum on the battery and there's a half eaten acorn someplace there shouldn't be - concerned now that some rodent is making my engine a toasty home. But, just a jump will do. Get the car started and back on my way to work - it's only 7:30, so I should be there in plenty of time. 100 minutes later (1 1/2 hours!) I'm finally at my desk. WTF?!?!?! Good thing my 9:00 meeting was pushed to Tuesday at 2:00. At least I have my breakfast with me. Get my coffee, my water, put the oatmeal in the microwave for 25 seconds!!!! Explode in the microwave. Crap. Now I've got to clean out the company microwave, my oatmeal is all down the side of the cup and hot like molten lava in my hand. Start working - at least the computer is behaving today, unlike yesterday. Well, maybe not so much. I have a ghost version of excel running in the background and it is killing my essbase. Which is critical to the report I need to have completed today. Ticket out to IT. Very friendly and helpful IT dude walks me through the fix and we are back up and running. Is it noon yet?

(Picture unrelated to very bad day....)

Ri'ffd

OOooooo, shiney.   Love love love, these new necklaces I made, based on the one my lil'sis was wearing one day.  And no, all the Christmas decorations aren't quite put away just yet.*  The first one is turquoise and lime green, with beads made of coral, resin, glass, howlite, amazonite, and even some turquoise.  I love the focal beads - the art glass one makes me smile and the huge chunky aqua cut glass is so cool.  And when I saw the "green cheese" howlite beads, I couldn't resist as I had given lil'sis such a time about her hunk of melted cheetos.  The seed bead are matt, pearlized, and glass in shades of green and turquoise.  Once I had the bead inventory, putting it together was a snap. 

The other necklace is in shades of grey, black, and purple.  I thought it was going to be purple, with black to make it pop, but instead, it ended up being more black with highlights of purple.  Of course, I thought lil'sis necklace was turquoise with brown, but further analysis revealed that it was brown, with turquoise highlights.  Guess I was fooled by my eyes.  Oh well.  The beads in this one are mostly glass, with some dyed agate and mountain jade and freshwater pearls.  The shards are blue goldite (maybe) and snowflake obsidian, while the seeds are matt, pealized and glossy glass in shades of black and purple.  And dang is it hard to photograph. 

I put both of these together Sunday afternoon, while listening to the football games in the background.  It really was a snap once I had the inventory put together, but that took a while.  I visited 3 or 4 Michaels, Beverly's and a bead specialty shop, 3 beads and a button.  3 Beads has a great selection of seed beads, but it looks like they are trying to limit their inventory exposure.  Since Michaels and Beverly's are both "craft" stores, they have similar but different inventory.  I got some of the nicer beads (real stone) at Beverly's, and the glass beads more at Michaels.  And what I thought I was going to use to start with, well, let's just say they are still in the bead bucket.   

*I may have to keep a couple of the stocking hangers out as they do make a great setup for displaying necklaces.  And I'll do my best to get the rest of Christmas put away this weekend.

The week slides by...

Plans and schemes and dreams, and they all slide by.

This morning I ordered a pair of shoes on line - I've worn out all the shoes in my closet and my recent shopping experience has left me bereft of anything to wear upon my XL size feet. Added to that, I've been a bit of a klutz as of late, and don't feel comfortable wearing anything with a heel higher than 1". So. I'm not really a shoe girl - Imelda Marcos (and Michael Jordan admitting to over 500 pairs!) has nothing to fear from me. I prefer to spend money on other things. So it was with a bit of trepidation that I dropped some bucks on a pair of shoes on zappos. Free Shipping, ease of shopping (show me only shoes in my size, in the color I want, with the heel height I prefer...) it can only be a dream come true IF they actually fit. We'll see in about a week. If they do fit, I think I’m going to have to work a pair into the budget on a more regular basis.



When the "little" sis was here, she pointed me in the direction of some plus size active wear. So that went into an on-line shopping cart as well this morning. I’m hoping that will be here sooner than a week. In the unbelievable words of my mother, "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired!" I had a really emotional day yesterday and although I couldn't point my finger at any overwhelming one thing to make me mad, I had a whole ball of "irks" wadded up to equal one big mad. And tucked into that wad were several that have to do with my self image and my lack of follow-thru, particularly on the weight-loss/exercise front. I mean seriously, I have no excuses. I have the equipment, I have the time, I have the access, and I can get the instructors and the groceries. The only thing left is me. It’s not like I don’t know what to do. And this is something that I can control, independent of others. So check up on me from time to time and see how I’m doing.

 I’d appreciate it.

What a week(end)...

One storm after another rolled into the Bay Area this week, and it's still not done.  We have had rain every day since Saturday, there's snow on the tops of the surrounding hills, and the power was out for 40 hours straight. 

But, up in the hills, we are prepared.  We have a gas generator, so I had lights and refrigeration and even an oven that works.  We have a wood stove to warm the house, and because it was an "equipment failure" and not a "line down" we even had cable, internet and phone service.  The constant noise of the generator tho, wears on me.  I have had a headache for the past three days.  I drove in to work this morning and there was evidence of trees down and slides off the hills across all the roads.  Glad to be able to work from home in weeks like this.

Saturday I went to the Mission Santa Cruz for a bit of exploring and picture taking.  The Mission is on a hill top with nearly 360-degree views.  Unfortunately, the "mission" that is there is a 75% replica, as the original was destroyed in an earthquake and another, Gothic Revival style church had been built in its place.  There is a state park on the site, but the only building that remains from the original Mission site is actually housing for the native Ohlone Indian neophytes and contains 7 rooms for viewing.  As the building had been remodeled several times, they originally believed that it was army barracks until they began to remove the wood facade and found adobe bricks behind.  It's a lovely little spot, but completely surrounded on all sides by homes and small businesses. 

Oh, and while the power was out, and we weren't going anywhere, I managed to make a couple of loaves of Buttermilk White Bread from my go-to bread book Beard on Bread.  It claims to only make a loaf, but I managed to get two very nice loaves of sandwhich bread from it.  And let me tell you, fresh bread with real butter, fresh from the oven - it gets no better.

Whew! Glad that's done (mostly)

I love doing what I do for a living - it's not exciting, it's not rocket science, and it's not going to make me the most popular person at a party - but it can be intense sometimes, and it's logical, and it's something that I know how to do well - at least most of the time. And this past couple of weeks have been some of the more intense of the year. But now, it's over, it's done. And I get to coast for a couple of weeks until the next burst of activity.

Which means, I should be able to work on some of the things I want to work on, instead of the things I need to work on. I still have an outstanding Christmas IOU to my honey for some house socks and I'm down to where he actually needs to try it on so I know how much further to go. And then I have an IOU that's more than 10 years past due. Can I? Will I? I'd like to. We'll just have to see.

This weekend was mostly spent working, but I did manage to do something new to me: I made Salted Caramels. I was fascinated at how it seemed that the sugar mixture went from this cloudy white grainy fluid, to a clear smooth bubbly syrup, and then in a blink of an eye went from pale golden to a true caramel color. Be sure to use the larger pot when you are boiling the sugar as the introduction of the cream/butter mixture to the hot syrup causes foaming that could be quite hurtful. If you think you want to "salt" the tops, do it shortly after you pour the caramel into the pan or it won't integrate into the top. I brought most of them in to work today - they don't need to be in easy reach of my hands at home - and the tin is very nearly empty.

And last week, in the middle of all the hullabaloo, my honey and I went to Sur La Table and took a class on basic knife skills. The instructor, Nikki, was a hoot and a half, knowledgeable and willing to share her enthusiasm with us. We learned the easy way to dice an onion, how to segment a citrus fruit, and how to make a garlic paste, as well as some of the usual julie-ann (like the green bean!) matchstick and dice cuts. We also splurged (another Christmas IOU) on a set of awesome knives - Wuesthof - Classics. We're both infatuated with them and keep trying to figure out a way to get more veggies into dinner - just so we can use the knives. I broke down some stew beef into user friendly bite size pieces and it was a dream. And those caramels - don't even think about using one of your p-o-c knives to cut them down to bite size pieces.  One more thing off my wish list....

New Crafty Crap...

So, as I believe I have said earlier, I dig in my heels and fight the urge to get into new creative endeavors. But eventually, I cave. And when I cave, I go deep.

I really just started with the beading here in the past month or so. I finally found the books that made sense to me: Bead Simple: 150 Designs for Earrings, Necklaces, Bracelets, Embellishments, and More as well as Teach Yourself VISUALLY Jewelry Making & Beading. Bead Simple gave me visual inspiration, while the Teach Yourself book gave me the detailed how-in-the-world-do-you-do-that directions. It's a learning process for sure, but in all things, practice makes better. I'd love to hear from my sisters regarding what they think could be improved upon as they were recipients of my Christmas gifting.
And no matter how many times I tell myself, I'm not going overboard with this (whatever it is!), I still end up with a pile of tools and supplies and then there is the storage part of it. Yikes. Fortunately, most of the supplies needed for jewelry beading are small and compact, and for a while I was storing them in a small art box I had found some time ago. Recently though, I've had to expand into the art tackle box that I originally bought for paper crafting, only to overflow in a hurry.

Beads are "ooo-shiney" and I always think, hmmm, potential. I'm only buying beads on a by-project basis right now, but the excess is starting to add up. I'm finding that in the future, I'm going to want to get bigger beads to make more of statement pieces. There's some jewelry that I've admired from afar that I think, maybe, just maybe, I can riff on that.

Christmas Cookies

(unrelated picture)

This past Christmas, Chris and I made a handful of cookies out of Martha Stewart's Cookies Book. We ended up making:

• Snickerdoodles: These cookies didn't spread as much as I expected, and were soft and quite tasty.
• Citrus Cornmeal Shortbread: If I make these again, I'll definitely up the level of zest and probably add some extract as well. The citrus portion was sadly lacking. Also, roll the cornmeal prior to chilling so that it sticks. Still, I'm not throwing them away.
• Rosemary Butter Cookies: If you are looking for a cookie fix, this isn't it. If you have a tea tray, these will make an interesting counterpoint to the sweet cookies. Skip the egg wash and sanding sugar.
• Chocolate Crackles: Rich, chocolate, puffs of cookie, covered in powdered sugar. Num. We used Guittard French Vanilla Chocolate instead of the bittersweet, and I am glad. I can't imagine if we had used the bittersweet.
• Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies: Slap-your-mama delicious! Oh my. These are the cookies that Chris and I both lusted after and secretly ate behind each other's backs. They are rich and chewy and mmmm good.

I still have a load of cookies, and I think I'll deliver a batch to work tomorrow. Just to get them out of my house. Too bad there's no gingerbread left!

2009 - the year in review

What a year.

I got to visit with nearly all of my near relatives this year - Mom & Dad came for a visit and Christine did too. I went to Texas to see Kim and visit with her kids, and Aunt Doris too. Mark's brothers (and thier wives) came out to visit us, after we spent a weekend in Georgia. And 25 years later, we still stay in touch with high school friends.

We lost some loved ones ~ they will be missed.

I did some traveling, solo and with family - Napa, Big Sur, Point Lobos, Ana Nuevo, Sequoia, Las Vegas, Georgia, Texas... And was highly entertained by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Toby Kieth, and AC/DC, as well as a raft of stand up comedians.

I worked for three different companies, and Mark is semi-retired now.

Creatively, it was mostly yarn this past year, but I have begun playing with beads and wire recently. I try to avoid new crafts as best I can as I don't really need the tools and stash that seem to accompany them. And then, once the "craze" has passed, that's when I seem to find the class or the inspiration.

It all sounds good, but it seems that the sad outweighs the glad. We'll be glad to see the end of the "naughts".

I've got big plans for 2010 ~ but I do every new year. Wish me luck!