The Raven's Landing

My First Cheesecake

2012-02-16T09:35:00.006-05:00

I think that I remember hearing somewhere that you really shouldn't experiment with guests and important events--I mean, experiment with new recipes on guests and events. The memory always comes as an afterthought, because most of the time I view guests and events as huge opportunities to experiement. Especially with desserts. Worst comes to worst I can make magic cookie bars or buy ice cream.
So, in that line of thinking, I chose Valentine's Day to make cheesecake for the first time in my life. Well, by myself anyway. I wouldn't think much of it except that the world seems to view cheesecake as a deep and mysterious dish. Though as best as I can figure the mystery part is purely cosmetic: how do you keep the cheesecake from cracking? Which I think is sort of like asking how you keep a white horse from rolling in mud. It's a superfluous question.

Anyway. I made cheesecake. Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake, to be precise. You can find the recipe at Better Homes and Gardens.

all the ingredients

I had initially intended to make the cheesecake Monday night, so that it would chill all day Tuesday and be ready for us to eat as our romantic pink homemade dessert after our romantic Zorrocooked-oh-so-tasty dinner. However, Monday night (after Jury Duty) I had kickboxing and then didn't get my kitchen hat on quickly enough after washing the sweat off (yes, we work hard in kickboxing). So when 9:30 rolled around and I started looking at the recipe again I discovered that "30 minutes prep" is deceiving. 30 minutes of preparation to put it in the oven. Then it sits in the oven for roughly an hour, and then you take it out and wait 15 minutes to loosen it from the pan, and then you wait another 30 to take the pan sides off, and then it chills. This meant that if I started I would be babysitting the cheesecake well after my bedtime, and I could barely keep my eyes open already (it had been quite a day).
Instead, Zorro encouraged me to just make it Tuesday, and if it was cold enough to eat, we'd eat it. If not, we reprise V-day on Wednesday. Which is exactly what we ended up doing. The moral of the story? Be flexible. And. Read the directions thoroughly before planning your evening.

voila!

We ate some of my first solo cheesecake last night, and it was pretty good if I do say so myself. This recipe is my favorite--excepting of course the Cheesecake Factory's khalua and Godiva cheesecakes...those are pretty amazing too.

The recipe from BHG:
Ingredients:
1 1/2cups finely crushed graham crackers
1/4cup sifted powdered sugar
1/3cup butter, melted
2cups fresh or frozen loose-pack raspberries, thawed
1/2teaspoon granulated sugar
3 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
14oz can sweetened condensed milk
4eggs
1teaspoon vanilla
1cup semisweet chocolate pieces (6 oz.), melted and :cooled

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For crust, combine crushed crackers and powdered sugar; stir in melted butter. Press onto bottom and about 2 inches up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl stir together 1 cup of the raspberries and the granulated sugar. Set aside. For filling, in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and condensed milk with an electric mixer until combined. Add eggs and vanilla; beat just until combined. Divide batter in half. Stir melted chocolate into half of the batter. Pour chocolate batter into crust-lined pan. Stir raspberry-sugar mixture into remaining batter. Spoon raspberry batter over chocolate batter.
3. Place pan on a shallow baking pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until center appears nearly set when pan is gently shaken. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen crust from sides of pan. Cool 30 minutes. Remove sides of pan; cool cake completely. Cover; chill at least 4 hours. Serve with remaining raspberries. Makes 16 servings.

circles

2012-02-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

As mentioned, I threw a baby shower for the first time in my life this weekend. It was a lot of fun to do. There comes a point in planning any party at which I wonder whose brilliant idea it was anyway. This party was no different. It usually hits somewhere in the cleaning/decorating stage because I have failed to slow down the rest of my life to accommodate this additional project. I did a little better with this party than I usually do. I started making the decorations days in advance. I spent the Super Bowl making this circle streamer-garland thing to hang on my mantel.

Lots of people have been doing cool things with paint chip samples recently, and I found the concept absolutely inspiring. I'd originally intended to go out and buy a bunch of bright paper, but found paint chips to be rather more appealing in price--and thankfully it's perfectly normal for people to stand in the hardware store with a handful of paint samples eyeballing how the colors go together.

I cut all those circles by hand because I forgot to buy a hole punch while I was out. My mother-in-law had a star punch, so I did the yellows with the punch. It went so much faster than eyeballing it with a pair of scissors! Next time I will go buy a hole punch. In fact, lets just buy a hole punch to be sure.

I spent the Super Bowl sewing them with thread into long strands. That's when I realized my plan wasn't very thought out because how on earth was I going to get this long collection of threads that are just begging to get tangled home safely? I ended up weaving tissue paper through them and rolling the garland up very carefully. It worked and I was able to hang it on my mantel when I got home. Yes, those were Christmas lights, but I like them so well they are just ambient lights now.

So there it is! In all it's circular glory! I also made tissue paper poufs using a technique for tissue paper flowers that my mother taught me when we were studying Mexico (I was like, 7). I hung them with butcher's twine from my ceiling fan and I think they added a nice touch.

Bright flowers are a must for parties, I think. I don't have many excuses for buying flowers, but buying any flowers right before Valentine's Day is the worst time! They are twice as expensive as they usually are. I was rather miffed--but oh well. Astermeria lasts a good long time so they will brighten a good many day more. And that's worth it.

I forgot to take pictures of the table once it had food on it.

It looked a lot better once it had food on it. Let's look at the poufs again:

And this is the girl for whom the shower was thrown, and the girl who helped me pull it off. You might recognize them, they were my college roommates who I've mentioned a couple times. We never dreamed we'd live near each other after we graduated, but we couldn't be happier about it!

the Captain and the Pianist

black beans, burners, baby showers, oh my!

2012-02-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

-Happy Valentine's Day! While I can assure you that there is plenty of sappiness in my life today, it's not going to be on ye olde blogge. Except to comment that I've been cooking for the Valentine's dinner since Sunday (not constantly or anything).

-I caught a burner on fire this weekend. It's all because I tried to make black beans again last Wednesday and things didn't end well. (Lets just say that black beans view the laws of physics as optional). Then I forgot that I hadn't cleaned the little tray thing under the stove burner (I had cleaned the burner coil) and when I used the burner this weekend all the black bean residue caught fire. I had the sense to turn the burner off and ask Zorro what one is supposed to do when the burner is on fire....the flames petered out quickly, thank the Lord, and Zorro decided that we should buy fire extinguishers. I have decided to buy canned black beans.

-I threw a baby shower for the first time in my life this weekend. A good friend of mine is having twins. Of course we are all very excited for her. We've hit the year of the baby shower--two years ago was the year of the wedding showers. (Though, most of the babies this year are not from people who got married 2 years ago, though you would think otherwise.)

Two at a time

-I got called for jury duty. I'm more curious than anything else. Makes me glad I read John Grisham's Runaway Jury last year! I have some idea of what to expect now. While disruptive to my comfy little life, the jury is an invaluable part of the American justice system. It's an honor and a civic duty. Like voting.

-I made this mixed berry brie galette from a recipe I got from the Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen site. It was pretty good. I think it's a good sign when there is only one tiny piece left after the event.

-I have no idea how I kept track of links and ideas found online before Pinterest. I wish it had been around when I planned my wedding. Incidentally, I actually do make many of the crafts and recipes I pin. Or at least use the idea to do something else. While Pinterest can become a time vampire just like the rest of the internet, I've found it to be rather more useful!

-I still haven't made peace with my sewing machine. I haven't tried. There are too many possible fixes: better thread, a good cleaning, thread designed for working with whatever fabric I'm using (though, surely some threads can cross over?) try a zigzag stitch to hold better to the jersey long term (I should be doing that anyway)....yeah...I just haven't had the energy to mess with it. I will have to eventually. I still have to finish that dang t-shirt quilt.

4-Fortune Favors

2012-02-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

(Episode 1- How It Began. Episode 2-Lavinia . Episode 3-Gambling .)

4-FortuneFavors

Success varies when you leapwithout looking. Unfortunately “looking” isn’t always an option and you usuallydon’t get to choose where you must defy death. What I wouldn’t give for a waterfall.

Deep Voice was not impressed with my assertion that hedidn’t know what I was. No one ever cared until I was done with them. I dropped my chin and looked through mylashes at my foul opponent. “Shiharrand Azzad are thirsty,” my voicehovered somewhere between a croon and a growl.

“I don’t care who is thirsty.” Deep Voice snarled back, helifted his sword.

I allowed myself a smile, “You should.”

“I’m taking you all prisoner!” Roared Deep Voice, “LandanCart will watch his freakish petdie!”

My daggers lashed out and I lunged at Deep Voice screamingin the only foreign language I knew. Hereeled back and I was behind him in a beat. My arm snaked around his neck. If you ever want to confuse an opponent,shriek at them in the most mysterious tongue you can master. My elder brotherused to do it to me when we sparred and he always won. I told myself it wasbecause of his trickery. I digress.

Deep Voice flailed until I pressed Shiharr too close to his neck and she pricked him. “Tell your dogsto move the tree so I and my party may go in peace.”

“Never,” my captive grunted.

“Then Shiharr maydrink your blood,” I snarled. “Since I am notCart’s daughter; your blood would be spilled in vain.”

“If I die,” Deep Voice gritted his teeth against my grip,“my men will kill you anyway.”

He was probably right. They were taken aback by mydisplay—and should they attack I could take several of them down with me. Beingthe grudging types, I would expect them to avenge both their leaders on me,daughter of Landan Cart or not. I wasprepared to launch into a gruesome bluff about my mystic powers and what wouldhappen to his corpse when Fortune smiled.

Fortune had dark hair, dancing brown eyes and a mysterioussmirk. Most important today, Fortune had mercenaries.

Copyright 2012: The Legend of Zare Caspian is an original story by Abigail Cossette for The Raven's Landing. If you enjoy the story, please share and link back! Please don't copy it. Contact me if you would like to publish a portion of it in any way, shape or form.

the measure of a man

2012-02-10T08:47:00.000-05:00

When dealing with teenage boys, a certain amount of additional height is to be expected. However I was still surprised when I was going through my pictures from this past year and the growing was so obviously measured by Dusty, our faithful and opinionated Shetland. See for yourself!

Well, that was quick!

2012-02-09T09:36:00.001-05:00

I know that I said finishing the scrap book was a goal for January, and it's not January anymore. But I really did finish it in January! It had been scarcely a week before I finished it. It's just taken me this long to take pictures of it for you. Look at this thing, though. It's massive.

And I love it.
It gives me warm fuzzy memories of family, friends, and of course Zorro.

I also learned a lot about graphic design as I went (at least, the asthetics of it, not the technical aspects, since I was using my trusty pens, stamps and scissors).

It's fun to see my progression as the book goes on to the end. The crazy thing, is that I have a whole folder of wedding cards (bursting at the seams) and a little binder of family information to boot. I suspect those will just stay upstairs while the wedding album will live with the other albums.

I tried to just pick a few pages to show you...and I did, obviously, but it was hard work to narrow it down.

Some of you might recognize your wedding cards:

I am particularly pleased with the page on the right, with the exit shots--I spent a lot of time arranging and rearranging to fit all the photos just so:

Lighthouses rock.

And so do bridal parties who brave the cold with nary a blue word.

Our photographer was awesome.

I loved making the guest book tree. It took me two tries--besides my sketch below. I drew it once, and then realized I wanted the paper weathered, and of course dipping it in coffee at that point succeeded in smearing the ink of the tree all over. So I dunked a clean sheet of paper in coffee and started over once it dried. It came out fabulously, I think, and it hangs in the hallway to our bedroom. I like it better than a guest book I'll never look at.

Rather late in the process I got alphabet stamps at the craft store. I like them...a lot.

The epilogue was one of the most important parts, I think:

Perhaps because most of the time you don't really think about what happens after you leave the party--but it was so wonderful after the honeymoon to hear all the stories from friends and family. It also serves as a reminder to me that while marriage is a life changing event, you're still you afterwards, and everyone else is still everyone else. Life just got more romantic, is all. ;-)

My Very Own Hand Cream

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

As some of you know, I've been tip toeing around the "crunchy" and real world. You know, the one without two inch long words that you can't understand without a chemistry degree. The one without parabens and phalates (is that how it's spelled?) and high fructose corn syrup. Actually, my family has always avoided high fructose corn syrup.

Anyway, this winter has been a bit brutal on my hands, which is fairly normal. But when I was getting papercuts at the drop of a hat I decided that I needed to up the anti on moisturizers. I have a small collection of hand creams (who doesn't?) of varying qualities, but after reading about making this or that toiletry for ones' self I decided to try making a hand cream of my own. I already knew that olive oil, coconut oil, and jojoba were excellent for your skin--I also had them all. Shea butter I did not have, but I tracked it down at a local natural food store. I paid $15 for 5 oz. Which, compared to Bath and Body Works probably wasn't that bad, but I feel like you ought to be able to pay less for it somewhere. [EDIT: an alert reader said she got hers on Amazon, even with shipping you should save at least $5.]

All you need: essential oil, shea butter, jojoba, coconut oil

Since Shea and Coconut are solid, I had to melt them. I put a generous dollop of each in a small glass jar and put the jar in a sauce pan with just enough water to come even with the butter and oil on the outside of the jar.

I heated it gently. I know coconut oil can take the heat, but it doesn't need much, and I didn't know at what point shea starts losing its properties.

Consequently, I heated it just enough to melt both, and the glass jar was still cool enough to pick up with my bare hands.

Once the shea butter and coconut oil are liquified you can add the jojoba and whatever essential oil you would like. After adding jojoba and lavender I got zealous and added some olive oil and peppermint essential oil for extra good measure.

I found a variety of tutorials online about adding scent to shea, and a few of them warned that if you allow shea to cool too slowly it can become grainy. I put my project in the freezer for a little while to speed up the cooling process.

Next I made a high end adorable diy label. With. masking tape. It's all I had....I will think of something more pretty eventually.

It smells lovely, and really does a great job moisturizing my hands. I would say the only downside is that it takes a good long time to soak into your hands, so either leave your fingertips out of the fun or take time to read a book while your hands are soaking in the cream. Start up costs for this cream are probably equal to or higher than buying your hand cream, but my hunch is that long term it will even out. Particularly for me. I have to buy eucerin hand cream--one particular type, which doesn't come in those large more cost effective sizes anymore--it's primary description is "intensive moisturizer." My hope is that this homemade intensive moisturizer will do the trick too so that I can switch over completely. After 3 weeks of alternating, things seem to be going well. I'll try to keep you posted.

A much less involved hand "cream" would only take setting aside a small jar of olive oil--maybe infusing it with a flowery herb, or scenting it with an essential oil, and adding jojoba if you felt like it--to use on your hands. It would be very cost effective, and require just a dip of the finger tips rather than a squirt of a storebought something with who knows what in it.

future plans

2012-02-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself, each day has enough trouble of its own. don't talk saying tomorrow we will do this, or next week we will do that, rather say "If the Lord wills" because who can know what tomorrow will bring?

Last week, I had plans. Instead, I slept all day Wednesday hiding from a nauseous stomach.. I had plans to get up and work out, I had plans to write for an hour in the evening. I was going to run errands. I was going to be very productive. I had goals, and I was going to meet them. They were even good goals. Instead I was plenty occupied with conning my tormented guts to take food and water, and bribing it with whiffs of peppermint to allow me to move around the house for this or that. It was 2pm before I had the energy to shower. I would love to say that I have never been this sick, except that I have vague memories of having the plague my junior year of college....I can say though, that I will probably forget all about this stomach bug/food poisoning in a month or so. If the Lord wills. Though this little adventure in land bound seasickness did bring an uncommon number of scripture verses to mind. Including the one about how a man who is full loathes honey. I try to take a tablespoon of local honey every night before bed (to help with my residual stuffiness I've had for a year or so) and let me tell you that it is extremely difficult to choke down honey when you're full, or bloated. Either way.

This is an unrelated picture of an orange with an inch thick rind. Thought I should share.

It reminded me to be grateful for the health I usually have. It made me doubly grateful for my husband, who is really good at pampering. I got to call home just to talk and hang out with my parents (Tied to the couch? Make someone else's day--and yours--with a phone call). It reminded me that I'm not invincible. It reminded me to worship God. It wasn't even that bad of a day. May I always be this teachable.

This week the hot water heater is broken. Lord willing the heat won't chase right after it.

3-Gambling

2012-02-06T08:09:00.003-05:00

(If you missed episode 1, you can read it here. If you missed episode 2 you can read it here.)

3-Gambling

Lavinia looked at me, terrified.

I parted the velvet curtains to see what was happening. Wewere outnumbered, and they had felled a tree across the road. I reached for mydaggers. Our footmen were hardly the legendary Odre Soldat of Magadar and were not doing well against the numbers.

“Stay here.”

Lavinia shrieked a protest as I leapt out of the carriage.We’d never win the fight. I stood straight, puffed out my chest and rememberedmy childhood place in the royal courts: “Cease!”

The nearest skirmishes petered out like sparks in mud.

“What is the meaningof this?” I demanded, eyes blazing. Ipointed my finger around the embattled road as if I could shoot eachdisobedient soul straight to hell with lighting from my hand. The battle didcease and all eyes turned to me. My footmen looked as confused as the brigands.I strode to the nearest knave and grabbed him by his collar. “Whoare you and why have you detained my carriage?”

“Liam,” grunted the dirty hulk.

“And why, Liam, have you detained my carriage?” I thrust mychin up at his grubby face.

“Who are you?” adeep voice from across the road began making demands of its own.

I turned around. One of the outlaws strode toward me. Hewore a red kerchief but otherwise looked just the like his thugs. “I believethat I am the one asking the questions, sir,”I spat.

Deep Voice stepped close to me, undeterred by my brazenwords. “Cart’s daughter?”

“I am more trouble that you were looking for when youstopped my carriage,” I smiled.

“Landon Cart killed my brother.”

“Who was doubtless a paragon of virtue like yourself.”

“I want Cart to pay.”

“Well hadn’t you better find his brother and kill him,then?”

Deep Voice didn’t appreciate my point. Clearly negotiationsand repartee had not been on the docket for the raid.

I took a step closer to the stinky brigand. “I don’t carewho Landon Cart is to you, but you will remove this tree and release my partyat once.”

For a half second I almost thought he’d do it out of puresurprise. I think for a half second he thoughthe might do it too. Deep Voice recovered quickly, though, and leered at me. “Doyou think I would only take thedaughter of Landan Cart?”

“Do you think that you could take me?” I flexed my fingers;my daggers were loose and ready. “You have no idea what I am.”

Egg Rolls R Us (part 2)

2012-02-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

My second egg roll adventure was Southwestern Egg Rolls from Annies Eats .
Ingredients

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles, drained

4 green onions, chopped

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 package egg roll wrappers (about 24 total)

Southwest Egg Rolls are so easy, because there isn't really any extra prep-cooking, you just go for it with fresh chopped this and that. I'm not a big fan of bell peppers and didn't have any green chiles, so I again just a tiny bit of my dried jalapeno in it's place. I also had a limited supply of green onion, so I used 2 green onions (which are in the picture but you can't see them) and red onion.

The filling-the blackbeans took over the bowl so I didn't add them for the picture

This is the filling all mixed up. After the first round of egg rolls we added fresh chopped cilantro to the mix. This mix, incidentally, makes a great chip dip. It also marks the first time since the black beans incident (which I've referred to but never told the story) that I've made black beans from their dried state. It went much better this time. I also used fresh chopped spinach rather than frozen.

plus black beans and cilantro

And now for the fun part, the egg roll wrapper. This time, I have pictures for you (sorry about yesterday's total lack of photographic demonstration)

First: Acquire male model. You can't have mine, sorry.

Then roll:

Eggrolls in a row on an oiled baking sheet (I have run out of "cooking spray" and am conflicted about buying more. It's an additional expense, and what is it made of anyway?)

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly brown, turning halfway through the baking. They come out absolutely gorgeous, and go fabulously with guacamole:

Egg Rolls R Us (part 1)

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

I have a head of cabbage in the fridge and was looking for things to do with it when I got the idea to do egg rolls. A little labor intensive, but it provided an opportunity to learn how to use the food processor my mother-in-law gave me recently.

I made two different egg rolls recipes last week--my first one was honest Asian egg rolls from the food network, Having had fried and baked egg rolls in close proximity to each other, I can honestly say that both are magnificent. I can also tell you that both methods are excellent. But first, the fried:

I found egg roll wrappers in the produce section of Wegmans. I have no idea if that is a normal place for grocery stores to keep them or not.
Step 1: Shred or chop everything that is whole. This means mince the garlic, shred the ginger and carrot, and slice the green onion (the recipe also called for green pepper, but I skipped that)
Step 2: Saute first the garlic and ginger in sesame oil, then once your mouth starts watering from the smell add everything but the cabbage.

I should also mention that this was the first time that I had ever used a food processor, and Zorro had to show me what went where and which things did what. I used it to shred the carrots and the cabbage. I think it worked well.

I neglected to take pictures of the other steps because I was hungry. Sorry.
3. Mix chicken broth, soy sauce and sugar, then add the cabbage. Once mixed, add the cabbage mixture to the garlic/carrot mixture and bring it to a boil. Allow it to simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally or until veggies are soft. The food network has a couple extra steps (like, adding more oil and then draining the mixture) that I do not remember doing, nor do I remember having runny egg rolls.

4. and 5. and 6. Once the cabbage mix has cooled a little you get out your egg rolls wrappers and put a spoonfull of the filling on the corner nearest you. If you have ever rolled a burrito, an egg roll is rolled the same way. Since it is a square (rather than a round tortilla) you start with a corner facing you, add filling to that corner, and then pick that corner up and roll it over, snugging it in close to the filling. Fold in the two side corners and then roll the rest of the way. I sealed my rolls with a dab of water. (Youtube has plenty of little videos about rolling eggrolls, which I found more helpful than written descriptions) Then I placed them fold-downwards on the skilled and fried away until it was golden on both sides.

And then we ate them with chicken and peanut sauce. So. Good.

Five Leaves

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

One week in the life of my avocado.
(P.S. Welcome to February!)

undone sewing machine

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

I think that there is something seriously amiss with my sewing machine. I bought it on Black Friday a couple years ago, and we've always had a bit of a rocky relationship.

Hitherto I've blamed its finicky nature to the jersey cloth I've been using--and I do still wonder if my thread is just junky--but surely all three thread colors I've used aren't that bad?

This is the bobbin side

Frequently I end up finishing projects by hand because I get frustrated with the machine (yes, I have even hemmed an entire neckline by hand). Yet when mending a simple pillowcase with the recommended thread tension setting went horribly I've begun to think that my Black Friday deal was no where near as good as I thought, or maybe I really don't know how to work a sewing machine at all...

This is the top side

Maybe next time my mother comes for a visit I can convince her to play with my machine and see which of us is crazy, me or the Singer.

2-Lavinia

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

(If you missed episode 1, you can read it here)

2-Lavinia

Once upon a time, I might have been just like Lavinia. Itwas a very discomforting thought. Shesat across from me in the carriage simpering one moment and pouting thenext. Had my family’s fortunes beenunchanged, I might have turned out to be a just as frothy a wallflower withoutthoughts enough to ground me. I mighthave, but I doubted it. At the moment we looked alike, both wearing ornatebrocade traveling clothes with our dark hair swept into braids for travelingease. This time she was dressed as the handmaid—this was the source of most of thepouting—and I had donned her more extravagant wardrobe. Lavinia vacillatedbetween gushing over how fine I looked all dressed up (something which seemedto shock her) and moaning that we had to put on the act at all. Her father wasLandan Cart, a wealthy landowner in the lush valleys beneath Tasielin and theGrey Rain Ridge.

The girl had been visiting cousins in Magadar and, sincethe roads are dangerous and Landan Cart had recently hung a prominent thief, hehired me to bring her back. Given thegirl’s wildly beating heart and youthful passions, I was a shrewd hiring moveon her father’s part and an extreme disappointment for her. Instead of a handsome bodyguard for her tofall in love with her father had chosen a dark haired spoil sport that lookedjust a few years older than herself. I can’t say I was much happier about itthan she was when we met in Magadar. Shewas flightier than I’d hoped, and I was not a dashing man, as she’d hoped. Within a few minutes of our introduction wewere both fully determined to have a wonderfully miserable journey back to herfather’s estate near Tasielin. I alwaystry to set achievable goals.

We shared the coach with all the warmth of wildcats sharingan antelope. After two weeks of this felicitous company, we had only a few daysleft and it was arguably the most dangerous part of the journey.

“I don’t see why you made me wear this horrifically plaindress,” Lavinia shifted peevishly.

I smiled. Laviniahad already threatened several times to give her father a truly odious reviewof my conduct. “This way,” I responded, “ifanyone tries to kidnap you, they will take me instead.” It wasn’t my first choice, but in the eventthat we couldn’t escape, I hoped being better dressed would draw all theattention to me.

“I would hardly be so lucky as to have someone take you from me,” retorted my gratefulcharge.

I gritted my teeth. We just had a couple more days before we reached Tasielin but beingtaken by vengeful thieves sounded like a pleasant change of pace.

Our spat was interrupted by a shout from the driverabove—our carriage whipped sharply to the left tipping on one wheel andteetering for a half second before bouncing off a tree and tottering back. The carriage horses whinnied in fright andchaos erupted outside our opulent haven. The surrounding forest was filled with the unforgettable sound of menscreaming bloody death. Our footmen—wehad 8, all armed for the long journey—were under attack.

resolved

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Just a few random thoughts to get you started on this Friday:

Some little things that I've resolved:
--to sit up straight
--to not talk with my mouth full
--to remember to be grateful

My fish is weird

2012-01-26T08:00:00.001-05:00

My job requires a lot of talking on the phone. However it really disrupts a girl's train of thought when she looks over to see her fish doing what fish don't typically do...
This is Dodge....curled up under a rock;

Curled up! this is the second time he has done this--I have no idea how he gets under there, but he is not stuck!

See?

He got himself out while I was still on the phone trying to figure out what to do about his weird spelunking hobby. I know what I'll do...I'll get him a cave...he can have Shiro's cave. But only after he eats his dinner, because so far the whole "food on the surface of the water" thing hasn't sunk in. Zimmer and Ruffian are eating like little pigs, but Dodge won't even look at the stuff. Once I convince him to eat, then he can have a cave to play in...

If you were a betta, why would you wedge yourself into a teeny tiny place between a marble and rock? On the side of the tank closest to your rival?

Fancy New Former T Shirt

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've had this particular t-shirt for a very, very long time because I loved the art work. I'm also fairly certain that the number of times I've worn it fits on one hand. Yet, no longer! My shirt has a new lease on life.

I was inspired by this shirt restyle I found on Fine and Feathered--I didn't exactly find it on Pinterest, but I found Fine and Feathered through Pinterest. I decided I wanted to make a boat necked shirt, possibly fitted at the bottom, and I wasn't sure if I could do fringe or not for the sleeves--jury is still out on that, actually.

1 & 2 I used a tailor's soft ruler and tailor's chalk to mark the spot on each shoulder I wanted the neck to open to. Then I carefully folded the shirt down the front (with the back sticking out, and the sleeves in the center) so that I could cut matching sides simultaneously rather than play "fix it" later.

3-unfold the shirt and lay it out.

4-cut out the back side of the boat-I kept the back higher than the front. You may need to do some clean up trimming around the shoulders to make sure the neckline is smooth.

5&6- Try it on. Then if you're satisfied, lay out the shirt again and measure out how much of the bottom you want ruched or fitted. Remember, if you are ruching, as I am, that however much you measure, you will end up with about half that length. Here I measured 4 inches, and ended up with 2 inches of ruching. This wasn't actually what I wanted, so I had to do 6 more inches of ruching (for an end product of 5ish inches of ruche)

6.5- Here is a trick for marking your starting point for ruching. At the crease, poke a pin through. Lift and poke another pin through so they cross, then unfold the crease. Voila! Your starting point, right where you need it.

7. Set your sewing machine for its longest stitch, and carefully stitch straight to the hem without tacking down either end.

8. After you've released the fabric from the machine pull the bobbin thread gently, pushing the fabric along it until you get a nice gather.

It should look something like this:

However if your machine and your shirt are not getting along, as mine were not, you can also do it by hand very easily using a bias stitch which is extremely simple. Just make sure you have a honkin' big knot anchoring your thread, because you will be pulling on it, however gently.

9. Un-pictured, but it was pretty easy. I cut triangular slits in the sleeves to create a split sleeve look. A simple straight cut was not enough for this shirt, I had to cut a triangle for the sleeve to hang properly. I'm still thinking about making the sleeve into fringe. Any votes?

(Also, here is a ruche tutorial that was most helpful if not directly related: l as was this )

Versatile Blogger Award

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

My good friend, fondly known as my Dark Side, nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award--which really means she straight up gave it to me :-)
Many thanks to Abigail for being my writing buddy,the other Abigail (we're up to how many of us now?), my fellow horse nerd, Breyer horse aficionado, and book lover--who goads me into writing more.

Once nominated, you're supposed to pass the award on to 15 other deserving bloggers. This gets a little embarrassing for me because I don't follow that many bloggers, and I'm too shy to give the award to someone with whom I had no relationship (if only as a fellow blogger). Plus, Abigail reads several of the same blogs and already nominated some of my picks. So I'd like to give the award to:

Isabella Kiss at My Name Is Not King
and
Becca at Not Rachel

They are both beautiful, versatile, artistic and writerly souls who inspire me.

Also once nominated, you are supposed to tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself. Since only telling Abigail would be boring for the rest of you, I decided to post them here:

1. I have a completely irrational but severe fear of man-made heights. Grand Canyon? No problem. Eiffel Tower? Not happening.
2. When I was 4, I was a sucker for muscicians. The first crushes I can remember were on the French horn player in a brass band I saw once, and Michael W Smith.
3. I wrote a detailed description of what it would be like riding a camel for the first time roughly 10 years before I rode a camel. I was still right.
4. I have been to 7 foreign countries.
5. I had 5 wisdom teeth. That makes me special, right?
6. I recycle.
7. I streaked my hair once-I went red ("Cinnaberry") because I was afraid blonde would bleach my hair. The downside of the red is that no one noticed unless I pointed it out to them. I was sorely disappointed. But I got over it.

There you have it, folks!

P.S. Did you like the story yesterday?

1-How It Began

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

I never aspired to spend my birthday chained to a wall in the dankest spot of a God-forsaken wasteland. Quill was on my left; slumped on the ground from nasty knock they gave his head. We’d been asking for it, I guess. We certainly never took the easy jobs…Quill was a sucker for the hard cases and I was a sucker for Quill’s ideas. Every girl has a fault.

This all began during the reign of the Nether Queen, Marya Magnific, and times were certainly growing darker. The Queen’s empire lurked south of the ridge cities like the haze creeping around a swamp. For now the ridge cities carried on hoping to go unnoticed by the teething empire. Old wives’ tales of woodland demons had become the subject of tavern debates because terrors truly haunted the night and people feared that their imperious southern neighbor, Marya, dabbled in more than just the art of war. Certainly there was some truth in the stories; I knew it better than most. As the only daughter of the Great Zam Caspian, I had been there when the Nether Queen took the last of the coastal cities, my home. I didn’t know what to believe about the wilder stories, but I had left the Queen’s dominion, and had no intention of going back.

When Quill found me I was attempting to guide a carriage carrying a spoiled poppet along the troubled road between Tasielin and Magadar. It was a two week journey and I had hoped to make it through the wilds without a fight—my pay didn’t go up if I dirtied my daggers, and I certainly didn’t want the challenge of keeping my dandy charge from hurting herself by tripping over a body. I took all sorts of jobs these days, but this was the first time I’d guarded someone so close to my own age. I would probably never do it again.

Then again, if I keep taking Quill up on his crazy ideas I will not be alive to do it again.

more avocado

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

I have two other friends who have started avocados because of the movie RED. Their avocados grew leaves. My avocado grew a foot tall stem. What's up with that?

I eventually concluded that my leafless twig wanted sunlight, so I've been moving it here and there trying to keep it in the meager winter light. We've gotten a little progress on the "leafy" thing (perhaps the "get with the program" speech helped?) but the cloudy days definitely put a damper on the plant's motivation. The big question is whether or not I put it in the guest room, where it would get plenty of light, but might get forgotten for a while. Out of sight, out of mine, and all that. Might just have to do that.

progress!

Just one goal this month

2012-01-19T09:46:00.004-05:00

Now that January is almost over I suppose I should share with you my main crafty goal for this month: I am going to finish my wedding scrap book.

I'm so close to the end I can almost taste it. As in, this past week I worked on the bouquet toss page. I think I've been working on this for almost a year--or perhaps just half a year. It feels like a long time.

the bouquet toss page

I have not used all the pictures I printed--which I knew would be the case--but I just couldn't know what pictures I'd need untilI had them in my hands or spread across the entire dining room table.

My thrift store album will be officially bursting at the seams once it's all packed in. I've already bought two expansion sets of page protectors and lots of double stick tape for this project. All that remains is the grand exit and the epilogue and the wedding scrap book will be done.

Leaving me with the honeymoons. :-P One thing at a time.

Three Fishes

2012-01-18T08:24:00.000-05:00

After a week of nearly saying good morning to an empty fish bowl I went to Petco and got fish. I was prepared to buy one, maybe two....

*cough*

But I could not choose between the red fish and the blue fish, and the girl fish was not negotiable. So, meet the mob: Their names are Zimmer, Dodge and Ruffian.

Ruffian is the girl. She is named after a black thoroughbred filly who was one of the greatest racehorses of all time.

Dodge is the blue one. He is named after Dodge Connelly, the fictional pro-football pioneer in Leatherheads.

Zimmer is the red one. He reminded me of the Jamaican flag, so of course he reminded me of the movie Cool Runnings about the first ever Jamaican bobsled team. I wasn't entirely sure that I wanted a fish named Sanka, however, so I looked up the real first Jamaican bobsled team and found out that one of the breaks-guys was named Zimmer (his last name, anyway). So, Zimmer it is.

They sit in three little bowls behind my phone for now. Left to right its Zimmer, Dodge and Ruffian. I rearranged them for a little while with Ruffian in the middle to see how I liked the balance of the bowls. Well. While Dodge didn't think she was that interesting, Zimmer thought she was the best thing in the world.

flirting

Consequently, I felt mean, but I moved the bowls back. I do not need to come back to bettas on the desk because of an ill conceived jump.
I've only had these guys 4 days, so no one has really mastered "food time" yet, but they all have live plants so I'm not too worried. It takes time to adjust. So far everyone has good color, and is interested in the world around them--which in Dodge's means he stays under his bush!

Meet Zare

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

part of Zare Caspian's world

Well, friends, I had this idea a long time ago. I've hinted at it this particular project a couple times as "something special" for the blog. I wanted to give you a story, but first I had to have the story. I already knew the girl, and a little about her history and life. She hadn't yet sat down to tell me any stories start to finish, so it took some time to coax this one out of her. Like, since last June :-P

I plan to share Zare's story with you on Mondays, from next Monday, January 23rd, until we get to the end.

Who's the girl?

Her name is Zare Caspian, I met her in the woods somewhere between Daisen Bay and the Koreb Mountains standing on her horse scaring the bejeebers out of some cut throats. I liked her so well I thought everyone should meet her! (And before anyone gets confused, no, that particular incident is not in this story.)

I've created a label so that you can easily catch up on the story should you fall behind (just look for Zare Caspian in the sidebar). Each episode is numbered and titled--because titles are important! If you enjoy the story, please share and link back! Please don't copy it. Contact me if you would like to publish a portion of it in any way, shape or form.

Happy MLK day!

2012-01-16T12:38:00.002-05:00

If you have an indoor job of any type, and have time off today. Go outside. It's good for you!

Question for you

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

How would you like to read a story about her?

Favorite Things About Winter

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's right, Favorite Things About Winter. I'm serious. All you southerners and snowbird northerners can pick yourselves up off the floor. On second thought, you might want to stay there for this post ;-)

1-Snow. It sparkles. It makes for amazing sledding. If there were decent sledding hills to be had. At the moment it just brings fond memories, and occasionally snow daysand usually snow balls too.

2-Wedge-heeled furry winter boots. Winter boots got adorable last season and stayed adorable this season--they are also sooooo cozy warm. Anything that is beautiful and practical has me at hello. Usually. :-) I tend to be a sucker for boots, though.

3-Hot drinks. Particularly hot cocoa, hot chocolate, chai/green/mint/English breakfast tea...tis the season!

4-Hot soup. I know that this is cold and flu season, but at least if you catch a cold it's pleasant to eat toasty warm chicken soup--rather than in the heat of summer. Plus, I love my Tuscan Chicken soup, and squash soup, and the occasional and classic tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwhich.

5-At this point in the year the sky is already lightening so I can be home and cozy while there are a few streaks of daylight--yet I get to see the sunrise each morning without getting up a lot earlier than usual. I guess this boils down to Sunshine! Which promotes Winter one very big step above November.

6-Coziness.

7-Brisk walks (particularly in snowstorms and followed by coziness).

8. Sledding. Sharps rocks at the bottom? Bring it on!

9. The change of pace. What can I say, I like variety.

Of course...on the day I'm writing this the high was 55 and the low was only 30 :P So far its been a really wimpy winter. Will I ever get to go sledding again?

winter riding

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's officially winter, so we've been very limited in our riding. I've mostly ceased with proper riding lessons, for now. We've been hacking around when it's warm enough and when we can find footing. Which is fine, because I have got a good bit of reading up to do. The Minstrel and my Padawan are ready for some more interesting dressage concepts, and I really need to brush up in order to have a hope of explaining it sufficiently.

l--r: Navarre, Wellie, Midas, Maverick

I was going through all my digital pictures from 2011 to pick out pictures to print and realized that a lot happened at the barn this year. All my in-laws started riding. Dewey passed away. Maverick came. It was an eventful year.

Mountain Dew

Dewey was the second in the parade of white ponies in my life. So far she's the only one who knew what she was doing before I got on! I learned a lot from her. I wish she was still around. Nobody taught equitation like Dewey.

Last year I've gained back a lot of the confidence I had lost, and now I'm eager to brush up on my skills and learn more. Better start saving for lessons now!

me on Maverick

So long, Shiro

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Sunfire, or Shiro, was an orange male Siamese fighting fish. I bought him the same day that I bought Pysche, and he survived her by about a month.

Shiro was shy and crochety most of his life. I kept him at my condo for a few months, but he didn't get enough practice interacting with humans so he was nearly impossible to feed. He would hide (in the cave that I bought him--though he didn't seem to appreciate that this made me his friend). I brought him to work with me to share my desk with Psyche and he took a couple months to forgive me.There was a lot more going on at work, and people were in and out of my office all the time and he had so much to hide from it was overwhelming. In the end, though, it was much better for him!

He learned that we didn't bite, and we didn't even tap the glass or anything wicked like that. He would position himself in his cave so that he could see out--one of the girls who took care of him while I was gone for this or that complained that it was just a little disconcerting to be watched so closely by a fish! Good ol' suspicious Shiro. I had named him after the X-man Sunfire, who I was familiar with from reading an alternate universe comic book series as a rather humorless human torch. After I read up on the superhero, I realized that I had accidentally named Shiro very aptly. No sense of humor. Not social. Yup. He kinda grows on you though.

Psyche was a savage socialite, but there was something special about taming Shiro to the point that he would come out of his cave to see you if you waved your fingers at him (I always made my fingers "run away" from him to build his confidence...seemed to work great).

His health started to wane after Psyche died--its never a good sign when a fish can't finish his dinner--though it wasn't because he wasn't interested in finishing his dinner. Lord,please give Shiro a little rice paddy in heaven where he won't have to interact with anybody.

for a new year

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

It seems that I'm just a little bit behind the rest of the world on the calendar. We went to pick up storage containers for our Christmas decorations this past weekend and there was scarcely a thing on sale.

We did find a few containers on sale, so we're all set. Still, I was worried for a bit. :-P

I also didn't really start pondering the new year until this weekend. Considering that I really resent the failure associated with New Year's resolutions, I probably shouldn't be surprised at myself.

Last year I started setting goals for myself on a monthly basis, and that lasted until about August. It worked pretty well for the first part of the year. I started posting faithfully here, for one thing!

One of my only goals last year was to write a little each morning--something--anything--I've actually done relatively decently at that. It's been hit and miss, but I've done it enough that the morning doesn't feel totally complete without it.

Setting goals on a monthly basis, something inspired by a friend, really was useful! I read books, made photo albums, made lots of progress on my still-not-finished-t-shirt quilt, and accomplished other projects. I think I learned to "just do it." Don't waste time, life is much more satisfying when you use your time. It is such a precious gift from God.

For this year, I want to be deliberate. I also want to live in gratitude. I know those are somewhat nebulous goals, but they are actually measurable. Being deliberate will help me not go crazy with all the business that is life, and being grateful...well...that's just good perspective. Every good thing comes from God, being aware of that in all I do is important.

I'm sure you'll be hearing my "to do" list soon! Such as: pushups!

Hadassah

2012-01-06T08:27:00.000-05:00

Taking pictures of animals is like dancing. Only a lot more complicated. In dancing there are set steps, in animal photography there is only one step certain to happen every time, and that is the nose going into the camera.

Ok, so there are two: the other common step is the exasperated "You are still taking pictures?" look that all animals somehow manage--except the fish. The fish mostly wear the "what are you doing?" face alternated with the "food???" dance.

Someday I will bring a nice lens and get a nice portrait of this gorgeous tortoiseshell socialite.

I've cat-sat her a couple times, and she's quite a darling. Her "mom" was there entertaining her with yarn and just a sniff of catnip.

The yarn and catnip probably saved my lens from serious cat nose smearing. Although this point-and-shoot is a few years old and starting to go a little senile. It either kills batteries or doesn't know full batteries when it sees them-it's also taken to not showing the display screen except sometimes. The picture quality has also gone down, even in perfect light. I'm not sure what all its issues are. The battery thing and the display screen-for now-are "fixed" by turning the camera off and on until it remembers what all its parts do. I wonder how long that will work!

She's lookin' at you

you like sea food?

2012-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Speaking of weird holiday traditions, every year at New Years I try shrimp. I'm not sure how I managed it. I grew up in close proximity to high quality fresh seafood, but I truly don't like the stuff. Tuna fish is fine. 5 or so shrimp per year is fine. I've even enjoyed properly prepared swordfish and salmon, but as a general rule, I do not seek out or enjoy fish meals.

The annual shrimp eating started because I was the only one who didn't like shrimp--the others really loved shrimp, so Mom would get it in as something special for New Years--so I'd try it out of pure peer pressure.

Food is extremely social. This odd pressure resulted in me developing a taste for cheese fondue, and a taste for about 4 or 5 shrimp. And then I'm done.

For the rest of the year. That's it, just a few shrimp a year. I enjoy them, participate in the feeding frenzy around the shrimp bowl, and then I'm done and everyone else is happy:

Because it means more for them.

pilgrimage

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ice cream comes from milk. Milk comes from cows. Ice cream comes from cows. QED.

Zorro and I went up north for New Years-we did last year too, but this year the travel part was much easier. For one thing, we weren't coming off ten days straight of nonstop locomotion, and for another our trip wasn't bracketed by snowstorms! It was wonderful to see my family, including my brother the mime. We also took some time to make the pilgrimage to my favorite dairy bar.

Nothing compares with "homemade" ice cream--if you can ever find a place that makes its own I strongly recommend stopping for a cup or two. Particularly if you can see the dairy cows from the dairy bar. That's always a good sign. You can't see dairy cows from the windows of the Uconn Dairy Bar anymore, which is sad, but they are just up the hill. I doubt that you can still visit them like I used to as a kid. Which is also sad. But those cows still produce some amazing ice cream--with a little help, of course.

It's probably just a little unusual that we always go out for ice cream when we go see my folks. But that's ok, we're already relatively unusual, what's a little ice cream pilgrimage?

So what about you: do you have anything you always do with family when you go visit?

Living Laterally

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

source

Before the nasty footing of winter came, I had started teaching the kids lateral movement--turn on the haunches and leg yield, specifically. I try to tie figures and exercises to real life whenever I can. Turning a horse on a dime sounds easy enough, but really takes a fair amount of training and practice. Which is basically why riding schools like the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, and the Royal Andalucian School came to exist. Its a discipline and art form as old as Xenophon, the historian and general of Greece. The skill and athleticism it takes both man and beast to perform the feats of horsemanship like these also keep them alive on the field of battle.And...it's great for contests of manliness.
The Airs Above the Ground are a series of difficult leaps taught to horses who have achieved the strength and skill necessary. They are also moves that young or spirited horses will do at liberty--just for the joy of being.

source

The ability to control when and where you horse places his hooves is not something you get overnight--though I'm certain some people have a natural talent for connecting with animals. It's a skill that produces amazingly beautiful performances where the horse dances seemingly uncued by the rider, it also enables you to get gates, get out of tight spots on a trail (ever been on a horse who won't back up? Yeah...)

The Spanish riding schools do not use stirrups in their lessons, which is one reason we've laid off the search for a saddle that fits Navarre. Countless trainers mandate hours of trotting without stirrups, and the only equipment that Navarre has consistently performed well in is a simple bareback riding pad. So, everyone gets to learn how to stay on without stirrups. It's good for them-especially rotating between riding Midas in a saddle and Navarre without. Navarre is so smooth that it's hardly torture to ride him sitting trot!

source

Dressage is often called the ballet of the horse world, and like ballet, it is the root of all dance. The basic principles of the sport are infiltrating the other disciplines (hunter, jumper, even the western disciplines, particularly reining) because better communication makes everyone happier!
We probably won't be teaching Navarre the levade anytime soon.

source

Or the capriole:

source

But we're trotting around corners now, which is a radical improvement for him.
Next up: pirouettes.

More reading:

The Founding Stallions

On Horsemanship by Xenophon

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

sunrise

Welcome to 2012, my friends. May this year be better than the last, and filled with blessings and adventures and family and friends.

I haven't really taken time yet to sit down and think about 2012, I'll have to do that soon. Since it's here, and all that. The only thing I've really got in my head is planning a special something for the blog, and picking out what to research for my deck-vegetable garden (apparently, planning is a February thing, which means I need to know what I need, so I can shop the sales until I actually need to use the stuff).

Oh, you want to know about that special something? I'll tell you later. :D

Rylie and Schultz

2011-12-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

This, my friends, is the very definition of puppy-dog eyes. (No, we didn't get a dog, this pretty lab belongs to my in-laws). No one was paying attention to her since they were all busy making food. She sat just a few feet away staring intensely just in case someone would possibly glance her way and send her some lovin' scraps. That human food just. smells. so. good.

Just as sincere, but slightly less dramatic, is Schultz, the older, wiser, more practiced beggar. Although both dogs are famously good at it, and very quiet about it--it's is nice, they aren't bad, they just look at you with the biggest brown eyes they can muster. Very cute.

The Second Day of Christmas

2011-12-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

December 26th, in Poland, is a national holiday. It's the second day of Christmas.

We're still working on our snack food from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, enjoying our presents-and basking in a day off and the afterglow of Christmas lights.

and cowboy boots

Christmas has always been one of my favorite times of year-not just because of the presents--although there is little that compares with giving a gift you know will delight someone. (There is something special about so many people getting together to give gifts--even if it does have the unintended consequence of commercial feeding frenzy.) I love the pageantry of Christmas--I love the plays with cute little kids reciting lines, the songs that everyone knows, the camaraderie, the lights and sparkle and the emphasis on beauty, joy, and of course the anticipation that builds until Christmas day. All because God gave his Son for us. It seems appropriate somehow, all this fuss, friendliness and decoration, considering that the only people present at Christ's birth were his parents and a few shepherds. It's special, this "Christmas thing" as the Trans Siberian Orchestra puts it. on earth peace, and good will towards men on whom His favor rests.

build your own funnel

2011-12-23T10:36:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the lack of post yesterday. I was busy gallivanting around town doing some shopping and such.

I also made my own funnel for watering the tree. My mother called to suggest a gasoline funnel, which was brilliant and only .99 cents.

It wasn't quite long enough, though, so I slaughtered two toilet paper rolls--covering them with packing tape to repel water inside and out--to make it longer.

See? Just cut in half, tape, roll tightly, tape some more. Then assemble and voila! A Polish Tree Funnel!

I don't know that it will survive the entire Christmas season-what's left of it--but I'm quite satisfied with it for now. It gives me an entire year to find a more sustainable funnel. Then again...maybe I'll just find a way to improve on my design without spending money...

Fits right in!

Merry Christmas, folks!

watering Christmas trees

2011-12-21T08:01:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but it only started to f eel like Christmas to me this week...I think it's because Zorro and I had so much normal life hanging over our heads the past couple weeks with the end of his semester being consumed with paper after paper. But now that's done...and it's time to water the Christmas tree.

Oy. That sounds easier than it is. Though it's definitely more amusing.

I have discovered the adventure that is watering a Christmas tree. How are you supposed to get water into the tiny stand that's hidden behind a wall of presents and tree branches? Without tipping the tree over?

view from the bottom

So far I've managed, but there has got to be an easier way.We haven't got many presents down there right now...but what about when we do?

I remember seeing long skinny red funnels somewhere. Was it SkyMall? You strategically hide the funnel at the back of the tree, and cleverly water your tree using the funnel in an easy, no hassle experience.Or so they say.

I couldn't find the funnel online, but I did find some super fancy "automatic shut off" waterers that I thought were a little over the top as far as sophistication goes. I have decide to find a PVC pipe or a length of hosing from HomeDepot. I need go to soon anyway because I need organic dirt in which to plant my garlic bulbs (apparently they are supposed to be planted in the fall. If I hurry, it'll almost qualify as fall!)

(gingerbread) man on fire

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

I can't decide if this candle is morbid or cute. Maybe it's cute when it's not lit, and morbid when it is. But then again, perhaps it is no worse than eating gingerbread men. It's one of those candles that will kinda get destroyed if you burn it, so for a couple years I didn't burn it. But it's also flat, which means it's hard to display. So this year....I burn it. An unburnt candle has not fulfilled its telos.

Real Food

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've been doing research lately. I research until my forehead crinkles in despair and I decide to be a subsistence farmer and Zorro gives me an incredulous look. Then I give up for a couple days, and then I take it up again.

It started with the dirty dozen--you know, those foods that absorb pesticides more than others so you should probably buy the ones on which pesticides were not used so that you don't eat pesticides.

Then in blossomed. Then it kinda mushroom clouded.

It makes sense to me that eating food in its most natural state is best for your body. I mean, no preservatives, no funky ingredients with unpronounceable names, no labels that require a chemistry major to understand.

How do you reconcile that with a budget? Take organic romaine lettuce. It costs $2-3 more than regular romaine lettuce. Why is that? I have decided to grow my own come summer.

I haven't figured out why, yet, if it really does cost more to produce organic food, or if they are just charging more because they can?

I've discovered several useful blogs, like Crunchy Betty and Kitchen Stewardship, and Simple Organic. I'm sure you'll be hearing more from me on the whole...real food thing.

mum's the word

2011-12-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'm doing all this crafting...and I can't tell you about any of it because they are presents. I can't even post them all on Christmas day because they aren't all going to be opened on Christmas day.

I've had this dilemma on pinterest, too....wondering if I should or shouldn't pin something because it's inspiration for something that just might become a gift for one of the people who follows me...suddenly pinterest is no a tool, it's a liability.

Now I need a secret pinterest.

Does anyone else have problems like this? Or is it just me? After all, I am the person who has a difficult time not blurting out what I did that day/night ("I was crafting and then I ran out of...um...wait, I can't tell you"...or..."Honey! I'm so excited that I finally found...um....something...to...buy..you."). Especially if it was an accomplishment. It's so hard to keep accomplishments to one's self.

I have a particularly difficult time keeping from spilling to family.

I have one friend who calls me when she buys me presents. She doesn't tell me what it is, just that she found it, and is excited about it. Maybe I should try this open-closed approach myself. "Zorro! I bought you something you're gonna loooooooove." "Mom? No, I'm not calling for a recipe this time...just wanted to say I finished your present-well, part of it, and so I thought I'd let you know that is what I was doing, so don't ask me about it, k?"

this was a present. 4 months ago. I think it's safe to post now.

Add this to the 101 reasons I am not a spy. Even though Burn Notice is one of my favorite shows.

new bridle

2011-12-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

We've been borrowing Maverick's bridle for weeks. Months, actually. It was time to get one for him. My Padawan and I got up early one day and trekked the hour to the tack shops, getting there moments before they were to open. Except that the one I intended to go to for sure didn't open at all. Thankfully there were two others within walking distance, but still...I would love to know why they were closed on that particular.

We picked through a wall of bridles at a consignment shop and finally settled on one that was only $35 because there was a nameplate on the crown piece. We also found a bit that looked reasonably like what we were looking for--a level 1 Myler D ring snaffle--it was, at least, the right size.

I spent an hour and a half with the Minstrel and the Padawan (and a wet horse who would rather be eating hay) trying on different variations of the bridle.

We tried it on straight with the new bit and bridle. And stared at it.


with Navarre looking as pathetic as he could because he was wet, muddy, and wanted to just eat hay

We tried on Maverick's bridle as a reference.

the d-rings are the same size as Midas's

We tried it on without the bit.

ok, so the bit is on in this picture, but look at how long the throat latch is

We tried it on with the full cheek snaffle.

it's almost too long

And then we took it apart, and took Navarre's old bridle apart and mixed up a couple pieces and voila:

It still needs a cleaning, and maybe a hole punched here or there, but Navarre seems to like it very well, and I got 2nd and 3rd opinions on the fit and it was agreed that it fit. I'm very pleased to finally have something that will work. I rode him around and around, and he was a good boy--still himself, but I think he gets on with the bit. And if not...I guess we'll sell it.

Ninja-bread men

2011-12-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

You read it right. Ninjabread men. A couple years ago my brother the mime pointed out that at Christmas time gingerbread men out number us.

Then he choreographed a mime to the tune of Zoot Suit Riot all about the Gingerbread Revolt. Ever since then, gingerbread has had an extra special place in our hearts.

So when I saw ninja cookie cutters in a toy store on Cape Cod I had to buy them.

This weekend, ninjabread men became a reality.

Alice in Wonderland and the Ninjabread Men

Our frosting was a little runny, so details are lacking. However, we had fun decorating them anyway. And they taste amazing.

Just call me the Clove of Ling Chow.

We were all wearing aprons from Africa. So....we had to take a picture. Moreover, we had to take a picture carrying trays of cookies on our heads. Because we're that awesome. Many thanks to Chrissy and B for taking time to help me decorate warlike and peaceful cookies alike!

party central

2011-12-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

I went to two Christmas parties and a birthday party last week, but I took exactly two pictures.

Christmas party #1:

Votive candles floated on cranberries in wine glasses and champagne flutes.

Party #2:

After an evening of food, laughter and dancing, we asked someone to take our picture so we could remember the night forever.

It was actually our church's year end celebration, and it's the first time we've gone even though we have been at the church 2 years. They do something different each year they've done it, and this year it was a formal. I spent a couple evenings helping them hang painted branches and white Christmas lights, decorate trees, put bows on fake presents, and set up the stage area. Everyone brought a dish to share, and there were finger foods, desserts, and altogether too much food!

During dinner we played trivia games MC'd by one of the elders, listened to music (some of it original) performed by the youth, and generally laughed quite hard at the good natured ribbing in which everyone participates (shouting from their tables.).

The dance floor was lit by white Christmas lights and glittering snowflakes, and we danced to motown favorites after dinner. It was unlike any church gathering I'd ever been to. The whole purpose was to enjoy each other, and celebrate what God had done in the past year. It was like a family reunion or the happy wedding reception scene at the end of wedding movies.

After the last song ended, everyone who was still there pitched in and it took scarcely 20 minutes to take down the tables and chairs and get most of the food consolidated. Of course...that still meant we got home after midnight...but it was so worth it.

the lunch bag

2011-12-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Last week was a really rough week. Several things took unexpected and unpleasant turns, and lots of little things went wrong. Among these, was a small insult-to-injury of Zorro's lunch bag going missing somewhere on his commute, though he was fairly certain it was at the very end. So close to the end that he searched his car twice because he could have sworn he tossed it into the car, but he couldn't quite remember doing that.

At the time, it was small compared to everything else going on that week so we brushed it off as just-another-thing and I added "lunch bag" to my shopping list.

The next morning he found it in the parking lot. A little soggy, but none the worse for wear.

For some reason, the bag's safe return seemed like a ray of hope. One sad little lunch box came home, so the rest will all work out too. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

I love trees. Every time I'm at a garden store I look longingly at the trees. I love mimosa, willow, curly willow, pines of almost any sort, tulip, Japanese red Maple, birch....pretty much if it's a tree I wish I could have it growing happily in my house (or right out side).
Christmas trees are a little piece of that. Like a huge, messy, long-lasting cut flower.

A huge flower that you cover in pretty winking lights:

Unto us a Child is Born

And ornaments accumulated slowly over the years...most were presents. A few were purchased as memories, or reminders.

purchased on our honeymoon

this tree sheds like a long haired dog

I wish this picture did it justice, but it really doesn't. I was actually surprised how well our united ornament boxes did covering the tree. Zorro was given an ornament or two every year by his parents so that when he had a tree of his own he would have something to put on it. When my family had a live tree we did the same thing (I think I also might have co-opted a couple stray horse ornaments....). I think it's a lovely tradition, and makes the tree more meaningful. If you look at the top left of the tree you'll see an orange glass ball. It's from Venice. We bought it to remember all the oranges used to decorate Dubrovnik, Croatia, for Christmas. The seashell flower in the center of the tree was found on Cape Cod on our honeymoon...little things that bring back warm memories and help a body count their blessing every year.

cobalt blue glass

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tis the season of Christmas parties. I was invited to two this week (plus a birthday party), and another next week. Which is why you get to see some of the blue glass I was taking pictures of the other morning. It was such a pretty morning, and cobalt blue is such an enchanting color. My mother found most of my blue jars for me at a thrift store--I adore them. The lighthouse bottle below is from Truro Vineyards on Cape Cod. Someone gave me cobalt stemmed water glasses and my resolve to keep them for "special" occasions crumbled when I realized that Zorro and I were both adults and could drink out of any glass we liked. My mother would be proud. As a result the cobalt glasses get plenty of use and I get to enjoy their stunning blueness every day, not just when I open the cupboard.

I nearly blinded myself taking this picture :-P But I got the cool lens flare!

our first tree

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

I didn't grow up with a Christmas tree. I have some memories of having one when I was small, but when my parents were hosting international students for the holidays it got a little hard to explain why we cut down a tree to celebrate life. For a season, we didn't use a real Christmas tree. Instead, we had evergreen garlands which we strung so that they formed a canopy for my mother's manger scene. We decorated the garlands with white lights and angel ornaments representing the heavenly hosts that sang "Glory to God in the Highest! and on earth, peace, good will toward men!" to the shepherds after telling them of Christ's birth.

I loved it well, and in later years when my parents offered to get a tree my brother and I said that we were content with the garland canopy. We were.

When I was living on my own there was no point in getting a tree for me and my roommates because we were all going home for Christmas.

waiting for a tree

Now married, and this time doing Christmas stateside, I had a powerful desire to have a Christmas tree. I knew nothing about the process, and didn't really know that there was anything to know.

Then they slid the tree through a tube to bundle it in netting for the car ride and I knew suddenly that I was very new to this. No one told me that Christmas trees get dragged through a worm hole to come home. I thought it was fascinating. I didn't know they hacked off the lower branches and made a fresh cut so that the tree would leak that super sticky evergreen sap on your hands, car, house, etc until you got in water (just kidding, it's really so that the tree sucks up the water and lasts longer...same principle as cutting flowers)

I have helped set trees up in the recent past, and those memories came charging back as I stood embracing the tree with a nose full of delightful pine scent while Zorro secured it to the wall (yeeeeah....our tree stand has some architectural flaws that mean a fresh hot tree tips this way and that). Our Fraser Fir has been vertical for some time now, and shows no sign of keeling over anymore--which is happy. So is the luscious pine scent that fills the downstairs.

Yes, you can see the decorated tree. Later :-)

the avocado-progress report

2011-12-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

It sprouted! I gave it a bigger jar early last week because I thought perhaps the roots were too crowded. It paid off, I looked at my experiment on Sunday and voila! A little nub was sprouting from the core.

I wish I could tell you how many weeks have passed, but frankly I've tried starting so many of these things I haven't a clue which one has made it this far. I have hopes for the others...maybe they need taller jars too. In 8 years, maybe we'll have a real, home grown avocado!

true hot chocolate

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

I searched up and down the Amalfi coast for this drink last year, and only managed to find the European equivalent of Swiss Miss-which was, I grant you, very tasty. But it wasn't what I had read about in Calico Captive when I was little. It wasn't that liquid chocolate that I'd wondered about since I was a child.

Last Friday night, when we were exploring a Christmasy downtown and trying to decide if we were going to ice skate or not, we found a little Italian coffee shop that sold gelato (including a spicy chocolate gelato) and real hot chocolate.
See Zorro's face?

That sums it up. It was sooooooooooooooo good. The spicy ice cream, the toasty warm smooth dark chocolate...

Everyone should taste this type of hot chocolate drink...it could be an educational experience--maybe making it after you read that chapter in Calico Captive. I did recently find a recipe for hot chocolate, I'll let you know how it turns out.

We were about an hour from home, which is probably a good thing, otherwise we might be tempted to go on regular dates to this little Italian coffee shop with the uber chocolate drink.

showing off

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Maverick was showing off yesterday. He watched Donald working with the tractor, then would gallop full speed around the pasture, looping back to maybe, possibly, sneak out the open gate behind the tractor. Donald was watching him though, and played along with the game. Donald won. I don't think Maverick minded, though. Once I got my camera he stopped running around like a hooligan--though he did some fabulous trotting. He wanted to say hi and get attention, so he only ran around when I was ignoring him. Which is why you have no pictures of him running around. Silly boy.

Happy December :-)

{traditions} stuffed dates

2011-11-30T08:49:00.000-05:00

Stuffed dates are a simple, healthy, easy tradition that I grew up with for Thanksgiving. I remember Thanksgiving mornings with my grandmother sitting at our dining room table stuffing dates with cream cheese and walnuts. I never liked them when I was a kid, but it was a warm fuzzy part of Thanksgiving. Kielbasa and potato pancakes on Thanksgiving Eve. Squash soup for lunch. Stuffed dates. Then a house full of people from all over the world over for dinner.

This year I brought a pound of medjool dates to my in-laws for Thanksgiving, the dates were so big I cut them in half when I was pitting them so that the bites would be more manageable!

Here's how you can do the same:
You will need:
1lb dates
8 oz-ish of walnuts/pieces/halves
4 oz-ish of cream cheese

And then...wrap in cellophane before you remember to take a "finished product" picture. ;-)

the trail horse

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

The other day Navarre got a rare experience. I took him out on a short trail ride all by himself. It was spur of the moment on a gorgeous day. He proved that he would make a very good trail horse, displaying no hesitation at all at the thought of going somewhere without his stablemates. In fact, he seemed to think it was an adventure. He wasn't totally sure the geese weren't horse eating, and there were a few moments when he was seriously tempted to misbehave, but on the whole I was impressed.
I discovered that he doesn't know how to bend [translation: a horse can literally bend its body in order to go around turns in a balanced fashion. It's why horses can careen around turns that would flip motorcycles over]. I've worked on turning him at the trot sometimes, he's always hated turning at the trot, and previously I attributed his reluctance to stubbornness. I noticed in turning circles at the walk that he knows how to turn on a dime, but not how to bend. He can spin on his haunches, but if you ask him to walk in a 10 or 15 meter circle he does gives for a moment, and then turns completely.
So we have something new to work on. He is starting to understand flexing at the poll, now I have to teach him how to flex the rest of his cream colored self.

deck the halls

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

I love Christmas decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving. It's the first Sunday in Advent, it only seems fitting! Of course, 4 years of college making that particular weekend my only chance at Christmas decorating also solidified the habit! We don't have a tree yet, but most everything else is Christma-fied.

see my stockings!

I cleaned some on Friday (and updated my Christmas play list), then Saturday I tackled the decorations while Zorro studied. My Christmas decor is much less emaciated this year. My Mom gave me some boxes last year after Christmas, and I did gather some decor over the year.

And it also helps that we'll be here this year--whereas last year we were in Greece. This year we'll have a tree and Christmas lights :-)
Zorro hung lights yesterday-

He quickly determined that we need two more strings:

There you go, a blurry, glowy picture of my first outdoor Christmas light hanging experience!

Do you Black Friday?

2011-11-25T11:52:00.001-05:00

summer's over, the hot pink polish is gone

I used to think the people who "did" Black Friday were certifiably nuts. And...I think a lot of the people who do are. However a couple years ago my family needed somethings, so they went out and got them.

After those incidents in which people got trampled, stores have gotten a lot wiser about how they do their doorbusters, so its safe, if insanely early in the morning.

You don't have to go out early, though. The year I graduated my Dad and I went out around 10 am and I scored a tv, a vacuum cleaner and some nice boots for fractions of their normal cost. I think there were only 3 of the tv left by the time I got there, but they still had it.

I'm not out today, though. Last year I got a sewing machine online and was pretty proud of myself. I might go out again some time, depends on what they are selling, and whether or not I actually need it.

Gratitude

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today is Thanksgiving.

Lord, I'm grateful for who you are. I'm also grateful for all the blessings you have given me.

-for heat. It's expensive, but it sure is nice not to toddle around the house shivering through 4 layers.

-for husbands who make double recipes of chicken soup so that we won't have to make more the next day.

-that I am an American. I love this country.

-for the internet: with it the Pole married to an Irishman learned how to bake three different types of Italian bread from scratch.

-for a horses to ride.

-for my little Corolla, now totally mine, in which wing chairs can fit in a pinch.

-for Zorro's Mustang. Because that car is a really sweet ride.

-for our crazy wonderful families, who have their own in-joke languages and who look out for each other.

-for the internet (again) because it means I can still communicate with my brother when he's overseas.

-for whoever invented the grill. Thank you. I love it.

-for Dewey. That gutsy and opinionated little mare.

-for being able to give back through trustworthy organizations like Compassion International.

-for good natured bosses who spontaneously declare costume contests at work And bosses who have your back, and a sense of humor at the same time.

-for one Native American's willingness to forgive, that ultimately led to the pilgrims survival way back in 1621.

-for traditions as yummy as the stuffed dates, turkey and stuffing that I'm going to enjoy today.

Happy Thanksgiving!

the Hunger Games (pt 2)

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

I finished the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins within about two weeks after I started. If you haven't read it, I recommend at least a moderately strong stomach, and that you don't have high blood pressure issues. The books set me on vibrate anytime I read them.

As I've said before, the premise was a turn off. Why would I want to read a story about children, ages 12-18, thrown into an arena to fight to the death? If Katniss Everdeen, the heroine, and Peeta Mellark, her fellow "Tribute" didn't feel the same way, the series would be unbearable. You read because you care about the main characters, and many side characters (doomed or not), and must find out how the games end. The games don't really end until the end of the trilogy. The books are well written; the numerous "try ands" can, I suppose, be accounted for by the first person voice. Maybe Katniss doesn't think in proper grammar. The high tension tale literally had me shivering. And yes, I'm going to see the movie.

The trilogy is a commentary on the unchanging brutality of the human race. Set in the future, many of the names are Roman. Even the new name for North America, "Panem" is Latin for bread, a nod to the "bread and circuses" of the Roman empire. For truly, those in the Capitol have only ever know bread and games, with no thought to the horror the Hunger Games really are. Collins, through Katniss, manages to capture the bizarre innocence of those raised to think the Hunger Games are good entertainment. They are ignorant fools, but is that cause to slaughter them?

Good does triumph in the end, though scarred, but why is a question the series fails to answer. Like Camu's the Plague, we fight on because we must. We have to.

In Second Hand Lions the wizened uncle tells the fatherless boy that "Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love... true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in."

And that, is the moral of The Hunger Games. For a story as wrought with emotion as that one, my soul needed more at the end, but really...what more can you offer without Christ?

the sighting

2011-11-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

We were visited the other day by a hawk, perched right on our deck for several minutes. Aunt Jan-what kind of hawk is this? I haven't had both the bird book and the hawk picture next to each other yet, but I've determined it's a juvenile something.

Critter didn't turn around to show us the other side, which would have narrowed it down a little.

he's lookin' at you, kid.

PS All the good pictures are by Zorro :-)

Tuscan Chicken Soup

2011-11-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Did you miss me? Sorry I didn't post Thursday and Friday last week. I didn't catch exactly what Zorro had, but it was bad enough. I left work early on Thursday and didn't leave the house again until Sunday afternoon-and that was just to get out and find food.

Since we were finally vertical, I washed every linen and piece of clothing I thought we'd coughed on, and then cleaned the bathrooms and wiped down all the counters (then, sat down and drank plenty of fluids.). I don't want nasty little hangers on to hang on once we start work again.

Between the two of us, we've cooked nothing but popcorn and chicken soup for a week.

I think we're alright now.

And I have a beastly craving for steak and potatoes.
However, I will leave you with my rendition of Tuscan Chicken Soup. It's a recipe inspired by Tuscan Soup in the Taste of Home Cooks Who Care Edition:
Ingrediants:

1 small onion, chopped

1 carrot, sliced

1 clove garlic

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, poultry seasoning if desired)

2 T olive oil (or coconut oil)

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2/3 cup spiral pasta (I prefer the gardenvariety pasta)

3 cups thinly sliced romaine, spinach and freshcilantro freely mixed

Directions:

Sauté onion, garlicand carrot in soup pot with olive oil or coconut oil until soft. Slice defrostedchicken into small cubes, sauté in remaining olive oil or coconut oil in aseparate pan. Season with salt, pepper and garlic to taste. Cook through.

Add chicken brothand water to the carrot/onion/garlic once they are soft. Add salt and pepper.Bring to boil. Stir in chicken and pasta, return to boil. Reduce heat andsimmer until the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Add romaine/spinach/cilantromixture and heat through.

Makes 4 servings. Or3.5, if your man is hungry.

Tuscan Chicken Soup-pictured with 1-Minute Ciabatta Bread

bleh

2011-11-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

I once chewed Zorro out for not letting me near him when he was sick. We were dating at the time. He dropped off a present for a friend's wedding, leaving it on my doorknob, and attempted to slip away without me noticing. I did notice. Mustangs are a little too distinctive for a guy to sneak up on his girl. Then he wouldn't let me hug him. In fact he wouldn't let me within arms length. Something about germs.

Whatever.

I had forgotten about it. Until he reminded me Monday as I bent over his feverish body.

"You got your wish."

Sounds sadistic when you put it that way. Then he told me that story, and it all came back. Ah yes, the time you wouldn't let me near you. Are you sure you want to remind your caregiver about the time you really ticked her off?

Germs are a non-issue now. Which is actually kinda nice. Even if it means I'm loading up on every immune system booster I can get my hands on.

Speaking of, I was wishing I had Thieves, an herbal spray that is supposed to suppress the spread of viruses. I settled for changing the sheets and vacuuming, and I was going to take my tea tree oil based disinfectant to every surface I could think of when I stumbled on a bottle of Thieves on Zorro's dresser. My mother-in-law must've given it to him for our cruise last year. I was delighted, and proceeded to spray door knobs, toilets, the sick couch, and anything else I could think of, all the while praising God for his thoughtful provision.

Zorro's starting to do a bit better. Two nights of chicken soup and some seriously early bedtimes will hopefully make this bout with the flu super short and sweet. And that it skips me.

Umcka Thieves Vitamin C

Christmas Stockings!

2011-11-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

I did it. I finished them both. The second one took about an hour, max. Of course, that was after a phone consultation with the sewing machine guru--aka, my Mom--which significantly smoothed over the technical difficulties that initially made it take extra and especially long.

I should probably make this a tutorial for you, but I mostly just followed the extremely sparse directions from my pattern. I used a McCalls pattern made exclusively for Avon back in the day. My Mom thought it was the one she'd used to make Christmas stockings for us kids, but it wasn't the one. I know because the stocking pattern wasn't cut out (the patterns for the runner and place mats were, though, Mom, so that's what you used it for).

It's been an extremely long time since I've used a pattern to make anything. This is not "I'm amazing" but "I really haven't made anything"--except my tshirt quilt, which still isn't finished (in part because I put it away to work on more time sensitive things, and also because now I think quilts should be made from L to R to avoid stuffing the whole entire quilt through the machine. Lesson learned. Thoroughly)

the fabric

I would say that if you want to make your own stockings you should go buy a pattern on a super sale day, and buy fabric on a super sale day, or better, use stuff you having lying around. I haven't been around long enough to have oodles of anything useful lying around like that, but I do have generous parents who provided both.
Lay your fabric down right sides together, pin the pattern on, face up--then cut it out. I unpinned the patter and repinned the stocking. If you never ever want to use the pattern again, you can pull it off, but I recommend against that.

Sew. Leaving 1/4inch for a seam. There abouts. Once you've done that you'll want to make shark teeth out of the curvy spots so it'll turn right side out like a civilized stocking.

I skipped the lining that the pattern called for. I think it was basically another stocking to go inside the stocking, but I didn't remember my stocking having one when I was a kid, so clearly it wasn't necessary. I got completely stumped by the cuff, however, when I realized I couldn't remember for the life of me what my mother had done for the cuff. I had a vague notion that they were typically contrasting, but I didn't know what to do. Eventually--after several expeditions through my box of random cloth and scrap--I pulled out an old pair of American Eagle jeans and sacrificed the lower leg.

I had to trim the bottom off, alas. It was too chewed up to look nice, but I used the cuff to make the stocking taller. Making it fold exclusively over itself, and not the patchwork stocking at all.
The trickiest part is figuring out how to get the cuff facing the right way, I still couldn't tell you how I did it except that I pinned it, and checked and double checked to make sure I'd done it right before I went anywhere with a needle.

I realized after I finished the cuff that I'd completely forgotten a tabby thing to hang the stocking by, so I used the good part of the blue jean hem to do the job--rather than break a needle sewing it I've just got it safety pinned for now. Maybe forever.

Voila!

Back in Action

2011-11-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Navarre's grass restriction has paid off. The farrier declared him sound, and if we can avoid horse shoes, we will. I'm happy with that.
I've started working on lateral movement with him, and also impulsion. Soon the kids will be sick of me telling them to have him "walk faster." I'm hoping to discover this hitherto hidden gait. Impulsion is the one recognizable thing I've heard that helps you coax it out of your horse. I think he's nearly done it a couple times. He's been pretty well behaved of late, too.

Midas has started to behave more consistently. He still likes to put his feet wherever he wants, but his gaits are getting much more managable. To the point that I've started teaching the Minstrel leg yield at the trot. My Padawan is also adept at controlling him, and is learning leg yields. Soon she'll be trotting them like a pro. Next up, two point.

Aaaaand, I think we've all officially gotten too tall to ride Dusty. He's a good sport though, and we drag him around with us whenever someone is on foot.

eleven eleven

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Veteran's Day! To the veterans, and all the folk in the United States military, thank you.

Can you believe that it's already November 11th? Earlier this week I submitted my leave requests for Christmas leave, and also for a day off after Thanksgiving for my Christmas crafting.

I opened my "ideas for home" document (yes, I'm a modern girl, I have a word document instead of a piece of paper. Though it's really more accurate to say I have a word document and a piece of paper) and realized with a start that we're now n the "Christmas decor projects" time of year.

-buy red construction paper and make a paper chain

-dry sliced oranges and apples for future use [I tried....it didn't end well]
-make wreath with oranges/apples/cinnamon sticks (need cinnamon sticks) [and dried apples and oranges...there's always next year]

-make peacock feather ornaments (put in plastic balls) [I made one with pheasant feathers...I've delayed making one with peacock feathers because I'd hoped to use the ones that were in my hair at my wedding, but I can't find those anywhere.]

-make “kissing ball” (need mistletoe/magnolia leaves/1-2” red satin ribbon and sterofoam ball)

-make stockings [one down! one to go! I'll tell you about that next week]

I guess I do have a use for those craft coupons I hoarde each week just in case I need something.

P.S. This post is late because Zorro requested an 11.11.11. 11:11 post. :-) Of course it has nothing to with the fact that I spent a third of yesterday trying to sleep off congestion that was making me woozy, and a third charging through over 300 pages of the Hunger Games trilogy.

5 Things About Romance

2011-11-10T09:29:00.002-05:00

1. Romance is very subjective. It depends on who you are, and what your day was like. Sometimes the campfire means more than the drippy candles. Sometimes staying in means more than going out. And. Vice Versa.

2. Vacuum cleaners can be a means of showing love, but they are not romantic.

3. Chocolate is always romantic (unless your lover doesn't like chocolate...which would be strange because that like disliking falling in love).

4. Someone who kisses you even when you've had coffee (and he hates the taste of coffee) is very romantic.

5. Flowers are always romantic. (Some girls might care what the flower is, but I'm not one of them.)

the Hunger Games

2011-11-09T09:20:00.002-05:00

I forgot to write a post for you today because I was reading The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. I've heard a lot about that book, but frankly the premise--children slaughtering each other for a reality show--was a bit of a turn off. Imagine my confusion when friends started talking about how good of a book it was. Then someone decided to make the book a movie and they released the first animated movie poster (which I found at http://www.epbot.com/ but haven't been able to find elsewhere) aaand that piqued my curiosity enough to watch the trailer...and now I'm reading the book.

Avidly.

I have never really liked anything written in present tense, I find it jarring. But this book is first person, present tense, and it sucked me right in. I tend to get very involved with the book I'm reading: My mother can tell you stories about trying 3 or 4 times to rouse me when I was deep in a good book. With The Hunger Games, the tension is such that it takes me quite some time to get my heart rate back to normal after I've been reading for a while.

I've not finished it yet, so this isn't exactly a book review--more of an excuse, really. I was reading. Be proud that I made dinner too!

IMDB sums up the story this way (don't worry, no spoilers):
In a not-too-distant future, North America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem. The 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss' young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives. Written by Suzanne Collins

The Smoke Alarm that Cried Wolf

2011-11-08T08:40:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time a smoke alarm lived in a vaulted ceiling above the bed of the Lord and Lady of the house. This smoke alarm knew its job, and waited expectantly for the first whiff of smoke so it could trill the warning to the Lord and Lady to flee the building before it burned down around their ears.

Then the smoke didn't come.

The smoke alarm got bored.

What was it doing up here anyway? No smoke. There would probably never be smoke. It had no purpose. Maybe it could pretend there was smoke...no, no, that wouldn't do. He'd be let go immediately. Removed. Caput. Sent to the fire department for reckoning.

The smoke alarm began to count the minutes. chirp....chirp...
chirp... chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp
....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...
chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...

Suddenly the Lord of the house was there and the smoke alarm was, momentarily, alarmed! as the Lord of the house took the smoke alarm down from the vaulted ceiling. Was this it? Was he fired?

No, the Lord replaced his batteries, then put him back in the vaulted dome. Abashed at being noticed the smoke alarm was quiet for some time, counting the minutes in his head. After a couple months of minute counting--smokeless still--the little smoke alarm lost count and began to count aloud again. chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...
chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...
chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...

The Lord of the house showed up much more quickly this time and again removed the smoke alarm from the vaulted ceiling. "That's strange," thought the alarm, "new batteries again?"

But then he didn't go back up in the vault, but in a hallway, removed from the master suite. The smoke alarm was startled. How odd! Why here? Nothing happened here. But, then again, you could see a little more out the window. Soon, though, the alarm got bored again and again started counting the minutes: chirp....chirp...
chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...
chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...chirp....chirp...

He only got to 480 before the Lord of the house rather abruptly removed him to the basement and put him under a box. Somewhat shocked, the smoke alarm was quiet again. It was boooring under the box, but then...a little lady named Charlotte came by, and she was ever so friendly, and told him lovely stories about a pig that wrote in webs...or something like that. The smoke alarm thought it was all a little far fetched, but he enjoyed her company so he decided not to say anything about the plausibility of her stories.

source

the grass is always greener

2011-11-07T08:17:00.000-05:00

...On the other side of the fence.

Looks the same color to me...

vanilla-garlic

2011-11-04T08:57:00.000-04:00

At college I conducted an ongoing informal poll of the students. If I was in a position to make small talk with an acquaintance, I would ask what his or her favorite flavor of ice cream was. The overwhelming majority said cookies and cream (I confess surprise, having grown up in a family that adored mint chocolate chip and coffee flavors). One gentleman, however, said, "Vanilla!" I don't usually count this as a valid flavor, so I asked him his second favorite. He thought about it a second, grinned, and announced, "French vanilla!"

vampire prevention on a stick, and oh so yummy

Did I tell you about my Lebanese Kabob recipe? I should have. It's amazingly tasty and a serious vampire prevention system. The recipe calls for eight cloves of garlic. Yes, eight. When my garlic is fresh from the store I do not use eight. The kabobs are marinaded in an olive oil/yogurt/garlic sauce, and then a separate yogurt sauce is kept aside for dipping.

What does this have to do with vanilla?

It shouldn't have anything to do with it. But it does. Because the grocery store brand needs to label its yogurt better.

Last week I bought two quarts of plain yogurt--grabbed them up side by each and merrily froze one and kept the other out for breakfasts. Last night I made my garlic kabob recipe and had to defrost some yogurt for it. I had no idea that anything was amiss until I was mixing up the dipping sauce (which is the very, very last thing) and got a little yogurt on my finger. I licked it off and recoiled. Vanilla? I distinctly remembered buying plain--we'd been eating plain all week!

I grabbed the carton, and sure enough. "Vanilla." I wish I still had the carton of plain, so I could compare, but yes, ladies and gentlemen, I had marinaded chicken in a vanilla garlic marinade and then made a vanilla garlic dipping sauce for it.

It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but....vanilla and garlic really don't go together. Just in case you're tempted. And....make sure you look at both cartons of yogurt when you grab them off the shelf.

My First Mod Podge: Make you own magnets!

2011-11-03T08:33:00.000-04:00

I've been hearing a lot about Mod Podge recently. I'd never heard of it until I started following Under the Sycamore Tree and then I discovered Pinterest and half the crafts on there are Mod Podge related one way or another. I finally bought a bottle, and it's taken me a few weeks to do anything with it.

If you've ever lived in an apartment building, I'm sure that the local pizza place or duct cleaner has come by and stuck a magnet to your door. You probably didn't want that magnet, or need it--even if you did, one is a enough, and these folks make regular magnet dropping rounds. I think the people who own condos must collect hundreds of these magnets.

I usually save them. However they are far too ugly for the fridge, long term (I've slowly phased them out as I've gotten better magnets). What they lack in beauty, they make up for in versatility. These a pretty flimsy suckers, which means they are super easy to cut, which means that you can take any picture you like from a magazine, catalog or sketch book and glue it on. Just make sure you put a coat on top too to protect the picture from the liquid which will inevitably get on it if you don't!

I must say I was impressed with how fast Mod Podge dries. These magnets were done in moments once I finally sat down to do them. They are on my fridge now. Just...ignore the wrinkles.

new boots and skinny jeans

2011-11-02T08:24:00.000-04:00

Awhile back I decided to keep my eyes open for real leather boots. I have 3 pair of tall plether boots--2 of which are dress boots starting to show the wear of two winters of almost daily treks to work--and 1 is a casual set with which I traipsed all over the Mediterranean. The fake stuff doesn't last as long as leather, and doesn't look nearly so nice when its heavily worn, so I thought I'd look for leather tall boots.

First: very few major retailers still sell leather boots. Or at least I had a knack for looking at the wrong ones. The leather boots I did find were usually hundred(s) of dollars more than their man-made counterparts. It wasn't pressing, I just bypassed all the boots that weren't leather, no matter how cute.

Second: moms are amazing. My mother-in-law happened to clean out her closet and offer me a pair of tall light brown leather boots she didn't wear anymore. I was delighted with them (you can't see them too well, but that's them, below!)

Then, my mom gave me a great coupon code to Naturalizer and then gave me a heads up when they were having a one day sale of 20% off their entire site. Wouldn't you know, Naturalizer let me use both offers! And voila, I got a pair of comfy chocolate leather boots for 1/3 less than they were going for originally.

The boots came Monday, and I wore them all evening around the house. They were so much easier to break in than my paddock boots it's almost embarrassing. If they didn't have a zipper on the inside I'd be tempted to ride in them. But only tempted.

Tall boots have also made me eat my words about skinny jeans--none of those words actually made it out on this blog, but they nearly did a couple times. I have never been crazy about the skinny jean trend, but I love boots, and boots are really hard to wear in regular jeans of any cut. I caved and bought skinny jeans in September and have really enjoyed the boot action. They are also a lot handier around the barn because they fit under my chaps, so I might just end up owning 2 pairs of what I previously considered a fashion trend that I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole.

However, if you catch me wearing flats or pumps with skinny jeans, please check for a fever.

hiatus

2011-11-01T08:45:00.000-04:00

Navarre got last week off. Thanks to all the rain we've had the grass is a bit too fat and happy for Navarre's good. The same basic weather that makes for good maple syrup also makes for sugary grass, and for some reason I don't quite understand sugary grass can lead to all kinds of problems for a horse. In Navarre's case, it is a mild case of laminitis (inflammation of the lamina of the hoof). Laminae are (as best as I can tell) between the coffin bone and the rest of the hoof. When it gets inflamed it makes the horse a little ouchy and can cause major problems and even a rotation of the coffin bone called founder which can be devastating.

The farrier was out and took one look at Navarre and thought he was off. That's what I call a good farrier. Upon investigation, the soles of his front hooves were warm to the touch. For those of you who don't know, when you pick up a horse's feet you should always keep your eyes open for red spots (bruises) unusually deep troughs next to the frog, or unusual smells (yes, I'm serious), or if you have reason to think the horse isn't perfectly sound, touch the sole. If it's warm, you'll need to do something.

Laminitis can lead to founder, if it goes unnoticed, and some horses struggle with it a lot. However, Navarre should be just fine. His grass intake has been significantly cut back (as have sugars from other sources) and on the second day of that arrangement his hooves were already cooler to the touch. In the mean time, I tested his knowledge some on the ground, and he's catching on very quickly (or remembering?) the commands for leg yield.

It snowed

2011-10-31T08:55:00.000-04:00

Imagine my surprise when I woke up to this on Saturday:

We helped a friend move in the weird little snow storm we had. God was good and none of the movers slipped or slid on the roads or sidewalks!

My begonias look a little sad now!

I was able to bring in my mums before it started to snow, but I hemmed and hawed about my other deck plants too long and they were soaking wet by the time I was in a position to rescue them. I had no place to put soaking wet plants, so hopefully they'll winter over alright. When I get a chance perhaps I can put them in the basement and convince them to hibernate.

All I need is a jug of milk in this picture and it's mint, ice, and cream!

Sorry...that was uncalled for. Anyway, the living room has been arranged to allow for the mums to enjoy sunlight and the occasional sip of water. I finally looked up how to dry gourds and all it takes is cool temperatures, ventilation, and a weather eye for mold. I'm thankful it is nothing more scientific.

the end of the world (again)

2011-10-28T09:17:00.003-04:00

Did you notice? You've survived the end of the world again! The same peop who thought it was ending in May had to revise their opinion to October 21st.

In the past 10 years I've survived the end of civilization once, and the end of the world TWICE. Next year, I trust, will make it three times. I wonder if humanity has always been this convinced the world will end, or if this is a modern obsession.

Unless Jesus decides to come back early, I'm pretty sure the whole Mayan calendar bruhaha means he's probably not coming back in 2012.

At least I know there isn't a chance in the world that I'll miss it.

really dry

2011-10-27T08:39:00.000-04:00

I don't remember if I told you all how I was trying to dry apples for a fall wreath, well....I tried.

I cut them into slices and left them on the hutch for a couple weeks, then began to think that perhaps this wasn't a dry enough environment so I put them in the toaster oven.
You know, toaster ovens have a "timer" setting and an "on" setting. If you want to toast some dry-ish apples, I would recommend using the timer setting. Or at least checking to see which setting the toaster is on so you at least know what to expect. You might just avoid burnt apples.

Aren't they sad looking? I guess I'll have to pass on the wreath for now :-P

5 Reasons to have a Dumb Phone

2011-10-26T08:06:00.000-04:00

1-When my phone battery dies I can still find my way around a strange place because I still know how to read maps.
2-Down time away from home is spent reading the book I tucked in my purse, not browsing the web.
3-If someone steals my phone, they just get a lot of phone numbers.
4-Who would want to steal my phone?
5-I'm not paying for an overpriced dataplan I do not need (see points 1, 2 and 4). . With the money it takes to have a data plan I could go to Starbucks and get 6 frappechinos! Ok..so maybe Starbucks is a bad comparison. However, I'm still not paying for a data plan I don't need. And that money could buy a goat for a family in a struggling country. For real. Every month. That's a lot of goats.

bison and birthdays

2011-10-25T09:39:00.001-04:00

Last week I surprised Zorro with bison steak for his bithday. We'd both had bison burgers in the past, but when I found the steak at a local grocery store a month or two ago I knew exactly what I was doing for his birthday.

Well. I seasoned it. Then Zorro grilled it. (What can I say, the grill is his!)

The packaging had a marinade recipe--which actually did look quite tasty--but since it was our first encounter with bison and we don't usually marinade our steak I decided to use the dry ingrediants of the marinade as a rub:
Chopped garlic
Rosemary
Black pepper

Just to be different, I bought blue potatoes. I think I like red and golden potatoes better, flavor wise, but come on--eating blue potatoes is fun! And my friend Abigail says that we should eat the rainbow.

I think we did decently, we had a lean, probably grass fed dark meat, blue potatoes, and green beans (sauted with garlic and red pepper and black pepper--did you know that black pepper is one of those secret things that is really good for you?)
I think we over cooked the bison just a smidge (the packaging said it was best medium, and both Zorro and I agree with that statement. It's just such a dark meat it was hard to tell when it reached medium). It was extremely tasty Tender, lean and yet not dry. I think we need more bison ranches in the world, because I want bison to be a more regular part of my diet!

Oh yes, we had local hard cider, too. And Birthday presents.

It was prety much an awesome dinner.

Spontaneous Lighthouseing

2011-10-24T08:59:00.002-04:00

I found a mirror with a blue frame at a local thrift shop a while back. I did not need a mirror, but I'm a frame hound and something about the dark blue frame was just delightful. Besides, this was also my favorite thrift shop which means that I probably paid $3 or $4 for it.

When I got my fall decorating itch I rearranged the mantel and ended up hanging the blue framed mirror. It was a slightly odd place for a mirror. Too high to really see yourself, but high enough to blind you because it reflected the light from the ceiling fan.

I wanted to cover it somehow, but I couldn't quite bring myself to paint onto it. It was, after all, a perfectly good mirror, and we won't be in this house forever.

Then I got the idea to use tissue paper and made a shadow picture. And what else should I hang in the living room but Goose Rocks Lighthouse, in which Zorro and I spent a memorable two nights on our honeymoon?

Last Thursday I sat down with a pencil, scissors and Zorro's x-acto knife (and a phone to catch up with my folks) and a picture of Goose Rocks and viola!

Plus two notes about this weekend:
1-I surprized Zorro--twice!
2-I got hit by a bug. No joke. I was driving with the windows down and a bug came in the window and died on my face. Not nice.
3-since 2 was gross it shouldn't count. So, 3 is really the real 2. I got to drive the Mustang :D

A long time ago

2011-10-21T08:15:00.000-04:00

...in a galaxy far, far away...

Zorro was born.

Right before we started dating I was throwing birthday parties. I don't know what came over me that year, but it just turned into the year I planned birthday parties for everyone. It was great fun--tons of work--but very rewarding. I started planning Zorro's with some additional jitters.

He all but planned a surprise party for me (two weeks before my birthday, and Star Wars themed).

I'd not really intended to throw parties for everyone, they'd just sort of...come out...and throwing one for him was going to be awkward for me--though probably not for anyone else. I figured the only place he wouldn't expect it would be his family's house, so I contacted them and asked if I could use their house for a surprise party. They of course said yes. He'd commented once about wanting to travel the world, but not alone, and so I decided to throw a safari themed party and set about gathering whatever African doo-dads I could.

Oh....did I mention that I contacted his family two months in advance? I actually had some really grandiose plans--even getting some mail-room guys in on it--that never materialized because I couldn't find postcards from Africa.

But then he asked me out and suddenly throwing the party made sense to me and it was my job to keep him away from home while they decorated and people arrived.

I kept him way away, on a scenic drive, so away that we were late to the party--and he was only mildly surprised because he'd deduced that I would think that the only place he wouldn't have expected to be surprised was at his house.

Sigh. I was close to sorta surprising him. That one time.