Creaky Cogs

FIDDLESTICKS! I missed the Bead Soup Reveal!

2011-09-19T23:13:00.000-07:00

Dang it! I thought I had everything so well planned. :(

This past week I've been gone and for a wonderful reason. At long last we took our parents on a well deserved Anniversary cruise to Alaska! It was fantastic being there with family, even though it rained a lot. There will be pictures to follow (beware).

I knew that the Bead Soup Reveal Day would fall while I was on the ship, so I set everything up to automatically publish on Friday night. Problem is… it didn't.

Today I finally got back on the computer and the first thing I saw as a note from the lovely Bead Soup party coordinator threatening to blackball me for not posting my pictures. (I guess I can't blame her, she's worked so hard on this.) Then I saw a note from my wonderful Bead Soup partner who was worried whether I was alive or not.

I feel like a heel. My apologies to one and all.

So, without further ado, I present My Bead Soup Project!

*************************

Can you believe time has flown? It seems like only yesterday that we were assigned partners and my beads showed up in the mail.

I finally decided to use the pink and blue bead collection. If you read my post when the beads arrived you'll see that my partner, Terry Carter, very kindly sent me two sets of beads. It was hard to chose which to use, but I kept imagining a lovely Victorian setting with drippy tea stained lace and lavender ribbons intertwined with the beads. The focal piece would be offset and feature a large lavender ribbon bow… yes, the plans kept running through my head.

Problem was, I couldn't quite make it work.

The focal piece was just too heavy to stay where I wanted it (on the collarbone at the left side) and kept sliding down to the middle. The ribbons where gorgeous, but too thick to string beads on, so I tried beading them but that just didn't look right.

Finally, in despair I called out the cavalry. In this case, my sister Holly.

You should know that Holly is the crafty/talented one in the family. She spins her own yard, knits, crochets, beads… everything.

Holly came in to see what I was doing and just shook her head. What I had in mind would never work. But… ta da! She'd just finished crocheting some lovely black lace that would look great with the colors of the beads and the focal. And if we got rid of the ribbon, and restrung the beads….

Two hours later, and here is the masterpiece. I have to admit flat out that it isn't my work. This is all my sister's inspiration but I love it and don't want to change it. I hope you like it also. It's no longer Victorian, but it's oh so fun.

Drum Roll....

The picture, sadly, does not do it justice. The beads are very pretty lavender, pink and several shades of blue. The lace also doesn't show up well but Holly did a great job on it.

Thanks Terry, for the lovely beads!

I enjoyed being part of Bead Soup this year

To see Terry Carter's (my partner) creationa, go here.
They are amazing!

http://tappingflamingo.blogspot.com/2011/09/caribbean-seas.html

To see the rest of the Bead Soup projects go here:

The Hostess, Lori Anderson and her partner, Manuela Wutschke

1. Aimee Wheaton and Barbara York

2. Alice Craddick and Sandra Richardson

3. Alison Sachs and Amy Severino

4. Allison Scott and Cynthia Abner

5. Amanda Cargill Austin and Charlene Sevier

6. Amanda Davie and Patsy Evins

7. Amber Dawn and Kim Ballor

8. Ambra Gostoli and Christine Hansen

9. Amy Freeland and Christine Altmiller

10. Ana Krepel-Novak and Eleanor Snare

11. Andrea Morici and Hope Smitherman

12. Andrea Trank and Jayne Capps

13. Andrea Turini and Charlene Jacka

14. Angela May and Emanda Johnson

15. Anitra Gordy and Elizabeth Owens Dwy

16. Ann Rishell and Debbie Price

17. Ann Sherwood and Lynne Bowland

18. Anna Lear and Barbe Saint John

19. Anna Sabina and Erin Siegel

19. Nan Emmett and Erin Siegel

20. Astrid Boyce and Birgitta Lejonklou

21. B.R. Kuhlman and Deanna Chase

22. Barbara Bechtel and Bryna Lumb

23. Barbara Blaszczyk and DaviniaDesign

24. Barbara Judy and Holly Westfall

25. Barbara Lewis and Cathie Carroll

26. Barrie Edwards and Lyn Foley

27. Becky Fairclough and Jana Tarhala

28. Bella Borgouise and Gillian Lehman

29. Beth and Evie McCord and Erin Prais-Hintz

30. Beth Bricker and Heather Pyle

31. Beth Emery and Cassie Donlen

32. Bobbie Rafferty and Cindy Cima Edwards

33. Candice McGinnis and Sally Anderson

34. Carol Bradley and Cece Cormier

35. Cathy Khoury and Molly Alexander

36. Carol Tannahill and Hilary Frye

37. Carrie Tahquechi and Cris Peacock

38. Cat Pruitt and Cindy Gimbrone

39. Charlene Gary and Doris Stumpf

40. Charlotte Pevny and Kate Gardenghi

41. Cherrie Fickand Cathie Carroll

41. Claire Maunsell and Cherrie Fick

42. Cheryl Roe and Jenny Vidberg

43. Chris White and Norma Turvey

44. Christa Murphy and Kathy Alderfer

45. Christie Murrow and Dana James

46. Christina Miles and Collette Collins

47. Christine Brandel and Elizabeth Woodford

48. Christine Damm and Cynthia Deis

49. Christine Hendrickson and Debbie Goering

50. Christine Stonefield and Dee Wingrove-Smith

51. Cilla Watkins and Johanna Rhodes

52. Cindy Wimmer and Riki Schumacher

53. CJ Baushka and Cory Celaya

54. Courtney Breul and Joanna Matuszczyk

55. Cristi Clothier and Kathleen Robinson Young

56. Cryss Thain and Serena Trent

57. Cynthia Tucker and Kitty Durmaj

58. Dana Johnson Jones and Eva Sherman

59. Davinia Algeri and Janet McDonald

60. Deci Worland and Lara Lutrick

61. Diana Ptaszynski and Kristy Abner

62. Diane Cook and Kerry Bogert

63. Diane Hawkey and Jen Judd Velasquez

64. Dorcas Midkiff and Jill Harris

65. Doris Radlicki and Heather Goldsmith

66. Dot Lewallen and Gaea Cannaday

67. Elisabeth Auld and Jennifer Justman

68. Erin Fickert-Rowland and Geanina Grigore

69. Erin Grant and Julie Jones

70. Eszter Czibulyas and Helena Fritz

71. Fiona Christie and Michelle Heim

72. Gail Zwang and Genea Crivello-Knable

73. Geneva Collins and Jana Haag

74. Gretchen Nation and Heidi Post

75. Heather DeSimone and Karin Slaton

76. Heather Marley and Terry Carter

77. Ingrid McCue and Jennifer Pride

78. Jackie Ryan and Nicole Keller

79. Janna Harttgen and Joanne Tinley

80. Jean Yates and Lori Anderson

81. Jelveh Jaferian and Jenny Davies-Reazor

82. Jenni Connolly and Jennifer Heynen

83. Jennifer Cameron and Kristi Bowman

84. Jennifer Geldard and Lisa Liddy

85. Jennifer VanBenschoten and Kim Hora

86. Jess Italia Lincoln and Lori Greenberg

87. Jill MacKay and Lori Bergmann

88. JJ Jacobs and Karen Tremblay

89. Joyce Becker and Kathy Welsh

90. Judy Glende and Karen Sinkowski

91. Judy Riley and Kelly Morgan

92. JuLee Wolfe and Julie Bean

93. Julianna Cannon and Julianna Kis

94. Julie Nordine and Lesley Watt

95. K. Hutchinson and Shea Zukowski

96. Karen Firnberg and Karyn Bonfiglio

97. Karen Williams and Kimberly Roberts

98. Karen Zanco and Polly Barker

99. Kari Carrigan and Laura Twiford

100. Karin von Hoeren and Laura Blanck

101. Kate Richbourg and Lorelei Eurto

102. Kathleen Lange Klik and Maria Clark

103. Kathy Engstrom and Keri Lee Sereika

104. Kay Thomerson and Loretta Carstensen

105. Kelley Fogle and Laurel Bielec

106. Kelly Ramstack and Sally Anderson

107. Kim Stevens and Tiffany Long

108. Kristi Harrison and Mandy Williamson

109. Kristi Kyle and Lana Kinney

110. Kristina Johansson and Sue Hodgkinson

111. Kym Hunter and Laura Sanger

112. Laura Zeiner and Susan Kennedy

113. Laurel Steven and Mary McGraw

114. Laurie Hanna and Lisa Boucher

115. Lesley Weir and Liz DeLuca

116. Linda Djokic and Tracey Weiser

117. Linda Inhelder and Pam Brisse

118. Linda Landig and Lori Dorrington

119. Linda Murphy and Lisa Hamilton

119. Line Labrecque and Marianne Baxter

120. Lisa Lodge and Monica Johnson

121. Lois Moon and Melissa Muir

122. Lola Surwillo and Therese Frank

123. Lori Bowring Michaud and Marci Brooks

124. Lupe Meter and Norma Agron

125. Maggie Towne and Marge Beebe

126. Malin de Koning and Susie Hibdon

127. Mallory Hoffman and Shirley Moore

128. Marcie Abney and Patty Miller

129. Marcy Lamberson and Melissa Clarke

130. Margot Potter and Suzann Sladcik Wilson

131. Maria Grimes and Wendy Blum

132. Maria Horvath and Melinda Orr

133. Maria Rosa Sharrow and Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp

134. Marian Hertzog and Melissa Mesara

135. Marianna Boylan and Sandi Lee James

136. Marina Dobrynina and Michaela Pabeschitz

137. Marsha Neal and Miri Agassi

138. Mary Ellen Parker and Melissa Meman

139. Mary Elliott and Tamara Soper

140. Mary Hicks and Laurel Steven

141. Melissa Pynn and Michelle Buettner

142. Michelle Hardy and Niki Meiners

143. Michelle Mach and Moira McEvoy

144. Missy Rappaport and Norma Agron

145. Molly Alexander and Poranna

146. Mylene Hillam and Nicole Rennell

147. Nadezhda Parfyonova and Stacey Curry

148. Nan Emmett and Nancy Peterson

149. Nancy Boylan and Natalie McKenna

150. Natalie Monkivitch and Niky Sayers

151. Natasha Lutes and Pam Ferrari

152. Noemi Baena and Penny Ilagan

153. Pamela Petry and Rebecca Sirevaag

154. Pat Haight and Mary McGraw

155. Patty Gasparino and Vonna Maslanka

156. Penny Neville and Sandi Volpe

157. Pepita Bos and Wendy Chamberlain

158. Raida Disbrow and Rebecca Watkins

159. Rebecca Anderson and Sabrina Staub

160. Regina Santerre and Rose Binoya

161. Rhea Freitag and Tari Kahrs

162. Rochelle Brisson and Sheryl Stephen

163. Sally Russick and Tracy Bell

164. Sandra McGriff and Shay Williams

165. Sandra Wolberg and Sara Hardin

166. Sarah Elder and Salla Small

167. Saskia Kaffenberger and Sharon Gardner

168. Sharon Palac and Shannon Chomanczuk

169. Shay Stone and Suzette Bentley

170. Shiraz Biggie and Tammy Powley

171. Staci Smith and Tracy Stillman

172. Stacie Stamper and Tracy Martin

173. Stefanie Teufel and Vicky Taylor

174. Stephanie Dixon and Stephanie LaRosa

175. Stephanie Haussler and Valerie Norton

176. Suzanne Tate and Terri Wlaschin

177. Sweet Freedom Designs and Tammy Jones

178. Tania Spivey and Tari Sasser

179. Tara Plote and Terry Matuszyk

180. Terri Gauthier and Deana Hager

181. Theresa Fosdick and Tracey Nanstad

For the next Bead Soup party look here:

http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/

Woot! Beads in the mail

2011-08-21T00:58:00.000-07:00

My beads arrived today! Needless to say I immediately tore into the package.

I'm glad I used scissors to open it up because Terry had done a lovely job in packing the beads and had sent a very nice note.

Here is what the package looked like:

Inside there was not one package of beads, but TWO!

Isn't the furry circle unique? I've never seen anything quite like it before. With that bold gold checking it reminds me of Gloria Swanson. Now I wonder... would you wear it with the fur showing, to be daring, or with the fur turned inward against your skin? hmmmm
I like the way the wood and turquoise colored bead work together. Normally I'd pull out some leather cording for something like this, but maybe I'll use bronze chain instead.
Must think, must think.

Then there is the pink package. The first thing I thought of when I saw it was - a Victorian choker, with soft silk ribbons. I wonder if I should use the silver clasp to depend the focal bead? Definitely need to use the seed beads for little splashes of light.

I'm so excited! Time to get to work.

Bead Soup Party

2011-08-09T17:52:00.000-07:00

I am SO excited to be part of Lori Anderson's summer Bead Soup Party. I've never done anything like this before, so it will be a first!

Here's how it works. After signing up on Lori's blog we were paired off. Each person prepares a packet of lovely beads including a nice clasp, a focal piece and assorted beads and spacers. Off the packet goes in the mail to our assigned partner and we're then to make something stunning out of our newly found treasure.

I was given the name of Terry Carter, who has a blog called Tapping Flamingo. First thing I noticed - she's Mormon too! Of course I would have been pleased to be paired with anyone, but I confess it made me grin like a little girl when the first thing I spied on her blog was the Angel Moroni on top of the Baton Rouge Temple. Go check out her blog at http://tappingflamingo.blogspot.com. Right now her top post is for a orzo salad that looks wonderful.

I can't post a picture of the beads I'm sending to Terry, because it's a surprise, but I'll post of picture of those I receive and you can follow along. I'm hoping to get all crafty and artistic and make something wonderful!

2011-06-01T01:30:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I was introduced to a fun new bit of social-ness on the web. It's called Pinterest and it's all about your favorite images.

If you're anything like me you have a huge file of pictures that you've found on the web and you want to keep. And if you're really like me you'll have forgotten where you found most of those pictures.

Pinterest lets you link (or "pin") the picture (and the website) that you've found and post the picture in one of your boards. They even have a little gadget you can stick on your Favorites/Links bar, to help you snap up any pictures you find.

Friends and the public and then browse your boards and re-pin the picture to their own boards. You can also follow other boards (or people) that you enjoy and even leave comments.

I had to apply to the site and then wait several days for an invitation, but I doubt they will turn anyone away.

Go take a look!

http://pinterest.com

You're welcome to browse my boards if you'd like.

I'd love you to leave a comment. :)

http://pinterest.com/complinebelle/

Amazing Rescue!

2010-10-14T00:52:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that three months ago, when the news broke about Chilean miners being found alive but half a mile down, the first thing I thought was "They're dead". I had no hope for the poor men and was sure the media vultures would have a heyday as they reported the miners dying one by one, far from their loved ones.

Fast forward to tonight when I sat with tears in my eyes and watched the amazing rescue unfold. I've never been so glad to be proven wrong!

One thing does bother me. From the few statements of the miners and their families you get a glimpse into how much their faith in God helped to pull them through this ordeal. Sadly but predictably, the US media is doing all they can to filter out these "religious" aspects of the story. No wonder the world sees America as a godless country. That brings tears to my eyes also.

But forget the media and let's say thank you to the men and women who worked so tirelessly to bring the miners home and to the Lord for his hand in the rescue. Gracias Senor!

A Month of Hideous Fun

2010-10-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

Here it comes - our favorite month of the year. Except for December, of course. And July. Can't live without July. And maybe April. But where was I?
OH YES! Halloween Month. Might as well call it Halloween Month, since we'll start decorating tomorrow and won't stop until the ghouls come out on the 31st.

But more on this subject in the coming days. Today I wanted to mention two things:

1) L. Tom Perry Tie Alert!!
We love watching each conference to see which tie L. Tom Perry will be wearing. He's always on the cutting edge of sartorial fashion as far as I'm concerned. I'll never forget the pale pink tie he wore one Easter. Stunning!

I only caught a glimpse of Saturday's tie as they showed the apostles walking out - seemed to be baby blue.
But today's tie was a real winner. Pale gold with dark squares. Very Distinguished!

2) The demise of BOB
I was so sad to come back to my blog list after a summer away and find that Kim P. had closed the Binge On Books blog. I always enjoyed that blog - both the content and the writing. I even contributed to it once of twice myself, although sadly not enough to help her keep it alive. I'm glad she's still writing her Ex Libris Lady blog. You've got me as a life long reader, Kim!

Now, back to scrounging the fridge in the hopes of a nourishing Post Conference Nosh.

The Great Clothing Coverup

2010-06-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

No, it's not the name of the newest fashion house based murder mystery, it's my annoyance at not being able to readily find clothing that a modest girl can wear. Why should be have to fight this battle? I'm used to never being able to find pants that will fit someone six feet tall. I'm also used to there being no cute shoes produced that are larger than a 10. But when I can't find a shirt that isn't sleeveless or a skirt that doesn't stop at mid thigh, well that's when I get mad.

What's a girl supposed to do in this situation?
You know quite well - layering. We all do it, and frankly I'm tired of it. I have a closet full of tank tops and cardigans for making regular shirts and dresses presentable.

The other day I was trolling my friends on Facebook (I sometimes do look at Facebook, although that's another story) and ran across a girl I knew from when I was in Young Womens. Her daughter had won Homecoming Princess (or Prom Queen or whatever they call those things now days) and pictures of her with her date were posted. The girl is lovely. The dress was a very pretty lavender georgette - halter top. What's a girl to do? Well this girl had worn what appeared to be a white teeshirt under the gown. YIKES!!! It wasn't a good combination. Did not go with the tiara AT ALL.

Every so often I slum it and go to Nordstroms Rack. They no longer have cute clothes in my size *sigh* but they at least have shoes over size 10. I was shocked and flabbergasted when the first thing I saw as we entered the store was a cute, MODEST cocktail dress. NO KIDDING! (Sorry, I'll lay off the capitol letters now.)

Take a look:

Sorry for the bad exposure. That's what happens when you try to sneak a picture with an iPhone. I don't know why Nordstrom's store security would care if I took a picture of a dress, but I was feeling very sneaky about snapping the shot. Weird, no?

But isn't the dress sweet! Who would believe that clothing manufacturers knew how to make sleeves?!?
Sadly, I didn't get the name of the designer. I'd send her flowers. Truly.

I did run across a fun web site that feature modest, wearable clothing. It's also got a funky name, which only makes it more appealing. See what you think!
http://www.shabbyapple.com

PW comes to Beaverton!

2010-03-31T23:23:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of the Pioneer Woman blog. Photography, Cooking, Homeschooling and wonderful accounts of meeting Mr. Right - how could a blog go wrong with content like that?

I even bought PW's cookbook as a Christmas gift for my mother. (Who left it here, supposedly by accident, so I've been enjoying it all by myself!)

If you haven't seen this cookbook, you must check it out. Scrumptious recipes and even better photographs, all bound together by PW's wit, which makes a great sauce.

Today PW announced her Spring Book tour and she's coming here!
Not just Portland, here - Beaverton, here!

Monday, April 19, 2010, 6:00 pm
Powell's Bookstore at Cedar Hills Crossing

I'm not a huge Powell's fan (they're so snooty) but I'll brave the snubs of their staff for the chance to get my book autographed by Ree Drummond herself. This will actually be a moment of some import. The last time I stood in line to get an autograph it for Henry Kissinger.

Anyone want to come? We can swap biscuit recipes while we stand in line.

A Family Home Evening Idea for Passover

2010-03-28T22:58:00.000-07:00

Or should that be "A Passover Idea for Family Home Evening"?
Probably the later, but I was afraid that people would be scared off by the early use of the word Passover, and I'd NEVER get your attention.

Either way, here's a wonderful video on how to make a delicious and easy unleavened bread. It's a great way to have fun with the kids and teach them about a holiday that held special meaning for the Saviour and thus for all of us.

Mark Bittman's Olive Oil Matzo (Sardinian style)

I have to admit to a love for matzo. So good in so many ways - the best of which is Matzo Ball soup. But I also like to eat it plain, with a thin, thin coat of good mayonnaise and a bit of kosher salt. (Must be kosher salt - not for the kosher, but for the granularity). So crunchy, so satisfying.

Manga!
Oops. I should say Nosh!

And Good Passover to you. :)

Bad Sports

2010-02-28T23:08:00.000-08:00

Are you as fed up with the examples of bad sportsmanship that were churned out at this Olympics?

Perhaps this go-round wasn't any worse than other Olympic years, but I actually sat down and watch a good chunk of these Olympics and I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

To start off, I wanted to board a train, hop off at Pacific Coliseum and personally flick Plushenko on the ear for his descent into bad sportsmanship. What a way to end a brilliant career - to become the whiny baby. "But I did a Quad! They promised me!"

Right. I forgot. First rule of skating is "Come out of Retirement because your Country is hard up for Talent, and the World will grovel at your feet". Second rule is - "You get to make up the rules". Strange, I thought it was "Land your jumps gracefully, instead of having to hang on to every one of them, and the judges will reward you with points."

Just in case you think I'm being anti-Russian and pro-American here, let me pull out my next complaint - the American Women's ski team debacle.

Jeeze Louise, girls! Get a grip!
I went back and forth about who I felt was being slighted, but finally I just tossed both Vonn and Mancuso out the back door. Mancuso's histronics when she had to do her run again and then failed miserably were something I expect to see in Nursery, not in a sporting competition.

Finally, there was Team USA today, taking the silver in Hockey.
Have you ever seen such bitterly disappointed faces? Such hang-dog expressions. Such woe and self-flagellation for the camera! Oh golly, we got silver. Boo hoo!
Suck it up boys! Smile and move on.

OK, maybe I'm being hard on people, but I did see so many GREAT examples of sportsmanship, that these bad ones really stuck in my craw.

Did you catch the Four Man Bob Sled event? The leaders would stand in the winning area, jumping around and happy, and as they were knocked out of contention they didn't tear their numbers off or sob - no, they smiled, waved to the crowd stepped aside for the winners.

How about the Ariel Ski Jump competition? There was this cool little reception spot at the bottom of the hill, with big waterproof beanbag chairs for the top three leaders. When a new guy bumped someone off the leader board, the loser immediately congratulated the winner, shook hands and left with a wave to the crowd.

Then there was the Men's Nordic Combined event. I found the whole thing amazing.
The conditions went from pretty good to downright poor during the second run of the ski jump. The leaders suddenly found themselves turning in awful jumps simply because of the wind and snow. This meant they were docked time and had to start up to a full minute behind their competitors in the cross country portion of the competition.

You didn't see any of these athletes whining or demanding a new jump, even though the group with the awful times included some of the best jumpers in the world. Nope, they just ponied up and did their job.

Now that is being a good sport.

I competed in several beauty pageants during high school and college. At the close of the competition everyone stands on stage and the Master of Ceremonies reads off the winners names with lots of drama. When this happens you face the audience, head held high, and put on your biggest smile, no matter what happens.

I always seemed to get Second Runner Up, so I know how it feels to have your heart sink right down into your three inch high heels when your name is called as a runner up and you suddenly know that you lost. But even in pageants, sportsmanship is the rule.

You don't fall down on the stage and beat your fists against the red carpet. You don't tear up the bouquet you've been handed and stomp off stage. You don't argue that your rousing rendition of "The Boy Stood On The Burning Deck" should trump her keyboard fusion of Jazz and Mozart. That's not how it's done. You keep smiling, no matter what, and then you give your heartfelt congratulations to the winner, even if you really, really hate that ugly purple dress she's wearing.

Admittedly, being a good sport sometimes means biting your tongue and putting on an act. But that's what being adult and civilized is about - not giving into your childish emotions, and learning to accept downturns with grace. That's a tough life lesson, but one that we need to teach our children, early on, and one that we should recognize and reward whenever we see it. It's too bad that the biggest Olympic athletes can't be bothered to help us teach this.

A gold in Sportsmanship? Not such a bad idea.
Even beauty pageants select a good sport to be crowned Miss Congeniality, and that's not an honor to be taken lightly.

I'm in Lights!

2010-01-24T17:45:00.001-08:00

My entry to the Hopefully Mormon blog was posted!
:D

I'm not telling which one it is, but I'm absurdly proud just now.

DIY Mormon Ads

2009-12-30T13:59:00.000-08:00

I follow the blog of a feisty, rather opinionated and completely fun girl (oops - woman) who lives in the wilds of Utah. She has some really amusing posts and I always look forward to what she offers next.

This time she really surprised me. She and a friend have gotten together to start a Pro-Mormon blog without the long drawn out "text heavy" discussions (as she puts it). Instead they intend to show the gospel and mormon life in art form. They are starting at the new year, and soliciting 4 by 6 pictures depicting the hope that the gospel gives to you.

Take a look at her post with the announcement
http://aluminumfoiled.blogspot.com/2009/12/hopefully-mormon.html

and then drop by the new blog "Hopefully Mormom" for some examples of what they hope to do.
http://hopefullymormon.blogspot.com/

I love the idea of making our own little Mormon Ads! I've already finished my first (I think it's wonderful, of course) and am submitting it tonight. Won't you come join me? It sounds like a lot of fun - and could be great for kids too!

The rug has been pulled out

2009-11-22T21:13:00.000-08:00

For the past six years I've hosted several webs and forums, as well as a gallery of my photography, on my own private domain - StoneCairn.com.

I love having my own web site. Makes me feel like I own a summer home, or a private island. I liked it so much that I bought a "Never Renew Again" package with my web hosting company. This means that I plunked down a lot of cash, up front, to be sure I'd have uninterrupted service and never have to budget in another web host payment. All I paid was the renewal on the domain name (which was annoying, but necessary).

Last Thursday, out of the blue, I got a nice invoice from my web host for £39. The web host is Irish, so not only do I pay their rates, I pay the ugly conversion to dollars also. That means they were billing me for $64!

I quickly sent back an email telling them that I had a lifetime package and advising that there must be some mistake.

Nope. They politely told me that they'd decided to no longer honor the lifetime packages and I could pay up or my web would be terminated on January 1st.

What followed was a lot of steam rising from my ears.

This has to be illegal. The part of me that paid rapt attention during three years of law school agrees, it's got to be illegal. What I don't know is whether it's worthwhile to fight this. Even if I win, do I want to continue to do business with people who consider this type of practice ethical?

I decided to see what the rest of the world is paying for web hosting. I don't need much - just PHP and a nice SQL backend to host my databases. Most services offer that. While I was looking I started looking for a domain host, so I could register the domain name in my name and then point it to wherever I wanted.

No problem there - I found a pretty inexpensive domain host (costing about half what I've been paying my Irish company). They would be happy to register my StoneCairn domain, but they need two things - the name unlocked by the Irish company, and an authorization code.

The Irish company refused to give me an authorization code, and instead sent me a document which would unlock the domain but immediately terminate my account (and web).

More steam.

Lots more steam.

In fact, I think my ears are going to be permanently red.

So now I'm at a crossroads. Do I dump everything I've put in place for the past six years and just walk away? Can I justify the expense of what is mostly preening my own feathers? Is there any way I can send Saint Patrick over to wail on a few unscrupulous Irish business men with his shillelagh? Maybe I'd best call in a pooka instead of a saint.

I have five weeks to decide.

I'm stuck.

Sca-wee Movies

2009-10-27T21:02:00.000-07:00

In October we love to curl up with a blanket, a mug of fresh pressed cider and a warm puppy to watch some good old fashioned scary movies.

Mind you, we're not into the mind-numbing gorefests that Hollyweird is intent on force feeding everyone now days. No indeed. Instead we love old campy movies. You know, the ones where you can see the zipper on the back of the monster? Oh yeah. Now THAT'S entertainment.

However, the month didn't start off so well. I'm far too outraged (and cheap) to pay for television, so we only get the feed off the air. (Which is quite enough, thank you much. All I need is Antiques Roadshow and Castle and I'm perfectly happy.) OK, so we do watch a few things on Hulu, but that's all.

One of the free channels is a KATU clone called "This". They show old movies and TV shows all day long, and this month they promise a feast of old bad horror movies. Basically think, "Vincent Price runs rampant!" Haha! We thought! We're in luck!

On October 1st we turned on the TV and settled in for

"IT! The Thing From Beyond Space".

A Martian vampiric monster stows away aboard a spaceship headed to earth! Sounds promising, huh?

Man oh man, was that a dud.

This movie ranks up there with the stupidest flicks of all time. I won't even tell you that I almost threw a mug (empty) at our brand new LCD tv because the ending was SO illogical! But isn't "IT" cute?

Then we tried a few of the Vincent Price offerings.

Yipes. What a bore! Their idea of scary is red jello, druids and naughty innuendo. Yawn, yawn.

Finally I gave up on TV and we pulled out the REAL Halloween stuff.

May I present this year's Halloween Movie Lineup?

1) "The Others"

This is a new comer to our flick fest, but it did well.

Set on the Isle of Jersey in the days following the end of WWII, there is no blood here, just good old fashioned chills.

We originally saw this movie in the theatre with an intrepid band of sisters from the ward. Great fun!

I will say that is was not as scary the second time around, but it was still a very satisfying evening.

(Although I longed to take the heroine aside, tell her the Plan of Salvation and get her a copy of the Book of Mormon. This woman needed help.)

2) "Brides of Dracula"

This is one of those wonderful campy movies that passes all the tests, thanks mainly to the superb stage presence of "Saint" Peter Cushing as Van Helsing.

In my opinion, this is Hammer Film's Best of the Best. Still, be prepared to have your kids laugh, but I love it. (And to think that most people only know Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin!!)

3) "Kwaidan"

This ensemble of spooky Japanese horror stories is wonderful stuff! (If you don't mind reading subtitles.) No anime here! The film is lush and sparse at the same time. I love it!

Oddly enough, the original stories were written by a Caucasian who went to the orient and lost himself in the culture. But that's another story.

Part of the Criterion Collection, it's sometimes hard to get your hands on a copy. Bribe me and I'll loan it to you. :)

4) The Dresden Files

This Canadian-filmed television series only lasted one season, sadly. It does a fair job of bringing the Jim Butcher's "Dresden" books to life.

Yes, they are about a wizard.

Named Harry.

No, not that Harry.

This one is actually a lot of fun. ;)

Harry makes ends meet by using his skills as a private detective.

To be honest, I could only read about four of the Dresden books before I lost interest. Butcher is a bit long winded, and after a while Harry gets to be a pain. The fact that Butcher gives Harry an anti-Christian streak is annoying, even though he is friends with a dyed in the wool Paladin. (Never did figure that one out.)

The good news is that the show is GREAT fun, without any of the weird stuff from the books! It's a nice mix of dark and light, with fun special effects, and a wonderful damned sorcerer's spirit-in-a-skull named "Bob".

You've got to watch this one. It pretty much saved Halloween this year, all by itself!

We have one episode left out of the twelve, and I think we'll save it for Friday night.

5) "Dracula" - the Spanish version

Did you know that while Bela Legosa was filming the classic 1931 version of Dracula, a seperate version, in Spanish was being filmed at the same time? The English actors would film in the day and the Spanish actors would show up and film on the same sets at night!

I think the Spanish version is actually much better than the English version, the only problem is that it lacks a sound track.

Sadness.

Still good fun at Halloween (again with subtitles).

6) "The Ghost and the Darkness"

Frankly the scarest movie I've ever watched, this retelling of the true story of "The Man-Eaters of Tsavo" is beautifully filmed, well played and makes me scream like a girl.

Micheal Douglas and Val Kilmer are at top form! (The costumes are good, too.)

When I first saw it, this movie freaked me out so badly I wouldn't walk through the house in the dark for nearly a month. Superb!

My mother refuses to watch this movie.

NOT for children.

And finally - my favorite movie of all time -

7) "The Thing From Another World"

Also known simply as "The Thing", this is the original 1951 horror flick with James Arness playing the monster, not to be confused with any of the ridiculous remakes.

(Look close at the picture. Can't you just see Matt Dillion?)

But don't be fooled, this is top flight sci fi and horror wrapped into one.

What makes it so great? Frankly, it's the dialog. You have to sit back and listen to these guys. The funniest lines go on in the background. We just crack up every time we watch.

When the monster does appear, he's a force to be reckoned with. You'll scream and cheer and cover your eyes! Doesn't get much better than this, folks.

This one we're saving for the very last!

Here's hoping our list will help you find something to do beside bob for apples this year.

We wish you much popcorn (because it flies in the air so well when you jump and scream).

Hallo-w00t!!

2009-10-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

I drove home from work today, all achy and tired, and arrived to find...

PUN-KINS!!!

Yes, indeedydo, my sweet sister had decorated!

We have plastic grinning jack-o-lanterns hanging from the garage eaves, and a group of jolly jack-o-lanterns on the porch and a huge black blow-up cat with a witches hat and my oh my, but I feel ever so much better.

The best part is, I don't think she ever reads my blog, so that means she decorated out of the goodness of her heart and not to stop me from whining in public. :)

So, in honor of her, I present our favorite Calvin Halloween cartoon.

Not a Ghost of a Chance

2009-10-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

I think I've lost the spirit of Halloween.

OK, OK, I know. Halloween shouldn't be at the top of my list of celebrations for the year. But honestly, when you combine a carte blanche to wear outrageous costumes, stay up late, watch campy black and white movies and eat candy, what could be more fun than that?

Truth be told, I do three of those four things on a regular basis, so Halloween isn't that much different than a normal day.... but it's the spirit of the thing, right?

Apparently, not right. Wrong, even. :(

When October 1st rolled around, my sister and I planned to break out the decorations and make a month of it! But then we decided to put off the decorating until after General Conference. Just to be respectful. (Yeah, right.) Then we put it off until after the gutters were cleared. Then until the rain subsided. And then... then it was October 21st, just 10 days from H-Day, and still no decorations in sight.

I'm bummed.

Depressed.

All I have is one lonely pumpkin.

Must do something about the lack of spiritedness.

Soon.

Rats

2009-09-27T00:28:00.000-07:00

Tonight the Normal Mormon Husband threw in the towel. No more will we snicker along as we read his blog.

I can't say I blame him. Writing blogs can be difficult. It's so much easier for most people to run to Facebook and drop a one liner, or even stumble over to twitter and cut down the English language to the bare number of allowed characters.

Obviously, I'm not a fan of either site. I enjoy a well thought out sentence, a nicely developed paragraph, some visceral visual imagery, and a good dénouement. Sadly, those things are lacking in today's world, and they'll be lacking even more tomorrow, when we have a full day worth of NMH withdrawal.

To Andrew, and his wonderful way with words, thank you. I wish you the best (and many, many slurpees).

Things to Make Me Smile

2009-09-23T23:12:00.000-07:00

A list of things that make me happy this week:

1) The new Tasha Alexander book is here!

"Tears of Pearl" hit the shelves September 1st... and I want it!

If you haven't read any of the Lady Emily Ashton books, do NOT start with this one. Go back to page one. Read "And Only To Deceive" and the two books which follow it. The rest of us will be waiting here for you.

2) Found two hilarious web sites.

The names tell the story - ThatWillBuffOut.com and ThereIFixedIt.com

Two examples of the fun:

Be sure someone else is in the house, to slap you on the back when you laugh so hard you choke.

3) It's finally Autumn!

Fall has arrived and I'm beside myself.

Apples and pumpkins and crisp air and reading in the hammock and bright stars at night.

What more could a girl ask?

4) ummm.. a geek toy....

No, not that delicious new Canon 7D with full HD video and onboard remote flash control. Saving up for that one.

No, not the hybrid Piaggio three wheeled scooter. Saving up for that one too.

No, not the new iPhone.

OK, it is the new iPhone. But without the phone, the camera and the ridiculously expensive AT&T data plan. :)

That's right, I bought an iPod Touch!

Joanne shamed me into it.

It's soooo sweet. I never thought I'd own an iPod. I am not one to listen to music every moment of the day. Too many years spent in the Law School library made me love my silence. So why buy a crazily expensive MP3 player?

Because you can ignore the music part and do everything else in the world!

I haven't touched either of my netbooks since I got the iPod. Everything I want on the internet is at my fingertips. Even Google Earth!

Dang. I love this toy.

Everybody tell me what your favorite apps are! I have too many choices!

How many exclamation points did I just use? eep!

I hope you too have a long list of things to make you smile this week!

Dang. There's another pesky exclamation point.

YARRR!!!

2009-09-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

Ahoy, mateys!

It be ther Scarlet Wench, here, wish'n ye a happy Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Careful o' me vicious attack corgi, Chumline. He be known to nibble on pretty li'l ankles. Thinks they all shur be made o' wood, don't you know.

Well, time be a wast'n and me stout ship, the Wrathful Toad sails on the tide, so I be off to fill ter hold wit hardtack 'n weevils.

YARRR to ye all!

*cough* *choke*

Can only talk like that before so long, and then my tongue gets all tied up. :)

Don't forget, it's fine to say YAARRRRR! today. Get your kids in on the act.

They'll love it. :D

AVAST! and BLUBBER and KEELHAUL to you, too.

Photograzing

2009-08-20T10:25:00.001-07:00

Let's face it, I follow too many Food Blogs. Far too many. There is NO moderation in this thing. Soon they will be classifying me as a Food Blog Gourmand. *shudder*

Sadly, I follow so many Food Blogs that it's nearly impossible to keep up with all the wonderful things going on. But I've found something that makes it a little easier to find new and wonderful recipes and techniques - Photograzing!

You don't read, you browse by picture to find the food and recipes that interest you.

The Serious Eats blog has the best example that I've found: http://photograzing.seriouseats.com Try it out!

In addition to great food, these pictures also offer wonderful photography examples, so Shutter Bug Alert!

In Vino Veritas

2009-08-15T19:28:00.001-07:00

It is done. Fini.
My first attempt at Boeuf Bourguignon.
And the results?

hmm...that's a hard one to answer. Do you mind if I take it one step at a time?

I intended to make this dish true to Julia Child's recipe, but things went awry from the beginning. First, I didn't have any boiling onions and I'd just purchased five pound of Walla Walla Sweets, so those went in, instead.

The beef browned nicely but I couldn't believe she really meant two inch cubes. (Two square inches? How do you get that in your mouth??) so I cut my meat into one inch cubes.

Finally I had the browned and flour crusted meat, the braised carrots and onions all nicely in my dutch oven and I reached for the BOTTLE.

Ah heck.
Guess what?
Wine bottles have corks.
*face palms*

Right, like a nice little Mormon girl keeps a corkscrew in the house.

After a ransacking three of the kitchen drawers, it turns out that somehow, I DO have a corkscrew! I have no idea where it came from and to be honest, the thing looks more like a medieval torture device, but it sure worked great on that stupid cork!

Glug, glug, glug, in goes the wine. Know what? It smells like vinegar. Yup. Just like the cheap bottle of vinegar I've had in the cupboard all along. Who do you suppose first drank this stuff and how desperately thirsty would you have to be to toss straight vinegar down your gullet??

Ah well, it's too late now. I've already committed myself, so in it goes. It is a pretty color by the way. Kind of wine colored. *winces*

Sorry, back to the story.

I'd bought a full bottle of wine because the recipe calls for three cups and three cups is right onto 750 ml which is a bottle - nice math, no? No. Turns out that I only used half of the bottle of wine. :( Don't ask me, I don't know. I only used two pounds of meat, instead of the three that the recipes requires, because there are just the two of us. And maybe my carrots were really small. Something.

Whatever the cause, I am now stuck with half a bottle of wine. I jammed the cork back in and suddenly I thought, where do I store this? I don't know! I keep the vinegar in the cupboard, and wine sits in wine cellars before it's opened. Can this stuff go bad? Is that even possible? I shove the bottle in the fridge just to be safe.

Great. Now I have a half empty bottle of wine in the fridge. With my luck the Home Teachers will show up tonight and through some twist of fate, feel a desperate need to look into my refrigerator. I'm doomed.

Sorry, back to the story.

In another departure from Julia's recipe I skip the bay leaf. (Don't care for them. Don't keep them in the house.) Ignore the required tablespoon of tomato paste. (Tablespoon? I'm supposed to open a full can just to use a tablespoon? And don't suggest substituting ketchup. My sister loaths the stuff and she'd have my head on a platter. So, no tomato paste.) No thyme either, sadly. I do love thyme but I forgot that we're growing rosemary in our garden this year, not thyme, so I didn't buy any. In a desperate move to have something herbal in the concoction I toss in a teaspoon of ten year old Bouquet Garnis from the spice shelf. I can hear Julia turning in her grave already.

Just as I'm bringing the stew to a simmer I had the sudden realization that I'm using a cast iron dutch oven, not one of the fancy ceramic casseroles, to make this dish. Will the wine react with the metal? Have I just made a witches' brew? Ah well, too late to worry about it now. I slam on the lid, put the pot in the oven, set the timer for two hours and head off to watch what turns out to be a very weird movie. During that time I can smell the wine cooking. I fills the house with a slightly astringent smell. Not really pleasant, although my sister says she didn't notice. I did, and I worried all the way through the movie.

Note: "The Tale of Desperaux" isn't all it's cracked up to be. My sisters says we should have watched "Galaxy Quest" instead, and I'm inclined to agree with her.

Once again, back to the story - or rather - the denouement.

The dish definitely was not Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon. I didn't bother to strain it, I just stirred in the extra onions and the mushrooms and we set to with a will. We were both starving. No potatoes, rice, noodles or bread, just beef stew.

The beef came out very tender, although I thought it a bit dry. Next time I'll cut the meat into two inch cubes the way I was told. But I'll add two or three times the carrots. They were almost the best part!

The sauce....
Truth be told, I didn't like it. Perhaps it's because I'm not used to the taste of wine, or perhaps the iron in the dutch oven leached out when the acid from the wine hit it or perhaps I'm feeling guilty. Whatever - the answer is I won't be doing it again. Next time I'll use a good sturdy apple cider, fresh out of the press. Yum!! The sweetness of the apples alongside the beef sounds wonderful! I'll even add a bit of apple cider vinegar if necessary, to tenderize the meat. But $4 worth of sour grapes. Nah. Don't think so.

Will I make Beef Stew again? Yes indeed! The techniques are wonderful and that's really what counts. But I'll be doing my own version, the way my tastebuds draw me. Rosemary and thyme, extra carrots and a parsnip or two. And a rich sauce with a hint of apples. Heck, I might even make dumplings.

Anyone out there want half a bottle of wine? It's nicely chilled.

The Ol' Switcheroo

2009-08-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

Today I'm going to distract you from my tawdry life of sin by pulling a switcheroo. In other words - don't look here - look over there!! (Don't worry, I'll be back tomorrow with the end to my vino-soaked saga.)

I found two fun things on the internet today and I have to share them.

First is a series of videos on YouTube called "Depression Cooking with Grandma Clara".
This lovely 90+ year old lady cooks (frugally) and talks about her life. It's wonderful stuff. I believe there are nine or more episodes.

Wait! Don't watch all of her episodes just now, I have something else to show you! I'm so tempted to buy this book.

"Peeps: Recipes and Crafts to Make with Your Favorite Marshmallow Treat"

We're dealing with marshmallows here and the first sentence in the book is:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

LOL! That's gotta be a fun book.

Who has the next wedding? We must swipe the bride and groom off their cake and substitute a peep pair while they aren't looking.

Ahh... the Kearsleys...
mwhahahahahaha!!

Lush Alert!

2009-08-13T23:51:00.000-07:00

Today I bought my first bottle of wine.
YIPERS!!

I should back up.
Saw "Julie and Julia".
Decided to make Bœuf Bourguignon!
Bought mushrooms, carrots and beef.
...

yeah.

There's just no getting around the fact that it calls for wine.
In the past, when a recipe called for wine I've used apple or grape juice, vinegar, even water, with varying results.
I never felt the need to use wine and frankly didn't want any in the house.

Well, call me crazy but this time I decided to follow the recipe and do the real thing. Heck, the dish bakes for 3 hours! The alcohol will be completely gone.
But still...

I'm not even sure that I'll enjoy the taste. I've had Shrimp Newberg made with sherry and real Swiss fondue (in Geneva mind you) made with wine and didn't enjoy either of them. And I certainly never enjoy fruit cake soaked in... um... just what is it you soak fruit cake in, anyway?

Oh well. We'll try Julia Child's recipe for Bœuf Bourguignon once.

I'm not even sure I got the right thing. Burgundy is of course traditional, but Julia suggests a Beaujolais (uh, right) or even a Chianti (of course, how could I be so silly!). I got a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Hey, it's red. It said it had the flavors of blackberries and plums (could be good with beef, right?). It was on sale (how good can a $3.99 bottle of wine be? Did I scrape the bottom of the barrel?). And most importantly, I didn't have to go up to some 20 year old punk kid working in the grocery aisle and say "Hi, I'd never actually drink this stuff, but I'd like to cook with it, so what do you suggest?".

Felt extremely weird, walking up to the cash register with a bottle of wine in my hand. Would have been the perfect moment for the city to be translated, and me left behind for the wicked woman that I am. *sigh* They'll never ask me to teach Relief Society again.

OH! By the way, Julia is right - never crowd the mushrooms.
They came out so golden brown and delicious. YUUUUMMMMM!

The French Chef on the Silver Screen

2009-08-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

A group of us shelled out $9.25 a piece last night to see a movie in a real movie theatre.

Imagine that! Now days I usually wait for Netflix to come out with the Blu-ray, so sitting in a real theatre was quite an adventure.

Our fare of choice?

"Julie and Julia"
Passion. Ambition. Butter. Do You Have What It Takes?

There are few words that would describe this movie as well as FUN. Streep was very, very good, and Tucci - well, he always steals the show, doesn't he? The sets and costumes were wonderful! France in the 1950's never looked so good.

Notice I'm talking only about the "Julia" part of the film?
The "Julie" part was good enough, and interesting, but you could have cut it out and just shown the "Julia" part and I would have been perfectly happy. Sadly, I guess most people wouldn't sit around for two hours of that, so the mix was a good choice.

Did I mention the food? yuuuummmmm.....

As soon as I got home I pulled out my (sadly pristine) copy of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and started thumbing through it. I've made very few of the recipes, but that's about to change!

Gentlemen:
If you need an explosion or an astounding CG effect every three minutes in order to keep your mind from wandering, this movie certainly isn't for you. But if you take your wife/daughter/girlfriend/sister/mother/aunt/grandma to this movie you'll gain bonus points, I promise.

As a consolation, there ARE murders.
Lobster murders.
Many.

And butter.
Lots of butter.

Bon Appetite!

Lest I be misunderstood

2009-08-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Lest some of you take my last post wrong, I should point out that I love movies.
Boy oh boy, do I love movies!

My problem is that I have extremely high expectations, and we all know how well that turns out (e.g. my marital status). In fact, most modern movies just end up depressing me. I'm much better with good old fashioned movies.

My college roommate used to swear that if we were watching TV and I had the remote, I'd just start flipping channels until I saw something, anything, in black and white, and that's what we'd watch.

That's really not true - but it's pretty darn close!

However, I'd like to point out that there are two movies coming out soon that I'm pretty excited to see. (This doesn't count "Julie and Julia", which I'm going to see next week if it kills me!)

First is "Number 9". This little Tim Burton film is about nine little golems that a scientist creates just before ... ah, but I'll let the trailer show you.

Looks like fun, no?! It comes out on 9.9.09. hehe! I love it.

Next is "TRON Legacy" We have to wait for next year for this one, but I'm geeking out already! (If you haven't seen the original "Tron" movie, don't go any further. Stop. Head to your video store. Watch it on the biggest screen possible. Then come back here an continue.)

Feast your eyes!

I know exactly at what moment you'll say, "Whoooooa!!!!". That's 'cause I said the same thing.
I loved "Tron". It came out when Disney was still making wholesome movies.
That cool, slick black landscape with the amazing lights. And was that a great plot or what??

All I can say is, "Greetings Programs!"
Yup. I'm geeking out.
Somebody hand me a lightcycle.

Giving up control

2009-08-03T10:13:00.001-07:00

One has to wonder what Stephanie Meyers is thinking right now.

She created a world filled with fascinating characters and dripping with pathos and angst - and suddenly no one cares any longer. They have forgotten Edward and Bella and rest. All they care for are the antics of "Robert and Kristin".

She should never have turned over control of her world to Hollywood. No one even thinks about what she wrote. They only know what the screen writers churn out and what the self-important actors do, both on and off screen. And then there's the CGI...

Let me back up. I shouldn't say EVERYONE. There are those of us who read the books, refused to see the movie, and still can enjoy the pretty pictures in our heads. *wink*

I learned a similar lesson when I was in Junior High School and it's stayed with me. Key learning: Never confuse an actor with his character.

Sadly, most people fall right into the Celebrity Trap.
I'm certainly not one of them, but only through sheer will power. Let's face it - the power of an Idol is exactly that. Power.

To combat this, I refuse to see a movie if an actor on my Black List is in it.
The list is long and convoluted and does stop me from seeing many new releases.

It starts, ignominiously, with Keanu Reeve. He has to be the WORST actor of all time. Why does ANYONE cast him??? In ANYTHING??
We go from the wooden actor to the great mouther, Kenneth Brannagh. Ugh. I can't stand to watch him. The fact that he deserted his wife for a not so sweet young thing makes him all the more despicable.
Tom Cruise was on the list long before he revealed his mania on Oprah's couch. Or was it Letterman's couch? No, I will not be seeing Valkerie. *pouts* That patented "sniff" of his really annoys me.
Brad Pitt (is there a male word for slut?) is prominent on the list, as is his rotten girlfriend Jolie (there is a word for her).
Sadly, a new entrant to the list is Morgan Freeman. I liked him. I really did. What a scumbag he turned out to be.
I'm going to have a problem next year when "Toy Story 3" comes out. I love those movies, but Tom Hanks is now on the black list... soo...

Just to be perverse, I do allow exceptions.
I do watch Robin Hood and Captain Blood, even though Errol Flynn's personal life churns my stomach.
I still enjoy Casablanca and Intermezzo, even though Ingrid Bergman dove off her pedestal.

There are bright spots. Some longtime members of my list have redeemed themselves.
These people haven't done anything perverse, their type of humor or acting is just offensive to me.
For example, you can't drag me screaming into a "funny" Jim Carrey show. But the "Truman Show" I'm inclined to give him another chance.
Same for Adam Shandler. He disgusts me, but I understand "Bedtime Stories" is fun and won't make your eyes bleed after watching it.

Ah well.. enough of my Monday morning rant.

I just feel very sorry for Stephanie Meyers.
Oh, and more importantly -

Always read the book and SKIP the movie.
The story that played out in your mind is infinitely better than anything Hollyweird can come up with.

What is in your Emergency Kit?

2009-07-26T17:04:00.000-07:00

On Saturday nearly 200 people descended on the air-conditioner-less Stake Center and pitched in to assemble 72 hour emergency kits for the developmentally disabled of Washington County.

I had the enviable task of photographing this event. Enviable because I did NO work whatsoever!! I just walked around, poking my nose in and snapping pictures. Truth is, I feel like I missed out. Everyone was having so much fun making the kits! Don't get me wrong, I had fun also, I just didn't contribute much.

Here are a couple of my favorite shots from the activity:

Isn't he a cutie? Paying such careful attention to his mom... I'm sure he had some suggestions for her, also.

Great hands! Three nice ladies, all busy making first aid kits.

Now, for the big question - What is in YOUR Emergency Kit?
Yes, there's food and bandaids and water and a blanket... but what are your secret "Must Have To Survive" items?

Here are a few of mine.

1) Tweezers
One word - splinter. uh huh. Now you agree with me, don't you? Last thing I need in an emergency is a splinter. Or a hang nail. Must have tweezers. In a pinch I can do with a loop of thread, but I'd much rather have a good sturdy metal tweezer with me.

2) Nail File
Don't look at me like that - you know my hands never get a manicure. But I do have rather brittle nails which tear easily, and a nail file saves me from ripping the nail down to the cuticle. Definitely a need for survival (especially if I need to be chopping wood or putting up a tent!)

3) Book
Something to let my mind escape. If it's a very good book, when I'm done, maybe I could barter off readings for chocolate... hehe...

4) Paper and pencil
Keep a journal, write a HELP ME note, whatever - can't go anywhere without paper and pencil.

5) Small glow in the dark Star Chart

6) Two dog collars, treats and food.
I don't care what disaster takes place, I'm not leaving without my dogs. And if the rescuers get snotty about it, I'll stay rather than go. I guess I'd better add a "king sized down comforter" because my spoiled dogs may refuse to sleep on the ground. heheh!!

Manga!

2009-07-22T00:08:00.000-07:00

You won't believe this, but I think there's actually going to be an entertaining movie coming out this summer!

Julie and Julia looks look so much fun!
But I think this is one movie where we'd better eat before we go.

Practice makes perfect

2009-07-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

Or, in my case, practice pays off big time, but if the bug holds still it sure helps!

Click the image for full sized - it's much better.

Speaking of which, I need some more practice.
Would anyone like to be my guinea pig?
I'll do my very best to capture your fabulous-ness. :)

Castle!

2009-06-21T22:59:00.000-07:00

Castle is back on television!

If you haven't already become a fan of this murder mystery television show, you should check it out. Season one is being re-run on Saturdays on ABC. Get your TiVo set up. :)

You've already missed Episode One, but it's available for the next few weeks on the ABC website and Hulu (which links back to ABC).

This is an adult show, not for the kids. I find some of the crime scenes disturbing, but they go away quickly and the rest is great stuff. I really love the daddy/daughter scenes, and who can pass up a chance to watch Nathan Fillion (aka Malcom Reynolds, aka Captain TightPants).

Wait.
Don't tell my mother I wrote that last part.

Blustery Spring

2009-05-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.
April showers bring May flowers.

At least, that's what my mother taught me.

It's been a typical blustery Oregon spring so far. I just wish it would be sunny on a weekend - long enough for me to get out and take a few pictures of the gorgeous blossoms that are cycling through the trees.

This last week I noticed that the dogwoods are in full bloom. I really love dogwoods, despite their rather erroneous and dour reputation. The fabulous textures - strongly veined petals with a hard little nub at the end - and the dusky rosy colors all add up to be one of the most interesting flowers. Just four petals. That's all it takes to make me happy.

I ran across something interesting while I was taking the dogs for a walk. A tiny blue eggshell, sitting right in the middle of the street. The wind was up, so I ran for home to get the camera. (The dogs weren't happy about their walk being cut short, but I gave them a good tummy rub to make up for it.)

I just love the stark contrast between the fragile shell (with its tiny lining intact), the high relief of the asphalt and the lengthening shadow.

Color indexed B&W

2009-04-26T18:04:00.000-07:00

Sometimes color just doesn't do it for me.
I know that sounds odd, but black and white photography can bring out details that we miss because of the way we emotionally respond to color.

To illustrate, I've taken the photo of the yellow tulips and huge wooden shoe from my last post , and played with it a bit. I love the results!

You can just hit a button and turn any photo to black and white using the free software that abounds out there. This is what you'd get:

Original

Black and White

Not terribly exciting, eh? So, try color indexing instead!
Color indexing means that you tell the software what is white and it adjusts the rest of the spectrum for you.

For example, this is what I got when I told it to index on yellow. All the yellows turned to white and the greys work down to black from that point.

Pretty blah. That's because there is SO much yellow that when it turns to white the photo is rather blown out.

Instead, I chose blue as the index color. Because there is little blue in the picture (just the shades mixed with the green of the stems) the flowers suddenly have a lot of detail - all that yellow is seen as shades of grey.

I think the result is fabulous. (And a bit eerie!)

Tulips in the Rain

2009-04-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I signed up for a photography seminar to be held in conjunction with the Woodburn Tulip Festival. I was very excited, not only to hear the lecture, but to play with the expensive cameras!

The two days before the seminar were beautiful and sunny, and guess what? Yep, Friday was overcast with showers, turning the tulip fields into squishy beds of mud. Worse, the delivery of expensive equipment was mis-shipped, so none of these shots was taken with a $5000 camera. *pout* *whine*

Ah well, we still had fun!

Sadly, we had little sun, and I'm a lover of shadows in my photos, so the conditions were not ideal for me. On the bright side, you didn't have to carry around a mister to make the flowers look all dewy! :)

If you get a chance you should head down to Woodburn. The weather has been cool, so the tulips are just starting their big show now. In fact, they've extended the festival to the first week in May. Make sure to let the kids play with the rubber ducky derby and ride the cow train.

(As always, try clicking on the pictures for a larger version!)

ISO Woes

2009-04-14T01:04:00.000-07:00

What the heck is wrong with my brain!?!

When the sun finally let me go outside last week, I ran around the neighborhood, poking my nose into yards. (Don't worry, no yard invasions took place. That's what telelphoto lenses are for!) I took a good 80 shots of the blossom laden trees in the neighborhood. It was great fun!

I was glad I'd gotten out because the warm weather, the rain and time took the majority of blossoms off the trees in the next few days.

Early the next week, because my father was visiting, we decided to have some fun and headed down to Silver Falls State Park to see the spring run on the waterfalls. What a gorgeous day it was; a high marine layer of clouds moved in around noon, but the air was warm. The mist from the falls felt so good. And yes, there I was, playing photographer, trying to capture the amazing beauty of the falls. Capture it with about 230 shots, that is. Thank heavens for large CF cards!

Imagine my annoyance when, about half way through our hike, I realized that I'd had the ISO on my camera cranked up to 1600 for some completely irrational reason! It had been set that way for the blossoms shots also!

grrrrrrr....

I'm just lucky that my camera deals well with weird settings because the Operator Errors are enough to drive the poor machine mad, let alone the Operator.

Ah well. Live and learn, I suppose.
I hope you enjoy my noisy pictures!
(You can click on them for a larger view.)

Lost Opportunity

2009-03-29T22:25:00.000-07:00

Last year I suddenly realized how beautiful spring flowers are.
Yes, I know - what took me so long?

To make up for lost time I grabbed my camera and started recording spring!

I took this picture down the street from my home. I liked the tree so well that I told myself I'd try to record the same little branch this year and see how things had changed. Sadly, though we have had blossoms for a good week now, I haven't had time to get out. Either I got home from work too late or it was raining.

Well, today it turned sunny! I grabbed by camera and headed down the street. When I got to my tree - it was gone, cut down, either last night or this morning. Tattered blossoms still littered the ground.

I wish I had braved the rain yesterday.

Baaaa!

2009-03-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

I saw this on the Sassy and Sweet Notes blog and just have to pass it along.
What fun!

Watch out Saint Patrick... she's on the warpath again

2009-03-17T00:55:00.000-07:00

It's time, once again, for the annual Saint Patrick's Day Rant at our home. The script goes something like this:

Me: "Why can't they learn - four leaf clovers are NOT shamrocks!"

My sister: "Oh no. Here we go again..."

Me, stumping around the room: "It's not difficult - three leaves, three members of the godhead. I mean, besides snakes, what else is Saint Patrick famous for, I ask you?!"

My sister: "That's in Ireland. You know that. In America this day isn't about Saint Patrick it's about being Irish."

Me: "You mean it's about beer! Beer and leprechauns. What the heck do leprechauns have to do with it, I don't know!"

My sister: *sigh*

Me: "What??"

Don't worry. I'm always better after I have some scones.

A quarter of our family are good Irishmen, mostly from County Down. About five generations back we were part of the Guinness clan, of Guinness Stout fame.

Yes, that side of the family kept the beer and the money and our side got a nice new religion instead. And a one way ticket to America. (I know we got the better part of the deal, but some of that money sure would have come in handy...)

We keep a shillelagh and a bodhran in the house, we can tell a banshee from a pooka, and we watch "The Quiet Man" annually, with religious fervor. So, raise your McDonald's mint Shamrock shake, put on your green bowler hat and let's all remember our Irish grandparents!

And someone, somewhere, please tell your children WHY Saint Patrick is famous.
I'll sleep better if you do.

Happy Pi Day! 3.14

2009-03-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

Do you have a pie for today?

If not, pull out the flour or head for the Marie Callendars - either way you MUST have pie today. (Traditional round pies are of course preferable, but hey, I'll let you get away with those 30 cent fried things if you must!)

I tried to get a screen shot at 1:59 am, but I managed to fall asleep, so no joy there. :D

Yes, the rumors are true, I started out as a math major.
What can I say?

Ubergeeks unite!

Valentines Wind Up - Langwidere

2009-02-09T20:24:00.000-08:00

I learned to love books by listening to my Mother read to us before bed.

Every night she'd sit us down and open a book. When it was warm we would sit out on the front porch as the shadows lengthened and listen to Mon's voice. In the winter we'd snuggle up under our covers and listen to the rocking chair creak while she brought those wonderful stories to life.

The stories that I remember most clearly were a set of fairy tales from around the world, and the Oz books.

If you haven't had the lovely chance to grow up in the Land of Oz, you should be warned that there are many MANY books about Oz. L. Frank Baum wrote 14 books during his life, then Ruth Plumley Thompson took over. She and several other authors brought the count to 40 books! (Although I only like about 37 of them. I'm soooo particular.)

Mind you, I like the movie musical just fine. Unlike now, as a child I didn't care about literary purity (heh) and so I thought what they'd done to the story was just fine. But now that I'm older... well, I do enjoy the movie and watch it nearly every year at Easter time, but there are some things that just stick in my craw. For example: Glinda.

Who ever decided to turn the grave and kind sorceress of the South into a bubble headed twitter brain?? Ugh!!
This is what Glinda really looks like:

I always wanted to be Glinda. Wise, intelligent and caring.

One of my favorite books in the series is the third, "Ozma of Oz".

In it you meet the clockwork man Tik-Tok, Bellina the talking chicken (for years I thought her name was Belinda, because I'd only heard Mom say it), the wicked and totally scary (at least to an 8 year old) Wheelers and... Princess Langwidere.

Ah, Langwidere. When Mom first brought her to life I was amazed! The very idea captivated me, even as it repelled me.

But why am I talking? I should let you read about her yourself!

"...The maid led them to a richly furnished
drawing-room, lighted with subdued rainbow tints that came in through beautiful stained-glass windows.

"Remain here," she said. "What names shall I give the Princess?"

"I am Dorothy Gale, of Kansas," replied the child; "and this gentleman is a machine named Tiktok, and the yellow hen is my friend Billina."

The little servant bowed and withdrew, going through several passages and mounting two marble stairways before she came to the apartments occupied by her mistress.

Princess Langwidere's sitting-room was paneled with great mirrors, which reached from the ceiling to the floor; also the ceiling was composed of mirrors, and the floor was of polished silver that reflected every object upon it. So when Langwidere sat in her easy chair and played soft melodies upon her mandolin, her form was mirrored hundreds of times, in walls and ceiling and floor, and whichever way the lady turned her head she could see and admire her own features. This she loved to do, and just as the maid entered she was saying to herself:

"This head with the auburn hair and hazel eyes is quite attractive. I must wear it more often than I have done of late, although it may not be the best of my collection."

"You have company, Your Highness," announced the maid, bowing low.

"Who is it?" asked Langwidere, yawning.

"Dorothy Gale of Kansas, Mr. Tiktok and Billina," answered the maid.

"What a queer lot of names!" murmured the Princess, beginning to be a little interested. "What are they like? Is Dorothy Gale of Kansas pretty?"

"She might be called so," the maid replied.

"And is Mr. Tiktok attractive?" continued the Princess.

"That I cannot say, Your Highness. But he seems very bright. Will Your Gracious Highness see them?"

"Oh, I may as well, Nanda. But I am tired admiring this head, and if my visitor has any claim to beauty I must take care that she does not surpass me. So I will go to my cabinet and change to No. 17, which I think is my best appearance. Don't you?"

"Your No. 17 is exceedingly beautiful," answered Nanda, with another bow.

Again the Princess yawned. Then she said:

"Help me to rise."

So the maid assisted her to gain her feet, although Langwidere was the stronger of the two; and then the Princess slowly walked across the silver floor to her cabinet, leaning heavily at every step upon Nanda's arm.

Now I must explain to you that the Princess Langwidere had thirty heads--as many as there are days in the month. But of course she could only wear one of them at a time, because she had but one neck. These heads were kept in what she called her "cabinet," which was a beautiful dressing-room that lay just between Langwidere's sleeping-chamber and the mirrored sitting-room. Each head was in a separate cupboard lined with velvet. The cupboards ran all around the sides of the dressing-room, and had elaborately carved doors with gold numbers on the outside and jeweled-framed mirrors on the inside of them.

When the Princess got out of her crystal bed in the morning she went to her cabinet, opened one of the velvet-lined cupboards, and took the head it contained from its golden shelf. Then, by the aid of the mirror inside the open door, she put on the head--as neat and straight as could be--and afterward called her maids to robe her for the day. She always wore a simple white costume, that suited all the heads. For, being able to change her face whenever she liked, the Princess had no interest in wearing a variety of gowns, as have other ladies who are compelled to wear the same face constantly."*

Isn't that just the most amazing thought?
How would it be, to be not only beautiful, but to be able to chose your beauty to match your mood? Can you imagine what your life would be like?

I see you've seen through to why this is a Valentine's Wind Up post.
Yes, sadly, we live in a society that worships youth and beauty.
If you lack one, but have the other, you are tolerated.
However, if you lack both - woe!

Now tell me, have you ever seen a Valentine that lauded kindness, creativity, wisdom or any worthwhile trait? Not at all. They are either childish jokes or offerings on the altar of beauty.

When I think of Valentine's Day I can't help but think of Princess Langwidere, sad sorry creature that she is.

A bit more of the story is in order, I think.

"When Nanda had supported Langwidere to a position in front of cupboard No. 17, the Princess unlocked the door with her ruby key and after handing head No. 9, which she had been wearing, to the maid, she took No. 17 from its shelf and fitted it to her neck. It had black hair and dark eyes and a lovely pearl-and-white complexion, and when Langwidere wore it she knew she was remarkably beautiful in appearance.

There was only one trouble with No. 17; the temper that went with it (and which was hidden somewhere under the glossy black hair) was fiery, harsh and haughty in the extreme, and it often led the Princess to do unpleasant things which she regretted when she came to wear her other heads."*

Oh dear.

That reminds me of something Tolstoy wrote.

"It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness."
- Leo Tolstoy

Here's wishing you a Valentine's without mirrors, except those that you see in the faces of people whom you have touched.

*Excerpts from "Ozma of Oz" by L. Frank Baum. Chapter 6. Courtesy of the Gutenburg Project.

Valentines Wind Up - Monday

2009-02-09T00:27:00.000-08:00

It's now 12:30 am, so that means it's Monday.
Not just any Monday, mind you, the Monday before Valentine's Day.

In the past, this week has been enough to send me, on alternate years, into bouts of righteous indignation (which, as you know, can only be assuaged by liberal applications of chocolate), waves of resentment (ditto the chocolate prescription), puddles of self pity (cured by watching old movies and crying into a pillow - whilst eating chocolate) and, worst of all, that one miserable year when I scraped the bottom of the barrel, sent myself flowers and pretended to the world that they'd actually come from a man.

Pitiful, non?
Oui.

As you might imagine, Valentine's Day is not my favorite time of year.

Please, don't get me wrong! I'm not being covetous here. I have never once wished anyone else into my shoes. Nor am I upset to see the wonderful relationships around me. I'm so pleased that there are those people in the world who have found someone to love. I wish them only the best, believe you me!

However, having the greeting card businesses and the flower businesses and the candy businesses all conspire together against me seems a tad bit unfair.

This week I've decided to post a bit each day to try to slowly draw out the venom (ouch, bad use of idiom). So I'll start with the worst, and hopefully by the time I hit Saturday I'll be smiling. (Although I fear I'll also be eating coma-inducing amounts of chocolate.)

Starting with the worst, then...

"Better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all."

Who in the heck said that, and were they out of their blinking gourd?!?
How incredibly wrong can you be?

I was quite happy in my innocent state, thank you very much.
I was even content in telling myself that all the love birds around me were self-deluded, and "love" did not exist per se, but was a happy fiction of the masses. (Sort of like believing 401K's are a good investment and that you can trust little brothers to hold your ice cream cone and not take a lick.)

Am I happy now that I've experienced love and lost it?
Umm... That would be a distinct NO.

What I wouldn't give for a spot of selective amnesia.
It would truly have been better never to have experienced love at all and remained blissfully ignorant.

So, the saying is poppycock and worse it sets people up for a fall.
Problem is, it's a popular axiom and everyone parrots it to the next generation.

Monday's Valentine's Wind Up resolution?
Stop the madness now! If we all promised to NEVER mention this idiotic idiom again perhaps it will shrivel up and die.

Homework:
For anyone out there who shares my sentiments, I'm planning on a bit of innocent self delusion on Saturday and I invite you to join me. What would your perfect Valentine's Date be?
No, I'm not playing into their hands (retail businesses that is) because other than my chocolate purchase I won't be actually giving them any money. I'll be playing out this little scene only in my head. neener neener.

You too can play! Start your mental preparations now.

She's Famous!!

2009-02-07T10:02:00.000-08:00

One of our Quatama Sisters is teetering on the brink of religion-wide fame!

Heidi, we knew you were cool, but how cool is it to be a featured subject of one of the all time funny Mormon blogger's blogs?
OK, so he spelled your moniker wrong, but we can fix that.

Normal Mormon Husband and Runningfan

Everyone run over and take a look!

Spell Check

2009-02-03T22:22:00.000-08:00

My sister has the habit of calling over her shoulder while in the middle of a deep and important online discussion in-game (video game that is), and asking me how to spell words.

Usually this happens just when I'm in the middle of something that has my full attention, and when she asks, my brain routinely turns to guacamole. However, being the total-sweetheart-kind-soul that I am (STOP SNICKERING) I'll pull up OneNote or something and do a quick spell check for her.

(I actually used to be a very good speller, before spell check came along. Now I'm lazy, lazy.)

Tonight's episode was just about the final straw for me.

My sister is busy talking to a crowd of elves, sorcerers and pseudo demons.
I am concentrating on tweaking an image in Photoshop, my tongue caught between my teeth.
Suddenly:

Sister: "How do you spell periphery?"

Silence, then the sound of my head hitting the keyboard.

Me, mumbled from the region of the keyboard: "S-I-D-E."

Yup. Just a regular night at the Creaky Cog home.

Robbie Burns Night

2009-01-24T19:08:00.000-08:00

Sunday is January 25th, and every good Scot knows that this is a grand holiday!
On this day we remember Robert Burns, Scotland's great poet!
We remember him with song, story, food and drink.
OK, so my relatives who aren't Mormon remember him with drink, I have to stop at the food part.

Who was this Robbie Burns?
If you've ever sung "Auld Lang Syne" on New Year's Eve you already know his works, but he did so much more! Burns is well loved for his lyrical ability to bring the Scots dialect to life.

Here is just the first stanza of "To A Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With The Plough" written in November, 1785

Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murd'ring pattle!

It's even better when spoken aloud!

Well, perhaps you're not a mouse fancier.
How about this well loved song, A Red, Red Rose.

O'my Luve's like a red, red rose, That's newly sprung in June:
O'my Luve's like the melodie, That's sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear, Till a' the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear, And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear, While the sands o' life shall run.

And fare-thee-weel, my only Luve! And fare-thee-weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve, Tho' 'twere ten thousand mile!

Brings a tear to your eye doesn't it?
Well, it better! It's one of my favorites!
That part about "And the rocks melt wi' the sun", that chokes me up like nothing else. Come now, you must have known I'm Scottish. With a name like Heather?? Tut tut.

What do we eat?
You may have heard tales of the food we serve on Robbie Burns night. Indeed it is a strange and awesome creation - the Haggis!

(I'm using an awful lot of exclamation points in this post, but it's only to keep myself from breaking into an awful Scottish accent that would have grandparents on both sides of my family rolling in their graves. Hah! We're Scots! They wouldn't just roll, they'd get up out of their graves and come over to whack me upside the head! Thus, the over use of exclamation points.)

The Haggis is a lovely warm and satisfying dish made from...
oh...
hmm...
I see there are children present.
I'd best not say exactly what we make Haggis from.

Instead, let me introduce you to some Haggis lore, stolen - make that appropriated - from The Great Haggisclopedia which is kindly published on the web by the Scotsman Newspaper.

Here he is - the Golden Haggis himself!

Or, it maybe herself. They come in both varieties.

The Haggisclopedia is quick to dispell the myth that a haggis is just a sheep’s stomach stuffed with meat and oatmeal.
The most common mistaken belief about the haggis is that it is some kind of pudding made from sheep innards. This somewhat macabre idea dates back many centuries. Its origins lie in a Pictish fertility ceremony which featured a parade of creatures known to produce large numbers of offspring. The haggis was one such animal. However, as hunting techniques were not as sophisticated as they were then and - for reasons explained in The Haggis in Scotland’s History - haggis numbers were low, the Pictish priests often had to make do with a model for these ceremonies. Said model haggis was made from an inflated sheep bladder, hence the myth.

Also, they point out that there is no link between the Haggis and the Loch Ness Monster, no matter what the media would have you believe.

This is nonsense. Haggises are not aquatic. They are also extremely wary of any creature larger than them and would not consort with a large carnivore, even one supposed to be mythical. There is also nothing to suggest that there is any truth behind the rumour that swimming with haggises strapped to your feet will prevent monster attacks. There have been no recorded attacks on anyone by the Loch Ness monster, haggis attachments notwithstanding.

The great Haggis Hunt is on in Scotland, and the Scotsman newspaper kindly provides web cams showing various important areas in Scotland, on the chance that you might see a Haggis waddling by. Click here and you can look at Loch Ness, Gretna Green, Princes Street in Edinburgh, Buchanan Square in Glasgow and other interesting places. If you spot a haggis you can send them an email and be entered in the contest for a trip to Scotland!

Sadly, the Hunt ends on Robbie Burns Day, so you've probably missed your chance for this year.

I did catch a glimpse of one of the little rascals. Here he is, just as I saw him.

For those of you who aren't blessed to be of Scottish descent, don't worry, you're still welcome to come and enjoy Robbie Burns night. Head over to my place and we'll raise a glass in his honor. (Probably filled with cran-grape juice.)

Sláinte!

Inkheart - Brace Yourself

2009-01-22T18:25:00.001-08:00

The German children's book "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke opens in theaters tomorrow in a version starring Brandon Frasier. I mention this as a warning. While I have not seen the movie, I have read the book - this is NOT a children's book. Do NOT take your children to this movie, or allow them to read this book without previewing it yourself, first.

**Big Spoiler Warning - but I think you need it.**

I was excited when I found this book - I'm always hunting for something new to read, and this was a double blessing because I found it just before my sister's birthday. Instant present!

It begins very well, with an interesting premise. The father in the story has the ability to read stories aloud, so beautifully, that they actually come to life. Sounds promising, no?

This is when things take a turn toward the dark.

The man's wife is caught up in one of these living stories and sucked away from the real world, leaving him and his young daughter bereft. The daughter has no idea what became of her mother.

Now, that's rather scary, but what unfolds is down right terrifying. Enter a villain who is truly a villain - something out of an adult murder mystery - and this is no longer a children's book, or a young adult book, or even a book I'm willing to read a second time.

Sadly, I'd already ordered the sequel to the book (part of that present). It sits here on the shelf, unread. I'm not going to risk another of those terrifying scenes. I have nightmares enough, thank you.

Now, perhaps I'm just squeamish, but I don't think so. I'm not your typical Deseret Book reader and this book shocked and horrified me several times.

Hollywood usually louses up books. They ruin them in ways that make my teeth hurt. It's possible that they'll ruin this one also, but in doing so will make it watchable by children (and adults with imaginations). I hope so, but I'm not paying nine dollars to find out.

Edit:

I'd really love to hear other points of view also.
Turns out that two people, whose opinions I hold in high esteem, seem to think I'm stuffed full of wild blueberry muffins on this one. ;)

Well, one of them loved all the books and another didn't get freaked out until the second. I'm trying to cajole them into posting their comments here. Maybe you'll get a more balanced opinion.

Hey you "Twilight" movie fans!

2009-01-18T16:17:00.000-08:00

To promote the movie in Brazil they've made an online "Twilight" game.
Apparently you play as Bella and roam around Forks High School late at night, trying to discover more about Edward.

Click here to see the site - "Crepúsculo".

I read about this in a journal entry over at deviantART. Here's more of what sunni-sideup had to say:

"And you get to be creepy! And you get to actually find a Twilight book! Because these aren't even the real characters, they are people who are BIZARRELY similar to the characters in Twilight and Edward has actually read it, and he is amazed at how close Stephenie got to the truth! I KNOW!

Anyway, you have to check it out. Just register and play! Downside: it's all in Portuguese! I can't fully appreciate the story, which makes me sad. But it's still awesome! You get to dig through Edward's locker! And see a letter written by his mother!!!"

Full text here.

Let me know if any of you play the game and/or speak Portuguese.
hehe =)

Bang and Whack!

2009-01-18T00:10:00.000-08:00

This week started with a BANG!
Literally.

Remember that weird popping and dimming of the lights that heralded our old water heater's demise? Well, about 1 am I was lying in bed, reading (Yeah, yeah, it was a work night. But I had to finish!) when the lights did their thing again. I lay there and said, in effect. "No way. Has to be dirty power." and soon turned out the light and went to sleep.

The next morning my poor little sister tried to take a shower and found she had no hot water! She investigated and discovered black soot all around the electronics bay on the top of the water heater. grrrrrrr.....

That's right - we blew up the water heater.
Again!
Aren't we clever?

Turns out we have aluminum wiring for that circuit, and aluminum wiring and copper wiring are not happy with each other.

Now, I like to think of myself as an intelligent human being, and I'm pretty handy with electronics, but I've never come across aluminum wiring! Heck in the house where I grew up we had bare copper wires in the attic (circa 1920s). Dad just finished swapping them all out last year.

We've replaced plugs and switches, installed ceiling fans and lights and always encountered copper wire. Who knew that we had aluminum lurking in the walls?

The sorry, melted remains of the wiring, connectors and drip pan.

See that nice little hole drilled through the metal? And the spot above it where it almost melted through?
Isn't electricity fun?

I now know lots about aluminum wiring... more than I wanted to.
If you live in this area and your home is between 20 and 30 years old, beware - you might be having this fun and not be aware of it. Seems using aluminum wiring for the major appliances was quite the thing, and the resist that they used to connect the two metals dries out after a number of years, and when it does - POW!

Fortunately we have copper wiring for the rest of the house, or else I'd be crying right now.

Many thanks to the good people at George Morlan. They sent out a tech right away who explained things and showed us a wonderful little connector that solves the problem. Oh, and the water heater got a full checkup and passed - it was only the external wiring that fried. Hot water once again sloshes happily in our pipes.

That was the bang - the WHACK was my sister and I pruning the rose bushes in the back yard within an inch of their lives. We needed to clear the way so that we can replace the poor back fence which was on its last legs last year and is reeling this year.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest you probably had the same day we did - bright beautiful sunshine but frosty temperatures. It was cold and blowing, but we enjoyed ourselves. Hacking, slicing and chopping can be very therapeutic!

Before - ah what a tangled web. Mallory says Hi.

I remember my Mother making bread. Lots of bread. Really good bread.
With seven children to feed, making bread happens a lot, but when I was older she confided to me that the end result wasn't the only reason for making the bread. Kneading dough is a great way to get rid of your frustrations. Pound that dough for a bit and things start to look better (it also makes for a lovely crumb).
I suppose I have bread to thank for not getting my behind whooped more often! hehe!

After - lovely no? Sorry about the shadow, the afternoon was wearing down.

We ended up with frosty finger tips, lots of thorn punctures and a nicely pruned backyard. Ah, the joys of a job well done!

cringe

2009-01-14T20:08:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that last post!
This is what happens when I am let loose near a computer after my brain has already gone to bed.
I need a minder.
Really I do.

While I'm here I'd like to mention how grateful I am for a warm home. My sister is currently in Minnesota, freezing her teeth off in the -36 degree weather!

Air stagnation in Oregon?
A small price to pay for having all ten toes.
(Just don't breathe too deeply.)

EEP! Just 4 more days until I start my New Year's Resolutions and I'm not quite ready yet! I'd better sign off and get shaking.

Bored...

2009-01-13T22:18:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that I'm bored? Bored?!?
It's amazing.
It's unthinkable.
It's WRONG.

Of all the incredible things to do now days, and all the things to be had (electronics, of course hehe) and all the ways to keep in touch with people, being bored must be a crime.
Dagnabit, being bored should be a crime!
(Nothing else is a crime anymore, so why not... Oops. Don't get me started.)

I feel guilty about wandering around the house.
Even if I can't find a novel way to amuse myself, you'd think I could at least clean something!

With that threat hanging over me, I found something to do - retouch old photos.
No kidding. :)

Do you have some pictures that seemed like a good idea, but somehow never quite jelled? I've an entire harddrive full of them.

Here's one that I really liked. This was taken down at Beaver Creek Park, but the sun was too far gone and the photo was too grainy. Sooo.. presto, chango! I used a little Photoshop neon edges action and voila!

I think it turned out rather well, don't you?

How about this one?
It's the wetlands near my office. It was a rainy day and the water was all silver, but somehow I messed up the shot. It had no focal point, no drama.
So, this one got the watercolor treatment and now I think it's quite a nice little impressionist painting.

Finally, a foggy night in the back yard. I redid this photo six ways. It was too much fun to stop! However, here are two of them, for your amusement. (You MUST click on them to see them full size. Otherwise the effect is completely lost.)
Golden Fog - Watercolor

Golden Fog - Ink

I hope you're having an exciting evening, with no boredom in sight!
(If it looms just threaten yourself with cleaning duties and it will slink away.)

PS. Actually, I did these photos last year. But I wanted to post and I really was bored, so I embellished. A little. Kinda. =)

Bits and Bobs

2009-01-10T19:13:00.000-08:00

Seems I have forty things going on, so here's a smattering to amuse you.

1) Just found out about "Project 365 - A Photo Everyday for 2009" and want to kick myself! I wish I'd heard of it sooner!
The challenge is to take a picture of something in your life every day, all year.

I really need this to get my creative juices running, so I guess I'll just start now and make it Project 355. (Can I post retroactively?? hmmm...)

2) The water heater is in and purring along nicely. We purchased it on Wednesday and the wonderful guys at George Morlan (insert ad here) delivered it for only $29 and carted away the old one for free. They even did it the same day! Sears, Home Depot and Lowes can't even touch that kind of service.

We did have some fun while switching the heater out. Take a look at what we found when we pulled the old tank out from the wall. Yipes.

I do a visual inspection of all our appliances at least quarterly, but I never had any idea that this damage was back there. The wall had a corresponding mark soaked into it, so my sister cut the dry wall out and replaced it with a waterproof foam panel. She also found and disposed of a mouse who had made himself a nice tomb between the walls. Blecho!
Fortunately it wasn't Calvin the Mouse. *wink*

Dad and Holly installed the new tank and I stood around and passed them tools and garbage bags. Yes, it was an arduous task.

I like to think of myself as a very handy person who can do whatever it takes, but I was pretty much useless on this occasion. No worries, I'm sure there will be others.

3) Cleaning up after the little flood I found a paper bag that seemed to be full of old unused stationery (1950s era) and very much used Christmas and birthday cards. A perfect item for the recycling bin. However I gave it to Mom to go through since it appeared to be Grandma's stuff. (Grandma lived with us here in Portland for a few years before she passed away.)

Mom started looking, and lo and behold it was full of old family photos and letters! Whew - I'm glad I didn't toss it!

There are even pictures of me as a baby.
Here's a Christmas card with me holding my little sister Bonnie and sitting next to my little brother Scott.

What can I say? The rumors are true. I was adorable.

We spent a fun afternoon trying to identify everyone in the pictures (and wishing Grandma had labeled more of them).

Mom also found a letter from one of my great great grandmothers who was living in St. George in the 1850/60/70 time frame. We haven't been able to date the letter (someone cut the stamps off) but here is an excerpt (spelling retained):
"When we heard the word of the conferance that the word of wisdom was given as a commandment we both comenced to observe it and I feel it to be a benefit. I am determined to continue to keep it believing the Lord will not ask of us more than we can do."

That touched my heart.

4) I've been trying my hand at Facebook, and yesterday my Mom created an account for herself. We're tracking down friends and family left and right. Beware - we'll be adding you when we find you!

5) Finally, and this one really makes me laugh, the Christmas lights finally came down from outside. Sadness! But it had to happen.

Holly took them down while I was at work and she found the oddest (most odd?) thing.

About two weeks ago one of the strands of lights on the pine tree on the corner suddenly stopped working about half way up. When Holly was unwinding the string from the limbs she noticed that one of the lights was sitting in a fork of the tree. Just sitting there. Not connected.

When she picked it up she saw teeth marks.

Some little squirrel had gnawed off one of the lights and tried to hide it in his stash! She found others, of the same color, that had also been gnawed on.

Well, they do kind of look like little bitty pine cones... so....

Holly says that the first squirrel was busy collecting these shiny tidbits when another squirrel came up, noticed what was happening and flicked the first one on the ear. "You nut! You can't eat those!"

Made me laugh - except that he ruined a perfectly good set of lights.
grrr...

Oh well, I have electrical tape and I know how to use it!

When it rains, it pours

2009-01-06T23:56:00.000-08:00

Sunday night the lights on the north side of the house gave three big jolts and my parents ran upstairs to see if I'd electrocuted myself. (I hadn't. Hadn't even been using anything powered at the time.)

We checked out the fuse box and the garage, and though we could smell something pungent it wasn't a normal "hot" electrical smell, and it went away fairly quickly. However, we couldn't' get the starter on the furnace to work.

"Great," I thought, "Just what I need - to replace the furnace."

After resetting the circuit breakers and the thermostat the starter kicked in and the furnace ran and so we figured we'd dodged the bullet.

Monday morning my mom tried to take a shower and the hot water cut off half way through. Yup - it wasn't the furnace freaking out, it was the water heater.

So, tomorrow is our Christmas (January 7th, Russian Orthodox Christmas) and we'll be running down to buy and install a new water heater.

Thank heavens my Dad is here. He's the VERY best.
It's not that my sister and I couldn't do the installation (it's dead easy) but having a wonderful strong man around is so comforting. Not to mention the fact that he's done this a dozen times.

I need to brag about my Dad. He's notorious in my family for dropping everything and anything that he's doing and coming to the rescue. In fact, once my sister was in Canada and the transmission fell out of her car (seriously, it FELL out). He jumped in the car and drove to Canada to help her. How's that for a fabulous guy?
(No wonder I can't find Mr. Right. Who could possibly hold a candle to my Dad? hehe)

So - bring on the rain! We can handle it!

Frosty morning

2009-01-04T15:02:00.000-08:00

This morning's weather forecast:
High 37
Low 36
Current temperature 27

I wish my job would allow for that margin of error!

I know, I know, my friends in Canada are laughing up their mufflers right now. 27 sounds like beach weather to them. My friend in Slave Lake has had temperatures at -30 for the past several weeks.

However, this was a nice chilly morning for Oregon. And one benefit was that we had a wonderful bit of frost on everything. I had no camera with me when we drove to church and I resigned myself to only enjoying the frost from memory. But when we got out of church, three hours later, the frost was still there (mostly)!

Ran home, bundled into something warm and rushed back to the church parking lot to capture the moment before it got any warmer. (Click on the pictures for a larger size. The blog resizing makes them a bit blurry.

Today's Gratitude Moment: I'm thankful for thick, warm flannel sheets!

The Rains Came Down and the Floods Came Up

2009-01-02T21:23:00.000-08:00

What were you doing in the wee hours of the morning of January 1st? (Umm... actually it was the 2nd at that point?) Were you sleeping soundly? Watching the heavy snow flakes/clumps drop? Playing one more tune on Rock Band?

My sister and I were out in the side yard, up to our ankles in freezing water, bailing out the area around the garage side door and digging a new trench through the sodden, muddy grass to funnel flood water to the street.

Yup, fun and games!
Did I mention the heavy snow clumps?

It was cold and wet, but oddly satisfying when the water finally went down. Not a bad night, although we wanted to smack ourselves in the head for not buying sandbags earlier.

Everything that was on the floor along the north wall of the garage is now sodden. That means I've lost almost all of my notes from Law School (and some of the texts). There are several boxes of fabric and crafts gone, and probably two cabinets that we had in storage, waiting for our dream house to be built. Also a couple boxes that survived the flood waters but seem to have housed Nancy Bui's mouse for a month or so. ICK!!

The worst part - I think my entire collection of original X-Men comics is a loss. *cries* Still have to find out about that, but I've given up hope (even though I did have them stored in plastic sleeves... so maybe...)

The good news - the water was all clear, not muddy, so clean up just means throwing things away. The suitcases that are storing my Russian souvenirs had wheels and kept the bottom of the case far enough from the ground that everything should be saved (I still haven't been able to get to the second case, it's kind of wedged in the back.) And the rest of the things were in Rubbermaid tubs, so no leakage.

What's more, I feel an odd sense of freedom. I can finally clean out the garage without obsessing about every little piece of paper! We're just going to rent a tip, toss everything that can't be recycled, dust our hands off and walk away.

Wow! What a great feeling to start the new year!
I think I'll need to have a flood more often...

Bah Humbug New Years style

2009-01-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

Truth be told, I detest New Years Eve. It's one of the most depressing times of the year (second only to that wicked pseudo-holiday, Valentine's Day.)

Every year I say to myself, "This time next year, I'm going to be dancing with a kind, fascinating man and I'm going to kiss him madly at midnight!"
And every year I find myself sitting at home, alone, comforting my dogs while the fireworks try to scare them to death.

Well, this year I kissed my dog, dang it!!

Don't worry, it was on the top of his silly little head. But he's the only male around and I'm no longer proud! I used to kid about not finding my Prince Charming. I'd say, "I told him to meet me in 1982 and he got confused and went to 1892!"

Somehow that's no longer as funny as it used to be.
So, here I am, stuck, living alone for another year. Blah.

or

This is the best!

OK, enough of that.

Here's what I'm going to do for my resolutions this year. (Nope, not going to tell you what they are, just how I'm going to do them.)

Do NOT Start On January 1st

Everyone starts at the same time, and that causes many problems.
a) Food related - heck, January 1st has left overs from two holiday, not to mention all those goodies associated with the Bowl games. There's no way to get a good clean start with that hanging over your head. Set January 1st aside for more partying, don't stress over it and start your diet on a day that you can be reasonably sure no one will be forcing three cheese nachos and German Chocolate Brownies onto your plate. And remember - the Bowl games run all the way through the 8th this year.
b) Exercise related - the sudden influx of people at the gym makes it crowded, and what's more, they're usually grumpy! I hate crowds and I don't need grumpy. Better to wait until everyone else has broken their resolutions or at least scaled back. Then I can waltz in and have a personal trainer all for myself (and no one staring when I hit the rowing machine).
c) Everything else. See a combination of a and b. Trust me on this.

Plan on starting somewhere around January 18th. Use the time between then and now to prepare yourself, your house and everything else so that you can effortlessly slide into your resolutions. That means you have to stop buying chocolate now, but you have two weeks to eat your backlog!

Make At Least Four Resolutions

The multi resolution tactic is not there to give you more to feel guilty about. It's there to give you an outlet.

If you flub up on one resolution, give it a break for a few days and concentrate on the success you are having with another resolution. And here's the kicker - make some of them FUN, not just work. You should have one "fun" resolution for every three "work" resolutions. These might be "Spend more time crafting" or "get a pedicure at least once a month". Come on - I know you can think of some fun ones!

Finally, Don't Do It Alone.

When gaming there is a spell called Resurrection (do not confuse this with real Resurrection. heh) Basically it means a friend can read a scroll or wave a wand and you get to come back to life and try it again! We need something like this for resolutions. But you'll notice that you can't do it alone. You need a friend to help.

Admittedly this one is the hardest one for me, but I really think it will be the key to my success. The idea is to find someone that you need to report to. It can be a friend, a support group, your blog, your Mom. You get the idea. Don't discount the option to report out to Heavenly Father on those resolutions that you need some extra support with. You know He will always have time to listen and will cheer you on!

That's it! Three steps to get me off to a good start!
Now I just have to think up the resolutions.
Yipes...

PS. We did have a nice time watching the New York Philharmonic's New Years broadcast. Any concert that features De Falla's "Ritual Fire Dance" and excerpts from "Carmen" has my vote for a ripping good party. It also drown out the real fireworks noise very well and the puppies only freaked out a few times. Thank goodness.

On hold

2008-12-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

Christmas hasn't arrived at our home yet.

Presents are still under the tree.
Carols are unsung.
Roast is uncarved.
Heck, it's unroasted!

Mom works at the hospital and since she and Dad no longer have children at home she always takes all the holiday shifts and lets the others be at home with their families. That means they won't be here until January 4th, so Christmas and New Years will have to wait until they arrive.

This happens annually, you'd think I'd be used to it. But it still feels odd. Dad says that this is a good thing - we can buy our Christmas presents at the After Christmas sales and still be in time!

I try to tell people that we celebrate Orthodox Christmas, but no one gets it.

In keeping with my still-to-be-celebrated Christmas spirit, go here for some free music! (Don't worry, it's totally legit. It's through CNet.com.)
A Capella Christmas

The poor dogs finally got a full walk today. Before this they were having such a hard time getting through the snow and ice. The little guys would high center! (And most of our neighbors didn't bother to shovel their walks. grrrr...)
But with the blast of warm air we made it all the way around the block without their little paws freezing to the pavement. Yay!

While we were walking I saw a number of beautiful things - snow melting in strange shapes, thin layers of ice over leaves, weirdly melted tracks in the snow - but I knew I couldn't wait for the morning because it will have melted overnight. (Heck, it's 8:30 and it's still 48 degrees outside!)

As soon as we got home I grabbed the camera and ran back to where I'd seen all the good stuff. About 80 shots later I got home, so proud of myself for getting what I wanted before the light faded - and then found out that I didn't have a memory card in the camera!!

Much beating of head on wall ensued.

Well, not for long. I was determined to get SOMETHING, so I jammed the CF card in and got a few shots in my own yard. Ah well - sometimes you just have to take pictures with your mind and enjoy them that way.

In the meantime, here are a few for those of you not living through the big thaw.

My Beautiful Wickedness!!

2008-12-24T13:19:00.000-08:00

Melting... Melting...
The thermometer reads 38 and everything is melting at an incredible rate!
Hurry up Christmas, or there won't be any white left!!

We got out this morning and shoveled the drive and the sidewalk before the snow turned to slush, and we're nicely sore now, inside and watching the snow drip off the trees.

There are 40 foot pines just above the dining room (aka The Computer Room - we never entertain) and every time one of the boughs drops its load of snow on the roof it sounds like we're in an aerial bombardment! It's driving the dogs nuts, but we're enjoying it (even if we do duck once and a while).

Ah - while we're at it - everyone else gets to post cute snow baby pictures. We'll here are our snow babies. (Totally spoiled of course.) They were able to walk on the ice layer for most of the time, but every once and a while they'd break through. They didn't like that too much. Mallory would stick his head in the resulting hole and sniff around to make sure it wasn't the work of evil prairie dogs.

Action Shot!!

I have no real desire to scrape the foot of snow off the top of my car and go driving. There are insane people out there! And we've got a two years supply of food and fuel here! haha! I laugh at the crowds and the slush!

(Yes, you can tell how old I am. When I as growing up it was a two years supply. Now it's down to something silly like six weeks.)

My sister just threw a bunch of meatballs and some yummy grape jelly in the crockpot. We've been told this is great to snack on, and we'll be doing the melted brie with apricots and walnuts later on - just because it was too luscious not to repeat.

We were planning on attending the candle light midnight service at the little Scottish Church out in Hillsboro, but instead I think we'll just turn out the lights, light a bunch of our own candles and read the Christmas story by the tree.

Merry Christmas to all of you!
May you be as warm and happy as we are.

Happy Hanukkah!

2008-12-21T12:40:00.000-08:00

Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah!

I served my mission in New York and there I learned to love the Jewish people and their customs. It was there that I first celebrated Hanukkah.
At first I thought that this was just a nice way to give the Jewish kids some relief during this season - how would you like to be surrounded by all this Christmas stuff and be unable to participate? Yikes! But I quickly learned that I was wrong - the holidays may fall near one another, but each deserves its own place in our hearts.

Christ celebrated Hanukkah, the festival commemorating the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. It's a beautiful story, full of hope and faith.

If you've not heard it before here is the short version: The Syrian-Greeks had taken over Israel and had desecrated the temple in Jerusalem as a way of subjecating the Israelites. Finally an Israelite leader, Judas Maccabee, arose and was able to kick the Syrians out. The people rushed to the temple and began to clean and prepare it for worship.
One of the key elements of the original temple was a huge menorah (think of it as a candle holder) in the sanctuary. This menorah had seven arms and seven flames (not candles in those days, but oil lamps), and was kept burning at all times - an eternal flame. In the ransacked store rooms of the temple only one cruse of consecrated oil was found - just enough to light the menorah for one day. It took eight days to press and consecrate new oil! However, they lit the oil in faith and the tiny cruse lasted eight long days until new oil was prepared.

For Hanukkah we use a menorah with 9 arms. Eight candles or oil lamps for the eight days of the feast, and one lamp known as the shammas - this is the light that is used to light all the others.

What do I learn from Hannukah?
I learn of the great faith of a people who loved God and wanted to worship him.
But more, I am reminded of my savior. Christ is my shammas. He gives me of His light and His own is never diminished in the giving. He stays bright and steadfast at all times, drawing me to that which is pure and holy.

The next time you see a Hanukkah menorah look for the shammas - it is always set a little apart from the other lights - either higher in the center or on one side - and think of what the faith of the Israelites can teach us, and of our loving brother and Savior, the Light of the World.

During the eight days of the feast families gather every night to light the candles and celebrate. Gifts of money (gelt) may be given and many people give money to charity during this time. But mostly it's about food and family! (Yes some people now decorate Hanukkah bushes in blue and silver or white, but we won't go there. heh.)

Since the point of the story is the oil, you'll find LOTS of dishes the incorporate oil in Hanukkah celebrations - the more the merrier! Latkes (fried potato pancakes) and sufganiot (fried donuts filled with jam or cream cheese) are staples.
Here's a wonderful store house of recipes that can get you started.

May these next nights be filled with light for you and your family as we remember the faith and strength of good people everywhere, and the Light of the World, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Missed Opportunities

2008-12-20T18:51:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel that you have a huge list of things you wish you'd done? My list is now large enough to be bound so I can begin work on Volume Two.

When they forecast snow last week I immediately began setting up my photo sites. I found some nice burgundy roses still in bloom, and a good spray of dark orange rosehips, a bush with bird berries, a stand of cedars - all the things I knew I'd want to capture in the snow. The only thing I was missing was a good holly tree. There used to be one right across the street from us, but it was cut down this summer (booo!!) and so now I'm holly-less. Ah well, at least I had some other good subjects.

Then the snow hit, and dang it, I had NO desire to go outside. Too cold and wet and slubbery (I know that's a word somewhere.) So I missed all those pictures. *sobs* It was my choice, but you know what happens to those who hesitate. Yup, they are photo-less.

I did get out to take a few shots the next day when the sun came back. I love the sun on the snow, and even more, I love the shadows!

While driving to work Thursday the snow was falling in huge clumps of fluffy flakes with a little dusting of glitter stuff in between, and oh joy! the sun was out at the same time! The whole sky was sparkling! I almost cried - the snow settling on the stickery dried thorn blossom skeletons with the sun turning everything crisp and sparkly - it was the prefect picture. Sadly, my campus is camera restricted (all the top secret mojo we do) so I had nothing with me except my dunderheaded cell phone which takes awful pictures.

Sadness set in.

On Friday I was headed out to Cedar Hills and I happened to go by one of those stone and metallic ball fountains at a business center. Someone had forgotten to turn the water off and it was frozen in wonderful icy sheets! Still - no camera with me.

So, this morning, I looked out at the sifting snow, listened to the dearth of people on the road and said, "WHAT THE HECK! I'm not going to let this be another of those 'I wish I had' moments!"

I had a wonderful time poking around. Took about 80 shots and the only thing that could have made it better would have been some nice golden sunlight to throw everything into contrast and make those delicious shadows.

Tonight I had to drag out the tripod and try for some Christmas light shots. Most of our ground lights are already buried and are shining through. So much fun! I didn't wish for a white Christmas, but I was given the present anyway!

I hope you are warm and cozy, where ever you are, and enjoying the view out your window.

Terrifying Snow Monkeys

2008-12-17T18:36:00.000-08:00

"Were there monkeys? Some terrifying Snow Monkeys?" *

OK, it doesn't work quite as well as the original, but it still makes me smile.

Spent all day keeping a multi billion dollar fab running from the warmth of my home, wearing my purple flowered PJs ** and sherpa slippers and sipping cocoa. Does it get any better than this?

I think it does, cause as soon as I cut free from the server I ran down to make some cards using my new Changito Monkey stamps. Now, I'm not the one you'd ever peg as "cutsey". Don't like little apple cheeked dolls with no mouths and button eyes. Shudder. But these guys... dang, they make me laugh!

So, here's the card! ***

Outside:

Then, inside:

It's raining here now, but should be snowing again tomorrow.
Happy snow to all of you!

* All you Firefly fans out there will just have to forgive me. I couldn't help myself!
** Sadly I don't have sexy footsies like Nancy. Nor her cute bod to go with them! ;)
*** Yes, I know, I bought a nice softbox. But I was too lazy to put it up, so you get to see my cluttered craft table in the background.

Let there be lots and lots of lights!

2008-12-15T18:24:00.000-08:00

When I was little there was a huge juniper bush in front of our house. At Christmas we'd string those big glass colored lights through it and soon the snow would melt around the bulbs and we'd get a good coating of ice that would eventually cover the bush. After a few days the lights would seem to glow from within a giant snow globe! It's a great memory.

One thing I've learned recently is that LED lights, as pretty as they are, don't put out enough heat to melt snow, so there's no likelihood of recreating my childhood Christmases, even if Oregon weather would cooperate (which it is, at least this week!).

That's OK. There are still lots of pretty lights around. But some lights are more exciting than others, and when you mix lights and electronics, I reach Geek Nirvana!

You may have seen animated light shows before, but if you haven't seen this one you're missing out. I sent this URL to my family, and my sister (being the good researcher she is) looked up their web site. Turns out this is an incredibly talented family, and you may have seen some of their work. One brother made the stained glass windows for 10 LDS temples! There are several brothers - Richard does this light show (and is a web designer), Tom creates the stained glass windows, and Treavor is a blown glass artist and Will is a photographer. Their father, Floyd, was a photographer for National Geographic. What talent!

After you watch the light show, head over to their website and read their story. In 2007 they raised over $10,000 for the Make A Wish foundation from people viewing the light show. Also, be sure to check out the stained glass studio. There are pictures from the temples (this window is from the San Antonio, Texas Temple) and even a stained glass Christmas tree!

Brrrr...uuuuummmmm

2008-12-14T22:03:00.001-08:00

Yes, it's cold out there.
So warm up with a little subtle British humor. (OK, maybe not so subtle.)

I love "Top Gear". It's a British television show dedicated to all things automotive. Here they do a road test of the new Ford Fiesta that had me laughing out loud! Apparently someone criticized one of their reviews, so they're out to do a very thorough job this time. Stay with it to the end. It just gets better and better!

Top Gear - Ford Fiesta

Enjoy!
And... stay warm. Brrrrrrrr

Odd and Ends

2008-12-13T21:58:00.000-08:00

This weekend has been really odd. I'm all wired up about something, but I can't figure out what it is. I hate that feeling. It makes me wander around the house, cleaning and fixing anything I can get my hands on, just to try to make it stop. So, if you don't mind, I'll wrap up some loose ends here and maybe that will help.

Pirates of the Great Salt Lake

The "Pirates of the Great Salt Lake" movie turned out to be - well, not quite a dud, but certainly nothing I'd ever watch again. To be honest, I found the premise disturbing. Oh, I laughed at it in the trailers, but to actually watch the story unfold - creepy. Not to mention the killings. Didn't expect that one at all!

So... blah.
If you want to watch it I suggest getting it from Netflix instead of paying $5 to Blockbuster like I did. Bad move on my part.

I really wish a good movie would come out sometime. Too much too wish for? I hope not. :(

The Tree

The tree has been up for a few days but we couldn't figure out what do put on the top.

For the past several years we've used our little "Bumbles" doll from the claymation Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer cartoon. Remember how he puts the star on top of the tree? We'll he does that for us. However that didn't seem to be a big enough star this year.

Usually we have two trees: an elegant one with crystal icicles or golden angels or burgundy fruit - the Festival of Trees type tree - and a more rustic tree with wooden cranberry bead garlands and German straw ornaments or nutcrackers. It's this second tree the hosts Bumbles.

This year, because we have TOO much furniture in our living room, we went with just one tree (directly in front of the fireplace *sigh*). It's a more elegant tree so Bumbles didn't get the top billing. We couldn't stand to hurt his feelings, so he's still there (that's him, the cute white furry guy, climbing this year's tree) but we reserved the top for a truly magnificent star. Except that we couldn't find one!

We have six boxes of Christmas ornaments and can you believe we couldn't find one good tree topper? Finally we settled on a nice scroll carved and whitewashed wooden star and we're finally done. Ta Da!!

I think I'll have to ask my mother to quilt a fireplace cover showing logs aglow. Then I won't feel guilty about not using the fireplace.

Cards

Cards, cards, cards. It's December 13th and I've only managed to send cards out to my family. I don't think I'll ever get all of these cards made. Might have to cut my losses, send out store bought cards and start right now to make next years cards instead.

Here is a shot of one of the two styles I've been making. I thought the stained glass look turned out well, but I'm using my oncamera flash (grrrr! I hate those things!) so you can't tell.

(That's the one thing I have on my Christmas list - a nice flash - but it's the one thing I know I won't get. :( I'd be happy with an old, used 420EX! Ah well. I'll start saving up for it.)

In the meantime I bought a little softbox so hopefully my shots will look a bit more professional from now on.

hmmm....what else?
Ward Christmas Party

We were late. My fault, I've been felling punky and napped most of the afternoon, so I wasn't ready. We were only 30 minutes late (ok, maybe 40) but the program was already over! Who ever heard of a Mormon program of any kind, especially one with musical numbers, ending on time? hehe
Hats off to Naomi for being an amazing director.

I'm just sorry I missed it all. I was looking forward to the carols and seeing the baby Jesus. Worse yet, I wandered around afterward, saying Hi to people and looking at the nativity scenes, but I couldn't congratulate anyone on their performances, because I hadn't seen them and didn't know who did what! :(

Well, that's it. Rambled enough. Hopefully this will have cleared out the cobwebs in my brain and I can settle down and enjoy the snow tomorrow.

We ARE having snow tomorrow.
I command it.

Oh Christmas tree

2008-12-11T00:00:00.001-08:00

Five years ago, if you'd told me that I'd own a fake tree, and like it, I would not have laughed in your face. I would have simply hauled off and slugged you. =) Fake trees are so NOT a part of my family's traditions. The smell of the fresh tree, the softness of the spruce needles, the sticky sap all over your fingers - I love it all!

However, I do not love re-cutting the bottom of the trunk over and over until it stands up straight, and I always forget to water the thing, and it makes me terribly sad (and not a little frightened) when the needles fall out. So, eventually I went to the dark side, and now I love my fake tree!

One new tradition that we've had to come up with is "fluffing". Yes, we all say it. The tree comes out of the box and immediately we're commanding each other to "fluff that side!".

Tonight we fluffed!
And lighted!
And ribboned!
And decked!

Now the inside of the house is nearly as festive as the outside, and I'm sooo much more calm. Seems I'm always on tenterhooks until the tree is up.

One of my problems is that I'm not really good at decorating the tree. I love the process - rediscovering favorite ornaments, munching on popcorn that I'm supposed to be stringing for garland, remembering past holidays. But arriving at the finished product can be a bit of a mystery to me.

I don't like gaudy trees, so I tend to be a bit spartan with the ornaments and sometimes it looks rather stark. I've tried all kinds of things to become a better decorator. I've even written algorithms to help me understand how many ornaments to use for different sized trees and placement schemes... not exactly artistic endeavors.

Ah well - the nice thing about a Christmas tree is that you almost can't do it wrong. (Thank heavens!!)

Here are a few fun things we like to do on the web this time of year.
The first is my old favorite - Make-A-Flake Snowflake Creator (Originally sponsored by an underwear company. Can't remember which one. Hanes?)
http://snowflakes.barkleyus.com

And this is a new and improved Snowflake program which we just ran across. It gives immediate gratification! See the results as you cut! :D
http://www.popularfront.com/snowdays

Elf Yourself (by OfficeMax) is always a hoot, especially since the whole family can get in on the act. Last year they even had a Scrooge Yourself. I'll have to look for that one again.
http://www.elfyourself.com

Macy's has some fun things this year, including turning yourself into Santa with their Be Claus program.
http://www.macysbelieve.com

Suspense!!

2008-12-09T13:20:00.000-08:00

Today was supposed to be the DVD release of the much anticipated (at least by me) "Pirates of the Great Salt Lake" movie! But will it really happen?

They were supposed to release this movie on the ever-hallowed September 19th, "Talk Like A Pirate Day", but somehow that got the axe. (Or the plank. What's a good "bad" pirate slang idiom for getting the rug pulled out from under you? ... maybe keel hauling...)

Then they set the release date for today, December 9th, but neither Amazon or Walmart websites have it for sale. Boohooo!!!

I've been looking forward to this one: mindless, clean fun (but hopefully not as mindless as "Napolean Dynamite" I'm from Idaho and I took that one rather personally). However, I'm a bit leary also. The reviews are all good, the trailer is funny, but then the reviews and the trailer were good for last year's "Stalking Santa" and that was such a dud that I turned it off after 20 minutes and wished I had that time back in my life.

Judge for yourself watch the trailer below! And if you find a copy of this thing, run a flag up the pole for me.

Flames

2008-12-07T17:49:00.000-08:00

Last night the sky caught fire near my house. What an awesome sight!

I've always said that if I built my dream house, the first thing I'd do when evaluating the property would be to insure there was year round access to sunsets. I love them.

Here's what I was able to capture last night (it looks even better at full size).

Sorry about the phone lines and poles. I yelled at them to move but they were too busy watching the sky to listen to me.

I think, when I get to Heaven, I'll apply for a job with the Sunset Department. This whole Ministering Angel thing has to have SOME benefits, doesn't it?

If Sunsets are full up, I'm definitely applying for the Lava Group.
Yup. That would be fun. I understand there will be a good number of other virgins to hang around with.

;-)

(Heheh... Holly never reads my posts, so I can get away with saying things like that! Don't tell her!)

Backgrounds and the first bit of Christmas cheer

2008-12-01T21:23:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's true. I've been ignoring the Thanksgiving dishes (hey, we only had it yesterday!) and playing with Photoshop instead. Usually I'm tweaking my photos, but this time I thought I'd try my hand at blog backgrounds.

What do you think?
It's rather stark, but I like it. =)

My dad and I just finished putting up the outdoor Christmas lights! I'm so glad to see them glowing out there in the dark and rain.

The tree comes next!
Oi. That means I have to brave the boxes in the garage.
Maybe I'll fortify myself with a turkey and cranberry sandwich first.

PS. I really did the dishes yesterday. I may be a bachelorette, but I'm not THAT bad!

Thanksgiving, the Lazy Way

2008-11-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

Our parents won't be in town until tomorrow (they're dining with another child today) so we are making this a lazy Turkey Day, and let me tell you, it's the best.

First rule - you must stay in your Pajamas for as long as humanly possible. I nearly ruined everything by automatically getting dressed this morning, but since I was able to jump back into my pj's before Holly woke up, only the dogs know that I messed up, so it doesn't count.

Second rule - start with pie. Yep, pie for breakfast. This year it's pumpkin as is fitting. Pumpkin, topped with a good dollop of real whipped cream, and a large glass of cold milk on the side.
While eating my pie I enjoyed reading Bittman's article on Pumpkin Pie.

"I believe in the theory that some people are cooks, while others are bakers. Some are truly, equally both, but that’s rare. Cooks are messier and improvise more, tasting and adjusting, winging it in spirit if not actually in practice. Bakers are more meticulous and methodical, measuring and weighing, careful not to overwork their dough."

I love that man. :) Given this definition, I'm certainly a cook, not a baker.

Third rule - no turkey. Lazy, remember? True, Bittman has two ways of making a no hassle turkey. The 45 minute bird and the braised bird, both of which we intend to try, but I just couldn't be bothered to fight my way through a store of last minute Thanksgiving shoppers to find a bird.
So, we're going to have a wonderful dish of braised brussel sprouts with bacon and shallots (sooo good!), James Beard's crispy stuffing with my own additions of cranberries, pine nuts and sausage, and - if we still have any carrots, which I doubt - a nice bowl of carrot ginger soup. It's one of my specialties. Odd, come to think of it, lots of my specialties have ginger in them. Hmmm... deep inner meaning time...

Fourth rule - consume all things dairy. As you've noticed, I already up a nice dent in my daily dairy quota with the whipped cream and milk - and that was just one piece of pie. I'm counting on hitting at least three pieces by midnight tonight. But to counter all the carbs (yummm... comfort food) I bought three lovely cheeses.
The first is a smoked, aged Gouda from an artisan farm in New York, the second is what appears to be a white cheddar with Jamaican jerk spices from Pike Street Marketplace in Seattle (I say appears because I don't think even they are sure), and finally our old standby a nice double creme Brie. (Does this sound snooty? They're all from Costco, my favorite cheese store!)

I'll be baking the Brie in our crock pot, topped with chopped hazelnuts, dried apricots and a brown sugar/balsamic vinegar glaze.

So far the Gouda is my favorite. It's rich and smoky and oh so smooth! But I have great hopes for the Brie...

We have crackers of all types (yipes) and good crusty loaves of bread and even a small jar of cracked seed mustard (although the cheese doesn't need it and Holly wouldn't eat it anyway!). The only thing we're missing is something to drink! We have mango juice but that just seems wrong. I need grape or cranberry with this much cheese.

Ah, the trials of a lazy Thanksgiving. I hope I'm up to the task. :)
I shall now snuggle up with some sleepy puppies, a good book and my nosh, thankful for a warm home, literacy and my family.

PS. I must note that our wonderful friends Evelyn and Rob invited us over for Thanksgiving dinner, but we had to decline. I'm oncall this weekend and I detest throwing down my napkin in front of all the other guests and bolting out the door because my pager goes off. But I did want to note their extraordinary thoughtfulness and kindness to us. They're gems!
(Note: Evelyn's cranberry gelatin is a killer! You have to talk her out of some of it one day.)

Just One More Day...

2008-11-26T23:32:00.003-08:00

Just one more day.
Simply one freaking more day!
Surely I can hold on that long, can't I?

No, no, I'm not talking about jonesing for turkey. I'm talking about keeping my promise to not sing ANY Christmas carols until after Thanksgiving. I know it's a silly little thing, but I have to stick to my guns here.

This year everything started too soon. I expected the retailers to haul out the Christmas merchandise early - but the day after Halloween? Yikes!

Then, two weeks ago, the radio stations began playing Christmas songs.
That was simply too much to bear. I swore I wasn't buying anything Christmas related or singing any Christmas carols, or decorating in any way until the appropriate day, which is, of course, the day after Thanksgiving.

Geesh, Santa has to show up at the end of the Macy's day parade or it's not official. Don't these people know the rules?

Sadly, I blew it, and gave in to buy Christmas rubber stamps and paper early. But that's a necessity given the number of cards I'll have to make for my family!

As far as decorations and singing goes, I have, however, held true.

Except...

Except I keep catching myself humming "Winter Wonderland".
Or leading the choir in a rendition of "Far Far Away on Judea's Plains" as I drive home from work.
Or raking leaves in time to "Let it Snow".

I've tried.
Really hard.
I just need to hold on for a few more hours!

Then I can let myself sing "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" at the top of my lungs while putting up the lights on Friday. :)

We missed it!

2008-11-21T20:04:00.001-08:00

Did you see the fireball?
Dang. I didn't either. But lots of people in Canada did!

When I was little a huge fireball flew across the sky over Idaho. I remember sitting on the neighbor's porch and looking up...wow! It was called the "Great Daylight Fireball of 1972" and started skimming the earth's atmosphere above Utah heading north. It finally exited the atmosphere over Canada.

I love meteors. :)

PS. *sigh* That rather dates me. I was little, ok?!?

Corb Lund and the Hurtin Albertans

2008-11-19T23:35:00.000-08:00

I just have to share this one!
A really fun video by a band out of Canada.
This one is good for the whole family.

Tribute

2008-11-18T12:36:00.001-08:00

I have to admit that I'm a Glenn Beck fan.
I've never heard his radio or TV shows, but I've read "An Inconvenient Book" which still cracks me up whenever I think about it.

His conversion story is very interesting and he has a dry sense of humor that I just eat up.

I ran across this video clip and thought I'd post it here in case someone else hasn't seen it. It's Glenn Beck's tribute to President Hinkley, delivered on his TV show. Enjoy!

Where's the bread already??

2008-11-09T19:27:00.000-08:00

What happened to the No Knead Bread, you may ask?
Well, here it is!!

The whole episode turned out to be a Comedy of Errors. But to be fair, most of my cooking involves one mishap or another. (Don't worry, you'll read about it here, first.) So I'm not phased by it. Want to hear what happened?

I'd fully intended to start the bread on Thursday, as I wrote, but soon found out that I needed to get my ducks in order. You see, this bread takes a fantastically minimal amount of yeast - a quarter teaspoon. That's NOTHING when making regular bread.

Well - it's something.
And, it's a whole quarter teaspoon of something that I didn't have ready at hand.

Don't get me wrong, I have yeast. It's just in one of those huge bricks that I've got socked away in the back of the fridge as part of our food storage. You know - so I can continue to bake if there's a major outbreak of cholera in the area or if Mount Hood goes blewie.

I didn't want to break into my brick (let's not talk about rotating stock, ok? I'm in the middle of a rant right now…) so I decided to wait and get to the store where I could buy a couple of the little envelopes of yeast instead.

Shopping, sadly, did not happen until Saturday afternoon, but Saturday evening I started my dough using the teeny little amount of yeast.

Once I'd made the dough (which is dead easy) I dropped it into a big Tupperware bowl for the fermentation phase -and then reality hit. The recipe warns you to keep the dough in a warm room so that it can ferment properly, preferably 70 degrees or above.

Yikes! During the day we keep the heat in the house at 67 degrees, tops, and let it drop down quite a bit at night. How in the heck was I going to get the yeast to ferment?

I ended up wrapping the Tupperware in a set of my flannel winter sheets and keeping it in the upstairs guest room (possibly the warmest room in the house). I also cranked the heat a bit, but don't telly my sister. It seemed to work! Nice bubbles had appeared when I opened the Tupperware on Sunday morning.

Then, after church, I got to the next part of the recipe which is basically a light punch down and then a second rise for 2 hours. It really can't even be called a punch down. Turn the dough twice, let rest, then wrap in a floured cloth (not terry) and rise for two… wait… not terry cloth??

The only dish clothes I could find in the entire house are terry cloth. I have linen and cotton dish towels - somewhere - I know I do. But do you think I could find them? Nope.

I decided not to worry about it and put the Tupperware back in use, sans dish towel.

Two hours later I dumped the dough (which had NOT doubled as expected) into a 450 degree, preheated dutch oven, slammed down the lid and managed to transfer the whole mess to the oven without burning myself. The recipe state that you should just wiggle the pot a bit if the dough doesn't form a nice round, but it stayed put when I attempted the maneuver.

However... I'm happy to report… YUM!

After 30 minutes I took the lid off and I could already see the crust was going to be a success. It was gorgeous! 15 minutes after that I hauled the dutch oven out and there it was - my lovely, misshapen loaf!

Fortunately I got pictures before the cry of "MANGA! " rang out. My sister ate hers plain with butter and I had mine with some lovely apple butter that I made a few weeks ago. The dogs, of course, got several bites of the soft warm stuff. They're still nuzzing me, asking for more.

I'd say this was a success. It was dead easy, smelled and tasted fantastic and is already half gone. The top crust was all I could have asked for, although the bottom was a bit thicker than I'd like. Also the crumb was beautiful but much more moist than I'd expected. I was told this can happen when it's humid (which it is right now) so I'm not overly concerned.

Given the number of things I learned, next time it will be even better (and less nerve racking).

But before we try the No Knead Bread again I'll be doing Irish Soda Bread.
Stand by!

Minimalism - Bread

2008-11-06T14:24:00.000-08:00

If you've never been introduced to Mark Bittman you're really missing out.
The man is a food critic and columnist with the New York Times. He calls himself and his column "The Minimalist". His cookbook series "How to Cook Anything" is a great gift idea for the beginning cook - heck, I like to read them myself!

I first saw him on his show "Bittman Takes on America's Chefs". Bittman would go to a restaurant and a famous chef would show us how to make one of his signature dishes. Then, with much ado and kibitzing, Bittman would take the challenge to make the same dish, but with ingredients that the typical home cook would have access to, and to prepare the food in a way that the average cook could actually copy at home. It was great fun!

He also has a three to five minute video clip each week that shows wonderful food, easily prepared. I love his stuff. Try this one!

Now, why am I telling you this? Because one of the things that Bittman espouses is a great way to make a delicious loaf of bread without the work. It's called "No Knead Bread" and it replaces kneading with 12 to 18 hours of fermenting time.

I've decided today is the day to put this bread to the test. I abhor white balloon bread and I'm tired of paying the price for a good loaf of ciabatta, so I'm taking the plunge.

The one thing standing in my way - you bake this bread, in the oven, in a preheated heavy covered casserole. The steam that is held inside the casserole is the key to the amazing crust that the loaf develops. However, all I have are dutch ovens, and I'm not sure I want to sacrifice my nicely seasoned surface for a loaf bread. *grumble* Decisions, decisions...

I'll let you know how it comes out.
In the meantime, watch this for more information.

Blissful Ignorance

2008-11-05T12:40:00.000-08:00

It's now 12:45 pm on the day after Election Day, and I am still blissfully ignorant of the outcome of ANYTHING.

Last night my sister and I turned off our computers and sat down to watch a BBC drama (rather heartrending I might add). Then I headed for bed and read "Breaking Dawn" for a few hours.

I've avoided papers, radios, televison, gossiping coworkers and sky writers. (Heh, it's raining, I'm at least safe from sky writers.)

How long can I avoid the inevitable? I don't know.
Somehow I feel like crouching down and hiding for a week.
If only I could sign up for a two week sleep study!

Am I mad? Yes, indeed.
Will any specific outcome make me happy enough to rejoin the human race?
Nope. Not a one.
Have I ever felt this (irrational) way before.
No. I'm either getting older or I've finally had it with the stupidity.
Maybe both.

You'll know when I finally hear the answer. I'm sure there will be a shriek of some kind.

Update: It's not 6 pm and I'm home from work. I've enjoyed my day as an ostrich with my head stuck in the sand, even though I had to go to some lengths to maintain my innocence. (There are some rather loud people in the bullpen across the hallway and whenever they'd show up I'd put my headphones on and play something loud - preferably Beethoven.)
But all good avoidances must come to an end, and I'm poised to rip the bandage off! Here I go!

Foooooood

2008-11-03T14:08:00.000-08:00

What is it about Fast Sunday that makes me want to cook?
Yeah, I know - it's probably the whole hunger thing. But honestly, I don't want to eat, I want to COOK.

Yesterday my sister got Creme Brulee out of the deal. Yup, I tried the crock pot version.

I'd found some ramekins sitting in the sideboard and since I couldn't find any other baking dish that would fit in my 4 quart slow cooker I used these guys.
They fit. Kinda.

I put one on the bottom, shoved to one side, and the other sort of scrunched in on the other side. (Can you scrunch ceramic?) I ended up with one ramekin about a inch higher than the other, but they both fit and I could put water in the crockpot with no problem.

When I whipped up the custard I realized that my little ramekins weren't quite big enough to hold a full batch, so I did a three quarters version. A bit too much egg and a bit too little sugar went in. I love it when cooking is an adventure! =)

Two and a half hours later the custards looked done!
Then I found out the problem behind my plan. I now had two very hot ceramic ramekins, submerged half way up their sides in near boiling water - and the weight of the custard had forced the top ramekin down, effectively wedging these little darlings in place.

Grrrrrrrr.....

Archimedes and two long handled spoons later - voila!
Two nice custards and no steam burns. I love it when a plan comes together.

The dessert was very yummy, even if the custard was a bit soft. Holly likes it that way, I like mine more firm, but this time she won.

Only problem is, my broiler didn't do a very good job of carmalizing the sugar topping. I'll have to put "Butane Kitchen Torch" on my "Gimee Gimmee" Christmas list. hehe

If you'd like to try your hand at this wonderful recipe, go here:
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/02/crockpot-crme-brulee-recipe.html

Scared the living daylights out of me

2008-10-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

I had the most frightening thing happen to me this morning. I'm still all wide eyed and jumpy.

Our two dogs sleep on my bed at night, and every morning (or at least every morning that I'm not in a tearing hurry because I overslept) I give them a good puppy massage and head rub for their wake up call. (Hey, they're only 24 inches long - doesn't take too long.)

This morning the male had flopped over on his back while I was scratching the female's ears, and suddenly he started hacking.

I rolled him over and patted his back a bit while he tried to cough up whatever was in his throat. But within a few seconds it became apparent that it wasn't his throat but his windpipe. He got pretty agitated and huddled against me, still hacking something terrible. I was just starting to wonder if I needed to do something when he jumped down from the bed and tried to throw up, but that wasn't working either.

I'd just gotten to his side when he suddenly went limp and collapsed!

I was terrified! I know human first aid, but had no idea how to do the Heimlich on a terrier, or what I'd rupture if I tried! It all happened so very, very fast! He's only a fraction of the size of a human adult, so I guess it takes a shorter time to choke out, but even so..!

I'm the oldest of seven children and I don't remember anything like that ever happening with any of us. I can't imagine what goes through a mother or father's mind if their baby has problems breathing. SCARY!

Fortunately, whatever was blocking his airway slid to the side when he passed out and he woke up. That was the longest 10 seconds of my life!

He and I sat on the floor while he gulped down air and looked pathetic and I hugged him and tried to calm him down. It had scared him, too.

I didn't want to leave him this morning, although Holly was taking good care of him and I keep calling home just to be sure everyone is still alive and kicking. I can't get the image of his poor little inert body out of my mind. :(

Moral: Learn pet first aid and pray you'll never need to use it.

One of those question thingees

2008-10-28T15:51:00.001-07:00

A good friend sent this to me (Hi Aleathea!!) and I thought, what the heck, I'll just post the answers here. So.. everything you didn't need to know about me:

What time did you get up this morning - 2:30am, 5:45am, 7:15am (the dogs were restless)

Diamonds or pearls - Pearls

What was the last film you saw at the cinema - *shudders* Mama Mia. I have since repented, although I'm still singing ABBA songs in my head.

What is your favorite TV show - Not really into TV. SG1 stopped being good four years ago. Lost was fun the first year. Fringe is getting to be gross. We watch Antiques Roadshow, The Big Bang Theory (when it's not raunchy) and cooking programs. Pretty much leave the TV off otherwise.

What do you usually have for breakfast - Cheese omelette or oatmeal

What is your middle name - Heather (heh. Trick Question)

What food do you dislike - Aspic. Don't ask.

What is your favorite CD at moment - The Veronicas. (Yeah, so shoot me.)

What kind of car do you drive - Audi A6

Favorite sandwich - Turkey and avocado on a croissant with sprouts

What characteristic do you despise - Narcissism

Favorite item of clothing - Fuzzy Pajamas

If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go - erg... can I get back to you? I want it all.

Favorite brand of clothing - I hate branded clothing. I rip off the tags. If they want me to advertise for them they'll have to pay me, not charge me.

Where would you retire to - Montana

What was your most recent memorable birthday - 8th. I caught a 2 pound rainbow trout and my Daddy baptized me! (Not at the same time or in the same place.)

Favorite sport to watch - Football

When is your birthday - Bastille Day

Are you a morning person or a night person - Night! Please, please night. It must be night! (I hate to get up in the morning.)

What is your shoe size - Dory

Pets - Two sweet but spoiled Cairn Terriers (think Toto).

What did you want to be when you were little - Astronaut / Fighter Pilot

What is your favorite candy - Toffee

What is your favorite flower - Heather (another trick question). Oh, ok. Peach colored roses or glads.

What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to - October 31st - Halloween!

What are you listening to right now - Nothing. Not big on filling my head with music 24x7.

What was the last thing you ate - Sour cream coffee cake and apple cider at our office Halloween party.

Do you wish on stars - Every night

If you were a crayon, what color would you be - Purple

How is the weather right now - Gorgeous! Cool, bright and totally autumn.

The first person you spoke to on the phone today - Statistician (at work)

Favorite soft drink - Ginger Beer (oh, I wish you could still get it).

Favorite restaurant - Thai

Real hair color - of course! (brown)

What was your favorite toy as a child - Teddy Bear

Hugs or kisses - I'll take anything I can get.

Chocolate or Vanilla - Vanilla

Coffee or tea - Peppermint/Chamomile tea (our house blend)

When was the last time you cried - reading a book the other night

What is under your bed - Dust bunnies the size of Cleveland!

What did you do last night - Made Halloween cards

What are you afraid of - If I tell you, you'll have power over me...

Salty or sweet - salty

How many keys on your key ring - Three

How many years at your current job - 13

How many towns have you lived in - urmm.. 8? When I was 2 we moved several times and I can't keep that straight.

Dessert by Default

2008-10-26T21:36:00.000-07:00

Today was the perfect day for an autumn dessert.

Although it was warm, the leaves were blowing and it LOOKED chilly, so I was ready to cuddle up with a bowl of something soothing.

I've been drooling over Stephanie's Crockpot Crème Brulee for two weeks now, and this seemed the time to do it. On the last trip to the store I'd actually bought cream, and the egg supply in the house is high, so I grabbed all the ingredients and started plotting.

Fortunately I looked for a baking dish first (which is highly unusual for me). You see, the dish has to fit inside the crockpot insert, and then is given a nice water bath. Problem was - none of my baking dishes fit inside my 4 quart slow cooker!

Despair!

I finally pulled out the ramekins that I purchased years ago (when I was convinced I'd be entertaining scads of people on a weekly basis) and tried them. Well… one fit. Just one.

Dejection!

If that wasn't enough to convince me to purchase a larger crockpot, I don't know what will.

In the meantime, I was dessert-less.
However, I did have apples… oh yes… I have apples! Yum!

I've been making apple crisps for most of my adult (and even adolescent) life, so I hardly ever use a recipe anymore. Just throw the things together. You know how it is - just put that brain in neutral and cook!

So I started slicing apples and then I threw together the flour and spices (which smelled heavenly) and sugar, and tossed the apples… Whoa… wait a minute…

About that time I realized my hands were making apple pie, not apple crisp. Doh! Worse, I also found that the only rolled oats in the house are in the big twenty pound bag I just bought for food storage.

*sigh*
I really need more sleep.

Although apple pie sounded good, I didn’t want to make crust, so - time to punt.

Last week I purchased a box of store bought ginger snaps. Don't ask me why - I hate those rock hard versions of my favorite cookie. But I was auditioning a pumpkin pie/cream cheese dip recipe for a Halloween party and I needed SOMETHING to dip in it. The pumpkin dip turned out to be, frankly, blechy - so I was stuck with almost a full box of these tooth chipping cookies.

Out came the cookies, artfully arranged on top of my lovely apples, dotted with butter, and the whole thing is in the oven now, baking away.

I've got fork in hand.
I'll let you know how it turns out.

UPDATE:
I checked on the pudding (for lack of a better name shall we use the English designation? I always wanted to do that.) The cookies looked, if anything, even harder. So I pulled it out, grabbed a spoon and mixed the topping (cookies) into the apples.

15 minutes later the cookies had melted into a warm, gooey gingerbread and dessert was ready!
My sister Holly said it was very good, and she's not as gahgah for ginger as I am.
I'd post a picture but...um... it's gone.

Verdict - any dessert is a good dessert. :)

Bring back the camera!

2008-10-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

People may complain about the late, wet spring or the early chill this fall - but combine them both and you have fall leaves in Oregon that rival New Hampshire!

My parents were visiting for the week, so we thumbed our noses at gas prices and took several long winding drives in the country. On the first drive we looped south around Mount Hood then headed north through the Hood River apple country. Such a great drive! The mountain was in top form with a beautiful lenticular cloud (Hood is famous for that). Later in the afternoon the cloud started to blow apart and I got a few spectacular shots from the east side.

There are many varieties of maples and alder around Hood and they were all in spectacular color. I was amazed - it's not been this beautiful in the 15 odd years that I've lived here.

Just before we hit the Columbia River we stopped at a lovely orchard and to my surprise we found Empire apples.

I don't think I can adequately describe my passion for Empires. Some people swear by Honeycrisps, and my mother has an overt fondness for Jonagolds, but I lust after Empires. A good hard CRUNCH, sweet/tart juices and a deep flavor that brings to your mouth all that is beautiful about autumn. I first had an Empire when I was in graduate school, and I've been lost ever since.

Find an Empire. Indulge!

Sadly I only bought a dozen apples, and my family seems to agree with my passion because the Empires are gone already. Time to either pout or drive back to Hood River…

On Saturday we went west instead of east and meandered down through Yamhill county. More golds then reds out there, but still such beautiful vistas.

We made food our driving force once more and headed for our absolute favorite place to get hazelnuts - the Schmidt farm, south of McMinnville. This time I simply gave in and bought 50 pounds. Yes, 50 pounds of hazelnuts! (There were only 48.5 pounds left by the time we got home.)

As usual the Schmidt's farm looked lovely and they kindly let me wander around taking pictures. You might recognize a few on my cards later this fall.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, be sure to get out this week and see the leaves before they are gone!

The Origins of Hobbies

2008-09-26T22:16:00.000-07:00

I didn't mean to become a crafty,card making, rubberstamp-happy embosser! Truly I didn't.
It all started like this...

About a year ago I was despairing because of my lack of talents.
Now, don't get me wrong - I've been blessed the same as everyone else - everyone has some little talent. But my talents aren't the ones that are generally lauded. In short, I don't play an instrument and I don't sing.

To be honest, I do play with a number of musical instruments, but I'm too busy - make that too lazy - to practice, so no glory there. Furthermore there are nations (and probably planetary systems) which have strict laws against me ever attempting to sing within their boundaries.
Therefore, as far as anyone is concerned, I am talentless.

Just as I was planning on a good ice cream nosh to drown my talentless despair, a friend at work asked me if I'd like to buy his camera. A really nice camera. A REALLY nice camera.

If you're lucky you too have a friend like this - he always owns the latest and greatest of everything. And once he buys the latest, if you're in the right place at the right time, you may get a killer deal on a fabulous toy as he sells you his old one. And so I became the owner of a well cared for Canon EOS 10D. Lovely camera - I can't tell you how much fun it is!

Starting that weekend I became a photoholic. I was out and about the neighborhood, taking pictures of everything. Pretty soon it became apparent that I needed a really good lens. My friend had given me a so-so Sigma as part of the package, and he'd warned me that it wasn't a very good lens. He was right. Thusmy quest to sink several paychecks into Canon "L" series glass began. *sigh*

Suddenly I had not only a lighter wallet and a camera bag full of wonderfully expensive hardware, but I also began to have some really rather nice pictures. I was so proud!!

Now - what do you do when you find you have a bit of a budding talent? Hiding it under a bushel is forbidden, no? So I tried to think of ways to show off my fabulous pictures without making it look like I was showing off.

TaDa! The perfect idea hit me - make personalized cards!
In truth, I'm not a very good correspondent. Email is my best friend, it's the only way my poor mother ever hears from me. But I have been known to give out Thank You notes and Birthday cards… so I trotted down to the craft store and bought some cream colored cards and envelopes and a glue stick.

My first attempts looked pretty good, but I was hoping for something with a bit more panache. What I'd really wanted was a card with an embossed edge, to set off my lovely pictures, and since I couldn’t find any to buy I thought I'd make my own.

Years ago (way back in high school) I'd dabbled in calligraphy and had done a bit of embossing at the same time, using those nicely made brass stencils, but for the life of me I couldn't find a brass stencil in any store! Finally I found some on eBay.
However … the same people who were selling the stencil also were selling a nice selection of stamping inks for a really good price, and there's be no shipping charge since I was already paying for the stencil…

Yes, you see the pattern - now I have inks, but no stamps. Well, the craft store had some of those new clear gel stamps for very cheap, so I grabbed a pack. Yep. You see it coming.

Suffice it to say that I now own rubber and clear stamps, embossing powder, a heat gun, glue dots, foam standoffs, envelope patterns and fancy paper in every imaginable shape and form. But I can't claim this as a talent!

There are so many ladies in my church who are amazing scrapbookers/cardmakers, and I can tell you that I certainly don't play in the same league. So I'd decided to just have some fun and making a few cards.

The sad thing is -
I haven't touched my camera in a month.

What's in a Name?

2008-09-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

I've been asked about the name of this blog - why "Creaky Cogs"?

Last year I stumbled over a rather odd but fascinating movement (movement? fan circle? don't know the word for this), called "Steampunk".

Yes, Steampunk is a stupid name. I'm not fond of it myself. However, it's just too dang fun to pass up because of the name. Steampunk is what would happen if the Information Age had take place during the Industrial Revolution.

Think Jules Verne!
Think Victorian clothing and brass goggles!
Think zepplins, rich leather, polished brass and robots run by steam engines.
Fun, no?

There are a growing number of fictional works based on Steampunk themes. Most are young adult books, but well worth a good afternooon reading in a hammock.
I suggest starting with "Larklight" by Philip Reeve.

Here are some links to great costumes and devices (including wonderful weaponry, of course!)

DonnaRicci's gorgeous Neo-Victorian SteamPunk ensemble

DataMancer's Oh So Cool Steampunk laptop

Weta Corporations's Aether Guns

Guess what I'll be dressing up like for Halloween?
Maybe Christmas, also - caroling in Victorian costumes with steam powered muffs to keep our hands warm??

Back to topic: So, Creaky Cogs refers to the fun interaction between the electronic world I'm immersed in daily and the imaginary world I'd love to escape to.
It can also be taken as a comment on my brain action... especially on cold mornings.

Enjoy!

Toe in the Water

2008-09-05T11:06:00.000-07:00

Can you believe I've never blogged before?
It's sad but true - I just have had no time or inclination. I even have a professional blog at work, but it's windswept and empty.

However, my mother is a wonderful textile artist (read "quilter") and I think she'd have a blast blogging her latest projects for friends and family.

What does this mean? Means I need to get up to speed on blogs NOW, so I can get her started.
Thus, Creaky Cogs is born. :)