I wonder...

I wonder where my words went.
I used to write these rivers of words.
They would flow swift and free,
Bursting the dam and pouring over the banks of my mind,
Surging through my fingertips
and onto the screen.

Maybe those words were more like an artesian well, deep and full,
Which when tapped quickly reaches equilibrium,
Taking years to repressurise.
I wonder...

I'm sucked into a connected world that has no real connections.
I've lost the real in my real life.

Or maybe I just woke up too early and need a cup of coffee.

I need to clean out my dresser drawers.
No one needs that many t-shirts.

Wit or something like it

She hollers from the bathroom "Come on, come here.... coooome oooooon I'm not getting any younger you know.......I'm getting old here."

She's 6 going on 60 it seems, and truth be told I really don't care about the bubble hat but her tub time conversation is funny enough.

I am a little bit vain.  I know this because sometimes I look at a picture of myself-there are a few okay ones-and think "Hey, I look kinda good".
At least I don't gaze at myself in mirrors all day.  Not since I was a teenager anyway.

Beware: Dollies Ahead

Say hi to Trixie!

Here's a before picture-what a difference.

Whoa

HI!

I go away for a month and look what happens?

NOTHING!

There are some weird fucking people on the television.  I mean I know everyone is pretty fucking weird but these people just pick up their skirts and show their drawers right off the bat.

Eh.  I think I'd probably do the same thing.

I finished two hats in three days.  I know you really needed to know that.

I have a new hobby.  It's dolls. Yes, dolls.  My midlife crisis has struck.

You know I turned 40 right?

                                                        Cause we're cool like that

I was wondering...

If you hit a butterfly with your car and it stops flapping it's wings in North Carolina, does it stop bad weather in say...Peru?

What the Heck

We actually felt a little bit of that Virginia earthquake.

It was a strange experience.

I knew right away what it was.

Way up there on the "Weird-O-Meter".

Pants hitched up.

Belt tightened one more notch.

It's good.

What's for supper?

Turkey, radishes and spinach.

Roasted Turkey Thighs

(this one takes some time but it is WORTH EVERY MINUTE!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put your biggest skillet over medium high heat and add a spoonful of bacon fat(you save yours don't you?).

3lbs turkey thighs-this meant just 2 thighs when I was at the store(those things were HUGE).

Salt, pepper and sprinkle with ground sage the skin side of the turkey thighs.

Put turkey thighs skin side down in skillet until really brown-between 5 and 10 minutes.

Turn the thighs over and place the skillet in the oven.

Roast for 2 hours.

Remove from oven, let rest for about 10 minutes.

After you have the turkey in the oven:

Roasted Radishes

1 large bunch of radishes or a biggish bag of them if you prefer.

Remove green tops from radishes-you can save these to add to the spinach later if they are in good shape.

Rinse radishes-and greens if you are using them-and cut in half or quarters depending on size.

Place in single layer in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

With about 40 minutes to go on the turkey place the radishes in the oven alongside.

If they aren't browned, when you take the turkey out just turn the oven to broil and let the radishes brown while the turkey rests-DON'T FORGET THEM!

After you have the turkey and the radishes in the oven:

Creamed Spinach

1 box frozen spinach (and the radish greens if you decided to use them).

1/2 onion thinly sliced.

1/2 cup heavy cream.

Defrost the spinach and squeeze out all the water that you can.

Saute the onions in a little olive oil until limp(stir in the radish greens and cook til wilted if you are).

Add the spinach and when it's warmed through stir in the cream.

Grate in a little nutmeg and sprinkle on a little salt.

Stir til it almost bubbles and it's done.

Everything is ready now so fill your plate and eat up!

If you feel like amping it up a bit spoon some of the rendered fat over the crispy turkey skin and make it glisten while boosting the flavor. You could also make a great pan sauce with the delicious brown bits by deglazing the pan with some white wine, stock or other liquid of your choice after you've poured off most of the fat. If you're feeling super daring save the strained rendered fat for frying an egg in or adding to some veggies or even heating up your leftovers in tomorrow. Trust me it is SO GOOD.

*the leftover spinach made an awesome omelet today!

Things in my freezer

I have a gallon bag of unshelled pecans in my freezer.

They've been there for a long time.

I think 7 or 8 years.

I doubt they are any good after all this time and honestly I have no intention of finding out.

They're the last of the pecans that I picked up at my Grandma's house right before she sold it.

That house was one of two that were the only constants in my growing up years and longer and though all of us were sad that it was no longer hers, we accepted and supported her decision to sell it.

I still have this Grandma and that's good but I have the pecan's to help me remember, well, everything else.

I think I must be a nostalgic squishy thing in the middle.

And perhaps just a little bit weird.

Flora and Fauna

I was sipping hot tea, blearily taking in the view outside the kitchen window when a sudden movement caught my eye.

Bringing my vision back into focus what did I see but a hummingbird sipping from some Queen Anne's Lace growing against the fence.

He didn't stay very long before flitting away, but my oh my, I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful way to start my day.

The aforementioned window.

Living

I've had nothing but busyness since the First of June.

House guests(the Beloved kind) and graduations.

Long drives and brief visits and crazy airports.

Swim lessons out the wazoo.

Freaked out back and good drugs.

Long drives and longer visits-YAY!

An actual BEACH VACATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More long drives and good visits with family followed by...

NO KIDS THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You'd think I'd have gotten something done but mostly I've gotten lost in the silence.

It's been really really good in a very dreamy kind of way.

Time to wake up to LIFE now though.

Ironic in that the wake up came in the form of Big Daddy D's Grandmother(she was formal that way) dying during the night before the last so we'll have (long story I'll leave out for once) house guests and I need to get cracking on neglected housework.

Plus one of the kiddos will be back and we'll have a long drive and back again to the funeral this week.

Time to get crackin'.

I'm wondering if I can make it til morning. So much pain I'm thinking of going to the ER. DAMMIT.

Tip #5023

It really is not possible to make sweet pickle relish in a blender.

My food processor would have been a better choice.

Anyone for a little sweet pickle mush?

It still works for tarter sauce at least.

WWFT*

Flying somewhere over the Eastern United States I look out and see a suburb, or maybe it's a cemetery?

Sometimes it's hard to tell.

*What would Freud think?

Whew

She made it.

She graduated and tomorrow will be on her way to her "first place".

The Fall is a mystery but really, does anyone know what the future holds anyway?

The Summer will be a busy one.

I'm glad for it.

Waking too early she sits and sips her coffee.

Sipping coffee she picks up her knitting.

Knitting she listens as the birds serenade the rising sun.

Listening she watches the early morning light stretch across the floor.

Watching she smiles at the motes twinkling through the sunbeams.

She smiles.

Thursday

Is blog day.

Well it is, so there.

Lets just have a little fun with this.

Have you ever wondered why you are the way you are?

Is is mumbo jumbo? Is it science? Is it nature or is it nurture?

I don't know, but I do know that the kernel of me is somewhere locked deep inside.

The same thing holds true for you I'm sure.

Let's find out what lies behind that gate.

Here's a little test from HumanMetrics that's fun.

I am INFJ.

So if there were ever times you wondered about me, between this, the Western Sun Signs(Libra) and the Eastern Zodiac(Boar) I'm an open book.

Written is some weird code, but still...

:)

Simple things

Simple things can be the best you know?

Here is my homage to simple today:

Easiest cake recipe EVER

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 pint of your favorite ice cream softened(this doesn't really work with "no sugar added" or "slow churned/low fat"ice creams)

1 1/2 cups self rising flour

Stir together that LONG LIST of ingredients just until mixed and pour into a lightly greased 9" cake pan, bake for about 40 minutes.

Let the cake cool for a minute and then upend it onto a cooling rack-depending on your preference you can tip it back up-since this is a single layer unfrosted cake I like it right side up. Let the cake cool and if you like you could serve it with a flavor appropriate sauce.

Today I made a coconut cake and I'm boiling down a can of pineapple in it's own juice together with about 1/4 cup of UNPACKED brown sugar to go alongside.

I anticipate a pretty tasty non-traditional coconut cake.

The verdict is in...very yummy and the recipe is a keeper.

We're gonna try double dark chocolate next, maybe with a nice raspberry sauce.

Early O'clock

It's early o'clock and I'm awake again. Too many apocalyptic books and movies will do that I guess-especially if they're good ones.

No I don't have any titles... It's early o'clock.

The birds are singing in the still predawn air, the best sound to wake up to. Aside from them it's quiet, no one stirring about but me.

I like this time best when I feel rested like I do now though I'll be honest it would be better if the trash had been taken out last night.

I'll light a candle for that poor dead chicken later...

Hear that? Coffee's ready.

Why yes, a little cream today would be lovely.

Comfort Food

Today's Comfort food: A big bowl of sliced strawberries with a spoonful of sugar and some milk.

Takes me back to New York, Rte 50, Schuylerville Elementary, and the strawberry farm across the road. A penny a pint for picking was the going rate and you could eat the overripe ones as you went. Blondie was telling me to call her and Rod Stewart was wondering if I wanted his body. The woods were dark and deep behind the house and that Winter I accidentally burned the mittens my Nana crocheted for me when I forgot about them on the space heater in the garage. I can almost taste the school lunches, smell those red rubber balls in gym,feel my self swinging on the uneven bars and see all those skinny books in the Library. The twins got a baby doll that POOPED and PEED, we got bikes and learned to ride them. I got a huge scrape on my knee and still have the scar 30 years later. We raked leaves and jumped in them, tried to swim in the unheated pool after Labor Day and came out fast shivering and blue. I saw the floaties in my eyes for the first time while cloud watching lying on a blanket in the front yard. Nana taught us Kanasta and Crazy 8's and Scott shot Rachael in the head with one of those little suction cup guns. I dried the dishes with a rag that had been used on the floor-boy was that a mistake. I rubbed lotion on my Mom's feet at night and watched the fire in the family room. Sometimes we got dressed in our school clothes the night before and slept in them-we thought we were sooo clever. We played with the BIG Star Wars Action Figures-we had them all(I had a crush on Han Solo-his gun was the best!) and Donnie and Marie dolls from the Osmond show. I had a pack of mini cards and a chenille "magic" worm -both from bubble gum machines-and I cherished them. We helped plant yellow-orange marigolds and purple and yellow pansies at the front flower beds, nails all black with dirt. We ate the crusts of sandwiches and drank the dregs of sweet and milky coffee after Mom's parties. Liquid Sweet n Low was somehow delicious when sucked out of a toothpick. I drove a rigid frame mini bike into a tree at full throttle. Sisters were awesome and little brothers weren't all that bad, Special K was gross and so was the neighbors old warty miniature poodle. I see all this in my minds eye,through nostalgia's foggy lens-it's not everything of course, but it's enough.

That was a pretty amazing bowl of strawberries.

Maybe...

I should start blogging again.

I'm thinking.

F*ing Friday

Fuck Yeah!

Yesterday I kept an appointment, grocery shopped, made a delicious dinner-venison chili* if you were wondering, managed some household chores and finished the vest I was whining about. Mother Nature obligingly provided snow this morning making it cold enough to wear the vest-which she loves!- and I am full of myself which is not an unusual state in and of itself only this morning it's perhaps more justified than other days.

Now to decide whether to rest on my laurels for a bit or get cracking on today's possibilities.

*I'll share the recipe soon!

Vamp Vest

Will it ever be finished?
Working on this sweater vest for the Big Girl and I am so nearly done it it crazy that I can't buckle down and finish.

Seriously there are probably less than 500 stitches left, a couple of hours work at the most and I can't get buckled down.

Then there's the question of whether the thing is so awesome that it's worth it to write up a pattern.

There's another sweater I'm working on that could also be finished in no time-if I'd just get to it. That one I have to think for though so I'm putting it off for just a little bit longer.

I'm not feeling very thinkerish today.

The Cup Sleeve

The Cup Sleeve

A quick project to use up the tail end of that yummy yarn that's hanging out in the scrap bin.

Any worsted weight yarn will do, approximately 30 yds. The sample is shown in Malabrigo Rios.

Tools needed: Size 6/4mm double point needles, cable needle, stitch marker

Gauge: 11 stitches per 2" in stockinette.

Abbreviations:

K-Knit

P-Purl

C3F- Slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold to front, knit next 3 stitches, knit the 3 stitches off cable

needle.

CO 48 stitches and join for working in the round, PM.

Work 5 rows in K2 P2 ribbing

Row 6 *(K6 P2) repeat from * til end

Row 7-11 repeat Row 6

Row 12 *(C3F P2) repeat from * til end

Rows 13-20 *(K6 P2) repeat from * til end

Row 21 *(C3F P2) repeat from *til end

Row 22 *(K6 P2) repeat from * til end

rows 23-27 repeat Row 22

Row 28 and next 4 rows work in K2 P2

BO and weave in ends.

No blocking is necessary, just slip this sleeve on your next cup of Joe to Go and enjoy your handiwork and the compliments about to head your way.

My eyes are on soft focus

My head is listing leftwards

Fingers drifting as they please

Thoughts are here and gone

Time to sleep

but not just yet I think

When your face does that frowny thing before your brain has had time to tell you what it thinks and why, you already know the answer.

Too late for second thoughts...

It occurred to me later that eating a pound of strawberries in one go might not have been the best idea ever.

It's a girl thing

I hate cramps.

Thankfully they have medicine for that.

The kiddo is finally well enough to go to school.

Thank god.

It's my own choice of course but I end up with her head on my lap when she's ill which greatly limits my ability to do housework and more importantly, pee when I need too.

I've done no cooking lately-just pulling stuff out of the freezer(weehoo for double batches!) and haven't been to the grocery store either(except for the five minute eggs bread milk run of course).

I'm looking forward to not hearing the phone ring and some no sick kid time to get stuff done.

The worry free alone time is good too.

Pasties

Or what to do with left over pot roast.

My Pasties ;)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Get the box of pie crusts out of the fridge(I just use the store brand that’s rolled) and set aside.

Shred about 2 cups of leftover pot roast and put in a large bowl.

Peel and cut up two average size rutabagas and two smallish turnips and pop them in the microwave(mine is 700watts and has a fresh vegetable button)(they don’t get done done, but tender) and add them to the meat.

Chop up an onion and cook it in butter or olive oil over medium heat til transparent and add them to the meat and veg mixture.

If you have any gravy left from the roast stir in enough to moisten the mixture without it being soupy-if there’s no gravy left don’t worry about it. Salt and pepper to taste. I use LOTS of fresh ground black pepper.

Roll out the pie crusts and cut them in half-there will be four half circles.

Put the crusts on a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan.

Mound up some meat mixture on half of the half pie crust and fold the crust over, wetting the inside edge helps it stick, and press with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining crusts.

If you have any filling left it can go in the freezer.

Poke them with a fork and pop them in the 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes and eat 'em up.

Careful! They are HOT and DELICIOUS!

I type

I type

So many words.

I delete them.

Is it self editing gone extreme?

I don't think so.

The act of typing, reading the words

Is enough.

Most of the stuff running through my mind

just needs an outlet

escape.

Not validation.

I type, I delete, backspace.

tap tap tap

All the action that those thoughts require

Enter

Gee it sure is nasty outside.

Here's a recipe to warm your insides.

Pot Roast

You will need one really big crock pot and one giant pan.

4-5lb chuck roast-if you can find one that is actually the furthest end of a TBone you will be in beefy heaven.

Salt and pepper the roast and sear it over medium high heat in the giant pan. It'll take a few minutes per side.

Put the meat in the crock pot and then de-glaze the pan with a cup or so of water, making sure to scrape up all the yummy brown bits and pour this over the meat.

Put the lid on your crock pot and set it on low.

Let it cook for about 3 or 4 hours.

Scrub and cut up:

2 good size potatoes

2 big carrots

2 stalks celery

1 medium onion

If you like-and sometimes we do-drop in some brussel sprouts too.

You'll also need one onion soup mix packet with all of the dried onions sifted out(throw them away-they're nasty trust me).

Dump all the veggies and the soup mix on top of the meat in the crock pot quickly and put the lid back on as quick as you can.

Crank the heat up to high and let cook another 2 or 3 hours.

Serve with some nice bread or wide noodles to soak up the juice.

If you're lucky you'll end up with a couple of days worth of deliciousness.

It has it's place I know, but...

I'm bored with the internet.

Sensory Overload

My nerves are twanging.

Don't touch me.

No, it's not funny.

It's torture.

I'm totally letting my hair grow back out and going back to BRIGHT RED.

Strawberry cake is DELICIOUS.

The weather today is CRAP.

Cold damp weather makes hot coffee with a swirl of REDDI WIP even better.

Boredom AND pain do NOT go together.

Thank goodness for BOOKS, KNITTING and PANDORA.

*TAP TAP TAP* Is this thing on?

So Big Daddy D got me this new netbook because my laptop was experiencing major technical difficulties of the screen burnout variety.

I like the netbook.

It took me awhile to figure the little out that I have and I'm definitely not proficient yet-I may never learn all the ins and outs of this thing.

I really am enjoying the whole "not getting headaches from the strobe light flashing of my laptop screen" and the "starting over 'fresh' bit" for the most part. I "lost" some bookmarks and stuff (I know the way to get them back, I just can't be bothered at the moment) but I've found new things and I'm cool with that.

The netbook is small and doesn't have a disc drive but I didn't use one that much so no biggie and that's what flash drives are for right?

The cute little thing jiggles on my leg when I type since A) the netbook is not very heavy, B) my leg is a bit jiggly and C)I usually sit cross-legged with it resting on one leg.

Speaking of typing and the keyboard...the keyboard is not quite full size and that's okay since neither are my hands. What this means is that there is not a dedicated "home" key.

If I want to go quickly to the top of the page I have to press the function key and the page up key at the same time.

Every time I press the "Fn" and "Home" keys I think to myself, "I'm goin' F*#%@n HOME Bitch!"

I have no idea why it's so emphatic and loaded with cursing but it sure does crack me up at my bad self.

*the pictures record the epic snowball fight of Christmas day 2010.