Monday, January 24, 2011

It's Summertime...Somewhere

OK.  I'm am officially over Winter.  I would like it to leave...to exit stage right...to just go away.

I checked the weather channel for Sydney, Australia (where I would someday like to go...if it didn't take so long to get from here to there...:), and it is 82 degrees.  It's 79 in Wailea, HI, where we were four months ago.  Sigh.  Of course, we are still weeks (or months, maybe) away from warmer weather, so I'm taking matters into my own hands.  I decided we were going to have Summer on Saturday, regardless of what the thermometer said.  (It said "29" at the time...:)

We brought out the beach T-shirts.  Mom put on a lime-green one from a trip to Myrtle Beach, and I found a long-sleeved yellow one from Pawleys Island.  Mr. T's was from Florida, I think.  While I got the rest of the party started, he whirred us up some Strawberry Daiquiris in the blender.  Complete with little umbrellas!


Ingredients for our Beach Party
 I got a pan of Manale's BBQ Shrimp under the broiler and a pot of frozen-from-the-garden corn going on the burner.  I'm not sure exactly why it is called "BBQ" Shrimp, 'cause there isn't any barbecue sauce or seasoning in the ingredients.  I got this recipe from the Junior League of Monroe, LA, Cotton Country Collection cookbook nearly 35 years ago...now it's a go-to recipe source in my collection.  The cookbook was a wedding present, and we were living in Shreveport...and I was working in Monroe...at the time.  We've loved the recipe ever since, but we call it Pepper Shrimp in our family...for good reason.  My favorite part?  "Pepper the shrimp until they are black. When you think you have enough, add even more!"


Finished Pepper Shrimp...ready for peeling and eating
 I make a cocktail sauce with catsup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco sauce...lots of all of it.  It was great with the shrimp...and even yummy on the crackers served alongside.  Opened up those nasal passages, as my dear Daddy used to say! 

I'll use the leftover sauce later on this week on Salmon Croquettes.  My BIL from TX sent a recipe last week that awakened my taste buds for that entree from my younger years.  His recipe was a little fancier than I remember Rena's being; that link is closer to hers...except she always crumbled saltine crackers instead of bread crumbs.  That's what I'll probably do, too.

We had about a dozen shrimp left over, so I'm thinking maybe Shrimp and Grits sometime this week?  That link will take you to a recipe from Southern Living that I'll probably use...and tweak.

Bon appetit!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Just in Time

We're back at the roost...apparently just in time for the next round of arctic blast and blowing snows.  May I repeat myself?  I have had enough of this...!

Just Enough Ruffles Scarf
for Missy M, 1/2011
We made the 8-hour trek over the mountains and up the WV turnpike ($6 in tolls, each way...) to Missy M's house in Louisville last weekend.  There was still a good deal of snow on the side of the all the roads along the way...as the old saying goes "waiting for the next snow storm."  I delivered the Just Enough Ruffles scarf (photo, left), and we had a pleasantly uneventful visit with her and the pups, Ella Rae and Dixie

This was our first time to meet Dixie, who is a bea-U-tiful Basset girl.  She is a tad on the smallish side for a Basset, weighing in at "only" 53 pounds when she went in for her snip-snip operation and teeth-cleaning last week.  [While 53 pounds is indeed a large dog, remember our Drool Gang for reference: Gus weighs about 63 pounds, Duchess tilts the scales at 74 pounds (!), and Elmo comes in at 54.]  She has an almost silky coat and gorgeous coloring, that being white and red, a lot like Elmo's.  She and Ella (all of 18 pounds...and looking like a pup in her "new" haircut) are still working out the new living arrangements, but all-in-all it appears they may become best of buddies...except when they are vying for Missy M's undivided love and attention...and food.  Naturally.

When we arrived so late on Friday night that I think it may have actually been Saturday morning, Dixie would have nothing to do with me.  Absolutely nothing.  Barked at me even.  Me!  The Momma.  She let Mr. T (Not-The-Momma) pet her and give her a belly rub...showing off her operation stitches with pride.  But with me?  She drew a line and wouldn't cross it.  Broke my heart, of course...but, what are you going to do?

Well, here's what I did.  Next morning, I got up early to fix the dogs their breakfast.  (The humans in the house could fend for themselves...:)  I opened a can of tuna to mix with their dry kibble, and voila!  I'm the Queen Mother!!  It also helped that Missy M and Mr. T headed out to see a movie in the afternoon, and since I was nursing a sinus problem, I stayed home with the dogs.  While I sat on the sofa, knitting on my Slanting Lace Scarf and enjoying several cups of hot tea with lemon, Dixie (after some help up with the hind-quarters) cuddled up next to me in the center, with Ella balled up like a cat on "her" pillow on the other end.  We bonded.

Missy M's new office at
KFC
Some of the conversation centered on Missy M's new promotion.  She's headed across the parking lot to the "Big White House" to work her Instructional Design magic with KFC.  Her first four and 1/2 years with Yum!Brands has been spent on a training team working with Long John Silver's and with A&W.  Now, she goes to play with the Big Brand, so to speak.  Her favorite part about the change so far?  She got an office with a door and a window out of the deal (photo, right).  Woo hoo!

Just ahead of the next KY snowfall, Mr. T and I hopped in the Endeavor to head out of town.  We took a giant detour around the city, though, in order to meet up with Brother T (minus SIL LaD, who was stuck at home because of the cold weather and the ice concerns) at Cracker Barrel in LaGrange.  Great town, by the way, with an active train track running right down the middle of the main street.  M and I love the yarn shop there, Friends and Fiber, and we once had to wait to cross back over the street to our parked car while the train went through.  Uh, no...we didn't get to the yarn shop this time, darn it.  But, it was lovely having a couple of hours with Bro T, along with a big CB breakfast in front of a roaring fire, all the same.

BTW, Missy M reports the latest snowstorm dumped another couple of inches of snow on her in the city, and SIL LaD reports almost 6 inches of the stuff on their mountaintop in Northern KY.  We joked that she may not get off the mountain until Easter...or, as she says, until Derby Day in early May.  Ha ha?

Back home in NC, we had a nice day on Wednesday (temps reached the 50's, believe it or not). All the snow melted, and the ground is ready to receive some more. Thursday brought a return of the cold, so I decided to heat up the house with blackberry cobbler and some homemade bread (photos, center/below; recipe, end of article). We are in the twenties here today, with snow predicted for Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday; accumulation predictions are mixed. We'll see...



Blackberry Cobbler


White Bread


Mr. Squirrel and the new Critter Feeder
 Mr. T made it home from the highlands, and his first task on Friday was to refill the feeders, which were slap-dab completely empty.  He also put two new dried corn ears (photo, right) on the newest critter feeder (from that last trip to Tractor Supply...:); believe me when I tell you that there's nothing but cobs there this morning. 

So, if we are to believe the creatures, we've got weather on the way.  Big time.  Hoo boy.






===========================================================
Easy Fruit Cobbler

2 cups fruit (blackberries, pealed peaches, apples, whatever you have)
2 cups sugar, divided
4-8 T. butter (the more, the richer taste - I use 6 T.)
1 cup milk
1 cup self-rising flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  While the oven is preheating, put the butter in a loaf pan and into the oven; allow the butter to melt, then remove the pan. 

Meanwhile, pour 1 cup of the sugar over the washed/prepared fruit; let sit for a bit.  In a large mixing cup/bowl, mix the milk, the other 1 cup of sugar, and the self-rising flour together into a batter.

Time to assemble!  Pour the batter mixture into the melted butter in the loaf pan.  DO NOT MIX.  Then, spoon the fruit (and any syrup that has formed or sugar that remains) on top of the butter-batter in the loaf pan.  Again, DO NOT MIX.  The fruit will sink below the batter, which will form a dough and crust around the fruit while baking.

Bake for one hour, or until brown on top and bubbling all around.  Remove to a rack to cool for at least 20 minutes.  Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream, if desired.  Enjoy!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Rejection and Redemption


Southern My Way Cookbook
 The prize is a cookbook.  Not the MegaMillions jackpot.  And, certainly not a contract for a book.  I won a cookbook.  Truthfully?  I'm grinning like I just matched four numbers and the MegaBall on my last lottery ticket.

Last month I was reading a new-to-me online magazine called Deep South and noticed an article about a new cookbook called Southern My Way by Gena Knox.  There was a request for readers to share their own family food traditions by leaving a comment or sending an email, and they said they'd pick a winner in January.

It was one of those really cold December days, and I had just stirred up a pot of Brunswick Stew.  Faithful readers know that I have written far more than they wanted to read on the subjects of stew and the Stewart family tradition.  Still, there might be one or two or a million folks who have never heard my ramblings.  Thus inspired, I wrote a few lines in the comments section and returned to whatever I had been doing before that.

Firing up my laptop this morning after several days away, I noticed a message in my email inbox with the subject line:  Southern My Way winner!  It was true:  my entry had been selected as the winner in the Southern My Way cookbook giveaway.  I was so excited when I followed the link and saw my entry published online.

To some, it's a cookbook.  And, truth-be-told, the entry could be compared to writing a letter to the editor of the local paper.  To me, it feels like redemption, a quarter of a century in the making.

About 25 years ago, when Missy M was in the first grade, I took a detour from the corporate roadmap and charted a course into a scary new territory: Full-time Mommyhood.  I had no role model for this, as my own mother had always been employed while we were growing up. 

Of course, I couldn't remove myself completely.   I saw this as a perfect time to make the transition from talking about becoming a writer...to being a writer. That admission should come as no surprise to anyone.

You know me...I had to have a plan.  Doing my research, I read that many successful writers started with magazines.  OK, if it was good for Louisa May Alcott, it should be good for me.  I can do that.  I picked several magazines we had in the house, read them all cover-to-cover to see what they liked, and wrote some articles that I then submitted as directed. 

I received only one response, which was probably the nicest rejection letter that editor had written in a while.  At the time, I remember thinking that I should be pleased that she had taken the time to write me a few words of encouragement.  I should see this as just the first step.  And, I tried to focus on the positive, I really did.

But.

In my heart, I could only feel the disappointment of rejection.  And, as hard as I tried, I could not get past it.  R-E-J-E-C-T-I-O-N.  I was not prepared for how hard it was to have someone else judge something I had done and find it sorely lacking.  It felt like failure, and I didn't know how to deal with it.  I was used to getting A's, not F's.  So, I protected myself from dealing with those awful feelings.  If you don't submit anything, you cannot be rejected.  Simple.  I put that dream in a drawer and moved on to other things.

I never really stopped writing.  As a corporate trainer and leadership development coach, I've written training workbooks and manuals for years.  Since I usually knew (a little) more about the subject I was training, trainees rarely commented negatively on their materials...so, no real rejection of my writing there.

I've kept a journal for over 10 years now, where I write until my hand can no longer hold the pen to the paper...a time period that has gotten substantially shorter as the years have gone on.  Since no one else reads my journal, there is no one to comment negatively on my writing...no rejection there.

And, for the past four years, I've blogged here (and more recently on my other two blogs).  I write what I want, when I want.  No rejection here. 

I've even had positive comments from many of you, dear readers.  Most of the time, I haven't known how to respond to things like "you really should be writing a book."  While agreeing with the statement and appreciating the sentiment, I still find it hard to move outside of my comfort zone where I am insulated against rejection.

But, the cookbook may have changed things.  Seeing my winning entry on Deep South certainly feels redemptive...as in redeeming...as in winning something back.

We shall see.  We shall see.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

The Snow that Almost Didn't Show

Mr. Cardinal...waiting for the snow to show
We waited.  And we waited.  And we waited.

We had been warned...repeatedly...that snowfall was imminent.  Familiar locations and friends to the south and east of us were reporting inches of the fluffy, white stuff.  We saw pictures of the half-foot of snow that Wrightsville BEACH (!) had received.  Even Charlotte, only about 90 minutes to the south, had snow...causing havoc on the streets and at the airport, I might add.  But, no, no, no...we had no snow.

What went wrong?  We'd done as we were supposed to: gone to the store for bread and milk; put a pot of stew on the stove; and dressed in layers to combat the cold (which we DID get).  Mr. T had filled all the bird feeders to the max, and they had attracted hundreds of our feathered friends.  That told us that the birds agreed with the weather folks:  we were in for snow.

Still, nothing was falling.  Nada.  Zip.  Zilch.

Gotta do something 'cause we all know I hate to wait.  As I had finished my "Just Enough Ruffles" scarf I was knitting for Missy M out of the Ultra Alpaca Blueberry Mix (of which I won't show a photo yet, since I haven't given her the scarf...:), I decided to get another project going right away.  I needed something "mindless" (read that:  nuthin' but knittin') to work on during the Big Game last night, so I started on this interesting pattern by Kirsten Johnstone called Sev[en] Circles I got from Ravelry.com, after reading about this unique scarf on String Theory Yarn Company's Facebook wall.  Missy M had given me some soft hand-dyed 100% merino wool in purples, pinks, and greens by the Plucky Knitter for Christmas, so I wound it using my new yarn winder and swift (thanks bunches, dear Santa...and KnitPicks.com!) and cast on to swatch while the washer and dryer were doing their Monday morning thing.


Platform feeder visitors at mid-afternoon


Then, by mid-afternoon, we began to get a few snow showers.  Here a few, there a few.  By night-fall, we had about an inch on the ground, with more falling.  And, in the night, we got the dreaded "wintry mix," meaning we had a layer of ice on top of the snow when we awoke this morning.  A great day to stay inside.



Apple fritters
 I had made apple fritters on Sunday morning (photo, right); a tasty treat...but one that leaves a nasty reminder...more on that in a second.  I can't make or eat apple fritters without thinking about a special weekend in the late '80's when my parents had retired to Smithville, TN.  We were visiting them, and Mom suggested that she and I take a day-trip up to Rugby, TN...a town on the Cumberland Plateau that was founded by British author, Thomas Hughes.  They were having their annual festival, so it seemed like a perfect idea.

And, it was!  We spent the whole day there, ending our visit late in the afternoon.  Just as we were walking to the car, we passed the booth where they were preparing apple fritters...and OMG they smelled wonderful!  We bought a bag-full, saying we wanted to "take them home for Daddy and Mr. T."  Yeah, right.  I'd be surprised if we made it home with two fritters left in that bag!  But, they were de-licious.  And, it sealed the deal on a fond memory.


Apple fritters...hot outta the pot,
dusted with powdered sugar
 The Apple Barn in Sevierville makes fantastic fritters (which they serve with their own yummy apple butter, of course), and they even sell bags of the mix so you can make them at home.  You add the fresh apple bits...and the pound of powdered sugar sprinkled on the fritters when they come out of the hot oil (photo, left). Love. Them. 

But...and, here's the scoop on the "nasty reminder" thing...

After you make them, your house will smell like a grease factory for 24 hours or more, and you will be left with a pot full of melted Crisco.  Yuck. 

Oh well, I had set the pot of hot fat aside to cool until I was ready to deal with it.  Just before I got rid of the residue today, Mr. T piped up with "Wouldn't that make some good suet for the birds?"  Great idea!  We looked up a recipe in the booklet "For the Birds" (photo, below/right) Missy M had given him for Christmas, and we were in business.

Making homemade suet cakes
I heated the fat back up to liquify it and added 1 cup of peanut butter to melt.  Meanwhile, in a big bowl,  I mixed 1 cup (more or less) each of wild bird seed, black-oil sunflower seeds, oats, and cornmeal; then, I added some raisins, some dried cranberries, and some broken pieces of pecans. 

I poured the hot liquid over the dry ingredients and stirred until well-combined.  Then, I spooned the mixture into the cups of 2 muffin pans (right) and a couple of plastic containers, and put them in the fridge to chill for a few hours.  Voila!  Homemade suet!  And, better still, no waste with the "used" shortening.

The cold and the snow make the birds really hungry...and now I hope we can make them really happy!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Quick! To the Grocery for Bread and Milk!!

Well, I'm happy to report that we finally got all the outside Christmas decorations down.  Woo hoo!  Good thing, too.  Weather wonks are predicting rain this afternoon, followed by rapidly falling temperatures and snow for this evening and overnight...and more snow for Monday.  Before I dash out the door to the store (for bread and milk, of course...:), I thought I'd dash off a post.


King Alfred Daffodils
peeking out of the pinestraw
Uh oh.  We may have a problem with that weather forecast.  No, the snow isn't really the main issue.  It's the bitter cold temps that concern me the most.  You see, more than a few of the spring-flowering bulbs (photo, left) and bushes have tender, green shoots and tentative buds popping into view.  The snow actually will protect the new growth...kinda like a blanket.  However, temps going as low as the mid-teens won't help the tender tissue at all.  Not at all. 

[The Phrase Dictionary says that's where we get the expression "nipped in the bud."  The earliest version appeared in 1595 as "nip in the bloom;" the 1607 version became our current phrase.  Who knew?]


Before heading to the grocery, we headed into the garden in the Way Back to check on things there.  Of course in January, there is very little growing activity, but I wanted to see how the strawberry patch was doing under the covers.   In November (a few weeks past the recommended date), I had started two new rows with the runners or daughter plants from the crowns planted early last Spring.  I can only hope they got some roots down before the really cold weather set upon us.

Row covers over the onions
You may recall that I began using row covers to provide protection against chilly temps, in order to help extend our growing season and have a Fall garden.  Wonder of all wonders, thanks to the covers, we were able to have garden-grown lettuces (3 kinds!) and edible nasturtiums for a salad at Thanksgiving.

Now, the covers are protecting the strawberries and three rows of onions...the crops that will over-Winter.  Unfortunately, the broccoli  and cabbage plants I planted (too) late in the season appeared to be much worse-for-wear, since their row cover blew off before the last round of cold temperatures.  Sigh.  Oh well, it will be time to plant broccoli and cabbage in the Spring before we know it.  Then the joy shall return!

Starting this month, I will be fulfilling one of my goals for 2011 by doing the majority of my reporting on the garden in one of my other blogs, Gardening with the Giants.  No worries, I will still include some photos and some chit-chat about playing in the dirt here.  However, I imagine that this year will provide opportunities for more in-depth information that only you gardeners will appreciate.  (I have this image:  you roll your eyes when you see the word gardenOh Lordy, here she goes again...:)

In a previous post, I mentioned another 2011 goal:  a "resolve to keep happy," as Helen Keller said.  Now, that really is a difficult resolution to measure, isn't it?  Still, I like the way the quote from HK sounded, so I adopted it when I did my Looking Back, Looking Ahead exercise* on New Year's Day.

A more measurable 2011 goal is "walk 3 times and/or 9 miles/week."  Very specific indeed.  The reason for the specificity?  Well, Mr. T had just read me an article that discussed the correlation between walking 6-9 miles each week with maintaining cognitive (brain) function.  Hey, I'm all for that!


Winter day on the west side of Oak Hollow
My walking route is between 2.2 and 3 miles, depending on how many neighborhood coves I include, and takes me down to Oak Hollow reservoir.  I have created my Walk_With_Me playlist with about 15-18 songs (1.2 hours' worth) for my iPod, including:  "Walking on Sunshine" (the first up-tempo song in the mix...gets me going after my warm-up strolling), "We Didn't Start the Fire" (a good one to get me up this smallish hill on my route...and get the heart-rate up!), and "Walking in Memphis" (Marc Cohn's version...a great one for the cool-down period at the end).  Occasionally, I switch from music to podcasts, with my favorites being Cast On (a knitting-themed show) and Car Talk (what can I say?  I just love Click and Clack...:).  And, very occasionally, I walk to one of my audiobooks, although I typically save these for car-trips. 

Yesterday, I walked to music.  And, as you can tell from the photo (above, left), I took a mid-route break at the lake.  Doesn't it just say "WINTER," in capital letters?  All it lacks is a layer of snow and/or ice...and I think that may be on the way.

I guess I'd better publish this post and be on my way.  The bread aisle will be bare, and the only milk in the cooler will be in those tiny cartons.  We Southerners take our Snow Emergency Preparedness seriously, don't you know?

===================================================================
*Looking Back, Looking Ahead Exercise:
This is an exercise I suggest that my clients work through, either on New Year's Day (in place of "making resolutions") or on their birthdays (a much more personal time to look back over the past year in order to plan for the one ahead).  It's the topic of this week's post on my Coaching blog.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Sunshine in My Eyes

What in the world is that noise? And, why won't it stop?

That was my sleep-befuddled reaction to the dulcet sounds of Interlude, coming from my cell phone. I'd set the alarm** the night before, just to make sure I'd get up in time to get to the Master Gardener Mentor-Intern Breakfast (all the way across the county) by 9:00. Good thing I did 'cause I'd probably have slept into next week at the rate I was going on Wednesday morning.  Made the mistake of staying up late, knitting and watching the Sugar Bowl on Tuesday night; had to watch to the bitter end, thinking that the Hogs would pull it out over the Bucks...no joy there, however, as hopes died with an interception with a minute to go.

**RE:  an alarm clock.  I gave up both my wrist watch and my alarm clock when I left the corporate life for consulting.  I do have to make meetings and scheduled sessions, but I find that my computer, my cell phone and wall clocks keep me on time...most of the time.  Additionally, I've always had this internal tick-tock that is generally reliable.  But, getting my bedtime off can get my internal clock "off."  So, I resort to a back-up.**


Sun shines on intersection of
Skeet Club/Wendover and NC68/Eastchester
 I had no idea what traffic on Skeet Club/Wendover...which I have to take all the way through Greensboro to Burlington Road...would be like around 8:00ish.  Since living in Atlanta, where it once took me an hour and 29 minutes to drive the 17 miles from our house in Duluth to my office in Dunwoody (!), I do not complain about traffic.  It's NOTHING now. Piece o' cake, compared to the Big City down I-85 in Georgia.

One thing I didn't count on was the sun (photo, left).  Good grief!  They must have laid-out the road-bed for Wendover by following the arch of the sun.  Right in my eyes...or coming through the passenger side window at such an angle that I couldn't escape it.  Painful.  I may have to re-think those prescription sunglasses (which I've always avoided by having transition lens...which have some limitations while driving).

Oh well. 

I got to Burlington road with about 15 minutes to spare, so decided to go through the Dunkin Donuts drive-through to get some coffee.  Now, I'm a Krispy Kreme gal. Love me some melting-sugar-coated lighter-than-air yeast-raised doughnuts.  Makes my mouth water just writing about them.  Because I'm in the Krispy Kreme kamp, I have very strong, negative feelings about Dunkin Donuts.  Ugh is the nicest word that comes to mind.  Their donuts are better used as weights for a fishing line, I'm thinking.  But, there was no KK in sight, only a DD drive-through.  What harm could it be, since I was only going to get some coffee?

As I've said before, I like strong...but not boiling hot...coffee.  Also, I drink milk in my coffee.  I detest powdered creamer in my coffee.  Hate. It.  Nor am I a fan of cream.  No, I'd much rather have milk.  Real, cold milk.  So, when I go through the Krispy Kreme drive-through on Main Street in HPNC, I always order a coffee and a carton of milk (2%, since they don't have skim), along with that big box of a dozen Hot Now doughnuts.  No problem.

Here's how it went at Dunkin Donuts:

Me, into the squawk box at the drive-through:  I'll take a medium coffee and a carton of milk.
Female voice on the other end:  We don't got no milk, 'mam.
Me, after looking over the menu again:  Well, I guess I'll try a medium Latte, then.
Female voice:  Do you want that with whole or skim milk, 'mam?
Took every ounce of willpower not to laugh hysterically...or to say something snide like: well, they do got milk at Krispy Kreme.  I certainly didn't want to tick someone off inside while they were preparing my Latte with Skim milk...which cost me about a buck more than my coffee and my carton of milk at KK, I might add.

Anyway.


It's official!  I'm a Master Gardener Intern
Class of 2011!!
At the Breakfast held in the auditorium of the Guilford County Agriculture Center building on Burlington Road, we got to meet our mentors and some of the other members of the Class of 2011 interns.  We paid our dues, got our nametags (photo, right), and picked up our binders, one of which weighs more than a few pounds.  Guilford County Urban Horticulture Agent and Lead Instructor Karen Neill told us that each week's topic was like a college-level course...so be sure to read the material prior to coming to class on Wednesday mornings.  [Uh-oh, what have I gotten myself into??]

One of the mentors seated at our table said not to worry.  You can't learn it all...and they won't cover it all, anyway.  The main thing was to get a well-rounded introduction to all the topics, and to know where and how to research the topics.  Good advice from a veteran.

Simple Kneads in Downtown GSO
After a tour of the Legacy Demonstration Garden, which is maintained by the Master Gardeners (and which will be one of the required volunteer activities for Interns), I was still feeling a bit stunned, kinda like the sun was still in my eyes...and also more than a little happy to be so close to Gate City Yarns in downtown Greensboro (photo, below/left).  Yarn therapy!  That's the ticket!!


Yarn therapy at
Gate City Yarns in downtown Greensboro
Ahhh.  After an hour in the yarn store, petting all the fibres, preceded by a side-trip to the nearby bakery (photo, above/right) called Simple Kneads where I enjoyed a yummy, spicy Jalapeno-Cheese Focaccia pastry and a Diet Coke for my lunch, and got a loaf of Spelt bread to go, I was right-as-rain again.  And, ready to return home to begin reading my chapter on Botany.

Well, maybe I'd better swing by Krispy Kreme...just in case...

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Think Happy Thoughts

"Your success and happiness lie in you.  Resolve to keep happy, and (together) your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties."
                                              -- Helen Keller (emphasis mine)
It's another one of those cloudy and cold days that tend to populate the thirty-one days allotted to January on the calendar, making it difficult to remember a New Year's resolution to keep happy.  As I gaze out of my droffice (where the dining room and I share a space...:) picture window, I see the once-beautiful Christmas tree, now stripped of all ornamentation and lying on its side at the curb.  I know that it is awaiting its next mission in life:  to provide healthy mulch for the city's planting areas; but, I am nonetheless sad to see it looking so forlorn.  Even the outdoor decorations look like they are wishing they were all packed up and back in the attic, where at least it is a tad warmer.  Still, it is too cold for me to tackle that task.

I sigh and return my attention to the chore that awaits me indoors:  the last of the packing up of the Holiday decorations.  There are Rubbermaid(tm) containers in bright green and bright red, packed and stacked away from the main traffic areas (so as to allow Elmo room to roam without challenge), awaiting a stronger back that will move them to their allotted space under the rafters.  I continue to find the stray reminder of the Season, here and there:  Christmas-themed hand-towels in the half-bath; a token from the Christmas crackers that must have rolled under the table when we popped them; and fir needles in the oddest places.

With Mr. T on the road again (it's that time of the year when he has to travel to every one of this dealerships to get Dealer Development Plans signed), and not around to lift my spirits, I could easily sink into a post-Holiday funk.  Even re-reading those first paragraphs is getting me down.  No, don't want to go there.

Where is Helen Keller when you need her?  Must. Think. Happy. Thoughts.

Let's invoke the "Sound of Music" solution!  Here are a few of my favorite things:  birds at our feeders, projects and finished objects, and something to look forward to...a goal, a plan, anything!


Starling at the Blue Glass feeder
House finch seems to say "What's that thing?"

Red-bellied Woodpecker
at the so-called squirrel-proof feeder
Early morning squirrel calisthenics
at the so-called squirrel-proof feeder





















Hey, it's working!  I can feel the doom-and-gloom, lifting slowly from my shoulders.  Let's try another one of my favorite things.


Patricia's Picchu-Picchu
in Ultra Alpaca:  Blueberry Mix
You know, I love starting projects.  If I didn't, why would I begin so many?  Anyway, I think the real reason I love starting projects is that I know I will be over-the-moon when I finish them!  So, I present to you, photos of my Picchu-Picchu sweater, knitted in ab-fab Ultra Alpaca in a color called Blueberry Mix.  I got the pattern (available free from the Berroco website here) and the yarn in a kit from a Facebook link to Appalachian Yarns.  I really believe this will be my favorite finished sweater project for some time to come. Love it, love it, love it.


Details of Patricia's Picchu-Picchu
in Blueberry Mix Ultra Alpaca
I plan on wearing it tomorrow for the first time (not counting the numerous times I've "tried it on" when I see it in the closet...:).  I've been saving it for a special occasion, and I think tomorrow morning's Master Gardener Mentor/Intern Breakfast qualifies.  I get to meet not only my Mentor who will serve as a guide through the coming weeks and months of classes, but also the other MG Interns who will be joining me in the Class of 2011.  Something to look forward to, right?  I'm excited! 

I'll be posting about my experiences as I learn and grow (pun absolutely intended...:), and as I make new friends with similar interests.

Hey, if I don't watch out here, all these happy thoughts will have me breaking into song.

How about a chorus of Zip-a-dee-doo-dah! Mr. Bluebird may not exactly be on my shoulder, but he certainly is on our feeder:



Mr. Bluebird...and Mrs. Finch...at the feeder

Monday, January 3, 2011

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Eastern Bluebird at suet feeder
Good morning!  And, welcome to the New Year!!  After two days of rain and drizzle (AKA:  yucky weather...:), the third day of 2011 dawned bright and beautiful...albeit a bit on the nippy side (still in the 20's at 9:00 a.m.).  This photo (right) of an Eastern Bluebird was actually taken with Mr. T's new BirdCam last week/last year, but I still thought it was appropriate to the title.

We spent yesterday watching the pro football games on TV, while taking down the tree and packing up Christmas around Casa 3917.  It may take us a week or two to de-decorate the outside, though, since we'll have more of the same type of weather throughout this week, with snow expected again next weekend.  Having reindeer in your yard on Valentine's Day isn't too terrible, is it?  We could start a new trend in Sailing Point.  Hey, if one of my neighbors can have a live goat, who could possibly object to a couple of lighted, white-wire reindeer?

You'd think we'd be sick and tired of football after watching multiple bowl games over the past few days, but you'd be wrong.  At one point, we had two going at once, using the picture-in-picture feature to swap views on the Alabama game with the Mississippi State game.  SEC 2, Big Ten 0.  Hoo-rah.


Masa Mittens for Me -
First Finished Object for 2011!
 I actually do love watching football games, 'cause you couldn't ask for better knitting time.  On New Year's Eve, I started a pair of mittens for myself with some yummy-soft Ultra Alpaca in a warm yellow color called Masa.  I had picked up this skein in the Orphan Skeins bin at Common Threads last week for 25% off regular price...a find!  As it was basic pattern, modified in length to fit my short, stubby hands and worked on US 7 double-points over 40/41 stitches, from The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns, made for warmth and utility more than for show, I was able to finish them in a day (photo, left).  Now, my hands will be warm on my walks. 

BTW, I find it a wee bit humorous to report that I purchased the 5" double-points I used for these warm, (alpaca) woolen mittens on my trip to Arizona last year.  They are the perfect length to use for mittens and gloves...so what if they came from the desert?

We made sure to welcome in our New Year with all the foods that are supposed to bring good luck and financial rewards throughout the coming twelve months:  sweet rolls and grapes with our Mimosas for breakfast; then for dinner, black-eyed peas (out of the freezer, packed from our own garden!), pork chops (seared then slow-cooked), turnip greens (or cabbage-slaw for Mr. T, who won't touch either greens or sauerkraut), rice, and sweet corn muffins.  As a child of the South, I grew up with the peas, greens, and pork lucky triumvirate, but we've added the sweet rolls (as a substitution for the sugared donuts, which would be acceptable but require more attention to detail early on New Year's Day...:), rice, and grapes over the years and the moves we've made to other parts of the US.  I sure hope we covered all bases with our menu!

I'll make this post brief (well, brief for me...:) as I want to take advantage of the sunshine and get my walk in this morning, wearing my new mittens of course.  Before I leave you, though, I'll share a couple more of the BirdCam shots:  the one on the left (below) is a Northern Cardinal and the one on the right is...well, you recognize the biggest "bird" we have at our feeders, don't you?


Northern Cardinal at feeder
Guess who?  Grrrrrrrr.

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