I always look for it, every year. Sometime in August, there is a day that gives you a hint that the season is starting, slightly to turn. Today was the day. I noticed a different tang to the air rather than the usual humid heaviness that we experience in the middle of summer here. Although the high was in the mid 80's yesterday and today it will be 87, the air experienced a coolness that can only be attributed to sun not being around quite as long as it was a month ago. G-dog and I walked with a lighter step and I began to notice other things that told of the coming changes. The acorns are starting to fall, half eaten ones crunching under my feet, tiny green ones shaken from the branches. There are holes starting to appear in my flower beds, squirrels hiding their stash or stealing another's. The rabbits seem to be munching everything they can pack into their cheeks and all the woodland creatures are looking a bit pudgy.
Fall is my favorite season and this change signaled something in my brain to smile the rest of the walk, thinking of the evenings we'll spend around the outdoor fireplace, sipping wine and just enjoying the sounds and scents of the season.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
My Island: Response to Your Requests
You guys have some great suggestions. Here's a couple reasons why a few of the people you mentioned are not there yet:
Elizabeth Hasselback: She is still young enough that her views could be tempered with knowledge and time. I will however move her to 'stand-by' for that time period.
Paris Hilton: She's kinda playing a part or if she is that useless, she'll self destruct eventually. She's not really causing injury unless you count the little girls that want to be her....hmmmm...I may have to rethink this one.
Judge Judy: Now that is an interesting one. I think she's more an actress than anything though so not insane to the bone like the others. Her power maybe went a little to her head.
Jamie Lynn Spears: She is still young and she is on 'stand-by' because I am waiting to see how she handles herself. If she does better than her sister, she will not be going.
50 Cent: Need to look into.
So, here is how it stands until my next post about it:
Stand-by:
Jamie Lynn Spears
Elizabeth Hasselback
On the island:
Ann Coulter
Rick Santorum
Brittany Spears
Amy Winehouse
Lindsay Lohan
Elizabeth Hasselback: She is still young enough that her views could be tempered with knowledge and time. I will however move her to 'stand-by' for that time period.
Paris Hilton: She's kinda playing a part or if she is that useless, she'll self destruct eventually. She's not really causing injury unless you count the little girls that want to be her....hmmmm...I may have to rethink this one.
Judge Judy: Now that is an interesting one. I think she's more an actress than anything though so not insane to the bone like the others. Her power maybe went a little to her head.
Jamie Lynn Spears: She is still young and she is on 'stand-by' because I am waiting to see how she handles herself. If she does better than her sister, she will not be going.
50 Cent: Need to look into.
So, here is how it stands until my next post about it:
Stand-by:
Jamie Lynn Spears
Elizabeth Hasselback
On the island:
Ann Coulter
Rick Santorum
Brittany Spears
Amy Winehouse
Lindsay Lohan
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
My Island II: A New Member
For those of you that missed my explanation My Island is a place where I send people that irritate me so badly by their presence that they need to be isolated in a place where they can do the least harm to the public. If someone REALLY pisses me off I am known to say, "They better be careful or they are going to My Island." I don't send them there automatically, there is a process and I am very picky about who I scoop out of the rest of the population's gene pool.
So far I have sent:
Britney Spears
Amy Winehouse
Lindsay Lohan
Rick Santorum
Flying stand-by:
Jamie Lynn Spears
Today, I am sending another person. She should have been in the original set but alas, I had forgotten about her for a brief moment when she wasn't trying to hog the political spotlight with her extremest right-wing rantings. She is:
Ann Coulter
This woman used to frighten me because of the filth that spewed from her mouth but with titles for her books such as:
If Democrats Had Any Brains They'd Be Republicans
Godless: The Church of Liberalism
How to Talk to a Liberal If You Must
Well, they really just show that she is a complete fool and thoroughly unimaginative. I mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that if you dye your hair (badly), starve yourself and wear sexy clothing on a book cover, drooling men are going to pick it up. She actually thinks that her message is getting through to people because of her book sales. Here are some lovely comments by Ann as gathered by Wikipedia:
On October 8, 2007, Coulter ignited yet more controversy when she was quoted as saying that Jews should be "perfected" into Christians. She was talking about Republicans with Donny Deutsch, a Jewish CNBC talk-show host, and implied that she considered Christianity a virtue. Deutsch asked her, "It would be better if we were all Christian?", to which Coulter replied "Yes". Deutsch asked her, "We should all be Christian?", and got the same response, with an invitation to come to church. Later on, Coulter said, "we just want Jews to be perfected, as they say", saying that this was what Christianity was, and she compared the 'New Testament to Federal Express. Further, Coulter said that Christians considered themselves to be perfected Jews. Deutsch implied that this was an anti-Semitic remark, but Coulter said she didn't consider it to be a hateful comment.[62]
...about 9/11 Widows
These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by grief-arazzis. These self-obsessed women seemed genuinely unaware that 9/11 was an attack on our nation and acted as if the terrorist attacks happened only to them. ... I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much ... the Democrat ratpack gals endorsed John Kerry for president ... cutting campaign commercials... how do we know their husbands weren't planning to divorce these harpies? Now that their shelf life is dwindling, they'd better hurry up and appear in Playboy.[88]
...It would be a much better country if women did not vote. That is simply a fact. In fact, in every presidential election since 1950—except Goldwater in '64—the Republican would have won, if only the men had voted.
So Ann, your idiocy and complete lack of knowledge about the world around and your continuous misinterpretation of what you don't know you has earned you a trip to My Island. You are a hateful person and the female equivalent to Dorian Grey. I am sure you and Rick will get along well. Maybe you and Brit can dye each other's hair. I'll send some peroxide in the next supply drop. She seems to know a little more about it than you.
So far I have sent:
Britney Spears
Amy Winehouse
Lindsay Lohan
Rick Santorum
Flying stand-by:
Jamie Lynn Spears
Today, I am sending another person. She should have been in the original set but alas, I had forgotten about her for a brief moment when she wasn't trying to hog the political spotlight with her extremest right-wing rantings. She is:
Ann Coulter
This woman used to frighten me because of the filth that spewed from her mouth but with titles for her books such as:
If Democrats Had Any Brains They'd Be Republicans
Godless: The Church of Liberalism
How to Talk to a Liberal If You Must
Well, they really just show that she is a complete fool and thoroughly unimaginative. I mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that if you dye your hair (badly), starve yourself and wear sexy clothing on a book cover, drooling men are going to pick it up. She actually thinks that her message is getting through to people because of her book sales. Here are some lovely comments by Ann as gathered by Wikipedia:
On October 8, 2007, Coulter ignited yet more controversy when she was quoted as saying that Jews should be "perfected" into Christians. She was talking about Republicans with Donny Deutsch, a Jewish CNBC talk-show host, and implied that she considered Christianity a virtue. Deutsch asked her, "It would be better if we were all Christian?", to which Coulter replied "Yes". Deutsch asked her, "We should all be Christian?", and got the same response, with an invitation to come to church. Later on, Coulter said, "we just want Jews to be perfected, as they say", saying that this was what Christianity was, and she compared the 'New Testament to Federal Express. Further, Coulter said that Christians considered themselves to be perfected Jews. Deutsch implied that this was an anti-Semitic remark, but Coulter said she didn't consider it to be a hateful comment.[62]
...about 9/11 Widows
These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by grief-arazzis. These self-obsessed women seemed genuinely unaware that 9/11 was an attack on our nation and acted as if the terrorist attacks happened only to them. ... I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much ... the Democrat ratpack gals endorsed John Kerry for president ... cutting campaign commercials... how do we know their husbands weren't planning to divorce these harpies? Now that their shelf life is dwindling, they'd better hurry up and appear in Playboy.[88]
...It would be a much better country if women did not vote. That is simply a fact. In fact, in every presidential election since 1950—except Goldwater in '64—the Republican would have won, if only the men had voted.
So Ann, your idiocy and complete lack of knowledge about the world around and your continuous misinterpretation of what you don't know you has earned you a trip to My Island. You are a hateful person and the female equivalent to Dorian Grey. I am sure you and Rick will get along well. Maybe you and Brit can dye each other's hair. I'll send some peroxide in the next supply drop. She seems to know a little more about it than you.
Monday, August 4, 2008
I Didn't Do This and Award Time!
So P told me I could post the pic I took of him in the hospital...no, really he did. I am not sure why he had the change of heart. Maybe because of the mileage he is getting for it in the joke category.
I have to tell you, I am not so amused by it. I have stopped counting the number of people that have jokingly told me that I needed to "take it easy on him" and "tell your wife to stop hitting you. " Being in a prior abusive relationship makes you a little prickly on this subject. I am trying to take it with a grain of salt but I am not happy about it. I am also glad that he wasn't hurt worse although it looked much worse than this the next day. Lots more color. He really could have done some serious harm to his vision...
If you can't see the vacuum, how are you supposed to use it. Trust me, he's already pulled a few "I can't go out in public like this." crap to keep from running errands. Oh, but he can go to Coldstone for ice cream. Umm Hmm. Ok. So don't feel too bad for him.
Also
I SO love some awarding in my life. In particular I love this one because it suggests (rather accurately) that I am a bad ass. This is true although I am not sure that I have written a post that accurately pinpoints it. So, thanks to My2Boys I am happy to pass this on to:
1. Candid Carrie: If you don't already know she kicks ass, you need to visit.
2. BHJ at The Wind in My Vagina: His mission to out the pedophile at the community pool is heroic and his jam sessions with son just rock
1. Candid Carrie: If you don't already know she kicks ass, you need to visit.
2. BHJ at The Wind in My Vagina: His mission to out the pedophile at the community pool is heroic and his jam sessions with son just rock
3. La Dolce Vida: Because she is so creative and keeps coming up with new stuff for her jewelry
4. A French Fatum: You guys don't know her as I do but you should and she is just the best. She kicks ass all the time through thick and thin.
5. Hullabaloo at Hullabrouhaha: For the dress she wore to a wedding recently. She is the most rockin-est Scotterish gal ever!
Ok all, now you need to pass this wonderful award on to your kick ass faves! Enjoy!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Going Further Local
I wrote about starting this process AGES ago when I first started this blog and have tried here and there to do it but didn't do it very seriously until I read Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I absolutely LOVED this book. IT is not what you are thinking. It is not a guilt you into buying a farm, it isn't an elitist sort of handbook (although some small minded people might say it is) nor does it suggest you need to turn your life upside down to live by a set of harsh rules. As much as I wish that I could do everything they did...
This is part of what I brought home yesterday. All grown or made within 30 miles of me. The thing wrapped in a plastic bag is what is left of the french loaf and the white topped mason jar is what is left of the granola from the same bread bakery (that granola was f-ing insanely addicting), Big Sky Bakery in Delaware (this is a kind of chain but all bread is baked locally from grains raised and ground in the US). The fruits and veggies are all from farmers in Lancaster County, mostly Amish who have adopted an organic way of growing most of their produce (no I didn't ask if they run puppy mills as well, if I find out they do I will not buy from them). What you don't see is the turkey sausage, pork loin and ground lamb I got from Lindenhof Farms. All their animals are pasture fed and hormone free. I will be making keftedis tonight with the lamb along with roasted eggplant and possibly tzatziki if I can find a recipe for it. Also, I have discovered that the Whole Foods closest to us not only carries local foods but also holds a farmers market a couple times a month. That combined with the farm I already can get to on a daily basis, Maple Acres, should sustain us until late fall/early winter. That is when I may have some trouble as canning scares the crap out of me.
Don't worry, I am not going to get all preachy on you (I really hate that to begin with after being told I was probably a lesbian because I had short hair freshman year in college by one of those 'witnessing' 'Christian' people on campus). I will say, however, that the food I have consumed from farmers markets, grown in season has been absolutely delicious. I don't think I could go back to the other stuff if I wanted to (tomatoes are f-ing AMAZING right now) considering my love for cooking and good food. I will report on how I am doing with the whole locavore thing more regularly if not for any other reason other than I love food.
Update: The kefthedes (Greek meatballs) totally rocked and the tzazaiki (sp) made them even better. I could though, kill you with my garlic breath. When I halved the recipe for the tzazaiki, I forgot to half the garlic. There are Greek mothers who will need to burn their recipes after this awsome cooking feat. ;)
1. I don't have a farm or really enough space for my own garden (also, SO many rabbits)
2. I have a 9-5 job (so do many many farmers though and that is terribly sad)
3. No room or laws) for my own chickens and turkeys.
3. No room or laws) for my own chickens and turkeys.
4. I really like ocean fish
So I am trying the best I can to buy local and by the season. I am running into problems already.
Lemons, I use these in cooking but not ever local
Limes, see above
Bananas, banana bread, nuff said
So, I am altering my extreme-ness to the Willistown CSA's locavore pledge:
If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic.
If not ORGANIC, then Family Farm.
If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business.
If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then East Coast
If not EAST COAST, then United States,
If not UNITED STATES, then Fair Trade
I can totally, live with this and really, most of the time will be in the top 2 or 3 (except for coffee). So I have committed our little family to this plan. In order to move forward with our new plan, I went to the West Chester Growers Market on Saturday morning. I had heard so many good things about it after starting my locavore research that I couldn't wait to go. I was not disappointed.
This is part of what I brought home yesterday. All grown or made within 30 miles of me. The thing wrapped in a plastic bag is what is left of the french loaf and the white topped mason jar is what is left of the granola from the same bread bakery (that granola was f-ing insanely addicting), Big Sky Bakery in Delaware (this is a kind of chain but all bread is baked locally from grains raised and ground in the US). The fruits and veggies are all from farmers in Lancaster County, mostly Amish who have adopted an organic way of growing most of their produce (no I didn't ask if they run puppy mills as well, if I find out they do I will not buy from them). What you don't see is the turkey sausage, pork loin and ground lamb I got from Lindenhof Farms. All their animals are pasture fed and hormone free. I will be making keftedis tonight with the lamb along with roasted eggplant and possibly tzatziki if I can find a recipe for it. Also, I have discovered that the Whole Foods closest to us not only carries local foods but also holds a farmers market a couple times a month. That combined with the farm I already can get to on a daily basis, Maple Acres, should sustain us until late fall/early winter. That is when I may have some trouble as canning scares the crap out of me.Don't worry, I am not going to get all preachy on you (I really hate that to begin with after being told I was probably a lesbian because I had short hair freshman year in college by one of those 'witnessing' 'Christian' people on campus). I will say, however, that the food I have consumed from farmers markets, grown in season has been absolutely delicious. I don't think I could go back to the other stuff if I wanted to (tomatoes are f-ing AMAZING right now) considering my love for cooking and good food. I will report on how I am doing with the whole locavore thing more regularly if not for any other reason other than I love food.
Update: The kefthedes (Greek meatballs) totally rocked and the tzazaiki (sp) made them even better. I could though, kill you with my garlic breath. When I halved the recipe for the tzazaiki, I forgot to half the garlic. There are Greek mothers who will need to burn their recipes after this awsome cooking feat. ;)
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Tag!
I have been tagged in a Meme by Tami at Neurotically Yours and I haven't been tagged in awhile nor do I think I have done this one. Also Tami said sweet things about me so I am going to do this one. Flattery will get your Meme passed on...
Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. I am scared to go to the movies at a theater. I have to be REALLY excited about one to go (LOTR trilogy, SATC...). I might post about this fear sometime. It does actually have a root.
4. I read magazines from back to front. Easier to flip pages.
5. I LOATHE fruit and chocolate together, except for chocolate and bananas.
6. I worry that my dog is mad at me for showing her what vacation is like then bringing her back to the daily grind.
7. I was in the ER on Thursday night with P.
I tag...
Hullabrouhaha because she has time to do it now that her living arragement is sorted.
As Cape Cod Turns because she is awesome and you should be visiting her blog.
Killing a Fly with A Ukalele is Probably the Wrong Thing to Do because she is a new bloggy friend from down under.
It's a Wonderful Lie because I need to live vicariously thru someone inthe 20's ;)
An American in Norway becuase she is in the US right now.
A French Fatum becuase she is fun and you should be reading her blog as well (she's a bit secrative though)
John Deere Mom because I like her and her kids are too flippin' cute.
Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
1. The left side of my sternum is lower than the right. You can't tell to look at me but it can do a number on underwire bras.
2. I used have the movie Clue memorized. I proabably can still recite most of it but my memory is not what it used to be (I am serious).3. I am scared to go to the movies at a theater. I have to be REALLY excited about one to go (LOTR trilogy, SATC...). I might post about this fear sometime. It does actually have a root.
4. I read magazines from back to front. Easier to flip pages.
5. I LOATHE fruit and chocolate together, except for chocolate and bananas.
6. I worry that my dog is mad at me for showing her what vacation is like then bringing her back to the daily grind.
7. I was in the ER on Thursday night with P.
I tag...
Hullabrouhaha because she has time to do it now that her living arragement is sorted.
As Cape Cod Turns because she is awesome and you should be visiting her blog.
Killing a Fly with A Ukalele is Probably the Wrong Thing to Do because she is a new bloggy friend from down under.
It's a Wonderful Lie because I need to live vicariously thru someone inthe 20's ;)
An American in Norway becuase she is in the US right now.
A French Fatum becuase she is fun and you should be reading her blog as well (she's a bit secrative though)
John Deere Mom because I like her and her kids are too flippin' cute.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Crackberry Friday: Power of the Cape
I jotted down some notes while I was at the Cape and one was about the power that seems to reside there for me. I wrote this down on my first night because of the massive thunderstorms that were rolling through and the way they made me feel. The lightening, the clouds and the wind seemed so much more fierce than they do at home. I am not sure if it was just the fact that we were next to the water but in my mind, it was the same power that pulls me there every year. Even though I am not there at this moment, I feel my heart physically being pulled away as if I should be moving back to that place.
The dreams I have there are more realistic and almost crisp; those dreams that seem so real you are not sure they didn't happen. I had a quick though emotional one while I was there. I dreamed that Peter and I had just arrived. It was night and my Mom came out to greet us. We walked into the house and as I turned the corner, there was my Dad, clear as can be. The dream lasted moments in my head but I remember he had on a blue tee shirt and shorts. His hair was the dark brown almost black with peppered grey he had before he lost it from the chemo. It was just so fast. Just a glimpse but there was so much in that glimpse. I saw that he had been relaxing in the sunroom, waiting for our arrival. He was looking forward to seeing us there and enjoying our time together. I felt all of this and so much more in just that short time. I am teary just thinking about it now and that is a big deal for me because I tend to block most emotions pretty much ever since he got so sick. The emotions that I was able to feel at the Cape, allowed me to relax and open up my mind while I was there. This is why I so strongly feel that I belong there. It's like when I am there, there is a piece of me that fits with the rest and then I am complete; able to cry, able to laugh, able to feel.
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