9-9-15




I was talking with a friend the other night... about how this year has been rather rough...
physical illness... financial issues... emotional upsets... etc. But it's also been a great time of learning for me as well...
of knowing what I am willing, and not... to do or put up with.
And that is always a good thing.

One thing I have learned... is that it is super important for me on both a physical and emotional level... to get out in nature as much as I can. To take time away from social media/ news/ drama every so often and just completely "unplug."

So for today... I am wishing you all peace and relaxation.... serenity and calmness.
See you all tomorrow.


9-8-15


well, Tuesday is upon us... after a long Labor Day weekend...
and I hope you all had a great couple of days.

It was a very busy weekend for us, including a couple of wonderful meals and get-togethers with some extended family on  both Saturday and Sunday evenings. And this week is going to be busy as well with last minute preparations for a show on Saturday. Then, hopefully, things will settle down a bit as we all relax a little into fall. It's hard to believe that fall is just around the corner... but signs are popping up all over... the abundance of goldenrod and wild asters... gardens coming to their ends... the occasional leaf turning color on the trees...
I wish I was more gracious about it all... but I am not ready.
So... this week I am going to try to steal a few moments out...
and try to rest with these last few days of summer. Soak them in... and be thankful.

See you all tomorrow.



9-7-15

Friday afternoon's great produce finds from the local farmer's  market; included a few green tomatoes, 3 baguettes of bread, 2 pints of blackberries, some squash and zucchini, a couple small bags of fresh edamame, a few purple scallions, and some cherry tomatoes.
Friday evening... we had an impromptu dinner party with friends that included most of these items... so photos of my "haul" of goodies did not happen. >>le sigh<<
However, I can tell you that everything was delicious... and that this was my dinner plate before I inhaled it all. We simply gathered most the fresh items, rinsed them and placed them in bowls... grilled alot of them with a little olive oil, coarse sea salt and pepper, ... (and a couple steaks). We steamed the edamame, and added some sea salt.... and broke bread with our friends. Which after all, is the best way to enjoy fresh food and good times.


But that doesn't make much of a post... especially when I really don't have photos.

The rest of the weekend was spent running to various town-wide yard sales (which were awesome)... and then a picnic/ dinner party with extended family last night... and then I got sick.
So. What do you make when you've been up all night? ... and most of the fresh (and really awesome) things are already eaten?

Today I am making pizza. And I know. It's hot and I am really wiped out... so, pizza?
Yes... but this is a sort of quick and easy pizza.

*the key thing here... is that I am doing everything on the grill.
*no extra heat in the house from using the stove... no laborious cleanup afterwards.
*and hey... I am using up stuff I already have in the fridge.


To make the dough I found this recipe online (although I can't find the link now): combine 1 cup of self rising flour with 1 cup all purpose flour, a pinch of salt, 2 teaspoons of honey, 2 teaspoons of yeast, and a cup of lukewarm water. Now. Let me preface this by saying... I love bread. I love all things made with dough. But I really suck at making it. I don't know why... I don't know if I am just chemistry-challenged... or if I have the worst of luck getting active dry yeast that works... or if I am using too hot/ too cold water... but notoriously, I have trouble making any kind of dough or bread. Kristin made the dough here... because I was afraid I would mess it up. We set it aside to rise.
She did an awesome job.



I cooked the veggies on the grill first... and long enough to know that they were indeed, mostly cooked... then took them off the grill and put them in a bowl to use as toppings. After the veggies were done, I let the grill cool a bit and cleaned it off... then brushed it with some olive oil in preparation for the dough... which had been rising for about 30 minutes.
It rose!!! and looked awesome! 
I put some olive oil on my hands, and scooped a bunch and formed it into a crust shape on the grill.
The dough was then cooked or a few minutes on each side... just enough to get nice grill marks and give me the "warm fuzzies" that it was mostly done.
It was a beautiful, slightly thick and chewy (which I like) crust.


Then it was just a matter of building the pizza.
I used some leftover sauce, the grilled veggies,  some fresh herbs, and some shredded mozzarella that I had in the fridge... but really, you can make them any way you want. That is the beauty of this!
(which makes our pizza vegetarian. But you could add pre-cooked meats if you wanted to)

Kristin had also made a Gluten-free dough from a mix we had in the cupboard... so she chose to make her pizzas with that dough.. .and no cheese. So her pizzas were both Gluten Free...and VEGAN.


Enjoy!
And I will see you all tomorrow.

for the weekend



It was a Grand Party... and everyone came.
Abraham Lincoln, a studly old Teddy... and a lot of creepy dolls... were just some of the featured guests at today's Townwide Yard Sales. Once a year... we all bring out our crazy, our practical, and the completely weird... and hock it all on the front lawn.

And of course, I took a couple photos... albeit only a couple.
I suppose I could name this one "Opium Den of Disillusionment and Conspicuous Conspiracy"... but that would probably only be telling part of the story. I am convinced the guy in the bottom right corner knows more than he is telling...

Anyway. More than a hundred yard sales... in a relatively small town... and you get the general idea of what today was like. And I am tired. And a little hungry.... and probably dehydrated... but I was able to get some pretty awesome little things... so all is good.
Add to that a dinner with extended family that featured a perfectly cooked turkey, mashed potatoes... fresh sweet corn on the cob and decadent brownies for dessert... yah. It was a good day.

And hey... it's the weekend... and even though I am a little late posting; I have some links to share with you all:
*some interesting advice for your next yard sale ... and another... and another
*tips for after your yard sale... and another (and for locals.... there is Goodwill, the ATTIC at the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Christmas House, offer it up on the Potter County Yard Sale site and probably several more places that I can't think of right now).
*so how do you know if you found something awesome? Look it up ... places like Ebay, Amazon, Etsy... and others all have searches where you can see how much your item may be worth. This is cool information... and some folks get really lucky!
*got the thrifting bug? Check out local resale shops, church/ charity shops, antique and 2nd hand stores, estate sales, auctions... even Facebook has pages (like the yard sale page I mentioned) to find things. Some of my best finds I have found on trash day :)
*some great thoughts.... and here.... and another here

~~ and then I wanted to include a couple of blogs from my reading list that sort of pertained to the thrifting lifestyle... but my brain was just too tired. So I've included today:
~Teesha's Circus (Teesha Moore) -- who is a fabulous artist.
~the Bloggings of Mrs. Bertimus -- super fun
~the Craft Cabinet
~Myth and Moor -- which is just lovely
~the Habit of Being -- another truly lovely blog

I hope you all have a great (rest of your) weekend.. and I will see you all back here on Monday for my "foodie" post featuring produce and such from my local farm market.

9-4-15



It's 2am. Technically, it's Friday. I am exhausted.
The crickets are singing.
There is a mist rolling in... giving everything a reprieve from the heat and mugginess of the day.

This has been a crazy busy week.... an almost endless list of things that needed to get done...
most of which I did, indeed get done... and yet... there is an air of restlessness about me.
Of feeling ... lacking. Of not measuring up.
And I am aching.... physically. That constant throb of chronic pain that just never seems to ease up.
... along with ... hurting emotionally... worried about things going on with my son...
knowing that there is nothing really, that I can do... but weeping at the injustice of it all.

And then the headlines in the news... such tragedies abounding... that it makes you wonder how we have survived as a species at all.
How in some ways, we really haven't come so far.
But there is always hope. There has to be hope.
Tonight I am looking to the skies for that hope.
That star to wish upon... and I have to trust that it will all be ok.

I've read that all the things that happen to you... are your stories.
Anne Lamott wrote "You own everything that happened to you. Tell  your stories.
If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better."
More than that though, I think... is the ability to write your own endings.
Don't give up. Don't believe that things can't change.
Write your own gloriously happy ending.

---see you all tomorrow.

(photos for today's post are ones I took at dusk last evening. 
The flowers are closed gentian, and are growing at the edge of our yard)

9-3-15


I work every day on my art. Some days (obviously) more than others... but work nonetheless.
There are days when I am frustrated and disillusioned, and I worry that it's all in vain.
And then there are times when it all comes together... and life is sweet.

Today is just an ordinary day. Nothing horribly spectacular, and yet... I got this photo of a buttercup.
Big deal... some would say... but it's really hard to get a photo of a buttercup.
The yellow can be overwhelming, and completely obliterate any details you may be trying to get.
It's work... and it's luck... but it's mostly work.
Hang in there folks! Stay strong... and keep up the good work.
...see you all tomorrow.

9-2-15


All around me I am seeing little hints that fall is coming... and frankly, I am not ready for summer to end. Sometimes it feels like we waited so very long for spring to come.... and then summer never really kicked in until the past few weeks (or so it seemed)... >>sigh<<
Perhaps I am just getting older... but time seems to go by so very fast.
Or perhaps... it's just that the days seem so very full of things to do... things to get done... things I am trying to catch up on...
that I feel like I need more of "summer"... more of days in the sun... watching the bees... listening to the birds... taking it easy... that sort of thing.
But not today.
Today I am going to be busy with my mom, who is having a procedure done to (hopefully) relieve some of her chronic pain issues.
And it will be an all-day sort of thing... so.
I will wish you a day of rest and relaxation!... and I will see you all tomorrow.







9-1-15


So... it's a crazy busy week... and I was wondering what to post on for today.
I've been going through some of my "older" photos from a few years ago... and came across these photos of a historical building in downtown Albuquerque. I had gone to some offices near here for some medical treatments, and during a break in testing, found this place.
I think it's gorgeous... and I wanted to share it with you.

The past 2 weeks, I've been trying not to be on the computer so much.
I've been trying to get my work done and do the necessary things... but not spend so much time just randomly reading and looking at stuff... it's so easy to lose time that way.
One of the things I did, was try to catch up on some reading... and I got a few books read:
-33 Artists in 3 Acts
-It's What I Do
-Dog Songs
-Tiger, Tiger
-a couple jewelry themed books
and this vintage book; Pennsylvania's Susquehanna

and I watched a bunch of movies:
-Darling Companion
-Hysteria
-Princess Tam Tam
-Storyville
-50/50
-Meet the Millers
-Safety Not Guaranteed
-The Way Back

So I thought I would share them with you as well. Some I liked, some were just awful... and that's ok.
Have an adventure! read a book... watch a movie.... dream a little...
and I will see you all tomorrow.



8-31-15

Hard to believe that another month has gone by!
But with summer moving towards fall... there is a huge bounty coming forth at the local Farmer's Market. Everything is coming in! Carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers of all kinds, garlic, scallions, sweet corn, berries, salad greens and herbs, cucumbers, tons of varieties of squash and more! It's hard to know what to pick... and how much to get... which brings up the topic of storage.

Gardening is sort of a "feast or famine" kind of thing. When the plants do well... there may be a  lot of produce; and at other times... not much. Some varieties do well one year, not so much the next. Weather is key... and sometimes doesn't cooperate with what you've got planted.
When the food is fresh and local, it's best to take advantage of what's currently in season... and get as much as you can afford to, that would be practical for your needs. Then store what you can for future use when produce may not be as plentiful, and of course, enjoy some fresh while you're at it.

There are lots of ideas for storage out there.... here are a few good links for:
-Canning (and here is a good source too)
-Freezing
-jams and jellies, compotes, relishes, chutneys
-dehydrating
-cold storage

I was completely intrigued this past week when one of the local farm folks told me she had been dehydrating zucchini! Whodathunk! She dehydrates smaller slices, and is putting them in canning jars along with other dry ingredients for making soup later on in the year. She is also drying onions and carrots and more for these soup mix jars! ~What a great idea.
I also saw a post the other day from a woman who was premixing all the ingredients for omelets (eggs, milk, herbs, peppers, etc) and putting them in canning jars and placing them in her freezer. She said she takes the jars out the night before and lets them defrost in the fridge whenever she wants to make one. ~Magic!



Another option... is what we did.
We've been cutting and (when needed) blanching foods and freezing foods for future use... and hated to throw out the tops and discarded bits... so the daughter made a fabulous stock.
She took the tops off of beets, carrot greens, bits of onion/ scallions/ leeks,  along with some of the veggies that didn't look so good --like some kale and spinach we had (it was wrinkled and maybe a bit dry... but not ready for composting... just things we hadn't eaten up yet).
To these bits.... she added lots of fresh herbs and celery from our containers, coarse sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and water... probably 8-10 cups... it's a big pot. On the back burner, she brought it to a fast boil, then let it simmer and stew with a lid on, for almost 2hrs. (although she did read that you could cook it all for as little as half an hour, and you will still get good flavor). She then strained off the cooked bits from the broth... and tada! Soup stock!
Her trick? She let the broth cool overnight, then poured it into ice cube trays and froze it. Once they were set, she gathered up all the cubes into a gallon size freezer bag, and we can pull out as little or as much stock as we need for whatever we want to add it to.


You can add these broth cubes to rices, noodle dishes, cooking meat, stir fried foods, gravy and sauces... the possibilities are endless.
See you all tomorrow :)

for the weekend



My "happy place" will always be near the ocean... the sea... the water... the coast.
...be it a rocky shoreline or a sandy beach... the water is what is key for me.
The photos for today's post are from Pigeon Point Lighthouse in Pescadaro, California.
I went there a few years ago ((although I just edited these photos a couple nights ago)... with the intention of helping out a friend
(which I did)... but my "take-away" from it... really... was to see that glorious west-coast ocean view.
I miss the ocean... and I must get back there someday... hopefully, soon.

But hey... it's the weekend... and we're here PA... and there are lots going on this weekend.
From small festivals.... to just enjoying what may be some of the last vestiges of summer here...
who knows... but I hope you are all having some fun in the sun.

And here are some links I've gathered this week to share with you:
*It was National Dog Day this past week
* this past week... being off the computer a bit more, I read 6 books! and watched 8 movies. Go figure! This was one of the movies (which was a sad story... but really interesting) ... and this was one of the books (which was ---while disturbing --- really, really well written)
*an interesting take on the whole minimum wage debate
*wow. This looks awesome.
*this lady ran through our town this week.... here is her story.
*a different view on autism.... a long, but interesting read.
*I just discovered that these might be some of the birds I have up here on the hill flying about
*holy crap. These are REAL!  --DEA badges from the 70s-90s
*a super awesome herb that is probably in your yard (it's all over mine)
*there is nothing quite as wonderful as a fresh garden tomato sandwich on a summer day

*and some sites on my reading list:
-Amanda Louise Spayd
-Andrea Joseph
-Noel Badges
-Flowerz in my Brain
-Bohemian Hellhole

I hope you all have a great weekend... and I will see you all back here on Monday for my "foodie" post
featuring local produce I was able to get at the Farm Market.

8-28-15


Today is a busy, busy day... and I've lots to do...
not the least of which is a quick trip to my local library... and a stop at the local farmer's market.
I feel, in many ways... that sometimes this merry-go-round of life is spinning just a little too fast for my liking... and yet... it's completely scary to jump off... so you cling to it... and ponder whether to wait it out til it slows down... or to take a leap.
I was reading that (astrologically) it is a time of stopping and really thinking on whether you are still on your path... that now is the time to make sure you are still heading towards your goals... or if you need to change gears and change directions. And... in a lot of ways, that completely fits me right now.
And so... I am going to concentrate this weekend on just that.
Onward and upward folks!
See you all tomorrow.



8-27-15


"Sorry I'm not home right now
I'm walking into spiderwebs
so leave a message
and I'll call you back
a likely story, but (yeah) leave a message
and I'll call you back..."

---(song) Spiderwebs by No Doubt


Some days... I just can't seem to get it together, so to speak.
Pain, fatigue, lack of appropriate sleep... all things common to Lupus... but annoying nonetheless.
Today is one of those days... finding myself having worked on things all day; but with relatively little to show for it. 
And so... I am on my third cup of coffee... and will take some Motrin or Aleve... and carry on.

Photos for today... are ones I took the other night around the yard here.
The top photo... I believe is Cowslip plant.
We seem to have a plethora of bugs and such (which probably explains all the birds and snakes here as well too).... including these rather impressive looking spiders. They make big webs... and I've seen some that are almost half dollar size (legs included). 
I'm assuming it's a common grass spider, but I am not sure. Either way... he is welcome to eat all the flies he wants.



8-26-15


So, yesterday I did a post on the making of "Stuffed Scallop Squash," 
but I also made a vegetable lasagna of sorts... using essentially the same ingredients.

I had that same bowl of chopped, fresh items from the farmer's market: 
One (chopped up) large Zucchini, a large red heirloom tomato, 3 small purple onions, a sweet green pepper, and a (smaller) spicy hot pepper (minus the seeds). I also added a tablespoon of chopped garlic, and some leftover sweet corn that I had cooked the other night and chopped off the cob.
I stirred this mixture in a large bowl, and started layering it in small lidded Dutch ovens that I have.


I did one version as a vegan dish, layering this mixture, along with layers of yellow pattypan squash (sliced thinner), and layers of beet greens in a small white ceramic dutch oven.
To the top, I added some coarse sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.

The other Dutch oven, was a vegetarian version with cheese.
In a perfect world, I would have used ricotta... but alas, I had none... so I used cottage cheese instead.
I then added thick flakes of Parmesan cheese on top... along with coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper.



I baked both of these at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Dang. They were good.
My daughter did note that some folks don't like the seeds; and that if that is the case... 
to remove the seeds from the layers of yellow pattypan squash.

I would also note, that my husband; who is not a fan of cottage cheese... liked the dish alot; 
and was surprised it was cottage cheese and not ricotta or mozzarella.

~in short... it was SUPER good... and I recommend it.
see you all tomorrow...

8-25-15


This week's foodie post; is all about Scallop Squash.
These are a cute, interesting squash that sort of resembles a flying saucer. 
Scallop Squash is an ancient heirloom squash, grown by North American Indian tribes for hundreds of years. 
It's been seen as far back as 1591, but has noted a popular resurgence lately.
These are a variety of summer squash (also called Patty Pan or Pattypan Squash and sometimes Sunburst Squash); 
and essentially you treat it like a less-moist-inside zucchini.


So. For today... I made a "Stuffed Scallop Squash." I used the "ghost" variety... (white) of these squash; which I picked up at my local farmer's market on Friday. My daughter cut off the tops, and scooped out a bit of the flesh and seeds.
I then started chopping up ingredients (also mostly from the Farmer's Market) that I had on hand.
I chopped up a large Zucchini, a large red heirloom tomato, 3 small purple onions, 1 sweet green pepper, and 1 (smaller) spicy hot pepper (minus the seeds). I also added a tablespoon of chopped garlic, and some leftover sweet corn that I had cooked the other night and chopped off the cob.
I stirred this mixture in a large bowl and scooped as much as I could into each squash, then sprinkled coarse sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper on top.


Initially, I intended to put this in the oven on broil... which I did for a couple minutes... 
until I realized it was way too hot and things might not cook well enough.
So I added a little water to the dish (not in the squash) and reduced the heat to 350 degrees.
I cooked it all for about 30 minutes.
(and I would recommend avoiding the broiler altogether, as it charred the top bits a bit too much for my liking)

It was really, really good.
This dish is completely vegan, but would also be good with a little butter or shredded cheese on top.


*tomorrow I will have another "foodie" post... 
as I made a back-up alternate dish with essentially the same ingredients... that turned out well.
See you all tomorrow.

8-24-15


You never know what is going to happen... and that is probably a very good thing.
Instinct and intuition can guide you (if you let it)... but all things considered... you just never know.
So when I logged off of the computer on Thursday with the intention of resting... little did I know I would be going to a meeting on Thursday evening... that would get me so upset that I threw up for 24hrs... and then that I would get some sort of stomach bug that would cause further distress all weekend.

whodathunkit.
I suppose, one would take in the lesson that you should never take time off... but that is ridiculous.
The bottom line, is that I did have a small window of feeling slightly better on Friday when I went to the Farmer's Market...
so I did purchase lots of fresh & local goodness to do a "foodie" post for today.
The crux is... that I didn't feel well enough to make something special, photograph it, edit it, and about it.
I will try to do that today... and do my "foodie" post tomorrow.

For today... I went back through my photos from previous years... to some photos I have never edited or put here on the blog.
This is from our move to PA back in 2013... and going through Conway, Texas.
It was definitely another time, when I had no idea what was going to happen...

Much love to you all... and will see you tomorrow.


for the weekend


It's the weekend!
And I'm sure you've got lots of things to see and do... so I'll let you get on to it.
But it's the weekend, and per my routine... I've got some links to share with you all:

*who knew? "This Old House" has been on the air since 1979. Here is the website.
*here are some fabulous uses for everyday things
*how the creative mind works differently
*this is a cool site I just came across
*interesting art from Katrina
*ever think about going naked?
*the amazing artwork of Hope Kroll
*and here is some cuteness overload
*ever wonder what new inventions people are coming up with?
*as I mentioned on my Facebook page, we had an encounter with a nest of snakes in our basement this week... and someone asked about the meaning of snakes as a totem animal. So here are some links to that info ... here... and here... and here

* and some sites from my reading list to share
-Smog Ranch
-Spirit Cloth
-CLJ Farm
-Cathleen Delia Mulrooney
-Fate-Filled Times
-A Yarn Spun Soft
-River Garden Studio

I hope you all have a great weekend, and I will see you all back here on Monday for my "foodie" post,
made with items I've snagged at my local farmer's market.


8-20-15


Some days are harder than others. You want to believe that people are inherently good.
That most folks, given the option... will help out their fellow neighbor, lend a hand, fight for a good cause... that sort of thing.
And most of the time; they do.
I believe in community.
I believe in the "small town" mentality of helping each other out. Of knowing your neighbors, sharing a cup of coffee...
and getting the chores done (so to speak). That together ... we are stronger.
Some days... I am disappointed... or perhaps... just a little disillusioned.
Perhaps I am thinking and missing my dad... who died 5yrs ago this week.... and my sister, who has been gone for several years now...
who both would have wise and encouraging words to say.

And it will be OK.... but for today, I am logging off and checking out for a day or so.
Sometimes you just need to take a step back.

See you all on Saturday for my weekend post.



8-19-15


I love taking panoramic photos... but I don't do it very often.
When I was a teen, I had a dream of going round the world taking panoramic shots with a vintage Russian panoramic camera... one of those cameras similar to the ones we all had senior trip pictures taken with.... but alas.
Such was not to be.

However, I still do what I can with what I've got... and most digital cameras these days do have the ability to take something of a panoramic shot; provided the range is wide enough.

So today... seeing as it's sort of a mid-week "what to post" ... kind of day...
I thought I would share with you some of the panos I've taken the past couple of years.
...see you all tomorrow.




8-17-15


Summer is definitely here, and along with it.... is a bounty of fresh produce at my local farmer's market. This week I was able to purchase lots and lots of fresh, yummy goodness... so it was really a wide-open book as to what I could potentially make for today's "foodie" post.
Here's what I did.

I love basmati rice, and we make a pot most every day.
But sometimes, you want something just a little bit different than plain old rice.

First, I put on my rice, because it takes about 20 minutes or so. I made 2 cups of dry rice with 2 cups of water in my rice cooker.... and added a few chili pepper flakes and some Bell's seasoning.

In (my brand new) cast iron skillet (a present to myself this week).... I put some water, and steam cooked a large zucchini, 1/2 of a large red sweet pepper, a clove of minced garlic, some fresh (really small) leeks, and a granny smith green apple... all chopped into little bits. I also had a small bowl of chopped (not cooked) string beans and salad greens leftover from a salad... so I threw that in.
For seasoning, all I added was some coarse sea salt and some fresh ground black pepper.
I let them steam cook on low heat for about 8 minutes.

((why the apple? My thought was that the tart/yet sweetness of the apple would temper any bitterness in all the greens... and it did))


When the rice was about half way done... I added a can of organic black beans... rinsed well... to the rice pot. And when the veggies were steamed (fork tender)... I turned off the heat to the pan. I then added several handfuls of fresh greens. We had spinach, fresh artisan salad greens, kale, swiss chard, and beet tops. *I should mention here, that my daughter had cut a lot of the greens; particularly the chard... to remove the stems and large middle vein*  I replaced the lid on the pan; and let the steam finish wilting the greens.


Once everything was done, I could have assembled it all into one cohesive dish.... but I chose not to for this photo.
This is the end result:


This dish (as is) is completely vegan.
However, I will admit that I also cooked a couple fabulous steaks on the grill... and after they rested... I sliced them into thinner slices and placed them... and the broth... all over my serving of food.
It was awesome.
The daughter, however ... ate this sans meat.... and was more than happy.
Plus.... the beans, rice and greens were more than adequate protein and iron sources.


...see you all tomorrow.