My Manga Girls

The girls are now addicted to photobooth. I think we may need a second computer!

Only an hour to go before midnight here. We're all trying to stay awake. Keep your eyes wide open!






Peace.

Twinkly Lights

I finally put the deer up yesterday--I wanted to get them out there before the snow came. When the snow did come, it wasn't as much here as we had hoped, but it was still very beautiful. The girls and I strolled the neighborhood last night in the fierce wind, then came into the warm house for cocoa and cookies.

Joys of the Season.





Peace.

For Echidne

I was reading this article over at Echidne's, and I thought of some of these scenes from my daycare some years ago.









Peace.

The Size of a Buick

Yes, this spider was in our bathroom last week (haven't seen it since -- Boo!)

Happy October!

Last Weekend's Adventures

Even though the water was low, it was perfect for swimming.

Great Blue Heron

Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis

Peace.

15 Artists: Another Facebook Meme

Oh, how we love lists! These lists on facebook are like cocktail party getting-to-know-yous. The one that I've seen making the rounds lately is the "15 Albums that have stayed with you," or some such. You are supposed to take no longer than fifteen minutes to compile the list -- so no outside research! Heh. Making such a list does not appeal to me.

However, when I saw someone post a 15 Artists list, I thought it might be fun to try my own. Other folks stuck to painters only. I included photographers and one cartoonist. I came up with this list off the top of my fifteen minute brain, then searched the happy internet for images. I am a wee bit discouraged that my brain could only come up with two women. Anyway, here are some pretty pictures for you to enjoy.

Odd Nerdrum

Duane Michals

Vincent Van Gogh

Pierre Bonnard

Dorothea Lange

Paul Klee

Egon Schiele

Yousuf Karsh

Diane Arbus

Weegee

Andy Warhol

Pablo Picasso

Henri Matisse

Robert Crumb

Philip Guston

Peace.

My Funny Friends

Overheard this morning at the Blue Tavern...

A,
I have always wondered - when reading the demented dreams of the apocalyptic set - if they have ever considered that if everything we believe in and love is gone gone gone: then there really isn't much to live for?
-- DWD


DWD,
People who indulge in these kinds of fantasies for real are people without much to live for in the first place. It's classic wish-fulfillment: In this world I'm a loser, but when everything falls apart, I'LL BE KING!

No. You will be the third extra from the left in Reign of Fire who gets eaten by a dragon while waiting for Christian Bale to come save you.
-- Athenae




Image found here.



Peace.

More Bounty for My 400th Post

Look at all this beautiful food that grew in my yard. The tomatoes & basil have already been put by. And I am becoming the champion oven fry maker with all those lovely potatoes. I am grateful for this bounty.










Peace.

Just Another Diner

Yeah, I still got hope. And I will still work for change.














Peace.

Garden Questions

Is this blight?

Earlier in the summer I had some tomatoes with blossom end rot (thanks, Ali, for knowing what it was!). That seems to have remedied itself. Now, I've had a few tomatoes that look like this. Last year I was spared any blight heartache, but I do remember that if you do have blight, you're supposed to destroy! destroy! destroy!

Is this root edible? What is it?

Last year, my first as a mega-gardener, the thing that the girls ate the most was salad. So this year, I planted even more rows than I had last year. Guess what the girls were much less interested in this year? Even as much as I love salad, I couldn't eat it fast enough. When I went out yesterday to clean up some of the boltage, I found this root at the bottom of a big bunch of leaves. It smells kinda radishy. Is it food?

Thanks for your help!

Walking to Town Yesterday for Ice Cream

Look! A bunny! Two bunnies!

This tree looks like it has an agenda.

A strange sign on the way home. The car was nearby. The girls and I couldn't figure out why someone would steal the tires off this car. For a few minutes the 10 year old became concerned that someone might steal tires off our car. I assured her there must've been something special about these tires, ours are definitely safe.

Weird, though.

Peace.

Today's Harvest

What's for Lunch?

We are grateful for more garden bounty.

Peace.

At the Top of the Stairs

No, really, girls, there's nothing to be afraid of. Go to sleep.


Okay, so I caught it in a container and took it outside.

Peace.

More Pie

Peach.

Peaches soaked in a bit of red wine, fresh grated ginger, brown sugar, dash of cinnamon, fresh ground black pepper. Then baked in a pie [full disclosure: flour & butter were added to filling before baking].





Yum.

This Morning's Experiment

I was gonna call them Blueberry Oddballs.
Then the almost-10 year old suggested Puffball Scones.

Folks who follow this blog know I make a lot of biscuits and scones. A lot. So they're pretty easy for me to make. Still, cutting all that butter and flour together is time consuming. And some mornings, especially when I've already poured the hot water in the pot to steep the garden peppermint, I want something quick. So I used the basic biscuit recipe I learned from Betty Crocker* and I substituted olive oil for the butter. I added a generous amount of cinnamon and some tumeric. And of course, blueberries. Then, instead of rolling the dough out onto a floured board and cutting shapes, I just dumped the dough onto the floured board, kneaded it very gently to fold in the blueberries, then formed loose shapes by hand.

Good morning.

Peace.


*Huh. I went looking online for the recipe to link to and the one I found was slightly different from the one in my cookbook. The basic recipe: Oven 450. 1 3/4 cup flour. 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder. 1/2 teaspoon salt. I mix it together with a fork. Cut in 1/3 cup shortening (I usually use unsalted butter). I use my fingers. Stir in 3/4 cup milk. Turn onto floured board. Knead 8 times. Roll. Cut into shapes (I use a small glass for circles or a heart-shaped cookie cutter). Bake approximately 18 minutes, until just beginning to brown.

Monday Critter Blogging

Wish I were...

...here...

...or here...

...or here...

...or here...

...or here...

...or here...

...or here...

Missing my family and those lovely California breezes on this hot and sticky Massachusetts day.