The weather is Officially Cool. I have so designated it.
How do I know, for sure?
I am wearing hand knitted wool socks. This is a more definite measurement than some arbitrary sign like the Equinox, the leaves changing, or a date on a calendar. Those things often happen and it is still awfully warm around the Hacienda.
But wool socks now, that's a sure sign. My feet can only be happy in the hair of a sheep (maybe a little baby alpaca when it's REALLY cold, subzero even) when the temps dip.
Cotton socks are just decorative after a certain temperature is reached, I may as well be wearing socks made of fishnet for all the good they do me, so off to dig out the woolies I go.
May your Autumn be cool, colorful, and fruitful. Because Autumn it truly is, I know because the socks, they are a-changing.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Overheard
Overheard,
Daughter to Granddaughter, while doing the dishes together:
"How can you be such a pain in the butt, yet be so cute?"
Response:
"It happens."
Daughter to Granddaughter, while doing the dishes together:
"How can you be such a pain in the butt, yet be so cute?"
Response:
"It happens."
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Corny
The corn is ripe and at the farm stand.
I bought a bunch and we had it for dinner last week and I had the joyful experience of teaching three year old Boo to eat corn on the cob.
It really is a thing you have to be shown!
You can't just bite into it, you have to hold it just so, and scrape off the outer 1/4 inch of it without getting your teeth caught in the cob. Then work your way down the cob to get all the kernels, then turn and start a new row. Stop, chew, savor, enjoy. Do it again.
A finesse technique if I ever saw one.
Think about sharing the wonder of that buttery goodness with one who has never experienced it.
She picked the skill right up and it was a wonder to behold the expression on her face.
"That's right" I thought, "It tastes just like that!"
That's the wonderful thing about having a child or especially a grandchild. You get to experience the world anew each time you see them behold it for the first time.
What a great moment.
Being a Gramma is soooooo cool.
I bought a bunch and we had it for dinner last week and I had the joyful experience of teaching three year old Boo to eat corn on the cob.
It really is a thing you have to be shown!
You can't just bite into it, you have to hold it just so, and scrape off the outer 1/4 inch of it without getting your teeth caught in the cob. Then work your way down the cob to get all the kernels, then turn and start a new row. Stop, chew, savor, enjoy. Do it again.
A finesse technique if I ever saw one.
Think about sharing the wonder of that buttery goodness with one who has never experienced it.
She picked the skill right up and it was a wonder to behold the expression on her face.
"That's right" I thought, "It tastes just like that!"
That's the wonderful thing about having a child or especially a grandchild. You get to experience the world anew each time you see them behold it for the first time.
What a great moment.
Being a Gramma is soooooo cool.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
To Dye For
I had Toni help me dye my hair tonight. It's such a hassle and yet I enjoy the results so much.
I don't mind the gray hairs really, it's just my own mousey brown color that I despise.
I am a redhead to the bone, just not in my hair follicles!!
I actually would love to leave the gray bits in for now, but no such luck, gotta dye it all or none.
It's caustic, it stinks and if it causes cancer I'm a goner because I've been dyeing it since I was twenty one or so. That's nearly 27 years of peroxide and ammonia.
Vanity, thy name is....
Tracy.
I don't mind the gray hairs really, it's just my own mousey brown color that I despise.
I am a redhead to the bone, just not in my hair follicles!!
I actually would love to leave the gray bits in for now, but no such luck, gotta dye it all or none.
It's caustic, it stinks and if it causes cancer I'm a goner because I've been dyeing it since I was twenty one or so. That's nearly 27 years of peroxide and ammonia.
Vanity, thy name is....
Tracy.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Catch ALL The Fish!!!
Yay! I went fishing yesterday. The first time since my knee surgery, and it was well worth waiting for!
We went up to Huntington Creek. The scenery was spectacular, the weather cool and rainy, just like us fisherfolk like it. And the fish were just gullible enough to let me catch 4 of 'em. All brown trout, two around 10 -11 inches and two that were at least 13 inches! Big lunkers for me!
We saw 3 different deer, up close and up wind so they weren't too skittish. They kept wandering by while we were fishing. I'd turn around or look up and there'd be a deer, suddenly looking at me and not too very concerned.
That's one thing I've noticed about fly fishing, all your gear is on your body, no coolers or chairs or boats or bait buckets, and everything (waders, chest pack, jacket, hat) over time ends up smelling faintly mildewy, like the mud and water itself.
So you don't smell human, you hold still a lot, when you do move you are trying to sneak up on fish, or you're just whipping that rod tip back and forth like a willow in the wind, so you are pretty un-threatening. (Although I do tend to whoop like a wild woman when I get one on the line, might want to work on that.)
You end up seeing so much wild life and it is like a revelation. Like what the world might be like without us blundering through it.
Butterflies, wild flowers, sandpipers, goldfinches, humming birds, thunderstorms and a sunset to end all sunsets I swear.
We left later than we planned, driving along in the dark and got stopped because the road ahead had been covered in a mudslide. We drove around (through a helluva downpour) the long way home through Nephi and got back at 11:30, starving and tired.
Mike is an amazing driver by the way, the rain, the wind, (the control freak woman the the next seat) and the CRAZY drivers through Utah County construction zones late on a Sunday night (WTFBBQ???!) and he got us home in one piece.
The day was a total WIN. Now I just want to do it every day and not ever work. Is this wrong?
We went up to Huntington Creek. The scenery was spectacular, the weather cool and rainy, just like us fisherfolk like it. And the fish were just gullible enough to let me catch 4 of 'em. All brown trout, two around 10 -11 inches and two that were at least 13 inches! Big lunkers for me!
We saw 3 different deer, up close and up wind so they weren't too skittish. They kept wandering by while we were fishing. I'd turn around or look up and there'd be a deer, suddenly looking at me and not too very concerned.
That's one thing I've noticed about fly fishing, all your gear is on your body, no coolers or chairs or boats or bait buckets, and everything (waders, chest pack, jacket, hat) over time ends up smelling faintly mildewy, like the mud and water itself.
So you don't smell human, you hold still a lot, when you do move you are trying to sneak up on fish, or you're just whipping that rod tip back and forth like a willow in the wind, so you are pretty un-threatening. (Although I do tend to whoop like a wild woman when I get one on the line, might want to work on that.)
You end up seeing so much wild life and it is like a revelation. Like what the world might be like without us blundering through it.
Butterflies, wild flowers, sandpipers, goldfinches, humming birds, thunderstorms and a sunset to end all sunsets I swear.
We left later than we planned, driving along in the dark and got stopped because the road ahead had been covered in a mudslide. We drove around (through a helluva downpour) the long way home through Nephi and got back at 11:30, starving and tired.
Mike is an amazing driver by the way, the rain, the wind, (the control freak woman the the next seat) and the CRAZY drivers through Utah County construction zones late on a Sunday night (WTFBBQ???!) and he got us home in one piece.
The day was a total WIN. Now I just want to do it every day and not ever work. Is this wrong?
Friday, July 30, 2010
Puttin' the "Dis" in "Disrespect:"
This morning I made oatmeal for breakfast. I put almonds, dried cranberries, cinnamon and brown sugar in it. I made up a bowl for Boo, let her stir in the milk.
She didn't seem too interested in it. I encouraged her to eat up. She wanted to know if it had chocolate in it. I replied no, it didn't.
"Your chocolate all gone?"
"No, it's not all gone, it's up in the cupboard"
"It's all dried up?" (where did that come from?)
" No, it's not dried up, I just don't like chocolate in my oatmeal"
What followed was an expression of wry disbelief, broad and huge, worthy of the stage. It said clearly "Geeze, Grammie is a real nutcase, but we'd better humor her"
Toni and I laughed so hard I thought I'd pee.
You ain't been dissed till you been dissed by a three year old.
She didn't seem too interested in it. I encouraged her to eat up. She wanted to know if it had chocolate in it. I replied no, it didn't.
"Your chocolate all gone?"
"No, it's not all gone, it's up in the cupboard"
"It's all dried up?" (where did that come from?)
" No, it's not dried up, I just don't like chocolate in my oatmeal"
What followed was an expression of wry disbelief, broad and huge, worthy of the stage. It said clearly "Geeze, Grammie is a real nutcase, but we'd better humor her"
Toni and I laughed so hard I thought I'd pee.
You ain't been dissed till you been dissed by a three year old.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Nail Polish Ninja
There is a universal truth that a three year old, if left to her own devices for any period of time, will find the most forbidden substance within the area, and use it.
Last night we found out that Boo is a Nail Polish Ninja. She managed to get into the nail polish box, select two complimentary colors (black and red), give herself a two coat mani-pedi and embellish the carpet with a little modern art.
All without alerting either Mommy or Grammie who were just outside the open door.
We thought she was sleeping peacefully, instead she was training to be a super cat burglar.
She still has traces of her manicurist adventures, it gives her that freshly dug up zombie look so popular with teenagers these days.
Last night we found out that Boo is a Nail Polish Ninja. She managed to get into the nail polish box, select two complimentary colors (black and red), give herself a two coat mani-pedi and embellish the carpet with a little modern art.
All without alerting either Mommy or Grammie who were just outside the open door.
We thought she was sleeping peacefully, instead she was training to be a super cat burglar.
She still has traces of her manicurist adventures, it gives her that freshly dug up zombie look so popular with teenagers these days.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Talking to Myself, I'm just Talking to Myself.
So this blogging thing feels like talking to myself (which I do a lot I guess).
And like anything else I'll do it a lot at first and then slack off. Maybe I'll find a "voice" and continue it, maybe I won't.
So, to myself I say:
"Why is my knee still giving me fits? I had some parts replaced in January and it still swells up on me. I know my kneecap is still misaligned. I've been pretty slack about doing the exercises for it lately, they do seem to help. Better get back at it".
And:
"My garden sucks. I planted stuff too late, and since it has a western exposure backed by the brick wall of the house, it gets HOT, and if the plants don't get that early spring time to establish a good root system, everything just wilts and ... well....sucks. I'm planting a lot of herbs and seeds this fall and hopefully the darn thing will just take off on it's own in the spring. Survival of the fittest ya'll."
And to answer the eternal question, "What's in the Crock Pot?", it's..............
Southwest Chicken Casserole: Chicken thighs, Salsa, Taco seasoning, Black beans, on low till later this afternoon, and then I'll layer rice on the bottom, the meat and bean mixture, and cheese on the top. when it's done we'll slap on some sour cream, NOM!
I've got a nice Lexia wine or some Shiner Bock to go with it. So if it sounds good to you and you know where I live, come on by for dinner!
(By the way, the Curry last night was pretty tasty)
Well, work awaits.
And like anything else I'll do it a lot at first and then slack off. Maybe I'll find a "voice" and continue it, maybe I won't.
So, to myself I say:
"Why is my knee still giving me fits? I had some parts replaced in January and it still swells up on me. I know my kneecap is still misaligned. I've been pretty slack about doing the exercises for it lately, they do seem to help. Better get back at it".
And:
"My garden sucks. I planted stuff too late, and since it has a western exposure backed by the brick wall of the house, it gets HOT, and if the plants don't get that early spring time to establish a good root system, everything just wilts and ... well....sucks. I'm planting a lot of herbs and seeds this fall and hopefully the darn thing will just take off on it's own in the spring. Survival of the fittest ya'll."
And to answer the eternal question, "What's in the Crock Pot?", it's..............
Southwest Chicken Casserole: Chicken thighs, Salsa, Taco seasoning, Black beans, on low till later this afternoon, and then I'll layer rice on the bottom, the meat and bean mixture, and cheese on the top. when it's done we'll slap on some sour cream, NOM!
I've got a nice Lexia wine or some Shiner Bock to go with it. So if it sounds good to you and you know where I live, come on by for dinner!
(By the way, the Curry last night was pretty tasty)
Well, work awaits.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
New to me
Blogging is new to me, but is a time honored tradition of a decade or so to others, so I guess it's time I joined the fray.
I chose the title "BackStitch" because in sewing, a back stitch is usually how one begins a seam. It creates a firm beginning that won't unravel easily, even when you screw up and have to pick it out.
It is also a way to make an entire seam firm and lasting. Pulling on one stitch just tightens up the two stitches on either side and the whole thing gets stronger.
I want my family to be like that. Anchored and firm. Supporting each other, side by side.
I want to be like that personally. Not easily unraveled.
And What's in the Crock Pot tonight?
Chicken Curry III from All Recipes.com. It's a new recipe for me so we'll see how it goes.
I chose the title "BackStitch" because in sewing, a back stitch is usually how one begins a seam. It creates a firm beginning that won't unravel easily, even when you screw up and have to pick it out.
It is also a way to make an entire seam firm and lasting. Pulling on one stitch just tightens up the two stitches on either side and the whole thing gets stronger.
I want my family to be like that. Anchored and firm. Supporting each other, side by side.
I want to be like that personally. Not easily unraveled.
And What's in the Crock Pot tonight?
Chicken Curry III from All Recipes.com. It's a new recipe for me so we'll see how it goes.
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