Attitude changes

Adapted from Plays With Needles:

...changing one word in your everyday speech can change your perspective and mood:  saying "I get to" instead of saying, "I have to" or "I need to" will improve your attitude. It's amazing how your attitude changes when instead of saying, "I have to make dinner" or "I have to run errands", you say, "I get to make dinner" and "I get to run errands." 

And

I recently found this passage and it is one of the positive ways I deal with my changing body. I hope it touches your heart as much as it touches mine.

• Recently, in a large French city, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said:

¨THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE? ¨

A middle aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern:

Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans).. They have an active sex life, they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Barren Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia . Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don’t exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human? They don’t have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them not to mention how could they have sex? Therefore they don’t have kids either. Not to mention who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me; I want to be a whale.

P.S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver and a piece of chocolate with my friends. With time we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren’t heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, ¨Good gosh, look how smart I am…¨

I am learning to love being a whale and being so smart!

Believe in Positivity!

Jill

So true...

From Memphis Commercial Appeal Dec. 29, 2011
COMMENTARY

Treasure gift of found time while it lasts

By Lori Borgman

MCT Information Services

The week after Christmas is when nothing happens.

If you’re a teacher, you’re on vacation.

If you’re a student, you’re sleeping in.

If you work for a big corporation, your company may shut down and tell you to take the week off.

If you have a literary agent, she will tell you nothing happens with publishing houses from now until January.

Congress is on holiday.

Even the phone solicitors go quiet. They figure we’re all broke, having overspent on the holidays.

Even if you’re working, there’s a different tempo to the office. It’s a little more laid back, a lot less intense.

The week when nothing happens is one of the most enjoyable weeks of all.

It’s found time, like when friends are coming for dinner, you have everything ready and they’re 15 minutes late. It’s the best 15 minutes of the week. It’s 15 minutes of time you weren’t counting on, 15 minutes to clean out your wallet, organize your desk, answer e-mails or throw out old newspapers.

Time puts on the brakes in the week before we turn the page to a new year. The pace slows, the shopping frenzy begins to wane, the canned music stops, and here and there you find a few minutes to breathe.

You have time not only to fill the birdfeeder, but also to watch the birds. The chickadee is so dainty.

The nuthatch is crazy. The albino cardinal has returned. Surely, it can’t be the same one three years running.

There’s no need to sprint to the kitchen in the morning. The crowd is gone. They’ve left behind full trash cans, a smattering of leftovers and echoes of laughter.

You can take time to examine frost on the window if you like. Or enjoy the morning sun spilling in through the window.

You can make a cup of tea. The real kind, with loose leaves in the tea ball, and wait for it to steep instead of shaking the pot. You may even have the luxury of waiting for the tiny leaves that escaped from the mesh ball to sink to the bottom. If this isn’t the good life ...

You can linger over the cards you opened at warp speed before Christmas and threw in a basket without so much as a glance.

You might even find time to clean out your sock drawer, match the plastic lids and tubs and straighten up that mess under the sink.

If it has snowed, you can pause at twilight, watch the sky fade to pink and the snow turn to blue.

Time moving slowly, filled with simple pleasures: It’s a wonderful time of the year.

A Whole Lot of Hacking Going On...

This morning I discovered that my gmail account was hacked and an email sent to everyone in my Contacts saying that I was stranded in London and needed money.  First let me say thank you to everyone who has called and emailed to make sure I'm ok.  Yes, I am (and let me give you an updated address to send that money to…)

Second, let me say what a pain it has been to clean up everything.  Fortunately, Google has a list of steps to go through to check everything because I would never have thought of most of them.  Google also has a two-step verification process that you can opt into that may have helped.  When you sign on, not only do you have to put in a password, they send a text to your phone that you then have to enter.  I'm doing that now. 

I guess my brain doesn't work that way, but I just can't understand why some people are so mean.

Glazed Butternut Squash

I'm so happy it's getting to be butternut squash season!  I love this stuff.  And I found the best recipe ever for the roasted version in America's Test Kitchen's Light & Healthy 2010.






GLAZED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Vegetable oil spray
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs) peeled, seeded, and cut into 1" chunks
1/3 cup packed brown sugar (dark or light)
1 Tbl canola oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cinnamon
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp cider vinegar

1.  Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the over to 425.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with vegetable oil spray.

2.  Toss all ingredients through cayenne together in a large bowl until well coated.  Spread onto baking sheet and roast, stirring every 15 minutes, until well browned and tender (about 45 minutes.)  Transfer to a platter and drizzle with the vinegar and serve.

Confession:  I've made this twice and I keep forgetting the vinegar part!  Would someone please do this and tell me how it works out?

I like butternut squash mixed with other roasted vegetables and as a soup, too. Last month's Cooking Light had a recipe for Mac & Cheese that used butternut squash as a base in place of the creamy roux.  It didn't pass the taste test with Mr. A, but he's so set in his ways.  Am I missing any other good uses for butternut squash?

Warm White Beans with Roasted Fennel

I made this recipe from Cooking Light (October 2011) for dinner tonight.  It was delicious and easy.  Walter loved it!  I added some grilled chicken that I cubed and froze from out last grilling session (a la Taylor) and it was a one-dish meal.

Get the recipe here.

Stars for a New Millennium

My needlepoint group (Polly's class at Amy's Golden Strand) is gearing up to stitch Tony Minieri's wonderful design, Stars for a New Millennium, beginning in January, 2012.  Here is the colorway chosen by the designer, based on an overdyed thread by Silk 'n Colors called Plum Honey.

The stitch guide includes thread choices for twelve other colorways that were stitched by Tony's original group.  Of course, you can choose your own colorway and threads and that's what one of the stitchers in our group did when she made this piece several years ago.

The color variations are endless.  I've set up a Pinterest board and will be pinning up different versions as I come across them.  You can check it out HERE.  Note that you have to be a member of Pinterest, but it's easy and free to sign up.  This site is such a good idea!  It's like an electronic bulletin board.   Once you sign up you have an icon on your toolbar that says "Pin It."  As you see images that you like on the internet, you just click on the image, then click on pin it, and it saves to whatever board you choose for yourself.  And the pinup includes the source website, so you can go back for more info if you want to!  Totally excellent.

I'm currently stitching another Tony piece called Les Rubans Anciennes, aka French Ribbons.  Here's what the finished piece will look like:

Here's where I am this morning on my French Ribbons piece:

See those two diamonds in the lower right side?  They're two threads too high!!!  So this morning I will be ripping them out and redoing them…my own fault.

I'd like for my Stars to coordinate with French Ribbons so that I can hang them together.  I'm in the process of choosing my threads now.  I think I'm going to play off of a Threadworx floss called Romanian Forest.

These same colors are in a Gloriana thread called Harvest Grape, which has more teal in it than the Romanian Forest.  I tried to upload a photo, but you can't really tell anything.  I'll keep you posted.

Morningside Quilt Squares

An update on the quilt square project on Morningside Drive:

Judy Petrie's was the first.  She's working on another one for the front of her house, but this one is on the side:

Judy Petrie house

Judy Petrie closeup

Judy was first attracted by the pattern; she wanted something with triangles and squares and other shapes.  When she saw the name of the pattern - Peaceful Hours - she was sold.

Debbie's square is called Traveler's Star and she chose it because it's asymmetrical:

Debbie Lindenmuth house

Judy Carr has the other completed quilt square.  She had never done any painting whatsoever, but Judy Petrie helped her lay this one out and she did it!  The pattern is called Summer Winds.  She chose it (1) because it was easy to lay out and (2) man, do we have winds here in Blowing Rock!

Judy Carr house

Judy Carr closeup

We're hoping to encourage everyone on our street to put one up!  So Morningside neighbors, if you want one and need some help, just contact Judy Petrie, Debbie Lindenmuth, or me.  We'll be glad to help.

You can read about my quilt square here.

Quote - George Bernard Shaw

No public man in these islands ever believes that the Bible means what it says: he is always convinced that it says what he means.

• Our Theatres In The Nineties (1930)

Critter Central

This summer I started hearing noises coming from the fireplace.  Chirps, flutters, that sort of thing.  We surmised that birds had built a nest in the chimney - how sweet!  But then those darling babies hatched and began making their presence known.  Sometimes we couldn't even hear the television!  What a dilemma.  Who wants to kill baby birds?  We decided to let nature take its course, the babies would mature and leave the nest, and we would then replace the cap on the chimney, which had obviously disappeared.

Then in August, more ominous noises:  scabbering in the walls.  Yuk.  Early one morning the noises were particularly loud and as I walked through the living room I happened to glance up at the skylight and saw:

yes, raccoons!  Double gross.


















I called a company in town called Critter Ridders and a very nice man came out, surveyed the situation, laid out a plan that sounded great, and then told me it would cost - are you ready?  $2500 plus a contract for the next year for another $800!  Seriously?

So I tapped into the friend network and two people recommended Have a Heart Animal Control.  Another very nice man (Jody Dyles) came out, laid out a plan, and said it would cost $500.  I was sold.  He started the evacuation plan that very day and it has worked like a charm.  My house is nice and quiet now.  The nasty raccoons have moved on to some other unsuspecting landlord.  I'm happy.  Jody's number is 901-757-0756 if you need him.

Education in Memphis and Shelby County

In the midst of all the turmoil over Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools and charter schools and private schools and school boards and school administration and teachers...well, you get the picture, this quote from the scholar and educator Edith Hamilton is appropriate:

"It has always seemed strange to me that in our endless discussions about education so little stress is laid on the pleasure of becoming an educated person, the enormous interest it adds to life.  to be able to be caught up into the world of thought - that is to be educated."

Finally, the quilt square is installed

Our neighborhood in Blowing Rock is so awesome.  Lots of creative folks there and everyone looks out for everyone else.  So when my friend Judy Petrie said we need to do quilt squares for our houses, I was in.

Quilt trails are a phenomenon in several areas of the country.  Western North Carolina has the Appalachian Quilt Trail.

Because we recently installed a meditation labyrinth in the small woods behind our house, I thought that a labyrinth design would be appropriate for our quilt square.  I found a design I liked on the internet.

The first decision was size.  The quilt squares were originally painted onto the sides of barns, so they were huge.  Too big for my house.  The one that Judy did for her house was 2x2, and she has decided that it is really too small.  She's thinking about redoing it in a 3x3 size.  But the area I was thinking about on our house is larger than Judy's, so I ended up making ours 4x4.  This meant that I would have 4 of the squares on the labyrinth quilt to paint onto the plywood.

Walter and I went to Lowe's and bought a sheet of 4x8 plywood, which they cut in half for us.  We took these pieces of plywood to my son Chase's house, because he had some sawhorses set up in a carport that would be perfect.  I sanded the plywood, then primed both pieces with white exterior latex that he had on hand.  (Chase later cut one of the halves into 4 2x2 pieces for future projects.)

The weather got real hot and I didn't want to work outside, so I brought one of the pieces home and lugged it upstairs to my studio.  Then I started playing with colors.  I did a couple of color studies, but didn't like them - the bold colors seemed too harsh to me.  So I switched gears and went to more pastel shades.

Judy (and all of the directions I read) said to tape off the design to make the painting easier.  Well, I guess my brain is haywire, because I couldn't keep the design straight in my mind!  I ended up marking the entire piece into 2 inch squares and just started painting.  I put on two coats of each color, then put on two coats of a water-based varnish.

Here's the finished painting in my studio:

Can you tell that the lines are not perfect?  Me, either.  And I saved hours of taping time by doing it freehand.  

Now for installation.  We made a frame out of 1x2's that was slightly smaller than the painting.  We found the center of the wall and screwed the frame to the side of the house.

finding the center

attaching the frame to the side of the house

Note that there are three guys working on this!  And Walter thought he could do it by himself...

Here they are screwing the painting to the frame.  Walter predrilled all of the holes in the frame and in the painting so they wouldn't have to do heavy drilling from the top of the ladder.  Very smart.  That's Greg on the left ladder, Walter on the right ladder, and Sherman on the ground.  All good guys.

screwing the painting to the frame

And the final product!!  I couldn't get a picture without a shadow at that time of day because of the overhang.

Now we have two quilt square houses on Morningside and my friend Debbie is working on hers.  I'll post a picture of hers and of Judy's after my next trip.

Food for Thought - Noise

Light Chaos by kevindooley

Some Sundays I read every part of the New York Times, other weeks I don't get to it.  But when I do, I generally find something interesting and this week was no exception.  In the Sunday Style section this week was a book review of The Information, by James Gleick, called "There's No Quiet Without Noise."  Noise, as used in this article, is defined as anything, anywhere, that disturbs the harmony of the moment.  The thesis of the article is that we need noise, some disturbance of equilibrium, to have peace.  As Mr. Gleick puts it, "A piece of music is boring if it's completely predictable, and boring if it's completely unpredictable...what we respond to is a mixture of order and disorder."

I don't pretend to understand chaos theory, but my idea of it has been that there is an underlying harmony to everything, even if it's not detectable at the time.  Maybe the pattern is too large to see from the current vantage point in time or space.  It's my philosophy of life that everything works out for the best, that everything that happens is part of some larger, mysterious "plan" that will eventually resolve itself for the good of everyone concerned.  In my own life, the events that were tragic at the time may have closed one door, but allowed the opening of another, better one.

The thought that there is discord just for the sake of discord is, well, jarring to me.  Or maybe it's the shot of lemon juice that forces us to make lemonade.  Because our lives are really up to us.  Each of us has to take the cards we're dealt and arrange them into the best hand possible.  If every once in a while, there's an extra ace, or a joker, we still have to deal with it.  And that's what makes life not boring, isn't it?

Perfect Summer Sunday Supper

Just had this for Sunday supper:  Orecchiette with Peas, Shrimp, and Buttermilk-Herb Dressing.  Delicious!  It's a Cooking Light recipe, from the June issue.

I couldn't find orecchiette, so I substituted campanelle, which looks like a little trumpet flower and is the right size.  Also, I doubled the shrimp.  Next time I may halve the dill, as it was a little much.  But then, I had just picked it from the garden, so maybe it was super-fresh!

Fresh Corn Salad

One of my friends requested this recipe and I'm glad she did.  Are you like me and have so many good recipes that sometimes you forget about one?  Well, I do, but this is a perfect summer salad - very light and refreshing!  It's from The Barefoot Contessa, so it has to be good, right?  If your farmers' market already has fresh corn, make it - I mean it!

FRESH CORN SALAD

5 ears of corn, shucked
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
3 Tbl cider vinegar
3 Tbl good olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves (or coarsely chopped cilantro)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone.  Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color  When the corn is cool cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.

Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil or cilantro.  Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.

Seen on the web

I'm in NC this week (without W - boo-hoo!)  I'm getting a lot of cleaning chores done that I've put off for about three years.  I'm an expert procrastinator.  Which is why I'm also spending time catching up on the blogs and websites that I like.

Here's a new-to-me product for cleaning carpets and upholstery.  I have carpet in my bathroom vanity area and I'm always dropping my eye shadow applicator.  Not good.  So I'm going to try Folex.  Click here.

When I started learning how to knit last summer, I found a bunch of knitting sites that have wonderful projects.  One of them is Purl Bee, which is in New York and I made a point of going to their store when I was there in April.  Cute, cute, cute.  And here's a project that popped up yesterday in an email from  Lion Brand - a yarn company.  It uses yarn, but no knitting is required and I thought it was fun-looking.

Here are the directions:


Materials:


Lion Brand Nature's Choice Organic Cotton yarn in desired colors - five are shown
Clean and dry paper milk carton (without plastic spout) 
Craft glue 
Small glass or plastic jar that will fit into carton


One of the commenters noted that if you want to use a carton with a plastic spout, just cut the flaps shorter and round them.  I think it would look fine without flaps, too.  Maybe run the yarn over the sides to cover the top couple of inches of the inside.

Recycled Milk Carton Vase

Lion Brand® Nature's Choice Organic® Cotton GAUGE: Exact gauge is not essential to this project.

VASE Cut open top of carton and bend top edges outwards. Apply a small amount of glue to one exterior side of carton and to about 3 in. (7.5 cm) inside of unfolded edge of carton. Apply A to glued area in vertical lines. Continue to apply glue and A to remaining sides of carton. Allow to dry. Cut short lengths of B, C, D, and E, and glue onto A in spirals to make dots, as desired. Allow to dry. Note: Slip jar into vase to hold water

And finally, a super cool way to send notes to people.  I love stationery.  Some women buys shoes and purses; I buy stationery and china.  So I was thrilled when one of my favorite bloggers, How About Orange, posted about a company called Paperless Post.  Click here for the blogpost and click here for the Paperless Post site.  You can personalize invitations, notepaper, etc, then send it as an email to one or a hundred people.  I love the way it combines old and new technology.

And now back to cleaning kitchen cabinets...

Here we are at Whiskey River again

It seems only yesterday I used to believe

there was nothing under my skin but light.
If you cut me I could shine.
But now when I fall upon the sidewalks of life,
I skin my knees. I bleed.
- Billy Collins

This poem is especially apropos in light of my recent mishap in NYC, where I tripped and fell and, yes, skinned my knee and bled.  Not good.  

But what I want to think about today is the first part of the poem.  I love the image of "nothing under my skin but light."  And I wonder:  does that feeling ever really go away completely?  Yes, it's strongest when you're a young child.  I was fortunate to have a great childhood and oh my gosh, I wish I could recreate that feeling of complete security and trust in the world.  I had no and I mean zero worries as long as my mother and daddy were around.  They could do anything.  The light then was a bright, almost blinding white.

The light changed color around age 12, to a dull yellow-gray.  My mother had a health crisis and the aftermath was, in retrospect, tragic in every sense of the word.  I lost my confidence.  I didn't trust the world and I didn't trust myself.  

It has taken a long time and a lot of hard work, but at this point I visualize my light as white, but not a blinding white.  It's softer, and sometimes one can see undertones of the various colors that make up this white, much like holding a prism up to the sunlight.

Is there "nothing under my skin but light?"  No, that divine light has been tempered by my time in this life.  But the light is not gone.  If you cut me, yes, I bleed, but I also shine.

Gardening and Needlepoint - the Big Bang

Don't you just love it when two of your passions collide and create a new passion?  That's how we felt when we read about a book called Embroidered Knot Gardens in the latest newsletter from Amy's Golden Strand.  OMG. 

Alas, we didn't follow our instincts and immediately contact Amy to reserve one of the two copies she had on hand.  We could get a copy on Amazon, but we're trying to shop local, so we'll wait until she gets the next order.  It's not like we don't have anything else to do...

We've found that gardeners frequently have other artistic interests, and needlework is a common one.  Gardening and needlework are both meditative, they both allow self expression while requiring a certain amount of technical expertise, and the results can be shared with others.

Here are some other images from the book - and yes, these are needlepoint!

Can you believe it?  This book is a must-have for us.  And if you haven't been to Amy's on Summer, well.  You're in for a treat!

Young woman...

This is perfect!

Scott Lee Update

Work on the Scott Lee needlepoint piece continues. Here's a picture of the project as of April 23:

Scott Lee 4/23/11

And a close-up of the section I just finished:

Scott Lee detail 4/23/11

I started this project on 10/23/10, so these pictures are exactly 6 months from the start date.  Click here for a history.

New York City

Life is a garden,
not a road
we enter and exit
through the same gate
wandering,
where we go matters less
than what we notice
- Bokonon

We went to New York City last week - plenty of things to notice there!  This is a quilt that was part of an exhibit at the American Crafts Museum.  It's called a Hummingbird Quilt. 

They had lots of antique quilts on display, inluding this "crazy quilt."

Here's a close-up of the stitching.  Beautiful.











The best part of the trip was getting to spend time with my friends.  Patty and I took a trip downtown to see the new Frank Gehry building.  Here's Patty in the lobby.  We couldn't take pictures of the lobby, but we could take pictures of each other in the lobby!

See her coat and scarf?  It was rainy and cold, but we had a good time anyway!

I went to see the Richard Serra drawings retrospective at the Met.  They wouldn't allow photos, but I sketched some things.  I really want to get back into painting this summer.  I have lots of ideas bubbling up in my imagination.  I'm going to have to let go of some of my other activities, though, and I'm trying to prioritize things right now.  It's hard, cause I'm interested in so many things and there's just not enough time.  How do you decide what to concentrate on?  I'd like to know.

I had a little mishap, clumsy me, and accidentally fell and ended up with a hairline fracture at the base of the little finger of my right hand.  I'm in a splint and it really helps, but I have a new appreciation for everything I do with that hand.

We had the BEST dessert one day at lunch at a fantastic place called Rouge Tomate.  I'm going to figure out how to do it and I'll post.  If you're in NYC, be sure to go there:  10 East 60th Street at Park and 60th.  Fantastic.

Here are a few more photos:

view from Estee Lauder's office - 40th floor of GM bldg



Contempory Quilt









Contemporary quilt closeup



Witch at Amer. Folk Art Museum



Now I Feel Awful

Last night Walter and I went to Bari for dinner, then to Playhouse on the Square to see August: Osage County (which, by the way, was wonderful.)  Bari is just down the street from the theater, so we walked.  On the opposite side of Cooper from Playhouse is the Circuit Theatre.  On the marquee:

In loving memory of June Burnette

Loving memory?  June Burnette?

June and John Burnette were more than casual friends of ours.  Over the past ten or so years we probably shared three or four meals and we liked them a lot.  They owned some commercial real estate around town.  I knew them from doing their property taxes; Walter did some appraisal work for them.  John died a few years ago from cancer, then the real estate market went you-know-where and June was having a tough time, in addition to her own health issues. 

I had to search my calendar to see when I last saw June.  It was on May 8, 2009.  We had lunch at the Women's Exchange.  It was a nice lunch, but I could see that June was struggling, albeit trying to put on a strong face.

After that, I'm ashamed to say, I never picked up the phone to check on her.  Oh, yes, I sent a Christmas card.  Big whoop.

Now I check on the internet and find that she died last July.  Last July.  I feel awful.  Not that my staying in touch with her would have kept her alive.  But why is it that we're just soooo busy, that we can't touch base with friends from time to time?

I went to a panel discussion last Wednesday night on New Urbanism.  One of the speakers was Ken Bickford, and in his presentation he talked about current theory re circles of relationships.  You've probably seen something about this in the media as it's a hot topic with regard to Facebook, Twitter, etc.  I found this article that explains it pretty well.  The general idea seems to be that we can sustain 5-7 intimate relationships and 50-70 in a network that includes work, family, friends, mentors, etc.

Now I don't know about you, but I don't have anywhere near 50 "network" folks.  But I do have the 5-7 intimate relationships and I cherish them.  I sincerely hope that I do my part to nourish those relationships and I can assure those people (you know who you are) that you're doing your part.

I guess all this is to say that I still can't believe that it was almost TWO YEARS AGO that I last had contact with June.  That's pitiful.  I liked her.  And I just let her slip off my radar.  And here's the worst part.  It's not like she never came to mind again.  I did think of her from time to time and say to myself, "I need to give June a call."  But I didn't and now it's too late.

A few weeks ago my friend, Martha, died.  One of my other friends lamented, "Oh, I meant to write her a note to tell her I was thinking of her, but I never did.  Now I feel awful."  I reassured her that we all do that and it wasn't like Martha was one of her close, intimate friends.  Now I know that that was cold comfort.

The moral of this story is, when you think of someone, that's a sign that you should reach out to them.  Don't put it off.  None of us is that busy.

The Supermoon

We were having dinner last Saturday night with our friends Ellen and Dale when we realized that it was 7:30, peak time for viewing the supermoon.  So we rushed outside.  Unfortunately, the houses in our neighborhood blocked our view, so we jumped into the car and drove out to Shelby Farms.  Our delay meant that we didn't get a "moon on the horizon" shot.  But Dale, who is a first-class photographer (so is Ellen, but Dale had his camera...) took this shot over Catchem Lake:

Pretty cool, huh?

Food for Thought: Thomas Merton

Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy. That is not our business and, in fact, it is nobody’s business. What we are asked to do is to love, and this love itself will render both ourselves and our neighbors worthy if anything can.

—Thomas Merton: Letter to Dorothy Day, quoted in Catholic Voices in a World on Fire (2005) by Stephen Hand, p. 180.

Recipes for Susan

We spent most of this week in Blowing Rock, visiting with our neighbors and missing our dear friend Martha, who passed away last week.  Martha's husband, Albert, is staying with Susan and Ted for a few days and we took some food to them a couple of times.  Susan asked for these recipes.  Here they are, Susan, and thanks to you and Ted for being such good friends to Albert.  We love you all.

Easy Roasted Chicken
Chocolate Mint Bars

Easy Roasted Chicken

I got this recipe from my friend Mike Marshall.  It's so easy and delicious!

1 whole chicken, 4-5 lbs  (I use organic chicken - I know it costs more, but it seems to make a difference.)

1 lemon, quartered
fresh thyme
kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350.

Wash the chicken and pat it completely dry.  You want it as dry as possible so that it doesn't steam.  Stuff the lemons and several bunches of thyme into the cavity.  Put the chicken into a roasting pan (I line it with aluminum foil.)  Sprinkle kosher salt all over the top, like a crust. 

Roast the chicken for 60-70 minutes, depending on your oven.  You want the internal temp to reach 155.
Remove the chicken, tent it with foil, and let it continue to cook for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Could it be any easier?

Chocolate-Mint Bars

The dense base layer is like a rich, fudgy brownie, so don't overcook it or the dessert bars will be dry. Refrigerating the mint bars allows the chocolaty top layer to set properly. You can make the dessert up to one day ahead. For a more grown-up taste, you can also use dark chocolate chips for some or all of the semisweet chocolate chips in the glaze.

Yield:  20 servings (serving size: 1 piece)


Bottom layer:
1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, beaten
1 (16-ounce) can chocolate syrup
Cooking spray
Mint layer:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 drops green food coloring (I used red to make pink for Valentine's Day)
Glaze:
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare bottom layer, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and salt; stir with a whisk. Combine granulated sugar, egg substitute, 1/4 cup melted butter, 2 tablespoons water, vanilla, eggs, and chocolate syrup in a medium bowl; stir until smooth. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring until blended. Pour batter into a 13 x 9 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 23 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

3. To prepare mint layer, combine powdered sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, and next 3 ingredients (through food coloring) in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer until smooth. Spread mint mixture over cooled cake.

4. To prepare the glaze, combine the chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until melted, stirring after 30 seconds. Let stand 2 minutes. Spread chocolate mixture evenly over top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into 20 pieces.


CALORIES 264 (30% from fat); FAT 8.7g (sat 5.2g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.4g); IRON 0.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 38mg; CALCIUM 12mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45g; SODIUM 139mg; PROTEIN 2.8g; FIBER 0.5g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2008

Poetry in the Law

Our friend Albert came over for dinner last night and we had a good visit.  Albert is a residential real estate appraiser, so he and Walter always have a lot to talk about.  One of the subjects last night was a recent decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in a case called FNC.  I won't go into all of the extremely interesting details, but suffice it to say that this is a big case. 

But that's not the reason for this post.  I know that everyone makes fun of lawyers and, believe me, I've read some really horrible writing in decisions over the years.  This decision, however, was a delight to read.  It was almost poetic in places.  My favorite:

While a multifactor test such as this one enevitably entails some measure of internal redundancy, it is nonetheless a valuable heuristic.  These factors do not pose five wholly distinct inquiries.  Instead, each turn of the prism illuminates a slightly different facet of a single underlying question.

Is that great stuff, or what?  Makes you want to rush out and read the entire decision, doesn't it?  Do you know what "heuristic" means? 

Heuristic (adj) - enabling a person to discover or learn something for themselves:  a "hands-on" or interactive heuristic approach to learning.

And no, I'm not bothered by the way the judge used the adjective as a noun.  Just this week we're reading about "sheening" a situation (use your imagination!)  So don't be surprised if I toss this word out in casual conversation...

Thoughts - amazing things

The past few weeks have flown by.  We haven't had any notable meals, so I haven't posted any recipes.  I'm actually in North Carolina right now.  I didn't expect to make this trip, but our good friend, Martha Yount, died this week and we came up to see if we can be of any help to her husband, Albert.  Martha had breast cancer and her treatments had weakened her to the point that when she developed some pneumonia, she wasn't able to fight it off.  It's amazing how fast she declined.  We are all in shock. 

We drove up yesterday and it rained, rained, rained the whole way.  What a drag.  I couldn't believe how many one-car accidents we saw along I-40.  I guess they were going too fast for the road conditions, hydroplaned, and lost control.  Two of the cars were upside down.  I hope no one was seriously injured.  It's amazing that people are in such a hurry that they would risk their lives to save a few minutes.

Currently in my Search class we're reading selections from Greek and Roman writers.  It's amazing how people don't change.  I swear that you could substitute modern names for the Greek and Roman ones and you would think that you're reading current headlines!

Over the last couple of weeks, I did interim site visits with a number of the agencies that the Women's Foundation of Greater Memphis funds.  It's amazing to see the amount of good work that goes on in our city that the vast majority of people never hear about.

Speaking of volunteers, there's an organization that calculates the value of a volunteer hour.  The 2009 value is $20.85!  You can check it out at http://www.independentsector.org/.  I was putting together some statistics for Master Gardeners and learned that, nationally, in 2009 MG volunteers numbered about 95,000 and total hours given to communities were 5.2 million.  Total value:  $108,369,400!!  Can you even imagine the total value of all of the volunteer hours given all over the United States?  It's amazing.

We went to see Rango Friday night.  Loved it!  The animation was amazing.  Have you ever stopped to think how many hours of enjoyment you receive from movies?  Aren't we so lucky that there are so many creative and talented people who have chosen to devote their gifts to this medium?

What's amazing in your life?

Food for Thought: Life

Now that I've properly given Death some attention, let's talk about Life:

"Take a moment from time to time to remember that you are alive. I know this sounds a trifle obvious, but it is amazing how little time we take to remark upon this singular and gratifying fact. By the most astounding stroke of luck an infinitesimal portion of all the matter in the universe came together to create you and for the tiniest moment in the great span of eternity you have the incomparable privilege to exist."- Bill Bryson

"It is easy to overlook this thought that life just is. As humans we are inclined to feel that life must have a point. We have plans and aspirations and desires. We want to take constant advantage of the intoxicating existence we've been endowed with.


But what's life to a lichen? Yet its impulse to exist, to be, is every bit as strong as ours - arguably even stronger. If I were told that I had to spend decades being a furry growth on a rock in the woods, I believe I would lose the will to go on. Lichens don't. Like virtually all living things, they will suffer any hardship, endure any insult, for a moment's additions existence. Life, in short just wants to be."
- Bill Bryson
A Short History of Nearly Everything

I haven't read A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, but I loved his A Walk in the Woods.  I saw a young woman reading Short History in the airport a couple of weeks ago.  I may have to download it to my Kindle.

We had a dinner party last Saturday night for the members of the Executive Board of the Memphis Area Association of Realtors.  This was the menu:

Fig & Blue Cheese-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Sweet Potato Souffle
Hearts of Romaine Salad
Triple Citrus Cheesecake

The meal was good and we had a great time getting to know these folks better.  Walter will be working with all of them this year on the Board.

Triple Citrus Cheesecake

Serves 12 to 16.   Published May 1, 2003 Cook's Illustrated

Cooks's Illustrated is the very best source for recipes if you want to know why the recipe works!

The cheesecake is baked in a bain marie, or hot water bath. To prevent water from leaking into the cake during baking, the springform pan is wrapped in a double layer of foil. To contain the water bath it's best to use a roasting pan that is just slightly larger than the springform pan so that you need not use an excessive amount of water. You will need lemon juice for both the cheesecake and the curd; it's more efficient to juice the entire amount at once. Though start to finish this recipe takes several hours, the actual preparation is simple, and baking and cooking proceed practically unattended. The cheesecake can be made up to a day in advance; leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days, though crust will become soggy.

Cookie-Crumb Crust
5	ounces Nabisco Barnum's Animal Crackers or Social Tea Biscuits
3	tablespoons granulated sugar
4	tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and kept warm
Filling
1	teaspoon grated lemon zest , plus 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
1	teaspoon grated lime zest , plus 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lime
1	teaspoon grated orange zest , plus 2 tablespoons juice from 1 orange
11/4	cups granulated sugar (8 3/4 ounces)
11/2	pounds cream cheese , (three 8-ounce packages), cut into rough 1-inch chunks and left to stand at room temperature 30 to 45 minutes
4	large eggs , room temperature
2	teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4	teaspoon table salt
1/2	cup heavy cream
Lemon Curd
2	tablespoon lemon juice , from one lemon
2	tablespoons lime juice , from 1 to 2 limes
2	teaspoons grated orange zest , plus 4 teaspoons juice from 1 orange
2	large eggs
1	large egg yolk
1/2	cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
2	tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
1	tablespoon heavy cream
	pinch table salt

Instructions

1. FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. In food processor, process cookies to fine, even crumbs, about 30 seconds (you should have about 1 cup). Add sugar and pulse 2 or 3 times to incorporate. Add warm melted butter in slow, steady stream while pulsing; pulse until mixture is evenly moistened and resembles wet sand, about ten 1-second pulses. Transfer mixture to 9-inch springform pan; using bottom of ramekin or dry measuring cup, press firmly and evenly into pan bottom, keeping sides as clean as possible. Bake until fragrant and golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 30 minutes. When cool, wrap outside of pan with two 18-inch square pieces heavy-duty foil; set springform pan in roasting pan.
2. FOR THE FILLING: While crust is cooling, process 1/4 cup sugar and lemon, lime, and orange zests in food processor until sugar is yellow and zest is broken down, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl if necessary. Transfer lemon sugar to small bowl; stir in remaining 1 cup sugar.
3. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on low to break up and soften slightly, about 5 seconds. With machine running, add sugar mixture in slow steady stream; increase speed to medium and continue to beat until mixture is creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Reduce speed to medium-low and add eggs 2 at a time; beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping sides and bottom of bowl well after each addition. Add lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, vanilla, and salt and mix until just incorporated, about 5 seconds; add heavy cream and mix until just incorporated, about 5 seconds longer. Give batter final scrape, stir with rubber spatula, and pour into prepared springform pan; fill roasting pan with enough hot tap water to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until center jiggles slightly, sides just start to puff, surface is no longer shiny, and instant-read thermometer inserted in center of cake registers 150 degrees, 55 to 60 minutes. Turn off oven and prop open oven door with potholder or wooden spoon handle; allow cake to cool in water bath in oven for 1 hour. Transfer springform pan without foil to wire rack; run small paring knife around inside edge of pan to loosen sides of cake and cool cake to room temperature, about 2 hours.
4. FOR THE CITRUS CURD: While cheesecake bakes, heat lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, and orange zest in small nonreactive saucepan over medium heat until hot but not boiling. Whisk eggs and yolk in medium nonreactive bowl; gradually whisk in sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot juice into eggs, then return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until mixture registers 170 degrees on instant-read thermometer and is thick enough to cling to spoon, about 3 minutes. Immediately remove pan from heat and stir in cold butter until incorporated; stir in cream and salt, then pour curd through fine-mesh strainer into small nonreactive bowl. Cover surface of curd directly with plastic wrap; refrigerate until needed.
5. TO FINISH THE CAKE: When cheesecake is cool, scrape citrus curd onto cheesecake still in springform pan; using offset icing spatula, spread curd evenly over top of cheesecake. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. To serve, remove sides of springform pan and cut cake into wedges. (If desired, to remove cheesecake from springform pan bottom, slice thin metal spatula between crust and pan bottom to loosen, then slide cake onto serving plate.)