Memorial Day in Blowing Rock

Bass Lake 5/27/12- Richard Carter's photo

We had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend with our friends in Blowing Rock.  Perfect weather, lots of good food, and great company!  Who could ask for more?

Here's Eli and me walking at Bass Lake:

Good Rules for Life

Excerpts from "How to be Perfect" by Ron Padgett Get some sleep. Eat an orange every morning. Be friendly. It will help make you happy. Hope for everything. Expect nothing. Take care of things close to home first. Straighten up your room before you save the world. Then save the world. Be nice to people before they have a chance to behave badly. Don't stay angry about anything for more than a week, but don't forget what made you angry. Hold your anger out at arm's length and look at it, as if it were a glass ball. Then add it to your glass ball collection. Wear comfortable shoes. Do not spend too much time with large groups of people. Plan your day so you never have to rush. Show your appreciation to people who do things for you, even if you have paid them, even if they do favors you don't want. After dinner, wash the dishes. Calm down. Don't expect your children to love you, so they can, if they want to. Don't be too self-critical or too self-congratulatory. Don't think that progress exists. It doesn't. Imagine what you would like to see happen, and then don't do anything to make it impossible. Forgive your country every once in a while. If that is not possible, go to another one. If you feel tired, rest. Don't be depressed about growing older. It will make you feel even older. Which is depressing. Do one thing at a time. If you burn your finger, put ice on it immediately. If you bang your finger with a hammer, hold your hand in the air for 20 minutes. you will be surprised by the curative powers of ice and gravity. Do not inhale smoke. Take a deep breath. Do not smart off to a policeman. Be good. Be honest with yourself, diplomatic with others. Do not go crazy a lot. It's a waste of time. Drink plenty of water. When asked what you would like to drink, say, "Water, please." Take out the trash. Love life. Use exact change. When there's shooting in the street, don't go near the window. Excerpts from "How to be Perfect" by Ron Padgett, from How to be Perfect. © Coffee House Press, 2007. Reprinted with permission. (buy now) From today's "Writer's Almanac"

National Poetry Month

Did you know that April is National Poetry Month?  Check it out at Poet's.org.  Plus I love the poster!

Thomas Hobbes' birthday

From The Writer's Almanac:


Today is the birthday of Thomas Hobbes (books by this author), born in Westport, Wiltshire, England (1588) who witnessed a chaotic time in English politics, with two civil wars and the execution of the king. He wrote his most famous book, Leviathan, in the midst of it, in which he argues that people need a strong central authority to keep them from collapsing into war and chaos, a world with "no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." He believed that because we don't share the same ideas about what's right and wrong, we need a sovereign to enforce a set of laws.


We talked about him in our Search class Tuesday night.  That class was discussing The Prince, by Machiavelli, and our instructor told us that every philosopher since Machiavelli has had his roots in him.

Sauteed Sausage and Grapes with Broccoli Rabe from Cooking Light

This comes under the heading of "sounds weird, tastes wonderful."  I made it for dinner Thursday night.  It's even better leftover, which as you know, I get all as my dear husband doesn't eat leftovers!

Sautéed Sausage and Grapes with Broccoli Rabe

This is a classic Italian combo—grapes and sausage—paired with pleasantly bitter broccoli rabe to balance the sweetness.

Photo by: Photo: Johnny Autry; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

• YIELD: Serves 4 (serving size: 1 3/4 cups)
• HANDS-ON:38 Minutes
• TOTAL:38 Minutes
• COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients

• 1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 (4-ounce) links hot or sweet pork Italian sausage, casings removed
• 3 cups green grapes, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup white wine or water
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, shaved (about 1/4 cup)

Preparation

1. Cook broccoli rabe in boiling water 1 1/2 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well. Place in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add sausage; cook for 6 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add grapes, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook for 2 minutes or until grapes begin to soften. Add sausage mixture to broccoli rabe.

3. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes or until soft. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add wine; cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, sausage mixture, and vinegar. Toss to combine; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with cheese; serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 310
• Fat: 16.7g
• Saturated fat: 4.9g
• Monounsaturated fat: 8.9g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 1.8g
• Protein: 13.3g
• Carbohydrate: 29.9g
• Fiber: 1.4g
• Cholesterol: 21.3mg
• Iron: 2.1mg
• Sodium: 621mg
• Calcium: 164mg

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Cooking Light APRIL 2012

Missing What's Right in Front of Us

Parabola

Photograph: Hans Kruse / London Media: A wildlife photographer misses his subject. The man was trying to spot deer in a park outside Copenhagen in Denmark, but missed a huge stag as it walked past him. He had his long lens pointing in the wrong direction. Photographer Hans Kruse, who captured the scene, said: "The other photographer had been staring at the woods for a while while when this rather large deer appeared out of nowhere and tiptoed past him. I was laughing so much it was quite hard to take the picture."

‎"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
―John Muir 

Yarnbombing?

This is knitting, folks!

The American Needlepoint Guild is having their annual seminar in Philadelphia this year.  An amazing designer named Orna Willis lives there and is sharing off the beaten path things to do there.  She posted about Yarnbombing today - ever heard of it?  I haven't.  But it's cool beyond belief.

Read the post:  Renegade Fibers