Five Words

morning prism
Originally uploaded by Pancakemama.

1. Prisms--Every morning, Ruby and I make rainbows with a little prism that sits on my desk. I tried to get a photo but it's hard to get a good pic--something for me to strive for.

2. Sick--yes, we are. Snot, sore throats, sleeplessness...just in time for the weekend.

3. Flickr--can't say enough about Flickr right now, so dang addictive. I love looking at the photos that people post from all over the world. And I was most honored to find out I have two photos that have been 'favorited' by other members! Here's my latest fave

pancakes


4. Saints--I'm a dork and love football. Even though I have to avert my eyes for every crappy sexist advert, I grew up watching football (go big red!) and it's in my blood. I was so dang excited to watch what little I got to see of the Saints win. Defense! They actually have DEFENSE. AMAZING. Ok, wipe that glazed look off your faces, y'all. On to the next word.

5.. Chocolate. Having a big chocolate craving right now and I should follow it because...I'm sick! Yes, chocolate will cure me. That and salt and vinegar chips.

CSA September 26

csa092606
Originally uploaded by Pancakemama.

Butternut squash, multicolored beets, onions, tomatoes, a couple chilis, a bundle of little carrots, a watermelon. The season winds down...one more week to go. I saw pie pumpkins and really wanted one but didn't see any mention of us being able to take one. Maybe next week...oh I hope. Love beets so those should go to good use as will the squash. I haven't tried the carrots yet--the last several loads have tasted either really bitter or stranger yet, soapy. I haven't used last weeks tomatillos yet, so maybe I'll throw them on the grill with the chilis and attempt a roasted salsa.

Just chugging away in the land of indian summer. I've been mentally taking pictures of things and am always surprised when I open up iphoto, thinking about posting some fall-esque scene and realizing...d'oh! I haven't been taking pictures in REALITYLAND. Ooops. I need to get to work on that. I've decided Thursdays and Fridays are my 'homework weekend' so I'm hoping to scan some images that I've been doodling to post (and maybe finish that sock).

I added a few new links in the sidebar. Just more tried and true blogs that I enjoy.

Post-weekend Wrap-up

Busy weekend (need I say that?) but good.

--I'm just a few rows away from doing toe decreases and finishing up those socks. Won't everyone be ecstatic to no longer hear about them? I know I will be. I bought some sock yarn from knitpicks this weekend for a pair that I can start next year, after all the holiday gift knitting. Colorway Rocky Mountain Dusk to remind me of the lovely mountain sunsets of childhood.

--Made pear/berry crip. So fallish, so yummy.

--Took kidlet to the library. I need to remember to make a list of books I want to try because I get there and spend my time with only one eye on the books. The other is on Ruby who is hiding in the stacks, jumping on cushy chairs and entreating me to take her to the water fountain again because "I bery thirsty". Any suggestions of fave kid books we need to investigate? She's only 2.5 so nothing too lengthy.

--Pancakes + football = good. But tonight is the game I truly care about. Pizza + Saints win = very happy me.

--Played in the park. Watched Ruby be shy with the girls younger than her but fearlessly follow the five year old over wobbly rocks.

--Got the kidlet her fall wardrobe which should fit for, mmm, 5.2 minutes? I'll keep my fingers crossed; she was a solid 3T all summer long so here's to hoping 4T makes it to at least January.

Never enough time spent with the hubs though. Dag nab it. I think we need to make a date. I miss my boo!

Five Words

1. Thinking do I really want to finish school? It's only about 7 more classes before I can finish up the BA degree and then...then what? Then I have to spend another couple years shelling out a ton of money, doing even more work for an online masters degree in library science or archivist. Do I want to spend the kidlet's wee years always tired, cranky and pressed for time? Or do I want to chance losing the credits I already have amassed over the years and have to start from scratch when I'm in my mid-40s? Oi.

2. Reading On The Road by Jack Kerouac for the first time. Can't believe I never read this before. I found it laying about the house and said, sure, why not? Well, I'm digging it! Yes! Yes! Yes! It's fun and light while still managing to make me think.

3. Imbibing spicy basil noodles with fried tofu for lunch (at Bangkok Thai) following with fancy tea and a chocolate chip cookie back at work (ho'made last night, the cookie, that is).

4. Purchased I shouldn't be making extraneous purchases but I'm not very good about that. I just ordered this print and these cards because I just can't get either one out of my head.

5. Weekend! Taking a homework break tonight and maybe watching an old movie while knitting and drinking wine. Taking the kidlet to the library for new bedtime reading. Very few plans and no 'should do' items. No trimming the crazed rosebushes or hedges, no painting the bedroom, no cleaning...must remember, NO!

CSA September 19

Yup, the frosts have started hitting at night hence a light week. But potatoes!!! Tomatillos, tomatoes, raspberries (yay! still not sick of those), scallions, a small fennel bulb, some lettuce greens and a watermelon. Only two more weeks of the veggie box but they are promising winter squash and broccoli. Looking forward to pan frying up some taters tonight. The veggie box folks included a recipe for a tomatillo salsa which I will try since I am a bit of a tomatillo neophyte.

Fall is coming and I don't just mean the first actual day (this Saturday, for those keeping score). There's a patch of aspen trees that are high up the mountain, at the top of Hunter Creek Canyon, that I check on my way to work every morning. When September hits, I start checking my little grove. Yesterday, a yellowish blush overcame them. Today they are even a little more yellow. I've already decided that when they are all as yellow as the tomatoes in today's photo, I'm going to do a big dayhike up the canyon. I'll pack myself a super fantastic lunch, sketchbook, camera, tea, water and snacks (and maybe even a tiny glass of wine to go with the super fantastic lunch). I love hiking up that canyon but never really made it too far. I've never made it up to the lake up there but I have made it as far as a magical grove of cedar trees. It makes absolutely no sense at all as cedars aren't anywhere else around here (that I know of), just this fairytale/moomin grove. Now I'm questioning myself...are they really cedars, did I really see them or was it part of one of the stories I tell myself at night to fall asleep when I can't sleep? I digress.

Back to work and fall dreams.

Peachy

peach pie
Originally uploaded by Pancakemama.

Yes, Ruby and I attempted the pie-making Friday night. The dough was uber-crumbly and I resorted to rolling out little pieces and piecing them together in the pie plate. I finished it after Ruby went to bed. The next morning, Ruby was so excited! "Pie please! Can I have some pie?" I sliced off a chunk and...sour face followed by sad face. "I don't like it." I consoled her by telling her she'll like apple pie better. I sure hope. I remember not being super wild for pie when I was a kid either and now look! One of my all-time faves! But I'm still not crossing my piecrust wish off my life list yet. It was good, but not dreamy.

Twas a busy weekend. Much running about. Feeling like I'm coming down with something yet energized by the fall weather (and good wine, jambalaya, coffee, and pie). Last night, I had one of those perfect nights with Ruby (at least until it came to bedtime--she's on a nightmare kick). We played inside and out--making mini-croquet sets with playdoh, playing bank with her puppy stuffed animals, reading books. She ate her dinner (yay!!!). No fussing. Just beautiful cool evening on the patio, snuggling, looking at the dusky sky. Perfect.

In craftiness, I knitted about two rows. Whoop Whoop! Dang, when this class is over, I'll be a knitty fiend.

The excitement is building...it's almost the weekend.

Really looking forward to this weekend. No real things that absolutely must be done (just the perpetual list of 'gee, you really should get this done'). I'm happy to spend time with Ruby and we've been discussing pie making. "POUND, Mama! We'll go POUND!" she says as she punches her fist into her little hand. Maybe I should have taught her the delicate arts of gentle folding in regards to pie crust instead of heavy-duty bread kneading. No matter. The peaches have been sitting here on my desk in my icy cold office just waiting to be tossed with brown sugar. At least the innards will be good.

And the weather! Can I say enough about this weather?! A cold front has swept through and it feels like fall, at least for a couple days. I feel energized and happy. A new season approaches and with it a new set of plans and ideas.

And because I can't step away from Flickr, a few Friday Flickr faves...

mini how lovely is this?
Souvenir from Poland - Jeremy in Space I can't believe I've never heard of this show. I guess it's in the public domain now so I should be able to check it out. It's about a bear (stop motion!) who has adventures.
blue egg she sure makes some lovely compositions
(untitled) and since it's the change of season, can you tell I'm thinking about a new haircut? Greg, I promise not to obsess out loud about my hair for the next 3 weeks until I decide to cut it.

A Life List

As mentioned in the previous post, Nina at wholeself made a list of things she'd like to accomplish in this lifetime. Well, being the afficianado of lists, I couldn't resist. So here we go in no particular order...

--Build a tiny house on a plot of land
--Make a quilt
--Find a profession that makes me say "Ahhh...now this is it"
--Become fluent in another language
--Be more comfortable as myself
--Meditate, meditate
--Do a marathon
--Write a kid's book with my Mama
--Learn to relax by letting go of the small stuff
--Make a spankin' good pie crust
--Become a decent photographer
--Live in a small town
--Learn to play piano
--Make a stop motion film or viewmaster reels with critters and sets I create
--Start a local kid's lunch program ala Alice Waters or Jaime Oliver
--Drive an alternative fueled vehicle

I think that's quite a good start. Whew. I'd better get crackin' on it. Or wait, maybe I should relax.

CSA September 12

csa091206
Originally uploaded by Pancakemama.

A nice end-of-summerish week. A cantelope, a watermelon, two raspberry flats, carrots, a couple peppers, 4 tomatoes, yellow wax beans, garlic, zuke, the last of the basil (sigh), a giga armenian cuke and chard. The veggie box folks included a recipe for a manicotti with chard that I think I might try this weekend. Also, my coworker has a peach tree that unloaded and now I've got peaches for a pie! Woo hoo! We've been reading Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever! (A LOT) and there are many pictures of pies surreptiously slipped betwixt its pages, beckoning, beckoning...make pie. I'm a terrible pie crust maker but if I don't try more often than once a year, I'll never get better.

Hopefully, I'll be able to get my 'life list' post in today or tomorrow ala the wholeself. I've loved thinking about this stuff! It's funny, I'll consider writing something down and then I think "Oh no, that's not life stuff. That's just stuff I should start doing." But am I doing it? Maybe I should add "learn to make a decent pie crust" on there.

Whew...

Dang that was a busy weekend. Ruby insisted on being carried everywhere we went so my arms are now like Popeye after a spinach binge. It was a little trying at times but nevertheless, a good weekend. My favorite part is when we were watching balloons and Ruby would put her little hand on my back and say "You see the purple one, Mama? You see it?" as if I were the little kid and needed help spotting the balloons. Ahh, the cute things that kid says and does...

I haven't picked up anything crafty in a week. UGH. I'm just plugging away at that class, trying to get it done. I think I have to start getting up super early to get my classwork done. By the time kidlet goes to sleep at night, I'm ready to follow within about 20 minutes. Well, I take that craftiness comment back--I've been doodling at work while I get computers ready for employees. I've been working on a few new cards for leaving out in the big world. Since I recently got a fancy-pants scanner, I'll have to scan some up. And speaking of work, back to it.

Balloons in my Backyard

The official end of summer used to mean the Greek Festival for me but with my Dad gone, my Mom and I can't bring ourselves to go. The Greek Festival was a hoot--ouzo, lots of music and learning to do the Greek dances, tons of food and buttery cookies to bring home. So now I look to other events to wrap up summer, aside from the usual cooling trends and leaf color changes. A new(er) annual event for us is the balloon races. I make a ton of chocolate chip cookies and we head out at the crack of dawn to watch the mass ascension. They have a solid four days of balloonacy (I couldn't resist). Ruby and I will be baking fiends as soon as she's up from her nap. (And yes, I just realized I talked about this a couple of posts back)

We've had quite the day so far: some balloon watching in the morning and then up to the lake for a swim and lunch with my Mama. It feels like the bittersweet end of vacation--I won't be needing to take 'daycare days' off anymore since she'll be back to it next week so I'm trying to make the most of it. Have a nice weekend basking in the late summer sun and dreaming of falling leaves and cocoa. Sounds cheesy but good, eh?

CSA September 5

csa090506
Originally uploaded by Pancakemama.

Look at dem' tomatoes! Jalapeno, a ton of corn, a HUGE bundle of basil, a little herb pack of thyme/sage/oregano, zukes and patty pan squash, raspberries, baby beets, beans (hopefully less bitter than last week), and one of my faves...arugula. I love sage and brown butter pasta (with some sort of protein thrown in). I'm already looking at maybe baking up some pesto foccacia and a tomato soup today. And making a ton of pesto to freeze. I needs me a food processor. I can't really let all that basil go to waste so I'd better get a big food processor, right? Can you tell I'm trying looking for some enablement? Anyway, it's a day off with Ruby and she loves to cook.

Randomness

Well, I spent about an hour yesterday crafting up a post that had to do with my thoughts on Burning Man with lots of photos but it all just made me feel icky so I deleted it. It was about how I had felt like a fraud amongst all the hip kids at that big arts festival in the desert. But I must admit, it did make me do some thinking, some yucky, some good. In the end I came up with the conclusion: I am a good egg.

So now here we are at work and now I can't post any of the nice photos I took this weekend. Maybe tomorrow for that.

Everything is hustle and bustle for me right now. I am having the 'changing of the seasons, must change everything' angst. I'm always so excited about the change of seasons. I love 'em all.

This next weekend will be the big balloon races , which is woo-hoo-fun. We had our first balloon flying up over the house this morning. I can't wait to make the traditional Dawn Patrol Chocolate Chip Cookies for the early morning trek down to the park to watch all the balloons lift off. Ruby talked about it for months afterwards last year so this year should be a hoot.

Ok, better get working. Things are crazy round this joint...

Smooth Sailing

Ahhhhh....
The test wasn't so bad. I studied really hard and I think aced the first half, but the essay portion, well, I ran out of steam. That's ok. I've got a solid 'B' in this class. So solid I can't even budge it to the 'A' range, which would be my usual obsession. But at this point, I just want to get through the remaining 15 lessons (of which I already have 4 stockpiled) and then knit, knit, knit. Maybe I'll knit for a semester. Come up with projects and due dates...I'm a nut.

Ok, more exciting posts later. Ruby wants to sleep in a tent so we may have our first camping adventure...in the backyard.