On Slippers

I realized the other day that I have a problem.  Somewhere along the way I developed a slipper obsession.  I was looking in my closet and discovered that my collection of warm, cozy footwear has grown to six pairs.  And I wouldn't mind having a few more.  Does any one person really need that many slippers?  No, but it's great to have options.  I have lighter weight ones for transition periods where the weather isn't too cold, I have down slippers that keep my toes really warm, I have super soft Hello Kitty ones, baby alpaca lined ones from Peru, easy to slip on colorful ones, and taller booties that keep my ankles toasty too.  Can anyone really blame me for wanting to keep my feet warm in style?  If I had just one more pair I could change them out each day of the week...

Colors of Winter

State Pride

I saw these glasses in one of my magazines recently and thought they were fun.  We all have some pride in the states we live in, have lived in, or would like to live!

Watson

I read an article in Fast Company Magazine last night that got me excited about the power of computing for good.  IBM is currently testing their Watson computer as a resource for doctors.  The doctor can use an app to input various patient symptoms and then is given possible diagnoses and courses of treatment and how accurate the computer thinks those are.  So, it's really able to give you a second opinion right there.  The computer can search unbelievable quantities of articles, records, notes, etc. based on the keywords that are entered.  Pretty great tool for doctors to have at their disposal and for the health of patients too. 

Giving Thanks

I hosted the holiday at my house for the first time.  It was pretty low-key.  I woke up and started prepping the turkey.  I had found a good recipe from our grocery store and it was fun to make.  Thankfully, my mom had told me to thaw the turkey a little longer than I was originally thinking so it was easy to pull out the yucky stuff from the inside.  The last time I made a turkey it was still a bit frozen on the inside and I had a very hard time pulling out the neck and gizzards.  Anyway, I made the herbed butter with sage and thyme and rubbed that under the skin.  Then I made the basting liquid which included orange juice and maple syrup with some chicken stock.  It made the skin perfectly golden brown.  Once that was in the oven, I started getting out all of the serving dishes and the other things I could prep ahead of time.  It was nice to have such a relaxed morning.  The family arrived around noon and we set up the buffet and then just hung out to recover from our feast!  I'm thankful for time to spend with family.

Chocolate Wars

I like to have a little dark chocolate in my day.  The bars with chili in them are fun because they have some heat and aren't overly sweet.  I think it's because of the chili, but I'm not tempted to eat the whole thing- just a piece will do. 

Competitor #1: World Market Chili & Lime

Competitor #2: Lindt Chili Bar

The clear winner in my taste test is the Lindt bar.  It is much creamier and the heat isn't so sharp.  The World Market bar felt kind of dry and I didn't like the overall flavor. 

Christmastime

Perhaps it's the fact that I was wrapping and opening Christmas gifts last weekend, but I'm already in the mood for Christmas.  I know Thanksgiving hasn't even rolled around, but I purchased a new Christmas decoration and hung it up in my living room last weekend.  Last night I walked into Kohl's and they were playing Christmas music already. It made me happy.  I think XM should have their holiday music station going too! 

Sunday Brunch

Mom and I went to the Cajun Cafe in Fargo for brunch this weekend.  It is one of those places I always want to go when I'm back home.  It was amazing as it always is.  I had the breakfast po'boy sandwich and it was perfect.  Eggs with flavorful sausage, lettuce, tomatoes, and remoulade sauce for some spice on a soft roll.  Yum.  For dessert, we ordered the rhubarb beignets.  Basically, the beignets came with a rhubarb sauce for dipping and were topped with sliced strawberries.  A perfect ending.  Good food makes me happy! 

I just looked up a remoulade recipe if anyone is curious.  I think this could go with a variety of dishes. 

Fall Planting

I planted a new bed of allium and grape hyacinth bulbs a couple weeks ago.  I'm looking forward to seeing them come up next spring.  This old pitchfork worked well for the job and the character of its well-worn parts made me grab the camera.  So much prettier than something brand new. 

Choo Choo

As I drive from my house to my parent's house, the thought usually pops into my head that a passenger train between these two places would be great.  The road is long and fairly straight and I could almost drive it half-asleep.  If I were to hop on a train I could actually do other things along the way instead of constantly flipping the radio station and singing to keep myself occupied.  A high speed train would be even better.  I wonder why the passenger rail system does not even exist in my state of South Dakota.  Amtrak just bypasses it.  I have seen some masterplans for expanding passenger rail, but there still isn't much planned for this part of the country.  America 2050 has the idea right, but not much attention is paid to the lower population areas of our country.  I suppose the infrastructure would cost a lot for the payback, but if we don't have the option of alternative transportation we won't get away from the ineffiency of passenger vehicles. 

Bug Sighting

 

I came home one day about a month ago and saw this buzzing around my flowers.  I think its a hummingbird hawk-moth.  It looked like a hummingbird hovering around and eating the nectar, but it had a proboscis that was really strange to watch.  You can see it the best at the end of the video. 

Best Investment Ever

This spring I decided to join Massage Envy.  I pay a monthly fee and in return get to have a fabulous massage every month.  It's like getting a mini-vacation every time I go!  I went in the first time because they were offering a fairly inexpensive massage for first-time customers.  Going into it I thought they were going to give me the hard sell after my massage to join, but they weren't pushy about it at all.  I couldn't refuse.  Sometimes you just have to treat yourself- especially when you sit at a computer all day and need to fight the tension that builds up.   

Looking for New Music?

I found out about Noisetrade yesterday from a music newsletter I get.  I'm crazy about it already.  If you are like me and are greedy for new music whenever you can get it... check out the site.  You can download samplers for free from lots of different artists.  Most of them I have never heard of, but it's like playing the lottery without the cost.  :)  Yesterday, I got four songs from Ivan and Alyosha and I'm really liking their sound. 

Fall TV

I'm really enjoying Parenthood this season.  I watched it on and off for the last couple of years, but the story lines have completely drawn me in now.  I think I've cried over the last couple of episodes.  Ray Romano's new character is great too.  He's awkward and totally unlike other roles I've seen him in. 

Of course, I'm also watching plenty of reality TV.  The Voice has been fun... lots of talented singers.  The blind auditions are what differentiates it from the other "talent" shows.  The judges really do have to base their selections on how the person sounds, not how they look.  This year they also introduced the "steal" concept where a judge can decide to keep a contestant from another team if they are about to get kicked off the show.  It's fun. 

The old favorite Austin City Limits had a great show last weekend.  Bon Iver was playing and it keep me entranced for the whole hour (even though I was up later than usual). 

And for the drama-lover in me, Revenge has it all.  It makes me laugh, keeps me guessing, has fun fashion, and oh yeah, revenge-y type stuff. 

The architecture nerd in me is looking forward to this season of This Old House too.  They are totally gutting this victorian style house and the interior is going to be Scandinavian-modern.  It should be interesting. 

Wake Up!

I think I need this Wake Up Light Alarm Clock!  Already, I am having a hard time getting out of bed in the morning because it is dark out and we haven't even reached the darkest time of year.  I would like to get out of bed a little less groggy and not have to feel my way to the shower with my eyes half-closed. 

British Humor

Growing up, I used to enjoy watching the show "Are You Being Served?" on PBS.  It was this british comedy shot in what looked like the 1970's.  Weird for a kid to watch, but for some reason I liked it.  Maybe it was the variety of hues Mrs. Slocombe colored her hair.  I still enjoy the dry humor that exists across the pond.  I'm currently reading "The World of Jeeves" and it's cracking me up.  Some of the period slang is really hilarious and even though this volume is a series of short stories, they all flow together so it's fun to read a few at a time. 

Fall Foods

Beer cheese hush puppies

I harvested all of the remaining veggies from the garden this weekend.  It's getting too cold and I don't feel like going out to cover things up EVERY night.  So, I have lots of green tomatoes ripening in the basement and some little fingerling size yellow zucchini.  I made a few new recipes recently that helped warm up the house.  The first was beer cheese hush puppies.  I was craving deep-fried foods, and these totally fit the bill.  I've never made my own hush puppies, but they were yummy although perhaps a little too big.   The next was deep-fried zucchini slices served with some ranch dressing- perfect to feed the craving.  I'm at the point where I have lots of zucchini to use up.  I just found another recipe for cranberry zucchini bread- that will be the next item in the oven.  I also made chicken and vegetables braised in bock beer.  It smelled great in my house and the chicken was sweet and tender.  (One of my magazines had recipes that had beer in them; I don't typically cook with this much beer!)  Finally, I bought a bag of candy corn.  One of my favorite fall treats... I can just grab a handful and be happy.  :)

Book Lovers Unite!

I attended the Festival of Books over the weekend.  For a book nerd like me who also likes to write, this is a fabulous way to spend a Saturday.  I went to five different sessions and got to hear various authors speak.  I chose a wide array of topics: mystery, ultra-running, poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.  It's unbelievable the number of authors who come to South Dakota for this event.  To top it all off; it's free!  I enjoyed listening to Leif Enger talking about Norwegian cultural norms.  Having some Norwegian blood in me and growing up in the northern plains, I could relate.  Scott Jurek talked about running 100+ mile races in difficult terrain, and oh by the way, he's a vegan.  Roy Blount Jr. made everyone laugh with a rambling discourse about etymology. 

If You Like Good Food...

I had lunch at Sanaa's this weekend.  They make the best chicken dish ever.  I attempt to try other dishes when I go there, but I always come back to this one.  I think it's called Shish Tawook.  Two thumbs up!

Cool Noodles

I came across this lasagne sheet in one of my magazines the other day.  I like the concept: one big piece of pasta that fits in a square casserole dish instead of trying to fit the smaller ones into your pan.  I usually end of breaking pieces apart to fill in the cracks around the edge.   With cooler weather approaching, I am starting to feel like cooking and baking again... lasagne here I come. 

Fashion Trends

My sister and I were talking about the fact that we are now old enough to see fashion trends come back into style.  Right now it's the side ponytail, neon bright colors, colored denim, short shirts, jeans with the zippers at the ankle... I remember my mom expounding on the fact that bell bottom jeans had come back into style when I was younger.  It didn't seem like such a big deal to me.  Now I understand how it feels to see these things come back around.  At the mall last weekend, I saw a woman in her 40's wearing a trendy midriff-baring shirt and I found it hard to believe.  I can understand teens embracing these things because they've never seen them before.  At least the woman had the body to wear something like that, but it's always odd to see older people embracing trends that are really more for the young. 

Lifelight

It's become a tradition for my mom to travel down here for the Labor Day weekend and we go to the Lifelight Music Festival together.  This year was incredibly hot!  We ventured out late in the afternoon and brought plenty of water and umbrellas for shade.  It was one of those days where you don't even have to be exercising and still feel incredibly sweaty.  We still had a great time.  Although I didn't buy the requisite funnel cake, an indian taco was enough "fair food" for me.  I'm grateful to Tamee for introducing me to the Festival when I moved here back in the day.  It's always been a great event to give God the glory through music. 

On Being Employed or Otherwise

I watched the movie "Up in the Air" over the weekend.  I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at the whole concept of having a job where your sole responsibility is to travel around the country firing other people.  I laughed at some of the reactions people had, but mostly because I think they were pretty accurate representations.  Working in an industry with one of the highest unemployment rates makes this occurrence all too real.

Scary

UPDATE:
The other day, the house where I saw the story below occur was busted by the police for being a meth lab.  I feel glad that the kids are no longer in this situation, but also sad that parents would endanger their family this way.  There is something to be said for gut instinct and just knowing something wrong was happening there.


I almost saw a little boy get hit by a car last night on my way home from work.  There is this house on my typical route that seems a little sketchy.  There are usually kids hanging out outside unsupervised.  The frightening part about this is that it is located right on a busy street with not much yard to play in.  Yesterday, there was a young toddler walking about happily on the driveway.  I was concerned about this because there appears to be a lot of cast off junk in this driveway.  However, that was nothing compared to what happened next.  He began walking unsteadily towards the street and just a few steps away from speeding cars.  There was a woman sitting on the porch who didn't appear to be paying much attention.  I wanted to scream out to her, but was just sitting in my car saying, "stop! stop!".  Thankfully, one of the other little boys came over and grabbed him just before he toddled into the street and a speeding car.  Thankfully I didn't see what could have been a major tradegy occur.  However, I keep wondering about all of those kids living there and what kind of environment it is. 

Seattle & Ports North

One of my favorite ways to vacation is on a cruise ship.  This mode of transportation makes it very easy to see lots of different places and you just get to relax and eat good food while you go from port to port.  When we arrived in Seattle the weather was unusually warm for the Pacific Northwest.  It felt great to us though, since it has been even warmer here in the Midewest.  We took the Lightrail from Seatac to Downtown where our hotel was.  Just a note if you ever plan to do this: the walk from baggage claim to the lightrail station is really long.  We got an unexpected show by the Blue Angels as we rode along.  Alaska itself was much cooler and fogggggy.  Nearly every day the fog horn on the ship was going.  We saw lots of great wildlife.  Everyone was always keeping their eyes on the horizon to see whales, porpoises, dolphins, seals, birds, etc. 




The skyline of Seattle as we sailed away

 

Icy Glacier Bay National Park... beautifully serene



A humpback whale near Juneau

 

 

Pretty little neighborhood in Victoria, CAN. 
I liked the modern with the historic right next door.

Reassurance

In this time of feeling uncertain about many things in my life, this quote feels like a very solid rock to hold onto:

"My years of study and prayer had shown me three messages from God that span the entire scriptures: 'I am with you.  I love you.  Trust me.'"  - Abbot Jerome Kodell

Hearts

The following was in my church bulletin and it resonated with me...

"The world is full of broken hearts because a heart can love and love is vulnerable.  There are broken hearts scattered all over the world.  Yes, the heart is a vulnerable thing because it yearns to love.  The human heart is just like the heart of God."
- From The Humility of God

Un Poco Poesia

Claustro por Gabriel Zaid
Entre vivir y pensar,
la puerta a medio cerrar.
Ver es ser de par en par.

Like a Kid Again

I watched the boys one afternoon and it was a hot day, so I had them bring their swimsuits.  I hooked up the sprinkler and we had fun running around the yard.  Colton was the water master.  He enjoyed turning the water up and down more than actually running through it.  Isaac on the other hand just sat right in front of the sprinkler and got soaked.  It was a good time to just play.  Afterward we made s'mores in the microwave (so much faster) and got messy.  Love their expressions!

Movie Review

I watched The Descendants recently.  I didn't know what to expect, but it had won awards and it looked interesting, so I gave it a whirl.  The story was pretty sad, but there was this humor that alleviated some of the tragedy.  It was ridiculous yet realistic.  George Clooney is in the middle of a variety of dramas in his life and he deals with it (perhaps inappropriately) the best he can.  There is quite a bit of poor language (mostly from the young people in the film).  However, I enjoyed it and didn't leave feeling let down like I do with most movies.

Sunny Days

I spent a long weekend visiting Janelle in Colorado recently.  It was a good time to get away from the stress that hangs around when I'm at home.  No work worries, no house cleaning, not even any cooking... it was perfect.  We got out one morning to go hiking which is a must when you're back in the mountains.  I got to walk Tula and Janelle had Ivy... almost makes me really consider getting a dog.  We'll see.

Like Staring at the Clouds

This installation of over 4,000 origami cranes is at our local Art and Science Center.  I enjoyed standing under them and studying the variations that occur as you move around.  It would have been fun to just lay on the floor and stare up at the them.  I should call and recommend they provide little mats so people could do that.

Things of Beauty

I know it has been months since my last post. Not quite sure why, but I go through periods of time where writing is not at the top of my list. Lately, I've been spending time out in the garden and that never fails to make me stop and study the fragile beauty of things growing in my own backyard. This is a False Indigo plant. It bloomed quite nicely this year. I was trying to photograph it on a really windy South Dakota day.

A Very Inspiring Read

I sat down around 7:30 last night and picked up a book Tamee had recommended and loaned to me.  It's called Heaven is for Real.  And it's awesome!  I didn't even move from my chair until I had finished it two hours later.  I seriously did not want to put it down.  It's so cool to hear what this little boy remembers from his "three minutes" in Heaven.  It made me cry, laugh, wonder, and feel hopeful.