Christmas Tree Twinkle

It's the dreaded Twilight Zone Week between Christmas Cheer and New Year WhoKnowsWhat.

Yet my Christmas tree lights are still twinkling.
Ever bright.
During this (relatively) calm time - is when I enjoy the holidays most.
Even though
I do
inevitably
feel
a
little
post holiday
letdown.

Even so
I send an xo to all and to all a good night.

these are a few of my fave-o-right things

i have Sharpie Marker luv.

yes.
i do.

some time back, somewhere around 10 years (imagine that?!?) ago ??!!??, i bought two sets of Sharpie pens from Costco.

a set of 24 assorted colors of this size:

and another variety pack of 24 colors of this size:

these two sets o' markers have been used more than any other markers i've purchased over the many years of the many decades.
why?
the simple quiet colorful beauty of the line of a Sharpie Marker pen, that's why.
the lush, deep dark color.
and the permanence factor.

they've been used for various artsy as well as all those practical projects - from coloring on ATCs to inking a gourd to create a faux Zuni vase to labeling all the plastic storage containers in the garage to ...

... and this is the ultimate true confession - to color the occasional white hairs that dared to sprout on my otherwise black tresses. this was ages ago, of course, when my hair started to show the occasional white strand. wanting to hide the offensive white root but not yet ready to succumb to dye jobs, i colored the whiteness with a black Sharpie marker. nowadays, a truckload of black Sharpies won't do the trick, and it's a full L'Oreal treatment, every 6 weeks. still in denial about the graying that comes with aging, but not with the help of Sharpie.

(no worries)

so
yes
i do
i really really do.

the bottom line is

i luvs me

some Sharpie Markers.



OMG.
there is a Sharpie Markers Official blog!

helpful Sharpie Marker hint of the day =
use a Sharpie to address all your envelopes, be they thoughtful sentimental cards and letters or those damnable bills that need to be paid. the ink on Sharpie-addressed envelopes will not bleed out if the outside surface of your letter happens to get wet from lawn sprinklers, puddles, heavy fog, drooling babies or seasonal rain/snow storms.

Sharpie Marker pen images from 

http://www.sharpie.com/enUS/Pages/Home.aspx

a plug

for Pandora internet radio.
There are other such online stations, but I'm doing very well by Pandora, thank you very much.

What's not to love about 'Creating your own stations' to listen to via computer/device/whatever.

One station I've been hooked on is my 'Cole Porter Radio' station.

Luv luv luv it.

some things that (older) middle aged ladies do...

1) hold their own hands (more often than not, massaging one hand with the other).

2) talk to salespeople whilst getting rung up at the register - in conversation - as if they and the clerk were sitting down together for a nice chitchat over a cuppa - instead of having a brief customer-to-salesperson encounter.

3) carry tissue (aka Kleenex) in their pockets.

4) touch the skin at the throat of their neck.

(to be continued...)

what's up

'Doc'.

The story of John Henry Holliday.
written by Mary Doria Russell.

Best read at least on my bedside table in a long long while.
More so if you favor, as I do - the western genre in non-fiction/ historical fiction and tv/film.

Bonus: if you're a fan of the 1993 film 'Tombstone', you'll be visualizing Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday whilst reading this book.

Sure as shootin'.
 
P.S. 'I'm your huckleberry'.

gal crush

i'm a gal with a Gal Crush on the character of Miriam Grant (played to perfection by Rosamund Pike) in this movie:



Barney's Version.

The 'F' Word

The 'F' Word is Frugal.

which is not to say Cheap aka Stingy or Miserly.

I don't go for Cheapness but I am a fan of Frugal.

Alas, I too often suffer the slings and arrows directed at the Frugal Minded. Though I am admittedly only Frugal at times. My personal lifestyle nod to being Frugal means doing stuff like the following, which irks some people no end:

(1) I re-wash and re-use plastic zip top closure food storage bags of all sizes.
I confess to doing so, but only once per potentially reusable bag.
Only those bags that have previously stored non-greasy, dry foodstuffs (slices of bread or raw produce) get re-washed with soapy water, allowed to dry, and then are used once more. After which, they are disposed of. BTW, truly frugal folks and/or rabidly 'green folk' don't use plastic food storage bags at all. I confess to being only Kinda Sorta Frugal.

(2) I sometimes use scissors to cut a superextralarge (dinner sized) paper napkin into two equal sized, slightly smaller napkins for use at meals. This is only done when it's just me and/or The Hubster eating here at home. When guests join us for a meal, each diner gets a WHOLE (party time!!!) napkin or we use cloth napkins (super party time!!!). Hubs doesn't even use a napkin, so when it comes to committing the frugal act of cutting large paper napkins in half, it's really only for my benefit. Half now and the other half at the next meal. Some of those paper napkins are so large/absorbent that to use a whole one for dabbing one's lips or greasy fingers once, maybe twice - during the course of a meal - seems - wasteful. Not so much with half a napkin. If only using a half, I have no problem tossing it afterwards.

(3) When a tube of lipstick gets used down to 'the nub' - that is - lipstick is no longer applicable from the tube alone without scraping one's lips on the Ouch! edges of the applicator)
--- guess what. There's still quite a bit of lipstick left inside that (hidden) last half inch of the tube. There is at least a half teaspoon. Really. Plenty enough to use for another few weeks or more, if dabbed at with a lip brush. As my fave lipstick brand is M-A-C, using a lip brush to get at what remains inside the tube allows for holding off a tad longer before purchasing a brand new M-A-C lipstick at $15-$30 (depending on where it is purchased) a pop. Totally worth the frugality.

To be sure, I LIKE and make use of The F Word.

Cereal Cocktail

Cold cereal + milk.
Kinda ho-hum.
Cold cereal + milk + slices of banana on top.
Less ho but still hum.

Two, three or four kinds of cereal, related in flavor but unrelated in texture and shape
+
milk
+
slices of banana

is
a
Cereal Cocktail.
a real taste treat.

=
YUM.

So, go ahead. Don't be affeared. Life is short.
Mix your cereals, but with thought and consideration as to the combination.
Heck.
Add berries along with those bananas. Get a little crazy with that ho-hum breakfast.
Go wild.

Enjoy.

a sailor went to sea sea sea

(to begin, a hand clapping song from my youth ---)

a sailor went to sea sea sea
to see what he could see see see
but all that he could see see see
was the bottom of the deep blue sea sea sea

it's come to my attention - the span of which is remarkably short these days -
that
there are few, if any, sailors to be found (anymore) in the great port city of San Francisco.

photo from foundsf.org

when i was a kid growing up in San Francisco -
it was commonplace to see (male) sailors walking up, down and around the streets of the City by the Bay, particularly in the North Beach/ Chinatown/ Nob Hill / Downtown sections of town, which were my hang out neighborhoods.

sailors, dressed in their tidy navy 'dress blues', trimmed in white stripes and stars. my favorite part of the uniform, other than the deep navy color and distinctive wide legged bell bottom pants - were the collars, on which always appeared three very distinct vertical creases pressed at evenly spaced intervals across the back collar flap.
the creases were ironed in 'just so'.

sailors wore jaunty sailor caps in the brightest white.
and highly polished black sailor shoes. i thought they were pretty darn cute.

but one doesn't see much of sailors and their dress blues anymore.
military uniforms change over time and so do the regulations regarding them.

in addition, the port of San Francisco no longer serves as a destination for navy vessels.
sailors are rare these days on the streets of The City.

unless it is Fleet Week.

i miss sailors who went to sea sea sea 
and docked
in San Francisco 
to see see see
the sights
of the big city by the bay
before heading back out to
sea sea sea.

HouSE tOUrs

When people (not just anyone, but those who I consider friends) come to visit my home for the first time, I almost always - give a house tour.

Our home isn't large.
Our home isn't fancy.
There are no brand spankin' new kitchen countertops, cabinetry or flooring to show off.
Our wall to wall carpeting is old, buckled in places and, truth be told, could use a deep and thorough shampooing.
Well.

We don't have the accoutrements of the type of high-living that most might strive towards. Not out of our own desire, nor for show n' tell.
Even if we did, these things would not come close to defining who we ARE.
Some are of the mindset that these things do just that for them.

Any home decor updates we take on are what little things we've managed to make affordable and/or that help to create a comfy lifestyle. Thus far. To be sure, the list of 'wouldn't it be nice to have...' is still yards long...

Still, it would be out of character for DollinkHubby and me to stage our home to show off how much disposable income$$ we have (we don't) or how well we've managed to keep up with the prevailing trends in Wannabe Affluent Looking type living, or - worse yet - to 'one up' our fam and friends. Most of what we have in the way of material possessions is NOT to render our visitors feeling envious
(well ---- except for ----- my honest-to-goodness authentic / purchased in Pennsylvania / made by an Amish woman / queen sized / completely hand quilted / Amish quilt ---- which I get a lusty satisfaction from seeing other quilt enthusiasts become grrrrrrrrrreeeeen with envy over....).

Ahem.
Nothing here of that sort to envy...
UNLESS, of course - it is the intangible,
homey, welcoming ambiance of our home environment that is communicated, enviable and ultimately, enjoyed.
That here is an aesthetic that is at once
pleasingly coordinated
as well as
decidedly (and fancifully) eclectic
and
full o' touches of the personalities of the people, and of those who have touched the lives of the people, who live here.
Most importantly - welcoming.
As in mi casa es su casa.

But hey.
That ain't what this post is about.

It's about those HouSE tOUrs -
and
how I've come to notice (granted, I've 'come to notice' many and more things of this sort as I get older...)
that
some people
give house tours
and
others don't.

F'rinstance -
having visited the homes of people who have grown increasingly close in the way that good friends become like extended family -
there are still some of these family-friends whose homes I've not seen the whole of (like their bedrooms and/or bathrooms) -
though I've visited their homes on numerous occasions.

Why is that?

They don't give whole house tours.
Some people choose only to have guests tour the 'showcase areas' of their houses.
(We have no such designated spaces, so I show most everything, without resorting to opening closets and drawers...).

Not seeing personal/private rooms should be no big thing. After all, there is such a thing as privacy and some areas could/should remain absolutely 'nobody sees this space but us'.
I'm sure that in their 'private rooms' some people keep their piles of unfolded laundry stashed, mountains of unpaid bills, gold bullion (or sex toys) out in the open and in full view. I know from freshly laundered clothes and well as stacks of unpaid IOUs, so those things would not bother me. Their valuables I don't covet and my prurient interests can do without intimate knowledge of the sexual habits of fam/friends.

But I am curious about those rooms.
What architecture? What choices of decor? What color schemes? Are there hints of lifestyle choices evident in what they choose to decorate their rooms with?

At any rate -
I do give house tours.

But why?

More than anything, so that my guests feel comfortable and welcome into every room of my home - should they venture here or there for whatever reason, they won't feel awkward for not having stepped in before.

One of the main reasons I show the master bedroom and adjoining bathroom is because we have a two bathroom house, and if the hallway bath is 'in use', I like my family and friends to know the second, master bath - is also available for their use.

I call our house tour the Ten Cent Tour. It's short n' sweet. But I'm so very proud to share, hoping that our home reflects me and the DollinkHubby - and in a good way. Moreover, in the spirit of Welcome to Our Home.

Anyway, who doesn't like a house tour? OK, so there might be a few of you out there who don't give any kind of special hoot when it comes to touring people's homes. You arrive, use the nearest potty (that you're allowed to), plop down on the sofa and commence to playing the latest video games via the TV or worse yet - play with your phone. Ho and Hum to YOUSE!

But me --- I loves me some house tours, due to my natural curiosity about how people live, what they choose to surround themselves with, what aesthetic they utilize to define their surroundings.

With any luck, the homes I am fortunate enough to tour show some personality, and aren't just wishful copies of artfully arranged rooms from photographs that appear in Architectural Digest (no 'dis' on AD, just add some 'people actually live here' elements, puh-leeze!). I think it's great fun to 'play' our personalities into the decorating of our homes, and to express something of who we are with our stuff.

Not everyone does this, but ooooooooh, it's so utterly deliciously delightful when one's home reflects something of the essence of the people who live there.

And they give HouSE tOUrs so we can revel in what's there.

Good, bad or ugly.

plucked too soon

baby corn.      

really IS
corn!

who knew?!?

baby corn is an actual ear of corn, plucked just as the silk forms but well before the the poor little thing has a chance to grow to bona fide corn cob maturity.

plucked too soon!

what a waste of a perfectly good cob of corn.

baby corn is frequently used in Chinese cooking as a filler veggie.

i don't like to eat it. if you must, give me bamboo shoots or celery as a filler veggie in my stir-fry, but please oh please NO BABY CORN.

birth day

Continental lake quiet

Floor People

When it comes to floors, there are basically two kinds of people.

Those who sit on the floor
and those who do not sit on the floor.
The former are Floor People. The latter are - well, they are Not Floor People.

Over the years, I've taken note that quite a number of my relatives and friends don't, won't or can't sit on the floor. I make no judgment, it's just an observation. Those who do sit on floors - on occasion, can also be found lying down on floors (because they want to, not due to passing out).

I enjoy sitting on chairs, sofas and the like, but after a short time, if the conditions are right*, my tendency is to gravitate towards wanting to sit on the floor.

This happens quite frequently. A lot, really. Just about every day.
I lie down on the floor too. But that's only in a super casual setting, if I'm at DollinkDaughterJrS's home, for example. I wouldn't be found lying on the floor in a restaurant or hotel lobby. Unless, as mentioned above, I passed out.

I guess that makes me Floor People (Person).

*To be sure, I'd have to be suitably dressed for floor sitting and said floor should be somewhat clean and not so littered with junky stuff that needs to be moved in order to have space to sit. Oh bother!

Another floor druther:
It really has to be comfy.

Plush surfaces, like wall to wall carpeting, make for a perfect floor sit or lie down. So are large thick area rugs, when smartly (and considerately) placed over hard flooring. Thick tatami is awesome to sit on. Truth be told, tatami is wonderful. When new, tatami smells good too. In Japan, it's a no-no to walk on tatami with shoes on. There is something so civilized about that.

Wood (or bamboo or other wood-like material) and tile floors are uncomfortable to sit or lie down on.
Though they are so very pretty to look at and fun to walk on with clickety clack high heels.
Fine to walk or stand on. And to watch dust bunnies swirl around on.

I've not really experienced cork flooring. Hmmmmm....

And it's been a long time since I've sat on real linoleum. Most lino floors have been replaced with other synthetics, like vinyl. Vinyl is OK to sit on. Not great, though. Lump it in with wood and tile as 'not the best kind of floor to sit on'.

The newish flooring material in my kitchen is a one piece specialty vinyl that has foam integrated into its construction. Not only does its dark brown color hide dirt, but the resilient material gives ever so slightly when walked on, which makes it delightfully sit-able.

On this great-to-walk on/sit upon /lie down on surface, I can sometimes be found supine and happily making 'snow angels'. No, not by myself. I do this with my 4 year old DollinkGrandDaughterLB.

LB is Floor People too.

just for fun

click on the 'water' to feed the turtles!
these three little guys will also follow your mouse around their swim area.








feed the fish by clicking on the 'water'.
they too will 'follow your mouse' in their tank.

 

 









from the website:

"Here is your number one companion – cute, talented and loyal.  He can sit, lie down and roll over.  Try giving him a pet and watch how he responds.  Keep your dog entertained by playing ball or giving him a bone.  Reward him by giving him a treat.  To get him to sit, double-click your mouse on the ground close to him.  Double-click again to get him to lie down.  Then hold your mouse button down and make a circular motion to tell him to roll over."

find these and other playful gadgets

from

http://abowman.com

Charming

The house I wish to live in -    
older
quaint
cozy
comfortable
charming.






tidy
pretty
solid
loved.




Image of Woods, birds, twittering, animal sound
It will be -
and feel like
a
home.

i'm a little teapot

i'm a little teapot

feeling low down.

here is my cracked lid

here is my frown.

when i get all pissed off

swearing abounds.

best tip me over 

and

smash me to the ground.

bestest TV show theme song!

bestest.



in my humble.

I especially like 'going through' the sparkly starry ring of one of the planets. This takes place between the credit line for Tim Russ (as Tuvok) and Jeri Ryan (as Seven of Nine). Oooooooh! Cheap Thrills!!!!

The only thing not quite right about the opening theme is this.

Even so, I forgive the creators of the show for this tiniest of itty bitty infractions.
One must allow for artistic license, particularly when the spaceship sound effects add so much to the musical fanfare (as well as to the aforementioned slipping through the sparkly starry ring).

Granted, there are some truly great television theme songs out there.
I could research/name/link to a good many now, but i'm a bit preoccupied with listening to this theme song over and over and over again...

I shamelessly confess to being a StarTrek fan, Voyager being my hands-down fave of the five (not counting the animated) ST television series. TNG runs a very close second to Voyager.

The original Star Trek, in all its tacky glory - will always hold a secure and warm place in my heart.

DS 9 (which my DollinkYoungerBrother refers to as DeepShit 9) failed to engage me (though I did watch it). I just couldn't fathom being stranded on the big space station, even though it was close-by to a wormhole (which allowed for some promise of access to other places). Plus, it was awfully dark on that space station. Too mole-like an existence for me.
(given the understanding that, more than a mere spectator, I live and work vicariously amongst the crew on any given ST, so living conditions must suit my aesthetics)


Enterprise had no chance in hell or space of keeping hold of me (starting with the deplorable choice of opening music) as a regular viewer. It just never made the cut (for me). I confess to watching the first few episodes to catch a glimpse of the captain's pet dog beagle, Porthos. Unfortunately, Prada, the poor little beagle on the first season of Enterprise, must have taken Expressionless 101, method acting lessons from Steven Seagal...

Now, back to that Voyager theme song. For foaming-at-the-mouth enthusiasts, here's an extended version.

the jury is in

based on hard evidence -
the jury has determined -
that i am -
indeed -

a hoarder.

as many of you regular readers this blog know --- around here, merge n' purge is the name of the home reorganization game.
this week, i've been pulling even more stuff out of closets/drawers/cabinets --
and been finding myself knee deep. quite.

the majority of these items are things that i have been saving, storing, and have mostly forgotten about over time.
the reality is that i just don't use most of it.
and haven't
for
yes, over a year
and probably won't be incorporating these things anytime too soon
into my everyday living.

there is an awful lot of this stuff.
accumulated over the decades
and
kept
for one good reason or another.
stashed nice and tidy-like.

TIDY-LIKE.

can a hoarder be tidy?

i think yes.
because here i am, tidy as all get out - yet there is this superfluity.

as it is, life in and of itself is already quite full and keeps us pretty busy.
we have love, joy, pain, struggle, elation. and lots more.

then there is stuff.
some of us also have an abundance of it.
material things that accumulate.
we take care of our stuff, cleaning it, repairing it, using it, not using it.
storing, organizing and reorganizing it.
endlessly shifting it about in our homes.

i like my stuff, but after a while, the maintenance of it takes more time and energy than i have to devote to it.
at this point, My Stuff gets to be known as Too Much Stuff.
if Too Much Stuff starts to drag all the livin' down in my day, it's time to move it forward.
which i've been doing.

yet not making much of a dent.

am i a hoarder, albeit a tidy one?

GUILTY
AS
SUSPECTED!

favorite color

for the longest time, my fave color was red. deep dark rich red.
then blue became my favorite.
the next favored color was green. first, a desaturated comfortable passive green. after that, i enjoyed looking at anything in a bright fresh energetic leafy green.

now i think my favorite color is back to being blue.
maybe.
most of the garments i knit are some shade of blue.
many of my dresses are blue. except for all the ones that are black and white.

i like blue yarn. i feel good when i wear blue.
bright blue. purplish blue.
cool blues.
why?
because they are just that.
cool.

Morning ritual: the kitchen

There is nothing like a ritual,
and each morn, I look forward to my ritual in the home kitchen.

After awakening, I walk, slowly and deliberately - from bedroom into kitchen. Our home is small, so the distance from room to room is a short one, albeit long enough to shake off the sleepies.

After surveying the situation to see if there are any unexpected surprises (a note of 'Hello' or 'Please do this or that today' from HubbyDear, a sink full of dirty dishes that were left unwashed from the night before, a dead mouse lying on the floor...),

I proceed to empty the dish drainer of last night's washing. We have an automatic dishwasher, but with only two people living here day in and day out, it takes a week to fill the machine with dishes enough to warrant running a load. Invariably, there are things we need to use again with a day or two. So usually end up hand washing.

The morning drowsiness completely gives way to wakeful energy as I carefully put the dishes away, sort the cutlery into their proper places in the drawers, hang up the pots and pans. I perform these acts with a very deliberate hand, adding to the purposefulness of the ritual.

Next - is setting up for cooking a bowl of oatmeal.
Rolled oats are ready in 5 minutes, steel-cut takes a lot longer (15 minutes), so I opt for rolled. I take down the sparkling glass container of sugar and the other of dried cranberries. Pull the carton of 2% lactose-free milk from the fridge. Choose the perfect sized bowl and spoon. Measure and pour ingredients, mix together, pop in the microwave. Walk back to the bedroom to make the bed whilst the oatmeal is cooking.
Return to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on breakfast, take the bowl of hot oatmeal to the computer desk and proceed to eat while perusing the internet.

I so look forward to this morning solo dance in the kitchen.
Step by meaningful step.
For such a long time, I viewed this set of actions as a ritual.

This year, as I turn the big 6-0, I'm beginning to view it as 'old people routine'.

Yikes.

image of Morning Sun from istockphoto.com

incongruent feng shui and other incompatibles

aka
Your Yin is Outta Whack with My Yang
aka
A Few, Just a Few, of My MANY Pet Peeves
aka
I Loves Me a Curmudgeonly Blogpost

* wall mounting a flat screen TV above a fireplace.
- besides providing a small amount of warmth, fireplaces traditionally evoke a sense of the heart of the home. The Hearth. peaceful, crackling, mesmerizing. quiet yet interactive - prompting some, or a great deal - of mental contemplation.
- television sets are visual as well, with their fast flickering images accompanied by visually and audibly jarring advertisements. TV, also mesmerizing - is something of a passive- aggressive, yet minimally interactive, form of entertainment.
- mesmerizing describes both the TV and the fireplace, but to pass the two off as compatible enough to share the same bit of wall space is, well ------ desperate.
and it's gotta be some kind of bad feng shui, right?

* kitchen counter top surfaces that are not conducive to heavy kitchen usage.
- it's almost impossible to find a kitchen counter top that is impervious to the messy realities of cooking, slicing, spilling, burning and slopping foodstuffs. oily spots, berry drippings, coffee and tea stains are to be expected, on numerous occasions, to slosh across the kitchen counter. so why all the fancy schmancy high cost slabs available as kitchen surfaces?

- is there one that is truly compatible with humans wreaking spill, stain and cutting mishaps? most counter top material come with a warning: that normal kitchen use could irreversibly mar or stain the material. hey - shit happens in the kitchen. on the floor (don't get me started on the latest kitchen floor materials...) and on the counter tops. surfaces should be user friendly. cleaned up with a quick wipe off. once in a while, a thorough scrub down. no more. no less.

- silly too, is the idea of presenting one's kitchen as yet another decorative 'admire-but-don't-use-like-the-work room-that-it-should-be' area of the house, with surfaces that are more to look at than to actually perform kitchen duties upon. this too ...... is ludicrous.

* clothes that are not washable with soap and water.
- having to clean an article of clothing (that is not a suit, fur coat or pair of leather shoes) with a special chemical process. 'wear it knowing that it'll cost you $10 to $20 when time comes to clean it' ------ is impractical. for me it is anyway. since most of my togs only cost once or twice the dry cleaning fee.

* social gatherings where just about everyone is plugged into their cell phones, and for all intent and purposes - not socializing - in the least.
- if choosing to ignore others in your midst - and turning full attention to the delights of what your phone or other handheld techno gadget offers, then may I suggest that you and said gadget 'get a room'.
socializing with your cell phone in a setting meant to promote human-to-human interaction ------- is rude.
&%#!ing rude.

decisions decisions

up.
down.
and upside down.
on how to proceed with my blogging.

here's what i've decided to do.
rather than drop this blog entirely and start up a whole new one ----

for, y'see ----
i've already got a second, photo blog to maintain as well as a third, artsy fartsy one with ongoing painting projects > this one is 'private' and only gets updated once or twice a year...

so, yes.
i've decided to stay put and vary the posts on b's little bit o' dis and little bit o' dat.
much the same, but different.

thanks to your input, i'm planning to get into even more free associating here.
and won't work quite so hard on the entries.
but have them be more frequent.
with more dibbly dabbly doings instead.

WHOT?
continued ramblings based on nothing much at all?
raving and rumbling and retching?
ruminations, rips n' rags?

YEP.
you bet'cha.

xo
to my
readers,
from
b
who is
me.

blank blog page

I've been sitting here staring, for the longest time, at a blank blog page.
What to do.
What to do.

So let me tell you what's on my mind, short of delving into an interesting blog topic that might engage your interest for the next minute or three.

Let's talk about keeping a blog and writing blog posts for it. Personal blogs. Like this one.

b's blog has always been about a little bit o' dis and a little bit o' dat - lacking any particular theme. 'Much ado about nothing' could be an apropos second byline.

I originally set it up that way so I could free-associate about any number of topics, save for politics and religion, of course - which makes for trouble any which way you look at it.

Having this as my blog format has certainly proven a therapeutic exercise in personal interest writing,
and great fun, to boot.
In addition, one always hopes to enlighten and/or entertain the errant internet surfer who happens by now and again.

But
now
I am
seriously
re-thinking my blog.
Considering a re-do.
A re-vamp.
Or to begin
completely
anew.

Seriously.
It's becoming more and more of a challenge to think of subject matter I am inspired to 'blog about'. Tougher to write with any wit/humor/freshness/conviction/passion on a topic that comes (typically, in the middle of the night) to mind. Something that will actually move me to put up a new post.

Perhaps this is a low energy week for me.
Haven't been sleeping well.
Feeling kinda crabby.
Contemplative - now that's always a dangerous sign.

It may not be the most ideal day to consider changing out the blog format.
Yet change is on my mind...

What to do.
What to do.

Gone by the wayside...?

sometimes, when not pondering life's deeper spiritual and philosophical questions, I get to wondering about every day, mundane and rather - yes - nonsensical things.

Take, for example, the following few not-so-mind-numbing ruminations:

Do women still....

wear hair curlers to bed?
or is this uncomfortable practice gone by the wayside?
no - not gone. it's still being done.

wear see-through (and shaped to the style of the shoe) galoshes over footwear?
or has this fashion statement gone by the wayside?
no - not gone. those plastic booties are now called overshoes.

keep their stockings up with roll garters?
have these oversized rubber bands, which are more like tourniquets, gone by the wayside?
no - not gone. roll garters continue to be available!

take heavy make-up cases as their one piece of carry-on luggage?
that bulky, unwieldy, little heifer of a bag still carted around, or has the practice of bringing it on board -- gone by the wayside?
yes - it has. the tradition of women toting their fully stocked, hard sided cosmetic train case to their seat with them on an airline flight has, for all practical purposes, gone by the wayside.
Way.

image: vermontcountrystore.com

the beauty of a line

road surface markers.
there are many types, made of various materials.
the markers i'm referring to in this post are the lines which serve to separate lanes on the highway.
sometimes they are painted on. sometimes they are raised bumps installed onto the surface of the road.

they are lines of demarcation, and such a simple idea, providing drivers with a sense of order to what would otherwise be total CHAOS.

if you aren't yet enamored of road surface markers - imagine, for a moment, as i have...
...zipping along in heavy traffic on a multi-lane highway...
and keeping to your own lane...

without them.

pretty scary.

Who IS that guy?

Monday night.
America.
8PM.
ABC/BBC.

His is the voice which announces the official start of each episode of Dancing With the Stars, as he states most enthusiastically:

'Live! - from Hollywood!'
During the course of the show, and prior to each dance number of the competition, he also introduces the individual couples and the style of dance they are about to perform.

Who IS that guy?



His name is Alan Dedicoat.
aka 'Deadly'.
aka 'Voice of the balls' (don't get too excited, this is in reference to the British National Lottery ...).


Dedicoat makes his living, primarily - as an out-of-sight announcer.

What it is that is so special or unique about his voice escapes me. He's certainly no David Attenborough (who as a writer & naturalist, has other credits to his name besides narrating outstanding documentaries) or Peter Coyote (narrator/writer/actor +).

But then what do I know?

So there you are.

More power to ya, Alan. For doing what you do and probably getting paid quite well for it.

what to eat while playing with fun fonts

fun wid fonts

Folks, cheap thrills abound here.

I'm lovin' me some fun new fonts.

Available here.

Free.

This is one of my faves.

No surprise there, right?

My Dad would laugh...

...at the number/variety of garlic presses, crushers and smashers I've purchased/used over the years. If memory serves, there have been at least five different types of garlic-related accoutrements in my inventory of kitchen tools...

...which doesn't sound like much, but that's five more than a person really has any need for.



How tough to crack open the papery skin of a garlic clove? Not very.

So why all these devices to 'open a garlic'?
Because they're there in stores. Look interesting. I always think I need another kitchen gadget. And so - I buy them.

My Dad would laugh.
He only ever used one tool and one tool only for the purpose of getting the most out of garlic ~~~ a big ol' Chinese cleaver with a wooden handle.

The simplest type of Chinese cleaver is not necessarily an expensive knife. What it is - is such a useful kitchen tool.

You can buy a fancy dancy one which will set you back a few shillings. Or - you can pick one up for less than ten buck$. Dad always used an inexpensive, carbon steel cleaver with a wooden handle. He took care of his culinary tools, sharpening the cleaver often, carefully washing and drying it after use.

Besides utilizing the cleaver to slice, dice and chop all manner of meat and produce, Dad used the wide, flat side of the knife blade to break open cloves of garlic.

How-to:
- Clove of garlic on cutting board.
- Flat of knife over top of clove.
- Hit flat of knife with fist.
- SMASH!
- Garlic is crushed open.
- Garlic 'skin' slips right off.
After which, if necessary, Dad would chop the garlic coarsely or mince finely.

Psssssst - yes, yes. MartinYan smashes/minces garlic and ginger in the same way, using a cleaver.
 
What could be simpler?

Even the butt of the handle on the cleaver was put to practical use. When prepping garlic for a particular dish, my father would hold the knife by the blunt end of the blade, end of the handle pushed down onto a cutting board. With steady hand and rhythmic beat, he'd pound the handle into a combination of chopped garlic mixed with fermented black beans. In minutes, a mash of the two ingredients result. To this would be added a bit of soy sauce and oil, resulting in a fragrant blend of fresh black bean sauce, ready for stir-fry or steamed veggie/meat dishes.
 
Dad's now gone, but one of his well-used cleavers is in my possession. Lucky me.
I can get through many a garlic clove with this all purpose blade. Every which way.

Some time ago, I re-purposed my Susi garlic press by donating it to my grandkid's box of PlayDoh stuff. The Susi is THE best tool to make great Play-Doh 'hair' and 'spaghetti'. I wonder if the designer and manufacturer of The Susi are aware of this.

At this writing, I'm down to one extraneous garlic tool.
Not only does it work well when used correctly (read the customer reviews at the link), but it's too cute to give up just now.


(P.S. Thanks, Dad - for the cooking lessons)

Winter spring summer or fall ...

I am constantly moving things around our humble abode - shifting and sifting, as it were - the contents of drawers, corners, shelves, closets, what have you. Evaluating and re-evaluating the use and purpose and aesthetic of each and every item.

Organizing, purging aka de-cluttering, rearranging.

It is my lot in life to keep shifting until the shift settles and I'm OK to live with it for awhile. When the spirit moves me again, I rise from my comfy chair to shift again.

This is a year round activity.
Quite enjoyable, actually. For me, anyway.
I gain a fresh perspective after each re-organization.

Striving for balance ~ with the positive/negative visual spaces of my environment.
Simplifying ~ the contents of my home and life.
Sharpening ~ my focus so I can better view my interests/projects.
Achieving ~  restfulness.
Enjoying ~ the contemplation of what is ahead.
Moving, always moving ~ forward.

Good stuff.

another one bites the dust

What?
Who?
When?
Nothin' much to do with the song video by Queen, but I needed something catchy to draw you in. Now that you're here, if the actual subject fails to move n' groove ya, sit back, play the vid and enjoy the beat.

The topic is ETIQUETTE.
Basic politeness.
People-to-people rules of conduct that, when followed, help to keep the lot of us - civil (???)
Remember? Golden Rule and all that.

Example:
In polite Western society, it was once considered gauche for a gentleman to wear his hat inside the house or at a place of business. These days, it's not uncommon to see guys wearing baseball caps whilst scarfing down dinner, even at the nicer eateries. As a society, we're in a decidedly more casual place than ever before when it comes to fashion, and the passing of time has allowed for this infraction to cease being one. But wait - there's more...

Example:
Rudeness could be defined as not getting up from your chair (or the sofa) to greet visitors into your home. Failing to offer any form of refreshment to guest(s) is another faux pas of polite behavior. These are just a couple of basics. Common sense dictates that if you make an effort to venture to someone's home for a visit, it's for a place to sit and a bit of refreshment to go along with the conversation. 'Hello - good to see you. Thanks for coming' should be the norm, not the exception. Doh! Visiting people who probably asked you to come over - and expected your arrival - then feeling like they want you there. Go figure.


Example:
Emily Post would have slapped the hand (though she may have secretly preferred to kick the butt) of any young n' healthy individual who failed to offer his/her seat on public transportation to someone who might be in greater need of a sit-down --- be it an elderly senior, one-legged war vet or full term pregnant momma-to-be, for example. The idea being that there are some who would be more comfortable sitting rather than standing, and those someones may not be as spry as you. To give up one's seat would be to consider that possibility. So many are unclear on that concept and that is disheartening...

Example:
You find yourself in a social setting - be it a casual gathering of a few 'round the living room or a large party at a hall. Instead of talking/interacting/or even acknowledging one another --- a great majority are tuned into their phone or other hand-held techno device. Ignoring others present as if they weren't there. What is wrong with this picture?

Where the heck did Good Manners go?
When did being kind and considerate of others fall by the wayside?
Who said it was OK to be so self-indulgent?
When is 'rude' acceptable?
What the hell trend is this?!?

For far too many individuals, all that good stuff about Being Thoughtful went down the toilet. Flushed away with Basic Etiquette.
Politeness swirled down into the abyss some time ago as well.

Has it anything to do with the aforementioned technology, which forces mechanical interaction to the point that we have actually forgotten how to interact with real people?

All I can conclude for certain is this:
Basic Etiquette bites the dust and Golden Rule goes down with it.

Is Em Post rolling in her grave?
What of Miss Manners?

Where, if anywhere, is the new Diva of Polite Social Behavior? She (or he), with a listing of behaviors conducive to civility? A set of irresistible, inspiring rules for the eager masses who await guidance? Are there those who will really give a hoot, holler or even a polite nod to any new fandangle 'Guide to Correct Etiquette'? 

As a society who prides itself on civility, we certainly could tip the etiquette scales more towards considerate behavior.

If that were so, I, for one, would certainly get through my days -
being -
a lot less -
pissed off.

whilst i'm preparing my next blog post

which will be another curmudgeonly one (i know you love these best, btw)...

chaw on this vid for awhile.

if you've been a regular reader (can't imagine why, i have less than nothing to say these days), thanks for your continued patience as i wax and wane between posts.
blog post writing can be oh-so-time consuming, and time is something i've been a-wastin'.

(regarding the cartoon --- if you were a kid 'back in the day', you may remember these characters...)

i am here to say (fashion statement to follow ...

that I've yet to come across a pair of Aerosole shoes that I do not like.
Very much.
Aerosole manufactures truly comfy footwear.
and

stylish too.   

(pictured: Aerosole Gintle Soul Sandal. I want these)

dance then dance now

ballroom dancin' then.
looser, freer, smoother, casual yet practiced, natural movements.
'Easy'.

ballroom dancin' now.
sharper, more precise, major acrobatics. exaggeration of natural movements.
'Stompier'.

GUNG HAY

FOT CHOY.

It's the year of the Metal, or Metallic Rabbit. Only comes around once every 60 years. I was born in 1951 and here it is, 60 years later, and I get to experience another Metallic Rabbit Year. Yep. Pretty dang special.

BTW, when I was growing up in San Francisco Chinatown, Chinese New Year was bigger than Christmas. WAY BIGGER. No 'dis' on Christmas, it's just how things were acknowledged in the Chinese -American community of San Francisco. So CNY is a biggie celebration in my repertoire. This year feels even more special to me, because it represents such a significant anniversary.

Chinese ('Lunar' if you wish to be more politically correct these days) kicks off today and festivities last for a solid two weeks plus two days this year.

Party on, folks. Eat good food. Visit with friends and relatives. And be kind to one another.

Gung Hay Fot Choy!

Happy New Year!

eclectic.

e·clec·tic  (-klktk) adj.

1. Selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems, or styles: an eclectic taste in music; an eclectic approach to managing the economy.

2. Made up of or combining elements from a variety of sources.

chic.
+ mixy.
+ artsy.
+ soothing.
+ surprising.
+ playful.
+ cozy.
+ coordinated.
+ organized.
+ practical.
+ joyful.
+ welcoming.
+ homey.
+ cute.
+ beautiful.
these are adjectives I try to keep in mind when arranging my personal living space.

Add 'em up and they spell e-c-l-e-c-t-i-c.

Decades ago, the two words I favored for home decor were Japanese + Simplicity.

Living in a new suburban house in a California subdivision with hubby, two kids, several pets and no extra 'mad money' made that aesthetic all but impossible to achieve. It wasn't long before I accepted that the long dreamed about dining area comprised of a simple, large, low, smooth, shiny, black lacquer table set upon thick and fragrant tatami mats in an otherwise empty room with sliding Shoji screen walls - was not to be my reality. Minimalism was not in the home decor cards for this gal and her brood.

Plus, truth be known - I like 'stuff'.
As much as I can appreciate plain lines and very few knickknacks, severe minimalism isn't 'me'.

From the early years of a-home-in-the-making, eclectic started as, then began to define, my version of decor. In styling our various abodes over the years - found objects, hand-me-downs, poor choices in the purchase of new furnishings, acquisitions of previously abused used this and that - eventually led to a mixed decorative bag. To date, much of the old stuff has been replaced, yet things have remained decidedly mixed though not quite matched - which happened accidentally on purpose.

My hope now is to achieve a status of home that is a sanctuary of traditional, whimsy, artfulness and welcome.
A cute environment that is fun to be in. Cute and Fun are not typical buzz words when it comes to making a house a home. I ask myself 'Is this cute?' 'Is this fun?' Moreover, 'Will potential buyers be turned off by this look when it comes time to sell and move again?!?'

Much excitement can be derived from looking at a website like the one above. In the less obvious areas of a photographed room setting, inspiration lurks. Glimpses of a tabletop or wall-hung vignette of items can trigger decorating ideas with one's own stuff in mind. I truly become excited when I see an unusual set-up of books, or dishes stored in unexpected ways. I also get antsy to rearrange things when I spot beds, sofas, chairs and desks placed at interesting angles to the space. My preference is not the predictable grouping of everyday objects, but something beyond the usual, leaning a tad towards the unorthodox. Perhaps a bit more --- artful?

Such imagery is surprising, and often provides better indication of the homeowner's personality than would copying, 'verbatim' (in the case of the physical, item per item), the decor as laid out on the pages of a home decor magazine.

Spaces created with an emphasis on the dweller's unique world view best tell the stories of those who occupy that space. Much can be ascertained from placement of furnishings, choice of embellishments, the importance given to treasured items and how they are arranged.

Rooms can serve as fanciful shadow boxes, reflecting ideas, wishes and musings.
For those of us who enjoy taking note of individuals in their home environment, seeking out decorative clues that reflect a persona makes for a fascinating study indeed. It fairly tickles my aesthetic sense to do so.

What holds the greatest appeal for me are groupings of personal, practical and pleasing pieces, chosen purposefully and set together with the elements of design in mind. Conversely, an all-pervasive approach to decorating in the usual ho-hum way and applied to an entire home is much too predictable. It does not inspire me in the least.

Big Yawn on Solidly Seriously Staid!

Huzzah Huzzah for Exhilaratingly Excitingly Eclectic!

Photo-Play: going going gone

 

 

~ 1977 ~

MIA: a veggie garden

Missing in action: a veggie garden.
Aka: The continuing saga of The Forest Dweller With No Damn Decent Place to Set Down Some Roots.

... It sure would be nice to plant these seeds if they even sprout, now that they are a bit old, since I bought them last year in time for a fine springtime veggie garden ...

what is 'iffy' is that the area designated last year to be the new veggie garden may or may not be ready by planting time ...

HubbyDear started work on it in early spring 2010 (I said HURRY PLEASE!) and got this far by mid-summer ...

... note the deer prancing by, probably also wondering when this rumored garden was going to be offering the first of its tender shoots for nibbling on.

Hmmmmm.
It was August, and there were two raised beds.
No soil.
No back fence to enclose the space.
No gate.
It was not ready.

Hurrrumph.

To satisfy my desire for home-grown veggies, I ran out in haste (mid-summer, remember?) to the local garden center and purchased one of the last few patio tomato seedlings left on the shelves. As late in the season as it was, this was a pretty substantial little plant. As far as seedlings go, sturdy and full of promise. Several vines even sported tiny, hard green tomatoes at this late point in time. The thing fairly ached for a transplant into more dirt, water, sun and a bit of TLC. I was encouraged to think that, within a week or two of ideal conditions, I could coax from this plant a bit of a yield. I transplanted the lush little seedling into a good-sized pot, topping it off with nutrient rich garden soil. The pot was set on our back deck, where adequate sunshine would be certain to shine upon it ...

... that night or early the next morning, my poor defenseless tomato seedling was immediately chomped on by some foraging forest critter. It could have been a deer. Or a hare. Or ....

... Whatever it was boldly tromped onto the deck sometime between when I planted and the following morning when I looked outside to admire the greenery (and to imagine sweet vine-ripened tomatoes in my near future, even if two or three in number) - only to find that some voracious woodland creature done munched my lovely tomato seedling to a pitiful little stump of a stick ...

... save for left one small hard green tomato ... with a nasty bite in it.

Gee, thanks.

In any case, it turned out to be a disappointing year all around for home grown tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes did fine, and were being harvested in buckets, if not a peck or bushel. Yet, even by late summer, full grown tomatoes were still green on everyone's vines. Instead of the usual relentless overbearing heat of July and August, temps stayed relatively cool throughout the season. Across the board, home harvests were delayed, and a bit skimpy - from what I could surmise from the talk circulating amongst my buddies. They who swore to me each time I asked 'Any tomatoes to spare?' - that they had nary a love apple harvest worth boasting about, much less sharing - just yet.

So -
a 2011 veggie garden here at the humble abode? Will there be one? Who knows?
You will be kept posted, either with a rave and lotsa pix, or a curmudgeonly Bah! Humbug VeggieGarden!! post or two. Lord knows, I can write me a fairly novella-length curmudgeon post now and again. And what better topic, than the ongoing saga of the MIA veggie garden, eh?

IF the garden space is actually completed in time for planting fun, I will certainly show a photo or two of tomatoes or bitter melon on the vine. News of which will be nothing altogether too exciting for those of you who have generous amounts of both space and sun, of course - with lush gardens to show for it each year. Some, like me - live in the forest, with dense trees all around, with the strongest and most consistent sunlight occurring for a minimum of hours (typically between 11AM and 1PM most summer days). Hardly worth the effort of putting time and energy into a Victory Garden, but we get our cheap thrills where and when we can.

Since moving to the woods, gardening for us has never produced the most satisfying of results, but hey - if I yield a few good veggies as well as some play-in-the-dirt pleasure from any meager plantings, it will be a satisfying project. News of which I will strain your reading eyes, if not bend your ears - with tales of.

If not - oh bother.
I'll go back to buying my bitter melon from a stall in Chinatown ...

 ... and photographs will be of ready made Chinatown dim sum lunches I partake in during those supposed produce shopping sprees.