Day Gotz Day Jammies On!

Whoa Nelly!!! Eleventh Hour Political Jammie Party yields NO viable 700 Billion Life Boat for the Wall Street Villains?!!!

Wow.

I was *sure* they would pass that sucker. I bet W. is sitting on a couch eying the Scotch decanter, scratching his head, thinking..."Wull...Wull...Wull Wha' Happin' ? " That was gonna be his Swan Song.

What. A. Mess.

To 'Splain it better, go here: "What you say, Willis?"

The rain, she still loves Boston like a down-trodden trollop likes a political convention. Today, not so many cats and dogs falling from the sky, but I swear to god, I have seen lots of toads and four, count 'em FOUR dead squirrels. I don't even have to drink my MDR of fluids because I get them via osmosis. Just. By. Breathing.

On a cheerier note, I found some really Keen Fings this week!

Your Daily Dose of Cool Things:

Click Here for Operation Nice!

"Don't you love it when people go out of their way to be nice? Like when someone waits to hold the door for you. Or when a stranger waves you into a line a traffic. Or even when a coworker shoots you a friendly smile along with a "have a nice day." If everyone was a little bit nicer to the folks they encountered each day, perhaps the world would be a more pleasant place. Operation NICE was initiated to remind you that a little NICE goes a long way."

Your Daily Dose of Wonderful Design:

Everybody say "O!" Click Here for Keen Obama Necklace!

Your Daily Dose of Inspiring (NOT) Words:

From the question and answer portion of the infamous Kouric interview with Gov. Palin:

COURIC: "Why isn't it better, Governor Palin, to spend $700 billion helping middle-class families who are struggling with health care, housing, gas and groceries; allow them to spend more and put more money into the economy instead of helping these big financial institutions that played a role in creating this mess?"

PALIN: "That's why I say I, like every American I'm speaking with, were ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health-care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy, helping the--it's got to be all about job creation, too, shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track. So health-care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans. And trade, we've got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive, scary thing. But one in five jobs being created in the trade sector today, we've got to look at that as more opportunity. All those things under the umbrella of job creation. This bailout is a part of that..."

Speaking of Cheese...

Your Daily Dose of Wicked-Good Food:

This cheese RAWKS the igloo. It is spendy, but it is totally worth it! The rosemary has mellowed with time, and the cheese is sharp and dry, excellent with a wine such as an old-vine zinfandel, or a beefy cabernet. Saddle it up with a plate of roasted veggies, nuts, breads and olives and you have a mighty tasty meal. Go for it!

Beauty in All Things...

M'kay...it has been one of THOSE weekends when 3 and a half inches really IS enough. Heh. It has rained over 3 and a half inches in the past 30 hours here, in already soggy New England.

Being a photographer, I am lucky to be able to just throw myself at life with a camera and find the Beauty in simple things, like 3-inches-of-rain mushrooms.


Would that they were edible...alas, I thinketh not.

Le Sigh...

Hello? Canada? Yeah...Can I come over???

Stumbled upon over at Erin O'Brien's today...




M'kay...now, now I am scared. I am begging America. Please. Please. Please...think long and hard before you vote. Think about your daughters, sons and your future. If you have a uterus, give it a hug.

Come and Get Me

This morning was a DeLuxe Squirrel morning. Mostly, this was onaccounta the two dead squirrels we saw in a yard, which made me very sad, but, understandably, made Lux very, very excited, until she saw that they were not moving. She is a sight predator, a dog who fires off her nervous system based on things that move...like...ah...sheep. Being half Border Collie, she is a real herder. Outside right or left flank is where you will find her if she is chasing other doggies. Or, at the very head of the pack, running full steam ahead, ears slicked back, head bobbing, a black blur. The cold mornings have been delightful, as I pull on my fleece vest and then my heavier fleece jacket to gear up for our morning half hour stroll. It gives me some calm before the relative storm of Teen Angst Mornings. Me, the dog, and a thermos of coffee strolling through the quiet neighborhoods, looking for squirrels. Ah, the life...

The neighborhood yards are winding down the flowers and color now, with some bursts of brightness, and some softness as well. Here are some images from yesterday:

(I did not touch the saturation on this image at all...amazing!)

Your Daily Dose of Cool Things:

Click Here for the wonderful illustration of Anke Weckmann

Your Daily Dose of Wonderful Design:

Click Here to read more about Peace Industry Felt Rugs...

"Melina and Dodd Raissnia of Peace Industry own and operate their own workshop in Iran where they have perfected the best methods for producing the highest quality felt rugs, all of which are designed by Melina. The method is a revitalization of the oldest rug tradition from Iran that had been on the verge of extinction. For a look at the process watch our 15-minute film. You can also read an essay on the subject by Melina Raissnia for Turkotek.com."


Your Daily Dose of Inspiring Words:

The last stanza of "The Precision of the Wheel", by Vernon Watkins:

Child, what would I not give
To change for you
The world in which we live
And make it new,
Not in the paths and towers
Of prayer and praise,
But in the outrageous powers
Their waste displays.
May night's twin mysteries,
Time's equipoise,
Call upon love, and these
Build all your joys.

Your Daily Dose of Wicked-Good Food:

Fried egg with smoked poblano pepper and Asiago cheese

Well Now...

I have been off the blog for a while now, eh? Seems that one of my computers had a catastrophic and fatal event, which has caused major Time Suckage, among other things. And, since that system contains most of my art, photography and graphics work, I have been busy dealing with my external hard drive (oooh baby) and trying to switch files over from a PC format to a Mac format, including rebuilding my iTunes via scrubbers and file transfer systems, like Senuti. And, both of my daughters got sick this week. AND, my Check Engine light went on yesterday prompting me to have coffee in the shiny Jaffarian Toyota waiting room, so as to spend 85 bucks to have someone tell me I should pay better attention when getting gas, to be sure to screw the cap back ALL THE WAY. *smacksheadwith handrepeatedly*

And this morning, my conversations went something like THIS:

Daughter: "I am so tired"
Me: "Did you have a bad sleep?"
D: "Yeah, I am still pretty stuffy."
M: "Did the meds I gave you help at all?"
D: "Dunno, but this morning I woke up all booggery. Do I sound stuffy?"
M: "A little."
D: "WHAT!!!!!!! HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT TO ME???? YOU RUINED MY WHOLE MORNING!!! THANKS A LOT MOM!!!! NOW I CAN'T TALK ALL DAY. GREAT. JUST FRIKKEN GREAT. THANKS, MOM!!!"

pause...

D: "Mom, do I have a mustache?"
M: "No, dear (sweetly) you do not."
D: "Yes, I do"
M:"Didn't you just get your eyebrows and other face bits waxed?"
D: "Yeah, but it grew back"
M: "Since a few days ago??"
D: "I CAN'T TALK TO YOU ABOUT ANYTHING. YOU ARE SO ANNOYING!!! ARGHHHHHHHH!!!!"


pause...

D: "So, do I look alright???"
M: "Um, yes dear." (very quietly)
D: "Why are you talking like THAT??!!!"
M: "Because no matter what I say you are going to be angry at me."
D: "I AM NEVER TALKING TO YOU AGAIN!!!!! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!!"
M: (daughter gets out of car at Middle School) "Have a good day"
D: **grumble**

M: (under my breath as she gets out of the car) "Get the Fuck out of my car."

Is it too early for booze in my coffee???

So, I come home to look at my email. SCORE!!!

This, sent to me by Kevin in Illinois:

So, bear with me as I regroup over here. I am dealing with Mutinous Machines and Irascible Camels.

Because I love to laugh: The Vicar of Dibley

Please wait for the last scene. You will be very glad you did.

I have been absent. This is because I had two weekend events to cook for (yeah, yeah, for which to cook). 20 Somethings, geeky wedding extraordinaire. I had a blast. But I am exhausted today. so I will catch up with Y'all later... In the meantime, go hit up Erin for some really good chuckles.

J.

"Polar Bears for Obama 2008"

Um, yeah...a garage sale is in order...

Live from New York...

I apologize for the OLAY ad. Personally, I think they SUCK and are raping the rainforest.

That skit, friends, is Totally Keen.
Totally.
Keen.

Your Daily Dose of Cool Things:

Click Here to step Into the Hermitage

In times of trouble or stress I find much joy in fiction, art, music, creativity. Go take a look at this amazing site.

Your Daily Dose of Wonderful Design:

Slake your thirst for Mid-Century Modern here, at Heals.co.uk

Your Daily Dose of Inspiring Words:

image courtesy: Kevin Fields

"I don't think you can really have our historic standard of living if what the economy consists of is flipping hamburgers, swapping pieces of paper on the stock market and suing each other." -Wilber Ross

for more of this interesting interview go to: NPR

Your Daily Dose of Wicked-Good Food:

Smoked Salt

This weekend I roasted up some poblano peppers on the grill. I decided to toss a steel container of sea salt in on top of the coals and wet hickory chips during the smoking process, and this yummy smoked salt is the result. It is great on sliced tomatoes, or sprinkled on fish!

Pounding the Prozac

I am not generally an alarmist. At heart, though this year has been really difficult in lots of ways, I remain an optimist, a Possibilitarian. But...

When I see over 250 BILLION taxpayer dollars going to buy out Bear Stearns and the Fannies, combined with the billions of dollars for damages from Gustav, Hanna and Ike, Lehman Brothers going down the drain, Merrill Lynch selling out to Bank of America, an un-ending war moving from Iraq to Afghanistan, Venezuela shutting us off as they get hot and heavy with Russia, Cuba getting ready to drill for oil off of the coast of Florida, gas in Saudi Arabia at .45 cents, the post hurricane season harvests trashed in the croplands of America, the Yee-Haw ticket in the elections, I feel like sitting here awaiting the opening of the stock market while sucking my thumb and rocking back and forth.

I want my yurt or cabin now, please. And some land. Sheep maybe. Water collectors, solar panels, a permaculture garden and some really good friends.

Seen Elsewhere on the Intarwebbzez...

"Yee-Haw! is NOT a foreign policy."

I think I need a new bumper sticker.

Gustav, Hanna and Ike

Noah? Noah? Is there anyone here named Noah?

I know I have been away most of this week, but life has a way of catching up with you once school is open again. I have been working hard, and dealing with a number of issues, not the least of which is yet ANOTHER asshat teacher in one of my daughter's schools. I think you remember the incident when the teacher mentioned to an entire class that my oldest daughter appeared to be anorexic? Well, this time it was the younger one, and the teacher was frustrated with her for not working on her vocabulary words fast enough in class, being chatty, etc, so he told her and the whole class that she was Special Needs had learning disabilities, and was too slow for the class. She was angry and mortified and I just about tore the guy a new one, because that just 'aint right.

I told him that it was his job to motivate, not humiliate, and that he should understand what makes teens tick in his class, that once you set someone up as an example, good or bad, you alienate kids, lose respect and have gained nothing. I also mentioned to the principal that under HIPA regulations such discussion of someone's learning style to a classroom is a breech of regulations and that legal action might be a recourse. That got her running. I am more than pissed. He told me he lost his cool. ON THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL????? Yes, she can be....ah....a challenge, but that means you have to be creative in your attempts. At the VERY least he should have taken her aside, told her that he noticed she was not performing up to her potential and asked if she needed help.

So much energy has gone to many phone calls this week. And, frankly, it wears me out.

I have been taking on extra gigs to yield more funding this month, and now that the girls are back in school I can schedule things better, not having to stop everything and drive someone somewhere. I do well with structure. I also do well with the more than 6 hours of hiking/walking a day on my doggie walking days. The kitchen gig will be firing up soon, so that will mean long hours of being a Chef, so I am enjoying the outdoors while I can.

Here is a picture of my kitty sitting in the window the other day when it was sunny. It makes me smile.

Your Daily Dose of Cool Things:

Jackson Pollock.org
Just go there and play around with your mouse. See what happens!

Your Daily Dose of Wonderful Design:

Click Here for this wonderful bed idea!

Your Daily Dose of Inspiring Words:

by Me

Your Daily Dose of Wicked-Good Food:

Easy and Tasty White Pizza

Pita bread
Bertoli alfredo sauce in a jar
tomatoes
garlic
roasted red peppers
asiago cheese
shredded mozzerella (I used a mixture of shredded for this one)
oregano, basil, thyme or whatever herbs you like!

Pull apart the pita breads and place them on a baking sheet. Cut a clove of garlic and rub it over the surface of the breads. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the alfredo sauce on the breads and top with slices of tomato and roasted peppers. Arrange cheeses on top and sprinkle with herbs. Back at 400 degrees until bubbly and brown.

I would use this for my alarm clock if I could.

Oh, and By the Way...

Giving Us Greenheads a bad name...

Wind Turbine Sucks Air, AND money. Click Here to read all about our spendy Green initiative.

Okay...this is really getting ridiculous now. The comment I heard this morning was that, despite the obvious monetary suckage (which residents of the state will now be paying off along with our Pwetty Bridge and the Big Dig), the decision was made to do this because it "sends a positive message about alternative energy".

I seriously believe that all politicians should be required to acquire a second degree, a major in Philosophy, which would teach them, among other things, ethics and LOGIC.

*headsmacksdesk*

Howdy there, folks!

I think I speak for most of the state of Massachusetts when I say I am glad that we did *not* get the 7.5 inches of rain they expected us to get. We did get powerful rain and ferocious winds, though, and much of the fruit on the trees around here has been dashed to the ground. Yesterday was sunny for a good deal of the day, and my cotton sheets blew in the breezes, drying through the day. What a great smell!!!

The afternoons are cool and breezy, and sitting in my yard I can hear the guy down the street who plays jazz saxophone playing (incredibly well) every day. Lux and I went to the bird sanctuary this morning for a run and a swim. She came back really tired. And that is always Keen.



Your Daily Dose of Cool Things:

Um.....No, I don't think so...the label says safe for rectal use.


Oh, MY! Take a look at this video!:

Your Daily Dose of Wonderful Design:

Bike Furniture!!! How cool is THAT?!

Your Daily Dose of Inspiring Words:

Click Here for the Best of Jeff (from Coupling-UK Version) This man makes me smile, every time, always.

Your Daily Dose of Wicked-Good Food:

Simple Pleasures Pluot Tart

Take 4 large ripe pluots (hybrid of plum and apricot) and slice. Toss in 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons honey. Place 1 and a half cups of brown rice flour in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons oil, 4 tablespoons rice milk (or juice) and a pinch of salt. Pour the sandy looking flour mix into a pie plate and press down with your fingers on the bottom and edges. Place the fruit in the pie plate and bake at 375 for about 25 minutes or until the edges of the crust are lightly browned. Serve with vanilla ice cream if you feel particularly decadent. And, really now, who doesn't?

Oh! The Joyous Teen Years!!!

This is a picture of my daughter from a few years ago. The girl has grown bigger. So has the attitude.

Beach Day

Lux and I went to the beach for the day yesterday. We wanted to see the storm move in from hurricane Hanna. We drove up the coast to Rye Beach in NH. We came home all sandy and windblown and tired. A bath for both of us (hers outside), and an early bedtime last night. we woke up this morning, after a night of hellacious rain and wind, to a new and bright day full of cool breezes. We went out on Junior Patrol. Juniors are what we call the adolescent squirrels, those skinny ones, not quite yet adult so they are a bit more, um, slow to the ways of DOG.

Here are some pics from yesterday's romp.