The Gipper says...

Mmmmm, that's some Good Medicine!

I salute the stoner's willingness to be taxed.

4/20 Be Safe. Be Happy. Eat and Sleep ♥

Where the winged ones come to die...

My back porch.  Today I witnessed the first bumblebee death of the season. Only the first, many more shall find their weakened way into the screened safety, to die. There are lots of flies, too, in various sizes, in various stages of death. They're not as much fun to photograph, nor are they as dedicated to my yard's beauty and bounty in the way the bees are. I whispered wishes for safe and happy travels through/toward whatever's next... I whisper to the flies, too ♥ 

Unconscious Mutterings #377

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Drug :: Dragged?
2. Questions :: Answered
3. Active :: Energy
4. Facts :: Straight
5. Amount :: Enough
6. Supervise :: Anthropologist's observation
7. Ingredients :: Imperative 
8. Dentist :: Necessary, Expensive Evil
9. Meal :: Happy 
10. Packaging :: Should be ignored, the prize inside is what matters! 

Charlie wears Doug Patterson's Vans

I love LOST. I don't get it and I don't have to; I'm in love with it's unraveling-while-still-tangling mysteries. I do love stories that make my real life appear simple and uncomplicated in comparison. This one accomplishes that in ten-fold. Every episode. 

I've loved Charlie from the very first time we met on screen. Sure, at first it was the whole Dominic crush (we'd be cute together, you know). At some point though, Dominic disappeared and it was Charlie, charming me with his Charlie ways. 

Then Charlie left. Some use the *d* word in describing his absence, I prefer a simple left, as I knew he'd be back. And he is. ::::happy dance::::

There was a simple scene in Tuesday's episode, where I saw a blonde boy in checkered (lace-less) vans. Except I had this strange, real-life, LOST moment, where there wasn't an island nor a Charlie nor a Desmond, instead there was Axtell Park Junior High and Doug Patterson and Diana Lambert. Whoa. 

Those shoes! I know those shoes!

As if moving from a super cool beach town like Virginia Beach, VA to po-dunk landlocked Sioux Falls, Souf'akota wasn't gonna be a challenge in it's own right, to make such a monumental move wearing, well, frankly, weird-ass shoes, you're not asking for easy assimilation, nor shall you receive easy assimilation.  It's junior high in 1983, there's nothing easy; even with non-weird-ass shoes.  

The first whisper that first morning Did you see the new boy? Cute, but he's wearing some weird-ass shoes. That was the standard report from every single girl the entire day.  From the boys, I was able to discern his name was Doug, he lived at the T at the end of the street, he's from a beach and he's wearing some weird-ass shoes.  

Doug was eventually deemed cooler than his shoes were weird. Which is no easy feat in junior high. Being a surfer and brandishing Sex Wax stickers at the peak of hormonal freshness certainly helped his cause.  Being a cute and sweet and all-around-good guy, he easily swayed the rest of us.  

Wherever you are today, Mr. Patterson, know that I remember that first day. I know now the courage the second day required of you & I'm so glad you kept showing up. With your weird-ass shoes and all.  I hope your life is sweeter and far less complicated than Charlie's, though I hope even more you retain the bit of you who still hangs out in checkered (no laces!) vans and dreams of the waves... 

For the Little Me & My Little Friends

My very own Faerie House! ♥
With some space, some dirt, some seeds and a lot of gumption - viola!
Eventually, this ring will grow 7-10 foot sunflowers, with shorter sunflowers between,
with coneflowers and, of course,
morning glories, to tie it all together, beautifully.
We're hoping to do the pumpkins, squash, other veggie beds
in rays, emitting from this circle.
Perhaps a satellite map reader might someday

appreciate the view we're creating.
Wow! I sure do...

Our New Garden

While the amount of land continues to be a huge advantage to our home, the quality of said-land has been quite a detriment.  A very wet, very wet, no drainage, clay-like substance inhabits our planned garden space.  Very wet. Without drainage. Doesn't dry. Doesn't drain. That stuff up there? That's the magic-making dirt-to-be ♥ Manure, bark dust & something called "Clay Buster" was mixed up and delivered in a giant heap, right in the front yard.  Wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow, it'll be transported here (a view from the chicken coop doorway)

and poured onto rotting straw (which I hear farmers will bring to you for free just to get it off their land!) which used to be our 'round the bonfire seats (reuse & recycle!) And eventually, as things get planted in their due time, each spot of garden will look like this,

each filled with their own happy, happy, happy little plants like these

For the Love of Pastries & Maths

I successfully accomplished les croissant! Intimidating, indeed, yet incredibly satisfying and proud-making.

They are, quite possibly, the least expensive ingredient-containing delicacy with the most labor intensive creation process. Worth every single moment hour spent ♥  [The yeast dough started  at 4pm; 4 hour rest; rolling in of butter and laminating two batches (3 turns/1/2 hour rest between) took 3 hours; 5 hour rest (I napped); 1 hour roll out; 2 hour proof (which coulda/shoulda been 3); 24 minutes of edge-of-seat-waiting = We were chomping at 9 am the following day]

Quite definitely, this is the most sensual dough I've ever had the luxury to handle; it's like the silkiest, smoothest, most perfect baby skin-like texture in the universe. When you ask it, quite nicely of course, to perform magic, like becoming the perfect rectangle from which to make croissant, it purrs: Anything for you, and viola! I'm a pastry chef. A pastry chef who isn't intimidated by words like laminate and isosceles triangle.

Following my first major baking mathmatics success, I moved on to a very personal culinary challenge. A challenge that has haunted me for more than 2 years: Cutting brownies at Sunnyside Up.  Laugh, go ahead. Sure. I've been banned for financial reasons. This weekend, we ran out of both OMG Brownies  and authorized brownie cutters. So as not to deprive Corvallis of such deliciousness any longer, I did my brownie maths. Properly sized parchment, folded perfectly into 8x3 brownie dimensions (even factoring in the trimmed edges!) really, really, really helped me visualize what I was seeking to accomplish & worked as an amazing guide for cutting the lines.  

Today, in this 3rd year as a baker at Sunnyside Up, I cut and packaged an entire tray of OMG Brownies, with ZERO casualties ♥
Because once you can do les croissant, you can do anything!

As April Quickly Evaporates

Yeah, I know it's barely started! Remember March? That went by in like 3.56 days. 

So, right now, right this minute, on the 7th day of April, I am awake alone. Occasionally joined by a mildly interested Charlie. [Who, by the way, fetched and returned 7/7 balls tossed today. No wrassling necessary!]

Hayden is asleep on the sofa, probably to awaken soon, and hungry.  We'll pop down to Sunnyside Up for our dose of bacon. I might convince him to hit the pottery studio with me...

Alas, I jump the wrong way on the timeline! I'm working backwards... Last night was the second meeting of my Clay Exploration class. After a frustrating week of wheel failures investing some hours this week to figure out the 10,000 unsuccessful pulling techniques, I did manage to taste the sweet, sweet nectar of success. First, I learned to walk the fuck away and take a deep breath (then 12 more). I rolled coils and listened to French lessons, after the wheel became personal.  I laugh now, I was almost crying on Friday. Second, I found a friend who is passionate about claywork and invited him to join me. He's good and he still collapses beautiful works. And guess what. He doesn't take it personally. This is a meditative and calm-requiring* undertaking. Probably the perfect thing for me right now. I successfully began 5 bowls!

Buddha left last week. I miss him dearly. I know CJ's ecstatic to have him back on the truck and this whole figgerin' out a new living arrangement is but a bump in the road of his happy happy life. And should that happy arrangement not work out so happily, Buddha can return here to us. Just in time to move in with Chance!
Yes, the Dread Boy is returning to Oregon ♥ this time to put to good use the vast knowledge of farming he has amassed during his time back in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, supporting a local organic farmer by bringing his incredible enthusiasm and a breath of much needed fresh air to the project. If ever there were a ready-made win/win/win situation, this is it!

Before that we had a whirlwind visit from the Traaseths! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Which included, of course, a trip to the ocean where we mostly froze while trying not to be blown away... [we were all a lot tougher when we lived in the middle of no where! Blood thins fast!]

except for Hayden and Kyra, somehow they had an hour or so of being impervious to the weathers.

Twas an eventful and emotional few days. I think I'm still recovering.

Truth is, Hannah's not visiting at their house, ready to come home at any moment.

Quite frankly, that's a truth I don't like very much.

And it's a truth who's time has come, whether I like it or not, it's time.

I want to see the world (of Kyra) for what is there, not for what is missing.

For nothing truly is, everything is right here, right now...

And that's my nutshell, a chunk of it at least... a beginning. again.

~~~~~~~~~~

*Tally speak

TP: In Memory of Trees (& their flowers)

These blossoms in the corner of the yard were a wonderful surprise this spring!
They're the perfect subjects for my new camera. When I can get to them without rain or wind interference, that is.  I suppose I should use the windy, rainy time to figure out what to call this miracle besides "Beautiful." Then again, Why bother?