Stains, Clutter and Life

I hate stains!!! I am one who strips the kid when there is a stain that needs attention and over the years my sons let me know that this was sometimes frightening since it would often come almost unexpectedly the minute I saw them. I know if I don't get to most are not taken care of it will set so I am quick to attack them.

I'm not much for all the cleaning, but cooking and laundry actually are almost a passion. I'm lucky, because my husband doesn't mind that. I am a pile make. That is because if I put things away neatly, they're gone forever to me. I never can find them again...well maybe I could find them, but certainly not when I need them! So my office and desk are piled high and look messy, but they aren't because I know which one has what I need. Why can I find things there and not that which has been neatly filed away? I wish I had answers for that question. I have tried over the years to change and use the filing system. I have filing cabinets where only a few things can be found though they are filled. My husband knows better how to use these files so I leave them to him.

It's interesting how stains, and those pieces of paper that make up the files I keep are two of my passions. I guess it's how life becomes a whole thing for me. It makes life, mine in all senses. So this messy, creative, obsessive lady enjoys her small house - and life!

Painting Living Rooms...The New Night Out!

Painting my living room can be quite a chore usually. It's a large room and there are a few nooks and crannies, but doing it with someone always helps. Today, I got to spend time edging and rolling about a third of the room with my younger brother and we had so much fun! We giggled and I got to know him better. We never got a chance to do that when we were younger since he was 10 years younger and I moved out and married before he was old enough to really get to know well.

Funny, I have three sisters, but I don't know any of them. They're strangers - and not by my choice, but I have a good friend and special brother in my youngest sibling! I think that I'm really blessed in knowing him. Life can be funny sometime, but that can also be a very good thing!

Life in the Box

I wake up, turn on the computer and wander through my various emails and check into my writing sites while I'm there. "Oooo, I have a new reader from Romania!" Big deal, right? This little box has made us all, including me addicted to what we can say or see online. So what are we searching for? That 15 minutes of fame? That's a question I can't even answer for myself, but I think it has to do with a larger community of acceptance.

Our communities are getting larger but we don't have the time to actually communicate with those around us, so we do it the easy way by clicking and never seeing a face or hear a voice. It's also a great place to complain about bosses and friends who've hurt us - a more anonymous way maybe possibly.

So why do I write online? To work on my writing skills...after all it is my bread and butter right now, and I am a bit new to this job of writing every week for cash. But I write mostly because writing fascinates me. By changing words around you can change the meaning and idea of what you say, and what you write.

But that doesn't explain why I'm searching other sites out. I like to do research, so that is one of the reasons. But why do I spend time on sites that aren't productive and where people enjoy tearing people down with little or no real communication? We all know the sites where you can write something and 20 people respond with comments that aren't helpful or even sometimes hurtful, or how about those who are constantly emailing you games or things that fill the email box up by the end of the day. I know for some it is about the only good communication they get in a day, but why do I let myself get drawn into this???

For me the reason is people. Behind those notes and observations are real people who are mostly escaping for a while. This is like the imaginary world like a book for some and they can do it in "word bytes" not in huge chapters. I have cut back on my sites and those I interact with online, unless we're related of course, and those I let in are those I have come to care for and think about even when I'm not online. So why do you do it? Who are you out there in computerland?

Food that is family - Comfort Food

Cooking is something I love. But not just any basic cooking - Italian recipes are some of the ones I love the best, but I'm also into almost any kind of soup. Tonight I created a soup that probably would be considered at least partially in the Italian realm.

Soups have a comforting feel and since it's fall here I am focusing on the warmth that comes from good soups. And most people are surprised that you really don't need much salt to make them tasty, but you do need herbs and spices! I called the soup chicken and couscous. It's filled with thyme, bay leaves, celery, onion, carrots and of course chicken! It is almost as comforting as my chili according to my husband. But what it does is create a pocket of warmth in those cold fall days.

Season 2 1/2 chicken breasts with a pinch of pepper and salt and a touch of mild paprika. Heat a fry pan until hot and add 2 tablespoons olive oil in and when it starts to shimmer from the heat add the chicken. Turn down the pan to medium high heat and leave the chicken alone for 3 minutes while you cut the carrots (2), small onion, and celery in medium sized chunks - nothing too big. Turn the chicken and brown on the other side the same amount of time. Remove the chicken to a plate and add 1 teaspoon more of olive oil to saute the veggies until the vegetables are soft. Cut the chicken in large chunks and add them back to the pan with 32 ounces of chicken broth and 16 ounces water. Add your spices: 1 1/2 bay leaves, a large tablespoon thyme leaves and all the vegetables back to the pot. The final ingredient is optional - one teaspoon of tomato past. No more but you can certainly add less of the paste. Simmer for 25 minutes and serve over couscous flavored with a bit of olive oil and the broth from the soup.

This is really a simple dish that is comfort food for much of my family and friends. Comfort food doesn't have to be fancy, or even something elegant. It's what makes you feel like you're home where ever you enjoy the aroma and taste of something that means memories. Enjoy!

Leaves for Thought

Sitting in a lawn chair, leaning back and watching the sky is a wonderful place to be on a cool fall morning. I sat this morning taking in the cool air watching the contrails and the bees buzzing all over what is left of my garden. That wonderful patch of ground filled with flowers this summers has become brown with long gray stalks where birds play and the only color comes from the asters and mums...but that is enough.

The fall is a minimalist season, unlike the spring with its exploding exuberance it is more a quiet exit to a gentler time. Though winter is often filled with winds and void of color, it is also a time of quite withdrawal. Behind closed doors there are more quiet pass times for many in our part of the country so fall is that thoughtful time where I contemplate life and wrap myself in the colors and quiet that comes from kids back in school, and life returning to a settled way.

Fall is here and I actually am looking forward to the season, and that cold one that's coming after as well. I love the summer's flowers and feeling of being productive, but I am more a fall devotee. The raking up of the summer's memories, and the moving on to a new day.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

I'm a writer, and a reader. I love well written magnetic book that holds you close till the very end, but these days a book like that can be hard to come by. There are always the escape novels, but I'm talking about really good books that capture you and carry you to the end on a cloud of anticipation. Well, I just finished such a book.

If you haven't heard of the book The Thirteenth Tale, you should check it out. This engrossing tale is a definite must read! The author is Diane Setterfield and her novel is one of those good old fashioned Gothic novels with all the twists and turns that keep you guessing. But what I loved most about it is the way it draws you into the characters. With four main characters, but only two in the forefront there is a lot of mystery created, a thriller that keeps you guessing till the very end. I'm pretty good at solving who-done-its, but this one had me in its grip till the very end - which was at the end of a long night because I couldn't put it down.

It opens with a mousy loner type of character who is rather nondescript. But right away I got the impression there was more through the way that first chapter was laid out. From the beginning it brings into the mix twins and the concept of twin language, and so much more. Oh, and yes, there is a deep dark secret...well, actually more than one! The twists and turns leave you hanging on the edge and if you're the type of reader who only reads an hour or two a night this will keep you coming back to just get a peek as to where it goes next. The best part - or maybe the worst is it leaves you with questions at every turn that can definitely keep you awake nights till you've finished this tome.

If you haven't yet explored the book, The Thirteenth Tale, take time to wander through the hallways of this narrative about this disjointed group of people until this innovative tale totally captures your imagination. Maybe like me, you’ll read and re-read the pages to discover another part of the twists and turns that makes this book so gripping.

The Hawk on "Dive!"

Have you ever watched a hawk in flight? To watch the grace and the speed they exhibit flying or hunting is wonderful and I got a really breathless view of one sitting on my patio this morning. The weather was cool and I took a cup of coffee out to enjoy watching the birds flocking all over my backyard, and to enjoy the antics of our two humming birds as they dove after each other through the morning glories and black eyed susan vines. Suddenly there was a swoop and the biggest Cooper's hawk I've seen simply ridding the wind into our yard diving down from above. But those little birds were faster and dove into the various plants and bushes in the yard and out of site - this time.

Many feel that the hawk is an intruder in the garden but for me it is a sign of the power found in God's creation, and it's beautiful to watch. I sat long after the hawk had moved on and watching the birds dashing below the leaves of plants and back out to rest a moment on the spent stalks of flowers or the stems of the sunflowers. If anything is heaven for me, it has to be here. There are no arguments nor any anger...simply beauty and peace. I love it.

Comes the Fall

This season is my friend.
Cooler temperatures,
winds that sing,
and leaves that shine in all the autumnal shades.
It's grand to walk through the day
and smell deeply of changes.
From promises, to green, to golds and brown.

Just a Little Touch of Stardust

"Fly me to the moon"...or how about, "Light up your face with gladness, Hide every trace of sadness." The jazz standards have a draw for me. I love Diana Krall, Tony Bennett and so many more who take all those songs, those simple songs and makes them come alive as if they could breathe and look at you - right through you with intense, knowing eyes.

My favorites happen to be the soft ones that have lyrics that make you think, and feel. I can sit and listen to Mr. Bennett and close my eyes and see the grass in front of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge, or listen to the "A Train" and feel the bumps and stalls of the subway and the smell of excitement as you get closer to Harlem. What makes those songs work - what gives them the simmering love, or pain or simple everyday joy? Maybe it's the emotion that the composer, lyricist, or song stylist evoke through the way they interpret each note, word or tone.

Music drives the world. Look at the explosion of songs downloaded from the net, or even the iPod. My favorite music isn't jazz, or classical, or even Celtic it's any and all genres that take on lives of their own. Music to have life needs so much...and so little. And that's what keeps me comin' back for another bite from a juicy trail of notes and words that helps me see each day, or night in a whole new lyrical light.

Fall in My Garden

This cooler weather is inspiring for me. I often sit on the patio and enjoy most mornings, now. The birds are flocking and along the fence every morning there is a line of sparrows waiting their turn to dip and drink from our bird bath. It reminds me of kids waiting for the bathroom.

Though the garden isn't as pretty as in the spring and early summer some flowers are still blossoming. The cosmos look great, and the asters are beginning to bloom. But I must admit there is much in the garden that looks quite ragged. But that too gives a beauty of its own. The tall brown stems of long dead lilies are now the perches for the goldfinches and sparrows.

The sweet autumn clematis is beginning at the very top to break out in lovely small white blossoms. It covers the trellis at the back of the garden and has often been called the garden "ice cream cone" by neighbors because the blossoms seem to balloon from the top down. There the littlest of my garden birds congregate under the leaves and flowers safe from the local cooper's hawk as it makes its daily pass over the yard.

The fall can be so restive and quiet here in my garden world. It's truly a place to escape as the days speed by. Here I can almost stop my world and take time to inhale the garden that nature creates all around me.

All Creatures Great and....

From a chair on my patio today I sat and watched a mail humming bird literally scaring away all who approached my humming bird feeder today. This has been happening for at least a month and it is quite an extraordinary site to see. The little fellow has three or four pieces where he hides to watch for intruders, sometimes he even sits on the hook that holds the feeder unwilling to let any approach.

I put another feeder seven feet away in hopes of giving the other hummers a chance, but he has become even more vigilant diving between and keeping most of the other neighborhood hummers away. He's really quite territorial!

I think this summer I have really enjoyed watched all the new creatures that inhabit my yard. From humming birds, to humming bird moths, to toads I've really been enjoying each as they pass over my little piece of ground. That's the part of summer I really love. My flower garden, and critters that frequent it, and my yard as well.

The Wow of Discovery

Do you know the area where you live well? I thought I did until I began to write a column in our local news paper about "Exploring Holland." Funny how much I am finding in my research. I began with all the local special places and after six months I have progressed to a bit of history and a lot of those little places that truly make the area special.

I've lived in Holland, Michigan since 1974 and my kids were involved all over the area, and I thought I knew this area. I've discovered how steeped this town is in its little pockets of fascinating events, people, or sometimes the little thigs I never had a clue existed! My best find was the picture and small caption that went with that simply said, "Tower Park; An observation platform for viewing Lake Michigan." I'm a history buff and consider myself a lover of local history and never heard about this way to view the beach and cottage area surrounding it. It disappeared in a storm in 1933 so all there is about it is this photo, caption and the memories of those who remember it.

Or how about that the Getz Farm (Local farm/zoo) when it closed sold 250 animals to the Brookfield Zoo of Chicago? They are still finding elephant or large python bones there when they build a new house or cottage! This has been such an interesting journey for me...and I've only begun! The best part is I've really enjoyed my transformation into "the researcher!" I am really beginning to love the distinctive smell that is the archive of our museum. Who knew there would be so many mysteries to be discovered in old pictures, written stories, and memories?