Quote of the Week

This was taken at the Museum at the Monticello Visitor's Center

...the precept...is wise which directs us to try all things & hold fast that which is good.  - Thomas Jefferson

Do not be afraid to try new things; you never know what you may miss out on when you pass up an opportunity.  Many good things emerge through experimentation.

April Fool's Day

Recycle the cat?  You wouldn't?

Today is April Fool's day, a traditional day of jokes and pranks, ranging from simple jokes to elaborate and convoluted stories.   As a fan of NPR's "All Things Considered" my husband related this story to me back in 2005.  I think it even had him going for a minute because this is usually a serious news show.  The story that day was on the danger of exploding maple trees and they reported that the decrease in the consumption of maple syrup was a contributing factor in the increase in exploding maple trees.  Since less syrup was being made and fewer trees were being tapped for their sap, the pressure of the rising sap would build to the point the tree could no longer support it and would explode.

The story goes on to tell about a rival company in Samoa that was cutting up used maple furniture, and boiling it down to make a cheap knock-off called "table syrup".   

You can hear the live broadcast here.

I guess this just goes to show that if you hear an incredible story today, remember it's April Fool's day and take it with a grain of salt.

Wine Tasting in Charlottesville, VA

Last weekend was filled with fun, friendship, and wine tasting.  It was a nice, albeit cold, weekend in Charlottesville, VA where our group of 13 tasted our way through some really good Virginia wines.  Please join us on our journey.

We kicked off the weekend on Friday night with dinner at the Aberdeen Barn.  The food and service were excellent, and it was conveniently located near our hotel.  We were all given consecutive rooms on the same floor so our enthusiasm wouldn't disturb the other guests.  After dinner we commandeered the breakfast room to meet and discuss our plans for Saturday.  The wine and conversation flowed freely around the tables we had pushed together, and we nailed down the wineries we wanted to visit.  This was our first visit to the area, so we were fine with whatever was decided upon.

We met in the parking lot after breakfast the next morning and sorted out riding arrangements.  It was cold but sunny, and a good day to be out and about.

The first stop of the day was First Colony Winery.  The tasting room was in a beautiful setting with gorgeous trees in full bloom, and daffodils and grape hyacinth dotting the walkway.  We tasted an array of wines including an interesting Tannat which is seldom used as a stand alone, and petted the resident cat as he dozed in his chair in the sun.  We walked out of there with several bottles of their more interesting varieties.

Next it was on to Blenheim Vineyard & Winery.  They were having an event in the tasting room, so our tasting took place outside.  Yes, it was cold, but we did have a gas heater to warm our hands and/or glasses of wine.  Blenheim  has a lovely selection of wines, and we enjoyed them all thoroughly.  We picked up a couple of our favorites whites, Chardonnay and Painted White.

By this time we were beginning to feel the need for lunch, and there was a small deli just a few miles down the road.  The sandwiches were yummy, but I think we overwhelmed them, so lunch took a little longer than anticipated, and to stay on schedule, it was decided to forgo the next winery.

We soon arrived at the much-anticipated White Hall Vineyards, and it was everything it had been described to be and more.  There was a crowd around the tasting bar where the pourers were holding court.  The guy who was pouring for us was an absolute hoot, and had us all laughing.  We tasted a lot of excellent wines and made more purchases.  One of the group favorites was Edichi, a sweet dessert wine with flavors of plum, walnut, and raspberry with a rum raisin finish.

Just when you think it can't get any better, we made our way to Veritas Winery & Vineyard just before they closed.  This was our first seated tasting, and we were divided between two tables.  We tasted six wines, which were all excellent, and guess what?  Yep, we bought more wine.  My favorite here was a sparkling wine called Scintilla, made from Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay grapes.

That brought an end to our tasting adventures, and we headed back to the hotel to regroup for dinner.

Sunday morning we awoke to an inch of fresh snow, and thus there was a snowball fight in the parking lot as we loaded the cars.

It was a wonderful weekend.  We ate, we drank, we bonded in ways that simply meeting for a couple hours once a month can't accomplish.  I am looking forward to more such getaways.

Quote of the Week

When you have to make a choice and don't make it, that is in itself a choice.  

- William James

When I hear someone say, "I had to do it, I had no choice", I think no, that's not true.  You made a decision based on what you felt strongly about one way or the other.

Even when you think there is only one choice, there are two.  To act or not to act.  You could have chosen not to act and deal with the consequences, but you just felt like to do otherwise wasn't an option.

So, if we are faced with a difficult decision, we make the best one we can based on what we know.  We may feel that it's our only choice, but in reality it's the only choice we feel we can reasonably make.

Now That's Red

With Spring comes all the yard cleanup from Winter, because quite frankly I don't go outside in cold weather to keep up with it.  That's not to say that I hibernate, I just don't go hang out in the yard.  Mother Nature's winds, rain and other foul weather managed to bring down more dead sticks than you could...well...shake a stick at.  Between that and last year's garden debris, and leaves that never made it to the street for collection, I've been busy.

Since we live in the city, we are provided with yard waste collection carts, and when I say provided I mean we pay for the carts, and pay for the city to empty them each week.  The yard waste used to be collected for free (after purchase of the cart) from Spring through Fall.  That was then... now they collect them every week for a yearly fee.

Anyway, we have a total of three carts, one at our place and two at my parents' house which I still have and maintain.  Over the last two weeks I have filled all three, emptied them twice and they are full again for next week.

We have another cleanup issue.  At the corner of our property, well technically it is on the lot next door, there is a Locust tree.  Now this Locust tree is stately and full of character...that is until it drops it's seed pods.  If these were edible, we'd be in tall cotton.  However, they have a sort of leathery texture, turn dark brown,  and are upwards of 12 inches long.  They don't rake well and you can't blow them.  There's not much to be done but pick them up.  This is a big tree and nature blesses it well in the area of  "go forth and bear fruit".  Little Locusts pop up everywhere all summer.  There is one bright spot in that it only bears the pods every other year.  Odd isn't it?

Anyway that is what I've been doing this week, and why the only thing I have to offer is this rambling and a pretty tulip I snapped a picture of this week.  

Ta ta, 'tis off to have fun this weekend!  Enjoy!

The Stockpile Advantage

Stockpiling...I guess it kind of runs in the family...remember the toilet paper in the bookcase?  A little organizational skill and a second refrigerator go a long way toward keeping up with the every day supply and demand.  

Here's part of my stash.

Last Friday Cardiogirl shared her intense feeling of gloaming (think gloom) over possibly running out of some of their morning staples.  Imagine her relief at finding her backups.

I know the panic of running out of something you depend on every day!  That is why I have my stash of everything from food items, to paper goods and laundry supplies.

Having a stash doesn't have to break the budget either.  I shop at both Costco and grocery store sales, and I use coupons at both.  Good money-saving strategies add even more value to your stockpile.

So, do you stockpile, and if so, what's in your stash?

Quote of the Week

Rosie, Sophie and Dood - working hard.

Good for the body is the work of the body, good for the soul the work of the soul, and good for either the work of the other.  - Henry David Thoreau

Physical work strengthens the body; work from within strengthens the soul, and work, whether of the body or soul, benefits both body and soul.

Friday Fun

It's time for Friday Flash 55
It makes the weekend come alive
And makes the G-man so proud
That he shouts out loud

So now we pull out all the stops
And whether it flies or it flops
Be it timid, outrageous or bold
Our story in 55 words we've told

Ready, set, GO!  It's your turn.

Written for Friday Flash 55.

Going Green?

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, or St. Paddy's Day as many call it.  It is a day of celebration, drinking, feasting, and coloring things green...water, beer, etc.  Digging into the archives, here is a post I wrote last year to take a deeper look at St. Patrick's Day, who St. Patrick was, and why we celebrate his life.  

While it will be a day filled with festivities and celebration among those of Irish descent, and those who just like any excuse to party, for Japan it is a different story.  In the wake of the massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami, many have lost loved ones, are homeless, cold, hungry and scared. 

So, while we celebrate with our friends and families, let's stop for a moment and consider the suffering of our fellow humans. 

On a lighter note, anyone having or going to a party?

If you wish to help, there are a number of ways to donate such as through the Red Cross, and Second Harvest Japan, a food bank.  However, if you choose to donate, please select your charitable organization carefully.  Tragedy not only brings out those willing to help, but the unscrupulous as well.

Quote of the Week

Photo Credit:  Jannie Funster

This picture was taken by my friend, Jannie Funster, a fellow blogger.  I thought it would be a perfect fit for my Quote of the Week, so I asked permission to use her photo.

In case it's hard to read in the picture, here is the text.

Peace.  It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work.  It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.  - unknown

Peace is not where you are or what is going on around you, and it isn't in your mind, peace is a state of the heart.  When you have achieved this, you can be at peace anywhere.

The Faces of Spring

This started out to be a post on Spring and the different faces it presents.  I was about to state that Spring arrives every year on March 20, but decided I should check my facts.  What I found out was that March 20 has not always the definitive beginning of Spring.  Traditionally March 21 was hailed as the first day of Spring, but in recent years that became the exception rather than the rule. 

The vernal equinox landed on March 21, only 36 out of 100 years. And from 1981 to 2102, Americans will celebrate the first day of spring no later than March 20.

In the years 2008 and 2012, those living in Alaska, Hawaii and the Pacific, Mountain and Central time zones will see spring begin even earlier: on March 19. And in 2016, it will start on March 19 for the entire United States.*

Crocus, one of Spring's pretty faces.

Simplified, some reasons for this include the fact that a year is not made up of an even number of days, nor are the seasons.  Also contributing is the fact that the earth's elliptical orbit is changing relative to the sun.

Spring's face can also be fierce.

Another interesting seasonal fact is that Spring and Summer total more days combined than Fall and Winter, but actually Summer and Fall are gaining ground each year.  Spring is losing one minute and Winter is losing one-half minute per year, respectively.  Summer is gaining the minute lost from Spring and Fall is gaining Winter's half minute.

In many parts of the world, Spring's faces are in evidence before the calendar date, and in addition to the pretty flowers and trees and milder temperatures, she is also unpredictable, unleashing drenching rains and violent storms. So go forth and experience all the faces of Spring.

*Reference:  http://www.space.com/881-date-changed-start-spring.html

It's Bacon to the Rescue

We decided to remodel the bathroom at my parents' house.  The house was built in 1959, and much of it remains original.  In those days, many walls were made of plaster instead of drywall.  What we found when hubby opened the wall around the faucets was that the plaster had become not much more than dust, and the grout was all that was holding the tile in place.

Remodeling can be hazardous work, especially on 50-year old plumbing.  In the process of removing the old faucets, tile and grout, hubby sustained an injury to his finger and a shard of grout was the culprit.

I wasn't there when it happened, and when I called to see when he was coming home for dinner, that's when he told me he had cut his finger.  I was ready to rush over with first aid supplies, but he insisted it would be fine.  Thanks to Kathy at The Junk Drawer, I was waiting with just the thing to soothe his injured finger; it was bacon band aids to the rescue.

Quote of the Week

 


Never judge a work of art by its defects.  - Washington Allston 

We too frequently judge others by how they look or sound, what they wear, or other perceived flaws.  Yet, should we look in the mirror what would we see?  We are all imperfect, and yet all works of art in our own way.

An Evening in Spring

The sun set over the lake streaking the clouds with brilliant orange and lavender and aqua accents.  Jenny and her mom sat on the back porch listening to the frogs and the crickets.  

"This is a perfect evening" said Jenny's mom.  "Do you know what would make it more perfect? asked Jenny. 

"What's that?" 

"Lemonade!"

Written for Magpie Tales and Friday Flash 55

Charlie Sheen: Don't Feed The Frenzy!

Photo Credit:  David Zellaby

Today, we are addressing a serious situation.  The star of the long-running Two and a Half Men, Charlie Sheen, has taken to the airwaves and he has a lot to say.  We have all read and heard the outrageous statements that he's making.  By now we all know his history and the lifestyle choices which have contributed to the cancellation of his show, and today's media frenzy.  It may be considered entertaining until you realize that it has gone too far.

His recent actions have led those close to him to fear for his sanity, his safety, and know that he cannot continue on this path.  The focus now should be on the seriousness of his situation rather than to snicker, point fingers and eagerly watch as the events unfold.  This is a man's life we are talking about. 

The more technologically advanced we become, the quicker we get the latest news on the event of the moment, be it a kidnapping, civil unrest, or natural disaster.  Yes, it can bring about a call to help, but do we need the most minute details of someone's life unraveling? If this hadn't all suddenly "hit the fan" I would not know what has transpired.  We are all human and call it curiosity, or just plain nosiness, we feed on the details.  Media involvement to this degree is not helping.

So today I am making a plea to the media to please back off of the sensationalism.  At the end of the day, he is simply a man who needs help, so let's stop adding fuel to the fire.  

I am participating in the Tribal Blog's Blog Carnival.

Quote of the Week

Photo Credit:  Wikimedia

If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. - Vincent Van Gogh

What is the first thing you think of when someone tells you that you can't do something?  You want to march right out and do it, right?.  This is one instance when you shouldn't listen to your inner voice either, so march right out there and prove yourself wrong!
 

An Early Arrival

The wind carries fragile seeds far away from the mother plant to gently land and take root in the rich soil.  Spring arrives and the sun, in all its warmth, forces the seeds to sprout.  Soon another generation has begun as blossoms of yellow dot the landscape.  For good or ill, so grows the dandelion.

Photo Credit:  John Charlton

Written for Friday Flash 55.

How to Make a Great Pizza Crust

Do you love a hot, fresh homemade pizza, but haven't been able to make a good pizza crust?  Now you can.  Follow these simple instructions and you'll be baking up delicious pizza in no time.

Pepperoni Pizza

Start with: 

1 3/4 cups of bread flour (all-purpose will work too).

1/2 teaspoon rapid rise/instant yeast.

6 ounces hot water - 110-120 degrees.

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil.

In large bowl, mix all ingredients until all liquid is absorbed and no dry flour remains in the bowl.

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.  This makes the dough easier to work with.

Knead the dough on a floured surface several minutes until it is pliable and not sticky.  

Form into a ball and place in an oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for about two hours or until doubled in size.

Turn the risen dough onto a floured surface and stretch or roll to the desired sized.  Top with your favorite toppings and bake in a preheated 500-degree oven for about 8-10 minutes, depending on the heat of your oven.  For a crispier crust, use a pizza stone as shown in the photograph.

Makes one 13 to 15-inch pizza.

Updated: 9/2020

Quote of the Week

Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Louis Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, and Albert Einstein.  - H. Jackson Brown

This is true - there were 24 hours in every day of the lives of these people, just as there is today.  What we have today are days filled with demanding jobs, kids with extracurricular activities, and family and social obligations pulling us in different directions.  We need to find a balance in our busy lives that will allow us to make the most of our time and accomplish our goals.

Going, Going, Gone

The skies cleared, the sun came out and down the road a school bus slowed to a stop.  Do their brakes always squeal?  Kids stared gloomily out dirt-streaked windows.  Yesterday’s snowman, once tall and proud with gravel eyes and a very distinctive nose, was now a hat and scarf  atop a melting pile of snow.

Original Artwork of Roses to Rainbows

  Written for Friday Flash 55