Just found a new series to get addicted to. As well as her series under her pen name
I haven't found a copy of the first in the Haunted Bookstore Mysteries series yet, but I will.
I am fascinated that this author has found two things I find most satisfying: a coffeehouse and a bookstore. I am looking forward to reading both series.
July 24, 2011
July 20, 2011
It's been awhile
It has been a very long time since I waxed on and on here. A lot has happened. On the 10th I went with Kelsey and her family and Andrew to the Marion County Fair. It is far more noisy and populated than when I used to show my sheep and horse back in the 70's. Ok, that was like 40 years ago, wow. There are rides and food and booths and the public there. We were lucky to have our own parents show up to watch us show our animals. Got my cotton candy fix by buying to huge bags and I also ended up with heat stroke or exhaustion, still trying to figure out which. I'm still having dizzy spells and that scares me, but I have no medical insurance so I will just have to endure.
Two weeks I had a phone interview with a person from Lincoln ESD about a position for an Outreach Worker. A job I am way over qualified for, but one that would fit nicely with how I want my career path to evolve. Haven't heard back yet, so I guess my saying I wouldn't move to Toledo until I felt secure in the job was the wrong thing to say. I think that is one of my problems in interviews, being too honest. We'll see, I have an interview in Hermiston next Friday. What really scares me is them offering me the job, but not being able to find a place to rent. With my crappy credit and at least one dog I'm probably not a good risk for someone that has a place to rent.
Went to EZ today and bought cherries, boysenberries, blueberries, and veggies. Went yesterday but I made an error with my credit card so couldn't pick up anything yummy.
Oh, almost forgot I did make Molly's shortcake and it was wonderful. Still have six frozen in the freezer, maybe boysenberry shortcake. It's actually more of a sweet biscuit, but it is wonderful and very easy to make. Ease is what I look for.
Watching Masterchef and there are only a few true home cooks left. Anyone who knows how to cook truffles is more than a home cook in my mind, but luckily I am not in charge. As I watch them cook in the initial episodes I think about my "signature" dishes and whether I could pull them off in public without my family as the judges. They want main dishes, not sides or desserts. What would I cook? What would you cook? Have to think about it.
Two weeks I had a phone interview with a person from Lincoln ESD about a position for an Outreach Worker. A job I am way over qualified for, but one that would fit nicely with how I want my career path to evolve. Haven't heard back yet, so I guess my saying I wouldn't move to Toledo until I felt secure in the job was the wrong thing to say. I think that is one of my problems in interviews, being too honest. We'll see, I have an interview in Hermiston next Friday. What really scares me is them offering me the job, but not being able to find a place to rent. With my crappy credit and at least one dog I'm probably not a good risk for someone that has a place to rent.
Went to EZ today and bought cherries, boysenberries, blueberries, and veggies. Went yesterday but I made an error with my credit card so couldn't pick up anything yummy.
Oh, almost forgot I did make Molly's shortcake and it was wonderful. Still have six frozen in the freezer, maybe boysenberry shortcake. It's actually more of a sweet biscuit, but it is wonderful and very easy to make. Ease is what I look for.
Watching Masterchef and there are only a few true home cooks left. Anyone who knows how to cook truffles is more than a home cook in my mind, but luckily I am not in charge. As I watch them cook in the initial episodes I think about my "signature" dishes and whether I could pull them off in public without my family as the judges. They want main dishes, not sides or desserts. What would I cook? What would you cook? Have to think about it.
July 1, 2011
Recent events
Well the last time I tried to post I got an error message. I hope today is going to work out better for me. Tonight I am fixing a grilled chicken salad. Grilling a chicken breast, boiling some eggs to chop and add to the salad, Roma tomatoes, an avocado, sunflower seeds, and the salad mix from EZ Orchards. Oh and green onions. Should be tasty.
Matt and the girls are outside filling up water balloons, well Matt is filling and Lauren is breaking them as fast as he is filling. I do believe by his tone of voice that he will stop filling up balloons very soon if Lauren doesn't stop breaking them all.
Still job hunting, nothing much this week, last week was way more fruitful. Must have three every week and so far I am meeting that goal. Though I have to apply for some jobs I am marginally qualified for. Though those jobs hurt far less than when I get rejected than the ones I am over qualified for.
Back to the salad, Kelsey bought some nasty frozen chicken breasts and I am hoping that they will taste a bit better grilled, I am hopeful. The veggies I just bought at the EZ stand and they are all fresh, so that part will be very good and tasty. Then some fresh strawberries for dessert. If I am motivated maybe I will make some shortcake. I'll use Molly Wizenberg's chosen recipe from her blog this week.
I can smell the roses I picked yesterday, mmmmm, they are wafting aromatically over here because of the breeze. Smell like raspberries.
Matt and the girls are outside filling up water balloons, well Matt is filling and Lauren is breaking them as fast as he is filling. I do believe by his tone of voice that he will stop filling up balloons very soon if Lauren doesn't stop breaking them all.
Still job hunting, nothing much this week, last week was way more fruitful. Must have three every week and so far I am meeting that goal. Though I have to apply for some jobs I am marginally qualified for. Though those jobs hurt far less than when I get rejected than the ones I am over qualified for.
Back to the salad, Kelsey bought some nasty frozen chicken breasts and I am hoping that they will taste a bit better grilled, I am hopeful. The veggies I just bought at the EZ stand and they are all fresh, so that part will be very good and tasty. Then some fresh strawberries for dessert. If I am motivated maybe I will make some shortcake. I'll use Molly Wizenberg's chosen recipe from her blog this week.
I can smell the roses I picked yesterday, mmmmm, they are wafting aromatically over here because of the breeze. Smell like raspberries.
June 17, 2011
Dinner
I did defrost a chicken breast, but I decided that I would make the Mo's Chowder Kelsey bought and have a side salad to go with it. The chowder, of course, was wonderful always use the half and half it makes the chowder so much more rich and tasty. I bought salad greens yesterday at EZ Orchards, not sure what all was in the mix, just that it is 6.95 a pound and I bought 1.23 worth, and while a bit wilty it was good with the Romas, croutons, sunflower seeds, almond slices and the Mediterranean vinegarette I also bought at EZ. Still too afraid to make my own vineagarette. Also I can't spell it so that sort of means I should refrain from making it for the time being. But dinner was good, appetizer was peanut butter on soda crackers, you must love my sophistication.
Going to start The Walking Dead on DVD tonight I didn't discover it until the end of the season so my anal OCD requires me to watch the entire season hopefully before the new season starts. I like weird shows like that and it makes me want BBC America even more. Of course my lame cable company which was bought by Wave Cable still hasn't added anything new, like BBC America, yet and that is tre` annoying.
Going to start The Walking Dead on DVD tonight I didn't discover it until the end of the season so my anal OCD requires me to watch the entire season hopefully before the new season starts. I like weird shows like that and it makes me want BBC America even more. Of course my lame cable company which was bought by Wave Cable still hasn't added anything new, like BBC America, yet and that is tre` annoying.
A beautiful day
And as near perfect as we get here in the summer. Ok, it really isn't summer yet, Tuesday is when summer starts. I am currently three books and I am discovering what used to frustrate me in college, voice. Slipping from one book to another it takes about three pages for me to feel the voice of the writer, so then I have to reread what I just read and well it is taking me a long time to get through these three books. One of them, A Homemade Life, I've been reading since the beginning of May. It is taking me so long because I stop and try some of the recipes as I am reading. Wizenberg's voice is so different from Mary Gordon's and both far far different than Anne McCaffery's. AM is of course writing fiction and the other two memoir, so I guess it makes some kind of sense. I have only gotten two pages into Seeing Through Places by Mary Gordon, and I am reading all the comments by my fellow reading circle friends, and I am thinking Catholic, Place not so sure this will be a good time for me. I am so ambivalent about my Catholic history that I'm not sure I can parse out the actual me from the me I remember. I spent six years in Catholic School and about every school day was partially spent in church. I somehow convinced my parents to let me go to the public junior high school and I think that was a good thing for me.
Place is one of those things that has been near and dear to me for a time. I hope Gordon enlightens me to a sense of Place.
With the nice weather comes the need to pick up the dog poo in the yard. In the winter you can ignore it, but in the summer you have to pick the damn stuff up or the kids run through it, or worse you step in it. It also sticks to the lawnmower tires and that is gross and smelly. So why am waxing on about it? Because the scooper I have had for five years has given up the ghost and I have to buy a new one. Worse I just plunked down 200 dollars for a lamp for my TV. So money is super tight. This is lamp number five for my six year old TV, the service place says they only last 4 to 5 thousand hours! I just bought one last June, so one a year seems to be the norm. Truly a racket of Toshiba's if you ask me, I mean really? Ok, I watch too much TV, but anyway, and they only give a three month warranty, this one will probably go at three months and one day.
I must figure out something for dinner. Molly's recipes make my stomach growl, but some of the ingredients are bit on the spendy side and I don't know what creme frasche is or how to spell it. And what the heck is Kirsh anyway? The glazed oranges over pound cake, ok I bought the pound cake, was yummy. Andrew is not a fan, but I am going to try the same recipe with lemons and again purchase the pound cake. Off to thaw a couple of chicken breasts to BBQ and then slice for salad. Again, store bought vingarette first and then Molly's. Need avocado though.
Place is one of those things that has been near and dear to me for a time. I hope Gordon enlightens me to a sense of Place.
With the nice weather comes the need to pick up the dog poo in the yard. In the winter you can ignore it, but in the summer you have to pick the damn stuff up or the kids run through it, or worse you step in it. It also sticks to the lawnmower tires and that is gross and smelly. So why am waxing on about it? Because the scooper I have had for five years has given up the ghost and I have to buy a new one. Worse I just plunked down 200 dollars for a lamp for my TV. So money is super tight. This is lamp number five for my six year old TV, the service place says they only last 4 to 5 thousand hours! I just bought one last June, so one a year seems to be the norm. Truly a racket of Toshiba's if you ask me, I mean really? Ok, I watch too much TV, but anyway, and they only give a three month warranty, this one will probably go at three months and one day.
I must figure out something for dinner. Molly's recipes make my stomach growl, but some of the ingredients are bit on the spendy side and I don't know what creme frasche is or how to spell it. And what the heck is Kirsh anyway? The glazed oranges over pound cake, ok I bought the pound cake, was yummy. Andrew is not a fan, but I am going to try the same recipe with lemons and again purchase the pound cake. Off to thaw a couple of chicken breasts to BBQ and then slice for salad. Again, store bought vingarette first and then Molly's. Need avocado though.
June 9, 2011
Another beautiful day
Ok, it isn't a perfect day because it is a bit on the muggy side. But the fact that I don't have to wear coat or make sure I have a coat with me when I left my house is as close as you can get to perfect in my book. Also, with the crazy weather here, beggars can't be choosers so I will revel each time the rain stays away. Hopefully, I won't have to be wishing for rain later in the summer. Getting water from a well, I have to worry some when the rain stays away for long periods.
I am at the library today and I think they turned the heat up, or it could be that I am on the top floor and all the heat is rising. I chose a noisy place to plug in the laptop, near the children's section, but hopefully the noisy children that were here the other day aren't here today.
I've been thinking about dinner, the only meal I actually try to cook for. Usually just for myself, which is boring, but I get used to it. Kelsey is going to cook Tacos for dinner and feel more like BBQ. So for meat game hen cooked beer can style or rib eye, sweet onion, and I am thinking asparagus. May even try to grill the asparagus since Kelsey will be at the stove.
I have been doing some very minor research for the book that is always floating around in my head. I like research, wish I could find a job that would pay me to research.
So, I have discovered why no one tells parents to shut up their kids, the freaking staff are extremely noisy and they even have a door to close, but they don't close it. There is also a group of ladies who are cackling with one another at a table around the corner. Why am I doing this running commentary of what aggrieves me when I am at the library? Because I came here to get away from the noise. So now there is a little kid being semi-loud and the parent isn't saying a thing even with me sitting here. Oh the cackling ladies are leaving and they are hugging and cackling as they go...
The noise level here is one of those things that amazes me. I mean when I was little the librarian would have kicked us the hell out of the library for being so noisy. I love Bill Mahr, the whole we have fallen over the edge about being PC about everything really is resounding with me today. I wish I could think up a good "New Rule" to send in about libraries, though the one here in Salem is the only one I have any experience with.
Well, eventually I will think of something amazing to say and people will actually read my blog. One mom is really trying to get her child to be quiet. That's nice.
I am at the library today and I think they turned the heat up, or it could be that I am on the top floor and all the heat is rising. I chose a noisy place to plug in the laptop, near the children's section, but hopefully the noisy children that were here the other day aren't here today.
I've been thinking about dinner, the only meal I actually try to cook for. Usually just for myself, which is boring, but I get used to it. Kelsey is going to cook Tacos for dinner and feel more like BBQ. So for meat game hen cooked beer can style or rib eye, sweet onion, and I am thinking asparagus. May even try to grill the asparagus since Kelsey will be at the stove.
I have been doing some very minor research for the book that is always floating around in my head. I like research, wish I could find a job that would pay me to research.
So, I have discovered why no one tells parents to shut up their kids, the freaking staff are extremely noisy and they even have a door to close, but they don't close it. There is also a group of ladies who are cackling with one another at a table around the corner. Why am I doing this running commentary of what aggrieves me when I am at the library? Because I came here to get away from the noise. So now there is a little kid being semi-loud and the parent isn't saying a thing even with me sitting here. Oh the cackling ladies are leaving and they are hugging and cackling as they go...
The noise level here is one of those things that amazes me. I mean when I was little the librarian would have kicked us the hell out of the library for being so noisy. I love Bill Mahr, the whole we have fallen over the edge about being PC about everything really is resounding with me today. I wish I could think up a good "New Rule" to send in about libraries, though the one here in Salem is the only one I have any experience with.
Well, eventually I will think of something amazing to say and people will actually read my blog. One mom is really trying to get her child to be quiet. That's nice.
June 3, 2011
Finally Sunshine
It is a beautiful day and it is supposed to be nice for at least two days. This weather is really strange lately. Yesterday the clouds were absolutely amazing! Huge thunder clouds with dark gray clouds behind them. It was amazing.
Andrew and I went to two of the three National Wildlife Refuges in the Valley on Monday and we had a great time, well other than my old knees. Ankeny and William Finley. We had already spent the day at the third one Baskett Slough, two weeks before.
Andrew and I went to two of the three National Wildlife Refuges in the Valley on Monday and we had a great time, well other than my old knees. Ankeny and William Finley. We had already spent the day at the third one Baskett Slough, two weeks before.
Baskett Slough
Ankeny Hill
William Finley
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