TippyKayak

Wee, Wee, Wee, All the Way home

2012-04-29T12:59:00.001-04:00

After our outside painting project this summer, 'wee' has emerged as my new favorite word. After visiting Ireland this past spring break, I've realize that it is used by everyone - young, old, man woman, children, pets (maybe not pets). In fact, the word is used in the names of things. Examples:

Wee Cottage. I love it!

A close up, in case you didn't catch the picture above.

We didn't get to go in. I took this picture from the bus.

This has nothing to do with "wee," but Belfast, Ireland is where the Titanic was built. They are quite proud of that. This is a Thai restaurant. I didn't get to eat here because it wasn't open, but I got the picture. Damn clever wee folks. (I don't know if they are wee folks. It just sounded good.)

My husband still won't use the word. It's not manly enough, I don't think.

The House Is Coming Along

2012-04-29T12:54:00.001-04:00

A few months ago, Jamie, my brother and I started some work on the interior of our house. It was sorely needed.

The first thing we did was revamp our back room. It went from cluttered catch-all to half-bathroom with organized storage and a window seat/storage.

Our half bathroom. My favorite room.

We also added custom-built and custom-designed storage. Thank you, Everett!

This room is so wee, that it's tough to get a good picture. We added a nook for the freezer with storage above (to the right). The cabinets to the left were made by my brother Everett. Walls and floor were painted.

I have always wanted a window seat. This is more for looks than functionality, but who cares! I used fabric that I brought back from Africa. It's a nice little nook.

A bit dark, but you can see the huge window, cabinets to the right, closet to the left, cool fabric on the seat.

A better picture with the cabinets visible.

The kitchen is our favorite room because Jamie and I both love to cook. It was, however, not as functional as we would like. I have always liked yellow kitchens so we painted the walls. We were also told that we should either redo the floors with hardwood or ceramic tile. I didn't want to pay for tile. Jamie and I installed the bamboo floors ourselves. I couldn't use my hands for a day. Damn hard work. I think for a living; I don't install floors. Thinking doesn't hurt.

Maggie, the St. Bernard, says "get the ..... out of my kitchen and stay away from my Pedigree kibble." Notice the yellow walls, bamboo floors, cutting board with new cabinet and exposed beam original to the house (to the right). Also notice the new closet in the back room (visible on the right).

We had this annoying dishwasher/nook that made not one damn bit of sense. I made Jamie rip out this stupid shelving unit that used to be here so that we could "install" a nook for eating. This way if folks come to visit and we are cooking, they may sit and nibble or drink wine. Cozy.

My apron collection is to the right; new table/chair combo is where the dishwasher/cutting board/stupid shelf was.

Maggie is bored with you. Please notice the exposed beam to the right, right next to the new spice cabinet build by Everett. He also did our new cutting board visible in front of our knives. Notice the bamboo floor and yellow walls. Delicious!

A better view of the exposed beam, new spice cabinet and cutting board. We moved the cabinets beneath around a bit to make room for the dishwasher (not in picture) that would be to the right of the sink.

Make fun of my veggie people if you will (on shelves to the left), but I love the little buggers! The yellow and white make this room pop.

My plan was to paint the laundry room an obnoxious color, but we thought it would take two gallons of paint to paint the kitchen. It did not. That's why the laundry room is also yellow. Hey, we won't waste expensive paint.

This room is even more difficult to photograph than the back room. The slanted roof makes it hard to use this room for much. This is just before the arrival of our new washer and dryer. Floor is vinyl.

Hook-ups are ready for use! Just before the washer and dryer arrive. Notice our new lighting fixture. It reminds Jamie of a 1930's fixture. I told him it worked in the laundry room and made it retro.

We used the cart that was in the kitchen for our laundry room. It serves as storage for laundry things and a sorting/ironing table. The picture on the wall is a watercolor I picked up in Nova Scotia. It depicts clothes hanging outside to dry. I thought it appropriate to put it in the laundry room. It is hung so high because Jamie and I are tall and because it is covering a slight blemish on the wall.

The washer and dryer work like champs. And this room finally has a utilitarian use. Woo hoo!

"Drunk People Solve Some Creative Puzzles More Easily."

2012-03-15T22:05:00.000-04:00

This quote is from People Magazine this week: "Drunk people solve some creative puzzles more easily."

Now I know what I'm doing wrong! I'm trying to solve puzzles while I'm sober!

The note did suggest that one drink should do it, a six-pack would not. Take it easy when solving puzzles.

It also isn't clear which puzzles one might solve more easily. Is Sudoku a creative puzzle? If so, perhaps you aren't actually solving it but you think you are. You've filled in all of the numbers and think you are girl genius, but you're really a dumbass.

Cheers!

Pi Day

2012-03-14T22:05:00.001-04:00

Goobers unite to celebrate the great Pi day.

This is when super smart people show their true colors (is dork a Pantone color?).

My Ten Favorite Comfort Foods

2012-03-11T22:03:00.000-04:00

I'm reading an article in Cooking Light Magazine, one of my favorite magazines, and it asks what are you ten favorite comfort foods? Actually, I don't know that it asks, but the editor wrote his piece about his ten favorite comfort foods. Here are mine in no particular order, but if it came to mind first, perhaps that means something:

Macaroni and cheese - but it has to be homemade, none of the glow-in-the-dark, save sailors from reefs, crap from a box.
Sauerkraut and Polish sausage - I have always loved sauerkraut and now my husband makes it for me from scratch. I heard that there is an island off the coast of Nova Scotia that makes sauerkraut and nothing but. I think these are my people and we should meet, hold hands and sing kumbayah.
Corned beef and cabbage - my mother would make this for us at least once us month, but would also add potatoes, carrots and turnip. Best dish ever! I now make mine in the crock pot. Best invention ever.
Meatloaf - mine, not my mother's. Her's was more of a ground beef goulash. Mine is an actual loaf and is delicious! Top it with ketchup or bbq sauce - your choice.
Soup - I know this could mean any number of soups, but I have to lump them together because it often doesn't matter what soup when I want soup to comfort me. Chowders, my mother's pea soup, my mother's bean soup, chicken noodle, pumpkin, you name it.
Tuna noodle casserole - I just love this little gem. When done properly it can be creamy goodness that melts in your mouth if it doesn't burn it first.
Homemade bread - this especially works when it is fresh out of the oven. Spread a little butter on it or dip it into a little olive oil and you have yourself a bit of heaven.
Ice cream cake - I have loved ice cream cake since I was a tot. In fact, I still remember the cruelest thing my father ever did to me was buy a faux ice cream cake all iced up to look like cake. It was on April Fool's Day so it was allowed. The look on my face was priceless from what I understand. I still remember that sinking feeling when I thought I had an entire cake and all I had was a frosted cake pan. Luckily he had the real thing in another freezer. Luckily.
Pizza - sometimes you just want a greasy pepperoni pizza. Often when I travel, I come home and want a pizza. That says something.
Milk - does a beverage count as a comfort food? When I am traveling, I always want milk when I come home. I know I'm old-school in wanting to drink only pasteurized milk. Not interested if the bad stuff hasn't been killed off.

I thought I might have some trouble putting this list together. It was surprisingly easy. That might explain why I'm in need of weight loss. Notice that you didn't see fruit or veggies on my list. Perhaps I could stand a bit less comfort.

My Blood Type May Be My Demise

2012-03-05T14:55:00.000-05:00

Fitness Magazine published an article recently stating that your blood type may be linked with stroke risk. As if I didn't have enough genetic baggage.

Women with "AB had a 28 percent increased risk for stroke, and women with type B had a 17 percent higher chance." Those with Type O may have "underlying protection from strokes." Damn you universal donors! At least my blood type is B, not AB. I am not in the highest risk category.

The article states that I should consult with my physician about other cardiovascular risk factors. Okay, I've already done that. I have a history of heart disease in the family along with a history of skin cancer. Now my blood type may have me at higher risk of stroke. Seriously?

I suppose I should really, really, really start to eat better and exercise more. In fact, I should head out for a run right now. It's a beautiful day and I need to lose weight and reduce my risks of heart disease and stroke.

Does red wine work for stroke as well as heart disease prevention? Perhaps I should test it.

More Renovations On the Way

2012-02-05T14:56:00.002-05:00

We are getting our house ready to sell and we need to do a few more renovations. It will be exciting to add a half-bathroom to our first floor. I have been dying to pee on the first floor rather than having to run upstairs to use the loo.

While we are at it, we will add insulation and actual walls to the back room. Why not add shelves? And let's modify the kitchen just a tad. Pictures will appear in a future post once we have the project finished.

We are also getting compliments on the outside of the house. Turns out the house stands out and people are noticing. Good for us!

National Take a Hike Day!

2012-01-01T13:57:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!

I read somewhere that Jan. 1 is National Take a Hike Day. After doing more extensive research (Google search), I found that National Take a Hike Day is in November. No matter, ignorance was bliss and it seemed a good way to start the new year.

Jamie and I went for a hike on the Foothills Conservation Trail near Darien Lake State Park up the street from us. We took the dogs.

It should be noted that we have had the most screwed up winter weather. Actually, we have not had winter weather. It had rained nearly all of last week so the trails were muddy and slippery. I don't think I need to say how that makes for an adventurous hike with dogs.

We slid around and got muddy. Then it started to rain. Good times. We know how to ring in the new year.

That said, though, the trail is quite beautiful. Cocoa needs to be carried across water barriers and Maggie flops her way through and makes a huge mess. Good thing clean isn't what we were going for.

I said that we have to return when the trail is snow covered. And we have to bring the camera.

We are finished with the house

2011-12-30T15:42:00.001-05:00

We are finished with the house and are receiving any number of compliments, which makes us feel good. It's also so nice to drive up to the house and pull in the driveway and see this splendid home.

We actually finished in October, but this is the first chance I've had to post anything (please see the post about canning and freezing for an explanation).

Some before and after shots.


Before the painting started. This is the front of the house and it's summer.

This is winter so the grass looks dreary, but it's the same house. Can you even believe it?

The front and side before the work......


....And after.

The side of the house with phantom husband standing in the backyard. Also, very green and in bloom.

Not green and not in bloom, but you can see the entire thing!

Husband scrapping before painting and before we bought our new bistro set.

The bistro set seemed perfect and it matched the house! Now we can eat and drink wine. We can also clean up the yard. Baby steps.

Canning and Freezing catch up

2011-12-30T15:14:00.002-05:00

I know that I wanted to make notes in this blog about all of the canning and freezing we had been doing related to our garden bounty, but life got in the way! I was asked to serve as the Interim Dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication which was an enormous undertaking.

We still did all of the canning and freezing, but I didn't document it. For the record.....

What we froze:

strawberries
blueberries
corn cut off the cob (after grilling it first - delicious)
brussels sprouts
rhubarb

What we canned:

jams: blueberry, strawberry rhubarb, strawberry (which became strawberry sauce excellent on ice cream), peach, black raspberry, blackberry
peach chutney
sweet and dill pickles
zucchini relish
squash pickles
salsa
tomatoes

Here's a photo so that you know it's official!

I have yet to break out the jams, but I have used plenty of strawberry sauce on plenty of ice cream. Delish. Also, the peach chutney in a crock pot with pork tenderloin or pork roast is wonderful. That's all you have to do - empty the jar in the crock pot and stick the pork in there and go to work.

The pickles have made excellent sides for sandwiches and the like. The zucchini relish tastes wonderful on hot dogs.

The salsa is quite hot and might burn your insides, but it is great with guacamole and in any of the Mexican dishes we whip up.

The tomatoes have been used in minestrone soup and, most notably, in our red sauce. We cooked up a huge batch with Italian sausage, meatballs and pork spare ribs and then froze it for a nice weeknight or weekend meal in the middle of winter. We also made homemade ravioli - mushroom, cheese, butternut squash. Marvelous!

Latest Updates and Pictures

2011-07-21T11:20:00.002-04:00

I managed to take some photos in this heat. Hey, ya gotta do something! I am going stir crazy!

First of all, I also discovered that husbands don't always have the best attention to detail. As a note, my ENGINEER husband, didn't seem to think it was critical that we paint inside the lines. For example, the trim color should be on the trim of the house. The main house color should be on the main part of the house. Let's keep those separate.

I do not like heights. It doesn't help that I am very tall and would have a bit further to fall should I careen off a ladder. Our agreement was my husband would do the high parts of the house, I would do the lower.

Until he decided to err.

I had to climb a ladder to the second floor. This may sound wimpy and I don't care. It was hard! But I did it. My husband didn't want to take the picture because he knew I would make fun of him on my blog and I didn't even deny it. I told him that indeed I would. Here I am on the ladder fixing the touch-ups.

I know it doesn't look so bad, but I had the can of paint and my me-we brush.

Which should come with an explanation, I guess. In order to paint the touch-up and the trim, I rely on a small brush. I asked Jamie for a small brush and he said, "you mean a wee brush?" It's is always funny to hear that word - wee. It's funnier when a burly 6'5" dude says it. I said, "yes, I want a wee brush."

He got me this small brush. Works wonders. But it's too wee for him. So he upgraded to a larger wee brush. I have now named the small brushes the "he-wee" and the "me-wee." They are our respective wee brushes.

The me-wee works much better.

But that could be the operator....

We were so excited to finish the back of the house (hey, progress, celebrate your small victories) that we bought a bistro set from Lowes. Here it is. The next picture will be me passed out on the bistro table holding an empty bottle of wine. Wait for that one!

We fell in love with it and it even matches the house! That was an added bonus and also a sign that we needed to buy it. Go Lowes!

Here is the back of the house - as much as I could get of it. Keep in mind that we haven't cleaned up yet so the yard is a mess. But the house looks so nice! And that bucket looks so fabulous tipped over and dirty, we may keep it there!

Wanna see the best lettuce ever? The garden does need to be weeded, but much of what you see is actual produce. Take a look at the two lines of lettuce. Delicious!

Guess who's having salad for dinner?

For the rest of our lives....

Healthy Cereals Suck

2011-07-21T10:33:00.000-04:00

In an effort to eat better, and because it's still oppressively hot, I have some healthy cereals. They don't require cooking and are to be eaten cold. Yes!

I bought Grape Nuts because I remember that John Denver used to sing about it, I think. Not that I like John Denver, but since he's been dead forever and I remember that he sang the jingle and the cereal is still around, the cereal has some staying power. Someone must eat it.

Maybe Grape Nuts caused him to veer off course and crash. This stuff is worse than shredded cardboard! Who eats it? I don't think the birds in the yard would eat it if I tossed it back there. Yuck!

[Note to self: experiment for later. See if the birds will eat it. Science is fun.]

Perhaps I should put a bowl out for the woodchuck we are trying to get rid of. That might work better than the Have a Heart trap. He will take a bite and say, "Hell, I'll go to the neighbors, they have cat poop."

On another note, why do dogs think cat poop is like candy? Perhaps I should devote a blog post to that topic alone. Is it a coincidence that I bring up cat poop in my discussion of bad cereals? Perhaps....perhaps not.

Special K? No flavor. This is why people lose weight. They forgot about how good food can taste. "I guess I'll eat this flavorless Special K because the commercial says that this along with a balanced diet can help me lose weight." Yeah, not so much. Give me the balanced diet, but keep your Special K.

I do like raisin bran and honey nut cluster stuff. I will buy that next time. Then I can talk about how much I like those wrinkled little dried grapes.

Ah, the heat

2011-07-20T10:25:00.000-04:00

I hate the heat. Truly hate the heat. Everyone in Buffalo always says, "yes, but you won't be complaining when it's snowing outside and the temperatures are freezing."

I don't tend to complain in the winter. I love the snow. I love the cold. I can always put more clothes on. Once I am naked and still sweating my nipples off, that's about it.

My garden needs to be weeded again. The poor onions are losing ground to the weeds. It is much to hot and humid to leave my air conditioned bedroom. Poor onions.

I will say that I am truly enjoying my salad greens. I think lettuce is the best veggie ever. And it keeps coming back! My only complaint is that it doesn't freeze. Damn! I would love wonderful greens all year long. I could plant some in an indoor planter, I suppose. Then I would be the envy of my neighbors and friends.

Last week I picked black raspberries with a friend. He and his wife have a bumper crop and don't want them. We made jam. Yummy! They also have a hoard of blackberry bushes ripening. I told him that I wanted to come back when they are ripe. Jamie and I can pick to our hearts' content.

Husbands

2011-07-18T10:17:00.000-04:00

I love my husband. Truly I do.

I just hate that he isn't as interested in finishing projects as I am. At least not in as timely a manner as I am. In fact, I discovered that if I am not at home because I'm teaching or selling my products or whatever reason, he will find every excuse there is not to do the project. Often the excuse is hidden in the job itself.

For example, we are painting the house. I wasn't around last weekend and wasn't here this past Saturday. Good Lord, the problems that occur when a wife isn't there to supervise!

I hurt my knee.

I tried to power wash and then burned the hose and had to go to Lowes and then scraped and that didn't work as well and then I didn't get as much done as I wanted to because of the crises.

Hurting oneself is legitimate....if I believed it. Burning a hose could have happened, but why wasn't work then done?

This week has already started out on the wrong foot because of the humidity. I sweated through my clothes cutting watermelon. I don't know how you cut watermelon, but it is not a cardio activity. I can't paint if I can't stop sweating. This project is going to extend into fall.

But we will be happy when it is finished.

My Mother Helps

2011-07-08T11:12:00.002-04:00

I like to involve my mom in projects because I think she enjoys them. Honestly. It also gets her out of the house and she admits to liking that.

I asked her to join me this week in helping me to paint. I have included some Pearl (her name) stories below.

"Pauline, why are you painting your house. Don't they have people who will do that? I will pay for it if you want."

Really, mom? Fine time to tell me! We've already started and now you say you will pay to have some other schmuck do the work? Thanks!

I think she thought it would be inexpensive. When I told her how much it would cost, she changed her mind. She did help and she did have fun. She also later admitted that painting the house isn't so bad at all.

She did have some rules:

She will not climb ladders nor will she climb scaffolding.
She brings her own step ladder. I guess my ladders don't cut it. This also violates rule number one above. Not sure how to explain that.
She brings her own paint brushes (She did use mine when I told her we have about 1.4 million of them and that she shouldn't get her brushes dirty.)
She comes with her own putty knife to help scrap because...I am not sure why. More on scrapping later.....
In an effort to keep her hand clean, she discovered that she can paint with a Ziploc-type baggie on her hand.

That hand with the baggie on it was spic and span at the end of the job. Her other hand, her arm, her leg, her shorts and her shirt, not so much. And that poor baggie was full of Cooper Molera Fandango Red. But that hand, pristine!

After the first day, yesterday, she told me to call her to let her know when to come over. She would continue to help.

I called last night to tell her that we wouldn't be working today since it rained last night and we didn't get a chance to work on the top half of the back side.

"I will be over at 8 a.m."

Mom, we don't have anything to paint.

"We can scrape the house. If you don't keep working, you will stop working and not start again. You have to keep going."

I have to add here that I am trying to be methodical about this project. I want to work on one side before going to another. Not sure why. It's a thing I have. Mom would just as soon have us working on everything all at once.

Hell, if she wants to help, I will not tell her no.

"I'll see you at 8 a.m."

Morning arrives and mom has decided that she will scrape until she is sick of it and then will paint the shutters even though we are painting the shutters black and she hates the color black. I told her I would paint the trim on the side we worked on yesterday. Trim work is tedious and takes time.

About two minutes after she started scraping, she was finished.

"I don't like scraping."

Okay.

I told her that she had to scrape the shutters, which she did (not much scraping to do). Then we washed the shutters.

Then she complained that I needed to spray paint the shutters because of the slats and that she couldn't paint because it would be a pain in the ass.

"Well, I'm going home."

It was about 9/9:30.

"Okay, mom, thanks!"

"Call me when you having painting to do."

Will do.

We didn't need a baggie today.

Lettuce and Radishes, Yummy

2011-07-06T11:45:00.000-04:00

The garden harvest has begun. I was able to take lettuce and radishes from the garden and make a wonderful salad. And wonderful it was! I planted several different kinds of lettuces - leaf and mesclun mix. Both made a wonderful and peppery salad. We marinated chicken breasts, grilled then, tore them, and tossed them onto the salad with assorted other greens.

Delicious!

The Painting Continues

2011-07-05T10:46:00.001-04:00

I would like to know how I can make such a mess of myself when I paint? I have paint in places that shouldn't have paint. How on Earth do I have paint on my thigh? I am wearing pants, not painting naked!

This is certainly not a difficult job, but it is time-consuming and tedious. When we sit down after finishing a piece, though, we feel so good and can't wait to finish the entire job.

I am also getting better at climbing the ladder and hopping up on the scaffolding. I am not fond of climbing to places in which I can fall and crack my head open. That's just a thing I have.

Here are some preview shots of what the house looks like after a couple of sides have been done. Keep in mind that Jamie and I are doing this together. Just the two of us. And we have some time constraints. He has a day job and I have work to do to get ready for shows for my products as well as my summer class that begins this weekend.

Enjoy!

This is the back porch. Recall how bad it looked? Here it is in all its new glory. Notice the new light fixture.


Okay, this porch is a mess. Again, painting central so give us a break. Notice the wonderful colors!

The back side. The scaffolding is up and ready. The spot in the lower right are some rotted boards we need to replace.

The official colors from Lowes:
Doors and shutters: Lincoln Cottage Black (from the National Trust for Historic Preservation collection)
Trim: Heavy Cream
Main color: Cooper Molera Fandango Red (from the National Trust for Historic Preservation collection)

Notice that some of the colors are from the National Trust for Historic Preservation collection. We thought it would be fitting to use historic colors since our house was built in 1836. It turns 175 this year. We plan to have a party to celebrate. Happy Birthday Homestead!

We are Painting the House

2011-07-02T22:38:00.000-04:00

I have wanted to paint the outside of my house since I moved in a number of years ago. The color is faded and blah. In fact, if you were to drive down my street, you might not see my house. It is small and cottage-like nestled between two large houses/buildings. It is also the drabbest blue. I normally like blue, but not a washed out blue.

We got the scaffolding from my brother and started. We figured that since we had a three day weekend (thank you Fourth of July), we could get much done.

Painting is tough work, but the reward is amazing! We have to scrap the wood. Then we have to clean the wood. Then we have to prime it. Let that dry. Paint the house - twice. Then paint the trim.

We have the best setup. We do one step and while waiting for the next step (because the water has to dry or the paint has to dry or we need a break), we sit in our Adirondack chairs drinking water or iced tea or coca cola. We sure know how to live!

I some photos of the before of the house. Keep in mind that we thought to take pictures after we set things up so you will see paint cans and garbage cans in places they don't belong. Deal with it.

The back porch. This is painting central, hence the mess. Take notice of the stupid light fixture. It will also be replaced.

Just to the left of the back porch.

The front and left side of the house.

The front.

Front.

Front and right side.

Right side with Jamie assessing the work to be done. Or Jamie resting.

Weeding, Joy, Rapture

2011-06-29T22:16:00.000-04:00

I was going to weed the garden yesterday, but the weather report was calling for a hot humid day. Today, it said, would be much cooler.

And the meteorologists got it right!

Today was overcast and nice and cool. I could not have picked a better day to weed the garden. I was armed with my gardening gloves that fit, well, like a glove. Tractor Supply across the street had them on sale for $5 or something equally cheap. They are awesome!

Weeding, it turns out, is a pretty big job. It kinda sucks.

I very gingerly weeded around my poor peas and beans and herbs. I think I have about five pea and bean plants each. Very sad year for beans and peas. But I am going to pamper the little buggers. If I get enough for a salad, I'll be happy. I am also thankful for my farmers market. Love those guys and gals.

The plants are growing well (pictures below). It was awesome to smell the tomato plants. Tomatoes are not yet growing on the vines, but the blossoms are there. And the smell just reminds me of summer and vegetables.

I love my garden and can't wait to get stuff from it!

This is the garden! Look at how green everything is!

It's not as easy to see everything else, but you don't see weeds.

Weekend Woes

2011-06-27T10:53:00.001-04:00

I did not feel well this weekend. I felt dizzy and wasn't sure why. I thought perhaps I wasn't eating properly or I was dehydrated. Then I thought perhaps it was my neck. I tend to carry my stress in my neck and sometimes it gets tight. I have a massage scheduled today so that should help.

The Alden Carnival was in town and we had the parade march by in front of our house which is gobs of fun when you have two dogs that bark at worms crawling in the yard. Imagine the mayhem when there are firetrucks with sirens and kids squealing because parade participants are tossing candy, marching bands are playing bad versions of songs you thought you liked. Ah, everyone loves a parade!

Jamie and I did partake of the Lion's Club sponsored chicken BBQ. We love to buy food when it's sold in town like that. We enjoy supporting our local community. And we enjoy eating. In that order? You decide.

We didn't do a damn thing for Jamie's parents for mother's or father's day so we decided to combine the two and take them to dinner. We had a marvelous dinner at the Asa Ransom House in Clarence. This is a local bed and breakfast that also serves wonderful meals. I would like to return with some ladies for afternoon tea! The meal uses herbs from the on-site herb garden. I always enjoy that. Everyone had something different. My Chilean sea bass with fennel and blackberry was wonderful and light enough that I was able to have the berry cobbler for dessert. Damn! If you have not made the trip to Clarence, I recommend stopping in. They also served NYS wines. I am not a fan of NYS reds, but we can pump our some lovely whites. Prejean Gewurztraminer was the perfect complement to my sea bass.

I told Jamie that it was foolish since Asa Ransom House is about ten minutes from our house, but I want to spend the night sometime! Get away from everything while getting away from nothing.

Today I made this wonderful pork tenderloin with parsley shallot sauce courtesy of Ellie Krieger. Her book, The Food You Crave, is one of my go-to books when I need something quick, delicious and good for you. Jamie also loves it. When he requests leftovers for work, I know I have a winner since he hates leftovers.

I don't know how anyone hates leftovers. Sometimes they are better than the first time around.

Roycroft Festival and Travel Opportunities

2011-06-26T22:37:00.021-04:00

My mother and I enjoy going to the Roycroft Festival in East Aurora, NY. It is close by and features incredibly talented artists, many of whom are local. This year my mom bought some small wooden puzzles for my nephews. I bought this amazing hemp purse from Jan Brecht. I had trouble deciding between two styles. I told her I would buy the other at the next event. I hope she still has it.

My mother also suggested that we travel this summer. Nowhere too fancy or too far away. We could just get in the car and drive. I was reminded of an article I yanked out of the Summer 2011 issue of the AAA Member Connection Magazine. It highlights ten hidden gems in Western New York. In fact, the article is titled Top 10 Hidden Gems in Western New York. Here they are:

Griffis Sculpture Park - in or near Ashford Hollow
Cobblestone Museum Complex (Route NY 104)
Village of Findley Lake in Chautauqua County near PA
Village of Angelica - Allegany County
Abbey of the Genesee - community of monks near Rochester
Springdale Farm - part of Monroe County park system
Rock City Park - in Olean near SBU!
Country Barn Quilt Trail - in Orleans County
National Soaring Museum - Elmira
Vineyard Express - Lockport

The two of us would get a kick out of most of these destinations. In fact, I've been on the Vineyard Express. I love trains and my husband arranged a trip a few years ago for my birthday. It was a great deal of fun on a cool old-time train. I have also been to Rock City Park but it was when I was much younger. I have been on Route NY 104 and have seen many of the cobblestone homes. Route NY 104 is stunning. Runs along Lake Ontario. If you enjoy driving, head out. Also, during the summer is wonderful because the route is dotted with farm stands selling all sorts of fresh produce. Yummy!

I think everyone who lives in WNY would also argue that many things are missing from the list. Of course, you have to remember "hidden gems." WNY has many not-so-hidden gems like Letchworth State Park, Niagara Falls, etc.

I am not liking this damn mat!

2011-06-24T22:25:00.000-04:00

I thought I would give the yoga mat another try. Yoga felt so damn good today! I have to remember that I am in love with yoga and that it makes me feel like a million bucks.

The mat does not. It sucks. My hands hurt afterward and I can't always grip my hands and feet in downward dog even when they are not sweaty. Seriously.

Before I give up, though, I am going to toss it in the wash and let it air dry. Perhaps if I toss some fabric softener into the wash.

That kinda defeats the purpose of my eco-friendly mat, but I need to grip and feel comfortable.

10 Thoughts on Whole Living - June 2011

2011-06-22T10:28:00.032-04:00

This advice is courtesy of Whole Living Magazine. This magazine is one of my favorites. In fact, when I get my 4,027 magazines (that number is a slight exaggeration) each month, I go through them and put them in order of type of magazine and then I read them from my least favorite to favorite. This one is always one of the last magazines I read.

Don't judge me based on some screwed up magazine reading algorithm I've devised. Judge me based on how sassy I am. But I digress.

Each month, the magazine lists 10 Thoughts On Whole Living. Often I rip out the page and post it at my desk for a bit. Here is June 2011's list:

Rather than try to fix your body, focus on how you want it to feel.
The mark of true confidence is the ability to look someone in the eye.
Let the seasons guide your diet. The Earth grows what you need, when you need it.
Respect your feet. They've mastered the art of staying grounded while moving forward.
Take charge of your own reflection: stop letting the mirror win.
Enlightenment doesn't always make a grand entrance. It slowly transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Change happens somewhere between the acceptance of now and the anticipation of what's to come.
Don't obsess over weight loss. Wellness is about making your life bigger, not smaller.
Surprise yourself: push past your physical limits.
Nothing connects you to who you are quite like the people who knew you when.

I love this list! I try to let the seasons guide my diet. Anyone who has ever eaten a strawberry from a local farmer and then had one packaged in the supermarket knows the value of eating in season!

I do try to focus on how I feel. I have been making an effort to live and eat better. It is amazing to me how wonderful that feels! If I could just remember that feeling when I decide I must have a huge burger with fries and an ice cream sundae.

I try to push past my physical limits. Hell, I ran a marathon. That was WAY past my physical limits.

I've maimed or killed all the people who knew me when.

USDA Makes Some Changes

2011-06-21T22:16:00.000-04:00

I gotta tell ya, I like the changes the USDA has made to its food pyramid. First of all, no longer a pyramid. It's now a plate.

I find this to be much friendlier. In fact, many magazines and Web sites have been touting the plate concept for quite some time. I try to do this - fill most of my plate with veggies and fruits and then add the meat/protein and grains. And ya gotta have dairy! Kudos USDA!

Today I made an all purpose dish that mixes the entire plate up. Cooking Light has a wonderful recipe for Shrimp Pad Thai. It is one of my favorites because I love Thai food and love that I am able to cut it down to size, if you will. I also like that my husband loves it and that I have it for lunch the next day.

It's a hot one

2011-06-20T15:11:00.002-04:00

I didn't think it would be so hot this morning. I thought I could get in a run before the heat of the day kicked in. It could be that I am a giant wimp. I ran for 40 minutes today. Covered not too much territory. Ran a usual route - to the end of West Main Street and back.

I am beat.

I did lose 1.6 pounds last week. That's good! I am on my way!

And now I am on campus (St. Bonaventure University) for a very important meeting. Then I have a funeral. Good times at my place! I am having dinner with a very good friend after the funeral. It has gotten to the point that I am now going to the funerals of friends. I don't care for it. I also don't care for the fact that my black skirt is tighter than it should be. Granted, I am going to a funeral. My skirt fitting is not the biggest problem here. Losing a friend is a problem. Sometimes I say these things to deflect some of the sadness and anger I feel.

I worked with Betty when I was at Mercy Hospital. She was one of the sweetest, kindest, nicest women. She will be missed. I will certainly keep her husband and daughter in my thoughts.