Mikey likes it!!

My son is very particular about food. It makes sense to me, as someone who is also a picky eater, that my offspring would exhibit similar qualities. I don't really place judgement on it or worry about it much, because frankly, life is short. He's not going to like everything I cook. Hell, I don't even like everything I cook. Some meals just don't pan out, especially when trying something new.

One of my goals for 2012 is to try out 25 new recipes, in an attempt to broaden our taste-buds and maybe add a few keepers to my repertoire. A couple of weeks ago I made a beef curry in the crock-pot, which was a surprise hit for EVERY member of our family (I even made it again this week to take to a potluck-style dinner at Seth's parents house). I was delighted, naturally.

Tonight I tried another completely-new-to-me recipe and shockingly enough, we all were quite fond of it! What? For serious? Yes.

Epic & Easy Minestrone

You will need the following ingredients:

• 1/2 onion, finely diced (I used red)
• 1 large carrot, peeled & cubed
• 2 stalks celery, washed & chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 4 cups water
• 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 1 can red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 whole bay leaf
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 a head shredded cabbage (next time I may use the whole head)
• 2 cups penne pasta

In large pot, sauté onions, carrots, and celery in butter over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in water, bouillon, beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, spices, and cabbage. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 25 minutes. 10-15 minutes before serving, pour in pasta to cook. Once pasta is cooked, serve Minestrone with parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

All night long I'm dreaming about babies.

There have been three nights in the last week that I have either dreamt I was pregnant or had a newborn baby. As you can imagine, this has done my head in, as we have been trying to conceive for over a year. Granted, much of that time didn't really count, as my period had not yet returned since going off of the depo shot, but still. A year doesn't really sound like a super long time, especially when I think of friends who have had fertility problems. The kicker for me, is that in that span of time, it seems like everyone I know has gotten pregnant. They're all on the verge of popping out babies, or have them in their arms already and let me tell you... it's killing me, man. KILLING ME.

The dream I had last night was bizarre, in that much of it was underwater. I have an intense fear of submersion and am incapable of willingly going underwater, so for me to have a dream where I do exactly that and have it not be a nightmare is significant. I was swimming around with my dream baby and I felt safe and secure and I wasn't panicking. I didn't wake up with the feeling of dread that water-based dreams usually bring out in me. I guess this is a good thing...?

I finally got my period back this summer and the last few months have been the most reliable and regular cycles I've had in my entire life. One of my favorite things about depo was that it made my periods go away, which was a relief since I've always had long, heavy, painful, and unpredictable periods. The drawback of that is that it took 14 months from my final shot before I menstruated again. Thankfully, I am lucky enough to call Ms. Vagina Science a close and personal friend (seriously, everyone should read her essays and Q&A's about sexual and reproductive health), and she advised me to do a few things to get my menstruation back on track:

• Go outside in the natural light for at least 30 minutes a day.

That's just plain good advice, even if you're not trying to make yourself bleeeeeed. Sunshine and fresh air are good for you and it helps your body get in better tune with itself and nature and the universe and whatever. Wooo wooo stuff, y'know.

• Get regular exercise.

Once again, something that is good for your health in general. I don't enjoy "working out", but I do love putting on some good music and dancing, hopping on the elliptical for 10 or 15 minutes (it doesn't mess with my joints and I am 100% in control of how fast I go and can adjust the difficulty), or going for a walk (which kills two birds with one stone, since I'd be outside in the light).

• Get some Magnesium up in my hizzay.

According to several medical sources and such, "Magnesium deficiency is routine in the American diet and can increase the possibility of high blood pressure and seizures during pregnancy, a condition known as eclampsia. To prevent this deficiency, take 200 milligrams of magnesium in the glycinate form daily. Whole grains, green leafy and other vegetables and nuts are good sources of magnesium. Taking the proper amount of magnesium a day also helps to decrease the leg cramps and constipation often experienced during pregnancy. In addition, magnesium is critical for more than 300 other body functions and will generally help you to feel a lot healthier." Ok, can do. Though I do wonder why no one told me this 11 years ago when I was pregnant with Silas. I was pre-eclamptic and was put on strict bed rest for the final two months of my pregnancy and was put on a magnesium drip while in labor... why didn't anyone get me started on a supplement early in the pregnancy? I was young, poor, and uneducated and lacked the resources to find that info for myself and no doctor telling me this info was a major FAIL.

• Start taking a tincture of Dong Quai Root.

Here's a good article on why. Basically, it helps jump-start your entire reproductive system, which is rad. Make sure to stop taking it once your cycle is back to normal. Once you're ovulating again, it's done its job and you don't need to be taking it anymore.

I did all of these things and my period is more reliable than it has ever been in the past, so I consider it a success, though the real success will be getting knocked up. Maybe then I can stop dreaming about babies (or dream about them non-stop for 9 months).

Trust me, it's not easy or fun to point out problematic things.

I've found that almost every time I point out something appropriative, racist, fatphobic, sexist, homophobic, ableist, what-have-you, that I am told I am "taking things personally" or that I'm "looking for things to be offended by"... and that just floors me. As my friend Katie put it this morning, "Why on earth would people deliberately want to look for things to be offended by? By the time we've simply told the truth about what's really happening, who has energy to go searching for more?" Yup, my thoughts exactly.

Of course, the more I read about social justice and familiarize myself with the concept of micro-aggressions, the more I see them. Our perception of the world around us is influenced by our own experiences, as well as listening to the experiences of others. The more I read and research and listen, the less I am able to look past things and gloss them over. I pick my battles, as I don't have the spoons to spend on endless internet arguments. I'm not saying debates have no value; I've learned a lot from watching back and forth arguments about class and race and oppressive language and sexism on tumblr and facebook. It seems the people watching usually take more away from it than the people doing the talking anyway. But there are also times I can't stay quiet, when people I love and respect do and say problematic things. It's tricky, because most of the time, their intent is not to harm. I don't want it to sound like I'm accusing them of being terrible, horrible human beings.

This quote I posted on FB a few days ago sums up my feelings on intent:

"From a very young age we’re basically taught to think of racism and “anything bad” isms as something “very bad people [consciously] do.” We are always taught to identify with the good guys and wonder what the bad guys were thinking. We then have a lot of trouble actually identifying evil thoughts within ourselves, because we don’t see ourselves as being “evil people.”

But part of truly understanding the horror of many acts in history is understanding that the people who made them happen were not particularly evil- the people that followed weren’t particularly evil. That evil often happens in little steps, tiny jokes and references and cultural nuances until something snaps and the whole thing snowballs into chaos and upheaval. Evil as it occurs when groups of people are denied rights or killed or discriminated against or whatever isn’t necessarily the result of an evil thought, but rather the result of a lack of conscious thoughts fighting evil."

- http://feministdisney.tumblr.com

Many of these small displays of injustice are completely unintentional, but to not call them out would be intentional on my part. I know, I know. I'm just a bitter and over-sensitive boner-killer. How dare I not just laugh and move right along, right? Sometimes, I do move along (minus the laughing, because contrary to popular belief, I have a FAB sense of humor and that shit just isn't funny), mainly in conversations about race, because POC don't need another white voice hogging their space. When the conversation is about fatness (or sexism or mental illness), though, you'd better believe I'm going to be soap-boxing.

Back in September I saw this image floating around facebook.

It had been shared by someone I know.

My response to the image was this: "Fatness and it's environmental causes are NOT this simple and images like this only further enforce the fallacies that the general public already believes about fat people. There are fat people who walk, bike, ride the bus everywhere, etc. There are thin people who won't park their car to go into the store and will go through a drive-through instead. Fatness or lack thereof is no indicator of health or well-being. It just isn't that simple. This image thinks it's real clever, when all it's doing is the same as the playground bully who points at the fat kid and says, "You're lazy and greedy!!" The use of the fatty as a scapegoat for wealth, greed, and environmental unconsciousness needs to end." Predictably, I was told by several people (most of whom were thin and therefore acceptable to society) that I was wrong, that no one meant any harm by it, that I was seeing something that wasn't there, and that I was taking it all "too personally".

My advice to anyone who gets called out on problematic words or behavior by someone in a position of less privilege? Listen. Then listen some more. Don't defend, don't argue, don't dismiss.

LISTEN.

The Red Clover Keep

Seth and I sat down with the list of suggested names this morning and took turns circling ones we liked and crossing off those we didn't. When it came down to it, we found ourselves torn between "The Red Keep" and "Clover Crossing". Seth liked the first one the best, but I found the inclusion of clover to be something that really called to me... I hadn't included it on the list of relevant/inspirational words, yet totally should have, since our garden is lousy with it!

We decided early on, before even breaking ground, that we had no desire to plant a traditional lawn and after some research, decided to plant micro-clover instead. It turned out quite well and makes the yard look lush and wild (in the places it took, anyway. We have more work to do this spring and summer).

So, I'm considering Alix the grand prize winner, since I used his entire name idea, and just threw in an extra word. I'm also giving a second place price to jocox, since she was the only person who suggested the word clover! I'll be emailing the both of you before the weekend is through!

306

Having been in the house for over a year and a half, I feel like it's time to finally tackle something I've been putting off - naming our home. I was enamored with the Anne of Green Gables series as a child and always dreamed that I'd end up in a grand Victorian Painted Lady with a veranda and a large garden and little stream running behind it. I'd name it something fancy and distinguished like Ingleside or Rainbow Valley or Poplar Manor or some such thing. And now that I'm on my second watch-through of Downton Abbey, it's only gotten worse!

Well, our house doesn't have a veranda or a stream, but having it built did work out quite nicely. I adore this house and our garden and have a deep connection to this place. It's a constant work-in-progress and every little thing I finish inside and out just adds to the overall ambiance. I feel that it deserves a name. Something pretty and sweet, yet quirky, just like the house (and us, for that matter).

For goodness' sake, we painted the thing tomato red/orange and then did the door up in a Caribbean Blue Teal. Our yard is funky and unfinished and wild. The inside of our home is stacked high with pictures and knick-knacks and books and various and sundry homemade touches. Any old name just won't do. I've tossed around so many ideas in my head, only to end up disliking each and every one (probably because I ripped them apart and critiqued them to death). What it all comes down to is that I need your help. I need some new ideas, several fresh pairs of eyes from people who don't actually live in the house, and some general input from my readers and friends.

I've decided to have a contest/giveaway!

Comments closed. I'm going to leave comments open on this post and if you have ANY name ideas for our home, please leave them here. You may enter as many times as you like. The more house names you submit, the more chances you'll have of winning! Comments closed.

The prize - almost $50 worth of merchandise from Soft & Cozy, in the form of one Patchwork Cuff, one set of Lavender & Mint Dryer Sachets, one 5' long Felt Garland, plus some random little goodies thrown in for good measure!

Here are some basic qualities of our house/garden/property that I've jotted down. They may help inspire you!

• Stellar-jays
  
• teal front door
• red/orange house
• wood chips
• ornamental grasses
• large rocks
• the hill in the backyard
• Madrona
• the little hollow of trees in the side-yard
• we're on the corner of our street
  
• stepping stones
• rock borders
• poppies
• doily trees/lace
• the word "Paprika" (I don't even know)
  

Comments closed. I will pick the name I like best this weekend! I'll close the comments at 10pm on Friday night. Please help me figure out a name that fits! Comments closed.

America's Coolest Small Town, obvs.

Budget Travel is currently running a contest to determine America's coolest small town. I've been voting for the past few days (you can vote once a day) and we seem to be consistently in 4th place. I mean, what's so rad about Hammondsport, NY? I'm sure it's a lovely place, but should it be beating Port Townsend? I may be a bit biased, but I don't think so.

Seriously. Look at these buildings.

It's ridiculously gorgeous here, even on a moody, overcast day.

Even our post office is epic.

Mountains and water in almost every direction.

It often feels like we're on an island.

This place is chock-full of history.

Mount Baker is currently covered in snow. The way the sun reflects off of it is incredibly hard to capture in a picture. I had to try, though.

I don't see how any small town could be cooler. Please vote for Port Townsend. There really is no other place like it.

I thought I didn't like curry; I was wrong.

One of my resolutions for 2012 is to try out 25 new recipes! This first one proved to be a truly EPIC meal. Delicious, filling, cheap, fairly simple to make, and everybody liked it. Yes, you heard me right. Everybody. Silas positively devoured it. So without any further ado, I present to you...

Crockpot Beef Curry over Rice

What you'll need:

• 3 red potatoes, peeled and cut into smallish chunks
• 3 medium sized carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
• several tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1 lb boneless beef chuck, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch cubes and blotted dry
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 cups water
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 cup frozen peas
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup cooked rice

Step one: Put the potato chunks in crockpot on LOW heat, then layer the carrots over the top.

Step two: In a large skillet over medium heat add 1 tbsp oil. Add the cubes of beef and brown on all sides. Transfer the browned meat into the crockpot. Heat another tbsp of oil in the same skillet and add the onion and garlic. Cook until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Salt and pepper a bit and add to the crockpot. Pour the beef broth into the same skillet and bring to a boil, then add to the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Step three: Start your rice cooking! In a small saucepan heat 2 tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Add the flour and mix it up well. Once it starts to brown a little bit, add the curry and mix it up again. Remove the saucepan from the heat and turn the crockpot up to HIGH. Scoop out 1/2 cup of the cooking broth and add it to the curry/flour/oil mixture. Stir well until there are no chunks, Keep adding small amounts of broth, stirring constantly, until the texture resembles a cream-style gravy. Once it's there, stir it into the crockpot, being careful of the soft veggies. Heat up the frozen peas in the microwave for 2-3 minutes in a little bit of water. Strain them and stir them into the pot. The rice may be done by this point, or getting close. Put the lid back on the crockpot and cook on high for about 20 minutes. Deal with your rice while that's happening. Prepare to be hit by a WALL OF FLAVOR.

This made enough for dinner for the 3 of us (with seconds) and 3 lunch-sized servings for tomorrow!

My Queen.

I've been so focused on the new kitten and taking pictures of her and cuddling her and playing with her and telling anyone who will listen about what an utterly FANTASTIC little kitten she is, that I feel I've been neglecting Chuck a bit. Not actually neglecting her - she still gets plenty of love and attention, but she's not in as many pictures or talked about as often as she was. Granted, she's never been an easy cat to photograph. Partially because of her coloring and also because she runs right up to you if you sit on the floor or lean down, the angles from which I usually try to snap her from. She's all like, "Oh! You've come down here to visit me!" RUB RUB RUB PURRRRRRR. So yes.

Drug Party.

I look back at pictures like this one, taken in August of 2010 (when we'd only had her for about a month) and it's hard to believe she's the same cat. She's filled out, both in weight and in fluffy hair, and she's a lot more mellow. Less starved for love and more content to laze around in chairs, grooming herself fastidiously, and basking in the sun. I luff her.

The exact time of death is unknown at this time.

I have a story that may make any of you who are struggling with your parenting feel a little bit better:

A couple of weeks ago a friend and I went down to a local coffee shop with our kids to grab a bite to eat and visit. Silas and his friend got antsy after they finished their cocoa, so they played darts for a bit on the board that’s set up in the back of the coffee shop. That lost its novelty after about 15 minutes, so Silas asked if they could go walk around downtown. We live in a teeny tiny very kid friendly town and now that Silas is 10 1/2, I let him go pretty free range the majority of the time (which isn't a ton since he is frankly a bit of a homebody). The main drag of our town is only 2 blocks wide and about 6 or 7 blocks long (the coffee shop was near the middle of the loop). There are piers and beaches and a park and just general fun stuff for them to explore.

We said sure and they went out on their adventure and came back pink and rosy and smiling about 15 or 20 minutes later. They loved the independence and we loved being able to finish our tea at our own pace. When they got back we were ready to head out and do other things.

Pre-pubescent people on the loose! Who knows what they'll find!

We're back at home that evening and Seth checks the PT Leader website, as he often does… turns out that just a few hours after they were out and about, less than 3 blocks away from where they went to the wharf, a decomposed body was found. I cannot decide if this is horrifying or slightly amusing... or both. I think it’s a little bit of both. We almost had a Stand By Me situation on our hands. So I humbly bestow upon all of you well-meaning parents out there the Parent of the Year Award for at least not sending your kid down to the beach to stumble upon corpses.

The end.

Shop my closet, Round three: Bracelets and necklaces and rings, OH MY!

I've gone through my accessory collection, much of which was purchased when I was working as a barista & cashier, and have chosen items I don't wear much anymore to offer up to my readers.

I try not to ask for help in the money department if I don't have a tangible item to exchange it for, but between LiG in May and Chautauqua in September, my meager income as a hand-sewist is being stretched to a breaking point.

Once again, the way I'm going to do this is I'll assign a number to each item and leave the comments open. If you're interested in any of them, leave a comment letting me know which one(s) and I'll email you my paypal info (make sure your email is linked to your comment). The prices listed are including shipping within the US. If you live outside of the US, talk to me and we'll figure something out.

Rings #1 (silver-toned) and #2 (gold-toned) $10

The silver one is SOLD.

Necklace #1 - $9

Necklace #2 - $10

SOLD

Necklace #3 (double-sided) - $12

This lovely has been bought'n.

Necklace #4 - $8

SOLD

Necklace #5 - $9

SOLD

Bracelet set #1 - $10

Bracelet #2 - $9

Bracelet #3 - $8

SOLD! Bracelet #4 - $8 SOLD!

Let the accessory buying begin! Leave a comment if you're interested in any of these and make sure you tell me which item(s) you want and that you leave your email address. I'll cross out listings as they sell. Happy buying!

my goyls.

It's weird to me that Panda hasn't even been with us for 3 months yet.

She fits right in with the insanity.

Shop my closet, Round two: Earrings!!

I've decided to cull my earring collection and sell the pairs I never wear! I did a similar post at the beginning of Summer to try and off-load some of my shoes, so if you wear a size 8, go check that out. Many pairs are still available!

The way I'm going to do this is I will assign a number to each pair and I will leave the comments open. If you're interested in any of them, leave a comment letting me know and I'll email you my paypal info (make sure your email is linked to your comment). The prices listed are including shipping within the US (if you live abroad, talk to me and we'll figure something out), just to keep things simple.

Pair #1 - $6
This pair is sold!

Pair #2 - $5

Pair #3 - $4

Pair #4 - $6

SOLD

Pair #5 - $6

This pair has been sold!

\

Pair #6 - $4

Pair #7 - $4

Pair #8 - $6

Pair #9 - $5

These have sold!

Pair #10 - $5

This pair is sold! :)

Pair #11 - $5

This pair is SOLD.

Pair #12 - $5

SOLD

Pair #13 - $4

Pair #14 - $4

Sold, sold, sold.

Pair #15 - $5

SOLD! :)

Pair #16 - $7

Pair #17 - $5

These puppies are sold, sold, sold.

Pair #18 - $5

Pair #19 - $9

Sold!

Let the earring buying begin! Leave a comment if you're interested in any of these and make sure you tell me which pair(s) you want and that you leave your email address. If you're willing to buy all 11 pairs that are left (the total of which comes to $55) I'd be cool with you taking ALL OF THEM for $45. I'll cross out listings as they sell. Keep your eyes peeled in the next few days, as I will also be doing a post of bracelets, necklaces, and rings!