Happy New Year 2010 !!!

Blessings for a beautiful new year filled with promise and hope. Remember the grace that is within and honor that grace in others. Namaste!







For Christmas I received a bath gel from my mom by philosophy. On the bath gel bottle was the following message. I hope it inspires you as it did me:

calm me so i can live peacefully,

be a kinder person and remind myself of what really matters in life.

calm me so i can let go of anger, resentment or bitterness,

releasing stress and tension in mind, body and spirit.

calm me so i can focus on the tasks at hand, sleep well at night

and face each new day with gratitude.

calm me so i can be more accepting of myself and others,

so that i can live a better life by simply welcoming life into my world with peace and calm.

Cooking with Rosalie

Rosalie Wintergarst Zschunke

1870-1957

A few years ago I was gifted with a brief dream in which I was cooking in the kitchen with my great great grandmother Rosalie Zschunke and her daughter Helen. We were having a great time in this tiny space and there was lots of laughter and smiles. I felt like I was really there over the hot steamy stove with these two women who I never met.


One facination I have always had with geneology is that you learn many sterile facts about your ancestors, birth dates, locations, occupations, but you never really know these people. Some families are blessed with stories that travel down through the geneations, the rest of us have to make it up as we go along.


So we spend our time piecing together a tale that may or may not be true as a way to remember these people who are a part of us. And I think in doing so we not only honor their memory, ther struggles and their achievements, but we also grownin compassion for the choices they had to make.




Our fore mothers had the worst of everything. Legally and culturally oppressed, they often had to rely on the compassion of the men in their lives. Marrying off was sometimes a gamble, once in the "possession" of their husband, they had nothing but hope that he was a good man.


You may think I am writing this with some crazy "victim" mentality feminist slant, but I'm not. Rosalie's daughter Helen, my great-grandmother, married a monster, moved hundreds of miles away from her family, and somehow had to survive. I imagine poor Rosalie, happily married, but unable to help her daughter.




Free will grants us choices. Choices the individual can only make given the information they have at the time. Sure Helen could have done a half dozen different things to imporve on her situation, some of them dire, others simple, but we never really know what someone is experiencing until we live in their circumstances.


So I want Helen remembered in my mind back in Michigan, in her mother's kitchen, free, single, happy. There's laughter and they are baking a feast. And I am watching them like it's some little movie.


My aunt Daisy passed away recently, she was Helen's last living child. She could have told me more about Helen, and I'm sure over the years she did. I know she was loving, indulgent when able, not bitter. I know that after her kids were all adults she did leave her husband, and spent many years single. I bet she liked those years, but I wonder if she ever thought of moving back to Michigan? I'll never know in this lifetime.


So yesterday I was cooking in the kitchen with Rosalie. We made latkes. (It is after all the Hanukkah season). Oh, my those latkes were good! Now honestly, I don't know if Rosalie liked cooking! Or if she would make latkes! But it was fun to think of her and honor her that day.


This whole experience is making me want to research that branch of the family more!


This was the recipe:




Parsnip, Potato and Scallion Latkes

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled
1 pound medium parsnips, peeled and cored
3/4 cup sliced scallions (white and green parts)
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for the griddle

Using a food processor fitted with the medium grating disc, grate the potatoes and parsnips separately. Put the potatoes in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, parsnips, scallions, eggs, flour, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper and mix well.

Generously oil a griddle and heat over medium heat. Working in batches, spoon about 1/3 cup of the mixture onto the griddle at a time to form pancakes. Flatten the pancakes with a spatula (they should be about 1/2 inch thick) and cook until the bottom is browned and crisped, about 5 minutes.

Flip and cook until the other side is well browned, about 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with salt.

Serve immediately or keep warm until ready to serve.
Makes 8 to 10 pancakes.
Source: Fine Cooking magazine

100 Things to be Grateful for on this Thanksgiving Day:

"The Angelus" by Millet

The Grateful List by moiaussi:

My mom
Family
Friends
Mervi
Three boy cats: Titi, Timo, Thomas Baxter
Health
Intelligence
Job that I love
Looks
Being born in a stable country
Being able to choose what to eat for breakfast
Abundance
Unconditional love
Optimism
Music
A car that runs
A roof over my head that I own
Money in the bank
A college education
Loving going away at college
Meeting lovely new friends there
Meeting new people at classes
Meeting new people on the Internet
Facebook/LJ/Blogger
My garden
Roses that bloom in November
All the wonderful things my dad taught me
Dad’s expressions: “Take the bull by the horns”
My hair, can be a frustration, but it’s really healthy
My five senses
The smell of baked goods, apples, clean laundry
Nail polish
Good coffee
Air travel
The money for air travel
People who want to travel with me
Cheese
Being a good reader
Liking books
Seeing common themes in varied subjects
My glass is half full
Crunchy leaves
Spellcheckers
Sunrise, I’m usually on LaGrange when the sun comes over the hill, it’s a must to slow down and check it out
Like the sun, everyday the Alcove Resevoir looks different and I slow to see what new scene I will get
Sunsets
The mountains
But especially the beach
Being able to swim
Being able to complete a 5K race
My eye color
Constant Comment tea
Shopping early for X-mas
Getting that x-mas is not about commercialism
My neighborhood
I learned to drive a tractor at 12. It was important to feel responsible and depended upon.
The way my parents raised me.
Honesty
Grandma Pearl’s examples of generosity and seeing people for their insides. She said, “You should give help to a stranger, you never know if that person is God.” I think that’s a Bible quote in her words and translated by me, but you get the point.
Equally, my parents taught me that everyone on this planet is equal, that does a lot for your self-esteem
Having a sense of humor!
LOL cats
Fruit
My body type, sure I’m an apple, but it could be worse, and everything works!
Supernatural...it’s themes have caused me to reexamine my faith, relationships with my family, and what it means to be a sibling.
My students...they remind me that belonging and acceptance are what they long for, and that my attitude helps shape their day
Hope
A gentle warm breeze
the first snow fall
The first warm day in spring
Massages
Cards sent for no reason at all
Playing cards with the girls
Miranda, Kayana, Ana, Ava...my “nieces” who delight me with their love
All my cousins, but especially Dana, Kim and Charlene who I feel I’ve grown more close to
The fact that relationships evolve over time, but family remains
77. The ancestors, especially the mothers: Helen and Rosalie, who cooked with me one night in a dream, Flora who never got what she really wanted, but who has placed a little part of herself in me as a teacher, Grandma Pat, I have your hair...and just maybe your humor.
Meski! That little Ethiopian Princess and her Mommy!
Christmas lights
My Japanese Garden
Road Trips
My immune system
My vocabulary
That Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Austria
My knowledge of cars
I have the right to vote
I love myself
I eat well most of the time
I like animals
I have extra money to give to charity
That cousin Michael picked up the phone and called me
For being able to go barefoot
I’m not afraid of too much
I have people who share my interests
There are things in the future to look forward to
I have awesome friends over 40 who remind me that life’s a journey
Fresh cut grass
Birds, especially blue jays who screech in song, but don’t stop trying to sing
New Year's Day
A diverse spiritual playing field and the openness to roam on it
The ability to escape nightmares and a life that doesn’t lead to them
The Heart of Love

White beans, Collard greens and Israeli Couscous

It's really about that simple! God, it's my new favorite recipe.

I cut up and wash the collards then put them in my steamer for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile I heat up a can of white beans, 2 cups of broth and spices that I like. Today I added sun dried tomatoes. Once the broth mixture boils turn it down and add about a cup of couscous (Israeli couscous is bigger than the French kind). Let the whole things simmer unitl the collards are really wilty and have steamed for at least 20 minutes. Then you can mix everything together and let it simmer another 20-30 minutes on low.

Basically I add enough couscous to balance out the liquid. My finished product is not a soup. It is a solid.

the following is a link that carries endless recipes involving Israeli Coucous:

http://www.epicurious.com/tools/searchresults?search=israeli+couscous

Gratitude

My school participates in Project Wisdom, a character education series that uses short messages to spirit discussion and further though. I personally enjoyed this message:





Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy - because we will always want to have something else or something more.— Brother David Steindl-Rast



We all know the importance of gratitude. Entire books have been written on the topic, best-selling books read by millions. Yet many of us move through entire days, even weeks, without stopping to appreciate small things like hot water and laughing children. It's like exercise; we know we should, but . . . The truth is, most of us have much for which to be thankful, not just on Thanksgiving, but every single day. So be happy. Be grateful!





Yesterday I was at a Health and Wellness retreat and we were asked what we were grateful for. Honestly I could make a list as long as my arm. It's really never ending. I have a great life, and so many blessings. I want to take a moment to thank family and friends for being a part of my life and a part of what makes my life so complete.

Who's reading this?

You know, I wonder who actually reads this blog besides one red headed Finnish girl? Seriously! I wonder how many drive-bys occur, I know I've played with that blogger feature before where you can click next blog. Most are in Spanish!

So, it's Saturday and I am wasting away the day attempting to up my NanoWrimo word count and getting sidetracked. I'm at 17,000 words, which is below count. I need to be at 25,000 by the end of tomorrow and I did surprise myself the other day because I went from 13,500 to 16,000 in one sitting. I didn't write last week due to being too tired to do anything but sleep; so I lost valuable time that would have upped the word count.

I think I should of wrote on Thurday! Instead I watched the disaster that Supernatural is turning into. When I joked at another site that the only thing that would have improved the plot would be if Lucifer showed up and killed everybody I honestly wasn''t joking. See that would have been scary. That would of shown that the devil was a threat and not just another whining angel. I'm seriously disgruntled in my brilliant thought inducing show!!!! They didn't need to go there, to that bad banal land that most TV is...they didn't, not after 4 brilliant years! Well, it's not over yet, so I'll carry on.

Today I am off to a bag party. I love bags! I'm quite sure I will find something I like.

But first, back to the writing. In my story, Lucifer isn't all that mean either, but he is trying to win the trust of a boy so he can use him later for a sacrifice (so see, evil hidden agenda)! Of course it'll never get written at this speed.

Dump Cake

I'm making dump cake for Monday night's cards.
It's fruity and yummy. A fan favorite so to speak!


CHERRY PINEAPPLE DUMP CAKE

1 can (16 oz.) crushed pineapple
1 can (20 oz.) cherry pie filling
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1/2 to 2/3 c. chopped nuts
1/2 c. butter

Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. Dump in the pineapple and juice, spreading evenly. Pour cherry pie filling over the pineapple, spreading evenly. Add dry cake mix evenly over the fruit. Add nuts, then slice butter and lay all over the top. Do not mix. Bake in a 350 degree oven 45 minutes to 1 hour.

And my signature deal is now Texas Hold Em more than ever. Last week on Supernatural, Sam had to play Texas Hold Em against a witch to win back years that Dean had gambled away (literally). Sam won with 4 fours (my favorite number) which carries a 1 to 4165 odds!

Hey, I still think the boy's got magic. :)

I hope the dump cake does too!

I joined NaNoWrMo

It's this crazy writing thing that happens every November! The goal is to write 50,000 words by November 30. And yes, they must belong to the same story. I've written that quantity before, but I am a slow writer who stops to ponder way too much.

The cool thing is, I am not under that pressure with NaNo because it is all about quantity over quality.

Yeh that sounds crazy, but it works to get you moving along.

I have even said that to students when they write, that they need to just let it out at first. The time to go back over it all can happen later.

I've written 6,522, but let's see how I do with the work week starting tomorrow?

Not so exciting epiphany regarding my reading taste

I realized what I like about fiction. I like stories of any genre as long as they deal with character growth surrounded by the themes of family and hope. I like stories where it’s love that saves the day and overcomes all the negative of the story. Yeh, sure that sounds sappy, but it is the theme of several famous (some good) fictional pieces: A Wrinkle in Time, Star Wars, I could argue that the Giver and even To Kill a Mockingbird are of this vein. They all feature characters using love to over come evil.

I also like the idea of a character finding redemption after a struggle.

And characters who fight against unfortunate destinies.

Today I read two books in rapid fire succession, which for me is quite a feat, but I enjoyed them wholeheartedly. They’re for my book class, but I am glad to have met them so to speak. I found that both Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff and Somebody by Nancy Springer did not disappoint. In fact, I was crying by the end and for similar reasons. In both stories the main character is searching for the truth. In Eleven, Sam stumbles upon some papers that make it seem possible he was abducted. For Sherica, she was abducted by her father when she was five. Both seek the truth and the endings are only similar in that the characters find peace with their families.

Neither story dumbs down the mystery surrounding the character’s family, nor does it coat things in overt happy ending goo. The resolutions are fairly similar and straight forward, but also sensitive to the other characters without demonizing their actions. In short, not judgmental or preachy.

I am struggling to get through the mystery Chasing Vermeer which simply is too light hearted for my taste.

My reading today has helped me realize that I don’t have to favor one genre over another, I just need to find books along a certain theme to be truly entertained.

Carrot Salad

Finally I am posing the recipe for the carrot salad Mervi made for the BBQ we had back in August! If you were there, then you know how good it was!

Funny, when we were in NYC we ate at some restaurant near Rockefeller Plaza (for the life of me I can't remember what it was called) and Mervi ordered the carrot sald there. Let me say...Mervi's was just as good if not better than that fancy one!

So try it! (p.s...if you can't handle the metric system, give me a shout and I'll translate for ya)!!!

Back to WORK!

Actually, I'm pretty cool with it. I had a wonderful summer of gardening, friends, family, and travel. Really, what more could I ask for.

We started off going to NC in early July to see my friend Barbara. This was the "cards group" trip. Great times, lots of laughs. We have fun doing the littlest things. It was a trip of some serendipity, especially the last night as we found one of those summer free concerts at this nice little plaza and a seat right in front of it. And then there was the long and winding road to the casino! Laughed sooooo hard having to sit in the way back swaying to the curvy road...and then on the return journey that stinking GPS sent us off road! I was banging my head on the window saying: "Let me out!"

Next was the 4th of July. My cousin Michael came to visit and we did a crazy circle of downtown Albany music, up to walk around Broadway in Saratoga, then back to downtown for the awesome fireworks! Now I know some people complained that we never had summer weather, but distinctly remember the weather on July 5 being exquisite. I weeded a lot that day and later went to Christine's for BBQ!

Then, a few days after that lovely trip and the 4th, my cousin Charlene came to visit. She comes up from Texas every year. We don't do anything special, but we did get to the Joseph Popp butterfly conservatory in Oneonta. Very magical. Checked out antiques, hung out at mom's eating junk food and watching TV. "Munchin' Out" just like when she came to visit in 1979...somethings never change! :)

There was a break in the action while the weather took a turn for the good. The temerature rose and the sun came out. I worked hard to keep my yard pretty. Inside I stuck with cleaning and got the upstairs to trully look like a house.

Hey! I even cooked! This is one of my favorite dishes: Gnocchi and Zuccheni is parsley brown butter! Yummy!

Michael returned to Albany and we went to watch the Giants at training camp. Funny how small they look without their gear and from a distance. They were just running drills, but it was still neat to see behind the scenes. That day we went to Saratoga. Mike's first time at the races. We both won! Not a lot, but still, lots of fun!!!!

Time passes....and Mervi and Milla came for their two week visit! What a nice time! It'd only been 2 years since we'd seen each other, but 10 since Mervi had been to the US and a first for Milla. We did some big things like NYC and Niagara Falls, and some little things like the pet stroe and the movie "G-Force". And we had a BBQ, which was cool coz Mervi got to meet some of my friends.

After the girls left I still had two weeks of vacation left! What a blessing. There are many who don't get that time off in the whole year. And they deserve it. The inequity of vacation time in the US is sad. I know I am lucky and trully blessed to have time to reenergize. Milla actually has even more time off during the school year than me! So I do tire of the argument kids in the US need more time at school. Quality, not quantity.

Last week we had our annual golf tournament. Didn't do so great as a best ball team, though Mary and I did have some really nice shots. We were up against Gail and Shirley and that disarmed us. We did have fun and that's the point.

A few days ago Mom came out for a few days. Didn't do much...but we made some high quality zuccheni bread (with cranberries and chocolate chips)! And back to her house we cleaned her bedroom and moved the bed to have the headboard face east which I think is the proper placement for her Feng Shui. I was all worried about it. she'd had her headboard at south for 41 years!!!!! 41 years without a move and then I upset the apple cart. But the next morning I called her and guess what? She'd slept well! :) YAY!

So here I am! Im-ing with Dana while I am writing this (which is why it holds a ghastly quality)! Thinking about the math I need to have focused for the year....drinking too much coffee...making plans for how fall will be new, different, productive.

And feeling blissful and thankful for my family, friends, health, job, fortune (which isn't money...duh) and outlook!

He's Coming!

Lucifer pops out of the hot box on Thursday September 10th in the season five premiere of Supernatural. Find out how Sam and Dean handle their toughest hunt ever to save humankind.

The August BIG Trip!

I’ve been gone from the internet world for two weeks because my friend and her daughter were visiting. Not that the computer sat idle, oh no, the almost 13 year old was busy with her own passions which involve dogs, wolves, Okami, etc..And I realized I have Windows Movie Maker! How was I to know? Milla makes some good clips too, her timing is excellent.

So in a high speed nutshell….here’s the highlights of my last two weeks:

First we met in Manhattan at the hotel. We stayed right on Times Square on Broadway, right across from a big M & M World Store. I kinda regret we never went into it! :( But it did help us to find our way bck to the hotel each time we set out walking.

We searched for comic shops to look for Manga goodness (anything Dogs or Wolves) and we saw the park and the zoo there…FAO Schwartz toy store and the Disney store were also big hits. The second day we went swimming in the hotel pool, and being reluctant to spend the day at the hotel, we headed down to the Village, and by an act of Serendipity found ourselves on the exact same street I was on 3 years ago with some other friends of mine. We passed by the Afghani restaurant we’d eaten at…visited a shop with all sorts of action figures (no Dean’s or Sam’s out there I’m afraid, and no Kyp’s either…for all my fandom needs). Then we ended back at St. Mark’s comics which is on St. Mark’s Place in the Village. They are very friendly and helpful there. I bought some Runaways comics, but Milla could find nothing on Okami (which is a video game that has apparently NOT spawned a franchise). Next day we did MidTown comics where I found the latest SW comic, but no Okami.

Finally to Grand Central and the Metro North to Poughkeepsie. Parking there and taking the commuter train is so easy . It makes going to NYC take just over 3 hours which is what it would be to drive (but not to have the hassle to park or get caught in traffic).

Then home…where we stayed local for a few days. Saw G-Force in 3D (my first 3D movie…not impressed with it, takes too long to adjust your eyes), ate at the Standard Restaurant (yummy, felt like we were in the City again)…shopped!

We did Saratoga on Saturday, spend $15 to win $20…sweated profusely, as we were having over 90 degree temps (but don’t get me wrong, I loved it)!!!!! Shopped, found the gelato store, ate gelato, saw a man with a parrot on a harness, about four dozen dogs on leashes, more stores, ate at “Circus” which was very good.

The next day we went to Grafton Lake and swam and picnicked with some other friends. The water was cool, but bearable. Saw “Marley and Me” that night, cried!

Next day we began the westward journey, stopped at my Mom’s. Fed fish in her pond, saw a couple wild rabbits, my friend’s daughter tried to coax them, but she wasn’t the “Rabbit Whisperer”. Rented a few episodes of the “Dog Whisperer” with Cesar Millan. Tuesday headed to Niagara Falls, Ontario. The Rainbow bridge was completely unmarked until you got very close! Seriously thought the Americans didn’t want to let people know where it was because then they would go to the other side (which duh, is the one with the better view) and so we did find our way to the bridge and an easy border crossing with the delightful Canadians.

Wandered the walkway, took pictures, ate some candy, took pictures, let the mist cover us! It was 32!!!! So hot (did I mention I love hot, oh and I’ve slipped into Celsius in honor of being in Canada). Left the Falls and headed toward Hamilton, Ontario. We were looking for a mall! LOL! I went to Canada for the mall! Took an extra hour to find the mall since I don’t have a GPS and the map only covered a few of the streets. Asking for directions was easy enough (who says you can’t go old school)? Found the mall in time to go to a pet store and then dinner. Spent the night (another first for me to stay over in Ontario)….bought gas in litres!!! Exciting stuff! Watched American cartoons on TV. “King of the Hill” was a big hit with Milla. Back to Limeridge Mall in the morning and then we did buy a few things. All I bought were scratch offs that lost. Got myself some Canadian coins including two Loonies that I can’t use, but I can use the little coins at home. The people at the mall and even at this little store were more than willing to take American money, why don’t shops in NY take Canadian?????

Headed to Lake Erie later! GPS would have been helpful, stopped at a PO to mall a postcard and got good directions to Long Beach Park. WOW! Now I was in love! I love water and beaches always, but this place was peaceful. The sand was soft and clean, there were a lot of people, but that didn’t matter. You could even bring a dog! We dipped our feet in. We didn’t prepare for this to be a beach excursion, which I kinda resent because the water was like bathwater! It was as warm as the water I experienced at Virginia Beach. I want to go back! The two Loonies I have are sort of a promise to myself to return. It’s a six hour drive, but for vacation, that’s not so bad.

Had to return to NY. The border guard was not nice! Here was three innocuous chicas with only a skirt and two stuffed animals as their major purchase! Our passports and such were in order (my friend is a Finn) and the guy didn’t see the extra form in their passports, until he was like “You have to wait and fill out this form…) He should have seen the card stapled in (it was obvious) and then I explained how it was there and that Mervi had filled out the form online prior to arriving at JFK and how it was good to November and then he got quite embarrassed and became the human he normally was, apologized and sent us on our way!

Considerable cursing on my part happened for the next few minutes as we drove off through Buffalo!

The drive home from Ontario was about 6 hours in its entirety, and I soothed myself by thinking about how Dean Winchester would drive this far easily in the Impala! Of course, I drive a Honda Civic, but she did well, even with all that heat and thank god the AC worked really well the whole time!

We had a few more peaceful days, a BBQ on Saturday! A pedicure on Sunday. I got to be so lucky as the women doing my feet said her name was SnowWhite, and I’m thinking is she BS-ing me? Then she said some people call her Lily for short! Why couldn’t I have had Linda or Kim? Just my luck to have to wonder if I was being tricked. The pedicure was a delight though! They had a massage chair you sat in as your feet soaked!

Monday I drove them back to JFK, got a little caught in rush hour through the Bronx, but still made it there in 4 hours (though it was 3 to get home). They got home safely and Mervi texted me this morning!

Back to normal now! : ( But still two weeks left of my vacation.

Some new photos with the new camera!

This is summer number 5 in my house. I have to say it really wasn't until last year when I got things moving! So really all these photos are the efforts of two years, not five. I'm most proud of the back bank. When I moved in it was nothing but weeds, an abandoned spot in the yard. It was like the privious owners had no idea what to do with it...and neither did I.

You can see that the grass is growing pretty well in the picture above. This grass is part of my "turf relocation program". When I dug up the lawn for the sweet potato garden, and then later for the Japanese garden I saved all the turf and carefully placed it on the back bank. It took! It's a wonder since I tend to forget to water it, but this June it rained so much I think it greatly helped to establish the lawn there. Now I can mow parts of it and weed whack the rest. In 2007, it was so bad I had to take the weeds down with a machete! So that changed fast!

The paved area had been for a basketball hoop. I haven't really planned what to do with it yet.

Sweet potatoes take forever to grow. It didin't help that I planted them mid-June b/c Burpee would not send them earlier! There's just plant now, they blossom late in August or in September if I remember correctly from last year. Then they grow like crazy and cover the entire inside of the fence and adhere to the wire! Messy in the end!

New hydrangea up close and personal. It's very purple. I have it under the evergreen so it's likely to remain acidic.

Again, to think this was so bad I need a machete to clean it up! I'm so proud of my yard and the look it now has. It's really a santuary!

Have New Camera...Back in Business

Well, not literally in business. Photography as a professional business holds no appeal to me. But I do love digital photos, never any waste (unless you are a printer junky) and you know I don't do hard copies.

Anyways, just bought this Samsung Camera today. Nothing special. Was mostly smitten by the color. You can do some really strange and funky things with the way the photos look. You can make it B & W, Sepia, calm lighting, and one weird but fun one..a negative

I'll post photos eventually once I load the software on my computer. At least hopefully this visit with Mervi and Milla won't be me accidentally erasing them all!

The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle

I read this for my Newbery class. A short verse novel, it would give a Middle or High Schooler a taste of Cuban history. It explores Cuba's fight for independance from Spain in the 1800's. It's told from the point of view of people who nursed the sick and injured.


The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle

Verse novel separated into 5 parts based on different times
In Cuba’s history. Part One: 1850, introduces the reader to
Rosa a slave and Lieutenant Death a slave catcher.

Rosa talks of the drive for freedom and her experience
Nursing the wounded (who quite often loose an ear for
Running away).

Part Two is during Cuban independence from Spain (1868)

Rosa thinks,

“Should I fight with weapons,
Or flowers and leaves?”

There is much talk of nature, but Rosa’s story intertwines with
Spain as Spain is infuriated that Cuban plantation owners would
Dare to free their slaves without permission. This passage shows
The tenacity of the Cubans as they fought off Spain for 10 years.

There were three wars for independence, but in the end the
Americans intervened, took over Cuba and never respected
the many years of fighting the Cubans put in to be free.

Rosa is a real person from Cuban history who lived
from approximately 1840-1907. She and her husband
Jose built field hospitals and nursed thousands
during the years of war.

I just met Sister Mary

I was out front weeding out the flowers and I noticed there was a woman in Tony and Marie's driveway. I immediately knew who it was!

So I went over and introduced myself. It was Sister Mary Fredrick. She grew up in my house! For years Tony and Marie spoke of her, but we never met. She wasn't a chatty type but did manage to say her father was a carpenter who with his brother's help actually built the house! So I shared that my father built the house I had lived in too! Small world.

No wonder why my house was built so well!!!!! It is truly blessed and now more than ever I feel committed to keeping her well!

So, daily journals...

I'm finally making the effort to make my house a home. Seriously, I can live very simply and I have for the 5 years I have been here. Case in point, the "cat room". I never really bothered to do anything with this extra room. Well, until I realized Mervi and Milla were coming. So I really started to convert the upstairs to something livable. I'm pleased with the results.

As I was cleaning up and organizing the "cat room" I decided to revisit the daily journal I kept in 1995 that I keep out in the open on my bookshelf. It was fun to read the thoughts of me at 25. I was all at once so young and all so old. I never realized how much more open minded you can get as you age! I was all like, "the world's morals are in decline!" Now, I don't think that as much. Im more convinced that there are universal truths and that only as we age do we change perspective and think things are so very different than they had been.

Overall, it's a joy that I have that one year chronicled. That was the year I moved to Albany and started grad school. It was a major year of changes for me. So, despite my immaturity that made me seem older than my years, it was still all me.

One fun thing I wrote was that I'd always be a letter writer "even when we have vidphones". That's what I imagined it coming to. "Cept I think folks are too vain to put on the video camera to their computers. We have that technology, but as I sit here writing this, I am sweating like a pig in this humidity and don't long to share that face with others. Likely this is why "vidphones" and their ilk have never really caught on!!!! LOL!

Of course, sitting back in 1995 I never thought about blogs, Facebook, and texting! Who would have know that the future of communication was there?

And let me just say, if that's not how you communicate you might find yourself out of the loop! Sorry, but I rarely call people.

So now I have this public blog in which to tell you all about my day, my thoughts, etc.... I sure hope that when blogger no longer ceases to be all of this is somehow archived?!?!? I guess I should back up, huh?

Au revoir!

More Garden Photos!

Here are a few new shots from this week.

I've been very busy getting the yard to look just so.

They are all taken from my Samsung Eternity phone.

Lowe's had a plant sale!

All these for $ 30! I was really happy! They are pretty. I'd never seen yarrow that dusky apricot color before, got blanket flower, butterfly something, a silver mound and some sedum! YAY! My front bank is so full. These plants should keep the color going into September I hope!

I'm healthy, but car is not

Before vacation I'd been feeling this weird discomfort in my right side, and being paranoid it was a slow moving appendecitis decided to go to the doctor. She assured me it was more in the gall bladder location, but, it wasn't really pain, so I wasn't worried, just releived my appendix wouldn't explode while I was in NC.

After an ultrasound and 4 vials of blood I awaited the results (the ultrasound was cool, I've no idea how anyone makes sense of what they see, definately a technology that needs upgrading)! I called today and there is nothing wrong with me. This is quite cool since the ultrasound looked at my right kidney, my liver, pancreas, abdominal aorta, and gall bladder! The blood work tested all things kidney and liver and even my thyroid! I felt like I had a really good physical. Of course that odd feeling is still there. I have to guess maybe my gall bladder is beginning to be unhappy??? Is it possible to be so attuned to my body that the slightest difference is felt?

Little Girl Car is not ill with anything life threatening, but a trip to Valvoline Instant Oil (those Guilderland guys are the best) and she was to get an AC charge. It didn't work. The guys took a bit of time with her and discerned that her AC clutch is not working. So that'll be a pretty penny to spend, but neccessary. Even though the summer has been cold, there is the trip to NYC in August and all the traveling Mervi and I will be doing. No one wants to spend the time with the windows rolled all the way down! Annoying. So I'll have to suck it up and call tomorrow. Brakes are poorly too, need a tire rotation and the rattling heat shield could be secured.

North Carolina

“What is and never should be” is playing in my ears as I think back to my visit to North Carolina. And how appropriate, as on that last day we found an outdoor concert by the Continuous Blues Band and that was one of the last songs they played!

What Can I say? The trip was brilliant! I was convinced the south was still fighting the war, but I’ve got to say I’m feeling more confident now that people have moved on. Hey yeh 150 years later, but it’s a move.

I loved NC! The people were really really friendly and accommodating. Mostly we kept running across people who had been born in NY.

Probably one of the most accommodating was a Charlotte Police Officer who gave us an escort to the parking spot. How? We pulled up to him as he was riding his segway and asked for directions to the parking garage for the restaurant McCorminck and Schmick’s. He started telling us how to make an illegal left to turn around and then he noticed that there was a spot across the street and he said “follow me”! So yeh, that’s the police escort we received.

Wednesday we visited Latta Plantation and I was fearful at first. How do you represent such a tainted part of our history? Not to fear it was shown in its sterile and historical form by a black tour guide who was a history major who taught SS in Louisiana! (and he was cute to boot). Not much was known about the plantation. The folks who owned it in 1800 had about 30 slaves and raised cotton in an area predominately known for tobacco. Their house was tiny, but more typical to the era. I think “Gone With the Wind” tends to taint our perception of what the antebellum south looked like.

Which reminds me...farms. I’m not sure if I saw one! Seriously, and we drove out west to go to Cherokee. I never saw a filed of cotton or tobacco! I think Charlotte has severe suburban sprawl issues. It was created community after created community separated by shopping centers.

The trip was filled with friendship, laughs, lots of food, too many curvy roads (which added to the laughs) and a touch of serendipity.

Barb and Linda designed an excellent itinerary that made use of our time, but also gave us time to kick back and be with each other. Our first day we met Barb’s cool friends who were very much like our group in NY. The next day was off to the Biltmore, then on to Cherokee to Harrah’s Casino.

The Biltmore was strange in a way. A castle that no one really made a home, but like a museum and pretty to look at. The gardens were spectacular and I never grew tired of trying to imagine what I would put in my own garden back home. After lunch at the Biltmore (we skipped the winery as it has this long snaking line just to buy an over priced bottle), we headed on our GPS guided route to Cherokee. Cherokee is 20 miles from the Tennessee border and wow, yeh, it is in the Great Smoky Mountains.

The route we took brought us down Route 19 through Maggie Valley. Thank god the rented GMC had new brakes cos we were using them all 10 miles down hill….winding and winding…thought we’d never stop. Thought I’d about pee my pants laughing so hard. Sometimes you gotta laugh or you’ll cry. By the time we reached the casino I was weaving when I stepped from the SUV.

The hotel there was nice, big rooms and nice service. The casino was pretty typical reservation sized, not Vegas, but it had plenty of video poker machines to keep me and the other girls occupied.

Tuesday we made our way back to Charlotte via the longest GPS convoluted off road journey possible (look, you do 4 hours in the “way back”). Stopped in sheville, which is a college town and has a feel to it that made me think of Ithaca, NY. Saw Barb’s son’s family at their house, and then ate out at an Italian restaurant called Bravo’s (which was really really good….see there are Italians in NC, even if the place was a chain).

Wednesday found us out shopping at Concord Mills, visiting Latta Plantation, then ending the day at Downtown Charlotte.

Thursday was the last day. We took a cruise on Lake Norman. That was so gorgeous and peaceful. Had a nice lunch at North Harbor Club and then back to the hotel for a little R & R. We ended the night at Boardwalk Billy’s with an outdoor table right across from the band!

Great times!

Favorite Books...no particular order

I am busy trying to write up a publically conscience post for our fantastic cards group trip to North Carolina. While I'm working on it, I made up this book post for Facebook. So I thought I'd re-post it here:

Fifteen Favs:


To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

What's not to love about Atticus Finch, a man who does what is right even when it goes against everyone else.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Utopian societies have always facinated me. I'm also a sucker for characters who have that extra special something.

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

I had to include a Vampire book. This is part of a series that is actually not so much about Gossip Girl type vampires, but more about angels and demons and the apcalypse.

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingslover

So moving....the story of finding family even when they're not your blood. Beautiful!

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

For adolescents, but with a message of hope that is just amazing. I recommend it all the time. Unfortunately, like the Giver, teachers use this book when the kids are way to young to grasp the layers of the themes.

Nightlife by Rob Thurman

Found by serendipity just this year. Love the narrative by Cal, the half human half monster main character who is loved and cared for by his brother Niko. Love the whole series as they make their way through a life less ordinary and try to do the right thing.

The name of the wind by Pat Rothfuss

Hard to describe, this story of a magician (of sorts) is epic (and long, but u want it not to end)! Someday the author will finish the sequel..we can hope.

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Another book so epic and moving it is hard to describe. Arthur's tale told from the point of view of Morgain his sister and the native people who lost their religion and way of life to the Christians. It's epic...sorry, you just have to experience it for yourself (or at least watch the movie)!

The Beginning Place by Ursula LeGuin

This book sticks to me over time. A simple man travels to a magical place. It's a story of self discovery.

Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Robinson

Found by serendipity through a search online for alternative history. What if Europeans were not the colonizers of the world? Would things be different? Better or worse?

Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

Magical book about self discovery and coming of age in the Adirondacks about 100 years ago. It's a universal story for all females that asks questions of identity that transcend time.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

Futuristic crumbling society and a girl who's an empath. I need to revisit Ms. Butler's works...she has several and they are always intriguing.

Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Again, a futuristic world that is totally dysfunctional. Themes of morality, family, and the individual are throughout. I think I remember it ending hopeful. The movie does not do it justice and you shouldn't watch it as a replacement.

Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King

Not spooky, this is a coming of age story. A different kind of King. The movie does not do it justice and you shouldn't watch it as a replacement.

The Green Mile by Stephen King

If you've seen the movie that's okay. They did a fine job of getting the essence of it down. Things are never what they seem and life sometimes isn't fair. Monsters are sometimes the pretty faces and the good guys are never thanked. When this was released it was serialized. I remember waiting each month for the next installment. Great read.

Does Supernatural the TV show count? Because if it were a book of that quality…it’d be on my list!

The fight against evil is never simple. How do ordinary men come to terms with their place in the cosmic fight between heaven and hell?

Holy Crap! Nearly all my favs are by woman! Odd, given that my taste in books is distinctly not feminine !!! [Can you say post apocalyptic, alternative universes]? Funny thing is that two guys in the list have androgynous names! (Kim and Pat) and the other is Stephen King.

I don't believe in famous people

Michael Jackson's death is sad, okay...I get that. But damn how I hate watching people who never knew the man, mourning and crying and holding vigil.

People: GET A LIFE!

There are many many great people in this world, most of them are never famous. They go through life quietly inspiring others, they help family and friends, they live honestly, show compassion. They are good people...your neighbors.

It may be vulgar to put it this way, but ever single human being in this world shits. We are just humans. A few years ago Andy Rooney was in the local grocery store and my response was: "I don't believe in famous people."

Fact is...some people will be more famous than others, but we all have a resonsiblilty to being good people. To being fair, honest, compassionate. To living right and mindfully.

I guess I will never get the preoccupation with famous people. My parents raised me to believe all humans were equal; that I would no more bow down for my neighbor as I would the pope or the queen of England.

That's just my two cents on this Saturday afternoon.

More photos because blogger is a pain in the butt!

See where I get my curly hair from?

Older Scanned Photos

I think one way to preserve old photos is to scan them. Some come out better than others. I do everything digital now,absolutely no hard copies, but these photos are dated. And pretty precious to me:

My dad at 4 or 5 was a little blond!