See My New Tools

On the left, my new Kitchen Aid food processor. I have shredded, sliced, mixed up, and just generally made many things. I have started buying block cheese and whole head cabbage, etc. I am hoping I can save a little money buying that way. We'll see... In the middle is my Blendtec Home Kitchen Mill. This is wonderful. Christy brought me some large cans of wheat when she was here at my retirement events, and I have been really looking forward to milling it and making bread. This is really nifty. The flour is very fine and so far, we're enjoying our bread. Tonight I made some with wheat flour, molasses, quick-cooking rolled barley, quick-cooking rolled oats and sunflower seeds. (yum) I am letting it rise overnight in the refrigerator--Wendy reminded me that the longer bread rises the better (finer) the dough is. Thanks Wend. On the right is my newest acquisition, my Kitchen Aid 5-quart stand mixer. Of course it works like a dream. Best job of kneading "I" have ever done. :) I did a lot of "homework" on the internet and running around town finding the best buys--dragging Mark and Bobby here and there checking availability and prices. If anyone wants any information about where to get any of these items, by the way, I'll be glad to share. I got them all in different places and at the best prices I could find--and there were wide variances in pricing. Between my new sewing machine and my new kitchen tools, I have no time for the occasional part-time job I said I'd do. I'll give it a try, but, well, you know... I went to class two days (last Thursday and yesterday--Tuesday) to get trained on two new software applications I'll be using in the job (the OCCASIONAL part-time job). There wasn't anything that was really difficult, but I realized that what I disliked most was, first, having to get up early and get "fixed up" and leave the house; second, being away from my home all day long; third, driving all the long way home; and last, how tired I feel in the evening and the sense that I didn't have any time to do anything at all in my home--just fix something quick to eat, relax a little and drop in bed. No, I definitely have my doubts about this being a long-term thing. Maybe a few months. I don't know, I just LOVE being home every day--or running around--maybe going out of town with Bobby--whatever, just something I choose. Anyone who would just love to come and visit would surely be welcome--you know who you are...

...with apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan:

So, here's the Buttercup quilt. You can't see the poem unless you're up close. If I were to do it again, I would use a much darker gold for the text blocks. Oh well... I took the poem from the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta "H.M.S. Pinafore". Since I changed a few words, I guess it's ours now.

I'm called Little Buttercup

Just Little Buttercup

Though I could never tell why.

Yet still I'm called Buttercup

Sweet Little Buttercup

Dear Little Buttercup, I.

Anyway, it's coming to Austin in December to meet the real Buttercup. I can't wait to meet her.

Autumn and Winter

This is Labor Day. Summer is coming to an end. In this part of the world, that's something to think about. I have read AmyCW's feelings about autumn and on a superficial level always disagreed, because dreaded winter was on the way. It found it difficult to enjoy something that's the precursor to something I definitely do NOT enjoy. Having spent 10 years living in the Rocky Mountains, and arriving there directly from San Diego, I think I could be forgiven for not noticing the beauty of autumn--I mean winter was coming and YIKES!!, I hated winter. I guess it has taken me another 25-30 years to get over it, because I carried the dislike for autumn here and never got over it--until now. Now back to Amy's discussions about autumn--that girl truly loves it. I believe it's contagious because having read her words, and given them their deserved thought and consideration, I decided consciously to dissect and change my opinions about this quarter of my life. Dissection was simple--oncoming winter made it difficult to enjoy the moment. AH HA! That's the key. Enjoying the moment--sort of like enjoying life even there will be an end to it--enjoying old age because the end of life is nearer--you get the picture. Being in the moment is something just about everybody gives lip service to, but as you can see, I have failed in this--until now. Cooler weather is here (sorry Amy--it's cooler here in Oklahoma!) and I am thinking about jeans and sweaters, sneakers instead of flip-flops, and jackets in the evening. Thinking about them, not quite there yet, but I can feel that it's coming. I'm going to re-read Amy's monologue about the joys of autumn and will be immersed in it soon. Winter will come, but so will spring--and I don't want to miss a minute of either.