Almost time to plant!

Today is the official opening of the local Farmer's Market. It has been open for a few weeks but today is the big opening. It's been warm here lately and it got me in mind to do some container gardening again.

I used to do a lot of container pots on my deck when I was in Maine. I actually spent a lot of time and money arranging my outdoor habitation, which is funny, because it is so cold for so much of the year. At my apartment on the second floor there was a deck off the living room. The landlords lived underneath me and used the patio under the deck like a gazebo for shade. I liked the sun so I made use of the outdoor space. I bought plants in their pots at a good garden store. But all the furniture came from the dump. We had a good dump and you were allowed to pick. The table, the folding trellis, the wicker chair, wicker table, barrel, and the plant holders all were dump-picked. The plants were expensive enough! I bought them all full grown and the pots too.

Then I moved to Georgia and my apartment was again on the second floor. The deck was not as large as the deck in Maine but it was solid and new and I decorated it with plants.

And even the lobby and the very steep stairs coming up-

After about a year, I moved to the apartment I've been in now for nearly 9 years. There is no deck but there is a patio. I am on the first floor. However, I lost interest. I think it's because there were so many pretty bushes and flowers all around.

Pathetic, right?

After a few years of just not doing much with potted plants, I am getting the urge again. I made a big change outside. A big change. I moved the table. That's right, you heard me. I moved it from between the ell to just in front of my door. In so doing, it hides the pots which had been lined up along the front wall, so I moved them out along the curve of the walkway. It nicely defines the space.

My plan is to get soil and seeds weekend after next when the threat of frost is all gone, and plant. We'll see how it goes. It might be too awkward to have the plants there or it might work out. I know I like the table and chair in that spot because it gets more sun. It's kind of hard to dress up concrete but I'll do my best!

Cooking and resting

I did some cooking today since I was too sick and tired to prepare the Bountiful Basket goodies on Saturday or Sunday. And though I went to school Monday I barely made it home, I was so sick by the end of the day. I'm home today, Tuesday, but I have more energy today than I did then. At least for the moment.

In cooking today, didn't use all of the eggplant we received in the Basket even though I made four trays of baked eggplant. Bountiful Baskets really IS bountiful. I got 2 eggplants and my friend gave me her two. The tomatoes were also from Bountiful Baskets. I didn't use all my spinach depicted in the photo. And I did not photograph the roasted broccoli I made today as well.

This is stale bread, patted with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and Italian seasonings, and baked. I'll put the eggplant on it for bruschetta later.

This is spinach, quick sauteed with oil and salt, and will remain in a container until I decide how to eat it. It can be eaten as a side dish just like this, or put in a pita pocket with black olives and feta and toasted, or thrown in spaghetti with some parmesan. I kept back some fresh spinach for a salad. I love spinach salad.

This is Brussels sprouts roasted till crispy. I quartered them since they were large, if they are smaller I usually just halve them. I put them in a Ziploc with olive oil and salt and pepper and tossed. Then spread in one layer in a good baking dish  and roast till golden.

Eggplant rounds with tomato slices on top, salted and sprinkled with Italian seasonings. I roasted them till soft, and then broiled it at the end. Of course I had to test one.

The weather has warmed up nicely, it was 70 degrees today, and sunny. I didn't go out except to do laundry in the detached garage, but my walk to and from the washing machine was nice, lol. There is a ton of birds now, they make a racket when they return in the spring. They're chirping and fighting and darting and swooping and generally having a grand time. So are the cats, running from window to window to glare at them when they perch on the inside of the window awnings.

Soon it will be too hot to cook root vegetables and I'll be making light fruit salads and sun tea. And the cycle of seasons continues.

Some really nice, (mostly) empty journals and notebooks.

I receive emails from Creative Market.com, a graphic design and art studio kind of online place. They send out a weekly email to subscribers that offer a host of links on the aforementioned topics. If you enjoy reading about fonts, logos, and design, that is the place for you.

I have always kept a journal and I've never kept a journal. That is, I love to write and I love notebooks and I accumulate them but I never manage to sustain any kind of ongoing chronicle of writing in them. I just like notebooks for themselves.

The top left journal, the beaded one, is one that I bought at Border's Books one New Year 8 years ago, intent on keeping notes of my life. I love the beads and the black velvet. Most of the book is empty. I think

The one on the top right is a linen covered purchased journal I had intended to keep notes of the thoughts about my town, 20 years ago. I used about 10 pages then I ran out of thoughts. But I liked the feel of the linen and the sturdiness of the journal when handling it.

Then an office product and service store named Kinko's started offering binding services. I put together a little journal with a binding on the top and used that one to keep track of my health. I took some notes about drinking water and miles walked but then as usual, I stopped. But I had a lot of fun making little journals.

The green one with the white tissue paper over the cover is a dos-a-dos journal I learned to make during my bookbinding phase. The green is paste paper, a hand made painted kind of decorative paper and the binding is a personally stitched. I kept track of my night-time dreams in it. I don't know why, but I felt it was important to keep track of dreams I was having, for a while. I don't know if I could make a dos-a-dos journal now but they sure are fun.

The small leather one with the cool latch is one that I'd bought through Amazon. It has soft, handmade paper inside and the exterior binding is also handmade. I like it. I jot down prayers and answers to prayer in it. But not consistently because I do that on the laptop in my Logos 6 software that has a place to keep track of prayers and answers. So...again, the journal is mostly empty. But I like unclicking the latch.

Here is Creative Market's article on Amazing Sketchbooks, Notebooks and Pads to Try in 2016

In the final quarter of 2015, the search was on to find the most creative, imaginative, original products and experiences of the year. And there were a lot to choose from. From eye-catching graphic tees to super-inspiring podcasts, the inaugural Creative Market Awards showcased the best in design, technology, and innovation.
In the Best Sketchbook for Designers category, the competition was fierce, with an assortment of chunky pads and brilliant books that are sure to spark design ideas and stimulate thoughts. In a tech-savvy world, where email and SMS have replaced pen and paper, these top sketchbooks are the ultimate companion for any designer who needs an outlet to draw, doodle or draft concepts.

At least my hoarding tendencies are with an item that's pretty small!

Boquillas Mexico and the Rio Grande

For some reason I kept a notebook of stories I'd started and ideas for stories I'd never written, way back before the internet was born and I was traveling and wanted to write stories and books. There were no personal computers then and all I had was a notebook and a pen. Ah, the good old days. Below is one starter, and the photo that inspired it. It was when I was camping by the Rio Grande at Big Bend National Park. The river was not so grande and the crossing brought us to a little town called Boquillas.

We had walked over, and saw school children in Catholic school uniforms walking home for lunch, chickens scattering ahead of them. A restaurant with a 1950s Chevy car seats to sit in under the front portico. A boy willing to rent donkeys. Warm beer.

All you did was walk across the ankle deep river and wander into town. It was cool.

Boquillas del Carmen cooperated with Big Bend in other ways. In the late 1990s, Boquillas was a small town of around 300 residents primarily dependent on the Big Bend tourist trade with visitors crossing the Rio Grande to visit the village's bar, restaurant, and taco stands. Children posted adjacent to the village's Christian mission sold rocks collected in the desert or from nearby caves. Tourism options included pony and donkey rentals, parties at Park Bar, and overnight stays at a local bed and breakfast known as the Buzzard's Roost.

But then 9/11 happened and shortly after, they closed the informal crossing for many years. When it re-opened, there was a customs house and lots of government red tape. Wikipedia:

The events of September 11, 2001, destroyed Boquillas del Carmen's traditional way of life. In May 2002, the border crossing from Big Bend National Park to Boquillas was closed indefinitely. As of October 2006, only 19 families of around 90 to 100 residents remained in Boquillas. Most of the town's residents had been forced to move away by the closure of the tourist crossing and destruction of the town's traditional economy.

On January 7, 2011, the US National Park Service announced plans to reopen the crossing using a ferry and a passport control center planned to open in the spring of 2012. After multiple delays, the new Boquillas Port of Entry was finally officially opened on 10 April 2013. 

Some good news. Though the government formally took control of the crossing, and for many years the town suffered, it seems to be bouncing back. But it will never again be the way that it was, charming, low key, informal, no government.

Since opening of the border crossing, the town of Boquillas del Carmen has seen substantial growth with the addition of electricity (brought over from the U.S. side), a new medical care office, and enhancements at the public elementary school. A single telephone line now comes into the village. When one calls that line, the operator states a specific time at which the caller should call back, promising him/her that the operator will find the person being telephoned and ensure that he/she is at the phone in order to receive the call at the appointed time. The village's population is now said to be about 200 persons. There are at least two U.S.-quality restaurants/bars in the village, both owned by cousins surnamed Falcon, but little to buy in the curio shops in the village (mostly bead craft work). One may not buy alcohol in Boquillas and bring it back to the U.S. via this entry point. 

Finally, a somewhat self-deprecating statement told about the village by persons who live there. "Boquillas del Carmen has 200 people, 400 dogs and one million scorpions." Source

Here is my story starter:

------------------------------

The dog ran into Mexico and I had to go after him. The Rio Grande was narrow here in Big Bend National Park and he'd spotted a horse come to graze at dusk and saw his chance for a little fun. Too bad he doesn't know about geopolitical boundaries.  All he saw was a horse and a field and some fun.

I hear him barking in Boquillas now and I'm not looking forward to running into that guy selling mineral earrings again. he scared me with his pitiful intense desperation, 'Look, I made these, aren't hey beautiful' and he touched my sleeve.

So I slip off my sneakers trying hard not to notice the myriad paw prints looking like muddy hieroglyphics from big things that had come to drink. tie the sneaks in a good knot and sling them over my shoulders. Feet slipping in the oozy mud, my own prints now mingling with last night's predators and prey. I run splashing loud across the river drowning and the cattails whisper announcing my arrival in a foreign country without a passport.

Murray and his cardboard

All cats seem to love sitting in boxes. My old cat Abby did.

My new cat Murray likes a box too. He will sit in an empty box all day long. OK, not all day. After three seconds he'll shred the box.

Even if the box is small, Murray will get in it. Then he will see the flaps, and they are too luscious to resist. Mmm, cardboard.

Done with that flap, he moves to the other side. Time elapsed, 8 seconds.

Hmmm, I think this corner is sufficiently destroyed. What next?

Let me calmly ponder my next move while I clean myself up.

I've got to hand it to him, he is orderly in his chaos. He goes around the box progressively and methodically chewing each flap.

Here's a short video. Murray goes right to town on the cardboard. I like that he has something he enjoys. I just wish it wasn't destroying cardboard, with the potential that he'll gravitate to chewing books, magazines, and papers after he gets sick of boxes, or if there aren't any boxes around to chew.

Ahhh, cats. So mysterious. So cute!

New art on the wall

Yay, we are on a school break right now. We've got Monday and Tuesday off, which is really nice because the rest of February and March is a long haul until the next break. It's the most stressful, tiring part of the year. We've been advised to rest up, not think about school, and have a relaxing time. Always one to follow orders, I am doing just that.

While I waited for the word to leap in the car and go retrieve my Bountiful Basket from my friend who kindly picks it up for me, I scanned some collages I made years ago and found by looking through some of the older notebooks I have on my bookshelf. I made this one just after I moved to GA and was enjoying the first of the south's mild winters and early spring. I had a journal-type-day planner I'd done some art in. I like chronicling things. I Pixlr-ized the scanned journal page, of course.

This next one was from an old day planner in which I was obviously not looking forward to the New Year, lol. I never have been able to keep up a journal. I lasted with this ten year old one until Feb 4. Then I quit writing in it, chronicling in it, and doing art in it. Why I keep a nearly empty ten year old day planner is beyond me. I think this was the last gasp of day planners/journals I ever tried to keep.

I thought this was funny.

I have no clue what was on my mind when I made this. It isn't even cohesive.

Although as general advice, yes, avoid the herd mentality.

I finally bought some new art to hang over my bed. The art that was there before was a photo I had taken over twelve years ago. I like the photo itself, the composition, what it says, and the colors. But I remember that day, I remember that snowstorm, I remember that apartment, and I hated all three. Here is the photo I took down from over my bed, thus making a space for a new piece of art.

It is a watercolor of what seems to be a Greek villa overlooking the blue Aegean sea. The cashier asked me with a grin, if I am going to put the picture in a beachhouse, and I said, no, I am going to hang it over my bed and pretend I am there. If I have to look at something as I fall asleep, at least it's not a snowstorm from hell and frigid temperatures but of a soft sea with crisp white terraces.

It isn't a first edition, nor anything expensive or even particularly special. I liked the colors, I liked that for its size it wasn't heavy, and I liked the frame.

Our Bountiful Basket today was filled to the brim with goodies. I traded my oranges and grapefruits to a friend for her bok choy and beets. We also received a bag of pears, zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, and cukes. I also have left over cauliflower and I still need to cut up the pineapple from last time. Yay! healthy food. Beets are so good roasted. You wouldn't even believe.

Well I hope you survive the Polar Vortex that is supposed to bring lots of low temps to much of the eastern seaboard this weekend. I have to say, today was pretty chilly and it's getting colder right now as the sun sets. I'm blessed to have food, clothes, blankets, a home and cats! Count your blessings, no matter what your circumstance, there are many blessings in your life.

Pixlr photos: the original and 6 variations on a theme by Prata

I love Pixlr, the free photo editing application available either online, on your phone, or to download. It's versatile.

Yesterday morning I was out and about on a fine, crisp dawn. The moon was bright in the sky against a vivid blue. I took a photo of it, naturally. Here it is:

I'm always looking for pictures that have a lot of blank space and sky photos are good for that, when you want to add a caption or an overlay.

I used Pixlr with several other overlays of this same photo, so you can see how different they can all come out.

Neat effects, eh?

Here is an original photo of a cemetery followed by a Pixlrize:

Here is a photo of Portland followed by a pixlrize

Fun, isn't it! And I'm not even that skilled. You should see the Pixlr Twitter stream of the photos they highlight. Very artistic.

Veggies!!

We received our Bountiful Basket today. I made granola/cereal, pineapple cake, roasted cauliflower, roasted peppers, baked a spaghetti squash, made pita crackers, and chopped three large mangoes (for smoothies). I also washed and prepared radishes, apples, oranges, orange peppers, and more. We had a good Bountiful Basket this time.

This week we received:

VEGGIES:
3 lb bag potatoes, Lg head cauliflower, Romaine lettuce, Broccoli, Asparagus, Bunch radishes, Orange peppers.

FRUIT:
6 apples, 6 Roma tomatoes, 5 oranges, 4 lemons, A Pineapple.

The produce is fresh-looking and luscious. It not only tastes better, it looks better. So of course I took photos, lol. The colors, shapes, and design of these pieces of produce are exquisite.

Tea time- Dobin style

I love tea. I always have. Even  in High School when the game would go to the creamery after the Big Game and get ice cream sundaes and Coke, I'd order an English muffin an tea. Yes. I was that person. Anyway! I love tea!

Look at what my wonderful friends have given me over time. I've received an annual subscription to Tea Time Magazine, a set of handmade coasters, tea galore, and a Dobin Japanese tea pot with four cups.

Just as with anything, there is a lot to learning the intricacies of tea. No, making a pot of tea isn't as simple as boiling water, splashing it over a run of the mill teabag and steeping. England, China, Japan, India, and other countries all have rituals, ceremonies, implements, and a history with tea.

The basic teacup is called a yunomi. They are usually of cylindrical shape, (tsutsugata), and small, as seen in my photo. Though for especially fine teas or for certain special occasions, there is a smaller version of the teacup, a doll-size, but it's used by people. Teapots are called dobin. They usually have a twisted vine handle, globular body and a disc-like, finial-topped lid, according to this website. The vine or bamboo handle doesn't become hot so it allows for pouring without a potholder.

A Dobin teapot contains a filter-basket either in the spout or hanging down into the belly of the pot. Ceramic is used frequently for the filter, but a fine mesh stainless steel is also used, which is what mine has. As the tea connoisseur grows in experience and knowledge, he or she often turns to loose tea which allows for a better opening of the leaves as the heat and water permeates them. Thus, a filter becomes necessary.

The Tea Time Magazine is charming. Its photographs of tea settings, tea cups filled with steaming, aromatic and colorful teas, and the pages of anecdotes regarding tea history are always interesting. So are the recipes for canapes and sandwiches! I look forward to its arrival in my mailbox each time. The first thing I do when I get home from school each day is put the kettle on and look forward to relaxing with a cup of tea.

My coasters were made by a dear reader and I love them. They are sooo cute! So now I have a tea pot and up set, a tea bar with various teas from which to choose, and coasters to set my cup and a magazine through which to browse. My morning coffee is necessary and utilitarian. My teas, those are for enjoyment, relaxation, and ritual.

Bountiful Baskets in the dawn morning

This week the Bountiful Baskets resumed after a long break for the holiday. The Baskets for our area had stopped even prior to the holiday because the numbers for the state of Georgia had been consistently low, and they stopped delivering so as to re-asses whether or not to drop the whole state. We were all holding our breath after the holiday to see of Georgia would be on the list again. I don't know how long it will stay, but I'm grateful that it came back, even for one time. Look at all that we got!

We received tomatoes, avocado, onions, cauliflower, spaghetti squash, grapefruit, apples, poblano chili peppers, navel oranges, mango, kiwi, and cucumbers.

The cost is $15 for the basket which is equally divided with fruit and vegetables, and there is a $6.50 handling and truck fuel fee, but if you go in on one order with someone you can split that fee up to three ways. All this produce cost me $17.50 all-in.

I also bought a flat of Kent mangoes and will cube half of them and freeze them. I am down to my last half-ziploc of frozen mangoes since I bought the mango add-on last year. I like putting frozen, cubed mango chunks in yogurt and blending it in the blender. It makes a sort of mango gelato, cold and refreshing.

The chilis will be roasted on Monday, the oranges will be made into sugared slices with the rind on. The bag of apples will be given away, and the grapefruits, kiwis, and the loose apples will be eaten regular, as snacks or desserts for my lunch at school. The onions and cauliflower will be both roasted and go into a veggie soup on Monday.

Our time to pick up the Baskets is 7:30am, which is tough on a Saturday (tougher is the volunteer time to show up- 6:30) but the up side to that it forces me to get out of bed and dressed early. Another bonus is that I get to see the town in the dawn. Where I pick it up there are cows and farms and pastures, and the sun coming up is very pretty. The day today is warm to start, predicted to get warmer (into the 60s) so the warm ground produced a lot of ground fog and mist, too. That is always pretty with the rising sun's rays coming through the wet air. It turns it pink, did you ever notice? A soft, flower dew laced pink. But don't take my word for it. Here are shots out the window as I was driving.

I'm grateful for every Bountiful Basket I receive, and for friends who order it and who go pick it up in Athens. It is a terrific way to obtain quality, fresh produce at an extremely affordable price. If you haven't looked into it, I encourage you. The website is here. You can click on "Locations" to see if there is a BB delivery site near you, and if there is not, it is easy to start one. Really. Read this.

It's a long weekend so I hope everyone has an opportunity to rest and relax. If not, then thank you for your labors and I hope you get to relax sometime soon. Don't put off relaxing and having fun with the family/dog/cat/spouse/friend. Enjoy the day, because as as Augustine of Hippo said,

Procrastination: God has promised forgiveness to your repentance; but he has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.