Life at Chez Smiffy

Happy birthday, sweet Corey!

2011-05-09T00:00:00.000-04:00

We're Moving!

2011-04-06T08:04:00.000-04:00

Having become completely fed up with Blogger -- which is often unavailable when I have time to blog and ditches pictures as fas as I can upload them -- I got desperate and have been playing with Word Press.

Chez Smiffy is moving to http://delaney-smith.net/ChezSmiffy/

It's ugly and at the moment content is sparse, but that's where I'll be. Goodbye blogger. I will miss your google hits. ;)

Misti's 365 Project: Day 65

2011-04-02T12:20:00.001-04:00

Trying to work with extremely bright light. Not there yet. (Third try to post this.)

April! Almost time for gardening!

2011-04-02T12:04:00.000-04:00

I hope Blogger will let me show you this photo. I love that I was able to catch the "moody" clouds! Of course, it wasn't as vivid before post production, as you see in the 365 photo, but I feel very pleased nonetheless. ;)

I can't tell you how many posts I have had to do over and over (or just throw away) because blogger loses the photo in so many posts. I find it deeply annoying. Between that and being "unavailable" when I have a moment to blog so frequently has me back at work trying to figure out Wordpress. It can't be that hard -- I just haven't figured it out yet. Library to the rescue -- I got a Wordpress for idiots book and I will play with it today.

Next weekend is the Big Event -- I will be starting my seeds indoors! I hope they'll grow faster and feel more robust when I start them with the warmer weather in the house. I used a heat pad under them, but it was still nippy when we uncovered them to water them.

(This weekend is a very different kind of "big event". We found we had nothing planned for Saturday ... well, other than karate and qui gong. Jack was very annoyed that I consider karate "nothing".

Did I mention? Rod started studying qui gong at Jack's dojo a few weeks ago. I'll let him explain what it is, but it looks to me rather like tai chi. A "soft" art, as Rod calls them. And he seems to be benefiting by it. After only a few weeks, his joints seem more flexible when he moves. Maybe one day I'll be up to joining him.

The corn in the decongestants that I took to relieve my dizziness was enough to set me off again -- this time resulting in phantom mouth pain from the pressure in my sinuses. But as far as we (and our compounding pharmacist) can find out, every form of decongestant from every brand, contains corn. So, all in all, this is really stupid. Mouth pain is less embarrassing then vertigo, but it's not a big improvement. And that explains why I may not post a lot for a while (again). It's hard to be witty -- or even coherent -- with a toothache in teeth that don'e exist. ;)

(That, and I have many many photos printed to get some scrapbooking done, several how to books on loan from the library to experiment with before they're due, and some gorgeous weather to enjoy!

Misti's 365 Project: Day 64

2011-04-02T10:51:00.000-04:00

Good morrow dear friends

2011-03-30T07:45:00.001-04:00

After we went to see the children's production of Robin Hood last week, Jack was keen to read the story, so I downloaded Howard Pyle's retelling and we've been reading that for our bedtime story. It's a good tale and we're enjoying it!

But may I admit? Best of all is that Jack saw the play and immediately wanted to read the book. I had a Scholastic kids rendition, and he read that in a few hours then went back to badgering for "the real book". Of course, once he's finished reading the book, I expect he'll also want to see the movie, so I am researching who has done Robin Hood movies -- maybe, if we can get them at the library, we'll do a serious one and a funny one. (Maybe Errol Flynn and Mel Brooks?)

In reading, I have just finished reading "Plenty: A Year of Local Eating" and had started on the similarly themed Animal, Vegetable or Miracle. I found PLenty captivating and a quick read that left me inspired. Kingsolvers Animal, Vegetable or Miracle is an interesting book. I have liked what I have read so far, but for some reason it hasn't been pulling me back in like Plenty did. I've checked it twice now and I am going to have to give it back before I'm done. It's good enough to check out again, and if I owned it, I'd persevere, but I think that what has be hooked in Plenty that is missing in ANM is the sense that this is an "everyman" project. Kingsolver and her family may not consider themselves wealthy, but they have far more resources at their disposal than the average family. If they think it needs to happen, they can make it so. Alisa and James are on the same tight budget most of us know so well, and even so, they make it so. Like us, they learned to look past the obvious, expensive ways to become self sufficient and found innovative ways to feed themselves.

I am not quite as set on "eat local" as either Alisa and James or Barbara and her family. I love the idea of harvesting everything we can either here or at local farms and preserving it for later. I love the idea of eating in season from only the produce at its best. We have learned to make out own ketchup, barbeque sauce, chili powder, mustard, and mayonnaise. I would like to be able to grow most of what I need -- but I can't grow coffee, chocolate, pepper, pineapple or bananas and I am fine with importing them. That said, I have scheduled time over the coming season to go out and pick every kind of fruit that we can get our hands on. I have expanded considerably the sorts of vegetables we will be growing, in hopes of buying far fewer groceries over the summer and maybe even over the following winter. But if it doesn't grow here...well, I think we'll be cutting our dependency on oil quite a bit without going all the way. If we all only bought what *couldn't* be produced locally, I think our food chain would be a lot closer to really sustainable. (And while sustainability is important, I have to admit that nutrition and taste is far more convincing to me.)

As far as gardening is concerned, I will be starting seeds later this year. The plan has them going in the weekend of the 9th. Starting at the equinox is a good idea, but we keep the house too cold. I think the plantlings will be less stressed if we way a few more weeks. Maybe I won't lose as many baby plants. I will also be scouting the garden for volunteers and counting them in my tally. Since we didn't get the garden cleaned up, there could be quite a few. :)

I'm not sure what triggered it (for the moment I'm blaming Connor) but Jack has become obsessed with the periodic table of the elements. I printed out a small poster to put on the wall and ended up having to print two -- one for Rod and one for Jack. Jack's is on the wall...and I keep hearing his voice echoing out from the bathroom where he is reading it and explaining it to Rod and demanding Rod 'guess' the atomic weight of everything on the chart. I may have to print another or Jack is going to spend a week in the bathroom. Periodic table of the elements? Where have I gone wrong? ;)

Good morrow dear friends, may your today be all you had hoped and your tomorrow better still.

Jack's 365 Project: day 11

2011-03-29T21:32:00.004-04:00

Spring has come again!!!

Misti's 365 Project: Day 63

2011-03-27T13:06:00.001-04:00

Hey, howdy!

2011-03-23T07:53:00.002-04:00

I think I must be feeling better -- I've been blogging and snapping "the perfect photo" in my dreams at night! Finding time during the day has been pretty difficult, though. (I'm blogging as I do my morning chores, while the boys are at the dojo.

As Rod has gotten healthier, all hope of my 'quiet mornings before the guys wake up' has faded into the far distance. Having my honey healthy is very much worth it. ;) He's feeling so much better that he has even ventured into the occasional night without his CPAP. That's much quieter than it once was, so maybe one day -- but for now, he still stops breathing which is way too scary.

I am pretty sure I mentioned that I had started taking an iodine supplement about four months ago. That has gone very, very well. When I'm not fighting corn toxicity, I feel much better. My hair has stopped thinning and I have a halo of two inch hairs growing in. And I don't need three cups of coffee just to start the day! One is more than enough. (Of course, after 30 years of needing at least three cups -and sometimes as much as 12 -- resisting the second and third cups isn't always successful, and for the first time since I was 12, I have been having a reaction to too much caffeine. Hmmm.)

I am now off the walker and even off the cane. I still occasionally feel the world rocking, and I still feel kind of breathless and wobbly (probably from the corn in the decongestant that I took to get past the worst of the ... corn reaction. Ironic, no?) but I'm functioning again. Thanks to the lovely young man at the compounding pharmacy, I hope never to get that sick again. I wasn't able to find a single decongestant that didn't contain some corn in one form or another, so he's making up a safe batch for me to keep on hand. If I can take that immediately on the first sign of ear congestion, I can probably keep the massive dizziness at bay. Better still to avoid the corn, but that's quite a trick. I keep encountering in places I thought were safe. (My favorite brand of dark chocolate suddenly has both milk powder and vanilla (corn) in it. Ick.)

I must be getting old. Most of my posting lately is about our various medical conditions. :(

Oh well, it was time I hit the shower anyway. The kitchen is clean(ish) the dishes are done and the laundry is washed. I have just enough time to scrub the old bod before the guys get home from their exertions.

Maye I'll get some great photos today and find something to talk about. :) See you tomorrow, I hope!

Insight

2011-03-21T07:43:00.000-04:00

In looking over my attempts at photography over the last couple of weeks, I am struck that there is a reason I had been unable to get a usable shot.

I couldn't (can't) stand still. I sway a lot lately, as I spin with my head in an attempt to not fall over. And even when I am propped against a support, my hands are trembling.

So, as my head clears, perhaps I wil get better photos. (I hope.)

Non Toxic Self Care

2011-03-19T14:44:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, I gave a Free Skool pressentation on Non Toxic Self care. I thought, since I'd done the research, that I might as well share it here. I ope it helps you.

As it happens, non-toxic self care is not only healthier, but also can be a lot less expensive than using manufacturers offerings. I prefer to avoid those anyway, because even if you painstakingly select a product from a reputable small manufacturer with known safe ingredients, the product’s ingredients can and may change without any notice. Mega-corp tries not to let the word get out when they buy out a green” competitor – they’re buying that good reputation and they don’t want to spoil it. But then they feel free to change the ingredients to make it less expensive...often making it more toxic at the same time.

Many of the ingredients they are likely to put in to reduce cost without hampering effectiveness are linked to cancer, birth defects, reproductive disorders, heart disease, liver disease and lung disease. Several are also endocrine disruptors.

They include:
Butyl Acetate: keeps nail polish from chipping
Butylate Hydroxytoluene: prevents colors from fading and changing too quickly
Coal Tar: dissolves dead skin cells and controls itching used in shampoo and hair dye
Cocamide/Lauramide DEA: causes foaming in shampoo and bath products
Formaldehyde: disinfectant and preservative in deodorant, nail polish, soap, shampoo,
Diazolidinyl Urea: helps the disinfectants (like formaldehyde) work
Ethyl Acetate: liquid in nail polish, mascara, tooth whitening, perfume
Parabens: preservatives that don't allow bacteria to grow in your cosmetics
Petrolateum (Petroleum): makes lipsticks shine, creams smooth, and softens skin
Treithanolamine: keeps cosmetics from clumping
Triclosan: prevents bacteria from growing in your cosmetics, soaps, or deodorants
Toluene: liquid part of nail polish and hair dye makes it stick and look glossy
Talc: absorbs moisture and prevents powders like eye shadow, blush, deodorant from clumping
Sodium Laureth Sulfate: helps the cosmetics stick to your skin
Propylene glycol: keeps products from melting when it is too hot or freezing when it is too cold
Phthalates: keeps color and scents dissolved in the nail polish, perfume, hair spray and others

I focused on the top most used 15 cosmetics, which include:

Body wash/soap, shaving cream, shampoo, conditioner, face wash, toner, acne cream, body lotion, face moisturizer, sun screen, hair de-tangler/conditioner, deodorant, and toothpaste.

Some of these recipes I use. Those I have marked with an asterisk*. Others I have no need for, but since I was teaching a class for young folk, I included some recipes I'd found on line for their concerns.

Body care

Body wash

Use a pure castile soap* or castor oil with baking soda

Shaving cream

Use pure castile soap

Body lotion

2 parts coconut oil 1 part jojoba oil 1 part olive oil (for dry skin or winter) *

Essential oils (optional)

Deodorant

Essential oils: lavender* or rosemary, dissolved in a bit of jojoba oil

Dental care

Toothpaste

Baking soda* and hydrogen peroxide

I still use a sensitive tooth toothpaste, but I use baking soda once a week or so to really clean my teeth

Mouthwash/pre-brush rinse *

1 cap water

1 cap hydrogen peroxide

1 drop tea tree oil for prebrush or peppermint for mouthwash

Swish for a few minutes before or after brushing. Make this up as you go because the peroxide loses effectiveness after a while when combined with other things and exposed top light and air.

Hair

Shampoo*

1 tsp of baking soda to 1 cup of water

Pour over wet hair and let it sit for a few minutes. Rinse. Follow with vinegar hair rinse. If you use only one, use the vinegar -- baking soda is too alkaline and will ruin your hair if not neutralized.

Hair conditioner *

2 tbp of apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of water

Essential oils (optional): 1 drop

Pour over wet hair and let it sit for a few minutes. Rinse.

Hair detangler/ Conditioner*

2 tablespoon jojoba oil

2 cups of water

10 drops Ylang Ylang 10 drops rosemary (for dark hair) or lemon (for blondes) essential oil.

Pour into a spray bottle that has a fine mist setting and spray on as needed.

Hair spray

Boil 1-tablespoon sugar in one-cup hot purified water, adding three to five drops of essential oil. Store the hair spray in a spray bottle in a cool and dry place and use within a week. Wash the nozzle of the bottle after each use to avoid clogging. Do not touch your hair until the spray dries.

Hair Mousse

Dissolve 1/4 teaspoon plain gelatin in 1 cup boiling water. Let sit at room temperature until slightly set. Rub into hair (dry or wet), and blow dry.

Moisturizing hair mask

Mash together 1 medium avocado and 2 tablespoons of honey.

Massage into your hair and cover with a shower cap and a warm towel.

Leave for 20-30 minutes.

Rinse hair thoroughly with warm water and then with vinegar.

Facial Care

Face wash

Dry skin 1 part castor oil 1 part olive oil 1 part jojoba oil *

Oily skin 2 parts castor oil 1 part jojoba oil “

Normal skin 1 part castor oil 1 part jojoba oil

Toner

Pure witch hazel* tisane (no alcohol) or mild vinegar and water

Moisturizer*

1 part coconut oil

1 part jojoba oil

½ part olive oil (for dry skin or winter)

Essential oils (optional): lavender, neroli, myrrh, frankincense)

Facial mask

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons honey

10 drops of almond oil

Whip the ingredients together until a creamy consistency is achieved.

Zit cream

whip egg white with a drop of myrrh oil.

When it’s stiff, put a bit on the pimple and let it dry.

For black heads, peel it off.

For whiteheads or pimples, rinse with warm water.

Sun screen

wear a hat!

Facial scrub*

baking soda and water or castor oil

Lip Moisturizer

2 parts coconut oil

½ part jojoba oil

½ part olive oil (for dry skin or winter)

Essential oils (optional)

Essential Oils for Facial Care

Normal Skin

Carrier Oils: almond, apricot, hazelnut Additions: borage seed, evening primrose, jojoba Essential Oils: carrot, German chamomile, geranium, fennel, frankincense, jasmine, lavender, lemon, neroli, palmarosa, rose

Dry to Normal Skin

Carrier Oils: almond, apricot, avocado, olive oil, wheatgerm Additions: borage seed, evening primrose, jojoba

Essential Oils: carrot, German chamomile, geranium, lavender, neroli, palmarosa, patchouli, rose, rosemary, sandalwood.

Oily to Normal Skin

Carrier Oils: almond, apricot, grapeseed, hazelnut Additions: borage seed, evening primrose Essential Oils: carrot, German chamomile, cypress, frankincense, geranium, jasmine, juniper, lavender, lemon, lime, marjoram, palmarosa, pettigrain, rosemary,

Antiaging essential oils to combat wrinkles: carrot, German chamomile, clary sage, fennel, frankincense, lavender, lemon, lime, myrrh, neroli, orange, palmarosa, patchouli, rosemary, thyme

Antiaging Additions: borage seed, evening primrose

Essential Oils for Hair Care

Normal Hair

Carrier Oils: almond, borage, evening primrose

Essential Oils: carrot, eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, lemon, rosemary

Dry Hair

Carrier Oils: almond, avacado, borage, cocoa butter, jojoba, sesame

Essential Oils: birch, carrot, geranium, lavender, palmarosa, rosemary, sandalwood

Oily Hair

Carrier Oils: borage, evening primrose, sesame

Essential Oils: basil, birch, cedarwood, clary sage, cypress, eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, rosemary, sage, thyme

Hair Loss Essential Oils: basil, birch, carrot, Roman chamomile, clary sage, cypress, lemon, palmarosa, peppermint, rosemary, sage, thyme, ylang ylang

Dandruff Essential Oils: basil, birch, carrot, cedarwood, cypress, eucalyptus, juniper, lavender, lemon, rosemary, sage, tea tree, thyme

A Basic Self Care Kit can be built with: Baking Soda Apple Cider Vinegar, Jojoba oil, Castor oil Coconut oil, Witch hazel (look fore an alcohol-free brand, or make your own), Hydrogen peroxide, Essential oils (optional) Eucalyptus, tea tree, rosemary, lavender are our standbys

Learn more:

Skin Deep Cosmetics databse: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

Campaign for safe cosmetics: http://www.safecosmetics.org/

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics DIY recipes http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=233#face

Eden Organic Beauty Recipes http://www.edenfoods.com/articles/browse.php?categories_id=4

Update

2011-03-17T22:27:00.001-04:00

The photo not withstanding, it seems spring has arrived. It got up to 65F or so today, the box elder beetles are getting aggressively annoying, and we have our seeds, so yes, spring is here.

Sadly, I haven't been well placed to appreciate it just yet. It's a pity--as I saw signs of spring approaching, I so wanted to get out there and capture the transformation for my 365 project.

On Monday, though, just before spring arrived in earnest, I got hit with the same overwhelming vertigo that made such a mess of my summer two years ago.

I called Rod to rescue me from work and then I barely made it to the ladies room in time to avoid making a real mess. I later had cause to ponder the fact that if there is any advantage to giving birth in a hospital, it is that it cleanly removes any modesty one may have harboured up until then. It came up as a knelt in the grassy median in front of Kroger and a whole lot of traffic, losing everything I had eaten to that point. Ick. But I noticed wrly that I felt sick, but not embarrssed.

At first I was worried that it would get as bad and go as long as it did in '09, but this time the queasiness was spaced to allow me to take something to clear the congestion in my ears. By Tuesday I was able to get around again. I am still on a walker when I leave the house, but I think the worst was over almost immediately.

Jack and I both wondered at about the same time whether this is some extreme reaction to corn. That's my suspicion since I had no signs of viral (or any other) infection.

However my pain is gone and I am recovering my balance, so if the small amount of corn in the medicine doesn't cause a setback, I hope to get back intom photography, blogging, and life tomorrow. (It's Ostara this weekend, so I have tomorrow off work.)

Good night everyone! <3

Misti's 365 Project: Day 62

2011-03-17T21:56:00.002-04:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 61

2011-03-17T21:55:00.002-04:00

Corn allergies

2011-03-14T02:09:00.001-04:00

I came across a t-shirt recently that I think sums up the problem with corn sensitivities pretty well. On the fron, it says "What's the problem with corn sensitivity?" and on the back, it has a long list of the naes unsder which corn can appeear on pingredients lists.

I also want to post my list of souyrces for informatio about corn sensitivity. If you know of others, please add them in comments.

http://www.cornallergysymptoms.com/Default.aspx

http://www.cornallergens.com/

http://no-corn.blogspot.com/

http://www.cornallergyadvocate.com/

Pancakes and dinner biscuits

2011-03-13T21:38:00.005-04:00

1/3 cup coconut flour = 56g = 2oz
1/4 tsp salt = 1g
1/4 tsp baking powder* = 1g
1/4 cup coconut oil (melt if solid) = 56g = 2oz
1/4 cup maple syrup* = 125g = 4.4oz
4 large eggs (233 g or 8.2 oz without shells)

Mix the flour, salt and baking powder thoroughly in a small bowl
Whisk eggs, oil, and syrup together in a medium sized bowl
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk thoroughly.

We use a small 1/4 cup ladle in a medium-hot well-oiled skillet to make 8 pancakes. Your regular pancake instincts will tell you when to flip them. (Basically, when the top side has ceased to look runny -it is still shiny though- they are ready to flip... the air bubbles may or may-not make it through.... haven’t worked out why yet.

They are not quite as durable as their wheat-based cousins, but they are good eating. *We use half the syrup (2 tablespoons) because that’s plenty sweet enough for our palates. We can and do swap syrup for honey on occasions.

I’ve included weights because I always work better with weights.

Coconut Pancakes

Paleo Dinner Bread
(pictured above)
Preheat oven to 405°F (210°C)

1/3 cup coconut flour = 56g = 2oz
1/4 tsp salt = 1g
1/4 tsp baking powder* = 1g
1/4 cup coconut oil (melt if solid) = 56g = 2oz
2 tbsp Honey = 63g = 2.2oz
4 large eggs (233 g or 8.2 oz without shells)
1 cup almond flour = 113g = 4oz

Mix the coconut flour, salt and baking powder thoroughly in a small bowl
Whisk eggs, oil, and syrup together in a medium sized bowl
Add the coconut flour mix to the wet ingredients and whisk thoroughly. Place (dry) stoneware cookie sheet(s) in the oven 5 minutes before your batter is done.
Add 1 cup almond flour to the batter (keep adding ‘till batter is fairly firm)
Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and oil it.
Dollop batter onto hot, oiled cookie sheet (about 6 per sheet)
Bake for about 10 minutes (until the edges turn dark brown and the top is dry).
You’ll need a spatula to lift these from the sheet. Serve hot.

*baking powder
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp arrowroot flour

Getting in a gardening groove

2011-03-13T14:36:00.001-04:00

The seeds should have been ordered weeks ago, but they weren't, so in amongst everything else this weekend, we're selecting seeds and poutting together our soil amendments order.

We're taking a slightly different approach this year. We're rearranging the beds again, and now that Rod sees the point to the amendments, we're going to try to do our best by all of the beds rather than having one or two brought up to my standards and the rest getting just a taste of nutrients. Fortunately, many of the nutrients don't need to be applied every year, so I can focus on the weakest beds and just add the every year stuff the the older, better nourished beds.

Valerie, you had asked about what we were using, so I figured I'd give our list for this year:

Alfalfa*
Compost*
Azomite rock dust
Planters II rock dust
Kelp meal
Blood meal
Bone meal
Worm castings
Fish bone meal
Green sand
Soft rock phosphate

*Compost and alfalfa make up the bulk of the amendments and the others are applied in a much more limited amount. The procide both minerals and organic matter to keep the soil thriving.

My new dress

2011-03-12T13:10:00.001-05:00

Got a new dress from Lakehouse Loft! I love it -- as I do al of Julie's designs.

Oh, and life isn't bad anymore. Just busy. Maybe tomorrow?

Sara at almost two weeks.

2011-03-09T19:51:00.001-05:00

Can you tell why Grandma is completely in love?

Still out...

2011-03-09T07:27:00.003-05:00

I thought I'd be back by now. Sadly, I'm not.

Damned corn is everywhere and I am in so much pain I can barly walk.

Last week, after I switched back to the safe vitamins, I started to feel better -- and then I felt worse. Much worse.

Come to find out, two more of my "not from the doctor" vitamin tablets had corn in forms I am less familiar with.

Coincidently, my work computer was down most of the day yesterday and I spent a lot of time sitting at my desk, trying to stay (or at least look) busy while I waited for it to be repaired.

My eyes happened to alight on the corn toxin list I keep posted above my desk. (But don't use as often as I should.)

I had casually checked all of my vitamins when I discovered the corn in the vitamin D, but I didn't see any corn that I recognized in any of the others.

Yesterday, in gazing at the corn toxins list, I noticed a whole bunch of calcium sourced in corn -- including the one in the calcium tablet I have been taking. So, I checked more carefully. Come to find out, the garlic tablet also has an unfamiliar form of corn.

No wonder I hurt!

But I have stopped poisoning myself and I should feel better in the next three or four days and be able to get back to blogging and photography.

I'm glad I gave myself permission to get back on track with my 365 project if I missed some days. I'm a week behind, but if I give up, I stop learning. So, I am going to download the photos hiding on my camera and get back out there...as soon as I can walk without agony.

On the bright side of life, I have gotten some pictures of Sara and Corey. I am thrilled to have them and to see more of sweet Sarana -- and eager to print them up and start scrapbooking them!!

I hope to post more tomorrow - at least photos. If I can think clearly and stop whinging, maybe even a real post.

Meanwhile, I hope you have GREAT day!

Misti's 365 Project: Day 60

2011-03-06T09:51:00.000-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 59

2011-03-06T09:49:00.002-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 58

2011-03-06T09:43:00.002-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 57

2011-03-06T09:41:00.001-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 56

2011-03-03T08:02:00.001-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 55

2011-03-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome, March! Glad you're back!

2011-03-02T07:26:00.003-05:00

We just got word from Makita that she and Joel are expecting twins on September 18! Twins run in Makita's side of the family, so it's perhaps not as surprising as we first thought -- and since Makita's mother has been there, she probably has lots of good advice.

Being twins, and being as they are due before her 21st birthday, Rod and I are speculating that they'll come in August sometime. Hurray! Congratulations Joel and Makita (and Tjamu Rod!).

I'm a bit behind on the 365 project again-- I have taken a few photos, but the one I posted is the only usable one. That's the problem with trying to grab the occasional one as I rush from hither to yon -- most are out of focus and too dark. I'll have to really focus on that for the next few days. What I need to do is go for a walk at lunch time and get some unhurried photos while there is still light -- but I haven't been.

Meanwhile, I have started playing with Adobe Elements. Playing with the light and contrast really made the roots stand out in this one. I like that! Now I have to find some tutorials in written, not video, form.

The seed catalog is open and a gazillion pages are marked. We starting to get our order ready and plan this year's garden. I had planned to do a lot of winter sewing, but...oh well. In three weeks, I will start my seeds under lights -- now to decide what we'll start! (Exciting times!)

Oh, and to my close friends, my e-mail is down for the time being. I'll be back in a day or two. Meanwhile, try my gmail if it can't wait. ;)

Misti's 365 Project: Day 54

2011-03-02T07:24:00.002-05:00

Update 28 February 2011

2011-02-28T07:53:00.004-05:00

The delay in serious blogging may well last another week, but I am hoping that will be the end of it for the time being. The audits will be over on Friday and it looks like our weekend adventures are slowing down from here. (They have to starting at Ostara -- we have big plans for gardening and preserving this year!)

My 365 project is ongoing, though it took a while to find time to upload shots over the course of the week. As you can see, not every shot is a real success, but I am getting closer and closer to what I want when I take the photo. As an example, on day 50, I finally got a good shot of the texture of the bark. On day 45, I was very, very pleased by the texture of the snow. Then again, the photos for days 47, 51, and 52 are not anything I would ordinarily share...except they were the best I got that day. But the taking photos every day, even (especially?) when there's nothing I want to commemorate is doing great things for my skill. It encourages me to take risks because if I don't get good ones, I can keep trying. That's not as easy when it really matter that I get some good photos - I tend to shoot safe then.

Jack had his annual "I Love My Friends" not-a-birthday party yesterday. We all had a lovely time! I think for a winter party, four friends was just about the perfect size. It meant that the wild party games the kids made up with party "blow-outs" and poppers didn't get out of hand and there was room for everyone at the table without too much crowding. I am hoping that eventually Miss Sari will share some photos--I thought about photos, but I had to host and the temptation to hide behind the camera would have been too intense. :p

I am beginning to wonder about me, actually. For the last couple of months, I have started to tremble and go blank when I am around too many people. It looks and feels like low blood sugar, but it happens even if I just ate. Time to try an increase in my thyroid tablets, I think.

Jack has lost six teeth at this point...with three of them currently missing. He's starting to have that eight-year-old jack-o-lantern smile. It's adorable, and thankfully, he doesn't seem worried about it. (I was always so self-conscious about the ragged grin that I developed a closed mouth smile that lasted for many years -- Jack seems interested, but not concerned about the teeth-fall. I'm happy about that.

We are pondering getting some chickens this year. With frozen chicken of the quality we want going for $20 a bird, $1 per chick and some processing fees and a bit of supplemental food for 10 weeks is looking like a very rational decision. There are a few tricky things to work out, like how to get the chickens to abattoir, but if we can do that, we'll be getting started in a few weeks.

Misti's 365 Project: Day 53

2011-02-28T07:42:00.001-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 52

2011-02-28T07:41:00.001-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 51

2011-02-28T07:24:00.003-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 50

2011-02-28T00:01:00.002-05:00

Meet the lovely Sarana

2011-02-27T05:37:00.001-05:00

My youngest granddaughter, Sara Anna Misti Andersson.
Born 26 February 2011, 3:46am, Stockholm. 3080 grams or 6.79 pounds.

Congratulations, Corey and Marika! She's so very sweet!

Welcome Sarana!

2011-02-25T22:49:00.000-05:00

Sara Anna Misti Anderson made her debut at 3:46 am Stockhom time on February 26, 2011.

Corey told me her weight in grams on the phone last night but I'm afraid I couldn't wrap my mind around a weight in thousands of grams so I don't really know what he said.

Once Mamma or Pappa or Mormor calms down enough to send me the details in writing and a photo, I'll add them here.

Sarana (Grandma's nickname for her) is healthy and serene.

Mamma Marika sounds elated and very happy.

Pappa Corey sounds exhausted and stunned. He evidently got there on time (and clearly Sara wanted her Pappa there, because she waited until he could leave work to be there before she came.)

They were able to call me within an hour after the baby arrived and I got to talk to Marika and Corey for a few minutes.

2011-02-24T05:36:00.000-05:00

It's amazing.

I could have sworn I had posted this picture with a post yesterday morning, but it's nowhere to be seen.

Utterly peculiar.

Anyway, life has been very, very busy over the last couple of weeks. I keep wanting to post, but lately the guys have been getting up with me in the morning and going to bed with me at night, and time to sit and write has been tough to come by.

As you might expect, with life being very busy, there is a lot to say so I hope to get that written down soon -- but the insane pace continues through the weekend and next week. However next weekend looks (for the moment) like it may have slowed down.

I hope you're having fun, too!

Misti's 365 Project: Day 49

2011-02-22T19:24:00.000-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 48

2011-02-21T21:28:00.000-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 47

2011-02-21T21:24:00.000-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 46

2011-02-19T22:23:00.000-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 45

2011-02-19T22:15:00.000-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 44

2011-02-18T07:03:00.000-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 43

2011-02-18T07:01:00.000-05:00

Another tie

Rod likes the first one

Jack likes the second one

Misti's 365 Project: Day 42

2011-02-18T06:59:00.000-05:00

Non-toxic Personal Care Workshop this weekend

2011-02-16T19:30:00.000-05:00

How you can opt out of toxic chemicals for personal care?

We've all been sold on the "need" for a multitude of products to be well groomed. But do you know what you're putting on your skin? Commercial personal care items contains toxic petroleum based chemicals and toxins known to be associated with cancer and other devastating illnesses. Learn how you can stay clean and healthy without poisoning yourself and your family— and save some money, too!

The workshop is free and open to anyone who wants to learn. Come learn with us on Saturday, February 19th, 3pm at Café Ambrosia (326 Maynard).

Time: 19 February · 3:00pm - 6:00
Location: Cafe Ambrosia 326 Maynard Ann Arbor, MI

Ann Arbor Free Skool

Happy Lupercalia, everyone!

2011-02-14T21:58:00.001-05:00

My darling boys made a *wonderful* surprise for me today. They got me in to work early, and so they picked me up early -- with armsful of flowers! They each got me my favorites...Rod gave me a single, glorious red rose and Jack gave me a bouquet of astrolomeria.

Then, on the spur opf the moment, Rod invited me out to dinner at MediteranO. We'd never been there and other than it having a great reputation in the food sensitivity crowd, we didn't know much about it.

It. Is. Amazing!

It's extremely rare for me to be served a meal in a restaurant that I can't make for myself. Usually better than the restaurant did. Of course, a large part of that is because we don't have a large dining budget, but that was absolutely not the case tonight.

The food is fantasic and the preparation is stellar -- and they have no confusion on the question of gluten. Since everything is made from scratch to order, they know what's in the food and they can adapt the menu to suit. Corn was a bigger problem, but the only really when they put powdered sugar on my creme brulee. Next time, I know to ask for it without. Since I am already have a lot of bone pain from the accident poisoning by vitamin capsule, I didn't bother to send it back this time.

I had salmon, Rod had Sea Bass, and Jack had paella. We were all delighted -- and then we had dessert, and shared tastes. My creme brulee was amazing, Rod's chocolate truffle cake was equally delicious, and Jack's berry sorbet was piquant and very satisfying. Yeah - -three different grain free desserts! Can you believe it? That's why we didn't resist.

We left the restaurant creaking at the seams and Jack has enough food left to last him for three more days! The bill was as high as you'd expect at a place this good -- definitely a special occasion restaurant, but it's so nice to have a special occasion restaurant so close to home!

***

I'm still not quite getting the effect I am looking for, but I suspect that's a problem with lighting. I've made great strides in getting usable photos in our dimply lit house, so I'm not too unhappy yet -- but I see other people's highly detailed photos and feel a bit dissatisfied with mine. Oh well -- it'll come.

Misti's 365 Project: Day 41

2011-02-14T21:35:00.000-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 40

2011-02-13T18:27:00.000-05:00

Signs that spring is coming...

2011-02-13T09:36:00.001-05:00

Imbolg has passed and the signs of spring are, indeed, picking up speed.

What first brought that home to me was when Jack told Rod that "It's can't be time to get Mamma from work. It's still light!"

But after Rod told me about that, I started noticing other signs:

* box elder beetles are waking up and wandering through the house. Ick. But it's not to the Hitcockian levels of our first year here. We have three more years until that happens again. (Box elder beetles have a nine year cycle and we were just inn time for the high spot.)

* The trees in the distance are slowly, slowly taking on colour s they wake up. No leaves yet, but as the sap starts to run in the waxing light, they are glowing gold and pink in the grey brown distance.

*the frigid winter temperatures are giving way to balmy breezes (from -24C it has gone up, up, up to -1C) and the predictions for this week are warmer still.

My energy is rising and a good purge to get rid of the clothes that no longer fit, the toys that have ceased to be interesting, the papers that seems to leak into our home with the oxygen and everything else that doesn't make day to day life better.

It's not quite mid-February, and we'll see a lot of cold weather yet this winter,. but the signs of spring are unmistakable...and the seed catalogs have become compelling again.

How is it in your corner of the planet?

Misti's 365 Project: Day 39

2011-02-12T22:45:00.000-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 38

2011-02-12T22:44:00.000-05:00

Blogging this glamourous life of mine...

2011-02-12T05:45:00.000-05:00

Mystery solved.

We had been very, very careful for the last couple of weeks. We had eaten in and only from safe, whole foods. I couldn't imagine why I was feeling more and more achy and sore, weaker, and less and less focused and sharp. I was beginning to be afraid that I had an allergy to some else, too. Ick!

Then, a few days ago, I complained to Rod as I got ready for work, and expressed my fear that there might be something else I had to avoid. A few hours later, he called me at work and told me that a second examination of the ingredients had revealed that the new vitamin D we bought a couple of weeks ago has not one but two potentially corny ingredients. Not the usual suspects, but still...that could be the problem. He bought a bottle of our usual vitamins yesterday and now hopefully I can start to feel more human (and blogging regularly) again.

Now, on to the post I have been struggling to write for a week...

A couple of friends of mine (who don't know each other), both of whom I thought knew better, remarked within a few days of each other about our "glamorous" life.

I am puzzled.

Maybe it comes down to the fact that I blog? Maybe they assume that blogging means you have an exciting life to blog about?

I agree that we have a photogenic house. And we do have a pretty good life, but I don't think it's any more glamorous than anyone else's.

Blogging is storytelling. It's based on life, but it isn't a rote listing of facts like a ships log. It is detail embroidered with meaning and placed in an interesting context. Blogging is less about what is happening and more about how you tell the story. I do post bald facts sometimes. Most bloggers do. Usually it means that we're tired, busy, and feeling uninspired. But the bloggers who develop a large following don't usually have a life so exciting that you'd notice the difference from the outside. What really good bloggers have is an exciting internal life. They see patterns in what happens, they infuse the everyday with meaning. They paint a word picture that, if only for a moment, changes our way of looking at the world. Other excellent bloggers share their journey in the form of information they have collected. They make the new idea seem accessible. I am not a great blogger with a huge following, but I do try to learn from the great bloggers I follow.

When I post here at Chez Smiffy, I am posting my word pictures, my own impression based on our real life. But this blog isn't all of our life. I rarely post about the humdrum, and then only if I have something interesting to say about it. Notice how you rarely hear about the unwashed dishes, the perpetually in need of a wash floors, the chaos that regularly descends in the parlour, or my job? I like my job and I enjoy the people there, but the nature of my job is such that it is interesting only within its own context. There just isn't that much insight to be had in endless rounds of audits, ITAILS, and process documentation that would be interesting to anyone who isn't living it. The perpetually in need of a good cleaning aspects of our home are well known to our closest friends, but they're neither terribly unusual nor very interesting.

But canning, gardening, photography, homeschooling and other things that are interesting to us are much better fodder for interesting insights. They won't interest everyone, of course. Our regular 15 readers are our friends from other other aspects of life, a couple of bloggers with similar interest, and a few visitors looking for information about Disney movies based (or not based) on books, information about writing a homeschool curriculum, or information about tuning and maintaining a Hardman Peck mini-piano. I doubt that I will ever develop a big following and that's perfectly fine. Blogging is fun. Fame comes with way too many hassles. :p

Now then, excuse me while I go try and find a photo for my 365 project. We were out late last night and I discovered that my camera batteries were dead when I tried to take some street scenes. I'll catch up today.

Misti's 365 Project: Day 37

2011-02-11T07:41:00.000-05:00

OK, 10% through and now really beginning to see the value. If "I have to taks a photo" every day, I am pushed to try something new. I have at this point taken all the "easy" photos. :p

Misti's 365 Project: Day 36

2011-02-09T22:20:00.000-05:00

Hmmmm

2011-02-09T08:42:00.000-05:00

I do believe spring must be approaching.

I feel another house purge coming on ...

Valentine's project

2011-02-09T08:38:00.000-05:00

Jack has been participating in a Valentine card exchange this year.

Since the exchange is amongst kids whose parents are on a homeschooling chat group, the kids are all over the country (maybe the world, but our group didn't have anyone from outside the US).

The deal was that we would send cards, but also a brief description of where we are from. Jack and I made twenty cards together (I made the card forms and he decorated them) and then we got a large stacks of books about Michigan from the library and Jack poured through them and wrote down all the most interesting facts he found about our state. Then he and Rod made a poster about Michigan, with a map in the background. Just to top it off, Jack had me make some return address labels with a Michigan flag.

That was fun -- but even more interetsing to me is that as each of the cards arrives, Jack is admiring the card briefly, and then pouring over the details about the place the card came from. Having out so much work into his own poster, he seems particularly interested in what other people have to say.

Even better, another Mom on the list has mentioned that her kids have a map of the US and Canada and they're marking the map as each card arrives. I wonder whether Jack would like to do that...

One of those days...or weeks?

2011-02-08T21:43:00.000-05:00

It's been one of those days for several days in a row.

I have at least three blog posts started and a good idea what I want to say -- but every time I get close to the computer, something more important comes up.

I'm here, I'm thinking about you ... and I'll get busy soon.

In tonight's good news, Jack had only one cavity at his checkup today. None would be ideal, of course, but it beats the four he had six months ago. Evidently he has inherited his Mamma's teeth of chalk.

Good night. I hope to catch up with you very soon.

Misti's 365 Project: Day 35

2011-02-08T21:18:00.001-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 34

2011-02-08T21:13:00.000-05:00

Last night's lazy mamma dinner -- and a 365 shot.

Lazy Mamma dinner

2011-02-07T20:11:00.000-05:00

Rod's down sick again -- he can't seem to beat this cold.

Lazy Mamma dinner tonight:

roasted chickpeas with cardamom,

roasted potatoes with garlic, and

roasted cauliflower,

Accompanied by steamed carrots, parsnips, rutabega, and turnip.

Then to bed.

How we spent our Sunday!

2011-02-07T08:21:00.000-05:00

Jack and his friend, Connor, love to sled.

This year, we finally have enough snow over a long enoug time to get some serious sledding in. Yesterday, the boys spent a full two hours running up the hill and whoosing down again.

I remeber that from when I was a kid. It *was* fun. Today,I'd be afraid I'd break something.

Misti's 365 Project: Day 33

2011-02-06T10:16:00.000-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 32

2011-02-05T23:58:00.001-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 31

2011-02-04T22:28:00.000-05:00

Another tie.

Rod and I like this one.

This one a good idea that was a little blurry and not quite there ... Imbolg sunrise.

Jack likes this one best. Technically it is the best photo. Not sure it has much impact, though.

Request

2011-02-04T18:47:00.003-05:00

I've started a Zazzle shop as a way to be able to get greeting cards made for my own use...but I am making it publicly available (mostly).

If you see a photo here that you think would make a good product, could you let me know? Objective is tough. :p

Thanks.

Happy Imbolg, everyone!

2011-02-04T07:40:00.001-05:00

Imbolc
by Ian R Thorpe
Thursday, January 15, 2004

Pale winter sun lingers, lengthening each day,
On twig and branch new buds begin to swell.
Songbirds give voice, each striving to excel,
Seed senses change in its deep bed of cold clay,
Earth goddess weaves her magic to propel
Reborn cycle of her womb along its way

Life returns in every tree’s slow thought,
In pond and stream the dance begins again
Spring flowers show, their purpose to proclaim
A new season comes; winter’s reign is short
And darkness no longer exercises any claim;
Green growth dispels grey moods it brought.

Misti's 365 Project: Day 30

2011-02-03T21:38:00.000-05:00

Not much of a blizzard

2011-02-03T06:40:00.001-05:00

OK, well, Snow-pocalypse 2011 was a non-starter. We did get some snow, but only about 6 or 8 inches.

I got a snow day, though, because although the office wasn't closed, we live on a class 3 road. That means that, tough the snow fell on Tuesday night, we won't be plowed until Friday sometime.

On the other hand, we think there have probably been enough 4-wheel drives and macho trucks up and down our road to make it possible to get to a plowed road and off to work this morning.

But it was only a sort of a snow day ... I was ready to leave for work until about 3pm, when I realized that even if the roads were cleared, it would be pointless to show up as most people who made it in were leaving.

So, about 3pm, I decided to start dinner. It turned out really well, so I thought I'd share the recipe. (I adapted it from a Cooks Illustrated recipe.) We can all use more grain free, filling recipes, right?.)

Italian Lentil Soup

Soak 1 cup of mixed lentils (I used brown lentils, lentils du puy, and red lentils) for a couple of days in clean water to immerses all of them. (I change the water every six hours or so, but I know a lot of people never change the water.)

Warm some olive oil in a heavy bottomed soup pot and add 1 medium chopped onion, three cloves of minced garlic, three stalks of chopped celery, and two or three bay leaves. Saute them gently until they're mushy.

Add three chopped carrots, 1/2 cup chopped rutabaga, 1/2 cup chopped parsnip, 1/2 cup chopped turnip and the lentils (drained). If you have a Parmesan rind, add it to the soup pot now.

Cover with vegetable broth, and let simmer until the vegetables start to soften.

(Make sure to keep the heat low--you just want them to simmer. Lentils cooked at a hard boil explode as soon as they're cooked, making something that more closely resembled lentil paste than lentil soup. You probably knew that, I just learned it.)

Add 1/2 chopped celeriac, 3-6 stems (a tablespoon or so) of thyme, and 2 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable stock, if you prefer--mushroom would be yummy!).

Only after the lentil have softened, add 1 pint of tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste, and a couple of large handfuls of spinach.

Once the spinach has wilted and warmed through, you have soup.

I added garlic powder and hot sauce at the table. It it was pretty good before I added them and fantastic after.

Misti's 365 Project: Day 29

2011-02-02T22:28:00.000-05:00

Maybe the 365 Project isn't right for you...

2011-02-02T07:50:00.000-05:00

Last night, after watching me struggle to find one photo out of all I had taken, that I could use for my 365 project, Rod suggested that perhaps a 365 project isn't right for me.

He had also very probably noticed that the quality of the photos I had been posting has declined since I started the 365 project, because it'as true. Some of the photos I have chosen have been mediocre at best.

I think that the 365 project *is* right for me. The reason the photos aren't as good as some of my previous work is also the reason that I am doing this. In the past, I was a "luck" photographer. I love taking pictures, and I'd gotten pretty good at spotting the moment and framing the photo. But the camera was doing thew work. My photos aren't as snazzy these days because I have gotten the camera off "auto" and am learning about what I can do. I still don't always take the time to play with the settings like I want to -- time is still short and I am either in a hurry to get it done or very tired. Often both.

But in the past, I was usually taking pictures because there was something I didn't want to miss. That meant I didn't want to risk playing with settings and miss that perfect smile. Now I am trying something every day and the subject isn't the point - a still life isn't going anywhere, so I can try one setting after another to see what they do. I share with you less because i think you're interested and more so I have the incentive not to skip a day and so in a year, I can look back at what I have learned.

When I started three weeks ago, I had no idea how to take a low light photo. I am still not thrilled with the results, but I am impressed that I could get a recognizable photo with the light of three candles. In time I may learn to make a *beautiful* photo by the light of three candles.

Another reason that the 365 photos I share with you are less impressive than some of the others is that for the purpose of the project, I insist on sharing the photos without post-production work. (I mentioned this before, I think...) If the idea is to get control of the camera, then it only makes sense to take a clear look at what I did *with the camera*.

Anyway, thank you for your patience. I am trying not to let the project interfere with my actual blogging pace. ;)

Misti's 365 Project: Day 28

2011-02-01T21:07:00.000-05:00

Snow-pocalypse 2011 has begun!

2011-02-01T20:55:00.001-05:00

Gorgeous photo!

I wanted to use it for my 365 project; pity Rod took it.

Misti's 365 Project: Day 27

2011-01-31T22:33:00.000-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 26

2011-01-31T08:24:00.000-05:00

10:15, and still no photos.

2011-01-30T22:15:00.000-05:00

I guess I'll go for three tomorrow.

Hmmm.

Consistency doesn't seem to be as easy as I'd hoped.

(That I got to Lansing and found that my batteries were dead is my current excuse.)

Grain-free Chocolate Mud Cake

2011-01-30T10:18:00.000-05:00

Grain-free Chocolate Mud Cake

5 ounces unsalted butter
3/4 cup honey
2 ounces cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3 eggs
1/2 cup nut flour
1/4 cup coconut flour

Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients in a medium bowl.

Add the dry ingredients to to wet ingredients and stir until just mixed.

Bake at 325 for 20-30 minutes, until the middle starts to firm up and leaves a toothpick slighly moist but not sticky.

Another grandbaby on the way!

2011-01-30T08:51:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Joel and Makita!

And heartiest congratulations to Grandpa Rod!

Aren't they gorgeous! The baby is going to be so beautiful!
I'm so excited -- again!!

Another "what a day!"

2011-01-29T23:30:00.000-05:00

Well, dinner is almost cooked, and then we can eat and hit the sack.

We started the day with Jack's karate class. Actually, Rod and Jack did that while I stayed home and salvaged the kitchen and then finished up preparing our notes for today's astrology class.

The prep seemed to take a long time, but the class went pretty well, give or take some dropped notes and missing charts. But the folks were very interesting and most seemed to get more or less what they came for. (Not everyone did, but it was an "Astrology as the Ultimate Parenting manual" class and single, child-free folks who didn't send in their data were bound not to have a terribly interesting time. ) I have a few more charts to read for folks who wanted to but couldn't make it, and I have invited a few people to continue the "class" in a few weeks on a more private basis. That should be fun. :)

After the class ended, we headed out to get the last of the stuff for the baby boxes I am packing. My granddaughter is due in a few weeks and a friend is expecting her first, also a girl, a week before Sara is due. I have to say, it's a lot of fun to shop for little girls. Anyway, that stuff is packed up to go out on Monday. Kim and Alec will have theirs in plenty of time, but I am cutting it close for Marika. I hope it gets there on time.

Then, finally, we headed out to get groceries since Rod wasn't up to his usual Friday shop yesterday. We finally got home at 9:00pm and I started dinner.

On the journey, Rod and I discussed food storage again. We have agreed that for our purposes, we'll start with a goal of three weeks without shopping. Once we're there, we think that a solid six months with minimal shopping would be the ultimate goal. Our assumption is that the most likely "crises" we'd be facing would be unexpected bills or some other financial crisis or weather related emergency like August of 2003. But the real advantage is that we could stretch our budget further is we put away more food so that we only had to buy what wasn't too expensive this week. That level of frugality is important when we insist on high quality food, but our budget barely stretches to cover what we need. This way, we might be able to save more quickly. Most of our storage foods will be things we've put by ourselves, so that we can count on local and organic for the most part, though tuna and coconut milk and things like that will be canned. So, now to start figuring exactly what we need most.

I had an interesting experience today. I discovered that my greatest wish for my looks had come true. Of all the things about my appearance that had ever dismayed me, the one I had had every day of my life and had never really made peace with was my very, very full neck and jaw. I could never quite bring myself to consider surgery, but if there was one thing I'd have considered, it would have been a reduction of my jaw and throat. Today, after I got dressed for the class, I caught sight of myself in the mirror unexpectedly and realized that my wish has been granted. I will never have a long, swan-like neck, of course, but most of the fullness is gone, leaving only a gentle softness that seems suitable to my age and not unattractive. It was a weird experience. Good -- but also strange since that fullness was evidently something that was very much a part of my self image. I don't think I'm going to have a great deal of trouble getting used to this. ;)

I'm way beyond tired. No photo today, but I'll aim for two tomorrow.

The photo above is one I took of my niece and her son last summer. Gorgeous shots are so easy with gorgeous models!

Misti's 365 Project: Day 25

2011-01-28T22:25:00.000-05:00

2011-01-28T06:09:00.001-05:00

What a night!

It snowed pretty much all day yesterday. Unfortunately for me, the temperatures also hovered around freezing. That means icy, slippery streets. Now, I am not really fond of driving at the best of times, and in bad weather I really don't like driving. That's why my darling husband goes out of his way to drive me in to work most mornings. But he's very sick right now with whatever bug got Jack last weekend, so I drove myself to work yesterday.

Long story short, the next street over no longer has a street sign and dimples has added to her collection of ...dimples. :( On the bright side, she is drivable and other than being embarrassed and frightened, I am fine.

In better news, Jack tested for and earned his next belt at karate class last night. We all thought it would be some months away yet, so it was an exciting surprise! He will be presented with his new orange (third level) belt next Saturday at class.

Also in karate news, but this across the puddle, my darling granddaughter Isabella and her best friend were two of only eight of in their dojo who qualified to compete in Denmark in late February! I am so proud of both of my karate-ka!

Time I got ready for work. More tomorrow, I hope.

Misti's 365 Project: Day 24

2011-01-27T21:55:00.000-05:00

A tie.

I couldn't choose, so I asked the guys. This is what they came up with. ;)

Still working with low light, no flash.

Misti's 365 Project: Day 23

2011-01-26T12:56:00.000-05:00

Happy Anniversary, my beloved

2011-01-26T08:36:00.001-05:00

Ten years ago today, I met my wonderful, beautiful Rodney.

It took several years more for us to make it so, but I consider this the day my life turned around.

Thank you, so much, Rodney, for the sweet gift of yourself. I love you.

2011-01-26T07:09:00.000-05:00

Well, Jack is finally on the mend. As I mentioned, he started eating again a day or so ago.

Now poor Rod is down with it. He was 'off" yesterday morning and by the time I got off work, he had to have me drive. If you know Rod, you know how serious that has to be. And last night, I again saw the "semi-tropical" side of him come out again. He was under three blankets and still shuddering, so I put four more on him. He finally relaxed, and then he commented on how weird it is to him to sleep under "40 pounds of blankets".

Poor Jack is still going to be stuck in bed reading. He doesn't like to get too far from Dad until I get home, and that's what there is to do when Dad is sick. Knowing Jack, he'll sleep as long as he possibly can before he deals with being on his own, and I have made sure there is something for him to eat when he does wake up (leftovers, a PB&J, and bananas and apples). Rod will get up a few times to make sure Jack's doing oK and if he needs something, Rod is good about dealing with it.

Did I even think to mention that Jack won third place in his chess tournament on Saturday? I don't think I did, because by the time he got home, it was pretty clear he wasn't well. But he did. He won third place for his division. Rod says that Jack will play in this division one more year and he speculates that he'll be pretty close to the top when he ages out, especially now that there is a game group meeting on Tuesdays these days with several other kids who like chess, in addition to his once a month chess club meeting, so he's getting more practice.

Oh, I thought, too, that I'd mention that believe it or not, last night's 365 photo was a triumph. I have set myself a rule that I won't use post production to improve a photo for this purpose (thus the photos seeming a bit ordinary sometimes.) and I have been using the every-day-ness of it to try to stretch myself to things I haven't tried before. For a couple of weeks now I have been trying to capture low-light images. Mostly I have gotten blurry, pixilated, yellow blobs. Last night, I think I finally found the setting that works. It's not much of a picture in the sense of telling a story, but the light is interesting and the photo is pretty clear.

Next challenge: capture the texture I so love in other people's work.

(The photo above is one I took of my 'niece', Tiffani, and her husband Kody on their wedding day last summer. Aren't they beautiful young people? I wonder whether, when I am ready to start tackling portraits, they'd be willing to play for an afternoon at the p[ark... Hmmm.)

Misti's 365 Project: Day 22

2011-01-25T22:28:00.000-05:00

What are you putting on your skin?

2011-01-24T23:23:00.000-05:00

Which are the scariest baby products?

How about the ones that contain carcinogens and endocrine disruptors? In baby products? You bet. Even some that sound so safe!

Have a look. Johnson No More Tears? Baby Magic Calming Bath? Gentle naturals? They're on there, and it not pretty.

Think you're safe because you don't have a baby and you don't wear makeup or perfume?

Sorry, even soaps can be scary and shampoo, too. How about deodorant?

It's worth a look to see how safe your favorites are, and maye find some that will work just as well while leaving your health (and the health of the planet) intact.

Misti's 365 Project: Day 22

2011-01-24T23:04:00.000-05:00

Why I take so many pictures

2011-01-24T21:48:00.001-05:00

The 365 project has me really thinking about photography in a way that I haven't really before.

I mean, I like to take pictures, but when you are trying to take at least one "sharable" one per day (and sometimes failing, like yesterday) you start to ask yourself what exactly it is that you want to capture.

Rod seems to have lost interest in actually taking photos, but he does pipe up with suggestions every now and then -- usually pretty esoteric, deep and meaningful, and just not suitable for my project.

Why?

I like esoteric. I like deep and meaningful. Why is it not right for my project? It took me a while to figure that out.

I have come to realize that for me, photography is mainly a way to record the beauty around me. I can warm up to "journalistic" photography, too. That is, recording what happens around me, good and bad. But 'high concept' art of all kinds -- photography, painting, all of it -- has always left me blank.

I guess I'm just not that smart. I prefer the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood to Picasso, it has taken me years to warm up to the Impressionists, and most"Modernist Abstraction" leaves me cold and not a little confused.

I want something else from my photos.

I want to share a sense of the wonder and delight that I find around me. I want to share a sense of warmth and familiarity. Making folks think isn't really one of my artistic goals. Thinking, for me, is the purpose of words. Pictures are more about emotion and my goal is to evoke positive emotions as much as I can.

Now I know what I'm looking for. Let's see if I get any better at finding time in a busy day not only to see it, but capture it. ;)

Another gluten free pancake

2011-01-24T21:36:00.002-05:00

Because of all the foods in the world, Jack loves pancakes.
He prefers Dad's Perfect Pancakes, but he'll take what he can get.

Tonight, while Dad was out on an Essential Oil errand, Jack annaounced that he was feeling enough for Dad's Perfect Pancakes or Mac and Cheese. We have already established that my mac and cheese isn't up to snuff, so he asked for Mamma's almost perfect pancakes.

We're out of almond flour and I wanted them done fast, so I found this recipe on Comfy Belly and Jack has paused devouring it long enough to proclaim them "really quite edible"...

FLUFFY COCONUT FLOUR PANCAKES

Ingredients (makes 5-6 silver-dollar-size pancakes)

3 large eggs or 4 small eggs
1 teaspoon of olive oil (or your oil of choice)
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (I now reduce this to 1/4 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons of coconut flour
fresh or frozen blueberries (optional)

Preparation

In a bowl, add all the wet ingredients and whisk together until well blended.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, and whisk mixture again until well blended and frothy – this will get them even fluffier!
Add additional olive oil or butter to a frying pan on medium to low heat and let warm for a few minutes. Next, pour the batter into small circles in the frying pan without letting the edges of each circle touch. Keep the heat fairly low and let the pancakes heat up slowly and rise – about 3 to 5 minutes.
Wait until there are several bubbles appearing on top of the pancake circles and the edges are cooked, and then flip each pancake to cook the other side. This will not take long, so watch them carefully, and then move the pancakes onto another plate. Continue this until all the batter is gone.
Enjoy!

Poor Jack

2011-01-24T07:09:00.001-05:00

Poor Jack. Rarely have I seen him this sick.
He came home from chess unusually exhausted, and didn't want much dinner. He was too cold and couldn't get warm, so we put him in a tub of warm water for a while and he seemed to recover a little. He flopped around the house the rest of the day and went to bed early in the evening.

Yesterday, he came down for some water, but went back upstairs pretty quickly. He tried to come down for dinner, but he could only crawl down the stairs and once he got here he was too tired to eat. By then he had developed quite a fever. He didn't even want any candy for dessert! Poor guy.

The fever broke in the night, so I hope he'll feel better soon, but obviously he won't be at art class or the dentist today.

Misti's 365 Project: Day 21

2011-01-24T06:52:00.000-05:00

Schedule confusion ...

2011-01-23T11:01:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I am such an idiot.

I agreed to teach a class next weekend. I scheduled it for Sunday, because of course we see John on Saturday.

Unfortunately, I didn't check the calendar carefully when it was posted. The scheduler put it on Saturday. Sadly, 17 people had signed up before I realized.

Worse? This is his birthday weekend.

I hate changing the schedule on John because it makes it so much harder for him to keep track, but in this case that really is the best option.

Frustrating, but there it is.

Note to self: Double and triple check the calendar BEFORE the last minute. Mistakes happen. Catching them is my responsibility.

Fortunately, John's son, Bill, has verified that John is indeed free on Sunday. Now, to find some adventure or other that will be open.

(There is a bright side, too, though -- that means I have some time on Saturday to bake the cake we'll bring up, and we can arrive a lot earlier on Sunday than we could on Saturday.)

Boycott Horizon and Stonyfield ?!?!

2011-01-22T20:40:00.000-05:00

I'm late out of the gate on this, but it appears that since June 2010

" a group of organic farmers is calling for a nationwide boycott of all H.P.
Hood branded products because of what they’re calling “unfair business
practices.” This includes organic companies—Hood products include some names you
might not expect: Horizon and Stonyfield Organic Milk."

Hood is evidently forcing farmers out of the cooperative that produced organic milk for these companies if they also provide products directly to the consumer.

Looks like we're looking for a new brand of butter.

Misti's 365 Project: Day 19

2011-01-22T19:28:00.001-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 18

2011-01-22T19:27:00.000-05:00

Misti's 365 Project: Day 17

2011-01-22T19:20:00.000-05:00

365 project update

2011-01-22T10:27:00.000-05:00

I've missed two days. But I'm not going to stop. Instead I am going to cheat.

Now that I have my meds balanced again, and I have some energy, I am going to head outdoors and try to get at least three very different photos, and I will assign them to days 17, 18, and 19. If I can't do it all today, I'll try again tomorrow and again and again until I catch up. (It's -21C adjusted temperatures out there today, so even bundled up, my ability to stay out there will be limited. I don't own boots, for instance.)

I doing the 365 project in an attempt to improve my eye and my familiarity with my camera rather than as an endurance contest, so this will suit me just as well as having stuck it out -- but the key will be "very different photographs."

But meanwhile, I have been making a lovely warming ginger butternut soup and wholesome chocolate coconut candies to surprise the boys when they get home from the chess tournament.

Chocolate Coconut Candies

1 cup virgin coconut oil
1/2 vanilla bean
1-2 Tablespoons raw honey
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T almond butter
unsweetened dessicated coconut

Mix all ingredients together in a food processor until mixture is smooth. Drop by the tablespoon onto the dessicated coconut, then remove to parchment paper, and refrigerate until the candies are solid, then store in a covered container in the fridge.

2011-01-20T20:15:00.000-05:00

I should be running around taking pictures, or making Valentines cards for Jack to decorate for his homeschool Valentine exchange.

Or... *something* useful. But I can't. I'm exhausted.

I thought I was coming down with something. I didn't get sick.

I blamed it on not enough sleep for several days running, but I got plenty of sleep last night and it's worse now.

Now I am thinking that my thyroid dose needs adjusting. (I had experimentally reduced it a month ago, and it's has taken quite a while to feel it, but I am feeling it.)

Oh well. Maybe I can find a photo to take and post it much later -- like 7am. Meanwhile, this is Jack on Learner.org a few nights ago, finding out that actually he spells pretty much on target. He passed all the third grade spelling tests with 100% and got only 82% on the first level of the third grade test. On my lap top, of course. It's annoying to have him take it over -- but I really don't want him wandering the web unsupervised and he would if he could. So, no Internet on his computer. Learner.org also has some videos that are pretty good for older kids and some interactives for the 9-12 year old group. And I had Jack use the interactive about the parts of a story, just to plant the seed. He says he wants to be a writer when he gets older (this week) so it seemed apropos.

Food storage

2011-01-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

First off, no, I didn't take this photo. I wish I had. This is our niece, Jasmine, with her daughter Sienna Lee. Jasmine took this photo. I can't imagine how, but she did. Isn't it lovely?

Rod and I have been pondering the possibility of getting serious about food storage. Our friend, Sue, talks about it a bit on her blog from time to time and the more we follow her adventures the more sense it makes. I doubt we'd ever get as serious about it as Sue is (and she's less serious than some) but the idea of a nice, safe cache of food that would last a while in case of emergency really pleases us. In our thinking, that emergency is far more likely to be a cash blowout because of an unexpected major expense than a world cataclysm, but you never know. It can't hurt to be prepared for anything.

I had assumed that our weird eating patterns would limit our ability to really buy our food for long term storage. In looking over Honeyville's food storage site, I have come to realize that we'd have to check everything carefully and there are things we need that we'd have to find elsewhere, but it does look viable. Our eating would have to change, of course -- milk and eggs don't store well unless you do strange things to them and I'm not ready to go there yet -- but we could eat.

We have plenty of room for storage, too.

Hmmm.

Misti's 365 Project: Day 16

2011-01-19T20:31:00.000-05:00