Kirkwood Gap

random button generates random thoughts

2011-04-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

found a quick link on my browser to the blog page ...

Interesting, and maybe I'll be more likely to write than I have been.

Many months later.....

2009-05-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

First, we have Molly, near a pedestal, during a sunny happy day spent wandering in downtown Salem. When we lived in Portland, everyone sneered at Salem, but now that I'm here I'm surprised at the liveliness of the downtown- on this day, the mall at the capital was lined with flowering cherry trees, and the grassy center- several blocks long, was filled with picnickers, wedding parties, volleyball games, and plain old dog walkers like me.

Then, there's Molly where she

really belongs--on a pedestal.

Gone to Ground

2009-03-31T21:07:00.001-07:00

It's been a long time by I finally feel like I can stick my head up and look around. After coming home from Costa Rica (short version: fall, sprained ankle, sick on the bus from Peruvian ceviche, hill town spanish classes, rappelling down waterfalls, beach with the family, zipline, beach, scorpion sighting, beach, home), I went straight to work in Salem with the hair-raising one hour commute. There wasn't a single day I didn't see an accident or more on the highway. My knuckles were white most days, and I didn't have enough energy to go round after I got home.

Moved to Salem a week ago, little apartment that backs up to a park and is up the block from a big off-lead park for Molly. With only a 7 minute drive home, Molly is getting lots of park time.

It's also close enough to see Lysse, but too far to drop in on her unannounced. We went to see Wicked this weekend and in the spirit of celebration, went to IKEA afterwards- we needed stuff. Lots of stuff.

Costa Rica Day 1

2009-01-24T18:19:00.000-08:00

Arrival: fantastica, all goes well. Day in San Jose, (or is it Juan¿) I walk into town, see many cool thngs. Heck, and oçthe plane ride I saw volconos, massive mountain ranges adn both the Pacific and the Carribean.

The Museo de Oro: fabulous gold pre-columbian artifacts.T iny litttle frogs made me laugh out loud, they were so cute. Gold people, monsters, birds, lizards, and all possible combinations of same, tiny and precious, all that remains after the looting.

Walk back through the city, they have made a major thouroughfare in the center of town a pedestrians only route, and it was great. Everything you could imagine for sale, all in spanish, with spanglish lowercase, and the trees FULL of conures (little parrots), screeching at the top of their lungs as the sun set. the girl in the tienda said they screem all day long.

Triwed to relax at the student guest house, but too tired to rest.

Out to a nearby resturant, highly reccomended by both my guide book and my driver. Machu Picu.

A Peruvian resturant in Costa Rica, playing Polish music (Roll out the barrel)done by a Mariachi Band. The world is a very small place.

The most fabulous ceviche to start, worth the trip in itself, with the hottest hot sauce I have ever partially avoided. They placed a piece of steamed sweet potato on the plate, not the greatest match with the ceviche, but I understood it´s meaning after I sampled the volcanic hot sauce.

Pisco sours, two of them, a revalation, like unto the oysters that I had for the first time at age 50++---Why did I wait so loooong? I considered a third, but thought; I have to walk home.

And the walk home, through a less than savory neighborhood, terrific, feeling good, till an irregulatity in the sidewalk caused a fairly significant left ankle sprain
and rIGHT knee scrape: fall, cursing, shades of the Portland Fiasco. So now I´m bleeding, Swelling, aND WISHING i HAD A THIRD pISCO sOUR. At least I didn´t bust a disc, right? Right.

¿Also, did I mention a funky keyboard'?

Pictures to follow.

Hitting the Road

2009-01-22T19:25:00.000-08:00

I spent today in Salem, getting lost, and signing papers at my new office. Salem, though it has it's detractors, does seem like a nice enough place. The apartment I looked at was beautiful, the back wall was floor to ceiling windows directly over the Willamette River. It was a bit on the costy side, so I doubt Molly and I will be calling it home, but, man, it was nice.

I leave tomorrow at midnight for a week in Costa Rica, to spend a week at language school, and then a week at the beach with the family. Because I really don't like people that much, spending the first week on a homestay in a little mountain town makes me a little anxious. I can't make small talk on a good day, let alone in another language. Most of my past Spanish experiences involve asking about flujo, or locating the cause of an itch. I keep telling myself I can do anything for a week. Right?

Walking the dog

2009-01-20T19:47:00.000-08:00

I'm walking in Forest Park and the Hoyt Arboretum whenever I get the chance- the main trail, the Wildwood Trail, travels forty miles through wooded areas weaving in and out of the city. You can be in the wild, and then come upon a road with a city bus stop. The first photo is of a Monkey puzzle tree, on the Bristlecone Pine Trail.
This is the city, bathed in light, and the Willamette River, from the Wildwood trail near Pittock Mansion.

Heavy moss and lush green in January- Wildwood Trail, again, near the Sequoia collection. I have a goal of walking every trail at the Arboretum, and I'm completed about 2/3 of them so far. None of them are very long, but they wind around with switchbacks and loops, so you feel you've gone a long way though it's over a small area.
And there's the dog herself! Looking very sporty in a new trim, and quite slim, because she walks two miles to my one.

It's a new day

2009-01-20T12:40:00.001-08:00

What a wonderful thing it is to see that even while we remain at war and haven't been able to overcome our most atavistic impulses, that we can still have a peaceful change of government in spite of the radically different tenor of the new administration.

Congratulations to all of us!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KApWOAefKCs

new addictive game

2009-01-13T18:15:00.000-08:00

With more than enough time on my hands, I got hooked on an online crayon physics game- hours went by while I tried to move the little ball towards the little flag. Now that I have completed all the levels, I have enough time to add this post.

Magic Pen

Collect the flags with the red ball to complete each level.

Play this free game now!!

There; go forth and play, I promise it'll make your brain grow. You can get very creative, and there's no down beat music when you fail. I appreciate that as I fail quite a bit.

Today (between games) I went to PT for my wasting away left foot, went tanning for my upcoming trip to Costa Rica, had a manicure- the girl was new and she had nothing to do, so I said ok, and then got a haircut. This may have been my most active day since I came out here. Pretty pathetic, but I work tomorrow and Friday at the family practice job, and I leave next Friday for a week doing a medical spanish class in Turrialba, Costa Rica, and then a week at the beach with the family. For a life in which everything has gone wrong of late, it's still pretty good.

And, Lysse just called, and she's bringing home Thai for dinner.. What more could I ask for?

knitting this week: too much time after surgery

2008-12-21T12:34:00.000-08:00

A new Molly coat:

A scarf/shawl:

Scaruffle (for Lysse):

Winter comes to the west coast

2008-12-21T12:25:00.000-08:00

They said it would be dark. They said it would rain. They said if it snowed, it would be gone in a flash.

They lied.

Since last saturday, it has been snowing on and off and cold. Not as cold as Maine, but cold nonetheless.

And it snowed, all day yesterday, and finished up with a thick coat of freezing rain, so the snow is encased. The whole city has shut down- 911 systems off line, roads closed, urgent care centers closed, the airport full of stranded travelers.

Here we are, down in a valley, only one road out, which won't be plowed till wednesday if we're lucky. They still use chains here! in fact, they are mandatory now on all Portland Metro roads. I didn't know anybody still made chains- I thought they were obsolete.

Here's Molly in her Santa Suit. She had a great time outside this morning, skittering across the top of the frozen snow, and I wa able to let her off lead since no vehicles can travel our road.

Wednesday- snow day

2008-12-17T10:23:00.001-08:00

So, here we are, Wednesday, december 17th. I am now 5 days out from my microdiscectomy, and doing pretty well, I think. The leg and foot pain disappeared immediately, leaving only incisional pain, which is way easier to deal with than the nerve pain.
Snow has arrived in PDX, started Saturday, paused for a couple of days, and now has returned. This is a rare commodity here, and they are not prepared for it. days after the first storm, the roads are not plowed, and schools are still closed- 3 inches fell over the weekend, and it's still a mess. When it does snow, chains are mandatory on the main roads, though many people of course don't have chains, or they decide to apply them only after they've spun out of control on a highway overpass. the news feeds are filled with people leaving their cars, and walking these overpasses, while other cars slide towards them.

I am home, warm and happy, with a sufficient supply of percocet, chocolate, yarn and sappy movies. My roommate, Lysse, has gone into work today, and since I didn't see her car on the exit road, I can only guess that she got there.

Cannon beach- Goonie alert!

2008-11-29T14:57:00.000-08:00

Lysse and I went over to Cannon Beach for a few days over Thanksgiving.

Surprisingly, a lot of people had the same idea, and the hotel, beach and roads were pretty full. I'll bet it's nothing like summer, and that's fine with me. It was beautiful, with long stretches of open beach with these incredible rock outcroppings, and the constant roar of the surf.

Molly ran free on the beach, and almost got used to doggie etiquette, but was pretty overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of other dogs lookin' for a good time.

Anyone who has seen Goonies will recognize this beach- it's a wonderful place to visit, and there's so much more to the coast that I haven't even seen yet.

Living things!

2008-11-19T10:55:00.000-08:00

A cyclamen from Lee, which is also the first plant we bought together, during a long cold winter in New Hampshire when Lysse was two, and a Rue from Jensi and Carmen, to protect me from the evil eye as I go through all these changes. I can't thank the three of you enough. Mille grazie

Just when things are looking down...

2008-11-18T11:37:00.000-08:00

I am reminded that I have a wonderful family, thoughtful and generous kids, good friends.
Thank you all.

(Flowers from Scott- they're beautiful! thank you again)

It was the best of times, and also the worst

2008-11-18T10:27:00.001-08:00

Here's a shot of Mount Hood from a hill near our place. Actually it's from a cemetery nearby, Lysse drove me up there on Sunday, since I was going a bit stir crazy at home.

On a smaller scale, this is a shot of a romanesque broccoli we bought at the farmers market on saturday. It was almost too pretty to cut and eat, but we did manage to, and it was great.

Last but not least, here's a rose from the bouquet Lee sent me when I was feeling my worst :

Sunday-Funday!

2008-11-09T13:56:00.001-08:00

today's sunday fun started with a walk down the road to the club house, where I spent some time in the sauna and the hot tub. I was feeling great until I walked back into the apartment. Unfortunatly, while I was gone , Molly had a little meltdown, and woke Lysse up (my soak was at 7:00). So, after reading up on separation anxiety, I found a local vet, who turned out to be very caring, and took lots of time coming up with a plan for Molly's transistion- new house, people around, her love interet on the other side of the country. Start on Valium and prozac- just what I would have suggested if Molly had come to me, more or less.

So now we have valium, and a crate, and I may still go ahead and have someone come in for daily walks- Now for my transition plan.

My ankle looks like a ripe plum. my hip is screaming at me, I cry at the slightest thing. So far, all is going according to plan.

Vamos a ver.

The Move

2008-11-08T14:54:00.001-08:00

well, it was hard, really hard.

It is possible that I am too old for this kind of uprooting.

Or maybe, it's because my idealized pre-move move is different from reality. That shouldn't come as a surprised, but all the same, I'm thrown.

The flights were a breeze. Molly proved that poodles can fly, after all.

The apartment Lysse has found for us is fine, though a little off the beaten path (this from someone who lived in Maine for years, and there are good people here, not to mention the pool, hot tub and sauna.
But the jet lag, combined with the infernal daylight savings change has turned me into a raving lunatic.

And then came the pine cone. Lee and I were walking to the car after a visit to Powells Books, and there was a pine cone. It felt, if pinecones can feel, that I did not pay it adequate attention, deference, respect. So I took me down.
Serious sprained ankle, skunned knee, and it (combined with a tiny bit of Molly Kibble later that evening, which caused my to twist ever so slightly and created this huge ripple of pain down my leg) caused my back to go in spasm, or something. Lysse and I headed to Ikea after dropping Lee at the airport, and I had to keep sitting down, and she had to keep threatening to get a wheelchair. I held her off on the wheelchair, but it was exhausting.

The pain in my hip, knee and ankle is helping to blunt the pain of saying goodbye to Lee, knowing it could be several months before I see him again. After 33 years of marriage, I feel like my right arm has been torn off- and even though I know it's only temporary, my heart won't listen to my head.

Started work. Very nice staff and a great view of Mt Hood, though the mount has been hiding in clouds since I arrived. I think we got off to a pretty rocky start, though, and I'm a little worried. We'll see.

Vamos a ver.

More Finished Objects!

2008-10-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what a little deadline can do for you when it comes to accomplishing great things!

First, the quilt for Madison Cate McMahon, batiks mostly, with a star spangled flannel underside. I think this one is named Squiggles.

The quilt, not the baby.

And the second in the Brothers Series: this one for Cameron McMahon, Landon's little brother:

Haunted Railway

2008-10-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

Down in Boothbay, where all the good hauntings happen....

Assorted boys of all ages...

And then theres Amy....
Who brought a date she just picked up in the Haunted Ladies Room

My Last Day

2008-10-25T07:37:00.001-07:00

Well, yesterday was my last day at MCWH. It was pretty sad, saying goodbye to all my friends there, coworkers and patients alike. On the plus side the girls did give me an awesome gift, one that shows their deep understanding of me and my needs, and that will give me many hours of enjoyment. Oh, and a picture frame, too. Note to self: Remember to send thank you note.
Just as soon.........................................as.............................................
....batteries...............
......................................................run...................................................................................................................
..........................................down.

They said many nice things like: I didn't really know you but you seem like a great person (Cindy), Hope you break a leg and get the flu three times (Steph), Rot in hell (Steph again), I feel abandoned but I'll get over it (Coral), thanks for being so helpful(Sheri), Don't leave me!!!(Patty)

Giant Pumpkins in Damariscotta, Maine

2008-10-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

Every year, at the Pumpkin Festival, pumpkins are on display, carved, painted, stacked. Pumpkins are even hollowed out and used as boats on the river. Many people get wet when paddling pumpkin boats.

I really like this one, an owl holding his own mouse.

And the Wild Things outside the bookstore.

It has happened

2008-10-04T15:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I got back from a quick trip to Portland, where I had a couple of interviews, and accepted a job with a doc in private practice. Lysse and I will be rooming together for a while, she's found an apartment that will allow Molly the dog, and will give us a little space from each other.

Now comes the part where I panic and worry about everything- money, choices, the known, the unknown.

Like Anne K says "be careful what you ask for"

Finished Objects!

2008-09-07T15:22:00.001-07:00

Landen's quilt- a little late

Before and after pictures of the Calla Lilly bag.
After felting, it's a firm, sturdy little bag- three compartments, very clever design by Cat Bordhi.

The Montego Bay scarf, in SeaSilk:

And a simple little quilt for Jen's new baby, Gabriella:

one year on

2008-08-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

Well, we are still in this old house. L has completed many projects- inside and outside. I have taken several tons o' stuff to Goodwill and the dump. I've sold off dozens of books on Amazon, and taken bags of fabric to a quilter at work. The place is still pretty full, and unfinished, but more and more we are ready to leave. Even if it means leaving the place boxed and boarded up waiting for time and money and an improvement in the economy. It's sad to see this deadline come and us not really any nearer, though we haven't flagged in our desire to be gone.

tuscany

2008-06-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

Now that I've been back for a week from my family trip to Cortona, Italy, I feel able to write again. Between jet lag and the malaise that extends from the end of one trip to the planning for the next, I am, for once, in the present.

The trip began, as all trips do, with an email. Family trip back to Italy? Of course. When?

Many months followed, with the standard agonizing over the cost of flights. ( Into Florence, Pisa, Milan, Rome... direct, two changes, three changes, four...coach(torture) class-0 are there any other options?... book now, book later... where did that great ticket price go? should I commit? done...don't look back)

And, then, there we were, in Madrid, waiting for our flight to Pisa. I am all about the planning for the trip. Research, reading, buying guide books, reading recommendations and learning the language. The longer I can do that, the more I enjoy it. Otherwise a trip is a two week blurrr. It's fun to prolong the pleasure. This applies to other things like chocolate and ---, but that's for another post.

In Madrid, we were sitting together in K, waiting for our flight. We had just experienced the Euro for the first time, and were in shock. Drinking our four dollar bottles of water, we sat, tired, happy, a little loopy.

And we saw a suitcase, bound for its connecting flight, bounce off the back of an open truck, land four square on its wheels, kind of like a clothing-filled sentry, awaiting orders.

Airport workers drove by, some in pairs, some alone. Occasionally someone would slow down and look at the suitcase.
All of them kept on driving. At one point two vehicles drove up, the suitcase between them, slowed down to a stop, driver staring at the case, and drove on. What were they thinking as they stared at the lost luggage?.. mostly, I think,"It's not my job-drive on"

Eventually someone stopped, got out and.... took the suitcase to its correct place...?...no.

Moved it over to the side and drove on.

This went on for a 20- 30 minutes and, since we were in the company of many other shell-shocked travelers, drew the attention of everyone nearby in K and so there were pictures taken, thoughts voiced, loud guffaws in many languages, and when still another airport employee bypassed the suitcase and drove on, frank incredulity at the lack of concern for an anonymous traveler's belongings. (Honestly, we were hoping that the security types would show up and explode the thing)

Somewhere, someone's trip was ruined for want of a suitcase and for all we know that suitcase (hardsided, gray) is still sitting on the tarmac at Madrid, but we merry few had a total of six flights without serious delays, crying babies or missing luggage. A record.

Four trains to Camucia/Cortona ( from Airport to Pisa Centrale, to Florence, to Arezzo, to Camucia) Perfect connections- you couldn't have asked for better. Lea and Phillip were delayed, so we took a cab to la Certosa.

Dropped our bags and hopped back into the cab for a ride into town, and were stopped along the one lane road by Amy, the rental agent. Great rejoicing- she had keys- but it meant our driver had to throw the SUV into reverse, and rush along at speed back to the house. One lane road, drop off on one side, hillside on t'other. Suddenly we're back at the house and there's Lea and Philip right behind Amy, and all's well.

I don't remember a lot of details from the first day or so of the trip. Drive into Camucia, shop, cook, walk into Cortona, settle into the house. Listen to the Cuckoo call cuckcoo cuckcoo cuckcoo cuckcoo cuckcoo cuckcoo cuckcoocuckcoocuckco constantly, and I understand why this bird is connected to insanity.

Breath the rosemary,

wallow in the lavender,

drown in the jasmine.

2008-05-26T13:09:00.001-07:00

more cat pictures

Maine Maple Sunday

2008-03-27T16:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a few years since Lee and I got to the farm for the Great Boiling Event, but this year we had just about run out of syrup, so we headed up to Goranson's Farm to see the sap boiled down and buy syrup for the year.

Sugar House

Amy's and Cindy's boys playing on a tractor.

It was a beautiful day--perfect for the running of the sap!

We bought syrup, maple scones, maple tea, maple candy, maple almonds.....

MacBook!!!

2008-03-23T06:38:00.000-07:00

I've just bitten the bullet and gotten myself a new computer, and my days are filled with joy, my nights filled with .....not ecstasy really, maybe just more joy. It's a little black model- MacBook, and it works so well I'm surprised that I stayed with my old one so long; five years, long after it's sell-by date.

Just like when you have a new baby, I'm obsessed by it, buying extras like a little red mouse, and I spent yesterday morning making a computer cozy, lined with cloud print fleece, so it can stay warm and secure when I'm not there with it.

Oh little computer, you are so cute, and wireless and fast, and you don't freeze up like that cumbersome monster in the other room. Oh sleek black beauty, I promise to keep you safe, charged, and connected to the net.

Anyone want to buy a cumbersome old monster?

Irish soda bread

2008-03-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

This is the family Irish Soda Bread Recipe. It is not like any other: it's rich, moist, and could have changed the course of Irish history.

2 greased loaf pans- oven at 375 degrees-

Mix:

4 cups flour
1 teas. salt
1 tbls. baking powder
1 teas. baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teas. cardamon (or a bit of nutmeg or mace)

Mix liquids:

4 oz. sour cream
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I just add a teaspoon of vinegar to regular milk)

then mix those two together.

Add 1 cup raisins, and 1/4 cup caraway seeds- this can be omitted (heresy) or altered

Now, melt 1/2 cup of butter and stir that into the mix.

40 minutes at 375....

eat hot, cold, spread with more butter, plain, toasted, fried....

Dominican sisters prepare for Pink Martini

2008-03-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

In preparation for the Pink Martini show in Portland (Maine), the Dominican sisters got together for diner and talk. Some political musings, some family updates, some future planning, a great big bottle of pre-made cosmopolitans. bruschetta, wine, a visit from the delightful Amanda, and we were on our way to the concert, which was a fun mix of styles, songs (all pre-dating 1964), and languages. Pink Martini is based in Portland(Oregon), my home away from home, which I will be visiting for a long weekend in early May. Yippeee!!!!! Crank up the espresso, baristas of the west coast- I'll need to recover from jet lag pretty quickly with only a four day trip to acclimate during.

Knitting: the fiddle head scarf from Morehead farm, the Koolhaas hat from Brooklyn Tweed, the lupine cardigan from Meg Swanson and the coriolis socks from Cat Bordhi: famous knits, all, though brought down to earth by my tendency to simplify, simplify, simplify. Pictures to follow- one of these days.

La Certosa

2008-02-21T12:53:00.000-08:00

After going nutso chasing the perverse and often baffling price of air tickets all over the web, I finally committed and bought my tickets for the family gathering in Italy. Not that we're Italian, but we did grow up eating lasagna.

I'll drive to Portsmouth, bus to Logan airport, fly to JFK (meet Lyn and the girls) and thence to Pisa, where we'll bus to the train station, and train to Cortona. At that point, Lea and Phillip should be waiting at the station with encouraging words, foot rubs and local alcohol.

The first time I went in Italy, the final leg of the trip was by water taxi in Venice. Short of taking a hot air balloon, I don't know what other forms of transport I could fit in.

Though Hannibal's elephants do come to mind.

Weekend in New York

2008-02-18T16:07:00.000-08:00

Here's Scott, looking very Irish-Sea-Captain-y.

And now we have Lyn, Charlotte and Lilly and Landon. Missing from the grandkids are the twinsicles, Rebecca and Patrick, who were visiting family in Florida during my trip. These are more correctly Lyn's grands, but I reserve to right to share a little.

We spent time searching for flights to Italy, eating, shopping (for food), and getting Lyn's eyesight checked out as she decided to jump on the retinal tear bandwagon. Since both her younger sisters have already had tears, she was a little late to the party, and, probably due to our early adopter status, caught hers before harm was done.

Knitting was slowed down because of the need to reference at least 6 different pages in Cat Bordhi's book in order to make a single sock, and I had only photocopied three.

Travel to Stamford via bus and train: the Regional service out of Boston's South Station. Return trip on the Acela, Amtrak's high speed train, costing twice the other service, with less leg room, and a markedly rougher ride. Maybe I'm just partial to slow.

Home to the warmest Maine day in 6 weeks- up to the 40's! Melting everywhere!

Spent the day cooking anyway: braised beef shanks, hand made pasta, cream puffs. I had my cholesterol checked last week, so I figure there's plenty of time before I have to do it again.

ChickenTagine

2008-02-10T14:33:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to make a Tagine, though I don't have the traditional pot, and I've never tasted the real thing, but I made one, freely borrowing from several recipes and altering as I went:

Ingredients are highlighted in blue, and then alternates are listed Start with eight chicken thighs and/or legs. Feel free to remove the skin, but leave the bone in- it'll give you a handle later on when you're gnawing off every last bit. You can do more, just proportionally increase everything below.

Quickly brown, a couple pieces at a time in a bit of olive oil- save that oil, the fry pot and any juices the chicken exude while they sit on a plate and wait their turn in the big pot. In that big pot, a heavy stock pot, gently saute in butter:
1- 1 1/2 cups mixed sweet onions and shallots.

when they're transparent, add
1/2 teas each tumeric, and paprika- and a sprinkle of asafoetida if you have it
3+ cloves garlic, minced
1 inch of fresh ginger, minced

Let that all meld over low heat , stirring a couple minutes Now add the chicken, a bit of the the frying oil, some sea salt, and a cup of water- use some of this to deglaze the fry pan,

(how to degaze: after draining off any of the remaining oil, gently heat the fry pan, and then add some water to it, scraping and dissolving the nice brown chicken-y bits- for this recipe, you want a cup of water of so, so you can use some to deglaze, and just throw in the rest)
bring it all to a boil, then turn it down to a low simmer 30 minutes or so.

Now add a cinnamon stick- 2 inches or so you could also just toss in some ground)
a handful of cilantro- stems and all,
a tablespoon of apricot preserves, or orange marmalade, or a tablespoon of honey,
some sliced orange rind - an eight of an orange or so (include some of the white to get a little bitter flavor in there. You could use bitter orange marmalade for the preserves and the rind if you have any lying around- I didn't)
quarter cup golden raisins, chopped dried apricots, currants or any other dried what-have you.

Continue to simmer for another half hour or so, and when the chicken is near falling off the bone, remove it from the mix, and reduce the sauce till thick.
Toss in another good handful of minced cilantro leaves, more salt if needed, and serve along side rice with some toasted almonds, pine nuts or pistachios sprinkled on top.
Also a salad and a light sweet wine- reisling? or a spiced light beer- I had a white wheat beer- very nice. I might be able to live on this and its million variations for the rest of my life.
It really should be cooked in the traditional clay pot, and eaten hot from the pot.

You can add veg to the mix according to cook times, though if your vegetable falls apart, it'll just add to the sauce

I just realized I have been wanting to make this since I watched a film from 1965: "the Battle of Algiers"

A Scourge on our Finest

2008-02-10T06:58:00.000-08:00

The dreadful Scourge of BlueTush Trauma Syndrome (BTTS) has struck again!!

When will the national media start to alert the masses to this horrific Problem?

Where are Hillary, Barack, and John now? (Not to mention whats-his-name, who lost all that weight?)

Where do they stand on this serious health issue?

I am announcing the beginning of a new dynamic grass-roots coalition of the willing public health movement- called Preserve All Tushes, or PAT.

Top on our list will be public awareness: Rule number 1 : Rubberside Down! This used to be for cars and airplanes, but lets begin apply it to our selves- Rubberside Down!- keep your feet on the floor and your tush in the air - it's for your protection.

PAT is accepting monetary contributions, and well as donations of painkillers, pillows, ice packs, arnica and welcomes your stories about your run-ins with this accursed affliction. We are also looking for a celebrity spokesperson- is J-Lo doing anything now?

Don't let BTTS ruin your life!! Sign up and donate to PAT now and make a difference!

PAT would like to thank the family on an anonymous nurse from Oppalacha-Meshuga Florida for use of her tush photo. may she stand in peace, since there's no way she can lie down, or, God forbid, sit.

Super Mardi Gras Bowl Day

2008-02-05T16:10:00.002-08:00

Lots of American excesses going on this week- though all of New England is in mourning for the Pat's perfection season- lost in the last 35 seconds. Ah well. I did enjoy the game, though the commercials are much more fun.

I know nothing about football, though Debbie says it was all because "Tom Brady wasn't protected when he was in the pocket". I have no idea what that means, but it went a long way for my street cred- I quoted it all day with a disgusted look to patients and heir husbands- and was grateful for their lack of follow-up questions. Only the dead know Brooklyn? a similar argument could be made here.

Wore Mardi Gras beads to work, reassuring anyone who asked that, at my age, they throw beads to you to keep your shirt down, not up.

Apparently New Orleans is hot again, the cold snap that Lysse and I endured is over and they are back to normal. What's next? "First Hawaiian Snow Fall" the first time I fly in? "Rapid Glacial Melt Seen in Antarctica" wait, wait- that's been done. not my fault. phewww.

Dinner, thanks in part to NYT's The Minimalist

cast iron pan, heated in the oven to at least 5oo degrees.

any one of:

thick hunk of salmon, thick pieces of tenderloin, whole trout, scallops, swordfish, tuna, nicely marbled steak----

a little spray of olive oil, toss of coarse salt, shake of lemon pepper, other mix- or nothing

then a quick return to the oven. the cast iron sears the bottom surface and the hot oven quickly crisps the rest. Watch the timing unless you like your salmon cooked well done

I think his recipe (Bitman's) involves pork tenderloin, apples and Calvados. I've made it and it's heavenly.

Dogs and Cats Living together

2008-02-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

In the old days, when Zooey was just a kitten, Molly had the advantage of weight and strength. Now, however, since Zooey has five very sharp ends and is fast and agile, she has Molly pinned in no time flat. It's kind of like Mexican wrestling but without the costumes and slightly hairier.

Coconut Cilantro Rice

2008-01-29T17:18:00.000-08:00

I can't get over how good this was.

Cooked rice, a couple of cups, white, long grain

to this add a pureed mix of

1/2 cup lite coconut milk (may take more)
a clove of garlic
good handful of cilantro
squeeze of half a lime
fresh ginger

You can also toss in, though not pureed, some toasted unsweetened coconut.

top with green onions, quick stir fried with more garlic and ginger, other veg also stir fried, shrimp, chicken, tofu, ditto.

I did firm tofu dusted with Wondra flour, fried in very hot olive oil/butter, and I hate tofu. Really.

but crispied up dipped in leftover cilantro puree and I finished it off standing at the stove. (Molly helped some.)

I froze the leftover coconut milk in an ice cube tray. Martha would be proud.

Winter, continued

2008-01-27T12:41:00.000-08:00

Semi frozen stream at Wolf's Neck State Park. Bright cold day with more of the same promised. Trails icy and treacherous for humans, Molly had no problem at all with her built in four wheel drive.

The high bush cranberry, still holding on to its berries. As long as we feed the birds they don't have to resort to them, but they're there as a backup in case we let them down.. .I have seen the turkeys go for these even when there is other food around, but maybe turkeys have a natural affinity for cranberries.

Little frozen wren found outside without any marks in the snow to indicate what happened. It looked like it had just fallen from the sky.

I think I am spending more time reading and thinking about knitting than actually working my two sticks and string. I love the stuff they have at Morehouse Farm and may be buying this. Although the Snowfall scarf, the Alligator scarf, the Lobster claw mittens and at least a dozen other things look enticing, too.

Meeting in the Middle

2008-01-23T17:43:00.002-08:00

Back when we first began planning to meet somewhere in the middle, New Orleans seemed like the perfect option. Not too far, but different enough from Maine and Oregon without having to deal with monetary exchange rates. And hot. Sultry. Swamp-like. Hot.

With a nod to my true nature this turned out not to be the case. NOLA was in the middle of a cold snap. Warmer, yes, than mid-coast Maine, and slightly drier than Portland, Oregon, it was still cold, with a stiff wind, and us without our basic winter garb- silks, balaklava, thermo-kevlar-diachrotic inner and outer liners, boots, hats, gloves, Inuit nose warmers.

But really, really wonderful, with a feeling of history and grace and slightly the worse-for-wear beauty that I thought only I possessed.

Here's me at Joey Bonhage's studio. Note the appearance of disbelief. We had ducked into the Commander's Palace for brunch, and found Joey was closed when we finally re-emerged from our food coma. Lafayette Cemetery, across the street, was also closed but we visited St. Louis No. 1 twice to make up for it.

This was a grave disappointment, but we recovered quickly and after another streetcar ride felt nearly back to normal.

The Krewe du Vieux- The first of the Mardi Gras parades of the season and one of the last to still eschew motorization with all the floats man or mule pulled, winding through the French Quarter and with a nice nasty political leftist bent.

We were there by luck and happenstance and the good fortune of knowing Peace Corps Dave, a New Orleans stalwart who turned us onto the parade, welcomed us to his place for a pre-party ( we bailed on the post party due to flop-belly- a condition well known to travelers far and near) and is an all around good person to know.

We wandered, took a couple of guided walking tours, ate, drank, wandered some more and got familiar with the tiniest portion of a really wonderful city.

Not what you think

2008-01-12T12:47:00.000-08:00

Despite all indications to the contrary, this is not Zooey and her litter box. No, this is Zooey and a birthday cake made for a cat crazed friend. Layers of cake, butterscotch pudding, chocolate chip muffins, vanilla pudding, topped with crumbled cookie and artfully carved tootsie rolls. Served (because presentation is very important) in a new litter pan with scoop for dishing out the, well, stuff. Note the clever addition of a tootsie turd hanging over the edge.
This is not a cake for the faint hearted, and I nearly turned green myself as I was assembling it. Not something I will repeat, though carrying in a filled and used litter box to the office gave me some kind of perverse enjoyment, and I wish I could have seen the looks on Amy's two boys faces when they saw it. If only I had had the internal fortitude to spell out Happy Birthday Amy in poo script- that would have been a fine finishing touch.
Next year Amy can make her own cake.

Where we are not...

2008-01-06T11:31:00.000-08:00

The front lawn of Fusimana, Lajas de Yaroa, Dominican Republic, home base for the team of nursing students and others taking part in the Partners for Rural Health in the Dominican Republic winter trip.

Right now there are sixty or so souls down there who have given up the joys of a Maine winter to travel south to deliver health care to Dominican villagers. Our teams arrive twice a year with medications, supplies and most importantly, caring smiles and hands. In little mountain towns that exist with minimal infrastructure, treacherous roads, unreliable power, questionable water sources, and a non-existent social safety network the teams arrive and set up clinics. The students are learning the basics of the physical exam and the intricacies of cross-cultural care, but really they're learning about the world and their place in it. Those who make the trip often say they've received more from the folks in our villages than they receive from us in terms of soap and tylenol and diabetes teaching.

I'm thinking a lot about the team that's down there now, and I send them health, strength and safety. Here's to them, and our friends in El Hoyaso, El LLano, Yayita, Rincones, Yaroa, Caya Quemada, La China, Arroyo Ancho, Pajones and all the other people in places that are so dear to my heart.

Skiing at the Pinelands Center

2008-01-05T16:22:00.000-08:00

Spent the afternoon skiing (and falling) through the woods.

Pinelands is really lovely, with well groomed trails that go on forever through the woods and fields of New Gloucester Maine. It had been a home for institutionalized children, but after the closure, has re-emerged as a cultural center, with outdoor sports, festivals, businesses- and a working dairy.

At the end of the day, there's a bakery for snacks and hot chocolate, and we passed around the ibuprofen in hopes we wouldn't be too uncomfortable in the morning.

Despite a number of really spectacular falls, including butt and face plants and a terrific split on skis that the Russian judges rated a 10, we had a good time, and departed swearing we'd be back.

New Year's Day

2008-01-01T13:24:00.000-08:00

Went down to Portland last night to visit with the Sues. We had a spread of goodies including stuffed dates (chevre, pine nuts and prosciutto) , shrimp, olives and feta, and herbed cashews. I refrained from drinking as my stomach has been on the outs since last week, and this meant that for the first time I my life I was the DD! We went down to the Nickelodeon to see Charlie Wilson's War, which was really funny but sobering at the same time when you realize what's become of Afghanistan and our relationship with it and with Russia since then.

After the movie we wandered around the Old Port amazed at the drunken high heeled girls. The best were the lights, everywhere Christmas lights still up, and covered with snow. Since the snow fall Monday, there hasn't been a breath of wind, and the snow remains stacked wherever it fell, capping even the thinest branches and wires with an inch of white.

Back through town, stopping for a pizza, to talk till we watched an ancient Dick Clarke at Time's Square, and then headed home, me at forty miles an hour as the road was shiney with what I thought was glare ice. I didn't really find out, since I managed not to touch the brakes for the full fifty miles.

Home now, and watching even more snow pile on top. still no wind, but if it comes it won't be pretty as limbs will be falling.

holiday edition

2007-12-27T06:29:00.000-08:00

Those two days of blogging back in September really must have taken it out of me. My internal voice started narrating (and improving upon) everything I was doing so it would sound better in print, and I was seeing typeface in my dreams. With a tiny brain like this it's not hard to get a brain worm even in such a short time.

So, Christmas is over for another year. I only had two meltdowns.the first one started while I was coring onions, so I didn't really notice right off when it turned into an official cry, and then I was sort of crying snorting and dripping and trying to keep snot out of the stuffing mix, as it's not technically vegan, and our vegan guest was going to have to limit himself to cranberries and tofu if things kept up.

Non-vegan recipe for Lysse:

Pepperoni con rigatoni

two nice onions
one moderate stick of pepperoni

chunk up both, and begin melting down the onions in a little olive oil/butter. then add the pepperoni, and continue to cook over low-medium heat.

toss in a can of chunked tomatoes, and let cook together till reduced a bit.

~meanwhile cooking a pot of rigatoni or any other thick bodied pasta~

Now, slowing while stirring all the time, stir in cream (light, heavy- or milk-or plain soy milk, though I can't testify to how that would turn out) to the reduced tomato mixture. I like to add enough get it back up to sauce consistency, and it will all get thick and firm again if you let it sit at all.

Salad, bread wine- you know the drill.

High Bush Cranberry

2007-09-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

A blazingly beautiful day in Maine

2007-09-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

Sun, blue sky, Simpson's-quality puffy clouds. A walk in town, visit to a little local art gallery, home to make pesto. Twelve more baggies to put in the freezer, green explosions of summer through the winter to come. The winters in Maine are the price we pay for the summers, and the pesto stored up make the trade off more than even.

Pesto-a non-recipe:

Basil leaves, avoiding the snails, japanese beetles and heavy twigs. 6 cups- at least
pine nuts
garlic
romano, parmesan
olive oil
salt
food processor
blend up the garlic- one healthy clove with some oil, a small handful of the nuts and some salt- heavy crunchy sea salt if you can.

Feed in the basil leaves, adding more oil to keep the blades running smoothly. Then another, larger, handful of pine nuts, added towards the end so they stay in chunks. If destined for the freezer, leave out the cheese for now or toss it in along with the leaves if you're indulging right away.

Protect the pesto from the air: pour a layer of olive oil over the top or the bright green will brown. Baggies with the air pressed out work well, keeping the quantities pretty small : just enough to pile on some fresh pasta.

It's on days like this that the thought of leaving this place breaks my heart.

the house

2007-09-02T07:32:00.000-07:00

the First of September

2007-09-01T06:06:00.000-07:00

A while ago, while discussing selling this house and leaving rural Maine for the three thousandth time, I set a date: September 2008. By September 2008 we would be moved, into a new place, a new city, maybe a new state.
Today marks the one year warning bell. We've lived in this house for nearly twenty years, two certifiable pack-rats, with two kids who have grown and gone and left their detritus behind, as well as an assortment of half finished projects, unused tools, ill fitting clothes, and, out on the lawn, at least eight cars and trucks in various states of decay.
I've attempted for months now to do something every week if not every day that moves the process forward. Bags and bags to the dump and to Goodwill. A ban on buying anything new for the house- garbage bags excepted.
Now in the final year, I've decided to chronicle it, and take a picture of the place everyday to really give attention to the place that's been home for so long.

We were a couple of broke late stage hippies, living in a bus with our two kids when we came to Maine, lured by the promise of work, and a lower cost of living. Our converted school bus, painted brown and named "the rolling turd", contained beds, kitchen storage, and the partypooper-the-emergencies only- tiny chemical toilet. We traveled up and down the East Coast, and didn't find anyplace we felt we fit, and rolled into Maine as the sumer of 84 came to a close and we needed to find shelter for the winter.
And we found it- a summer house on the New Meadows river, where we installed a shower on the back porch, and had to walk outside and down the hill towards the frozen river to the unheated toilet. We gathered mussels along the river bank, and despite the roughness of the place and the cold, I think we were a pretty happy group. The kids slept in the unfinished attic crawlspace, but they were small, and the little heat from the wood stove tended to rise right to them.