The Capricorn Kid

"Old people are scary and I have to face it -- 

I am old and I am scary and I am very sorry about it, but I don't know what you do." 

~Dame Maggie Smith :-)

Well, I have a few years to go yet before I plan to consider myself "old," but today I advanced a year closer... and I'm definitely scary since I woke up in the wee hours with a sore throat and that "oh no, I'm coming down with some sort of pestilence" feeling. Fortunately it's very wintery outside and so we're all snugged in cozy-like, enjoying a quiet day of puzzles, movies, and football. My kinda day, despite the creeping crud.

Anyway, to mark the turning of another digit on my body's odometer, here's a photo of me taken just before my first birthday...

The Capricorn Kid

I don't remember ever seeing it before finding it a few months ago, tucked in an unfinished album of my Mom's, but it became an instant favorite. It may be ancient history (I mean really, look at that vintage Nov 1962 issue of Good Housekeeping in the magazine rack!), but some things never change: the hair has gray in it now but is still every bit as feral, that chip-on-the-shoulder body language looks awfully familiar, and I wear the same expression on the rare occasions I have to dress up. :-)

And since no birthday blog post of mine would ever be complete without a Capricornian homage to one of my favorite critters, here are some of the lucky rescued goats of Someday Farm B&B, where we spent an idyllic week during our trip to the Pacific Northwest in 2013...

Scuffy, who became my immediate BFF, nuzzling her buddy.

(I nicknamed her Scuffy because of the bald scuff mark on her throat, 

which she got from spending so much of her time doing this!)

Scratching Scuffy's sweet little nubbin head, so happy among the critters!

Bill was my other favorite among the goats, and I love this photo I took of him

Well, I'm all partied out now, and must return to my spot on the sofa with its handy box of tissues and bag of herbal throat lozenges, to watch the NFL playoffs as BW puts the finishing touches on this year's yummy birthday cake! Washed down, no doubt, with homemade elderberry syrup. Cheers!

Nothing crabby about these apple blossoms!

To say it's been a devastating week for many residents of Tornado Alley, especially in Oklahoma, would be an understatement. To say that our thoughts, support and solace are with the affected people and animals as they grieve and recover is an understatement too. 

After every storm the sun will smile.

~William R. Alger

The sun has come out, and the air is vivid with spring light...

~Byron Caldwell Smith

And to say that here in northern Wyoming the trees have awakened at last would also be an understatement, though a much happier one and for that we are grateful. Seemingly overnight, the lilacs and apple, plum and crabapple trees have burst out in colorful, fragrant blossoms. Walking the dogs down any street in town is heady stuff! Juggling three dogs (and their, uh, used hygiene paraphernalia) by myself is enough of a handful without lugging the Rebel along, but after passing this crabapple tree a block or so from our house last evening I just had to return with my camera. I'm glad I did, since most of last night and this morning we've experienced 40mph winds with gusts in excess of 55mph, so though I haven't yet been able to check, I'm sure a lot of these blossoms now litter the ground...

Can you see the heart in this last one?...

For hurting hearts any and everywhere...

Your heart has been sore wounded too. 

Dear Light, love shall cherish you, till you look again on life with happy eyes.

~Byron Caldwell Smith

SkyWatch Friday: Unbeatable Sunrises

There was never a night or a problem 

that could defeat sunrise or hope.

~Bern Williams

Our first half of agitated April saw an amazing variety of weather (sunny days near 70ºF, snowstorms, 60mph winds) and, more importantly, photogenic sunrises and sunsets, moonrises and moonsets, and ever-morphing storm clouds. Since my archives are beginning to burst at the seams with April sky photos, I thought I'd share these four beautiful sunrises I captured earlier this month from our back patio... 

4/3/13

4/5/13

Even managed to sneak a simultaneous moonrise into this one :-) ...

4/6/13 (5:17am)

Our sunrises don't just change a lot from day to day, they change a lot from minute to minute. This next sunrise was taken just 32 minutes after the previous one...

4/6/13 (5:39am)

4/13/13

Happy SkyWatching.

And please be kind to each other.

More than you know.

A New Look in Progress & A Post-Halloween Update

Well, I hadn't planned it, but as you can see I got a little overly spontaneous and decided to try a new look for the blog, thinking I'd be able to play with it before committing to it. Wrong! Now I can't restore the original look. So please bear with me as I stumble around Blogger and try to remember how to navigate their page layout and get my blog goodies to work with my new template. And decide if this is even the template I want to go with! :-)

I took a lot of photos I'd intended to share in a Halloween post, but was unable to find time to squeeze them in between my ABC Wednesday and SkyWatch Friday posts and all the Halloween activities themselves. Plus it seemed frivolous with the trauma and tragedy of Sandy. But maybe a dose of frivolity isn't a bad thing these days, so - in hopes that it's not ridiculously late to be posting them, here are some of my Halloween photos and updates!

First, since I mentioned Superstorm Sandy... in my ABC Wednesday post I'd shared a link to one of the many lists floating around on the Web of organizations helping in the relief efforts following the horrific storm. But I wanted to share the two organizations that we chose to donate to, in case their missions, work and philosophies resonate with any of you as they do with us. Plus, since they're less well-known than the large organizations like the Red Cross (which is stirring up controversy regarding Staten Island) and the HSUS and ASPCA, I wanted to give them a shout-out here:

Food for Life Global
Chief among their projects is feeding plant-based food to the world's disadvantaged, malnourished, and victims of natural and man-made disasters. 

Best Friends Animal Society
Perhaps best known for helping animals through their world's largest No-Kill sanctuary in Kanab, UT, as well as for their many programs (spay/neuter, adoption, no-kill shelters, wildlife rehab, etc), Best Friends also assists local animal rescue organizations in disasters. They also received a top score from Charity Navigator.

And now here are a few photos of a home that went all-out with their decorations (wish I could have made it by there after dark!)...

Click photo for a larger version

This inflatable pumpkin coach made ghoulish noises, too!

The fence prohibited my fitting it all into one photo. :-(

This "ring around the ghosties"

was my favorite of their many decorations!

This cat was animated, turning his head from side to side

Part of their plentiful front porch decor, 

from which more ghostly noises eminated!

And now for another quick update... 

In my Halloween ABC Wednesday post I also shared a link to a second pumpkin hummus recipe, Pumpkincredible Hummus from Dreena Burton's Plant-Powered Kitchen. I had just found it so hadn't made it yet when I posted it, but I made it yesterday and it's delicious!! I highly recommend it! The lime juice, allspice and maple syrup were a flavorful touch, and it was deliciously creamy with the addition of the cannellini with a fun crunchy texture now and then with the pulsed-in toasted pumpkin seeds. Yum!!

And now here are some photos from our next door neighbors' Halloween costume party last Saturday, starting with their amusing invitation...

The party's info was written on the inside of the "coffin" lid, 

and the skeleton's head lay on an illustrated pillow 

complete with a gory smudge where his head lay! LOL

Our hostess Carol, dressed in a Flamenco dress from Spain,

and our neighbor Bob; aka Padre Bob that night!

Our host Doug, dressed as (and pouring) a glass of beer!

(BW the brewmeister loved Doug's costume!)

Speaking of whom, here is photo of BW and me that Carol took when we first arrived. It's blurry, but the best photo of our costumes I've got. BW, a big reggae and Bob Marley fan, is wearing a fairly self-explanatory costume, while I raided my closet to dress as Autumn. You can't see them in this photo, but I'm wearing earrings made of real golden aspen leaves and gold face glitter all around my eyes. (I was still finding glitter on my eyelids a shower and two days and later!)...

I took a separate photo of my Basket of Autumn Abundance 

since without my props, my costume was just a regular outfit! 

Carol is an aspiring vegan, so though some of the food 

was made of unspeakables, there were yummy vegan treats, 

including pumpkin hummus, smoky-cheezy walnut spread,

Texas Caviar, chips & veggies, and 5-Grain Bread "witch fingers." 

(Carol shared the recipe so I'll post it once I've made it myself!)

An animated hand and a fun cookie jar
where the witchy finger breadsticks were stashed!

And my final update has to do with my comment replies. As many of you know, I used to reply to every comment, but had to suspend that activity when things got crazy with the house construction and move, and I've been unable to return to it. I enjoyed replying, as I appreciate everyone who takes the time to visit and leave a comment, and it was like having a conversation. But it's usually very time-consuming, most visitors don't return to read my replies, and it leaves me too little time to reciprocate blog visits. So I've decided, as time allows, to just answer comments that request an answer to a question or inspire me to respond for one reason or another. I may eventually return to answering all (or most) comments, but in the meantime I want everyone to know how much I enjoy and appreciate the comments you leave! 

And now, for my final photos from Halloween night...

Carol, who clearly has a costume wardrobe 

that would be the envy of any community theater, 

came to our door dressed in her Buccaneer outfit!

BW wore his Rasta/Reggae costume to hand out treats,

while I went with the "Casual Witch" look, 

because what weary witch doesn't like to slip into

comfy black sweats and a t-shirt? :-)

The photo's dark in order to share the dimly lit ambience, 

and have the ceramic jack o'lantern I'm holding 

show up with his tealight-illuminated orange glow.

And now I'm off to continue Mehitable Day's reconstructive surgery! Feel free to share feedback on the new - and evolving - look, have a great weekend, and don't forget to "fall back" tonight! :-)

ABC Wednesday: Petite Pupils & Pumpkin Hummus

Before launching into the lighthearted part of this post, composed last week, I'd like to begin by saying our thoughts, prayers, sympathy and concern are with everyone who endured and is now dealing with the daunting aftermath of Sandy. The scenes of loss and devastation on television and the internet are painful and incomprehensible, not just in the US but in the Caribbean as well; I can't begin to imagine experiencing it in person. May everyone affected, human and non-human, find comfort, strength, support and healing in the weeks to come.

Here are some ways to help the people and critters suffering in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. And here are some ways to help heal the earth and reduce global warming.

However much concerned I was

at the problem of misery in the world,

I never let myself get lost in broodings over it.

I always held firmly to the thought that each one of us

can do a little to bring some portion of it to an end.

Dr. Albert Schweitzer

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

And happy ABC Wednesday! How perfect that it falls during P week, as I predict a probable plethora of pumpkin posts from participants, and mine is no peculiar exception. Although perhaps the pumpkins here are particularly petite ~ in keeping with the pint-sized pupils and surroundings... 

A pupil, possibly named Paul, passes up playing with his pals 

to carve a perky jack o'lantern for the Halloween party :-)

~Click on any photo to enlarge~

... because my pumpkins are placed in a miniature one-room schoolhouse, produced more than 30 years ago by my mom and presented to me last year because I always preferred it (and periodically pestered her for it!)...

The perceptive will perceive that the publications to the left

are eerie, predictably including the petrifying prose of Poe!

Note the barrel of apples in preparation for bobbing,

and the black cat posing by the pot-bellied stove.

(Mom and I made the peewee paper chains!)

Let's peer in for a closer peek...

Mom often placed a girl in her miniature scenes to portray me.

I'm puzzled why this plastic girl has red paint on her face, 

but it makes her look like she's got a bloody nose ~ 

pertinent since I suffered from them persistently as a child, 

plus it does add a pinch of creepy ambiance!

I particularly love the wee plaid thermos on the desk, 

and the Autumn scene behind the window panes.

I presume the plump lad in the pumpkin costume

is pleading with his professor for a postponement 

of that upcoming book report due date!

(Perhaps he's planning to pen his report on Poe's 

The Pit and the Pendulum!)

If you'd like to see more of my mom's miniature collection,

please visit these posts from the past:

Tall Mom's Tiny World

Santa's Workshop!

Last week I came upon this recipe for pumpkin hummus and prepared it with a change or two. It was such a popular palate pleaser that by Saturday I'd made my third batch of it, so others could partake of it at a neighbor's Halloween party...

Pumpkin hummus plated with organic blue corn chips

Pumpkin Hummus

This is great with pita triangles or fresh veggies for dipping. For a pretty Halloween palette, serve with baby carrots or organic blue corn chips.

Ingredients:

- 15 ounce can of garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), drained
- 2 cloves of raw garlic
- 1/2 cup of pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- juice of one lemon (3-4 TBSP)
- 2 TBSP tahini (I use salt-free organic tahini made with dry roasted sesame seeds)
- 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
- water (if needed) for consistency
- 1/2 -1 teaspoon salt (to taste, if desired)

Directions:

1. Put all of your ingredients except the pumpkin seeds into a blender or food processor and process until smooth.

2. Transfer to a glass bowl with a lid and chill until you’re ready to serve. Top with the pumpkin seeds just before serving, if desired.

Notes: When using salt-free garbanzo beans and salt-free tahini, I add between 1/2 and 1 tsp of sea salt to the mixture. I drain the garbanzo beans first but don't rinse them (if you use a salt-added variety I'd drain and rinse them), and I usually add about 1 TBSP of water to the mixture as I process it for a smoother consistency.

(I buy whole cumin seeds (as well as other spices) and grind them in a coffee grinder as needed. The cumin is fresher, smells wonderful, and is less expensive that way!) 

I also found this yummy-looking recipe for Dreena Burton's cleverly named Pumpkincredible Hummus yesterday, and plan to try it next!

UPDATE: I made this pumpkin hummus version yesterday, and it's delicious!

If you'd like the pleasure of partaking of more posts 

paying homage to the prestigious letter P,

(and quite probably to plenty of pumpkins),

please pay a visit to this week's

And enjoy a pleasantly spooky and very...

Houses, Dogs, and Chocolate

Holy cannoli! The past few days have been very full, with lots of meetings with kitchen designers and shopping for flooring, straddling two houses and lawns (despite not living there anymore we're still being held hostage responsible for the cleaning and upkeep on our former rental till May 1 and since it's still being shown despite being under contract, that's a burden we could do without!) And we're at that awkward stage of most moves where we've got most everything unpacked and stuffed somewhere, but rarely remember the where part, so there's lots of "honey, where's the tape measure?" and "have you seen the corn meal?" It doesn't help that the kitchen is so tiny we're having to use a bookcase, stereo cabinet and hutch, plus garage shelves, to store most of our food and several kitchen gadgets. And then we had the added excitement of coming home from errands yesterday to the shattered remains of a lightbulb all over the freshly cleaned and dusted dining room (the overhead light fixture it was in wasn't even on, and why the bulb exploded is anyone's guess!), and a phone call from our contractor first thing this morning needing to know pronto what size windows we wanted on either side of the fireplace (a custom addition we'd requested a while back that will look something like this) and where on the walls we wanted them placed. YOU try figuring that out early in the morning without being able to see the windows or the yet-to-be constructed wall they'll go in! (I'm a visual person so I need to see what I'm talking about, so thank goodness for the brilliant Houzz and their bazillion photos of house interiors and exteriors, landscaping and products!) After finding the right sized windows on the manufacturer's web site, getting entangled in the ("honey, where's the") tape measure, and checking some photos on Houzz, we came up with an answer that we ended up changing about 20 minutes later, but are pleased with now. We think. :-) Whew!

Anyway, I guess now it goes without saying that they've started framing our house. Here's how it looked last Saturday, with the crawl space framed and the sill plate (the boards bolted to the top of the foundation walls) installed and ready for floor joists...

It was a dark and stormy day, as you can see from the view of the mountains from our lot (for you, VioletSky!), and we ended up with some real gullywashers over the rest of the weekend. If it's going to rain, then let it be when they're not working on our house!

Yesterday dawned cloudy and raw but turned beautiful by mid-afternoon. We were in the area dropping off a wedding present so drove by building site again, snapping this photo on the way a couple of blocks from our lot... 

And then we turned the corner and were amazed to see this! Our garage was nearly framed!..

As was the chimney, off to the right behind the red dumpster. I think there's something inexplicably charming about that chimney standing there by itself, seeming to supervise the building of the garage while it waits for the living room walls that will keep it company. It obviously wasn't lonesome long, since one of those walls was what required the quick window decision this morning...

And this is how it was looking about two hours ago. The windows on either side of the fireplace that were merely theoretical this morning are now manifested (or at least framed) - if you know where to look, they're both visible in the second photo...

Took this from the elementary school parking lot,

hence all the cars. Kind of looks like our house construction 

has drawn a crowd of spectators though, doesn't it? :-)

In dog news, Josie got a clean bill of health at the vet last week when she had her annual heart worm test and a follow up urinalysis, about 5 weeks after her last dose of antibiotics to treat the urea plasma infection our vet thought might be the underlying cause of her years of recurring bladder infections. We'll have her checked again in early June, but this is a good sign!

I sometimes (especially lately) feel like the last person on earth to see some things, so some of you may already know about this viral video of Fiona the rescued blind dog that I just learned of this morning from the Freekibble site (where you can answer free daily dog and cat trivia questions to raise money to feed shelter dogs and cats). It has the most heart-wrenching beginning but the most heart-warming end - keep a hanky ready, you'll most likely need it!

Major kudos and good karma points to Hope for Paws Animal Rescue! 

And also to the makers of Rescue Chocolate, who donate 100% of the net profits from sales of their vegan chocolate bars to animal rescue groups! I also learned about them just this morning, from the wonderful folks at Vegan Cuts who are currently offering a sweet deal on a variety six-bar pack...

So there you go! You can provide a loving, forever home to a furbaby from your local shelter if you're able, play Freekibble every day to help feed critters in need, reward yourself for your good deeds with some vegan Rescue Chocolate and help even more critters, and make everything else you eat (and wear) vegan too, to help billions more critters! Talk about a sweet deal!

Mmm, a chocolate lab! :-)

Enjoy the rest of your week, everyone, and I'll be back as soon as I can with more house updates and other goodies!