Wow!! I received an award from Jan Ely at Little Pink Houses for dedication, creativity, care and ART. This is such a great thing. I work hard to write or post photos everyday and having someone give me a "high five" for this is so gratifying. So, I thank you ,Jan, with all my heart.
I have been asked to name 4 bloggers who I feel have enriched my life by reading their blogs, which is difficult because I read many more than four blogs every day.
These are:
Apifera Farm; for her writing, art and those sweet donkeys, @ apiferafarm.blogspot.com
Tongue in Cheek; for beautiful photos and writing, @ willows95988.typepad.com/tongue-cheek/
Ornamental; for her art, photos and thoughtful writing, @ ornamental.typepad.com
Summing up; for her amazing poetry, @ meritam.blogspot.com
The rules for this award are to post the award in your own blog, post who gave it to you, indicate it's origin and a link to it's site.
Congratulations ladies!!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
OLD HAIKU
Death is a dogs paw
The small beetle crawls quicklyAcross the hot road.
Fragrance blooms below
My window ledge. The rose is
Making love again.
Cat has gone away
No footprint marks his leave and
Sorrow mews at night.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Chocolate chip cookies with walnuts
The prospector has been building a retaining wall and our neighbor came over to help yesterday. Since I didn't have to be outside helping, I did something I haven't done for a while. I baked some cookies.
Moke came into the kitchen and sat down like something big was going to happen. Of course, he always does this if we go into the kitchen for longer than five minutes. We laugh at this behavior because he,s so serious about it and we think that he thinks "food" won't happen without his vigil. We call him the "helper dog".
So I baked cookies. I don't use a recipe because this is the cookie I've been making since (as my boys use to say) "...the stone ages." It's a very basic dough and I just add different ingredients to it. That's usually whatever happens to be in the freezer, "fridge" or cupboard at the time. I just bought chocolate chips and walnuts at Costco(the best price around), so that's what went into the batter. Sometimes I add pecans and dried cranberries; or almonds and raisins . You can add anything, (well almost): Left over fish wouldn't work. ( but you knew that, right?) Any ingredient that would make a good cookie is fine. Peanut butter, spices, coconut, yogurt, sour cream, breakfast cereal, etc. Just adjust the liquid: Use less if you put any wet stuff in. If you use oatmeal add two tablespoons of milk. A good basic recipe is always on the back of a bag of chocolate chips..... and beg, borrow, or call me for fresh, free range eggs. They make cookie batter fluffier and you can eat the dough. Then, if you have any dough left you can bake cookies. Enjoy!
P.S. Dogs like to taste test after the cookies are baked. Just no chocolate ones, please.
Moke came into the kitchen and sat down like something big was going to happen. Of course, he always does this if we go into the kitchen for longer than five minutes. We laugh at this behavior because he,s so serious about it and we think that he thinks "food" won't happen without his vigil. We call him the "helper dog".
So I baked cookies. I don't use a recipe because this is the cookie I've been making since (as my boys use to say) "...the stone ages." It's a very basic dough and I just add different ingredients to it. That's usually whatever happens to be in the freezer, "fridge" or cupboard at the time. I just bought chocolate chips and walnuts at Costco(the best price around), so that's what went into the batter. Sometimes I add pecans and dried cranberries; or almonds and raisins . You can add anything, (well almost): Left over fish wouldn't work. ( but you knew that, right?) Any ingredient that would make a good cookie is fine. Peanut butter, spices, coconut, yogurt, sour cream, breakfast cereal, etc. Just adjust the liquid: Use less if you put any wet stuff in. If you use oatmeal add two tablespoons of milk. A good basic recipe is always on the back of a bag of chocolate chips..... and beg, borrow, or call me for fresh, free range eggs. They make cookie batter fluffier and you can eat the dough. Then, if you have any dough left you can bake cookies. Enjoy!
P.S. Dogs like to taste test after the cookies are baked. Just no chocolate ones, please.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
PEAR TREE
Life reveals itself
In flowering elegance
Springing forth
In popcorn blossom
Days of blue sun,
Where languid earth responds
And seeing warms my heart.
*****
***
In flowering elegance
Springing forth
In popcorn blossom
Days of blue sun,
Where languid earth responds
And seeing warms my heart.
*****
***
Monday, March 3, 2008
Haiku
Give me bark skin and
Limbs reflecting sunlight, now.
The crow flies quickly.
*****
more photos of the old oak tree and it's scars
Limbs reflecting sunlight, now.
The crow flies quickly.
*****
more photos of the old oak tree and it's scars
Sunday, March 2, 2008
OLD OAK TREE
On my walks down our road I always pass the same old tree. Half of it's trunk is missing at the ground. It looks like it might have been hit by lightning at one time. You can see the inside of the tree. Half of the trunk is gone on the road side and yet it is still standing and growing. Every year we wait for this old druid to fall. But still it stands in our tenth year of living here. After each storm in winter we expect to find it lying across the road. Other oaks fall; smaller ones, taller ones, younger and stronger trees that seem to give up and surrender to the rain and strong wind. But this one, that looks so fragile and old, remains.
Today I took it's picture. I was careful not to show the missing part of the trunk. I took the shot standing as close as I could to the tree. I had to be careful because it's on a very sharp drop off next to the road and so I leaned on the tree to support myself. I said aloud "Don't let go old lady." I'm not sure whether I was talking to myself or the tree. I looked up into the still dormant branches. The sky was very blue with light wispy clouds in it and I thought that this must be why the old tree was still standing. It was holding onto the sky. Invisible threads of silk (maybe from the oak worms) had attached themselves to the universe and now the old tree was being supported from above, not below. Maybe this is why belief in something beyond this world becomes so important as we get old and maybe if we believe strongly enough magic threads will attach themselves to us and give us support in our old age. We'll , I like to think so, anyway.
Today I took it's picture. I was careful not to show the missing part of the trunk. I took the shot standing as close as I could to the tree. I had to be careful because it's on a very sharp drop off next to the road and so I leaned on the tree to support myself. I said aloud "Don't let go old lady." I'm not sure whether I was talking to myself or the tree. I looked up into the still dormant branches. The sky was very blue with light wispy clouds in it and I thought that this must be why the old tree was still standing. It was holding onto the sky. Invisible threads of silk (maybe from the oak worms) had attached themselves to the universe and now the old tree was being supported from above, not below. Maybe this is why belief in something beyond this world becomes so important as we get old and maybe if we believe strongly enough magic threads will attach themselves to us and give us support in our old age. We'll , I like to think so, anyway.
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