My thanks to everyone March 9, 2009

It’s been almost a year and half since I started this blog. It’s changed a bit in that time but more or less it has stayed the same, with the same focus and goals – to bring a little more hominess to home life.

Life, though, doesn’t stay the same (no matter what, right?). For now, I’m going on a blogging hiatus to focus on some other things that need attention.

I appreciate every one that has stopped by, left a comment and let me share my thoughts with you. It’s really been an amazing experience and I’m very grateful for all the new friends I’ve found in this great blogosphere. I’ll still be around, checking out other blogs and keeping in touch.

All the best, Kimberly Ann

Back in a jif… February 24, 2009

I have a few things happening today and tomorrow so I’ll be back here on Thursday. See you then.

Burger joints gone wild February 20, 2009

On Presidents’ Day, we took advantage of hubby being home and we headed out for lunch at a local burger joint. In our town, this place has been around for a really long time; a very small, shack-like place that touts “homemade soup & pie”. Since watching the movie “Waitress” I have been on a quest for a local pie diner, so I thought it was worth trying it out and getting a slice.

Now granted, it was on a holiday, so that might account somewhat for the crowds, but the place was packed. This little tiny place was filled to capacity; we were lucky to snag a table while we waited in line to order. The prices weren’t cheap – no 1950s cost to match the classic cars nostalgia. Hubby ordered a french dip, NR went with a hamburger and I went with chili fries. Hubby’s dessert was a chocolate shake while NR and I tried pie (apple crisp and coconut cream respectively).

I’d love to say that this little place lived up to the hype and that the crowds really were on to something, but it was just so-so. My chili was ok, but the side of sour cream had a moldy taste. The fries were excellent but the pie was not. It was a homemade crust and wasn’t bad (needed a bit more salt) but the filling was lumpy and gritty. Word from Hubby was that the shake looked like chocolate but didn’t taste like chocolate and the french dip was kind of all dried out.

So assuming that we had a representative meal at this long-standing stand, what is the attraction? The prices aren’t cheap. Sure, you can get a burger and a shake there but nothing to write home about (but apparently enough to blog about). Why was this little place packed on a Monday afternoon with folks dropping twenty bucks for lunch?

Well, the only reasons I can come up with are:

1. Hubby and I have absolutely no sense of what is good
2. The diners have no sense of what is good
3. Nostalgia trumps taste.

Now, it is certainly possible that number 1 is at work to some degree, but it’s kind of hard to believe that dried out hamburgers would warrant the high prices that people would pay. I’m going with number 3 – I think people are hungry for those diners and stands from the past.

The interesting thing is that I’m not so sure people are going to this stand because they have fond memories of hamburger stands in their youth. There were a few older folks there but by and large it was younger people with families. I would say that most of these people were in their thirties (or younger) so I’m guessing that their history of burgers was at McDonalds of the 1970s and 1980s. That alone might cause someone to seek out a hamburger stand for the chance at something fresh, but what keeps people coming back?

Our area has a few famous hamburger stands that have been going strong for years. People line up for burgers, grease be damned, and they are willing to wait upwards of an hour for their burger in busy times. Some of these places must make good burgers but really, I have to think that nostalgia is playing a big part in all this. People want a taste of a time that they perceive as simplier, more wholesome – a time when eating red meat was the norm, when drinking shakes was perfectly healthy and when homemade pie with whipped cream was the way to end a meal. Sure, we can come up with some theory about how scary the economic times are for many people now and that we’re all craving comfort food, but I think it is simplier than that. I think hamburger stands, diners and pie shops have been stamped into our brains as a place where you can feel good while you fill up.

Like my quest for the mythical grail – the pie diner – I think those folks on Presidents’ Day were paying six bucks for a burger to find something beyond food. We nostalgic eaters are searching for some feel good among the fries. Something that reminds us of the countless sitcoms we grew up with, the Norman Rockwell Americana that feels really good, the satisfaction to be found at the bottom of glass of milk and an empty pie plate.

For me, I haven’t had the experience of really finding that place, that diner with the good coffee and the sassy waitresses that call everyone “hon”, the burger joint that serves nirvana on a bun, that greasy spoon place with the best home fries ever. Do these places exist, somewhere? I’d like to think they do, but I’m not sure. For some folks, the little burger joint in my town is that place – they are willing to plunk down the cash for a seat in the crowded little room, to savor a basket of chili fries.

Me, I’m still looking.

Bird Brain February 18, 2009

Robin

Originally uploaded by shorter.chip

I’ve had robins on the brain lately. It must be my impatience for spring because I’m definitely not a bird lover. But there is something about robins that I enjoy.

The robins that hang around in Washington don’t look like this fellow (at least not the ones I’ve seen). They are bigger, less “puff ball” shaped, and have a deeper red breast. I have to say I like this little guy better. I found him on flickr and I think he might have been photographed in Ireland.

So I’m keeping my eye out for signs of life and hoping some robins make their way to my yard. I’m planning on bringing some robin designs inside too, either with embroidery or photo transfers – something crafty, which hasn’t jelled in my mind yet.

Next time I’m at the store, I’ll find some of those blue-shelled malted balls that are already on the shelves for Easter and make some of these Robin’s Egg cookies.

Yep, definitely have some bird on the brain.

The stuff of stars, bits of George Washington and feeling stupid February 16, 2009

I’m someone who always likes to learn new things. I’m constantly sucking in information, finding out the newest ideas, the latest theories, the hows and whys of our world. I railed when Pluto was demoted from planet to “dwarf planet” and I cheered when I heard about “nanodiamonds” and their role in possibly curing cancer. I’m not out there following Science journals or taking in seminars at Cal-Tech, but I do keep my ear out for interesting stuff.

Unfortunately, such information can make me feel stupid. Case in point: we watched a new National Geographic series last night called “Known Universe”. It is amazing and anybody who has the National Geographic channel should try to catch it because it will blow your mind. The advances that scientists have made in learning about the universe in just the last few years are absolutely unreal. It’s the kind of information that makes you go “Wow, I am so stupid. There is no way I could study this stuff and come up with these kind of conclusions. Thank goodness there are smart people in the world.” I mean these people are colliding atoms, watching the flickering of stars to find new planets and calculating that there are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on Earth, and I struggle to follow a recipe (that was 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, not 1 whole cup. Doh!)

Anynerd, it is a fabulous show, not to be missed. The best part of the episode we watched last night (Biggest and Smallest) is the information about where all the matter on Earth comes from. Every molecule of every tree, person, rock, coffee cup and pizza box comes from exploded stars. We – all of us, animals, plants, cars, orange juice, Tickle Me Elmo – owe our molecules to an ancient star that blew up and sent the building blocks of the universe to us. Now whether you believe in religion or not, the idea that everything around us and in us came from some long ago star is a pretty amazing, awe-inspiring idea. The lowliest piece of cardboard and biggest diamond in the world come from the same place. Talk about leveling the playing field. Nothing is above or below being made out of stars.

Did that bake your noodle? Yeah, me too. Here’s another tidbit that will make you wish you had paid closer attention in High School science class. Every molecule, every atom is continually recycled. There are no new atoms being created. Everything around us (as we know from the star stuff) has been here a reallllllllllly long time. So when you take a sip of water (as the show described), you are likely drinking in oxygen atoms that were swirling around in dinosaurs, in famous folks – perhaps George Washingon, Abraham Lincoln or Teddy Roosevelt. (Wondered how I was going to get the Presidents’ Day reference in, weren’t you?)

So not only are we made of exploded star guts, but we’ve also trekked around in T-Rex and Old Hickory. Honestly, I can’t wrap my mind around this stuff. I won’t even attempt to share the amount of galaxies that are out there in the universe, the size of the big stars compared with our dinky sun or the real distance between our own “local” planets. All I can say is “I feel really stupid” and really grateful that there are people out there who devote their lives to finding out the science behind questions like “how did we get here” or “are there other worlds with life in the universe”. (Battlestar Galatica fans, Star Trekkies and other Sci-Fi followers – keep the faith.)

So on this Presidents’ Day, my mind is swirling in the cosmos and at the atomic level. I’m thinking about how important science is to our future and I’m grateful that our new president recognizes this. I’m also wishing I had been a better science and math student and that my teachers had inspired me the way this new series has done. And I’m also really grateful for smart people.

And speaking of love… February 12, 2009

I just had to share my Darcy and Elizabeth pillowcases with you. Awhile back (like last February), I found these great vintage pillowcases with crochet trim at the thrift store. They’ve been hanging out in my craftroom since then, until I started reading Kayte Terry’s Complete Embellishment. In her book, Ms. Terry has a pattern for “Lord and Lady” pillowcases, which are silhouettes with an oval border, appliqued to pillowcases.

Being the cross-over fiend that I am, I thought it would be fun to make a Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet set since my Jane Austen book group is reading Pride & Prejudice at the moment. Besides, they top my list of fictional lovers so why not whip something up around Valentine’s Day?

I dusted off those pillowcases and went about making my own felty versions of the silhouettes. My version has more applique going on – I added a third layer, leaves and flowers, and buttons. My shapes and colors look more like Mod Squad 20th century than Regency England, but I’m ok with that. These pillowcases are cheerful but for decoration only (who’d want to sleep on buttons – talk about pillowface…)

Here’s a couple of close-ups of Liz and Darcy:

Mr. D ended up a little askew on the pillowcase, but that actually makes me chuckle – the “real” Mr. Darcy would be aghast at being improper, but with his Elizabeth, he’ll suffer even this.

Give a little bit of your love to me…. February 11, 2009

Originally uploaded by * ire *

Gorgeous, aren’t these? Normally, Valentine’s Day decorations can look like cupid threw up all over the place but there is something about this collage that I found on Flickr that I really like.

For those of you who may have forgotten, V Day is Saturday, February 14 (yep, right after Friday the 13th this year, bwhahahaha…).

I love Valentine’s Day and I hate it. I love it when family and friends express how much they care for each other, genuinely sharing that love with homemade valentines, simple tokens and plain old hugs & kisses.

I hate it for sateen boxer shorts with would-be witty sayings silkscreened across the rear, plastic flocked roses, corpulent cherubs piercing anything that moves, and “naughty” nightgowns. That’s not my idea of sharing love. Bleh.

This year, NR made our Valentine’s tokens and our little cards. Nothing fancy, nothing showy and nothing involving sateen or cherubs. I think our family will like them.

We’re also going to be showing our love by making a donation with MissionFish (via eBay) to a non-profit of NR’s choosing. We’re going to sit down, go through the list of charities and choose a group that means something to him. Our donation won’t be a large one (I wish we could do more) but it’s a small token of care and a way for him to see that love doesn’t have to be just for those close to us.

I’ll close this post with my favorite band, The Goo Goo Dolls. I can’t think of a better Valentine’s Day song than this. Happy V Day, everybody!

Grapefruit are a pain to eat. Cupcakes, anyone? February 9, 2009

I don’t have the fancy grapefruit spoons with the serrated edges, so when I eat a grapefruit half, I generally run a knife around the outer edge and then just take my chances digging into the fruit with a plain spoon. The end result is a bit smushed up, with lots of juice left in the bottom of the grapefruit rind. Which, with all the brown sugar I typically sprinkle on the surface isn’t a bad thing; grapefruity and sweet goodness.

While eating a grapefruit today for breakfast and struggling with the fruit, I thought “Gee, perhaps I should get some of those serrated spoons…” Then I thought, “Nah, I’ll just use the grapefruit in something else. Mmmm, cupcakes…” Yep, I went from healthy (mostly) breakfast food to baked treat in the blink of a eye.

My first thought was to take the recipe from The Brown Derby for the grapefruit cake and change it into cupcakes. Sadly, this recipe only has a couple of tablespoons of juice in the whole thing and I don’t think that is enough for a really good grapefruit flavor. I went in search of something better and I think I found it here. This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of juice and pulp, which is basically what I have when I try to eat my grapefruit. I think this will be perfect with a little cream cheese frosting.

So really, this was a long way of saying that having the right tool for the right job is important. It keeps people from mangling their grapefruit and from eating cupcakes. Hmmmm, well I’m against the mangling part anyway.

Lucky but old, you can’t have it all February 8, 2009

I had such a wonderful birthday, which I wisely strung out over two days. Sure, getting older isn’t any fun but the rest of the birthday stuff certainly makes up for it. Friday, I had a lovely bit of fondue with my hubby and a quiet evening watching British comedy. Saturday, my family gathered for some seafood (I had grilled shrimp and scallops – delish!) and then a generous helping of my mother’s wonderful Black Forest cake. Kirsch brandy, sweet cherries, whipped cream, chocolate cake….wow, what a wonderful dessert.

As if all this wonderment wasn’t enough, I received gifts that were tailor made. Hubby found a full set of Jane Austen hardcover books for me, which are even now right next to me on my desk. My sister and brother-in-law picked out the exact skirt I had lusted over at a shop called Torrid, so that was an excellent surprise. My grandmother found some wonderful British treats for me – turkish delight, cherry jelly, almond and cherry tea….Mmmmmm.

My folks added to the British theme with a lovely necklace featuring Anne Boleyn, a brown betty tea pot (looks like this if you haven’t seen one – how cute is that!):

And if that weren’t enough, my mom made a gorgeous drawing of Jane Austen for me, which is already in a place of honor above my sewing table.

Yep, it was one swell birthday and it reminded me of just how I lucky I am. Truly, I am so grateful for my wonderful family. Not only do they know me so well (and love me in spite of that), but they have the infinite grace not to mention all the gray hair that another year has brought to me.

Can you get luckier than that? I think not.

*Brown betty pot photo found here.

You can’t be squiriferous if you are senticous February 4, 2009

No, I’m not going for a crossword championship. I’m introducing you to my two new adopted words. I am the proud mother to “squiriferous” and his sister “senticous”. Squiriferous is quite the little gentleman; he insists on wearing a cravat and dining at his club when he isn’t holding doors open for women and laying his cape down over mudpuddles. His sister, Senticous, is a thorny girl – you might even call her prickly, but that is just her way.

Before you think I’ve gone around the bend, you should visit Save The Words and find a little word of your own, perilously close to extinction. It is a sad state of our modern English vocabulary, but many of our words are disappearing from the dictionary at an alarming rate. We collectively substitute fewer and fewer words to say what we mean and that leaves these little words homeless and close to the brink. Won’t you do your part and save one today? Just go to the site, find your little darling (click on a word as you scroll and you’ll find the meaning – unfortunately not the pronunciation; apparently people won’t be brave enough to actually say these words, just write them) and then adopt one for your very own. When you adopt your word, you pledge to use it as much as you can and try to bring it back from oblivion. Sadly, for my darlings squiriferous (to have the characteristics of a gentleman) and senticous (thorny, prickly), I think it may be too late to save them from Darwin’s cruel fate. I fear they have “evolved” into polite and bitchy as in “That boy is so polite, holding the door open for us, but his sister is just too bitchy.”

If you adopt a darling or two for your very own, please let me know. Maybe we can set up a playdate with the kids…with squiriferous anyway.