A Chance Encounter

The weather has been so beautiful that I've been walking to the shop for the past few weeks.  Last night, on my stroll home, I had a chance encounter with one of our neighborhood turkeys!

There is a flock of them the roam the area around my house.  The other morning, my sweetheart encounter seven of them crossing the road on Main Street.  He said they seemed unconcerned with the traffic.

When I reviewed the video, I couldn't help chuckling.  The turkey was crunching through the leaves.  I guess it was enjoying the lovely fall evening, too.

It's Official

Fall arrived today.

The rain, the gray clouds, and the glorious leaves against dark skies made me yearn for one thing... Split Pea Soup!

There's a big pot of it simmering in the kitchen as I type. It will take days to eat it all. If I were smart, I'd freeze some for another gray day.

While I was at the grocery store I found myself in the side dish aisle. This is the aisle with the brightly colored boxes designed to appeal to the under 20 demographic. As I looked at all the different offerings of Macaroni and Cheese all I could think was, "it's official, I'm getting old."

I remember when Kraft Macaroni and Cheese was less than 20¢ per box. Now it's 93¢ per box. Heck, I can remember it going on sale, and you could get an obscene number of boxes for $1.00. The only noodle shape was elbow. Do spiral noodles taste different than shell noodles, or SpongeBob noodles, or elbow shaped noodles? They're all flour, eggs, and water.

Sheesh, SpongeBob shaped macaroni noodles. Whodda thunk it?

At least I can be secure in the knowledge that split peas will always be little, round, and green... and just the best thing on a cold, damp autumn night. They are still green, right?

Brought To You

by the letter...

Quilling, as seen in the letter "C" to the left, is a paper art form. Paper strips are formed into coils then glued together to create an image. This art form was used during the Renaissance to decorate religious items and book covers. During the 18th century it was a popular pastime for ladies of leisure.

Today quilling is enjoying a revival.

I love typography. Artist Sabeena Karnick of Mumbai, India has created a beautiful typography inspired alphabet using quilling for her letter forms. Here is a link to her work.

It's quite wonderful!

I Know This Cat

Five Things To Do Before Autumn Ends

Take a walk through crunchy leaves.

Don't forget to take your camera! Remember:: "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." Albert Camus

Bring some of the color indoors with a beautiful autumn inspired bouquet.

Make S'mores... and don't forget the cocoa!

Get ready for the holidays at a local holiday bazaar.

Matilda vs Rick the Relentless

While trying to record a version of "Waltzing Matilda" for his daughter my sweetie encountered the stunning vocal prowess of a cat completely on the wrong side of the door.

Have You Met My Guy?

Meet the Bright Center of the Universe, otherwise known as my cat. We've been together ever since he chose me thirteen years ago. He is a constant source of amusement, comfort, and entertainment. With a huge personality, and an easy going disposition few people have been able to resist his charms. He's a handsome guy, sleek, and shiny, lean and lanky, he's always dressed in his tux and tails. Between his eyes are three little white hairs, exactly where a bhindi would reside, so that's what I call them...his bhindi. His eyebrows are black and when he closes his eyes, his face seems to disappear. Sprouting from his cheeks are the longest, wildest white whiskers I've ever seen on a cat. He has a huge voice and is extremely willing to verbalize his needs. He'll stand at the door and bellow..."Let MeOoouwt" at the top of his lungs. Five minutes later he's on the other side of the door shrieking..."Let Meyiiin." In addition to being his doorman, I'm his chef, his maid, and his massage therapist.

At night, when we go to bed, is the best time of all. I'll climb into bed, settle myself onto my left side and leave just enough room for Himself. It doesn't take him long to realize where I am. He'll jump up onto the bed and walk with purpose towards the headboard. When he is in front of me he stops and waits. I reach up, tugging him towards me and with feigned resignation he'll lay down and snuggle with me. If I roll over, he follows and we go through the process again. He sleeps with me until I doze off and then leaves to be certain the polar bears that gather in our yard every night don't make too much noise and wake me. He does a very good job. So far no polar bear has ever caused me to wake up while he's on duty. In the morning, he patrols the yard and chases them away.

When he comes back in all he ever wants is a good chin scratching. I'm always happy to oblige, after all he is The Bright Center of My Universe.

Meet Mandy Quinn

Mandy Quinn is the newest member of the Dancing Beads team, and she's a girl on a budget. She doesn't have a big wardrobe. In fact, she has only two tops to her name. They're both long sleeve, v-neck tees from Eddie Bauer, but they're in her favorite colors... lavender, and bright lime green. What she lacks in wardrobe, she makes up for in accessories.

A wannabe fashionista, Mandy does her best to stay on top of all the latest jewelry trends. She views fashion as art, and jewelry is her favorite form of creative expression. She loves mixing old with new, which is a good thing given the age of her clothing.

After vogue-ing for the camera, Mandy can be found hanging out at Dancing Beads, modeling her latest look Tuesday through Saturday.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Monday Meanderings

True confession... it's actually Sunday, but as there's a post waiting in the wings to publish, and I'm in the mood to write. I figured tomorrow would be just as good a day as any to share my thoughts.

OK, come on some thoughts!

Actually, I have lots... such as, when this post goes live I will likely be at the shop bothering my contractor with my camera, getting in the way, and changing my mind again once the cabinets start being built. I have big plans for that small space, I'm just not certain I have enough space for all the big plans.

I guess that remains to be seen.

Painting the walls and the slatwall were on my list of things to do Sunday. Then I sat down at my computer with a cup of coffee, and realized I was tired. Really tired. So tired it was an effort to lift the coffee cup let alone move the mouse around.

At nearly 1pm I posted the following on Facebook:: "Paint or play? Paint or play? So far, play is winning! It's almost 1:00 and I'm still not out of my jammies."

Jammies won!

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I sure had fun playing tour guide this week. Nearly everyone who came in to the shop wanted to check out the new space. The consensus has been that the additional light is wonderful, the room is just big enough, and the carpet in there can really use some attention. My plans have received the stamp of approval from one and all.

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Saturday was an amazing day! There were two classes back to back. Jenny taught Freeform Peyote from 1-3, then ran the shop for me while I taught a make up Wire Wrap 1 class from 3:30-5:30. Sales were brisk from the moment the shop opened until past closing time. Hmmm, that's likely why my pajamas won out.

During the freeform class I joined a discussion about cooking, and eating organic... both of which I truly enjoy. I told the gals in the class about a wonderful polenta pizza I prepare that's vegetarian, organic, and very tasty. The recipe was requested so........

Polenta Pizza

CRUST::
1 1/2C yellow cornmeal
1C cold water
1C boiling water (heated in a medium saucepan)
1/4t salt
1/3C grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Place cornmeal in a small bowl. Add cold water, and stir until uniformly combined.
2. Stir cornmeal mixture into saucepan of boiling water. Cook, stirring, over low heat until thick (about 5 minutes).
3. Remove from heat, stir in salt and Parmesan. Form a crust in the buttered 9X13 pan (use wet hands or a spatula to pat into place). Baked uncovered for 30 minutes at 375°. Remove from oven. Turn oven down to 350°.

FILLING:: Here is where you can have some fun!
1T olive oil
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 leek sliced
1/2C sliced red bell pepper
1/2C sliced mushrooms (I prefer Crimini)
1/2t oregano
1/2t basil
salt and pepper to taste
1/3# mozzarella cheese, grated
1 medium tomato, sliced
Grated Parmesan cheese for the top

1. Saute' garlic, leeks, peppers, and mushrooms in olive oil until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat, add herbs.
2. Spread mixture over crust. Arrange mozzarella and tomatoes on top, sprinkle on Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Serves 4.

This recipe is from a collection of recipes published privately by my mom and her friends. They met weekly for over two years to do yoga, and share meals. Their cookbook is one of my favorites.

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Humor me while I share another recipe that has become a real favorite this winter. I came across the inspiration for this soup in Sunset magazine in December. I've changed it enough that think I can call it my own.

Chicken Sausage and Rainbow Chard Soup

4 Italian Chicken Sausages, casings removed. (I use Isernio's Mild, they're free range and minimally processed... according to the package, and we know we can always believe whatever the manufacturer tells us, right?)
2 cartons Wolfgang Puck Free Range Organic Chicken Broth (probably the best prepared broth I have ever encountered)
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 leek, cleaned and sliced
1 bunch fresh rainbow chard, cleaned and chopped
1t fennel seed
3T olive oil

In a large pot heat olive oil, add garlic, leek, and fennel seeds. Saute' until garlic and leeks are translucent. Add sausages, breaking them into small pieces, and continue cooking. When sausage is cooked, pour in both cartons of chicken broth. Cover and bring to a boil. After soup has started to boil, add the chopped chard, stir, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Soup is ready to serve in 15 minutes. Don't be surprised to find your soup slightly pink as the red stems of the rainbow chard will add color to the broth.

Serve with toast, and enjoy.

I had some for dinner last night, and it was just what I wanted on a rainy Sunday night.

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As much as I love beads, I also love words. Believe it or not, I've been publishing my thoughts online for over five years. There were times I was a bit more dedicated than I have been recently, but it seems that my love of writing is starting to show itself again.

Recently, I came across this page and wanted to share it. The article is about 'paraprosdokians' which is a figure of speech where a sentence or phrase ends in an unexpected manner causing the listener or reader to rethink the first part of the statement. There were 37 examples provided, some were clever, some cute, and a few caused me to laugh out loud!  Here are my favorites::

• Some people hear voices. Some see invisible people. Others have no imagination whatsoever.
• Hospitality: making your guests feel like they're at home, even if you wish they were.
• You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
• If you are supposed to learn from your mistakes, why do some people have more than one child?
• Some cause happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they go.
• The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!

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One more thing before I end my meanderings::

I hope everyone has an amazing Monday!

Memories

Beader's Funny

Sue and her three best beading friends were excited to attend a weekend workshop with a national instructor.  They couldn’t wait to get away!  Ahhhhhhh, beads with a side of spa treatments!

As the trip approached, Sue's husband got petulant. He didn’t want her to go. He told her they couldn’t really afford it, blah, blah, buzz killer.  Two days before the group was to leave Sue told her friends she would not be joining them.

Fast forward two days……

The three friends make it to the hotel and are surprised to see Sue sitting at the hotel bar drinking a glass of wine.

Sue explains the turn of events:

"I was at home and my husband came up behind me, puts his hands over my eyes, and says 'Guess who?'" I pulled his hands off to find him standing there in his birthday suit! He took my hand and led me to our bedroom. The room was scented with perfume, he had two dozen candles burning, and rose petals all over the floor! The little devil even had handcuffs and ropes on the pillow! He told me to tie and cuff him to the bed, so I did.

Then he said, "Now, you can do whatever you want."

So here I am."

From:: The Crafty Retailer