Under a Red Roof

October Sky

October 7, 2009 in Cooking + Baking, Decorating, Eating, Exploring, Gardening + Nature, Practicing, Shopping by Colleen | 5 comments

So, I’ve got quite the hodgepodge for you today. First off, isn’t this a gorgeous sky? It was like the heavens couldn’t make up their mind, sweet, soft, and ethereal pink or menacing grey. A bit like me, sometimes I just can’t decide.

Take, for instance, my sugar addiction. One moment I am not at all interested in eating one more bite of it, and I get a little haughty, feeling, “Oh, I’ve really licked it this time!” Then, I drive by Pix, pull over the car and eat half of a St. Honore before I am dumbstruck by what is happening. Shoot! As for this very moment, I am feeling, more than anything else, like I need to let the obsession go. I am a pretty healthy person, all things considered, knocking on wood, etcetera, etcetera. Why fret about it? My cravings ebb and flow, like a river or the sea, just let it be.

Speaking of being and the flow of the sea, today my yoga practice involved a new, and rather exciting video (at least to me – it’s been out for a while) Shiva Rea: Yoga Trance Dance. I’m pretty sure I have mentioned that I LOVE to dance, in a crazy, unscripted, primal, and occasionally, um, nutty, kind of way, really taking the rhythms to another plane, both physically and mentally (quite unlike my graceful ballerina friend Mara). Thankfully, this DVD fully embraces these qualities, really engaging the practitioner in a dynamic and energizing flow, riding the waves of grace, energy, and movement. I highly recommend it.

Now, a bit more of the sea, in a shopping and decorating note. How about this painting gracing our bedroom? There used to be a poster of an old map of Paris, but we had grown tired of it, and then I got, in a semi-paranoid state, to thinking that if the big earthquake comes while we are in bed and knocks it off the wall, we’re goners. So, the other day at the Goodwill Bins, I found this. It is an original oil painting by H. Walker. I know nothing of this person, but bless his or her heart, the sea is right, and I got a bargain that will not kill me, my precious spouse, or cats, all for $20, including the frame. Not bad, not bad at all my precious peeps. Now if I could center the bed under the painting, my anal-retentive self would be super happy. One thing at a time…

Finally, the last of the summer tomatoes. We’ve had quite the season around here – I canned nine pints, made a big batch of Spicy Tomato Chutney (Zowie – I posted this recipe one year ago TODAY!), and eaten and eaten to my heart’s content. These are the Sungold cherry variety from our rather prolific vines. I sliced them, sprayed them with olive oil (using our refillable pump – love this gadget), followed by a sprinkle of salt, and two hours at 200 degrees in the oven. With my instructions, because I didn’t want to stop watching the news and get off the couch (sometimes I refuse to budge), the hubster made this pasta dish. Easy, delicious. Why don’t you try it? This serves two and is yummy!

Pasta (we used brown rice fettuccine, as we avoid wheat when we can)

1 handful pine nuts

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

3-4 fresh sage leaves, sliced fine, as in a chiffonade

1 handful raisins

1 large handful of sun or oven dried tomatoes

salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste

While your pasta is cooking, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet until light brown, shaking the pan to evenly brown. Set aside. Add butter and olive oil to pan, bring to a slow bubble, add the sage and raisins, cooking until the raisins puff a little, add the tomatoes and gently stir, just until warmed through. Once your pasta is finished, toss everything together. Season with salt, fresh ground pepper, and red pepper flakes.

If you have some green tomatoes left in the garden, fry them up! We sliced ours to about 1/4″, dipped them in Ener-G egg replacer (regular egg will do), dredged them in brown rice flour (more crunch, but wheat will do), corn meal, salt, and pepper, and fried in enough sunflower oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. Fry until golden on each side and voila, yummy (I can’t find the photo, sorry).

What a day! Enjoy yours.

Tags: Cooking and Baking, Decorating

Raining…

August 12, 2009 in Celebrating, Decorating, Gardening + Nature, Receiving by Colleen | Permalink

After what seemed an interminable twenty-eight days without rain, of living in a vastly foreign version of Portland, the skies finally opened up. I was watching television yesterday afternoon when I was hit by one of the most glorious scents – the first drops of rain hitting pavement – wafting through the air. At last!

Thankfully, the the initially fleeting sprinkles were only a preview of what was to come. As the hubster and I ventured out to the show, as my Grandma Frances would say, to take in The Brothers Bloom (more about that on Friday) on two-for-Tuesday night at our very favorite movie house, The Academy (two movie tickets + popcorn + Reese’s Pieces + hard cider for the hubster + tip = $16!), the rain began again. By the time we arrived at the theater, the drops had grown larger, more certain of themselves.

Much to my delight, the rain held steady through the gorgeous film, the tarred roads puddle filled and shimmering with moisture in the evening light. At bed time, the gentle patter of drops on the tin shed roof lulled me into sweet slumber. Thankfully, the rain has yet to cease, the sky a radiant combination of sun, cloud, and brilliant blue. Portland, no longer foreign, is home again.

Secret Garden

August 11, 2009 in Being, Feeling, Gardening + Nature, Quoting by Colleen | 2 comments

Yesterday was a great day. I felt the strongest I have had since my surgery. Feeling rather invigorated, I walked around the block twice without any discomfort and lifted some light weights. I could even shimmy well enough that I decided I would be fit to drive today. It didn’t matter where – the grocery store, lunch, anywhere. I was determined to get in the car and G-O. Too bad my body had other plans, for, despite a very good night’s sleep and a lovely bath this morning, I am exhausted, mentally and physically. I can only stand for brief periods without feeling woozy, and my large incision feels as though someone has taken a rather dull needle to sew it up again. On top of that, even though my narcotics consumption is limited to one pain pill when I go to bed, my mind is very much like mush. What the heck happened?

Then I saw all the splendor out in the garden and came upon this quotation by Ben Okri:

“Don’t depair too much if you see beautiful things destroyed. Because the best things are always growing in secret.” Suddenly, I felt better. Not like I could drive or miraculously be pain free, but lighter in spirit, because I know this is true.

For those of you who haven’t visited our red roofed house, we have an old fence surrounding the back yard, nearing the end of it’s life in several places. Next to this fence is the rocky area where we park the Subaru and, despite our best efforts, cultivate many species of dandelion, clover, and vetch. I am the first to admit that it isn’t the prettiest sight to see. But duck under the low apple branches and open the gate and there is loveliness in every corner: flowers blooming, food growing, birds chirping, and bees zooming.

Then I thought of my own precious body and the secrets it’s keeping from me, even when I feel destroyed. It is healing and growing in its own time and its own way. I need only patiently wait, and all will be revealed.

Flowers, Bees, and Pfeiffer

June 10, 2009 in Gardening + Nature by Colleen | 2 comments

Hello Everyone –

Many, many thanks for all of the well wishes this past week. It means so very much to me! I also would like to say that I am actually quite excited by it all. I finally know what is happening in my body and have a clear plan to take care of it. Additionally, Greg and I have lived in this state of pain for so long that it’s become pretty rote. Just think of how happy and energetic I will be once this is over. Watch out!

Does anyone remember the Post-It episode of Sex and the City? Berger, Carrie, and Charlotte start talking about flowers somehow and Charlotte speaks of carnations with disdain while Carrie really likes them. As you might have gathered by the fact I have them in my garden, and I take pictures of them, I, like Carrie, am also a fan. I love the color of the plant – that nice green-blue, the myriad shades of the blossoms, and, of course, the sweet and spicy scent (much like my signature fragrance, Fendi – Donna).

Ooh! The lavender is almost in bloom. Marcel Proust would be content to know that, quite like a madeleine for him, their scent stirs many memories of French vacations past for me.

The spirea is in bloom and the bees are happy!

They also like the sedum in the parking strip. It’s so pretty, too!

And now, look closely, yes, another gnome. This little guy is Pfeiffer, and he makes five. We have five garden gnomes. It really must end here. I thought four was quite enough, but, as it turns out, the hubster has a soft spot for gnomes who smoke a pipe. Who am I to refuse?

Be well, my friends!

Sunny Weekend

May 25, 2009 in Exploring, Gardening + Nature, Making by Colleen | 2 comments

Hello friends!

I hope everyone has had as wonderful a weekend as I have. Goodness gracious the weather is lovely, especially for this time of year. Normally, we’d be experiencing a bit of rain with occasional sunny days, but it looks like we’re being spoiled and quite royally – sun is expected through next weekend.

As we are no fools, we’ve done all we can to take full advantage. The first photo is of yesterday’s adventure, biking and walking our fair city. After seeing Portland City Walks recommended on one of my favorite blogs, Posie Gets Cosy, we thought we’d try it, too. We’ve ventured out on two of the twenty walks (I’ll post photos of the first one later) and have really enjoyed them. Normally this would not be our thing, as it seems silly to walk around like a tourist in our own city, but the author, Laura O. Foster, writes a lot about local history and has interesting little tidbits and “secrets” unknown to us, even though we’ve lived here for eleven years. The book also inspires us to venture outside our usual zone of influence, taking the bikes, parking them, and walking less traveled destinations, all good.

These first two photos are of the Rose City Golf Course. Now I am not a golfer by any stretch of the imagination, but it looks like a nice place to play. The hill in the second photo is Mount Tabor. It is nice to have a different perspective of it.

A neat garden structure we encountered along the way.

The view from the stairs descending Alameda Ridge. We actually stumbled upon these last summer. “Buddy, look! It seems like this is a public path between the houses. Let’s see where it goes!” It is a marvelous treat to discover.

We’re back on the home turf now. These are two of the peonies I planted last summer. I am over the moon at how pretty they are. This first photo is Coral Charm opening on Sunday.

How she looks today…

Buckeye Belle – apparently she is a bit more shy, as she hasn’t opened all the way. No matter, she’s still quite lovely!

Another little project out of the way. Greg put this bench together yesterday evening. I bought the backless variety so we can have the option of lying prostrate, looking at the little vegetable plot (tomatoes and cucumbers, and a volunteer rose), or the cutting garden. I love variety!

I’m sitting on the bench looking toward where I sat for the photos on this post. I know I’ve said this before, but I just love to see clothes hanging on the line. This peony is doing quite well, too. I don’t know what its name is, however, as it was inherited from someone else’s garden.

Looking from the bench to the cutting garden. I love having a new perspective on the yard.

If you’re wondering what the funny looking structure against the house is – here is a close up. Still funny looking, isn’t it? This was our final project of the weekend, a house for our bee friends. I’ve learned that most bees are quite solitary and make their homes either in the ground or in holes made by borers or woodpeckers. We’ve done the job for them and included our old license plate from Colorado as the roof. It’s good I kept it in the garage for the last eleven years. Hey Bridget, sometimes I do hold on to things!