Laughter Love and Luck

thats what I feasted on this weekend. It was juicy ...  greasy... even... It was awesome saucing at its best. 

Late Friday night I found my way to Northern Nevada without the family to spend a weekend floating around with old friends. Because of my loose planning, my adventures didn't really begin until Saturday Morning with a trip to the Great Basin Food Coop  for a 2 hour visit with a mynx of a friend, Auntie M. while she made spring rolls, brewed coffee, made sandwiches and attended to other coop cooking duties. It was obvious from the start that she was in her element, James Brown playing in the background and adding zest to her every movement.  During our conversation I mentioned that I was going to attempt to cross paths with another mutual friend and I was asked to pass on a message "I am the ant." Of course this peeked my curiosity. She said she didn't really understand the analogy but they had been arguing over who is the ant and who is the grasshopper. I do understand the analogy and find it a little fascinating and plan to ponder it here at length a bit more soon...hopefully..  Regrettably  I was unable to deliver that message in person but will catch up with them soon enough. 

From there I drifted to my unsuspecting grandparents house and, after some tea with my uncle while waiting for their return, surprised them with an uninterrupted 4 hour visit. It was utterly relaxing and my yawning, which they took as an indication of fatigue, was really a result of being  I was so at ease that I wasn't breathing deep enough to draw in enough oxygen at the higher elevation. Long conversation, a late lunch, and a couple fingers of scotch highlighted the afternoon. 

After I left, I picked up Doc Martin Dave, Double D (Said in a French Accent) for short, from his moms apartment complex. It has been 16 years since I have seen DD. But that hasn't changed much about him.. He is still my brother from another mother. We laughed heartily for hours on end while we talked everything from landing strips, smurfs and everything in between...    DD is taking a brief stateside visit from France to attend to some affairs before returning home to his family.. Needless to say our conversation spanned years and Continents. Eventually, after stopping in and getting a beer where our reunion was held and hitting the cigar bar, we made our way to the "Home of a million legos and spicy curry" to visit with  some old friends..  who ,obviously, love legos and curry! I have not had any real solid face time with them since I moved away and it was goo to see how well T and A were doing. 

From there we hit Reno and our old college haunt. What was once known as the Blue Lamp...everything changes it all stays the same..  A quick Guinness and some more reminiscing then it was off for an Icky with that spicy Meditranian meatball known simply and always as D ... except.. At 11 pm on a Saturday night the brewery was already shutting down which lead to an adjustment of plans... a drink at strata then one at St. James Infirmary (where I swear I saw some of my cousins doodles come to life) and then off to dancing for hours until the wee hours of the morning (though with the time change it was not quite as wee as it felt) at a rather uninhibited place known as the 5 star club. I left D and DD to continue their dancing (Cue the song "time of my life" from that one patrick swazey movie.. what was it called?) and  I stumbled into bed at a relative 3 or 4 am. It was a reunion for the ages and left me feeling young at heart once again.

In the morning, I tossed and turned and after hours of weighing..  hunger finally won out over sleep and I decided to rouse myself for a hearty breakfast. But the line at the cafe appeared long and so room service begged its appeal. However while venturing back to my tower I literally crossed paths with the McNallans. This lovely couple are spiritual leaders in my religious committee who live near Colfax and whom I was going to call and try to arrange coffee with as I passed by on the freeway going home. But low and behold, a twist of Wyrd delivered us all to the Nugget on a random Sunday morning  in November at precisely the same time. Such meetings I find fortuitous and brimming with fate. They had stayed the night to watch Dana Carvey perform and were on their way to breakfast and I gladly joined them. We played a bit of catch up and filled in our various news. It will be interesting to see where this chance meeting will happen to take us.  Time will tell. 

After breakfast I made the trip home, content and exhausted but safe and sound. Highlights of the upcoming weeks.. Little Tree Climber gets a orthodontic consultation for braces. My cousins are coming for a visit. A weekend of scouts then Mom comes for Little Tree Climbers birthday as well as Surfriders party planning. Not to mention the making of holiday gifts. Ack! I need to make some lists!  November is a busy month! 

el Dia de los Muertos

Autumn Hike with Young Vikings

A reflective walk though the Cemetery while honoring the forgotten dead.

A loooong tabling job that lined me up party volunteers!! 

Three young adults in tow. 

Good time ... long day!

 A recent visitor at our door... Left me meditating  on the nature of snakes...speaking of snakes.. LittletreeClimber and Sticky Pistons went off on thier own Halloween journey this year. It included the tour of reptiles and insects and other creepy crawlies at the library while the other two of us joined up with a big group and trick or treated a part of town boasting big beautiful colonial style homes. I think I could manage living in a home like those. Anyway.. Halloween..

Ghoulies galor! 

Cat... or.. Mouse? You be the judge.

Things are heating up

along the San Andreas. A little quake here, a big one there.  Its a good reminder to take quick stock of emergency provisions and I think we are woefully ill prepared. I have it at the top of my to do. But beyond that we are good mom! Love you and good night!

Whats that Smell?

sniff, sniff.. "uck!"

Chicken Little edges ever more towards puberty. While we were out getting this and that for Halloween costumes I took a moment to swing through the male grooming section. He was not thrilled. He stomped around exclaiming how embarrassing it all was. He'd storm off from our exploration of different scents and my tutelage on the difference between antiperspirant (which has a metal in it which keeps the toxins in your body by not letting you sweat .. not a good thing) and deodorant (which simply covers up odors but does not stop your bodies natural process of toxin elimination)  He didn't want any of it.  I had hummingbird reassure him that smelling nice is a good thing. He still wasn't convinced. But we finally managed to pick out some axe spray coupled with axe shampoo and spiking gel. At the end of the night I sent him up to clean up and get ready for bed. Afterwards he strutted down the hall, a smile a mile wide, proud to show off his new scent and engulf me in a super scented hug. I assure you it was quite pleasant! 

A matter of faith..

Auntie S. read my last post and with some tweaking came up with the following changes to my editorial prayer. And while I don't necessarily see the divine as entirely interventionist... the changes are apropos for those that do .. however, with this and all things, I think that people will have better luck combating ills if their actions and choices back up their prayers!   

“Merciful Father in Heaven, we thank you for your bounty you bring to us and ask that any poison in this food for which we are about to partake would be made null and void. We ask that You give wisdom to those who make laws to protect us to keep a close eye on those crazy scientists who play with our food. As we partake of this food, we pray for health and strength to carry on and try to live as You would have us. We give thanks for life, the freedom to enjoy it all, roof over our heads, the companionship of dear friends and everything else wonderful and good in our lives. We ask for your continued strength and courage in the battle against cancer raging in Aunt Lucy, Uncle Floyd and Grandma Maria, Cousin John’s kidney failure and Baby Adisons allergies. We put our trust in You because we are having quite a bit of trouble finding any to trust down here.  Thank you, Dear Lord. Amen” 

This past weekend was swamped. Saturday I spent the entire day at REI at the volunteer fair. It was slow and these events tend to not really draw too many. However, I am super excited that I may have found a Beach Clean up Captain to compliment the individual who has stepped forward to be the Coordinator. This is a huge deal as I don't want to/nor have the time to do the extra job. Looks like I have job descriptions to sculpt!

 In other chapter news.. we now have a Graphic Designer on board who also has super strong web design abilities. :) This is fabulous. I have been our webmaster for about a year and a half and while I have no problem maintaining a page for personal use I don't have the skills or time to manage a professional website. He has not committed to working on our site yet but in time I am hoping to persuade him to take up the job or at least be able to turn to him to help me address back end issues and CID codes. The work he has done in the two days since coming on shows extreme talent. However much time he commits, I already know he will be a great asset to the chapter... and hes easy on the eyes... and ears.

Sunday we attended to the details of home management before hitting the beach with the Young Vikings. It was not our typical hiking outing. We were testing swim skills.. at least that was the excuse we used to make it an afternoon of more relaxing beach play. 

And yes there was an earthquake that rocked our world in the early morning hours. I slept through it. No signs of damage to report. But it reminds me to make sure our disaster supplies are in order. 

And with that, my day begins. Love you Mom!

Chock full of Opinion and Fact

A dear neighbor Mrs. Potts (nick named such after the Character in Beauty and the Beast....Mrs. Potts is very motherly in nature, which befits her as she is mother to the teacup Chip and his other brothers and sisters. As the castle's head housekeeper, she has a very strict sense of responsibility. Often she is kind and consoling, but can be stern when the situation calls for her to be; out of all of the Beast's servants, she is the one who will most likely confront him about his behavior when he is in a temper). Anyway, Mrs. Potts after seeing a bit of my writing and knowing my strong feelings about what I choose to feed my family asked if I would attempt to submit an editorial about Prop 37 CA's GMO labeling bill which is up for the vote in this years election.  I don't know if it will be printed but Ive put it out there.  Here it is:

-----------------

The holiday feasting season is soon upon us when we will be sitting down to a banquet of wonderful dishes all prepared lovingly by Grandmothers, Mothers and Aunts. You join hands in a solemn moment of thanks. Heads bow and eyes close as the head of house’s voice rings out in prayer.

“Merciful Father in Heaven, we thank you for the wisdom of the scientist, geneticists, and chemical manufacturers who have “improved” upon your bounty to bring to us this food for which we are about to partake. We ask You to fill each pre-processed morsel with goodness for our minds, bodies and souls. As we partake of this food, we pray for health and strength to carry on and try to live as You would have us. We give thanks for life, the freedom to enjoy it all, roof over our heads, the companionship of dear friends and everything else wonderful and good in our lives. We ask for your continued strength and courage in the battle against cancer raging in Aunt Lucy, Uncle Floyd and Grandma Maria, Cousin John’s kidney failure and Baby Adisons allergies. Thank you Dear Lord. Amen”

Doesn’t sound right does it?! Yet, perhaps it is the prayer we should be offering up. Approx. 70% of the food in your typical grocery store contains Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO’s. In other words, that 70% has contents which have been tampered with by science and who’s long lasting effects on health and wellbeing have yet to be fully appreciated. However, recent research in France has demonstrated that there is a clear link to eating GMO corn (and exposure to the pesticide that is used on these particular crops) and serious health effects such the development of tumors, organ damage and early death.

Do you know what foods you eat that contain GMO’s? 50 countries around the world already require the labeling of these altered foods, but the US is not among them. Join Californians in the voting booth in November and let it be known that you want to know what you are eating. Vote “Yes” on Prop. 37 the Mandatory Labeling of Genetically Altered Foods. This bill simply requires that manufactures make a note on their labels if they contain such contents. You have the right to choose what you ingest and to give proper praise where it belongs.

-------------

In other news for my Nevada based friends and family.. an Indoor Archery Range is coming your way! This is rockin!!. Check out the details and pass on the news! I know we will eventually be up with the Young Vikings to earn our archery points! 

http://wastingarrows.com/wastingarrows/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Indoor-Range-Flyer-1.pdf  

--------------

Other than all that and a spur of the moment noon time beer shared under a shady tree reminiscing about high school with an old friend who happened to stop by yesterday, I have nothing really new to report on. Its business (or is that busy-ness?) as usual. And I must get back to it.

Love you!

Mamaskylark

A plate, A curtsy, and other bits

Auntie S asks...  "Sooo.. What is cookin?"
Mmmmm... let me tell you!! This weekend I didn't do any cooking at all actually. Instead, others cooked for me and it was fantastic! Saturday we made our way to the U.s where smiles, wonderful conversation and the smell of spices greeted us as we were introduced to Tanzanian food. The U.s often open their home to foreign guests (whether through church, rotatory or school programs) and had the opportunity host some ladies from Tanzania Africa some time back. Id name the dishes but I don't know them. All I can really tell you is that we experienced four separate authentic dishes. One was a spiced rice dish. Another was a relatively simple beef dish which ranked up there in terms of flavor with many Indian dishes I have experienced (my mouth waters at the thought!). The other two plates were composed of almost identical ingredients (Cabbage, carrots and the like) yet the method of preparation rendered each one uniquely flavorful and delicious. A better home cooked Saturday feast would be hard to come by and a great many thanks go out to your friends for having us over. Also, Im looking forward to gleaming all the cooking and canning lessons I can from Mama U!

Sunday was spent in the company of our Young Viking Club. We took a long laborious hike in Carmel Valley , discussed some plants and their uses, and then returned to the club house for some ax throwing and cooking. Having a number of relatively un-experienced hands in the kitchen meant careful consideration as to what would be attempted. Chicken Little baked bread from scratch. Little Tree Climber and Hummingbird whipped up meat loaf. (The disgusted looks on their faces when they put their hands in to mix was utterly hilarious) and Hallo (hummingbirds brother) who takes to the kitchen like he does video games (with rapt intent hence the name) was put on spicy green bean duty. It was a most satisfying meal. Part of earning their cooking point was in the cleaning up as well. Can't complain about that! It was a marvelous feast.

Fall is officially here? How do I know? My CSA (community supported Agriculture) delivered .. to my doorstep.. my weekly vegetables last week which included butternut squash. So Monday I whipped up my favorite spicy butternut squash soup with cayanne, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Its creamy delight!

After such indulgence, I hit the gym with revived gusto! Let me tell you.. ow! ow! ow! The day after burn makes me super aware of every move I make. But in that ever so good way were the pain is a reminder of work well done and muscles being developed. No pain no gain. However, I don't want to pack on too much definition before I loose more of what I got and don't need. Its a process but damn it feels good.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My brother, Bad Billy Goat, and I.. somewhere near the start of the year.. began discussing our favorite movies. He asked me what I thought of his top 10 but it has taken me quite some time to start to address them, not being the biggest thing on my priority list, however, it had taken me waaaayyy to long to get to it.  But finally I have begun the process of reviewing his top 10 and offering my reviews. Below is the first:

"Brothers don't shake hands.. Brothers Hug!"
Ok Bro.. What the heck is up with Tommy Boy making your top 10 favorite movies list?!?! To start. after a  quick look at the rest of your movie choices ... (See below)... or at least on the impression of the ones I know... I was truly expecting it to be a work of historical fiction .. you know something about the guy who created the tommy gun or some such. Instead I wind up watching a slapstick comedy starting David Spade and Chris Farley. These guys are not your typical dramatic actors to be sure. However, I must admit they made a comedy pairing very much in line with Jim Belushi and Dan Aykrod.  I must say, this is truly a movie worthy of the USA channel .. well it would be if there was Rutger Howard and some nudity thrown it. One thing I appreciate about your list is that the majority of your films are family friendly. The kids enjoyed the watch as well. But alas, it didn't impress me enough to come close to finding a place in my heart but it did give me a few good deep chuckles. Now Im off to check out number 9.. Dirty Harry. I know that one, but honestly don't know if I have ever watched the entire thing. Ill get back to you on it. :) Love you Bad BIlly Goat!

1. Braveheart

2. Last of the Mohiccans

3. The Natural

4. Saving Private Ryan

5. Fight Club

6. The Departed

7. The Outlaw Josie Whales

8. Field of Dreams

9. Dirty Harry

10. Tommy Boy

(P.S. Queenly enough for you, Bro?)

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I love to read. It however has been one of those things that I put aside as "not necessarily a priority". However, since we are going to the gym regularly, I find myself often trapped on a cardo machine for 45 minutes or so at a time.  And you know the last thing I want to think about is what Im doing.. "ow.. ow.. I don't want to do this. Id be so much happier off this damn thing. Im going to fall over. pant pant sweat sweat." How nice it is to escape into the worlds between the pages or drifting on the music I have mixing. I greatly appreciate these moments. So ... here is a book review!

The Fifth Sacred Thing
This book was recommended to me by a dear friend from Hawaii who thought I might find it quite inspiring. I don't recommend it for everyone as it does have some strong graphic violence and strong sexual content. In this provocative book, written by Starhawk, we are introduced to the world of California approx. 30 years in our future. A world which is dramatically different though not entirely improbable. Her vision of the world supposes that the ecosystem, as well the government, experience a complete collapse. Its not too far fetched in its portrait of what would result in a world whose oil reserves completely depleted. Without alternative energy sources in place to supplement our power needs not only would vehicles be a thing of the past but our ability for long distance communication would be thrust into the dark ages. In addition, the loss of electricity would effect our ability to divert water were we want and need it. Essentially she pictures much of Southern California drying up and the competition for resources creating a war zone where those who"have"are morally bankrupt and depraved. Nestled in the midst of this mass chaos, pain, hunger, thirst and struggle, San Francisco, which has managed to survive all these challenges with hard work,and with their spirit of cooperation with each other and nature.   This does not mean life is easy for them but when compared to southern end of the state (if not the world) .. they are far from impoverished. Its a rather Utopian environment but war is on its way. The desire for water is so great that those in power in the south seek it out with unrelenting veal with no consideration that their actions are actually detrimental to the long term sustainability of water resources everywhere they inhabit. The major question that is posed is how should a non aggressive, communal, free-lovin (did you note the caution at the beginning?), peaceful Earth nurturing people combat the threat that sit poised and ready to strike at their doorstep. Its a good read on all accounts. If anything, it offers a solid reminder that in these times we need to make it our personal duties to build our local relationships, to create our own gardens, develop methods of water collection and work to be prepared .. because eventually our way of life (whether from natural, man made or governmental forces or a combination of all) is going to change. A look at history confirms that change is the only thing we can count on and we need to be working to be far more self sufficient.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Here is a bit more from/about the key note speaker from the Surfrider Conference I recently attended regarding his studies of the tsunami debris wish is currently beginning to wash ashore in Hawaii.

http://honoluluweekly.com/feature/2012/09/the-hidden-tsunami-of-debris/

Id take a moment to talk more about what is going on with the local chapter, however, I have more to do in that regard than I have the time to write about it. My plate is full. But its fullness is in working to develop others who will take a small share of the load and do those individual chores more thoroughly than I juggling the myriad of responsibilities that I do. And with that it back to the trenches where the kids and papa are completely dug in and building brick houses..

Night Mom!

p.s. I have now dubbed Papa "sticky pistons" Its not as bad as it sounds... I assure you! Love you!

Give 'er everything ya got!

"Although the world may beat you down, come back up swinging. Although you might not realize A dream, don't no stop dreaming. Although you may find rejection, do not give up love. Do not stop striving and do not give up on your vision." This was the underlying message give by one of the class speakers at a college graduation ceremony last night. Buttercup, Hummingbird's mom, received her associates in paralegal and is now on the road to greater personal success. This is a huge accomplishment especially considering everything she has had to deal with in the course of her education.

 It was a proud moment and a battalion of friends and family turned out to wish her well on her journey.

That success, however, may end up taking Hummingbird from my nest sooner than anticipated. Buttercup is on the job hunt and looking as far away as "The City."   Who knows what the next few months will bring but we will take it in stride.

Albert Einstein says, " Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school."

 In the meantime Hummingbird still has lessons to learn .. I suppose as I sit down to write this up, my biggest birthday wish  is for her to take her life and her job (which is School) seriously.  On top of academics she has a lot yet to learn and demonstrate before the job and marriage she yearns for and daydreams constantly about are reasonable for her to take on. But at 15 .. she has time.. but not a lot.   I want her to have a good start on leaning to interact with others.. teachers.. for are they not future bosses!? She needs to learn to relate to authority. She needs to learn how to manage conflicts of time. She needs to begin to learn the skills which will allow her to function independently and strongly. She needs to learn to be a lady as opposed to a child .  She needs to learn how to commit her energy to multiple tasks.. some she will never like... but still must do. I want her to take personal responsibility for her failures and mistakes rather then blame them on others. I want her to take ownership of her life and future... A lofty birthday wish but one that is achievable.

Anyway, I digress. My birthday.. cant have a birthday wish without one..  has come and gone. But not without out hitting up Taco Bell for my annual feast. WHA?!  NOT!! After a Friday in class/ field trips and once Papa arrived home from his return trip from Ontario we stepped it up and hit Spanish Bay. Swanky. And had drinks with friends around the fire pits on the patio overlooking the sea. Chief came with a friend, Olga. They were lovely company. Also in attendance was Mama Bear. Mama Bear was once Chicken Little's bear troop leader and she has a wonderfully diverse history and is a true superwoman and after our chat I now have Animal Farm on my need to read list.  It was a pleasure all around.

On Saturday, one of our neighborhood girls was celebrating her birthday and so the same crew from the graduation plus others gathered on Carmel beach for a BBQ and an evening bonfire. It was gorgeous and despite no "real" waves.. the water was fun. I think I want to try and work in some more of these evening events. Once the kids are done with their "classes" on the ranch, I intend to try and institute regular Friday beach/surf  times. Regardless of how that pans out.. it was a great weekend.

Buttercup and Papa

However, as birthdays tend to make me do, I have placed my life upon an imaginary scale and have being weighing it out.. taking measure. And as I suspected things are only a slightly off balance. I think back to that speaker from the graduation ceremony and ponder dreams I have lost, passions that have fallen to the way side. In all  that I have taken on, there is but one thing I have neglected or at least down sized tremendously..  my passion for cooking, baking and brewing.

And so to hell with those that have claimed I can't or shouldn't cook and who's negative thoughts or comments I may have taken to heart over the course of my domestic years.. to those that claimed I was a goody two shoes for whipping up a little something in HS.. to those that wrinkled their noses at some culinary attempt or outright dumped their uneaten food with a mutter of disdain  .....Screw Them!  (Little tree climber sits at her computer reading this, jaw drops and out comes a "MOM!!" Shocked to see such words pouring from her mothers fingertips. To her I say this... sometimes such language is necessary!) ..  and so I reclaim my spatula shaped scepter and dawn my finest which reads "Kiss the Cook"!!

Not that those people, their opinions or their distaste  have much to do with my current time away from the kitchen .. its really water off a ducks back (do I need to make another duck poem?)..  Truly my biggest constraints  to getting my ass in the kitchen have more to deal with time and energy than anything. To help rectify this deficiency, I intend to re-dedicate myself in due course to the stove. To the hearth. To the fire.

And Im going to start learning to can as I have made a wonderful friend who does not yet know that she will be teaching me!!

As to my cousins doodle... Its back to the drawing board for the surfrider party flyer. We are scraping the return of the waves theme and my attempt at a flyer. And with that there remains much work yet to be done. And so I am off to it and work in the classroom... but first I leave you with the funny yet disturbing card Hummingbird sent me on my Birthday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuYND_k2UZs&feature=player_embedded