An Easter Roast - It Was Quite Yummy (Apologies to Any of My Vegan/Vegetarian Friends)

Easter was a quiet day, spent playing "Lord of the Rings Online" for most of the day. We had eggs for breakfast (DH was taken aback a bit by the fact that the eggs were brown instead of white, but he was happy with his breakfast). After eating and clean-up I took the enormous roast out of the refrigerator to warm up to room temperature. I told DH that I was making green beans with mushrooms and roasted Brussels sprouts for dinner, and if he wanted potatoes or pasta, he needed to choose what he wanted. He chose a spiral pasta in a cheese sauce and left it on the counter so that we'd be sure to include it. 

Easter dinner was a HUGE cut of boneless 
prime rib with sauteed green beans and 
mushrooms and roaster Brussels sprouts. It 
was fabulous - everything tasted wonderful. 
The piece of meat was huge - I'm getting 
four meals out of it - LOL. 

It was a relaxing day, and got up into the upper 70's for temps, so in the afternoon, after I had put a nice coating on the roast and put it into the oven, I took advantage of an hour's down time and sat outside on the patio. It was overcast, so I didn't need to put up the umbrella, and I had a relaxed time playing solitaire on my phone while DH blew leaves out of our drainage from the upper to the lower yard and raked a few more leaves. He's attacking the garden in little bits and pieces, which only makes sense. We have a LOT of yard and doing everything in one long day would be horrid. 

Our leaf blower is an electric model, but using a couple 
of extension cords and the single exterior outlet we 
have allows most of the front and eastern side yard to 
be easily maintained. We still have to rake the upper 
west backyard, though. And that's where all of the 
ferns are, so that's a PITA. 

Dinner turned out excellent - the roast was perfectly done. I cut some huge slices - DH actually ate all of his! I ate a portion of mine, then cut the remainder into three pieces which will be my dinners for the next few days. I also have one slice that I put into my 1/4 of the freezer. The rest I begged up for DH. He can make sandwiches or have another slice for dinner, whatever suits him best. 

I've been using my powerful blender a lot since I 
purchased it 6 weeks ago. I love it! Last night, 
after the kitchen was clean, I went ahead and 
made my veggie smoothies. I added some 
veggies I had never used before including 
baby bok choi. I have no idea if I'll actually 
like this mix, but at worst, it's only a few days 
before the next mix. LOL

After I was finished cleaning the kitchen, I pulled out my blender and made the kitchen dirty once more while I made my veggie smoothies for the next few days. Then I cleaned the kitchen again. Ir was quite sparkling by the second go-round - LOL. Have an excellent Monday, I'll be back tomorrow. And please, be kind, stay safe and wear your mask. Other lives depend on your courtesy. 

A Busy Bee and a Roast - Life Is Never Boring

We got a large shipment of beads into the shop yesterday, so I'm quite sure I've got my work for the day already set aside for me. There will be price tags to enter and inventory quantities to update - I'll be busy from start to finish. I'd better get everything I want done on my laptop finished before my day starts at 10:00 am. 

I suspect today and Monday will be extremely busy 
computer days for me. Probably Tuesday as well. 
My eyes and fingers will get a work out. 

Yesterday was a busy day, although I actually did have a little time in the afternoon to roast some nuts for my evening munchies. I didn't have the time to drive all the way to Mississippi Market, so my Friday shopping trip was a quick in-and-out at my local grocery store. I also had to do a quick run to my local pharmacy for a vitamin supplement I had forgotten I needed to get, but except for that, I was home for the day. 

I watched Jamie Oliver's video of cooking tuna 
steaks a couple of times, then cooked my own 
piece. It turned out absolutely lovely! 

Dinner was absolutely lovely. DH wanted McDonald's fish fillets for his final dinner of Lent, and I had a lovely piece of tuna I had purchased from Mississippi Market on Wednesday. I got his Mickey-D's and then began seasoning and frying up my tuna to a beautiful medium rare. I had watched some videos by Jamie Oliver earlier in the day, so had a good idea of what to do and what spices to use. It turned out magnificent and very tasty. All in all, I'd call last night's dinner a success. 

I'm hoping I cook the rib roast well. I'm 
usually pretty good with this cut of meat, 
but any time I'm cooking something this 
expensive, I get a bit nervous. 

I have tomorrow's rolled rib roast defrosting in the refrigerator and it will be ready for the oven tomorrow. I have fresh green beans that I'll make with minced fresh garlic and a few other things, and I have one other veggie for a side dish, so we won't starve on Easter Sunday. I hope all of you have a totally lovely weekend and I'll be back on Monday. Please don't forget to try and stay safe, be well, and please wear your mask. 

Time to Focus

It was a weekend where I actually was able to accomplish a lot. Both stories I needed to finish have been completed and submitted. DH and I watched "The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug" on Saturday night before the hockey game, and I roasted a nice turkey for our Easter dinner with all of the fixings - rather like an off-season Thanksgiving dinner. It's what DH wanted for dinner, and I never mind cooking a turkey - they really cook themselves so it's easy.

I love turkey and making them is so easy. Yes, I have to baste it regularly,
but after putting it into the oven, that's all I have to do. It's one of
the easier things I cook for special events and days. 

But it's time to focus. I want to write a small story for blsLarner's birthday. Her birthday was a week ago, but I usually write a fic or a drabble for her. I promised one to her and the concept came to me over the weekend. Now to make it come from my head to my fingers and then to the keyboard.

I love this writing, both in appearance and in message. 

I was going to go out to the car dealer again tonight, but I've decided to go back out there on Wednesday instead. I want to take another serious look at the car, and DH said he really doesn't care to be involved. So that leaves me on my own. I'd rather take my time and my Wednesdays are less time constrained than trying to hit the dealership after work tonight. I'm just not 100% sure about whether this will do everything I need, so I need to take another very careful look.

I can hardly wait for Spring to finally arrive along with flowers, happy
birds, warm temperatures and, unfortunately, our severe weather -
thunderstorms and tornadoes. 

Spring seems to have finally moved in, at least our temperatures will be in the 50's and 60's for the week (although our overnight temps will still drop to below freezing each night). But I'm willing to say that our snow is probably behind us and that even if we get a last try by the storm gods, it will be quick and messy, but gone soon and melted within a day. It's about time!

Let's not forget the horror and terror of the Boston Marathon last year, in 2013.
I hope that this year it will be a triumphant return to a premier athletic event
instead of forever more linked with terrorism. 

Today the Boston Marathon will be run and more than 36,000 runners will run through the course. As each one crosses the finish line, I'm sure that most of them will think about last year's bombing while they catch their breath and massage their jellied legs. The police presence has been magnified dramatically, cameras are located throughout the course, and larger handbags and backpacks are subject to search. All I hope is that everyone will be safe and that events like this won't be chosen to make 'political' statements any more.

Be good, be safe, and have a wonderful Monday.

Motivation? What is That?

I have two stories pending and I just can't get excited about either one. Of course, there's no requirement to be excited about a story to write it. Often the excitement won't come in the initial words, but afterward during the editing process or even later still, after re-reading an older piece and realizing that it was much better than I had remembered. But it doesn't change the fact that I have two pieces to work on and I'm forcing myself to pull up the files.

I need to get my excitement back or these two stories
won't end up getting written on time. 

Maybe part of that lack of desire to deal with writing is because I'm generally tired and worn down. I have no real reason to feel that way, I'm just generally lackluster and borderline depressed. I know myself - I'll push through this miasma and get back into the sunlight again - but it doesn't change my current reality. I'll have to check a calendar and see when these writings are due. I can often push myself into more productive work when deadlines are breathing down my neck.

Melting snow at this time of the year often will allow fog and mist
to rise from the roadways. It's almost magical. 

At least the snow has come and gone. Yesterday's roads were a real mess in the morning - slippery and snow-filled. The parking lots weren't much better, forcing me to be very careful as I walked from my car into the shop. But by the time I left work last night, most of the snow and ice had melted, the streets were clear and DH had shoveled my driveway. With a northern exposure, we're stuck. It's either shovel or live with ice and ruts. We shovel.

I love the logo of the Minnesota Wild. Is it a bear? Or a cougar? Or is
it even a real animal? The Wild have never said, but it's colorful and
really nicely designed. 

The Stanley Cup Playoffs have started and DH was glued to the TV yesterday. It's a long playoff season, but the first games have now been played and my Minnesota Wild fell in the first game to my Colorado Avalanche. Wait just a minute ... MY Wild and MY Avalanche? Yes - my two beloved states are meeting in this round. But in this match-up, I'm actually weighing in a bit heavier for the Minnesota team instead of the Colorado team (unlike my allegiances during football season). The Wild lost in an overtime game. Game 2 is scheduled for tonight.

Good Friday is actually rather somber because Christians world-wide
are actually celebrating a tortuous death.

Today is Good Friday and many people will celebrate at a variety of churches and cathedrals throughout the world. Earlier this week, Passover was honored. Often the two celebrations don't coincide, but this year the stars aligned and the celebration of the Last Supper actually happened close to Pesach. A bit amazing in a way. For those of my friends who celebrate either of these religious festivities, I hope your Passover was joy-filled and that your Easter will be shared with loved ones and some great food.

Passover is one celebration that I remember with great enjoyment. 

My pagan friends sometimes wonder about how I can be comfortable with the celebrations of Christianity and Judaism, but that's pretty easy. I know those two belief systems intimately.  I was raised as a 'comfortable' Jew. My parents celebrated the aspects of Judaism that were comfortable for them - Passover mostly. We didn't attend services, nor did we celebrate the High Holy Days or other celebrations, but Passover was actually celebrated fairly often with friends and extended family.

Easter is not just bunnies and egg hunts. It has its roots in a religious
celebration of life over death. Given that death is usually feared by each one
of us at some point in our lives, having someone/something saying "Don't
worry, there is life continuing after death," is reassuring. 

As for Easter - I explored a variety of religions while growing up and throughout my adult life. In US society, one cannot explore religion without examining the large variety of Christian beliefs. I attended Christian services in Baptist, Lutheran, and Catholic denominations and I have celebrated and toured some of the most marvelous buildings and cathedrals erected to celebrate Jesus Christ. Yet, after all of that, I found that I couldn't walk this path and I returned to what sings for me.

I'll continue to listen to the voice of Spirit in those who share the world
with us - the trees and animals, the breeze and running waters, and
the Song that underlies all life. 

For me, the Breath of Life is in the larger world. I admire the driven talent that soars in the spires of cathedrals throughout the world, but I'll continue to celebrate the trees and the breeze that allow them to sing in the voice of Creation. Have a Blessed holiday season, whatever and wherever you choose to be.

Happy Midwinter's Day

Today, the 13th of January, is traditionally known as Midwinter. It is supposedly the longest and coldest day of winter and winter's half-way point. Early Pagans took atock of their food stores around this time to determine their ability to survive the second half of the winter. If there was enough of a surplus, they would brew beer with the extra grain and mead with any extra honey, causing this to also be known as the Festival of Brewing (Irish).

The Featival of Midwinter was led by druids and accompanied by singing, dancing, feasting and storytelling. Bonfires were lit to encourage the return of the light and warmth of the sun. Light was then carried to all of the hearthfires where they would remain lit until Imbolc, coming in a few more weeks.

The ceremonies of the Festival of Brewing were celebrated in Ireland, but similar ceremonies and celebrations were also celebrated in the Norse lands, honoring Tiu, the ruler of the year. In Urnasch, Switzerland, the ceremonies included the nighttime clanging of bells throughout the streets to banish evil spirits for the coming year. So...

Today, wait until darkness, ritually cleanse yourself and your clothing, and take up a bell that you have sanctified. Go around each room of your house with your bell, open each window and door in turn and ring your bell, ordering any malign spirits to leave. Close the windows and doors and proceed to the next room, eventually going through each room of your house. Now, do the same thing virtually to your own brain - banish the thoughts of negativity and concentrate on the positive. Then raise a glass of beer or mead to the Celts for giving us such a marvelous reminder that winter will end eventually.

Welcome to Autumn

Autumn is currently arriving. Historically, it is the favored season for several reasons. Primarily among those reasons is that the crops are ready for harvest and food availability is at a high for the only time in the annual cycle. This was the time of year when harvest feasts occurred and people worked very hard to bring in the crops and put aside what would be needed for the upcoming starvation times of winter and spring. If the harvests were not good, or if insufficient was put aside, people would die of starvation. We've had an exceptional year of wonderful weather here in the Upper Midwest, so I expect that our harvest will also be exceptional.

Autumn is a time of color. Celebrate the rich colors that nature provides by making some time to look carefully at how the light can intensify color. When I drive to Ren Faire in the early mornings, the early morning sun shining over the meadows and fields of autumn color is absolutely masterful. The paintbrush of creation. Don't believe in a deity? You don't have to - you just have to be amazed that such a wonderful pallette of colors and textures have been put in front of you for your amazement.

Here's a goal for your week. Make, sculpt, paint, draw or otherwise create something in a physical form that describes your autumnal joy. Allow that joy to pass through you into your paper, clay, tools, needles, or torches. Close your ears to the negatives and celebrate the fruition of the positives. Celebrate Fall in your creativity.

Fall - no....Winter is Coming!!

I love Fall, it is one of my favorite seasons of the year - maybe my most favorite season because of the colors and the fact that it is harvest time. In older days, when people relied on their own produce to feed them year-round and when they couldn't just go to the grocery store down the street anytime to get more food, Fall was a time of celebration and bounty.

Winter was a season for rationing, repair work around the home and on garments, and staying close to home. Indoor work was planned for winter, as well as preparatory work for the upcoming Spring and Summer. Winter was a time to relax a bit, but it was cold and could also be a time of hunger.

Spring was a time of hope and renewal of life. Many animals give birth in the early Spring - sheep come most specifically to mind since it seems that they always seem to give birth during one of the last snows of the early Spring. But Spring was also a lean time for food - a time when the leaves were just coming out and the produce from the Fall was almost used up. Starvation was still a real possibility.

Summer was a season of extremes - the crops were planted, the berries could be gathered and hunting would bring in needed protein. But, one bad storm could wipe out the crops, as could drought, insects, extreme heat etc. There was a lot of work and a lot of prayers in the summer.

But then came the Fall and all of the previous three seasons were suddenly worthwhile. Harvest time and a time of plenty had arrived again. Fall was the time to gather together with friends and eat those foods that could not be stored for the winter. It was the time to fill the larder for the next seasons and put aside the seed for the next year. It was time to dance. What a great time of the year!!! Enjoy yours to the maximum today :-))

So what brings about this reverie? The fact that this weekend will see our first snow flurries of the season. But...next week is looking to be sunshine and warm temps again, so I guess I'll survive seeing my first flakes.