Camping in Ashland

After setting up camp at Emigrant Lake, we had dinner at Michelle's and then Puck and Owlet returned with us to spend the night at the camp site. On the way, Grandpa suggested yogurt.

Grandpa loves yogurt. We love Grandpa. 

Owlet helped to build the morning fire - her first.

Hot tea and cocoa around the morning fire is a good way to learn to camp. 

After pancakes and bacon, it was time to explore the lake which is Way down because of the drought. Part of the treasure was something from a boat sunk in yucky wet mud ~ to be thrown away followed by washing hands in really hot water. 

More exploring in another blog as the adventure continues.

Quotation Edification

I read, I watch documentaries and fiction on Netflix, and I see lots of posts on FaceBook. There are times when all of these produce fascinating and interesting quotes ~ and sometimes all in one week. This week, I kept some that particularly appealed to me and want to share them with you. I am simply going to do just that. Share them. It is up to you to interpret, comment on, have conversation with other people about them. This is going to be an interactive blog even if you don’t say anything to me. Let these pithy statements stir your brain ~ or not. Enjoy.

“She knew conversations about Bach. Days could go past. 

Continents could drift. Fossils could form.” (Phyrne Fisher, in Queen of the Flowers by Kerry Greenwood)

“I am not the woman President of Harvard. I am the President of Harvard.” (Drew Gilpin Faust, the President of Harvard)

“We cannot reduce God to our conception of God.” (A Catholic theologian in the documentary Sagrada: The Mystery of Creation on Netflix) 

"I'm A Little Tea Pot . . "

I love tea pots. I have a number of them ~ some from foreign shores brought to me by traveling family. I also have one that I use most of the time so I don't shop for them any more. Except I had been browsing the thrift shops to find cups and saucers and tea pots for my daughter. I have been very successful so had slowed down that process. She only has so much shelf space.

Several weeks ago, I spotted this little gem and it said, very loudly, "I'm for Susan." So I brought it home. The little red tag is the strainer for the tea leaves. Cute and perfect.

Then while shopping for teas, I picked up loose leaf Lady Grey. Now I like Lady Grey but had never had it loose. So on a chilly afternoon, I put some Lady Grey in my little pot and brewed what turned out to be the perfect cup of tea. I add just a little sugar and a little evaporated milk (my compromise between milk and cream). Delicious! Perfect for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up that is still soothing and tasty. Add a piece of shortbread or a toasted scone and you can understand why the British invented afternoon tea.

Even in our busy world when there is no time to stop for traditional tea, there is something very comforting about Lady Grey brewed in my cozy little pot even if it is sipped while writing or folding laundry. And if I take time to sit and sip, the day is enhanced by beauty. 

Shhhh - Don't Jinx It

Shhhh - don’t jinx it. I may be cooking again. I bought an acorn squash at the Farmers’ Market last week. Now acorn squash has always been easy. Slice it, core it, bake it with some butter and brown sugar in the middle, add a little more when done and eat as a lovely sweet side to whatever entree’ you have prepared. 

However, this year, before I had a chance to do the usual, someone posted on FB a short video of a chef preparing a savory acorn squash stuffing. I went to the website for Food Network and looked up acorn squash. There was the nice southern butter and brown sugar version. There were also video after video of savory stuffings. I’m not sure how many I watched - six or seven I think. One I had to reject outright - full of cabbage and peppers which do not sit well on my sweetie’s stomach. Others noted, but I was missing several key ingredients and I was not in the mood to shop. 

Finally yesterday morning as I lay in bed contemplating my day, I put together the combination of ingredients that I had and that I thought would work for us. Sure enough: voila! Stuffed acorn squash. It was a little spicy and accompanied by homemade apple sauce which gave it just the sweet the spice needed. Delicious. I’m not sure I want this to become a habit and for the moment, I'm enjoying some time in the kitchen. 

How We Got to Now

I only occasionally comment on what I watch on tv or Netflix. Today, however, I want to suggest a show which I am finding fascinating, unusual and educational. It is on Netflix and is called How We Got to Now with Steven Johnson.

Johnson takes one aspect of our lives, goes back to the beginnings of time and traces the development of that trait through to today. He is erudite, clever, and interesting without being too intellectual. And he traces the traits through developments that were made by garage or basements tinkerers, usually inventors we have never heard of and whose names we do not know.

He also shows how one invention or development can lead to others in a totally different field. One fascinating, logical example: Glass. Glass was around, there were even some little lenses being made. And then Gutenberg invented the printing press ~ and suddenly there was a great demand for spectacles so that ordinary people with aging eyesight could read the printed word.

We know about the printing press. We know about glasses for our eyes. Have we ever put together their historical, developmental juxtaposition? I hadn't. Over and over Johnson makes such connections that bring us from early history of glass to the fiberoptic network which runs, , our interconnected world today. And that is just the episode on glass.

Other episodes, equally as fascinating, deal with Clean, Time, Light, Cold and Sound. This is an interesting series, worth watching for all of us and clever enough to be enjoyed by the whole family. Here's to fun watching and good conversation afterwards!

It's Nice to be Known

Wow, it is nice to be known! Went to Moe’s for lunch and to sit on the deck on a beautiful day. As we walked in I commented to Dean what a lovely day it is and the only thing that could make it better would be if they had hush puppies. Well, they didn’t but they did have brisket. 

I ordered a chopped brisket salad. Woman taking our order: it’s pulled. Me: no, pork is pulled, brisket is sliced and I would like mine chopped please. (then I turn to the young man preparing the food) I’m from Texas. I want my brisket chopped.

He grinned and said, “We can handle that.”

The owner whom we know came in and I told him my comment to Dean and said, “but it’s ok. You have brisket and it isn’t even Tuesday.” 

When our lunches came to us, there was the chopped brisket on my salad and an order of hush puppies. We both agreed, the best brisket we had had there . . . and the best hush puppies, hot, fresh, light and yummy. And we sat on the deck on a lovely fall day in Tahoe and were grateful for many, many blessings. 

4:45 am Adventure

In order to understand this blog, you need a picture of our bathroom to set the scene. It is a long narrow room leading from our bedroom to the back deck. Here it is. 

I was awakened at 4:45 by Oso barking furiously and racing toward the deck door. He growled a bit and still humphing, came back to his bed. I was awake. Might as well go to the bathroom so I can get back to sleep. The bathroom is cool. Is there a door open? I look toward the deck door. I wander toward it with arm outstretched (the only light being a night light) and sure enough it is wide open and the bath mat which lies in front of the shower is half way out the door. Oops. 

I close the door and turn on the light. Nothing ~ and Oso has gone back to sleep. I finish, turn off the light and go back to bed myself. But it is a little unnerving. I know it wasn’t a bear because Oso neither levitated nor raced out the door after it. A large raccoon maybe? Probably. Drank some water from Oso’s bowl by the door and then hooked one of those amazing paws into a crack between the door and the wall and started in. Yay, Oso!!! I guess we lock the bathroom door from now on.