bean&noodle

peachy goodness

My neighbor offered these up this morning as a trade for some of our plums. Deal! So now I will be making both plummy and peachy things during my staycation. Speaking of which, I have now compiled a list of things I'd like to do next week, but may just opt for numbers 8 & 12.

plum rich

These may be small, but each little gem packs a lot of plummy goodness. This plum tree only fruits when it wants to, but when it does it's crazy how much fruit there is. Steve thought it was funny when I said the tree was heavy with fruit... I guess that did sound a bit goofy. I seriously need to lay down tarps and just shake the branches...the plopping is a funny sound. I don't feel the need to harvest all the fruit so will leave some for the birds. I think a plum galette would be great to try, though I may try using almond flour since it should be rustic.

Next week I am on a staycation which I plan to do a little printing, cooking, gardening, knitting, and a whole lotta nothing if I can manage. 

Hellooooo Friday

It's one of those warm afternoons that make being inside nose pressed to a monitor PAINFUL. Luckily we have plenty of those days here. I want to be home throwing the ball to Callie and smelling my tomato leaves. I'm already dreaming of tomato pie, dilly beans, and quick pickle cucumbers.

Had a great visit with my little sister last weekend.

We spent some time at Universal Studios costume department

Ate lunch at Forage a Silverlake restaurant that buys food from local farms and a network of backyard gardens and fruit trees, which they call their home growers circle

Huevos Divorciados. Funny name for a dish that would make anyone love the person who made it for them even more.

This is Happy, no really, his name is Happy.

We couldn't decide... so we didn't.

Left to Right: lemon chiffon meringue cake, flourless chocolate tort, strawberry rhubarb galette.

Visited this yarn store for more Koigu spent a little time knitting up some more of these squares for my Barn Raiser Quilt.

aaaand had Jessie model my recently finished Nefertem... lovely on her, but it's all mine.

Wordless Wednesday, Washington DC

Down Home Ranch

There are many reasons to love my adopted hometown... notably the local artisans, volunteers, warriors, and pit masters that make Elgin a better place. In the next few months, on a semi-regular basis, I plan to spotlight anything and everything that inspires me and makes me proud to call Elgin My New Hometown.

In the spirit of full disclosure... I was born in Detroit.

As I write this post I realize that today, March 21st, is World Down Syndrome Day... Serendipity indeed.

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INSPIRATION & CREATION
I recently had the opportunity to visit with Jerry and Judy Horton of Down Home Ranch, a working farm and ranch community for people with special needs. The Hortons' daughter, Kelly, was born in 1984 with Down Syndrome, and they soon found themselves wondering about her future, and ultimately the adult lives of others with intellectual disabilities. As educators, their quest for knowledge and understanding drove them to learn all they could about Down Syndrome. Among their inspirations were L’Arche communities, founded in 1964 by Jean Vanier in France. The Hortons dreamed of a working ranch where adults with intellectual disabilities could work and live in a community of love, support and opportunity. 

Staff member Travis Luker and Alaina haul bags of mulch

Many of the community members commute on the many bikes and adult-size trikes found around Down Home Ranch.

A small cove of community group homes nestled in the trees.

Volunteers working at one of eleven greenhouses

TODAY
Down Home Ranch is a working farm and ranch community of about 40 adults and children, with and without intellectual disabilities, live and work together in their many greenhouses, gardens and pastures growing food, raising livestock and the daily chores that this requires of everyone. The Horton's are working toward this being a self sustaining community... feeding themselves and others.

Plant label reads, "Grown with love at Down Home Ranch.

Locally, seasonal poinsettia sales are a source of revenue for DHR, as are year-round plant sales. 

Volunteers tending to a few of the many drought tolerant species DHR grows for central Texas.

ANNUAL EVENTS

Golf & Gala

Summer Ranch Camp

Texas Chainsaw Manicure

Swim Fest

 

TAKE A DAY TRIP
Anyone within driving distance should hop into the car and visit Down Home Ranch to shop for drought tolerant plants.

For those of you that are not close enough to visit in person... I encourage you to watch this video

 

Donkey Hoti

This is Donkey Hoti, Roscoe's current longtime companion.

Donkey Hoti is not just another well-loved, matted soul in a long line of Roscoe's sad babies loves. He looooves her. He's always been somewhat of a serial monogamist.

First there was Polly Polka Pants. His first love.

She turned her back on him.

He soon hopped into a whirlwind romance with this little bunny.
For the record...I am not claiming to know the sexual preference of my dog, or the stuffies... it's just a story.

She knew she was just a rebound romance, but just couldn't walk away.

This next gal was just plain mean.

and who could forget sweet sleepy Ellie?

Apparently Roscoe, once he met this little chicken.

 

Suffragettes eat cake too

A few days ago one of my mother's oldest friends emailed me, my sister and a few others to see if we were interested in honoring her memory with a walkway board at the wild animal sanctuary where she had worked. Since then I've been looking at my mother's old photos on line and came across this gem that was written exactly 107 years ago, today.

My great grandmother invited Susan B. Anthony to her 12th birthday party. 

 

Sadly she was too busy to attend. She did, however, promise to have someone at headquarters send her a new photo of herself. I'm guessing that to Ruth's twelve-year-old self she was as cool as Lady Gaga is to my friend's twelve-year-old girls. My twelve-year-old self had Stevie Nicks... but that's another story for another day.

Turns out, the parcel with the new photo did not arrive in a timely fashion, so Ms. Anthony wrote her a short letter to explain what had happened...

I see that Ms. Anthony did not have in her school the vertical writing. This letter is not plainly read.

I'm not sure if she ever did get her picture... but if not, it was not for lack of trying.

 

Ink on paper (and cow poop on the street)

The other day at lunch with one of our print sales people, we were all talking about how while we all may embrace digital content online, on a tablet or our phones, we are still drawn to holding a piece of actual printed material. That we're still attracted to the tactile experience of flipping through pages. I think most of us are. One of us mentioned being on a flight and watching a teenage boy wrapped up in his ipad tuck it away eventually and pull out a magazine to flip through.

Most of you know that I work in publishing, so of course am keenly aware of the impact digital content has on the printed word. I know that those of us who work in production and are involved on a day to day basis with printers have had some worries over this, but when it comes down to it... someone has to produce the content, whether it's for print, web, tablet or phone. 

The reason I even bother to bring this up is that while we were having this conversation over lunch, I was thinking about how I was still waiting to savor this book I'd received earlier in the week. I'm seriously one of those people that will not crack open a book or magazine until I have a proper moment to do so. This usually means a weekend morning with a strong cup of coffee and, if not outside, in my favorite red chair in the living room, in the corner with the perfect light. You see, it's still all about the whole tactile experience for me.

Oh, and by the way, if you have not ever seen Tif Fussell's blog Dottie Angel, you need to PDQ, or your day will be pants. 

Today is Elgin's Hogeye Festival, and I will be hawking tickets for Cow Patty Bingo. Don't know what that is? Google it. I know you're jealous.

You Say Harvest, I Say Blue

There are two things that I will forvever be grateful to my father for. One is for perfectly seasoning my cast iron skillets, and the other for taking me to see Bill Monroe & his Blue Grass Boys at Woodstock Opera House in Woodstock, Illinois.  Their gray suits, ties and white Stetsons just killed me. Because I had musician parents my musical tastes have always been eclectic, but that summer night in Illinois, I fell in love... with Bluegrass. I really did.

I named my teensy stationery biz, Bean Blossom Press, after his Bean Blossom Festival.

Today would be the centennial birthday of Bill Monroe.

Tonight when you're gazing at the harvest moon, give a little nod to Bill's Blue Moon of Kentucky

 

Sweetness

Just finished this baby cardigan for a coworker, Jane. I love when people have girls... such sweet patterns for baby girls. The teeny eyelet yoke on this sweater just kills me.

 

Sharp Goat Ranch

Yesterday a couple friends and I visited a local goat ranch that is days away from opening their dairy facilities to the public...

but first we needed to maneuver our way past the front line of terriers. Initially, they will be selling milk and possibly feta, kefir and yogurt in the future. Apparently they cannot sell chevre because of the pasteurization required, so they will be selling chevre making kits to interested customers. Yay. They plan to teach cheese making classes in their commercial kitchen.

What to knit when it's 103º

One word...piecework. Seriously, there is nothing less appealing than having a large project (even cotton) piled up on your lap. This summer I began making squares for this.

This may very well be one of those projects that takes years to finish, bit by bit...but it's so easy to toss the project bag in my laptop case and go. This wil be especially awesome when I start taking the commuter bus next month... more on that later.

Oh, and Koigu... I finally get you.

While this can certainly be knit out of any sock yarn, I am knitting this out of both Koigu and Malabrigo Sock, as they both have the same hand.

Another way to keep my hands working with yarn is weaving... nothing to pile on your lap! I did have to move the loom inside since the studio is simply an oven these days.

 

Red, White & Blueberry

Well, the counters are finished and most everything is back in place. I love them even more than I thought I would. Here are some before & after shots

... one of my favorite new things is the ginormous cast iron sink that was freecycled from the dumpster of one of Steve's jobsites. She cleaned up beautifully and is adorned with a swanky new faucet.

aah, the bluberries? This morning we called a couple friends to join us at Chickamaw Farm, a pick your own organic bluberry farm about 13 miles down the road in McDade. Today was the first day of bluberry picking season at Chickimaw Farm.The McCranie family grows blueberries, blackberries and strawberries, raises grassfed beef and also catfish. If you're in the Austin area load up and drive out the Chickamaw Farm to pick some berries and enjoy some early summer sunshine. Bring cash.

The following is from an email received from the fine folks at Chickamaw Farm.

Howdy,  Well it's that time o' the year again:  BERRY PICKING SEASON.  Surprisingly we have a fine crop in spite of the weather.  Season will open this coming Monday (Labor Day) and will proceed until the berries are picked out.  Of course we are open on the weekends especially but if you need a special "other time" please telephone.  The gate usually open on Saturday mornings when the first "pickers" arrive.  Please bring a hat and closed toe shoes are better.  We provide good well water and shade if you need or want it.  Remember it is dreadful out there mid day so choose your time of arrival to suit your comfort.  If you do not mind please bring something to put the berries in to take home.  We provide paper sacks but stable sided containers are safer for travel.  Anyhow, if you like blueberries be assured there's excellent ones out this way.  Guaranteed!  Should there be any problem or difficulty on the way out or should there be any question please telephone 512.567.3456.

This just may become a Memorial Day tradition. I'm pretty sure blueberry cobbler is for dessert tonight.

Finally...ready to play (ahem, learn)

It took more than a couple trips to the hardware store for me to realize I needed to mix my own stain color.

 The inside of the resonator is glossy cherry red. I'm sure noone will ever notice it, but I know...and it makes me happy.

After staining I stamped these blossoms with silver ink on the back. I had to do this twice, because I rushed the first coat of poly finish and smeared the ink. Smile to frown in 2 seconds... what am I, five?  Imaptience rarely pays off.

ready to play learn

This is a boring photo of my boring bumpy grey laminate kitchen countertops. Yawn.

Here is the new laminate color to be installed soon. I know, it's hard to believe I want laminate countertops when my husband makes concrete countertops, but this is much more in harmony with the warm, cozy retro vibe of my kitchen. He's done so much of the heavy lifting on our home remodeling projects, that it's nice to actually pay a professional when you can. The wisdom of choosing battles wiesly comes with age.

 

Playing Catch Up

A couple weeks ago I was in Oklahoma City for a press check and snapped some shots of my day. The image quality is spotty to say the least, but I only had my phone.

I was really there to do this....

While talking about how I was fixing up my banjo during lunch with our Customer Service Rep, he mentioned that there was a banjo museum downtown. Hot damn!

My Sales person Tina was a very good sport about taking me to the museum.That said, it had enough kitsch factor to pique her interest.

Amber, this banjo with an amazing hex sign on it's resonator made me think of you.

I had told TIna my plan to "tart up" my banjo and after seeing these glammed up models, she mentioned that I may be "limited in my scope". She has a point. Some of these boredered on something you'd see at either Graceland or Versailles.

On the second floor there was a replica of a Shakey's Pizza Parlour. It made me miss Shakey's! Pizza, banjo music and "The Little Rascals" movies... what's not to love. Apparently the owner Sherwood "Shakey" Johnson is known for having employed many a banjo player to play at his restaurants. More info about that here.

A "drive by" Chihuly , look real hard up in the windows ... no time to stroll through the museum. Remind me to tell you about the time my sister Jessica and I did a drive by at the Grand Canyon.

Oh, and tornado clouds ...of course. I believe these are called Wall Clouds, correct me if I'm wrong. Don't adjust your dials, the sky was really this green. I wasn't too freaked out until it was pointed out to me that the flags were blowing in the opposite direction the clouds were moving.

These clouds looked like poached eggs sinking below the clouds, kinda like a lava lamp. Beautiful. This tornado missed us, but not the St. Louis aiprort.

So here's my mother's banjo all cleaned up with a spanking new head and resonator.

She's been stained and I'm almost finished...