Bye Bye Blog

I am no longer blogging because, 1 - I think it's for the younger generation, 2 - I have nothing to report, and 3 - I have somehow got myself addicted to Facebook, which probably won't last long ( See #1). That said I will still check in and I will be in LBC for 4 July and Utah the following weekend. I'd love to see any and all of you!

The Last of the Roses

For some reason I always hate when it is time to cut back my roses even though I know it is for the best. In order to ensure good blooming for the coming year they need to be cut down and then there are no flowers for a couple of months. It sort of seems like a metaphor for life to me right now. Like clearing out the dead wood in fruit trees, or digging up and dividing bulbs we also need to make room in our lives for the good that is in store. To that end I am tying all this in with New Year's resolutions and clearing out clutter and eliminating things that do not serve me anymore. Creating space so that I can now choose what I want to include in my life and then to cultivate and tend these new ideas and plans. Before I know it it will be Spring again and the first roses will be here to replace the last. Blessed New Year.

Make This Now

Here is a super easy recipe for busy holiday times:

1 beef brisket (these are big, I had the butcher cut it in half so it was about 3 lbs. For a large family use the whole thing.)

Stick it in a crock pot.

Cover with 1 bottle Heinz chili sauce (use 2 if cooking the whole thing)

Cover it, and cook on low for app 10 hours til it shreds apart. Eat it with mashed potatoes, or on French rolls or in tortillas ... However you use it, it's great for leftovers as well.

This is a good one!

Flashback Friday

Two Sticks in a Tub

I have made a couple of observations here and before I post them I would like your input. Sort of like a "What's Wrong with This Picture?" thing.

Glass Beach

there is a little known beach on Kauai known as Glass Beach so called because for years the residents threw their trash into the sea there. over the years all that is left from the action of the waves is ground up glass which covers the beach at low tide. i have collected beach glass for years but did not know that it's OK to take it from there. most beaches you can't even take shells from anymore. so this time i scooped up a bagful and after rinsing it and letting it dry in the sun i hauled it home and sorted through it. mostly it is white, clear or brown as are most glass bottles but i did find quite a bit of green and i was very happy to see blue and aqua in the mix and most fun of all i had a piece each of purple, yellow and red, which are quite rare. this is my favorite souvenir of our recent trip. the black that appears in the photo on the left is finely ground up lava rock which i left in for contrast. that and it would be a huge task picking it out. i found a cool old bowl from Malaysia at the Goodwill (to keep with the recycling theme) and how i spent my first vacation in three years souvenir project is complete!

New Entry: Fit For a King

Check out the new front door color. Do you love it? I finally convinced David to paint it. I offered to and although I am a very competent painter (he trained me after all) I am not quite the perfectionist he is. So what, I was gonna argue? As a reward I found this cool Celtic (OK, Irish) door knocker and check it out: I got it for 99 cents on eBay! Best score ever. It's called a Claddagh (pronounced like laddah with a CL) and it even has a crown, get it?

Lifestyle of the Not So Rich and Not Close to Famous

I scored this arrangement from Ben and Kim's wedding. No one knew what to do with it and I could not just leave it there, look at it! So I made David put it in the truck with the surfboards and luggage and hauled it home from Santa Barbara. It is the most awesome thing I have ever had on my dining room table. Wouldn't it be so cool to have flowers like this all the time? When I win the PCH milions that will be one of my splurges. That and a weekly massage. Ahhhhh ...