Under a Blue Moon

 

Hi Ho Hi Ho it's off to work I go….

Back to the mundane.  It was hard to get back into the spirit of things, workwise, yesterday.  I've really enjoyed having almost three weeks off where I could sleep in, stay in my jammies all day (well technically I can still do that…), spend every minute exactly how I wanted.

I like to start the year with a new notebook.  Nothing ever earthshattering or profound ever gets written in it, unless you find grocery lists and meeting doodles profound.  I just like to have a fresh notebook every year.  As much as I love my electronic conveniences (hello?  I live in MS Outlook) I'm still someone that likes to jot things down. 

It is a journal of sorts since I can go back and remember exactly what project I was working on, what issues I was struggling with, what I wanted to make for dinner back in March of 2008. 

In entirely unrelated news I've decided to do a photograph a day collection.  I made this decision on New Year's Day so I didn't quite have a plan or a theme in mind.  After taking the first picture (which I found entirely too staged) I decided my theme would be the mundane.  Everyday snippets of my life.  Another journal of sorts.  I have a set on Flickr.  I think it will get more interesting as the days go by.  It will be fun to see, for me anyway, if there is a rhythm to my days. 

 

 

I thought I would do a pictorial year in review type of post today.  As I was going through my pictures it made me realize that the year was actually made up of a lot of fun things.  Every year I resolve to take time to be more creative, go more places, read more books and when I look back I actually did a pretty good job doing that.

In January we started of by taking a weekend trip to Mendocino.  I was a lovely way to start of the year.  I loved that shop sign above.  It was like I found my people.

February I accomplished another perennial resolution; get more organized:

 

March I took a homely little bird vase and slapped some paint on it.  It was also a banner month for our daffodils.  Always a welcome harbinger of Spring.

 

April we took the long wished for plunge into chicken husbandry.  I forgot how sweet and fluffy they were back then. 

 

May called for another trip.  This time to Michigan to celebrate a beloved Aunt's birthday.  We stayed at an amazing B&B in Marine City, right on the river.

 

In June Rick built me a palace.  Which caused quite a ruckus on the Backyard Chicken forum where people accused me of having purple poodles and swanning about on my acreage.  If they only knew.

 

July I joined metal stamping masses and made a few plant markers.  I envisioned making a fortune selling them on Etsy and in little garden boutiques.  So far I have made three.

 

August started and ended very hot.  Not much happened during that month other than the elusive search for a cool place to nap.

 

September – now that was an excellent month.  It's always nice to add new family members to our numbers.  It was also a lovely weekend get away with the entire family at one of our very favorite vacation spots.

 

October called for another little weekend get away (see I get out more than I thought I did) to visit Sara and Ryan and have the first of our Gourmet weekends.  Hmm.  We should get back into them. 

 

November was a difficult month.  But our family knows how to pull together and support each other.  I made a lucky charm bracelet for my niece.  It was a small gesture but a heartfelt sentiment to help her in her fight in any way.

 

December I ended the year how I started.  With a little road trip.  Here's hoping the road in 2011 is as open and smooth.

 

 

I couldn't resist doing a blog post with this title.

I found my garden labels at a cute little shop in Sonora (whose name escapes me) but you order them here.  The greeting was hand stamped by me but you could also use a permanent marker on them. 

I am starting the year off as low-key as possible.  I am still in my pajamas at the advanced hour of 2:20pm.  I spent the day yesterday cleaning the house top to bottom (I like to start the new year with a sparkly clean house) so there isn't much to do except surf the internet and drag out my stamping tools.

I could go shopping but I am observing a few New Year's traditions/supersitions.  I am not spending any money today so that the rest of the year will be spent in financial abundance (along with putting $100 in my wallet yesterday so I would start the year out flush and by putting a new coin over the doorway to draw in wealth).  

Same with the house being clean and all the laundry being done and put away.  That way I won't spend the upcoming year under piles of housework and laundry. 

I also washed all the bed linens in the guest rooms in order to ensure a house full of guests throughout the year.

Now ask me how I'm doing with my New Year's Resolutions….

 

 

 

Hi.  Rosie here.  We were just hanging out enjoying the sunshine when a freak hailstorm blew in.  We all ran for cover under the garden shed roof.

I thought I would hop up and say hello to Andrea.  You would think she would be a little more welcoming but she just keeps saying "You better not poop on me!" over and over again.

This is my first experience with hail and I can't say I enjoy it all that much.  It was pretty dramatic though. 

 

Ina was all "The sky is falling!  The sky is falling!"  Which just gets everyone in an uproar and is how rumors are started. 

Oops sun is back.  Better go see what that cat is up to. She likes to pretend we aren't there but there is no use in ignoring us. 

 

 

Anyone else just flat out DONE with eating this holiday season?  I swear I don't think I can bear one more morning of caramel corn and peppermint bark for breakfast. 

Our dinner choices for the last few nights have reflected our feeling of general over indulgance.  Sunday was Sushi.  Monday was Caesar salad with grilled chicken and tonight was Cream of Zucchini soup. 

And quite delicious soup it was.  I used this recipe from Cook & Be Merry.  The fresh basil pureed at the end is what sets it apart from other zucchini soups.

Where it called for Italian seasoning I used Penzey's Fox Point seasoning.  I also used Marisolio's Cilantro and Roasted Onion olive oil.  I think these two elements really add to the overall flavor of the soup (and if there were two items I could give to each and every one of you – these two would be it).

This soup is so fresh and light tasting.  I made one modification (other than mentioned above) and that is I used half and half instead of cream.  I am going to try it with fat-free half and half (which is a modern miracle I can't quite wrap my mind around – I mean how can it be half CREAM and yet, fat free?). 

Now if you excuse me there is a piece of cheese cake in the fridge calling to me….