Hello, viewers.
I'm afraid I haven't been a very good blogger; since my blog no longer lets me post pictures, it somewhat lessened my enjoyment.
Tonight, viewers, I'm blogging simply to wish you joy. All of you.
That's one of the greatest things about Life, and about people. There's so much joy to be found, and people have such tremendous ability to find it, or create it, meanwhile striving ever onward toward a better, brighter future.
The dream of such a future is the greatest source of joy in my life. I wish this dream for all of you as well.
I hope something happens to each one of you today, that will brighten your day, and make you feel joy, if only for a moment.
I hope something makes you laugh, or your favourite song plays on the radio. I hope you see shapes in the clouds, or someone's smile brings an answering smile to your face.
Whatever small touch of Life makes your life seem better, I hope it happens.
My warmest regards,
- The Solemn Wood Nymph
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Another Year Older
Hello there, viewers. I hope you enjoyed my story (see previous post). It's all quite true of course; every word. I suppose you may have noticed that I referred to myself as a "human", once or twice, and, as you know, I am not a human, but a wood nymph. This was merely a ruse to blend in the human people. I didn't count on there being aliens.
Any road, my 21st year has come to a close.
Like most years, it had it's ups and downs, it's interesting, sad, lovely moments.
During this past year, I read 35 books, beginning with a facetious little novel called Evvie at Sixteen (Susan Pfeffer), and ended with All Creatures Great and Small (James Herriot), an autobiographical novel by a veterinarian who set up practice in Yorkshire. It was a very interesting read; I highly recommend it.
I watched 672 films (a year in the life of the chronically ill), beginning with Primeval Series 5, and ending with Shakespeare Re-Told: Much Ado About Nothing.
This year should be interesting. I bought a book called Drawing Your Life by Michael Nobbs, and another called The Happy Book both of which contain amusing prompts that encourage one to focus one's thoughts and energy on Life's simple joys. It's been fun so far.
I've also decided to sell handmade earrings this year. I've been making quite a lot of them lately; it's a pleasant alternative to Solitaire.
It began when five young girls of my acquaintance all graduated 8th grade at once. At that last minute, I got some new beads to add to my collection, and a pack of silver sea creature charms, and made them each a pair of summery earrings.
I was encouraged to make more and try to sell them, and so I shall. I've made well over 40 pairs already. I sold my first three the other day. I was pretty chuffed about it.
Well, here's to making the most of another year. Good morrow to thee, viewers. May the road rise up to meet you.
Any road, my 21st year has come to a close.
Like most years, it had it's ups and downs, it's interesting, sad, lovely moments.
During this past year, I read 35 books, beginning with a facetious little novel called Evvie at Sixteen (Susan Pfeffer), and ended with All Creatures Great and Small (James Herriot), an autobiographical novel by a veterinarian who set up practice in Yorkshire. It was a very interesting read; I highly recommend it.
I watched 672 films (a year in the life of the chronically ill), beginning with Primeval Series 5, and ending with Shakespeare Re-Told: Much Ado About Nothing.
This year should be interesting. I bought a book called Drawing Your Life by Michael Nobbs, and another called The Happy Book both of which contain amusing prompts that encourage one to focus one's thoughts and energy on Life's simple joys. It's been fun so far.
I've also decided to sell handmade earrings this year. I've been making quite a lot of them lately; it's a pleasant alternative to Solitaire.
It began when five young girls of my acquaintance all graduated 8th grade at once. At that last minute, I got some new beads to add to my collection, and a pack of silver sea creature charms, and made them each a pair of summery earrings.
I was encouraged to make more and try to sell them, and so I shall. I've made well over 40 pairs already. I sold my first three the other day. I was pretty chuffed about it.
Well, here's to making the most of another year. Good morrow to thee, viewers. May the road rise up to meet you.
Monday, June 2, 2014
Roses Are Made with Vanilla
Salutations, dear readers.
As I mentioned before, my vexatious blog is malfunctioning again, and is not allowing me to add pictures. Generally this puts me off of blogging; I find adding pictures is half the fun. Tonight, however, I feel like blogging, pictures or no. So, I shall tell you a story.
I sat quietly in the passenger seat of my mum's car, looking out at the night sky. I was going to attend some free seminar. What it was about, I had no idea, but it something to do, and it was free.
As we pulled in the parking lot, I received a text. It was from an acquaintance of mine-- Ben, and said:
'Hey. Jerry and I are here too. There's a coffee machine inside; they're giving away free coffee. Can you get us each one?'
I thought 'How did they know I was here...?' but I simply replied 'Sure'.
'Who was that?' my mum asked.
'It was Ben,' I replied. 'He and Jerry are here, and they said there's a coffee machine inside, and asked me to get them one.'
'Why don't they get their own coffee?' Mum asked.
I shrugged. I didn't really know or care; I was just pleased that I was about to have some coffee.
Once inside the building, Mum and I walked about until we found the coffee machine. It was, in fact, a Frappuccino machine, complete with soft-serve ice cream.
'Alright then, I'm going to go,' my mum said. 'Here's some money, in case you need it,' she said, putting some dollar bills and a few coins into my hands.
'Thanks, Mum,' I said, pocketing the money.
'Text if you need to,' Mum added.
'I will,' I replied, and waved as my mother left the building.
I made myself a Frappuccino, and two others for Ben and Jerry. Laden with frozen caffeinated beverages, I made my way down the hall to the theatre where the seminar was to be held. I looked about for the intended owners of two of the coffees which were freezing my arms, but found them nowhere. I shrugged, and found a seat near the stage on the left side of the room. The seats around me were empty, so I made use of the two nearest cup-holders to deposit the coffees in, and sat down to enjoy mine.
Eventually, the theatre darkened, the audience found their seats, and the curtain rose, revealing...what were they? I blinked up at the group of..."people" on the stage. They were sort of greenish, in a way, with features that weren't altogether human. They looked very anthropomorphic.
The one who approached the microphone was evidently their chairwoman. Chairwoman of what? Who knows. She was large, and stately, and had a very big face.
She began talking, but I didn't catch a word she said. She seemed to be talking about non-human matters, and I was busy trying to figure out what was going on, and what kind of seminar this was supposed to be.
'What are they?' I asked myself as I sipped my Frappuccino. 'Bug...creatures? Plant creatures? Yeah, they look plant-like; let's go with that.'
Having settled that, I recalled my attention to the plant-alien-chairwoman-thingy, who was still babbling a lot of random-sounding nonsense. I turned and looked around the room. At the back of the middle row of seats, I spotted Ben and Jerry. Regardless of the fact that a seminar was going on, I called out in a very loud stage whisper--
'Heeey! Ben! I got your coffeeees!'
I waved one of the coffees at him. He didn't hear me, apparently; he simply smiled and waved back at me.
'Oh well,' I thought. 'I'll give these to them afterwards.' I resumed my seat and turned back toward the stage. I vaguely wondered if anyone was vexed at me for disrupting...whatever was going on onstage, but a brief glance around the room showed me that no one seemed to have even noticed.
The chairwoman was inquiring in a stately, impressive voice whether anyone had any matters of concern to be addressed. I looked about the dark room. Most of the audience were human men in business attire, but there were a few among them who appeared to be of the plant-alien race.
Three of them rose and approached the stage; one male, one female, about the size of 10-year old children, and one tiny little one that trailed behind them. It was pink, and wore pink. It appeared to have wings, or maybe that was just its clothes.
'She's so pink,' I thought as I languidly sipped my coffee.
The two larger ones addressed the chairwoman in tones of deep concern--
'We're missing one of the four components of roses!' said one of them in its high, plant-alien voice. 'If we don't remember what it is, the roses of the world will cease to exist, and there will never be roses again! Here we have the first two components...'
'They make roses?' my thoughts interrupted.
'...and here's the fourth component-- vanilla,' it went on.
'Roses are made partly of vanilla?' I thought. 'Who knew? I sort of wish I'd payed attention to the first two "components" they mentioned.'
I shrugged. It didn't really matter. It wasn't as though I planned on making roses any time soon.
The chairwoman looked aghast. She looked at the little plant-aliens with eyes wide, or so they would have been, had not her eyelids been so large and drooping. She then looked out at the audience.
'This is terrible!" she resounded. 'Does anyone here know what the fourth component of roses is?'
There was a general shaking of heads and shrugging of shoulders from an audience of human beings, who, like me, hadn't realized that roses were made up of four components (one of them being vanilla), and created by a race of botanical extra-terrestrials.
'We must hold a conference amongst ourselves, and try to solve this,' she said, struggling to regain composure. 'There will be a brief intermission.'
She turned around with a sweep of...whatever it was she was wearing, and disappeared behind the curtain, followed closely by the rest of the plant-aliens.
'Okaaaay...' I thought.
I looked about the room. The lights were on, and I now had a better view of the audience. Ihe turned around and looked directly behind her. The entire section was empty, save one man, sitting a few rows back.
Chewing on my straw, I looked him over. He was smartly dressed, in a black vest, trousers, over-coat and a fedora pulled well over his face. He sat with his legs crossed, typing away on an iPhone.
'So...' I addressed him.
He looked up from his phone.
'What are you here for?' I enquired, without much enthusiasm.
'Ah dunno,' he replied with even less enthusiasm.
'Mm.'
After which exchange, I turned back around, and finished my coffee.
As I mentioned before, my vexatious blog is malfunctioning again, and is not allowing me to add pictures. Generally this puts me off of blogging; I find adding pictures is half the fun. Tonight, however, I feel like blogging, pictures or no. So, I shall tell you a story.
I sat quietly in the passenger seat of my mum's car, looking out at the night sky. I was going to attend some free seminar. What it was about, I had no idea, but it something to do, and it was free.
As we pulled in the parking lot, I received a text. It was from an acquaintance of mine-- Ben, and said:
'Hey. Jerry and I are here too. There's a coffee machine inside; they're giving away free coffee. Can you get us each one?'
I thought 'How did they know I was here...?' but I simply replied 'Sure'.
'Who was that?' my mum asked.
'It was Ben,' I replied. 'He and Jerry are here, and they said there's a coffee machine inside, and asked me to get them one.'
'Why don't they get their own coffee?' Mum asked.
I shrugged. I didn't really know or care; I was just pleased that I was about to have some coffee.
Once inside the building, Mum and I walked about until we found the coffee machine. It was, in fact, a Frappuccino machine, complete with soft-serve ice cream.
'Alright then, I'm going to go,' my mum said. 'Here's some money, in case you need it,' she said, putting some dollar bills and a few coins into my hands.
'Thanks, Mum,' I said, pocketing the money.
'Text if you need to,' Mum added.
'I will,' I replied, and waved as my mother left the building.
I made myself a Frappuccino, and two others for Ben and Jerry. Laden with frozen caffeinated beverages, I made my way down the hall to the theatre where the seminar was to be held. I looked about for the intended owners of two of the coffees which were freezing my arms, but found them nowhere. I shrugged, and found a seat near the stage on the left side of the room. The seats around me were empty, so I made use of the two nearest cup-holders to deposit the coffees in, and sat down to enjoy mine.
Eventually, the theatre darkened, the audience found their seats, and the curtain rose, revealing...what were they? I blinked up at the group of..."people" on the stage. They were sort of greenish, in a way, with features that weren't altogether human. They looked very anthropomorphic.
The one who approached the microphone was evidently their chairwoman. Chairwoman of what? Who knows. She was large, and stately, and had a very big face.
She began talking, but I didn't catch a word she said. She seemed to be talking about non-human matters, and I was busy trying to figure out what was going on, and what kind of seminar this was supposed to be.
'What are they?' I asked myself as I sipped my Frappuccino. 'Bug...creatures? Plant creatures? Yeah, they look plant-like; let's go with that.'
Having settled that, I recalled my attention to the plant-alien-chairwoman-thingy, who was still babbling a lot of random-sounding nonsense. I turned and looked around the room. At the back of the middle row of seats, I spotted Ben and Jerry. Regardless of the fact that a seminar was going on, I called out in a very loud stage whisper--
'Heeey! Ben! I got your coffeeees!'
I waved one of the coffees at him. He didn't hear me, apparently; he simply smiled and waved back at me.
'Oh well,' I thought. 'I'll give these to them afterwards.' I resumed my seat and turned back toward the stage. I vaguely wondered if anyone was vexed at me for disrupting...whatever was going on onstage, but a brief glance around the room showed me that no one seemed to have even noticed.
The chairwoman was inquiring in a stately, impressive voice whether anyone had any matters of concern to be addressed. I looked about the dark room. Most of the audience were human men in business attire, but there were a few among them who appeared to be of the plant-alien race.
Three of them rose and approached the stage; one male, one female, about the size of 10-year old children, and one tiny little one that trailed behind them. It was pink, and wore pink. It appeared to have wings, or maybe that was just its clothes.
'She's so pink,' I thought as I languidly sipped my coffee.
The two larger ones addressed the chairwoman in tones of deep concern--
'We're missing one of the four components of roses!' said one of them in its high, plant-alien voice. 'If we don't remember what it is, the roses of the world will cease to exist, and there will never be roses again! Here we have the first two components...'
'They make roses?' my thoughts interrupted.
'...and here's the fourth component-- vanilla,' it went on.
'Roses are made partly of vanilla?' I thought. 'Who knew? I sort of wish I'd payed attention to the first two "components" they mentioned.'
I shrugged. It didn't really matter. It wasn't as though I planned on making roses any time soon.
The chairwoman looked aghast. She looked at the little plant-aliens with eyes wide, or so they would have been, had not her eyelids been so large and drooping. She then looked out at the audience.
'This is terrible!" she resounded. 'Does anyone here know what the fourth component of roses is?'
There was a general shaking of heads and shrugging of shoulders from an audience of human beings, who, like me, hadn't realized that roses were made up of four components (one of them being vanilla), and created by a race of botanical extra-terrestrials.
'We must hold a conference amongst ourselves, and try to solve this,' she said, struggling to regain composure. 'There will be a brief intermission.'
She turned around with a sweep of...whatever it was she was wearing, and disappeared behind the curtain, followed closely by the rest of the plant-aliens.
'Okaaaay...' I thought.
I looked about the room. The lights were on, and I now had a better view of the audience. Ihe turned around and looked directly behind her. The entire section was empty, save one man, sitting a few rows back.
Chewing on my straw, I looked him over. He was smartly dressed, in a black vest, trousers, over-coat and a fedora pulled well over his face. He sat with his legs crossed, typing away on an iPhone.
'So...' I addressed him.
He looked up from his phone.
'What are you here for?' I enquired, without much enthusiasm.
'Ah dunno,' he replied with even less enthusiasm.
'Mm.'
After which exchange, I turned back around, and finished my coffee.
'Aw, my coffee's gone...' I thought sadly.
I rose from my seat with Ben and Jerry's cups in hand, walked to the back of the room, and stood before them, holding the half-melted beverages out to them.
'Here are your coffees,' I said.
The two men smiled, and held up the cups already in their hands.
'We couldn't find you, so we got our own coffees,' Ben replied.
'Oh, okay,' I said. To myself, I thought-- 'Well why didn't they do that in the first place; now I have two extra coffees. Oh, wait; that's not really a problem...'
I returned to my seat and began to work on my second Frappuccino.
At that moment, the chairwoman and co. came bursting forth from behind the curtain with a flourish.
'We have found the fourth component of the rose!' she cried joyfully.
We, the audience of humans, didn't quite know how to respond to this. A few of us clapped lightly. Everyone looked a bit puzzled over the whole business.
The tiny pink plant alien stepped in front of the stage.
'She's soo pink,' I thought. 'I like her shoes...'
Suddenly, Little Pink Shoes pressed a button, which filled the theatre with loud dance music.
'Let's party! she cried, in a remarkably high, squeaky little voice.
'Whaaaat...?' I thought.
She began to dance, and then all of the plant aliens, including the chairwoman, began to dance as well. A chorus line of plant-alien showgirls in shiny dresses appeared on the stage, and began to dance in a 1960's fashion.
'Where did they come from?' I wondered.
One after another, the human audience began to rise and dance. I blinked at the spectacle for a moment, and then rose to leave. As I was making my way up the aisle, Ben suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and seized my hand.
'Let's dance!' he shouted above the noise.
'Whaaaat...?' I thought again.
At that very moment, a random stranger with a moustache showed up on the other side of me, and grabbed my other hand.
'Let's dance!' he likewise suggested. (The reader will perhaps recall that I was the only human female in the room.)
'Who...?' I thought.
I didn't want to dance, I wanted to leave. I wondered how to extricate myself from this predicament, as the two gentlemen glared at each other over my head, and tugged on my arms. I glanced over to where I had been sitting.
'Oh no, I forgot my coffees!' I thought.
I was about to excuse myself on that pretext, when suddenly, the man with the fedora and iPhone loomed up behind me, grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me out of the grasp of Ben and Moustache-Man.
The End.
I rose from my seat with Ben and Jerry's cups in hand, walked to the back of the room, and stood before them, holding the half-melted beverages out to them.
'Here are your coffees,' I said.
The two men smiled, and held up the cups already in their hands.
'We couldn't find you, so we got our own coffees,' Ben replied.
'Oh, okay,' I said. To myself, I thought-- 'Well why didn't they do that in the first place; now I have two extra coffees. Oh, wait; that's not really a problem...'
I returned to my seat and began to work on my second Frappuccino.
At that moment, the chairwoman and co. came bursting forth from behind the curtain with a flourish.
'We have found the fourth component of the rose!' she cried joyfully.
We, the audience of humans, didn't quite know how to respond to this. A few of us clapped lightly. Everyone looked a bit puzzled over the whole business.
The tiny pink plant alien stepped in front of the stage.
'She's soo pink,' I thought. 'I like her shoes...'
Suddenly, Little Pink Shoes pressed a button, which filled the theatre with loud dance music.
'Let's party! she cried, in a remarkably high, squeaky little voice.
'Whaaaat...?' I thought.
She began to dance, and then all of the plant aliens, including the chairwoman, began to dance as well. A chorus line of plant-alien showgirls in shiny dresses appeared on the stage, and began to dance in a 1960's fashion.
'Where did they come from?' I wondered.
One after another, the human audience began to rise and dance. I blinked at the spectacle for a moment, and then rose to leave. As I was making my way up the aisle, Ben suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and seized my hand.
'Let's dance!' he shouted above the noise.
'Whaaaat...?' I thought again.
At that very moment, a random stranger with a moustache showed up on the other side of me, and grabbed my other hand.
'Let's dance!' he likewise suggested. (The reader will perhaps recall that I was the only human female in the room.)
'Who...?' I thought.
I didn't want to dance, I wanted to leave. I wondered how to extricate myself from this predicament, as the two gentlemen glared at each other over my head, and tugged on my arms. I glanced over to where I had been sitting.
'Oh no, I forgot my coffees!' I thought.
I was about to excuse myself on that pretext, when suddenly, the man with the fedora and iPhone loomed up behind me, grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me out of the grasp of Ben and Moustache-Man.
The End.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Technical Difficulties
Just a random side-note, viewers;
I've just noticed that my blog is having some sort of malfunction. Again.
This may possibly put something of a damper on my new resolution to blog more often.
We shall have to see how it goes.
In any case, I bid you all good morrow.
I've just noticed that my blog is having some sort of malfunction. Again.
This may possibly put something of a damper on my new resolution to blog more often.
We shall have to see how it goes.
In any case, I bid you all good morrow.
Boredom Alleviated by BBC's Sherlock
Good day, viewers.
It has been a very long time, once again. I'm afraid the life of a chronically-ill lady of leisure generally offers little interest with which to fill a blog post, so I've rather fallen out of the habit. I mean to rectify this, if I can.
As those of you have read my previous posts know, my sleeping habits are nocturnal more often than not, which further lends to the relative dullness of my life.
A few evenings ago, I was longing for something new to entertain me, and my wish was granted. My friend, who, in my blog is called Irene, informed me that she signed up for a free 1-month trial of Netflix, and gave me leave to use her account to watch movies online. I immediately took the opportunity to look up BBC's Sherlock, which I missed out on when it aired on the telly. Much to my gratification, it was available for viewing, and I finally got to experience the show for myself.
Now that I've viewed all three series, I've really become quite obsessed with it. It gripped me entirely within the first five minutes. The characters are witty, and hilarious, and the plot is remarkably stimulating. Indeed, I've suddenly started remembering potentially useless tidbits of random information I've acquired over the years, and I've unconsciously started trying to deduce people as they go by.
Watching the three existing series once was not enough, so I convinced my mum to watch them with me, and, happily for me, she's now as much obsessed with Sherlock as I am. We've agreed that I must purchase it as soon as possible.
Again, I offer thanks to Irene for her part in temporarily lessening the dullness of my current state. Since, in my idiosyncratic way, I must initially watch something I like half-a-dozen times at least, Sherlock should keep me entertained for some while. Long live BBC.
It has been a very long time, once again. I'm afraid the life of a chronically-ill lady of leisure generally offers little interest with which to fill a blog post, so I've rather fallen out of the habit. I mean to rectify this, if I can.
As those of you have read my previous posts know, my sleeping habits are nocturnal more often than not, which further lends to the relative dullness of my life.
A few evenings ago, I was longing for something new to entertain me, and my wish was granted. My friend, who, in my blog is called Irene, informed me that she signed up for a free 1-month trial of Netflix, and gave me leave to use her account to watch movies online. I immediately took the opportunity to look up BBC's Sherlock, which I missed out on when it aired on the telly. Much to my gratification, it was available for viewing, and I finally got to experience the show for myself.
Now that I've viewed all three series, I've really become quite obsessed with it. It gripped me entirely within the first five minutes. The characters are witty, and hilarious, and the plot is remarkably stimulating. Indeed, I've suddenly started remembering potentially useless tidbits of random information I've acquired over the years, and I've unconsciously started trying to deduce people as they go by.
Watching the three existing series once was not enough, so I convinced my mum to watch them with me, and, happily for me, she's now as much obsessed with Sherlock as I am. We've agreed that I must purchase it as soon as possible.
Again, I offer thanks to Irene for her part in temporarily lessening the dullness of my current state. Since, in my idiosyncratic way, I must initially watch something I like half-a-dozen times at least, Sherlock should keep me entertained for some while. Long live BBC.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Welsh Leek and Potato Soup
Hello, viewers.
I haven't blogged for quite a long time. Life has been...interesting. But enough of that; here is a delicious soup recipe for you.
Tip: Besides the parsley, I added a bit of chopped bacon, and some shredded cheese.
I haven't blogged for quite a long time. Life has been...interesting. But enough of that; here is a delicious soup recipe for you.
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
- 3 or 4 leeks, sliced
- 1 2/3 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped (if you're using red potatoes, which I recommend, peeling is optional)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup cream
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste (I opted to leave out the salt)
- 3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Tip: Besides the parsley, I added a bit of chopped bacon, and some shredded cheese.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Easy Tiramisu
Good evening, viewers
I would like to inform you all in advance, that the recipe I am about to present to you does not follow the classic, time-honoured instructions established for the preparation of tiramisu, so, for any baking-traditionalists who may be reading this, I offer most humble apologies.
This make-shift tiramisu was actually engendered by a cake gone awry. My mum and I are preparing to make a fancy cake for a friend of ours, and we were experimenting with different sizes of cake pans. One of the pans was too deep, and thus, the cake perforce cooked more slowly than it should have, and came out a bit brown about the edges. We pondered for a moment as to what we should do with this tall, dark and crusty cake, and then the answer came to us: Make tiramisu.
Arrange a layer of the cake pieces in a trifle dish, or deep glass baking pan. Using a small spoon, drizzle desired amounts of brandy and espresso over the cake layer (drizzle lightly, or the cake will become quite soggy). Spread 1/3 of the pudding admixture over the cake, add another layer of cake, and twice-repeat the afore-mentioned process. Spread the whipped topping over the assembled tiramisu, and use a flour sifter to administer the cocoa powder. Let chill 1-2 hours.
So, there you have it; a dessert with all the decadent richness of traditional tiramisu, and preparing it is but a trifle (pun intended).
I would like to inform you all in advance, that the recipe I am about to present to you does not follow the classic, time-honoured instructions established for the preparation of tiramisu, so, for any baking-traditionalists who may be reading this, I offer most humble apologies.
This make-shift tiramisu was actually engendered by a cake gone awry. My mum and I are preparing to make a fancy cake for a friend of ours, and we were experimenting with different sizes of cake pans. One of the pans was too deep, and thus, the cake perforce cooked more slowly than it should have, and came out a bit brown about the edges. We pondered for a moment as to what we should do with this tall, dark and crusty cake, and then the answer came to us: Make tiramisu.
- a prepared white cake (cook a bit longer than directed, or do as we did and bake it in a deep baking pan, until golden-brown)
- a 5 oz. box of vanilla instant pudding
- an 8 oz. container of mascarpone
- a few Tbs. of brandy
- a few Tbs. of brewed espresso
- a cup of whipped topping
- unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
Arrange a layer of the cake pieces in a trifle dish, or deep glass baking pan. Using a small spoon, drizzle desired amounts of brandy and espresso over the cake layer (drizzle lightly, or the cake will become quite soggy). Spread 1/3 of the pudding admixture over the cake, add another layer of cake, and twice-repeat the afore-mentioned process. Spread the whipped topping over the assembled tiramisu, and use a flour sifter to administer the cocoa powder. Let chill 1-2 hours.
So, there you have it; a dessert with all the decadent richness of traditional tiramisu, and preparing it is but a trifle (pun intended).
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Day-Trip to Montgomery Creek
Good evening, viewers.
Yesterday, I went on an outing with my mum, and my friends Lissa and Marlow. Lissa told us of an apple orchard in Montgomery Creek, which she used to frequent with her family, and she invited us to take a drive with her to visit it once more.
It was unseasonably warm yesterday; between 80 and 90 degrees F. and not a cloud to be seen. Very pleasant weather for our drive.
Before we left town, we got coffee from my favourite café, and then stopped at World Market. Whilst Mum and Lissa looked at some pretty cabinet knobs, Marlow and I tried on hats. Fun fact: Solemn wood nymphs love hats almost as much as they love shoes. When Mum and Lissa were finished, Marlow and I bought a couple of Ramune (a Japanese carbonated beverage).
We then stopped at a tea house to pick up a box of white rose tea I had ordered, and bought some sandwiches to eat on the way.
The drive was lovely. As the elevation increased, the autumn colours grew in intensity. The foliage seemed a series of watercolour landscapes, blending lemon yellow, cardinal red, and burnt orange with the remaining verdant tints left over from summer.
About forty-five minutes later, we reached our destination. The orchard itself was a lovely place, with a pretty white farm house nestled behind apple trees and spruce groves, with a fine view of the mountains.
Yesterday, I went on an outing with my mum, and my friends Lissa and Marlow. Lissa told us of an apple orchard in Montgomery Creek, which she used to frequent with her family, and she invited us to take a drive with her to visit it once more.
It was unseasonably warm yesterday; between 80 and 90 degrees F. and not a cloud to be seen. Very pleasant weather for our drive.
Before we left town, we got coffee from my favourite café, and then stopped at World Market. Whilst Mum and Lissa looked at some pretty cabinet knobs, Marlow and I tried on hats. Fun fact: Solemn wood nymphs love hats almost as much as they love shoes. When Mum and Lissa were finished, Marlow and I bought a couple of Ramune (a Japanese carbonated beverage).
We then stopped at a tea house to pick up a box of white rose tea I had ordered, and bought some sandwiches to eat on the way.
The drive was lovely. As the elevation increased, the autumn colours grew in intensity. The foliage seemed a series of watercolour landscapes, blending lemon yellow, cardinal red, and burnt orange with the remaining verdant tints left over from summer.
About forty-five minutes later, we reached our destination. The orchard itself was a lovely place, with a pretty white farm house nestled behind apple trees and spruce groves, with a fine view of the mountains.
When we stepped out of the car, we were first greeted by a fluffy calico cat (the true owner of the place, I suspect), whose name, I later learnt, was Sassy. She was a dear, sociable little thing, and Marlow and I remained several minutes in the drive, paying our respects.
It was not the sort of orchard at which the customers pick for themselves; the apples were stored and sold in the little white bard next to the farm house, separated by variety in wooden crates. Quite a wide variety there was. Mum selected some little dark ones called Arkansas Blacks, green speckled ones called Ozarks, big pink ones called Wine Saps, and little pink and yellow ones called Pink Ladies.
After the purchase was made, we went out and took some photos together. Here are a couple of them.
On the way to the orchard, I had seen a large sign reading "Gift Shop and Local Honey" so on the way back, we stopped there. What we saw, however, was a small, out-of-the-way house, across from several locked storage sheds fashioned after old-time buildings (post office, mercantile, black smith, etc...). It all looked rather deserted, and at that point we rather doubted the existence of the advertised gift shop, but Lissa and I decided to walk over to the little house and see if the confusion could be explained away.
Our knock was answered by a darling-looking elderly man and his two dogs. When we asked about the sign, he explained that the place had been previously owned by a different elderly man who had passed away, and left the buildings, and his very large supply of antiques in his care, and he simply had not been able to remove the sign yet.
He had no objection to our looking things over, however, and kindly unlocked all of the little buildings for us to examine their contents at leisure.
We saw some fascinating things; old Avon perfume bottles and china, antique framed pictures, and the like. One of the sheds was full of old books, among which I spotted a German dictionary marked for seventy-five cents. I knew that it would interest Marlow, so I brought it out to show her, and the man kindly let her have it for free.
And then we went home. It was quite a lovely day. We all agreed that we must take such another excursion together before long.
After Marlow settled into my room, we drank our Ramunes. Since there was no postcard, or anything of the sort to be purchased for my year board, Marlow suggested that I cut off the label fronts from our ramune bottles, and use those for the day's remembrance.
Good night, or gute nacht, as Marlow might say.
Friday, September 27, 2013
A Couple of Oatmeal Recipes
Good morning, viewers.
Now that cooler weather is setting in, my thoughts naturally turn to the colours, and scents, and tastes of autumn.
When I remember things I used to associate with autumn as a child, I instantly think of the oatmeal my mum used to make for me. I made it for myself for the first time the other day. I enjoyed it quite as much as I used to, and shall now share this simple recipe with you, that you may enjoy it as well.
Now that cooler weather is setting in, my thoughts naturally turn to the colours, and scents, and tastes of autumn.
When I remember things I used to associate with autumn as a child, I instantly think of the oatmeal my mum used to make for me. I made it for myself for the first time the other day. I enjoyed it quite as much as I used to, and shall now share this simple recipe with you, that you may enjoy it as well.
Spiced Apple and Nut Oatmeal
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons molasses (more or less, according to taste)
- Pinch of salt
- Spices to taste (i.e. cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, pumpkin pie spice, etc...)
- 1 or 2 peeled, chopped apples
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I prefer walnuts)
- 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)
Add water, salt, molasses, and spices to a medium saucepan, and bring to boil. Add oats, nuts, and dried fruit (if desired), and cook according to package directions (cooking times vary according to variety of oatmeal). Serve with butter or cream. Sugar may be added, if desired. Personally, the molasses is sweet enough for me.
Now here is a porridge recipe that I tried for the first time this morning. I found it in a Jane Austen cookbook online.
English Breakfast Oatmeal
- 4 cups water
- 4 English Breakfast tea bags (other teas such as Earl Grey or Chai may be used if desired)
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2 to 4 TBS sugar or honey (more or less, according to taste
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup cream
In a medium saucepan, bring water to almost a boil. Add tea bags, remove from heat, and let steep for a few minutes. Remove the tea bags, add the salt and sugar, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook the oats as directed. Stir in cream before serving.
The taste of tea gave a subtle, interesting hint of flavour. According to my preference, I'd use a bit more tea, and a bit less sugar. I used a tea cup-shaped soup mug for my own amusement.
Well, I hope you enjoy these recipes, viewers. Inasmuch as it's cooking/baking season, I'm sure I'll soon be posting several others.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Austenland
Good morrow, viewers.
I shall now discuss the film Austenland based on the novel by Shannon Hale.
Initially, when I heard about this book/film, I was prepared for some sort of rubbish along the lines of Lost in Austen (I vehemently dislike that miniseries).
I am exceedingly fond of the works of Jane Austen, though not in a fan-girl, squeals-during-the-Darcy-in-a-wet-shirt-scene sort of way. I appreciate the romance of her stories, but, more than that, I love the satiric wit, clever conversation, and beautiful words of a time before the English language became a sad wreckage of incomprehensible slang and poor grammar.
My friend Marlow and I decided to go see it at the cinema, if for no other reason than to laugh at it. Thus, last Friday, Marlow, Daisy and I went to the local theatre, and, whilst we did laugh at it, it was from genuine amusement. We were quite agreeably surprised to find that we actually enjoyed it.
Keri Russell was amusing as the overly-Austen-obsessed woman who comes to find that living ones own life is perhaps better than living vicariously through a novel, and J.J. Field played his role as leading male very well, though I had rather a hard time disassociating him from his role as Henry Tilney in BBC's Northanger Abbey.
It was a trifle silly, and there were a few scenes that seemed a bit inappropriate, and would have been better left out, but aside from that, it was a cute movie. Perfectly adequate for passing an afternoon with friends, and amusing for one who is prodigiously fond of Pride and Prejudice.
I shall now discuss the film Austenland based on the novel by Shannon Hale.
Initially, when I heard about this book/film, I was prepared for some sort of rubbish along the lines of Lost in Austen (I vehemently dislike that miniseries).
I am exceedingly fond of the works of Jane Austen, though not in a fan-girl, squeals-during-the-Darcy-in-a-wet-shirt-scene sort of way. I appreciate the romance of her stories, but, more than that, I love the satiric wit, clever conversation, and beautiful words of a time before the English language became a sad wreckage of incomprehensible slang and poor grammar.
My friend Marlow and I decided to go see it at the cinema, if for no other reason than to laugh at it. Thus, last Friday, Marlow, Daisy and I went to the local theatre, and, whilst we did laugh at it, it was from genuine amusement. We were quite agreeably surprised to find that we actually enjoyed it.
Keri Russell was amusing as the overly-Austen-obsessed woman who comes to find that living ones own life is perhaps better than living vicariously through a novel, and J.J. Field played his role as leading male very well, though I had rather a hard time disassociating him from his role as Henry Tilney in BBC's Northanger Abbey.
It was a trifle silly, and there were a few scenes that seemed a bit inappropriate, and would have been better left out, but aside from that, it was a cute movie. Perfectly adequate for passing an afternoon with friends, and amusing for one who is prodigiously fond of Pride and Prejudice.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Day-Trip to Dunsmuir
Hello again, viewers.
Today, I shall share with you the day-trip to Dunsmuir, CA. I took with my family a few weeks ago.
Dunsmuir is another tiny town we've driven through many a time, yet never stopped to explore. And, inasmuch as this seems to be a summer of new experiences, we decided to go ahead and have a look.
The town has a sort of "arts" section, which we mainly focused on. Unfortunately, most of the art galleries were being renovated, and were therefore closed. There were, however, several diverting little antique shops, and at least one open art gallery in which we amused ourselves.
At the first one, an amazing little shop of old-fashioned curiosities called "The Brown Trout," I found a beautiful, scarcely worn, vintage-style dress in my size, and on sale for only $5, due to a tiny little tear above the zipper, hardly visible, and very easy to mend.
It's a rich chocolate brown rayon, with bishop sleeves, silk neckline, hem and long cuffs, and these said cuffs held together with several buttons.
There were also the most beautiful pair of vintage grey suede pumps, also in my size, which I wanted terribly. Unfortunately, they bore no tiny defect to reduce the price, and were therefore out of my price range. Such a pity... (fun fact: Solemn Wood Nymphs love shoes).
At another antique shop, this one privately owned by an elderly music-lover, my mumzie and I got my brother Ace's girl Lina a hand-painted sunflower tunic and a little antique sunflower-bead pendant, while the shop owner cornered Ace and kept up a steady stream of music-related conversation, after learning that he has musical talent.
After we'd done enough shop-hopping, we returned to our car and drove a very little ways to Hedge Creek Falls, which, incidentally, is the waterfall I visited earlier this summer (see post "Anwen's Hen Weekend").
Today, I shall share with you the day-trip to Dunsmuir, CA. I took with my family a few weeks ago.
Dunsmuir is another tiny town we've driven through many a time, yet never stopped to explore. And, inasmuch as this seems to be a summer of new experiences, we decided to go ahead and have a look.
The town has a sort of "arts" section, which we mainly focused on. Unfortunately, most of the art galleries were being renovated, and were therefore closed. There were, however, several diverting little antique shops, and at least one open art gallery in which we amused ourselves.
At the first one, an amazing little shop of old-fashioned curiosities called "The Brown Trout," I found a beautiful, scarcely worn, vintage-style dress in my size, and on sale for only $5, due to a tiny little tear above the zipper, hardly visible, and very easy to mend.
It's a rich chocolate brown rayon, with bishop sleeves, silk neckline, hem and long cuffs, and these said cuffs held together with several buttons.
There were also the most beautiful pair of vintage grey suede pumps, also in my size, which I wanted terribly. Unfortunately, they bore no tiny defect to reduce the price, and were therefore out of my price range. Such a pity... (fun fact: Solemn Wood Nymphs love shoes).
At another antique shop, this one privately owned by an elderly music-lover, my mumzie and I got my brother Ace's girl Lina a hand-painted sunflower tunic and a little antique sunflower-bead pendant, while the shop owner cornered Ace and kept up a steady stream of music-related conversation, after learning that he has musical talent.
After we'd done enough shop-hopping, we returned to our car and drove a very little ways to Hedge Creek Falls, which, incidentally, is the waterfall I visited earlier this summer (see post "Anwen's Hen Weekend").
Does not Lina look fetching amongst the falls? Quite like a pretty water nymph.
After we'd picnicked, we lazed about with our feet in the water, collecting pretty little stones, and such.
At some point, Ace found a little water-dog. After a bit of a chase, he finally caught it, and the little thing quickly seemed to grow used to him, and didn't struggle a bit as he examined it, showed it to us at all angles, put it in and out of the water, and passed it to me to hold for a moment.
After Ace had let it go, and went off exploring with Lina, it continued to swim around our feet, and several times let me reach into the water and pet it. I thought it a cute little creature. It reminded me of a mix between a puppy, a seal, and a salamander.
After passing a few hours at the Falls, I inevitably grew very tired, and a trifle over-heated, and, as it required a bit of trecking uphill to get back to the car, my mum and I headed back up first. I was in quite a state when we at last reached the car. My grandma handed me a beach towel which she had dampened with the cool spring water, and my mum wrapped it around my neck like a scarf. I felt like Ford Prefect from Hitchhiker's Guide, sporting my towel. "Always know where your towel is," right?
As we were preparing to head home, I realized that I had not purchased postcards, and as I did not with to eschew this little tradition of mine, I requested that we stop at one more shop before leaving town. At that point, most of the shops were shut, but there was a little gift shop still open, so Ace, Lina and I took a few minutes to examine it.
I got a postcard for my year-board, and one each for Marlow and Daisy, along with a pair of pretty little glass earrings, blue for Marlow, pink for Daisy. For Ace, I got a little hand-made bit of pottery he took a fancy to.
Then, we returned home. I enjoyed the day. It was nice to sit leisurely at the Falls, and I always enjoy shop-hopping in tiny towns.
More to come, viewers. Until then, fare-thee-well.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Day-Trip to the Mt. Shasta Lavender Farm
Good morrow, viewers.
Life has been very...life-like lately; thus, as usual, I'm dreadfully behind on my blogging (among other things).
Inasmuch as I have the entire day free, I thought I'd backtrack a bit, and show you some of what I've been doing this summer.
Last month, my mum, my grandma, my brother Ace, his girlfriend Lina, and I went to the Shasta Lavender Farm. We went last year, and quite loved it. Since Lina is with us this summer, we were pleased to go again and share it with her.
It's easy to miss the road and get turned around up there, and we forgot to bring the map, so we...took the scenic route, if you will. We didn't mind, however; it was a pleasant drive.
When you do come upon the correct road, you turn again onto an even more unlikely looking road, from which all you can see are rocks and sagebrush. The first time we went, we thought there surely must be some mistake. After some patience and perseverance, when you reach the top of the hill, a breath-taking view awaits you.
A picturesque Italian-style summer house rests quaintly before far-reaching fields of purple-blue lavender, stretching toward Mt. Shasta, which appears nearly close enough to touch. Down the hill, past verdant fields, and blue mountain haze, appears the slightest shimmery glimpse of Lake Shastina.
We began by browsing the gift shop, which is quite lovely itself. Ace and Lina got a bottle of lavender oil and a lavender plant, and I bought them a Shasta Lavender Farm poster. My mum bought some lavender cookies for us, and bought me a tea-infuser. I bought some lavender madeleines, and some Shasta Lavender Farm postcards for my friends, and one for my year board.
After we'd finished shopping, my mum paid for us to take a basket and go out into the fields to cut bouquets of lavender. It was supposed to be a certain fee to cut a hundred sprigs, but they apparently don't literally mean a hundred, and encourage a lot of lavender-cutting. So, Ace, Lina and I went out and meandered lackadaisically in the fields, comparing varieties of lavender, slowly filling our baskets, and pausing now and then to take photographs, and enjoy the general splendor. It wasn't unbearably hot, but it was rather warm, and I finally had a chance to use my parasol.
After we returned with our fragrant spoils, we settled down at a table in the shade, and had a late picnic-lunch.
And then, as the farm's visiting hours end rather early in the evening, it was time to leave shortly after we ate.
On the way home, I asked to stop in the tiny town of Weed (odd name for a town, quoi?). We'd passed it ever so many times in past years on our way in and out of town, but had never stopped there, so I asked if we could take a look.
We first went into a tiny little art gallery run by a very friendly man. Apparently his wife contributed much of the gallery's art.
There were some lovely wood sculptures, which Ace particularly enjoyed, as wood-carving is his forte.
We ended our tour of the town at a souvenir shop. Ace and Lina bought a souvenir mug, and my mum and I each got an abalone necklace. Mum's is shaped like a heart, and mine is shaped like Saturn, which, incidentally is my favourite planet (besides Earth, of course). It reminds me of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Now I just need a towel to go with it~ Kudos to those of you
who understand the reference.
Thus concluded our day-trip. It was a very pleasant day; I think we all enjoyed it.
Life has been very...life-like lately; thus, as usual, I'm dreadfully behind on my blogging (among other things).
Inasmuch as I have the entire day free, I thought I'd backtrack a bit, and show you some of what I've been doing this summer.
Last month, my mum, my grandma, my brother Ace, his girlfriend Lina, and I went to the Shasta Lavender Farm. We went last year, and quite loved it. Since Lina is with us this summer, we were pleased to go again and share it with her.
It's easy to miss the road and get turned around up there, and we forgot to bring the map, so we...took the scenic route, if you will. We didn't mind, however; it was a pleasant drive.
When you do come upon the correct road, you turn again onto an even more unlikely looking road, from which all you can see are rocks and sagebrush. The first time we went, we thought there surely must be some mistake. After some patience and perseverance, when you reach the top of the hill, a breath-taking view awaits you.
A picturesque Italian-style summer house rests quaintly before far-reaching fields of purple-blue lavender, stretching toward Mt. Shasta, which appears nearly close enough to touch. Down the hill, past verdant fields, and blue mountain haze, appears the slightest shimmery glimpse of Lake Shastina.
We began by browsing the gift shop, which is quite lovely itself. Ace and Lina got a bottle of lavender oil and a lavender plant, and I bought them a Shasta Lavender Farm poster. My mum bought some lavender cookies for us, and bought me a tea-infuser. I bought some lavender madeleines, and some Shasta Lavender Farm postcards for my friends, and one for my year board.
After we'd finished shopping, my mum paid for us to take a basket and go out into the fields to cut bouquets of lavender. It was supposed to be a certain fee to cut a hundred sprigs, but they apparently don't literally mean a hundred, and encourage a lot of lavender-cutting. So, Ace, Lina and I went out and meandered lackadaisically in the fields, comparing varieties of lavender, slowly filling our baskets, and pausing now and then to take photographs, and enjoy the general splendor. It wasn't unbearably hot, but it was rather warm, and I finally had a chance to use my parasol.
After we returned with our fragrant spoils, we settled down at a table in the shade, and had a late picnic-lunch.
And then, as the farm's visiting hours end rather early in the evening, it was time to leave shortly after we ate.
On the way home, I asked to stop in the tiny town of Weed (odd name for a town, quoi?). We'd passed it ever so many times in past years on our way in and out of town, but had never stopped there, so I asked if we could take a look.
We first went into a tiny little art gallery run by a very friendly man. Apparently his wife contributed much of the gallery's art.
There were some lovely wood sculptures, which Ace particularly enjoyed, as wood-carving is his forte.
Then, we went the town's tiny museum. There was much to look at, and the fellow working there was most obliging, and let us touch things, and try things on, and sit in the refabricated stagecoach, and such. Lina and I each bought a "Weed" souvenir button from the museum's gift shop.
We ended our tour of the town at a souvenir shop. Ace and Lina bought a souvenir mug, and my mum and I each got an abalone necklace. Mum's is shaped like a heart, and mine is shaped like Saturn, which, incidentally is my favourite planet (besides Earth, of course). It reminds me of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Now I just need a towel to go with it~ Kudos to those of you
who understand the reference.
Thus concluded our day-trip. It was a very pleasant day; I think we all enjoyed it.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Trinidad CA.
After Anwen's wedding, my mum, my grandma, my brother Ace, and his girlfriend Lina came and picked me up, and from there, the five of us drove to Trinidad Beach.
Trinidad is my favourite vacation spot. My family has vacationed there nearly every year since I was a very little girl, and it holds for me many fond memories and little traditions.
Rather than stay in a cabin in the redwoods a few miles from the beach, and we usually do, my grandma rented a beach house directly above the Seascape Restaurant, which is right on the pier, which is directly above a pretty little cove that I know well.
When we arrived, after we'd unloaded our luggage into the beach house. It wasn't upscale, but it was very cute, and cozy, and just what a beach house should be. There were three quaint little bedrooms, a comfortable living room with beachy blue walls, a fire place, a cable television, and a bookshelf stocked with a variety of novels, a balcony with a stunning view of the wharf and the cove, and a hot tub on the deck.
The first thing that we did after unloading the car, was to walk down to the restaurant. We first detoured to the cove, where there was a fat seal molting on the sand. It just lay there, even when people got close to it (rather too close), looking like a fat and lazy puppy, occasionally lifting its head to look about, and scratching its belly with it's little flipper.
The restaurant has changed owners several times over the years, but the food is still quite good. We all ordered clam chowder (one of our traditions), and my mum and I shared a glass of Chablis, which is a French white wine. I got a hot chocolate to go before we went walking on the beach (another tradition).
Here are some lovely pictures of Trinidad. It rained off and on during our stay, which resulted in some beautiful clouds, perfect for photographs.
Another tradition I have (there are many), is to take photographs of the backs of my brothers while they stand facing the ocean. It makes a lovely picture, especially during sunset. This year, I got one of Ace and Lina.
When we got back to the beach house, we put on our bathing suits and got in the hot tub. It was so nice to listen to the waves crashing only a few feet below us, and to feel the mist in our faces.
When everyone else had gone to bed, I sat in the living room and, listening to the tide, I finished my cocoa, and started reading a short, facetious little novel I found on the shelf called "The Sebastian Sisters - Evvie and Sixteen" by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
After I woke the next morning, I went downstairs and had a cup of coffee with my mum and grandma, and watched the weather report, and then when we were all ready, we went into town (a very small town it is) to Murphy's. Murphy's, to the untrained eye, is an inconsequential little food mart. In truth, however, it's an absolutely marvelous little food mart, full of organic and gourmet items, and a vast array of culinary delights.
After we'd stocked the beach house's kitchen with delicious edibles, we drove back into town, parked the car, and walked.
We started by browsing the art gallery. Ace and Lina are very fond of hand-crafted mugs, so we spent some time examining the selection. There was a blue-green one etched with bamboo leaves that I thought especially pretty.
While we browsed, there was lovely harp music playing. I assumed that the man who was looking over the gallery (a pleasant-looking, middle-aged man with a long grey ponytail) had put on a cd. When I turned around, however, the man himself was playing a small, gorgeous harp. I went and stood near him whilst he played, absolutely enthralled by the beauty of the music.
Although the song he played was not a Celtic one, I distinctly heard a Celtic sound in the music. When I told him so, he informed me that it was a Celtic harp, and then he played a Celtic song for me.
From there, we went to the WindanSea gift shop. It used to be called The Sea Around Us; fortunately, only the name has changed over the years.
My mum and I got Ace and Lina a sea turtle wind chime. I got my grandma a pair of handmade redwood sea turtle earrings, my mum a pair of green abalone earrings, my friend Lissa a blue tropical flower necklace, Daisy a pair of red-orange tropical flower hair pins, and Marlow a pair of blue starfish earrings. For myself, I selected a couple of postcards for my year-board.
My mum and I met my grandma, Ace, and Lina at the little museum. We browsed a bit, and I added another Trinidad button to my purse. When we'd finished browsing there, I gave them their presents.
Some of my favourite flowers flourish at the coast. Flowers such as forget-me-nots, love-in-a-mist, and poppies, among many others grow there in abundance.
My mum then took me to the little wine shop to do a wine tasting. I got to choose 6 wines for us to sample. There were seven that I especially wanted to taste, so the shop owner added it in free of charge.
Our favourite was a rose' called 'Ambrosia'. Mum got us a bottle of it, as well as a red wine that I liked called 'Dark as Night'.
When we met back at the car, Ace handed me something covered in bubble wrap. He and Lina had gone back to the gallery and purchased for me the cup I liked.
After we'd walked on the pier, and relaxed on the beach, we went to the local eatery for dinner. My grandma and Lina got the ever-popular clam chowder bread-bowls, and my mum, Ace, and I got clam linguine. Alex and Lina had hot chocolate, and I had a café cocoa. On the way out, we got a square of "tiger butter" fudge, which tasted very much like a peanut butter Snickers bar.
The next day, I woke up early, and had coffee with my mum and grandma again. A few years ago, we went to a nearby Victorian town called Ferndale. I wanted to go back again, and see the stunning historical houses and buildings, and explore the many vintage shops, so we got ready, and set out.
Before leaving town, we stopped at The Beach Comber's Café. As many times as we've been to Trinidad, we'd never tried it. They that run the shop are self-proclaimed "tree-huggers", so they don't use paper cups. Since I didn't have a travel mug with me, my mum and grandma went to fill the gas tank whilst Ace, Lina and I sat in the café. Lina got a glass of organic apple juice, and I got a cappuccino.
Then, we set off to Ferndale. The drive thitherto was beautiful, as is the town itself. The houses were as pretty as I'd remembered, and the shops were spiffing.
We bought each other a lot of presents in the various shops. I got a pair of green abalone butterfly earrings from my mum, a pair of blue flower abalone earrings from Ace and Lina, a rose-scented soap from Lina, an antique, black velvet bolero jacket from my grandma, and a pale blue-green vase and an "I <3 Ferndale" button from my mum.
In case you couldn't tell, I like hats. I like hats almost as much as I like shoes. Ferndale, being a Victorian town, prides itself on it's selection of vintage hats. I had fun trying them on. The one in the picture above was already mine, by the way; I brought it from home. I would have purchased one of Ferndale's amazing hats, but they are costly.
For lunch, we stopped at an outdoor café called Lost Coast Café and Bakery. The food was delicious, and the portions generous. The fellow who owns it does all of his own cooking and baking, much of which is organic and/or gluten free.
After lunch, we did some more shop-hopping, and took some pictures. Here's one of Lina, Ace and I.
After we left Lolita and headed back toward Trinidad, we stopped in Eureka, which boasts several delightful shops, three of which are included in our bag of traditions.
First, we went to Ciara's Irish Shop, which is full of beautiful things imported from the beautiful British Isles. So lovely... It makes me want to go even more.
Next, we went to Humboldt Herbs, where they have a wide selection of teas, among other things. I got some tea, and we browsed around. Some of their tea sets are very pretty.
The third tradition, sadly, is no more. For many years, there was a tiny candy shop right on the pier, in the center of which sat a motor boat, which was filled with a vast variety of flavours of salt water taffy. We always looked forward to getting taffy from the "taffy boat", but now the candy shop is gone, and a hotel has been put in it's place.
When we returned to the beach house, Ace and Lina went walking on the beach, whilst my mum, grandma and I took a final soak in the hot tub.
Then, we sat in the living room, and my mum and I finished our Ambrosia rose', and I finished my book, while they watched television.
The next morning, we cleared out of the beach house, and took a final walk on the beach, before heading to Arcata on our way home. We browsed some of the shops there, and then, for our final tradition, we intended to go to our favourite sweet shop called Bon Boniere. Much to our disappointment, however, the Bon Boniere has closed after 30 years of business. They used to have the most amazing ice cream, and baklava, and chocolate-covered cheese cake wedges, and tarts, etc.., and we'd laugh to ourselves at the way people pronounced it "Bon Bonner-ie". Alas for our two lost traditions. We loved them well.
Despite these two sad losses, I think we all had a very pleasant vacation. And for anyone who has never been to Trinidad, CA., I highly recommend it.
Trinidad is my favourite vacation spot. My family has vacationed there nearly every year since I was a very little girl, and it holds for me many fond memories and little traditions.
Rather than stay in a cabin in the redwoods a few miles from the beach, and we usually do, my grandma rented a beach house directly above the Seascape Restaurant, which is right on the pier, which is directly above a pretty little cove that I know well.
When we arrived, after we'd unloaded our luggage into the beach house. It wasn't upscale, but it was very cute, and cozy, and just what a beach house should be. There were three quaint little bedrooms, a comfortable living room with beachy blue walls, a fire place, a cable television, and a bookshelf stocked with a variety of novels, a balcony with a stunning view of the wharf and the cove, and a hot tub on the deck.
The first thing that we did after unloading the car, was to walk down to the restaurant. We first detoured to the cove, where there was a fat seal molting on the sand. It just lay there, even when people got close to it (rather too close), looking like a fat and lazy puppy, occasionally lifting its head to look about, and scratching its belly with it's little flipper.
The restaurant has changed owners several times over the years, but the food is still quite good. We all ordered clam chowder (one of our traditions), and my mum and I shared a glass of Chablis, which is a French white wine. I got a hot chocolate to go before we went walking on the beach (another tradition).
Here are some lovely pictures of Trinidad. It rained off and on during our stay, which resulted in some beautiful clouds, perfect for photographs.
Another tradition I have (there are many), is to take photographs of the backs of my brothers while they stand facing the ocean. It makes a lovely picture, especially during sunset. This year, I got one of Ace and Lina.
When we got back to the beach house, we put on our bathing suits and got in the hot tub. It was so nice to listen to the waves crashing only a few feet below us, and to feel the mist in our faces.
When everyone else had gone to bed, I sat in the living room and, listening to the tide, I finished my cocoa, and started reading a short, facetious little novel I found on the shelf called "The Sebastian Sisters - Evvie and Sixteen" by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
After I woke the next morning, I went downstairs and had a cup of coffee with my mum and grandma, and watched the weather report, and then when we were all ready, we went into town (a very small town it is) to Murphy's. Murphy's, to the untrained eye, is an inconsequential little food mart. In truth, however, it's an absolutely marvelous little food mart, full of organic and gourmet items, and a vast array of culinary delights.
After we'd stocked the beach house's kitchen with delicious edibles, we drove back into town, parked the car, and walked.
We started by browsing the art gallery. Ace and Lina are very fond of hand-crafted mugs, so we spent some time examining the selection. There was a blue-green one etched with bamboo leaves that I thought especially pretty.
While we browsed, there was lovely harp music playing. I assumed that the man who was looking over the gallery (a pleasant-looking, middle-aged man with a long grey ponytail) had put on a cd. When I turned around, however, the man himself was playing a small, gorgeous harp. I went and stood near him whilst he played, absolutely enthralled by the beauty of the music.
Although the song he played was not a Celtic one, I distinctly heard a Celtic sound in the music. When I told him so, he informed me that it was a Celtic harp, and then he played a Celtic song for me.
From there, we went to the WindanSea gift shop. It used to be called The Sea Around Us; fortunately, only the name has changed over the years.
My mum and I got Ace and Lina a sea turtle wind chime. I got my grandma a pair of handmade redwood sea turtle earrings, my mum a pair of green abalone earrings, my friend Lissa a blue tropical flower necklace, Daisy a pair of red-orange tropical flower hair pins, and Marlow a pair of blue starfish earrings. For myself, I selected a couple of postcards for my year-board.
My mum and I met my grandma, Ace, and Lina at the little museum. We browsed a bit, and I added another Trinidad button to my purse. When we'd finished browsing there, I gave them their presents.
Some of my favourite flowers flourish at the coast. Flowers such as forget-me-nots, love-in-a-mist, and poppies, among many others grow there in abundance.
My mum then took me to the little wine shop to do a wine tasting. I got to choose 6 wines for us to sample. There were seven that I especially wanted to taste, so the shop owner added it in free of charge.
Our favourite was a rose' called 'Ambrosia'. Mum got us a bottle of it, as well as a red wine that I liked called 'Dark as Night'.
When we met back at the car, Ace handed me something covered in bubble wrap. He and Lina had gone back to the gallery and purchased for me the cup I liked.
After we'd walked on the pier, and relaxed on the beach, we went to the local eatery for dinner. My grandma and Lina got the ever-popular clam chowder bread-bowls, and my mum, Ace, and I got clam linguine. Alex and Lina had hot chocolate, and I had a café cocoa. On the way out, we got a square of "tiger butter" fudge, which tasted very much like a peanut butter Snickers bar.
The next day, I woke up early, and had coffee with my mum and grandma again. A few years ago, we went to a nearby Victorian town called Ferndale. I wanted to go back again, and see the stunning historical houses and buildings, and explore the many vintage shops, so we got ready, and set out.
Before leaving town, we stopped at The Beach Comber's Café. As many times as we've been to Trinidad, we'd never tried it. They that run the shop are self-proclaimed "tree-huggers", so they don't use paper cups. Since I didn't have a travel mug with me, my mum and grandma went to fill the gas tank whilst Ace, Lina and I sat in the café. Lina got a glass of organic apple juice, and I got a cappuccino.
Then, we set off to Ferndale. The drive thitherto was beautiful, as is the town itself. The houses were as pretty as I'd remembered, and the shops were spiffing.
We bought each other a lot of presents in the various shops. I got a pair of green abalone butterfly earrings from my mum, a pair of blue flower abalone earrings from Ace and Lina, a rose-scented soap from Lina, an antique, black velvet bolero jacket from my grandma, and a pale blue-green vase and an "I <3 Ferndale" button from my mum.
Here's a picture of me wearing the earrings from Ace and Lina.
In case you couldn't tell, I like hats. I like hats almost as much as I like shoes. Ferndale, being a Victorian town, prides itself on it's selection of vintage hats. I had fun trying them on. The one in the picture above was already mine, by the way; I brought it from home. I would have purchased one of Ferndale's amazing hats, but they are costly.
For lunch, we stopped at an outdoor café called Lost Coast Café and Bakery. The food was delicious, and the portions generous. The fellow who owns it does all of his own cooking and baking, much of which is organic and/or gluten free.
After lunch, we did some more shop-hopping, and took some pictures. Here's one of Lina, Ace and I.
After we left Ferndale, we followed yet another family tradition by going to the (very) tiny nearby town called Loleta. Amongst the few, rather dilapidated houses, there is the Loleta Cheese Factory.
Years ago, when I was very small, we went there for the first time, and we bought a package of cheese curds, that, we were told, would squeak when chewed. My brothers and I tried it, and were delighted to discover that it did squeak, and henceforth, "squeaky cheese" became one of our coastal traditions.
We got our "squeaky cheese", and my mum selected a brick of gourmet cheese, and a few bars of chocolate (they sell many other things there besides cheese), and Ace, Lina and I went out into the Cheese Factory's lovely garden.
After we left Lolita and headed back toward Trinidad, we stopped in Eureka, which boasts several delightful shops, three of which are included in our bag of traditions.
First, we went to Ciara's Irish Shop, which is full of beautiful things imported from the beautiful British Isles. So lovely... It makes me want to go even more.
Next, we went to Humboldt Herbs, where they have a wide selection of teas, among other things. I got some tea, and we browsed around. Some of their tea sets are very pretty.
The third tradition, sadly, is no more. For many years, there was a tiny candy shop right on the pier, in the center of which sat a motor boat, which was filled with a vast variety of flavours of salt water taffy. We always looked forward to getting taffy from the "taffy boat", but now the candy shop is gone, and a hotel has been put in it's place.
When we returned to the beach house, Ace and Lina went walking on the beach, whilst my mum, grandma and I took a final soak in the hot tub.
Then, we sat in the living room, and my mum and I finished our Ambrosia rose', and I finished my book, while they watched television.
The next morning, we cleared out of the beach house, and took a final walk on the beach, before heading to Arcata on our way home. We browsed some of the shops there, and then, for our final tradition, we intended to go to our favourite sweet shop called Bon Boniere. Much to our disappointment, however, the Bon Boniere has closed after 30 years of business. They used to have the most amazing ice cream, and baklava, and chocolate-covered cheese cake wedges, and tarts, etc.., and we'd laugh to ourselves at the way people pronounced it "Bon Bonner-ie". Alas for our two lost traditions. We loved them well.
Despite these two sad losses, I think we all had a very pleasant vacation. And for anyone who has never been to Trinidad, CA., I highly recommend it.
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