Friday, May 22, 2009

This is where I spent a good deal of time yesterday afternoon. On perfect days, I like to lay in the grass, looking up and just listening and absorbing the goodness... This was my view:






Grace was a bit confused, but definitely wanted to be part of the action... and I would never deny her.

Wild Foods Weekend, Episode 4

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Meatless Monday

Monday, May 18, 2009

I'm going to start a new series called Meatless Monday, in honor of the campaign, and also because I am a semi-vegetarian. I say semi, because I now eat fish, and I also enjoy cheese and dairy products. Here we go...!

Chickpea Curry
This is a super easy vegan recipe that you can whip up with pantry food on a moment's notice. John & I will often just eat this served over some Basmati rice (the world's best). Many thanks to Uncle Bob, who shared the original recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion
• 1 bell pepper (any color)
• 1/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger (or ginger paste from a jar), if you have it
• 1 tsp diced garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 can Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with Garlic and Olive Oil
• 1 can Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
• 1/4 tsp. Curry powder
• 1/4 tsp. Turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. Garam Masala
• 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon

1. If you want rice with it (I generally do), start that first.
2. Dice the onion and bell pepper.
3. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
4. If you're OCD like me, measure the spices into a ramekin so they'll be ready when you need them, and get the ginger and garlic ready. Open the can of tomatoes.
5. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.
6. Cook up the onion and bell pepper in the saucepan, until the onion is translucent.
7. Add the ginger, garlic, curry, turmeric, garam masala, and cinnamon. If you don't have the ginger or garam masala, that's ok. If you don't have the turmeric or curry... well, all right then. If you don't have cinnamon you probably shouldn't even be in your kitchen right now. Turn off the stove. Step away.
8. Stir thoroughly to blend in all the spices.
9. Add the rinsed chickpeas and the (undrained) can of tomatoes, cook together for another 5 minutes or so, until the chickpeas are heated through.
10. Add salt and pepper to taste, serve with rice if desired.

So good, and very quick and easy!! It's delicious.

Wild Foods Weekend, Post 3

Sunday, May 17, 2009

This has been a bit of a long time coming. I'll keep these coming more regularly going forward... I promise!

Misc. & Garden updates

Saturday was a perfect weekend day for me. We started out our morning at the farmer's market and then headed out to Floyd. I bought the awesome hand crafted coffee mug shown below, we looked around a bit and hit my favorite store on the way back toward Blacksburg. We stopped in Christiansburg and picked up some gorgeous flowers for the front porch and mailbox and headed for home. I spent the afternoon putting the flowers out, and John and I followed it up with a fantastic dinner on our front porch. Great shot of John & Gracie, pre-dinner, below.

































On Sunday we did some work in the garden. I planted out a bunch of the tomatoes I'd started many months before indoors, as well as some cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, white bush scallop squash, table queen bush squash, bell peppers, okra and eggplant. Now all I need is a bit warmer weather so that everything will start to grow faster!! The beans I put out direct seed a week or so ago are starting to come up, as you can see in the 2nd pic below.




























Come on, warm weather!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." -Friederich Nietzsche

Monday, May 11, 2009

Murphy Baute
01/04/2002 - 05/05/2009

I am sorry for my silence; it is not without cause. Last week, my seven year old little boy died in my arms. There are some who will mock, diminish or disdain the love I have for Murphy. I ask those to please keep any such thoughts to yourself. I have no children. Murphy is my son.

John took Murphy to the vet on Monday, one week ago today. Murphy had been having diarrhea since Saturday morning, which hadn't gotten better, and by Monday afternoon he seemed to be in clear discomfort. The vet discovered he had extremely enlarged lymph nodes and made an initial diagnosis of lymphoma. They aspirated the lymph node, and told us to return in the morning so that they could run blood tests and complete the testing on the aspiration.

Late Monday evening it was clear that Murphy was in a severe state of distress. We found an emergency clinic in Christiansburg that is open 24 hours and took him in. They were able to do blood work and x-rays while we waited, and diagnosed him with Stage 4 Lymphoma that had extended to his liver and all lymph nodes. All information indicates that treatment against this type of cancer provides, at best, a very brief respite (via intense chemotherapy) before the cancer returns. The vet gave us some pain medication and steroids, and recommended an oncology consult ASAP if we decided to follow through with the chemo.

We administered the medications, but Murphy continued to steadily decline overnight. We were able to arrange for in-home veterinary care, and a very kind vet came and helped us let Murphy go, at home, in our bed, in my arms, at about noon on Tuesday, May 5, 2009.

I have no words to describe the depth of my pain. All I have are questions that will never be answered. Was he in pain? Did he feel safe? Could I have done more? Should I have fought harder? How could I let him go? Will I ever stop feeling the unbearable clenched pressure in my chest? Why didn't I spend more time at home in the weeks before he died? Why can't I dream about him? Did he know that I loved him? Was he afraid? How can I be here, acting normal and even laughing?

I am so afraid. I am afraid of losing him. I am afraid of forgetting him. I am afraid of not honoring him. I have been afraid to share my sorrow and thoughts and memories... Because I could not bear it if any one disrespected his memory. I have been afraid that if I share the pain of his loss with those who didn't know him, who couldn't suffer it to the same extent, who couldn't possibly understand, that it will diminish it somehow.

I cannot be silent. He deserves so much more. This is the last thing that I can give to him. My continued and neverending honor, respect, and sorrow.