Archive for October, 2007

October 30th, 2007 - Thanking

I’ve been forgetting about this…

Today, I’m thankful for

music
books
paperclips
pens
paper

Who says the little things in life aren’t worth being thankful for?

Posted in Thoughts | 2 Comments »

October 30th, 2007 - Piano update

We’ve decided there’s too much smoke smell for us to keep the piano. I’m hoping I can sell it for about what I’ve put into it between moving and cleaning/fixing it up. I’ll put up a Craig’s List posting tomorrow; if it doesn’t sell in 1-2 weeks, then we go to the newspaper classifieds (which will cost, since it will be listed for more than $200). If it were just me, I’d keep airing it out and cleaning it. But the smell really bothers Eric. And since he’s around it more than I am…. I only notice it walking past–with the lid open. So I think it’s really quite tolerable. And more cleaning/airing would surely decrease it even more.

In other news, I LOVE HAVING A PIANO IN THE HOUSE.

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October 29th, 2007 - Fresh ground wheat flour

A few weeks ago, I bought a hand crank grain mill, The Family Grain Mill. Yesterday, I FINALLY used it. It took me about 25 minutes to grind 1# of organic hard red wheat berries at the finest setting. (This was after grinding .8# and forgetting to time it. So 1# probably takes less time if that’s all I do.) Wheat berries cost less than flour, but since I’m buying organic ones I probably won’t end up saving all that much money–over the cost of unbleached white flour at the store at least. Compared to the stone ground organic wheat flour I like to buy, it’s probably going to come out a bit even. Except that the mill cost over $100 so I won’t come out even until I make an awful lot! (Except that I paid for the mill out of my own spending money. So the house might save grocery money. And storage money–I won’t have to store whole wheat flour in the freezer anymore–you grind as you need it. Or in my case, probably once a week I’ll do about 1.5-2# at a time. Once I buy some in bulk.)

I also got a book about whole wheat bread making. I don’t know how well the recipes work in bread machines–maybe there’s a whole wheat bread machine book out there–but will try. The thing is–they are 100% whole grain breads, no white flour at all. If I could actually bake bread like that that came out nice that would be awesome. For now, I usually sub about 1 cup of ww flour for white flour in any given recipe. (And I make a “super flour” that adds in soy flour, wheat germ, flax seed meal, and nutritional yeast.)

Oh yeah–another advantage is that my arms get a small workout grinding the grain! Much more than carrying the 5# bags of flour every now and then a couple feet. :)

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October 26th, 2007 - Smoke and piano

The piano arrived yesterday morning. Luckily, Eric was sick so I stayed home–because I had to clean it! And very unfortunately, it smells of cigarette smoke. Not sure yet what we’ll do. I’m trying to clean it, but am not sure I should clean the interior of course, and so probably can get rid of the smell. I don’t think it’s too bad, but it did smell worse this morning. Perhaps yesterday was better because I’d been cleaning it! The previous owner said she had done a lot of cleaning with Murphy’s Oil Soap. So did I! If we can’t stand the smell, and we’re pretty sensitive to cigarette smoke, I will try to sell it for $300 (which would cover the movers and the supplies to fix it;l maybe I’ll shoot for $50 over if I can. Someone can always offer less.). All cleaned up, I might be able to get that, I hope. We’ll see.

It already looks better with a couple hours of cleaning. I also got the permanent marker letters off the front of the keys, and am over 1/7th of the way through getting the taped letters off the tops. Apparently, a past owner needed many reminders of what key is what. I used Ink-Away from the makers of Goo-Gone for the permanent marker. Was very slick! I’m using elbow grease for the tape residue. I could use Goo-Gone, but I hate that it’s a petroleum product. So far, elbow grease, a rag, and some soap and water is working just fine, albeit a bit more slowly. I also need to find two knobs for the key cover (the screws are still there, just not the knobs), and fix the music stand. Looks like someone ripped it off, and the screws aren’t there anymore. I wonder if I can fix where the screws went in the stand with some wood glue and clamps? The front left roller is not well-attached the leg ends in duct tape. Not sure what we’ll find when we take the tape off. Hoping that’s fixable as well. It sits just fine in the current shape, although it leans quite a bit to the right. I only noticed when looking at it from the living room.

Luckily, it’s in tune! I think the first B above middle C might be a bit out of tune, but not much and the other keys sound fine. A couple are a bit sticky. I fixed some of them by pulling out a photo that had fallen in. Maybe the others will get better with more cleaning. I intend to vacuum the interior as much as possible next.

This weekend I’ll go over it all again with Murphy’s, including the side I couldn’t reach yesterday and hopefully also the back. Or, I found a website that recommended mineral spirits for cleaning then Lemon Pledge to mask the smell. Another site suggested sprinkling baking soda on for a few days, although I hesitate to do that to a piano. I put some cups out on top (although in the past, Pi has been known to try to eat baking soda, making him look rabid). I might buy some fridge/freezer ones, which have covered vents, to put inside. I’m afraid of putting anything open inside in case I forget and hit keys, or Maggie does, and it gets knocked over. I might also sprinkle some areas with b’soda at night, and vacuum it up before cats can walk through it.

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October 24th, 2007 - Today, I am thankful for

almost 3-year-olds who still sleep in cribs
generous sick days at work (Eric is sick today)
a workplace that is safe for kids (I have an appointment Maggie will go to with me)
Freecycled pianos (may arrive tomorrow!)
stars (have been enjoying them now that it’s dark when I get up)

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October 23rd, 2007 - Thankfullness

Today, I am thankful for

NPR
iPods that allow me to listen to NPR on my walk to work
access to fitness activities at work for a very low annual cost
advanced medical technology and knowledge
WordPress (my blogging software)

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October 22nd, 2007 - Thank you, Monday morning

Ooops, forgot about thankfulness this weekend, although I did remember to post something!

Today, I am thankful for

warm days in October
friends like Ruth (co-host of the Pampered Chef party yesterday)
music
doctors and nurse practitioners
older brothers

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October 21st, 2007 - Not planting sunflowers again

I was quite excited about my sunflowers. They were beautiful this summer and I looked forward to their seeds.

I’m not longer looking forward to them.

I started shelling them yesterday. In 45 minutes of work, I got less than 1/4 cup, and Maggie ate them all (except the 2 I had). 45 minutes! And I have at least 5x that many to go. I’m rather glad the mice got to them now! Otherwise, I probably would give most of them to the birds, as Eric has suggested.

I followed suggestions online which said the easiest way to shell them was to put them in a bag and run a rolling pin over them. Then, put them in water and the shells will float while the seeds sink. I didn’t do the latter part, luckily, as less than half were completely split by the pin. Most had to be opened and some weren’t even cracked! And I used the rolling pin for at least 5 minutes, then again in between each handful I pulled out.

Yes, I could salt and roast them in the shell and break them apart with my teeth instead. But neither Eric nor I eat sunflower seeds that way very often so there’s no great desire for that.

Maybe I should just feed them to the birds. I can buy 2 cups of sunflower seeds for just a couple dollars (or less!) so is it really worth that many hours of my time? I could do them while watching TV I was thinking. But….

I also did some garden cleanup yesterday and picked ground cherries. Still no sign of a frost so the peppers are still growing. Unfortunately, the beans are not drying up, neither the ones on the vines nor the ones I put in the garage. :( And I planted garlic. I don’t know which heads are which, so I just took one soft necked and one hard necked. In addition, it appears that some of the seed heads I popped off had developed enough, and I have garlic shoots throughout the bed. Oh my! Once I realized what they were, I stopped pulling them and we’ll see what we get next summer. The seeds I planted last fall grew as well, but stayed small all year and are still there. So I left them as well. Who knows what I’ll harvest next summer?

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October 19th, 2007 - New (to me) pasta dish

See? It’s working already. 3 posts in one day!

Anyway, the other night, I finally tried a new pasta dish. Usually, when we have pasta, I put either red sauce (homemade or canned), butter + herbs + garlic powder, or pesto on it (all with grated parm cheese, of course). Last week at a conference, I had a lovely pasta dish with sauteed veggies and a light pesto sauce. I knew I could easily make that at home. So on Monday night, I did!

I chopped up veggies in the fridge–pepper, carrot, tomato I think I had–and a clove of garlic and sauteed them in olive oil. I tried to do it like Rachel Ray does and start cooking while continuing to chop. That stressed me out trying to keep up with everything–also had to heat up the pasta (leftovers), get out plates, pour milk. Next time, I’ll chop it all then cook. Will only add a few minutes time and less stress. Maggie can also help more, then, since the stove won’t be on while I’m prepping the veggies. After it seemed pretty well-cooked, I threw in one cube of pesto from the freezer. This is also a nice way to make my pesto stretch through more meals; when eating just it, we use 3 cubes.

It was quite yummy and I had just enough leftover for lunch the next day. Unfortunately, Maggie didn’t eat the veggies, however. She has a tendency to do that. Using sauce is a better way of getting her to eat her veggies.

I didn’t measure anything. I just chopped up what looked good. Veggies were all from the garden, although the pepper may have been from the farmer’s market.

Of course, I won’t be able to make this dish for much longer, but I will have tomatoes for at least another month and perhaps the peppers will hold in the fridge that long as well. I saw that some more were growing in the garden the other night–pretty small but perhaps they will get bigger before we have a frost. I can’t believe it’s mid-October and no frost yet in WI!

Posted in Garden, Food | No Comments »

October 19th, 2007 - Giving thanks

Last night, the Oshkosh Covenant Group met for the first time. CGs are intentional small groups within my UU Fellowship, a way to find a deeper spiritual connection within the wider community. We meet monthly for 2 hours for discussion. We also commit to at least one service activity for the Fellowship and one to our community. Since the Fellowship is in Appleton, about a 30-40 minute drive from all of us, this is a way to connect with others without driving so far! (In fact, 3/4s of the group, by coincidence, live within about a 5 block radius and mostly won’t have to even drive to the group, which will meet in each other’s homes.) I like the community service part, because while the Fellowship engages in quite a bit of community work, it is mostly in Appleton since the majority of the congregation lives there. So this is our chance to reach out to our community instead.

Anyway, our topic for next month is Thanksgiving. Yesterday, another blog author said she was going to write 5 things she’s thankful for until Thanksgiving Day. I’m now going to do the same as a way of preparing for the CG. Plus, it’s just a good idea to remind ourselves of the blessings in our lives. I may not do it every day, but I will try. Plus, perhaps this will get me posting more regularly over the next month!

Today, I am thankful for

fertile soil that gave me a bountiful garden this year.
a daughter who gets to join me for lunch.
crunchy leaves to walk in.
free libraries.
a group of women who are interested in deep conversation.

Oooh, that was harder than I expected. I started qualifying some of them (like that “But it’s rainy today so the leaves aren’t crunchy.”) but that is not going to be allowed! I still love crunchy leaves even if I don’t get them today!

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October 19th, 2007 - Teach ‘em young

Yesterday, when Eric and Maggie were getting ready to go out, Maggie made sure she had a canvas bag with her! She’s already learned to bring your own bag instead of choosing paper or plastic! woohoo!!!!

Actually, it’s probably more that she likes to carry things. On the other hand, she likes to copy what we do, and since I usually carry a bag, she like to carry a bag.

Either way, it’s getting through to her to reuse bags. And she’s not yet three!

Posted in Kids | 1 Comment »

October 15th, 2007 - More on carbon offsetting

I felt good earlier this year when I offset my driving to church. I’ve changed my mind. A new study from Tufts University recommends The Carbon Fund only with reservations. One of those is that they underestimate the emissions and have a very low cost set to the tonnage. I should have gone with Native Energy, or one of the other three they recommend. Maybe next year.

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October 3rd, 2007 - Sharing sunflowers

I forgot about something else I did this weekend: I gave away most of my sunflower seeds!

To mice!

I went to get something from the back garage and realized that instead of a few loose seeds around one or two of the drying heads, all of them had piles of shells around them. When I’d noticed this a couple weeks ago, I thought I’d knocked some seeds out of a head–no big deal. But now, I’d lost over half my harvest to mice. At least, I’m guessing mice. Didn’t see them in action so have no idea.

At least they left the strawberry corn alone.

I finished the job of removing the seeds. It looks like they probably got the majority of the good seeds. There were lots of seeds that felt thin and are probably just shells. I have no idea how I will dry them in the future. Nor what I will do about drying my beans. That worked well last year back there, but I’m afraid they will eat up my dried beans now. And I have such lovely large screens this year! (Formerly the front porch windows, which are nearly 6′ square.)

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October 2nd, 2007 - Pampered Chef party

Ruth and I are hosting a Pampered Chef party. On the exceedingly off chance that you, dear reader, are a PC fan and don’t live in Oshkosh, you can order online! (Hosts get freebies and discounts based on the amount of sales at the party. Your online order counts for me, too, just be sure to do it before the party, Oct 21.)

See, I happen to like Pampered Chef and have only ever been invited to two parties, one as a guest of Ruth–IE, not a regular invite from someone who knew me although I actually do know the host–and would attend one in a heartbeat because I rather enjoy them and their products. So I figured on the off chance it wouldn’t hurt to post here. You never know…. When I was a kid, my Mom sometimes when to Tupperware parties. I was so disappointed that kids never got to go. And by the time I was adult, they didn’t do the parties anymore. Or, if they do, I’ve never heard of one. But PC does it and it sounds much like the ones Mom went to. (Only, admittedly, not quite as inexpensive, but then again, TW isn’t cheap anymore either.)

Posted in General | 2 Comments »

October 2nd, 2007 - The weekend

Due to being sick, I felt like I had a very lazy weekend. Then I started to list things I’d done:

* Canned salsa (made on Wed)
* Made garden vegetable harvest juice (not enough to can, but froze a bit, was just trying out the recipe for future use)
* ran errands and went to the farmer’s market
* Did a few loads of laundry (quite a few. Between us, Eric and I did four rounds of one load. We spilled some of Jedi’s fish oil supplement and turns out it doesn’t wash our very well. We tried. FOUR TIMES. Also did regular laundry.)
* Baked two breads (plus a third yesterday)
* Made donut muffins
* All the usual stuff like taking care of Maggie, some house cleaning, finances, etc.

Plus fun stuff like reading books and watching TV!

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My Adventures in Simple Living

Archive for October, 2007

October 30th, 2007 - Thanking

October 30th, 2007 - Piano update

October 29th, 2007 - Fresh ground wheat flour

October 26th, 2007 - Smoke and piano

October 24th, 2007 - Today, I am thankful for

October 23rd, 2007 - Thankfullness

October 22nd, 2007 - Thank you, Monday morning

October 21st, 2007 - Not planting sunflowers again

October 19th, 2007 - New (to me) pasta dish

October 19th, 2007 - Giving thanks

October 19th, 2007 - Teach ‘em young

October 15th, 2007 - More on carbon offsetting

October 3rd, 2007 - Sharing sunflowers

October 2nd, 2007 - Pampered Chef party

October 2nd, 2007 - The weekend

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