sweet and good

Husband is home from his trip.  It's sweet to end a busy day by being together.
In our bed, there's a cat at the top of each pillow and a third squashed in the middle.  We are surrounded by purr and fur.
The dog is in her crate by the bedside (she's a miraculous Lazarus).  She had a death sentence on Sunday and is now back to full blooming life.
We'll finish our tea and read a chapter from our lovely book.  Then we'll hunker down and fall asleep, safe and warm from the windstorm outside.

(Kurt Halsey)

It's good to be here, good to have it now.  We look forward to the good tomorrow brings.
All we have is Christ.

In the world but not of it

After misadventures galore (mostly revolving around a sick kitty) we finally made it up to the U.P.  Our 5 day trip was downgraded to 3 days, but it was better than not going at all.

Why would anyone want to visit the U.P. you ask, with its half redneck half Canadian infusion?  A culture where commercialism has de-evolved into "Discount Genuine Moccasins" and kitschy Yooper...kitsch at every corner. Why you ask again?  Because we are able to stay far, far away from that kind of nonsense in a place that can only be found in 4-wheel drive.

We hide ourselves away on 300 acres of wooded land, in a cabin built on a beautiful creek (read: swimming holes, waterfalls, rock formations to climb/slip/slide upon).  A cabin with no electricity and a hand pump sink for running water.  Kerosene lanterns and candles give us light.  A fireplace, wood-cook stove and wood heater keep out the U.P. cold.

(taken previously...the leaves had already fallen when we arrived)

At the cabin, we wake with the sun and the sound of the bubbling creek.  We ignite a great fire with the glowing coals left from last night's fire.  A kettle for coffee is put on to warm and the rest of the morning is open to whatever we wish.  We make big breakfasts, eat cheese and smoked whitefish for lunch, and throw together giant dinners in the fading light.  In between the meals we read, explore outside, shoot guns, chop firewood, play cards, clear out paths and whatever else we choose.  We sleep to deep darkness outside, the creek sounding beneath us and wood crackling in the heater.  

(our dinner of grilled fish, fresh salad, smashed red potatoes and cinnamon rolls)

Time passes very strangely at the cabin.  At home, we find ourselves aware of every passing minute.  We scurry about to fit our job/errands/social life within the short hours of the day.  At the cabin we take as long as needed for the job to get done.  We relish the activity for its own sake, not because completing it shortens some self-imposed schedule.  When I was outside after nightfall, I can't tell you how long I looked at the stars (so many, many stars).  It could have been 2 minutes, it could have been 20.  I know that I looked until my heart was satisfied.  No rush.  Tom went for a walk during the day and I know he did the same.  Neither of us know how long he was gone; he was engrossed in his exploration and I in my book.  Besides the sun, we are removed from time and all else of the outside world.  We hear, see, smell, touch and taste more clearly.  We think and speak with more care and depth.  We are given over 'to burn always with this hard, gem-like flame'.

We head back again, Lord willing, next month.  We may get snowed in and I think that would only enhance the 'separateness' of the place.  I could handle snowshoes...

B

For Dinner

As requested by my husband, I'm whipping up this delicious, fresh and healthy dinner tonight (thank you Whole Foods).  Perhaps we can snap a picture before it gets inhaled.  I'm thinking a nice raw kale salad and white wine (as yet undecided) will be just the thing to complete the meal.

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

4 (6-ounce) cans albacore tuna, drained well
1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives
2 tablespoons finely chopped capers
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano 

Low-fat mayonnaise to taste (I ended up using about 1/4 cup)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Put all ingredients into a large bowl and gently fold together until well combined.  I let the flavors develop by covering the bowl and chilling in the fridge for an hour.
Slice and toast fresh bread (we're partial to Super Target's asiago cheese demi loaf).  Cover with tuna and enjoy!

B

Pretty Trailer

Might not be Titus, but we still can't wait.

T & B

A tune for your Thursday

Windows of the apartment are wide open today :)  I'll take every second of this sunshine and warm(ish) weather I can get.
Also, I'll take The Raconteurs playing on the stereo while I check off my morning chores to-do list.



While I always expect to start hearing Robert Plant sing, I can live with Jack White and Ricky Skaggs.

B

L to the G

And now, dear readers, it's time for a game of 'Who Wore it Best?'

OR

There's been lots of recent press questioning the uniqueness and even validity of L. Gaga's fashion and persona.  Liz Jones of the DailyMail (my guilty pleasure for tabloid indulgence) has an interesting theory.  There are others who claim she is the fashion muse of our time.  I think the answer's somewhere in the middle, nestled snugly between Mad Hatter and RuPaul.

The best outfit--a crowd favorite--goes all the way back to summer of '09:

Setting: Germany.  Theme: Animal Rights/Vegetarianism.  Perhaps her switch to beef (it's what's for dinner) is meant to be ironic.

In the musical voice of Cake, 'perhaps, perhaps.......perrrrrrrrrrhaps'.

Movies for our future children

When recently asked about my favorite movie, I realized that I couldn't pick just one.  I instead gave (unasked) a top 10 list and placed Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang firmly in the middle.  The first time I saw that movie was when I was 9, stuck inside with head lice (everyone on my swim team got them...don't judge).  For three days I sat on the hardwood living room floor while my mother picked through my hair with a fine-toothed comb and washed my hair with medicated shampoo...rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat etc etc.
We rented Chitty Chitty Bang Bang mostly because, at a run time of 144 minutes, it was the longest movie we could find.  And in the midst of those tedious days, I fell in love.  A few reasons why the movie's just gosh darned wonderful: Roald Dahl wrote the screenplay, Dick Van Dyke, two precious and precocious children, a sheepdog named Edison, Lionel Jeffries, songs that stick in your head for weeks, toot sweets, and a Baron Bomburst.

All this to say, recently watching this movie again has made Tom and I begin to talk about what movies we will allow our children to watch, and what movies we will NOT.  I suffered through Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeaquel very much against my will; I will never place the same burden upon our future babes.
A quick, off-the-top-of my head-list of approved movies.  Movies that encourage at least one of the following: beauty, imagination, tenderness, adventure, stewardship, greatness, sacrifice, and selflessness.

Iron Giant
Last Unicorn
Spirited Away
Babe
The Point
The Triplets of Belleville
Never Ending Story
Charlotte's Web
The Thief of Bagdad
Most classic Disney cartoons (esp Peter Pan, Bambi, Dumbo, Beauty and the Beast, Jungle Book, and Fantasia)
The Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings series


And in the list of verboten:

Anything live action from the Disney channel (from Tom)
Most Nickelodeon cartoons
Most current t.v. shows
     I realize we've crossed over into cable/public broadcasting land, but I just wanted to add my disgust at children's tv.  Even if the shows were decent, we wouldn't be watching much, but at this low caliber...most likely never.

Too harsh?  Any suggestions for either category?

B