Category Archives: Coffee Thoughts

February 26, 2020 · 13:01

Spring is sprung!

Crocuses in the edges of the rain garden.

Tomorrow I am taking  off to go to the NW Garden and Flower Show. It would be my third time but Francis said No! when I tried to go last year the day after my ankle repair.  He is such a party pooper.  So this will be my second time attending and first time attending in the middle of the week.  I have a happy list of classes to take and seminars to sit in on and a goal of learning how to turn the backyard into a meadow full of wildflowers.

And yes, there’s a good chance I will buy plants too since they have a place to check your purchases and Francis has agreed to pick me up at the convention center if needed.

i am hopeful that the weather this weekend will be conducive to gardening.

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Filed under Coffee Thoughts, Wednesday

February 13, 2020 · 13:27

commitment

It’s me again. Posting twice in the same month—that’s a damned fine start if you ask me.

Tomorrow is my one year anniversary of breaking my first, and hopefully last, bone.  I broke my left ankle in two places by stepping on ice I thought was snow. Because  my hands were full, I couldn’t catch my balance and crash down went I.

Continue reading →

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Filed under Coffee Thoughts, Thursday

February 6, 2020 · 12:29

Me Again

 

Cooking: the Early Years

I’m not going to fill in all the gaps since my last post. I ought to but I won’t, at least not now. I may in the future fold in things that will explain what’s happened since going to London or moving but not today.

Today I can formally proclaim I have fucking breast cancer AGAIN. It’s a new primary (that’s good) and I can manage with another lumpectomy versus a mastectomy (also good) but it’s still twice in 10 years and that sucks.

Surgery is March 3. Radiation to follow.

Over the last year, I have pondered and thought and come to a resolution which this diagnosis has only served to solidify. This year, I am retiring. This is my last lunch break at Starbucks on a February 6 because after November, I will be retired.

Who knows, I may actually have time to make that jam.

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Filed under Coffee Thoughts, Thursday

September 24, 2015 · 13:22

This Year

This year there will be no one dying of cancer or just dead of cancer or going through treatment for cancer.
There will be no one having surgery or in the hospital.
There will be no work crisis.
There will be no flu.

There will be hand made gifts finished before the holiday.
There will be a holiday party to make up for years of missed parties and half-assed parties.
There will be home cured gravlax and ham.
There will be fresh baked buns on Christmas morning.
There will be goose and pudding.
There will be special crackers for each person with unique treats and maybe even a poem.
There will be cookies and homemade candy.
There will be boxes of treats and presents sent out.
There will be family time and reading and playing board games and watching family favorites on television.
There will be Boxing Day.

There will be Christmas.

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Filed under Coffee Thoughts, Thursday

June 23, 2015 · 13:47

When I Grow Up

When I wasn’t paying attention, I grew up.  Not just the done with school, moved out of the house part but the gray hair and the slightly achy joints, the need for bi-focals, the forgetting how to knit a particular stitch.  Last night I pretended I hadn’t grown up.  I pursuaded the family to pile into the car at nearly 11 at night and we drove off into the darkness in hopes of seeing the Aurora Borealis.  We drove a considerable distance –nearly 100 miles roundtrip — but we didn’t find the Aurora, only stars and satellites, the Milky Way and the darkness.  For a brief moment I felt all the promise and possibilities again.  I didn’t get to bed until 2:30 but that was okay.  When I woke up this morning I felt enthusiastic and hopeful again.

Its scary to contemplate the end that is near.  Not near in the immediate sense but near in that its closer than the start of things.  I can understand why people cling to the idea of god and heaven and an after life—the idea that this is it is so huge and daunting and downright frightening.  This is It and yet, what the heck have I done?  I have debts, a job I feel meh about, not enough free time, not enough money to retire, no real idea of what I would do if I did retire.

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Filed under Coffee Thoughts, Tuesday

June 2, 2015 · 13:36

actually cooking

I cooked something last night besides dinner.

I tried this recipe for “Burnt Miso Butterscotch.”  I read the recipe on-line a couple of weeks ago and found it fascinating if for no other reason than it requires one to purposefully burn food meant to be eatten which is usually NOT my goal.

To be honest, I’m not really sure if I actually “made” the recipe since I’m clueless as to how it should taste and I had to do some substitutions and tweaking (shocked, shocked and appalled!!) like white wine vinegar in lieu  of sherry vinegar and demerara sugar instead of straight brown sugar and well, I’m pretty sure it was shiro miso since I’m not big on the other kinds but I just went for the half empty container instead of opening the new one I bought special for the recipe (look honey!  I reduced Open Unused Stuff in the fridge!!!!!) and my blender  has never quite recovered from making crumbs for meat balls so I had to rely on the hand blender.  And I only really had enough ingredients to make half a batch and the family hanging out in the kitchen was  pretty convinced things that come out of the oven burnt are Not meant to be eaten so I couldn’t get anyone to try it last night BUT I think I will eat a few more spoonfuls before I render a final review but in the interim, may I throw out the word UMANI for consideration? Like a slightly sweet version of Marmite. . . hmmm, lunch might have been better spent chasing crumpets as opposed to blogging because then I could go home and toast a crumpet and spread it with some burnt miso butterscotch.

Maybe tomorrow.

 

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Filed under Coffee Thoughts, Tuesday, Uncategorized

April 17, 2015 · 13:03

Between my last post and now

life sort of fell apart. Right now, I’m not really up for a rehash. Suffice to say, the last year was, once again, NOT ONE OF OUR BEST!!!!!

and now to move on.

image

 

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Filed under Coffee Thoughts, Friday, Uncategorized