information highways, seasonal foods, and high tech

Well it has been so long I forgot how to post a new edition to this epistle. Speaking of the Bible, our study group, EFM, is in the second year and on the New Testament. I loved the language, the religious and historical significance of the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible but the New Testament is so relevant. Discussing the commandments the Essenes are said to have thought that swearing is worse than perjury because " one who is without an appeal to God stands condemned already." Now it could not be any clearer than that.
I have never claimed to understand computers, I just can turn on the TV, but I always thought I could follow directions. Having bought a router so I could work on my laptop in my dining room or wherever I was travelling at the time, I hooked it up two years ago to my desktop. Since then the only thing I have gotten from it is the nice blue night light. I thought it was my ancient laptop and I purchased a new one last week, guaranteed to work with my network. I probably failed to properly load and run a wizard on my desktop two years ago...and you guessed it. I got the same message when I tried to access the internet on my new laptop. No connection to internet recognized. I have called everyone I know, Staples, NetGear, Timewarner, and my brother but to no avail. Finally last night after about 6 hours, I must have frustrated the tech angels so they popped up on the screen a NetGear Wizard. Then after digging out an old portable floppy disc drive to carry directions from one computer to another, clicking on a lot of boxes....cutting the power to the router and modem ( by the way you don't want to watch that show...all the connections are down behind my desk...hands, knees you can't pull out a plug with one hand...the other is bracing my body from falling over onto the stuff stored under the desk...)
anyway I revived the internet on my desktop which had gone out and I can now access internet on the new laptop after clicking on several windows. No don't tell me how to fix it... It works!!!
Thank goodness for Williams and Sonoma's peppermint/chocolate snaps for seeing me through it.
They are like the Christmas Blend at Starbucks, only showing up at this time of year. My ongoing battle with Starbucks to get my drink right continued today. Imploring them not to put too much milk into my triple grande decafe cappacino with one splenda must have made an impression because for a change they got that right but forgot to add the splenda. I was told that it is hard not to pour too much milk into the drink because of the way they have to steam the milk for a cappacino????? I asked them if they could just stop pouring?????? oh well.
I am starting to collect things I hear on tv or radio which we do not need to hear. For instance, I heard two things today on NPR. The first was in a report on the "alleged" shooter at Ft. Hood, the reported was interviewing the defense attorney for the "alleged" shooter and either the attorney or the reporter stated " the man knew he was a suspect." Well if he did not he has more problems than I thought. I mean he was shot multiple times while he was inflicting pain and suffering on 13 people and in custody, how can he help knowing he was a suspect?
The second enlightenment came in coverage of the services for the fallen at Ft. Hood. The commentator was describing the event and discussed the 13 boxes with boots, rifle, helmet and dog tags. He then said, "a final roll call of those who died will be announced, of course they will not answer." I don't think that needs any further comment.
Well enough of this. I will have to save something for the next time.
Congrats to Davis Whitfield for being chosen over many other highly qualified candidates for the position recently vacated by retiring Charlie Adams-Executive Director of North Carolina High School Athletic Association.
Later
Sally

fall, food, clouds and taxes

Time flies and days are shorter. It must be fall. This is a time when churches get back into the swing after the summer rest. Meetings, practices, and bible study groups. Then our paint groups meet again on Monday and Tuesday mornings. It is nice to be busy. I was unexpectedly free on Thursday and decided to get the oil changed in my car, a Honda, and therefore a trip to Wilson was needed. How nice to find the Honda dealer is near Marshalls, Belks, Starbucks, and Harris Teeter. How great was that? I was so impressed with HT that I would probably go over just to get nice veggies and meats. We won't get one b/c of the three W--M---s in a 10 mile radius. That goes for a Lowes foods also. I did get some lovely Angus chuck roast to put in my Beef Bourgingnon and they had the nicest white pearl onions... All the way over and back my driving probably looked like I was fighting bees because I was trying to take pictures of the fantastic cloud formations and wherever I look is where my car goes. I did pull over once or twice.
Cecil has had an infection on his throat, between the skin and his windpipe. In four days it went from a grape size to a large golf ball size. The vet did a biopsy and gave his some antibiotics. The culture came back as two infections and by today it is nearly gone. I am so glad it was nothing worse. He is very dear to me.
I must have missed the county commissioners meeting where they tripled the car tax for this year. Boy was that a shock to get that bill. I am sure it will be like the gov's sales tax. By the time my car is old enough for the tax on it to go down, inflation will make it higher.
This time of year is so great with the cooler air. I can hardly wait for next week with temps in the 50's overnight. Time to open the windows. Hopefully no one is burning garbage or chicken feathers.
I was listening to NPR's radio program by National Geographic and will try to watch on Wednesday night channel 70 cable for a program about a man who spent several months surviving in Yukon with minimal supplies. He evidentally had interesting encounters with animals.
Many prayers for cousin Nancy in Pennsylvania who has suffered surgeries with her cancer and hopefully will be moved to a hospital nearer her home soon.
Sally

new songs, things discontinued and O'Keefe

I am not sure exactly why the "good old hymns" are periodically put to new melodies but it makes it tough. Probably comes under the heading of "old dogs" and "new tricks." Enough said.
Clever call to sing the new version of "O Master Let Me Walk With Thee" as an anthem and sing the old tune as a congregational hymn. Avoids a lot of conversation.
I wrote previously that I had become fond of red bush tea, especially the Republic of Tea flavor called "Safari Sunset" and wouldn't you know when I went on line to order some more, they had decided to stop carrying that kind. I was told the "cinnamon orange" was the same. Well of course it is not!! In comparing the ingredients the new flavor does not include cloves and something else I can't identify. I guess after reading this one could conclude that I don't do change very easily. I just don't do change when I do not understand the reason for it. Red bush tea is made from the rooibos tree and is really better for you than green tea. It is naturally decaffeinated. What more could you ask for?
Last night, LifeTime TV showed a movie about Georgia O'Keeffe. I have been a huge fan of this great American artist since the early 80's when I saw a picture of her red poppy on the cover of the Reader's Digest. Now that was a perfect magazine. I have read many things about her life, been to the Washington Museum to see her show just after her death, had many posters of her beautiful paintings hanging in my computer room, been to her first southwestern home in Abiquiu, New Mexico and have even been to Ghost Ranch and seen her mountain. I am sure it is partially from her story and paintings that I developed a love for the southwest landscape. As for the movie, while Jeremy Irons was everything that I had thought Stieglitz would be. I was disappointed in how Georgia was portrayed. It was the script and not the acting by Joan Allen.
I thought the movie portrayed O'Keeffe strong character overshadowed by her weakness for Stieglitz. I also thought that the make up for Allen as O'Keeffe in the late years could have been better. The clothes she wore were perfect. All in all I would give it a 7 out of 10 mostly for doing the movie in the first place.
I will be glad when PBS finishes the latest reprise of all the specials they had for the spring fund raisers. I hope sincerely they raise enough money. I depend on their shows especially Saturday and Sunday nights for quality entertainment amidst the garbage of reality offerings.
Sally

Tigers, birthdays, designer dogs

Just to make amends for not mentioning hummus in the last post, I must say there is one brand of hummus I really like. I can't remember the name but it begins with an "S" which brings up a grammatical problem. I wondered whether to use "a" or "an" with "S" but be cause the way it is pronounced sounds like a short "e" I chose "an" and I am sure that was interesting. Anyway the hummus is the garlic flavored and it is really smooth. I just can't do the little bits of garbanzo beans in my mouth. The subject came to mind last time because I had found little containers of the hummus with a container on top (single serving) of flat pretzel pieces. What a treat to carry for lunch, that is if I had to go to work.
Today would have been my mother's 100th birthday. She passed away in April of 2002. I remember her 90th birthday very well as it was the day of Floyd. The hurricane that one congresswoman from her area said was not just the worst hurricane of the last 500 years, it was the hurricane of the century!!! on TV!!! Anyway, my sister was visiting at the time and she and my mother stayed with us because the power was out in Greenville and nothing was open. We celebrated the birthday here anyway.
I was sent a picture of Tiger and his family. Let me clear that up. It was sent in email. Not by Tiger!!! The picture was of Tiger, his wife, his two sons, and two dogs. Both dogs are large and one is licking Tiger. The other looks like a labradoodle. It is a picture that will warm your heart and just about make you forget how the golf announcers make you feel about Tiger. My friend has a labradoodle named Ellie and she is beautiful. I have another friend who has one with puppies for sale.
Some think the Obamas have one but theirs is another breed. If the dogs have the best qualities of Labs and Poodles they will be unbeatable as a pet and friend.
I am going to meet friends at the Royal Tea Room for lunch today. I do love that place. The chicken salad sandwich with a garden salad and the shepherd's pie with salad are my favorites.
Enough for now.

traditionally built women, contacts and hometowns

I am afraid if you have not read Alexander McCall Smith's " No.1 Ladies Detective Agency" then the next subject will be boring. This is a series of books about a woman, Precious Ramatsowe, in Botswana who takes her inheritance and buys a detective agency. I have read each new installment in the 10 book series with joy. After the second, I pursued on the internet information about red bush tea and still periodically replenish my supply from Republic of Tea. It was with great happiness I learned about the TV series made from the books but with great sadness realized it was on HBO. Finally, just released is the DVD of the first year. Sometimes we are affected so strongly by things, words, sounds, and pictures and we do not understand why. Maybe I lived in Africa in a former life. For whatever reason when the DVD started with African chanting and pictures from a plane flying over plains filled with elephants, giraffes, and other animals, I could not stop the emotions from overwhelming me. It only got better with the introduction of the characters whom I had come to know well. Jill Scott as Precious, is a beautiful woman inside and out even if she is "traditionally built." When Grace Matsuki was introduced I knew without a doubt. She was perfect. I have only watched the first disc, with two shows, as I am trying to spread out my joy. There are two more and I am sure I will be sad when I have seen them all. The series is exquisitely done and is truly a beautiful poem to Botswana.
In my ongoing struggle with contact lens, I am exhausting all avenues to be able to see as well as I can with glasses. Back to the eye office today I went only to be told by the contact lens person that I will not be able to see as well with contacts as with glasses and that it is not me but the nature of contacts!!! After testing my sight with lens in, she told me my vision was really pretty good. My complaint is when driving, I am not able to read street signs to find where I am supposed to go. Her suggestion was to use my glasses. She said other companies are claiming to improve the lenses but so far have not been successful. Oh well.
There is something to be said for living in one place for over 30 years and that is running into people you know. I was in a "box" store which will remain nameless, and was looking for the friend who came in with me. I never found her, she had gone home, but I met two people whom I had not seen in a while and was able to catch up on their news. Another advantage to having lived here for so long is knowing when to get out into traffic and where it will be the worst. It did not take a long time however to know not to drive Memorial Boulevard in the morning or at lunch time. Speaking of lunch, I think Dr. Mac eats at Scholtzkys as much as I do.
The pest control person came yesterday and I was really impressed because he sprayed inside, out, brushed out cobwebs and sprayed for ants on the driveway. I even called his boss and told them what a great job he had done.

DVDs, being green, and Rick Steves

Somehow I need to find a way to get my VHS tapes to DVDs. Then I could get rid of this tv which has built in DVD and VHS players. It is the only way I have of seeing Caedfel series and the Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. I guess I could just come up with the money and buy them in DVD but....
I saw a piece of news, not the whole thing, but the part that said a law was proposed? to make it illegal to throw away plastic bottles. I am guessing that excludes recycling them. What will all the places do which do not recycle?? I know some places which throw away more cans and plastic bottles in a week than I go through in a year. If everyone recycles will the people who use this material be inundated with plastic??? I am reducing the number of plastic bottles I buy by cutting out sodas. I still have to buy water because I refuse to drink my home water. Sometimes when it comes out the first thing in the morning, it smells as if it came straight from the swamp. Other times it tastes as if it has baking soda in it. Anyway I recycle so just fuss at me for paying for water.
I do love Saturdays on public tv. First the Antiques Roadshow lets us see people emote over the old vase they had in the basement which is really worth thousands of dollars, then my personal favorite, Rick Steves, shows us the non-tourist places to go somewhere in Europe. His show was in Poland on Saturday last. I was amazed at how charming and modern Warsaw and Krakow were. Don't you just want to jump on a plane and visit those places??
If you get up at 6:15 on Sunday morning to go to early church, you have time after dressing, eating, and walking the dog to watch NC Spin on WRAL at 6:30am. Great show and they discuss topics relevant to us here in North Carolina. One topic this am was the use of roundabouts to reduce traffic accidents. Interestingly enough, I had heard on some other news program just yesterday, that some cities in the Netherlands had done away with traffic signs and signals altogether. Most people approved saying it makes everyone more aware and accountable. The video showed drivers watching out for those on bicycles and cyclists watching out for pedestrians and walkers watching out for everyone. Hmmmmmm!
Having made Julia's Boeuf Bourgingnon a second time, I think I have the recipe down. Yummmm. You just want to take a thick piece of bread and dip it into the gravy.
It is time to put on another layer of a painting demo for our watercolor group on Tues at the church.
Happy Labor Day
Sally

see food

I spent a few days in Snead's Ferry with friends. They put me to work as soon as I got there. It seems as if the tide was falling and it was just right to go shrimping. Shrimping had opened on the inter-coastal waterway or at least a certain part of it was open and you had to be careful to stay in the guidelines or you would get a ticket! The first pull was disappointing. We got 9 shrimp. Not 9 pounds, just 9 shrimp!! The next pull was much better and we headed back home with a good haul. Of course J had a meeting so M and I had to head and bag the shrimp. When J got home he and I went out in the boat to fish the crab pots. After culling the small and female we had enough for supper. What a feast and out on the porch with the breeze it was great. We followed this with cutthroat?? bridge. It is almost too easy.
The next day was filled with great stuff. Eating at the tea house on the water side in Wilmington, shopping, eating at my nephew's place, Havana's, in Carolina Beach and finally meeting with M's daughter and her family at the ice cream place for dessert. What a day.
We watched "Duplicity" that night and what a strangely made movie. The changes in times kept you so confused you could not follow the plot.
Back home today and I fixed shrimp scampi. Yum. Tired and lots to do tomorrow.
Sally

watercolors and chinese arithmetic

I am sure there are more difficult subjects to tackle but Branch used to always say something was harder than Chinese Arithmetic. This is painting with watercolor. I just finished a workshop in Boone at Cheap Joe's with Don Andrews. He was a wonderful artist with a flowing loose, colorful style and was a good teacher also. We had demos in the morning and after lunch and then we tried to paint. I am anxious to try some of his techniques now that I am home and can take my time. His philosophy of painting is so different from other teachers I have had but it makes for a beautiful painting.
The class went to Chetola Restaurant again and it was just as good as it was before. Outstanding steak, salad, coffee and Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecake. Yum. The scenery was serene with a pond and swans, beautiful landscaping and nice cool weather. It does not get better.
I stayed in Banner Elk with some people I had met at a workshop two years ago. They are from Louisville, KY and invited me to stay with them in a condo on Sugar Mountain. One afternoon I took off after class and drove through winding roads to West Jefferson. I later found out I could have gone on a straighter road. I wanted to find St. Mary's Episcopal Church. I had heard about the frescos which had been done there. It seems as if the church just about disbanded for lack of a pastor when a young man was sent as the vicar. His enthusiasm revived the church and through a friend he met an artist who had just come from studying frescos in Italy. The artist volunteered to do the frescos for St. Mary's. There are three. On the left is a free standing fresco of Mary as she was expecting and on the right side is John the Baptist. Behind the altar the artist bricked and plastered the wall and created a fresco of Jesus on the cross and behind him Jesus, the risen Christ. As you enter the small church you can push a button to play an audio telling the history of the frescos. They are well worth seeing. I understand there are some more in some churches to the south of Boone. What treasures!
The cooler weather is certainly welcome and the rain is always a mixed blessing. I am not sure why weeds can grow so much faster than flowers.
I am going to Snead's Ferry to visit friends for a few days and we will go to Wilmington shopping. Surprise! Hopefully we will eat at Havana's in Carolina Beach. It is my nephew, Pete's, place and I have not seen him in a while. The food is terriffic.
Just found out the first year of "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" is on DVD. Now that is one of my favorite reads. The series begins with the above title and I think the last book was number 8? The author is Alexander McCall Smith from Scotland. The books are delightful, insightful and restful. If that is a word. They are about a lady in Botswana whose father worked hard to save and buy cattle so when he passed she could sell them and use the money to buy a business to take care of her financially. She decided to buy a detective agency. HBO made it into a series and I don't get HBO so I will have to find that DVD.
"God's will be done, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else." I heard this quote recently and sometimes it is the only way I can make sense of things. It seems as if bad news is everywhere.
Sally

books and boeuf

The boeuf bourgingnon was really great even though it took me 5 hours to cook it counting peeling those pesky pearl onions. The hard part was finding them in Goldsboro. It was a good thing I had gotten a new set of pots and pans because it took all of them and some of my old ones I had saved from the church yard sale. I have eaten it three times and it just gets better. I had it with rice the first time and did not like the texture of the grains of rice with the elegant sauce so for last night I made scalloped potatoes. Yum. I also made a peach cobbler and enjoyed my supper. I had had only popcorn for lunch while watching J&J again with two friends. This time we were the only ones in the room.
While I was in the mountains at Cheap Joe's watercolor workshop the first of August, I slept under a down comforter. I am so hot natured, I was afraid I would burn up but I really liked the feeling that I was under a cloud. So I went to find my own comforter. The saleslady was really good and said I could try it and bring it back if I did not like it. Ok. The only solution was to turn down the AC to 70. It worked and I loved it. However it took until 10am for the windows to defog from the humidity outside.
I just finished John Hart's book Down River. It is his second. Both are set in North Carolina. Both are complex in plot and character development which I enjoy. I have bought his third to read while I am in Boone for Don Andrews' workshop next week.
If you are interested in different art check out episcopalcafe.com:80/art to see beautiful pictures John Guiliani and Ellen Wiener.
I am taking my laptop to Boone but have had trouble with the wireless connection so may have to wait until Sunday Aug 30 to post again. I know, I know it will be difficult to do with out this but you can make it!!!
Sally

comings and goings

Cecil woke me up this am early. He was afraid he would miss seeing our neighbor and friend leave for college. She is going early to play volleyball. We are both sad and happy to see her start a new part of her life's journey. We wish her well.
I will be leaving for Boone soon for a watercolor workshop by Don Andrews. I don't know how much it helps but I certainly do enjoy the views along the way and meeting new people who watercolor.
On the way home I will pick up my brother who is flying in from a six week stay at his cabin in the woods in northern Idaho. I stayed there last summer for about a week with my sister-in-law. It is a dry cabin. If you don't understand the term, to put it nicely, there is no running water or electricity. At my age getting up in the middle of the night is not an option. This required finding the stairs in the pitch dark at 36degrees, climbing down and out the door to the necessary. After a couple of nights I found another solution. It was fun to rough it and read by the lantern until at least 9pm then crawl into the sleeping bag. That is truly one of the beautiful parts of the country.
When I was recently getting my calcium IV Zometa, and the best thing about that was the warm blanket they brought, I sat beside a man, probably in his late 60's (which is not old!!), who came prepared. He had his head set on and a portable DVD player watching Easy Rider. Fortunately my procedure did not take long and I just napped.
Cecil is barking (surprise) to let me know the garbage truck is going by. It does not even stop here. Why do dogs hate garbage trucks??? I take mine, garbage not dog, to the dump nearby. Yes if it were not nearby I would have the truck stop here. Most of the attendants at the dump are so nice and helpful. I am so glad we have recycling. I am surprised that places like golf courses do not. Now there are some aluminum cans!!!!!
We watched The Pursuit of Happiness last night at our church's "Popcorn Theology" where we see a movie and discuss it. Kind of a visual book club. I thought to suggest Momma Mia and we could discuss not singing in front of people until you listen to a tape of yourself.
Got some new pots and pans. Surely that will improve my cooking??? Going to try Boeuf Bourguignon. Or I will after my nail appt.!!!
I used to think blogging was trite!!! who wants to read about daily stuff???
Enough
Sally

Yangs Tigers and oh my

I am not sure if Tiger choked or not but at least he proved he was human or at least on Sunday.
Surely other duffers related to his adrenaline-driven over-the-green shot and his chip shots out of the rough which were less than stellar. I would like to have seen Phil do the chip shots. Now I am routinely in the rough and have practiced many shots that I am sure the pros never see so getting into trouble does not shake me!!! and since my shots never get higher than the mezzanine of my favorite department store the winds do not even feature in my shot plans. I am sorry to say I was not disappointed to see Yang win after listening to the announcers all afternoon. I am surprised that he did not just quit after the 9th hole!!! If the golf gurus knew Asians at all they would realize that most have amazing powers of concentration and the aura of Tiger cannot penetrate it. Enough.
Sorry but not surprised to hear another news flash about the increasing disappearance of the giant pandas of China. When they can build a dam that displaced so many families and was so big that when the lake behind it is full may disrupt the tilt of the planet, why should they be concerned with the extinction of a fuzzy bear?
My neighbor's daughter is leaving for college this week and just got her phone. This will be shocking to most because it is her first phone and at 19!!! Last night I got a text from her to tell Cecil, my 5 year old poooodle , that she had her phone. I promised to keep him to one text a day to her. Good luck P.
Time to leave for PCMH for my 6 mo. calcium IV. yea.
SPOPE

Not only did Julie and Julia help exercise my lungs, it jump started my cooking again. I now have food in my refridgerator which does not fit on a slice of bread and will not be accompained by cheetos as a side dish. I had thought I would start a blog some time ago but just did not get to it until seeing the movie. Of course since I have retired from teaching high school math for 34 years I now have time to do things for fun.
I am also dismayed by the poor grammar I have heard even on NPR. What about some verb, subject agreement people. And has no one heard about each being single????
I loved the new Harry Potter but it was confusing if you did not see or read previous movies or books.
A long but good read is Wally Lamb's The Hour I First Believed. It is hard for me to understand how anyone can put together so many words and keep it tied together. Not so for my favorite long read The Story of Edgar Sawtell. I was sad for that one to end.
My sister worked in Raleigh in the 70s for a tv station and somehow came into possession of the recipes for Julia Child's cooking show on WGBH in Boston. I went into the attic and dragged it down to find something I could cook. I am still looking.
Great Movie.