Catching Up

If you had told me a year ago what life would look like right now, I would have told you that you were crazy. Given that we are (somehow, impossibly) already in JUNE, it seemed high time that I make at least some effort to catch up.

I thought I had a picture of the beautiful job my talented husband did on the water heater setup in the basement, but it is MIA now (of course). Suffice it to say he did a fantastic job of not only installing a new (energy smart) water heater, but building a riser for it to sit on. That may not sound like much, but (a) it's gorgeous, (b) it prevents water damage and pest hiding places, and (c) makes the whole corner vastly easier to keep clean!!

He also removed the monstrous and ancient oil bowser from the corner; between those two things and a significant amount of cleaning and fresh white paint, the whole basement looks dramatically better. You'd never believe the mess it was when we bought the place!

 These are the lovely dishes I got for Christmas that I have been promising to post pics of for, oh, six months now... *sigh* The top photo is my Bennington Potters' stoneware; the lower one are wooden 'rice' bowls (found after significant research on Amazon). It has been amazing and slightly mind-boggling to have downsized my dishes so substantially, and still find I have more than I need (and now lots more cabinet space, besides!).

I somehow don't have pictures of syruping either though, given the weird weather we've had from the start of the year straight through, it was a much longer than normal process. Either way, it was successful and (once all the time and steam intensive stuff was over) we were delighted by the outcome.

The other big news thus far, which everyone already knows, is that we parted with my long-beloved Jeep... and got these:

Meet the Starry Ice (my new truck) and the Errant Venture!! [Fun fact: both are named after ships owned by some of my favorite people in the Star Wars Legends Universe - Talon Karrde and Booster Terrick respectively.]

It's been slightly entertaining to discover just how accustomed I was to having an older model vehicle without frills... it took longer than it should have to get used to shiny things like the backup cam and iPod compatability on the stereo, to say nothing of how long it feels compared to my Jeep. That said, the Starry Ice has more than proved her worth already. The EV is teaching us a lot and although some days it feels like everything is endlessly crazy, it's been amazing all around.

And there we go! Mostly caught up. Sort of, right? Either way, I'll make an effort to do substantially better moving forward this year!

Why Dungeons & Dragons is Good for You

Watched this TEDx talk this morning over coffee and was inspired - thought I'd share. Enjoy!

Flea and Tick Season Is Coming

Generally speaking, I have tried since we first got Arthas to use all natural stuff with our dogs as much as possible. I use Diatomaceous Earth for deworming and love it, and most of time it's all I need to ensure we don't pick up any fleas, either. Unfortunately, it does nothing to combat ticks. Last year was a nasty year for ticks, and this year already isn't looking promising on that front.

As we have been examining plans for the summer and realizing that our furry babies are going to be exposed to (many) more unfamiliar dogs than recent years, we also recognized the need for stronger protection against fleas, as well.

Which brings me to this two-part PSA.

First, if you know anyone with a standard collie or border collie, please warn them to check any anti-flea/tick products they may use for Ivermectin. It is the base drug in  many over-the-counter options, and collies/border collies have a genetic predisposition to adverse reactions to it. In some cases, it can even be fatal. Many vets are not aware of this, so professional warnings are much fewer and farther between than would be ideal.

Second, read labels carefully. There are lots of products on the market, but only two that I found that prevent against deer ticks, which carry Lyme disease (which is an increasing problem), especially in east coast states. The problem is they all say "protects against ticks"... you have to actually check to make sure deer ticks are included in the list, though!

We ended up going with K9 Advantix II, which protects against everything and is Ivermectin free. (If you do the same, may I recommend grabbing yours off Amazon? The local stores here only carried two-packs for $40+, but Amazon had six packs for $60. Even those of us not so good at 'the maths' can tell that's a better option!)

Regardless of your needs or situation - or the stupid amounts of snow and cold you're getting assaulted with - spring will soon be with us. Consider taking a moment to reassess what you need and make sure you and your furry companions are covered?

Persnickety Paint

When we lived in apartments (for years and years), one of my biggest frustrations was that everything was white. (Or, in a few cases, just primer - but hey, close enough, right?)

It was just so... bland. I'm a warm neutrals kind of person when it comes to wall colors. I want my space to feel warm when I walk in, and that just never happens in apartments unless you're allowed to paint - which you usually aren't.

It wasn't until we got this house that I appreciated exactly how absurdly difficult picking paint colors can be. As with most things, I blame that on the morons who built the house initially... because they lined it up with exactly nothing. Not the driveway, not the road, not the prevailing sunlight. Zilch.

Ergo, when trying to pick the first few paint colors we used here, I discovered that the weird natural light we get makes the same paint look completely different on adjacent walls. Inevitably, a color works on one wall and looks atrocious on another... which makes it really hard to choose a good one!

I was reminded of this again recently when I undertook an attempt to find a paint color for the master bathroom. We're not redoing it yet, but there are a lot of components involved and we want to be ready to hit the ground running when everything else comes together. Seeing as it's March and Winter decided to kick us hard one last time, it seemed like a good time to do research. Which translated into paint samples and frustration and then, finally, success!

The winner? Valspar's Sea Salt Blue... which is actually a very light (but not pastel) sea green. (Bottom right in the pic above, although it doesn't really show very well, there.)

Cross one more thing off the To Do list... and, hopefully, the last time I'll have to choose paint colors for a long time!

Broth & Stock (A Review)

Broth and stock are big buzz-words in the food community these days, both among nutrition advocates and trendy 'foodie' types. Broth & Stock skips the hype and takes an accessible, down-to-earth approach to demystifying why these ancient foods have suddenly become a Big Deal again and how the average person can (easily) incorporate them into their life and diet.

McGruther blessedly starts with the basics, all well written and long enough not to feel rushed but short enough not to wax imposingly lyrical, either. The book's intro covers: a brief history of broth/stock, the differences between the two (and why they matter or don't), how to choose bones for making your own (and where to find them), and what you'll need to make and store them (ingredients and equipment).

The book then becomes essentially a top-notch primer on how to make and use broths, bone broths, and stocks. It starts with a comprehensive list of “master” stock recipes, which includes traditional standards (chicken, beef, etc.) and less common but equally versatile variations (mushroom, sea veggie, kitchen scrap). Everything that follows is either a recipe for how to use the broths/stocks you've made (because it's no good making it if you don't know what to do with it!), or a fun/helpful fact or side note on related topics.

This might be worth a flip-through just for new tips and ideas if you're already an experienced stock/broth maker. But it will – by far – be of the most value to anyone new to the subject looking to improve their health or cooking ability by harnessing the power (and delectable flavor boost) of bone broths.

Happy Clean Out Your Computer Day!

This is just a PSA to remind everyone that today is National Clean Out Your Computer Day!

Digital clutter is just as easy to accumulate - and just as distracting and time consuming - as regular clutter. Even if you can't do it today, consider scheduling a few minutes (or longer!) into your calendar soon to clean out old files, run a defrag, weed old pins out of your Pinterest board, address the backlog of old photos on your computer/phone, etc. Do a little mental/emotional purging and give yourself fresh, clean space and energy for current projects and priorities!

In Memorium

Last Saturday saw the passing of a beloved companion. Ruger, our furry nephew, slipped the surly bonds of earth to rejoin his sister Chloe beyond the reach of the pain and strains of this mortal life. He was almost fourteen - a respectable, noble age for a border collie, but such a short time for those of us who loved him and now must continue without.

Whether your furry children are cats, dogs, or other, will you give them a little extra love (and maybe bacon?) today on his behalf?