Tuesday, May 27, 2008

What happened to the sun?

( The critters were lavishly enjoying it during April , an April draft that I just finished.)

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

National Donut Day

One of our funny farm donut recipes , and healthy raw food donut recipe below

NATIONAL DONUT DAY The first Friday in June

Created to honor the Salvation Army "Lassies" of WWI.
A fund raiser for needy causes of the Salvation Army.
Salvation Army Doughnut were first served in 1917, during WWI by Salvation Army "lassies". Sent to the front lines , these brave volunteers made home cooked foods, and provided a moral boost for our troops. Sometimes the doughnuts were fried in oil inside a metal helmet of an American soldier.

Lt. Colonel Helen Purviance is considered the "first doughnut girl". Salvation Army lassies, were the only women,outside of military personnel allowed to visit the front lines . The American infantrymen were often referred to as doughboys.
The word "Doughnut" is sometimes spelled "Donut. If you see the term National Donut Day, its the same day.
Origin of National Doughnut Day:
National Doughnut Day was established in 1938 to raise much-needed funds during the Great Depression, as well as to honor the work of Salvation Army volunteers, during World War I who prepared doughnuts and other foods for thousands of soldiers.
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This year ,Celebrate National Doughnut Day. See if your local doughnut shop, or other organizations, are offering free donuts to solicit donations for the Salvation Army or for another needy cause. please be generous. Buy a box of donuts and send to someone in our military. Pray for these sacrificial and brave protectors of our country.
If you happen to live close to a Roses deli, see if they still make a texas donut (yum)

Why not purchase a couple of boxes of donuts, deliver one box to either a veterans hospital, a local national guard/or any branch of service men (ship to any service people you know). Then "tuck" in a generous donation , with a thank you card in the other box, and deliver it to your local Salvation Army, in honor of all the plucky volunteers who do so much for others.
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Whatever you do enjoy National Donut Day
(if you are one of my clients, currently on the 5&1 ,make a "batch" of blueberry or apple/oatmeal muffins with one of your oatmeal pkts, (add a bit of nutmeg) and you will still be 5&1 "legal"....next year you can enjoy the real "McCoy" :-) in your skinny jeans !!
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One of our funny farm donut recipes
scald 3/4 cup of milk then cool it to luke warm
add 3 tablespoons of sugar 1 teaspoon of salt
...dissolve 1 package of yeast in 1/4 cup of 110 degrees water
add to above, add 1 egg (room temp) 1/4 cup of oil, 3 to 31/2 cups of flour
turn out onto floured bread board and knead 7 min....
(my easy method, place your liquid ingredients in the bottom of your breadmaker,
add your dry ingredients (placing yeast on top of flour) and start your bread machine. (set it so it only mixes and raises your dough, not bake it) then roll out and cut . Raise again, then fry in 360 degree oil , turning 1 time. (about 1 1/2 min per side) glaze 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon of vanilla
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raw food donut.
soak 1 cup of almonds or cashews for 2 hrs, drain add a pinch of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
process ...add some vanilla extract or vanilla bean seeds, 1 cup of chopped dried pineapple (or 1/2 cup pineapple, 1/2 cup chopped/soft dried apricots)
1 cup of chopped soft pitted sweet dates , add 4 tablespoons of flaked coconut. mix well together, form into mini donut rings .
Carefully roll in powdered sugar , or glaze.
You might enjoy adding some dried blueberries or strawberries before shaping into "donuts"
or even carob chips.
(how about melting some carob and adding to your glaze ? )
personally I would use real semi chocolate chips for this treat, but if you are a "dyed in the wool" oops a farm funny :-), carob is for you.
My funny farm kiddo's balked at carob anything, here at crazy critters kitchen.

fiddle fun

Just for fun here is a link to watch Natalie MacMasters,

Natalie reminds me of my canaries, music just seems to radiate from their very being.

The video is about 5 min and Natalie having a hardtime containing her music, ends up dancing as she fiddles.

http://www.violinist.com/blog/paulinefiddle/20083/8435/

Here is another link, in a different format. Natalie really gets into dancing here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv7xSTHmWUo

enjoy

Sunday, May 4, 2008

And we're movin' on up.( "more" fly fishing tips,for newbies)

Day 1 : details for day 1 is in a recent hubby is "fishy" post, entitled : there's no fish in dem woods . Those sleek, plump ,elusive"cloud" fish have been "caught" and "released"
times a wastin'

Day 2 and day three: The land lubber "fish" are ready,willing eager, and WAITING




Hubby is movin' into the "big league", waiting for a chance at "landing" one of those pouncing "cat-fish" or rambuncious, aggressive "boxer-fish". (NOT)






These "fish" are really challenging. Both are very "rare" endangered "species", perhaps almost extinct. I wonder how many fly fisher men have ever dreamed of even coming close to getting a mere glimpse of them?

It takes bravery and nerves of steel, these land lubber "fish" will stalk you if you happen to be an unwary , unobservant, or uncautious fisherman.. So BEWARE ....





They will "wait" for that perfect "fly". One must practice every day to gain the necessary skill, in order to tempt them to "strike" .




You also need perseverance, persistance ( not a feat for the faint of heart, or easily irritated fisherman) a boat load of patience and PRACTICE,PRACTICE,PRACTICE...

Before you practice you must check your form.

( a granny pun here ... these are a few of Robert's "rules of order" ...sorry couldn't resist)

#1 hold your rod tip at ground level
#2 don't change the gap arc
#3 eliminate drag by holding the rod tip up ,when the line is coming towards you
#4 land the "fly" on a "glass shelf" 6' high
Every kid should learn to fly cast, just look at how much the imagination is used
perhaps if this was commonly taught in our schools, we would observe a surge of creativity. There would be more tolerance, understanding, care of "things" bettrer work ethics ( that fortitude and perseverance, and even a healthy dose of a sense of humor)
Perhaps the economy would be saved , great masterpieces of art, music ,buildings would be created.
#5 be aware of "those" around you (don't snag an unsuspecting spectator with the "fly", or whack her on the noggin with either a forward ,backward or sideways "swing" of the rod...grandma might become an unhappy camper, (even if she didn't get run over by that reindeer...or in our case woolie alpaca)
#6 If the gap is too little, oh no "we're" going to crash
#7 If the gap is too big, big loops (oops, wristing)
#8 never accidentally land your line, be sure to "present" it on that glass shelf
..... or what was that ? Did I hear presents ? O K where is the chocolate ? Mothers day is coming up !!( in an upcoming post at my Merryheart blog, I mention how chocolate holds the universe together?)
#9 pull that line, for a double haul
#10 loading the rod causes the rod to shoot the line out like a bow does an arrow
#11 stripping the line, it will increase the speed..wow ,watch hubby go
#12 use lots of push and pull ( NO rotating !) So watch that arm form, again NOrotating your arm ( also you need to hold your arm to your side ,at about a 45 degree angle, unless you want to bonk yourself in the noggin with your own line.
#13 hold your hand still, no wrist bending (need to work on that), Remember ,it's all in the arm.

#14 timing, ya gotta know when to hold 'em, ( know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away.. well not really, but it goes with the tune in my head) but you do need to know when to open your fingers , to release the line
#15 NEVER EVER use your rod to pick up your line off off the water, and keep the rod tip down
#16 the so called experts say casting 45 ft of line is great, Loomis pro Roberts says, uhhh
if you want to be good then 60 ft, he won't own a pole that won't allow him to cast 110ft (wonder what gets an A, in his class)
#17 TIMING,TIMING as you let out the line, lengthen the amount of time, timing too short or too wide, means your rod tip is too low
#18 11 o 'clock and 1 o'clock , the arc you move your rod while casting
#19 do a 75% push-pull, 15% with rythm (TIME, TIME,TIME) in order totake the tip over, no power applied ? I don't know ask hubby or Loomis pro, Robert, I just took notes , cheered, wahooed and clapped ,whenever Robert said very good (remember he is not into easy "rewards")
#20 Robert , who also teaches golf , said, the only thing tougher than fly casting ,is golf (not just walking around the course whacking the ball ,I'm guessing. Robert believes in being the BEST in whatever he does.( by the way Robert also said golf pros don't have fun . I think that means they are disqualified, "golfers")
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#20, I believe is something it would bode us all well, to apply.. We all need to heed Robert's phlosophy, striving to be the best of what we can be, in whatever we do and enjoy doing it.

In my Merry heart blog I have been ruminating (this is a farm blog ,remember)about an article where little girls who are in wheel chairs take ballet lessons. With the aid of teenagers who "become "their "legs" they are DANCING and TWIRLING .( I'm sure the teens must do weight training , in order to hold the little girls aloft, with all the dancing and twirling)

Now I'n pretty sure I won't need to ponder if hubby will want or need a trip to Florida to try his skill for catching (and releasing, of course. those very rare and I assume shy , Bone fish, at $100 a fly flick. ( three chances to present your line , is what you get, and then you are OUT) ...

No worry w e "got" the DOG...

Have a great day, challenge yourself, hug a cat, give a dog a bone, twirl on the lawn, run after a pretend fly....enjoy your life.

No matter what "state" you are in, life is still a treasure.

It is all in how you look at that glass of water( if you can only see yours as half empty, then find a friend who can help you see the fullness, and let them do it ..

Read the true story of Joni, paralyzed from a broken neck injury . Her good (and wise )friend said something to the effect.. ok ,Joni enough, It's time to move out of that dark corner, you can have 5 minutes (per day) to indulge yourself in your pity party. Then get focused on moving ahead.

Remember the little girls, who dance.


Go hubby, wow.

Now catching one of these and releasing it, hubby may well earn a page in the Guiness book of records.


Yep you got it, fly casting lessons doesn't even come close to dealing with this "hazard".



Imagine, only one hour of one on one fly casting lessons , with Loomis pro Robert,
you too could move into the "big" time.

This is with only three short days of practice.

Drum roll pull-ee-zz-ee

Just what kind of net would it take to land these whoppers ?

Thar's no fish in dem' woods (going fishing in the big woods)

Flyfishing, tips,tricks and "secrets" on how to"catch,release and land" CLOUD FISH





Ok so technically this was a park..

Still I didn't see a single fish .
I must admit I admired the growing skills of dear hubby as he cast "his" line
for those elusive, invisible, and evasive catch and release " cloud "trout.
A new trout, I know ! Because I just discovered them, and so I chose their name.

Grandkids. here is grandpa "fishing" in a park

(Actually he was in a private one on one fishing school with a pro. wow )












Saturday, May 3, 2008

funny things we google

Ok, so it is fun to google.

Just for kicks ,I thought I'd google the title to my last post :
Flight of the bumble bee.

Guess what comes up as # 1

cousin Robert playing his guitar with his group, the Ventures, in 1965

Ah, the things we get when we google, besides fun memories, sometimes a time travel continuim.

Robert if you ever see this post , wow does this take me back,

I can sure see Dad as a young man in some of your mannerisms and guestures.
Thanks :-)

All us younger cousins thought you were the greatest ! (little did we know how great )

check the song out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGPSnB93vo4

Double wow. With the close ups of you (finally) on your 45th anniversary tour,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-XIU8zTzcI

watching you play was like watching Dad in a happier verzion of himself.

Thanks again, I miss him.




flight of the "bumble" bee or free to be a bee


Yep, it happens, especially if one tends to be dexterity challenged or happens to be all thumbs...
One golden glimmer of full awareness/recognition/remembrance.

Think of the movie, Lady Hawke, that instant when Lady Hawk and Navarre
(thanks trivia wonder gal ,blog pal at I know something good)
One glimpse, and hearts are reunited, those eternally welded together hearts .

Well one barely visible golden glimmer, as Mary Queen of Scotts II sailed into the blue, in that brief minuscule of time..

You know , those new and improved ideas are not always such a good idea. Instead of eating their way through a yummy candy, to set the queen free. Now you take the newfangled plug out of the queen "cage" and put in one of those mini marshmallows? Now whose idea was this and why I wonder?

Remember you are dexterity challenged, a bit all thumbs.
Of course, your hands are encased in really cool white leather gloves.
Necessary protection ,from rather disgruntled court "jesters".

Of course the whole kingdom is now in an uproar. Everyone is now bent on vigorously objecting to the whole process of home "renovation, and daring to even look at their precious Queen.

Zippppp , up up and away.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's it's , oh no it's our new $23 Queen.

$25 for a bug my eldest daughter said, well that may be one way of looking at "her".
I like to look at "her" as an investment. $$ worth of her golden treasure, "put" up by her kingdom.

We think she returned to an empty bee "cage" as about 1/2 of her kingdom were in it again.
This is not a usual occurrence.

We had already given the queen less kingdom (worker bees for Mary Queen of Scotts II, sadly put into their new castle, minus their Queen) our new Queen Abigail II, in "waiting"
She had been destined to replace an ailing Abigail I. (we were counting our blessings we had her "on hand".

Hubby, placed the entire cage (now with bees in it again)into the empty Princess buttercups "castle"

Time will tell. When we see new babies in both "nurseries" we will give a sigh of relief.

--News flash, hubby just fed sugar water to our new kingdoms , so looked to "see" how both kindoms were faring.--

Mary Queen of Scotts,(now Princess buttercup) is doing fine, guess her fun escapade , bode her well (even if we did moan as a few more grey hairs popped out on our punkin' heads,while watching her apparently vanish into the blue)

New Mary Queen of Scotts II (actually Queen Abigail II) didn't manage to be set free,(maybe that is the reason for the candy/minimarshmallow "controversy" , she had candy. Perhaps the workers didn't like the "brand., or are of the same persuasion as my grandsons who prefer a pickle over sweets... Why not try chocolate, I think, it fixes anything ! I was told this by someone (a chocolate expert) it even holds the universe together ? Interesting concept.
Results: this whole kingdom is doomed. No Queen, no babies . Worse, this kingdom now does not have enough workers , to support a new queen even if we had one.

New Queen Abigail II will be arriving sometime next week, she will remain "such" and she better not buzz off...
Have a happy I love you day ,as our grandaughter loves to tell me, and I always get an image of flowers especially daffodills popping in my head when she says this why I don't know.
They're yellow so GO and eat some HONEY...

Go queens, go
make honey, make honey,
Tickle our fruit blossoms with delight
more fruit, much bounty
and honey oh golden HONEY :-)

Oh bears love HONEY, I'm not a pooh bear, I am a grandma and so I do care :-) yum
(wow this post is very nearly a tongue twister for the brain, keeping all dem Queens staight)