Let's Start a Positive Revolution

I'm a pretty peaceful person--a "live and let live" type. However, it disturbs me greatly that we're in the midst of a serious health situation in this country that could easily be remedied. So...let's start a revolution of better eating. This doesn't mean eating cardboard or ugly over-processed and pre-packaged meal--just the opposite, as a matter of fact. We need to think locally--supporting our farmers' markets come spring. We also need to do some smart buying. People tend to think it's cheaper to buy fast food ala the dollar menu; it's not. Most of the cheap foods are pretty much devoid of vitamins, fiber, and protein. It's full of sugar, salt, and grease--all addicting tastes that people start craving on a regular basis. Vegetables and fruits, legumes, grains--all these items in their most basic form are quite reasonably priced. Put them altogether and you've got a great meal. Add in a bit of meat occasionally, some fish, or some poultry--fantastic!

Eating the Mediterranean food pyramid is an extremely healthy habit to get into; check this one out at the Mayo Clinic site--what better source, eh?

Ready to give it a try? Great! Be sure to share your success with those around you. And...here's the REALLY important part...make sure that KIDS start eating this way. Childhood obesity, childhood diabetes, food allergies, etc...we didn't used to see these illnesses in kids in these frightening numbers. Crazy to think that lousy food choices are a big part of this, isn't it?

So, pull out the pots and pans...make a simple vegetable soup and throw in some beans or barley for extra goodness. Re-learn how to enjoy the wonderful array of fruits, grains, and vegetables that our Creator gives us. Bake some whole wheat bread--need help? Drop me a message. I'll be more that happy to walk you through a recipe.

I'll continue to add recipes to All About the Food with Pictures; many of these will be of the Mediterranean pyramid type with the occasional little goody dropped in for a treat (stay tuned for baklava!).

Let's get involved with our farmers' market groups, our local meat growers, and our local extension service to learn how to grow some basic things ourselves. There's great community in this; people are yearning for this return to being neighbors once again. Have an idea to share? Go to the Healthy Neighborhood group on Facebook and join up.

Are we ready? Let's start shopping, cooking, and eating healthier...no time like the present. Pass the olive oil!

In Greater Perspective

I'm a bit difficult to buy for--I'll admit it. Over the past few years, I've developed a strong aversion to clutter of all types. I've developed an equal love of all things simple and straightforward. So, as a result, I'm not much fun to buy for--just not a "stuff" person in general. However...

Last Friday I received my Christmas gift for this year. After shopping and comparing and researching for over two years, I now have a lovely  70-300 mm VR Nikkon lens. Photography nerds get that; to the rest of the normal population--an EXCELLENT telephoto lens. A lens that I would never haphazardly even consider unless I felt sure it was worthwhile. And it is. To use the cliche, "It was an offer I couldn't refuse." The quality was excellent and the price was astounding. So...all my family has my Christmas gift for this year covered. And, since I'm not 10, I won't be pining away come Christmas when my stocking is empty. (I'm planning on wrapping and re-wrapping for each place we visit to celebrate Christmas--that sounds good now, but come Christmas I have a feeling I'll dismiss this silly idea.)
 
The beauty of this lens is that it puts everything into greater perspective. I stood on the deck this morning and was able to zero in on my in-laws' back porch--they can now wave at me from there and I'll have a lovely picture of them. It brings our old barn and the grain bins from far across the field into a close range. It brings the various bushes, shrubs, and trees into unbelievable proximity. It brings cats, dogs, birds, and all other manner of creature that roams around here into remarkable range. It even makes my food blog pictures look completely different in the most pleasing way (see the pork and shrimp noodles blog for the first picture with the new lens--WOW).

Greater perspective--a new view of all things. What a great place to be. This hit home with me as I was marveling at the initial pictures I took. Oh so many ways we can put this analogy into perspective every day. Using greater perspective can only lead to great understanding and greater tolerance and, ultimately greater love for our neighbors and ourselves. It all simply comes down to that.

So, here's an example below of the ability of the new lens. I hope to share more such pictures with you throughout the future. I'm immensely thankful  for this lens; I'm more thankful for the greater lesson it reminded me of this morning.

Cheers!

woodpecker atop an electrical pole

Come November--Come Fresh Challenges

Welcome November--Happy All Saints' Day--Happy first day of NaNoRiMo (National Novel Writing Month)--Happy first day of the 30 Day Giving Challenge--sounds like a good month all-around.

We start off the month with a beautiful sunrise which will be featured in http://tsjourneys.wordpress.com later today. Looking at it first thing out of bed this morning certainly gave power to the blessed words, "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

All Saints' Day, honored as a holy day by many denominations, gives us the chance to pause and think about the many saints that have come to us in our lives as well as those who passed before our existence.

NaNoRiMo is an excellent time for any frustrated author out there--particularly if you crave the tension of a deadline. The quest is that you write 10,000 words during the month of November--guessing that's the size of the basic novel. Of course, if your book is less wordy, that's perfectly fine as well; it's the challenge of starting and FINISHING a work that creates the excitement of the project. Interested? go to http://www.nanowrimo.org.
I've played around with this project a couple of times, and certainly intend to invest more time and energy into it this year--a fun place to visit--give it a try. (If you see thevillageblogger--say hello)

The 30 Days of Giving Challenge is something new to me; I've seen it, but not investigated it to much extent. However, if a project can put us in the frame of mind of giving over receiving, it's a good place to be. How desperately we need to want less and consume less. (http://30daygivingchallenge.com)


Ah...the freshness of a new month with its endless possibilities...hope you will find what keeps you in an adventurous spirit this month. Happy November!

This Wondrous Autumn

Amazing...absolutely amazing. The autumn of '10 had all the symptoms of the perfect storm. An unseasonably hot and humid September, little or no rain, little hope of a colorful foliage season.

And then along came October.


It has been atypical and totally beautiful. And 19 percent humidity in southern Indiana? Wow! So this is what California coastal weather feels like. Cool, dry mornings to sit out and have that first cup of coffee. Warm mid-day with a nice breeze for drying clothes on the line. Cool, dry evenings to sit out and enjoy the last light of the evening with a good glass of wine or a warm cup of tea.

I do have concerns about the pond as I see it getting more and more shallow. But I do know that the rains will come...it is Southern Indiana. And, when they do, we will welcome them.

But, in the meantime, take the time to walk, enjoy the foliage, crunch through the leaves...happy autumn.

My First Computer Repair Job--Kinda

One of my 50 adventures at 50 involved learning enough about computers to be able to make simple repairs. My chance came the other day when my brother called with a virus that was a real doozy. I went over to his house, picked up the cpu and then, with #1 son's help and tutorial skills, I was able to learn how to seek out and kill the viruses that had taken over his hard drive, install some neat stuff and then make it pretty and usable for him once again. It was great fun! Working with Kurt and learning new skills (God bless his patience) was enlightening to say the least. Seeing the enjoyment from brother's reaction to having his computer back up and good as new was a delight.

Brother was extremely generous and paid me for my work, which wasn't at all necessary. As a result, we decided I would take it on the condition that it would become a donation to Heifer International, my most favorite charity. As a result of our deal, we purchased some chicks, geese, rabbits, and bees for people who will now have a better chance at a better life. I LOVE the common sense philosophy and the great work they do at Heifer.

Oh...and I did get the website started! It will be in constant change, so feel free to visit from time to time...I named it "Tina's Busy Brain"--surprised?

I'm going to count that as a check off my 50 adventures list--what's next? Stay tuned!

Happy October!

Happy October to you! What a lovely time of year it is. There's still heat in the sun during the daytime hours so we can catch some warmth during lunchtime; there is a slight chill to the air in the morning and evening hours that allows us to turn off all heat/air conditioning and throw open the windows. Just as with the first warmth of the spring days when we start to see signs of green returning to our surroundings, we're very close to nature during these mild days. God blesses us well during this sapphire blue-skied and temperate season.

And today we had an additional blessing...rain. RAIN! Oh how that sound made us smile.

One month ago, I gave myself a month to figure out a website. Didn't make it completely, but I am getting close. Just a few more adjustments and it will be ready to go. So...maybe by MID October I'll have it finished. It's great fun trying and learning as I go along. For any of you wanting to explore in different arenas of technology or creativity in general, don't hesitate. You really can't tear it up, no matter what IT is. And if you do mess up a bit, so what...you're getting better!

New month...new adventures...have fun!

I Think I'll Just Write a Book

I need to go back to school--within the next four years, that is. In continuing education speak, that means I need six hours of masters or higher credit to maintain my license in administration. I'm an old enough dog that my teaching license is a life license--as long as I have life, I have a license. Not so with administration--by the time I decided to go down that road, the rules had changed; actually, I think for the better. We need to keep pushing ourselves to learn new material in our chosen field. And even though my chosen field is no longer administration, I have an enormous soft spot for education. It's just pretty much who I am at heart. I learn--I teach. So, I think I'll just write a book. If I'm going to go back to school, I'm at the magical age that it's going to have to be worthwhile.

Writing the blogs has been a terrific exercise for me to get back into shape in playing with words and language. I've always enjoyed writing on different levels. At one time I even wrote a children's book and a very talented young man created some outstanding illustrations to further tell its story. And, as with most books, it was soundly rejected. I still have it; maybe someday I'll turn it into a virtual book. There are always options.

Ideas have been swimming about in my brain over the past couple of years in regard to the state of education. I don't want to research and write a book that complains and states the obvious. I want to research and write a book that will perhaps, in some small way, help change come about in a futuristic and positive way. More kids will be taught and taught well; more communities can claim their former life and vibrancy; teachers can get excited again about their craft. That's my hope.

So, tonight I started by scribbling some ideas down in my trusty tattered little book of thoughts. I think I have a plan. I also think I just gave myself a terrific challenge. That's what adventure is all about, right? Stay tuned...

The Last Pair of Hummingbirds

I'm sitting here on a picture-perfect September evening watching as the last pair of hummingbirds are doing  their acrobatics for their pleasure and certainly mine. I've watched as the numbers have dwindled down from eight at our height of the season and entertainment to this single pair. They have the same sprightliness about them, but the whole atmosphere is somewhat subdued. They're not flying nearly as much or chirping nearly as much as they do when the gang is all in attendance. I figure it's just a matter of time--probably days--until I walk out onto the deck and it will be motionless around the feeder. Ah, change...not always what we like, but inevitable.

Nevertheless, the same forces that cause the hummingbirds to fly to different locales this time of year are mighty refreshing to the human species. Sitting here writing, I could almost use a long-sleeved shirt; just about time to get out my trusty denim and then flannel shirts. Ah, change.

The days are certainly growing shorter as well. The luxury of sitting on the deck in the dusky hours between eight and nine and writing are now nearly an impossibility. When the daylight hours go away so much more quickly and show up in the mornings so much more slowly, it's difficult to get that last cup of tea scheduled in while pondering the day's events. Ah, change.

But now, as I look back into the house, I see a coziness that is missing in the heat of the summer months. The pressed coffee I just brought out to the deck for Tom and me to enjoy just tastes better on a cooler evening. Seeing the slow, transitioning sunrises always brings a smile to the heart and to the eyes.

Ah, change. 

One of THOSE Days

I didn't think today was one of THOSE days until I started reviewing in my head all the events that transpired. When I woke up, all seemed quite normal. Then, around 9:45, I lost my internet connection. No big deal unless your office and work is dependent up those internets...as I am. I busied myself doing some other projects and then called the Internet provider. They agreed that I had no signal...always good to get validation. We discussed that it was probably time for an antenna upgrade. I'm officially on the list. Fortunately, around 12:45, the signal popped back up as if nothing had happened. So, I continued on.

During lunch, I decided to pressure some beef short ribs, since they are notoriously tough. All was well until it sounded as though a shotgun went off in the kitchen. When I raced in to see what caused the noise, I noticed that the little rubber pressure knob had shot straight up into the range hood and came back down on the hot burner, leaving only a trace of a perfect circle. When I found the little culprit, it looked as pristine as ever. Fortunately, no liquid or other oddities has escaped the pan. Crisis averted.

Once I got started back to work, I received a couple of phone calls that I thought later could've been answered by the machine--kind of time wasters. About a 7.5 on the annoyance scale.

My mom called and said she was unable to watch a dvd due to her dvd player not working. I suggested I go see about it once I did the weed trimming.  When I got to her house, I tried the dvd player and the only thing I was able to get it to do was give me a mild shock. Not achieving any success on that project, back home I went. As I was pulling the car into the garage, I heard an awful noise, like a cat that had been hit. I got the car shut down, went through the house, and peeked around the wall to check the concrete and expect the worst. No cat. No blood...whew. I walked around the house and did a quick head count and that's when I saw poor little Thor...it was him that I heard. I had trouble with him earlier wanting to hang around the weed eater while I was using it. I know--unbelievable. In the words of Hank Hill, "The boy just ain't right." I patted his head and then said a little prayer over him asking God to let him die peacefully--and at the second he popped up and started walking around...pretty wobbly, but walking for a time. Last time I checked on him, he was still among the living. If he lives through the night, I guess we can add "unsteady gait" to his list of maladies.

Once Tom arrived home, it was time to share all the interesting items of the day. Once I started reliving the day, I realized just how full and somewhat crazed it was. We decided it was time for a quiet supper and a good drink...it has a way of curing even one of THOSE days.

Life IS Change...Listen to the Wisdom

Today marks the anniversary of a day in our lives that turned everything we know and hold sacred wrong-side out. We have, over the years, grieved, feared, lashed out in anger, wept, and hopefully listened to the wisdom that any tragedy in our lives imparts. In listening to the wisdom, we have to move forward. Anger must cease; hatred must not take all our energies. We now realize that our country (nor we) are invincible; as a result, we can become wider in our scope of how to be a citizen of the world.

Most importantly, perhaps, is that we need to realize that there is good in all groups, creeds, religions. To mark this complicated time in history, I've started reading the book Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. This man chose to deal with the horrific events by building understanding as well as schools for the children of the Taliban, so they might have a life of pure learning, not patterned hatred.

Our greatest commandment is to "love one another"; we were never promised this would be easy. But then again, the easy road will never lead to wisdom.

Life IS change...listen to the wisdom.

An Evening of Firsts

Tonight is certainly going to be interesting and hopefully successful on the 50 Adventures at 50 front. After some research, I put together the first of several  Irish meals. It's been quite the adventure so far; I've been to both
Borders and Barnes and Noble to take a peek at their collection of Irish cookbooks. It didn't take long--there aren't any. All the bazillion of cookbooks at both places and when I look, they go from Indian to Italian...no Irish. And in our area where Scots, Irish, and English is a strong orientation, it seems very odd indeed. So, I went to my source--the Internet. As I cook I also hope to learn from Domini Kemp of the Irish Times who has kindly consented to be the occasional guide as I go through the process.

My second "quest" is to work remotely with #1 son to do data recovery on Tom's crashed laptop and my asthmatic, queasy work laptop. It's extremely interesting to see the inner workings
 of those machines. One of the 50 Adventures is to learn simple repairs...SIMPLE?!? The good news...as I write this, the Spinrite is running along on Tom's computer and the 'ol codger (my work computer) is next on the list. The adventure continues at Weismanhaus.

And the Site Goes On...

Say what you will about Google, but they do have some good stuff in their toy box for us to play with...and for free! I don't know about you, but free is the right price for me...especially when I'm practicing.

If any of you out there are feeling like you'd like to take on the challenge of creating your own simple website, just go to Google Sites and there you can find all kinds of great tools to help you along with some neat backgrounds, gadgets, and all kinds of easy steps to help you make something half way decent.

My main goal was to find something that would house all my various blogs. I'm kind of a compartmental freak and like things in neat piles where I don't have to think about continually looking for them.  This does just that for me. It also gives me a place to keep attention drawn to Heifer, The Smile Train, and Jill's House--three important organizations in my life.

As I keep working along in developing the site, it's my hope to have all roads leading to my site, Tina's Busy Brain...appropriate, eh? LOL

If you'd like to play with a site of your own, just go to Google; from there, if you don't have a google account you'll need one. It will only take a few minutes and then feel free to play to your heart's content!

Keep us posted on the comments how you're doing.

I'll let you know when the unveiling of Tina's Busy Brain will be :).

Labor Day: New Beginnings...Again

I just realized something...for the past two years on Labor Day, I have found my fall/winter hairstyle. Is that not the most random thing you've heard today? But then again, Labor Day is famous for marking changes...

I don't normally think of a warm day in the early part of September as a beginning, but in many ways I guess it truly is on our internal clocks. Schools (don't get us started) for many many years didn't begin until the day after Labor Day, so that hastened a new year; to the true traditionalists, the white purses, shoes, pants, and skirts were put away on Labor Day to hasten a new season of off-white and beige; before modern farming practices tied in with little global warming, farmers would start turning their thoughts to harvest, creating a new season. So, I guess we could almost say "Happy New Season" as much as "Happy Labor Day".

Of course, Labor Day itself is marked for bringing the American worker and working conditions into a more sane place. No more child labor, no more death-defying machinery, no more 12 hour work days...hhhmmm...I think we've come full circle on that one :).

I did read an interesting statistic from Valerie Strauss in the Washington Post. The fastest growing jobs in the future? Well, nursing of course (we babyboomers do have our needs) and network systems and data communication analysts. I find that exciting that as long as we have our minds and our gumption to learn, we can still be a valuable part of the workforce for years to come. I hope to find myself actively computing for many years to come...via la Labor force!

So, cheers to my fellow laborers, whatever your labor of choice may be and cheers to the changes this time of year brings.

Oh, and the hairstyle? A mid-century marvel to be sure. Hopefully I an talk this head of hair into becoming a smooth, longish 50s style I spotted this morning in. I consider myself especially fortunate to have a dear friend and very talented stylist in NY in whom I can ask "does this work?" Happy news...he said "Without a doubt." Thanks, Eddie :).

And the Web Site Build Begins...

#1 son came to brunch this morning for a day visit to see us and his grandparents. It's always a pleasure to see that smiling face come through the door, and today was no exception. After omelets, bacon, sausage, potatoes, toast, juice, and a few cups of coffee, we all settled in as we normally do...with our laptops. This may sound odd, but this is pretty much how we share ideas, converse, and visit. It's really pretty neat; it is definitely a learning experience every time it happens here at Weismanhaus.


Today was no exception; by the end of our visit as we were saying our good-byes, I was convinced that I could start building a website, one of the top items on the list of 50 Adventures at 50. So, after a bit of cross-wording and a nap, I began. I've now gone through about 4 layers of "I'm stuck" and "No, there it is". Up to this point I have the basics at hand--a background, some font that satisfies, and an increased vocabulary of words that I didn't know existed when I woke up this morning.  The plan is that by the end of this adventurous year I'll have a central location for all this discovery.  I think I've aptly named it: Tina's Busy Mind. That seemed to fit the bill at the present time.

Have You Met My Personal Trainer TED?

Heard of TED? It's my new personal trainer. As many of you know by now, I have given up being buff ever again for something of a bit more imaginative nature. Never let it be said that I have anything against good health habits; I still enjoy a refreshing round of yoga, a walk, or whatever wii game bids me to try it out. But when  it comes to "working out" on a regular basis, I'm leaning more in favor of ideas over action.

And so here's where my favorite personal trainer comes into play: TED. As some of you caught in the first paragraph, TED is not a he--TED is an it. TED actually stands for Technology, Education, and Design. It started off as a conference, grew into a huge conference, and now, thankfully, the rest of us have the chance of being a part of this remarkable meeting of the minds through the Internets--hallelujah!

Google the letters TED, and you will be bombarded by a plethora of free and highly engaging 18 minute talks by some of the smartest and most insightful people you'll ever hear or see. These people come from every conceivable corner of the world and every conceivable background. Their talks are sensible, humorous, and most of the time, sublime. I can learn more from the "classroom" of TED in an hour on various topics than I could by reading 4 or 5 newspapers. And, even though 18 minutes certainly isn't going to cover any topic of value in such a short time, it will give you a catalyst to learn more and  to start the search for more detail on a topic of interest.

There is an excellent article in the magazine Fast Company  (http://fastcompany.com) entitled "How TED Became the New Harvard". It's definitely worth the read to get a good introduction to TED. If that doesn't seem pleasing to you, then just go to You Tube and, in the search, type in TED talks. You will be pleased with your results from which to choose.

How does this fit in with 50 Adventures at 50? Every time I tune in to a TED talk, I am transformed by the imaginative way that fellow humans can deliver information. I literally have an adventure with every TED talk I hear; it makes me want to be a more effective person in the world.

If that's not an adventure, I don't know what is...

Total Lack of Aspiration... 50 on the Job

In the middle of the afternoon today, I found myself with my eyeballs beginning to itch...it seemed like in the back of my eyes...yikes! I was experiencing eye strain from looking back and forth at two different screens and dropping in tedious details. Fortunately, this doesn't happen often. In fact, after thinking that this wasn't how I wanted to spend too many more hours, I remembered why I was doing this work. I picked up the phone, called the client who this effort affected, and we had a nice chat. She trusts me; I want to be an anchor for her. That's the way it works. Then the job is no longer just a job--it's an opportunity to help someone--to put them more at ease.

When I started this new phase of my professional life, I decided that it was going to be on terms that I enjoyed what I did; that no matter what the vocation, it needed to be one that, at the end of the day as well as the start of the day, put a smile on my face. And so this is what I do. I wake up, I smile, and I start the day. And, even if it's been a tiring day, I smile. Life is indeed too short...it simply can't be wasted on jobs that have little meaning, do one no earthly good, or make us feel generally rotten.

Being 50 can be a scary age in the workplace with job cuts, etc. The good news, though, is that we can shamelessly have no aspirations of climbing any corporate ladders--yet the young dogs do that and Godspeed to them. We 50s will just keep the ship sailing smoothly along...and keep smiling.

Great Anticipations: The Delight of an International Guide

As those who have been following the blog well know by now, one of the 50 Adventures is to learn and become a respectable cook of Irish food. In order to do this, I figured it made sense to start reading material from Ireland. I started reading the Irish Times on my Google reader, and came across their food editor that has some wonderful recipes. Domini Kemp, the food editor, writes with a very friendly style that invites one into the recipe; after reading just a couple of said recipes, I was sure that these could happen on Indiana soil. Then I came up a roadblock...temperature conversions on the oven. Mark? Yikes! I decided to go straight to the source.

I wrote an email to Ms. Kemp in hopes that someone could lead me to making these conversions. I received a reply that she was out of the office until August 31.

Yesterday, I checked my email as usual and lo and behold, a very friendly reply from Ms. Kemp along with a link for conversions! What a delight. And, added to that delight, her request for me to send her my blog entries that tell of my adventures in Irish cooking.

I'm anticipating a good season of good eating...and thanks to Domini Kemp, the eating won't be too hot or too cold, but just right.

The Love of the Irish

Tom and I traveled to West Lafayette this evening; I have a meeting in town tomorrow and Tom is planning, among other things, a trip to the H-D dealership.

When I found out that we would be headed to this end of the state, I immediately started looking for a great restaurant to visit and blog about...and wow did we find it.

9 Irish Brothers is a wonderful little spot at the base of the hill leading up to the Purdue campus. It's a busy place, yet the pub itself feels very intimate and removed from the hustle and bustle of the nearby street. It was a beautiful August evening, so we chose to sit outside on the patio...a wise choice!

Being a true lover of Irish food and seeking out ideas and recipes for our fall/winter dinner guests, we looked at the menu and were more than pleased with the selections offered. Tom finally settled upon fish and chips and I decided upon a 1/2 order of corned beef and cabbage and 1/2 order of Irish-Guinness stew.  When the food arrived, we immediately realized that we could invite Caroline, our waitress, and all those dining around us to join us in this feast.

The food was an absolute delight. The rich flavors of the stew, the soda bread, the corned beef and cabbage, the fish and chips (the "chips" being oval potato slices that were quick fried into potato puffs that we hadn't enjoyed since experiencing them in New Orleans at Antoinne's--fantastic). Every bite brought a smile.

The star of the show at 9 Irish Brothers is the Guinness from the tap. There is a special process used there that has earned the pub the title of Best Guinness from the Tap in the US...quite an honor. Now we know why it won that accolade; smoother and silkier Guinness we've never experienced. Smiles abounded once again.

After a wonderful and relaxing meal with Caroline taking good care of us, we then asked if we might have a flight of single malt whiskeys. This brought our bartender Josh into the picture where, after a bit of thought and planning, we pronounced us the official guinea pigs for the inaugural whiskey flight. Josh did some excellent choosing and we ended up with an aromatic and rich selection of Bushmill 10 year, Knappouge, Michael Collins, and Tyrconnell Port Finish. We found a new favorite in Michael Collins which, with time, blossomed into a beautiful glass of whiskey. Here's to Josh and many many more successful whiskey flights for years to come--that young man knows his craft!

We also raise a glass to our kind waitress, Caroline, a hard working young lady who is currently studying nursing in addition to working two different jobs. Always smiling, always attentive--a waitress that made our evening a delight.

A third round of "cheers" to the instigator of our finding this fine pub--Mike Hosford, Tom's boss. Thanks, Mike!

Whenever you are in the West Lafayette area, don't hesitate to drop in to the 9 Irish Brothers; you'll come out smiling, satisfied, and perhaps even with a lift in your step keeping in tune with the spirit of all that is good and Irish.

the inaugural whiskey flight

the star of the show

Caroline & Josh

The Joys of an Unplanned Day

Today was very purposely unplanned. I adore those occasional days when I wake up with a blank slate. With that simple luxury, I took time for extra quiet meditation outside on the deck with the butterflies, the hummingbirds, and the cats. The sound of the cicadas was louder this morning and complimented the scene along with the rustling of the field corn stalks.
During this time of unplanned pleasure, I brewed a very proper cup of tea. After watching a few videos and reading some background awhile back, I purchased some Irish Breakfast tea. I heated the water in the electric kettle, poured the hot water into a cup (not a soup bowl-sized mug that seems to be all the rage anymore, but a true cup), let the cup heat, poured it out, and then poured in fresh hot water and put the bag into steep for three minutes. Once the time was up, I added just a touch of cream and a bit of sugar (no sweetener). Glorious!! Who would've thought that something this simple would be this good...no wonder the Brits are so passionate about the properly done cup of tea.

While enjoying that most proper cup of tea in the company of all that is the backyard, I felt very compelled to write a new blog. One of the items on my list of 50 adventures is to write a sermon. I'm fortunate that my pastor is also a good friend that understands my odd whims, and so, with the help of Gretchen, I'm going to get to have that experience. In the meantime, there will be periodic postings on the site http://tina-bestillandknowthatiam.blogspot.com. I find it humorous that the only blog addresses I can fine that wasn't already in use ended up personalizing it with my name. So, appropriately, I ended up with tina--be still and know that I am. Guess that tells me plenty  :).

By this time, of course, I was hungry, so off to the kitchen I went to concoct a sandwich that will make an appearance in a later food blog--always playing with my food. I think I'm just about ready to move the portable studio up to the kitchen for the needed photo shoots...I believe I know just the place.

Next I treated myself to an old movie on Netflix entitled Holiday with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn, circa 1938...as Katherine would say, "It was great fun!"

Food--of course--was on the "blank slate" agenda, so after a little research, a sage rub on a pork loin was put together and has set in the fridge for a few hours before visiting the grill along with some sweet potatoes (food blog to come).

And...cataloging. It was a great day to create the EXCEL file and catalog the books to give away (another item on the 50 list)....ended up with 57 this round...literacy, anyone? :)

And...the hammock...the guest topic for tonight's Meanderings from Highbanks.

Finally, back to where I started this morning--on the deck with the laptop, and this time a glass of wine instead of Irish tea. In a bit the pork loin and sweet potatoes will go on the grill. The supper hour will be official.

Looking back, I guess my blank slate day wasn't all that blank; it was, however, incredibly relaxing. No rush, no hurry, no worry...just passing from one idea to the next.

I hope your day went well, and I wish you all the opportunity to truly enjoy (and soon experience) an unplanned day.

Clothes Makes the Man (or Woman)--Really?

 Being a consummate people watcher, I am fascinated to the lengths we humans go to look good, stylish, hot, fashionable--whatever the term you choose. I will readily admit that, over the years, I studied magazine looks long ago starting with the uber-issue of Seventeen that always came out in August, looking more like a catalog than a magazine. (Vogue has a similar behemoth that was published recently--serious girth!) I have items in my past and in my closet that more resemble items of discomfort than clothing. Most all of us have tucked, pushed, prodded, held our stomach in, held our breath, and poured ourselves into form-fitting outfits that didn't make us want to do much other than expand back to our normal selves once we were safely home.

 The other day I read an article on line about a new "cult" as the writer called it (don't know if I'd use that strong of a word) of young people who are taking minimalist living to the next level. I like that. I've been watching my own off-spring who has, for the past several years, relied on two pair of Vans (identical except one pair newer than that other) as his shoes of choice year round. (He does resort to boots to slog around in the deepest, darkest part of winter, but the Vans are always near by or in the pack back.) I myself have resorted to the challenge of flip flops for the entire summer--three pairs--one for everyday, one for going out and about, and a silver pair for dress up times. I really like this. No thought given to shoes--just pop on the flops and out the door.

Just this evening I was reading an article in Fast Company about Steve Jobs--you know, the guy that kind of built an empire around a computer with a piece of fruit on it? Yep, that Steve Jobs. The man is a genius, he's worth more money than we can even imagine, he's known world-wide and he...wears a black pullover shirt, a pair of jeans, and tennis shoes--period. Hey, if HE can do it, I can do it.

I hereby resolve to practice "Jobs-ism" in my wardrobe; comfort, ease of choice, utility. I'm feeling more liberated already! Out go the pushing, prodding, poking, and just plain annoying items of the wardrobe. Welcome flowing and comfortable and beautiful.  Ah, 50...such freedom! Even if you're not the magic 1/2 century number yet, come join the crusade. Look and feel the way you want to; not the way some writer in a magazine says you ought to...remember, that person may be writing about the correct jeans for your figure one month and  the best spark plugs the next.

As our 'ol pal Will Shakespeare once said, "To thine own self be true."  Yep.

The Adventure of the Amish Gourmet Grocery

A few years back, a good friend of mine made a really nice find--an Amish grocery in Daviess County. This place is great! I fondly call it the Gourmet grocery since, on my first trip there, I came home with some "treasures" that I frankly couldn't believe I'd found. Many of the items I had only found before in Bloomington and Indy...and here they were back on a rock road in a little pole shed! Fantastic!
Over the past few years I've had a ball introducing friends and family to the Amish Gourmet Grocery. Tonight I took Gretchen, our Pastor on the adventure. We both came away with a bag full of goodies and had spent very little. Today's big scores for me were 25 cent capers, 39 cent Rose's sweetened lime juice, and a great jar of pesto for 50 cents! What fun!
Sometimes it's just the little surprises that make us smile; for me, it's that little pole barn in the heart of Amish Country.

Stitching with the Camera...an Easy Way for the Rest of Us

After working my way through the "great" program that I downloaded last night to do picture stitching, I grew weary of the instructions that seemed to be written for someone far sharper than me. It seemed hopeless. So, as any good researcher would do...I Googled once again. This time I found some You Tube videos posted by a nice guy with the name jknightsmith. A true teacher that makes it easy. So, if you have Photoshop and want to do some stitching, here's the website to learn from a wonderful source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6zEHYKPJXY. This guy is GREAT; nice accent, too.

So, at 11:45 p.m. last night, here's what I came up with, courtesy of Mr. J Knightsmith's tutorial:

First, the three pics:

and then the stitch (still in its rough form, but initial stitching is done):

 This looks menial, but I went to sleep with a smile on my face and a sense of accomplishment in my heart. Learning curves are exhilarating and exhausting! I still have a ways to go before I do those B&B pics, but I'm on my way!

A New Craft: Stitching--Pictures, Not Material

A good friend of mine called the other day and asked for a favor. She has a beautiful bed and breakfast, and has the website developer coming in the next month. She said her dilemma centered around that fact that the pictures that were currently on the site didn't tell the whole story of the rooms. I thought for a moment and then asked her if the site developer wanted to do some panoramic shots of the rooms. I could take the pictures she was requesting I do, and then stitch them together for a 360 degree view for those inquiring about their stay.

The next thing I needed to do was to actually learn how to do this...nothing like a little pressure to make us learn a bit quicker :). 

So...I did what any good student would do...I Googled.  In my research, I found a great site called Hugin that is a free download from SourceForge (I do love an open source application). I downloaded it, went out and took 8 pictures for a panoramic stitch. 

I've started working on putting the images into the stitcher; I'd love to tell you that it was just that easy. I'd really love to tell you that. Guess you've figured out that it's going to be a continuing saga; when I figure this all out, I'll gladly share my "work of art". Ah...learning keeps us young!

Lightening the Load: Phase One

One "adventure" of this year's project is lightening the load--in many aspects. I hope to emerge from my 50th year on Earth a lighter person--not necessarily body wise, but certainly stuff-wise. 

While we were on a trip to Cincinnati a couple of years ago, we had the Ikea experience. We entered that huge store/museum and were amazed at how people in other parts of the world, i.e Scandinavia, lived in such small spaces with such ease. I was immediately intrigued and felt somewhat challenged by this compactness. Since then I've been giving thought of how to bring more compactness to my stuff. Anyone who has been to my "playground" in the basement is probably chuckling that this even enters my mind. The basement will indeed be a challenge, but what's life without a good challenge once in awhile? Obviously, that's not phase one; I like a challenge, not a battle.

For my birthday, I purchased a Kindle. I love the idea of compactness of my library; most of the actual weight of my travel comes from hauling books and magazines along. I'm not a single book/magazine reader. I read four or five different ones at a time. So, I'm minimizing my library. I did this once already last year and paired things down quite dramatically; I realize now I'm ready to pair again. So, phase one of lightening the load will be books. I don't want them to be destroyed--that would be a travesty. So, first I'll offer some to the local library and to friends who come our way.  The rest I'll donate to St. Vincent's. They'll get more use than just sitting on my shelf. I like that idea.

Tea...Who Knew?

One of the 50 adventures I want to have during this year is learning about tea. I think probably the minute I was "legal" to switch from milk to tea as a small child, I did...been a consummate tea drinker ever since. Of course, my idea of tea drinking varied from the tried and true loose-leaf brewed tea from Lipton that my mom always had fresh and at the ready for her small family with voracious tea-consuming habits to the unsweetened tea my Grandma Meadors had on hand along with a sugar bowl and a teaspoon that allowed us grandkids the blissful pleasure of trying to dissolve the sugar in the tea. As you can imagine it just sunk to the bottom, but to a little kid this was the greatest--using that teaspoon to "scoop" the tea out which gave the mounds of sugar a little tea flavor. I still smile at the memory...

My dad was a tea man. I seldom remember him ever drinking a soft drink. When he did, it was normally a Dr. Pepper which was, to a little kid, almost a torturous taste. Back to tea for me!

My mom always had tea at the ready. Even now, God bless her, she has in the refrigerator a pitcher of unsweetened tea for brother Doug, and a pitcher of sweetened tea for brother Mike. And for me? I'm a 50/50, so I guess I can lay claim to both pitchers on any given day.

With this love of all things tea, I decided it was time to journey out and see what all is out there. What's the best way to brew tea? What's the best pot material for a good brew? How do I choose from the bazillion different types of tea out there? How do I avoid becoming a snarky tea snob?

I started my tour last night, of all places, on You Tube. There are some really nice short clips from Expert Village that not only gives you instruction on different teas, but also some great trivia on tea. And, as Tom can attest, I am the world's biggest sucker some some good trivia!

For example...did you know that orange pekoe is neither orange nor pekoe? It was named orange, according to our friends at Expert Village, since the government at that time was the House of Orange. It was named pekoe because (the discoverer) wanted some exotic, snazzy name--so he just made up the word! Gotta love it!

 When I read this, I was hooked...I knew from now on, no matter how snobby or snarky the tea research got, there would always the be occasional tongue-in-cheek moments to bring it all back.

So...I'm reading currently and will share pertinent information for anyone interested in my findings. I'm also thinking that this winter that one of the sewing projects will be, of course, a tea cozy :).

Cheers!

In the Company of Good People

Tom and I pulled an "empty nester" and somewhat impulsively crossed the border into Illinois and headed to Fairfield, known as "The Community of Friendly People". That sign, we found out, was not just a sign--these folks practice what they preach. We felt welcomed wherever we stopped. And no one was more welcoming to us than our good friends the Oppenheimers--Mike, Pinky, Jagermeister, Boris, and Icky Bunny. (I forgot the snake's name but will admit I didn't spend any quality time with it, although I'm sure it's a very nice snake--after all, it lives in Fairfield.)
There's just something pretty special about being in the company of good friends. When you spend time with them in their home, you realize even more why you liked them in the first place. The humor, the compassion about things that matter, and the feeling of instantly being a part of their lives in total makes live pretty good. And then there's the food...holy cow!
During the course of 12 hours we drank excellent chocolate martinis w/raspberry whipped topping (check those out in the picture with Mike the Mixologist), fantastic NY strip steaks, potatoes, and mushrooms, all slow-cooked over a bed of hickory; bread, salad, and malbec wine that completed a table that where some serious eating, drinking, and being merry took place well into the night.
The next morning we returned and were treated to scrambled eggs and french fries--truly! It's an old Italian recipe handed down from Mike's family and was amazingly good. Once again, we enjoyed an abundance of good foods, lively conversation, and some great laughs.
After a quick tour of Fairfield proper, we said our good-byes and headed back across the border back home again to Indiana.
Thanks to our hosts and thanks to all those who open their homes fully to others...there's just not a much nicer thing to do!

A Picnic--Who Could Resist?

Today we went to a picnic...a real live picnic. A true piece of Americana where the balloon guy shows up and twists those little snaky balloons into amazing works of whimsy. An event where there is enough good ice cream to go around for every man, woman, and child, and no one denies themselves the joy of having a scoop (or two) on a hot summer day. A place where no one gets excited or snarky if you decided to have barbeque AND a hot dog AND a hamburger because they just look so good. A meal where potato chips and potato salad are seen merely as two sides. Most importantly, it's a place where everyone comes together and just simply has a good time. Everyone stands and automatically smiles while watching the little ones bounce themselves silly on the giant, bouncy infatable toys. The participants in the bingo game silently go about their business only to start chuckling to themselves when, in the quiet, a little voice starts echoing the caller's announcements, "B-5" "0-62", the younger voice probably not even understanding the concept, just that it sounds neat to hear the calls and parrot them. 

It's hard to find a person who doesn't like a good picnic; most who don't probably just forgot how much fun they can be...a true example of who we are...food, fellowship, and easy fun. 

Instant Gratification Take a Hiatus

When I started this little venture, I knew two things: I would need to be patient; I would see time fly by as never before. Those two just don't seem to mesh very well. How can I be patient knowing full well that time is passing me by--how can I have 50 adventures at 50 if I don't keep things moving?
This seems to be the situation in which most of the world now finds itself--for too long now we've been in an ever-increasing "hurry up" mode. Fast food, speedy delivery, information in nanoseconds, etc. We've not only learned instant gratification, it's become a part of our genome. If we go to a restaurant and the food isn't served quickly, the place must be lousy; if we go to an event and it doesn't start precisely on time, we pronounce it a failure. If the airline is running late, it's all over for air travel. The list goes on...
Fade to the future...now, for instance. With our economy slowing sliding into the dumper, we're at a crossroads--with fewer people in the work force, the restaurants are operating with less staff, the event centers are operating with less staff, the airlines are operating with less staff--and our "instant gratification gene" is feeling the pinch. We don't like waiting. We don't like being asked to be patient. Our time is valuable. Time is money. And on and on.
Here's the deal...let's just cool our jets for awhile. An odd idea, but one that just might catch on. Think about it; how much less stress would a person carry if, for one day, that person knew that 90% of life's events were totally out of his control? Guess what? That's probably about the average. The minute you bring in another person, another service, or another industry into your life--like it or not--you're at their mercy. But it's okay; we just need to remember that we can't make the planes run on time...not our day. And having others angry or even irritated at us for being on that late plane...please. Yet we beat ourselves up over and over again for things that are clearly out of our range of control. And it's going to get worse before it gets better; we've seemingly peaked--at least for awhile--at having everything at our whim and whimsy.
But it is okay...really :). All we need to do is just climb on that proverbial raft and let the current of life take us. Sometimes the pace will quicken; sometimes it will slow to a crawl. Two things for sure--it won't be the same twice in a row, and we have little control. So, c'mon and hop on the raft that is life...and enjoy the ride. It all gets done...feel those jets cooling? Gooooood...I figure those 50 things will come along in due time; in the meantime I'm going to enjoy the journey.
Have a fine fine day!

Dumb Luck

Who doesn't love a little dumb luck? You know, the kind of thing that happens when you least expect it. Tom and I always make it somewhat of a challenge when we go on a get-away, be it short or lengthy. If things aren't going great, we'll assure each other that "it's about time for some dumb luck" and voila...99% of the time it happens. It's been fun over the years to instill this into Kurt as well...he's a dumb luck fan as a result and has brought along a few converts himself.

I tend to think that attitude has a bit to do with that dumb luck; going through life and grabbing all the gusto available sure seems to help the situation. As far as I can see, there's no reason to think otherwise. We have fun, we take life in stride, and we know that things will go screwy. Nevertheless, there's normally some great little surprise that greets us along the way.

On our way to Indy tonight, we decided to try our dumb luck and look for one of our challenges--a dusty cheap bottle of scotch. Yep...we go through towns from time to time looking for that run-down liquor store that more than likely has one or two bottles of scotch that no one wants. We walk in, blow off the dust and dirt, ask how much, check out the bottle, and make our purchase.  This evening dumb luck appeared in a the form of that dingy little liquor store. We found a great bottle of scotch for 18 bucks and, holding true to our criteria, the box was really dirty :). And by the way...the scotch is great! Nice and smooth.

Ah, the joys of dumb luck.

Getting Back on the Ball (Literally)

The other day while #1 son Kurt and I were chatting, he told me that he was following the example of his mom and of Leo Leporte (http://www.twit.com) and he had bought an exercise ball to sit on while working. This immediately rattled my brain reminding me that the work hiatus was indeed over, I was back at work, and I was sitting on...the couch. Not good. A few years ago, after hearing Leo delight in  the virtues of sitting on an exercise ball while working, I purchased one and became instantly hooked. When sitting on an exercise ball, one is never truly sitting...more like gingerly bouncing, sliding, shifting, etc. That has to be good for muscle tone, right? I'm going to run with that. Nevertheless, after talking with #1 son, I made a hasty trip to the basement where my big white exercise ball was patiently awaiting my return.

I have some interesting memories with the exercise ball. One that vividly comes to mind was one nice spring morning when I was working away during our busy season and all of a sudden the exercise ball and I started doing a gyration that neither of us had planned. Once it was all over, it occurred to me that we had just bounced our way through a moderate earth quake. I was correct. My workmates throughout the state started reporting similar shaking at their home offices (although none had experienced it on an air-filled exercise ball...exhilarating!).

The exercise ball and I have a basic routine throughout the day. I always start off seated on it with one laptop on my work station and the other poised on the couch. In this way I have "stereo" laptops and I get a great deal accomplished...or so I'd like to believe :). After lunch, I give my hips a bit of a hiatus and the exercise ball becomes a hassock of sorts. Nevertheless, its necessity is never questioned.

Someday the inevitable will happen--I'm just curious as to whether the ball will slowly deflate as I'm working away until I notice my chin is bumping my laptop or if it will suddenly explode much as the old inner-tubes did on cars when we were kids (remember that?). The former will come as an inconvenience; the latter will come as a complete shock much as it did for the aforementioned Mr. Laporte. I was listening to a podcast one day where Leo was just chatting along and all of a sudden there was a loud noise and apparently Leo found himself on the floor, somewhat shocked at what had just transpired. Fortunately, I don't do many video chats during work hours; I can imagine the roar of laughter in the school lounge later after I implode during a video conference call...of course after checking to make sure I hadn't imploded along with the ball...these are nice people :). Be that as it may, I throw caution to the wind and continue to bounce my way through my work assignments.

The discipline attached to maintaining multiple blog sites has hastened me to get back on a different ball of sorts. Already, as any writer (or hack, given the day and the quality of the work) will relate, I wonder about the day that I wake up, switch on the laptop, and then stare blankly at the blinking cursor with nothing more to say...nah. I haven't shut up in 50 years--no need to stop now! But, I have noticed that my observational skills have been put on higher alert...perhaps that next story is sitting near me and I don't want to be so caught up in my own world as not to see it. Besides, it's kind of nice to take a break and just observe--mighty interesting as well. No shortage of stories to tell.
So, I'm back on that ball--proverbial and synthetic--bouncing through life.
Have a fine fine day!

So Here We Are

At 9:02 a.m. (according to a birth certificate and my mom), I came into being. Apparently a girl was much wanted to round out a family of boys up to this point. As I was growing up, family friends tell the story of my dad zipping around town in his car, honking and announcing he had a girl. According to my dad, my mom was under the effects of ether and was very skeptical when he told her I was, indeed, a she. Nevertheless, the ether wore off and the word got out, and so here we are :).

I've never been much of one to look backward; not much for studying my own history. It seems too easy to carry along unwanted baggage along with all the otherwise good memories. So today won't be much of a day to reminisce about times past (although I might sneak in a couple of fun memories of birthday parties and sleep-overs as a kid--who could resist??)

So today I woke up with the intent to soak up the present (no pun intended)--a pleasant morning in which to enjoy the first coffee of the day while looking through a little stack of birthday cards that have accumulated over the past week, reading good wishes from good people on Facebook, having a daily chat with my mom.
I told Tom I wanted today to just be a day--no big plans. Life gets too planned, and in all that planning, we miss some pretty good stuff :). So today, we just let it flow and see what it brings.

My ultimate present to myself was releasing the pent-up writer; as a result, I'll be launching not only this blog today, but also a food blog (http://allaboutthefoodwithpictures.blogspot.com/2010/08/welcome-to-my-little-foodie-world.html) and simple observations of life (http://www.meanderingsfromhighbanks.blogspot.com) This site is the anchor of these and all additional blogs; I can't begin to describe the fun this has been thus far. Tom asked me what I'd like to do for my birthday; so far,the planning, design, and delivery of this project has kept me happily occupied...I am thinking a little ride "around the block" on the motorcycle couldn't hurt :)).

I hope you'll join the blog or blogs...it's an easy process through google...just follow the directions on the page. I always welcome your comments and thoughts.

And, as one more reminder, I hope you visit these links throughout the year:
http://www.heifer.org, http://www.jills-house.org, and http://smiletrain.org. These are three fantastic organizations that help folks, young and old. I know there are many great places out there to help; we're fortunate people--we can help those who aren't.

Thanks for indulging me in my birthday gift. I hope you'll join me in this year-long experiment with life. God bless.

Making the List...

I'm about 8 days from the launch of my year-long gift to myself--keeping a blog of life. I've decided to make the attempt to learn and/or do 50 new things during my 50th year on Earth. I don't have any aspirations to travel great distances, buy expensive items, or set the world on fire, but I'm just curious to see what can be accomplished in a typical year. I think sometimes we can surprise ourselves of what we can do, what we can accomplish, and what we can learn if we make a conscious effort. At the end of the year, I hope I can wrap up on August 16, 2011, with a smile on my face and a better sense of what I can do at this time in my life.

I thought at first I would compile the entire list for the year, but as I started thinking about the project, I decided to just let some things develop as life happens. It seemed that in planning everything out, I would micromanage my future and that's just not a good idea...what would I miss with tunnel vision?

Here's a partial list so far of things I'd like to learn/do/accomplish (in no particular order):
1--Learn Photoshop CS5--gonna be a sharp learning curve :)
2--Start blogging on a regular basis--should be accomplished through this project (so much to learn)
3--Learn how to manage a website--once again a sharp learning curve :)
4--Learn Irish cooking (dinner party theme for this year--including the single malt)
5--Write a sermon (with all the Lutheran rules and regs--LOL)
6--Learn about tea--been drinking it for as long as I can possibly remember, but there's so much to learn about REALLY drinking it
7--Gain skill in sewing--I've mastered the very most basic basics--much to learn to start turning out pieces that look well done
8--Grow in knowledge and use of Reiki. Since learning the first level several years ago, I've become quite a fan of all it has to offer
9--Continue to study spirituality--without this, it's all for naught
10--Learn how to do basic repairs on computers--for some odd reason, this has become quite interesting to me
11--Learn how to really use the Nikon
12--See two new places that I've never seen before--I'm guessing Tom and I can accomplish that one :))
13--Bring greater attention to three causes dear to my heart: Heifer, Jill's House, and The Smile Train

So...there's the start. I sent out a query to friends on FB and was given some really great ideas; as I research them a bit more, I'm guessing they'll start showing up on the list. Thanks!

I hope you'll join me on August 17 as I "officially" launch with the first of 365 blogs; I kind of feel like a kid with a new toy.

I can be found at http://tinais50.blogspot.com