Saturday, November 05, 2011

Got Eggs


Quiche. Made it up. Just in case they like it, I did think about what I was doing, so maybe I can replicate it or tweak it. I figure, baking with enough cheese and eggs, anything will taste good, right? I sauteed leeks, and added spinach too. It's cold. It's November. It's Saturday. It's quiche time.


Four hens are laying these days. Every day is an egg hunt. One in the empty flower pot. Two in the enamel basin where the chicks sleep. One or two in the bedraggled remains of the tomato bed.


Hello, Zelda.
Thank you for the eggs. I baked a quiche. It's delicious.



Hello, Zoltar.
Thank you for the... for... thank you for being handsome, and a protector.



Yes, very handsome.


Of the six chicas hatched in August, I think at least three of them will be hens. Maybe? Hopefully.

And how many of them love me and trust me, and recognize me?
Answer: Not a stinkin' one. Ingrates. Dodos. Knuckleheads. Chickens.

But I love them.


Homer loves them too. Roasted, broiled, bbq'd. Homer loves c.h.i.c.k.e.n. And he even understands when you spell it out loud.

Back to the quiche. Geoff says "Write the recipe down." We have a winner.

Friday, November 04, 2011

{this moment}


A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
:: Inspired by Soule Mama ::

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Carried Away


I may not be here tomorrow.
I may get blown off course.
Or perhaps
on course.

I am carried away by the wind, and a mood
and a terribly
attractive thing called...
Follow Me on Pinterest


From East
that Wind has returned.
The leaves drop,
crackle
blow.
I Pin snow covered barns, cozy nooks, crochet edged pillowcases.
All dreamy
all order and ideal.


My nightcap: blanket stitching a fat quarter.
Red
Cotton
Perle


Then slipping thread over hook...

I am carried away
by the wind
to Pinterest.
To daydreaming, blog hopping.
To wishful thinking and sighing deeply over glimpses of alternate realities, and other seemingly endless possibilities.


And until I can build my tree house, and make a laundry room look like a four star hotel suite, I will be teaching myself how to crochet edge a fat quarter with red cotton perle.

Lifted from NorCal Katie's Pinterest Board:


I am, always, adjusting my sails.

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

October 32nd... The Second Day of Halloween


Happy Halloween II!

Actually, I hadn't counted on posting all five days of The Five Days of Halloween. I am so ready to shift gears and embrace the new month, and a new focus. I love OctoberNovemberDecember... it is my favorite time of the year, and I am all excited for the days ahead.

But first, a little reflection, because our Halloween has been too creepy and creative and full to skip over.


The fashion blogs always detail ensembles, top to bottom.

Hat: St. Vinnie's, Willy Street, Madison Wisconsin
Dress: Passed to us by Aunt Holly
Boots: Target
Wool bracelets: home made
Crows: craft store
Fangs: dime store



As soon as our Bird House was decorated with The Birds, for Halloween, Maria decided every last detail of her Halloween costume. And she loved to breathlessly describe it to anyone. Fast, and lilting, with her hands motioning, she would explain, "I'm going to have a fancy white hat, fancy white dress and crows all over. And scary teeth." And if you did not pay very close attention you would not understand a bit of it. But she understood exactly what she had in mind.


It was actually rather sophisticated, and truly unique. And, creepy... until she smiled, or spoke with those silly fangs in her mouth.


Before trick-or-treating, before closing the doors, or leaving the house... if you have kitties, especially black kitties it is a good idea to get them safely inside. None of us could have any peace of mind until all of our family was safely accounted for. And naturally a kitty pursued and begged, is a kitty aloof and uncooperative.


Chango turned his back on the crow ghost and the plague doctor.


And he led them all over the yard. Sun setting, fog rolling in, and precious trick-or-treat minutes ticking away...


In the end, it was a Happy Halloween after all, and everyone made it home safe and happy. Treats were shared, and memories recounted.

Monday, October 31, 2011

The First Day of Halloween


Happy Halloween!

And in honor of The Five Days of Halloween, we have five festive personas to share with you... and a warning: Some of these images may be disturbing, particularly if you are not a fan of Clive Barker, or the book series Abarat. You may also find some of this objectionable if you firmly believe "beauty is skin deep."

Maria came downstairs this morning about as dejected and crushed as can be. "No costumes on Halloween" is her school's policy. Which in my mind begs the question: Can she wear a costume after Halloween? She announced, forlornly, "School on Halloween makes no sense." Then she yawned, and dragged her feet to the dining table, sitting down next to Miss Utah. Seeing Suki, strange as it may seem, was not the least bit disturbing to Maria, who perked up and said, "You look great, Suki."

Geoff and I took Maria to a party at Patrick and Mahshid's yesterday. Geoff was a welder, Maria was a party cat, and she wore the mask she painted. I donned my top hat and mask. We had a good time, especially enjoying Maria's delight in being at "a real Halloween party!"

And, this morning...


Max is a plague doctor. I like how it sounds in Dutch... pestmeester. Interesting history those pestmeesters have. With the black cloak Lucas lent him, and his beaked mask, I think Max looks great, and he was quite pleased to achieve this effective ensemble.

We have all read Clive Barker's books from the Abarat series. They are brilliantly disturbing, both literally and visually, as they are illustrated as well as written by Mr. Barker. One character of a certain appeal is Christopher Carrion... seen in this link. Alex is a young Christopher Carrion today.


Writhing and wriggling in the fluid circulating through and around Carrion's head, are his own nightmares. Goodness, I know.

And, brace yourselves... Suki as Miss Utah a beauty queen whose beauty, unfortunately, really is only skin deep.


"If I win, I will work tirelessly until Land Sharks are declared an endangered species!" I think she has her campaign zipped-up and in the bag.

Shudders.

Well. If anyone is still reading Chickenblog, I can give you a peek into how these special effects were created. I am nothing less than awestruck and delighted by homemade costumes and creativity.


All of us were painting masks this weekend, which yielded some really great creations, and was a lot of fun. I found sprinkling that much glitter to be quite therapeutic. And my DĆ­a de los Muertos mascara looked dandy with my top hat and rebozo.


The cat's meow.
And without even planning this, she and Amira are both kitties for Halloween!
Maria completed her ensemble with a magenta tulle skirt, and a black, witch's hat.


Alex woke Suki around five in the morning, with a text message, and she replied "Ungghh uhhhggrr," but she made it downstairs to begin applying a regular zipper to her face.


Patience, a steady hand, and spirit gum. That does the trick.


It probably helps to have a sense of humor too.


William was helping Alex assemble the double layer of plastic to create the face aquarium that is Christopher Carrion's head. Tubing, epoxy, and lots and lots of sealant were used, as well as clamps to keep everything together while parts were drying. At five in the morning Alex was doing the first leak test.

It leaked. Big time. So more sealant was applied.


And while the mask dried, Alex applied his make-up.


And a flowing, ragged, black cloak.


Suki's face is all made up, and she is ready for the talent show part of the pageant!


Even without the fluid, I think the effect is remarkable.


Suki and Alex make a third leak check... and this time it's close. Really, really close.


So determined! We got some pictures, but there is still one, pesky, little leak. Have no fear! Alex went to school, without swimming nightmares, but he has a plan, and will make it work today, after school...

Yes, we have a nail biting cliffhanger!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Picked-Off One by One...


Happy confections, made yesterday. We had a day with friends dropping by, mask painting, pumpkin carving, chili cooking... good, stay at home, seasonal stuff. One by one, the caramel apples disappeared...


Until... to our amusement, we noticed there were only two left.
"Uh... where's everyone going?"

Bwa-hahahaha-haha!