Tornadoes

My community has survived the recent tornadoes in Connecticut relatively unscathed, but around us--very close--people have been hard hit.  Five tornadoes touched down in NY and CT on Tuesday late afternoon.  I had heard that we were getting weather and so was keeping an eye on alerts.  I was at my homecare patient's house, waiting to watch "Ellen" with her, when the weather interrupted.  There were tornado warnings in the NW corner.  I left soon after, but the skies were relatively clear.

Not long after I got home, it was that Texas pitch-black sky to our northwest.  We turned on the local news and I watched warnings roll in.  Pretty soon they were tracking a tornado.  Later, the weather guy said, "If you can hear my voice, get somewhere safe now."

I looked outside.  The sky had gone from dark black to a pale green, with darker gray bits.  Green.  No hail, but green was enough for me. 

The kids were ready. We'd pulled out the camping lantern which gives great light and we had the big box of cat treats to tempt the kitties into the basement.  The kids got the cats downstairs but, as I was following, Eris rushed back up.  I searched for her twice but couldn't find her; with the sky turning greener and the wind making the trees into whirling dervishes, I abandoned the search.

Nothing happened here, but I was reminded of that storm ten years ago (pictures and story), when a very similar sky dropped a tree on our house and car just as we headed to the then-unfinished basement.  It was because of that storm that we finished the basement.  And I respect a storm.  If the tree had been angled differently or even a bit taller, it would have blown out the window at the basement stairs landing where I was just then passing with two kids in my arms.  That would have been awful.

So, we waited in the basement, watched the warnings.  I even straightened up some.  But we emerged about 30 minutes later, just fine.  The sky was lightening, even though the thunder and rain continued.  We were lucky.

Since then, I've seen pictures of the storm looming over Sleeping Giant State Park, where it destroyed a beloved grove of pines.  I've heard of the injuries and deaths.  We still have friends without power.  We know people with downed trees.  I talking about the storm, I have been amazed at how little these Nutmeggers know about tornadoes. 

So I told them:  green and/or hail is bad, get inside, get low; if you're in your car, stay away from trees, head somewhere you can get inside, and, if you have to, park and get in the floor well, covered in something.  But it's better to be in a basement or in an interior bathroom (the pipes anchor the space and protect it) or closet, with no windows, or somewhere under stairs.  In CT, we're still only seeing F1s, not the disastrous stronger storms that rip houses off their foundations.  It is mainly our gorgeous New England trees that pose a threat to us--and they're everywhere. 

I have a sinking feeling we're going to see more of these storms.  I hope we are all safe.

Snow Report

You probably know by now (except perhaps Lambeth, my friend in England) that we're facing a huge snow storm on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Blizzard warnings are in effect and predictions are for 12-24".  I've got enough food to eat for days, with or without power.  I'm expecting the kids won't have school on Tuesday or Wednesday.  We'll see.

Sis in her gear

In other news, on Saturday morning when we woke to 14F temperatures, Mama decided to take Sis skiing!!  Mama herself hadn't skied in 30 years; Sis had never been.  But they went to a nearby place and had a wonderful day.  Sis took beginner's lessons in the morning but, because of her speedskating ability, only spent a few minutes on the bunny slope before being moved to the green and then the blue paths!  Apparently, she's really good.  And Mama didn't break her back--and could even get up on Sunday morning.

Bud on the slopes

Which is when they went back, taking Bud with them!!  Sis skied green all day by herself, while Bud took lessons and Mama later skied with him on the smaller hills.  He had fun, too.  I think Sis and Bud even skied together.

I think there will definitely be more skiing, though not for me.  I have memories of one disastrous ski trip as a teen.  A quick morning lesson during which I could barely stand still or upright--I had no control over the skis--and yet the instructors still took me on the mountain on the lift and promptly abandoned me.  I skied down by myself, though I'm pretty sure you can't call it skiing.  I ran into a child, who wasn't hurt, and a tree, before taking off my skis and walking the rest of the way down.  It sucked.  I think I ended up walking in town the rest of the afternoon.   I don't think I'll be trying that ever again.

On the ski lift together

But I'm glad my kiddos love it.  And I'm so glad Mama had the gumption to give it a try--she loved it!  So, our plan is to go back to Vermont to ski next year and I'll sit in a nice cozy lodge by the fire and crochet, just like I like.  But I'll love watching them all ski.

And we'll all love the snow days this week.

THUNDERSNOW!

There was a white flash.  I thought I had blinked funny, having stared at my crochet too long.  But then, a loud, long clap of thunder which shook the windows and rattled the house.  Thundersnow!  With a definite lightning flash.  I went outside on the porch where Mama was futzing around to see if she'd seen it.  Yes.  Amazing.  I'm not sure I've been in thundersnow since the blizzard of 1995, with Gommie at the Waldorf Astoria.  Soon my FB feed lit up as other friends along the CT coast confirmed that they, too, had experienced it.  We heard it at least one more time, about an hour later, but no more flashes.  It certainly made yesterday's snow storm more interesting.

As it was, we got a good amount of snow, though the exact amount is hard to determine with all the drifting--I'd say about 8" (I usually guess high.)  We had gusts up to 45 mph, so there is snow stuck to windows and making odd shapes on the cars and roof--at times are Tibetan flags were parallel with the ground and we couldn't see down the street for the drifting.  Because it was blowing so hard, we mostly stayed inside (the kids were off yesterday and also today, because the roads are a mess.)  Crochet, yummy Korean barbecue bulgogi lunch, an evening viewing of Frozen in honor of the snow, Minecraft, baking, just a very relaxed day.  Towards the end of the storm, when it was gusting but not snowing much, Sis did go out and play with the neighbor for a bit while Mama was clearing the snow.  Thankfully, our snow blower was working so it didn't take long.

All in all, weather-wise, it's been an odd few days, as demonstrated by these two photos.  People in New England like to say, if you don't like the weather, just wait because it will change.  (Actually, people everywhere I've lived say that and each place thinks it's unique to them.)  I think, though, for the next several days we have a few more storms, albeit smaller, coming through.  But I doubt we'll see thundersnow anytime soon.

Wednesday

Thursdays

We Got It!

Yep, we got the snow!  On Friday, there was beautiful fairy-tale snow and then on Saturday we got about 5" of super-fine snow.  Beautiful.

And now it is very, very cold.  Single-digit cold.

So the beautiful white snow will be around for awhile longer.

Though, I hear we're in for above-average temperatures and rain later this week.

Such is winter in New England.

Here Comes the Rain Again

It's wet up here.  It's been hot most days, for us, and wetter than usual.  It's not many inches total but some impressive downpours off and on, with a few instances of great thunder and lightning.  In fact, last week or so, there was one of the best instances of thunder and lightning I've ever seen in Connecticut.  And today, not far away, there was an F-0 tornado!  No one was hurt, but some trees went down.

I'm liking the weather--even if 86F and 100% humidity is kinda nasty--but then I get to sit inside with AC.  But with the grey days and the earlier sunset, I can almost sense fall coming.   We had also done a little bit of late-summer planting on Monday evening of a bunch of purple coneflower plants, aka echinacea.  This rain is great for all of those plants.  I'd been seeing the purple coneflowers all over the place--in many yards, in the garden of a local restaurant, even at the Highline two weeks ago--and so when they appeared at a local store, I snatched them up.  Now I just need some black-eyed susans to go with them, since I see the two plants together most of the time.

And then we'll need more rain!

Bud's Birthday

We had Bud's birthday party last night--at the local rope course!  Luckily, the rain went both north and south of us (unlike the great storm the night before that dropped 4.75" on us.)  The park wasn't crowded, probably because of the threat of rain, and so Bud and his friends got four rounds on the course (instead of the usual three.)  Several had never done a rope course before and were nervous to start, but they all had a great time.  Bud was grinning ear to ear the whole time.  They finally stopped around 8 pm and had lemonade, pizza, and homemade Victoria Sponge Cake (his request) amid all the twinkle lights, chatting and laughing between bites.  A very happy 11th birthday party!

Winter Fun: Blizzard Photos

Yesterday

Today

Rain

Mercy, it's raining a lot today, for Connecticut.

Heading to church this morning, there were white caps on the river, which was 2 feet above normal, if not more.  It was obviously quite high, especially considering the rain only came in overnight.

And the wind!  We didn't see any trees down, though we heard some did go down, but we saw lots of little branches and leaves strewn about.  And one branch actually blew horizontally across the highway in front of us!

There wasn't too much puddling on the roads, though, and we never hydroplaned.  But it was threatening nonetheless.

So, after church, we went for a pancake breakfast!  It's a new-to-us place not far from church, quite crowded today--I guess everyone else had the same lazy-morning feeling.  We enjoyed delicious lemon ricotta pancakes, a kielbasa burrito, a "cowboy" omelet, corned beef hash, smoked bacon.  Yum, yum, yum.  And while we ate, the rain slowed.

It continued off and on, and is raining again now.

If it had been snow, it would have been a blizzard, with considerable accumulation, I'm sure.

Not yet.

Rainy-Day Recipes

It's cold and wet and windy here--perfect fall weather for staying indoors with my crochet, cats, and cuppa.  I was inspired to make "Snickerdoodle Cake" yesterday when it was damp and chilly; today I'm making beef stew in the slow cooker with beef, carrots, potatoes, red pepper, cabbage, and green onions (also red wine vinegar and some WT Rancher's Steak Rub and Garlic Grapeseed oil; it's low FODMAPs.)  Because Sis's Girl Scout movie night was cancelled, we'll stay home and watch something together.  I even promised them hot chocolate when they got off the bus!  It's just that kind of day.


Cinnamon Bars aka Snickerdoodle Cake

2  cups flour                         2  teaspoons ground cinnamon                         1  teaspoon baking powder                         1/4  teaspoon baking soda                         2  cups packed brown sugar                         2/3 cup butter                         2  eggs                         2  teaspoons vanilla                         1/4 cup sugar                         1  teaspoon ground cinnamon                          1  tablespoon butter, melted

First, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook and stir brown sugar and the 2/3 cup butter over medium heat until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Line a 9x9x2-inch baking pan with foil extending the foil over edges of pan. Grease foil; set pan aside. 

In a medium bowl stir together flour, the 2 teaspoons cinnamon, the baking powder, and baking soda; set aside. 

 Now that sugar/butter mixture is cooler, stir eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until combined.

Pour batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool slightly in pan on a wire rack.

In a small bowl stir together granulated sugar and the 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Brush warm bars with the 1 tablespoon melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar; cool completely. Using the edges of the foil, lift uncut bars from pan. Cut into bars.

Better Homes and Gardens 100 Best Cookies (2015)

L'Shana Tovah!

Happy New Year 5776!  May your year be filled with sweetness!

In honor of the Jewish Holy Day, we'll be making Swedish Apple Pie later (apples being a major symbolic food for Rosh Hashanah; I can't eat the apples--stupid FODMAPS--but will enjoy the scent.)  Yes, the kids are home.  It's a school holiday here in town, as is next week's Yom Kippur.  We voted as a town to observe the Jewish Holy Days over (historically suspect and corrupt) Columbus Day, about which I'm quite proud considering that we have many more Italian than Jewish families, but we seem to recognize, as a group, the importance of these days.

So, the kids slept in, had to run a few errands with me, got lunch out, and are now watching a little tv before we head to the farmer's market this afternoon.  Sis is craving cider doughnuts.

It actually feels a little like fall today, with the humidity finally dropping some, along with the temperatures.  I think it was 57F overnight!  I even got up and put on socks and a heavier nightgown but left the fan on because I enjoyed being chilly.  It'll still be warm this week for September--into the low 80s everyday after today--but the nights are cooling off.

Which is great for the foliage.  Except we're still in a moderate drought and some of the trees are just beginning to dry up brown.  It's not going to be a good year for colors here in CT, I think, unless we get a lot of rain now.  And there's no rain on the 10-day forecast.

Still, it's beautiful today and we're relishing the change in temperature.

Another Scorcher

It wasn't quite as hot today, as far as the thermometer was concerned, but the humidity was high and there was a lot of retained heat in the un-cooled schools.  When they were sent outside for recess, they were ordered not to move around "energetically"--they could only stand to kick a ball, not move much less run, and nothing else.  The kids told me they all huddled under the one shade tree.  Fun.

So, after lunch, I fetched them from school to bring them home, mainly to save them from a nauseating bus ride . . . and ran into another friend getting her child!  From their class, even!

It was supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow, but we haven't had much luck with rain and most of the state is in a moderate drought.  Our grass is dead; our memorial hydrangeas didn't make it, even with some watering.  Several trees are just turning brown--it'll be a pretty mediocre fall foliage year. Even the storm headed our way is patchy and thin and the possibility of precipitation is falling on every forecast chart, as is the amount.  I'm going to guess a bit of drizzle, with maybe one impressive 15-minute downpour. Maybe.

Just as long as the storm brings cooler weather . . . . .

Hot Topic

It was not a great school day.  For various and sundry reasons that I won't delve into here, there was confusion about school dismissal today and policies regarding excessive heat warnings.  See, today was the hottest Sept. 8th since 1919 in the area; Central Park hit 97F and we were above 92F something (heat index over 100F.)  Now, they might not seem like much to my Texas readers, but recall:  neither our schools nor our buses are air-conditioned.  Inside today, temperatures reached over 100 degrees, with just small windows open and inadequate metal fans.  These are schools built for winter--my kids can wear short sleeves all winter long without being cold.

So, after much brouhaha, they were dismissed early and home by 1 p.m.  They had ice cream, air-conditioning, and mostly just sat around wilted, reading.  But at least they weren't nauseous like they were last week in slightly cooler temps.

The Superintendent thinks there will be school tomorrow, though I think that is foolhardy--the schools will stew overnight and the humidity will be even higher tomorrow.  If it is, I will go fetch them around lunchtime.  Because, regardless, no one will be learning if it's that hot.

Hiding Out

It's going to be 93F today, with a heat index somewhere above 100F.

Which is much too hot for me.

By about 30 degrees.

It was 90 yesterday and pretty miserable with all the high humidity.

So, we're staying indoors, with the AC adjusted to cope with the heat (it can only be set about 15 degrees cooler than the outside temp, which means a warm 78F inside--but we don't want to break the thing now.)  Which means not much moving and no turning on the oven.

Bud is actually at camp this week--oceanography camp at the local maritime center.  They'll be out on the Sound taking specimens later in the week.  But not today, thankfully--can you imagine bobbing in a stopped boat in 93F temps?   Actually, many of my readers can; the kids up here, however, would not be used to that (and even I remember getting slightly queasy on a rocking boat in the full TX sunshine!  No wonder Pop would go fishing at 5 am or whatever early hour it was.)

I love that he can go to that kind of camp.  There are so many to choose from--next week Sis has animal lovers' camp at a nature center (with rabbits!  Though, we don't know if she'll get to work with the rabbits); later, Bud has Minecraft redstone circuitry (if I have that right) camp.  Others have sailing or Legos or lacrosse or history (American colonial, that is) or build-a-Roman-city, and myriad other choices . . . we just had camp.  You know:  tents, campfires, s'mores, singing, swimming, tie-dye, hikes.

I'd be ready to go to either kind of camp.  But not in this heat.  I'm hoping not to have to step foot outside!

When It Rains

It hasn't been a good weather month in Texas.  First, all the flooding in Houston and Wemberley near Austin a few weeks ago, now, Tropical Storm Bill hammering the southeast coast along much the lines of devastating Hurricane Carla fifty years ago.  My extended family is safe, though some of the property is a little worse for the wear.  Apparently the place where many have bayhouses was hit pretty hard--the houses are okay but the piers are gone and many of the boats came unmoored from their boat stalls as the tides rose and even floated around the harbor.  But it's not nearly as bad as Carla, when all the houses in the town except one were wiped off the earth.  They'll be able to recover, but it'll be a slow road in some places.  Our thoughts are with the people all over the state (and in the other states as well) as they recover and rebuild.

Weather Report

What a funny June it's been.  The highs for yesterday and today are barely out of the 50Fs!  And we've gotten 3" of much-needed rain.  There's been lightning and tons of thunder and not a drop of sun.  I love it.  But I did have to dig a pair of pants and a jacket out of the winter clothes closet.  And I'm wearing a turtleneck!  On June 2.  Well, at least we're not paying for air conditioning yet.  Actually, I like this weather a lot.

Our Snow Day

The kids woke up super early at 6:20 a.m. and watched "Phineas and Ferb" while I slept, then

we made cinnamon toast in the broiler.

Afterwards, there was some piano practice,

and reading, followed by

LEGOS!

Yep, Magic Trunk produced a couple of LOTR Legos.

I crocheted and also tangled:

We had lunch, played outside a teensy bit in the snow, and played Just Dance (I got four stars for the "Macarena!!")  Bud loves it and is good; I mainly wave around the arm with the controller in it.

Then we watched Harry Potter 3.

Mama came home.

We cleaned the driveway and sidewalk and Sis played outside with neighbors.

Then we had baked chicken and rice and gravy dinner

and played Ticket to Ride.

We finished off the evening with two rousing Mario Kart prix.  I was Lukita, with a carousel horse kart and a flying squirrel canopy.  

And I didn't come in last!

A very good day.

Whew!

What a wonderful, exhausting, frustrating, fun first 24 hours.

• Kids' Service Team event.  The kids' service team is a great combo of community building and helping others.  We shared pizza, salad, and brownies at church, and then the kids made fleece blankets and the adults tried their hands at knitting.  Sis and a few of her friends joined us and we practiced casting on and knitting . . . and fixing our mistakes.  I learned a few new techniques--the one needle cast-on, how to prevent curling edges in an all-knit piece by dropping the first stitch of each row, how to rework dropped stitches with a crochet hook (over-under, over-under), and how to pull stitches off a needle and put them back on (very carefully, making sure stitches are facing the right way)--with the help of one of the experts.  It was all fun.  But now I have a scarf to finish!  
• Ice skating!
• Kung fu!
• Cookie booth--oh, the stories I could tell.  And so I will.  Of course, the GS cookie booth troubles started a couple of weeks ago when the store that had agreed to host several troops selling cookies changed their minds and we all had to scramble for new times and places and reschedule everybody!  Then today, we our people showed up at a different store, they said we weren't supposed to be there, though we had registered and our contact was on her way to smooth it over.  Well, don't mess with Cookie Moms!  And so we stayed put.  Until we had to move--our shifts were split between two stores because of the aforementioned schedule change.  THEN, a GS mom stationed at the store we'd just been at came over and harassed us for being at our store, saying we were competing with them and ruining their sales and that wasn't supposed to happen (though, there had been another troop at the store all morning--the troop of an older sister of one of our girls.) It happens every year.  EVERY Year.  Novice.  Again, don't mess with Cookie Moms!  But all of our girls worked their shifts, even in the cold, and we sold 40 cases of cookies, which is excellent.  We are very proud of our troop and very grateful to all of our volunteers.
• The VAGINA Monologues:  Our old church sponsored a fundraiser reading of the Eve Ensler play this evening and I went with a bunch of friends, who first gathered for dinner together.  Veggie lasagna, salad, garlic bread, flourless chocolate cake, and almond cake.  Yum!  And the show, oh, the show was amazing.  I'm ashamed to admit, as both a feminist and a lesbian, that I had never seen it.  But this production was perfect because I knew 95% of the cast, from old church and around town, and there they were saying things like vagina, cum, cunt, orgasm, hair, coochie snorcher, folds, clit, lips, wet, etc etc outloud in public!  And talking about rapes in Kosovo, female genital mutilation, repression, and even dry cotton tampons and cold duck lip specula!  We laughed riotously--at the Angry Vagina and the dominatrix who curated moans of her female clients (and demonstrated several of them, like the WASP moan and the exhausted Zen moan!)--and sighed at the "cellar" and "tulip" and lack of self-awareness (and cheered at the painful, glorious discovery of such), and choked up at the memories of violence.  It really was a wonderful evening.  So proud of the cast of wonderful, talented women, and of the UU church community that brought them together to benefit a women's outreach center nearby.  Well-done!  (It was also great to see so many old church friends, whom I miss often.  Took me awhile to hug my way out the door.  Haven't felt that much love and support and energy in a space, like that, since lesbian coffeehouse in Chicago.)
• I got home to discover that my BIL had been called back to work a hospital shift tonight.  He was with the kiddos and his sis for about an hour.  They were very sorry to see him go and quite subdued when I got home.  We know he'll try again soon and we'll have a good time and besides . . . . . 
• It looks like the weather is turning ugly earlier tomorrow than we expected, with anywhere from 1-6" coming (depending on whom you believe) plus ice, and so it is probably best that he won't be on the road tomorrow night.
• And so we'll see what tomorrow brings weather-wise, along with church, Soup Sunday, and the arts and crafts party.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Solo Almond Bundt Cake

Almond Glaze Topping
1 cup confectioners sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoon light cream

Cake
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
3  eggs
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 can Solo Almond Cake and Pastry Filling or 1 jar of any other fruit filling
1⁄4 cup milk

Chocolate Glaze Topping (no chocolate on the one at church)
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa
1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoon buttermilk or low-fat milk

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour 10-inch tube pan or 12-cup Bundt pan and set aside. Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in almond filling until blended. Stir flour, baking powder, and salt until mixed. Add to almond mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.  Beat until blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on rack. To make glaze, combine ingredients in small bowl, and stir until blended and smooth. Spoon or drizzle over top of cake. Let stand until glaze is set. Or top with fresh fruit and whipped cream!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Cold, Cold, Cold

It was below zero again this morning, and cold despite the sunshine.  I think it'll be our last below zero day, but there are still several single-digit days on the way.  And one of them will be the day of our Girl Scout cookie booth!  Whose big idea was it to have outdoor cookie sales in New England in February and March??!!  Door to door sales in January were hard enough--almost every Saturday was bitter and drippy.

But we carry on.  Which is easy with the sun shining.

Freezing

It is BRUTALLY cold outside.  It was -3F this morning, with a windchill around -29F something.

And guess what?  Lambeth, our pipes did NOT freeze!!!!

Mama had gone to great lengths to seal the basement and wrap various pipes, using the guidance of her new thermal camera attachment that shows heat gradients (which is also just fun in general--she's taken photos of the kids, cats, and even a boat of sushi!!)  It was very gratifying to discover that all of her efforts worked.  And we like having a working dishwasher and kitchen sink.

But the sun is out and the snow is beautiful.

Though, Gommie has taken to wearing her thermals 24/7 because, even with our turning up the heat several degrees, she is still just cold.

When we're not focused on the cold and snow, we're still having a great time:

• We skipped church yesterday because of the 45 mph winds and occasional white-outs from blowing snow, instead staying in jammies to play games and tangle;
• We did, eventually, go out to a hockey game yesterday, Gommie's very first.  Our local team isn't doing very well--we have lost several of the games we've been to and we're almost in last place--but it was still entertaining to watch.  Gommie was amazed by the force of the body checks and the speed of the game; she couldn't believe the seeming lack of control over the puck, which just went all over the place, quickly.  Surprisingly, there wasn't a single glove-throwing, helmet-removing fist fight, just a lot of heavy body checks and some fouls; it's the first hockey game we've seen without the proverbial blood on the ice.  Otherwise, I finally figured out how to spot offsides--and caught the foul along with the officials a few times!
• We continue to eat well, as always--take-out from the delicious Italian deli with eggplant parms, seafood salad, chicken cutlet sandwiches, chicken cutlet chopped salad sandwiches, pasta fagioli (soup), arancini, broccoli rabe, nutella wafer cookies, Orangina, and some kind of cooked pastrami dish; apple crumb cake, which we all loved but decided needed the filling doubled; and today, we will be going to Gommie's favorite seafood place;
• We have been playing lots of non-computer games:  Mama introduced Spit, which has proved popular, after Gommie had revived the interest in Solitaire.  They have also played Qwirkle, Rummikub, and Gravity Maze.  Mama has Ticket to Ride that we're hoping to play later.  (I say "we" when you know I mean "please, please, please don't ask me to play a game.  I still REALLY don't like games, especially when there is a lot of gloaty-snarky smack talk.)
• The tangling has slowed down in the wake of the game playing and today I'm thinking of crocheting some flowers.  But there are lovely drawings all around the house.  And also a porcelain owl that I decorated (photos later.)

That's about it.  Gommie is here until Wednesday and the kids are off school again tomorrow.

And we're expecting more snow tonight.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Miss R's Apple Crumb Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 cups flour

1 can apple pie filling--she uses Comstock (frozen fruit doesn't work; We realized 2 cans would have been even better)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix all ingredients except apple pie filling and form into a dough ball. Divide ball in two.

Grease a 9x13 pan. Press one dough ball into pan. Spread apple filling over dough. Crumble other ball in teaspoon-size crumbs over the top. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake for 40-45 minutes.

We served hot, with creme fraiche.

Miss R

On Retreat

My weekend was marvelous.  And I'm not even sure where to begin, knowing that the typing up of it might dull the glow that I've carried with me.  I'd actually never been on an overnight retreat before--it's not quite like an academic conference because it's totally lacking in "political" networking or posturing.  It was 48 hours of being completely cut off--I even deinstalled various apps from my phone, so that I only connected with Mama a couple of times a day to check in.  Otherwise, the only part of the outside world I knew about was the snow I could watch falling from inside!


Monastery
Held at one of the largest Catholic retreats in the world, the retreat--sponsored by Copper Beech Institute, a mindfulness non-profit--was surrounded by symbols of Catholicism.  Bud even worried as they dropped me off, "Mom, it looks so religious!"  Yes, indeed, in that post-war, wood paneling, 50s sort of way.  I've stayed in another monastery--one in Rome that ran a hostel that housed my summer school abroad--but that was less-dated looking, though probably older.  The monks were rather the same, though--robed, friendly, very quiet.  No surprise that Rome would have more ambiance than Connecticut!

My room itself reminded me of Agnes of God--a bed, a desk, a chair, a nightstand, and that all-important waste-paper basket.  Whites, browns, red curtain and bedspread.  No Bible, though.  Only a print with a Wendell Berry poem for decoration and a gorgeous view of a snow-covered landscape with gumball tree and statues.

The hall, with numerous other doors leading to replicas of my own room, had that old-college dorm feel, especially with the communal showers and toilets.   Though, there was art on display made by local artists, including one mixed media canvas entitled Silent Weavers by Elisabeth Moss, which became my especial favorite.  I would intentionally pass by it so that I could study it every chance I got.  I saw a veiled woman, possibly an angel with wings, and a little owl (with beak and wing); I emailed a photo to Mama, who saw the Host and Chalice, given its Catholic context.  One of my co-retreatants saw the Virgin Mary.

The rest of the center was huge--three big buildings and practically two of everything (chapels, dining rooms, elevators).  In fact, there was another retreat of about 80+ Catholic men and we rarely ever saw them!  But it was all inside so we never got snowed upon.  I especially enjoyed the little bookshop with sweets, gifts, and books, where I picked up a few things for the family.  I also liked the Solarium, a long thin hallway with seats and cushions  . . . and potted pink geraniums on the sill overlooking a snowy expanse.  There is a labyrinth on the grounds, with a beautiful rock sculpture in the center but, alas, it was under two feet of snow.  No one ventured out to find it.  I'll go back on another retreat and walk the path.

Food
It's a rare place that focuses on vegetarian food, with an animal protein as an after-thought, but such was the case with this retreat.  Lentil salad, porcini risotto, arugula salad, spinach salad, parmesan cheese grits, broccoli frittata, chickpea stew, kale and white bean soup, potato pancakes, scrambled eggs.  So much goodness to eat at every meal.  And it was local and sustainable when possible.  The baked goods were a treat too:  pb cookies, this rich sweet zucchini bread/cake, and these fabulous lemon poundcakes. Snack one day was bowls of sunflower and pumpkin seeds and marcona almonds.  Mmmmmm.  Plus abundant tea and coffee.  And I bought chocolate at the little shop.  What more could I want?  There were some retreatants who snuck over to the buffet line of the Catholic men's retreat--they had meat and potatoes; and it was all okay to choose what you wanted to eat!






Drawing
Of course, the purpose of this retreat was something called Zentangle, a meditative drawing technique that focuses on process as much as output.  Before it was copyrighted, you would've just called it doodling.  I had discovered Zentangle officially some months back when I noticed various drawing pins on Pinterest and also an article in UU World about a doodling minister.  I started playing around with it myself, as you've seen in several posts, and this retreat was my chance to learn more techniques.

We had a whole room to ourselves, stocked with an Art Bar full of materials and tools, numerous displays of the teachers' own work, reference books, and snacks!!!  It was a grown-up candy store.  We even each got a lot of our own goodies--pens, papers, a sketch book, various project materials, and a door prize--mine was a wooden frame that I can decorate.

The initial session was a basic intro to Zentangle--the dots, the tile, the strings, the tangle patterns.  We also discussed embellishments, etc., and some of the concepts--childlike curiosity, awareness of breath and body, staying present, lack of judgement, no erasure, nothing is a "mistake" (just an opportunity!)  I'm more into it for fun, but some of the people are obsessed Zentanglers, who hold meetings and complete weekly challenges.  One woman even flew in from Ohio to take a class with a specific teacher.

Some of the other sessions were beyond me--I wasn't quite ready to design my own unique Tangle pattern and I wasn't that interested in making several paper books to be platforms for my own tangleations (yep, there's this whole lingo.)

In fact, the last session was my favorite:  we learned how to Tangle labyrinths.  We drew four types--basic, the interior of Chartres, the labyrinth at the retreat center, and a concentric circle labyrinth--and discussed all the various patterns that lended themselves to labyrinths.  I had enjoyed drawing labyrinths way before I knew of Zentangle; we used to make them out of painters' tape on the floor!  I hadn't thought to Tangle them before.  I know I'll be filling those little books with labyrinths.

Other Offerings
When I wasn't drawing, I was taking advantage of other retreat offerings.  The first night, I had a thirty minute Reflexology session.  While I've had my chakras cleansed, accupressure, accupuncture, and fascial release, I've never had reflexology, which is focused on energy conduits in the feet (same system as accupressure/puncture, but different "entry" point.  The whole thing was relaxing--dim lights, soft music, sweet lotions and oils--but I couldn't say if the effects were from the qi manipulation or just the rest.  And I'm not sure it really matters.  (Yes, I have become much more open to alternative healings since my back injury, which was mostly helped by Integrative Manual Therapy not traditional meds, injections, etc.)

I also attended an early morning mindfulness meditation session, just like a few I've attended before.  The director (who is the husband of a new friend of mine) led the meditation and has one of those soft, NPR voices and such a calm manner; it reminded me of everything that I love about mindfulness meditation.  (Even though I was down on my mat on a very cold tile floor!)  I liked his metta phrases at the end, "May all beings be happy.  May all beings be peaceful.  May all beings be free from suffering.  May all beings be healed."  I really liked the "healed" part.

I also went to a yoga class!  I don't have much yoga experience, mainly prenatal at home alone with a DVD a decade ago.  Again with my mat on a cold floor, I listened to the soothing voice of the teacher, who chanted beautifully, and followed gently each of her moves to the best of my ability.  I of course especially liked the long rest and then meditation at the end.  I'm not sure yoga will be my thing--stretching is fraught with the possibility of injury for me--but I'm glad I got the chance to try.  I also liked chatting with her and the other students over tea (Big Y's "calming" blend of chamomile and lavender--organic, even--who knew.)

I also went to a music concert the second night, a couple playing guitar, flutes, and singing bowls.  Nice music of a type, but I was so exhausted from sitting all day that I didn't last long.  I wish I could've though; it was tranquil.


I was ready when the weekend ended, even with the good food and opportunities for learning and relaxing.  I wondered how Mama and the kiddos were--with their gaming (mainly Disney's Infinity, and trip to the Winter Festival for ice fishing (they didn't catch anything but got to eat some of the fish someone did catch!  They said the ice was a foot thick.)   Mama's grandfather is dying, which is hard for the whole family (we're getting updates from her parents, who are other in Thailand with him.)

And so, with a snowstorm on the way, I headed back to reality and the grocery store and home, which needed some attention, and now today's snow day from school.  Re-entry is never really smooth.  But I'm glad to be back with the family . . . and I can always take a mini-mental retreat with my sketchbook when I need to.  All told, it was a marvelous experience.

And the painting of the woman with wings hangs in our living room as a reminder.