Weekend Out
{this moment}
Playing along with SouleMama today. In her words:
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{this moment}
A Friday ritual. 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.
If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.
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Independence Day
These are stock photographs of the best sort of Smallish Bear. That is, one who is happy, clean, fed, and not currently adopting her mother’s sister’s sassy attitude.
The Bears are trying to convince Pablo that he wants a dog. And a swimming pool. Pablo has counter-offered guinea pigs. That seemed to be enough until the heat came. Now the swimming pool is coming up in conversation regularly.
I have not checked my work email in more than twelve hours. This is a big deal. Also. I am taking tomorrow off. This is partly because I need a break like nobody’s business and mostly because SUPERJONES IS COMING TO VISIT! This makes me very happy.
Imminent company means I should also be getting a room ready and generally tidying up, but ohmygoodness it is warmish today. We might head over to Pablo’s later and enjoy the pool. Oh wait, there’s no pool yet. Why doesn’t Pablo have a pool? Why am I suddenly joining these Smallish Bears in whining about it?
More tidying up now. Making the whole house beautiful. Not a bad Independence Day at all.
this part of the house is clean
Whimsy
whimsy on my mantle
These belong to the Kettle Slayer. They made themselves at home on the mantlepiece where they now startle and amuse visitors. I hope they like it here.
Not Ready to Let Go
Ten years ago, my friend and I went on a tea kettle hunting adventure. We lunched at Basil Cafe where the waitress was quite surprised to hear there were people under the age of eighty interested in drinking tea at all, let alone owning their own kettles. This did not deter us. One outlet mall later and I was the proud owner of a Pfaltzgraff kettle that matched my coveted dish pattern – Summer Breeze. I used that kettle almost every day until the Kettle Slaying Incident of 2012. Most days, I came home from work and started the tea water before I even took my coat or name badge off. And every day, it made me smile. Such a cheerful pattern, and such a happy memory to go with it.
After the kettle was well and truly slain, I couldn’t quite part with it. It sat under the sink for a little while. And then on the counter. And then back under the sink. And then filled with water near the heat register as a mini-humidifier. And then on the corner of the desk. And then! Then our Church School children were sent home with little flowering plants. As we have two bears who qualify as Church School children, our house welcomed four tiny plants. Having no immediate use for the growing things, the smallish bears left them on the living room table. I nearly threw them out, but then (but then!) I remembered the gorgeous, lovely, cheerful, kettle-without-a-purpose taking up space in the back bedroom.
It is just right. I look at it and remember the hunt for the kettle, the many cups of tea with many dear friends over ten years’ time. And I watch new, healthy things growing in it now.
Kettle Resurrected
Up-to-date
still not the oldest thing posted in my department
Potato Salad – Almost a recipe
Someone asked me about my potato salad recently and I thought, “I should really write that down.” And then I thought, “Hey, I already did that!” So here it is:
- potatoes (scrub them!)
- eggs
- onion
- dill (fresh is best here!)
- mayonnaise
- garlic
- salt and pepper
- bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional) (how can bacon possibly be optional??)
If I am very lazy, I will put the eggs in the pot when I am boiling the potatoes. Small potatoes if I have them, quartered or so if not. As many eggs as sound good. Three, four, five…it doesn’t matter if I cook too many – eggs make a good snack. The lazy way, yes. Potatoes chopped, not peeled (too fussy), eggs, a clove or two of garlic, smashed and thrown in. Just barely cover it all with water. If you know you are forgetful, extra water. Really.
Turn the burner on high and let the whole thing come to a boil. Put a lid on it. If you’re really lazy, or have started this project way past bedtime, turn it off and leave it on the stove overnight. You did scrub the potatoes, right? And boiled this stuff? Ok. If you have started this endeavor at a reasonable hour, then turn the heat to low and let everything cook 30 -45 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Meanwhile, chop up a red onion. A white onion. Whatever is around. If you chop too much, throw the extra in an omelette tomorrow or into tonight’s dinner salad. It will all work out in the end.
When the potatoes are forkable, drain it all and discard the garlic. Sometimes I can’t find the clove and am left with the mushy peel. I just throw that away and trust that no one I am cooking for could possibly mind a mouthful of boiled garlic.
If your potatoes are still warm, throw in a wee bit of butter. Olive oil. A tablespoon? That sounds about right. Cold potatoes? Skip it.
Peel the eggs. I don’t like yolks in my potato salad. (This makes the lazy way even more wonderful – it doesn’t matter if the yolks are green.) Chop the whites into chunks. Chunks big enough to hold their own against the potato pieces. Add them to the potatoes. The yolks at my house end up on the cook’s privilege plate. A little sprinkle of salt and they don’t usually survive to the end of the cooking. Mmmmmm, snacks.
Add enough chopped dill to make it colorful and tasty. Throw in as much onion as you like. Stir in the bacon. A lot, a little, whatever you like. Stop here if you live with someone who hates mayonnaise. (I hear there are people like that.) Otherwise, mix in the mayo, less than you think, maybe a tablespoon at a time, until the potatoes are barely coated. If you are feeling whimsical, add a splash/pinch of your favorite mustard.
Pop the whole thing in the refrigerator until it is time for dinner. Check your seasonings. Add salt and pepper as you will. Serve with joy.
It is important to remember that the potato salad police are very backlogged and will not likely come to your house to tell you you’re doing it wrong. Peel the potatoes if you want to. Leave out the egg. It is ok. Just cook already!
Toothless Wonder
June Project
This room.
Naming Mountains 