tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-167826362024-03-07T01:43:39.646-08:00Our Life In The CountryThe Simple Life is Bestcountry girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.comBlogger836125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-20660954574492462172011-05-08T16:29:00.000-07:002011-05-08T16:29:06.841-07:00Peas and Fava Beans; Yummy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjVpM79PW0twaw0inGVXKlfWs_yFYNSn2hNu93-3YREfYRh9-2-tSQy8ZF_FvTVQRAjW3z2Eoh4mfnB9aHo1f_P36aRNawwLOExXRrjwPb3o-e9DGypOKck6H-qH5dBQKepPBDA/s1600/Jamie+dressed+as+a+pea.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 463px; HEIGHT: 240px" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjVpM79PW0twaw0inGVXKlfWs_yFYNSn2hNu93-3YREfYRh9-2-tSQy8ZF_FvTVQRAjW3z2Eoh4mfnB9aHo1f_P36aRNawwLOExXRrjwPb3o-e9DGypOKck6H-qH5dBQKepPBDA/s400/Jamie+dressed+as+a+pea.jpg" width="396" height="211" /></a> <br /><br /><br />The recipe I'm using for dinner tonight comes from Jamie Oliver who's dressed like a snap pea in this photo. He's talking to some bureaucrat at an elementary school back East. I'm cooking one of Jamie's recipes tonight that is mostly snap peas and fava beans. You don't cook any of it. Fava beans are those big hunky things that look weird. You see them at farmer's markets this time of year.<br /><br />When my sister Vicky reads this she will wrinkle her nose and say, "ish." She hates peas in any shape and form. But I bet I could get her to eat this. <br /><br />Jamie cooked this recipe on his TV show last week. The recipe is in his cookbook, "Jamie at Home."<br /><br />Pretty simple recipe: fava beans, snap peas, pecorino cheese, juice of one lemon, a few leaves of fresh mint, salt, and olive oil. Mash everything up in a food processor (Jamie used a mortar and pestle). Serve on toasted sourdough bread that has been rubbed with a raw garlic clove while the bread is still warm.<br /><br />Then break apart a ball of fresh mozzarella and place over the green mixture. Pile on a few bits of lettuce, a dash of olive oil and some lemon juice. And dinner is ready.<br /><br />So far I've made the green mixture. It's resting in the refrigerator until dinner tonight.<div style='clear:both; text-align:NONE'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-44312071983492562992011-04-15T11:22:00.000-07:002011-04-15T11:23:34.990-07:00My Blog Has MovedThis is the only way I could make the photos stick. Hope you will visit the new place. Here's the new link:<br />
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http://ourlifeinthecountry2.blogspot.comcountry girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-65706787651652532312011-04-13T13:14:00.000-07:002011-04-13T13:14:21.417-07:00Testing<a href="http://localhost:3209/ff5fb7ab4728450356a6292788b41a6e/image/8870453dda49bc3e.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://localhost:3209/ff5fb7ab4728450356a6292788b41a6e/image/8870453dda49bc3e.jpg?size=400" /></a> <a href="http://localhost:3209/ff5fb7ab4728450356a6292788b41a6e/image/44321806d3c09a86.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://localhost:3209/ff5fb7ab4728450356a6292788b41a6e/image/44321806d3c09a86.jpg?size=400" /></a><br />
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Still trying to keep these photos posted. I'll try again.country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-22801644704858408872011-04-10T14:11:00.000-07:002011-04-10T14:11:08.290-07:00Saturday PhotosI haven't felt like writing much lately so I thought I would post a couple of pictures from yesterday. The quilt is only one small corner of a king size quilt that is beautifully appliqued. I couldn't get back far enough to get the whole thing. It is an amazing piece of art at the quilt show in Auburn, CA. The other photo is the wisteria blooming on our front deck. Liberal doses of my compost tea have done wonders for it. Hope you can click on both photos to see more detail.<a href="http://localhost:1439/c473b98c8b06f1b1746549558bf00e6a/image/11abc9e325d6477e.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://localhost:1439/c473b98c8b06f1b1746549558bf00e6a/image/11abc9e325d6477e.jpg?size=400" style="clear: both; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a> <a href="http://localhost:1439/c473b98c8b06f1b1746549558bf00e6a/image/44321806d3c09a86.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://localhost:1439/c473b98c8b06f1b1746549558bf00e6a/image/44321806d3c09a86.jpg?size=400" style="clear: both; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-37008699749370405782011-03-27T11:15:00.000-07:002011-03-27T11:15:27.274-07:00Planning My Garden<a href="http://localhost:3279/ee1c39093fc88f86211a5ebe048e9ec5/image/b378443141512ec7.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://localhost:3279/ee1c39093fc88f86211a5ebe048e9ec5/image/b378443141512ec7.jpg?size=400" style="clear: both; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a>Gardening has been on my mind during all the cold and wet weather we've been having. It's not time to get out there and work the raised beds, but I have enjoyed thinking about it. At the same time I've been watching a Jamie Oliver show on the Cooking Channel: Jamie at Home. My son and daughter-in-law gave me the cookbook of the same name. He begins each show with a stop in his garden to pick up things he wants to cook. Invariably there are lots of herbs in his garden basket. I would love to have lots of fresh herbs to use in my cooking this summer. Many of them make it through our winters; those that can't will be dried. Even though we live on five acres, we have not set aside much room for gardening. The soil here is clay; perfect for growing rice. I have two raised beds where the soil is much better. This year I'm going to plant tomatoes and herbs. Last year I had four tomato plants which really wasn't enough so I'm probably going for six this year. I had better luck last year with the smaller tomatoes like cherry and Roma. Still I'll probably plant at least one big guy. I found a vendor at the farmer's market yesterday who has just about every herb I want in my garden. Herbs can be raised in pots too so they are easy to tuck away on decks or porches. I love the vendor's farm name "Melon Jolly Organic Farm." They are leasing a farm from a family that can no longer farm their land due to health reasons. With that lease came lots and lots of seeds from earlier years. She's been propagating them. Both of them used to work for my CSA, Natural Trading Company. They finally have their own farm. But before I can do anything, I need to weed. The rain and this week's promised heat (80 degrees on Thursday) will probably make them grow even more. Right now our cats can wander through the weeds unseen.country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-86841971923555173422011-02-21T12:29:00.000-08:002011-02-21T12:29:14.819-08:00"C" Puppies Visit<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgJw5VKercdAG-e8RUwkJxKGF7S4U28uoNxWkv1Lg7g6F5dY55TZOu6Hdt7k4sQUcbMZRX0Ml9FdSizbxXzoG5iDskFPb0C_KiXCdN39VC0LNriNIoN0wjjLVqP1kMQy22lq-vw/s1600/IMG_0230.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgJw5VKercdAG-e8RUwkJxKGF7S4U28uoNxWkv1Lg7g6F5dY55TZOu6Hdt7k4sQUcbMZRX0Ml9FdSizbxXzoG5iDskFPb0C_KiXCdN39VC0LNriNIoN0wjjLVqP1kMQy22lq-vw/s400/IMG_0230.JPG" /></a> <br />
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There 12 pure bred golden labs who are 8 weeks old. Lia, pictured here holding my personal favorite, is the puppy raiser. She was my personal favorite because she was the quietest of them all. The dam is Darlan. She and Lia live in Reno. Each time Lia turns in a litter to Canine Companions for Independence in Santa Rosa, CA, she stops by for an overnight visit. This is Darlan's first really large litter. They are so adorable.<br />
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They slept in the hallway in a fenced in area with lots of plastic and other layers to protect the floor. The big dog in one of the photos is Harleen. Once upon a time she was an 8-week-old puppy just like these guys. She wasn't quite sure what to make of them. But whenever she moved around the outside of the pen the puppies followed her. The color of their dog collars signifies birth order. CCI is doing a study to see if that has any bearing on future performance. Harleen was fifth born; her color was hot pink.<br />
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By now they are at the CCI vet being weighed, vaccinated and tattooed with a number (in their ear). Tomorrow they travel to their puppy raisers who are as far away as New Jersey and as close as Northern California. In a couple of weeks they will start training with hopes of someday becoming a service dog for a disabled person (but not blind, that organization raises their own dogs).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpkH53h6ykSZ9cIR8bPTrQYx3-PRL6394xdyQ986PLHfv07yOO7rXdbScaK1Q0wnzVZbQPonUefcvl6PhcwFjpvmUddNrmuZJQIuhLpkNMnxh1ZoOMqBHbQEkZ8447mpFjG1g-g/s1600/IMG_0241.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpkH53h6ykSZ9cIR8bPTrQYx3-PRL6394xdyQ986PLHfv07yOO7rXdbScaK1Q0wnzVZbQPonUefcvl6PhcwFjpvmUddNrmuZJQIuhLpkNMnxh1ZoOMqBHbQEkZ8447mpFjG1g-g/s400/IMG_0241.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5dcyMbqElasei9jjTejJbPWVdBC5fLx-CRzLd86vE7LS6-UL4e3Or-qIORr6KLXCOOEIcIHT-Cu8MWSHToVqhIspMbCJObxkIh8wnvW1NI1M8ocJAh01k3ji7bhMgz0yHut5Rjg/s1600/IMG_0237.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5dcyMbqElasei9jjTejJbPWVdBC5fLx-CRzLd86vE7LS6-UL4e3Or-qIORr6KLXCOOEIcIHT-Cu8MWSHToVqhIspMbCJObxkIh8wnvW1NI1M8ocJAh01k3ji7bhMgz0yHut5Rjg/s400/IMG_0237.JPG" /></a><br />
<div style="clear: both;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-73272476544317497642011-02-17T11:23:00.000-08:002011-02-17T11:23:41.798-08:00A Long Last, Bacon Will Be Back In Our Diet<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UQwgii3E9v8Wp9Bga00RC-HdlMe5e_S8htFVNNSdH0FXywnLYGnM6ndDAjj1D_yFdYFn78LsI1GeCYkdgz1wFw9uHDbkBim30juLTBIogahzGNjb1xO29lUY9uYtauB-fnCsVQ/s1600/bacon.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UQwgii3E9v8Wp9Bga00RC-HdlMe5e_S8htFVNNSdH0FXywnLYGnM6ndDAjj1D_yFdYFn78LsI1GeCYkdgz1wFw9uHDbkBim30juLTBIogahzGNjb1xO29lUY9uYtauB-fnCsVQ/s400/bacon.jpg" /></a>We belong to a wonderful meat club which allows us to buy beef, pork, lamb, chicken, eggs and even water buffalo from local ranches. What's been missing for nearly a year is bacon. We love bacon. I've bought some at Whole Foods for a while but just didn't feel right about it not be sourced locally.<br /><br />I finally put the word out on Twitter. Within a matter of hours I was connected with The Foragers who supply bacon as well as a 1/4, 1/2 or whole hog and lots of other meats. I just ordered 3 packages from Tyler who is the Chief Forager. Great title. I can't pick it up until March 12 in Sacramento. That gives me time to decide how I'm going to use it.<br /><br />Twitter has helped so much in our quest to eat sustainable, organic, local and ethical (SOLE) foods. The web site for our meat club is <a href="http://ceplacer.ucdavis.edu/meat_buyers_club/">http://ceplacer.ucdavis.edu/meat_buyers_club/</a><br /><br />The web site for The Foragers is <a href="http://www.theforagers.com/">http://www.theforagers.com<br /><br /></a><div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-64534954266909205642011-02-11T12:54:00.000-08:002011-02-11T12:54:21.516-08:00Collaboration With Kerry<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHinCN3PAl7bRMxfzWAic99wfEWDYD3yb0dORTNv1ELxn0BTSaf-mVptr8Zt1pT5VcDgKxb7nvYXrl_4GqKI6Xlrq7mRXljtdvLYCpotFtJ9-oUImp5Ps46cBekPxMYvSeL9WwVg/s1600/IMG_0229.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHinCN3PAl7bRMxfzWAic99wfEWDYD3yb0dORTNv1ELxn0BTSaf-mVptr8Zt1pT5VcDgKxb7nvYXrl_4GqKI6Xlrq7mRXljtdvLYCpotFtJ9-oUImp5Ps46cBekPxMYvSeL9WwVg/s400/IMG_0229.JPG" /></a> Kerry doodles, draws and sketches all the time. He has notebooks filled with them. I casually mentioned a year or so ago that it would be nice to turn one of his drawings into an art quilt. Well this week we've made great strides on this project.<br /><br />We picked out two of his drawings and enlarged them. The one on the left is the first one I'm going to try. It's 24 inches by 36 inches. The other one is 36 inches square. I'm going to use a lot of the techniques I learned from the various Rose Hughes classes I've taken.<br /><br />Next we will choose a color <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">palette</span> and fabrics. I'm thinking some silk and some cotton. Stay tuned for more.<br /><br /> Go to <a href="http://www.rosehughes.com/">http://www.rosehughes.com</a> to learn more about her techniques.<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-82770578542286952472011-01-25T13:37:00.000-08:002011-01-25T13:37:57.203-08:00Knee Replacement<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzpfoul_2GQTDqHGLPaHVQDPCZ6sXuN7twNTBs7MZclc2FBAYEd9U5V_2PKSwMyswVwfFrdrCmX790p9fHu7XDycGCGIOvn_4ckp6hjhMYYQ32Qn9SRx_m7oIVwMaFmMOIXSpng/s1600/IMG_0221.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzpfoul_2GQTDqHGLPaHVQDPCZ6sXuN7twNTBs7MZclc2FBAYEd9U5V_2PKSwMyswVwfFrdrCmX790p9fHu7XDycGCGIOvn_4ckp6hjhMYYQ32Qn9SRx_m7oIVwMaFmMOIXSpng/s400/IMG_0221.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I just had my first shower in 15 days; washed my hair too, so have to stay out of bed until my hair dries. What better time to blog about the last two weeks. <br /><br />I'm not going to provide any gory details. I think the photo tells it all. My right leg is in the Continuous Passive Motion (CPM) machine. I spend six hours a day having this machine slowly move my knee joint. When I got home I was at 60 degrees; now I'm at 98. I can feel myself getting stronger every day thanks to the pain meds. Without them it would be really hard to get my exercises done. I'm on morphine twice a day and two Tylenol with codeine every four hours.<br /><br />My time in the hospital is sort of a blur. I got excellent care, but the food sucked in so many ways. I give Kaiser credit for trying to serve a healthy meal. The method, however, was a bit out of date. They served powdered cream for my coffee and margarine. The fruit was all canned and the meat looked gray. There were no sweets of any kind on the tray. My sister missed the pudding. For the most part I ate yogurt brought to me by Kerry and my sister Vicky.<br /><br />I've had excellent home health care with my nurse, Rachel, and physical therapist, Rob. A week from today I transition to an outpatient PT clinic in Lincoln. I'm still on Coumadin to make sure I don't get any blood clots. Only have another 9 days of that. You can't eat green vegetables or blueberries because they are high in vitamin K. Blueberries are not in season but spinach is. I get to watch Kerry and Vicky eat spinach salads. I love spinach.<br /><br />My days are pretty much the same: six hours on the CPM machine (two 3-hour periods), exercises, icing my knee and walking around the house. I nap when I'm on the machine. Haven't had too much of an appetite, which is just fine with me.<br /><br />The big thing about the knee replacement is doing everything everyone tells you to do. That way you get good results. I have balked at some of these things but I keep in mind the things I want to be able to do and that gets me back at it.<br /><br />Yes, it is the most painful thing I've ever done but it's going to be worth it. I will have my left knee done after the quilt show next October. Any questions.<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-49397804873632802442011-01-06T14:02:00.000-08:002011-01-06T14:02:52.129-08:00The Ingredients For Tonight's Dinner<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-Wh6uLMBBWg-WqVE0Taw9WMbJWTvrFtrD4qa_vvZzYDeLVlSDCLtkqwS_IkY11QHLAM1MQ8YUj2hIjcHGEOUwf6XNxazw2e9HS3CQhBU7XRKPBge9Kfxa0CFIA1fFtexoQqJ7w/s1600/IMG_0218.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-Wh6uLMBBWg-WqVE0Taw9WMbJWTvrFtrD4qa_vvZzYDeLVlSDCLtkqwS_IkY11QHLAM1MQ8YUj2hIjcHGEOUwf6XNxazw2e9HS3CQhBU7XRKPBge9Kfxa0CFIA1fFtexoQqJ7w/s400/IMG_0218.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This is Dark Days Challenge meal number six. The pork chops are thick enough to stuff so that's what I'm going to do. The stuffing will be the Argentine lamb chorizo sausage in the background mixed with dried cherries. The chorizo has quite a bit of spice so I'm hoping the cherries will balance that. Then we will have sauteed chard. Pretty simple dinner.<br /><br />Pork chops are from Bob at Coffee Pot Ranch, chorizo is from Dan at Flying Mule Farm, chard is from the farmer's market and the cherries were a gift in my Christmas stocking.<br /><br />I always brine my pork chops to increase their moistness. It's pretty simple. Because these chops are so thick, I'll probably brine them for a couple of hours.<br /><br />This is my last DDC meal for a while. Surgery on Monday is going to cut into my cooking for a while. I'll be back when I'm able to get around the kitchen. For the next few weeks the kitchen belongs to Kerry and my sister Vicky.<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-9994432939549081002011-01-02T16:40:00.000-08:002011-01-02T16:40:20.517-08:00Quilt For A Raffle<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgGTPfx5Ab4wk4UtJE5OJ_a7XaMp31gSuPaYSGN2yQ5vlpAieoKf_kcMNnAr1PS5gxgUEn15Q9G5OJd-8nCSjP1z_rCE_HrjxFbWJU62S6UffZAunxRQMCvbepFgvrF_f8YMCOg/s1600/IMG_0216.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgGTPfx5Ab4wk4UtJE5OJ_a7XaMp31gSuPaYSGN2yQ5vlpAieoKf_kcMNnAr1PS5gxgUEn15Q9G5OJd-8nCSjP1z_rCE_HrjxFbWJU62S6UffZAunxRQMCvbepFgvrF_f8YMCOg/s400/IMG_0216.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />My quilting bee is making a quilt for the local hospice so it can be auctioned off and hopefully raise some money for this wonderful organization. Each member of the bee makes eight teacups; we will have 56 in all. To me they look more like coffee cups. It's a great way to use up some of your stash. Here are my eight. Had to get them done before surgery. Click on the photo to enlarge.<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-18161448225325552812011-01-01T13:40:00.000-08:002011-01-01T13:41:18.226-08:00DDC Meal Five<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXcoGL4fn9anGnNw1Ztq4QGsinqCnZkoWNRg-px8s65LVkAF2dRVSA0k81VyhuQtka7e1N4In0RyneWcvhBC5qNY7v9q42t6CiAgE_ShgFmkzSnPobMdrrqp-2pUcDE2lraaXXg/s1600/IMG_0214.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXcoGL4fn9anGnNw1Ztq4QGsinqCnZkoWNRg-px8s65LVkAF2dRVSA0k81VyhuQtka7e1N4In0RyneWcvhBC5qNY7v9q42t6CiAgE_ShgFmkzSnPobMdrrqp-2pUcDE2lraaXXg/s400/IMG_0214.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I'm trying to get in as many DDC meals as possible before my knee replacement. Probably will not spend much time in the kitchen after surgery on Jan. 10th.<br /><br />This is a lamb shank from nearby Flying Mule Farm cooked in the crock pot in a sauce of white wine (local), pomegranate molasses (not local unless you live in Lebanon), salt and pepper and onions and garlic (the last two from our CSA box). Flying Mule Farm uses only mules for farming.<br /><br />The yam is from the farmer's market and the butter on it is from Golden Glen Creamery. I visit Golden Glen whenever we visit Kerry's family in Burlington, WA. I buy lots of butter and cheese. It counts as local; I didn't make a special trip there to buy it. I was in the neighborhood. I checked this out with the Queen of DDC, Laura at Urbanhennery.<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-48989560352278876412010-12-31T11:07:00.000-08:002010-12-31T11:07:57.068-08:00Dark Days Challenge No. 4<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4nsZyYx2isWOA03r1Jd7Hp_aVq1GWnu8mpatn5DAiuYF_WTT7pv1C9RoqdUe4wwXaepSb0RC6ywXMYyxNN_XBMBDKVr46-PpiaZ20whO7AGUT3jPwnoTLAamf9kOapfZHOyzyQ/s1600/IMG_0209.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4nsZyYx2isWOA03r1Jd7Hp_aVq1GWnu8mpatn5DAiuYF_WTT7pv1C9RoqdUe4wwXaepSb0RC6ywXMYyxNN_XBMBDKVr46-PpiaZ20whO7AGUT3jPwnoTLAamf9kOapfZHOyzyQ/s400/IMG_0209.JPG" width="209" height="107" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It's a pot roast that was cooked in my crock pot. Usually it takes about eight hours. But we had a power failure on Sunday afternoon so the pot roast got its final cooking on Monday afternoon. Actually that turned out to be better. Lia, a puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) who lives in Reno, was in the area to have her CCI breeding dog Darlan x-rayed. We invited Lia, Darlan and Lia's friend Frank over for dinner.<br /><br />Darlan and Harleen had dog food. Darlan delivered 12 puppies on Dec. 29th, right on schedule. Each puppy weighed at least one pound. Darlan is a small Labrador retriever so this was quite a load for her to carry. Everyone is doing fine. In eight weeks the puppies will visit us on their way to being turned in to CCI in Santa Rosa, CA.<br /><br />Back to the pot roast. The meat came from a local ranch. Potatoes and carrots from the farmers market in Auburn. The onions used were ones I dried last summer. Never dry onions in your house. The whole house smelled. I finally put my dehydrator out on the back deck. Much better. The sauce was local white wine mixed with local honey. The honey gave everything a nice glow.<br /><br />I topped everything off with local shitake and oyster mushrooms that I sauteed in butter, which was not local. So that's my final dark days challenge meal of 2010. On to 2011. It's already in the crock pot.<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-80206750726944741942010-12-17T11:57:00.000-08:002010-12-17T11:58:52.914-08:00A Chicken With SOLE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_K40DnXjoYdHY68T_UuQC52jbz1TGf_DSB6fHLJtc8gUHFEy1ItnCWzOKswCvQNulWIlUIAbEb56IyAmXTOAV3AV6iKU8CFchGQmOrhlkL9Dt_S_cSnI4hWYYEE-iMKYhOiAqYQ/s1600/IMG_0208.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_K40DnXjoYdHY68T_UuQC52jbz1TGf_DSB6fHLJtc8gUHFEy1ItnCWzOKswCvQNulWIlUIAbEb56IyAmXTOAV3AV6iKU8CFchGQmOrhlkL9Dt_S_cSnI4hWYYEE-iMKYhOiAqYQ/s400/IMG_0208.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This is meal three of Dark Day Challenge. It was pretty simple. A roasted chicken and a baked potato. But sometimes the simplest is the best. Kerry calls this comfort food.<br /><br />We get our chickens from a local ranch so they are moist and tender. This one weighed 3.6 pounds.<br /><br />I made a paste of unsalted butter with sage and chives from my garden and sea salt and ground pepper. Gently pulling away the chicken skin, I spread the butter and herbs underneath. It's a bit tricky and you have to go slowly or you tear the skin, but it can be done.<br /><br />Baked potatoes were, well, baked until the skins were crispy. I love to eat the skin. This time Kerry did too. The sour cream was not local but it was Rbst-free.<br /><br />I'm hoping to get one more meal in before we leave for Christmas next Tuesday.<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-43989766618682109532010-12-12T21:11:00.000-08:002010-12-12T21:11:23.669-08:00DDC Meal Two<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwEJf3rkAZ7WL8aeSuHXi90fKA7HDaeuFScfH4zUgke7xy1sUrwm1gO077lm-Ec9GzcTghP0YfbWV74EoB0OGKls0x9UX4sfv0mHA_qVcKCf7MhjMHnw5pO6uyt28nwO9E1qgkWw/s1600/IMG_0206.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwEJf3rkAZ7WL8aeSuHXi90fKA7HDaeuFScfH4zUgke7xy1sUrwm1gO077lm-Ec9GzcTghP0YfbWV74EoB0OGKls0x9UX4sfv0mHA_qVcKCf7MhjMHnw5pO6uyt28nwO9E1qgkWw/s400/IMG_0206.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I didn't think that I would be able to do a second meal so soon; being on antibiotics has not exactly enhanced my appetite or my desire to cook. But tonight I took the last of the pills so felt invigorated. My sentence had been served.<br /><br />Pork tenderloin is something I have never cooked. My parents used to take me to a place (actually a dive called Fred Grobe's Grill) in north Minneapolis where they served pork tenderloin sandwiches. I remember them as being delicious.<br /><br />Bob at Coffee Pot Ranch had pork tenderloins so I gave it a whirl. First of all, they are incredibly tender. I coated them with a creole seasoning and then braised them in olive oil. Then into the oven for a bit and then I topped the meat with a sauce of honey (local from a mandarin orange grove), Dijon mustard and soy sauce.<br /><br />While all this was happening, I was baking yams. So the final meal was pork tenderloin (Coffee Pot Ranch), yams from the farmer's market and a local chardonnay from Fawnridge. My absolute favorite chardonnay. Life just doesn't get much better.<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-46539099297246859852010-12-10T16:03:00.000-08:002010-12-10T16:03:46.147-08:00Field Trip To The Mushroom Farm<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi141E7hwNkZgdt4sv2BCnB7ia6_HLwP_bOPCcIywS-RqF20ZDWrpxM_n7JhKvgcQ_hUs0yjvQamq3H2CuRZxQR8J_Zpkm0O3s9yBBkrc2E_b1cV3nQ8g6pQYf1ofOe-mzDia4hog/s1600/IMG_0205.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi141E7hwNkZgdt4sv2BCnB7ia6_HLwP_bOPCcIywS-RqF20ZDWrpxM_n7JhKvgcQ_hUs0yjvQamq3H2CuRZxQR8J_Zpkm0O3s9yBBkrc2E_b1cV3nQ8g6pQYf1ofOe-mzDia4hog/s400/IMG_0205.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We went a little crazy buying mushrooms at the farm. From left: oyster, portabello, and shitakes. <br /><br />Mushroom Adventures has been around for about 15 years. We discovered them when they appeared at the Auburn Farmers Market this year. Today we got a tour of the place and saw how each of these grow. It reminded me of field trips when I was in school.<br /><br />They sell mushroom kits so you can try growing your own. Nina, our tour guide, said the shitakes are the hardest to grow. They grow from what looks like a large brick of compost that is made up of hay and chicken manure. Pretty disgusting looking bricks but from them grow these wonderful mushrooms. If you are interested, check out their web site: <a href="http://www.mushroomadventures.com/">http://www.mushroomadventures.com</a> They ship kits via Fed Ex. But they don't ship mushrooms.<br /><br />In addition to information on the kits, the web site also has recipes. Mushrooms keep well in the refrigerator as long as they are in paper bags. No plastic for these babies. No need to worry about contamination from the manure; the compost is heated to a high enough temperature to kill off the bad things before the mushroom spores are added.<br /><br />These babies are going to be part of nearly every meal between now and when we leave for Christmas with Kerry's family in Washington.<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-67189783505143969242010-12-10T10:48:00.000-08:002010-12-10T10:48:32.124-08:00Dark Days Challenge: Meal One<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkf93zkeQEtbj3Rs7qC0WbIcpTk6jYpRk8UQxJppfza-kAeqqbufgHVoppABJR91HMp2YpJUBCwYNHaKDUjTZc19lURM8luZEn_ZbfXKAstFoNBcUJX6ac9iA4TwBeh1xcmzOfRw/s1600/IMG_0204.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkf93zkeQEtbj3Rs7qC0WbIcpTk6jYpRk8UQxJppfza-kAeqqbufgHVoppABJR91HMp2YpJUBCwYNHaKDUjTZc19lURM8luZEn_ZbfXKAstFoNBcUJX6ac9iA4TwBeh1xcmzOfRw/s400/IMG_0204.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here's dinner before I cooked it: meatloaf and chard.<br /><br />I don't think I've ever made meatloaf the same way twice. Yesterday I decided to try to spice it up a bit. (I'm originally from Minneapolis so didn't grow up with much spiciness.) We usually don't cook this much meat at once, but I love meatloaf sandwiches so made a big one.<br /><br />The meatloaf consists of ground beef, ground pork and Basque lamb chorizo removed from the skin. All came from local ranches. I added the usual eggs, also from a local ranch, bread crumbs from local bread gone stale, and Annies organic ketchup. Seasonings included sea salt from France, smokey Spanish paprika and pepper. This was my first time using this type of paprika so I didn't add much. Will probably increase the amount next time.<br /><br />The chard came from our farmers market. I sauteed it in local olive oil and apple cider vinegar (not local). The vinegar gives it just a hint of a bite.<br /><br />I've been reading comments from Dark Day newbies. I commend you for your determination to stick to all things local. I am a bit more relaxed about the word "local." I apply it stringently to rice, bread, meat, eggs, fruits and vegetables. I live in Lincoln, CA so it's a lot easier here than in the upper peninsula of Michigan.<br /><br />Condiments are another matter; I like to experiment with seasoning and much of the time that seasoning is not local. Also, I don't have much opportunity to use local butter but I make sure that it's free of a cow's worst enemy, Rbst. We are going to northern Washington for Christmas so I will stop by Golden Glen Creamery in the Skagit Valley and buy a bunch of their butter and cheese.<br /><br />Not sure if I will get another meal in before next Wednesday; still fighting the antibiotic-induced nausea.<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-19822039375396425782010-12-08T12:29:00.000-08:002010-12-08T12:29:29.714-08:00Oh, Canada, I am Pissed!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9lruRdhqgNaZAX2SSzNDZuSw_T-vZ9NmEkUMwOlWyqsrNBDfg53BZvur0XGBgVah10uaX74Kh-GONgOYDqL2xsTt2n_uQUxEEGH5jPn9EOEDuA9YNqSw0OlePUZtj2FpqdsvLQ/s1600/canada.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9lruRdhqgNaZAX2SSzNDZuSw_T-vZ9NmEkUMwOlWyqsrNBDfg53BZvur0XGBgVah10uaX74Kh-GONgOYDqL2xsTt2n_uQUxEEGH5jPn9EOEDuA9YNqSw0OlePUZtj2FpqdsvLQ/s400/canada.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> I thought I had discovered an economical way to order two of my asthma prescriptions for which there are no generics: Advair $311 per month and Singulair $200 per month. I'm in the Medicare "donut hole" so they are not covered right now. (It's a long story; don't ask). The first Advair order came without a hitch. It was $159 for a month's supply. Nice. <a href="http://www.canadapharmacy.com/">www.canadapharmacy.com</a> said it would take 10-12 business days to arrive. That meant my last order should have been here on Dec. 6, last Monday.<br /><br />It didn't arrive; when it didn't arrive the next day I called the 800-number. While the company says it's in Vancouver, Canada, that doesn't mean that's where they buy the drugs. My Advair comes from "the United Kingdom, said the person on the phone." He added that bad weather, higher security and the holidays had delayed my drug.<br /><br />I pointed out that he represented a pharmacy that supplied medications to people who needed them; he did not work for Nordstroms. Actually Nordstroms would have cared more about a lost order than this guy.<br /><br />Turns out when you call and place your order, they tell you where it's coming from, but when you place it online (as I did) you are not told this. So now it might arrive this week. Meanwhile I'm out of Advair. I finally hung up the phone and fumed. That's one thing about cell phones, you can't slam the receiver down and blast the listener's eardrum. Pushing "end call" is sort of anti-climactic.<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-37629996630283353312010-12-01T14:12:00.000-08:002010-12-01T14:13:13.511-08:00On Your Mark, Get Set, Go<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOJ2vgkIaL5oUUBA3ZFB93M4fa9JTdH1WuRWArKBf5SKVQFkoEW1uQp6AJFy7BvPEg6gYy6W77nRFWgG1vE_knYCy-4hHBxB0GlVlh_tWTMPsMAy4mFhYsUvTqXGlHP2bVKLkNA/s1600/IMG_6250.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOJ2vgkIaL5oUUBA3ZFB93M4fa9JTdH1WuRWArKBf5SKVQFkoEW1uQp6AJFy7BvPEg6gYy6W77nRFWgG1vE_knYCy-4hHBxB0GlVlh_tWTMPsMAy4mFhYsUvTqXGlHP2bVKLkNA/s400/IMG_6250.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It's the first day of the annual Dark Days Challenge, which is brought to you by Laura of <a href="http://www.urbanhennery.com/">www.urbanhennery.com</a> The photo is from last year's challenge. I haven't made my first meal yet for this challenge. Even if you didn't sign up you can still play along for as much or as little as you want. Cook one meal each week where as many of the ingredients as possible are Sustainable, Organic, Local, and Ethical (SOLE). The challenge ends April 15, 2011. No prizes at the end, just the knowledge that you have cooked wholesome food for your family and friends.<br /><br />The food pictured above was for a meatloaf and scalloped potato dinner. The cheese and ketchup were not local. I like to buy Tillamook cheese (comes from Oregon) because the company does not feed its cows the growth hormone Rbst. The ketchup is organic but not local. Everything else came from the farmer's market or the meat club we joined a couple of years ago. We get our pork, beef, chicken, lamb and eggs from local ranches and farms. Even the wine is local; Lucchesi is out of Grass Valley.<br /><br />Tonight we are having London Broil that will be marinated and barbecued and oven-roasted broccoli. Pretty simple dinner, but it qualifies as my first of the new challenge. See, it doesn't have to be complicated just as much SOLE as possible. Hope you will give it a try over the next few months.<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-46713096006425482712010-11-18T15:00:00.000-08:002010-11-18T15:00:25.557-08:00New Embellishments<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Iz3u4xoWxv4U_LZFjYAAkcyL8Iijyc25cPDNmGTYjwpJBNv3-1lnTqBEMAF3MbiFlGt4yaIgXufK8J3gsdaHQ6RH3ATaG44LRNn88C0crgPEhx6VO6xuKhQo23ONWVntypakng/s1600/IMG_0197.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Iz3u4xoWxv4U_LZFjYAAkcyL8Iijyc25cPDNmGTYjwpJBNv3-1lnTqBEMAF3MbiFlGt4yaIgXufK8J3gsdaHQ6RH3ATaG44LRNn88C0crgPEhx6VO6xuKhQo23ONWVntypakng/s400/IMG_0197.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />They are called fabric beads and come from the creative mind of Gail Ellspermann. She was featured in a seven-year-old edition of Quilting Arts Magazine. My quilting bee friend MJ saw the magazine in a stack that was to be thrown away. She grabbed it and now it's mind. I made some yesterday. Really simple. The basic part is a drinking straw about 1.25 inches long. Using tacky glue, wrap the straw in fabric that has been torn into 1-inch strips. Cut the strips into two-inch segments. You want the frayed ends to show. The little pile of shiny gold stuff at the bottom of the photo is gold leaf. I used a special glue to apply it to the fabric-covered tubes and then wrapped them in any glitzy string, yarn or beads that I had. Thank you Gail. Her idea will become part of an art quilt that I'm making.<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-17049041643017294052010-11-17T11:06:00.000-08:002010-11-17T11:07:28.710-08:00Recyling, Being Handicapped and Strikes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZPsjNAkC6BAKysRfuzbgGguMo4CGupiEOjpWCRFU6VvX4Xa65fT8F2lZDj4kwjWvVQG3ATv-zRQOzMprhG_I8crRYUJIHttZX1hwSsJArSkG7QhyU-RSD8TEyDm3BgW7Bh62aQ/s1600/IMG_0035.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZPsjNAkC6BAKysRfuzbgGguMo4CGupiEOjpWCRFU6VvX4Xa65fT8F2lZDj4kwjWvVQG3ATv-zRQOzMprhG_I8crRYUJIHttZX1hwSsJArSkG7QhyU-RSD8TEyDm3BgW7Bh62aQ/s160/IMG_0035.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRpv-gWcIvDdUnPkGp8GpjcEeccRcpU-tlyhR0QSN-IeBGLzDY_JGQucajVvFibYuCmdWyWtXtsoj0uJ8wnd7vW1NU-TtkUNd1Dqg7Aqj1Tp2TpaHLLrhu7OnF42BYFpZTwy4_dw/s1600/IMG_0081.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRpv-gWcIvDdUnPkGp8GpjcEeccRcpU-tlyhR0QSN-IeBGLzDY_JGQucajVvFibYuCmdWyWtXtsoj0uJ8wnd7vW1NU-TtkUNd1Dqg7Aqj1Tp2TpaHLLrhu7OnF42BYFpZTwy4_dw/s160/IMG_0081.JPG" /></a><br /> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nvCOrxwZupdInd2z_YeVay-pZ5cqV05UH6PygBZXIgmnx7Y0LGK2B3u4eTkZsDfTHPcmY1IVsuzEkbvd0x5RJRNdViJ4e_GvL7vkFIWwzMZ8ninVhXjDnPS-1iDS25pFDrLJOg/s1600/IMG_0175.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nvCOrxwZupdInd2z_YeVay-pZ5cqV05UH6PygBZXIgmnx7Y0LGK2B3u4eTkZsDfTHPcmY1IVsuzEkbvd0x5RJRNdViJ4e_GvL7vkFIWwzMZ8ninVhXjDnPS-1iDS25pFDrLJOg/s160/IMG_0175.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVkbdYCYY1pQ8nqVbROz_LBByOudxWNNMe8UAqK1Yo2ruN6Co2OF-ZMtMUjr03nFVYzDCuva_Imh4qWu1Cm83lFPTxJod3b6accfvPffMuOp9Q8K5qSwk_irKQ5FnPWNlWGrZbw/s1600/IMG_0196.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVkbdYCYY1pQ8nqVbROz_LBByOudxWNNMe8UAqK1Yo2ruN6Co2OF-ZMtMUjr03nFVYzDCuva_Imh4qWu1Cm83lFPTxJod3b6accfvPffMuOp9Q8K5qSwk_irKQ5FnPWNlWGrZbw/s160/IMG_0196.JPG" /></a><br /><br />The French, and all of Europe for that matter, bring new meaning to the word "recycle."<br /><br />Just a few examples pictured here. The Louvre was once a palace; the mausoleum was once a church, the Roman-built amphitheater in Vienne is still used for performances, and the Roman-built amphitheater in Avignon is now home to humane bullfighting (the bull lives to fight another day). No worry about bond elections to fund new football or baseball fields. Use what you already have. I like that idea. It's what makes Europe so interesting. Yes, there are new, modern buildings in Paris but they are really ugly. Not even sure I want to show you pictures of them.<br /><br />Cobblestone streets are just fine with the French. It makes it really hard to be handicapped in France. We saw one person in a motorized wheel chair. He was really struggling to get around. At the church on the hill in Lyon where there are lots of steps and no railings, there is an elevator. But you have to go down six steps to get to it. As our guide in Lyon said, "we are a complicated people." I did see handicap parking, but not much of it.<br /><br />Some of my family worried about us traveling to France during the strike by unions over increasing the number of years you must work before you can retire. We only saw them once and that was in Avignon. They dress in orange, play loud music and sometimes shut things down. We couldn't go to Versailles because the workers there were on strike for one day, the day we wanted to go there. Lots of disappointed people on our boat.<br /><br />We learned that the next Saturday the lock workers on the Seine would not got to work. That meant all boat traffic in and out of Paris would come to a standstill for one day. We got back without problems but the next week's cruise would come back to Paris a day early due to the strikers actions.<br /><br />When we arrived at Charles DeGaulle Airport in Paris we were greeted by a TV reporter from CANAL, which according to our guide is her favorite TV station. The reporter's English was pretty good. He wanted to know how we felt about coming to a country where workers were striking. I stepped forward when no one else did. I told him I thought it was a good thing that the French government was afraid of its citizens. In the U.S. we would be better off if the government felt that way. Don't know if I made it on the air because we couldn't get local programming on the boat. I do believe that; it wasn't just for the reporter. We just sit and take whatever the legislators do. I think the Tea Party will make it even harder for government to work because it has caused a rift in the Republican party.<br /><br />Just some thoughts on a sunny, warm day in Lincoln, CA<div style='clear:both; text-align:NONE'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-62140816160189961332010-11-15T12:32:00.000-08:002010-11-15T12:32:50.517-08:00Another Photo For My Last Post<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1E9PDjwive4oUOew77mg1e6GJ3iO6txWTkf7EQ_ZscJ2B3byK3TBoVNDr1nPXqsAW9QTYa-8VIcyUYjgGA3afjIt2FuNiThUO6wROpLtRih3tSlDZGhtb87mdKAP2Ll3OmEiC6g/s1600/Magalie+and+me.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1E9PDjwive4oUOew77mg1e6GJ3iO6txWTkf7EQ_ZscJ2B3byK3TBoVNDr1nPXqsAW9QTYa-8VIcyUYjgGA3afjIt2FuNiThUO6wROpLtRih3tSlDZGhtb87mdKAP2Ll3OmEiC6g/s400/Magalie+and+me.jpg" /></a> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />For the life of me I could not get this to load in the blog about French food. This is Magalie (accent on the first syllable). She was the chef on our cruise from Chalon-Sur-Saone to Avignon. A fine woman and a fabulous chef. I wanted to make sure you saw her. BTW that's me with her.<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-48839348462139056322010-11-15T11:43:00.000-08:002010-11-15T12:17:23.724-08:00Food In France<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgYqkOttftRxGw45xDSeyItnTAk2FGS6nnVkBBk_KmVasXW6ieGZNI99bajn62IwxsYbAcm0j9gmzQpE5aQOAKvzTHa-WLmZyv3En2hDLJhdD2T7idLdfD1KfOsqg0FYxgAL3lw/s1600/pattedecraberoyal.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgYqkOttftRxGw45xDSeyItnTAk2FGS6nnVkBBk_KmVasXW6ieGZNI99bajn62IwxsYbAcm0j9gmzQpE5aQOAKvzTHa-WLmZyv3En2hDLJhdD2T7idLdfD1KfOsqg0FYxgAL3lw/s200/pattedecraberoyal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539869661543487250" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05B74YADIcjeySAEKodSS-JL9LQYFM0CLcjuN2TYHh8sNPaausQ0ZtQcynQR3kcAeUsRhJJWnj3XKu-Kodq2Y3KEwNBpQiZGoOncnidt8wy7d8fD0aV5VZV6TEhYYiuPDKNCEtQ/s1600/francemarket4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05B74YADIcjeySAEKodSS-JL9LQYFM0CLcjuN2TYHh8sNPaausQ0ZtQcynQR3kcAeUsRhJJWnj3XKu-Kodq2Y3KEwNBpQiZGoOncnidt8wy7d8fD0aV5VZV6TEhYYiuPDKNCEtQ/s200/francemarket4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539869654529945746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kYDxZcR-FhHirr28FL6pynpJkyySTM_UVMsu6NmoP7Nffm3RfpwPUcwe8zGDtUQcsBOo2MBIoqv1h1AGAzAeox_ZzkCMkoDDCFBZ-um-dTOocg6t2kREJXabhYxrTPGBlYOD4g/s1600/cheese.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kYDxZcR-FhHirr28FL6pynpJkyySTM_UVMsu6NmoP7Nffm3RfpwPUcwe8zGDtUQcsBOo2MBIoqv1h1AGAzAeox_ZzkCMkoDDCFBZ-um-dTOocg6t2kREJXabhYxrTPGBlYOD4g/s200/cheese.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539869645243100562" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://localhost:3116/6696ed42459c01580e0c33f91b864e0b/image/18c4b97b5debee2d.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://localhost:3116/6696ed42459c01580e0c33f91b864e0b/image/18c4b97b5debee2d.jpg?size=160" border="0" /></a><a href="http://localhost:3116/6696ed42459c01580e0c33f91b864e0b/image/61beaf919119e19a.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://localhost:3116/6696ed42459c01580e0c33f91b864e0b/image/61beaf919119e19a.jpg?size=160" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://localhost:3116/6696ed42459c01580e0c33f91b864e0b/image/53ca41476a111c29.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://localhost:3116/6696ed42459c01580e0c33f91b864e0b/image/53ca41476a111c29.jpg?size=160" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://localhost:3116/6696ed42459c01580e0c33f91b864e0b/image/1b4426aa7342668b.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://localhost:3116/6696ed42459c01580e0c33f91b864e0b/image/1b4426aa7342668b.jpg?size=160" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I'm not sure I can do it justice. On the cruise from Paris to Normandy we had a German chef whom we rarely saw. Food was great. On the cruise from Chalone-de-Sur to Avignon we had a French chef. Her food was awesome. Each evening we eagerly looked forward to Magalie's (accent on the first syllable) description of what we were having for dinner. I swear that many of us were drooling by the time she finished. Also, she often showed up for the light lunch (now that's a misnomer if there ever was one) in the Viking lounge. Her favorite word after "dessert" was "reduction." You can't have enough reduction when cooking french food.<br /><br />I tried reduction when we got home. I made beef short ribs in the crock pot with a sauce of Calvados (bought in Normandy), duck stock, pomegranate molasses and soy sauce. Once the ribs were done, I reduced the sauce and served it and the meat over organic brown rice. So good!!!!<br /><br />The flavors, presentation and freshness of the food is what french cooking is all about. Also, portion size. You may have six courses at every dinner (we did) but each course, except the entree, is just a few bites. The crab dish photo is a good example of that. It's beautiful and small. The desserts were also small portions but they had such a heady flavor, you didn't want more. Well, maybe sometimes. And also, the desserts were not really sugary. You knew the sugar was there but it didn't overwhelm your palate.<br /><br />Kerry had eggs benedict one morning; the yolk was as orange as a pumpkin. That's the sign of a very happy chicken who got to run around in a farmyard and be a chicken. Next time you buy eggs in the super market check the color of the yolks. So many more nutrients in the darker colored yolks. They are also lower in cholesterol.<br /><br />Bread, oh my God, it is awesome. At breakfast each day we had our choice of probably 15 different breads. Bread accompanied each meal and it was fresh. In every town we visited we saw the proverbial French man or woman walking with a long baguette. If they don't finish it on the day purchased, they still buy another one the next day. Baguettes make for great bread crumbs, although I can't imagine not finishing it.<br /><br />Farmers Markets abound in France. Regardless of how small the town, the local farmers come to market at least once a week to sell their produce, eggs, cheese, meat and flowers. The lettuce we had on the boat was beautiful, flavorful and fresh. I never saw iceberg lettuce in France. We had lots of soup that was made from the fresh vegetables left from the dinner the night before. Delicious.<br /><br />I never wondered if our meat had any antibiotics or hormones in it. As we traveled the countryside we learned that the white cattle that graze everywhere are called Charleroi but nicknamed "BBQ cattle" because the meat is so wonderful. If you don't buy your meat at the farmers market, then you can go to a charcuterie. It's a combination of deli and butcher shop. I stopped in one in Vienne. I told the owner, Mr. Dugand, that his shop was beautiful. His face lit up in a big smile. He spoke some English so we talked a bit. As I went to leave he handed me a sausage from a basket on top of the counter and said, "for you madame." I tried to pay but he wouldn't hear of it.<br /><br />The concierge on board the boat said it would be delicious with some bread, cheese and wine. So that's what we are going to do with it. It was in my suitcase when we landed at SFO. I was really worried I would get busted by the food sniffing dog. He busted someone else and I made it out of the terminal.<br /><br />Can't leave out cheese; so many kinds that I lost count. Everyday at lunch we had a tray of different cheeses with crusty bread. I probably ate the U.S. equivalent of $50 worth of cheese each day. All the cheeses were local and changed depending on where we were in France. I especially loved the soft, oozy cheeses that spreads like butter. Magalie made sure there were little signs on each cheese telling us the name.<br /><br />Yes, you can get McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken, but I can't understand why anyone would want that stuff. Take your taste buds to France, you won't regret it.country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-59600835617281162752010-11-12T09:39:00.000-08:002010-11-12T09:40:34.766-08:00Getting Around In France<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4eaJSp5jVwnwc5MS9_QqEt4aTmGZAgvJTYfomTG9xDtA0y2uFDR6fnhIMo7RLR940QKmVXj_Bc149UfXKllVziqM-xZORadLXtp9pJhg723G-iYkH9yTEP0zxcBWM8Is0Zdruw/s1600/IMG_0070.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4eaJSp5jVwnwc5MS9_QqEt4aTmGZAgvJTYfomTG9xDtA0y2uFDR6fnhIMo7RLR940QKmVXj_Bc149UfXKllVziqM-xZORadLXtp9pJhg723G-iYkH9yTEP0zxcBWM8Is0Zdruw/s160/IMG_0070.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oq3YjIhYc4mvU3Mz-app66aYKUJmtrN3udvVx0AsRIj265BgjtWajGmxD7gBvIdPU6Mx0K5FhjJV-lziMminPD3wCc23zK5sdQkOhmsLfrpMhbaU-o4vXLGjLuin89KKJTC77w/s1600/IMG_0091.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oq3YjIhYc4mvU3Mz-app66aYKUJmtrN3udvVx0AsRIj265BgjtWajGmxD7gBvIdPU6Mx0K5FhjJV-lziMminPD3wCc23zK5sdQkOhmsLfrpMhbaU-o4vXLGjLuin89KKJTC77w/s160/IMG_0091.JPG" /></a><br /> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfn8On0v_v6VHHjf3wElflosHIzJJMP1JsLhYCDJrrbe4do39Y0SLZSL7xvhoWyQHGVrgKGLDxNQ5AxsI9YZxNg7gQOnE5ZGquR05tXOcMxhJWFSRcBbDgpAFlBUnHzbBo2TYbA/s1600/IMG_0073.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfn8On0v_v6VHHjf3wElflosHIzJJMP1JsLhYCDJrrbe4do39Y0SLZSL7xvhoWyQHGVrgKGLDxNQ5AxsI9YZxNg7gQOnE5ZGquR05tXOcMxhJWFSRcBbDgpAFlBUnHzbBo2TYbA/s160/IMG_0073.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwluZvSBbC71pQfgOAa85xacVFGkOOHlwM9Tptp2lVE3GoDKO-mjMJRQlM46ywBlFvBWqxAV1mf_q8q2gTK8VrC9qILOgvLwVjU2F2sxae2_GrKnxGuSnMWHneORWlALP2U3rGw/s1600/IMG_0170.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwluZvSBbC71pQfgOAa85xacVFGkOOHlwM9Tptp2lVE3GoDKO-mjMJRQlM46ywBlFvBWqxAV1mf_q8q2gTK8VrC9qILOgvLwVjU2F2sxae2_GrKnxGuSnMWHneORWlALP2U3rGw/s160/IMG_0170.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br />When you live in a country where a majority of the roads were built by the Romans for their horses and chariots, you are not going to find very many wide streets for big cars. Also with the cost of gasoline at around $8 a gallon you are going to find lots of alternatives to the traditional mode of transportation.<br /><br />Here are just a few. Motorcyles and motorscooters are everywhere. They can get around in heavy traffic and can park just about anywhere, plus the mileage is good.<br /><br />Next you have the Smart car which holds just two people, parks easily and gets good mileage. I personally think they are cute. Quite a few folks in Lincoln drive them.<br /><br />The most interesting way of traveling is the rent-a-bicycle. That's a row of them in front of the red-awninged restaurant in Paris. You choose a bike, put the number and a payment method in the machine and ride off. You can return the bike anywhere there are rent-a bike stands. We saw a lot of these bikes, particularly among students. It's easier than carrying your personal bike up six flights of stairs (elevators are in short supply in France) to make sure it's not stolen.<br /><br />And the final mode of transportation is the "choo choo" (the guides words not mine) train that takes you up a very steep, narrow road to a church on top of the hill overlooking the town of Vienne. The train has rubber tires and can easily wind its way through the narrow, cobblestoned streets of this Roman town.<br /><br />And of course you have the TGV, France's fast train, subways, river barges, river cruise boats and many more. I did see one Toyota Landcruiser. It looked very out of place.<div style='clear:both; text-align:NONE'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16782636.post-42403345098057187332010-11-11T10:02:00.000-08:002010-11-11T10:03:14.517-08:00Visiting Normandy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYUn2m-PeUy7dYjbShca94nMkta842JH_Z0Kl7to-A8ppBJE2KuxySokAISBXRIv-LFCvCvtlOCGu140p1aBdwx4cgEG71Ft5rqTtzv8CscqpUXUmnzFDf6vbem9RB5_XZv5ErKQ/s1600/IMG_0139.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYUn2m-PeUy7dYjbShca94nMkta842JH_Z0Kl7to-A8ppBJE2KuxySokAISBXRIv-LFCvCvtlOCGu140p1aBdwx4cgEG71Ft5rqTtzv8CscqpUXUmnzFDf6vbem9RB5_XZv5ErKQ/s160/IMG_0139.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_He8_uXcKuQNLIDx0o7tNcKeApLnNYCQjoTTDqOSOvAG5RZRi2L7uY4jsNAUOBU0cUYTpj_ujhv77yYE_rhUwNZHqc0o45CMx-Ei27vO8t6Iud8Exstr_iHuf2fU4yl8AFUdsQ/s1600/IMG_0143.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_He8_uXcKuQNLIDx0o7tNcKeApLnNYCQjoTTDqOSOvAG5RZRi2L7uY4jsNAUOBU0cUYTpj_ujhv77yYE_rhUwNZHqc0o45CMx-Ei27vO8t6Iud8Exstr_iHuf2fU4yl8AFUdsQ/s160/IMG_0143.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8JnuHeHJbyn7TY1dWZG-nIkybZw_EHT9r17kLqyz33NIQC6xLHwgxbzKpwpNSYoSbgJA24OSUycL4B9rZcm7ylEBxHC4cKNjr3tTMmOZgNjpZBWmbC15eToc2dolQih3DqDqQg/s1600/IMG_0150.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8JnuHeHJbyn7TY1dWZG-nIkybZw_EHT9r17kLqyz33NIQC6xLHwgxbzKpwpNSYoSbgJA24OSUycL4B9rZcm7ylEBxHC4cKNjr3tTMmOZgNjpZBWmbC15eToc2dolQih3DqDqQg/s160/IMG_0150.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOEyJIIIEq7pdKIXTP_JPGSdirHoycmDZX_PUrTyWfuhqh28aQWIxZGai0fu35m3kF_iHEuZxBfmaJ6B4dhbBVfTJ9hRKtJ9Jq96kWu8RZkSd2HyYgp-pWqjzF2IzgI7rZ-t_3w/s1600/IMG_0151.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOEyJIIIEq7pdKIXTP_JPGSdirHoycmDZX_PUrTyWfuhqh28aQWIxZGai0fu35m3kF_iHEuZxBfmaJ6B4dhbBVfTJ9hRKtJ9Jq96kWu8RZkSd2HyYgp-pWqjzF2IzgI7rZ-t_3w/s160/IMG_0151.JPG" /></a><br /> <br /> <br /><br /><br />It's only fitting on this Veteran's Day that I show you photos from Normandy where the D-Day landing happened on June 6, 1944. It was a sad part of the France trip but an important place to visit. I learned a lot of things about D-Day that I had never heard in history class.<br /><br />First we went to the museum pictured. There we watched a black and white film shot in England and France of the preparation for the landing and the landing itself. Seeing all those young, hopeful faces on the screen and then visiting the cemetery where many of them are buried was very sad. Families had their choice of burial in France or having the body shipped home. If they chose France, the U.S. government brought the family over to see the final resting place of their loved one. Crosses and Stars of David mark the graves; there are many who are unknown.<br /><br />What I didn't know is that prior to D-Day the Germans destroyed the only deep water port in the area: Cherbourg, France. Therefore, the Americans and British knew they would have to build a deep water port in record time so they could supply the troops who were landing. Much of this preparation started a year earlier on the south coast of England. The big metal things resting on the beach were made in England and then floated to the coast of France after the landing. The first breakwater was made up of old ships that were sailed to the area from England and then sunk in a line. Two subsequent breakwaters were made up of the big metal things fashioned in England. Within a matter of weeks, the port of was operating. Workers in England were not told what they were making or how it would be used.<br /><br />The Germans did other nasty things to foil the American and British operation. They knew that something was going to happen so they destroyed as many things as possible. They also flooded an area where they thought paratroopers might land; many of them drowned because of this.<br /><br />My mother's brother, Leo, was killed in the Battle of the Bulge. He's the only relative I know of who was lost in World War II. When his mother (my grandmother) was alive we would go to the National Cemetery in Minneapolis on Memorial Day. We put flowers on his grave, and my grandma cried. It didn't matter that he had been dead a long time; she still grieved for her only son. He died just before I was born.<br /><br />So many families have sacrificed loved ones to the God of War only to find out that we will still have another war. No one ever wins; we just move on to the next quarrel with a country. Quarrels escalate and people die. What a shame.<div style='clear:both; text-align:NONE'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>country girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654145968002133819noreply@blogger.com0