The Curlicue Fractal

Pre-Thanksgiving Baking

2011-11-23T08:12:00.001-08:00

First of all I don't know if anyone reads my blog anymore because it's been so long since I've posted. Thanks for coming back if your reading this. I wanted to make something that I haven't made before so I went into the recipe dungeon and found this. My mom used to make it when we were younger. It's light and airy and refreshing. My bro is coming in with J & B (niece and nephew) so I'm bringing it to the first eating fest that's happening tonight.

It's whipped cream with crushed pineapple topping. I cut the cake in half and put a layer of the topping in the middle. After the tasting tonight if it is good, I'll post the recipe. I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving!!

Birthday Fun in DC!

2011-09-10T19:01:00.000-07:00

Again this year I was traveling for work on my birthday. Boo-hoo! It's becoming a yearly pattern. But the big treat this time was that some of my Philadelphia family - A & J - came to DC to make it a truly memorable day. (Nice scarf A!)

I never get tired of photographing my niece. She made the earrings she wears in all of my photos. Beautiful and talented!!

Here are some of the sites we took in on a sunny DC day.

The MLK Memorial is massive. He overlooks the basin facing the Jefferson Memorial.

This little guy provides some good perspective.

At the WWII Memorial, bus loads of Ohio WWII vets including this lovely lady with her husbands flag descended upon the memorial.

This is how the WWII memorial looked through my lens.

I experimented with the B&W option in my camera. I do like B&W photos.

On my birthday A & J surprised me by treating me to a scrumptious lunch at Cafe La Ruche, a country french restaurant. If you're ever in Georgetown you've got to eat there. Just look at the pics and you'll know why I say that.

It didn't end there. A& J gave me three types of chocolate cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes.

"Thank you A & J for making what could have been a blah day, a really great birthday!!"

Fenced in and ready to go!

2011-08-23T19:24:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned lately what great neighbors I have? Perhaps not, so I'll do it again. They are the best. My picket fence needed to be replaced. Why you may ask? Well see the tree stump that Mr. Tim (photo - left) is standing behind? The tree looked beautiful when it was alive but it has been dying for some time so he took it down. Need I say more?

I knew with the assistance of Mayor Dave (photo - right), they'd rebuild it even better than it was before. I had no worries at all. They are as handy as they come. I started the painting project but my back and neck screamed "no"... so I called in the reinforcements. My fence painting angels came over to get the replacement fence all painted and ready to go.

When all of the fence panels were done. (Nice job family!) The guys went to work putting them up although I'm not sure who the third guy is in the photo below. I've noticed a phenomenon that when there is a building project being done in our neighborhood, the number of guys hanging around watching the ones working multiplies really fast. Maybe he's the foreman. I'll have to ask the mayor.

When they finished, it looked fantastic! The fence sets off the brick patio (built and designed by the mayor) along with the beautifully finished garden beds (also done by the mayor) makes my yard ready for the martini and pizza party I promised.

Soon guys...soon!

Sharing Pie and much more!

2011-08-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight was a good night to share time with family friends who we grew up with back in...well I won't say the years. Just take my word that it was a while ago. We gathered together for food, fun and laughter. I got a special request for Lemon Meringue Pie. Since I never turn down an opportunity to make pie...here's how it turned out.

Nice picture Stephanie! Sister Lib made the deviled eggs that are looking lovely up in the corner.
Look in my archives from 2010 - July for this pie recipe and instructions.

Travel Diary Post #1

2011-07-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

Living out of a suitcase in July was the norm for me. The biggest trip was to Vienna, Austria. My niece played soccer in the European Maccabi Games. Not to boast...oh ok, I will. The USA team won the "Gold" by beating Great Britain and Germany. Steph received the "Golden Boot" Gold Medal for scoring the most goals (10) throughout the games. She's putting one away in this photo. The entire team gets kudos for their accomplishment.

We did some sight seeing in this beautiful city between soccer games. Here's the Vienna Opera House located in the city center.

St. Stephens Cathedral is amazing.

Then Northern Michigan never disappoints. The beauty of Lake Michigan and the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes are quite a site or sight. Really...this is how it looked.

I love the forest, too.

I took over a 1,000+ photos on my trips. Is there a meeting for people like me?

They're Gone

2011-06-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

They don't last long. But while they're here they're magnificent!

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! I know I'm using the exclamation point way too much but you would to if you had your eyeballs on these lovelies!! (See I did it again.)

New Heirlooms

2011-05-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

I love going to Uncle Luke's. It's a feed store in Troy, MI that's the real deal. They know everything there is to know about farming and plants. My goal in going there yesterday was to buy Heirloom tomatoes and a crazy variety of lettuce types to share with the neighbors as they grow.

So I got enough to fill half of my garden boxes. Here's a few of the gems I got at UL's. The "carbon" below will turn a deep purple/black.

Uncle Luke recommended the Arkansas Traveler so I got one of those, too. Actually I don't know if he was the real Uncle Luke but he seemed to be the guy in charge.

The other heirloom I got was a pineapple tomato. I think that'll be what I use to make salsa.

I had to throw in a photo of one of the many lettuce varieties I planted. Does anyone know what kind of flower this is?

My neighbor - the mayor - grows these lovely iris's that I look at from my kitchen window as I'm washing dishes.

Too bad they don't last all that long.

Duck in DC

2011-05-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

I'm on an animal kick. In front of the The National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. this guy was happily swimming around.

We were really there for the graduation of my nephew Matthew from Georgetown University who received a Masters degree in Sports Management. If you know anyone who works with a sports team or company who has a job for a motivated, great, smart (and handsome) guy, let me know.

Here he is with his mom (my sister). We're all so proud of him!

Whoo is this?

2011-05-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

Could this little guy be any cuter? Mr. Tim's dogs discovered this baby under his deck.

He or she must have fallen or been kicked out of the nest. It just sat there looking at us in the cage which kept it safe from the dogs and other predators overnight.

I was clicking away like the paparazzi playing around with exposures. Without a tripod I ended up with a very strange looking shot.

I can't leave you with this picture. Too creepy for such a cute little owl. How does this story end? Mr. Tim and his girlfriend took it to a local vet who knows someone who takes in wild animals. I love a happy ending.

Pure Joy!

2011-05-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

It's been too long and perhaps my 38 followers have given up on me. All I can say is I'm coming out of hibernation. How do I know? My trillium is blooming.

And neighbor - Mr. Tim's is blooming, too. Can you see the pink in his flower?

Delicious...

This tree started out being four feet tall. Now look at it! I have to visually soak it in because when the first strong wind and rain hit, the blooms will carpet the ground.

Here Yesterday...

2011-02-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

...gone today. Fifty degree temps melted any evidence of these beauties.

I knocked them off and they kept coming back.

Oh..I'll post one more.

I'm sure we haven't seen the last of these babies.

Why bother with toys...

2011-01-23T10:49:00.000-08:00

...when bags do just fine. Lear can't resist hiding in his bag cave.

I cut the handles so he doesn't get his neck caught in it when he darts out to catch his sister.

She's lounging near the heat vent so there's no chance of a cat chase for now. I took a camera class to see if I could figure out how to use my camera on the manual setting. My kitties are my best test subjects so don't hate me if you see a lot more of them for a while.

Who says...

2010-12-21T16:17:00.000-08:00

...cats aren't affectionate. Maui is like a little baby when she buries her head in my hair. She presses her head against my neck and purrs like a baby.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Veggie Chili - To spice or not to spice

2010-12-03T15:45:00.000-08:00

I got a great chili recipe from a friend at work and it's now my favorite way to make it although I don't put in all of the peppers and chili pepper for fear of burning my tongue off. With the cold weather having arrived, I made a big pot of this tasty chili to enjoy with friends. It was a big hit. I didn't take any photos as I chopped and chopped but here's how it looked the next day.

Don't let the long list of ingredients intimidate you. It'll be worth it.

(Print Recipe)

Exercise Come Back

2010-11-21T09:14:00.000-08:00

So I just can't get myself to do it. I'm talking about Exercise. I'm one of those people who does it in spurts. Sometimes I'm so committed I believe I will never give it up. And then...something stops me in my tracks. I go for months realizing that I'm not doing it anymore. What is this? Of course, I'm exercising my index finger by taking pictures with my new camera lens. It's 18mm - 270mm - all in one. Very heavy so I must be getting some kind of benefit in terms of exercise...don't cha think?

Now I can take shots of the kitties without getting too close so they move before I can capture them in all of their cuteness.

This is Lear.

And Maui.

I wonder how many calories I burned taking these photos?

Painting with Light

2010-11-17T18:37:00.000-08:00

Pika Pika is back! I corralled three of my neighbors to join in with my friends B & J (and their friend Josh) to do Pika Pika in my backyard. It was a beautiful dark evening and the warm cider I had brewing in a coffee pot comforted us after our Pika Pika session. B & J wanted to make their Christmas card using PP. (That's Pika Pika in shorthand). J brought the colored flashlights and I had the camera. I timed the shutter to stay open for 15 seconds while we moved around making shapes.

I want to use this last one to make a new blog banner. I just have to figure out how to do it.

Another Great Apple Recipe

2010-11-09T18:08:00.000-08:00

While up north I tested out a new recipe - never before made by me. My mom got it from her neighbor who shares many homemade sweet things and other kindnesses. A side note - My three sisters and I are very grateful for the friendship my mom shares with her neighbors. But back to the apple bread recipe. Kinda gutsy and nerve wracking to make breakfast for seven fantastic women friends with an untested recipe. I'm happy to report that the Apple Bread was a huge hit especially since I served the bread warm right out of the oven.

Enjoy the Recipe:

Apple Bread

3 c. all purpose flour
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
3 large eggs
1 c. vegetable oil
2 c. granulated sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
3 c. peeled cored and diced apples ( Macintosh)
1 c. choppecd walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.
1. Grease two 9x5x3 inch loaf pans; set aside.
2. In medium bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In mixing bowl beat the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla together, mixing well. Stir in flour mixture just till mixed. Batter will be thick. Fold in apples and walnuts if desired and spoon into prepared loaf pans.
4. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hr. 15 minutes or till tested done when toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans before removing to cool on wire racks. Wrap tightly to store.

(Print Recipe)

Halloween Sky

2010-11-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

So my neighbors and I were handing out Halloween candy before it got dark. We looked down the street and saw an amazing sky with trees that looked like they were on fire. I decided to practice my photo touch-up skills. Do you like the au natural photos or the computer enhanced ones?

As is...

Enhanced...

Here's another one.

As is...

Enhanced...

Because I'm having so much fun I'll do one more.

As is...

Enhanced...

It's getting cold here so that may be it for Fall color. Get ready for snow photos.

The Cast is Off!

2010-10-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to have my third cast off although it was looking pretty artsy at the end there.

Slightly terrifying to see a saw blade close to my wrist.

They assure me it works on vibration and won't cut me. Trust is important in a situation like this. I've got to tell you that the greatest part of no longer having the cast on is that I don't have to stand like the Statue of Liberty in the shower.

How Can You Not Love Fall

2010-10-19T05:02:00.000-07:00

Even though here in SE Michigan we have high unemployment, pot holey roads, a few corrupt politicians (they're gone now, we hope) and frigid winters, we still can boast about having these beauties in the Fall...

Crazy beautiful...

I'm going to see if I can post a couple more Fall color photos over the next few days. I want to get back to blogging more regularly. I miss it! My cast comes off tomorrow....yea!

Also thanks to Rosey for sending me the Colorado Hollyhock seeds. I'll post pics next season when they grow!

At My Door

2010-10-10T10:12:00.001-07:00

I opened the door a week ago and this was waiting for me.

My favorite season is here. You can be sure I'll be sharing more Michigan fall colors soon.

My First Sports Injury

2010-09-29T18:38:00.000-07:00

Only days after returning from my trip...my blogging got side tracked by this.

Having never broken a bone in my entire life, breaking my right wrist is making my usually useless left hand do all the work. Try writing with your non-dominant hand. My scribbles look like a kindergartner wrote them...but I am improving.

I just have one thing to say. Never underestimate the danger of bowling and never go over the line. Ok...that's two things. Just keep in mind...the lane is really slippery!

Wild West

2010-09-14T05:52:00.000-07:00

Deciding which photos to include in this blog entry out of the 700+ I took while in Wyoming is a major feat. Hiking in the fresh western air in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks kept me from blogging for the week. I purposely unplugged so I could have a real vacation. And I'm happy to say it worked! Except for pulling an "OJ" in the Salt Lake City airport to make the return flight that was being held just for me, it was an incredibly invigorating and relaxing time. (If you don't understand my "OJ" airport reference, ask someone who's older than you.) We were mesmerized by the view while descending, roller coaster ride style due to high winds, into the Jackson Hole Wyoming airport. Keep in mind that when you live in SE Michigan where it's flat, you'd be ooo-ing and ah-ing, too.

Here's what we saw on the first morning at the Taggart Lake Trail in the Tetons during a brisk morning hike.

Are you still breathing? I wasn't. Here's another view of the Tetons from the same hike that I turned into a black and white photo just for fun.

There's no hunting in our National Park. So looking for animals becomes a major past time. I'm happy to report that we didn't see any bear. But we did see...

They give warnings about getting too close. Something about the drawing of the person strikes me as funny.

This literally "take your breath away" short hike was the 308 steps down to the lower falls in Yellowstone called Uncle Tom's Trail. "Uncle" Tom Richardson first constructed Uncle Tom's Trail in 1898. Uncle Tom led visitors across the river near Chittenden Bridge and along a rough trail to the base of the waterfall. Today Uncle Tom's Trail is very different from the simple trail used by Mr. Richardson. We lost 500 feet of elevation as we walked down but it was worth it.

They needed oxygen tanks for the walk up. We rested often.

Of course, we couldn't miss seeing Old Faithful.

The sunset view from our cabin.

The dry western air gave us all wild west hair!

I can't wait to go back!

Horse Play

2010-09-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of seeing my mentee, "M" ride in a horse show on her horse Kally. But this is not just any horse show. It's sponsored by the Banbury Cross Therapeutic Equestrian Center. Watching "M" sit straight up and commanding Kally to walk, trot and whatever else horses do, (You can probably tell that I don't know much about horses) was so charming and inspiring. "M" loves horse and she can prove it by the dresser top full of trophies from five seasons of horseback riding. Her amazing mom drives over 45 miles every Thursday night so "M" can have a lesson. It's a double whammy of inspiration for those of us who know this family.

Toward the end of the show, "M" displayed her talent at "posting". (I think that's what it's called.) The horse trots while "M" posts. She also has a very nice teacher who stays with her while she rides.

Time to make room...

...for one more trophy. Congratulations "M"!

No More Wasting Food

2010-08-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

I buy a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. I also throw out way too many of those fruits and veggies that never get eaten. But no more! I stopped at the dollar store and bought a few plastic containers. Then I took all of the bags of veggies that were stuffed on shelves in every corner of the fridge, washed and cut them into pieces. I pulled out my friend's salad spinner from the basement and tackled this project with gusto!

I cut up Michigan grown lettuce, carrots, cucumber and the rest of my fresh food. I make a smoothie most mornings and now it will be so much faster to put one together. This parsley and kale are from my own garden.

I should have gotten a before picture. Oh well...here's the result. I keep opening the fridge to marvel at how organized it looks. It's beautiful!!

In future posts I'll share some of my smoothie recipes. Beware: Many of the delicious drinks are green in color!

More Pika Pika

2010-08-25T04:56:00.000-07:00

I realized I had a few more Pika Pika pics (that rolls off the tongue in a fun way) that I wanted to share. Remember each color is done by a different person all at one time.

Star bright, star light.

I couldn't decide which heart pika to put in so I put them both.

I'm definitely creating more Pika Pika in the near future!

Waiting for Cupcakes

2010-08-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

So we walk up to the Georgetown Cupcake storefront on "M" street. I think to myself - Doesn't look too crowded.

The entrance is on the side of the building. We turn the corner and and there's a few more people at the door.

We step off the curb to get in line and "OMG!"

So the question became, "How long is one willing to wait in line for a CUPCAKE?"
You may have seen the sisters on TLC in their first season on the air. I must say I haven't but these are supposed to be the best cupcakes. I lobbied (as one should when in Washington, D.C.) to stay and try these famous baked goods. The guys needed some convincing. My brother-in-law Jeff said something about a Hostess cupcake being just fine for him. But I said..."really what else have we got to do except stand in the sweltering 90 degree temperature with sweat dripping down our backs?" That must have convinced them because we stayed.

Ok...I'll give you a sneak peak.

It took 40 minutes (yes you heard right) to get in the door. Jeff treated all of us to one dozen cupcakes. Aren't they beautiful?

The true question I'm sure you're asking is how do they taste?

My favorite was the lemon blossom. It was very refreshing. The chocolate cupcake with cream cheese frosting was not a hit. The frosting was not all that good. Chocolate Ganache was good as well as the chocolate peanut butter chip. The server was very friendly, too.

I recommend going but perhaps 10 a.m. in the morning is a better time to go if standing in line is not your thing.

Maui and Lear - Finally Together

2010-08-17T18:17:00.000-07:00

I've been trying for years to get a picture of my sweeties where they're both looking at the camera in one frame. Have you ever tried to tells cats how and where to sit? Never works. Especially with these two. The don't seem to want to sit or lie close to each other when they're relaxing. But just by chance, they were sitting in the perfect way so I could get this shot.

It was the only shot out of ten images where they were both in focus. Grandma has been asking for a photo of them together and finally she'll be able to put them up on her kitchen photo board with all of the other grand-pets.

A Light Load

2010-08-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

Part of me finds it very alluring to be able to fit everything I own in the back seat and trunk of a Volkswagen Jetta.

Of course, for me it would be impossible. But for Alex it's easy. He's just starting out. I recently met Alex when he and my nephew Ben (the one in The Victors shirt) passed through Michigan as they were driving cross country from Pennsylvania to Alex's first year of college at Harvey Mudd College in California.

Ben decided it would be fun to keep his pal company for the cross country adventure prior to starting college at the University of Virginia himself. The trip would take them 3,981 miles. They brought two spindles of cd's so they wouldn't have to listen to a song more than once. How do they think of these things?

We had such a great time with these two really smart and sociable guys. Before they left the next morning we were able to get some good photos of everyone who was there for dinner.

Alex is in the light blue shirt, you can probably recognize two of my three sisters by the curly hair, then the young shaved head handsome dude is my other nephew Matthew (the one going to Georgetown in three days), and there's the proud grandma and next to her is the older shaved head guy who is Matthew's dad. A few other family members missed out on the fun.

What Did I Plant?

2010-08-12T17:55:00.000-07:00

I thought I kept all of the sticks that came with my plants but no! I can't find the label for this one. It looks like a squash but I don't know what type. Does this look familiar to anyone?

It's the shape of a cantaloupe but I don't think I planted those. This is a real mystery to me. Of course, my pea pods are dwindling but they're still my favorite. Homegrown are the sweetest!

So sad...they're almost all dried up.

The Mayor planted vegetables, too. Check out this tomato plant on steroids. He didn't add anything to the soil. It's huge.

Fences are perfect for sharing vegetables with neighbors. The Mayor planted cukes which I have been enjoying all season. Anything that grows on my side of the fence is mine to pick!

I hope someone can help me figure out what that vegetable is that I'm growing!

Art at Maker Faire Detroit

2010-08-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

The other aspect of Maker Faire Detroit was the artistic element. Last year I bought a clutch purse made out of candy wrappers for my niece. At MF Detroit I stumbled upon designer Tiffany Threadgould from RePlayGround who makes those purses. RePlayGround is where discarded materials take on new life!

At another booth I found these great handmade brooms. I would consider sweeping if I had one of these.

I don't want to put this next thing in the same category as the purses or brooms but I think it's a hoot. This car played music and the lobsters and fish danced to the beat while a guy at the back shook the car or rather rocked the car.

The fashion statements were everywhere.

It was all great fun!

Pika Pika

2010-08-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

I know you're wondering what Pika Pika is. Well, it's a type of animation and it looks like this.

I've been on the board of Digital Arts, Film & Television otherwise known as DAFT, a non-profit media education organization that conducts workshops for kids and adults. Last night at a DAFT workshop called "Art in Motion", the artists got together when it was pitch black to create these amazing images.

It was a blast! I set my camera shutter speed to stay open for 15 seconds. Then using glow sticks and flashlights, the Pika Pika people moved the light in different ways. Here's another one.

Oops! The last "e" needed some help. They tried it again.

Now that's right. We did a test before it got dark out. This one was done with two people. You can see the ghostly person on the left, moved to the right half way through to make the other "m".

Here's one for DAFT.

As soon as I can, I'm going to put up my new Pika Pika banner.

Tinkerers Everywhere!

2010-08-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

Here's how it was described to me. "It's like a state fair for tinkerers, geeks and creative people." How could I not go? My friend, Annette picked me up to go to Maker Faire Detroit held at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, MI. (For those not from Detroit, The Henry Ford needs to be added on to your "bucket list".) Here's how the promoters describe Maker Faire. "A two-day Family-friendly event to MAKE, create, learn, invent, CRAFT, recycle, think, play, celebrate and be inspired by arts, crafts, engineering, food, music, science and technology." It's a mouthful but I understand their dilemma. It can't be described in just one or two words. There's some serious tinkering going on. This guy invented a machine that plays four guitars by pedaling and braking. I couldn't resist.

There is a lot of robotics type stuff there. This guy rolls around and his mouth moves up and down like he's talking. The sound effects coming from this wire framed robot make him even scarier.

This cutie thought so.

Who said Detroit isn't alive. Maker Faire is only being held in three places. San Francisco, New York and Detroit.

I love the monster chess set. (I'm expressing my inner geek!)

Then there was the bubble machine vehicle made by a robotics group at one of the local high schools. Look closely at the back and you'll see the bubbles. Kids were chasing them as the man drove away.

Duck tape man is really really big! He really (ok, I know that's a lot of "really's") is made out of all different colors of duck tape.

I have to throw in some food comments. The Henry Ford is a class act. We got hungry and I was so happy to see it wasn't just typical fair type food, I had a tabbouleh and falafel wrap. There were salads plus hot foods as well. Oh and I can't forget the corn on the cob.

It's cooked in a cast iron pot over a wood burning flame. This place is so amazing! (I do get excited by the little details.)

This is a Big Dog bicycle and behind it is the Life-Size Mousetrap.

My niece and nephew in Phili are involved in Science Olympiad. They'd really love this event. It's still going on today so if you're in the Detroit area, don't miss it.

Stay tuned: My next post is going to introduce you to the really talented arts and crafts people I met at Maker Faire.

The Traveling Pizza Man

2010-07-30T04:17:00.000-07:00

So I go to Grand Rapids to videotape at a dealership and normally we go out to lunch on a shoot. This time we got invited out back and discovered the traveling "wood fired" pizza maker. He trailers his oven to anywhere in the state. I have never seen this before.

Cool tie dye shirt, Mark. That's his real name but his pizza company is call "Van Awesome Wood Fired Pizza". When it was my turn to put in my order, I decided to go veggie that day. He had mushrooms, peppers and onions all cut up and ready to go.
This is his assistant who took my order and put the pies together.

Between the 90 degree temperature outside and the heat from the oven, I can't imagine how the pizza man didn't cook himself standing in front of the red oven.

Check out those flames.

It takes maybe 5-10 minutes took cook one of these small pizzas.

That day Mark's grand-kids stopped by for some of grandpa's pizza. They had a good time.

Here's his email address if you want to contact Mark: lynnvv@sbcglobal.net He said he goes all over Michigan but with enough enticement, I got the feeling he'd trailer that bright red oven anywhere!

Grandma Bea's Apple Pie

2010-07-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

I had an interesting conversation recently with someone who questioned whether posting family recipes on the internet was a good idea or not. Honestly, I never even had a second thought about sharing these wonderful pie recipes that have been handed down to me from my grandma. I'm curious if any of you have ever questioned posting family recipes? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

That aside, this apple pie is a family favorite. Again, use whatever pie crust recipe you enjoy making or buying. The apple choice is limited in the summer so I use granny smith apples mostly and then add a couple yellow delicious apples in for fun. But in the Fall when the cider mills open and apples are plentiful in Michigan, I use a combination of the following apples:

Granny Smith, Northern Spy, Ida Red and Courtland. Courtland has a short lifespan but when I can find them, they add a nice flavor to the pie. I pick two or three varieties but always have about 3-4 Granny Smith apples as the base for the filling.

Use a 9" pie plate - I like the glass kind.

Peel and slice thinly (less that 1/4") 7-8 apples
This is where the AppleMaster comes in.
I squeeze fresh lemon on the sliced, cored and peeled apples so they don't turn brown.

Once all of the apples are prepared, add 3/4 cup sugar.

2 Tablespoons of Wondra flour

A pinch of salt.

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.

Mix all the ingredients well. It's a little awkward to mix the apples and all of these ingredients but keep with it and they will be distributed on the apples evenly.

Pour the apples into the uncooked pie crust. Dot the top with pieces from 2 Tablespoons of butter.

Lay the top layer of crust over the apples and pinch the edges to make a pretty pie look. Brush the top with milk and sprinkle a little bit of sugar all over the top of the crust. Put a pie collar made out of foil or buy one like I have and place it on the pie.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cook for 10 minutes. Turn down to 350 degrees and cook for another 40 minutes. (Take the pie collar off after it's cooked for the first 20 minutes.)

I have to admit that I forgot to set the timer when making this pie the last time so it should be a little darker than this picture shows. Oh well...it happens!

(Print Recipe)

I want to welcome my new followers - Maggie from Dog Hill Kitchens, Monika from Recipes and my lovely niece Stephanie.

My Apple Pie Helper

2010-07-25T07:31:00.000-07:00

Another favorite I've been making for years is my Grandma Cohen's Apple Pie. One day as I sat with my mother lamenting the pains of peeling, slicing and coring apples, she mentioned that she had a tool that someone gave her about twenty years ago to do the job but she maybe used it once. After retrieving it from the basement, I definitely wanted to give it a try.

This is now my new best friend! I know it looks like something you'd buy on late night TV where they say "but wait there's more!" but don't let that stop you. I hope they still sell it. It really works and it works well. What used to take an hour now takes about 15 minutes.

Sister Lib had a euchre party last night so I made an apple pie. Making it in the summer is limiting but I used a combination of granny smith's and yellow delicious. It's not as flavorful as an autumn pie where the variety of apples are plentiful but it still is yummy. But I digress. Look at how easy it is to core, peel and slice an apple with this hand dandy tool.

If you have any time saving tools I'd love to hear and see them on your blogs. I'll share my grandma's apple pie recipe in my next post.

I also want to welcome my new followers Rollercoaster Life and Charmi
It's so much fun to connect up with new and interesting bloggers.

Making Lemon Meringue Pie

2010-07-22T18:26:00.000-07:00

(Printable Recipe)

It takes me about two hours to make this pie and I've been making it for a couple years now. If this is your first time, you may want to clear your schedule. It'll be worth it though. It's a good idea to get all of the ingredients ready first so then you can just combine, mix and bake. I make my own crust but you can use whatever you normally use for a pie or quiche. I'll save my crust recipe for another post.

Let's get started...

The Filling
Combine the following ingredients in a large pot that will cook on the stove.

2 cups sugar

9 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup Wondra

and a touch or pinch of salt.

Have the following ingredients ready to go:

Juice of 2 large lemons, strained plus add enough water to equal 3/4 cup of total lemon liquid.

1 teaspoon of lemon rind, freshly zested. Make sure you wash the outside of the lemon first.

Then boil 3 1/2 cups of water. I do it in the microwave. It takes about 7 minutes to get it to boil.
Separate 9 large - not extra large - eggs.

You're going to use 6 egg yolks and 9 egg whites. The three orphan egg yolks can either be thrown away or used for breakfast at a later time. I've tried but I've never been able to keep all six egg yolks in tact. I have to amuse myself somehow while I make this pie.

6 Yolks

9 Whites

You'll also need 2 Tablespoons of butter. Use unsalted butter.

Now you're ready to start cooking the filling.
Take the boiling water and slowly add it to the dry ingredients in the pot over medium heat and mix thoroughly. Keep stirring. Then add the lemon juice and rind. Continue stirring constantly until it starts to thicken.

Then add the egg yolks that have been lightly hand beaten. Stir thoroughly until it comes to a full boil.

Don't over boil it. When you see the bubbles start to pop at the surface remove the pot from the heat and stir in the 2 Tablespoons of butter. Pour the filling into a strainer (more of a tighter mesh strainer, not one you'd use for pasta) in a bowl. Set the bowl in a large bowl filled with ice water. Stir filling to speed cooling.

While the filling is cooling, make the meringue.

Meringue
9 egg whites
9 Tablespoons sugar (one for each egg white)
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Few drops of fresh lemon juice

Beat the 9 egg whites on your mixers high speed. I do it at '8'. Add the cream of tartar.

Slowly add 1 Tablespoon of sugar at a time.

Add lemon juice drops and beat until whites stand up in stiff peaks when beaters are lifted. It's a beautiful sight!

Next Steps
Fold in 2 clumps of meringue (1 at a time) into the cooled filling until it's evenly combined.

Pour it into a baked crust.

Mound the remaining meringue on top, sealing the edges of the crust.

Bake at 325 degrees until the top is lightly browned approximately 15 minutes.
Here's another little tip. You might want to put a baking sheet on the oven shelf
below the one the pie sits on because it weeps sometimes and it'll leave a "meringuee"
(aren't made up words fun?) mess at the bottom of your stove.

If anyone know how to keep it from weeping, I'd love to know! Once it is cooled put it in the refrigerator. Here's a tip for cutting it without having the meringue stick to the pie cutter. Run the pie cutter or knife under really hot water after each cut.

It's a little (or big) slice of heaven!

For My Dad

2010-07-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

Six years ago today I stood by my Dad's bed holding his hand and watched him take his last breath on earth. It was the most profound moment of my life. Parkinson's is a terrible debilitating illness that took him gradually every year. He was a 1950's type dad who worked hard to provide for all of us. Whenever I met one of his patients they all, and I mean every last one of them said, "Your father is a wonderful man." To me he was just dad. I got to know him in a different way during the time spent taking care of him during his illness. Of course, my mother deserves a medal for the care she gave him everyday. Without her he wouldn't have lived as long as he did.

I wanted to mark this day in some special way. Almost every night we had dinner as a family and I know my dad appreciated my mothers' cooking especially her desserts. I called her today and found out that her lemon meringue pie was his favorite. So I made it tonight for dad. I know he'd be laughing right now. This would make no sense to him. He was a very practical and logical person but I do know he would never turn down a piece of pie. So this is for you, Dad!

Sorry but it's still cooling so I can't cut into it just yet. You'll have to wait to set eyes on the sunny treasure hiding underneath the meringue. I'll also post instructions on how to make this yummy pie really soon.

My New Favorite Appliance

2010-07-18T16:06:00.000-07:00

So my friend walked into my living room and burst out laughing. This is my new piece of living room furniture and I'm not talking about the chair!

If you watched my digital story about going to see Marni in a previous post, you'll know that I've totally embraced my curls. But I have to admit that the hand held hair dryer at home took longer to produce the same salon curly hair effect. So I ordered this and now it takes 12 minutes to dry my hair. I can sit calmly, drink my water and crank up morning television to its' highest level so I can hear it over the fan of the hair dryer. Every living room should have one of these...right?

Hey...the inside of the salon dryer also looks like one of the shapes of a curlicue fractal.

Passion for Passion Flowers

2010-07-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

My neighbor..."The Mayor"...is quite the gardener. His home is vibrant with color from annuals he plants in front but it's the hidden treasures on the trellis in his backyard that are most impressive. He grows passion flowers. They look like alien satellite receivers to me.

The mayor gave me two passion flowers in full bloom. They're gorgeous on the vine or sitting in a glass of water. I really like the purple tendrils.

So not knowing anything about passion flowers, I figured they'd last a few days.
Wrong! After twenty four hours they started to close.

I woke up in the morning and they were totally closed. Never to open again.
Their beauty was short and transient.

I wanted to take pictures of the flowers on the vine but we just had the worst storm come through my city and there were no open passion flowers on the vine today. In fact we've been without power all day. It slowed the day way down but I'm so happy to have power again. I'll check for passion flowers on the vine again tomorrow.

A Safari in...Ohio???

2010-07-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

After a 5.5 hour drive from suburban Detroit through the flat lands of northern Ohio, my friend Dar and I were relieved to set eyes on the rolling hills of Cumberland, Ohio located about a half hour east of Columbus. Being from a place where strip malls and freeways fill up the landscape, the wide open space of "The Wilds" was quite impressive.

Go to their website and you'll find out that "the Wilds is one of the largest and most innovative wildlife conservation centers in the world. Located on nearly 10,000 acres in southeast Ohio, it is home to rare and endangered species from around the world living in natural, open-range habitat, as well as home to hundreds of indigenous species. In addition to innovative, in-depth science and education programs, the Wilds offers guided experiences to the public." We took the Sunset Tour which included dinner on the patio with a view of beautiful wildflowers.

The real stars were the animals. I went click crazy with my camera so this post has more photographs than I usually post. But which guys would I cut? Not these cuties...

Or how about the Sichuan Takin or Tibetan Takin, a sub-species of the goat-antelope. Our guide, Tommy, believes these are the ugliest animals at The Wilds. I find them charming in a "goat-ish" kind of way. (I just made that word up.)

The open air bus made it easy to move around and see everything.

We stopped to see "Asam", an Indian Rhino who is 32 years old. That's really really old for a Rhino. I don't know how that equates to human years but Asam didn't move too fast. As a vegetarian, he needed an enticement of hay. Yum!

We were all worried his horn had been cut off but that's not what happened. From years of rubbing against a post, he wore it down himself. We petted him and he felt like metal, very rough and tough. He didn't mind little kids and adults rubbing their hands over his leathery skin.

I wanted to take this cheetah home to play with Maui and Lear. I know they'd become great friends.

I love zebras!

We stopped to see some dogs. This sign says it all. These weren't just any kind of dog. I wouldn't want to meet them on the street. They got a snack of raw meat and locked down their jaws tight so no other dog would steal it.

Mamma and baby Rhino get a mud bath so they won't get sun burned. They came right up to the bus.

It was hard to determine if we were observing them or they were observing us!

Bye guys!

Lily Flowers from my Garden

2010-07-11T19:18:00.000-07:00

What I love about my garden is that the flowers that bloom each year remind me of friends who, over the years, have shared their plants with me. These lilies came from a friend of a friend who now lives in Kansas. After a light rain I grabbed my camera to try to catch the raindrops before they dripped off from the flower petals.

Isn't the pale pink color of this one just scrumptious!!

I'd love to see the flowers that are in bloom in your gardens. They make all the hard garden work worth it!

My Talented Niece

2010-07-07T16:26:00.000-07:00

On my last trip to Philadelphia, I got to watch how my 16 year old niece, Jessie goes about picking beads at a local bead shop for her next creative jewelry pieces. I've gone into those bead stores before and found them crazily overwhelming because of the variety and amount of beads to choose from. Not Jessie. At the store she mixed and matched the beads into a beautiful montage of not-yet-made earrings and bracelets. Come to find out, she has an Etsy site where she sells her handmade jewelry.

Here is the link to Kicknic Krafts to see more of her jewelry - www.etsy.com/shop/kicknickrafts

Ok...if you insist! Here's a few more.

Jessie learned to make these bracelets in the rural town of Caño Negro of northern Costa Rica. They're made from a water-proof waxy string and she just started to also make them out of hemp.

These are so pretty!

I'm really looking forward to the chain bracelet Jessie is going to make for me. She just doesn't know it yet. Actually...now she does! You know my address Jess!!!

July 4th Sweetness

2010-07-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

I went overboard on making desserts for our July 4th picnic yesterday and I loved every minute of it. Of course, if there were any diabetics in the group, I could have been arrested by the sugar police. Sometimes I just can't help myself. While I love healthy food, baking is in my blood and when I heard that there would be 34 people at this picnic, I was overtaken by the baking bug. I wanted to do something with the American flag so "M" (my mentee) and I went to the craft store and bought some fondant and spray food coloring. This was going to be a whole new adventure in making an American flag for the top of dessert #1 - The Cake. Before I show you how it turned out, I did send a phone photo of it to "mushpush" of mushpush.com just to see if she thought this might fall into the Cake Wrecks blog category. Thankfully, Mushpush thought it looked cool. What do you think? I was going for the flag flying in the wind look.

Here's how I did it. I used fondant and the color spray.

I rolled out the fondant like a pie crust. I dusted the wax paper with confectioners sugar so it didn't stick during this process.

I cut out shapes. I actually used the flag on my neighbors house that I can see from my kitchen window as my template. Some poetic license of the design was to be expected. I realized early on there was no way I could cut out even one star perfectly.

I then placed the stars in position and covered the rest of the flag with wax paper to avoid getting blue food spray on it.

After removing the stars, this is what it looked like. It took a few minutes to dry.

Then I put the stripes in place and sprayed the red food coloring. I made sure to cover the stars so they didn't get red food coloring on them.

I pulled up the wax paper stripes carefully and let the flag dry again. I had joyful flashbacks to using stencils in kindergarten.

I had such a good time doing this. When I walked into my sisters house carrying the cake, the reaction to the flag from everyone at the party made all of the effort worth it!

Amazing Pop-Up Books

2010-07-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

Another gem I stumbled upon is the Smithsonian Museum of American History's Paper Engineering exhibit.

They really are the most incredible pop-up books I've ever seen. My friend, Annette collects these treasures so when I saw them I knew I was guaranteed that at least one of my followers would love to see them.

Actually I think everyone can remember having a pop-up book at one time in their life.

But these go way beyond what I had in my bookshelves as a kid. These are definitely works of art!

This one kind of scares me!

For the trekkies out there...this one is for you.

This one is called a movable. Elements in the book are flat but they don't lie still.

These next photos are not from the Smithsonian but I have to include them anyway. The Arlington National Cemetery gave me goosebumps. The solemnity that fills the air while we walked up to the John F. Kennedy burial site is moving. But in the visitor center this sign just struck me funny. Keep in mind that this planter holds a tree.

Then at the Lincoln Memorial, hoards of people sit on the steps looking out over the reflection pool. These two cuties had other ideas.

I wonder what Lincoln would think!

Julia's Kitchen

2010-06-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

I had an afternoon to see as much of Washington, D.C. as possible. Since it had been years, I thought I'd walk down the mall. I took a friend's advice and parked at the Arlington National Cemetery parking lot and then hopped on the metro to the Smithsonian stop on the blue line. So glad I did because finding a parking spot would have been as hard as finding an honest politician in Washington! Ok...I'm a little cynical about politics. Anyway, I decided to go into the Smithsonian Museum of American History for about a half hour. Of course, I could have spent a week in that museum but I got so excited when I stumbled upon...

I'm so jealous of her knife collection.

I'd love to have room for her all of her pots and pans, too.

I can hear Julia's voice saying...

Look at her sheer joy in the "laughing" photo. Makes me want to watch the film Julie & Julia again!

I Love Hydrangeas

2010-06-28T17:20:00.000-07:00

I had such a great weekend with my family in Philadelphia. I noticed that a lot of the homes have hydrangeas in their front yard gardens. I do love hydrangeas in all colors! At my sister outlaw's house, the hydrangeas are in bloom and I wanted to share them.

She also had these beautiful star shaped white hydrangeas.

Georgetown Charm

2010-06-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

I'm so proud of my nephew Matthew whose "livin' the dream" perspective about life is taking him to Georgetown University in the Fall for the Sports Industry Management Masters program. As his "favorite" aunt (I can already hear his other aunts yelling at me or rather at their computer screens), I decided to surprise him by showing up to join in the search for a place to live. Who knew that it would be a sweltering 97 degrees on the day of our search. Of course, that didn't stop us. Here's Matthew in front of the Georgetown University gates.

It's so charming in and around the school. I love the colors of the doors.

The bright pink flowers are so lovely. (I don't usually say the word "lovely" but writing it just fits with this photo.)

As I contemplated walking up these "stairs of death" that really were in the movie The Exorcist, this warrior woman ran up and down at least 10 times! My brother-in-law is at the top threatening to toss my purse down the stairs. Funny guy!

Here's my sister - Matthew's mom. I think she's already tired and it's only been a few steps. Not really...she walked these steps the day before in 99 degree heat.

Have I said that Matthew just got back from the World Cup in South Africa? His program offered it for credit. He saw two games as well as met with numerous sports management type executives from major corporations. We met with his advisor who gave us some clues on where to look for housing. Walking from her office, our focus went to this store front. I wish I could say we had one of their cupcakes but it was so hot and we had just had a big Italian lunch so we passed it by. Next trip.

Matthew's a funny guy, too!

The Cherry Pie Horror

2010-06-21T17:23:00.000-07:00

I think it's ok to share failures as well as successes. So here goes with the story about the worst pie I've ever made in my life. The second cherry pie happened a day after the first. I thought I'd try using cornstarch this time. Now when I make a strawberry pie, I mix the cornstarch with sugar and water and heat to a slow boil. Why shouldn't it work with cherries as well?

I measured four tablespoons of cornstarch.

Then I added the cornstarch in with one cup of sugar.

Next came 1/4 cup of water.

So I put it on a medium heat and kept stirring expecting to see it starting to thicken.

It started to bubble. You may notice it's a little more red than in the other photos. I added a drop of red food coloring. I thought it would be prettier.

I kept stirring and it never really thickened up. Stirring boredom set in so I stopped and mixed it with the cherries. The taffy-like texture worried me a little. In fact, I had to spread it over the cherries.

You might notice that the basket weave doesn't have the textured edge like the first cherry pie. I was losing patience.

Still pretty though...

I cooked the pie for over an hour. Another mistake. The crust was getting really brown and by the time I pulled it out of the oven, I could smell the burn. The juice wasn't thick at all and when I pulled a cherry out of the top and tasted it, I had to gag. It was horrible! Perhaps it was the vanilla I added to it. So my search for the best cherry pie recipe continues.

They Really Are Dobermans!

2010-06-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

I have known these two since they were pups! In fact, I still call them "the puppies". When I need my dog fix, I go out my front door to my neighbors backyard to see Corona (left) and Dozer.

All of my neighbors and I convinced their "dad" not to pin their ears up when they were just pups. They look so much sweeter with their floppy ears. While their bark scares strangers, I have no fear around them. When I'm sitting in a lawn chair, Corona tries to get up into my lap. She's a little too leggy to make it work.

Dozer is just a big baby who loves to play fetch with his toys. The funny thing is when he gets his toy, he travels the along the periphery of the yard...every time. Kind of OCD behavior, don't you think?

Most people think they're not Dobermans but Weimaraners. It's an honest mistake.

Cherries Right From the Tree on my Street

2010-06-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

Two houses away is the site of the most prolific cherry tree. With all of the rain we've had this spring, the birds are having a cherry feast. Last week, I noticed that "the mayor"(as we all like to call my next door neighbor) had his truck parked like this.

The mayor is always helping everyone on our street. I've decided I can never move to a new house because where else would I find someone who snow plows my driveway in the dead of a Michigan winter, watches the houses on the block to make sure we're all safe and rototillers my garden before I even ask for his help. He's priceless! Here's the mayor collecting the delicious cherries from the tree. This photo reminds me of how they filmed Wilson, Tim Allen's neighbor on "Home Improvement".

I figured I'd go pick some myself and make a cherry pie! Now I make a lot of pie. My grandmother made pie, my mom used to make pie and now I make pie. I'm hoping that someday I will teach my niece how to make pie. I make all kinds of pie but the one that has eluded me is cherry pie. That was the only recipe that wasn't handed down from my grandmother....so I became a woman on a mission. For years I've been looking for a cherry pie recipe that works. So here's how I made my cherry pie from the tree on my street.

My hand got a work out pitting the cherries one by one.

I measured 3.5 cups of pitted cherries and added 1 cup of sugar.

I bought a box of instant Tapioca.

Then I measured 3 Tablespoons and added it to the cherries and sugar.

I mixed it all together well.

I poured the cherry mixture into a unbaked pie crust (I make that from scratch but you can buy one just as easily).

For fun, I made a weave pattern on top using a tool I had in my kitchen drawer that I think came from a pumpkin carving kit.

I brushed the top with milk and sprinkled sugar over the dough weave.

I baked it in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. And...voila!

It tasted pretty good but what I didn't like was that the tapioca on the cherries on top stayed granulated. Plus the cherries never really burst open. On the plus side, it wasn't runny or overly sugary. I gave a piece to a few of my neighbors. The mayor and his wife said they enjoyed the pie although the mayors critique was that he would like it to have a little more sugar. So I decided to make a second pie with the rest of the cherries I didn't use. Look for my next cherry pie posting coming soon. Think disaster movie!!!

The First Ever - "Embrace the Curl" Award Goes To....

2010-06-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

After watching the Tony Awards last night, I've decided to start giving an award - the first of its' kind - to those women who embody their curly haired spirit. It's called the "Embrace the Curl" award. I haven't decided what kind of trophy or if there will even be a trophy but I'm not going to hold up the award for such a small detail.

Here we go...The recipient of this years "Embrace the Curl" award goes to....(drum roll, please)...Bernadette Peters!

For so many years she has not succumbed to the pressure from Hollywood to straighten her hair. She has embraced her curls whole heartedly and therefore is well deserving of this award.

If you didn't get a chance to watch the Tony Awards last night, you missed the best awards show I've seen in a long long time. Makes me want to hop on plane and catch a broadway musical!

Meet Maui and Lear

2010-06-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

This is Maui.

This is Lear.

These two sweethearts are the best except when they...

Then I hear lots of hissing and growling from Maui. She gets out from under him and looks at me as if to say, "See what I have to put up with" and he looks at her as if to say, "What? What did I do?" Then they go back to being sweet and they do this everyday.

The Barn Project - Chapter One

2010-06-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

There's something about barns. Perhaps it's their majestic quality.

When I got the message that Tammis, an architect friend, was going to measure the barns located at Meadowbrook Music on the site of Oakland University, it intrigued me. I showed up at lunch time...

"The Team" consists of Richard - an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Oakland University. Each year he comes out to the barn to make sure the vines haven't gobbled it up. In the middle is Stephanie - an architecture student at Lawrence Tech University and in the chair on the right is the brainchild of The Barn Project, Tammis - architect extraordinaire who decided to make measuring this barn a volunteer project.

I had so many questions...Why measure the barn? What will you do with those measurements? What's the history of these barns? But I'm going to save the answers for a later post. Right now I just want you to bask in the beauty of the barns. Call me crazy!

This is a "cupola". I had no idea it had a name either.

Do you see the alien trapped in the barn wood? Probably happened during the late 1800's right after this barn was built. Seriously...see the eyes and the pointy cone head!

It definitely needs a new roof.

I learned about new "green" architecture concepts like adaptive re-use and embodied energy. Tammis and Stephanie explained them to me on video. I'll post some of those in Chapter Two of The Barn Project.

Isn't the old barn wood texture beautiful?

The baby barn.

For anyone not from Michigan...here's a Michigan geography lesson. Hold up your left hand with your palm facing out away from you. Fingers stay together but keep the thumb extended out away from your fingers. This is a rudimentary and portable map of Michigan. As it turns out...in the "thumb" there are still a bunch of barns standing. Oakland County (a spot where the thumb meets the top of the hand)... where these barns are located...not so much. So one of the goals of the "team" may be to save and preserve these barns. Stay tuned!

Marni's Chair

2010-06-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

A few months back I traveled to Denver to attend a Digital Storytelling Workshop with two of my favorite friends. (I must say I'm lucky to have a lot of favorite friends!) Anyway... it was three days of honing a personal experience into a story with a beginning...middle...and end. If you saw how my story started out the first day of the workshop...you'd really be amazed at the transformation. With the help of Daniel Weinshenker...the Rocky Mountain/Midwest Region Director and his co-facilitator Mary Ann... all of us who attended ended up with really moving stories. Of course, I did mine about my hair! I wonder if there's a curly hair anonymous group for people like me?

Here's Mary Ann helping Kate with her digital story. Kate's not sleeping...she's listening to the music and imagining it with her visuals. At least that's what she told me.

My Denver pal Sandy is working on recording her music.

Of course, this has nothing to do with our digital storytelling workshop but we couldn't go out to Colorado without taking a trip into the mountains to see...

and this....

Don't you just love frozen waterfalls?

Eileen's Shoes and Irish Rose

2010-06-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

The ribbon cutting was on Friday. Eileen's daughter, Kari with her business partner Mary opened up their own flower shop aptly called Irish Rose (perhaps it's the red hair that gives it away) located on Woodward Avenue just north of 14 Mile Rd. in Royal Oak, MI.

My friend, Eileen would be so proud of her daughter right now.

She didn't always know her daughter. Eileen was 18 years old and pregnant at a time when young women didn't keep their babies. I watched her search for the daughter she gave up for adoption. Through an intermediary she found her and we all couldn't believe it. They lived only miles from each other all those years.

Fast forward to today. They got to know each other well and I know there's nothing more in life that Eileen loved than the daughter she reunited with over ten years ago. Cancer made it impossible for Eileen to physically be at the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Irish Rose Flower Shop.

We all talked about her that day though.

Before Eileen died, she asked me and a couple of other friends to take care of her daughter. Of course, Kari has her own friends and a husband but we know what Eileen meant.

Eileen's heart melted over the flower arrangements Kari would make for her. Seriously... I've never seen more beautiful arrangements than those created by Kari.

The artist in Eileen would would love the devious look on the gargoyles face, the metal work and other such things they have at the Irish Rose Flower Shop.

It was a really happy day to watch my friend's daughter open up her own flower shop. As we stood inside the shop Eileen's best friend, Margaret smiled and said, "I'm wearing Eileen's shoes."

Eileen would approve.

My Japanese Maple

2010-06-03T07:50:00.000-07:00

My friends, J&B (just like the scotch whiskey) gave me this beauty at least ten years ago.

It didn't start out looking like this. I probably have a non-digital photograph somewhere of it but finding the box with that photo would be harder than finding a democrat and republican who can agree on anything right now. I'm sorry I digress.

Each spring this japanese maple soaks in the sunshine that hits the south side of my house and transforms into a deep deep burgundy red thrill for me. While I've spent both a lot of years and money gardening, this natural success story is a fluke. I just thought the tree would look nice in this spot. Little did I realize that the location keeps it safe from the cold wind of Michigan winters.

So many times I've thought about building a patio off the back of the house but then I realize I'd have to move the tree...and that's not going to happen!

Get To Eastern Market Early

2010-05-31T17:53:00.000-07:00

Eastern Market in Detroit is a really big version of any cities farmers market and it's good to get there early. It also helps to go with a friend like I did this past Saturday because someone always needs to stay with the purchases while the driver goes to get the car. Even at 7:30 a.m. I was surprised at the number of people already there. For those not from Detroit, Eastern Market is close to downtown and it's filled with fruits, veggies, fresh-cut flowers, homemade jams, maple syrups, locally produced specialty food products, pasture and/or grass-fed meat and even an occasional goose or rabbit. Ok...the goose and rabbit I can do without.

Isn't it great that there's an entire open-air stall devoted to Michigan made fruit, vegetables and yummy breads.

My friend Annette, knew the bread man from her work with the Empty Bowls project. (Perhaps I'll do a post about Empty Bowls another time.) But all of the proceeds from the bread go to help non-profit organizations. I'm a sucker for fresh healthy bread and a good cause.

Fresh Michigan asparagus...not $4 a pound like in the grocery store. For that price you get the whole bunch!

People come with all sorts of items meant to carry their purchases. Annette giggled when she noticed this little antique wagon. It brought back all sorts of red wagon memories. If you have any red wagon stories of your own, I'd love for you to share them by leaving one in the comment section below.

Flowers everywhere!

It's impossible to be sad at a place like Eastern Market. If you just want to soak in the ambience of the place go to their website - www.detroiteasternmarket.com- or better yet go there this Saturday.

The Galaxie is Going Back to Washington

2010-05-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

The film crew is leaving tonight to take the 1964 Ford Galaxie that Tommy Foster inherited from his grandfather back across the country to Ferndale, Washington. It's a road trip movie called "A Galaxie Far Far Away" now going in reverse. Here's a taste of the journey that brought the car to Michigan in 2005. (Yes...it sometimes takes a long time to make an independent documentary film.)

Give them a few days to get up and running and the crew will be 'vlogging' (video+blogging=vlogging) their stories about this old refurbished car that brings people together. To see 'vlogs' from the first trip and follow them on this one, go to www.galaxiefarfaraway.com

JT & Carole King In Concert

2010-05-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

Here's who I saw last night.

The Palace was filled with a bunch of old farts - I include myself in that category - getting into the music and the memories of the songs written by two of my favorite musicians. I'd close my eyes while Carole - we're on a first name basis - sang "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow". It was like one big sing-a-long in someone's living room. Everyone knew the words.

And of course JT was his goofy self singing Steamroller Blues but what I really liked was how clear his voice is even at the young age of 62. Fire and Rain brought me to my feet but most of the time we all just sat "grooving"...don't hate me because I wanted to use that word one more time in my life...on the music. This was the first time JT and Carole have performed together since 1903 - as JT joked - and they brought along their original Troubador band.

I took these photos with my Nikon 3000 camera. It became very clear that in the arena setting I didn't know how to use it. My friend - the famous blogger of www.ourmushpush.com - and I took photos without flash and with the flash. Our picture taking was cut short by a Palace employee who targeted us because of our Nikon cameras. For some reason the "photo nazi" as we called him - seemed to be under the illusion that we were taking professional photos. Look closely at these photos and that rumor will certainly come to an abrupt halt. If anyone has suggestions on how to take better concert pictures I'd love to have you share them with me. Photoshop is the only reason that JT and Carole can be seen in any of these photos.

The stage was in the round and slowly rotated clockwise during the first half and counter clockwise in the second half. I loved the two sided projection screens hanging above the stage. Looks like a spaceship in this photo...doesn't it?

Carole King is 68 and still she was jumping around that stage like a teenager. She looked fabulous and I can be confident in saying that she too has "embraced her curl".

It really was just a night of really really good music! Hope some of you got to be there.

'Uno'

2010-05-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

I could have gotten tickets to see First Lady Michelle Obama, Spike Lee, Magic Johnson and Detroit Mayor Dave Bing today at Wayne State University talking about helping and mentoring young people. The Mentor Connection was offering mentors and their mentees two tickets to the event. Unfortunately, work got in the way for me and my mentee 'M' was at school.

'M' & Me:
It was supposed to be a one year commitment and 3-1/2 years later 'M' and I still spend two times a month together. A while ago a woman interested in mentoring asked me if it had to be "Disneyland" every time my mentee and I met. It's just the opposite...a simple meal together, running errands, bowling...you get it, I'm sure.

Being a mentor continues to be such a great experience for both of us. Here's my pitch...there are so many kids, especially boys, just waiting for a mentor of their own.

So while it would have been great to see the star studded group today, it can't compare to sitting at my kitchen table with 'M' and losing (more than I'd like to admit) a competitive round of Uno.

Detroit Roller Derby League Championship at Cobo

2010-05-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

Rough tough girls in black and orange striped tights, shiny shorts, glittery stars painted on their faces and some major tattoos got together and showed a crowd of 3,000 why the Detroit Derby Girls deserve to be seen at Cobo Center for the 2010 Championship bout between the undefeated D-Funk Allstars and the Devil's Night Dames.

I've been part of the production team for a Derby Girl documentary project for six months. This past weekend a group of us filmed the championship bout with our friend Amy (below) who has been working on her documentary for over three years.

While the D-Funk Allstars warmed up I wondered if the seats would be filled. I'm happy to report that people came from all over to see the bout. Normally the bouts are at the Masonic Temple on the sixth floor. That only houses 950 excited and dedicated derby fans. On Saturday, May 22nd the 3,000 screaming kids and adults loved their derby in the red seats at Cobo.

Detroit Derby Girls have fun names like "Tinja"...

and Ghetto Barbie...

and Lil' Rascal...

...and Lady MacDeath, Master Braider, Muffy Mafioso, Black Eyed Skeez, the Mad hatcher and Sista Slitchya(she happened to score over 60 points for the D-Funk All Stars that night.) It was a happy night for the D-Funk Allstars when they beat the Devil's Night Dames and the best part is....we got it all on tape.

Congratulations to the 2010 Derby Girl Champs...the D-Funk Allstars!

Embracing My Curl

2010-05-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

While this blog won't just be about hair...specifically curly hair, you will notice it coming up a lot. Why, you ask? Because I have finally embraced my curl!

Here's how I know...

I was walking through the mall and you know those module booths where they sell nail shiners without using polish (I must admit I bought one of those one time)...well, a young saleslady saw my sister and I coming at her and I believe she started to salivate.

I'm sure she thought she hit the holy grail of customers - two curly headed women who dream of having straight hair. She raised the hair ironing device in the air like a sword and just before she started to speak, I said, "No thanks! I embrace my curls" and kept on walking. The beauty was...I finally meant it!