Category: Blitherings

Two Wolves

Like a game of telephone . . . this came from Kirk Tuck’s blog, and this in turn came from Kim Critchfield’s Facebook page.  It was too good to not pass along.

One evening a Cherokee elder told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, “My son, the battle is between the two ‘wolves’ that live inside us all.

One is Unhappiness or Evil – It is anger, jealousy, fear, regret, greed, arrogance, sorrow, self-pity, resentment, inferiority, false pride, superiority, weakness and ego.

The other is Happiness or Good – It is joy, love, hope, serenity, benevolence, peace, empathy, kindness, generosity, truth, humility, faith, strength and compassion.”

The grandson thought about it for a while and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.” – Cherokee Elder

Buying Toys, i

For anyone who loves fiber arts, places such as Convergence or Spin-Off Autumn Retreat are a bit of hog heaven.  Vendors from all over the country come to sell their wares.  Workshops and classes abound.

According to many vendors, the turn-out for this Convergence was disappointing.  No major crowds on any day, just a slow stream of buyers.  In some ways, this was great, because as a buyer who has been to really crowded venues, I could take my time and wander here and there – and then return yet again, not feeling rushed to get something for fear it would disappear five minutes later!  However, this is not good for the sellers who have spent money to be part of the market place, who have traveled many miles to get to Long Beach, and who have also spent money on food and lodging.

I did my bit, and met some absolutely wonderful people, and caught up with a couple of my favorite people, John Novak of Village Spinning and Weaving in Solvang, CA, and John Marshall, the master of katazome dyeing from Covelo, CA.

I bought items for spinning, weaving, knitting, and sewing.  For spinning and knitting I bought . . .

. . . the world’s best ball winder from Nancy’s Knit Knacks.  Suzi Liles of the Eugene Textile  Center.  I also bought a cone of Harrisville Designs Shetland in Emerald Green from her, which I have already swatched on US 4 needles and washed.

Suzi was wonderful to talk with, and everyone who was at her booth was helpful and knowledgeable.  Had I a few thousand dollars, I would have come away with another spinning wheel, and a pile of yarn.

For spinning I got some to-dye-for (bad pun!) baby alpaca from Christine at Grasshopper Springs Ranch.

You cannot even begin to imagine what a lovely touch this has  . . .

And, oh, yes, I bought more things, too . . . but you will have to wait for the next installment to see!

Big City

Friday and Saturday I went to Convergence, the Handweaver’s Guild of America’s conference.  It happens every other year, in different parts of the country.  Besides being nearby (if you call 70 miles close), the big reason for going was simply to visit with an old college friend who had flown down to attend.  We had a wonderful time catching up with each other, wandering around, and just visiting.

Although I have resided in California for a very long time, this was the first time I had ever been in the city of Long Beach.  I don’t much about the town, except it is a large city.  Where we stayed has obviously seen a great deal of urban development, much of it very nice, with a strong emphasis on the visual.  Throughout the area we stayed in, referred to as “The Village” I was told, were wonderful things, from attractive new architecture, to trendy buildings, and a definite thoughtfulness in design to details large and small.

While I took pictures of lots of things, this post is dedicated to looking at architecture.  I enjoyed much of what I saw, most of which was new, but within walking distance older buildings (for us!) were apparent.  There is a lot of potential for this area as the city appears to be working to revitalizing an area by making it both commercial and very live-able at the same time.  It seems to be successful.

Tuńczyk Ahi

Epicurious.com is one of my favorite websites for food, but often their recipes are a bit bland for my tastes. I had some Ahi tuna at hand, searched for a recipe, and found this Ahi Tuna Kebab recipe which features a ginger-chile pepper marinade.  Using this as a jumping off point, as well as reading some of the reviews, I came up with my own variant.  This is absolutely delicious, and very easy to make!

  • 1/4 c. seasoned rice vinegar (I used Trader Joe’s)
  • 1/4 c. finely grated fresh ginger (I buy a lot, then freeze it – easy to grate, and it lasts!)
  • 3 T. cooking oil
  • 2 T. sesame oil
  • 2 T. soy sauce
  • 2 T. brown sugar
  • 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro, with extra leaves for garnish
  • 2-3 fresh serrano or jalapeno peppers, finely minced
  • 1 lb. Ahi tuna, cubed into large cubes
  • 2 bell peppers in different colors
  • 2 Spanish onions

Create marinade using the vinegar, ginger, oils, soy, sugar, cilantro, and hot peppers. Whisk together in bowl, setting aside about 1/2 c. of the marinade.  Pour the rest into a baggy, and add the cubed Ahi tuna.  Marinate an hour or so.

Chop bell peppers and onions about the same size as the cubed tuna.

Preheat broiler.  Prepare 3-4 metal skewers with alternating peppers, onion, and tuna.  Spray with oil.  Broil about 5 inches from broiler, turning about every 3-4 minutes until cooked as desired.

To serve, remove fish, onion, and peppers from skewers, and garnish with extra cilantro leaves.  Spoon set-aside marinade over individual servings.

Suggested sides are edamame in the pods, white rice, and other fresh vegetables.

When Otherwise Not Occupied

The D7K has been gone for 3 weeks, only to be returned with a “nothing wrong” with it.  Well, I don’t agree.  SD cards work at times, and other times do not, even if they worked the day before.  Something is off.  I’ve got a card in there which is recognized and working, and for now will transfer pictures with the camera attached to a USB cable.  Let’s see what happens with this card – could conk out one day.

Until the camera went into the hospital, I did not realize just how much time I was spending with photography.  I am not sure that this is such a good thing.  Other activities certainly went by the wayside, such as knitting and painting, and I have missed those.  The past three weeks has seen a pick-up in the knitting area, and I’ve begun some socks and a hat, and designing a sweater (yet again!) for Josh.

What this all means is that my activities need to be more diverse – it feels almost OCD to always be focused (if you will excuse the pun) so much on pictures and software.