On this most happy of Feast Days Marianna and I celebrated with a delightful Autumn Tea. Cool Spiced Apple Cider went well with crunchy Cinnamon Twists. A new candle was lit, Ember, a blend of oranges, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, amber, precious woods, and vanilla. Very Fall-like, a perfect aroma to take us through to Thanksgiving. Then, I think a pine or cedar scented candle will be in order!
I spread one of my favorite scarves for a tablecloth. I picked this one up in Seoul, Korea outside Chanel. (Yes, I buy off the streets, no lectures please! I was a starving college student. Now I am a starving boater and I'd still buy off the streets again!) I was buying gorgeous scarves on the cheap and an Indonesian lady I was with was buying complete suits. She tried and tried to get me to buy an outfit but I just couldn't see myself teaching 4th graders while clad in Chanel. Not to mention that I still thought the several hundred dollars they were going for was extreme, but since then I've looked at the cute suits a few times (just for comparison, you understand) and nearly fainted at the real price. (Current Buy It Now on eBay is over $1000!!) No wonder she bought one in every color!
Speaking of colors, I do wish you could properly see the carnations. Though they look white here, they are really yellow with orange stripes. My Candy Corn Carnations!
Marianna and I began reading Story of a Soul on St. Theresa of Lisieux's Feast Day in October and are still enjoying it. Inspired by her childhood practice of offering the smallest sacrifices to God, and by Dawn's boys' Sacrifice beads, Marianna made a set for herself. It took awhile to find just the right cross but she finally found a sparkly Victorian-styled one that reminded her of Therese, who was a pampered French Victorian after all!
So after a chapter in the book, we cleared the table for our All Saints Day craft. We considered a new lapbook on a saint, but we just had to try Alice's Spoon Saints. Though we adapted it, of course, being the boaters we are! Leftover manila folders made a terrific base for our Saints, who appear in order from left to right: St. Lucy, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Cecilia and St. Agatha. Try the Patron Saints Index for an easy and fun site to look up Saints by Name or by Topic.
To wrap up our celebration Marianna and I watched Therese and relaxed with more Spiced Apple Cider, warmed this time!
A delightful day!
| Our Faith |
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Comments [4]
The Egyptian Sky Goddess Nut, otherwise known as Princess Muttly, visited her earthly home late in the evening. After admiring her reflection in the depths of the sea, she accepted offerings from the mere mortals who were floating nearby in gracefully shaped homes.
Upon the front of one, her attention was caught by three festively lit globes. Deciding this was a sign of a fun and loving dwelling, the Sky Goddess Nut decided to tarry awhile.
We hope your night of revelry was a rousing success! Happy Halloween!
| Homeschooling |
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October 27, 2006, 5:55 pm, Olathe, Kansas
The last picture, (the Brrr!!!) was taken at the T-Rex Cafe in Olathe, Kansas. It is one of those full-experience, interactive sort of eateries along the lines of The Rainforest Cafe but a thousand times more interesting if you are an 11 year old paleontologist! There are lava flows from a volcano that run into the 'Kitchen of Fire', a cool Ice Age area with the cutest mammoths, an awesome planetary display and a coral reef area featuring salt water aquariums. The night we went there were hardly any people there so we were treated like royalty and seated in the high demand, oh-so-special area...The Coral Reef! *Yawn* Okay, it was pretty cool but Marianna still made a point of telling our waiter why she would prefer to be anywhere but under the octopus!
There is only one currently open in the world though another is slated to open in Florida near Disney (of course!) but as the T-Rex Cafe is the most expensive diner ever built I doubt they will be popping up too quickly in the local neighborhoods. Unlike, say...Hard Rock Cafe which are nearly like the ABC Stores in Hawaii - Always By the Corner!
Marianna, Michelle and I highly recommend the T-Rex Cafe if you are anywhere near the Kansas City area!
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October 25, 2006, 4:24 pm, Tavernier, Florida
Oh my goodness! We awoke to a very brisk morning here, the first cold (I feel I ought to place that in quotes or something, LOL!) the first "cold" front moved through last night and it was 74 degrees this morning. It felt wonderful! We have the boat opened up, all the hatches are thrown wide to the sun and the wind and it is so peaceful without the air conditioner droning on and on.
It is such a pleasure to be outside today, we simply could not stay in! Breakfast in the cockpit, lunch on the foredeck, perhaps we will grill dinner at the stern tonight. It sounds like a lovely plan!
| Nature Study |
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Thanks, Dawn, for tagging me! These Memes are so much fun, they remind me of some of those great icebreaker party games or journal inspiration prompts.
1. I adore weaving! I worked in a weaving studio in college and own two of my own looms. Of course they are not on the boat and boy! do I miss them! What a great way to work off energy, stamping on the treadles, beating the weft into the warp...well, that only works on rugs and placemats. Stoles and shawls require much more delicate maneuverings!
2. I had never been in deep water where you cannot see the bottom before moving onto the boat. I absolutely could not breathe the first time I dove off the stern (actually...eased off the swim ladder, LOL!) into the water and settled my mask and stretched out to snorkel and could not see a thing below me!!!
3. I adore hot sauces and salsas, Mmmmm! Not for the heat so much, rather the flavor differences. I'm not looking to lose my tongue to fire just enliven it. Cajun vs. Thai vs. Jamaican...they all taste so different! My current favorites are Volcano Sauce, Conimex Sambal Manisand Corsair Hot Sauce from Pass Christian, Mississippi which we treat like gold. Who knows when, if ever, we will be able to buy this sauce again?
4. Like Dawn, I love magazines! Since I live on a boat though, I have to curtail this habit in some manner so I cut out all the pages that I like and pop them in a folder for future use. It started with Cooking Light, such good recipes! But so many ads! Then Martha joined in, and Bon Appetit, now you have to watch out! Nothing is safe when I have the scissors in hand!
5. One of the only things I regret about living on a boat is having to get rid of my collection of Victoria Magazines. I still miss them dreadfully. I used to pull out all the monthly or seasonal issues (because I could never stop at just one month, you know!) from the past years and keep them in a basket for pure enjoyment as well as inspiration that month. I could be looking at Octobers or Autumn issues right now and just reveling in the beauty.
6. I have had Lyme Disease and it was horrid. My husband took such amazing care of me and I famously didn't even recognize him when he would come in the front door. I am so sorry, dear! So embarrassing! But funny, now that I do know who he is and what he is doing here.
7. I can cook a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner using only a grill, a crockpot and a microwave. It really is all in the planning and the timing and I love to plan parties! Especially the food, what did you think was in #4's folder? Potential Parties!
8. I took up Scottish Highland Dancing after Marianna was born and I would dearly love to dance again one day. A boat is not much of a place to be leaping about like a stag though...
9. I am Sirius about Blues ! As the clock moves toward the six o'clock hour it is time for numbers 9 and 10. They go so well together!
10. Red wine is fabulous, especially if it is from Australia, New York State or Italy! Are you sitting down? Here comes the real shocker...I prefer it chilled. Oh the horrors! But really, think about it. Red wine is supposed to be served at room temp. Room temp in Europe where all the wine snobs - I'm sorry - sommeliers, hang out might be in the 60's or maybe 70's on a good day, right? In the winter this may happen on the shady side of my boat for 2 weeks max during a cool spell. Until January when this happens, I'll keep the red in the cooler till evening and then let it breathe the tropical air!
In fact, now that I have my 10 Random Facts about Yours Truly listed, I think I'll take that glass of fine chilled red wine, (Australian tonight) and go watch the lightening storm over Cuba flicker away. They must be getting pounded on the North Shore tonight.
Now I suppose I need to tag several people, always the hardest part of the whole Meme thing! I haven't tracked anybody so if you are double tagged consider yourself doubly blessed!
1. Theresa
2. Jenn
3. Cay
4. Amy
5. The Paths Taken Folks - consider yourselves tagged. I expect to see at least 50 random facts on your blog soon! Real soon!!!
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As a secondary recipe involving that yummy poppyseed dressing, this one cannot be beat!
Inside tinfoil packets place chicken and veggies.
I used boneless, skinless breasts and yellow crooknecks, zuchinni and an onion tonight.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, heavy on the pepper if you are a member of my immediate family. ;)
Drizzle a bit of the poppyseed dressing over the top of the chicken.
Roll the foil edges together to create a packet, toss on the grill on low and come back for dinner an hour later!
Couldn't be simpler and I keep meaning to make these ahead of time to pull out and grill when anchored out for a weekend. They'd be great for camping trips too. But seriously, don't wait for a special occasion and do give the poppyseed dressing a try. This packet meal is too good to miss!
| I'm all at Sea with this Recipe! |
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I was browsing photos after posting Grandma Lou's Recipe and found this photo of Marianna taken at the Truman Museum. She is all dressed up as Bess Truman and I think she looks likely to whip those broccoli spears into shape!
Love the apron...
Okay, okay, I'll give in and tell the tale behind this photo. Marianna and I went through the entire Truman Presidential Museum & Library being highly interested in the goodies stored there.
Wow! Slight derailment here - check out the upcoming exhibits including Caroline Kennedy's Dolls and Truman's Love Letters to Bess online!
Okay, back to the topic, the embarassing story. So we are gorging ourselves at this wonderful museum, if you are nearby you must stop in. Actually, if you are nearby you must beg, borrow, (hopefully not steal) the Truman Footlockers. They were fabulous, the highlight of my 4th grade teaching year! A trunk crammed with lesson plans and hands-on activities all planned out for you beautifully!
So there we are, gorging away, it had been years since we'd been in a really great museum you know, and being polite and observant of all the rules and oh so proud of the new camera. Which, just so you know, has a Museum setting for just such an occasion as visiting a Museum. It allows you to take hundreds of photos without a flash (that is important, no glare on glass, you know) so that you can subject anyone who was not with you to the things that those who were with you saw first hand.
So there we were clicking away, enjoying our dose of culture when Marianna rounded a corner and found a pile of fake clothes. Fake, as there were no backs to them and they stuck to you with velcro. Just about as modest as hospital dressing gowns but, Oh so cute! I had the camera and was trying to get one good photo of a kid who won't stop craning around to view the missing backside or giggling wildly in the Tri-Mirrors. Yes, three mirrors set up for boaters who have tiny little mirrors that you cannot see your whole head in equalled real fascination and was a highlight of the trip, actually. We flew all the way to Kansas and saw our whole body!
Well, due to the miracle of digital technology, I could totally tell every one of the photos so far was blurred and yellow, ick. And it dawned on me - that is why Portrait Mode was invented! To eliminate blurry yellow kid pictures!!! One quick spin of the dial, a push of the button and it was like Hiroshima all over again, (well I guess that would be Nagasaki, wouldn't it?) As anyone who has a camera with portrait mode will gladly tell you it fires off not one, not two, but multiple flashes in quick succession. Multiple flashes in multiple mirrors all reflecting back at one Mom and an entire floor of antique paperwork of Churchill's and Truman's.
Oops!
When I could see again I sheepishly turned about to sneak away to a different floor or a different museum, take your pick, and ran smack into a Museum Guard standing there, Oh so disapprovingly! with arms crossed and frown on.
I think I'll just draw the dressing room curtain discreetly over the story now...
(But I did make it out of there with one good picture!)
Ha!
| Homeschooling |
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My Great Grandma on my Mom's side was the loveliest, tiny, dear lady who homesteaded on the Western Slope of Colorado nearly a century ago. This, coupled with the fact of a few World Wars, lead her to perfect the art of not wasting food, much to her great granddaughters chagrin!
It had been rumored that Grandma Lou had been known to carve up the broccoli stalks to resemble celery and pile them up on the ubiquitous relish tray. I never could decide if Uncle Donald was pulling my leg on this topic or not and usually decided to stick with the carrots sticks just to be safe.
Well. She would have loved this Slaw mix I fould in the store the other day! Shredded up broccoli stalks - who decided this was a good idea? Though in fact it is just that - a great idea as it tastes wonderful and fills the void that spinach has left in the produce section!
My favorite way to serve Grandma Lou's Slaw so far is to mix up
1 Bag of Broccoli Slaw
1 Can Pineapple Tidbits
Slivers of Onion
and
Poppyseed Dressing
Deliciously crunchy!
| I'm all at Sea with this Recipe! |
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October 10, 2006, 1:50 pm, Mangrove Marina through Snake Creek to Blue Waters Marina
Having your shingle out as a Boat Delivery Captain (or being the wife of a Captain!) has definite benefits. The Islander has been on the hard in a marina bayside with repair work from the neighboring boat's demasting and installation of various upgrades. The owners decided to upgrade the swim platform from teak to metal and from a ladder to a spiral staircase - wow!
Marianna got plenty of time driving one of her favorite boats, little speed demon that she is. 7 whole knots of full speed ahead! (That is 8.05 mph) Unfortunately our timing was off and her warp speeding did us no good, if you look closely in the following picture you can see the blue Snake Creek Bridge up and us not nearly close enough.
This gave us plenty of time to practice half impulse circles and figure-eights while trying to raise the Bridge Tender to confirm the next opening. Regardless of the channel we were on, the Tender never acknowledged the M/V Islander circling directly below.
Time, which we had plenty of, was filled with a bit of nature study - a peregrine falcon in the mangroves, an iguana in a yard - and admiring Keysy Yard Art. Why, everyone should have a red boxcar in the backyard!
After the allotted time for the bridge opening passed with no sign of the bridge opening, I was ready to measure the universe, or at least the bridge clearance height, as we all were doubtful of the cartographer's knowledge of the terms vertical vs. horizontal. The odds that the bridge was 60' wide and 27' high were pretty slim even to the unknowledgable eye, so in the end the Captain decided to take the vessel through with the bridge closed and....the map was proven wrong and the antennas are still attached to the vessel! It is now safe to say the vertical clearance of Snake Creek Bridge is 60', not 27'.
Immediately after the bridge it became very apparant why the channel has the name Snake Creek. Is it Red, Right, Returning?? Wait, we just crossed land so it would be opposite, right? Nothing like having to apply your newly learned boating skills in a real life situation! The Flats on either side were impressive and are a great spot to watch wildlife such as turtles and manta rays and dolphins. Three of the later greeted us in the middle of the channel and dove directly under the boat, bringing a smile to all.
Next up was practicing catching hold of a mooring ball with a boat hook and the First Mate and the Swabbie had it first try! The reward was a cooling dip in the sea over a fabulous shallow reef as it had been decided that the swim platform definitely needed a trial run!
Some nice Coral Heads were fun to dive on and the immature Mahi-Mahi were spectacular! They are one of my favorites as the brilliant, irridescent blue spine is so eye catching. Our captain kept a close eye on our antics from the top deck. It was hard to leave, the water felt so nice, but leave we finally did.
Once Tavernier Key came into view, with hours still before sunset we took 30 minutes or so and practiced our MOB Drills (Man Overboard Drills) on handy crab pot bouys.
Marianna brought the M/V Islander down the canal and into the basin all by her lonesome! Though she did let the Captain actually dock while she ran the lines and fended off the dolphins. (These would be 3 pilings bound together, not a mammal or fish.) After adjusting the lines, connecting shore power and water, we scrubbed her down and headed to the showers for our own rinse down. Nothing feels so good as a fresh water rinse after soaking in salt water! Just like a cool drink of water for your whole body.
A fabulous end to a fabulous day! Can it get any better than this?
Perhaps...this weekend?
| Sailing |
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Recently we were able to stop by one of our favorite Reefs, Hens and Chickens. Why it has this appellation is a mystery, other local reefs have great names with equally great stories behind them. Pickles Reef is one of the closest to us currently and is named after the ship carrying pickle barrels that met its demise upon that reef. Not all shipments through this area were of Gold Doubloons!
But Hens and Chickens? Was it a similar food shipment? Were the first divers also botanists? If you squint one eye the coral heads might look like the cacti bearing the same name.
Odd names aside, it is a fabulous reef. Shallow enough snorklers can easily see the sights, and those sights are very diversified in fish and coral! It wasn't the greatest visibility as we were just coming off of a week-long Small Craft Advisory, but I hope you can see Brain and Pillar Coral, both hard corals, and a few soft coral Sea Fans in these pictures Marianna took.
Speaking of which...it is really hard to take a good underwater picture! You suck in a lung full of air, dive down to your chosen subject, point the camera at it and promptly float away! I think I understand why Hal's Hard Hat Dive Boots weigh 17.5 pounds apiece now!
Coda: After posting I decided to see if I could add a few links and lo and behold! the mystery of the name Hens and Chicks is solved through the miracle of the Internet! It is so-named because of the layout of the reef: a large central "hen" patch surrounded by smaller "chick" patches.
Mystery solved!
| Nature Study |
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