A Spiced-Up Christmas

Between the cold weather coming in and the holidays approaching I decided to get cozy in the kitchen and make up some gifts for friends. What better way to spend a snowy Sunday afternoon! Gathering my packs of spices from Penzeys I set to mixing up some Berbere Spice Mix, a wonderful blend of 9 delicious and aromatic elements: cardamon, coriander, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, tumeric, fenugreek, paprika, nutmeg, plus a little cayenne and black pepper.                               

Four ounces of each filled my biggest mixing bowl so I'm madly searching for small jars and expanding my list of recipients! Each jar comes with a card listing the ingredients and a recipe for Ethiopian Inspired Red Lentil Soup from Susan V's Fat Free Vegan website- love her recipes!                              

                                                                                                        

I cut 6" squares of fabric to decorate the jar tops, and put then in small gift bags covered with fabric (wonderunder fused-yes you can do this on paper!).  Ribbons secured the gift card with recipe information.

My kitchen smelled sooooo good! And my friends will have a healthy holiday gift to get them started on their New Year's resolutions to eat better.

Cloth, Paper, Scissors and Me!

I'm so excited to share the news that my August submission to Cloth, paper, Scissors STUDIOS magazine has been published in the Winter 2009 edition! Elizabeth MacCrellish of Squam Art Workshops encouraged me and helped with the photos, so many thanks there. I wanted to show what could be done in a very small space (6'x12') as so many studios featured are larger than many of us can manage. Laurie Coyle's little red bird is seen in 3 photos, and one of my favorite books, a gift from Mary Aarons at Craftside is front and center on my desk. I love being surrounded by my many treasures and can't wait to get cozy in it again this winter.

Back in the Game of Blogging!

Well, I'm back! What wonderful experiences I had this past month globetrotting to see my girls. I just spent the morning catching up on my favorite blogs and decided I'd better get back to my own. I uploaded all my photos to Shutterfly so I won't overwhelm you with them, but here are just a few of my favorites from China.
On my first day in China there was a snow storm! Newspapers reported that the government had seeded the clouds to bring rain due to a bad drought, but cold temps produced several inches of snow instead.

I felt very brave venturing out on my own, taking the very-easy-to-use subway to the Forbidden City and Tiannemen Square. I visited a beautiful and tranquil garden just before entering with the masses.

A side trip from Shanghai took us to a beautiful canal town of TongLi. We wandered the alleyways, stopping in at lovely gardens, watching people go about their day. It was cold and rainy, so lunch at a small noodle shop was a warm respite.
Now it's back to the piles of mail, suitcase to unpack, errands to run as I re-enter life back home.

Follow My Adventures !

FYI: I'm posting photos and short logs of my travels in Turkey and China at
www.turkeyandchina2009.shutterfly.com open access
Visit me there for more news and views. Photo here is Galata Tower built by the Genoese in the mid-14th century.

4,000 Miles for a Hug

It's been over a year since our daughter Sarah left for the Peace Corps in Central Asia. This week we were able to pull off our one and only visit during her 27-month commitment with a rendezvous in Istanbul, Turkey. How wonderful to be able to hug her again! And what a treat to be in this city for 8 days. All the adjectives are true- exotic, colorful, bustling, crowded, and a shoppers paradise.
We've mixed little adventures with lots of down time to just sit and visit. Rick Steve's Istanbul book has been an invaluable help in getting around and feeling comfortable. We rented an apartment from Istanbul Holiday Apartments in a perfect location on a small alleyway filled with little shops, cafes and local color. We are a short tram ride away from the Blue Mosque (see photo above), Hagia Sophia and other sites in the Old Town across the Golden Horn. Our 1885 building is next door to a small mosque so we awake every morning to the call to prayer.
Trip Highlight: Sarah's host family planned a business trip here at the same time so they could meet us. What an honor to meet Chary (Dad), Towshun (Mom, and Kemal (little brother).

Just What I Needed!

The Universe knows just what I need-how can I doubt it? On a trip to Borders, after I picked up the gifts I was after, I was aimlessly wandering around. One part of my brain said, "Get a coffee or leave" and the other asked "What am I looking for?" I turned, and there right by me was Gretchen, a cabin-mate from Squam! We had a mini-reunion, caught up on our lives, gave hugs, and both were cheered by the chance (oh, yeah?) meeting. Gretchen, a fabulous photographer, took this shot. Great picture of both of us, and what a great example of vanishing point! And this meeting sparked a whole re-connecting with the other Eldorado Eleven online. Gotta love the internet for keeping friends together. FYI-check out Gretchen's artwork at www.winterharborpress.com. Her paintings are like stories without words. Each time I look at one I see a new treasure.

Finding Solace in Everday Beauty

Heart aching, feeling overwhelmed trying to make decisions for an ill and aging parent. Feeling so alone and missing the loving, capable mother, the artistic soul who took up quilting at age 80, still pushing herself to have something in her hands to work on even though it is so hard now. And then I recalled Jenny Doh's talk at Squam about making something from nothing and using creativity to help yourself through hard times. But, no time to start a project even if I had one in my heart. What to do?
I decided to give myself one hour to walk around my home and really look at the beauty in the everyday, what I was too busy to see as I rushed here and there. And what beauty I found!
I never noticed the extra - ordinary fungus growing on a tree stump just off my driveway.

And the fall leaves came in so many shades and variations of red and yellow. I decided to gather some glorious red ones and make a heart to send my love to my mom so far away right now.

One Hour, just looking around me, just being present.