Sunday, August 24, 2008

Camping trip

Back from a family camping trip--the last hurrah of summer so to speak, as after this we all go back to school and work. I have a week before I go to school and I don't know how much I'll be around during it. But once I get back to school and wireless internet, I'll be posting a lot more than I have been all summer. In the mean time, my pillow and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes are calling my name.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Zucchini Bread

This is a recipe for eggless, dairyless zucchini bread. I made it a few days ago because we're currently in the Dormition Fast (I love Wikipedia). It would also be suitable for any vegan types out there.

Fasting Zucchini Bread

6 T water
1 c oil
2 c sugar
2c grated zucchini
3 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
1 T vanilla (yes, a tablespoon)
1/2 c chopped nuts

Mix water, oil, and sugar. Add grated zucchini and beat. Add flour, soda, and salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and nuts. Mix. Pour into two 9x5 inch greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Cool and remove from pans.

You don't need to use a mixer for this--it goes together nicely by hand. Of course if you're short like me, that means holding the bowl in the crook of your arm because the counter's too high and THAT means hoping the batter doesn't go all over what you're wearing. Or wearing an apron which I always forget to take off.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Ta-da!

My weekly post is up at The IDD Blog. It's called The story of a rose bush.

But eventually I picked myself off the floor and thought, “Well, it is not dead yet. True, the buds have all fallen off, and the leaves are sadly depleted. But there are still some leaves. So I won’t give up on it yet.”

Take a gander if you're interested.

Monday, August 18, 2008

ARGH

Today has just been a frustrating day for some reason. I'm not sure why and I'm not sure what's been going on. It's cool which is lovely, and grey which I'm not really complaining about and the combination reminds me of Connecticut. But...I feel grumpy and I think I was just grumpy at my mother when it turned out we'd been thinking of entirely different storage unit things.

I made zucchini bread, but I can't eat it because we're having Vigil and Liturgy for Transfiguration tonight and since I want to take Communion, I can't eat anything. And I'm already hungry. And Vigil starts at six. *headdesk*

Have I mentioned before that I get cranky when I don't eat?

Also, everything costs too much money. And life is a howling wilderness. I think I need a do-over.

Moreover, I have a list of things to do as long as my arm and most of them aren't getting done.

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Assorted

1. I just put all of my monthly reading lists under a tag--"monthly reading lists."

2. I also updated the list of books I have checked out from the library.

3. I have pictures of my rose bush. They are actually from some time ago and that rose has fallen and three (THREE!!!) new ones are blooming, but you'll get the idea.



The July book list

The Quiet Gentleman
Devil's Cub
A Civil Contract
April Lady
Friday's Child
Charity Girl

All by Georgette Heyer. Yes, I read too much Georgette Heyer.

Here Lies the Librarian--Richard Peck. Not as good as The Teacher's Funeral, but still a fun read.

Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones. A sequel to Howl's Moving Castle, which, if you'll remember, I loved. Not as good, but it was nice to meet up with Howl and Sophie again.

Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster. A much beloved book in need of a re-read.

Thrones, Dominations by Jean Paton Walsh. It's sort of by Dorothy Sayers, but Paton Walsh wrote most of it. It's not D.L.S.'s Lord Peter, but the story didn't bother me too much.

Iris, Messenger by Sarah Dewing. All right, but for modern adaptations of Greek myths go with Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series.

Larklight by Philip Reeve. Great book! Zany sci-fi set in a pseudo-Victorian world.

The Crown of Dalemark by Diana Wynne Jones. Just as amazing the second time through.

The Arkadians by Lloyd Alexander. Very nice Alexander.

The Problem Child by Michael Buckley. I remember absolutely nothing about this book. Oh wait! It's a somewhat wild re-imagining of Grimm's Fairy Tales. It's meant for children/young adults. I wouldn't let the children read it and I'd recommend Jasper Fforde for the young adults.

The Pinhoe Egg by Diana Wynne Jones. Another great DWJ, this one in the Crestomanci world. I definitely enjoyed it.

The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages. Very beautiful, haunting book about the Los Alamos community during World War II.

Fair Weather by Richard Peck. All about the Chicago World's Fair. Lots of fun.

A Tiny Step from Deepest Faith by Marjorie Corbman. This book was amazing--I highly recommend it to young adults and teenagers.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. I. Love. Eugenides.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. I love this book, although part of me longs for a sequel because I like tidy endings.

Farthing by Jo Walton. There are some content issues with this book, unfortunately, because it says some very important things. Set in an alternate universe type thing, it's a detective story set in an England which made peace with Hitler.

The Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones. You very seldom go wrong with Diana Wynne Jones, and this was at the top of her form.

Howl's Moving Castle by DWJ. Yes, again.

The Queen of Attolia. I. Love. Megan Whalen Turner. (I also kind of want to be her when I grow up.)

Clouds of Witness by Dorothy Sayers. This has always been one of my favorite Lord Peter Wimsey books, although it doesn't touch Gaudy Night.

The Singer of All Songs by Kate Constable. Quite respectable fantasy. Not sure I'll ever re-read it, but it wasn't bad. I definitely sense a series coming on though.

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan. Latest in the Percy Jackson series. I still loved it, although I have to say that the whole "I like Annabeth but I can't tell her, aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" thing is getting old.

House of Many Ways by DWJ. Another Howl sequel. I liked this one better than Castle in the Air, but not as much as Howl.

Welcome to Wahoo by Dennis and Ellen Carr. Waste of time.

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Evening light

A few pictures I took in our backyard the other evening.

The fuchsia blooming.


Blackberries ripening--I picked probably a quart of them this morning and there are still tons left on the bush.


The pear tree with garden shed in background.


Garden shed with herb garden and raised vegetable beds.

Fuchsia again.