Starting the month right

Yesterday, I decided that I need to do more than spend all day on the computer. The computer obliged by going black almost immediately after I posted that. So, I went out, ran errands, and came home. After a few seconds, my husband had checked all the connections, and it was simply a loose connection between computer and monitor. But, I decided that sitting down to Facebook again just wasn't an option.


So, I dragged out a few boxes of neglected craft supplies, and went through them. I'm kind of a collector. I find pretty things, and buy them, swearing I'm going to finish the project. Then, they collect up in boxes.

I pulled out some beautiful lapis lazuli beads, and rummaged around until I found some gold spacers and all the findings I needed. I arranged it all on the bead board, and in an hour had a beautiful necklace. It didn't take long. It wasn't hard. Why haven't I been doing this before?

The smallest change. Walk away from my computer. Do something productive. Make something beautiful. What can I do today?

New month, new challenges

I've decided that being bored is not my favorite emotion. I've been looking for something to engage my brain as well as something to engage my body. Both kinds of health need to be improved.

SO, NaNoWriMo and NaBloProMo have appeared on the horizon. I've got the start of my novel, and will use my progress on that as the basis of some of my blog posts. I've got an idea for a new blog (Secret, but exciting just now) and lots of new books to read and write reviews for.

Physically, the water aerobics classes seem to be all the demanding classes that I can handle just now. I'm still aiming for three times a week. I've been making it to two on a regular basis, but I need that third class if I'm really going to see any progress. I am planning to re-start my tai chi practice at home on the off days.


I thought it was kind of weird to start November with plans like this. But truly, can't we re-invent ourselves every day? I'm retired. I don't have to live by someone else's schedule. Let's get this thing started!

Thoughts in poetry

I write bad poetry. Sometimes, one approaches adequate, but mostly they're doggerel. And, some of the poetry I like to read isn't the most lofty, or esoteric. But it will always be something that touches my heart. I've had a book with this little poem for about 40 years, and it came to mind this week, especially when I look in the mirror.

I shall be older than this one day.

I shall think myself young when I remember.

Nothing can stop the slow change of masks my face must wear, one following one.

These gloves my hands have put on, the pleated skin, patterned by the pale tracings of my days…

These are not MY hands! And yet, these gloves do not come off!

I shall wear older ones tomorrow, til glove after glove, and mask after mask, I am buried beneath the baggage of Old Women.

Oh, then shall I drop them off,

Unbutton the sagging, misshapen apparel of age, and run, young and naked into eternity.

~ Joan Walsh Anglund

Woman in charge.

Review: The Woman Who Would be King, by Kara Cooney, PhD

I have a life-long fascination with Egyptian history. I tried learning to write in hieroglyphs during middle school, and read the stories of the gods and pharaohs. Hatshepsut was always intriguing, and the fact that there were attempts to completely erase any knowledge of her existence from history attests to the strong patriarchal dominance of Egypt at that time.
Although the author is a highly trained Egyptologist, she truly had to use her imagination to try and portray what may have convinced Hatshepsut to declare herself a pharaoh, and to openly rule in a time when women were relegated to the background. She has studied the source materials, yet speculates frequently. Her scholarship is obvious from the notes and bibliographic material in the back.
I would have preferred an actual novel based on her work. In fact, I would recommend to the author that she use this non-fiction work, and all the research she did to write a novelized version. It would be fascinating.
If she uses this depth of detail in the classes she teaches, her students are probably as fascinated as she is.

More fun

I've been an avid reader and an avid cook all my life. Recently, I got to combine both, thanks to "Blogging for Books" They sent me a copy of a tamale cookbook to review, and it was great fun.
Review: Tamales, by Alice Guadalupe Tapp



Tamales were a big part of Christmas celebrations when I was a child. I never made them, but our next door neighbor cooked for a week. We were always lucky that she would bring us a platter of them for Christmas Eve after midnight mass dinner. I watched her make them a few times, but it was mysterious.

As I got older, I was just afraid to try. They were complicated and time consuming. So, I just bought tamales whenever I found someone who made them. This book gives some shortcuts that will help a home-style cook like me to make tamales at home. Purists might complain about using canned or pre-prepared ingredients. Okay, I’m not one of them. I have no desire to make mole from scratch (25 or more ingredients sometimes!) It’s time consuming to roast your own fresh chilies. So, if you have objections, go ahead and find a recipe to do it yourself. I like shortcuts.

This book is for the home tamale maker. It covers the basics, from selecting the wrapper and the masa, to describing the different styles of filling the tamale before it’s cooked. I found the explanations clear and easy to follow. I wish some of the pictures had been captioned, especially the page with different masa shown.

The chapter on “Tontos”, inside-out tamales, where you put the filling and sauce over the cooked masa dough was interesting to me. It’s an approach I’d never heard of. You can keep a supply of the tontos in the freezer and add what would normally be fillings as toppings later.

There is one chapter which was interesting to read, but probably not something I’ll be able to try in my small town; “Nose to Tail Tamales”. It calls for ingredients that are kind of exotic here, including blood, lambs’ heads and beef cheeks. I’m lucky if I can find lamb chops here! But the wild boar tamales looked fabulous! I’m also unlikely to find fresh or prepared masa in my area.

My family is already hoping that we will try some of the dessert tamales, especially the fig-filled ones. I’m looking forward to being a tamalera in the near future.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this honest review.


****Disclosure: If you purchase any of the products linked in this post or products through the links on the right side of my page, I receive a small percentage from the respected affiliate programs****

coldantlerfarm: An Open Letter To Angry Vegetarians

coldantlerfarm: An Open Letter To Angry Vegetarians

Sigh..

About a month ago, I decided that for my health (both mental and physical) it was time to leave teaching behind. It's kind of scary. Teaching has been my existence for most of my adult life. But it's better for me, and better for my students, that I make this decision while I am still a good teacher. I've seen too many people scared to leave who really ended up not being good for the students anymore. So, as of last Friday, I am a retired teacher.

I celebrated my first day of retirement by getting up at 5:45 (I slept in a whole hour). Then, I dragged everyone in the house to the gym. I mean, my whole idea is to get healthier, right? Everyone must suffer with me. And, due to knee and hip problems, I decided that water aerobics would be much easier on my body. Well...

First, there is the issue of a bathing suit for a plus size women. I have one. It's from a lovely company called Junonia, which designs athletic clothing for plus size women. A "tankini" with a skirt. Well, it might be fine for folks sitting on a chaise lounge, next to the pool,but once you start jogging in 4ft deep water, everything floats up! So, the dreaded search for an appropriate bathing suit has begun.

I thought that water aerobics would be easy on my joints. Right. It may be, but I'm one of the youngest people in the pool, and these old folks are wiping me out! There is no letup, no break for an hour. OK, I'm jogging with my weight mostly supported, but I'm still moving all the major muscle groups continuously for an hour. And the props! They handed me a noodle and a set of styrofoam weights. They weigh next to nothing. But one of the ladies, a lovely, slender former preschool teacher, warned me away from the "heavier" weights. She said, "Hon, you'll never come back if you try class with those". And she's right. If the ones I used were considered low resistance, it's going to be a while before I try anything harder. I was absolutely wiped out on both Monday and Wednesday. Slept most of the afternoon! So, today, I took it a little easier. My brain remembers being in much better shape, but my body is complaining loudly.

My fellow poolmates insist that I'll improve, and I'm sure they're right. But, starting after so long without exercise is painful. The smallest change...3 classes a week.