Thank Heaven for Little Girls!

Taken almost a year ago when little sister was born

Currently I am a bit like a small child asking, "how much longer?!?" almost every day! You see my sweet nieces (and their mom and grandparents) are coming for a visit in one month's time - and I can hardly wait. I find myself gathering up fliers and searching the internet for information about story time at the library, special nights with fun for kids at the minor league baseball games, children's theater in the park, etc. etc. Plus, while they are here, little sister will be celebrating her 1st birthday - so a party is in order. I know we will have fun as I get to show off the Williamette Valley, the coast and our wacky little city. I'm grateful for family and can't wait to have them here in my home!!!

Let the Sunshine In!

 

Living in a very wet part of the country, I have learned that most of my life I took sunshine for granted.  I like the rain, and I like having more distinct seasons, but come May or June for heaven's sakes I'm ready for some warmer temperatures and I want the sun to peak through the clouds! Running the heater and/or building a fire inside is a little annoying, even if some folks try to make it sound all cute by calling the month "June-uary".  

So,  I was VERY grateful to have been invited to a destination wedding in Florida this June! Having almost a week where my main duties included:

1. Sit outside by the gulf, read, sip on icy drinks, apply sunscreen, nap, hop in when you get too hot, repeat . . .

2. Sit outside by the pool read, sip on icy drinks, apply sunscreen, nap, hop in when you get too hot, repeat . . .

3. Spend a day at the spa, sitting outside by a private pool, using the whirlpool, getting a foot massage, drinking fru fru tea that will detoxify you, etc. 

4. End every day in a lovely room with this view of the sunset . . .

All of that vitamin D and R&R mixed with time to spend with friends laughing and enjoying really fresh seafood . . .well, let's just say it does a body good! Plus, while I was away, the sun decided it might just be time for summer here, too! Hurrah!

Crunchy

I was always the kid who got teased about my hippie tendencies - I read Ranger Rick magazine and worried about how we could take care of the planet. In high school I was the wierdo that thought littering was a bad idea. In college I was a member of a club with The Lorax on our t-shirts, we started the campus recycling efforts. And I've been THAT person who has campaigned for equal rights, advocated eating less meat (radical for the granddaughter of a cattle rancher) and pushed for locavore eating, less waste and reducing our carbon footprint.  I even had one friend in college who called me "Janis" as in Janis Joplin, not because I have ANY of her skills, but because I was that particular young Republican's "hippie friend".

So living in the Pacific Northwest has been a bit of a shift for me. Instead of being a wierdo, hippie, leftie, crunchy-granola type . . .I'm kinda main stream. In fact, I'm pretty middle of the road and my square lifestyle might even be right of center here. You see center shifted when I moved to the left coast where marijuana and patient assisted suicide are legal in a town with multiple hookah lounges  and a community where I know one person who lives full-time in a tree and several whose utilities are completely off grid .  Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing. It has made me think more, stretch more in a new direction. I have had to define positions and consider stances that I sort of took for granted.  And that is a good thing.  Anytime we have a chance to consider what we believe and why, to engage with others in thoughtful discussion, to encounter those who are different from ourselves - I think that is a good thing. So today I'm grateful for the crunchy types.

Plus, I've gotten lots of hints on improving my granola recipe - here is the latest version, adapted from a version I got from Alton Brown:

Golden Granola (pictured above)

Ingredients 

3 cups rolled oats 

1 cup whole raw almonds 

1 cup hulled, unsalted sunflower seeds

3/4 cup shaved, unsweetened, dried coconut 

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar 

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup 

1/4 cup vegetable oil 

3/4 teaspoon salt 

1/2  cup golden raisins

 1/2  cup dried apricots, chopped

Directions 

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. 

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar. Add maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine well and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15  minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an evencolor. 

Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add dreid fruits and mix until evenly distributed. 

Let cool & enjoy. Keeps well in airtight container. Yummy by itself, on yogurt, etc.