Monthly Archives: November 2004

Chilly Cranky

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My sweet blue male kitten is so fluffy, he looks like a nice warm slipper. Yes, I am chilled.

It’s a cooler day with no sun most of the day, just a few moments here and there earlier this afternoon, but that was it. It’s not really “cold” but it feels so when in the house it’s 55 degrees in warmest spot. ;) A clear sky means warming in house from sunlight hitting the back of the house. That’s what we need.

So we are needing to get the fireplace figured out and able to run — Winter is coming, sooner or later, but will come suddenly when it does, no doubt. A fire brings such cheer on a gray day. I’ve written about that before. So I’m thinking about the fireplace and imagining it’s going full force. One can go a bit farther with that, than not thinking of anything but “I’m chilled”, or keeping that thought in the back, but not thinking really of warmth except to hope for some and do their thing hoping for warmth. I think it’s better to imagine it, it comes alive and sort of really works to warm oneself deep down.

So right now the kitten is on my lap. Ah, nice and warm. I’ve had the other kitten on my lap here earlier, and Strider, of course, and Dixie even … those three fought over me several times this morning. The boy kitten wanted to, but stayed back out of the way. So he’s here now. :) I like him. He’s so sweet. His sister I like too, but she can be such a “spitfire” out of nowhere … she’s so much like Dixie, and the boy is so much like Strider. It’s funny.

So at least there is something usually around to warm my lap, but that doesn’t help my toes!

We all need some new socks this year, and that’s my biggy — warm woolen soft socks to where in the house, and with boots. I like my toes to be warm. It hurts so to have cold toes in shoes, doesn’t it? Sure does to me! It’s an instant cranky-maker.

So I am hoping to find some good deals on good stuff that’s warm and wearable. Right now I have old big cotton socks on, and they aren’t doing the trick. This is warning-time: Winter will throw worst this way, and I must be ready for the whole family!

Sci-Fi

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I’ve liked some Science Fiction since I can remember, but haven’t ever delved deep into it on my own, only sometimes finding something new every so often, and clinging to it.

I am a SF lover, just constrained by my own ignorance of what’s out there.

I like Cordwainer Smith, and tried to find whatever paperbacks of his I have in boxes, and only could find the one “The Instrumentality of Mankind”.

So we have looked in the bookstores in the little town near us, two used stores. Nuthin. In Barnes and Noble one day we looked, couldn’t find any, then asked and they said they had none in the store but they could order it for us [No thanks!]

So I started looking on eBay and online other places and … did a bit of extra research to be sure of what I was looking for.

I have just “won” an auction for a pb of Norstrilia, 1974 first printing of it. It’s a cohesive edition of two stories brought together as the one novel, but it’s not the same as other editions [of the novel] and the stories are longer in other version of separate stories [additional material] … I won’t get into the details, but to say, I will be collecting the various pieces of this story, as well as other CS stuff.

So that book, as well as the Galaxy Oct 1962 mag with The Lost Ballad of C’Mell as the cover story will be on their way to me soon. The art on that magazine cover is really nice, and more than half the reason to decide to get it.

See the cover here. [opens in new window]

Cordwainer-smith.com is run by the authors daughter. I hope to get some things from that site eventually, sooner than later.

Secondary: movies

I started looking at The Chronicles of Riddick before it came out earlier this year, and found that “Pitch Black” was it’s predecessor, and so we rented it, and I fell in love with it. TCoR just recently came out on DVD, and we have it, it’s really good too. We also now own “Pitch Black” on DVD.

This is really nice Sci-Fi/Fantasy stuff. Two totally different stories with the same main character, and not made as movie from books. :)

One that is sensitive to violence and language must take care. For me, it’s part and parcel of my visualness to love Sci-Fi and I don’t mind the violence and turn a deaf ear to the rough language parts. For the most part, both the movies do use fine language, and the worser parts of it are used in areas one might expect. If that makes any sense at all.

Richard B. Riddick is a man on the run from Mercs, an escaped convict, someone “raised in the penal system”. He’s the anti-hero, and so well does Mr. Deisel play the part, it’s very likeable. Frank likes “TCoR”, but not “PB”. Goes hand in hand with the fact that I like “Aliens” etc. and he doesn’t.

One will find reviews of this material online on various sites, and you’ll see the love it or hate it or can like it but want to cut it down, folks. I echo what so many of the “love it” say. It’s really complex and interesting.

So that’s a smidgen of my personality eeking out for y’all to see. :veryshocked:

Christmas Music

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I posted this on Carmon’s weblog today as a comment:

We too love Christmas music all year long.

Some favorites I don’t see mentioned are:

Vince Gill: Let There Be Peace on Earth – CD 1993

Vince Gill: Breath of Heaven – CD 1998

George Winston: December – CD 1982 [Piano Solos]

Michael W Smith: Christmas – CD 1989

Harry Connick Jr: When My Heart Finds Christmas – CD 1993

Wayne Watson: One Christmas Eve – CD 1994

as well as the previous mentioned Amy Grant(A Christmas Album & Home For Christmas) CD’s, and John Berry’s O Holy Night CD

The Handel’s Messiah we have and love is:

Messiah: Trevor Pinnock and The English Concert & Choir on authentic instruments – CD 1988

We haven’t purchased anything new for a long time, in this vein, so those above are our traditional “old-time” favorites. :)

Oh well, just to get this out there: Here’s the newest music I do have, add it to your Vivaldi collection, it goes year round or can be Christmasy (Vivaldi is all of life for me!) It’s a fantastic orchestral, as well as vocal CD.
Vivaldi: Nisi Dominus; Motets

I’ll add more to this post later here.

Turkey Scramble

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      Turkey (Left-Overs) Scramble
  • Cubed Cooked Turkey, or chopped
  • Butter
  • Gravy

    • In large frypan melt butter and toss in the stuffing and move it around here and there until it’s hot, or how hot you like it: crispy or not, if you like it more crispy use more butter, or use less butter if you want, or no butter if you dare.

    Add the turkey to it and stir to mix well, heating the turkey, add some gravy to the mix, and when it’s all hot and mingled, serve and enjoy! With cranberry sauce on the side, of course :)

    That’s the basics. You make it how you want. It’s a great alternative to all the “turkey recipes” out there, it’s easy to make, mixes all the good parts of the meal together, and is something to look forward to for the day after Thanksgiving every year.

    More Turkey Ideas

    Another thing to do with the Turkey then is to grind it in a food grinder, or chop it up fine by hand, or in a food processor. Mix that with finely chopped onion, garlic, sourcream, salt and some grated cheese like cheddar, or monterey jack [or another mexican cheese] make it a sandwich spread … or take it up a notch and make that an enchilada filling: [Put more cheese in the filling --if you want-- for this version of the leftovers] make or buy small corn tortillas and make an enchilda sauce from a recipe, made up in your head, or from what you have in the cubord and fridge, or buy it. Heat it up, dip the tortillas in it as you fill each one like: dip tortilla, fill, roll, put in dish side-by-side. Pour extra sauce overtop. Bake in hot oven. Take out, put more cheese on top, put back in oven until cheese melts. Serve and enjoy! Bien! :laugh: