A certain "christian" that I know has made me angry. I am not sure how to respond. Sweetie has told me that I am, as an atheist, more christian than he is, who is a believer. I don't know how to respond to this person. Really. Eye of the needle, the least of these, mote in the eye...
Fuzzarelly is Back
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
No parking.
Alas. What can I say? The days of having 3 dogs are over because of what happened this morning, when Zander broke her harness and ran amok, killing one of the baby bantys. Sigh. (Another flock of one.)
At least it was only the one. Maybe it was going to grow up to be another rooster. I try to look at the bright side.
But the dark side is that Sweetie and I have been fooling around with nitro glycerine, having a bull dog and a cattle dog around chickens and bunnies. The explosion was bound to happen and I am sorry.
I kept Sweetie from shooting Zander outright. He was so angry that he was shaking. When shit like this happens, my first thoughts are to keeping him calm, and that prevents me from getting all emotional. (Also, my childhood coping mechanism of disassociation helped.) He took Zander to our renters, who do dog rescue, and because they were not home he put her into a cage on their front porch. Later? He took her water, and later still, as the renters were still gone, he brought her back home.
But still, both dogs need to live elsewhere. A place with a fenced yard so they can run, and with a younger person that can work with them. Princess can stay, because although she likes to run and chase, she's a pointer not a killer. I don't need three dogs. The renters have said they will take them in.
And I am sorry. Fuck.
At least it was only the one. Maybe it was going to grow up to be another rooster. I try to look at the bright side.
But the dark side is that Sweetie and I have been fooling around with nitro glycerine, having a bull dog and a cattle dog around chickens and bunnies. The explosion was bound to happen and I am sorry.
I kept Sweetie from shooting Zander outright. He was so angry that he was shaking. When shit like this happens, my first thoughts are to keeping him calm, and that prevents me from getting all emotional. (Also, my childhood coping mechanism of disassociation helped.) He took Zander to our renters, who do dog rescue, and because they were not home he put her into a cage on their front porch. Later? He took her water, and later still, as the renters were still gone, he brought her back home.
But still, both dogs need to live elsewhere. A place with a fenced yard so they can run, and with a younger person that can work with them. Princess can stay, because although she likes to run and chase, she's a pointer not a killer. I don't need three dogs. The renters have said they will take them in.
And I am sorry. Fuck.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Soak overnight.
This is not a cooking blog, but I cook. I try to cook healthy dishes that are also tasty. (Sweetie says that I can even make tofu taste good.)
Dried beans are supposed to be cheap and easy, but I seem to buy them and then forget to soak them overnight, (what a pain,) and so the pound bags sit in my pantry. Imagine my delight at finding an easy and reasonably fast no-soak recipe! I adapted it from one by Richard Blunt in the Jan/Feb 2009 issue of Backwoods Home Magazine.
Bean Stew
1 pound dried beans (pinto, cannelloni, kidney, pink, Roman, or baby limas)
8 cups water
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 or 2 carrots, cut into medallions
1 medium potato, cut into 1 inch cubes
several garlic cloves, peeled and sliced in half
1. Rinse beans well in cold water and allow to drain in colander for at least 15 minutes.
2. Put beans and water in a heavy-bottomed container and bring to a boil. (I use a cast iron chicken cooker.)
3. Add vegetables.
4. Cover and reduce heat until a slow simmer is achieved. (I had to turn my gas burner all the way down and slightly cock the lid to get the perfect slow simmer, which means that the beans are almost, but not quite, boiling.) (Too high of a heat will turn the beans to mush.)
5. Cook for about 2 hours, or until the beans are tender, then season. (I use Cajun seasoning a lot, and it works great with this dish. Plain salt and pepper would also work. Maybe some hot sauce, or soy sauce.)
I like to serve this dish over rice.
Dried beans are supposed to be cheap and easy, but I seem to buy them and then forget to soak them overnight, (what a pain,) and so the pound bags sit in my pantry. Imagine my delight at finding an easy and reasonably fast no-soak recipe! I adapted it from one by Richard Blunt in the Jan/Feb 2009 issue of Backwoods Home Magazine.
Bean Stew
1 pound dried beans (pinto, cannelloni, kidney, pink, Roman, or baby limas)
8 cups water
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 or 2 carrots, cut into medallions
1 medium potato, cut into 1 inch cubes
several garlic cloves, peeled and sliced in half
1. Rinse beans well in cold water and allow to drain in colander for at least 15 minutes.
2. Put beans and water in a heavy-bottomed container and bring to a boil. (I use a cast iron chicken cooker.)
3. Add vegetables.
4. Cover and reduce heat until a slow simmer is achieved. (I had to turn my gas burner all the way down and slightly cock the lid to get the perfect slow simmer, which means that the beans are almost, but not quite, boiling.) (Too high of a heat will turn the beans to mush.)
5. Cook for about 2 hours, or until the beans are tender, then season. (I use Cajun seasoning a lot, and it works great with this dish. Plain salt and pepper would also work. Maybe some hot sauce, or soy sauce.)
I like to serve this dish over rice.
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Now with more Fur!
Nothing much happening around here today. I've been listening to Scottish radio and watching British TV on the computer while knitting on a simple garter stitch scarf made from a ball of handspun. The fiber is what I cleaned off of the drum carder and tossed into a pot; lots of angora bits, some silk and some wool and all different colors. As I spun, I just grabbed the next piece that my hand found, and then I navaho plied it in order to have a foot or two of each color in the yarn. It has a wonderful hand and is prettier than the photo shows.
I started the scarf after growing weary of the stained glass socks, which seem to progress like molasses flowing uphill. One thing to remark upon was turning the heel using two colors, and instead of purling, knitting backwards. Quite the feat of concentration, and I am sure I made a few mistakes, but I am still quite proud of myself. I have now picked up the stitches at the gussets, in two colors (alternating every stitch) and have continued the spiral pattern across the instep.
Oh, and yeah. I knit just over 3/4 of the pattern and the sock was already 6" tall, and after trying it on, I determined that it would go no higher on my leg, so I stopped right right where I was and made the heel. This was after some dithering about whether I should rip back to a better spot or not, and I finally decided that I'd just soldier onward. I'm going to keep the instep in pattern, reversing once I am at the end of the chart, and do the sole in the alternating the color every stitch regime. No matter what, they will be remarkable and warm socks.
I started the scarf after growing weary of the stained glass socks, which seem to progress like molasses flowing uphill. One thing to remark upon was turning the heel using two colors, and instead of purling, knitting backwards. Quite the feat of concentration, and I am sure I made a few mistakes, but I am still quite proud of myself. I have now picked up the stitches at the gussets, in two colors (alternating every stitch) and have continued the spiral pattern across the instep.
Oh, and yeah. I knit just over 3/4 of the pattern and the sock was already 6" tall, and after trying it on, I determined that it would go no higher on my leg, so I stopped right right where I was and made the heel. This was after some dithering about whether I should rip back to a better spot or not, and I finally decided that I'd just soldier onward. I'm going to keep the instep in pattern, reversing once I am at the end of the chart, and do the sole in the alternating the color every stitch regime. No matter what, they will be remarkable and warm socks.
Friday, August 06, 2010
Return to Sender
It has been hot here lately, in the upper 90s, and every living thing is stressed. The chickens are able to gather under various bushes and trees and stay cool enough. The semi-wild bunnies as well.
I found Oscar Wild Hare cold in her backyard cage Wednesday morning, and I took the somber drive to the cemetery to offer her body to the sky, as it were.
Heizen, a venerable bunny, was a rescue from several years ago. His mother, a grown woman, became horribly allergic to him, which was so sad as this was her first-ever pet. I saw her "Free bunny w/cage" sign at my vet's, made the call, and collected this beautiful, timid, neutered bunny the next day. (The name Heizen came from Watership Down, from a female bunny character called Hyzenthlay.)
He was very shy, but sweet always. After several months, he began to feel at ease roaming around our living room, then the kitchen. During good weather, I would let him roam inside a wire corral outside, and then when the backyard enclosure was built, he lived there, very happily I believe, and got along with other bunnies always as well as the chickens when they came along.
This spring, he came up lame in his hindquarters, and I thought he was toast then, but he mostly recovered and ran around almost as before. He had respite from the heat, so I don't think that is what did him in this morning. Rather, I think it was his old age and the lameness, because I found him still alive, but totally twisted and unable to stand or move. I made him as comfortable as possible, but I knew he was at his end.
What a sweet little guy! I'll will miss him, a lot, but he had a great bunny life, and I am so glad to have had him.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Piled Higher and Deeper
Link to this story.
Here's a wonderful quote from Isaac Asimov:
There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."
That was quoted in Newsweek magazine in January of 1980. The situation doesn't appear to have improved in the past 30 years.
Here's a wonderful quote from Isaac Asimov:
There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."
That was quoted in Newsweek magazine in January of 1980. The situation doesn't appear to have improved in the past 30 years.
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