Working in the Spring Garden

This has been a tough week as I start the 13th week without having a job. I can’t believe I have been out of work this long.

Luckily the spring rains have come to make the grass green and help my flowers grow. Sunday I took the time to transplant the Evening Primrose from the front of the garden to the back. Because it grows four feet high, I feel this is a much better placement.

However, that was not the first thing I did the spring. The first thing was planting some seeds. I love Sweet Peas but for what ever reasons, they have been growing where there are not any support systems beyond other plants. So these coated seeds have been placed at one end of the porch where they can start on some lattice work. If they grow higher than the porch, I will string some twine for them to follow as well.

Seed packets

The other side of the porch was treated to the bird house gourd seeds. That side has been taken over by Morning Glories which I intend to lessen – a lot. The seeds were interesting as they were almost the shape of a butternut squash about an inch long. I see a future 4H project if they are done in time.

Last year I tried to plant Scarlet Runner Bean which was destroyed by said Morning Glories.

So here are some of the plants that are coming up now.

Chives returning for the 15th year

 

Clematis starting to vine out. Note to self – do something about that stick.

 

Look, it is the red sprouts of peonies.

 

Look, even the tulips are getting in the act.

 

Because I think the coldest of the cold weather is done, I might even remove the compost this weekend that has safe guarded all of my plants. Why, I was brave enough to trim up the rose-bush today.

Here is what I do know. Anytime that I feel like going out and playing in the garden, I have gloves, clippers, and a little rake at the ready by the back door.

Tools

 

How are you getting ready for the spring garden?

 

 

Remembering Roger Ebert

Family Movie Night

 

by Karyn Bowman

 

What is a sure sign of spring at my house?

 

When the weather is warm enough that I feel okay removing last year’s perennial stems. Usually I leave the stalks from the peonies and mums up over the winter. It gives the snow someplace to land that is not flat – and therefore – a little interesting.

 

Image of Roger Ebert from IMDb.com

This year as I cut away last year’s peonies stems, I thought about Roger Ebert who passed away last week. I grew up on Ebert’s and Siskel’s review show. I read his columns to find out how to write a proper review and to learn how to be better. But I also read his work because I enjoyed his writing style.

 

I had the pleasure of meeting Ebert and he was always gracious to me, especially when I was hugely pregnant with our last child and wanted an easy exit to the bathroom – just in case.  That spot was right in front of him which most people never do.

 

More than that, Roger was always interested in what other people thought and asked questions to the room at large in between screenings.  He believed everyone read as much as he did and was interested in what the rest of the room was thinking. For a man at his level of brilliance, it was humbling to know he wanted our thoughts.

 

If there was one thing that Ebert hope to inspire in people, it was to try a movie that may not have seemed like your cup of tea. He encouraged his readers to get out of their comfort zone, not only with his columns but with his Overlooked Film Festival, now known as Ebertfest,  in Champaign, Illinois every April. While the festival started as one thing, it became a chance to Ebert and friends to pick out movies that were not seen for a variety of reasons.

 

Poster Image from IMDb.com

One movie that was out of my comfort zone was the family friendly My Neighbor Totoro. This Japanese Anime movie tells the story of a family who moves out to a house in the Japanese countryside. It is filled with soot sprites that need to be scared away.

 

But more than that, it is near the home of a giant Totoro – king of the forest. However, the young girls are also dealing with an ill mother who cannot leave the hospital no matter how much they miss her. Hayao Miyazaki directs what I  call a near perfect movie that explores Japanese folk tales and the emotions of two girls dealing with fear and grief.

 

I was blown away by the detail of the hand-drawn animation and the joyousness of the story despite the heavy shadow of the sick mother.  It sent our family on a journey to find more anime movies by this director and we have never been disappointed.

 

While I may not have Ebert to thank for discovering this movie, I do thank him for the wonderful writing he produced that was always, always, thought-provoking and moving.

 

Until next week, see you in the rental aisle.

Easy Project – The Kitchen Island

 

 

So what does a woman do when she is out of work?

In my case, nothing it appears. I have been out of work for nearly three months, which I never expected to be out of work this long, and I have not done a single damn thing beyond look for another job.

Special projects for organizations – not done.

Closets – not cleaned out.

Piles of papers – not organized.

Piles of outgrown children’s clothing on my bedroom chair – still there.

In the last few weeks I have decided to take the bull by the horns and find one spot at  a time to clear out. The first one was the over-flowing bill drawer that the bill payer never makes a point of organizing. Next spot was my crafting area. After that was an area between a bookcase and a couch.

These are all hard jobs, requiring at least an hour of attention and a trash can ready to receive bills from six years ago. That is when one must throw in a necessary but easy job.

Recovering the kitchen table/island.

Cute but in need of replacement.

 

While the cloth is bright and attractive in most areas, family life is ripping it at the edges. All of the fuzzy stuff is showing and that is not good. That is when you bring our the tools for a new covering.

 

A new cloth and the staple gun

 

Sometimes, you have to be mean. Sometimes, you have to rip off what used to work in order for something new to take over.

The old cloth gone

 

Now I know what you are thinking. “That table top doesn’t look so bad.” Look closely and you will see the peeling veneer, the stains that are not identifiable. This desk came with the house and at first we kept it on the side. But the needs of more counter space and a good work area brought the desk to the middle of the floor. The atrocious top has me searching for oil cloth. But until I find that, I will keep using inexpensive vinyl table cloths I can staple into place.

 

The finished product

 

What I do, after making sure the cloth is reasonably centered on the table, is start at one corner, pleat the corners for a smooth edge and staple them in. I go to the opposite corner, tighten up the cloth and repeat the pleats before stapling. I do the same thing with the other corners. Then I move to the sides, tighten the cloth and staple until all sides are completed.

Is this what I want for my dream kitchen? Not really. If I had my way and a wad of cash, my dream would be to have a box top butcher block counter top on the desk and six-inch lifts on each leg. Maybe it would look like one of those dream islands in the magazines.

Other projects would include replacing the cabinets and other counter tops  as well. New working appliances would grace my kitchen. Finally, my laundry center would be moved to the basement.

Until then, I will have to stick with my solution that involves a $4.50 vinyl table-cloth, a staple gun, and 15 minutes of time. And a look that leans more towards the French Country style I am aiming for.

What quick and easy projects are you doing around the house?

 

 

 

Family Movie Night – Oz: The Great and Powerful

Family Movie Night

 

By Karyn Bowman

 

Have you ever been anticipating a new movie but then the critics rip it apart, making you doubt if that movie is worth your time?

 

I was feeling that way about Oz: The Great and Powerful. This prequel to The Wizard of Oz received some incredibly bad reviews. It took a while for positive reviews to trickle out.

 

Poster image from IMDb.com

In the case of this movie, I was not finding anyone who liked it before hand. Only after the movie opened did friends start telling me what they thought. This was combined with the incredible box office numbers the movie was pulling in. It made me wonder if the critics knew what they were talking about or if families were hungry for a good movie.

 

Now that our family has seen the movie, I want to say it is a little of both.

 

The story is about how the Wizard comes to the Land of Oz, how his arrival was foretold by the late king and that his arrival would mean freedom for the people of Oz. But the man who arrives is perhaps not the one who was expected.

 

This was a beautifully photographed movie. The colors are rich, deep, enthralling. I was drawn in to the movie and did not realize time had passed.

 

Yet, it takes something more than rich backgrounds and incredible sets. It takes more than groups of people similar to the movie we remember that this one is connected.

 

After all, there are many details that foreshadow the movie we remember. The yellow brick road is there along with flying monkeys and munchkins. The poppy fields and straw men and a lion all make their appearance.

 

That is when James Franco must step up to make this story his and not a remembrance piece. He must play this con man with truth and conviction along with something up the sleeve that will trick even those he is working to save.

 

Then there are the three witches: Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, and Rachel Weisz. These women are at odds with each other in regards to the king’s death – who was poisoned. When this mysterious person comes to their land, he has to figure out who is evil and who is good. And he has to figure out which of these women know the truth about him.

 

As for the critics, I realize some of what they said was true, that some of the performances were bland. However, one should never mistake bland with simple because there are some deep thoughts in this movie. Some also stated that Franco was terribly miscast but I thought he was perfect as the con man looking for something more.

 

I know that I want to see this movie again. I want to watch for the things I missed. I know my kids loved the movie and barely made a peep because they were so enthralled. If there was a moment that might have been too scary, it was when the evil flying monkeys made their appearance. That said, I thought it was one of those few good family movies that all ages could enjoy with tidbits for the adults and bits for the kids.

 

 

Until next week, see you in the rental aisle.

Dessert – Peanut Butter Cup Torte

When you have an empty glass bowl, you know that it is waiting to be filled with greatness.

Some desserts demand something more than the plastic bowl, even if it some great new style. The start of this dessert came from Facebook in which someone, somewhere posted a picture of a torte. Or perhaps it should be considered a pudding.

The idea is that there are layers of broken-up cake followed by a pudding mixture. This particular dessert has three layers of brownie and pudding/candy filling.

It made me think about the puddings that Harry Potter loved or how this is a great way to use up cake that does not get eaten fast enough.

The brownies before they are shredded.

I started with a pan of brownies – freshly made. We did not have any leftover cake so I made a pan of brownies. Because the dessert has three layers I divided the pan into thirds.

Sliced candies

Before I broke up the brownies, I cut  mini Reese’s peanut butter ups in half, two bags worth. There may have been some taste-testing of the ugly ones.  Once they were all sliced, I put the halves to the side.

Then I had the husband mix up two 5.1 packages of pudding, 1 cup of peanut butter and 4 teaspoons of vanilla, then mixed it with the 1 1/2  8 oz. containers of whipped cream before combining it with most of those candy halves.

So now I start the layering. The brownie layer is incredibly easy. Just crumble one-third of the brownies in the pan and place it in the bottom of the bowl.

 

The first brownie layer

 

So next up is getting that next layer on which is the filling. You really want to make sure that brownie layer is covered.

The filling layer in the bowl

Looking good. So I repeated the brownie and filling steps two more times. After using every bit and only taking a bite or two of the filling, I brought out the remaining cool whip. I spread it over the top before adding the final bits of candy as a decoration on top.

The final product

 

And that was it. I made it well before supper, so I covered the top with plastic wrap. When we ate it later, all of us declared this perhaps one of the best desserts ever. It took a day or two to eat it all.  But it was worth it!

View of the layers

 

What new desserts are you trying?

 

Getting Ready for Easter

Family Movie Night

 

By Karyn Bowman

 

I have to admit I am a big Facebook fan.

 

I have connected with former classmates and friends with whom I have lost contact. I stay in touch with former co-workers and fellow writers.

 

Image from Everything Holiday Facebook page

But I also get to see great room designs and recipes. In fact, this past weekend I saw a recipe for colored cookie-dough Easter baskets.  You take small scoops of the dough, dye it the colors you want and shape it into a basket that fits in a mini-muffin tins. Later you fill the baskets with jelly beans and other good stuff.

 

I saw another recipe for a ring bread that was covered with sprinkles. I am sure there will be plenty of recipes that look fun to try, and I cannot wait to see them all.

 

Poster Image from IMDb.com

 

One of the programs I have been hearing about is The Bible on The History Channel. This is a five-part mini-series produced by Roma Downey (Touched by An Angel) and her husband Mark Burnett. I was able to see one 2-hour episode and enjoyed the story of Jesus’ birth.

 

Roma Downey played Mary as a 20-something. She was very beautiful and appropriate. The scene in which she gives birth to the baby is outstanding and heart warming as people came to the young couple’s aid. But nor did the producers shy away from the violence of the time period. Harrod’s demand that all baby boys be put to death and the very narrow escape of Mary and Joseph.

 

Sadly, I missed the final episode as I was in bed sick. But as of April 2^nd, the series will be available on DVD. I am willing to bet that this will be a hot item since the show has been wildly popular on the History Channel. I do not know what that says to you but to me it shows a country that is wildly curious about the good book. People want to know.

 

Poster Image from IMDb.com

Now when it comes to this time of year there are lots of religious movies from the past. I think about The Robe starring Richard Burton as a drunken tribune who wins Jesus’ robe during the crucifixion. He does his duty and takes the robe with him. But Marcellus is plagued by nightmares and visions, causing him to return to learn more about the last owner of the robe.

 

This 1953 movie won two Oscar awards for set design and costume design. It was also nominated for best actor in a leading role, best cinematography and best picture. It also won a Best Picture award from the Golden Globes. Now you are probably wondering who should see this movie. Because of the censorship laws at the time, there is not much that is objectionable but the context is meant for teens and adults.

 

Finally, I feel the need to mention The Passion of the Christ. This ‘R’ rated movie directed by Mel Gibson is a puzzle to me. It is incredibly violent and harsh. It is also filled with some beautiful re-enactments of famous art pieces.  I can only recommend it if you are fully aware that this movie is rated ‘R’ for prolonged violence and torture. I do not recommend this movie for children under the age of 10.

 

Until next week, see you in the rental aisle.

Moroccan Meatballs on a Sunday

If I have not been as attentive as I should be, the truth is I just got over being sick.

Most of the time I get a stuffy head and power through because I have to, because kids and husband depend on me. I take something so I can sleep at night and keep going.

But this time was not that easy. I started getting the chills last Wednesday which came with a stuffed head somewhere on Thursday. I still had duties that included bringing the Youth Group to help with set-up for our church’s Pancake supper on Friday.

Friday morning came with a fever, stuffed head and the desire to stay in bed. But I sent off the kids who were not sick, comforted the one who was, and powered through one last errand run before calling another church member to take my place at the ticket booth.

I vaguely remember the Easter Egg Hunt the next day. I made it through a job interview and then went home. Where I went to bed and stayed there. Till Monday or was it Tuesday. I remember feeling much better yesterday. That is when I got out of the house although I did get out a little bit on Tuesday as well.

So now it is Thursday and in the last two days the 16-year-old has gotten the full blast. He has not been out and about since yesterday morning. The 8-year-old threw up yesterday but is looking better today.

But that is not what I came to share. I do look a others’ blogs, especially those on food and fashion. Some days that is all I can focus on.

I lightened the original picture.

So the other weeks I knew I wanted make Moroccan Meatballs and knew that I had seen it recently. My sister-in-law has a good recipe I completely forgot about, so my apologies to her. My recipe instead came from the excellent blog of FrugalFeeding.com.

Maybe it is the picture of a handsome man in the kitchen or maybe it is the delicious recipes he puts up on a regular basis. I read his posts every time they hit my reader. I was inspired by his posts to make calzones although mine are not as pretty.

A few weeks ago, I decided my Sunday supper would include his Moroccan Meatballs recipes.

His recipe calls for meatballs made your way and has a little discussion on what  makes for the best meatballs. I personally use a 1 1/2lbs. of ground meat, 2 eggs, about a cup or more of bread crumbs and some spices of my choice. Then I roll them into the size I want and bake in a covered pan for about 20 minutes in a 350 oven. If I am making meatballs for spaghetti, I put Parmesan cheese, oregano, and basil in the mixture.

While the meatballs were in the oven, I began to chop onions, green peppers, and red peppers  before sauting them in the fry pan. In the crock pot, I put in canned tomatoes, garbonzo beans, 3 bay leafs, the celery I forgot earlier, the raisens, spices, honey, sauteed pepper and onions. I left out the chilies because  my kids are not fans of  hot foods.

In the crockpot and ready to serve.

Once the meatballs were done baking, I put them in the crockpot with the sauce mixture to continue simmering for a few hours. I took out the bay leaves before serving.

When it was time to eat, I made rice for the base. I put pears along this dish to have something bland and soothing to eat with it.

While there were leftovers that night, they did nt last long. The kids enjoyed the meal with the exception of the garbonzo beans. If I had to do it again, I would have only put in half as much. They were tasty but almost too many in the pot.

The husband and the 16-year-old ate them the next day and loved them even more.

Success!

The Start of Indoor Soccer

Family Movie Night

 

By Karyn Bowman

 

This past weekend saw the first games of the new indoor soccer league for St. Anne. It comes at the perfect time of the year when it is too cold to stay outside without snow to play in. Kids get to learn new skills and have a great time while beating end-of-winter doldums.

 

Image by karpati

I saw kids having fun, kids kicking and passing and getting the game, even at the youngest levels. I loved sitting in the stands and watching the kids have a good time. The parents, grandparents, and friends seemed to get it as well, learning to clap at the appropriate moments and cheer for good plays.

 

While only a couple of kids forgot not to use their hands, others demonstrated their ability to do a header – using their head to correct the direction of an airborne ball – that made people gasp.

 

I know there are experienced players and newbies all mixed together. I would hope that kids new to the sport learn something from the kids with more experience. I hope that those new kids have something to give the more experienced ones.

 

But let me warn parents, grandparents and spectators on one thing. This could develop into a wonderful new addiction if you only let it.

 

This weekend, we made the effort to see a new movie on DVD and luck was with us when the kids found Wreck-it Ralph on the shelf at the grocery store. We have been waiting for weeks to see this movie because every time I went in, the movie was out.

 

Continuing the trying something new theme, I made calzones instead of pizza. It is good to mix things up every now and again.

 

Poster image from IMDb.com

The story is about a character in a video game who has come to the conclusion that he no longer wants to be the ‘bad guy.’ He has come to realize that the bad guy is never revered, he is only reviled. And so Ralph begins a journey to become a ‘hero.’

 

We parents know how that journey may end, especially after Ralph finds himself helping a little girl in a race game set in a land made from candy. But there is a bigger danger than Ralph even knows about, and it will take an outside force in the form of sexy warrior, Calhoun, and Fix-it Felix in order to get rid of that problem.

 

I am not sure what I loved more – the various color schemes and character styles mixed together, the pace of the movie, or the sincere angst of the lead character. It all worked well together, creating believable character development.

Granted, you have to believe that characters from one video game can move into another game with minimal problems. You have to believe that people can change, grow, and learn that maybe the skills they have can be used for good or bad.

 

The biggest test for me with any movie is would I watch it again. The immediate answer to that is a big yes. And let’s just say, I might have a little crush on Ralph.

 

Who wouldn’t want to spend more time with a character you really like, especially when they are a new discovery?

 

Until next week, see you in the rental aisle.

Getting Ready for St. Patty’s Day

Family Movie Night

 

By Karyn Bowman

 

One of the things I hate about St. Patrick’s Day week is the food.

 

When one of my friends wanted to do a get-together involving Irish food, my heart sank because I thought the next thing that was going to be suggested was corned beef and cabbage. Cabbage is so slimy when it is boiled in big pieces.

 

Give it to me in cole slaw or egg roles. But to eat it straight or in cabbage soup is something I have no interest in doing.

 

Thanks to the magic of google image search I found this picture at sheknows.com.

Thankfully, my friend suggested a potato party instead. We had baked potatoes with all sorts of toppings that included bacon, sour cream, and butter. People made their own potatoes and this way those people who have to have cheddar and sour cream did not have to fight with those who think green onion is a must.

 

On the side were all sorts of green appetizers, dips, and desserts. I made green cupcakes from yellow cake mix. It was amazing that there were anything left, especially after the Mint Oreo Torte came out of the freezer.

 

If there is a movie about the ‘Irish Experience’ in America I would most want to see, it is In America that was written and directed by Jim Sheridan who, himself, an Irish playwright immigrant to America.  This movie is somewhat autobiographical but set in the time period in which the movie was made. The story focuses on a family that illegally enters our country and struggle to stay ahead financially. They are also dealing with the death of their two-year-son.

 

Another modern Irish movie I enjoy is Once which won an Academy Award for Best Song a few years ago. The movie is about a musician who meets a Slovakian woman in the city of Dublin. She plays piano and he has a guitar with a hole in it. For one week they create music for a demo tape along with other street performers. It is fantastic and they realize they might have something more.

 

Both of these movies are meant for adults with content and context.

 

Image from IMDb.com

For family movies, I always have two selections. And both are derived from folktales of Ireland.

 

This first is The Secret of Roan Inish in which a young girl discovers the secret of her family. In the last century, one member married a selkie, a seal who can turn into a beautiful woman. She finds out why this makes certain members of her family special and why the forced desertion of the family island caused a deeper tragedy.

 

The other movie is Into The West featuring a magical horse called Tir Na Nog who adopt an old Traveller and his grandsons in Dublin. The boys try to keep the horse in the public housing of the city but soon the police catch wind and take the horse away. But then the boys steal their horse back and begin an adventure in the West Country from Dublin with their depressed father and the police following.

 

While both of these are slow moving, I love each story that is being told. The right age group for these two is 4^th grade and above as both movies are a little long in spots.

 

Until next week, see you in the rental aisle.

From the Reading Pile – Heaven is For Real

Sometimes friends pass a book along your way and you don’t read it.

There are many reasons, I suppose.

You think it is not your style, not within your favorite genre. You don’t like the cover, don’t like the author, don’t want to hear the message. You are too busy doing this that and the other.

Image from Wikipedia

Any of these reasons could have applied when one of my friends handed me Heaven is For Real. I thought it was going to be packed with Christian gobbley-gook that I was not interested in hearing or reading.

That is until six months later when I made the effort to READ the book.

I was having one of ‘those’ days in which every plan I made was being re-routed.

The youngest declared he was sick with a sore throat and a slight fever. So then my morning was going to be spent in the doctor’s office. I had cleaned out this book from my bedside stash and decided to read it before giving it back to my friend.

After the son threw up not once but several times in the lobby before even seeing the doctor, I sat in the waiting room and started reading. Soon I was several chapters through and we were called in for a weighing. Then we were shuffled off to a patient room.

Sam curled up in a chair and slept some more while I continued reading. Once we were seen by the doc and sent on our merry way with a phoned-in prescription  I read the book while in the drive-through line at the pharmacy.

Later that day, when I sort-of caught up on all of the things that needed to be done, I finished reading the book.

The story is about a 3-year-old boy who suffers through a burst appendix – that doctors miss at first – and nearly dies. But he doesn’t. Somehow through the power of prayer and God’s mercy this boy lives. But as the months pass by, he begins to talk about his experiences during that time.

He talks about singing angels, about Heaven, jewels, gates, God, and Jesus.

The boy talks about what they look like, what the angels are willing to sing, the people he sees and the places he goes. None of this happens right away and the parents are careful to not ask any leading questions. But it is a fascinating read as a parent struggles with his faith during the worst of times and then sees the fruit of his faith.

One question that comes up time and time again is what does Jesus look like? They boy and his family saw many pictures of Jesus and with nearly each one the boy said it was wrong. That is until the parents began sharing their story with others in public settings. That is when someone passes on a link of a story about another child who claims to have seen Jesus.

Image from Tumblr

But this little girl drew a picture when she was 8-years-old. It is an incredible picture and not just because of the subject. It is a beautifully done portrait of a man who could have been done by a person twice her age.

The detail of the picture in the beard and the cloth is incredible.

Now being the blasphemous that I am, the first thought in my mind was “Jesus looks like Kenny Loggins?”

That is until I was drawn in by the eyes. Green eyes do that to me. While one conversation at my sunday school has been about what was it about Jesus that made people follow him, I look at a picture like this and know that there was immediate trust.

In those eyes, there is a steadiness that comforts and calms. He is a mix of European and Middle East. And that nose, so straight, almost Aquiline.

I could fall in love with this picture.

Now, would I recommend this book to you?

Yes, I would if you are a Christian. If you are not a Christian, I would ask that you give the book a chance. Read it, ruminate on it, shift through chapters. In the end, you may believe more or believe less.

But I guarantee it will make you think about Heaven and if you are going there.