The Ballad of the Kettle (A NaNo Tale).

Everyone who has done NaNo before knows that you need a few things in order to be successful. Grit, determination, and a mindless disregard for your own mental well-being are chief among them.

But another thing that is essential? Your inspiring drink of choice.

I dare not assume what that might be for other people, but for me? It's tea. Tea of all kinds. And for a very long time, the only way I could rely on a steady source of tea at all hours of the day or night was my beloved Braun electric kettle. It boiled water within moments, gave a nice CLICK when it was done, and never gave me problems or talked back. For at least three years, we were happy together.

Until a few days ago, when the poor thing started leaking from its base. Suddenly everything changed. It was no longer my loyal companion. And a quick Internet search revealed that OTHER people had experienced the same with THEIR Braun kettles.

I was crushed, but I started the search for a new kettle. I thought I had ended it last night when I bought a black Proctor Silex for a lovely $20--so inexpensive, I thought! But so necessary, right?

Umm...well...

I pulled it out of its box and it was...large. Really large. Tall, really. Tower-like. And shiny and black and so...so...PLASTIC.

I named it Darth Vader, laughed a little, and tried to settle it in on my desk. But it wouldn't settle. I didn't like it. I didn't like the looks it kept giving me. It wasn't friendly, like my Braun. It kept glancing at my laptop, like at the first opportunity it was going to fall over and douse my MacBook with boiling water. Malevolent and angry. I wondered what had been done to it in its past to make it so aggressive.

I resolved that it simply could not stay. This morning I packaged it back up. It snarled at me as I closed the lid on the box, but I was adamant. No more angry kettles in MY room.

After returning the Proctor Silex with no problems, I headed over to the wonderful Land of Target. I perused their offering of kettles, mostly unimpressed. There were some very dignified metal ones, and some happy-go-lucky white ones, and some more aggressive black plastic ones like the Proctor Silex.

And then...oh, then...that's when I saw him.



He was sitting there SO demurely, humbly, just waiting for me to notice him. His cheery red exterior and kettle-shape said, "I'm happy if you're happy!" but his all-stainless steel makeup stated, "I'm very serious about boiling water for you."

His entire appearance, automatic shut-off feature, drip-free spout, cord-free serving, and concealed heating element (plus his meager $35 pricetag) said, "You want me."

And I did. And I do.



To my beloved Braun: Thank you for your wonderful years of service. You have given me tea, soup, hot chocolate, and oatmeal. You showed me that hot water does NOT always come from a stove or a microwave. You opened my eyes, you carried me through.

Welcome, Hamilton Beach. Together we will conquer NaNo 2010...and the world!

Now. Where my tea?

-The GLS

Spinach, Honey, and Stevie Nicks.

Work ended a bit early, today, in honor of Halloween. I think this is somewhat silly, truth be told, because I was never all that into Halloween. True enough, I enjoyed getting candy as much as the next kid, but it didn't keep me up nights dreaming and wishing the way, say, Christmas might have.

Anyway...

I got home and realized all I really wanted to do was...brace yourselves...go buy my weight in secondhand books and LPs.

So by golly, I did.

Currently, Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" (50 cents!!) is crooning from the phonograph in the corner and I'm a happy, spoiled little gal. Four LPs and at least five or six new books. Plus I stopped at Jo-Ann's and got myself a new stitch counter (to replace the one the fairies stole) and a new circular knitting needle. Rawr, life is good!

But I got home at 8:30 and realized I hadn't eaten a thing. My, my...what to do? Experiment? Forsooth!

Sautee three diced cloves of garlic in some olive oil, add a box of Trader Joe's chicken stock (how I love it so), season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper, then once it's boiling nicely add in a lot of frozen spinach, mixed tricolor kidney beans, and a beaten egg.

Dinner of champions. Especially with a glass of sweet Riesling and some whole wheat crackers slathered with sunflower seed butter. Gosh, I'm still experiencing the joy.

For the record (ha, get it?), I'm a bit in awe of the fact that I've recognized every song so far on Rumours' A-side. This doesn't usually happen to me. I follow a pretty strict "Do not buy the record unless you know and love at least two songs on said record", and I've toed the line quite a bit on a few purchases. But this one is in no danger, on that front.

Have a great weekend, y'all. I fully intend to.

-The GLS
(NaNoWriMo starts in a few days!! AHHHHHH!!)

Spaghetti Alla Curry.

Kind of a weird evening. Feeling a little dazed, for some reason. Listless.

But sometimes you don't know what you want until you start cooking it.

Tonight, all I wanted was...apparently...spaghetti alla curry. Which I invented. A few hours ago. Out of some leftover spaghetti noodles and a lone Italian sausage. And a few other things.

Here's how it works:

1) Sautee about a third of an onion and one minced clove of garlic in some canola oil.
2) Toss in a handful of frozen peas.
3) Dice up some garlic-flavored sausage. Toss it in.
4) Add the desired portion of cooked spaghetti. Your total mileage may vary on that one...
5) Add a dash each of: cinnamon, cumin, coriander, curry powder, red pepper, black pepper, and salt. Check seasonings. You want it to be extraordinarily yellow. Unless you don't like curry. In which case...why are you reading this?
6) Cook for a bit over medium-high heat. Keep it moving so it doesn't stick. Add a bit more oil if necessary.
7) Serve into a deep bowl. Consume greedily.

And there you have it! Spaghetti alla curry. It was eaten WAY too quickly for me to get any snapshots, but believe me, it was beautiful. And delish.

I also took myself back-to-school shoe-shopping at Target.com. Except that I'm not going back to school. I just really like autumn. And shoes, sometimes. And I have a clothing budget, which is always exciting.

Now I get to wait eagerly for packages in the mail, again. I love that!

-The GLS

Wa-Wa-Waaaaa!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

Wow.

Okay, let me first admit that I wasn't going to watch it. Despite my recent addiction to all things taking place in the USA from 1860 to around 1900 (ie...Westerns)...I knew that spaghetti westerns were a bit different, more graphic, etc. I wasn't really all that interested, to be honest.

But I'm a curious critter. And I had exhausted most of the American-made westerns I wanted to see. And...I mean...it's Clint Eastwood.

So I borrowed it from some friends and gave it a good, honest watch this evening.

Wow.

I'll further admit that the first hour and a half were underwhelming. I mean, I was tracking with it, but I was still getting used to the overdubbing and the fact that Eli Wallach is the REAL main character of the movie (sorry, Clint...Eli gets WAY more screen time).

But then? Ah, then. Around the point that Tuco and Blondie get taken to the prison camp and Angel Eyes is posing as a Union sergeant...then things REALLY PICKED UP. The rest of the film was fantastic. And I think I'll need to watch the beginning again, now that I know what to expect.

Don't worry. Clint is still the man.

In other news, I went to Half Price Books today. Regular readers of this blog (if I have any) may recognize that this is a bad sign. I DID spend money, yes, but not all of it was for me. A bit of it was, though. Enough for three LPs (Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens, and Paul Simon) and a book of Old West folklore published in 1951. Yeah, I know you're jealous.

For the record...I promise that this Westerns thing will pass eventually. Also, I haven't bought a Stetson, cowboy boots, or an amazing array of handkerchief-patterned clothing. I don't listen to modern country music, on the radio or otherwise, and I don't have any overwhelming urges to start.

Phew. I had to get that off my chest.

Now, to go proudly belt "Tea for the Tillerman" at the top of my lungs. And then drink some chamomile.

-The GLS

Catching Up.

I don't know how this happens! I head off to vacation, turn off my computer, and Blogger's issues magically heal themselves.

Here's the cake I made:





Don't I look proud?

And here's the birthday gift to myself from Anthropologie:



Measuring spoons! They're hefty, they're awesome. I love them.

Oh, and thanks to vacay time, this is my new favorite author.

Okay, I think that's it. Now I need to get back to 3:10 To Yuma, because the odds just got unbeatable, and I can't help but love a Western with unbeatable odds.

Mmmm...Christian Bale. And mmmmm...Russell Crowe creepiness. And mmmmmmmmm...unbeatable odds.

-The GLS

Starting Tonight...

(Tonight's soundtrack: "I Wanna Be Loved" by The Andrews Sisters. Classic.)

So, awhile ago I wrote this post in which I extolled the virtues of tiny Le Creuset casserole dishes. However, after doing some research, I determined that they were WAY out of my price range and would stay that way.

And then PCC happened. And this was the result:



Yep. There's four of them. They were $12 each. Ummm...I can't pass that up. And aren't they adorable? Yes, in this photo they are sitting on my roof. Because that's the only place where there was enough light left to take a picture. I don't make a habit of keeping cookware on my roof.

I also got a haircut, today! You can't really tell unless you're me. Frankly, it's probably the first time I've walked out of a salon feeling good about the way it went down.

(shallow)
I'm growing my hair out, because I haven't had it long since high school. However, because my hair is thick and curly, it inevitably gets too much weight around the ENDS and drags the stuff on my head down flat, so I look like a cocker spaniel. Today I finally asked someone to give me a shape other than triangular. And she delivered! I feel really good about it. I also feel really good about the fact that it was only $28. I mean...it could have been a LOT WORSE.
(/shallow)

Anyway, here's a rough idea of how it turned out:



Yep! I like it. I say "rough" idea because you probably can't even tell the difference. But I can. And that's what matters.

Especially for 28 bucks.

Hey, big spender.

-The GLS

Go Fish for Trinkets.

I bought a few lovely things today.

One, I finally found a peasant skirt that I like the color of AND that actually looks halfway decent on me.

Two, I found a print of Mr. Jeremy Fisher (a Beatrix Potter character) for my redone bathroom.

And three...my birthday present to myself.

I'm a little giddy with glee. How cute are those? I've been ogling them for awhile.

Also...tomorrow there may be a subtle but important aesthetic change to my general appearance. We'll see if I decide to splurge on it. Hint: it has to do with the unruly bush growing atop my scalp.

-The GLS

Multipass.

By the by, all you budding film students out there who want to know whether "Editor" could be a fun job...

Go watch The Fifth Element, and tell me that the editing alone in that movie isn't one of the funniest characters in scifi.

Anyway.

Purchases of gutsiness, today!

I'm wearing these RIGHT NOW, in fact:



Yes, these are my new PLAID headphones.

I love them.

They make the Sacred Harp music I've been listening to really rock.

Well, sort of.

I think it's time to open up GarageBand and start recording some craziness.

-The GLS

Mrs. Beran's Tobosch Torte.

I have a lot of cookbooks.

One for soups. One for grilled cheese sandwiches. One for Irish soups and breads, one for homestyle vegetarian, and one for farmer's market finds. One devoted to teas, and one devoted to canning and preserving. Two bread bibles, one blank recipe book for writing down favorites, and one large encyclopedia of herbs. I also got one recently detailing how to stock a creative, earth-friendly, and rustic pantry.

But the newest one is probably the most meaningful of all.

It's called "In Memory's Kitchen", and in it are recipes collected from women who were being held in the Czech concentration camp called Terezin.

Now, I learned about the Holocaust starting in middle school, and I became markedly jaded about the whole thing. After reading a million books--fictional and not--and studying documentaries, and going to plays, and watching movies...you start to get desensitized. Sure, I understood that it was horrific, extraordinarily tragic, and mind-numbingly barbaric, but when you're thirteen years old your brain shuts off to the sadness and just focuses on how boring all the schoolwork is. It was a bad mistake to make, on my part.

Now, holding this book in my hand, I'm overwhelmed with a completely different side of the Holocaust. These Jewish women had been separated from their families and brought to Terezin, most of them to await extermination at Auschwitz. They were crowded together in miserable quarters, made to work, and starved to within an inch of their lives.

But in the huts, and down the work rows, while they were starving, do you know what they talked about?

Food. They exchanged recipes from their days as wives and mothers. Some in detail, some in almost none at all. And a woman named Mina Pachter collected these recipes on scraps of paper, passing them around Terezin until the war ended. Mina Pachter died in Terezin in 1944, but the recipes from the women around her were found, translated, and published in 1996.

I know it seems morbid to cook anything out of a book written by victims of the Holocaust. And maybe it seems odd to use recipes that are often incomplete, translated from a foreign language, and of a culinary tradition I was not born into.

But I've already dog-eared a few pages, and I fully intend to try Mrs. Beran's Tobosch Torte and Mrs. Weil's Farina Souffle, among others. You know why? Because that's the reason I have this book. Food was their touchstone to a world they were forced to leave behind, and food is the connection I have to these women, whom I will never meet. Maybe, in my mind, I'm still a pimply-faced middle schooler who's tired of reading Elie Wiesel and Anne Frank. But now I'm nearly 22, and I still may not be able to wrap my mind around all of the facts, and I still may be numb to all of the horror, but I sure can wrap my heart around what it means to cook, to eat, and to feel a sense of well-being based on food. And that, to me, is where the human side of the Holocaust brings me to my knees.

Yeah, it took me awhile. But I think I'm getting a little piece of my lost humanity back. It's about time.

-The GLS

Herb-an Renewal.

The music: Ambling Alp by Yeasayer. Go forth.

Contrary to popular opinion, I wasn't sitting at home rocking back and forth sucking my thumb for the week and three days (ish) I was without Internet here. I felt like it, at times. But thanks to my brain (which won't shut off), and my need for hobbies (which won't shut up), I was able to make my own fun, starting at the end of last week.

It's all because of this new book I read, called Urban Pantry. It's fantastic. And in it, she discusses the whys and hows of planting a rooftop herb garden.

Now, this was revolutionary, because I've had a flat roof for as long as I've lived in this house, but due to a screen on my window I never felt the need to use it for anything.

After discussing the idea with my mom (she of the green thumb and, up til then, a daughter disinterested in her favorite hobby) she wholeheartedly helped me pop the screen out of my window and set up the beginnings of my very own rooftop garden.

Thanks to the fact that I can't let anything go once I've had the inspiration, I started last Friday by buying two thyme plants: one English thyme, and one Lemon thyme. So, my wee garden started out quite small. One concrete pot, two thyme starts, and a tiny ceramic cottage.



But could I stop there? Do you even need to ask?

Sifting through my herb encyclopedia, I dog-eared a few herbs that I wanted. The criteria would be:

1) Happy in small containers.
2) Have multiple uses (not JUST for a particular sort of food/medicinal effect).
3) Be able to flower, eventually. Because I like bees. I can't help myself.
4) Not necessarily the herbs everyone THINKS of when they think of herbs.

Now, not quite a week later, my wee garden is still fairly wee, but it has definitely expanded. A few more miniature houses*, some Value Village pots, and some bricks (that my mom says have "character") later, my garden looks like this:



Sorta fun, no? The cast of characters, left to right: black candle holder (not an herb, obviously), chamomile (in the teapot), curry (tall one in the back), the thyme twins (I think I'll call them Simon and Garfunkel), Miss Katherine-variety pink lavender (tall and stately, she is), and dwarf marjoram (which is essentially mild oregano).

So far they seem to be loving the full sun they get all day, and my hope is that they'll grow big and strong, winter over, and give me a lovely crop and happy flowers next year. :)

The moral of the story is, happy things can still happen when the Internet goes away. You DO realize there was a world before Internet, don't you?

Happily blogging again,

-The GLS

*The miniature houses are not just to be cutesy. I happen to have more than my fair share of them, and it seemed a fun way to display them. And, you know, why not?

Mr. Murphy, I Presume?

You may be thinking to yourself, "Say, GLS, you're posting awfully early, ain't you?" (you often use 'ain't' in your inward conversations, by the way).

And yes, I AM posting early! But that's because I'm posting from the library.

...do you want to know WHY I'm posting from the library?

Of course you do.

Because...because...

I HAVE A NEW MACBOOK PRO!!!!!!! :D

Now you may be saying to yourself, "Say, GLS, that doesn't make sense. If you have a new MacBook Pro, why ain't you using it to post instead of posting from the library?"

Fantastic question. The answer is that I no longer have Internet at my house. Because of my MacBook Pro.

"...?"

That's right. See, I went and bought my new baby (it's SO SHINY!!) and brought it home, and when I tried to hook it up to my wireless it wouldn't connect. But my old Powerbook always worked just fine.

"Hmmm."

Exactly. So I called Verizon, and a very nice lady named Linda (they have REALLY improved their customer service since a year ago) tried to puzzle with me on this problem for about an hour and a half. And by the end of it, the modem, who would NOT be upgraded nosiree, triumphantly fizzled and died.

Linda was mortified, I actually laughed (because, really?) and the upshot is that Verizon is sending me a new updated modem because it was pretty much their fault.

So, I not only get a fancy shmancy new laptop, but a new modem out of the deal, too! I'm kind of on cloud 9 right now.

The only issue? I have to wait for the new modem. Which means no home Internet for about a week. But that's okay. I can deal. The library is very close.

And a sincere thanks to Linda for bearing with my weird computers and weird modems and their weird relationships with one another for WAY longer than she had to. Hats off to you, Tech Service Lady. :D

And that, darlings, is why I'm posting so early.

Now ain't that a fine story?

-The GLS

Con Te Partiro...

The above, according to Andrea Bocelli, means "Time To Say Goodbye". I don't know if that's true. But regardless, it may be time to express that sentiment to the dear almost 10-year-old PowerBook G4 on which I write this message.

Seriously, this has been an awesome computer. It was the first Mac I ever owned, and has permanently converted me to Appleism. But it's also getting to the point where it's running slow, overheating, and just plain behind on the times. I love it dearly, but it was secondhand when I got it, and I think I need to be with someone new.

The gutsy part? I have NEVER bought a new computer for myself. I've never walked into a store and said, "Umm...gimme." and handed them my debit card. Truth be told, I've never had enough money saved up. But I do, now, thanks to some generous gifts from my beloved family for my graduation in June. I've always had secondhand computers, and the one "given" to me my freshman year by the university I attended was great...but I didn't pick it. They picked it for me.

I'm pretty thrilled at the prospect of buying a new computer, and I think I know what I want, but before I make any choices I'm gonna saunter into the nearest Apple Store and ask some serious questions. Like, "What does this button do?" and "Is that amount in dollars or in Icelandic krona?"

This should be fun.

-The GLS

Brightly Lit Corners.

Go and get yourself some Emmylou Harris to listen to. Now. I'll wait.

...

Okay, here's the thing: my desk is currently aglow between three candles and one Little Red Kerosene Lamp That Could, so I'm pretty much in my version of earthly heaven.



(For the record...that red thing is not the kerosene lamp. It's a glassybaby.)

I took the day off of work, today. I also got a lot done, between marking up stuff for our impending garage sale (a several-hour process) and shopping for new jeans (highly important). But I also had time to pick up some new essentials.

I stopped by the bookstore today and made a beeline for the cookbooks, and picked up one that is entirely devoted to grilled cheese sandwiches. No joke. 50 recipes for different kinds of grilled cheese sandwiches, plus a few soups, salads, and toppings to go with. The pictures are making me drool all over the keyboard. Please excuse. I also picked up a Vegetarian cookbook out of mere curiosity at the range of things possible without meat, and also because the amount of curry recipes within make me want to cry. In a good way.

Besides, I have an uncanny ability to befriend vegetarians, usually without my immediate knowledge, and I'm sure I'll meet many more over the course of the rest of my life. Best to be prepared as a cook for whatever life throws your way, right? Right.

The mixture of smells in my room right now is making me dizzy. Kerosene and two scented candles, plus the Eucalyptus-Spearmint room spray I may or may not have over-sprayed in an effort to fully enjoy the scent. So sue me, it's nice.



Yep, this is a little corner of my world. In this picture alone you can see three hurricane lamps, if you look hard enough. And lots of candles. And the giraffes that my dad brought back from Kenya for me. And one of the set of six drinking glasses I may or may not have stolen from my married friends. But they didn't want them, as I recall, so I think we're good. That teacup and that fan were both my Nana's. I'll let you decide which of the two is actually authentically old. That purple feather is the top of my quill pen, and ring is my Claddagh. And that pitcher full of stuff? It has a bouquet of daisies and cornflowers (fake) in it, as well as knitting needles (not fake). Then there's the flowerpot full of pens and pencils, and the wall covered in photos. And my (not quite exact) quote from Rabbi Heschel: "I asked for wonder, and He gave it to me."

I think everyone needs a corner like this one. Well, not exactly like it. But something similar. Where everything just seems right. And good.

Anyway. About to pass out from the fumes. G'night.

-The GLS

I Have Met the Enemy and It Is Plastic.

I'm sitting here in a striped cardigan, with Paul & Art (yep, we're tight) spinning on the phonograph and a room that has spent all day under seige. Bags of recycling old schoolwork, bags of trash, bags of things to sell, bags of clothes that didn't fit me even when I bought them. Bags and bags and boxes and boxes.

Out of curiosity, since when did plastic become the height of aesthetic? Yeah, okay since never. I know. It merely became the height of convenience, didn't it? It's cheaper, and easier, and simpler.

And uglier.

Let's just be honest. Plastic is pretty ugly. Sure, pretty things can be DONE with it, but usually the things that surround us made of plastic were not designed with beauty in mind. Utility, maybe. Ease of cleaning, sure. But style? Not necessarily.

I know I'm a sap, but I have a Luddite depreciation for plastic. I use it, of course, when necessary. Where would I be without my vinyl records? Or my electric kettle, which is sturdy white plastic? Or the pens and mechanical pencils I use every day? Plastic is here to stay, of course, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

So I flew in the face of plastic today. Three times! First, I replaced a garish yellow plastic tub that had housed my nail polish since...what...fourth grade (?)...with a tiny wooden crate purchased secondhand from Value Village. Looks nicer, and now the yellow tub can go into the garage sale pile and be purchased by someone who actually likes it and will use it for the eons it will last. Thanks for lasting forever, plastic.

Second...well, and third...I bought two glass bottles. You know the ones. With the skinny necks and little pour spouts on them for oil and vinegar. But they're not FOR oil and vinegar. Not in my room, heck no. The small one is for liquid hand soap, yessir. And the bigger one with a cork in the top is for the honey I pour in my tea. Now the one is sitting next to my bathroom sink, and the other is very demurely waiting beside my electric kettle. And oh, don't they look so much better than plastic!

Now, to be truly eco-friendly I have to find a way of buying both honey and soap in bulk and refilling the bottles dutifully. We'll see how that goes.

However, plastic always wins, in the end.

I used my (quite plastic) debit card to buy the stuff.

D'oh!

-The GLS

Next Stop...Basil.

Wow. I am very, very sleepy, because this is super late to be blogging, but I HAD to tell you all about the gift I gave my true love (aka...my Kitchenaid Mixer) this morning!

It's...the ICE CREAM MAKER ATTACHMENT.

Booyah. I'm really excited. And it fits like a charm. Let's just hope it works! Especially since I got it through craigslist, so there's, you know, very little chance of a return policy. Heh. But all the pieces are in order and it's never been used, so I think we're in business!

It was a great Father's Day. Much food was eaten, much laughter was had. Much to-doing about babies and graduation news and such. Oh, and I may be purchasing a new computer soon. Stay tuned on that one.

But I know what you're thinking. What's my first ice cream flavor going to be?

Are you ready?

Basil.

Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. And...don't try it. Yet. Because I want to try it first. So there.

-The GLS

A Penny Saved...

Well, I may need all the pennies I can get. Because my dear PowerBook G4 which has lasted FAR beyond its required lifespan and in all that time has performed above and beyond the call of duty...is starting to show its age.

Running hot, running LOUD, randomly freezing...all (apparently) signs of a hard drive starting to deteriorate. It's been a long time since the battery ever held a charge, and all of the things I like to run on the Internet are starting to pass me by, technology-wise.

So, I need to go. Because my dear computer--I have a feeling--is about to freeze up before I shut it down the nice way. Pray for me as I look into new machines/other alternatives and gulp at hurtful price-tags.

-The GLS

If A Frog Had Wings...

(If you're a Coen Bros. fan you can probably finish the title on your own. I'll let you go ahead and do that, now.)

Hi! Long time no see!

I've been constructing s'mores, singing songs, and generally being campy for the past few days. Now I'm back! The cuffs of my jeans are drying, my muddy converse are outside, and the smell of woodsmoke still lingers.

Yes, I'm back, and I'm still going gutsily.

Gosh, where do I even BEGIN?

First of all, I'm officially beginning to knit the covers for the Bacher Rocker, the old dark wicker rocking chair sitting sadly in the corner of my room. Sadly because the upholstery it currently has (NOT original to the chair, by the way) would like a little makeover. So I'm knitting them some cozy covers. They're not going to be spectacularly detailed and/or colorful, but they'll do. (For those of the knitting persuasion: I'm doing a plaited stitch in a sort of off-white heather color.)

Then, I went to Joann Fabrics and Half-Price Books to do some major financial damage, and I failed, because both places were having major sales and I walked away with lots of merchandise for less money than they might have liked. But there's more yarn, cute buttons, and Irish trad LPs lying around than ever before!

Oh! Oh! And I got the boxed set of the UK Office, too! I know, you're all major US Office fans. And that's fine. But give me Ricky Gervais and Mykenzie Crook and I'm there, wot?

Finally, I crashed and burned in my attempt at baking. Which is good, because it keeps me humble. I was attempting to amend a recipe, turning some Irish oatmeal biscuits from savory to sweet, but didn't quite get there. My parents (read: guinea pigs) were nice about it as always, but the biscuits aren't what I wanted them to be. Not quite right. Never fear...I'll try again. And this time, bring on the sugar.

What a busy day! And work tomorrow. But a short week, yea verily!

-The GLS

It Ain't Me, Babe.

Wow, I've had this ridiculous reproduction-style phonograph for a VERY long time (10+ years?), and it's been in my room for at least half of that time, and only NOW I'm starting to collect LPs like some sort of rabid musical Luddite. Up until this point I've been content with my parents' collected (and admittedly, awesome) stuff: Simon & Garfunkel, Lovin' Spoonful, Jim Croce, LOTS of The Beatles, etc.

And this is, of course, a complete musical education in and of itself. But I wanted more.

The latest purchases? Johnny Cash's "Orange Blossom Special", circa 1965, and a 2-record selection called "The World of Johnny Cash" featuring a bunch of songs I felt like I needed in my life.

Also, to add to the vintage Irish trad collection, a beat-up old record called "Traditional Music of Ireland & Shetland" by a band called How To Change A Flat Tire. I'm not sure how famous they ever got, and I'm not sure if they're any good, but the LP was only 98 cents, so...it needed to come home with me. Besides, the Chieftains were starting to get lonely.

Can you tell I went a little nuts at Half-Price Books? Well, as if that weren't enough, I also bought three new cookbooks: The Bread Bible, the Encyclopedia of Soups, and Irish Food & Cooking. My mom could only say: "If you're going to buy books with such gorgeous photographs and tempt your mother with them, you HAVE to promise to do a lot of cooking. And soon."

Oh, don't worry Mom. I will. Soon enough you won't be able to TEAR me away from the kitchen until I've mastered every recipe in these ridiculous new books.

Yeah, it's a good night.

So, goodnight!

-The GLS

Baron! That's My Underwear!

Title explanation: I'm at Indefish and Sister-of-Indefish's house. And their dog's name is Baron. And he just tried to make off with a pair of underwear. Hilarity ensued. And yelling.

We're off to watch "Young Victoria" and enjoy a girly evening.

Gutsiness: Bought one more piece of copper to complete my nesting dry-goods canister set. It's a parmesan cheese dispenser, with a brass label that reads CHEESE. Awesome. Value Village = love.

Okay. Off to relax. Love y'all.

-The GLS

Between the HobNobs and a Hard Place...

I'm in a tough spot. That is, sitting right next to an opened canister of McVitie's chocolate-covered HobNobs. Seriously, guys, it's bad news bears.

I actually bought them for my daycare kiddies as a bribe for good behavior in the next few weeks while my head teacher is away on holiday. So I probably shouldn't eat 'em all...but there were a few more biscuits than kiddies, so I thought I'd sample them. You know. To make sure they taste fine.

I need to stay away from the Irish Imports store, methinks.

In other news, I took a half-day off work so I could help my mom with preparations for my Nana's memorial service tomorrow afternoon...and also to buy an outfit for said event. This proved more difficult than I thought it would be, but in the end Romy saved the day and I can feel good about myself--sartorially speaking--on the morrow. In fact, this was the first time I've consulted the salesgirl for help on this sort of thing. Asking questions like, "Is the cream-colored cardigan a bit too light under the circumstances?" and "Please tell me the lace cami is part of the two-for-one deal..." (which it wasn't). In the end, it was a good deal and my mom approves of the outfit...which is the most important thing, actually.

My big gutsiness? I had a ten-dollar copper kettle in my hand at Value Village...and I PUT IT BACK on the shelf because it wasn't in the budget. Wow. Can we all take a moment to recognize that I PUT IT BACK because it wasn't in the BUDGET? Me, of all people?! A piece of HOUSEWARES??

Yeah, pretty amazing stuff. Look at me go.

Don't worry. I appeased myself by buying two .99 cent mugs. They were all alone on a shelf full of complete cup sets, and I felt sorry for them, and they're both rather cute. I'm sipping tea out of one with owls on it, and the other is short and squat, white with blue paint.

I like mismatched mugs. And spending 99 cents.

Although it occurs to me...when you shop at Value Village you start to notice your sense of "priciness" starts to skew, thinking, "10 bucks? That's practically extortion! Who pays 10 bucks for a skirt??"

Only the rest of the foolish world, I suppose.

-The GLS