Back to the Blogosphere

October 27, 2014 – Back to the Blogosphere

So, I took a little break from blogging – I’ve been so wrapped up in daily activities that writing fell to the wayside, but everything here is fine.  The past few weeks have been quite busy, with another house project, a little road trip with Elliott, a visit from Elisa and Christian, and more time in the glass studio. 

Matt and I have both been enrolled in a weekly class at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton since last June, and we’ve become quite serious about this medium.  In addition to attending our Sunday class, we try to work during open studio time at least once during the week.  We’d love to do some work at home.  However, we don’t have the kilns, sandblaster, diamond saw, lap grinder, belt sander, etc. 

It’s wonderful having a partner in this creative endeavor.  We’re looking forward to making our official commercial debut as fused glass artists at the upcoming Mantua Made Market (November 15, 10am – 1pm).  We’re still trying to come up with a name for our business.  Unfortunately, Thompson Glassworks is already taken.  Maybe Convento Glassworks?  Any suggestions?  We’ll also try to get a website set up within the next few weeks.  In the meantime, here are a couple of pictures of recent pieces:

Elliott has been busy on his latest project, i.e. the new floor on the lower level of the house.  After several trips to Home Depot and various tile showrooms, we settled on a beautiful porcelain 18 by 18 inch square design.  The tile has already been installed and the shoe molding will be in place by the end of the day.  It looks great, and the best part is Elliott didn’t do the work himself.  Of course, that doesn’t mean he didn’t supervise.  Also, he insisted on purchasing the shoe molding himself at Home Depot.  In the process, I learned that shoe molding is not quite the same as quarter round.  While we were in the store, I also was tempted to purchase a Disney Princess headlamp for Elliott.  (No, I didn’t get it, but I want to thank Elliott for letting me take his picture with it.) 

Most of the labor on this project was done earlier this past week while Elliott and I were away for a few days in Winchester.  This small city in the Shenandoah Valley is only 63 miles from home, but it felt like we were in another world.  Our base was the historic but comfortable George Washington Hotel in Winchester’s charming Old Town, just a block from the pedestrian mall, where we found an abundance of interesting shops and eateries.

On our first night, we enjoyed superb northern Italian food at Violino.  Elliott consumed nearly every bite of a generous portion of veal scaloppini.  My meal included a very unusual preparation of escargots (served on polenta) and a plate of house-made ravioli with three different fillings (pumpkin; pear-gorgonzola; and pheasant), all garnished with orange zest and Asiago cheese.  For dessert, we shared a scrumptious warm lemon cake.  

The following night, we dined at La Nicoise Café.  As soon as we walked into the restaurant and heard the music of Enrico Macias, one of my favorite French singers, we felt like we were back on the Riviera.  It turned out that the chef and proprietor, a native of Nice, was familiar with our hilltop village. 

One other culinary highlight of our visit deserves special mention.  Red Fox Creamery, located on the pedestrian mall, makes the most amazing fresh raspberry ice cream.  I indulged on two separate occasions.  And Elliott says their mint chocolate chip is pretty good, too. 

Outside of eating and strolling, our main activity was a visit to the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.  Their current exhibition, Second Time Around, features art created from hubcaps found in landfills.  It was fascinating to see the variety of approaches taken by different artists.  And the museum’s permanent exhibit on the history of the Shenandoah Valley is definitely worth seeing.  Since I’m currently taking a course at George Mason University on Native American history, I was especially interested in learning about the lives of the indigenous inhabitants of the region, both before and after the arrival of Europeans. 

Now that we’re back from our mini-trip, Elliott and I are both looking forward to settling in at home.  What a difference a year makes!  This time last year, we were in pre-wedding mode.  I was making hotel arrangements and practicing walking in high heels.  There were nightly phone calls with Elisa to discuss the minutest details for the ceremony and the weekend.  This year, minus the stress of wedding planning, we were able to enjoy Elisa and Christian’s recent visit to DC. 

While Christian spent most of his time working at his law firm’s DC office, Elisa was able to join Matt and me for a day of museum-hopping on the National Mall.  Our first stop was the Smithsonian’s Sackler Gallery, where we saw an exhibition of Persian calligraphy.  We took a lunch break at Paul Bakery for sandwiches, pastry, and coffee.  

By popular demand, our next stop was the Natural History Museum, which brought back such memories of earlier visits when Elisa and Matt were young children.  Of course, we took the obligatory photo in front of the enormous elephant in the rotunda.  We skipped the dinosaurs this time (thankfully) but we were all fascinated once again by the gems and minerals exhibit.  In addition, we discovered the relatively new Qrius hands-on lab (completely interactive) where we could easily have spent several hours. 

With Elisa here, I finally had a partner in the kitchen.  Like me, she’s an adventurous cook who truly appreciates good food.  One day/evening, we spent about six hours in the kitchen, preparing dinner, then eating and finally cleaning up.  The first course was a curried cauliflower and chickpea soup (recipe from Wegman’s).  The creamy (but dairy-free) purée was very simple to make but it was packed with flavor.  For a main course, I marinated boneless chicken breasts in a mixture of Dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic and tarragon.  After being pan-seared, they were baked in the oven.  We tried a delicious vegetable recipe from Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem cookbook, Swiss chard topped with pine nuts and a garlicky yogurt-tahini sauce.  The second vegetable dish was rings of delicata squash brushed with butternut squash seed oil and pomegranate molasses, then roasted until meltingly tender.  Our salad was roasted beets in raspberry vinaigrette, topped with goat cheese and orange zest.  We finished up with fresh fruit and ice cream.  Even Elliott, who is sometimes reluctant about trying new food, raved about the meal.  

 With all of this eating, I’ve been trying to keep up a regular exercise schedule.  This perfect fall weather is ideal for long daily walks.  Whenever possible, I walk in the woods.  I love the golden light and the rustle of leaves at this time of year.  If I look carefully, I often spot deer searching for greenery to nibble.  And it must be mushroom season.  Do you think these are edible?  

  

The weather has been so glorious that even Elliott is getting outside and walking more.  And I’m hoping that he’s gained a few pounds.  Big weigh-in tomorrow.  Check back to find out more. 

Elliott's New Tricks

October 8, 2014 – Elliott’s New Tricks

Just because Elliott is 102 years old doesn’t mean that he can’t add some new tricks to his repertoire.  Now that climbing (on chairs, ladders or anything else!) is on the forbidden list, he’s had to cultivate some new interests and activities.  First of all, he’s become an avid consumer of books.  I can’t call him a reader, because, for the past several years, as his eyesight deteriorated, he has done very little reading.  But the discovery of audio-books has given him access to a whole world of literature that he’d been missing.  Each day, he spends a few hours sitting contentedly in the family room, connected to his iPad.  We haven’t even had to purchase any audiobooks since so many are available for free download from the Fairfax County Public Library.  Elliott’s taste runs towards mysteries and legal thrillers, such as those by John Grisham.  However, his favorite recent book is a work of fiction entitled An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris.  The plot centers on a Parisian detective’s investigation into the cover-up surrounding the Dreyfus trial.  It uncovers corruption in the police force, military and up to the highest levels of government.  I read the novel earlier this year and recommended it to Elliott, and I’m delighted that he enjoyed it so much.  I have lots of other book suggestions for him, which I’ll share with everyone in another blog post. 

When a recent trip to the doctor’s office revealed that his weight had dropped below 140 pounds, Elliott decided it was time to get serious about reversing this weight loss trend.  He’s now following his doctor’s advice to improve his eating habits and to get more exercise.  This includes a daily walk in the neighborhood and an occasional session with 5-pound dumbbells to strengthen his upper body.  I’ve been helping him add more calories to his diet.  It was a challenge at first for him to eat more at breakfast, but he’s now packing away a fried egg and a slice of turkey bacon along with his usual banana-laced oatmeal, mini-croissant, and coffee.  Likewise, I’m encouraging him to consume more for lunch.  A slice of bread with peanut butter just isn’t sufficient, although he says it satisfies his hunger.  When I’m home at lunchtime, I fix him a well-balanced meal, including plenty of protein, a fresh vegetable and/or fruit, and a bowl of yogurt.  We’re both hoping he’ll put on a few pounds soon, and start rebuilding some of the muscle he’s lost. 

Earlier this week, I took Elliott and my mother out for lunch at Baja Fresh.  Elliott wasn’t sure he’d like the steak taco, even after I reassured him that it was just steak, tomatoes, lettuce and cheese on a flour tortilla.  Once he overcame his initial resistance, however, he was pleasantly surprised.  I was so glad to see him expanding his culinary horizons that I treated him to a dish of chocolate ice cream at Baskin Robbins afterwards.  

Elliott wasn't sure about trying the steak taco.

But it was pretty good!

Fortunately, Katie likes to eat everything. 

The wound on Elliott’s leg is healing slowly but surely.  Maybe when he’s feeling stronger, we’ll try another road trip.  We won’t have to go far.  The Shenandoah Valley is beautiful at this time of year.  At the moment, we have no travel plans, although part of me would love to hop on a plane and join my friends Joel (aka “The Idiot”) and Liz, who are walking the coastline of Turkey.  You can follow their adventures on Joel’s website, Follow the Idiot. 

'Tis the Season

October 3, 2014 – ‘Tis the Season

I was feeling inspired by the new season to write another poem.  This time it’s an interactive poem.  You can add your own lines.  (If I were still teaching, this would become an ongoing writing exercise for my students.)  Please share your ideas.  As you'll see from the poem, the season has also inspired me to get back into the kitchen, hence the photo below. 

These slices of delicata squash will be brushed with a mixture of olive oil and a little pomegranate molasses before being roasted in the oven (400 or 425 about 20 minutes, or until tender).  Don't peel them!

‘Tis the season 

to mourn the shrinking hours of daylight

to glimpse stars in the morning sky

to shiver when retrieving the newspaper

to dodge dive-bombing acorns

to loop a favorite scarf around my neck

to fire up the oven for oatmeal raisin cookies

to consider baking a pie

to roast golden rings of delicata squash with olive oil & pomegranate molasses

to savor memories of flavorful tomatoes and juicy peaches

to say farewell to vendors at the farmers’ market

to go for a drive in the Shenandoah Valley

to pluck apples from tree branches

to pause for a late afternoon cup of herbal tea

to seek out museums and movies

to catch a hint of wood-smoke on the breeze

to splurge on scented candles

to top a plate of arugula with pumpkin ravioli

to research warm weather destinations

to linger over a mug of coffee and a good book

to search out new recipes for hearty soups and stews

to crack open fistfuls of walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds

to fill baskets with cinnamon-scented pinecones

to sip a rich, robust Cabernet Sauvignon

to purchase Halloween candy (and hide it from Elliott)

to plan a Thanksgiving menu

to stockpile wood for the fireplace

to put away the sandals and shop for new boots

to dig out sweaters and blankets

to anticipate the first snow

to count the days until winter break

to turn contemplative

to start growing a poem

to …