There's a Fungus Amongus

For Christmas, Jen gave her dad a box of Oyster Mushroom Spawn with all the tools to grown fresh mushrooms indoors this winter.  We have been eating them most of the winter.  One of the three varieties didn't germinate as well as the other two.  We are getting dove grey mushrooms and the yellow variety shown above.  They are so pretty and taste amazingly fresh, altho that shouldn't amaze me.  We pick them and throw them in the skillet.  

If you thought the second picture looked like a roll of toilet paper, you were right.  The spawn is placed down the middle of the tube in the cardboard roll, after the paper roll is soaked in boiling hot water.  They are bagged in plastic and kept in the dark for 5 weeks, then transferred to the refrigerator (where they kept company with the Bud Light) and then they head upstairs into the warmth of the house with the plastic bags opened on top to bloom.  A week later, we have mushrooms and start the process over again when it stops producing.  It was a great gift and it's been a fun winter project.  

Tiny Signals of Spring

It's Saturday, April 4th and we are expecting 1 to 3 inches of snow tomorrow evening.  Since this has already seemed like the longest winter on record, I am not a happy camper.  I decided to poke around in some of my beds today and see if I could record ANYTHING that would give me a glimmer of things to come.  That old spring tonic, rhubarb, was sending up fat, pink fingers and tiny shriveled looking leaves that will be gigantic before too long.  Thinking about that first pan full of homemade rhubarb sauce makes my mouth water. 

A tiny clump of tulips are breaking through the moss in our front yard.  We grow great moss in our lawn, all different colors.  Grass......not so much.  

My lamiastrum is always hearty and will be globe shaped and full of bright yellow flowers and bees before you know it.  It divides well and grows well in all our shade.

 

Let's walk to town.....

The Glacial Drumlin Trail runs parallel to PVR and leads west to its origin in Cottage Grove and travels east to Waukesha.  An easy destination is Deerfield, where I can stop by at the library and then BP for another bottle of water or the local bar for a beer and a chicken sandwich.  It's a wonderful bike ride or walk in the summer and the snowmobilers use it in the winter.  Right now its in its thaw cycle and not fit for man (or coyote or deer) altho their tracks reveal they really don't mind.    

Tick Tock Countdown to Spring

My hubby had an idea in his head for a couple of months and he followed through on it a few weeks ago.  He spotted a clock in an art gallery in Cambridge and was fascinated by the way it was made.  I saw he was wearing his "I could make that" smile and tucked the idea into his memory bank for a rainy day shop project.  Of course, the clock mechanism is a kit from the craft store but the rest of the materials are from his shop:  redwood reclaimed from Mick and Donna's old deck and brake tubing that hangs in loops on a peg in the shop.  He's always using that brake tubing for something - although I can't remember him using it for brakes.  Notice the sine wave pattern? - I didn't either until it was pointed out to me.  The entire clock balances on a little more than a square inch of redwood.  The clock resides in his cubical at work, ticking off the seconds until retirement.  

I'm sooo tired of waiting for spring....

We had 54 degree weather last week and the snow all but disappeared.  There was no green popping through but the absence of white was so heartening.  It seemed like spring was just around the corner.  Then Friday night it snowed and blanketed everything.  I want to look out the bedroom window and see dirt, not snow.  So now I walk to the kitchen for the only reason, besides employment, to drag my sorry self out of bed - COFFEE!!!

Many of you know I'm a coffee snob.  My husband lovingly packs up the Expobar and packs it in the car for a week at a cabin 'up-north', or a weekend at my sister's.  Of course, we all enjoy the spoils.  He pre-heats the unit so it's ready when I get out of bed and he receives the first pull of the day.  We have our friend Barn to thank for all of this.  He gave us our first little Krups and I was on my way.  We upgraded to a pump style unit, like Barn, and then added a commercial grinder, like Barn, and then I decided to get an Office Control Expobar...Sweet Baby James!  Then Barn decided to introduce us to his brand of heaven: Espresso Forte from Pete's Coffee in Berkley California.  Every 28 days we get four, one pound bags delivered.  Like I said - I'm a coffee snob.  I don't drink espresso all day, but when I drink it, it's the best.   

There's my coffee bean votive candles and the mug my sister gave me from World Market.  It replicates some of the words that I have stenciled on my kitchen soffit.  

Seeing that sunshine through my kitchen window is hard to swallow.  Let's have a huge chocolate latte together and snuggle up on the couch and wait for spring.  

Countdown to Espana!

A Little Fun on New Year's Eve

We started the evening at Restaurant Magnus where we were treated with VIP treatment.  Obviously, we sat Quaker Style, men on one side, ladies on the other.  Scallops, salmon, beef and of course, everyone had dessert.  It was all amazing.  Then we went back to the Concourse for dancing and brunch the next morning.  Thanks to Rita for suggesting a big night out for my 60th.  It couldn't have been better.  

Things To Do Before You Hit the Big Six Oh

Jim and I have purchased  a lot of holiday gifts for ourselves over the years but none that needed as much time and TLC as a new MAC.  Being raised on PC's and using them exclusively at home and at work, we knew there would be a learning curve.  Since we needed to upgrade, Jim thought that it would be best to do it before our PC died.  That way we could have access to both units and trans-load the information without using backup CD's etc.  My biggest frustration is using the old keyboard and mouse when I should be using the new one!  Yeesh - attempting this before you hit 60 would be the smart way to go.  We bought a year's worth of lessons so I'm expecting great things!  

Our niece, Marisa and her children on TV

We were excited to see a link to a Tampa TV channel in our in-box yesterday. To our surprise, Marisa, Jake and "Miss I'm Never Without My Beads" Mia were featured in a toy review spot on their local channel. Since I'm not quite sure how to post this, just paste this link into your browser and take a peek at the new Twister!

http://www.tampabays10.com/video/default.aspx?aid=74614

Watching the meter spin.....

The 25 foot light tree is up, the parabola and reverse scallops have been rewired, red LEDs line both sides of the drive way and we are ready for Santa. We shoveled another 4 inches last night but there were 8 inches on top of the hot tub. You've got to love 'drifting'! When we got in the hot tub this morning, we were both wearing hats. It was 4.6 on the thermometer. The horses out back were pawing the ground to try and uncover a bit of green before they got their daily 'flakes'.

Our meter will also be spinning with the addition of 5 high bay light fixtures, compliments of our neighbor. Jim rewired them and installed 4 in the garage and the last one over my cutting table in the sewing room. It's a dream come true - 6, T8's at ceiling height. I have never had light like that. Jim, you're the greatest.