Update

I got my stitches out yesterday, and found out that the funky stitching was not the work of a poorly trained resident but was rather the complicated "trauma stitch." They're supposed to be easier to remove, but it hurt like heck. Oh well, they're out now. I get two more weeks with the rods, then the doctor will decide whether to move to a cast or a walking boot. I've heard nasty things about walking boots. I already have pain in my knee and hip from compensating for the injured foot, and I can't imagine a boot will help much. Input? Suggestions?

Today was another lazy day. Right now I'm not-really-watching the news and finishing off a pint of gelato brought to me by a generous friend. Dark chocolate and lavender-honey. I normally don't like flower-flavored food, but this is divine. It doesn't taste like soap or air freshener, just a subtle fresh flavor that happens to balance out the dark chocolate perfectly. If you're local, this can be found at Dolcetti in the Avenues. I assume they'd carry the same flavors at the 9th & 9th location.

Shatner Love

I'm listening to this album after a long hiatus, and it's just pure genius. From the shockingly vulnerable "What Have You Done?" to the goofy "I Can't Get Behind That" and the honesty of "Real," it's just an amazing album. A friend couldn't get past the fact that it's Captain Kirk, which is a shame, because it goes so far beyond that. I love this part from the end of the title track:

"Has been" implies failure - not so

"Has been" is history

"Has been" . . . was

"Has been" . . . might again

I want this room

One of my favorite blogs is SouleMama, written by Amanda Soule. Her family recently bought a 100-year-old farmhouse in Maine, and she's been posting their renovations and move-in progress. I've been drooling over each room, with the wide-plank floors and the funky angles and nooks upstairs, and all the gorgeous light through the windows. But the library tops it all. It's officially the dining room, but really, how often do you use a formal dining room?

I have always wanted a library, a quiet place full of books and a comfortable chair and good light and lots of pillows. A place to snuggle up in winter with a good book and a cup of tea. As Atticus gets older I'll want to add art supplies and such, like she did here. Or maybe he'll get his own art room, and the library will be mine. We'll see.

When I mentally renovate the house I'm currently coveting, the dining room looks a lot like this, except it will also be used as a dining room. And it's about half the size. Oh well. You have to start somewhere, right?

See more photos here.

A New Look

I've been thinking lately that I want a new look. Something classy and a little more tailored, but not so much that I have to start wearing a girdle. I'm thinking vintage and romantic and feminine. Kind of along these lines:

With this dress:

And a fitted cardigan (not the baggy ones I usually wear):

And (gasp!) a little bit of a heel:

Honestly, I'll probably end up looking more like this:

But in my mind I'll look like this:

And how fantastic is this dress?? (The jacket is actually attached--it's all one piece.)

What do you think? Can I pull it off?

Chicken fest

A couple Saturdays ago was the Wasatch Gardens Tour de Coops, a self-guided tour through a whole slew of backyard chicken coops. The chickens were gorgeous and looked happy. More impressive, though, were the gardens. Only a few properties had large back yards; most were smaller than your typical suburban plot. But all were full of vegetables and herbs and flowers. Only one had a nice lawn in the back, and that's because they planted their garden on top of their garage.

I would have taken more garden photos, but I was trying to keep Atticus from trampling the garden or falling off the roof. I wanted to get a photo of Atty with a chicken, but he wouldn't get close to them, even when they were caged. He'd stand far back, point, and say "cheek-en."

This coop used to be a sleeper cab for a semi truck. Now chickens sleep here.

This same property kept bees. Several properties we visited kept bees. I guess if you have a large garden, it just makes sense. And it fits with the urban-hippie vibe.

This was the most decorative coop we saw. The sleeper cab is just to the right. It was at this farm that I met Sharon, an enthusiastic hippie chick with hairy armpits who runs the garden (doesn't own the property or chickens). She actually has several gardens in other people's back yards and sells the produce at local farmers' markets. And it just so happened that she was starting up a CSA. Most CSAs require that you pay back in March or April, so they have start-up money for seeds etc. And I had decided not to go with our regular CSA for various reasons. But when she told me that she specializes in greens and beans, I was hooked. Plus she's planted 20 varieties of tomatoes. And herbs. AND she delivers. How can you beat that??

All in all, I was very inspired by what I saw. I saw that I don't have to have half an acre or more to have the little farm of my dreams. Not to say that I wouldn't enjoy a larger plot (dairy goats would need more room), but it's good to see that it's not required.

If I ever have a daughter, I'm totally making this dress for her

You can buy it here.

Possibly the coolest cover art ever

I like lots of music, but Neko Case is consistently fabulous. Her new album is no exception, and it only improves on multiple listenings. Like all of her music, it is best listened to over and over again on headphones. Or live, of course. She was Atty's first concert when she was here last summer, and the time before that I was at the front of the stage, literally staring up her nose. She is coming again in May as part of the Red Butte Concert Series, but of course it's on a Sunday. Maybe I'll have to make do with some good headphones and the volume up high.

I love getting stuff in the mail

After missing out on a really cool ornament swap, I joined SwapBot, an online center for all kinds of crafty swappage. And yesterday I got two packages in the mail that made my heart flutter. One was leftover (unused) Christmas cards, and the other was a package of "blues buster" goodies meant to alleve post-holiday letdown. My giver had read my profile well and picked things she thought I'd like.

Today I'm sending off my leftover Christmas cards, plus a blues-buster package to a woman in Kansas, a chocolate bar to a woman in Seattle, and a small planner to a guy in Nevada. Last month I sent handmade bookmarks to a woman in Germany. Once I get those mailed off I can sign up for the button swap I've been watching. (You can only have 5 active swaps at a time.)

Getting all this fun mail has made me want to start writing letters again. I'm all for instant communication, but there's something romantic about a handwritten letter received in the mail.

"...brown paper packages tied up with string..."

These are a few of my favorite things. Obviously not my VERY favorite, like my family and faith and country, but more like a few items I've come to love enough to want to tell you about them. If I were Oprah I'd send you each a gift basket of these things, but I'm not Oprah. Sorry. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Songs for Christmas by Sufjan Stevens. His version of "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" just makes me happy. (The bells toward the end make it Christmasy...) I'm also very fond of "Sister Winter." I have yet to buy the whole album, so there are probably other favorites waiting to be discovered.

2. 100 percent cotton 800-thread-count sheets. It's like a little present to myself every time I put them on our bed. They are heavy and silky and drape like a dream, and will probably last forever. It was a bit of an indulgence, but I found a great deal online and haven't regretted it once. The only drawback is that they wrinkle like the dickens when washed and are impossible to iron, so I have them dry cleaned. Needless to say, I have only one set and rotate it with our regular sheets, but that makes it that much nicer when they are on the bed.

3. "Excite" personal lubricant. Oh my, it works. I will say no more.

4. Hershey's chocolate truffle kisses. They're dark chocolate kisses with a truffle filling. I've been disappointed by some of the other limited-edition Kisses (cherry cordial and candy corn being the most stomach-churning), but these are fantastic.

5. The MoTab/Sissel version of "Angels from the Realms of Glory" (available here). Best listened to on headphones, with the volume as high as you can tolerate. Absolutely thrilling.

That's it for now. What are some of your favorite things?

I'm hyperventilating

Holy cow, I need this:
I would pretend it was for Atty, and maybe, just maybe, I'd let him play with it someday, but it would totally be for me. It comes with everything shown, and it can be taken apart and reassembled different ways. And the pulleys actually work. I think I'm in love...

The view from my window

I really love this view for some reason. Ever since Paris I have a thing for rooftops. If I could paint, I'd paint this view, complete with window frame and TV antenna.

Apricot Curd

OH ... MY ... GOODNESS ... this is tasty stuff.

I love lemon curd, but I'd never heard of apricot curd until Lena mentioned it on Saturday. She gave me the recipe (see below), and I finally got around to making it today, and I'm floored by the results. I was a little skeptical, since it sounds like apricot jam with eggs in it, which doesn't sound tasty at all. But it's amazing how creamy and pudding-like the warm results are, how rich and flavorful. I assume it will be a little firmer than pudding once it cools. Honestly, it tastes like lemon curd with apricot mixed in rather than the other way around. I'm not complaining--I love lemon curd, and this version is just a bit sweeter and more complex.

Oh, and a note to Salt Lakers, Mary Boyer still has tons of apricots, if anyone wants to try this recipe.

8 oz fresh apricots

grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

1½ oz (2½ Tbsp) butter, diced

8 oz* superfine sugar (I used regular)

2 eggs, beaten

Wash the fruit and put into a pan with very little water and cook until soft. Push the mixture through a sieve into a heatproof bowl and stir in the sugar, lemon zest and juice and the butter. Place the bowl over a pan of hot (not boiling) water and cook, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the eggs and continue to cook until thick. Pour into warm, sterilised jars and cover with waxed discs and lids or cellophane covers. Store in a cool place.

*Note that this is 8 oz by weight, not volume. I expected it to be one cup, but it was considerably more than that, closer to two cups. I thought it seemed like too much sugar, so I used only 6-7 oz, and my curd is a little tart.

Any canning experts out there want to suggest processing times for longer-term storage? I'd love to give this away as Christmas gifts, but I'm a bit wary of leaving it unsealed that long. (I think modern standards even rule out the parafin seal for jams and such.)

Next time I think I'll reduce the lemon and increase the apricots. I wonder how many other fruits are curd-able?

Stuff White People Like

Check out this blog for a good laugh at yourself. It's frighteningly on-target.

And Yet More Birds

I stumbled across this beauty here. It's screenprinted, but it would also be cool as a papercut in a frame. Actually, all of their patterns are papercut-y. The frustrating thing is the website doesn't say anything about where you can buy them or how much they cost, though I'm sure it's more than I'd want to pay. Maybe I need to start thinking more seriously about getting into papercutting.

More Birdies

I totally dig these mobiles. I found them here, and there are more cool designs in both mobiles and jewelry. I don't particularly like their prices, but I love the crisp silhouettes and the not-too-cutesy design.

I've been admiring the intricately cut paper designs on angry chicken and other sites (check out this tutorial, which I found via curbly), and I've been thinking about doing some myself. I know plagiarism is bad, but if I'm not going to sell it, could I get away with copying one for myself? I don't think I want to cut through museum mat board like these, but maybe heavy black paper matted and framed? Or some other easier-to-cut material stabilized somehow?

I don't think I'm going to start on these anytime soon, but they're definitely on my list.