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Monthly Archives: October 2011

Creative endeavors – October 10, 2011

10 Oct

I don’t know if other writers do this or not, but every year on October 10, I mark what I consider my writer’s anniversary.

I think I started writing in about the fifth grade, but the date for my anniversary comes from a story I started in middle school. The story remains (shocking!) unfinished and (sadly) had a weird kind of Sweet Valley High feel to it. It’s probably best that it stays unfinished. We’re all better for it.

So, in celebration of the aforementioned somewhat arbitrary anniversary, October is when I settle back in to writing. I suppose this is a bit of a continuation of yesterday’s “reconnection” theme. Summer is distracting. Words come easier to me once autumn arrives.

But that’s not the only creative pursuit that re-ignites in the fall. A fair few of my fellow knitters are taking up their sticks to make something warm and cozy for the coming winter. All the budding chefs are making stews and chilis and hearty soups. The brewers, bless their hearts, are going darker as we move ever so slowly out of fresh hops season.

At least I hope they are. Yeah, you know who you are. I’m talking to you. Consider this a special request. Something spicy but malty, dark enough that I can’t see through the glass. Or forgo the spice notes and make it smooth and chocolatey. See? I’m not hard to please.

Anyway, back to writing. I know I’ve mentioned this in the past, but it’s something I think is quirky and auspicious: I share a birthday with Mary Shelley. She’s slightly older.

While on holiday one year near Lake Geneva, Switzerland, Mary took up the challenge to write a ghost story. Forced inside by a rainy summer, Mary and her holiday companions (Lord Byron, Percy Blythe Shelley and Byron’s physician, John Polidori) had passed the time reading from a book of German ghost stories. From that little congress, we got both Mary’s Frankenstein and Polidori’s The Vampyre, widely recognized as the precursor to Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

I’ve been to Switzerland. I didn’t write a damn thing while I was there. Of course, I was there in August and, try as I might, I hardly ever write anything worthwhile in August.

But Mary did. She spent the better part of a year (pardon the term) fleshing out her story. Frankenstein was published anonymously in January of 1818. The French 1823 version was the first to carry Mary’s name. Scholars have in turn referred to it as Gothic, Romantic and, in Brian Aldiss’ case, the first real instance of science fiction.

Frankenstein had outlived Mary by 160 years and has spawned pop culture references too numerous to mention here.

But, since you asked, I’ll give you this:

 
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Posted by on October 10, 2011 in October 2011

 

Reconnecting – October 9, 2011

09 Oct

I went to a Tweet-and-Meet tonight. Seemed a fitting activity for October.

We all kind of wander off for the summer, hiking in the mountains, traveling to sunnier climes, doing summery things. I think this stems from all those summers off from school in our formative years.

But once fall hits, we start to settle down. And when the weather turns, usually October-ish, we look to reconnect with those we’ve left behind in our quest for all things summer.

So, here we are. And it’s time to reconnect.

I had the opportunity to reconnect with someone yesterday that I haven’t seen in at least fifteen years. My, how we’ve both changed. It’s amazing to look back at that time so long ago and realize how far we’ve come. And she reminded me that I carved pumpkins at her parents’ house during the October during which the first round of October Thoughts were hatched. Strange world, this.

So, here’s your homework, October friends: reconnect. Reconnect with family, with friends, with who you are. Yes, that’s the tiniest bit existential, but that’s how I roll once October dawns.

 
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Posted by on October 9, 2011 in October 2011, Uncategorized

 

What music they make – October 8, 2011

08 Oct

“Listen to them – children of the night. What music they make!”  Bram Stoker’s Dracula, 1897

No, we’re not talking about Bram’s book yet. We’ll get there. It’s just a little early. We already jumped ahead (ha!) with Ichabod and the Headless Horseman. We’ve got a whole month to fill.

We’re looking at the music of October.

For a very, very long time, my entire October soundtrack existed of one cd – Concrete Blonde’s Bloodletting. It has virtually nothing to do with October aside from the Vampire Song. Even that track doesn’t really say anything about October. But, until recently, we associated vampires with Halloween because they’re scary (those that don’t sparkle).

Over the years, I’ve expanded my October soundtracking bit by bit. A song here, a song there. An entire Van Morrison album.

Which, of course, brings us to Moondance, lyrics by Van Morrison, posted here without permission but with a link to a place to purchase the actual song to add to your collection:

Well, it’s a marvelous night for a moondance
With the stars up above in your eyes
A fantabulous night to make romance
‘Neath the cover of October skies

And all the leaves on the trees are fallin’
To the sound of the breezes that blow
An’ I’m trying to please to the callin’
Of your heart strings that play soft and low

And all the nights magic seems to whisper and hush
And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush
Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love?
Can I just make some more romance with you, my love?

Well, I wanna make love to you tonight
I can’t wait ’til the morning has come
And I know now the time is just right
And straight in to my arms you will run

And when you come, my heart will be waiting
To make sure that you’re never alone
There and then, all my dreams will come true, dear
There and then, I will make you my own
[From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/v/van-morrison-lyrics/moondance-lyrics.html ]

And every time I touch you, you just tremble inside
And I know how much you want me that you can’t hide
Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love?
Can I just make some more romance with you, my love?

Well, it’s a marvelous night for a moondance
With the stars up above in your eyes
A fantabulous night to make romance
‘Neath the cover of October skies

And all the leaves on the trees are falling
To the sound of the breezes that blow
And I’m trying to please to the calling
Of your heart strings that play soft and low

And all the nights magic seems to whisper and hush
And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush
Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love?
Can I just make some more romance with you, my love?

One more moon dance with you
In the moon light, on a magic night
All the moon light, on a magic night
Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love?

Yeah, that’s October.

 
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Posted by on October 8, 2011 in October 2011

 

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Apples to apples – October 7, 2011

06 Oct

If we’re going to talk about apples, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the passing of Steve Jobs.

An artist in his own right, his medium was technology. Not just technology, but beauty in technology, design and functionality.

I had my first glimpse of Pagemaker on an Apple IIe, eventually graduated to a used Powerbook 520 (sadly, lost in a burglary some years back), and then to the second generation iMac in that distinctive Bondi blue. Mac is where my heart has made its home. This blog comes to you from a very, very heavily used MacBook that I wouldn’t part with for all the tea in China. Unless someone offered me a MacBook Air for it. Even I have a price.

Scream at corporate America all you want, but Steve Jobs and the other visionaries at Apple have made the world, if not a better place, certainly a more beautiful place. Rest in peace, Steve.

Okay, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Fall, specifically October, is for apples. Apple cider (which we’ve already covered), apple cake, apple pie. Bobbing for apples. Apples, apples, apples.

When I was little, I think I got a little bored with apples. There are only so many you can eat, right? As it turns out, I think maybe I was just eating the wrong apples. I thought they should all be little red apples, very sweet Red Delicious apples.

No, young Kristen. You were very, very wrong.

Red and Golden Delicious fell by the wayside as I grew older. I found Granny Smiths, those lovely bright green apples that sometimes bite back a little. And Galas and Gravensteins with their wild red and yellow coloring. And more recently, Honeycrisp. Ahh, Honeycrisp, how beautiful you are. How did I ever live without you?

Wikipedia tells me there are over 7,500 known apple cultivars. Thankfully, Wiki did not then go on to list them all or we’d be spending several days just talking about that. However, from the list they do offer, we can safely say that most apple species thrive only in the Northern Hemisphere. That’s another of those things that I think is really interesting, though I couldn’t tell you exactly why.

Thus we have arrived at the point in October where I tell you that you never have to eat commercially made applesauce ever, ever again. Because apple sauce is easy. I can’t make a decent apple pie to save my life, but I can make applesauce like nobody’s business. And you can, too.

Get yourself some apples. Get two or three different varieties. Get some sweet and some tart. Peel them, core them and chop them into little pieces. Inch cubes, half inch cubes, whatever.

Now, this is where the two roads in the wood diverge.

You can do this on the stovetop, but it takes longer and means you have to watch to make sure the apples don’t scorch. Get a big heavy pot. Dump your chopped-up apples into it and turn it on low. Cook. Stir. Cook. Stir. Cook. Stir. If you want drier applesauce, leave the lid off. No, you don’t need to add anything, but if you’re nervous about your ability to stir and keep it from scorching, pour in a little apple cider. You’re still going to have to watch it, but a little liquid will give you a few extra minutes so you can spend more time talking on your smartyphone or chasing your toddler or whatever. Cook the whole mess until the apples are soft. You can use a potato masher or a ricer or an immersion blender to make a smoother applesauce, or you can run it through a food processor. Totally up to you. This is not rocket science.

You can also do the same thing in the microwave. Dump your apples into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for five minutes. Stir. Zap it for another five. Stir. Reduce your zapping time to three minutes and repeat the process until your apples are soft. No need to add any liquid, the microwaving process will squeeze out a little juice along the way.

The apples will come out a funny tan color. You can add a few drops of lemon juice in the beginning if you want and that might brighten up the color a bit. I haven’t tried that, but it works for guacamole so give it a shot if you don’t like tan apples.

You can also add a little cinnamon toward the end of the cooking process to liven up the flavor. Since you didn’t add sugar (why would you?), you’ll have applesauce that actually tastes like apples. Novel, I know. When my grandmother made this, she would add Red Hot candies (also known as Cinnamon Imperials) in the beginning. With those, you get both a little kick from the candy as well as a lovely reddish pink final product.

If you want to take it one more step toward greatness, get yourself a little granola, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some caramel sauce and – viola! – white trash apple crisp. You’re welcome.

 
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Posted by on October 6, 2011 in October 2011

 

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Turn it up to eleven – October 6, 2011

06 Oct

There comes a point about this time every year when people start combining words in clever and often irritating ways.

Thus comes Rocktober.

ROCKTOBER!!!!! RAWWRRRRRR!

Somewhere, years ago, some DJ, probably at an AOR station somewhere in middle America, launched this at us from his DJ booth right before putting on a Led Zeppelin lp and wandering out for a smoke. I wish I knew who that guy was. And I sincerely hope he found a job selling cars or insurance or something  because, the older I get, the more irritating ROCKTOBER!!! gets.

But something else has happened more recently. Libraries have given us Booktober. Knitters have taken up Socktober. And, God help us, Crock-Pot has given us Crocktober.

Honestly, it makes my head spin.

So that’s it, today’s October Thought for the Day is ROCKTOBER!!!!! It’s coming for you.

 
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Posted by on October 6, 2011 in October 2011

 

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Cider house rules – October 5, 2011

04 Oct

I write about cider every year. If nothing else, I’m consistent.

I love cider. Regular apple cider fresh from the press or hard cider straight from the tap, I’ll take either. They taste like fall to me.

I grew up drinking apple juice. I like the usual suspects, the Treetops of the world in all their various forms, but if there’s one of those little round bottles of Martinelli’s, I’ll reach for it first.

But I digress. This is not about juice. This is about cider.

The best cider is always one that’s fresh, one that’s local. If you’re local to Portland and can make a trip to the Portland Farmer’s Market, I’d suggest giving Draper Girl’s Country Farm a try. They make a variety of unpasteurized ciders including a pear one that’s fantastic. Unfortunately, being unpasteurized, their ciders need to be consumed almost immediately so if you’re looking to stock up for the winter, this is not the way to go. This is a nice treat to drink while you’re in line for a Pine State Biscuit.

Another local, fresh cider of note is the apple cider produced on site at Bauman Farms.  Sadly, we’ve missed this year’s pumpkin drop already. I’m not sure how that got by me. Put it on the calendar for next year. Regardless, they have fantastic cider, pressed and bottled on site, as well as fresh cider donuts. Because what you need to accompany some sweet, cold cider is a sweet, warm donut.

Now here’s where it gets a little crazy: the boozy adult ciders out there are getting better and better. Raise your hand if you remember when Hornsby’s was the only one that was readily available. I remember. And it was okay, mostly because it was the only thing out there.

It’s getting better, kids. In May, Portland hosted its first cider festival, the Cider Summit. I’m still kicking myself that I didn’t go. Next year, I won’t be making the same mistake.

In the meantime, I can take comfort knowing that Portland also has a cider bar. Yes, a cider bar. Bushwacker Cider at 12th and Powell offers, according to its website,”inventive House Ciders, 7 Ciders on Draft, 130+ ciders in bottle, darts and pointless conversation.” That’s all sorts of things I like. How have I not been there yet? Seems October is the perfect time to go.

One last cider to offer and then we’re done for the day. I was communing with a branch of the Timbers Army at Bottles during our most recent match and came across an offering from Tieton Cider Works in one of the coolers there. It was their apricot cider, crisp and dry and sparkly. It tasted like that last bit of summer sun fading into harvest season. Absolutely lovely. If you’re in the area or if you have a favorite bar that can get it for you, it’s well worth it. They also have some of their ciders ready to ship from the Tieton website, but the apricot isn’t available there as the end of apricot season has passed us by.

Those of you not in the Portland area, go out and find your own local cider makers. If you’ve got fruit trees within a 200 mile radius of where you are, there’s a good chance there’s a little mom and pop operation nearby just waiting to pour you a glass or two.

So, there you go. Today’s October Thought: ciders for any palate. Go get ’em.

 
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Posted by on October 4, 2011 in October 2011

 

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I seem to have lost my head – October 4, 2011

04 Oct

Okay, so we’re barely into October and already pop culture is making Headless Horseman references. We’re turning creepy early this year. I feel unprepared for it, but if it’s going to happen, we may as well play along.

I made an attempt last year to actually read Washington Irving’s “Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” I failed. It’s not an epic story, it’s a short story that’s been included in any number of anthologies and has been read by perhaps millions of people. There’s really no reason why I can’t get through it.

Except that Washington Irving isn’t a particularly good writer. Edgar Allen Poe is known to have referred to Irving as “overrated.”

I suppose part of my difficulty with “Sleepy Hollow” is that there are so many versions of the story on film. I think I’ve seen (or suffered through) 90% of them.

I grew up watching the animated version, narrated by Bing Crosby. I remember laying on the floor in front of the tv at my friend Holly’s house when I was maybe seven or eight, watching through my fingers. How was it so scary then? It was animated. It bore no resemblance to the actual world outside. But I was scared.

There’s also a 1980 made for tv version starring Jeff Goldblum as Ichabod Crane and Dick Butkus as Brom Bones. If ever there was an instance of perfect casting, this is it. I haven’t seen it for a decade or more so if anyone has a copy of it, speak up. Amazon has it, but it’s only available on VHS. How is that even possible? And it’s not even cheap.

There have been a few other projects based loosely on the story (Sleepy Hollow High, anyone?), but your best bet for something watchable is Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow. What it lacks in faithfulness to Irving’s original story, it makes up for in art direction. It’s just a really good looking movie. The costumes are beautiful. The horses are gorgeous (though poorly groomed). It’s just scary enough to not be stupid and not so scary that you can’t watch it with your pre-teen kids if they’re not too skittish. If TVGuide.com is to be trusted, it won’t be airing anytime in the next two weeks, but I expect it to air daily for the following two weeks. Otherwise, the widescreen version is on Amazon for about $12.  Yes, widescreen. If you’re not watching widescreen, you’re messing with the artistic vision of the filmmaker. Don’t make me lecture you.

Also, the short story is available for your Kindle for free, also from Amazon. Give it a shot. Maybe you’ll get farther than I did.

 
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Posted by on October 4, 2011 in October 2011, Uncategorized

 

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Goin’ courtin’ – October 3, 2011

02 Oct

Okay, sometimes I’m a bit of a dork. Yes, I said “sometimes.” And sometimes the October Thought might not feel particularly October-y. You get what you pay for.

The first Monday in October is special in our system of government. The first Monday in October is when the Supreme Court convenes.

<<Insert witty Writ of Certiorari joke here.>>

<<Wait. Is there such a thing?>>

The Court is set to hear cases on any number of controversial issues this year. This is not anything new. The Court hears controversial cases every year. We may not always agree with the Court’s decisions but I, for one, am glad she’s there.

The Court is not perfect. She’s made mistakes in the past that took decades to correct. But she’s right more times than she’s not. And more often than that, she’s forgotten: the red-headed stepchild of democracy.

We spend a lot of time talking about the presidency, a position that may be filled by one person by four or maybe eight years. And we spend a lot of time talking about our senators and representatives who average twelve and nine years respectively. But a Supreme Court Justice? They serve for life. There are two sitting justices who’ve served more than two decades apiece, in addition to time spent in lower courts. Coincidentally, those two justices were confirmed unanimously by the Senate, something that can’t be said about any of the other current members of the court. I’m not sure why I find that interesting, but I do. Probably because I’m a dork.

 

 
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Posted by on October 2, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

The first joy of October – October 2, 2011

01 Oct

I’m cold. It was 80-something degrees three or four days ago but now I’m freezing.

Happy October.

I had the opportunity tonight to volunteer at the local chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night event. About 4,000 people signed up to walk the two-mile route along the Willamette River carrying with them lighted balloons and a message of hope despite the sputtering rain and chilly temperatures. I’m glad I went and thankful to Jim who mentioned it in the first place.

So, in turn, I have both the Light the Night folks and Jim for forcing me to experience one of the first joys of October: wool socks.

Yes. On the very first day of October. Usually, the slide from barefoot and/or sandals to wool socks and boots takes a little longer. I figure the average is sometime around the 20th. No such luck this year. I wore sandals this morning to the kickoff of a local mayoral campaign and thought my toes were going to freeze off.

There’s nothing quite as comforting as new wool socks. Warm, smooshy, lovely wool socks. They’re like little hugs for your feet.

I’m a big fan of the Wigwam Light Merino Hiker. Pretty much anything from Wigwam is going to be phenomenal. And warm. They’re from Sheboygan, for crying out loud.

Fox River also makes a really super hiking sock.  And yes, I know $15 is a lot for a pair of socks but trust me on this: a good pair of wool socks when properly cared for will last you for years. Unless you live in my house in which case they will last you until you put them in the washer and they disappear forever. Fox River, by the way, is based in Osage, Iowa. I’m convinced that pretty much any sock that comes from a company based in the upper Midwest is going to treat you right.

The ones I picked up today are some sort of store brand (“Great Outdoors” or something) from Fred Meyer. They feel surprisingly similar to the Fox River hikers, but at about half the price. And they come in some fun colors, which is a bonus.

So, there you have it: the October Thought for the Day for October 2, 2011, is a nice new pair of wool socks. Apologies to those of you who are still hanging onto the tail end of summer.

 

And no, I get no free promotional socks. Not that I wouldn’t take them, they just haven’t been offered up yet. Who turns down free socks? Not me. I’m looking at you, Fox River and Wigwam.

 
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Posted by on October 1, 2011 in October 2011

 

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