 November 27, 2008, at 8:46 pm 
Unfortunately our trip to Cleveland for Thanksgiving this year was canceled due to a panicky dog and an injured husband. But, that meant that we got to make Thanksgiving dinner at home for the first time ever! Over the weekend we caught a bit of the Food Network Thanksgiving specials, and they talked a bit about brining the turkey. I was intrigued, and when I found out that we would be making turkey at home this year I decided I had to try a brine.
I went to foodtv.com and looked for a brine recipe, and found this video of Tyler Florence brining a turkey. The recipe was not written out so I guessed on most of the seasonings, but I think I did okay. Last night at midnight I put the brine together and lowered in the twelve pound turkey, which with the three gallons of water filled my 20-quart stock pot almost to the brim. We maneuvered the pot into the fridge (it took three attempts) and let the turkey soak for twelve hours. When we pulled the pot out and opened the lid at noon today, the brine had turned a rosy color that matched the color of the kosher sea salt. We then stuffed and roasted the turkey at 325 degrees for what turned out to only be 3 1/2 hours, and wow it was yummy!
November 18, 2008, at 3:06 pm 
What is it about pie that makes everything feel a little bit better? This time of year more than any other, a warm fire, a warm mug of mulled cider and a big piece of pie can really make an evening. Pumpkin, pecan and apple are my favorites for fall, I also love cherry and strawberry-rhubarb, especially in the summer.
I went to the market this morning to buy a bakery pie. I had just found out that my bathroom wall was quite possibly rotten and unstable under the seemingly solid tile, and that we’d have to go for a couple of weeks showering in our downstairs neighbor’s spare bathroom in the basement, so I was in definite need of pie. I pulled into the parking lot and found myself behind a man who had stopped in front of an open spot. He had enough room to back up and take the spot, but instead he decided to give me the finger, and then pull forward and around the corner to park elsewhere. I parked and went inside, but I watched the man through the window to make sure he didn’t key my car. This was a man that clearly does not have enough pie in his life. Maybe a nice slice of sweet potato pie would have kept him from giving the finger to a complete stranger waiting patiently for him to park his car. Or maybe he needed some chocolate cream pie. In any case, I now have both pumpkin and cherry pie on my kitchen counter to soothe whatever the day has to offer. Go ahead life, bring it on!
November 17, 2008, at 3:51 pm 
This morning I went out and bought a book.
I drove out to the Barnes and Noble at The Galleria with the intention of buying the book Light: Science and Magic, which provides instruction in lighting for photography. I’d checked online and I knew they had it in stock. I found my book, but stayed to browse some of the other photography books on the shelves, and my mood started to change. I became very contemplative and present in the book browsing, lost in the pictures and the book synopses. This has happened to me before – it’s why I like going to bookstores, actually – and so felt as if I was digging into a big bowl of homemade macaroni and cheese; comforting and fulfilling at the same time. After some time I found the book A Year of Mornings. This book of photography came out of a blog project where the two women author-photographers, both living in cities named Portland but on opposite sides of the country, each took one picture every weekday morning for a year. When viewed together the pictures often seemed to complement each other, as if there was some connection between them even though the women did not discuss the pictures before shooting them. Sometimes the colors seemed to go together, and on some mornings they each took a picture of the same items. I was also struck by the beauty of such simple items, a cup of coffee or half-eaten grapefruit, a flower in a vase or an unmade bed. Looking at the pictures reminded me that to find beauty in the everyday I must be present in the moment and open to the possibilities.
Somehow this time of year I always come upon this realization. Sometimes it’s through the beauty of the first snow, or a something that happens in my yoga practice. Sometimes it just comes out of the rush that is the holiday season; the visiting of family and friends, the bustling of shopping, decorating and baking, and this strange need to feel jolly in what is ultimately the darkest time of the year. This time of year always makes me feel like I need to slow down, and being present is my way of slowing things down. This year the feeling has taken me a bit by surprise as I haven’t been working, and thus in theory I shouldn’t feel so rushed. But still, I’ve needed the reminder, to remember to get on my yoga mat, to enjoy my breakfast and my brisk walk each morning with Cooper. To notice the little things, like the way Storm joins me in the bathroom each morning with a purr, and the way the sun fills the living room on clear winter days. As the year comes to an end I need to make the most of my time off from work as I’m sure the new year will bring with it a new job that will take up most of my time, and I will have to work harder to find the good stuff.
So I left the bookstore without the book I planned to purchase, but with my own copy of A Year of Mornings and a nice dose of inspiration. I’ve been trying to take at least one “keeper” picture each day in preparation for a 365 project on flickr that I was planning to start formally in 2009. I’ve had a block with my photography as I feel like I have nothing interesting to say or shoot, that I need a theme outside of myself to make things interesting for others. But I’ve been reminded of a purpose – find something each day that interests or inspires me, or that tells a story. Simple, right? Well, it probably won’t be, as I know from others who’ve gone down the path. But I know it will be worth the effort.
Addendum: A Year of Evenings is currently in progress at the 3191 blog. The pics are beautiful!
November 14, 2008, at 4:04 pm 
This past Tuesday was the one year anniversary for this blog, and it sure has changed in one year, as have I. I’ve managed to get the post count up, and I hope work up to posting almost every day.
I wanted to take this opportunity to mention some of the other things I’ve been up to lately. Since I got my new DSLR I’ve been posting new pictures on flickr almost every day. I’ve finished my first photography class and am looking forward to getting the negatives scanned and posted, and to starting my second class this winter. The bikes are in for the winter but I’ll be trying out some spin classes in my area, so I might have a bit to report on that. Jim’s been painting, and you can see his stuff in his flickrstream.
November is the cloudiest month here in Minneapolis, and with the short days it feels as if we go from night to gloomy gray skies and back to night over and over without any real daylight at all. December has the shortest days but at least it’s a bit sunnier. So I’ll be looking for indoor activities to blog about, at least between now and Thanksgiving. Thanks for visiting and stay tuned!
November 10, 2008, at 6:18 pm Puppy-cam. It’s cute, and addicting. They’re shiba inu puppies and they are really adorable. As I write this they are sleeping in their crate, in a big puppy pile. Too cute for words. I can’t look away.
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