Touching Base

a sad ending….

Halloween should not be sad at all. It ended sad for me because someone brutalized my innocent glowing pumpkin with a smiley face. I found it’s lid in my neighbor’s yard and the poor carcus in the gutter two houses down. I took time picking out that lonely pumpkin from a row of other pumpkins the night before Halloween. All lined up, orderly, looking their best waiting for a last minute soul like myself to pick one out of the line up. Taking it home, giving it a good rinse to provide a natural lustre shine. Carving it with gentle care, cleaning out the interior, making the face, and outlining the features to make it stand out. All this care only to find it lying in the gutter, alone and with it’s face ripped out. It didn’t have time for the candle to burn the interior. After all the trick or treaters had left, I went outside to blow out the candle and smell the “burning pumpkin” (this really welcomes winter and the holidays approaching for me). Not just the changing colors of the leaves, the leaves falling but the smell of burning pumpkin on Halloween. My pumpkin was gone, vanished, not fallen over on the table- just gone!!! I was crushed. I took a picture at the end of the night and now I have a before and after picture which I will have to post later on because I accidentally left my camera at work. I could just cry!

so stuffed on Apples and good stuff

Jennifer, Gina and I went to Apple Hill in Folsom, CA today.  I am so sugared out.  We ate so many good things that are actually bad for me (sugar, butter and more sugar).  It can’t get any better than that.

First we walked around a couple of farms.  We went wine tasting at Boa Vista, I bought a bottle of Kandi Apple (sweet wine).  It’s super smooth with the taste of apples.  We indulged in something small and sweet first- Honey Sticks.  Then, we went to Abel Farms and Jennifer and I got an Apple Dumpling with warm Cider Sauce (SO FREAKIN GOOD).  Gina ordered a streussel but was bummed because it was served cold.  :(  We sat and chatted while our tummies rested and window shopped before heading out.

Next we stopped off at Lava Cap Winery but it was so packed in their tasting room that we decided to leave.  We took a quick snap shot outside the bldg by the Lava Cap sign that gave a brief history of the place.  Interesting.

Next we went to Stony Throw winery- tasted some flavored champagnes (Raspberry and Almond) and actually going from a champagne to a sweet apple wine is very odd.  Plus, their apple wine tasted a little too fermented past it’s prime or maybe because it should have been served iced cold instead of almost room termperature- YUCK!.

Our next stop was Jack Russell Brewery.  I really wanted to try their Blueberry Ale but of course that was not part of the samplings.  Since we needed robust and some actual food in our stomachs, we indulged in a BBQ lunch.  We sat on resin tables underneath a huge umbrella.  I failed to mention that the weather was absolutely beautiful and warm.  At least high 70’s, low 80’s.  We watched dogs bark at each other.  We also watched this 40 year old man take a shot out of a toy TREX dinosaur.  He would pour his beer into the TREX’s mouth and then proceed to stand up and be a clown and take the shot.  Basically, he was showing his son how to take a shot out of the TREX.  It was a pitiful sight. We were so stuffed at this point.  Gina even got a beer with her meal and she stated it was hard to get it down. So, we helped her out.  We sat there for a while.  Stood up and did some shopping.  We found the REAL honey sticks.  The other ones that we bought had a lot of coloring and was super sweet.  This was mildly sweet and very translucent with a hint of color to decipher the flavor. 5 for a buck, you can’t go wrong.  Back in the car and on the road again.

The day is not over yet.  The Apple Hill website stated something about Denver Dan’s and their famous Apple Crisp tastings.  With our bellies full, we trekked to the next place and actually rested in the car for about 10 minutes before heading inside.  We sampled some carrot cake and tried the curds and jellies.  I walked out front and grabbed an open table underneath a canopy of trees.  The smell of the apple crisp was so strong and when I turned around, I noticed that Gina was in line to purchase the apple crisp.  While Jennifer was in another line to purchase some lemon curd.  This stuff was so good, it was light like mouse but dense in flavor of lemon.  (Juli would have really enjoyed that but she was stuck in a 4 day job with labor intensive hours or else she would have joined us).  As I sit there, Jennifer comes to the table and shows me her items purchased.  All of a sudden Gina sits down and sets this ginormouse Apple Crisp down in front of us.  She sits down with a huge sigh on her face and says- “You have to help me eat this, I am so stuffed.  We have to try it since they are famous for it”.  Yep, it was so tasty.  It was the mixed berry with blueberries and raspberries and apples.  It had this buttery flaky crispy topping that you can feel the butter coat the roof of your mouth as you eat it.  The filling was not super sweet but you can taste the freshness of the fruit that is in season.  I was so stuffed but every mouthful seemed to glide right down.  MMMMHHHH!

Stuffed again, we sat for a good 30 minutes before getting up out of our chairs and heading out to the last stop……….. HIGH HIll.

The parking lot is packed at this place.  It’s one of the first stops off the freeway so people think that Apple Hill is only about HIGH Hill.  There are at least 50 farms each advertising their own specialty and it started out with only 26 farms.  It’s huge.  So, we walk around up and down hills trying to vigorously work off all those damn calories that we had consumed in just 5 hours.  We passed the pie shop and Jennifer did a big sigh stating “the sour apple pie is soooo gooood”.  We saw the sad ponies walking around in a circle for the kids pony rides.  I saw the pick up area for the hay rides.  Jennifer, Gina and I proceeded to walk into the fudge factory-  Yes, can you believe it.  As soon as I walked in an smelled the sooo very sweet aroma of the chocolate and fudge, I instantly felt sick and had to get the heck out of there.  I seriously felt nauseated.  I probably could have hurled if I looked at a porcelain throne but instead I didn’t want to waste all that $$$$$.  So, I just jetted out of the bldg.  Within 30 seconds, Gina came stumbling out too and looked just as green as me.

We went into the farm area next at High Hill and I bought some flavored pistachio’s (Stocking stuffers for Xmas) and some Chestnuts.  Yep, like the song, “chestnuts roasting on an open fire”.  They are so good.  Pierce it with a skewer and roast it till the oils are warmed and the flavor becomes alive.  Break open the shell and devour the tasty nut.  Soooo goood, reminds me of growing up with my Mom eating Chestnuts on the living room floor around Christmas time. :)  It’s time to go home.  Woo hoo.  I am not looking forward to the 2.5 hour drive home. 

 

I hate it when…

people assume you don’t understand certain circumstances because “I don’t have any kids”….  I can understand to a certain degree yes, but don’t exclude me completely from conversations or give me a certain look/stare/grimace because “I don’t have any children”.

So, what brought this topic on for today?  I am suppose to babysit my nephew and niece on Saturday for up to 4 hours.  While thier Dad and my husband install a sliding glass door while the GC works on the cabinets in our kitchen.  Watching one toddler of the age of 3 is one thing but to watch a 5 year old at the same time can get tricky.  I have watched these kids before in the past (together) and there was an incident where the situation got out of control due to a sharing issue.  So, I want to take them to the park so they can utilize their excess energy on the playground.  Or I can take them to see a kiddie movie.  When the public scene happened because my neice and nephew were trying to share with a boy that didn’t want to share turned into an ugly scene.  The parent of this boy asked if these kids were mine because they didn’t look me.  First of all, does that matter- No, because I am watching over them, right?  Secondly, she told me that I was not being a responsible guardian because I couldn’t control these children.  So, I hate it when people assume I can’t tackle the situation because I don’t have kids and that these kids are not mine.  Can you see my point?  UUUUUGGGGGHHHH!

Being on time…. why sooooo difficult?

Why is it so difficult for contractors to be on time?  Especially if it’s a payday for them.  I don’t get it.  I schedule the service, they confirm the time to be at my home.  The following day, they are an hour late.  I asked why they are late….., even though the contractor had toothpaste around the rim of his mouth and hadn’t combed his hair yet. 

 I could just scream sometimes. 

 End Result…. I am an hour late to work.  Doh!

last bit of salsa…..

Homemade salsa with our garden fresh tomatos.  This next week of sunshine will bloom the last of the flowers into tomatos and this will be our last batch of salsa.  I am so sad :(  Another season gone by, another year coming to the close.  Which means the holidays are right around the corner- YIKES

man I am getting old…..

These past 2 nights I have been going to bed between 8-9 pm and sleeping until 6 am.  I am so exhausted towards the end of the night. 

Also, if I sit for a long time…. when I tried to stand, it’s almost as if my knees are arthritic, they creak and pop when I stand up.

GEEZ!

not dressed up…

So, I picked up Gina at 11:20 am and then picked up Juli and soon we were off to the Renn Faire in Folsom.
We walked around- it’s been at least 11 years since I went to the Black Forest one (now closed down). Casa De Fruta is the one to attend in Hollister. But it’s during the heat of summer- no thanks. The next best one is in Fair Oaks in June. Yes, it’s hot in the middle of June in Fair Oaks but this Faire is completely covered underneath a canopy of oak trees. Maybe I will go to that one with Juli next year if I can remember
So, we journey through the villages, window shop, watch those adorned in their costume (some fully beaded, most handsewn, some stitching was insane (so skilled), we played odd games and won dragon tears and such. Juli, Gina and I enjoy the mead wine. Gina and I had the wildflower while Juli had a blackberry one. Instead of making traditional wine with grapes, mead is made from honey. It’s a different flavor but you have to enjoy honey.
It’s time to eat and the food court smells familiar yet it looks like an ancient market. Cash only and I merely don’t have any. Gina has this huge craving for a giant turkey leg. It’s literally a giant turkey leg!!!!!!!!!!! It’s $7.00. Gina has her own and it was a feat to eat. Juli and I shared one. It was hot, succulent and reminded me of being a barbarian, pulling the flesh with my mouth and without utinsils. Actually, that is what I had envisioned but instead, we borrowed a fellow’s knife and cut huge chucks (since we were sharing). It has this smokey richness to it. YUM!
We continue to walk around, I bought some of these patented piano wire hair barrettes that have adornements on them and that bend in a peculiar way. Really cool!! So, Juli bought me one (early Xmas gift), while I bought my Mom and a couple of my Aunts one. Check out this site for the flexible beaded barrette (www.flexi8.com). I really like them.
There were jugglers there. Some put on a show while this one guy that Juli mentioned she has met at one of the Damento get togethers, she states he is really good. Yes, he can juggle 7 and 8 balls, he’s really good at 1-4 contact juggling and diabolo. He was strutting his stuff in various locations at the faire.
This group of renn faire goers really made the atmosphere feel like ancient times, the costumes, their villages/tents, the food they prepared and how they prepared them (cast iron burners (while being hunched over and cooking with wooden utinsils). It was a different mood and I enjoyed it.
Before we left the Renn Faire we attended the Jousting event at 3:45 pm. It was fun, not totally exciting but I know Juli enjoyed the horses. She even got to pet 2 out of 3 of them when the jousting was over. Our team one of course, the riders name was Stanton and his horse Billy. We won by one point. These were not everyday horses they were work horses to sustain the weight of the jousters. (50-100 pounds of armor, the weight of their weapons and the weight of the rider). Perchuron and Kleidale were the two types. Huge ass horses. One horse’s head was bigger than half of Gina’s body.
We took our tired thirsty asses over to BJ’s in Folsom for some more great eats and possibly a Pizzookie. A pizza cookie topped with vanilla bean ice cream- yummy!.
CHEERS- it was a grand day.

bodice?

I want to dress up in costume for the renn fair tomorrow with Juli and Gina. I have a skirt I can use (this bohemian/cotton like long skirt that already has these sequines and mini bells on them). My shoes wouldn’t match- oh well. A bodice would be good but what color. Everyone I have noticed at Renn Fair’s match somewhat. I wouldn’t want to stick out like a sore thumb. Hmmm. What to do? Maybe I will just find something tomorrow.

a downpour that turned to blue skies

the day started out grey, then it rained and rained and rained.  The afternoon thundered a bit then the sky grew bright and there isn’t a cloud in sight.  My once dirty car now looks clean and it will be two more days of blue skies before the weekend.  Woo hoo:)

I just realized….

I just realized and forgot that my husband and I carpooled together this morning.  I had my juggling clubs in my trunk and I soooo wanted to juggle with Cindy and Louis tonight.  Well, I guess with the rain and that I am not wearing comfortable juggling shoes, plus with the carpool, it won’t work out tonight.  Next week is suppose to be approx 20 degrees warmer so I will juggle next week.

BUT I WAS SO LOOKING FORWARD TO IT THIS WEEK.  I WAS GOING TO SURPRISE MY FRIEND CINDY!.  DOH!