Oh, sigh...

Just about every wife I know has a shared fear:  That their husband will be sent on a long deployment.  Other fears stem from that, depending on the length and type of deployment, but mostly these fears are unrealized.  There is an understanding that as an Air Fore wife, you won't have to endure "too long" or "too dangerous" a deployment on average, and you can systematically tick the time away.  Well, at least that is what I understood.  Who knows, stupid AF.

It seems that every so often (or apparently more frequently than that,) people in the military are told that they are to pack up their bags and knock up their ladies, because they are off to concurrent training and subsequent war for - oh, say a year... or more.  "Okay... GO!" - You have a week to report.

There is another understanding about such situations among military wives: You can't complain when it happens to you.  You can just deal.  You can mow the lawn and wash the car and take out the trash and.... well, you know, whatever your husband does.  Except shoulder rides - there is no way most Moms can do that, and try explaining your own lack of actual, physical ability to a 4-year-old who considers the sudden lack of shoulder rides to be the single worst thing about Daddy leaving.

Anyway, there is only one thing to do. Buckle down - kill he spiders yourself, even if you have to cry afterward.  And, no, that has not actually happened... yet.  But there will be no time for foolishness - only "Girl Power" as Genny and I have termed our time together.  Not that I ever took the time for the foolishness of the corntrade.  I mean, I just never wrote it down... wtf, me?  But I foresee lots of everyday adventures as a newly "single" mom - and I do need some sort of a link to the world, as unreliable as my Internet or ambitions may be sometimes.  So, I will be chronicling the next year-plus of my life on a new blog - holdtheman.blogspot.com - or you know... not chronicling it.  Either way, the corntrade is officially-as-it's-ever-been shelved.  Though, I'd say, some pretty corntradian things are bound to take place, now that there is no one here to tell me that I CAN'T refinish furniture in the dining room.  As a matter of fact, I "harvested" a pound or more of rosemary today... now what to do with it?

Goodbye,
Katie

So, remember me?

No, not really?  That's okay, I forget faces sometimes too.  Let me jog your memory:  I'm a friend of yours who you haven't seen in a long time, and who loves the thrift store, has a thing for grandmas, and drives a Pinto.  Still no?

Maybe we don't know each other after all.

But if I make you toast in my new toaster (GE T77!) will you be my friend?

I know, no pics of the real thing?  Look, it has been SOOOO long since I wrote anything down, I just wanted to do it, camera battey be-damned.  I found this awesome vintage add and more info than I could ever need about my toaster on this page from jitterbuzz.com, one of the best websites I have been stuck on for a LONG time!

I made toast for Genesee this morning... golden perfection.  I know, it's a great toaster, huh?  I originally captured it (in the wild) for addition to the Post-War Kitchen Collection I have been assembling... but it is just so, ... so, NICE, and tame and Bakelite.  And shiny shiny chrome.

Aha!  You DO know me.  I knew you'd remember if I just started talking about something odd.

Christmas Stockings

This year, I chose both traditonal and non-traditional vintage fabrics for my stocking collection...

I also abandoned the typical personalization and decor for a contrasting Peace sign on the front of each,

A durable lining and vintage trim to finish.

The result is a fine batch of christmas stockings - radiating holiday spirit, and displaying proudly the true essence of the season.  And in the name of being peaceful to the planet, every bit of these stockings was found, given, traded, bartered for, or purchased second-hand on my local economy.

These stockings, and all kinds of other holiday goodness can be purchased through Teri Cox's Re-New Design Gallery in Las Vegas, Nevada.  This awesome place features plenty of local talent and really emphasizes the use of recycled elements.

Harvest Kitchen

This fall has brought us a bounty beyond expectations in the form of pomegranates, pears, and pinecones, all against odds.  The fact that anything grows here consistantly amazes me, still.  And yet I am lucky enough to have inherited a yard with fruiting trees already established, and a giant pine in the front that is apparently extremely eager to reproduce.  From these things, which I am extremely grateful to have, I am busily preparing everything to be a used in the most efficient manner.

Unfortuantely for me and my efforts, Pomegrantes seem to be the least efficient fruit ever.  For a few hours one evening I had the help of beautiful Brenda, and we used the "big bowl of water" method of separating fruit/seed from pith, to make a recipe of Pomegranate Salsa, which we ate with our unintentionally Mexican-theme vegan meal that night.  It was such a delicious addition, that I plan to make the simple recipe and jar some up to distribute for the holidays.  The recipe for that came from the pom wonderful website, I believe.

Some pomegranate has also been used in the following recipe, to make a super tasty chutney topping for sweet of savory meals.

2-3 Tbsp jelly or jam (whatever kind you have will work)
4 Medium pears
2 Cups pomegranate arils (seeds) (fresh or frozen)
1 Tsp cinnimon
1/2 Tsp ground clove
3-4 Tbsp apple juice or water

Simply melt the jelly and spices over low heat with enough hot water to make a consistant syrup.  Dice the pears and add to the syrup and let the mixture warm.  I skinned half of the pears so there would be a nice yellow color in there with the red.  Remove from heat and add pomegranate seeds and mix thouroghly, add water or juice a tbsp at a time unitl the arils are coated and mixture holds to a chunky apple-sauce type consistancy.

We ate ours with some dollar pancakes, and later as a dip with pita bread.  Fresh, easy, healthful.  Yum.

The husband and I have since devoted several evenings to seasons of Arrested Develoment and shuckin' poms.  The result so far is a nice stash of arils in the freezer, awaiting their bretheren for a holiday recipe en mass, and an ever-aging pile of poms yet to be husked.  I finally went through the pile and removed those that looked unfit for consumption, those with splits in their skins, and those that were too small to be worth the effort of shelling.  The majority of these had a rot spot of other deficiency that came with them from the tree, and were too icky to do anything to but throw out.  Those with splits in their skins, but which otherwise looked fine were saved along with the petit poms for the following Wreath project.  This pic shows the poms after I broke some open, along side the smallest of the bunch.

I started with a frame of 1" x 1" scrap wood, making this the first rectangular wreath that has ever graced my door, but whatever.  I then wrapped the frame in what is proabably my second-most abundant crop: fabric scraps.  I used strip shape bits and wrapped the frame, tying the ends of each piece to the next until it was covered.

The next thing I did was tie-on two twiggy branches that had fallen from my front tree with cones attatched, and then decorate by using sparkley vintage trim from my stash to tie on some little poms.  That formed a perfect base for a slew of little pom chunks with the red seeds showing, and vintage buttons, beads, and baubles that complete the homey harvest look.  I used wood glue to hold mine together, but only because I am out of hot glue sticks, and it really is much more my style to just press on with the materials I have.  Hence the rectangular wreath.

The finished result is not bad, and it makes me feel like I live somewhere much forestier than I actually do.  Oh harvest.

And hey, there must also be a benefit in 80 degree weather for the first of November.  What beautiful orange leaves there are really do look pretty against that flawless blue sky....

Recycled Art in Las Vegas

The most fabulous store in Las Vegas! The Re-New Design Gallery at the corner of Serene and Tamarus (Just south of 215, between Eastern and Maryland) has an amazing collection of art from various artists, assembled by proprietor and Interior Designer Teri Cox. The emphasis throughout is the use of recycled and reclaimed elements in new, functional, design-conscious items.

They have generous opening hours and each Friday, beginning this week November 6, there will be extended shopping hours until 9 pm. The party starts at 5 and will boast a street-fair atmoshere with additional artwork, music, muncies, and a lil something for everyone.

Mmmmm. Art, fun Friday.

Luft mit Essen

Looking at crazy vintage wallpaper while eating grilled cheese or eggs over easy. Or maybe stopping for a real ice-cream shake and a box of hairdye. If either of these things appeal to you, I recommend breakfasting at the Huntridge Diner, inside of the square-ish and mostly plain Huntridge Pharmacy. It is a relic from the glory days of the falling-down Huntridge Theatre - and being right across the road, one can imagine flocks of movie-goers through the decades stopping in for a malt between double-features... or even grungie Pearl Jam fams during the theatre's days as a music venue. Of course those guys were more likely stopping in for, like, smokes and a SoBe. Either way, the food is fairly priced, and they are open for breakfast and lunch 6 days a week... and a major bonus is the Savers thrift store in the same parking lot!

Yes, actual original wallpaper and sign ubove the pharmacy window... same sign font and coloring as a lot found further up Charleston, and at Decatur Drug.

Everything behind the counter - the fountains and fixtures - are original, as is the robin's egg blue speckled laminate on the kick-panels.

The new owner, Joel, replaced only the elements of the soda shop that needed to be. Here the original blue formica and chrome pedistals look pretty sharp betwixt the red reupholstery and New checkerboard tile floor.

Serving up those real ice-cream shakes.... sounds like breakfast to me.

From the parking lot: the Huntridge theatre across the street, and the Pharmacy on the right. Just past that cow.

If a vegan donut and a black coffee is more your speed, or even a frosting-y cake with sprinkles - then I should say Ronald's Donuts is more the place for you - though with plenty of its own orginal decor to soak about in. This place is no secret, apparently - as we sat both Saturday morning (with visiting vegan friendies), and again today, there was a steady stream of customers rolling in. But oh my gosh. This isn't a Dunkin Donuts - a fact that I revel in, but that somehow made Genesee cry... in fact their donuts are actually damn good. Really very darn good and tasty. Really. I couldn't say it enough... BEST DONUTS EVER. And two thirds of their generous selection is vegan... so take that.
And for one measly dollar, you can get one dozen donut holes. If that isn't old fashioned value, I don't know what is. And, there just so happens to be a Savers thrift store directly next to this place too. So if you ever want to have a vintage dining establishment and mini thrift tour - !

Call me.

Pomegranate Time!

I will post pics of this madness once I get a wrangle on it - but let me tell you, two trees full of pomegranates equals several laundry baskets full, and that is so much effort in peeling!

http://www.pomegranates.org/home.shtml

But look at the delicious food I will be making all winter long! Is that an enchilada?!