Zucchini Soup From Scratch

Preparation time: approximately five months. Ingredients: olive oil, onions, zucchinis, vegetable broth, sour cream, salt & pepper. Serves four.

1. Plant zucchini seeds in little clay pots in late spring.

2. Transfer plants to sunny patch in the summer. Fight the slugs and watch the deer eat the leaves.


3. Harvest the two zucchinis that made it at the end of summer when it is starting to feel like fall. Show them off.

4. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a pot with a thick bottom.

5. Chop two onions and throw them in the pot, slowly cooking them to a golden brown color over low heat.

6. Meanwhile, wash and dice the zucchinis and add them to the pot.

7. Add one pint of vegetable broth (the zucchinis do not need to be completely covered).

8. Gently boil for about ten minutes until the zucchinis are done.

9. Take the pot off the burner and puree the soup.

10. Stir in one cup of sour cream.

11. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

12. Serve to vegetable lovers and haters alike and revel in their compliments.

Enjoy!

Rinse And Repeat

Why settle for one window when you can have three?

This time I assisted with the heavy lifting. It was a little scary because the windows really do weigh quite a bit and I was afraid they would topple over. With me on the outside and Ryan on the inside there was no way I would have been able to stop them from falling backwards. But they didn't and all is well.

So...

My 9th grade English teacher taught me English grammar does not allow starting a sentence with the word 'so'. Use it as an adverb, an adjective, a conjunction, but NOT as an opening. And if you mean 'therefore', use that word instead. I blatantly disregard these rules. But every time I do, I think of him. Every single time.

I really liked Larry Robinson. He was a great teacher. Not only did he provide useful skills like knowledge of correct grammar and spelling, he cared about his students. Very much. He had a good sense of humor. He gave us interesting assignments and I learned about resumes for the first time in my life.

He was a little vain, though, which we thought was funny. He was short which he compensated by wearing high heels (we're not talking Prince here, it wasn't that bad; Mr. Robinson was taller and his heels were lower). He had curly hair that he brushed out, creating a very interesting hairstyle, a semi-afro with a bit of a comb-over. It was the early Eighties, so (see?) he was able to get away with that.

He was young and energetic, and very involved with his students. Sometimes more than they cared for. When he caught wind of the fact my parents' marriage was in trouble, he wanted to talk to me about that. I wished to remain in denial and tried to avoid him, so (I know...) he made me stay after school. Being a teenager, I was very annoyed by it then, but I appreciate it now.

When Muzzey Jr High School closed its doors for good at the end of the school year, and I moved back to Holland, he moved on to Lexington High School where he became a student counselor. He eventually became principal of Andover High School until his death, ten years ago today. He was only in his forties. Much too young.

So, Mr. Robinson, of all the teachers I have ever had, you were the best one by far. I have wonderful memories of my 9th grade year and you are partly responsible for that. I promise to teach my daughter the proper use of the word 'so' and other English grammar rules. I am also trying to teach her another language, so bear with me. Fortunately my mother-in-law is an English teacher too, and I am sure she'll be happy to help out.

I truly wish Lola will some day have a teacher like you!

No Laughing Matter

Lola has caught on to the fact that in order to shop, you need money. The other day I gave her some coins to put in her purse, where they miraculously transformed into a one and a five dollar bill. (So that's where our money goes...)

Last night she decided she wanted her money on her, and put it into her pants pockets. And then forgot all about it.

This morning when she got up, she went straight for her purse, only to find it empty. "Where is my money?", she demanded to know. Ryan started to laugh.

"That is NOT funny, papa!", she replied.

Welcome to the big world, little girl.

Hole In The Wall

How to bring light in the darkness in eight simple steps:

Step one
Build the window frame. Careful measuring is crucial here!


Step two
Take a break to clean the gutters. Not really necessary for proper window placement, strictly speaking, but much appreciated.


Step three
Cut a hole in the wall. This is a VERY scary step.





Step four
Remove the cat from the new window opening. Essential.


Step five
Place the window. Enlisting the help of a good friend for the heavy lifting rather than working with your wife on this step is better for your marriage and her back. Unfortunately no wife means no photographer.


Step six
Take pride in your work.


Step seven
Mentally prepare for an eternity of grubby fingerprints on the glass.


Step eight
Enjoy the view. And the light!


Ryan did good. Real good. And did I mention he figured out how to light the oven without blowing up the barn, too? My husband rocks, people!

And never before have I enjoyed window washing this much!

Romancing The Slugs

Lola's latest animal infatuation is slugs. Every morning and every evening she goes on a slug hunt around the barn. She is totally and utterly fascinated by them. She coos over them, tickles them with feathers, and is delighted and disgusted at the same time when she touches them with her finger.

Her new found love was set off by a pair of mating slugs. When we said they were making babies, all she heard was 'babies' and since everything baby is cute, slugs are cute too.

It is a little strange perhaps, but I understand. I once hand fed a slug a piece of bread (the large opening on a slug's side is its mouth) on a hiking trip in Wales. I even gave my temporary friend a name: Charlie. Lola likes to feed the slugs pieces of apple.

As long as it keeps them out of my garden...

No Guilt, No Glory

Yesterday I went to pick up Lola from daycare after work, as I do every day. The front door was locked and no-one answered when I knocked. I walked around back to find Lola, Dylan, Franklin, Carla, and the dogs playing in the backyard. They were having a blast together.

Lola was very happy to see me but when it was time to go home, she told me "No." She wanted to stay. After going back and forth on the subject for a little bit, I did what I usually do in these circumstances; I gave her a hug and a kiss, said good bye and walked away, fully expecting her to come running after me, as she always does.

It backfired. She was absolutely fine with me leaving. That was NOT supposed to happen. I walked back up to her but no, she really was intent on staying. Carla told me it was fine with her and that I should enjoy the unexpected night alone with my husband. And so I did.

I love having the occasional night off, but this time it didn't sit well with me at all. I felt a little heartbroken. (Of course the melancholic classic rock song playing on the radio the entire way home didn't do much to lighten the mood.) I thought of all the things I do not do with my daughter. We have never been to the zoo together. We do not do crafts together. We hardly ever go to the park together, or go swimming. Lola does all these things, but with Carla. Not with me.

I know this sense of failure I have is self imposed. Not working, or working less, is not an option at the moment. And I am extremely fortunate and blessed in having found Carla. I leave my daughter in very capable and loving hands every day. I do for my family what needs to be done in the best way possible. But that doesn't lessen the feelings of guilt. And that makes me sad. And not just for Lola but mostly for myself, truth be told. Which adds on even more guilt.

Motherhood, it truly is a source of joy. And of guilt, just as much.

Moving House - US Style

Bye Bye Barbie

On my seventh birthday I became the proud guardian of Barbie. My Barbie had long, dark brown hair, and when you moved her legs, her arms moved as well. I LOVED her. With the help of my crafty grandparents and parents, I created and collected boxes full of accessories for her. Clothes, furniture, and linens mostly. And of course Ken, the overly tan male barbie with plastic hair, followed by Skipper, the teenager, were later added to the family.

My sister had a collection of barbies as well. Her accessories were even cooler. She had the RV, the horse, and the bicycle, if I remember correctly. Together we played and played, inventing elaborate story lines and turning all sorts of household supplies into useful items. Dish pans were transformed into swimming pools, plant stands turned into stairs.

When I outgrew Barbie, she disappeared into the trunk in my room, along with all of her clothes and furniture. The trunk that held all of my childhood memorabilia. It has accompanied me to every home I have ever had, including the barn. Over the years I have sorted through it and thrown stuff away, but never Barbie or her luggage. I have always held on to her, secretly hoping I would one day have a daughter to pass her on to.

And that's what I did this weekend. Lola loves to play with the barbies at Carla's house but I hadn't given her mine yet. On Saturday, however, the two of us were upstairs reorganizing my clothes when I pulled out Barbie and everything that comes with her.

Lola was delighted! She has played with nothing else since. The glue on the furniture is old and not holding up anymore, and the pile of 'to be fixed' furniture is rapidly growing. But Barbie is still her fabulous self. She hasn't changed a bit!

It was so much fun watching Lola play with my barbies. We emptied the boxes onto the floor and she sat amidst it all, picking everything up and examining it carefully. She even took the barbies to bed with her.

I caught myself being very protective of Barbie though. I spoke of "my barbies" to Lola and watched her like a hawk. Thirty six years of guardianship is not easily surrendered. But the time has come to let go. I am not lending Barbie to Lola after all, I am passing her on, as I had always dreamed of. She is Lola's now, and she can do with her as she pleases.

Except cut her hair. Or polish her nails. Or use make-up on her. Or markers. Or crayons...

Back To The Bucket

There was a little incident awhile back involving the renters, medicinal plants, and the Sheriff's Department. It resulted in one renter being arrested and the other two moving out in a more voluntary manner. When Ryan and I walked into the house after they left, our courage sank into our shoes, to use a Dutch expression. The gentlemen had managed to totally and utterly trash the place in the few months they had lived there.

After a short bout of "Why us? Why does everything have to be so hard?", we once again pulled ourselves out of the depths of our misery by our hair, in true Baron Von Munchenhausen fashion, and went to work. We cleaned the place up, fixed the plumbing and the bathroom, painted the kitchen, and replaced the appliances. And then we put our 'Quaint Fifties Cottage' (we know a thing or two about marketing ourselves) back on the market.


We truthfully stated in the ad that the house looked nicer on the outside than the inside. That was also true last year but at that time the house was still furnished, covering up the fact that it is a tired, old house. This time the house was 'naked'. It took us about two weeks to find new renters. Three college girls would love to live in Snug Harbor. They moved in this weekend. They are very excited about being able to paint the interior. So are we.

It was nice to have the place all to ourselves, though, if only for a little while. To be able to use the entire backyard, to have cookouts, to run around naked, to swing in the apple tree. Not to mention having a washer and dryer, hot running water, and a bathroom! But all good things must come to an end. We cannot afford not to rent out the house just yet. So back to the bucket it is.

Homeward Bound

Our bags are packed and we're about to go home. Tomorrow morning we fly back to the North West where the temperatures have dropped to a nice and comfortable mid seventies. I am happy to be going home, to be honest. Pam and I both are. Not that we didn't have fun. On the contrary. We had a blast! The show was a great success - we even made a profit - and we definitely found a new group of customers.

We earned our money, though. I have not worked this hard in a looooong time. As soon as the doors opened, thousands of women and a handful of men swarmed inside. And each and everyone of them stopped by our booth, it felt like. Pam did Make & Takes non-stop, and I rang up the customers all day long. No time to eat, to drink, to pee, let alone walk around the show and do a little shopping ourselves.



Today was our day off and we were going to be tourists. We had big plans to go to the Epcot Center, or do something else touristy. But our legs did not feel up to it. Instead we slept in, had breakfast in bed, and lounged by the pool. A lovely end to a lovely trip.

And now I want to go home! I miss my loves.

Crazy Crafters

Marketing Skills

Taking Bello Modo on the road is fun, inspiring, and exhausting. It is a great way to meet customers and suppliers, to discover cool new products to add to our already extensive selection, and to find inspiring examples of presenting products and samples. Some displays are eye candy in the truest sense of the word.


We have several different inks, stamps, and paper crafting tools in our online catalog. Ranger, one of our suppliers, was present at the wholesale show. We stopped by to say hello and take a look at their displays. Their Star is Tim Holtz, designer and marketeer extraordinaire. He has given his name to a line of tools and accessories. High quality and fun stuff. He was at the show, too. Standing room only at his demonstrations and long lines for his Make & Takes.


Ranger has beautiful displays of their inks, powders, and paints. Every color is presented in a uniform way, literally painting an attractive picture for their customers.


While taking a few shots of Ranger's displays for reference, I noticed one of the products in particular. Take a closer look with me:


It's sanding paper. Tim Holtz Sanding Paper to be precise. Three tiny strips of two by seven inches. Retails for $2.00. For an extra dollar you can buy a five pack of nine by eleven inch sheets at your local hardware store.

Designer Sanding Paper. Now that is an example of genius marketing. My hat off to you, Mister Holtz!

Disney World For Crafters

Greetings from Florida, everyone! Pam and I have escaped from the full blown heatwave - triple digits! - in the North West to the much cooler South East. The humidity here is something else though. We are in Orlando, home of Mickey Mouse, alligators, flamingos, and for a few days, the Craft and Hobby Association's Summer Show.

The CHA 2009 show lasts five days, three days for the wholesale show (we shop) and two days for the retail show (we sell). We flew in on the Red Eye early this morning, and immediately went shopping. Bello Modo is expanding a little bit in the direction of scrap booking. Scrap booking, for the non-Americans, is the art of making a photo album. But it's not about the photos, it's all about the album. There is an overlap, however, with jewelry design and embellishing and we hope to establish a customer base there.

It's not all work and no play though. Most vendors have a Make & Take where you can play with the merchandise and make a pendant, or a t-shirt. Or an ornament. It's almost Christmas, people! And of course there is the lovely pool at the hotel, the cabanas have wireless internet, and every night at 10 PM we watch the Disney World fireworks from our window!

One Potty Forward, Two Diapers Back

We had a potty training break through at the barn, yesterday. Miss Lola peed on the potty twice! There was high fiving all around, cheering, singing, dancing and a twizzler for the big girl. Yes, it would appear I am one of those moms that does a potty dance. It came as a surprise to me, too. We immediately got out the big girl panties and miracle of miracles, Lola kept it dry all day.

Unfortunately it was short lived. Not only did Lola refuse to sit on the potty today for more than three seconds and consequently wet her pants several times, when I went upstairs to get her out of bed after her nap, I found her naked in a soaking wet bed sitting next to a nice brown turd on top of her diaper. "Look!", she said, pointing at it. When I expressed my disappointment, she replied: "It happens." (Sh)it happens, indeed.

I took the sheets off the bed and checked every stuffed animal for wet and/or brown spots. Only one bear seems to be in need of a bath. "He's fine", Lola said casually, covering the spot with her hand. We'll not get rid of the diapers just yet, evidently. Which is just as well, since we still don't have plumbing.