Monday, October 27, 2008

works for me

photo credit: unknown

According to the folks over at Futility Closet, this is the Lone Ranger's creed, as written by LR creator, Fran Striker:

I believe:
That to have a friend, a man must be one.
That all men are created equal and that everyone has within himself the power to make this a better world.
That God put the firewood there, but that every man must gather and light it himself.
In being prepared physically, mentally, and morally to fight when necessary for that which is right.
That a man should make the most of what equipment he has.
That "this government of the people, by the people, and for the people" shall live always.
That men should live by the rule of what is best for the greatest number.
That sooner or later … somewhere … somehow … we must settle with the world and make payment for what we have taken.
That all things change but truth, and that truth alone lives on forever.
In my Creator, my country, my fellow man.

Friday, October 24, 2008

i'm starting to get

the fact that the "acceptance" part of grief is not the end of something but the beginning of something.

I'm also starting to get that disillusionment is a good thing - really difficult, but good. Who wants to spend her whole life mistaking fake for real?

Whoa.

Okay, on a lighter note, it's time to crank up the ol' Friday Soap Giveaways again! Who's with me? It took a while for the giveaway to get going last year, but once it heated up, the competition got fierce!

The lucky winner will receive a bar of Midnight Chocolate Amber, which was my top seller at the County Fair this year. It's sultry, sexy and somehow perfect for the new, dark nights of fall (not to be mistaken for dark nights of the soul). Plus, just like an authentic autumn day, these bars start out light colored and cheery (see background soap) and then darken to a broody, rich brown as they age, showing off the gold veins running though:




Just leave a note in the comments section telling me why you agree or disagree with my heavy psychological observations in this post - and why. Okay, go. Discuss amongst yourselves.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

the NaNoWriMo folks

are starting to pester me and all the other lunati - I mean, novelists out there who have in the past or are planning to pound out a 50K-word book in one month. I partook in NaNo last year, and it wasn't pretty. Neither was I by the end of it.

This year is all about focus on the essentials, so I - sadly - won't be doing the November novel blitzkrieg. It may be a bad decision, since the book currently in the hopper really does need to be finished and sent off. But instead of the NaNo I'll be focusing on the day jobs - mommying, teaching and soaping (and, of course, working on the book as much as possible).


It seems a little pathetic to blog about t.v. shows, but the fact is I rely on a couple of them to give me some inspiration when it's time to create the season's new and not-so-new soaps. For instance, while whipping up a batch of these Waltz of the Flowers bars



I have been getting inspiration from Ace of Cakes, which is basically a day-in-the-life look at the bakers of Charm City Cakes. I'm also a huge fan of The Rachel Zoe Project. I'm not nearly as interested in the personal drama inherent in these shows so much as I love seeing examples of the creative drive in action.

So, for you creative types out there, what do you do to get those artsy juices flowing?

Saturday, October 18, 2008

beats wheaties

I do think I may have found the coolest product ever in Organic Batter Blaster, which I bought on impulse at Sam's Club yesterday after the kids and I raided the sample cart. The idea of Cheez-Whiz style pancakes was too much for my brain to take in until I read the ingredient list and watched the demo guy create these perfect little healthy pancakes with total ease and no mess. Seriously, I want to buy stock in this company, 'cause I think it's poised for world takeover.

Then there's Rachel. Okay, this is the ONLY way yogurt should taste - it's pure tangy, smooth numminess. And the cool flavors and packaging are totally inspiring to my soap-making self. Pomegranate Acai? Plum Honey Lavender? I think I'm in heaven.

Top it all off with a piping hot cup of Gorilla Coffee and right there you have yourself a serious morning repast.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

5 ways to know it's fall in northern arizona

1) This guy shows up in your back yard:



2) The aspens go golden, then bald:

3) You see that first dusting of snow on the Peaks:

4) Your kids discover this guy on a Trick-or-Treat Treasure Hunt in the forest near the Flagstaff Nordic Center:

5) Pine needles (and the cleanup thereof) are the main source of your daily workout:

Monday, October 06, 2008

tae kwon DOH!

Okay.

This is not me.

In fact, after our first family Taekwondo lesson last week, son said - ever so gently - "Mom? Not to be mean, but, you kind of looked -"

"Like a complete dork?" I offered.

"Well..." he said. Ever so gently.

"That's okay, Buddy." I knew I'd done okay with the stretching part. And I knew I'd done okay with the running laps part. I even did okay with the place-your-foot-on-the-side-of-your-knee-and-balance-there part. It was the footwork part that got me. The place-your-feet-at-a-90-degree-angle-and-face-this-way part that tripped me up a little. But, Zen mind, beginner's mind, I kept telling myself. Or something like it, anyway.

Later that night, on the porch swing, my son had a confession to make. "Actually, Mom. You looked really nice. Actually, there was just that one time where you looked kind of...you know."

I know, Grasshopper, I thought.

I know.

Friday, October 03, 2008

oh, the beautiful smallness

I am so inspired by this Nikon Photomicrography - and it's a contest, no less. I could easily wallpaper entire rooms with some of these lovely organic patterns.

And while I don't have the equipment necessary to get into this type of shutterbugging, the D-80 and I have been playing around a bit with distance and movement in recent months. In August, for instance, I was driving out to the prairie house when I looked up and spotted this Red-tailed hawk atop a windmill (at least I'm pretty sure it's a RTH - any birders want to correct me?). I high-tailed it home, grabbed the camera and drove back to the spot with my fingers crossed, trying to switch lenses while I steered around the potholes in the horrendous cinder road. Luckily, the hawk was still there, and I was back in time to get some shots of its perching and its flight.




Okay, so I don't expect National Geographic to start knocking on my door any time soon (other than to ask me to renew my subscription - lol), but in my defense I was working on the spur of the moment and without a tripod.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

can't blog much at the moment.

Still processing the return of Friday Night Lights last night on DirecTV's new, special channel that lets subscribers watch this stuff before the general public sees it on NBC. So, neener.

Anyway, it was a good show. I'm not sure how I missed the story of Tami becoming principal,but there you go.
Hard to believe how "bonded" Riggins




and Lyla



are, too, though it doesn't look like that one's going to be too promising.

As one of Riggins' friends told him, he's pretty much a rebound from Jesus. Never a good sign.
Now the veep debate is on while I'm working at my computer (okay, while I'm taking a break from work), and I'm impressed by Sarah and Joe's endurance. I can't imagine keeping that up in front of the entire world, commercial-free.
Of course, tomorrow all the talking heads will be spinning every possible sound byte in every possible direction. Oh, how I am looking forward to this election being over, for better or worse.