My Bit of Earth

Who Knew?

(I can say this because I'm only old enough to be his big sister, as opposed to like, his mother.)  Somewhere between knocking out trolls and flying on broomsticks, Daniel Radcliffe got hot.

Not Fluff

I love reading all things Harry Potter (obviously), but sometimes even I get a little annoyed at some of the fluffy writing that gets put out under the heading of a "scholarly article".  It's always such a letdown--you're expecting something new and deep, and then you start reading and it's just...fluff.

"Moral Choice in the Harry Potter Novels" was not such a let down.  Although some of the ideas have been covered before (what hasn't?), I think the discussion of the limitations on Harry's free choice ("like the early Christians in the Roman Coliseum, head held high or not, he goes in [to the arena] regardless") versus Snape as the ultimate free agent is very interesting.  Go read.

Holy Cow(scapes)!

Sometime this summer, I was at the frame shop waiting my turn when I noticed that the lady* in front of me had a very interesting little print.  When I asked, she said it was a photo she had taken herself.  Turns out she was a local artist whose latest project was taking pictures of cows in such a way that they looked like landscapes.  Being a big fan of art that makes people smile, I thought her "cowscape" was charming.

So, when I was surfing through the paper this morning and saw that even more of her cows were going to be part of tonight's downtown gallery walk (article here), I decided I needed to go see some moo...er, um, more.

The slide show doesn't really do the cows justice.  Up close (and 5 times the size of course) you can really suspend reality and see the cow as a prairie landscape.  The hairy texture looks like exotic grass with a wide blue sky background.  They were gorgeous, I only wish she would do more.

(*My mysterious bovine-loving, frame-shop lady's name is Rachael Sudlow.  In addition to her cow pictures, she also sells jewelry.)

Quick Quotes Quill Friday: Feeling A Little Melencholy This Week

Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory.

--Albus Dumbledore, Goblet of Fire

The Best Laid Plans

You know, sometimes you can eat something 100 times, and then the 101st your stomach just says, "Um, ya know, no."  So, home sick today after that 101st run-in with some Pad Thai, I took some expert advice and used the time between urka-gurkas to plan next summer's garden.

After reading back over some of the stuff I wrote last year, I decided less is more--i.e. 2 kinds of tomatoes instead of 6, 1 pepper instead of 2, just a few kinds of flowers that are suited to Kansas summer and won't die if I don't make it out to water for a day.  Because although the overgrown jungle, tomato-plants-eating-each-other look is kind of tropical (in a very weird way), it really only leads to starving plants that don't make much fruit.  And, as much fun as it is to get 1 strawberry for every month you fret over them, or to have so much basil that you can't even look at a pesto for the next year; there really are other, more fun ways to get much better results for much less time and effort--e.g. Lawson's pick-your-own berry patch, the Farmer's Market, the gazillion other local farms in the area.

Whether or not all this cool logic survives the first trip to Sunrise for plants and seeds...eh, that might be another issue altogether.  But at least I have a plan.

Draco is Good?

My dream last night....

Hermione, Draco, and I (as Harry) were standing on top of this big hill overlooking Hogwarts.  A car from the Hogwarts Express was stuck nearby, and it was full of first years.  Draco and I were kinda-sorta fighting when we all of a sudden realized (I'm not sure what triggered it) that Voldemort was coming.  We both knew that he would kill all the first-years in the car so we immediately stopped fighting and started trying to push the car down the hill so they could get away.  We pushed as hard as we could, but it wouldn't budge.  Then, from out of nowhere came a co-worker of mine (known for being exceptionally strong for her size) who shoved the car causing it to zoom down the hill.  Then I woke up.

So, what can you, gentle-reader-hanging-on-my-every-word take from my dream?  Only this, when push came to shove (literally) Draco was a good guy and didn't leave his fellow students to die. 

Dogs on Black

Grown-Up Eggs

Another one from my childhood.... 

Weekend breakfasts with Nice Dad.  I would order biscuits and gravy or pancakes or French toast, but he would often order Eggs Benedict.  I didn't like eggs (that's something I've actually only grown into in the past few years), but I always thought they were so fancy and pretty looking--a perfectly round English muffin, nice pink ham, a little white pouch of yolk, all covered in golden yellow hollandaise and bright green herbs or onions.  I remember thinking, "When I'm a grown-up, that's what I'll eat."

So tonight, Sweet Husband poached the eggs, I made the hollandaise (which, by the way, is super easy to make from scratch), and wahlah--some very respectable "Grown-Up Eggs".

Our Little Red Toboggan

Not only did we get about 4 inches of snow last night, today was Moe's 2nd birthday--put it all together, and it was a good excuse to take a day and just have some fun.  A trip to the hardware store for a "Torpedo" sled--which, as a little boy informed me as we were checking out, was "really fast"--sealed the deal. 

We started out with Moe riding on the sled, but he quickly decided that his Mum and Dad aren't very good drivers; he had a lot of fun running along side though!  Some pictures are here.

Moe Speaks: I'm a Sledding Dog

I had the greatest birthday! 

It snowed last night really hard--up to my elbows almost. Mom said we were going to go for a walk on a new trail and try to see some Eagles for my birthday, but she wasn't very sure we'd be able to get to it with all the snow. But before I could get too sad, she said she'd thought of something better.

We went to the store and bought a long red thing--I hadn't ever seen anything quite like it before, so I wasn't sure what it was. Then we went to Mom and Dad's old School. There were lots of people there, and they were sitting on all kinds of different things and sliding down the hill. Turns out, the red thing was a sled and we were going to use it to sit on and slide down the hill too.

I was excited and nervous all at once. The first time we tried to go down the hill, Mom tried to hold me on our sled with her. 

Mom is a BAD DRIVER! We got going way too fast, and then we crashed and burned! After that I decided it was much more fun to run next to the sled, instead. I even pulled it a little. I went with Mom, I went with Dad, I ran up the hill, and down the hill.... And finally when I just couldn't sled anymore, we came home and I took a nice long nap in front of the fire Dad built.

It was a good day....

You can see lots of pictures here, and Dad made a movie here.

Moe Knows Snow

A few more inches of snow today, but thankfully no more ice.  When we went out to play in it this afternoon we discovered that Moe likes snowballs.

Moe Speaks: A Tip to All My Pals

If you don't like your paws to get cold in the snow (now I'm wishing I'd asked for those booties after all) walk really gingerly like you don't want to put your feet down. It's almost a like a limp, but not quite--you don't want to end up having them take you to the vet. Combine this with really wide-eyed, mournful looks in your human's direction.

Before long, your Mom or Dad will start to feel bad (that they didn't get you the booties after all) and will pick you up and carry you over the snow. I promise (of course, my promise only applies to dogs small enough to be carried, you big guys are on your own) it works like a charm!

Quick Quotes Quill Friday: Sometimes I Know How He Feels

"Don't know what you're complaining about, myself. Personally, I'd have welcomed a dementor attack. A deadly struggle for my soul would have broken the monotony nicely."

--Sirius Black, Order of the Phoenix

Tragedy!

Mon Petit Chou*

Here's a winter time spin on a side dish I picked up as a wee lass chopping my first veggies at Nice Dad's knee.  Dad's original recipe called for wrapping a quartered head of cabbage in bacon, wrapping it in foil, and popping it on the grill until nice and tender. 

But since our grill is covered in ice and we had neither bacon nor foil, we rubbed our cabbage quarters with just a leeetle bit of butter, and sprinkled them with lemon pepper.  We popped them on a baking sheet in the oven for about a half an hour at 425ish, and the result was very nice.  (Note:  I like my cabbage a little crunchy, if you like yours more tender leave it in the oven longer.)  I really liked how they came out looking a just a little bit browned and ruffled at the edges--very pretty and very tasty.  Don't feel bad if you end up eating it with your fingers.

(*Translation="my little cabbage" which, in addition to being an apt descriptor of my dinner tonight, is also a term of endearment in France.)

Moe Speaks: I Found a Turtle

My very favorite Christmas toy's name is Turtle because he is, in fact, a Turtle. Lately Mom has been using him to play the "find-it" game--Mom hides Turtle, and I have to find him. 

For awhile Mom was hiding Turtle in plain sight, but tonight she started hiding him under things. She says if I'm ever going to be a Senior Earthdog I'm going to need to learn to use my nose a little better, hence the new challenge.

Mom started by hiding him under a blanket on the couch, then she tucked him back under the covers in my crate--when I found Turtle both times Mom said we could do something harder. She made me sit-stay downstairs while she hid Turtle upstairs under the bed covers in the dark bedroom. It took me lots of sniffing, but I finally found him! Mom was so proud!

Moe Speaks: Goals, Year 3

As some of you may know, my 2nd birthday is tomorrow. I'm still not sure what Mom has up her sleave for my present, but I'm always game for surprises.

Like this morning--we got up early and took a car ride, just me and Mom. It wasn't a long car ride, like when we go to Manga and Panga's; but it wasn't a short ride, like around town--it was something in between.

When we got to where we were going, we went into a classroom with just a few other dogs. As I listened I figured out that this was a class for therapy dogs, that is, dogs that go visit with sick humans and make them feel better. I think I'd be good at that. I'm always super sweet when Mom is sick, and I'm really good at making people laugh. You know what they say about laughter being the best medicine!

The Nice Teacher of my class had us do lots of walking around and sitting and staying. Mom said I did OK. We're not going to take the test right away, because I need to work hard on a few things like learning to lay on a towel and that tennis balls aren't always toys (although I certainly don't understand why I'd want to learn that last part). But Mom said she thinks we can be ready for the March test.

All of this reminded me that I haven't made my traditional list of birthday goals for next year yet. So, since now is as good a time as any, here goes...

1. Senior Earthdog--Mom told me the other day that this is going to be MY year--this is going to be our biggest goal. We're going to go to lots of fun days and as many trials as our buggy will take us to (and maybe even one a little further, but I'll save that surprise for later).

2. Participate in Dog Scouts--We didn't make it to meetings very well last year (OK, at all) but Mom found out the other day that the meeting day has changed to a time that will be much better for us, so we're going to go try it out.

3. Become a Therapy Dog--Mom has been waiting for me to grow up a little before we do therapy stuff; since I'm 2 now she thinks it's time. What I really want to do is become a R.E.A.D. dog, since I especially like the small humans.

4. Perfect my "Meerkat" trick--O.K., obviously this is much more Mom's goal than mine--why would I want to do something so humiliating, after all? She thinks that someday she's going to get me to do it without using a treat. Good luck with that Mom!

Snowy Day at Home

This morning started with big, fat flakes, but by afternoon the sun was out and Moe and I decided it was time to quit doing laundry and hibernating and go for a walk.  I'm not sure who slipped on the ice more--my two feet or his four--but by the time we got around to picture taking, Moe had decided that he was tired of cold paws, hence the daintily lifted front paw in this picture.  S'more shots from our lazy day are here and here.

A Really Cold Walk With Really Nice People

On hearing that Sweet Husband, due to his winter-time graduation, was not going to get a trip down the hill, his co-worker's decided that just wouldn't do.

(Brief explanation for those unlucky souls who are not Jayhawks:  As part of graduation at KU, graduates walk down the pictured hill from the Memorial Campanile (big bell tower thing in the background) to the football stadium where graduation ceremonies take place.  People are generally very festive and jovial as they parade down, and much fun is had.  It's a big KU tradition.)

So, this morning--despite the fact that the hill was covered with ice and the temperature was below 20--Sweet Husband's nice co-workers gathered together for a very chilly walk.  There were balloons, champagne was had, the school song was sung, er, hummed--in short, it was probably better than actual graduation.  More pictures are here.

(And afterward we all warmed up with a very tasty brunch--thanks again Nice Sweet Husband's Boss!)

Winter, For Real

A steady fall of ice and snow, temperature highs in the teens--I'd say it's finally winter.  (Incidentally, if you feel like you've seen the seed pod at left before, it's because you have.)