My Bit of Earth

Radijzen, Radis, Rettiche, Ravanelli, Rabanos

That's "radishes" in Dutch, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.  Why in five languages, you ask?  Somehow it seems like a fitting representation of just how many I have.

I've picked more than fifty so far--mostly the 23 day "French Breakfasts".  Thankfully I planted a few different kinds so, although the first wave has seemed huge, I think we may get a short break between it and wave number two--which I think will be the 32 day "China Roses"--and again between wave two and wave three--the 52 day "Champions".

Not that I'm getting tired of them yet.  Actually, tonight I stumbled on a very nice way to eat them, courtesy of La Tartine Gourmande--on crusty bread with a little creamy cheese and salt.  (The soup recipe at the link isn't bad either.)

And because radishes are the only thing I have blooming as of yet, this is my post for this month's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.  Go over and check it out to see what's blooming all over the would this month.

Look What I Got in the Mail Today!

OK, to avoid y'all forever writing me off as a horrible, shallow person, I must say, I would have participated in Tricot du Coeur (the lovely Vivi's blanket knitting project for Victory Junction) for absolutely nothin'.  That being said, from the first time I heard that one of the prizes being offered up for those who made blankets was an Octophrost and wristlet from futuregirl, I was secretly hoping that maybe, just by some chance....

And what d'ya know, it worked out perfectly! 

Little Stanislav (see the story of his creation here, here, and here) arrived safely in the mail today, along with a meticulously crafted little wristlet.  (I didn't take a picture of the lining because the light was all weird, but it's SO perfect.)  Although Stanislav enjoyed spending the afternoon with me in the garden, I think--due to some untoward attention from the Wee Welshman--he's going to take up permanent residence in my office, where I'm certain he'll make plenty of new friends.

Thanks again, Alice! 

Tricot Blankets Ready to Go

Just got the word that the Tricot du Coeur blankets are all in, and making their next step on the way to their new homes tonight.  Nine were donated through the blog project and those will be combined with others made by the local VFW Women's Auxiliary to make up the final donation to Victory Junction at the end of this month. 

I think it's neat to look at the different colors and styles people chose.  From Futuregirl's rainbow blanket, to Vivi's Hogwarts theme--it's fun to see how everyone put their own spin on things!

Grocery Shopping, Cute

Every Sunday morning after breakfast, I sit down with a cup of coffee and my computer (where I bookmark recipes I come across that look fun) to make the week's grocery list. 

Usually, I just make my list on any old scrap of paper, but a few weeks ago I found and downloaded this super fun meal planner from future girl.  It has spots for listing meals, ingredients needed, and even a little extra space for notes (such as, where the recipe came from--very good thing to write down for when you need to find it again!).  And the drawings--featuring a TV dinner and an old-school lunch box, among others--are adorably retro.

Last Sunday, I ended up going to the store in my sweats and I hadn't taken a shower, but my list was so cute even the check-out girl complimented it!

"Fruit Stripe" Blanket Has Left the Building

Woohoo!  Just got back from mailing my "Fruit Stripe" blanket to the lovely ladies of "Tricot du Coeur".  (Here's an explanation of the entire project; here's where I decided to get involved.)

If you will recall, I procrastinated a bit on this one, but through persistent work--on my carpool, on my lunch break, on vacation, and even during my cousin's wedding shower--I was able to get it done in exactly two weeks.  (My left thumb may never recover!)

Despite the last minute push, I really enjoyed the project.  I made a plain afghan for my college roommate once but, as far as different colors and things go, this was the most complicated crochet project I've ever undertaken.  In fact, I made it the way I did based on my own limitations; I get tripped up counting stitches, so I purposely did my stripes in rows of ten and twenty so I wouldn't have to keep track any higher than that.

And I still don't know exactly how I arrived at the colors I did.  I'm so not a pink kind of girl, but I think it just seemed very Spring-y and Easter-y at the time I picked it out.  I don't know if I would chose the same colors over again, but at the same time I'm happy with the way it turned out.

Last night as I was finishing up the last bits of the border, I kind of started getting a little philosophical....

Are there other things I could have done to help out the kiddos at "Victory Junction"?  Well, sure.  But, sore fingers aside, each stitch of my finished blanket is almost like a little prayer, a tiny affirmation to the (most likely) girl who receives it...you're going to be OK.  And I'm of the school that believes good energy like that is better than almost anything.  Especially when it comes in wrap-around form!

Much thanks to Vivi and Lghtngfan for hosting--way to go ladies!

A Weekend Away, But Not From Crochet

I'm just about to head out the door for a birthday weekend away with Nice Mom and Sweet Sister.  Sweet Sister's turning 10, so we're off to the Titanic Museum to see what's to be seen and let her play at being one of her namesakes.  (Kate Winslett's character, Rose Dewitt-Whatever.)

All the while, I'll be crocheting my little heart out as sometime last week I realized I was getting awfully close to the March 30th deadline for my blanket for "Tricot du Coeur".  (I'm not a procrastinator, truly, I've just been kind of frozen with indecision as to what exactly I wanted to do.)  I'm making good progress though; I'm about a third of the way done and I've only been seriously working since Tuesday.  The colors are making me crave "Fruit Stripe" gum like nobody's business!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Daring Bakers: Julia Child's French Bread

In celebration of Valentine's Day, this month's Daring Bakers Challenge--set by Mary, from "The Sour Dough", and Sara, of "I Like to Cook"--was "Julia [Child's] eighteen page love poem to French bread."

This recipe (which I've reprinted below) just looks intimidating.  As I've said before, I get a kick out of making bread every now and then, but I tend to favor recipes of the ten-words-or-less variety.  Flour, yeast, water, salt, mix, knead, rise, bake--how much more information do you really need? 

I was so put off by the length of the recipe that I almost decided to just skip this one.  But then I got snowed in at home one day and just kinda decided, why not?

Why not indeed!  Once I got past all the whiffle-waffle, I quickly realized the recipe is exactly like the one for my favorite pizza dough.  The bread dough had to rise for longer and was shaped differently, but otherwise I could have made it in my sleep! 

And even though my bread didn't have quite the texture of a proper bakery baguette, it made lovely, rustic blue cheese and apple sandwiches all the same.

For the recipe (don't be scared) read on....

CUSS (With Stickers!)

I first came across "CUSS (Campaign For an Unshaved Snatch) and Other Rants", authored by Suzanne Reisman, via this post on BlogHer: 

"Picture it: New York City, 2005.

"A young girl leaves her office on a cold, rainy evening in October. She’s already angry and frustrated, as she often is after a day at work. Then what does she see when she sits down on the subway and looks up at the ads that line the sides? An ad for why she needs a Brazilian wax. 'Goddammit!' the young woman seethes. 'It’s bad enough that I have to put up with insane beauty standards that make me feel guilty about not wearing a size 2 while also carting around a 32D rack! Can’t they leave my damn crotch alone?!?!' And that’s when it strikes her: she should create a blog about this: this insane pressure women must deal with to have hot wax pouring into their vulvas so that normal hair growth can be ripped out by the root or to drag sharp razors over sensitive areas to slice off the hairs. This idea that one can’t be feminine or attractive if she looks like, well, an adult woman. That men will reject you and that you are a slovenly, smelly, embarrassment to your sex. That you are a man-hating feminist who will die alone with 27 cats (even though you are allergic to cats) and they’ll eat your face off before anyone traces the smell (since, ya know, you already stink from your gross unshaved cooter so the neighbors are used to it)."

Yeah.  Isn't she great?  And it just keeps going, from adventures in bra buying, to birth control, to some just good general thinking/questioning.  As someone who generally doesn't rant, I tend to appreciate people who do--and she's pretty darn good at it!

But the icing on the cake is the stickers.  Featuring a super cute pussy and beaver (what else?), Suzanne will send you a few for free if you drop her an email.  I got mine the other day, and have been enjoying passing them along and spreading the word about her blog.  (As a bonus it's kind of fun to watch people pick one up and go, "Oh, how cute....OH, WOW.")

While I can't give a sticker to each of you, dear readers, consider this your official advisory--go read!

Spicy Secret Santa

Earlier this month I put my name in for a sort of international secret Santa called "Seasoned Eatings."  The game (hosted by Lindsay and Katie) went something like this:

"Your task is to find one spice, that is either local to your area or is representative of your cooking style.  Then you package it up and send it off to the blogger you are assigned to (this is how we will maintain the element of surprise). With the package you send to your secret recipient you will add a recipe for the spice you are including.  Then, when you receive your package in the mail you get to post a picture of the package and your reaction to the mystery ingredient."

For my giftee, I drew Morven of "Food Art and Random Thoughts" in New Zealand.  I didn't quite realize what I had gotten myself into until I started trying to think of a "local" Midwestern spice.  The problem is that--like many of the people that live in the Midwest--many of the spices we commonly cook with came from somewhere else in the not too distant past. 

But then I started reading Morven's blog, which oddly enough gave me an idea; she wrote, "BBQ ribs would rate as one of my favourite foods."  Ah yes, Kansas City barbecue.  Although I rarely partake in it myself, it is something that's pretty unique to my part of the world.  Thus I packed off a good portion of "Arthur Bryant's Rib Rub" and barbecue sauce, along with some hickory wood chips (which were sadly confiscated by the ministry of agriculture--darn!).

My gift came from Lisa of "I've Got Seoul" in South Korea.  (Her posts about time zones and getting it into the mail late--here and here--cracked me up!)  Lisa sent me a packet of "Korean Red Spice" along with this recipe for tofu.

Having never really cooked with tofu before--although I do like it fried--I'm excited to try it out.  I think I might make up a batch for our pre-Christmas dinner munchie platter.  Thanks Lisa!

And also thanks to Lindsay and Katie for putting together such a fun exchange.  Can't wait to do it again next year!

Wednesday Poll: I Google

Not long ago, I read a big-brother-is-watching-you themed article about how Google is slowly and steadily gathering more and more personal information on people who use its services. 

Now, I'm not generally a conspiracy theorist, but I think the author has a good point.  Chances are you use at least a few Google applications.  Think about it--Gmail, Picasa, YouTube, Google Reader, Blogger--they're just all so darn nifty!  And when you put together a little information here, a little there...well it's easy to see how it could start to add up to a pretty good profile of who you are.

As the author points out, most of the ramifications are in advertising (as in, companies can target ads at you) but I also think it can be surprising what someone doing just a regular old search can bring up. 

So, for this week's Wednesday poll:

Go Google yourself.  Are you surprised by what came up?  Do the results paint a good picture of who you are and what you're doing?  If an old friend were trying to look you up, would those be the things you would want them to see?

Comment and discuss.

Wild Books!

I know exactly who is responsible for my junkie-like book reading habit--my mom and my first grade teacher, Mrs. Marshall--but what I can't pin down is who planted the idea in my head that it's wrong to throw books away.  Ever.  No matter what.  We're talking deadly sin.

Nonetheless, like many bits of childhood religion that linger, to this day I have a lot of trouble resigning books to the trash can.  I donate them where I can, pass them on somehow if possible, but pretty much they just stay on my ever more overflowing shelves.  And although I've mostly made peace with that, I was still very intrigued when a friend introduced me to a website called Book Crossing.

Wednesday Poll: Breast Fest

Although you may not yet know it, at 10 a.m. today several bloggers and moms will be taking part in the Great Virtual Breast Fest, posting pictures and videos on the web of themselves breastfeeding.  The Fest was organized by two "mama vigilantes" after it became known that Facebook is deleting pictures of nursing mothers--this despite the fact that Facebook apparently has actual harmful fish to fry, such as pro-anorexia groups and pedophiles using their service to seek victims.  (See more info here, an article from the Sydney Herald here, and the original deleted picture that seems to have started it all--which doesn't show any breast as far as I can see--here.)

I have (many) thoughts and theories, but in the grand Wednesday Poll tradition I'm going to shut-up and give you all a chance first.

For this week's poll:

Should Facebook be deleting pictures of breastfeeding mothers?  Is a breast always a sexual body part regardless of the context?  Any thoughts on breastfeeding in public in general?  And lastly (especially if you think the pictures are OK) would you post a picture on the internet of yourself breastfeeding?

Comment and discuss.

Wednesday Poll: Have You Noticed Them Yet?

The ads to your left right, I mean.  I debated long and hard about putting them up--it seemed a little like tattooing my baby.  But, although the wonders of Typepad aren't terribly expensive, they aren't free; and I ultimately decided that if they can pay the bills (and maybe even for some upgrades I'd really like to make) they'll be worth it. 

I also really like the Blogher Ads' (the company I chose to go with) set up.  You can object to ads with any content you disagree with and they throw in some public service announcements.  Further, they also include four or five rotating headlines from other blogs who've signed up with their service, to give everyone increased exposure (see directly under the ad).  I've already noticed some extra traffic from the headline that went up for my "California  Moe" post.  While my attitude has always been that I write what I want to and everyone else can take it or leave it as they please, it is nice to have more ways to get stuff out there.

With all that being said--although I know it's not nearly as fun to think about as last week's question was--for this week's poll:

What do you think about the ads?  About ads on blogs in general?  Do you just ignore them?  Do you ever click them?  Do you believe they influence what or how people write?

Comment and discuss. 

Publicity Whore

This is of little consequence to most of you, I'm sure, but I was pretty tickled by it.

After marveling at the speed with which both Lydia (of The Perfect Pantry) and Biggie (of Lunch in a Box) responded to my posts concerning their blogs, I started to wonder how many people are posting about my blog that I don't know about.  So, I searched for my blog on Yahoo and Google (something I really don't do often) and also signed up for a Google alert to learn when something new is posted.

Suffice to say, I learned that my blog is listed in some pretty weird places (including, according to Yahoo although I can't find it myself, on a blog called "The Long Tail" which features obscure blogs that no one reads.)  But I also learned that I have just recently been linked to on "Blogher"--which (although they feature tons of blogs every day) is pretty cool in my book.

No Intervention Necessary

I took this quiz (which I found on "Dogged", see link at right) with some trepidation.  What if the number ended up being too high?  Would my family--some of whom have already commented that I post an awful lot and have not 1, not 2, but 3 blogs going at present--stage a "come to Jesus" meeting?  Would Sweet Husband make me disconnect?

Thankfully, it didn't really turn out to be that bad...

64%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Sweet Husband Becomes a Blogger

Although a few of you may have noticed the link in the sidebar, now that he has a few posts up I feel compelled to announce that Sweet Husband has officially come over to the dark side become a blogger.  As you will see if you go visit--which you should--his blog is completely different from my three (although I do take credit for the design).  I believe his plan is to do one jewelry project per week-ish and discuss his progress as he goes along.  If you're into that sort of thing, it should be very interesting to watch how his ideas develop.  (And c'mon--who isn't interested in pretty jewelry?) 

Link's in your left hand sidebar, or click here.

Master of My Domains

Today, I poked my little flags down and staked a claim to two new pieces of the world wide web--to wit, I bought domain names for both this blog and "That Camera Lady"  ("The Pensieve" didn't get one, as it's going to ride into the sunset shortly after Harry Potter 7 is released).  Henceforth, in addition to being available at the normal location, this blog will now also be available at www.mybitofearth.net.  "That Camera Lady" will also be available at www.thatcameralady.net. 

Five Questions

This is in response to a meme (definition: an idea, project, statement or even a question that is posted by one blog and responded to by other blogs) that is circulating.  How it works is, a blogger answers 5 interview questions, submitted by the original blogger.  After being interviewed, a blogger invites others to play along, and interviews anyone who asks.  I saw this first on KathyF's blog, "What Do I Know?" (see parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5), and asked her to interview me when she was done.

Here are the questions she asked and my answers: