Mumbo Jumbo and All that Jazz

This is one of the few times I will be posting without a picture to go with it. As you can tell by the banner at the top of the blog and the explanation just below it, I have decided to change things up a bit. Let me tell you how I came to this decision.

Change. It is a huge word right now in my life. It is a good thing, but not one I am very comfortable with. I like things to be constant and predictable. And yet there is a fickle part of me that gets bored very easily too. So, with so much happening right now, I thought, "Self, if you are ever going to do a 365 Project, do it now. You might as well since everything else is changing and getting complicated. Why not just add to the chaos?"

And then I thought, "Self, are you crazy?"

And the answer to that is yes. But, I am not just crazy, I am crazy smart. Ha! Why smart, you ask? Because I have realized that one person can only handle so much. So, with a bittersweet taste in my mouth, I have decided to close down This Too Shall Pass for the year and focus my energy here. I have also decided to shut down Nine Acres Photography blog for now. I need to consolidate and make nice, neat, tidy, organized piles. So, out with the old and in with the new.

Speaking of new, I am hopefully buying a brand spankin' new Mac computer today, if the weather holds out (weathermen are predicting ice and snow). So, along with that, I am hoping to build a brand new website where I can consolidate my Fine Art print business and my Simple Smooches business all under one roof. It will take a while, but that is on the list of things to do over the next few months. When all is said and done, I should only have to maintain this blog and my new website. How fine and dandy is that? I just feel like I am pulled in 18, 383, 234 different directions and this will help knock at least 3 directions out. So, now I am down to 18,383, 231 different directions.

Oh, and speaking of Macs, I just now realized (honest to goodness just now while typing) that I may be posting from my camera phone for a while because not only do I not know how to use a Mac, but I don't know how to use the newest version of Photoshop either. "Great idea, self. Start a 365 day project before you even know how to use the computer." My brilliance sometimes blinds me. *snicker*

If you haven't deleted me off your reader's list yet after all of that rambling, I would love for you to kick off your shoes, make yourself comfortable, and hang with me awhile. It will be a long, curvy ride, but one worth making; for me at least.

Tomorrow, January 1, 2010 will be my first post for my 365 Project. *gulp*
Until then, my friends,

Your crazy friend,
Tracey

Big Changes

Some big changes are coming to this blog next year! I have finally decided what I want to do starting New Year's Day on Friday, so please stay tuned for that. There will be some changes happening throughout the week, culminating on Friday. Please be patient as I switch things over.


Another big news item: I am buying a Mac computer! Yes, I am jumping off the PC bandwagon and onto the Mac bandwagon. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. I am hoping to have it by the end of the weekend, so maybe next week I will be typing from my new baby!

Another change...our female goat is with child. Or with kid, if I was being proper with my terminology. Actually, she may have twins. It is common for goats to have twins, so who knows. We will have to wait and see. She is getting huge, though, so it should not be too long.

All of these changes; fostering, new goats; construction; new computers; blog revamping; are sending my poor Buddy (and his Mommy) into fits. He is feeling a bit neglected and out of sorts, so when I have tried to take his picture lately, he has been ignoring me as you can tell from the pictures. We really need to get out for a good walk, but the weather is not cooperating. Yesterday the high was 28 degrees with the wind howling at 30mph. Not good walking weather. Hopefully we will be able to get out soon.

Speaking of weather, I thought I would post this video of our two horses frolicking in the 2 feet of snow we got a while back. They were in the stalls for 1 1/2 days during the blizzard, so they were happy to be out. They were able to run through the snow because it was a soft, dry snow. It was not wet and therefore didn't pack. Sorry about the screen in the window, but I was working in my office when I saw them and grabbed my little video camera. I knew they would be gone by the time I got outside, so I shot it through the window. About 1/2 way through the horses become clearer ;0) Enjoy!

Looming

Have you ever felt that you are at a crossroads of something big, huge, life changing? That is how I am feeling right now. Obviously becoming a foster family is a large part of my feelings, but there is something more. I feel that way with my work/career as well and for some reason it feels like life as I know it will be upended and twisted around until it is not recognizable. The funny thing is I have no idea why I feel this way.


There are no job offers that I am aware of. No immediate plans to change what I am doing. But, there is something looming and I can feel it. I don't know if it is a good looming or a bad looming, but it is there.

Maybe I am just discombobulated after the holidays and with construction and the fostering, I am just imagining things. However, I am pretty attuned to things such as this and I don't think I am wrong. It will be interesting to see how it plays out in the coming year.

Weigh In: How are you feeling with the coming New Year? A sense of anticipation, dread, worry, excitement?


Image info: Taken with Canon 5D, Lensbaby Composer lens with interchangeable fisheye. f/2.8; shutter speed unknown

Digging Out

I think I can finally see the light at the top of the hole from where I am digging out! Christmas was fast and furious and my head is still spinning. I never was quite ready for it and so I never seemed to grab on to it to savor it. And now it is gone. We finished our family parties last night and the clean up begins. Where the heck will I put all the stuff?

Instead of going on and on about my lack of storage right now during construction, I will just leave you to enjoy some pictures from Ladybug's concert she had at a local mall just before Christmas. The first is her looking up to the second level of the mall where I was standing strategically to get a bird's eye view of her. I like that she is the only one looking up.


The orchestra warming up. And before you ask, YES, she goes to a VERY small school. This is the whole orchestra.

A view of the crowd that gathered to listen to them play.

Ladybug (center with a worried look on her face) nervous right before she sings. Look at her hands...she is freaking out right there.

Last minute instructions from the choral director.
As fast as eveyrthing whizzed by, I am happy that I took the time out to see her perform here. And I am glad I took pictures of it. I am sure I would not have remembered it after all the millions of things we piled on at that time.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Weigh In: Are you in clean up mode? Any tips for getting through the mess and organizing after the holidays?

Day After

I hope everyone had a happy, healthy, joy filled Christmas. I am pre-posting this before Christmas, so I am assuming all is well here in the Nine Acres camp. More merriment is scheduled today as we are headed to visit Brian's dad and wife and then tomorrow to see Brian's uncle on his mom's side. The festivities never cease! Ho ho ho!

I wanted to post some more pics of when we were in the midst of the blizzard. Remember when I told you we had to bring in the barn cat so we didn't have a cat-sicle in the morning? I think he was quite cozy indoors:

However, my regular indoor cat, Smiley, was not so sure she enjoyed the abrupt company in her territory:


She remained freaked out during the process and most of the time hid behind the tree and the gifts. Silly feline.

Dusty could not return to the barn fast enough in her opinion. Poor thing. That and the construction noise happening, well, it is enough to give a kitty a heart attack. Or a nervous break down at least.

Hopefully I will be back to regular blogging tomorrow (as opposed to pre-posting). Can't wait to catch up with you all!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of my friends and family, near and far. May the spirit of the holiday fill your heart on this wonderful day of giving.


Love to all from the Nine Acres clan,

Christmas Ornaments

Since I showed you my whole tree yesterday, I thought I would zoom in a bit and show you some of my ornaments. I feel horrible that I joined Lisa's Christmas Ornament Exchange this year and I still have yet to post images of the ornaments that I received. It took me so long because it took so long to get the tree up this year, so my apologies to her and to Leanne, who sent the beautiful ornaments. Please check out Leanne's blog as she is one amazing woman and artist!

Leanne sent me these two beautiful butterflies. I love how the wings capture the light of the Christmas lights and give off a soft glow.





This is one of Brian's childhood ornaments from 1979. It is a family favorite and it always gets a prominent spot on the tree!



See this scary thing? This is an ornament I made when I was in elementary school. More specifically, I think I was in kindergarten. It is made out of clay and it is painted. Apparently I did not hold coloring inside the lines in very high esteem. This fella always gets a special place on the *back* of the tree ;0)



See this other scary one? This one I inherited from Brian's childhood collection. I call it the possessed Santa. It strikes fear in my heart. He too resides on the very back of the tree.


What is the scariest ornament on your tree? Have a wonderful Christmas Eve! I am hosting both my family and Brian's family tonight. Wish me luck!

xoxo,

Our Christmas Tree and Our Lazy Cat

Thought since it was almost Christmas, I would show you our tree this year. Nothing fancy. It is a live tree and it is huge. It is covered in lights and ornaments (no bead garland this year) only. I love the soft glow it gives off. Notice the sleeping cat on the rocker? That is Dusty, our barn cat. During the blizzard we brought him inside so he wouldn't get lost in the drifts. I think he was happy about that.



I hope you are finished your last minute preparations and are enjoying the holiday. Tomorrow I will show some of my best and worst ornaments (we all have them don't we?)

Hugs,

Chocolate Surprise Cookies

Ladies and gentleman, may I please introduce you to the lusciousness that I now call my favorite cookie of all time? You will be thanking me in abundant ways when I help you meet the acquaintance of these scrumptious babies. People, please say hello to Chocolate Surprise Cookies. Chocolate Surprise Cookies, say hello to the people.

I have not stopped eating this little buggers since they came out of the oven. Thanks to my kids and Brian, who are the bakers in the house, I have gained at least 20lbs from these evil things. Here they are before baking:



"What is the surprise in Chocolate Surprise Cookies?" you ask. Well, my friends, the surprise is the Rolo candy in the center. Yes, a sneaky little Rolo is hiding in the center of these creations of scrumptious-ness. See the cookie I *accidentally* messed up trying to pick it up before it cooled? Yes, that is the caramel center of the Rolo oozing out. Mmmmmm. They are even better when they have cooled and the caramel solidifies a bit more. OMG.



You will be thanking me for sure, but beware of 2 things. First, they are addictive. Second, they are expensive (as cookies go) to make.



But trust me, no amount of money will keep you away from these babies. And here is the recipe from Forerest Gump My Favorite Chocolate Recipes book.

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans, divided (we left these out)
1 tablespoon sugar (we used crystal sugar sprinkles for the top)
1 (90z) package chewy caramels in milk chocolate (Rolos)

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugars, beating well.

Combine flour, cocoa, and soda; add to butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in vanilla and 1/ cup chopped pecans (we left out). Cover cookie dough and refrigerate 1 hour.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup pecans (we left out) and 1 tablespoon sugar, set aside. Gently press 1 tablespoon cookie dough around each Rolo candy, forming a ball. Dip 1 side of cookie in pecan mixture (we used the sugar sprinkles instead). Place, pecan (or sugar) side up, 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes (Brian baked longer as they were still in ball form at 8 minutes, so keep an eye on them. As soon as they flatten out like a real cookie they are done.) Let cool 1 minute on baking sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 4 dozen (I think we got about 2.5-3 dozen, not 4)

You are welcome, my friends...

The Blizzard of 2009

Sorry I am posting late this beautiful Monday morning. I was up late last night watching the Tivo-ed Raven's game and then the Tivo-ed Survivor finale. So I didn't get to pre-post last night. A girl has to have her priorities, ya know! The kids are off school today, so I slept in just a tad and that's why I am late.

As probably most of you know by now the East coast was hit hard with a Nor'easter storm starting Friday night and lasting until the early hours of Sunday morning. In my neck of the woods we received about 2-2.5 feet of snow. It is the biggest snow storm I have seen in a LONG time!

I thought I would share some images from this weekend with you.

This first one was taken on Saturday at about 4pm. Brian had to go out to check on the horses and goats to make sure they were okay, so he shoveled a path to the barn. By about 8 o'clock this path was gone again. The snow was coming down at a good clip and the wind was blowing. The horses and goats were as snug as a bug in a rug, so all was well.


This was our parking pad, but where is the car? You can see a hint of Brian's truck (evidence that the wind was drifting the snow) but it had drifted completely over the car. Can you see the side mirrors just sticking out? This was on Saturday at about 4 pm also, so it still had hours of snowing to do after that.


Again, 4pm Saturday. Check out the drifts on the roof. Brian had to shovel his way out the door which is why the steps are clear. See the snow blowing? I couldn't stay out long, so I snapped this and ran back inside. My camera still was wet, but it didn't harm it. And yes, those are our 100 lb pumpkins still sitting there. Don't judge, please ;0)


Sunday, 9AM: The snow had stopped and the sun was out. Brian shoveled a new path to the barn and let the horses out. They were knee deep in the snow, but were happy to be out of the barn. The goats could not go out as the snow was deeper than they are tall. Wouldn't want to lose our goats in the drifts! They are still in today, poor things. They are comfy in the horse stall with lots of hay and water, but I am sure they would love to move around. They won't be able to until some of the snow melts away. With the frigid temps they are calling for, I don't expect that to happen soon.



I still have lots of pictures to edit, so I will post them soon. I hope everyone on the east coast is unburied and able to move around today.

I am preparing for my parents to come into town this week. Cleaning, making grocery lists, laundry, wrapping more gifts...that sort of thing. I am so dang excited they will be spending Christmas with us!

Have a good one!

Dreamgirls

On Friday night, after thouroughly embarrassing myself in a Aldo's, a swanky restaurant in Little Italy, Baltimore, we went to see the second show in my Hippodrome season ticket birthday surprise, Dreamgirls. I love having a set date night with my husband when we don't feel bad about spending time with each other alone and doing something fun.

Well, *I* think going to the Hippodrome to see Broadway Across America shows is fun, but Brian...not so much. He is not a Broadway musical kind of guy. He is more of a shoot'em-up-movie kind of guy. Or a Dexter-serial-killer kind of guy. However, since his love knows no bounds for me, he goes with me willingly just to see me smile. Even if if means he falls asleep each time (yes, we are 2 for 2 on this...he fell asleep at Fiddler on the Roof too) and twitches in his sleep. I am always afraid he will hit the person sitting next to him and embarrass himself. Oh, and did I tell you about the time he fell asleep in the theater while watching Phantom of the Opera on BROADWAY in NEW YORK? Yeah, so that is another story...

During intermission he was able to get a coffee, thus catching the second half of the show. But then he was awake till 3AM. It really is a no win situation.

I really liked Dreamgirls, but I have to admit that it wasn't my favorite musical of all time. Yes, the performers could sing. Actually, the were amazing, especially Moya Angela who plaid Effie White and Chester Gregory, who played James Early. They could belt out a song like nobody's business! So, it wasn't a lack of talent by any means. I just didn't connect to it or the characters the way I have with other musicals in the past. I enjoyed it very much, but I didn't LOVE it.

One of the other cast members was Syesha Mercado, who played the role of Deena Jones. She was a great singer as well and was actually the second runner up on American Idol during the 7th season. She is doing well for herself as she is now recording her first album and she has appeared in national commercials.

In case you are not familiar with this musical, it is based on the show business aspirations of several real R & B singers in the 60's and 70's including the Shirelles and others. It was later adapted to film, starring Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, and Beyonce Knowles. I have not seen the film version and probably won't, but if you don't have the chance to see it live, then I recommend you do rent the DVD. It certainly is worth an evening at home.

Have a great Sunday! We will be digging ourselves out from under the 3 feet of snow we have.

Aldo's Italian Restaurant in Baltimore

**The images found in this post are not my own. They were found via Google or Aldo's website**

As I am sitting here typing, the powdery snow is falling at an incredible clip. The wind is gusting and there are snow drifts all around. It is difficult to tell exactly how much snow is truly on the ground due to those factors, but it is safe to say it is about 7-8 inches (at 9 AM) and it is due to snow all day, through the night and into tomorrow morning. All in all they are still calling for 20-30 inches along the corridor where our home is located.

I am thrilled with it as long as we don't lose electric! We rely completely on electric for water, (well pump) including toilet flushing, heat (oil heat furnace runs on electricity), and of course the regular stuff as well like cooking (electric stove top and oven), lighting, refrigerator, etc. We do have a small generator, but it can't power the whole house and we have to pick and choose what we run with it. Besides, now that I am forced to slow down today since going outside right now is not an option, I plan on catching up with all of your blogs ;0)

Last night Brian and I had a great night out together. Back in April Brian received a gracious gift from a client that we had yet to use. It was a gift certificate to a restaurant in the Little Italy section of Baltimore called Aldo's. Aldo's is a beautiful restaurant that has been heralded as a "cathedral to Southern Italian Cuisine." This is how the website describes the place:

Chef Aldo's delicately balanced, southern-influenced regional Italian cuisine finds its setting in sumptuously-appointed dining rooms steeped in classical Italian tradition which cabinet-maker-turned-chef Aldo personally crafted. As passionate proponents of locally grown organic produce and seasonal ingredients, we maintain close relationships with farmers, fishmongers and butchers to ensure exceedingly fresh ingredients. After all, as our Guest, you deserve nothing less than the finest.

They have won multiple awards including Baltimore's Best Italian Restaurant in 2004. It is easy to taste why they are awarded so, as your mouth screams for more when you sample the food there. I am no food critic, but I know what my taste buds like and they liked what they tasted at Aldo's!



So, I know you are dying to know what we ate. Here it is my friends. Read it and drool:

1st course- Salad:

Me- Caprese Tower • Local Vine-Ripe Tomatoes, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sweet Basil and Fresh Mozzarella di Bufala (air-shipped from Campania, Italy)


Brian- Classic Caesar Salad

2nd course- Appetizer
Brian and I both- Aldo’s Butter-Poached Lobster Risotto, deglazed with Highland Scotch

3rd course- Entree-

Brian and I both- Special of the evening- 8 oz Grilled Prime Filet Mignon (medium well) with Jumbo Lump Maryland Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce and Garlic Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Steamed Asparagus

We skipped desert. Mostly because we ate every stinking single bite of everything else and we would have burst like a ripe pimple with one more bite, but also because we were running out of time to make our show, Dreamgirls, at the Hippodrome theater (more about that on another post).

So, as a parting thought to the whole restaurant experience, let me just say that I am finding out what a true redneck I am and how little class I actually have. I was so overwhelmed with the fanciness of this restaurant that I embarrassed myself several times. I will tell you about it sometime when you need a laugh. You can dress me up but you can't take me out. Well, you can't take me out to a fancy place anyway. (I begged to go to McDonald's after telling the waiter that I prefer tap water when he asked if we would like distilled water or sparkling water.) Yeah, and that is only the beginning...

Stay warm, stay safe, and have a great snow day y'all!

Snow- What I Did and What I Did Not Wish For

Okay, so the other day in an email to a friend, I stated that I really wished for more snow so I can chill out in the house watching Christmas movies wrapped up in a blanket and sipping hot cocoa. What I did not wish for is 2-3 FEET of snow. That, my friends, is the old adage of "be careful what you wish for" in brilliant clarity. Of course, here in Maryland, if our forecasters say a 'dusting' then we get a foot. If they say 3 feet, we get 2 inches. So, we shall see how this plays out.

This is Ladybug's school picture this year. I am not in love with it but I am in love with her. She is growing up to be such a wonderful young lady and it is a pleasure to watch.

Brian and I are headed out for a date night tonight. We will have a lovely, I am sure, dinner at a great restaurant in Little Italy, Baltimore. Then, off to the Hippodrome to see Dream Girls. I am so looking forward to this down time to forget all the things that still need to be accomplished and probably won't. I hope I can just let it all go and concentrate on my husband.

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone!

Poinsettias

Yesterday I showed you some shots of the land near my house as we were driving to get our Christmas tree from Brian's uncle's farm. While we were there, we checked out the rest of the nursery and found these beautiful poinsettia plants. He always has the best poinsettias at Christmas time.


According to Wikipedia,

Euphorbia pulcherrima, commonly known as poinsettia, is a species of flowering plant indigenous to Mexico. The name "poinsettia" is after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who introduced the plant into the US in 1828. It is also called the Atatürk flower.

Wikipedia also explains why the poinsettia is associated with Christmas:

The plant's association with Christmas began in 16th century Mexico, where legend tells of a young girl who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday. The tale goes that the child was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson "blossoms" sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias. From the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations.

The leaves are exquisite. I just love the texture....all furry and soft. They are tons of fun to photograph as well. Since I love them so much, I am sharing this last image with you if you would like it. You can go here to see how you can download it as desktop wallpaper.


Have a good one!