Shout Out!

Had to drop in and say a very big "Happy Birthday!" to my friend and roomie, Lisa! Have a great birthday (made all the better because you aren't at work today)!

My Favorite Month

Amongst the Balloons, originally uploaded by kyredbutterfly.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved, loved, loved October. It is the essence of autumn in these parts. Sometimes September feels like fall, but usually it's still too warm. By November, it's getting colder and grayer. But October...October is a chill in the air, crisp, blue skies, glorious color and falling leaves, pumpkins and bonfires, and so much more...everything that I love!

I got a jump-start on the fall love by going with Lisa to a balloon glow last Friday night. They've been doing this balloon glow for several years at the airfield a mile from my house, but this was the first chance I had to go and walk amongst the balloons. They were fun and beautiful, and a bit overwhelming to walk under.

It reminded me of the one hot air balloon trip I've been on, when I was about 12. Mom gave my grandfather a balloon ride for a Christmas present - my grandfather was a bomber pilot in the Air Force, so being up in the air was second nature to him. I was lucky enough to get to ride on the first leg of his trip. It was breathtaking! The view, the gush of currents, the heat from the flame, the gentleness of gliding in the basket. It's a great memory.

This Friday I also get to indulge in another of my favorite fall traditions - going to the St. James Art Show in Old Louisville. It's one of my favorite neighborhoods and with over 750 vendors, it's a *huge* affair! Some years I buy multiple items, some years I walk away with empty hands. But I always love the atmosphere and considering all of the beautiful art. And again, October is coming through and giving us perfect weather for the show...tomorrow it's supposed to be sunny and 70. A perfect day in my favorite month!

P.S. - Birthday wishes

Oops, meant to give a big shout out to my friend Kevin, whose birthday was yesterday! Had I been able to send an email or blog, my birthday wishes would have been more timely!

Hope you had a great day, Kev!

Please Be Patient With Me

When I was a little kid my mom would frequently intone the dreaded saying, "Patience is a virtue." I had no idea what that sentence was supposed to mean, but I was smart enough to know that it was invoked when I wanted something, and wanted it now. Finally, when I was about four years old, after hearing this phrase yet again, I replied, "If patience is a virtue, I don't want any virtues!" Needless to say, my mother was rather shocked at that idea. Of course, had I known what a virtue was, maybe I wouldn't have been quite so emphatic.

I tell this story of myself because we don't have power at the house these days and it's looking like it could be a long while before we get any power back. Yesterday the remnants of Hurricane Ike literally swept through the 'Ville with up to 75 mph winds. My neighborhood looks like a tornado touched down in it. There's actually more people without power than when the infamous 1974 tornado did take down lots of Louisville. They are predicting 10 to 14 days without electricity. I'll try to find a coffee shop with WiFi to post some pictures, soon, but even most businesses are closed right now.

And while I'm excited to get back to the posting, first on my list is finding someone who has power where I can dry my hair. My curly hair without a diffuser is a scary, scary site. Then comes begging for a go at their washing machine and dryer. Then, and only then, will I get back to the pics and the blog!

So, I ask for patience. Remember, it's a virtue.

Fall Forward

Um. Hi. Sorry for the almost two-month absence. I didn't mean to be gone this long. I really didn't start out being gone at all. But here we all are, on the cusp of fall - which I am ready to wholeheartedly embrace, not being a summer person - and I guess I'll just chalk it up to a nice summer vacation!

So, what I did on my summer blogcation -

• Went to New Orleans for a work conference. Drank a hurricane (among other things). Ate a few beignets. Grooved in the French Quarter. Didn't gamble at Harrahs, across the street from my hotel. Ate wonderful, yummy Creole and Cajun food. Sweated and sweated and sweated some more. There's a reason Mardi Gras and the Jazz Fest aren't held during the summer. It's hot, folks!
• Went to Sacramento for a 9 day training seminar. Met fabulous folks who work in legislatures across the country and learned tons of good stuff about leadership and management. Practical stuff. Went to San Fran for one day and did a short boat ride around the bay, bought cheap purses of questionable origin, and ate good sourdough bread. Yum!
• Almost finished an Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket for a friend who had her little girl last month. I'm one row, a bind off, sew-up, and attaching buttons away from finishing my first sweater. And I've been at this point since July 20. Oops. Apparently the blog wasn't the only thing I let slip.
• Am working on a big knitting project that must remain a secret because it is for someone who actually reads this blog regularly. It's going to take awhile, but I'm enjoying it so far.
• Celebrated with Mom that her two big projects for the year are finally, finally finished - her dental work and her new hardwood floors. Helped her paint her living room, dining room, and hallway before the new floors went in. Now she's talking about painting the sunroom and her bedroom! She's on a roll!

Okay, enough for now. Pictures to follow on my flickr page about all of the goodies listed here. Thanks for patiently waiting for me to come back to the fold!

Blue & Gray

Now, normally in these parts, when that phrase is used, we're talking about the Civil War (or as more southern Southerners than I will still call it, "The War of Northern Aggression." We hold on to grudges down here is these parts.), but in this case, I'm talking about the cloudy skies we've had of late. The last few weeks we've had several thunder storms and hazy days.

All of this seems to be mirroring life. There are a lot of mixed blessings going around in my life and the lives of family and friends. Health scares and waiting for further information, frustration over projects not moving forward as planned, added to the general unease that listening to the national and international news brings on.

The good news is that, as in this picture, there is plenty to smile about because not all clouds are gray and filled with rain. The sun will shine again, and all of these issues will eventually resolve themselves. I'm waiting patiently for the clouds to part.

Dinners and Desserts

I've been on a cooking binge, at least by my standards. When people ask me about my interests, I almost always mention that I like to cook, but the irony is that I don't often actually make what I consider "real meals." My friend Nancy actually makes fun of me because I can happily eat popcorn for dinner (or breakfast, I hate to admit). Mostly this is because, as a single person, there's always so much extra food whenever I follow a recipe that it doesn't seem worth the hassle. That and the fact that I also have to clean up. I hate doing both.

For awhile now I've been trying to think of ways to incorporate my love of very spicy food in healthier ways than my go-to Mexican dishes, since they so often include at least cheese, if not also fat of several kinds. I know that there are lots of spicy Asian dishes, and Indian food is some of my favorite. So I've bought a few new cookbooks and set out to acquire all the necessary ingredients. In and of itself, this is a change for me. I have a lot of cookbooks, and love reading them (like novels, in fact), but I am rarely organized enough to have an idea of what recipes I want to cook and have a list when I go to the grocery. Too often I just rely on my easy standbys.

My new plan worked out well, because on the day that I was shopping for the many ingredients, my friend Maria called me up looking for some company that evening. We happily made plans for me to bring the groceries to her place, and that night we cooked two great noodle dishes. For closer looks, click on my flickr page. Since then I've also made some yummy tikka masala and even baked - which I really don't like to do!