"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." ~George Bernard Shaw

"Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time." ~Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn


Monday, June 28, 2010

!0 Days in Berthoud Colorado

I am here in Berthoud Colorad visiting my brother Paul,
seeing his kids and also my son Phillip who
just moved in while looking for work.
Here are some of us holding the latest quilt I made-
for Paul's latest grandson- Wyatt Boone!
From the left to right:
me, Gracie, Evan, Fawn, Paul and Phillip
(Evan is Pauls oldest, Gracie is Fawn and Evan's daughter)

Sunsets are spectacular here...


Airborne!!!

Last of the sunset......!!!

Friday, June 25, 2010

Magpie 20

Bottle brush
Scrub brush
A brush with fate
Nail brush
Paint brush
Brushing up for a date
Hair brush
Toothbrush
Brush aside I'm late !!!


Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Kathe's Lentil and Leek Soup

Yes- it's L for Lentils and Leeks!
3-4 servings
1/2 onion chopped
1 leek thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves chopped fine
2T olive oli
1 carrot diced
1 celery stalk chopped
1 tsp dried oregano, 1 Bay leaf, 1 tsp dried basil
1 cup Bob's Red Mill Red Lentils
5 cups water with 4 tsp Better than Chicken Boullion
1 cup fresh spinach rinsed and thinly sliced
one spicy pre cooked sausage thinly sliced -Optional
``````````````````````````
Saute onion, leek , carrots,celery and garlic til onion is tender
stir in herbs and cook for 2 minutes
stir in lentils and add water with boullion
Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 1 hour
( I found bringing it to a boil, covering pot after 10 mins of simmering
and turning off the stove.... letting it sit cooked it enough)
When ready to serve turn up the heat, stir in the spinach and sausage and cook
until the spinach wilts- about 10 mins maximum.
Salt and pepper to taste
Enjoy-we did!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Energy and It's Visual Cost

This past weekend we drove over to Central and Eastern Oregon.
Every year we go to the BMW John Day Rally.
I love the drive going up the Columbia Gorge
and then over to John Day via Biggs Junction.
I love winding through this gorgeous part of the world
and until this year I have even enjoyed seeing the windmills.
Slightly reminiscent of surreal art they added an interesting
dimension to the landscape in their own quirky way.
However, this year I wasn't so entertained and was actually
rather taken aback at how many windmills now fill the sky
and cover the land. I am not so sure how
I feel about these windmills and this approach to
alternative energy sources. What do you think? Take a look:



Photo taken at Service Creek Restaurant near Fossil, Oregon.
No windmills here....

On highway 7 going from John Day, Oregon to Baker City, Oregon.
We drove over one day to visit friends while staying in John Day.
No windmills here.

Returning to Lake Oswego we drove back up highway 19 to Biggs Junction.
This is Cathedral Rock, part of the John Day Fossil Beds.
http://johndayfossilbeds.areaparks.com/

Still on Highway 19-lovely curvy road

OOPS.... Approaching Condon Oregon
the plethora of windmaills begins
I do understand the need for alternative energy
plus the boost to this areas economy.
However, I am dismayed by the visual blight.

And this is just the beginning of the hundreds we saw on our way home.

I'd rather see this panorama ...............

Friday, June 18, 2010

Magpie 19


I had too much fun with this photo prompt-but couldn't make up my mind as to which one to use...so poem fans here are two to choose from-you tell me which one I should have chosen! And don't forget to visit Magpie Tales to see more poetry from all of us! http://magpietales.blogspot.com/

First Try


Relaxing on a blanket

Lazing in the sun

What could be better

Since you are here.

Wine and cheese please

And pass the baguette

with the little knife

that has the cute bee.


Another One

My palsy walsy

Busy as a bee

Wanted the perfect knife

To use for cheese.

He searched the cupboards

He pawed through the drawers

No little French knife

To be found, oh alors!.

Finally we remembered

The last time it was used

A picnic last weekend

and voila! there it was!

It was in my purse

I could see the slight glint

Upending my purse-I dumped it all out

Pencils, stockings, my evil eye and

ahah! there it was!

Ensnared by the wee little fish.


Sunday, June 13, 2010

Congradulations to Zan Our Masters Graduate!

Two chocolate cakes, ice cream and love!
What more does anyone need?

Suzannah Kline Demoll graduated last Friday June 11, 2010

A wonderful accomplishment! Go Zan!


Zan celebrating her completion

of Masters degree in Education!
to see more photos of Zan's Graduation go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/katheworsley/sets/72157624258382638/

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Magpie #18

The Reluctant King
Two brothers not really alike

One serving his country

The other chasing a pretty face

One sacrificing his private life

While the other merely got a wife

Thanks Jingle


Thanks Jingle for the Your Blog Sends Me Flying Award !

http://itistimetothinkformyself.blogspot.com/

Jingle is a fellow writer/poet that I first became acquainted with on Magpie Tales blog for writers. Magpie Tales was created by Willow and she dedicated this blog for "the enjoyment of writers, for the purpose of honing their craft, sharing it with like minded bloggers, and keeping their muses alive and well."
http://magpietales.blogspot.com/

Jingle not only writes and posts on Magpie Tales but also takes the time to read other's blogs and awards different blogs weekly. It's an act of kindness that takes not only thought but precious time and we all appreciate that! So- thanks Jingle for that and thanks Willow for giving all of us such a creative venue!

K is for Kale with Garlic and Bacon and another tasty recipe.....

Photo from my kitchen-
the potatoes are from our garden
and I am sure there is some sort of
Potato recipe coming up soon!
This week our local paper had a recipe for
braised artichokes in the FOODday section-and
it turned out to be a tastier way to prepare
them than the usual plain old steaming.
Here's the link to that recipe thanks to Mark Bittman of the NY Times:
Now- on to K is for Kale with Garlic and Bacon!
I found this recipe in the beautifully produced cookbook
Blue Eggs and Orange Tomatoes
http://www.jeannekelleykitchen.com/Site/Book.html
I picked up this book at our local library and so far all
the recipes I have tried have been good and no surprises!
I might have to buy this book !
Anyhow here is that recipe:
Kale with Garlic and Bacon
serves 2
1- 1/2 bunch Kale - I used just 1/2 the bunch
(if the Kale you purchase has tough stems or ribs cut them out)
2 slices of bacon cut in 1/2" pieces
4 garlic cloves or less according to your taste-chopped finely
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
with a squeeze of lemon juice if you want
Stack Kale leaves, roll up and cut into 1/2" strips
Cook bacon in heavy pot med/hi heat stir occasionally til crisp
remove bacon and drain on paper towel.
Keep 1 Tablespoon of bacon fat-remove the rest and cook the
garlic until golden about 1 minute or so. Add the Kale and cook
turning with tongs until wilted and bright green about 1 minute or so.
Add water and simmer partly covered fpr 6-10 minutes-toss with bacon
squeeze some lemon juice over if you want and serve.
Yum

and finally here's the latest baby quilt I just finished. This one is for my nephew Clay's latest baby boy soon to arrive the end of this month! I made a farm quilt complete with the lyrics from Old MacDonald Had a Farm going around the border. Thanks to the expertise of Pat Roche at Just Quilting in Portland I am able to make these fun quilts. Take a look at her web site: http://patsjustquilting.com/

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Mexican Chocolate Cake....muy delicioso!

I will be making this for our sweet niece Zan
who graduates this Friday
with a Masters in Education! Yay Go Zan ! Mexican Chocolate Cake Recipe: makes one 8 inch round cake You will need: 1 1/2 cup of flour 1 cup of sugar 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa 2 teaspoons of cinnamon 1 teaspoon of baking soda 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or chili powder 1/4 teaspoon of salt 1 cup of cold water 1/4 cup of canola oil 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 inch cake pan, set aside. In a large bowl,whisk all dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix well until batter is fully combined. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. I find I have to bake my cake for 40-50 minutes Probably my oven. Let cake cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan and finish cooling it in a wire rack. Chocolate Glaze Recipe (optional): Confectioner's sugar Unsweetened cocoa Cinnamon (optional) Water For the glaze, combine confectioner's sugar and cocoa using a 2 for 1 ratio (2 parts sugar, 1 part cocoa). Use small amounts of water by the spoon full to moisten it and bring to the consistency you want. I use 4T of water, 2/3rd cup of sugar and 1/3rd cup of cocoa. I also add 1/2t of cinnamon to it. This cake is so good and soooo easy!

Monday, June 07, 2010

Monday became Bakeday


I certainly was in the mood for turning on the oven and baking away! So today I first made a loaf of Raisin Cinnamon Buttermilk Bread, then moved on to the using up the rest of the buttermilk dough and made 6 nice fat rolls for dinner and finished off with a batch of Oatmeal Cranberry Coconut Cookies.
Whew....now off to mail sone of those cookies to my nephew Clay who is in the Navyand lives in Norfolk VA with his wife Tori and son Conner. They are expecting their second son Wyatt in a few weeks and I expect these cookies will be useful in passing the time while waiting for Wyatt!
Hahahah!

Sunday, June 06, 2010

Hedgerow planting and another quilt finished



Those babies keep popping up and out!
Here's a quilt for a cute little boy born in January.
Took me awhile-but it finally got done!
This past weekend I helped plant the beginning
of a hedgerow at Luscher Farm! Hooray!
Checkout our blog at:
This trailer was loaded with plants twice
before we were done!
We planted almost 300 native shrubs
including willows, Nine bark, service berry,
roses, and dogwoods.

One of the CSA employees checking our work! Laura Masterson and her crew have been so instrumental in Friends of Luscher Farm achieving this goal.

http://www.47thavefarm.com/

In addition- the Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District provided the planting plan. http://www.conservationdistrict.org/

Three cheers to everyone who made this possible!

Thursday, June 03, 2010

Magpie #17

This weeks Magpie image had me stymied.
So, after much scratching of my head and pondering
I came up with this limerick- never having written one
before I hope it works and that you all enjoy it. Please check out Magpie Tales
link in the column to the right. Have fun!

She lost her head while in the ocean
swimming along ignoring the motion
of the dark sharp shadow
her last words were uh oh
As she hated causing a commotion