Red Sunrise White Snow

There is an old saying.

"Red sky in morning, sailor take warning".

It's true (to a point), according to the Library of Congress.

A snowstorm followed this red sunrise.  I know two people who live in the Syracuse, NY area and both reported to me they got over two feet of snow at their houses.  We were supposed to get up to 15 inches but lucked out.  We got about nine inches from the sky, but a lot of it melted.  We have about four inches (10 cm) on the ground.

I'm so happy I live an hour away from Syracuse.  As it was, I had to cancel some travel plans for this weekend because of the higher totals elsewhere.

Still,  I was able to take some nice photos, and I want to share some more with you today. Snow is something I take for granted, living in an area that gets up to 100 inches (or more!) of snow a year.  For you outside the United States, that's some 254 cm of the white stuff.

Downtown Binghamton, New York - County Court House and Civil War statue.

Downtown Binghamton - Snow on garland.

Now, my next queston - if you have a red sky at night, do you get a sailor's delight?

Fall Fancies - Syracuse's 15 Minutes of Fame

If you see Jim Cantore walking down your street, evacuate immediately.

It's a bit of a joke, here in the United States, where we have a channel on cable TV called The Weather Channel.  They dispatch a man, Jim Cantore, to wherever they feel some weather related disaster is about to strike. So now, people get really nervous when Jim Cantore shows up before a predicted storm.

Even the Weather Channel has made fun of this. Enjoy this commercial showing one of Jim Cantore's attempted vacations.

Today, it was Syracuse, New York's turn to host Jim Cantore.  And sure enough, the snowfall in Syracuse and Onondaga County did not disappoint.  They didn't even close their schools - not right away, anyway.

We didn't get Syracuse's totals here in the Binghamton, New York area.  But, I want to treat you to some pictures, anyway. I love snow on evergreens, and this my treat for you today.

Evergreens and snow, taken near Johnson City, New York.

More tomorrow (maybe).

What was your weather like today?

One Sunday Away

Are you one Sunday away from losing your job?

Or, have you found yourself no longer doing business with a business you have been doing business with for many years?

A relative who worked in the newspaper business for over 25 years was laid off last week.   More and more, newspapers do not do their own editing or many other functions - everything is done from a centralized location. My relative was caught in the latest of many downsizings.

More and more, I see grammar and spelling errors in headlines and in newspaper articles. I am far from a grammar geek.   If I can see the errors they are plainly obvious.  Quality does not seem to count any more.  Someone I follow on Facebook likes to hunt these errors down and post them.

Someone I work with who lives about an hour from me says that in her city (which is bigger than mine), newspapers only get delivered three days a week.  The other four days, this woman says, the newspaper is barely worth purchasing.  And, if you want to read it, you go to a store.

I've had experiences surrounding my need to stop newspaper delivery, sometimes on short notice (for various personal reasons), and the problems I've encountered with what should have been a simple customer service transaction could fill their own blog.


There is even a website called "Newspaper Death Watch", which chronicles the decline and fall of the newspaper industry.

It is easy enough for industry people to see what is wrong.  My relative knew for years that the job was in jeopardy.   I have read that even the Sunday paper, the day of the week that keeps the rest of the newspapers day financially afloat, is in jeopardy.  Those Sunday advertising inserts are what keep newspapers alive nowadays, but even they may be disappearing soon.

I would be sweating if my industry was one Sunday away from disappearing.

So, do print newspapers have a chance at survival?  I am not in that industry, and so I can not give you an informed opinion.

Where my relative will end up working, and the process the relative will have to go through to get that job, will be of much interest to me.

But in the meantime, I was reminded of a blog post from 2010, which I am repeating below.  Here we are, four years later, and little has changed. When you are a dying industry, it's not a good idea to tick off your faithful customers.  Although, if your faithful customers are getting older and older, maybe it makes some kind of warped business sense. At least the newspaper we had the problem with, below, is still publishing.  But maybe, one Sunday, the last of their advertisers will decide it isn't worth using papers for advertising anymore.

Attention Newspapers: This is Why You are Going to Die

So....why would a relative of mine, who has a grown child in the newspaper industry, cancel her subscription to the paper her child works for?

I imagine, too, that this relative has had this subscription for....oh, maybe 40 or 45 years?

Now why would a loving mother do that to the employer of her child?  Because....

Said relative, an elderly stroke survivor, got tired of fishing her paper out of snowdrifts, hiking to the far end of a very long driveway, or not finding it at all.  She called the paper and said she was going to cancel.  The paper asked why, and she told them.  The customer service rep said something like "well, if that was taken care of, would you continue your subscription?"

Relative said yes.  Subscription continued.

Relative kept fishing her paper out of snowdrifts or (if lucky) finding it at the far end of her long driveway.  It's long for her; she can't walk long distances due to said stroke.  And she's not exaggerating this to us either; we visited her recently and found, sticking out of the melting snow, a paper dated from almost 30 days before.  But look on the bright side; it was in a plastic bag.

Relative told us never mind, throw it out.

Anyway, she's canceling her subscription soon.

Yes, that is how to reward a long standing customer.  Alienate them!  Don't keep your promises either.  But who cares about old people?
Maybe an industry that depends on them should care.

Because I can tell you (from knowing my son and others his age) the young people aren't reading the paper any more. 

I guess, newspaper industry, you are just going through the motions.  Too bad.  You are needed.  But you've lost the will to live.

Support Your Local Author

What do Beatrix Potter and bestselling author John Grisham have in common?

They started out by self publishing.

Several years ago, I participated in a blogging challenge called The Author Blog Challenge.  During this challenge, I learned about a writing community called the "indie writing community" - authors who take the publishing process into their own hands. 

This path is not for everyone.  And, it is not an easy path. I'm not sure, if I ever got to the point where I had an actual manuscript, that I would go that route.  But for those who take that path, it can be worthwhile.

There is nothing new about self publishing.  Many of you, for example, are familiar with a book originally self published book in the early 1930's.  It was called The Joy of Cooking, and it was written by a recent widow.

And now, look what that strong willed widow accomplished.

So now, what about the modern author who wants to self publish?  There is a blogger out there who might just help you.

Today, I continue what will be an occasional series this month on bloggers whose blogs I enjoy.

A great supporter of the indie community, through her blog and through other activities, is an author who writes under the name of Jo Michaels. 

If you have a book and a dream of being reviewed, you may want to visit Jo's blog starting tomorrow.  She is giving authors an opportunity for a book review.  An honest, through book review.  You will need to pitch your book, following her rules.

What do you get in return, if your book is chosen?

A review by someone who is both an accomplished graphic artist and an editor.  By someone who is honest.  When you read her review, you know she hasn't just sped her way carelessly through your book.  You can see examples of prior reviews on her blog and know this is the genuine article.

Yes, there are ground rules.  Read them carefully. And then, if this appeals to you, feel free to pitch your book.

I am not benefiting from promoting Jo's blog.  All I am doing is paying forward what Jo has done for me. Back, before my first NaNoWriMo (in 2012), she gave me an idea for something that I incorporated into my first novel attempt. She has given me other encouragements.

She gets so much done in her life that it is almost scary.

And did I mention there is also a giveaway involved?  Thank you, Jo!

Go ahead, pitch your book!  You just never know, although Jo is not promising that you will end up with the next best seller.  But if you do, you can say that I started you on that path. (Kidding).


And while I am at it, let me take the opportunity to link to blogs of several other authors who deserve your notice. Some are indie authors, some are not, but I have been introduced to them through various blogging challenges.

Amy Bovaird - Mobility Matters
Francene Stanley (various series)
Tia Bach
Robert Chazz Chute

As Jo likes to say:  Write on!

Civil War Sunday - The Last Nine Standing

(Civil War Sunday will return next week)

This December 7, there are nine of them left.  Four of them will be in Oahu today for the last official gathering of the USS Arizona Reunion Association.

Our local newspaper had pictures of each and a brief description of his memory of December 7, 1941.

The faces are lined with age.  They are in their 90's, for the most part.  In not too many more years, the last one will be gone.  Even their website is in danger of shutting down.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, in what would later become the state of Hawaii, causing the United States to enter World War II.

Perhaps the most famous ship to have been lost, the USS Arizona lies just a few feet beneath the water, and it is now a national monument - a must see for anyone visiting Hawaii.

These nine men are the last nine survivors of the Arizona.

Without remembering our history, we would be lost.

So I was curious to find this little historical tidbit while reading about Pearl Harbor today:  Husband E. Kimmel was the  Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet on the day of the attack.  He was wounded during the attack by a stray billet.  Then, shortly after the attack, he was relieved of his command, and, to this day, there is a debate regarding whether he should have been relieved of command.

Kimmel's father was a veteran of the Confederate military.  But, on December 7, 1941, that did not matter.

It was also true that the bloodiest day in U.S. Naval history prior to Pearl Harbor was during the Civil War.

Why is it important to remember Pearl Harbor?  Many reasons - this article lists only a few (in one particular point of view. His opinions may or may not reflect mine.)

In my opinion, it is just as important to remember our Civil War, even though it was fought 150 years ago.  When I was born in 1952, only a handful of Civil War veterans were left alive, but it made an impact on me nevertheless.  We are at about the same point with the veterans of World War II.

Without these two wars, our country would be a different place to live.  Our very lives would be different.

They are part of why we are the way we are, for good and for bad.

No matter what country you live in, dear reader, please take a moment and reflect on your personal history.  And hope that, one day, our world can finally achieve peace.

Sustainable Saturday - It's a Challenge

This will be my last Sustainable Saturday post.  Starting next Saturday, I will change this feature to "Local Saturday" so I can expand the theme to include anything of local interest, either where I live in upstate New York, or anywhere I happen to be visiting.  I hope you enjoy the changes.

From time to time, the "locavore" store I frequent, Old Barn Hollow in Binghamton, New York, has featured greens grown by Finger Lakes Fresh.

This is not your ordinary grower.

Rather, they are operated by Challenge Workforce Solutions, a non-profit whose mission is to provide opportunities for people with challenges - mental, physical, and developmental.  Because I have a brother in law with a developmental disability called autism, I always have an interest in these types of products.

Unlike some non profits who serve people with disabilities, Challenge Workforce Solution also works with people who have addictions.

But guess what?  We can't patronize non profits "just because".  Their product has to be good.

What's my verdict?

Finger Lakes Fresh produce is competitively priced, and it is good!  We've had their Boston lettuce...

and their Baby Pak Choy.

Do you have a local grower, or industry, that benefits people with disabilities?

The Best New Words

English, I was taught in college, is a living, breathing, language.

I love when people make up new words and they move into common usage.  You can't enjoy writing, and not enjoy a new word that conveys something so well, you wonder why the word took so long to be invented.  Of course, by the time some words make the Oxford English Dictionary, they've been in common usage for a long time.

Do you have some new favorite words?

Here are some of mine:

al Desko (yes, I've eaten enough lunches at my desk)

Brick (verb, meaning to make a cell phone non functional) Or, it can be a modern cell phone that resembles the "brick" phones of the 1990's. Not that I would ever want one of those.  As the saying goes, if you live through a fashion once, you are too old for it the second time around. (Not that I owned one, that is.)

Binge watching - I'm puzzled, though, because I've seen that word used for several years now.  And, I know too many people who binge watch.  Stop watching TV and start living (says the person who spends too much time online.)

First World problems - my personal favorite. Like complaining about the balky remote control on my TV.

And then, there are the words removed from the Oxford English Dictionary - some of them hundreds of years after their last usage.

Curious about what English looked like as a language a thousand years ago? Check out this manuscript of a masterpiece called The Adventures of Beowulf., the oldest surviving English manuscript. But it's an English you would barely understand without a translation.

Are you a word geek? Do you have any favorite new words that have not existed for that long?

My Own Little Award

There's been a lot of gratitude memes in the blogging world recently.  It's a good day to join in.

Today, what I will ask - and no obligation, here, is that you pay the kindness in your life forward.  Recognize people in your life whom you cherish. Bloggers, family members, teachers, loved ones. 

But, don't feel obligated!  Well, no, maybe feel obligated a LITTLE.   (Ulterior motive alert!)

Here's my second set of nominations for the AM Truly Thanks You So Pay It Forward award.  The first (and last) time I did this, in October of 2013, I named some of my favorite bloggers.  This time, no repeats, I am naming several different bloggers for my own little award.

First, two bloggers who have nominated me for the  Liebster Blog Award,proving that both bloggers are bloggers of exquisite taste and impeccable judgement. I do not participate in awards like the Liebster for various reasons, but I thank those who took the time to think of my blog.  Thank you!


Daily Musings. I recently enjoyed her post on Nightmare Bedrooms because....well, I am guilty of some of the same decorating.

Mary Burris - Jingle Jangle Jungle  If you love music, visit her blog. Tons of info and music videos.
  
Here are some of my other favorite blogs.

Judy Yaron - Cut the Crap Solutions (with a special co-award for Best Title Ever)

Amy Miller - Vomiting Chicken (Again, co-winner of Best Title Ever)

Francene Stanley (special award for Most Fascinating Life)

Laurel Regan Alphabet Salad (lots of different stuff)

Cosmos and Cleome - all gardening, all the time.

And finally,  a blog that will strike you with its rawness.  A man experiencing life after the death of his beloved wife from cancer.  His blog is not easy reading, but it is 100% authentic. Give it a try.  It will reward you - Moonknight64's Blog.

Do you have a favorite blog you want to give a shout out to?  Feel free to, in the comments!

Fall Fancies-A Thanksgiving Tale

Once upon a time, a snowstorm came at just the right time for a certain guest photographer who occasionally gives me photos for this blog. It was a day she was scheduled to go home from work early.  It was the day before Thanksgiving, which, in our country, is the fourth Thursday in November.

My guest photographer was spending Thanksgiving at home, so she didn't have to worry about traveling.

Her friend (me) was roaming around downtown Binghamton, New York, that day before Thanksgiving, taking pictures. The snow came down steadily.

The next day, the photographer went for a walk with her dog.  She found herself, on this Thanksgiving Day, near a small, snug, warm cabin of someone she knows.  Wouldn't it be nice to knock on the door, and be treated to some hot chocolate?

But, she walked on.

Near the cabin was a frosted forsythia.

Her friend's son, meantime, was three-wheeling, and came upon this scene of off road beauty.

And the friend was finding more beauty in the neighborhood where she lives, near Johnson City, New York.

They settled down to dinner, the friend and her son in one house, the guest photographer and the person in the cabin in another. But they were thinking of each other.

As the sun went down, the guest photographer, the person in the cabin, the friend's son, and the friend all gave thanks for the day, and its beauty.  They thought of the sunset a couple of days before, and how calm it was before the storm.

Winter is here.

Would you like me to continue my Wednesday seasonal posts?  Or, perhaps, choose a different theme?

Herbert Hoover and The Solar Eclipse

I rarely use prompts for my blog, but today's NaBloPoMo prompt brought a smile to my face.

"Talk about a surprise that made you happy."

Sunday, on the way home from a Thanksgiving visit to my mother in law, my son made a surprise announcement.

He wants to see a total eclipse of the sun in August of 2017.  It will be his first total solar eclipse. It will be my spouse's second.  It will be my third.  And, he wants to see it with Mom and Dad.

It will be the first time we take a vacation together since he was 16, if this trip comes to pass.

And it is all Herbert Hoover's fault.

When my son was twelve, we took a driving trip out to South Dakota from our home in upstate New York.  Over the Memorial Day weekend, we found ourselves in Iowa City, Iowa, visiting a dear aunt of mine who has since left this world.  We were having a great time, until I got the Bright Idea.

Herbert Hoover's' birthplace is near Iowa City, in a small town called West Branch.

What better way, I thought, to celebrate Memorial Day but to visit a presidential birthplace?

On the other hand, my son, who was not a fan of history to begin with, did not want anything to do with this plan.  But Mom prevailed, and off we went. 

My son, to put it mildly, was not impressed by the Herbert Hoover birthplace.  Perhaps, if it had been a mansion, he might have been more impressed.  But, it turns out, Herbert Hoover had humble beginnings - a tiny two room cottage, to be exact. Borrrr-ing. And, when Mom (me) wanted to visit the Presidential Library, which was free that day, my son had had enough.  With a capital E. And, ahem, he made quite a scene.

We left.

The ironic part was, my son ended up taking AP History and loved it.

The rest of the trip was interesting.  It was boiling hot (yes, Nebraska and South Dakota can get boiling hot in early June.) And our car was not air conditioned.  And, by the time we reached the Black Hills, we were literally screaming at each other.  I do not do well in heat.

I'm a Badddd Mother.  True confession.

I keep telling son that he owes me a trip back to West Branch.

Well, my son is in his mid 20's now.  And recently, he admitted that he was glad that I took him to the Hoover birthplace.

And now, he wants to see a total solar eclipse.  With me.  And his Dad.  

At least this time, the car will have air conditioning.

NaNoWriMo Lookback

I did it again.

I "won" NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), a competition for people who enjoy pain, coffee, and suffering. No, it really isn't a competition unless you count writing against a clock as a competition.  NaNoWriMo requires you to write 50,000 words in 30 days.  If you think that is easy, just try it.

There have been a number of books published that had first drafts created during NaNoWriMo, including a handful of best sellers.

Perhaps my manuscript, Gravesend, will be one of them.  One day.

This year, I came from behind in the last four or so days, writing almost every spare moment.  However, up to now, my manuscripts never went beyond the NaNoWriMo frenzy stage.

This year may be different.

A 17 year old girl by the name of Alex (for Alexander), living in a Brooklyn of the mid 21st century, took command of my book. She turned it into something I did not expect. Instead of the Young Adult dystopian novel I had started out with, it turned into a story of pain and suffering, but also a story of hope.  Also, I don't know what genre it is, but it is no longer Young Adult.


The beauty of NaNoWriMo is that you don't edit.  You just write and write and write.  You have this quota, the 50,000 words, to meet.  You don't have time to look over your shoulder.

I wrote just over 50,000 words.  

Now, the true work begins - in January, when I bring the manuscript back out, and take a careful look at it.  I have no training whatsoever in fiction writing, so this should be interesting.

How do I make my reader want to progress past the first page?  How do I draw him or her into turning each page, hungry for more?  How do I build the world of mid 21st century Brooklyn in a way that is is logical and believable?  And, what do I really want to say?  What is my message?

Or, I should say, what is Alex's message?

It's taken three years to get this far.

Now it's time to take a deep breath. Alex is waiting for me on the other side of 2014, and she won't let me stuff her back into my computer.

Alex, I'll try not to let you down.

Civil War Sunday - Thanksgiving

Did you know that the American celebration of Thanksgiving is intertwined with the Civil War?

This is Abraham Lincoln's October, 1864 Presidential Proclamation of Thanksgiving, 1864.

The roots of the national (not regional, or local) "official" celebration of Thanksgiving in the Civil War date back even earlier,however.

Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States of America, made a declaration of Thanksgiving in 1861.

Back in 2011, I wondered how the first Civil War Thanksgiving (1861, our first year at war with each other) was celebrated by the troops on both sides.

In1861 there was no national Thanksgiving.  Every state set its own date.

Thanks to another blogger, we have a good description of how Thanksgiving was celebrated by the troops in 1861.  Some of the foods are those we would gobble (pun intended) down today.

The troops had a lot to be thankful about.  Similar to the Thanksgiving dinner our troops get today (if at all possible, according to location) the troops on the designated Thanksgiving Day for their locality got special rations, and the chance to eat "real food":  turkey, potatoes, and even oysters.

Recently, the New York Times published an article about the Civil War origins of our modern United States Thanksgiving.  It is interesting reading, especially the part about the city of Petersburg, Virginia and their Thanksgiving - under siege by Union forces. Like so much about the Civil War, there is nothing simple about the origins of Thanksgiving.

Sustainable Saturday - Is Buying Local Always Best?

Today, in the United States, is Small Business Saturday.

It is ironic in a way that it comes the day after Black Friday, a day too many of us (including me) spend shopping for bargains in big box stores.

I've reworked a post I first wrote in December of 2011, three months after devastating floods hit portions of upstate NY.    Sadly, the buying dilemma - local business selling imported goods vs. national business selling local goods - still continues.

My original post was called "The Buying Dilemma".  Here is my updated version.

It's a very popular thing right now to "Buy American":  we must maintain our manufacturing base, and save jobs for Americans.  I've been trying to "buy local" (or at least "Made in the U.S.A.") for several years now.

But sometimes the choice is hard.

When we visited the State of Maine back last September, we were impressed by the pains the people of Maine took to promote items "made in Maine".  There were a number of stores in the Portland and Brunswick, ME areas specializing in Maine-made merchandise:  everything from mustard to Poland Springs water and vodka to blankets to balsam pillows to toothpaste.  Supermarkets featured local foods and beverages in special displays.

But we also found that enough of the merchandise in a Maine institution, Renys, was not made in the U.S.A.

Too many times now, people who want to do right by their fellow Americans face a choice:

Buy merchandise not made in the United States from a local business?

Or buy American from a national chain?

I've wanted to "buy local" in light of the devastating floods that hit our part of upstate NY in September but I am finding that choice isn't so simple.

On Black Friday 2011, we found an area rug in our local Kohl's, on a great sale, and proudly made by Mohawk in the U.S.A.

But in a local gift store in nearby Owego, a town hard hit by the flood, we tried our best to replace Christmas ornaments destroyed in the flood - and found that the majority of the ornaments - and all the patriotic ornaments - were made in China.

Should we have skipped the rug because it was being sold by a large national chain? (no, we bought it.)

Should we have passed on the China-made Christmas ornaments? (this one was harder but we did buy some.)

What about the local Home Depot?  National chain, blocks from our house, hit hard by the flood of September 8, 2011; reopened the day before Thanksgiving.  On Black Friday we were there at 5:05 a.m., passing under a sign saying "Welcome Back, Friends!".  The store was mobbed, and I would bet that some of those employees welcoming us had lost their homes in the flood.  They would have lost their jobs, too, if Home Depot had "hung it up".  (we still try to buy in a locally owned hardware store when possible but some of those Black Friday specials were irresistible.)

These decisions come nearly every day.  Today, I needed a new dish drainboard - and I ended up buying a made in U.S.A. product from Sterlite, in a national chain store (Target). The price was slightly higher than the Rubbermaid (made in China) but I gladly paid it.  But still, it wasn't from a small business. 

In other words, this decision - like so much in life - isn't that simple.  All I can hope is that I make the right decisions with my hard earned shopping dollars.

What do you think?

Transitions

The sun is finally coming out after a couple of days of snow and overcast here in upstate New York, just in time for the day after our Thanksgiving.

Today is a day for all kinds of transitions.

Near Johnson City, New York November 10 Golden Hour

We have transitioned from the golden glow of fall...

Near Johnson City, New York November 26

...to the white of winter.

Our Thanksgiving Turkey 11-27

We have transitioned from dinner with family or friends....

....to shopping until we drop on what we call Black Friday. (And I just found out Black Friday, our major bargain shopping day in the United States, is now being adapted in the United Kingdom.  I honestly don't know if they will thank us or condemn us.)

I was up at 4:30 am, after a fitful sleep, so I could get to my local Home Depot at 5am.  It's one of the most pleasant places to shop on Black Friday- lots of helpful employees. One went out of her way to find one of their bargains which, somehow, no one knew how to locate.  They have coffee and even donuts from a local donut shop for the bleary shoppers.

Santa Time at the Local Mall

It's 10am and I'm not done yet.

Is this a season of transition for you?

I am going into reruns the next couple of days, as I attempt to write 11,000 or so words in three days to "win" NaNoWriMo. Probably hopeless, but we'll see.

See you in December!

Cranberries Roasting on an Open Fire

On this Thanksgiving Day in the United States, I think back to my childhood, and the battle of the cranberry sauce.

It's a nice thing to think about as we recover from about eight inches of snow.

In those days, there were two ways to make cranberry sauce.  In my growing up years (the 1950's and 60's) cranberry sauce came from a can.

When my Mom was alive, Thanksgiving featured jelled cranberry sauce, with no berries.  After my Mom died, my Dad started taking me to my Aunt Ethel's house for Thanksgiving dinner.  It was one of my favorite times of the years, as I loved my Aunt Ethel, my Uncle Lou (both passed years ago), my Uncle Lou's two bachelor brothers (one of whom is still alive and well in his 90's), and my two cousins, who became surrogate sisters to me, an only child.

Aunt Ethel roasted a turkey, with stuffing, made sweet potato cassarole topped with marshmallows, and served - whole berry cranberry sauce. 

Ugh!  (Sorry, Aunt Ethel - it wasn't you.  Believe me.)

And then, when I married, I found my husband's family served a cranberry orange dish. I didn't like it, either.  I missed my Mom's canned jellied sauce (well, I missed Ocean Spray canned jellied sauce, but never mind that.)  Since my mother in law sometimes reads my blog, I hope she'll forgive me for mentioning that, too.

But, as I grew older, my tastes changed, and I discovered something else.  Fresh cranberries.  And I actually started to prefer the whole berry sauce, with a touch of citrus.

Cranberry sauce, dear blog readers, is so easy to make if you like the whole berry kind.  It only takes minutes, a non-cook like me can whip it right up, and there are few reasons not to make your own.  Those of us on Weight Watchers have to take it easy with cranberry sauce - it is normally loaded with sugar, and I'd rather save the calories for something else - like stuffing.

This is how I made it for today.

1 bag (12 oz) fresh cranberries, rinsed. If any stems in bag, remove.
1 cup sugar (I used a stevia/sugar blend put out by Domino - all natural, and you only use 1/2 cup. But then again, I have to watch my weight.)
1 cup water
small amount freshly grated lime rind

Method
In saucepan, mix cranberries, water.

Bring to light boil, cover, stir occasionally, until most of the cranberries have popped

Add the sugar or sugar/stevia, mix, lightly boil some more until the other berries have mostly popped. Then, add the lime zest, and finish boiling.  Cool, refrigerate, and serve.

Then, sit back and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving parade in New York City as your turkey roasts.

I love the classic floats.  Like Harold the Firemen.

And Harold the Police Officer.  (These, incidentally, are not the originals from the 1940s!)

A Goldfish

And the Wimpy Kid.

There was even a Mt. Rushmore float.

Oh yes, about those roasting cranberries.  I have a blogging friend (I've never met her, but I know she is my blogging friend) out in Nebraska. And yesterday, she shared a couple of cranberry dishes with her readers.

Cranberry pie.

And - easy peasy cranberry sauce made in the oven!  Yes, you can roast your cranberries on an open fire! Next year I might just make a variation of her sauce (without orange juice, which I have issues with - I'll figure something else out, though. Just think, you don't have to stand there and stir.

Are you celebrating Thanksgiving today?  Or did you already, back in October, like our Canadian neighbors?  How do/did you celebrate?

Happy Thanksgiving to all my blog friends.  I am thankful you have stopped by today.  I have to try to catch up on NaNoWriMo (seriously behind), but I have not forgotten you, and I will catch up with comments in a few days.

Fall Fancies - Snow

The snow is coming down heavily here in the Binghamton area of upstate New York, and it is starting to get dark.  It's hard to say how much we've gotten, since it has been just above freezing, but we have at least five inches on the ground..

This snow is the wet and gloppy kind, hard to shovel, but lovely on trees.   It is not a good day for travel on this, the busiest travel day of the year.  In our country, tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  Many people along the East Coast are going to have problems getting to where they need to go.

Today, I will give thanks for the beauty I saw.

At lunchtime, downtown Binghamton (noting that the tree to the left still has brown leaves on it!)

Our courthouse.

Court Street.

By 3pm, the snow was coming down heavily on the West Side of Binghamton.

Yesterday, I published a photo taken around sunset in my neighborhood of Westover - this was almost in the same location today.

I am grateful I don't have to be in this right now.

And I am grateful that you have stopped by to read my blog.  If you are in the U.S. may you have a Happy Thanksgiving.

What is your weather like, today?

In the Calm Before the Storm

On the way home from work today, in Binghamton, New York, I saw signs on the highway announcing "Avoid Travel Wednesday/Heavy Snow Expected".

Gee, thanks, on the heaviest travel day of the year, thanks to our Thanksgiving holiday.

We have gone from snow showers/light snow tomorrow, to suddenly three to five inches (12.7 cm), and we are on the edge of the storm at that.  Winter Storm Cato, the Weather Channel has called it.  We are under a winter weather advisory. 

Winter is finally here, after it got up to 66 degrees yesterday (18.9C).

Let us enjoy some pictures of the calm before the storm, near the Susquehanna River in Westover.

Westover again.

Sunday, sumacs.

And, although this wasn't taken today (it was taken on the 19th) I love this after sunset photo of downtown Binghamton.

There's just something about fall sunsets.

Tomorrow, winter begins.

The Easiest Chocolate Cake in the World

I am about to show you how to make the easiest chocolate cake in the world.  It is light, fluffy, and versatile.  Without frosting, it is even good for people on weight reduction diets (portion control is key, of course - you can't have a huge chunk).

These are the ingredients you need.

1 package chocolate cake mix - I like the ones that have pudding in the mix.
1 15 oz can of pumpkin (the pure pumpkin puree, not the "pumpkin mix" with sugar and spices)
1/2 cup of liquid egg whites, or egg whites from 4 eggs

Method
Grease 9 x 13 pan
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix all ingredients together. It will be a bit hard to work this batter, but you only need to make sure all the lumps are out of it.  But do make sure all the lumps are out of it.

Spread (this will take a bit of patience) into the pan.  Bake about 30 minutes or until done.  And that's it!

Here's the baked cake. 

There are those who frost this, and those who will add chocolate chips or other add ins.  I don't.  In the Weight Watchers program, the only points are from the cake mix, and the egg whites (and four egg whites spread into a 9 x 13 pan pointwise are negligible.)  It doesn't get better than this.

Don't like pumpkin?  Well, I don't like pumpkin.  I can't tell it's in there.

There are those who don't add the egg whites, and you are welcome not to, but I think the texture is better with them.

Dear readers, that is it!  Have these three ingredients on hand, and you are ready for company or any occasion.  And, with the pumpkin, it is perfect for fall baking.  Thanksgiving, anyone?  (No, not me. But just about any other time, yes.)

By the way, I like this warmed up in the microwave.

Do you have a favorite, easy recipe?

Civil War Sunday - Color It by Number

This is going to seem like an odd question but - do you remember Venus Paradise color by number sets?  And, if you do, do you remember Civil War themed coloring sets?

I remember Venus Paradise sets so well, but not the Civil War sets. I accidentally found them online yesterday, and now I am intrigued.

Color by Number and Paint by Number as a hobby was popular in the early 1960's.  My Dad and I both enjoyed pencil color by number.  These were pre sketched drawings with numbered spaces. They came with colored pencils, numbered to correspond.  It was a most relaxing hobby and we would sit at the kitchen table, together, coloring.  This was also the era when the United States was commemorating the Civil War's 100th anniversary, between 1961 and 1965.  So the existence of Civil War coloring sets made by Venus Paradise, and one showing up in an online museum, does not surprise me. 

The one picture I could look at online showed some Civil War soldiers, on horses.  It wasn't a battle scene.  I wonder what the other scenes were.

In August of 2011, I blogged about my love of Venus Paradise coloring sets. With slight edits, here it is.  This post led one of my friends to pick up a modern pencil coloring set for me, which was such a sweet thing for her to do.

Ah, memories of childhood.  Does anyone else remember the Civil War Venus Coloring Sets, or Venus Paradise in general?

Color By Number - Memories of Paradise

Yesterday evening, coming home from my water aerobics class, the sky reminded me of the sky of a color by number painting.  All those shades of blue and light purple.

Do you remember color by number?  It was really popular in the 1950's and early 1960's, when I was growing up.   You can still find color by number in paint today.  But what my family loved was the Venus Paradise sets.  They were color pencil color by numbers.  They had sets geared to all ages - from children old enough to color to adults.

The pencils were numbered, and you got the pencils you needed for your set with the set.  My favorite was #7, Peacock Blue. You can even find the list of colors online (except for two "mystery colors").  It would seem that some older artists miss them, too - they were high quality but as a child, I just took them for granted.

My Dad and I would color together.  I would have my child's set and he an adult set.  I remember one in particular, set with famous buildings.  I remember him in particular working on a Taj Mahal picture.  I looked at him color with great concentration.  He put wax paper on top of the part of the picture he had completed so it would not smear.

His picture had so much detail.  You could barely make out some of the numbers in the small portions.  But I would grow up one day and be able to do complicated pictures just like my Dad!

Except I lost interest, until my son was born.

I went to all the stores (when he was old enough to color) and no one had them.  In fact, I couldn't find any kind of color by number pencil art set, period.

Venus Paradise is out of business.

The good news is that there is a pencil color by number set out there now. Better yet, the people who own the business remember Venus Paradise.  So perhaps a new generation of children will remember pencil by number sets fondly.

In writing this post, I find my spouse remembers the sets too.  He thinks when he retires, it might be fun to buy one.  But sadly, this is something I'm not sure will ever return to favor for the general population.  I'm told there is no collectors market for these, either.

So....do you remember Venus Paradise?

Sustainable Saturday - A Crisp Thanksgiving

 In the United States, this Thursday is Thanksgiving.

Today, our local newspaper had a front page article on buying local food this Thanksgiving, which I hope to blog about more before Thanksgiving.

Today, though, I wanted to share with you a special apple crisp I made a couple of weeks ago.  I know I blogged about apple crisp earlier this year, but I love it so - and crisp is an easy make ahead recipe during the busy Thanksgiving cooking season.  So, this is one of the several crisp variations I make each fall.

What I used for this latest crisp is something called a Thornberry apple.  This is not a common commercial variety, so you can use any commercial baking apple.  We are so fortunate in upstate New York to live in apple growing country.

And yes, this is the true color of the apple.

Our local pears mostly failed this year, so I can not make a true apple/pear crisp with all local ingredients.  Also, I used blackberries (yes, blackberries) from a local supermarket.  I think either blackberries or blueberries add to the flavor and color of the crisp. 
 

Apple/Pear Crisp (9 inch square pan, serves 9)

2 pounds baking apples (I will use a Thornberry and some Crispins, a heirloom apple grown locally, when I make this for Thanksgiving).  In the recipe above, I used a pound of apples and a pound pears.  For all my metric readers, two pounds is just about one kg.

4 tbsp brown sugar (you can also use 1 tbsp sucralose as an alternative) (that's about .59 ml)

2 tsp lemon juice (about 10 ml)

1 cup frozen blackberries (I don't thaw them)  This might be 128 g but I really don't know for sure, because I am using cups in a volume sense, not a weight sense.  Sorry, my dear metric readers, you are on your own here and going forward. And as for my British readers. there is this.

Anyway, back to my recipe:

Thornberry apple slices. Trust me, this is the real color.

Method
Peel and slice cored apples and (if you use them), pears. Mix all ingredients together.  Place in a 9 inch square baking dish that has been oiled or buttered.

For the topping, I use this recipe, which is an adaptation of a low-cal topping.  If you prefer, substitute your own topping.

Topping

1 cup quick oats
4 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp light butter
1/2 tsp freshly ground cinnamon (I used allspice last time - this time I made sure I had cinnamon on hand.  I buy the sticks and grind in a mortar and pestle.  It's worth the extra work.  Wish there was such a thing as smell o'blog).
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and blend well. Top crisp with mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes or until the apple slices are the consistency you want.  Let cool, unless you can't wait to eat it.

I couldn't wait.

The brown item at the lower right is some leftover chocolate pumpkin cake.  I'm tempted to post that recipe Monday as it is the Easiest Cake Ever, except I know my blogging friend Amy in Nebraska will never read my blog again if I post the recipe.  (When she sees said post, she will know why, especially after all my whining on her blog about how I don't like pumpkin.  And actually, I still don't.)

I think apple crisp is even better the second day, so I will make this the day before Thanksgiving.

And now, dear blog readers, I must get crackin' on my NaNoWriMo novel. I am so seriously behind.

Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving (or other fall celebration) dessert recipe? Please share!