Just a day, just an ordinary day...

You know those days when the weather is just awful?  As in a day like today... It is raining... And blowing like nothing else... And it is cold.
Well that's how it is today and fortunately it is my day off.
I have a personal policy for my days off.  I must relax.
It sounds simple and rather obvious, but I have discovered that my natural instinct to put off my laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, etc. until my one day off a week.  Then instead of regaining my energy by slowing down, I work extra hard and end up more tired than I was before.

  

So today, my laundry is done, my apartment is clean (enough at least), my groceries are purchased, and I can just... relax.
For today that translates into my spoiling myself by whipping up a killer guacamole (recipe follows), cutting up some fruit (mango, kiwi, and orange), making a hot pot of Earl Grey tea and reading a lovely book.  Later I may or may not be planning on pulling some leftover Christmas cookies out of the freezer...

My book of choice today, happens to be Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables.  I had read the first few chapters at the beginning of December, but had forsaken it when I downloaded The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie.  It is a mystery, of course, and I got hooked by it and could not put it down until I discovered who committed the murder.  Now that I finished it, I am returning to figure out what happens to young Emily Starr.
To sum up this rather random and unorganized post, I'll just say that I am quite thankful for my warm apartment (even though the windows are a bit drafty) and for good food... Cannot complain, as life is good and God is my great King...

Robin's Tasty Guacamole

1 large avocado, medium soft

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic

1 small tomato

1/2 lime, juiced

1 1/2 tsp. salt (more or less depending on taste preference)

fresh ground pepper, to taste

1 or 2 dashes of cayenne pepper

1)  Cut avocado in half with peel on, and remove pit.  Cut each half into cubes while still in the peel and then scrape the pieces into a medium bowl.  Use a spoon or fork to mash until it reaches desired texture.  I like mine with a few chunks, so I stop mashing it before it becomes totally smooth.  

2)  Dice onion into small pieces and add to avocado.  Mince garlic next and also add to avocado.  

3)  Slice tomato and remove seeds and all middle parts until you just have rings.  Then cut into small pieces and add to bowl with avocado, onion, and garlic.

4)  Add lime juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper and mix well.

5)  Chill for 20 - 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend and intensify.

6)  I like to serve mine with thin, toasted ciabatta slices, as they have a nice flavor that goes well with the guacamole and make a more complete meal for vegetarians.

7)  If you wish to store it, save the avocado pit and put it back in the guacamole to help it from become brown as quickly.

Makes about 1 1/2 to 2 cups guacamole.

Would you like red, white, or....orange wine?

After an embarrassing month of no blog posts, I finally found something that is worthy of sharing with the world.  Just today I stumbled upon (just meaning it popped up on Yahoo) an article that sparked my interest.
The article shares about a new, but actually quite ancient, idea for wine making.  It is something known as orange wine.  They described it as a white wine for red wine lovers.  Who knew?  Read for yourself...
 http://shine.yahoo.com/tistheseason/orange-glad-theres-wine-color-181100872.html

Oops...It happened again...

Every night I have the same struggle.  I open my computer to 'just jump online for a sec to check emails.'  But I end up spending much more than the intended 2 minutes it takes to log onto my email account.  Tonight was not much different, but I told myself, "I will just read this short article called '3Ways to Make Your Fall Wardrobe Look New Again' on Yahoo, and then I will go to bed."  My plan was going smoothly...until, of course, I got to the part about shoe clips.  Until today I have never heard of such a thing, so naturally I had to click on the link to www.AbsolutelyAudrey.com.  With a name like that, how could I refuse?  And there I found a form of heaven on earth...  This website is inspired by Audrey Hepburn and sells clips of bows, jewels, etc. to clip on shoes to make them new and beautiful!  Who knew??  Take a look at them...

Before and After

Sabrina Shoe Clips - Ivory Satin  $20.00

Nadia - Blush Pink  $10.00

Zinnia - Ivory  $15.00

Twiggy Shoe Clips - Cream and Black  $15.00

Tiffany Shoe Clips - Light Green  $12.00

 Yet another thing to spend my hard earned euros on.  But OF COURSE it would be a veery worth while investment... Naturally.

Carefree like a bird...

There are days, there are moments, when I wish I was a bird...  As I watch them dance through the air in such a carefree manner, I long to be like them, to be able to fly free with no cares, no stress, no worries.  I long to be able to fly out of sheer joy and pleasure with no thoughts of the time, the day, or the season.  I also wonder what they think of... What is going on inside the head of a barn swallow as it soars through the air, high one moment, and then dropping quickly down within inches of the ground the next?  Is food it's only goal, or is there some higher pleasure that it takes in feeling the wind in it's face?

But as I wish I could be like the birds, I remember... They have no ability to love, to feel joy...to know God.  Their life may seem like happiness, but really we are so blesses.  We can feel the love of another person.  We  can experience joy in life.  We can have a personal, loving relationship with the One who created the birds...Jesus.  And that, I realize with a smile, is so much better...

People with willpower...

I have been thinking lately about all those famous people who really pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps and became successful through blood, sweat, and tears.  One of my favorite books is Me by Katharine Hepburn.  

She was a woman who when she failed she just got right back up and tried again.  People told her that she was not good enough and that she would never make it, but look how she did.  She is world famous and is recognized as one of the best actresses to ever live.

Another woman who comes to mind is Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel.  Most people know her as simply Coco Chanel, the French fashion designer.  She started with absolutely nothing.  When she was twelve, her mother died and her father left her in the care of nuns and then never returned.  When she was eighteen, she started working, first as a singer and then as a seamstress.  She started designing hats as a hobby, but then turned it into a full-time business.  After that, she added clothing and perfume.  Although her personal life had some flaws and hardships, she still created an empire and thriving business from nothing.  

In a way, Coco Chanel revolutionized the fashion industry in the first part of the 20th century, because she realized that women were being forced to wear clothing that was highly restricting, uncomfortable, and impractical.  She wanted to make clothing that was stylish, classy, and still practical, with many of her designs inspired by men's wear.  During World War II, she realized that women were working in jobs that had been previously filled by men and the wealthy women no longer had women to help them get dressed.  So she began catering to the needs of the time, by making clothing that was easier to put on and also more comfortable for working long hours in factories and on assembly lines, but still fashionable and classy.  When the love of her life, Captain Arthur Edward 'Boy' Capel died in a car accident in 1919, she catered to that need by creating a simple black dress for herself, that could be worn every day.  Little did she know at the time, that this dress would become famous and be known simply as her 'Little Black Dress'.  

When I read about all the principals that Coco Chanel stood for, it saddens me a bit to see what has become of Chanel now.  I often look at the pictures from the Chanel runway shows today and can imagine that Coco Chanel would be rolling over in her grave if she knew what the models are wearing.  I see the models squeezed into these monstrosities that look far from comfortable or practice.  Coco Chanel designed clothing for women to wear in every day life, but I do not even know when women would wear what they show on the runways and catwalks.

Here are some photographs from the 2011 Chanel runway shows:

Chanel Ready To Wear Spring/Summer 2011, Paris Fashion Week

 

Chanel Ready To Wear Spring/Summer 2011

Chanel Autumn/Winter 2011

While I still love many of the collections that Chanel has put out, when I see dresses like the one above, I wish that Coco Chanel were still alive to tell them that a dress like that would be impossible to walk in.  I guess no good thing lasts forever...