Seeing is Believing

For some time now I have been bemoaning the lack of good lighting in my kitchen. It has dark cabinets, dark floor, a north window hidden by a pantry and one small window on the west side above the sink. When the sun comes in that west window, I have to close the blinds or get blinded as I move around the room... so, still not enough light. I'm not overly fond of track lighting because it looks to me like a cheap stage set. Even a larger/brighter light hanging over the table would only add shadows to my working space along the counter tops. For a while I was enamored of the idea of skylights, but the more I researched, the more I was put off by the cost. Then, too, even the most expensive ones occasionally spring a leak. And, after all that, would a skylight give me the kind of light I want?

I suppose I am still spoiled by our Lost River house where there were 6' windows on the east side and along the entire 40' south side, bringing the brilliant outdoors inside. That makes the one little kitchen window in this house look pretty pathetic.

Today, I finally put up the new under-cabinet lighting fixtures I bought a few weeks ago, and by George, I think I've got it! The only downside is the all-too-obvious electrical cords, but I didn't want to search for battery-operated lights. Besides, if I live long enough, lights will be turned off and on by simply willing it. I can see the headline now: "Brain waves remove need for electrical grid."

These pictures show the before and after. I had to use the flash to get the left-hand "before" picture to show anything. The "after" picture was taken with the light coming only from the new under-cabinet fixtures. I am VERY pleased.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Okay, here (hear) they are :-)

I've had these little babies for three days now and can't believe the difference in my ability to pick up the tiniest sound. It's nearly as remarkable as when I got my first pair of glasses and realized that normal people could see that trees had individual leaves.

As a child, I had frequent and extremely painful ear infections that my parents treated with warm olive oil dripped into the ear canal and held there with cotton, and by blowing cigarette smoke into the ear canal (go figure). If that didn't work, a shot of penicillin would. Magic! One winter there was an abscess near the eardrum that a doctor had to lance to allow it to drain. Even giving birth cannot compare to that pain. A mass of scar tissue is still there on the eardrum; I saw it on the screening monitor.

Back in my National Gypsum days, all employees took mandatory hearing tests on a regular basis. I saw then that my hearing was gradually deteriorating; nothing spectacular, but enough to get my attention. A couple years ago, a come-on for a free hearing exam appeared in the mail. Those nice folks tried to convince me that I was in desperate need of hearing aids and it would cost me only $9000. Huh. Nobody's that desperate.

Then, a couple weeks ago, another come-on appeared. Having found myself saying, "What?" and "Sorry?" and "Can you repeat that, please?" much too often, I thought maybe it was time. Mike was being very patient with my sitting close to and turning up the TV, not to mention having to say everything twice or even three times. If you've ever noticed, when a person's hearing is going, they smile and nod a lot, and look hard at your lips, and cock their heads to put their best ear forward. They're nearly uncommunicative in a crowd because they can't distinguish one sound from another. Well, that was me. I knew it, and apparently had been hiding it pretty well because even family and friends didn't know and were surprised that I got hearing aids.

No, they didn't cost $9000, but they are "top-of-the line" technologically, and as you can see from the picture, pretty much invisible. The biggest part goes behind the ear, with a tiny tube running around the top of the ear and directly into the ear canal where the aid itself is completely hidden. A short "tail" curls into the ear, also unseen unless you look hard. I visit the technician every week for a month for any needed adjustments. There are free visits, consultations, adjustments and upgrades for the life of the instrument, plus a two-year warranty.

Already, I'm a believer because I'm hearing sounds I had forgotten existed. Life continues to be a wonder!

What It Can Do

The new wonder machine made excellent sandwiches last night, as you can see from the pictures. Thick slices of homemade bread spread with ranch dressing on the inside and margarine on the outside, filled with slices of turkey breast and swiss cheese, and topped with grilled onions and red peppers... these were really delicious. When lowered, the top of the press levels itself off to be parallel to the bottom of the grill and its weight slowly compacts the bread and fillings evenly without causing any sliding. Will wonders never cease?!

Tonight I grilled pork sirloin chops to perfection (almost) and topped them with apple slices cooked in a sauce made of brown sugar, water, cinnamon and a dash of salt, then thickened with corn starch. Very good. A new recipe for broccoli accompanied the chops, which was especially yummy and a keeper.

Mike had hot cocoa for dessert and I had sugared almonds. Felt like kings and queens, we did, we did.

A New Toy

Pictured is a "Wolfgang Puck Multi Position Tri Grill Panini" that I got on Ebay recently. Interesting that they call it "a panini". "Panini" is the plural of "panino", which is simply a certain kind of sandwich to Italians. This type of appliance is also sold as a "panini press". Let's just call it a sandwich press for the sake of simplicity.

If you look up "panini" on any recipe site, you will find a few sandwich recipes that are intended to go through this pressing routine. Just remember how to make a toasted cheese sandwich and you're on the right track. Some of these recipes use 3 slices of bread, some only two, but they all have a thicker and more complicated filling, often including both meat and vegetables held together with mayo or some similar sauce. The upper plate is lowered onto the top of the sandwich(es), so that both slices of bread toast at the same time. Yes, I know, some would say you could just use a skillet, but with a sandwich press you cook both sides at the same time AND you don't have to finagle around to get the sandwiches to fit, AND the filling doesn't slop out when you are trying to turn them over.

Because this appliance can be used as a grill, you can cook chicken breasts or ham slices or burgers right on the grill, then add them as is or slice/chop the meat before mixing it the with the other ingredients. Serious vegetarians can simply leave out the meat and put in more veggies. Probably it is wise to use a dense bread like sourdough, or sliced French rolls, or even dinner rolls, or simply thicker slices of your favorite bread. Opening up the press to lay flat, it operates as a griddle where you could cook pancakes or fry eggs. Using the "fixed" position, with the upper grill plate above but not touching the food, you can melt cheese or heat a sauce... or even bake. What a wonderful world we live in!

I wonder sometimes how many kitchen appliances a person really needs, and then I realize that if I am to cook for the rest of my life, I probably need at least as many as I already have ;-)

Early Christmas

Here is my early Christmas present... something I have been wanting for several years. Like everything, my wanting has a history. A few years ago when I was visiting a friend in Massachusetts, the guest room had a lovely, small wing chair that was very comfortable, and like Baby Bear I thought it was "just my size". The internet disclosed that it was an antique and priced in the exorbitant range. Then one day I was invited to try out the new chair at Wilma's house, and it was also small, with a narrow seat which extended just exactly to the back of my knees. It was a glider rocker. So I've been wanting one ever since.
Santa arrived early yesterday in a white Grand Cherokee, and carried into the house a large, heavy box which contained my very own lovely, small glider rocker. It is ensconced in our bedroom and looks great there because it just fits into the available space. (Our house is getting smaller and smaller the longer we live here.) I'll use it for reading in the evening before bed, or any time during the day when I am not on the computer or otherwise occupied. It's wonderful. It fits my body just right and when I sit there it feels like I'm snuggled in all nice and cozy. Thanks, Santa!

Noel Studio

Here I am at Noel Studios in Zionsville. Yes, I'm that little old lady clutching her purse (who IS that?!). Marty and I met at the Eagle Creek Coffee Company yesterday and then went to an open house at "The Sanctuary", where the artist Nancy Noel had some of her pictures displayed and some for sale.

Let me tell you about the coffee place first. It's on a corner on Main St., which if you know Zionsville at all you realize that its location is a prime spot, right on the brick road that runs through the most attractive part of town, and where many small shops are located. It is fairly large and cozy at the same time. At 11:00 am it was nearly full of people of all ages sitting at small and larger size tables. Customers go to the counter to order breakfast, lunch or a snack, and one of many excellent coffees or other beverages. The waitresses are young and welcoming and take their time, calling out your name when your order is ready so you can pick it up or they can bring it to you... let me tell you, though, this is nothing like a fast food restaurant. Marty had a breakfast burrito and coffee (Mr. Healthy), and I splurged with a coffee mocha and a blueberry scone, yum.

From there we walked half a block to The Sanctuary to check out the open house. It is an old First Methodist Church, completely restored and brought up to code. The building is a wonder in itself and a "must see" if you are ever in the area. The walls were covered with Nancy Noel's art, some of the pictures huge and all beautifully lighted. She has a large collection featuring Amish children, another of angels (mostly small children with wings... you have to see them to appreciate), another of African women in tribal dress, and one of animals. Many of her prints were on sale because they were being discontinued.

Whoever is in charge of marketing for Noel is a wizard. Her website for online ordering is excellent, and she generates both email and newsletters on a regular basis. Besides originals and prints, one can buy notecards, personal calendar/journals, or books, and framing can be done on site. We saw her as we were leaving; she had arrived to sign prints that were purchased that day; she's a lovely woman in her late 40s or early 50s.

It was a beautiful, warm and sunny day in Zionsville, the first one in a while, and spending time with Marty is always fun. He's always excited about something and/or learning something new, and yesterday it was his new wide angle camera lens. After a leisurely look at just about everything there was to see, Marty went home to football games and I drove back south, stopping at the WalMart in Bloomington, where everybody in southern Indiana was working hard to help the economy and bring up the value of WalMart stock.

Quilting

Yesterday I started a new project. Quilting. Over the years I've learned how to sew, knit, crochet, do embroidery, needlepoint and cross stitch, and have made everything from tiny doll clothes to huge comforters, but this will be my first time trying the quilt thing. My great and loyal friend, Catherine, has encouraged me to try this, and after seeing her wonderfully organized quilting room full of fabrics and supplies, not to mention her finished and in-progress quilts, I couldn't resist giving it a go. Even so, it has taken a long time for this project to grow legs and get started down the path. I've lurked around a couple quilting shops, not knowing what I'm looking for nor what I'm looking at, but fascinated nonetheless. Along the way I've picked up a cutting mat, a couple sizes of quality, razor-sharp fabric cutters, some patterns with detailed instructions and some fabric.

Finding myself between knitting projects, I dug out all that stuff, did some math, laid out my ideas on graph paper, and finally started cutting some squares. After a few stacks of fabric had piled up, I decided that I had gone beyond the fun part. It seemed like such a mindless effort, all that precise cutting. The next step would be to sew all those pieces together (more precision work, and likely to be frustrating considering my tendency to decide that close enough was good enough). Maybe the math part and the choosing fabrics part were the only best parts?

We'll see. Today I lay out the squares in the pattern I constructed, stack them up in rows, and finally start sewing. Maybe tomorrow I'll have a picture to post. One thing for sure, I'm going to have to put some music on to keep me awake. Right now it looks like a pretty boring exercise. :(

Puzzle

Five days ago a bug sneaked up on me; whether it was a flu bug or a cold bug I'm not sure, but it laid me low in a hurry. After dragging around coughing for a day, I pulled out a new puzzle I had found at WalMart, thinking I might get back into a long-ago hobby. There was a time in my growing up years when a puzzle in progress could frequently be found on the back of the piano (it was a baby grand, so there was plenty of room for just about any size puzzle). Not wanting to exert any more energy than pulling out a new kneenex, working this puzzle was just what the doctor ordered (plus lots of liquids, sleep and Tylenol). For two days running, I could be found sitting at the table working on this puzzle. Just because my body and brain weren't working didn't mean that my eyes and fingers couldn't operate with efficiency. When I felt like living again, there were only a dozen pieces left. Mike couldn't resist and sneaked over in the middle of the night and finished it! Now I'm reluctant to put it back into the box; it's such a great picture of Times Square. Bet I could find another puzzle at the store, just in case I ever get sick again and need it.

TED, a documentary

We watched a wonderful documentary from Netflix the other night entitled "The Future We will Create: Inside the World of TED", which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. Filmed in 2006, it showed how 1000 people from all over the world attended a 3-5 day meeting which is held annually, some of whom had been invited to deliver an 18 minute presentation about what they had done, or learned, or caused to happen, or become interested in during the previous year. Some of the invitees had been there as many as 15 times but most were there for the first time. The focus is on how the world is growing smaller and we are all one family.

There was a fascinating visual presentation of data on poverty, wealth and family size that showed how the countries of the world are becoming more similar. A presenter from the Bronx talked about how her community got together and created a magnificent park in what had been a slum area. A poet delivered an amazing poem about changing the world for the better. A woman spoke of a new, sustainable smokeless fuel made from natural products that can prevent the death of children around the world who would otherwise die from inhaling the smoke of indoor cooking fires. An 11-yr. old Chinese girl played her violin exquisitely, moving many of the audience to tears. A man told of housing that is made from local materials and designed for temporary use by people around the world who have suffered displacement because of natural or man-made disasters. New technologies were presented, many of which were very new in 2006 but are in use now in 2008.

Most impressive to me was the imagination, enthusiasm and resourcefulness of these very special people who were gathered together in one place to share their passion for changing our world. Not only did they "think outside of the box", they created without a box at all. They not only shared their own ingenuity, they also learned of others with whom they could join forces, who were on the same track and had the same desire to improve every level of our lives. I was thrilled at the concept, and inspired to get involved somehow in projects where I can participate in this excitement. Perhaps locally Habitat for Humanity is a possibility.

Another way to help improve others’ lives around the world is through a group called “Kiva”, in which son Marty has been involved for several years. A small donation helps an individual organize a business that can help them sell a product or service that will provide them with an income, as well as provide needed assistance and inspiration to their community. Go here for more information about Kiva.

Dentistry

This goes into the "learning something new every day" category. My six-month visit to the dentist today revealed a problem called "tooth resorption", so I just googled it and sure enough, the dentist was right again. The cells around one of my teeth are dissolving it, "reabsorbing" it back into my body. The condition is rare, but lucky me has it. There is external resorption (which I present) and internal resorption which starts inside the tooth. Mine can be thwarted at least temporarily with a special filling; if it were internal, a root canal would be necessary. No one was any more surprised than my dentist, who in 20 plus years has not found so much as a single cavity in my mouth.

I learned that before a child loses a baby tooth and gets a permanent tooth, the roots of the baby tooth are partially or completely reabsorbed into the body, and now I know why baby teeth have no roots! So, anyway, I get to go back to see the dentist in December... his first open appointment... amazing.

Since going to the dentist has never been my favorite thing, I always balance out the experience with a treat, and since I love ice cream it is usually a small milkshake. Today I splurged and got a medium sized one, Jamocha flavor no less. Yum.