First weekend of December

Saturday - 

A close friend invited me to show off her 10 week old cutie to her colleagues and family at the Portland Farmers Market.  The sun was out and we were feeling cooped up.  I jumped at the chance to enjoy the outdoors and pick up some winter market veggies!

If you find yourself in their vicinity, eating their food would be advisable.

 I'm pretty sure arranged marriages are frowned upon nowadays, but Mateo seemed to accept the idea initially.

Here are my fun farmers market finds converted into a fabulous dinner.

Leek and Potato soup with baby kale and chard salad with pomegranate and avocado.  

Sunday - 

Took us to Damascus, Oregon to cut down a nice Noble Fir at a tree farm we've visited for the last handful of years.  The sun was out for just the right amount of time.  

To say that my little guy enjoyed himself would be an understatement.  It is a bit unnerving to chase after a wobbly guy with numerous stumps and on a hillside no less, but we managed to leave the farm all in one piece. 

Do you think this will make me smaller if I lick the underside?

 Another fabulous dinner of roast chicken while we trim the tree.  "It's easy" as Mateo keep saying.  At least that is what we think he is saying.

If this is just a taste of what the actual big day will bring. He was pretty wound up to say the least.  It is pretty amazing the discovery these little guys go through this time of year.  Christmas lights are his ultimate favorite and somewhat temper-tantrum inducing.  

Stormdancer (The Lotus War #1), Jay Kristoff

Lately I've felt apprehension when reading the first book in the series, especially when I know it will be epic and ages before the next one comes out.  Such a trial, I know, yet it happens more and more lately.  Kristoff has created a immensely polluted steam-punk world of Japanese beauty, samurai warriors and one soulfully fierce girl who tries to save it all.   Stormdancer did not disappoint in the least.

I can admit googling quite a few words towards the beginning and found most of them owning to a Japanese blade of some sort.  Which only foreshadows gruesome fight-scenes that I have grown to expect from the many video games played in my time.  I had a slightly weary time in the first part of this new world of Shima, but once our heroine found her footing, the pace and plot were quite enjoyable.

The dialogue between our heroine, Yukiko and Buruu, the thunder-tiger was hilarious and I cannot wait to read what they have in store for us next.

I kept having this random thought that I would love to see Buruu and Iorek Bryninson meet.

I can't imagine what they would talk about. Or what Lyra would have to say to Yukiko, but I bet it would be mind blowing...and bloody.

So now, I guess I'll just wait until...Gods save us...there isn't a release date yet? This is exactly what I mean...

Be afraid Mr. Turkey, we come for you.

November 22, 2012,

Such an unexpectedly beautiful day in the Willamette Valley.  After days of intense rain and sunshine, we enjoy a day to be outside and exercise before the feast (at least the men in my family do).
Every year, we head down South to Salem and enjoy a family game of Futbol at Willamette.  This Turkey Bowl year the teams family versus friends was amicably ended in a tie.

After our game in Salem, our day took us further South to the Mackenzie River in Eugene to my aunt and uncle's spectacular new home, for a feast with family that has been far to long to enjoy.  

After dinner, my spitfire gramma said to my cousin that the one unclaimed plate was really where my departed grandpa sat.  I caught eyes with my lovely cousin across the table and felt that pull of something.  Whether it be my grandfather, or someone else in our pretense, we are thankful.  Thankful for our happiness, health and love for each other.  

I am thankful for so many things in my life, but for those immediate few that weren't able to hear it from my lips today, I miss you and am thankful for you too.  

Clay Heartbreak

There once was a great love affair under various plants, shrubs and a porch. It began when Mr Stoney gnome met Bucksome Gnoma from Levenworth, Washington in August of 2008.  Stoney lived a very solitary life during the the past decade until he finally found a worthy companion.  Occaisonally Bucksome Gnoma would venture off to cavort with the neighbor gnome Gerald, but for the majority of their gnomance, their love was true. 





 Then one day, another gnome came onto the scene.

 

 


As a young and sometimes clumsy gnome-child, unfortunate things can happen to clay-like creatures. Thus ends the existence of Stoney Gnome.  He is beyond repair, which is a tragedy because he sustained fixable damage from the Big Yellow Dog a few winters back.  Alas, these injuries we cannot mend.





  I have yet to tell Bucksome Gnoma.  She has taken a short break from the outside and is keeping company indoors with the monkey candlesticks. It just so happened to be the day before tragedy struck.  I hope that someday she will heal her poor harlot heart and find a clay soul to love again.  Until then, I have it in mind to hit up the antique store from whence Stoney came in hopes to distract the widowed Bucksome Gnoma.    I'd hate to break the news to her until after the holidays are through.

Got Leaves?

Anyone who thinks that the city of Portland leaf clean up program is not needed, needs to take a look at the Eastmoreland neighborhood lately.  Seriously look at this car.  Just wanted to get that off of my chest.

Kresley Cole's First Stab at YA

Kresley Cole
Poison Princess

3.5 Stars.  Oh Kresley - I truly wanted to give you five on it, but I have to say I eeked out that ½ star because I love you.  The beginning and the end were what saved you.  The middle, I just found lacking and a bit sluggish. This book seems to be quite polarizing on the star votes on Goodreads, but I felt overall it was enjoyable and a nice new paranormal spin on the end of days!

I have seriously read everything Kresley Cole has written.  As a big fan of YA, I thought to myself - Kresley - check, Apocalypse - check, Tarot themed story - Why the heck not?  With the unique Arcania plot, it is all there, but I just felt the middle dragged a bit.  For the characters, Jackson was pretty awesome.  I loved Jackson with his swaggery cajuness.  Is that a word?  As one of the last few women on earth, who wouldn't want some roguish, handsome swamp boy to save your day?  Mais Yea, I’d say toute les femmes! (view spoiler)[But Evie! Put your big girl pants on and go evil empress already!! (hide spoiler)]

I will definitely be checking out the next installment, which I’m sure I’ll have to wait an entire year or more for, but hopefully by then Empress Evie will rock the poison and snag her Cajun!  But hopefully, she does that in the reverse order.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/392549-molly">View all my reviews

Necromancing the Stone has no Joan Wilder in it.

Necromancing the Stone
by Lish McBride

Throughout the entire time I enjoyed this book, I kept thinking -
"There should be more books with gnomes."



I'll be blunt. This book was incredibly random, funny as all get-out and I loved every minute of it.  I chortled so often, my husband made a comment that it couldn't really be that funny.  But it was! One moment this book takes us to an attractive sasquatch UPS deliveryman, soliciting the help of our reluctant necromancer to a Canadian minotaur taking bets on a home-front gnome wrestling match.  I've always been partial to dry-whit but this, Ms. McBride, just raised the bar another level.

All randomness aside, what I enjoyed the most was our protagonist's friends development. In Hold Me Closer Necromancer, we are introduced to Ramon, Frank and Brooke; slacker fast food employees extraodinaire.  Ramon is quite possibly the root cause of my public outbursts of laughter; but the situations in which Frank finds himself in are priceless. Both Ramon and Frank find themselves at the mercy of their new paranormal lives, however, both thrive and are able to support our awkward necromancer Sam find his way.

 I eagerly await the next installment, and of course, more tall tales of how a gnome can earn his cap.

I Had It Coming.

As a eventful follow up to our fun Krueger Farm pumpkin patch romp this last month, it is inevitable to have the messy and creative first fun carving of the pumpkins. Myself not always so eager for that, as I do lack some creative knife jabbing stills. However this year, being the first time to have my toddler feel the gross guts of the lovely squash we so enjoy, a carving we will go. That was the plan straight after breakfast this morning. However, low and behold, two of the three pumpkins took a walk with the young hoodlums of South East Portland.  Disappointment abounded as I threw open the door!  As a panicked after thought, I was concerned our gnomey friends went missing too as they occasionally do this time of year. Blessedly they were still there, but didn't really do their sentry duty as they may have been shacking up in the hydrangeas.  They've been moved to the front porch now to stand guard for reals.  Look out trick-o-treaters, they bite.

My first and guilty reaction was, I had it coming. A whole truck load full of pumpkins that the fine town of McMinnville, Oregon was divested of, can attest to that. It is truly fitting that it happened the very first time that I had my own little person to show the Jack-O-Lantern arts. I can attest to the fact that I don't recall relieving any pumpkins from residential porches, just parking lots. So hopefully I've paid my due for this specific holiday. For other holidays - That's another story.

Ultimately, one small pumpkin is really all you need for a toddler anyways.  We bagged our day plans since it was raining cats and dogs, being the wet Portland we all hear about, but we ended up having a nice visit from Cookie Monster.  Hopefully Wednesday will let us enjoy a bit of trick or treating if it ever stops raining.  We're all dressing up as gnomes, so stayed tuned.

Here's a clip of our sesame street shenanigans on vimeo.
http://vimeo.com/52362591

Four reasons Autumn is my favorite

Should have worn shorts to the pumpkin patch.

Today we headed out to Krueger's Farm on Sauvie Island for some pumpkin patch fun with the little guy. 

It was an such a beautiful fall day in Portland, and we were wishing we brought sunscreen and shorts instead of  rubber boots and jackets.  

Captured By Porches Brewery was out there again this year, along with a hip twitching blue grass band and some yummy food stands.  Throw in some locally made bratwurst and some corn on the cob and it was a wonderful way to start out our pumpkin patch fun.

Apparently now that means, we'll be carving some pumpkins in our near future.