strange land

New year thoughts

Ria — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:07:13 +0000

New Year’s eve has always shared space with my dad; he was born at quarter to midnight, on the last day of 1933. Some time during the day, we’d celebrate his birthday, and as he did not drink, we would not raise a glass to him; instead we’d talk about books and ideas. He has a notion that it’s important to “not let people get in your head”, and to him that meant governments, teachers, and even parents. However, to a certain extent he had an exclusion category, and that was storytellers. He would happily allow a book to transport him to another time, another world, and into another characters head. He just didn’t want anyone in his own head.

He’s passed on now, and left this world in 2007. I’ve had the notion for the past few years that he was wandering in books, and whispering stories on the wind himself. He was going to write a book about the Silk Road, and never got around to it. I wonder if it may be a story that I need to write for him some time, if I can find that inner storyteller, and do the tale justice. It feels like something it might be time to start this year, even if I only write it for myself.

The story and the characters seem familiar, from many conversations we had over the years, and he shared so much love of learning and travel that I feel the part of him that lives on in me will carry him with me when I visit places he visited from his armchair and imagination.

Wherever you are dad, I was thinking of you on your birthday.

Movies that make me feel good

Ria — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 08:08:18 +0000

I get my love of movies from my parents. When I was a sprat, I’d try all kinds of strategies to stay up later and watch movies with my parents. They liked musicals and westerns, dramas and comedies, love stories and tales of swashbuckling pirates. It often surprises me how much we talked about the stories, and about the books that inspired them. Years later, what I remember most is the movies that were just about feeling good. Some were diversions created to boost morale during the Second World War; others were pure entertainment created in the era of the Hollywood studio machine. As a family, we loved the classics best.

Harvey – about a six foot tall white invisible phouka called Harvey, and his gently alcoholic and pleasant human companion, Elwood P Dowd, or is that vice versa? I loved this tale at the time, and it continues to be one of my favorite movies of all time.

Mary Poppins – I loved the books, the stage play is terrific, and the Disney movie is a lot of fun too. The wind changes, and blows in a new nanny for the children of this family. Mary Poppins is part fairy, part witch, and all about improbable circumstances. Whimsical and serious by turns, it features Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins, and Dick Van Dyke in a range of roles.

Auntie Mame – Who wouldn’t want an Aunt like Mame? Eccentric, bohemian, extravagant and devoted to her nephew. Another wonderful musical.

Singing in the Rain- One of many great Gene Kelly dance movies.One of my first leading men, I fell for his charm, his smile, and the way he was comfortable in his body, a wonderful choreographer and dancer. Another favorite with him as leading man was For Me and My Gal.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown – A wonderful tale of an indominatable woman who was rescued from a river as a child, grew into a tomboy determined to marry a rich man, and who was brassy, bold and determined to live the good life. Through various trials and tribulations, adulation and rejection, she found her way into people’s hearts as a hero who saved people from a sinking ship, the Titanic. The critics didn’t always love this movie, but we did. It’s outrageous, over the top, and delightful.

First world problems

Ria — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 07:33:23 +0000

A friend recently introduced a phrase into conversation that took me back a bit. “We should have such first world problems…” Wow. What a powerful concept when applied to shelter, clean water, enough to eat, warmth, companionship, personal safety (driving maniacs aside), enough money that we need to focus in order to curb accidental overspending. I was stunned, particularly as I was in the middle of a rant about not feeling appreciated at work. Yes, I should have such first world problems… and at the same time I ought to shut my mouth until I have something grateful to say. I have health and care, wonderful friends, beloved companions, and projects that stimulate and revitalize me.

Let’s just say I’m contemplating gratitude this season.

Twisted wire and beads

Ria — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 22:29:26 +0000

There is something satisfying about making something from nothing. I start with a couple spools of 26 and 28 gauge wire (copper covered in gold and silver), pick a color range to work with, and start a necklace by making small collections of pleasing colors in 2-3″ lengths, and then join them together with chain in a toning color. What could be simpler?

There’s some finesse to it, of course. My sister taught me to

start the first twist half an inch from the end
tightly wind, and either cut off, or straighten and push the first bead down over the sharp bit
And when joining the next section, make the loop through the next end loop before twisting

She also taught me to make earring hoops, and to use a manicure set to smooth off the ends that go through the ears. Another thing that helps, for me, is to use clear nail polish on the end of the ear hook. A bead of it makes it easier on sensitive ears, and a dollop near the curl closes that last tiny end to stop the earring from slipping off the hoop. Too much fun. I’ve made about 15 sets of earrings this month – one to match every ensemble.

Designing colors

I’ve found that less is definitely more. Most of the jewelry I see at the store has too many colors in it, and that makes it look junky. Keeping a family of colors, like a set of mossy greens and some contrasting deeper greens, and then varying the materials (pearls for sheen, crystal for shine, matt stones for depth) and only one color chain (silver or gold, but not both), makes the end design work better. Otherwise, every bead is shouting for attention, and the impact is a riot around your neck. Just saying.

Loving the kindle fire

Ria — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:03:29 +0000

I am loving my kindle fire. It satisfies all the needs I have for a portable media device, in giving me a great intimate tv and movie experience, showing me color covers of the more than 200 books I’ve purchased for my kindle keyboard version this year, and the comprehensive tv collection for amazon prime members had me let go of netflix altogether. That was such a relief.

It arrived on November 17, in the first wave of devices released. No cover at first, but we solved that with some shopping at Best Buy. Unfortunately I loved the fire more than the iPad I’d picked up a couple weeks beforehand. The iPad languished with its charger while the fire got used nearly every day. It was so convenient to plug it in at my desk. We’d purchased a wifi hot spot, and the biggest challenge my partner and I had was who got to take the hotspot with them that day. Soon fixed. Take two; they’re small. Now we both have our own hotspot, and no waiting when we’re off in opposite directions.

The main things I’d like to see improved are already being addressed with a software package – I’d taken it to work, and folks immediately looked through my carousel. I have to say there were some pretty lurid covers in that bunch of books, and not necessarily ones I wanted to show to everyone. Erotica collections, occasional bodice rippers, science fiction with fantastical covers … yes, I’m a geek. I wanted them to notice the essay collections and nonfiction more. Apparently lots of folks had this notion, and gave feedback. The software update will allow us to customize that homepage carousel. Wonderful. That’s the main issue I had though.

I am even enjoying reading on it from time to time. Yes, it is still backlit and shiny, however, there’s a cool option for a sepia background color, and that’s easier on the eyes. Great for looking at textbooks, and the touch screen is really intuitive. Having a blast catching up on the old Roswell TV show.

Not loving the iPad

Ria — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 07:59:38 +0000

After a lot of research, and some need to understand the device from a work perspective, I took the plunge and bought my first iPad. I tried to love it. Really. I did. But no dice.

A buddy gave me a collection of great apps that I would likely enjoy; that was certainly helpful as the iPad app store is a crazy person’s idea of organized. May as well be spagetti thrown at the wall. I duly downloaded and tried out the apps, even some that I needed to buy. My favorite one is still the interactive kids story about the flying books.

In all fairness, the device itself was beautiful. It was shiny. Maybe too shiny. Trying to read anything on it triggered a migraine within 30 minutes. Yet the video was spiffy, the sound was terrific, and I nearly fell in love with the photo app that let me take pictures of myself to send to family. And edit them easily as well. But this was the only thing I could actually say I loved. I needed to ask myself if I wanted to spend a $900 price tag (with keyboard, cover, warantee) to take pictures of myself. Nope, vanity should not cost that much. I’d already tried the apps, and they weren’t as good as the android apps on my smart phone.

I found myself spending way too much time trying to love it, and not enough wanting to use it. So I took it back to Best Buy. I’d already paid it off, so they put the balance on a gift card. And this made me very happy. Now I had over $900 in guilt free spending money that I could use for anything; tv shows, a coffee maker, and a camera for my sweet love, covers for my other devices.

Part of the decision path was buying a kindle fire during the first month I owned the iPad. More about that later.

It’s all about the books

Ria — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 07:43:40 +0000

A lifetime love affair with reading and writing got some love in recent months. I finally started a publishing company, something that will grow in the next few years, with a multi-year plan for making it a viable enterprise. I have plans to invite friends to come play in diverse collections of essays, and am only just starting to work out my main genres. Oddly enough, the list right now looks like this:

Fiction – Westerns, Erotica, Storytelling
NonFiction – Human potential
NonFiction essays on love and happiness
Spiritual journeys
NonFiction – How to do cool stuff

Not bad for a first cut at categories. Some collections, some individual books, maybe a kids storybook or two along the way, especially if I can get a chum to cough up a story he started about a fruit-bat.

Cycles of Seven Years

Ria — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 20:29:53 +0000

I guess you could say there’s a theme here, as this is another meditation about the upcoming birthday. Have been musing about the way, as inheritors of Roman ideas, we tend to think in tens, in decades. Hmmm. Am not convinced this matches with anything that speaks to the body, and it’s own internal rhythms, especially the number seven.

Every seven years, the cells of our body are replaced, right down to the brain cells and our skeleton, the tiniest little blood vessels, nerves, molecules. We are, in a sense, a completely different person, or at least a renewed person. We have a continuity with the person-who-was, and we are always the person-who-is, and yet we all have uncertain futures. It is a dream, a wish, a story if you will, that has not yet been written. I am taking some delight in this; the thought of being fictional is resonating in a good way with the person-who-is today. It leads me to start thinking about what the cycles might mean, in terms of who I am becoming (entelekia – that which is becoming – a Greek concept this time).

The first cycles are about growth, becoming an individual, learning skills, all in a very accelerated way. We are protean, plastic, and ultimately, form into unique persons with our own definite ideas about the world. The first seven years is about growth, the second about physical maturation, and the third from 14-21 when we push against boundaries around us and define what kind of person we will be, make choices about education, and find out what things we believe. From 21-28, we try on and discard all kinds of memes, working to discover who we will be as adults. We experiment, sometimes we date many different people, and experience a wild assortment of lifestyles, fashions and belief systems. By the time we’re 28, the framework of the person is in place, and from here on, we’re filling in what kind of virtual rooms we want, and how we want to decorate them. Somewhere between 21 and 28, give or take a few years, we find a mate, decide if we want kids of our own, and make career choices. Around 28, if you’re a fan of astrology, this is when you have your Saturn Return, when the natal position of saturn goes full cycle. One of the outcomes is throwing out stuff other people put in our heads. And then what? More of the same, or something different?

From 28-35 the young urban professional solidifies careers, often jumps path, some with family responsibilities, and some just starting families. Some folks change their patterns, jump across the world, travel, try extreme sports, develop a business and so on. We’re all about making our mark on the world. Being counted. Having an impact. Raising kids, or raising mischief, depending on our natures.

And then there’s the 35-42 cycle, where we start thinking about long-term planning, buying a house (if we haven’t already), building wealth, getting out of debt, making time for personal projects. Maybe another career change, dusting off the resume, dropping things from 15 years ago and generally doing some personal grooming and style changes. If we care, we moisturize. This is the last hurrah if we change our mind about having children, unless we choose to adopt or join up with someone who has a ready-made family. We see friends around us making choices to be “middle-aged”, and see some of their choices deliberately narrowing. Health issues can start to become a factor in decisions. And we make choices ourselves about whether to keep expanding, and exploring, or if we want to be more settled ourselves. And then, after this, we run out of role models in the western world. Unless we think about rock stars and celebrities, or very wealthy folks, our models for healthy, enriched lives start to look a bit, well, thin. We need to start looking further afield for role models and inspiration.

So, where is the middle if we think in terms of cycles of 7?

Cycle 1- to 7 years
Cycle 2 – 7 to 14 years
Cycle 3 – 14-21 years
Cycle 4 – 21-28 years
Cycle 5 – 28-35 years
Cycle 6 – 35-42 years
Cycle 7 – 42-49 years
Cycle 8 – 49-56 years
Cycle 9 – 56-63 years
Cycle 10 – 63-70 years
Cycle 11 – 70-77 years
Cycle 12 – 77-84 years
Cycle 13 – 84 – 91 years
Cycle 14 – 91 – 98 years
Cycle 15 – 98 – 107 years

Given exended longevity, the middle years run from cycle 7 through cycle 9, the years before we think of retirement. My grandmother passed last year at 98 years of age, or at the end of Cycle 14. That’s quite a thought. She had a long, engaged, active and productive life way after any of the mixed feelings I might have about approaching the middle portion of my life. If I was a novel, this would be when all the exciting stuff would happen. I have a whole 21 year period to think about, to ponder, and to make up cool and creative stuff for. This is a much more positive meditation than thinking about a decade at a time. Sevens it is!

Next, I think I’ll focus on a list of stuff on my “to do” list that’s checked off already. That’ll give me some areas for new exploration.

Birthday contemplations

Ria — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:12:00 +0000

We get some of our birthday customs from the Romans, the celebration of the persons solar return, and a celebration of their personal genius. It’s easy to forget that each one comes at the end of a particular year’s end; your tenth birthday at the end of your tenth year for example. I tend to treat them as a kind of doorway, a time to look back through the door of the past year, and forward to the coming year. We get from the Roman’s also the lighting of candles for the birthday, and the celebration of the person, as if they were a hero; they even crowned them with ivy.

This year I’m thinking about cycles, and particularly about perspective. All around me, friends are celebrating big important dates, ending in zero. And for some of them, it seems to be both a bit of a triumph to have made it to the date, and a sadness, that it may mean an ending of some kind of possibilities. I’ve been conflicted myself, approaching my own birthday in November. Shall I start being less eccentric all of a sudden? Shall I start being conventional? Or shall I become even more curious? Shall I re-invent myself all over again.

Marsala chocolate creme sauce

Ria — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:40:28 +0000

I’ve been making a mushroom sauce for years now, and it’s a versatile base for a bunch of different meals. By moving towards olive oil, and adding tofu and coconut milk, I can make it vegan; and by taking out the garlic I can move it from savory to sweet; and for a spicy change, I add chile and chocolate. Here is the basic recipe, with some variations I’ve invented over time at the end. The most ambitious variation is one that results in a “chocolate marsala creme sauce”.

Ingredients
Olive oil (or butter)
Crushed Garlic
Mushrooms (white button, or others to taste)
Worcestershire sauce
Lemons
Starch (for thickening)
Cream (creme fraiche, or sour creme, or coconut creme)

Optional ingredients
Tamarind paste / sauce
Semi-sweet chocolate
Maple syrup
Chipotle chile powder

Preparation

Wash mushrooms and remove stems
Finely slice enough mushrooms to fit medium size skillet (2 cups)

Cooking

Saute garlic in oil (or butter). IMHO olive oil tastes better.
Add mushrooms and cook until soft, stirring continually.
Squeeze 2 lemons and stir well.
Add worcestershire sauce (2 tablespoons) and, if you like
Add marsala wine to taste
Add 1 can of coconut milk OR 2 cups of sour creme, or creme fraiche
Thicken with starch (corn starch OR rice starch)

Variations

Vegetarian Meal variation – before thickening, add diced firm tofu, and cook for 5 mins -and serve over rice
Sweet sauce variation – Leave out the garlic at the beginning, and add maple syrup at the end, before serving
Chocolate Marsala sauce – this has the most variations, so it likely qualifies as a separate recipe. Basically, leave out the garlic, add tamarind to taste, 3 pinches chipotle chile and a cup of semi-sweet chocolate, and blend after cooking, but before serving. This variation uses creme fraiche, and does not require thickening. It is a great accompaniment for steak, lamb, salmon or chicken.

Character

The character of the sauce is tart/sweet and smooth. It has a complex mouth-feel, and can be adjusted towards chocolate/spice or savory/tart.