Nanowrimo and Samhain 2013

There is a lot to be sad about today.

The worst thing is the news from my dog's vet. The x-rays showed a huge tumor in the hip/pelvis area -- my dog has cancer.  So hard.

A smaller woe, I cannot do nanowrimo this year. I have 2 high priority writing projects due the the first of 2014 and that's where I need to put my focus/writing.

I wondered about doing a smaller challenge but that doesn't seem workable or wise. Still I will miss doing nano so much... although not as much as I will miss my dog.

I know there are those out there who had a delightful day and I rejoice in that. I keep thinking that's the way Samhain should be but that's not reality.

samhain mhaith

when your chocolate cake is too dry

I made a great grain free chocolate cake this week. It was a bit dry though dark and chocolate-y with a nice sponge-y texture.

When I made it I halved the sweetener. Which caused the dryness. Coconut flour has a way of sucking up the moisture. However this situation led to great things.

Add fruit only sour cherry jam and coconut vanilla cream on top and you have Black Forest Grain Free cake!  Fabulous.

I can't remember the last time I had black forest cake but I am feeling it won't be the last one this season. Pumpkin spice is the next on the list for my bday.

Sweetness for all!

Olive and Bronze and Brown

I love colour and patterns. This comes out in my knitting, clothing, home decor -- I get joy in noticing and playing with colour.  Even when it's temporary -  play doh with the little ones.

Recently I noticed some colour weirdness.  

The first was my 'new' trench coat. It's brown, it was brown when I bought it at a local consignment store. I wear lots of brown and autumnal colours and it goes with everything. It stays brown except when I am out in natural light, then it turns olive.  It's a synthetic fabric.

Then I got my new shoes, adorable olive green herringbone suede flats. I love them. The lining is olive green as well. They go with tons of my clothing and they are comfortable. When I wear them out in natural light they turn brown.

If I am in a mixture of natural and artificial light then both are a bronze colour. In-between.

Yet I have lots of brown and olive pieces of clothing and shoes that never change shade. Why do these?

It's the strangest thing.

Dinner Tonight

Tonight's dinner was phenomenal. 

Alaskan salmon [from local farmer's market]
Sorrel sauce [sorrel from my garden]
Cauliflower 'rice'

followed by

Camembert [trader joe's brand is a winner]
Snow sweet apples [local]

Ginger tea
Pear cardamon muffin

It went down easy even with a churned up anxiety tummy.

Happy noshing.

New wallet and a theory

I have had a simple black leather wallet for years.  My sweet wife bought it for me as a 'anniversary of the day we met' years ago.  It's lovely leather, not too big and does everything a wallet should do. It's not exciting which is fine. I never thought about wallets really.

But in the past month someone was writing about choosing a new wallet, It had to be a bright color so that she could find it easily in her purse. This sounds brilliant to me. I hate it when I can't find things in my handbag. So I decided to keep my eye out at thrift/consignment stores for a bright wallet.

Yesterday I found a great snakeskin leather wallet for less than $7 dollars... in chartreuse. It is a great size, good quality and looks like it has never been used. The interior and exterior is pristine. I cleaned out my old wallet last night and put the necessaries in the new one.

So I am ready to test this theory. Will this [obnoxiously] bright color make my wallet easier to find? Time will tell.

Sixth on the Sixth

Our sixth wedding anniversary!

Wow that went by so quickly.

I can remember 10-6-2007,  the humidity and heat and rush and all the love and support so well.  I am so grateful for these memories but also happy that today will be of a much lower stress and task level.

It's a crisp, sunny-for-now, typical autumn day.  My sweet wife has spent most of the weekend sick in bed, we have missed concerts, parties and now we will be staying in for our anniversary.  I will pick up some Indian take out. I am not sick in the same way but I don't feel normal either so it is good to not have to push it. My new dress will have to wait to be taken out.

It is wonderful to remember our first wedding day and be happy with all the extras there are to celebrate this year. Low key is a really nice change.