Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Oh, how I love snow...well, not when it's 10 below zero with a wind chill of -15˚F...but when it's gentle and pretty, like this morning.

It really makes it feel like Christmas!

Mother Nature Loves to Mess with Your Head

I’m convinced of this. One day you’re dragging out the long sleeves, the woolies and the mittens…the next you’re back to tee’s & capri’s. It’s starting to be that time of year when you have to plan your wardrobe for both summer and autumn to simultaneously occur in one day – so today it’s a short sleeve top with a cardigan, jeans and ballet shoes (no socks) and I’m fully aware that at some point today, one part of my body will freeze while a different one sweats to death.

Now that the mornings are more on the chilly side, I find myself dreaming of digging out those toasty sweaters, starting the woodstove and making French onion soup…which I had the worst craving for last night, but didn’t have the ingredients.

And speaking of food – I’ve come to realize that I haven’t been very creative with my meals lately and really need to remedy this. Even though I’m only cooking for myself, there’s no reason to eat the same-old same old, boring, blah food all the time. I’ve started looking for recipes for things that are out of the ordinary (for me) but can be created whilst still sticking to the budget. And in my travels through internet recipe sites, I found this recipe that sounds like complete yumminess:

Boursin Cheese and Caramelized Onion Phyllo Packages

2 Tbsp. Butter
2 cups sliced onion
6 sheets phyllo dough
4 Tbsp. Butter, melted
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 packages (5.2 oz.) Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese
Chives, for garnish

In large, non-stick skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. Butter over medium heat. Cook onions, stirring occasionally 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. If desired, season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Lay one sheet of phyllo on a clean flat surface and lightly brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Cover with a second sheet of phyllo, brush with butter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Cover with a third sheet of phyllo, brush with butter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Cut phyllo stack down center crosswise and lengthwise to form 4 equal rectangles. Repeat process with remaining phyllo sheets.

Quarter each cheese round and flatten slightly to form eight 2 ½-inch-wide disks. Place one disk in center of each rectangle and top with about 1 round tablespoon caramelized onions. Fold the long sides up and over the middle to cover the cheese and onions. Fold the two remaining sides over to create rectangle shaped package.

Place seam side down on a non-stick baking pan lightly coated with cooking spray and brush each package with melted butter. Refrigerate 1 hour. Bake at 425 degrees Farenheit for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

I will have to cut this in half (so I’m not eating Boursin Cheese and Caramelized Onion Phyllo Packages for lunch and dinner for a week!), but doesn’t that sound fantastic? I can’t wait to try it! I better add Boursin to my grocery list…and phyllo…and chives…and parmesan, maybe onions too – man it really has been a while since I last grocery shopped; about the only thing I have is butter. Sad, so very very sad.

Anyhoo, have a lovely, lovely day. I am off tomorrow for a 3 day weekend filled with shed cleaning, dump running, a visit here on Saturday with my friend Nicky and a visit here to celebrate a very special person on Sunday.

Brrrrr....it's cold out there!

It was a brisk 36°F this chilly Maine morning! I double layered when I walked Sadie, but wished that I had a hat and mittens on. I guess I've been denying that seasonal change for long enough; time to stop clinging to those remnants of summer.

I'm a little weirded out, right now, though. You see, normally by mid-august I start having these "Oh my god summer is over and I didn't do anything and what am I doing with my life and why am I still here in this state when there are a million opportunities out there for me somewhere esle, what's keeping me here?" (only jam the words together and say them really fast without stopping for a breath) thoughts; it's that Autumn Expectation feeling - the feeling that I need to go somewhere and do something different and start over. But, so far, that feeling hasn't come...which is so weird because that feeling ALWAYS comes. Rather than that feeling of change and upheaval, though, there is this calm sense of...smooth sailing, I guess; it's like on a subconscious level, I know that everything is working itself out properly and falling into place at just the right moment for me. I'm not used to that feeling this time of year; it's wonderful!

It all started in January when I started a better paying job, doing something that I enjoy and everything else just seemed to follow:

• my brother moved in, so I'm not feeling strapped for cash
• I've had plenty of time off to enjoy this summer
• I got to hang out with friends and wander around Portland, Rockland and Damariscotta
• Saw a musical with my mother
• hit the farmer's market often
• started making bread regularly
• learned how to make preserves and can dilly beans
• camped outside on Ambajejus Lake, hung out with my office peeps, went to Baxter State Park, saw a moose, turtles, foxes, and learned about birds from my boss' husband
• hung out with my sister & her friends, took a hike to a spectacular waterfall and saw people white water rafting
• went swimming
• joined Weight Watchers and lost 25 lbs!
• cut my long hair short and dyed it for the first time in 5 years
• planted my garden (and built a fence around it by myself)
• cleared out my backyard with the help of my sister, my nephew and a lot of help from my brother (who really has done more than his fair share!)
• did all the tax requirements to make Faery Tree Creations a real business entity and started working on stuff to sell
• saw and hung out with family that I hadn't seen in over 4 years
• enjoyed many evenings reading on the porch
• bought a new camera

I feel like I've done so much already this year and it seems that any issues that arise, quickly resolve themselves...like:

• the issue we had about not getting firewood in time to dry out before winter (because of some jerk who was taking advantage of the rising wood prices and didn't deliver the 10 cord of wood that Mum ordered at the beginning of July at $180 a cord). It was resolved last night - 3 cord are on their way in the next week or so (at a higher price unfortunately, but oh well) and my brother just found some guy giving away wood for FREE! (about 3 cord, trees and thick branches, 4 foot lengths)...so now we will have more than I orginally planned for!
• the thought that I wasn't going to be able to afford the trip to Massachusetts for my cousin's wedding in October based on hotel room prices, gas prices, etc. etc. but I talked to my sister last night and she, my niece and I are going to ride down together, share a room and split the costs! Score!
• my worry about the rising cost of...well...everything, has now been countered with the realization that next month is a 3 paycheck month and I will have enough money to pay off my truck loan, thus reducing my monthly bills! WHOO-HOO!! Which means that there will be even more "extra" money each month (aside from what I am saving having my brother live at the house)

See - everything is falling into place at the right moment. Now I just need the worry about retaining my job after elections to resolve itself positively and in my favor (as in, leadership is impressed with my job performance, keeps me in this job and gives me a raise on top of that)!

Alright, enough with the ridiculously long post - I'm cutting out of work early on some firewood related business, so enjoy your Thursday folks!

Let It Snow!

Call me crazy, but I love walking the dog at 5:30 in the morning, in the snow. I love it almost as much as the Sunday morning walks, when the streets are practically empty. But in the snow, there’s this romance; just me, Sadie and the soft sound of falling snow. The only light, the golden glow of street lamps. Bundled up tight in winter-wear, I feel like a kid again.

It’s complete solitude (save for the occasional snow plow). The side streets are the best, because they’re the last to be plowed, so no early morning drivers chance them.

Its funny how walking in the sweltering heat, freezing cold or pounding rain is a chore, but taking a walk in the snow is fun. Go fig.

This was the morning commute:

Pictures from my office:

Now if only the Governor would close State office buildings, I'd be doing the happy happy dance of joy.

a cloudy T for me

really not much has happened this week.

no exciting news, no finished projects to show, no WIPs that you haven't already seen (or that i have pictures of at the moment).

it's really rather sad.

so i'm just going to share with you this picture i took
yesterday as i was heading out to work.

it's a T for me! (albiet a wispy one)

have a great day and maybe i'll have inspired words and pictures tomorrow.

september sun and the summer *to do* list

the sun is shining brightly through my bedroom window, while a cool autumn breeze blows through the trees and little bitty finches play outside on the twig wreath that hangs between my two windows above the porch roof. i can just see them at the corner of the window and jumping about on the roof top. i've never seen them do that before. it's those simple things that bring a smile to my face. it reminds me that i promised to fill their feeders and i haven't! that will be a *to do* before i go shopping!
speaking of *to do*'s, at the beginning of this summer, i created a list of the things i wanted to do (you can see it on the right hand side of this page). looking back over it, i've found that i accomplished just about all of these things...to some degree.

i cleaned my porch and turned it into my own little zen-happy place; i take time everyday to wander through and enjoy my garden; i went swimming and explored; i ripped down that wall and muraled my downstairs hallway; i wrote almost everyday (in my blog - which counts!); my brother taught me how to make my own fire pit and i taught myself how to make capri's and pants; i also dyed fabric, made a quilted wall hanging and a baby blanket, and i currently have 11 fairies in progress; i made many smoothies this summer and bbq'ed with friends a few times; i caught up on some old books and thanks to my friends here and blogger friends, i was introduced to different music.

now that autumn is upon us, i'll be taking more time to bake; i'll be finishing that wall and hopefully that bedroom, as well as painting the kitchen cabinets (now that it's cooler). the fencing and outdoor, backyard, garden sanctuary will have to wait until next year. and if the gas prices continue to drop, road trips will be back on the agenda for fall. there is nothing more peaceful than a drive in the country on a sunny fall day when the leaves start changing!

well, now i must go (i didn't think i'd get a chance to even post today!) - i need to feed the little finches and let sadie out before i head out for a fabric shopping extravaganza with my mother and aunt patricia! yippee!

have a happy day and a wonderful weekend!

good morning, sunshine

peacock orchid
Originally uploaded by faerytreecreations.

this was the site that greated me this morning. sun shining through the little sugar maple in my front yard and 2 peacock orchids in full bloom with 3 more to follow.

what a beautiful morning!

blue skies, green fields

sunny day in the field
Originally uploaded by faerytreecreations.

hail storm

hail storm
Originally uploaded by faerytreecreations.

weird weather day abounds here in central maine. we just had the craziest hail storm! and i just had to share these photos!

we've got a crazy cloudy sky to the south, pouring rain to the west and sun to the east! there is still thunder and lightning but no rain.

lazy hazy crazy days of summer

sweet summer upon us

hot-humid-muggy 5 am walks

scents, sweet and sour, heavy on the air

trying to focus on the sweet, block out the sour...the stink that heat inevitably brings out.

* blooming mock oranges, sweet peonies and peppery scented lupines
* the grass of a dozen neighborhood lawns, quickly mowed before last night's thunder storm rolled in
* morning coffee, wafting thickly through open windows creating heavenly clouds on the sidewalk and a craving for that rich brew

listening to the early morning birdsong and the crunch crunch crunch of uneven broken concrete sidewalks-gravel driveways under my feet and the barking hello's of the neighbor dogs

low lying fog, hanging-dripping in the air before me, moist and sticky

sun peaking over rooftops

"good morning, sunshine"

my morning was so calm and quiet. quite lovely, but very humid. you know it's going to be a bad air quality day when it is that humid, that early in the morning. i took tomorrow off (yippee, summer solstice!) and i'm so excited, but i don't know what i want to do. i've been on the go for the past two weekends and haven't really done much around the house (other than domestic goddess chores); there are a million little things i could do! i think tomorrow may be a puttering day. i love to putter. if i feel ambitious, i may put a dent in the "backyard" and clear out some of the stuff that is piled out there...that's if i feel ambitious. i still have to fix maddie's skirt (haven't given it to her, as it didn't fit the way a wrap skirt should...thankfully she's understanding) and i have a messenger bag pattern calling to me. i've also been thinking of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies every time i walk into my kitchen, so that may be on the menu for the day tomorrow (or tonight when it cools off in the evening...nothing worse than baking in near 90 degree weather!)

rain rain go away

so, surprise surprise, the northeast is getting another rain filled weekend. i'm feeling sloshy; very water-logged and missing my garden. i wave to it each day, through the raindrops, as i leave for work. i miss walks that don't require an umbrella and waterproof boots. i miss capri and sandal weather.

okay, enough lamenting about the weather. because despite the soggy forecast, my aunt and uncle from maryland are coming up, as well as my cousin from massachusetts to look at properties on damariscotta lake where my parents live. i haven't seen them in a while, so this will be fun. hopefully my cousin mike (the dectective with a private investigation business) will bring his sadie with him; she's a big black lab whom my sadie loves to pieces! she's also a very well trained dog and the more time my sadie spends with her, the better...she picks up on the good behavior! and they tire each other out completely, it's wonderful.

so i've never done a five senses friday, yet i love reading everyone elses. i think today is a good time to start.

listening to: a colleague's 1 hit wonders xm satellite station (funky cool old punk funk dance music, one right after the other), the traffic from state street. earlier, the sound of a friend on the phone w/ a boston terrier breeder from indiana confirming addresses and flight times for her families newest canine edition!

is he not the cutest little thing on earth?

seeing: a very short break in the clouds, fog rolling in across the very green mountainous terrain that i can see from my window. i wish i had my camera here to show you what i'm seeing!

smelling: fresh cut grass, the hint of rain in the muggy air, unlit pineapple candle.

tasting: chunky cherry fruit leather, regrettably not my own...yet (but my mother will be making some this weekend! if you would like the recipe, this site has the best one i have seen so far, giving variations and different techniques. very informative!)

feeling: a brief moment of warm sun, a bit of boredom on a slow day and excitement for tonight's excursion to see pbr.

have a wonder-filled weekend everyone!

another blah rain filled day

funky tree roots - Hobbit Land
Originally uploaded by faerytreecreations.

blogger is being quite tempermental today. it must know that i'm working on a four day headache and have no patience! the headache will go away when these weird pressure systems stop swamping the northeast!

so i love this picture. i'm a big fan of trees, more especially their roots. i have these two lovely maples in my backyard that i call the "sentinels" (because they are so tall and so old and they kind of create an archway seperating my property from the one behind me); they have the best exposed root system that has grown over rocks, but part of the rock is still exposed. it's very interesting.

this week has gone by fairly quickly (probably due to taking tuesday and half of yesterday as a sick day). i can't wait for friday night. my friend Melissa, her husband Darrell and i will be going to something we've never been to before...the professional bull riders rodeo!

i know it sounds weird, but about 8 months ago, on a dreary boring saturday that was filled with domestic goddess chores, i turned the t.v. on to keep me company while i folded laundry. now i don't have cable, as i refuse to pay for channels that i don't watch, so i have an old rotary antenna that brings in the 5 standard channels (NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS and FOX) very clearly. the only drawback to having so limited of channels is that these stations normally show sports on the weekend (expect for PBS which i normally end up watching), but on this day, even PBS was disappointing. so i left it on NBC and the rodeo; i didn't plan on watching it, but as the day progressed, i found myself mesmerized by these bull riders (and not to mention the fact that many of them were good looking!). laundry was soon forgotten and i sat for a good 2 hours watching this program. so last week, i get this frantic email from mel saying, "PBR is coming to lewiston!" and that was it. we got tickets. i know, strange, since rodeos (in my mind) are right up there with nascar, twangy country music and seeing redneck comedians live. and even though i am going to the rodeo, i won't suddenly develop a love of nascar, the urge to listen to conway twitty or buy tickets for larry the cable guy!