Flower Seasons

May 1, Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, St. Walpurga, May Day, and Mary's Day.

Last evening, we celebrated St. Walpurgis's Eve with a romp on the beach.  Afon ran straight for the cold waves, shoes, socks, trousers, and all.  I had to run in after him (shoes, socks, trousers and all) but he was not dismayed.  Until later, when he realized how uncomfortable it was to be wet, even on a mild evening in spring.

When the tide is out, the rocks are things of beauty, and for all the white-sugar sand of the Gulf coast of Florida, it doesn't touch the raw, remote, mineral beauty of the Irish sea.  Pebbles are worn smooth and creamy from the patient centuries.  It's a hard kind of thing to capture with a camera, so I'm glad I left it behind this once and enjoyed being in it.  The beauty of the Welsh seashore is a dimensional thing; it's in the atmosphere, a haziness that color and line and form can't quite capture.  The mussels sprout like so many blossoms on the jagged rocks.

I've always counted the seasons of Wales in flowers.  The sign of winter's waning is marked by the coming of the snowdrops.  We arrived in March, just in time for the daffodils.  They're season fades for the time of the bluebells, and they are even more numerous than Saint David's flower.  Soon the hydrangeas will harken the summer.

But there are many, many flowers here, the apple blossoms, tulips, dogwood, and primroses.  I think this is a Kazan Flowering Cherry.  They appear in lush poms and snow torrents of true-pink petals.  The trees are here and there in Colwyn Bay, but this one is at the entrance to Tan-Y-Coed gardens along the Old Colwyn river.

The Kitchen Alchemist: Onion and Potato Stew

April 30, Feast of St. Pius V.  (And historically St. Walpurgis's Eve, the night before May Day!)

"In which I try to make healthful, affordable, easy meals:

in other words, throwing together ingredients in hopes of creating gold."

A remnant from Lent.  I'd had a difficult time finding vegetable stock, out of which I make my staple fasting soups, but I did get some onion-flavored Oxo gravy granules.  It sounds sort of icky, but it's basically a bouillon cube all powdered up.

I started boiling potatoes without any real plan, then saw the onion gravy in the cupboard and added several spoonfuls of it in for flavor, until I liked the color and consistency in the water and the taste (I like it strong).  But I needed a little something else besides potatoes, and we didn't have any other vegetables in the house.  So I added your standard off-brand noodles from a bag and continued cooking until everything was soft and consistent.

You know what?  I really liked it, and so did Afon!  Very hearty and flavorful, and if you like the taste of onions, which I love, then it's a treat for the tongue as well as time-friendly.

Time // B

Ease // A+

Presentation // B+

Affordability // A-

Health // C+

Taste // A-

Not bad!  Health got the lowest rating because of white flour carbs, starchy potatoes and a near intravenous injection of sodium from the gravy granules.  Still vegan, though--hey!

Plans

April 28, Feast of St. Gianna Molla, who, during her third pregnancy, aware that carrying to term and delivery could  end her life, pleaded with her doctor, "If you must decided between me and the child, do not hesitate: choose the child--I insist on it.  Save him."  Eight days after the birth of her daughter, after much suffering, St. Gianna passed into the everlasting life, in the year 1962 of Our Lord--the birth year of both of my parents.

Last night, I had a dream of holding a published copy of the First Story in my hands.  It didn't look anything like the actual story, and I knew that in my dream--knew that it was wrong, that much of it had to be worked over and re-written but that it was mine and mine alone and that its complete self was somewhere inside me, finished and waiting.

I don't know how many recent readers know (hi! and thanks for following), from my casual references and thoughts tossed aside, that I started this blog as an intended author.  Many bloggers, my favorite among them, became authors secondarily.  They started their blogs and stumbled into publication, which is always a wonderful thing--one of God's and life's "Easter eggs"--surprise!  And enjoy the gooey, chocolate center!

My process is reversed.  Because my first calling is to be a writer--no, not a writer, that's not quite right.  Lots of people writing from differing skills and intentions are considered writers: journalists, journalers, bloggers, biographers, etc.  But while I like to wear the hat of a non-fiction author ("words and pictures" is the slogan of many who like to blog-as-diary), that is not what I'm about.  I'm a storyteller.  I see stories everywhere.  I need to tell them.

My fairy tale blog had become mildly successful in its small, highly specified circle, and when things got really hectic last fall, I sort of let it drift because this blog was the one that fit my needs at the time.  I need to buffer it and built it back up again.

Sometimes it's tedious looking after two blogs.  But despite how I try, I can't see a plan which would reconcile the two differing topics and demographics.  So they stay as are for now.  But I'm looking at maybe slowly moving away from the "mommy blog" atmosphere in the future. 

(Wow, that's so non-committal!)

Aspiring authors are advised to get their own websites.  I really can't afford that at this time, but the other thing that is recommended is making the authorial name a brand.  So I'm thinking of moving or re-naming Everything to Someone.  But I hate the title L.C. Ricardo, even if very few of my acquaintances would recognize that as my name.  So I could make the domain name match my author name and name the actual blog something else.  So far, that is most appealing to me.  We'll see.

What remains clear to me, at least, is that I need a continually renewed focus; that that means actively reminding myself of my goals and my vocation and then doing something tangible; making real progress, even if it's a just a bit.  Even jotting down your morning thoughts in a blog post counts for some mental filing, right?

So um, I might become very much less interesting to the non-fiction-writing-process inclined of you.  In a bit.  Because as much as I love wearing the popular social media blogger hat, I got to take it off to let my creativity get some air.  Meanwhile, please check out these friends and affiliates who have stayed the course and tackled their goals and aspirations:

Paperwine Industries  //  Bohemian, ecclectic, and repurposed things of beauty and stationary, by my dear friend's talented husband.  Let's try to convince her to get some of her pottery up there as well!  Here's one of my favorites. 

FaithHempLove  //  Sarah has treated me to lots of freebies, and let me tell you, they are ridiculously affordable.  She should probably charge more for these!  My favorite is a pumpkin spice lip balm, which I'm guessing she'll bring to sell come autumn.  It's like pure moisture in a tube!  Pure, delicious moisture.

Soul Gardening Journal  //  A Catholic journal for mothers by mothers.  Absolutely free.  Beatifully illustrated.  Inspiring.  Did I mention it's free? 

Stories 1 by Rebecca J. Thomas  //  Rebecca's short story "Birdy" was written for a contest on Spinning Straw into Gold, and gosh, you won't regret reading this one.  It's eerie in all the right places but brings you home to your warm, dry fireside at the end, like a good folktale!

And a personal publications update:

Poppy Road Review: Annual Edition, 2013  //  A pretty and quality online journal featuring a few of my poems and even one in the printed edition!  Sandy is the sweetest, least highbrow poetry editor you'll ever meet. 

Eyes That Pour Fourth and Other Stories  //  Previously titled 2012 Tuscany Prize for Catholic Fiction: Selected Short Stories, these single-sitting reads are in the tradition of Flannery O'Connor, Graham Greene, Walker Percy, and Evelyn Waugh.  So they're not sweet.  But they are gritty and real, like Christ's redemptive sacrifice on the cross.  My short story "The Debt" is in this collection. 

Rose Red Review, Spring 2014  //  Photography of mine featured here and here, and flash fiction in previous issues.  Some eerie fairy tale reads of high quality.

All purchases using Amazon Affiliate links go directly to my fresh-flowers-in-vases habit.  Thank you for your support!

Answer Me This, and Easter

April 23, Easter Wednesday.

We've caught colds again.  At least I think it's "we" since Afon has been fussing non-stop for the past few days, culminating in an all-out bedtime melt-down on Tuesday night.  And then I woke up this morning with a sore throat, stuffed up head, and achiness.  I'm considering trying the virgin diet to see if I can pinpoint any dietary allergens that may be pummeling my immune system.  That's three times ill since we arrived here on March 12th.  Does that seem wrong to anybody else?  (I'm also a little bit paranoid that the walking pneumonia didn't heal completely.)

Haley from Carrots said she gets sick when she ingests too much sugar.  I should be able to say that animal products aren't the cause of my weak constitution after Lenten fasting, except that moving and adjusting to cultural differences meant that I wasn't the best at abstaining this year.

I did find that drinking more water seemed to help with the dizziness from before, though, so thank you for the suggestions!

Updates on my health are all very boring, however, so let me distract by going on about yet more personal things that may or may not be interesting to anyone but my immediate family.  'Cause I'm just not as interesting as Kendra, and I can't help it.  Really!

1  //  What did you and your family wear to Mass on Easter Sunday?

I was able to put together a white-and-navy, with a dash of red ensemble for the little family.  Unfortunately, we didn't get any solid photos.

Almost. . .

There you go.

I had red shoes on to match Afon's collar.

2  //  Easter Bunny: thumbs up or thumbs down?

I've discussed this before, and this year, we're leaning almost completely towards thumbs down.  It's not for religious reasons or fear of taking away from the true meaning of Easter--as I am a pretty obstinate believer in Father Christmas--but because I don't see all that much magical about a gigantic, un-blinking, two-leg-walking rabbit.

No, thanks.  Easter baskets and egg hunts, I'm all for though.

3  //  Do you prefer to celebrate holidays at your own house or someone else's house?

That's tricky to answer because I have favorite aspects of both choices.  I like entertaining, along with the cooking and decorating, and the hospitality it fosters.  I like doing things my way and overseeing every little aspect of the celebration to make it exactly how I loved and/or wanted it to be as a child.  I don't, however, enjoy the stress of preparation nor the clean-up afterward.  For that, a holiday at someone else's house is ideal.

4  //  What is your favorite kind of candy?

Oh, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, no contest.  But when I'm feeling out of character, I might crave Twizzlers.

5  //  Do you like video games?

Yes, and I think it would be yet another distraction in my life if we owned a console or hand enough extra spending money to buy computer games.  As it stands, I can waste plenty of time on the internet and Netflix, thank you very much!

6  //  Do you speak another language?

No.

At the zenith of my high school Spanish classes, I might have been able to speak conversational Spanish if I'd ever had the opportunity to outside of the classroom.

At the end of my stay in Rome, I was able to speak conversational Italian.  I might be able to reignite some of that if I were totally immersed again.

I'm trying to learn Welsh because my husband is nearly fluent.  But I am not.

Yarn Along // WWRW

April 9, Feast of St. Mary Cleophas, who accompanied Mary, the Mother of Christ, and Mary Magdalene at the Crucifixion.

Something simple and straightforward to get back into the rhythm of crocheting: a soft baby blanket made entirely from double stitches, from here.  When I finish the rows, I'll add a shell border to tie it all in.  The yarn is called "Aran yarn," and I got it from Aldi.  I'm wondering how much more artisan yarn costs.

I've been reading aloud The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherine M. Valente to Afon at bed- and bath-time.  He only half listens, but I don't doubt for a minute that treating him like an advanced reader can only be beneficial.  I respect books far too much to withhold good ones from him based on something as insignificant as age.  c;

Ms. Valente knows her stuff.  It's delightful to read an author who has so carefully studied Faerie--and as is the way with Faerie (and fairy tales) this book isn't simpering and innocent.  There must be blood is one of the sovereign rules of Fairyland.  There's also lying, witches, blood tithes, and unsympathetic creatures, and that's only as far as we've read.  But the fickle, dangerous, and mysteriously ordered otherworld of folklore and human memory is intact and recognizable.  The witticisms abound, and are somewhere between fact and nonsense--which means it's probably, as is the way with literary things, truth.  Such as the assertion that children have no hearts, which is what makes them terribly thoughtless, reckless, and selfish, and that we grow hearts as we age.  It's biting but beautiful observation, and put in a way that maybe skims the truth of the matter far better than psychoanalysis.

I'll probably recommend The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland, especially for fans of Alice in Wonderland and The Phantom Tollbooth; but the ending remains to be seen.

In addition, I'm reading The Kings and Queens of Wales by Timothy Venning and like it very much.  It's not a tome and divides itself into neat little sections by chronology and then geography.  Research for the first Story (work on the second draft has commenced as of Monday!).  But I also consider it pleasure reading.

Joining Housewifespice and Small Things today.  Happy reading!

Little Stories: Saint Patrick's Day

April 3, Feast of St. Richard of Chichester.

The Kitchen Alchemist: Fried Rice and Vegetables

April 1, Feast of St. Hugh of Grenoble, who lived in a Carthusian monastery for a time, whose rule forbids the eating of meat.  Once he found the monks assembled in the rectory with nothing to eat but fowl.  St. Hugh made the sign of the cross, and the fowl miraculously changed into turtles.  A fitting tale for Lent.

"In which I try to make healthful, affordable, easy meals:

in other words, throwing together ingredients in hopes of creating gold."

If you're just joining us, the idea for this continuing series is outlined very somberly here.  If you're new, it may or may not also be useful to know that during Lent, I give up all animal products except for fish on weekends.  Hence the extreme simplicity of the meal.  (Also, I'm a lazy creative cook.)

This meal was scrapped together from leftover rice and vegetables and turned out very well.  My favorite thing to do is to throw things together in a pan with oil.  So that worked out nicely.  Since they were leftovers, all I had were carrots and potatoes, but a more traditional recipe would use peas and other vegetables.

I always start my "stir-fry" with a glob of oil and chopped garlic.  Then I add onions, and that makes the base.  Since the carrots and potatoes had already been boiled the night before, they didn't need to be cooked through; I just browned them a bit in the pan.  Then I added a bit more oil and the rice--which, again, was already cooked.  It took about twenty minutes for the rice to fry up how I like it, but it was a pretty hands-off twenty minutes.

Vegetables taste especially nice with Worcester sauce (see my "You Know You're in Wales When" segment here), but the fish ingredient means I can't have it on weekdays.  Instead, I used vegan-friendly salt and chutney to punch up the flavor.  We ate it with salad greens and drank cherry brandy for dessert.  It was popular with our friend Glyn, who is joining the Eastern Orthodox Church this Easter, and so can't have animal products either.

Glyn, Afon, and Rupert having fun after dinner.

Report card time:

Time  //  B

Ease  //  A

Presentation  //  B+

Affordability  //  A

Health  //  A

Taste  //  B+

The time would have gotten a B+ or A- because it was pretty effortless, but I took into consideration that it only works if you have leftovers.  If you try this or something similar, let me know.

Seven Quick Takes: Volume 30

March 28, Feast of St. John Capistrano, confessor.

-- 1 --

-- 2 --

We've been ill with colds over the last few days, so I spent most of my time in bed watching Avatar: the Last Airbender on my dad's Netflix.  Much like my Firefly revelation, I can say heartily "I get it now!"  It's warm, breathing characters make the show.  Without them, Avatar would be just another fantasy world with all the good guys uniting to defeat the one really evil overlord, but it's the characters' development and personal struggles that kept me from clicking away to watch Portlandia.  The fact that they've managed to do all this while not complicating is a real strength, I think.  It would have been so easy to misconstrue "simple" with "shallow."  Somewhat reminds me of Ender's Game in that way.  It's easy to understand and follow the deep emotional and moral questions without dumbing them down.

The only thing I just couldn't get into is the same thing that made cast down The Golden Compass in the first chapter.  Reincarnation isn't in itself something I can't accept for the sake of story; it's the I'm-more-than-one-person-at-a-time thing.  If you're not familiar with Avatar, the main character Aang is a reincarnated being similar to the Dali Llama.  But when they present his past lives as other selves--as opposed to times when he lived other than in his present lifetime (think Tolkien's elves or "the sending back" of Gandalf in tLotR)--my Thomistic sense of philosophy rejects it with all my being.

Despite that, look for a 10 Reasons You Should Watch Avatar: the Last Airbender post in the future.

-- 3 --

I'm brushing up on my Welsh with a Welsh starter course, and I'm pleased with how much I've retained.  I never learned it like I wanted to when I was here before.  The free course offered at the university conflicted with my one and only weekly lecture.  And then I was elbow-deep in my studies (and a romance!).  It will be good for me in the future to speak conversational Welsh when looking for work.

The Welsh language is one of the reasons I wanted to study in Wales.  It's beautiful, lyrical, and not as hard as Irish.  And while it's phonetic, the spelling is intimidating and lovely.  Words like llyfr (book), cynnwys (contnets), and wyddor (alphabet).

Hint: the y and w are actually vowels.

-- 4 --

I've never heard a child eat so expressively.  With each bite or sip, Afon growls and "mmmmmmmmmm!" from the very depth of his little being.  It's the cutest.

We took him to visit a playgroup yesterday.  It's like a preschool, though it starts with two-year-olds, and then they move on to the actual preschool, which they call nursery school.  It's almost fully funded, and with my experience working at a childcare center I could see that they were very well run.  We signed him up for two days a week, for the social interaction.  They are also trained there in speech therapy and working with children who have disabilities, so I think this is a good choice, though it makes my homeschooling-wannabe self a little nervous.  They were already talking about him going on to "nursery school" in the September term.  Now as I'm typing this, I think I ought to look up some homeschooling groups in the area.

-- 5 --

There were a handful of things I prepped myself for before moving across the Atlantic, some good some not so good.  Things like:

• the cashiers at the stores sit down and aren't required to help you pack your groceries
• you bring your own grocery bags or get charged for each they provide for you (granted, they're much sturdier than the flimsy, see-through bags Walmart offers)
• the electrical sockets themselves have an on-off switch
• people ask "Do you drive?" instead of "What kind of car do you drive?"
• Worcester sauce tastes good in everything; this is an indisputable, scientific fact
• flowers are a part of daily life, not just for special occasions; if they don't have them in pots or planted in the yards, the shopping carts have built-in holders for affordable bouquets of flowers--and people do use them
• curtains are functional--75% or more of the population use closing curtains rather than blinds
• there are two taps (faucets) at each sink, one for hot water and one for cold; there's no way too get luke-warm unless you mix them
• there are duplexes everywhere, aka semi-detached home; even the name suggests that the norm is to have houses smack up against one another
• the doctor is seen in his actual office, rather than moving around to patients in consultation rooms
• Mother's Day is this Sunday, not in May
• and, of course, the left side of the road, fish-and-chips, metric system, yadda yadda, etc.

Hm.  I'm beginning to see the formation of a master "You Know You're in Wales When" list.

-- 6 --

I'm finally happy with my title banner picture thing-y on the top left side (for now).  As I've mentioned previously, I'm the worst kind of perfectionist, so this is kind of a big deal.  And um, just in case you were wondering when the look of this blog was finally going to settle down (for now).

-- 7 --

The bedroom window is open to let the cold freshen the the room, and Afon and I have a game of bed-making calling our names (he lies under the covers and I throw the duvet up-and-down, up-and-down, like a parachute).  Thank you to everyone who have sustained us with your prayers and intercession throughout this tedious transition.  It's feeling more and more like home everyday, and I'm so happy to be at home with my baby.  I've got more energy now to play with him and attend to him than I ever had when I was working and worrying about paying the bills.  God is good.

Take a moment to add me to your Google+ circles (bottom left side bar) if you keep with that kind of thing, and visit other Seven Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.  Have a lovely weekend!