A Neat Off the Grid Tip and A New Mystery

So... happy November. I am busy making gifts for the holidays and just enjoying life - well, except for a major cold virus. It has hit our area and a lot of people have it. It seems to stick around 2 -4 weeks! I have been dealing with it for about 10 days. I am starting to feel better, but the cough is hanging around and the aches, hacks, sneezes, and mother of all headaches come and go. Lots of tea and soup, as well as naps are the cure.

In any event, I found this video and thought I would share. You just never know... off the grid or a zombie apocalypse, you may need to open a can without a can opener! I don't know what's up with this "thing" for zombies, not my cup of tea! I prefer vampires, witches, ghosts, and haunted, old houses.

Pretty darn neat! And easier than the hand cranking can openers! My poor hands don't like those anymore, I am considering an electric model and will keep the hand opener for power outages or zombie apocalypses! ; )

And speaking of vampires and ghosts, I just finished a cute, cozy mystery, Vampire Bones and Treacle Scones by Kaitlyn Dunnett. A cute small town, Moosetookalook, Halloween, a old abandoned house, and lots of strange goings on including murder and mayhem. I enjoyed it. Thanks Mom for passing it on to me.

Tangled in threads, murder, and tissues,

Mrs. K 

Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels Passes Away

So very, very sad to hear that Barbara Mertz, AKA Elizabeth Peters, AKA Barbara Michaels, passed away on August 8th. I cannot tell you the hours of pleasure she gave me as I lost myself in her books. I originally discovered her in my local library. Of course, my favorite character was Amelia Peabody. Crocodile On The Sandbank remains my favorite novel.

From CBS news:

Barbara Mertz, a best-selling mystery writer who wrote dozens of novels under two pen names, has died. She was 85.

Mertz died Thursday morning at her home, in Frederick, Md., her daughter Elizabeth told her publisher HarperCollins.

Mertz wrote more than 35 mysteries under the name Elizabeth Peters, including her most popular series about a daring Victorian archaeologist named Amelia Peabody. She also wrote 29 suspense novels under the pen name Barbara Michaels, and under her own name, she wrote nonfiction books about ancient Egypt.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57597647/mystery-writer-barbara-mertz-dies-at-85/

Farewell, Barbara, and good journey!

Mrs. K.

Sherlock, The Ripper, and Potato Peel Pie

Earlier today I finished "Dust and Shadows" by Lyndsay Faye, an excellent Sherlock Holmes pastiche. It is a story of Holmes and Watson chasing down Jack the Ripper. This is a very credible tale about the Ripper and who he could have been, as well as being an excellent story about Holmes, true to Conan Doyle's characters. I enjoyed it very much and recommend it to you if, like me, you are a bit of a Sherlockian, as well as have a morbid interest in old Jack.

We were having a very lazy Sunday, my dear husband watching television, lying in bed, and occasionally dozing, me in my chair reading my Nook (for a change from my Kindle) finishing Dust and Shadows. When I did finish, I browsed through some non-fiction that has my attention at this time, stitched a bit, and drank too much coffee for my belly's comfort. I went off and took a nap, contemplating what novel next to read.

Upon arising from my nap, feeling a bit worse for it, I browsed through my Nook and stumbled upon "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, a story about a writer who receives a letter from a member of said society just after World War II, about a book he has, formerly hers, and its author. During the war, Guernsey was occupied by the Nazis, which I never knew. It is told, so far, as I haven't finished it, in a series of letters. I know this novel was published in 2009, but I just never got around to reading it. I vaguely recall my mother recommending it to me. I must have thought about it because it has been there, in my Nook, for some time, but I did not look at it until today. And I must say, I am enchanted by it!!!

I am ambling through it, savoring all the stories the various characters have to tell, and becoming rather attached to them, well most. The letters are wonderful to read, the stories interesting, delightful, and sad. I am trying to go slowly, but of course I want to know what happens.

There are a few dishes in the sink, my empty and aromatic coffee cup sitting beside me tempting me despite my tummy, and my needlework hanging off the sofa, while I continue to read. As a side note, I am rather cold and will have to wrap myself up in an afghan while I sit here. The temperature has dropped in South Florida - tonight heading to the 40s!!! For those in the more northern climes, I am sure you are snickering, but my blood is thin from the constant heat. Even at this time of my life, perpetual hormonal summer, this is too cold. I did not venture out into the cold today and will remain, with my needlework and books, hidden in my lair, tomorrow as well!

Tangled in threads and words,
Mrs. K.

Roses

...I am distracted by beauty. Parked right in front of me is a teal vase containing a garden bouquet of twenty roses, a bright spectrum of colors: fuchsia, blue-red, talcy pink, peach, yellow-white (the Swan), purple-and-white stripe (Purple Tiger), orangey-cream tinged with pink (Abraham Darby), and a hot pink that verges on red (Leonardo da Vinci). They all have names, of course, such as Intrigue, Autumn Sunset, Lasting Peace, and Fame. Some open simply, others are densely ruffled. Some roses seem to be tumbling from the squat round vase, tumbling yet stopped in midair. Others are braced by the lip of the vase, chins resting. Most are fanned out at different angles. But for the green foliage giving them a context and weave, they would seem to be floating on clouds or a rose iceberg of different hues. The whole effect is beautiful enough to make one cry out, not in pain but in beauty. Wow!

         -  from "Cultivating Delight, A Natural History of My Garden" by Diane Ackerman 

The language of roses: 

love, grace, purity, charm, simplicity.

Rose Petal Tea

2 teaspoonfuls of fine black tea

1 teaspoonful dried, organic rose petals

2 cups boiling water

Pour the water over the tea and flowers, steep 5 minutes.

Strain and enjoy with honey and cream.

Wandering through gardens in books,
Mrs. K

           

Books, Books, and More Books!

Well, I just blew through that Regency Romance challenge in a bit more than a week; read 6 books and enjoyed every minute! Didn't get much else done around the house and drank pots of tea! It's all good.

I have one of those big chairs, called a chair and a half. We call it the Queen's chair - the queen being me, of course. On one side is my Ott floor lamp and an antique contraption that holds my stitching. I would post a photo of it, but it is a real mess with fabric and threads piled high and spilling over the sides. It is quite an interesting piece which I stole purchased with a mess of old sewing items. I'll just have to wait until I sort it out and share it with you. On the other side of the chair is one of our bookshelves - well, my bookshelf. There is one shelf of ancient history and the rest are gardening, flower lore, herbs, field guides, etc. I love to reach over and grab a book to browse through, it is truly a pleasure. Here are a few favorites.

Probably my most favorite little garden book with the sweetest illustrations.

So interesting, I love this one too. It has so much history and wonderful illustrations and photos.

Plenty of Victorian ephemera in this one.

I love the Brother Cadfael mysteries and have a very large collection, just about all of them, so when this was published, I grabbed it. A beautiful book.

If a garden or plant was painted or used in poetry, novels, etc. it is likely here.

This is from 1936, a little collectable scrapbook issued by W. D. and H. O. Wills cigarettes, a branch of the Imperial Tobacco Company of Great Britain and Ireland. I guess when you bought a pack of their cigarettes, it came with a little card with a botanical illustration. The cards were glued in where appropriate, the name of the plant and information about said plant below the little box where the card was to be placed. Here are a couple of photos of the inside. My copy has all the cards.

Diane Ackerman is a favorite writer, her prose is just beautiful. This book was one I just took my time with, I didn't want to finish it. It is such a delicious journey through a year in her garden. If you've never read it and love a garden, nature, the outdoors, I highly recommend it. I've probably read it several times.

One portion of a shelf with some old flower and garden books, as well as a couple of pieces of Fulgurite. Do you know what Fulgurite is? Just in case you don't, it is sand that has been struck by lightening. That traumatic event fuses the sand into these wonderfully interesting looking tubes, smooth as glass on the inside and rough on the outside.

So there we are, some books I love. I hope you enjoyed this mini tour of my bookshelf.

 From Sarah Midda's In and Out of the Garden.

Dreaming of gardens and flowers, tea and radishes with bread and butter,

Mrs. K.

Regency Romance Reading Challenge 2013

Good grief, here it is, the 24th of January, and I haven't checked in since the New Year. I have been very busy with various projects, including searching for the Adventure of the Christmas Pudding. This adventure was written by me many years ago, before personal computers, and is typed on a couple of sheets of paper, in a file somewhere. It is a humorous, if I do say so myself, account of my first attempt at making a traditional Christmas pudding. I wanted to share it here over the holidays, but alas, it will have to wait for next year.

Alas? Yes, alas! As you can see I am jumping right back to the Regency as I am prone to do when immersing myself in that period or rereading Jane Austen. One of the JA blogs, Austenprose is sponsoring a reading challenge featuring the work of Candice Hern. Although I have not read Candice's work, according to reviews she writes in the style of Georgette Heyer. I adore Georgette Heyer's novels and so I've decided to jump right in. 

The challenge is to read a number of Candice's novels between now and September 30, 2013. One to two novels and short stories bestows upon one the title of Neophyte, three to five - Disciple, and six to nine novels and short stories, Aficionado. There are prizes to be awarded and the sharing of reviews which each participant will be posting to their respective blogs.

So... I begin my quest with "Miss Lacey's Last Fling." It looks to be an amusing read. Review to come. If you are a lover of the Regency romance genre, why not join in? Click on "Austenprose" above which will take you to the page with all the information. 

Wading through scattered pages, books, and threads,

Mrs. K.

   

Happy Birthday, Jane!

Happy Birthday to Jane Austen, born in 1775. I thank her for many, many hours of delightful reading, watching movies interpret her stories, and feeding my soul. For Jane, that old saying about living on really is true - she does live on in her novels, the movies, and thanks to the Jane Austen Society.

Favorite Jane novel: Persuasion

Favorite movie version: 1995

Favorite Anne actress: Amanda Root

Favorite Captain Wentworth actor: Ciaran Hinds

Favorite Quote from Persuasion: "I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me that I am not too late, that such precious feelings are not gone forever." Capt. Frederick Wentworth to Anne Elliot.

I actually have many favorite quotes from this novel, but this one, well, it is quite romantic and I do love it. The Sampler Girl ( click here) designed a cross stitch pattern with this quote and naturally I purchased it. The Sampler Girl has a whole series of designs inspired by Jane and her novels, so if you enjoy stitching, take a browse. I have yet to stitch this particular design, but it is in my new collection of projects that I recently put together for the next year's stitching. I always do this around Christmas time.  Another little cushion, perhaps, for the connubial couch.

Tangled in threads,
Mrs. K.

Catching Up & Brussels Sprouts

Good grief, I haven't even said Happy October, so first... Happy October!!! This is a favorite month as I love autumn and Halloween. I have been busy finishing up my fruit butters, making pomanders, giving my home a good cleaning, and decorating for the season. Busy, busy.

We are not visiting North Carolina this month and I am so disappointed! It just can't be done, so onward and forward. I look forward to getting away into some real autumn weather every year and I feel rather sad, sort of a deep ache and longing. Oh well, I'll survive. Surely no one ever died from not being able to make their autumn pilgrimage.

I have been consoling myself with plenty of tea, stitching gifts for the holidays - I am even weaving a little bookmark for a friend - and browsing through favorite books. One favorite is Sara Midda's "In And Out of the Garden." No matter how many times I look through this beautiful book, I never tire of Sara's charming and whimsical illustrations. It is filled with old garden lore, recipes, quotes, and other wonderful things, including poetry.

Within this book I found a very sweet little poem about brussels sprouts that I just adore; I am known for reciting it whenever the urge strikes! For many years I didn't like these little cabbage-like vegetables, in fact I didn't like cabbage much, nor onions. Now however, I love all three. Brussels sprouts still require special treatment in order for me to enjoy them though and, over the years, I have found the perfect way to cook them so they are just right for me.

First, I choose baby sprouts if they are available. Second, I toss them with plenty of butter, Celtic salt, and maple syrup. Yep... maple syrup. Brown sugar or honey works well too; that bit of added sweetness just does something to enhance the flavor, but the maple syrup, that makes them extra special. Most important, I roast them at about 350 degrees until they are tender. I don't like my veggies barely cooked, I prefer them well cooked and, according to Bee at Healing Naturally By Bee, it is best for one's digestion. All I know is that MY digestion is happiest with well-cooked vegetables.

Back to sprouts... I make sure I keep an eye on the sprouts, stirring them often, and watching so they don't get charred. I don't like charred veggies. Sometimes, I toss in a couple of apples or pears, which is quite delicious, or even a sliced Vidalia onion. If I use apples, I might even add a splash of Calvados or apple cider, very good indeed! One thing is for sure, after roasting, more butter is added, seasoning adjusted, and none are left! Mr. K. is quite fond of brussels spouts.

Do you like brussels sprouts? How do you cook them? Love to hear how you prefer yours... or not. I shall leave you with the brussels sprouts poem from Sara's book.

Sprouts for dinner, 

Sprouts for tea,

Sprouts for you

and sprouts for me.

Sprouts at Christmas,

Sprouts at Fall.

Whether large

- or whether small,

Sprouts enough to fill us all!

I say, hurray for brussels sprouts!

Deliciously yours,

Mrs. K.

Do you like

Passover, Stress and Other Bits

Well, we are still eating matzoh and drinking Milk of Magnesia, but we are enjoying the holiday. As well as Passover and Easter, I read that April is Stress Awareness Month. The recommendations for stress are chamomile and lavender, but Mrs. K. recommends a shot of Jack Daniels then lay back and read a good book!

I've been cooking up a storm on the new stove and enjoying it. Did some baking before Passover, but have put that on hold until after the holiday so as not to tempt Mr. K. Roasted some of those lovely little fingerling potatoes with olive oil and salt last night - yum, crisp outside, creamy inside. They were great along with a nice filet mignon and salad - not exactly traditional Passover fare, but we certainly enjoyed it.

Still stitching away on the anniversary piece, but not as much as I have hoped - really, I've got to buckle down! I'm reading, reading, reading and can't pull myself away. What have I been reading? A mixed bag, as usual. Whistling Woman by Christy Tillery French and Caitlin Hunter; a memoir of Bessie Daniels who grew up in western North Carolina. She has a Cherokee grandmother. I've just begun this and am already really enthralled. Also reading the Sebastion St. Cyr mysteries by C. S. Harris - yes, all of them - Regency mystery/thriller/romance. I am really enjoying them, interesting mysteries. One other that has my attention is If Walls Could Talk, An Intimate History of the Home, by Lucy Worsley. This was recommended by one of the Jane Austen blogs I read and it is quite interesting. It gives you all those answers about how people actually lived over the centuries, such as why did medieval people sleep sitting up, why did the flushing toilet take so long to catch on, what was all that fainting about. So you can see why I'm being kept from my stitching... oh and music practice too. Must work on that today,

So... what's for dinner tonight? Add that on to today's list and it doesn't look like I'll be laying back with a book, let alone a shot of Jack Daniels anytime soon!

Deliciously yours,

Mrs. K.

Happy 200th Birthday, Charles!

Happy 200th Birthday, Charles Dickens!

And many thanks for all the hours of pleasure

reading your novels and about your life.

And now... my morning cup of tea and a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, Shadowfall -  Arthur Conan Doyle being another favorite author. This novel starts out on a promising note - a visit from Titania, Queen of Fairies!

Deliciously yours,

Mrs. K