The Process of Change

I think the process of change is like carving a mountain into a statue. Or maybe it is like the slow and constant errosion of a sandy bluff. You either need big equipment to make even a dent or you need constant nagging pressure until there is a great collapse.
We have been changing our living room. The big equipment of doors and windows, cabinetry and electrical work have been the earth movers reshaping our environment. The nagging, well, I think that has been me. Constant pressure to get a little done at a time until it is time for a big push.
This week we saw a partial slide in the bluff. To do the final electrical work, we needed to remove some old wall unit parts. We have been emptying it for some time, but that sucker weighed a ton and we had to move it out. To where? Right now it is on Craig's list as it sits on the side of the house under a tarp. I think I hurt something. But we got it done and I believe that I am healing now. We also moved a large coffee table, a decor piece in the dining room, and all the other furniture slid around the room a few times while we worked. The last piece (for now) went into the wooly room to become a wall unit for the wool collection. There is one more piece to match it. That will go to the wooly room in time, but right now, it is holding the stereo system in the living room.
After the electrical work was done, I patched holes in the wall, textured and painted, cleaned up dust and crud, and did a touch up paint on the fireplace front. Things are looking rather spiffy, if I do say so myself. Then we had a stereo/tv/speakers wiring test- Failure, danger Will Robinson, Failure. Arms flailing, sad face.
The picture quality on the tv, with the expensive cables and extensive wiring was crapola. After some thoughtful trouble-shooting, my main man found the problem. The connection between the vcr and stereo was causing interference and making storm surf in the picture quality. This was remedied with some high tech optical wiring. Now we have great picture, great sound, and tv antenna. Yes indeedy, no cable here. We almost never watch the tv so some of this may have seemed silly, but sometimes we watch the news or a movie. We want things to work when we decide to actually use them. Antenna is good for us, and cheap too. So now for the first time in years, the antenna is connected to the high definition tv.
Little bits are getting done. And in the wake of the landslide, there is clean up to be done. Today, I was organizing the wooly room into the new cabinet. Well, of course, things had to get all tossed around in order to get it into the room and things must get reorganized after the move. So part of today was reorganization. And part was a temporary/permanted settlement location for the boxes from the farmer's market. Since I won't be there for two months, I need to put stuff someplace and stop tripping over it. And I need to be able to get to all the wooly wonderful stuff for my business and work. This has now left a large gap in the living room floor. And in the dining room wall. Space to walk with out tripping and room to move around the chairs.
This is change- open space in an organized style. Not clutter and piles. Not stacks. Not dust. Part of me is determined to keep it this way and part of me wants to fill it up with new stuff. There is still a long way to go before all the work is done. The new baseboards and wall cabinets, carpet, front door, bookcase doors, thorough cleaning, new light fixture are still on the list. Much nagging still to do before the next land slide.
But the change in the room is moving forward. And the change in me is struggling to keep up. I am working toward an organized, clean living room that is easy for me to take care of. Where I can do a bit of work, entertain friends, exercise on the floor, and control the chaos. Now I have to make me fit into that room. Much nagging left to do there, too. But I have promised this to myself and I am indeed working on it. As this year progresses, I am cleaning out clutter, cleaning deeply, and keeping it clean after it is organized.
Now, I want you to picture a scene in the movie, Wall-e. I am cleaning this little spot and the camera pans out to show the entire planet covered in trash. This is the great landslide that hangs over Eduard and I for when our parents have to "let it go". The amount of stuff that will try to find a home in our house is overwhelming. We are practicing saying "no" and holding the door shut. This is also a process of change. Instead of incoming, we are working on deflection. I give all the world fair warning. The beanie babies/barbie dolls and collector plates are coming to get you.

Remodel part deux

The bookcase is in, well except for the doors, but the handles are in. It took two tries to get the handles in, but finally they are perfect enough for me and I have picked them up. And the doors have made it to the cabinet guy who is suddenly busy beyond his wildest nightmare and hasn't gotten a chance to work on Part Deux- the entertainment unit.
But somewhere in there, I know I asked him to do the baseboards for the dining room and finish the living room to match- 80 ft. Finally the dining room would be finished- 7 years. Then, I actually looked at the dining room.
I have lined one wall (14ft) with cabinets for dry and canned goods, a bookcase, and a china hutch (full to the brim) with stuff stacked on every top. I have stuck the no-longer-needed living room cabinet in there for storage. I have stacked my boxes of jars and meat slicer, meat grinder, pasta maker. We have a little table against the window.
OH SHIT! I have to move it all out so that I can have baseboards. What was I thinking?
Today I have spent three hours packing the china hutch and filling a little niche in the wooly room. I have managed to extricate a small box of stuff for charity. I have identified several more boxes of stuff to go to charity. I have not done anything with the stuff on top of the cabinet or the dry goods. I am currently overwhelmed and need a break. I have collected so much shit, uh, stuff over the years that I just like to look at, that I can't stand to look at it. Stuff must go! Soon.
So that brings me to my other collections. I have been discarding wool that I don't want. Some to the trash, some to other spinnners, some to the market- some of it I used as packing matterial for the china. I can now find the bed in the wooly room. What about in my bedroom? Well, I did go through my clothing and pulled out two bags full of stuff. And in the pantry I tossed a bunch of stuff that had expired.
I was thinking about all the stuff at my mom's house, and how I don't want any of it. I started thinking about my stuff and about my kids (and Eduard's kids) and how they won't want any of it. Is there anyone out there who really wants any of it? I know the thrift stores are full, the landfill is full, the storage units are full, the cars are full, the houses are full. When the boomers go, where will all the stuff go? The entire country is full. We don't actually have to make any more stuff here because there is enough stuff for several generations- except computers for game playing, of which there is never enough.
So, as I contemplate my next step in the remodel- I am going to oust stuff rather than gather it in, so that my children don't have to deal with all this stuff. I want to live a cleaner, less cluttered, more organized life. I want to actually use some of my (5 sets of china) dishes, (7 tea sets) (200 Japanese little bowls and specialty sushi trays) serving ware, and (2 16 place stirling silver sets) utensils.
I am going to sell a spinning wheel, too. I have embarrassed myself by exposing my clutter and really need to get rid of a few things.

Progress

April and the spring cleaning bug has hit me really hard. It seems to be spreading to the whole family. My brother wants me to help clean stuff out of my mother's house. She doesn't want to do that, but the bug has gotten to my brother. I think he should clean out his own house. Or maybe he has and there is nothing left to organize. But for me- my house is a mess and I have got to get some control really soon.

We have been working on a Living Room remodel for the last two years. We are finally making some progress toward getting it "done". I have done the tile work, repaired the wall from the electrical work, and had the 10 foot by 10 foot book case unit built and installed. I cut the carpet (temporary measure until new carpet is in) and we started putting in the books last night. That is 7 giant boxes of stuff and three piles off the floor and out of the way. The bookcase is almost full and we haven't even started on the garaged books. Or the DVDs. That means some things have got to go. If they can't fit in the bookcase, they can't stay.


To make sure that the sorting was equally distributed, I have claimed 1/2 of the bookcase as my space. I will have a section for crafts and resources of interest to me. My favorite casual reading books will have a place, too. My music, my dvds, my my my....Just the thought of having all my stuff in an organized single location is getting me really excited. Last night, I found a book that I wanted to get rid of. I am sure that I will find many more that won't get to stay. But just knowing that I can put them all into a single location where I can use them and put them back has me in a twitter. And I want to design the space so that I can also display some of my favorite KnickKnacky things. Not much, just little bits of personality leaking out. But I haven't had much room for any of that and I want just a tiny bit.

So that brings me to the next phase- Cabinet Number 2 (3 and 4) on the TV side. The other side of the room will have a TV area, with some low shelving for pillows and blankets, a doored cabinet that is also a window seat, and a shelving unit for the stereo (and other stuff). That part will be in around the beginning of MAY and then the carpet will go in. I am beginning to believe that there will someday be an end to this room remodel.

Just so that you can have some perspective on my patience, we started the Kitchen/Dining area in May 2003. Most of it was done in May 2005. But the last part- baseboards for the dining room- languished. Now with the new cabinets getting done in the living room, I requested baseboard for that room and the dining room. The dining/kitchen remodel will be complete in 2010. Only 7 years. After the carpet, the living room will still need the new front door (with new hardware) and entry way light fixture, a small electrical outlet, and the antenna cable re-route before it is "done". I will be sewing some new pillows and a seat pad for the window seat.

I am hoping that the living room remodel is done sooner than 7 years from the start date. But in the mean time, I will be dedicating myself to cleaning out some stuff and getting the room organized. At least until the spring cleaning bug wears off.

Remodelling is not Cheap

Well, we started this right after we bought the house. New roof, carpet in most rooms, paint all the inside, plumbing repairs, and general overhaul. Two years later, we did the "Kitchen" and dining area. New windows, cabinets, counters, appliances and tile flooring and stripped the popcorn ceiling. There was some basic maintenance along the way too, but mostly, a remodel. Finally, in 2008, we started the living room- FIreplace insert, windows, side door,... delay... Life sometimes gets in the way so now it is 2010 and we are continuing the remodel of the living room. Bookcase cabinetry, wall unit/window seat, maybe a library ladder, custom handles (in Pewter), really nice carpet, a bit of tile work, new front door, lighting adjustments, and some paint touch up. But there has been some "maintenance" along the way, too.
Each of these remodeled rooms are running about $40,000. I admit, the cabinetry is something more like furniture, but these are big ticket items to do these rooms. We have also got some landscape work planned for a patio remodel and patio addition at the new door. And some additional fencing, a new garage door, and windows in the rest of the house. About three more years down the road (hopefully less), we will do some bathroom rework in the master bathroom.
Overall- the remodeling will cost about 1/2 of what we paid for the house. And I am not sure that it will add all that much to the re-sale value if we decide to move someday. But it will add a great deal to the comfort value of the home we are living in. I think livability is the most important thing about a home- not just re-sale value. Already, the fireplace insert is paying for itself in comfort and warmth in the winter. The new windows keep the outside noise out and the temperature more constant. They are a dream to maintain and use. I think Eduard and I will really love the finished living room.
And the rest of the house? Well, we will get there sooner or ? well sooner I hope. But the living/entertaining areas are what I want to finish and live in first. So we will look at the other things as time and money permit. Just for now, I am loving the newness of our living area and the excitement of having it get done, sometime in the next 2 months.
And I feel a bit pampered with some of the "specialty" items we are getting. I just want to thank my sweetie for letting me have the expensive, custom, sculptured handles for the cabinet doors. Smooch. And I didn't buy the most expensive ones, either.

Out with the Old

Every year at this time I find myself wanting to air out the house, do some heavy cleaning, and throw stuff away. Ok, maybe just move it to the garage. But the items will eventually find their way to the thrift stores around town. Sometimes, though, I actually throw things away. This is a remarkable thing for a compulsive hoarder like Fluffy.
Today I was in the kitchen when the "urge" struck. I looked at the pantry and thought about all the interesting things I had wanted to cook but lost interest before I cooked them. Or the spices I tried but didn't like all that much. Stuff that I just had to have, but then forgot about. And what about all those canned goods that we just never got to (from 2006). I firmly believe you should not keep your canned goods longer than your tax records. So I am cleaning out the panty.
Today, I filled the gray dumpster with unloved, uneaten, and unremembered things. Unfortunately, I am not done. There is at least one more dumpster full to go. Because I have three pantries and I am a compulsive hoarder, this mood better last for at least a week.
But there are other old things going, too. I went into the garage and got rid of a pile of Old. And we are getting new carpet- that will be lots of very old when they are done. Our living room carpet is at least 15 years old. And then there is the old paint that has dried in the can. Old spackle and drywall compound. Old tiles.
What about those old clothes? I did buy some new stuff right before the wedding. There must be some old stuff to go out. And a couple of pairs of old shoes. Old slippers. Old pajamas.
We got rid of the old blinds last week. How about some old towels, and old sheets and old...
Umm. I actually use those old towels and sheets for projects, so maybe not them.
Damn! I think the urge is wearing off.

Gummy Mousse

So this blog entry is in chocolate brown type, because we here at the garden have been experimenting with Mousse. I have made many Moussi? Miesse? Mousses? in my cooking life. Some were the Atkin's high fat, no sugar, no carb type. And the regular Melted chocolate and whipped cream type. What I wanted was one with flavor, texture, some sugar, mouth appeal, aroma, and moussey appearance and lower fat, but not fat free.

So, I will start with the failures. Gummy Mousse. My first try had coffee, milk, chocolate, sugar, whipped cream, egg yolks, egg whites, vanilla, and gelatin. A whole tablespoon and a half of gelatin. This was due to a mis-print in a recipe that I took to alter. Jeri's test kitchen suspected that this was going to be a problem at first glance, but the use of gelatin has been spotty in my life, so I wasn't sure. Then the mixture started to get rubbery while it was still kind of warmish. That should have been a real red flag. But after mixing stuff together, it set up as a solid mass with a distinct bounce -- almost a boing sound. It had great taste, though. The color was right, smell was good, mouth texture -- way off. We ate it anyway, because we are brave and foolish. But we were sure that it would not be a success even in the little kid world. So we went on.

The second failure was the chocolate soup. I repeated the recipe with 1 "teaspoon" of gelatin instead of the 1 1/2 tablespoons. Even after chilling the mix before adding the final ingredients, it would not set up or even get thick enough to tease me. After blending in the whipped cream and whipped egg white, it was syrupy. After chilling for hours, it was soupy. Chocolate flavor was good, like melted ice cream, but the texture and eye appeal was a total loss. It is hard to toss the ingredients out. We sampled a bowl full each and washed the containers.

The third try got me what I wanted in texture and eye appeal (and of course flavor). I will continue to work on the carbs and fats, but we are on the right track.
Here is the recipe:
3/4 cup cold coffee sprinkle on top 2 teaspoons plain gelatin to soften for about 30 minutes.
1 cup milk and 3 1/2 oz semisweet chocolate ( I used Trader Joe 72% dark). Heat this over med/low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate melts.
Continue heating and add
1/2 cup sugar, stir until dissolved.
Continue heating and add
Softened gelatin in coffee, stir until dissolved.
Continue heating until mixture reaches about 130 f. Nowhere near boiling, but hot to the touch. I use a meat thermometer. Reduce heat to low.
Separate the yolks and the whites of two large eggs. Place the whites in a whipping bowl with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Leave on the counter to come to room temp.
Take the 2 egg yolks and stir them gently, adding a couple of tablespoons of the hot chocolate mix to temper them. Then stir the egg yolks into the hot chocolate mix stirring constantly for three minutes. Turn off the heat. Let this sit for 10 minutes, then refrigerate until it starts to thicken (20 minutes or so). It needs to be cool to the touch or cold, but not too solid. Like a thick syrup.
Beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff peaks form.
Using the same beaters (don't need to wash them yet),
Beat 1 cup of whipping cream until soft peaks form, then add 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the chocolate into the whipped cream until well incorporated, then fold the whipped egg white into the cream mixture until well incorporated. Pour all this into a 2 quart pretty serving bowl and chill for three hours. If you are not going to eat it right away, put plastic wrap over it to keep it from drying out.
Now I need to find the calorie count on
2 eggs, 3 1/2 oz chocolate, 1 cup milk, 1 cup whipping cream, 2/3 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons gelatin. This is divided into 4 or 6 servings depending on your diet.
My next plan is to try it with fat free whipped topping or a sugar substitute. And I want to see how it works with Agar instead of gelatin for my vegetarian buddies. Not all at once, but over a period of time I will test out these different ingredients.
Ok, so you have guessed the truth. I am just having a chocolate craving and I want any excuse to eat lots of chocolate mousse. No really, I am trying out these recipes to see if I can make something that tastes really good and doesn't trash my blood sugar. I think I am getting the texture part down and will be moving to the lower sugar and fat part soon. Wish me luck and try the good recipe if you are in the mood for a chocolate treat. It really is lower in sugar and fat than straight mousse, already, and it is quite tasty.

New Children in the Garden

It is always exciting to have something new happen in the garden. Whether it is a new plant, shrub, tree, or flower- even a new bench- it is exciting to me. Last fall, we ordered a couple of Pecan trees. I am unsure whether they will do well here, but the write-up on them indicated that the climate would be acceptable. And we have good drainage in the soil. That is important because Pecans don't like wet feet or wet leaves. We found one that could deal with the coastal fog well, so we are pretty confident.
Our soil is compacted sand. You can eventually dig a hole in it by scraping away 1/2 inch layers, but it is not very fertile or chemically rich. So, we dug as best we could. Other trees around us- Macademia, peach, apricot, pine, citrus- all have found a way to get a grip on this soil. I have great hopes for these pecan trees and their ability to tap a way into this soil. But just in case, we amended heavily. That way the roots have a reason to grow and it will seem easy at first.
That was the bulk of our weekend work. We had two new babies for the orchard. There was some other work too, like harvesting onions and turnips, gathering wood and debris from the last rain, but for the most part we have been relaxing with the trees and garden. We did most of the pruning a few weeks ago. Put out a bit of fertilizer for the avocados and citrus. Then we just closed our eyes and forgot about them.
So imagine my surprise today when I found the first PEACH BLOSSOM. Yes! Pink and pretty and that means- fertilizer, raking, and no time to spray for curl. How did the time get past me? Is it really blossom time already. Well, the apple is in bloom, but it blooms year round so I haven't really counted it as a time piece. But the peach is my Spring alarm clock. And it went off just as we were planting the pecans.
Nap time is over and the garden is getting exciting with new trees, new fruit, new leaves, and new energy. I think I am about to wake up from hibernation, too. I am ready to have lunches outside and barbequed dinners. But I have to admit that I don't yet have the urge for spring cleaning. Maybe next month.