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dernwyn
Forum Admin
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Apr 19, 3:52pm
Post #1 of 52
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*gets keys, unlocks door* It's Friday - Time for Fiesta!
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Greetings, all and sundry, to Fiesta Friday! Our esteemed barmistress, Altaira, has found herself set upon another adventure, so I shall be your hostess today.
It's a lovely sunny day in New England - how is it, in your part of the world? I've set out a salad bar buffet today, so select your greens of choice, and add in cheese, veggies (even pickled beets!), cold cuts or chicken tenders, and of course some savory dressings. What's your favorite salad? And there's fresh bakery breads to accompany! What would be your drink of choice?
Let us know what you've been up to - and how you'd like to spend the weekend!
*puts quarters on jukebox* How about playing some rousing Springtime/Autumn-time music!
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"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Annael
Immortal
Apr 19, 4:17pm
Post #2 of 52
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*walks over from Reading Room*
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I admit, I've spent very little time in the RR in the last few years, but the new discussion is intriguing. Props to those who got it going!
We're still not exactly spring-like here, with temps nearing freezing at night. I have starts that I'm still bringing in overnight so they don't die, but I wish I could get them planted! It looks like we'll warm up about 10 degrees next week, but it's going to be rainy. A friend is coming to visit--she wants to see the tulips that are a big tourist attraction here--and we'll do that, but I'm plotting out fun things to do under roofs as well, like a visit to a local spa. We're going to take the ferry through the islands one day, best way to sight-see!
Tomorrow morning I'll be the featured guest in a webinar, which is exciting for me (and I hope leads to a big jump in book sales!). I'll probably spend the rest of the weekend assembling the bedframe I ordered and then turning my office into a guest room for my friend.
My favorite salads are the ones that include a fruit (pears or apples are favorite) and some kind of sugared nuts, plus blue cheese or goat cheese. With some hot-out-of-the-oven sourdough bread and plenty of butter!
I'll have a decaf mocha to help me warm up, please!
I am a dreamer of words, of written words.
-- Gaston Bachelard
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NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
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Apr 19, 4:27pm
Post #3 of 52
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Candied pecans and walnuts are great in salads!
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*gets out large mug for the decaf mocha* And that's REAL butter, of course. There are few aromas as soothing as fresh-from-the-oven bread!
How are the tulips doing this year, with the cold nights you've had? They're a feast for the eyes!
If you don't mind, here's a link to your webinar, the one you posted last week:
https://fatesandgraces.com/...nar-with-jody-bower/
I hope you have a fun time with it! 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Annael
Immortal
Apr 19, 6:10pm
Post #4 of 52
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it's been a good year for them
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Mine only peaked this week, so I'm hoping the tulip farms are still spectacular next week for my friend. The official Tulip Festival lasts all of April. We get inundated by tourists, especially on the weekends; friend & I will do the tour on Thursday to avoid the worst of the crowds.
I am a dreamer of words, of written words.
-- Gaston Bachelard
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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Greenwood Hobbit
Valinor
Apr 19, 6:39pm
Post #5 of 52
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I really should eat more slads!
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The weather so far has been more soup-related with a few happy exceptions, but I'm looking forward to more reliably warmer days and long evenings pottering about the garden. I haven't tried candied nuts, but am a fan of smoked salted almonds, though I'm not sure they'd work in a salad. I've never liked blue cheese! I do enjoy a nice ripe saggy Brie, though, on a crusty roll or baguette. Simple but effective!
This weekend I'm looking after my younger grandson tomorrow morning and the family dog (he of the howl and the hard stare) for most of Sunday, so that's my weekend really. My daughter's away with a couple of school friends for the weekend, so elder grandson and his Dad are off to local football tomorrow morning, then out at a rugby tournament with the younger grandson on Sunday, hence my input. I have young plants to pot up; plenty of things to do at home and in the garden. Enjoy your weekends, everyone!
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dernwyn
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Apr 19, 9:20pm
Post #6 of 52
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Now that sounds very tasty!
Your weekend is busy! What plants will you be "playing in the dirt" with?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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cats16
Half-elven
Apr 19, 10:40pm
Post #7 of 52
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Glad you're having a lovely sunny day. Is seems like the Northeast has fully come into springtime in the past week or two, based on what I've heard from friends. We'll be flirting with the upper 70's/low 80's with lots of sunshine, so we're aiming to have lots of time outdoors to enjoy it.
Hm, salad? Never had one! (vegan joke lol) I'd say either a well-made house salad or a build-your-own kale salad is up my alley, with some shaved almonds and lentils in there as well along with the veggies.
This weekend we're going to the annual (outdoor) festival of books that USC hosts every year on its campus. I used to go in for the speakers and panels (I got to see the late John Lewis speak there a year or two before his passing), but anymore we usually just walk around, check out some booths and see if anything the local booksellers have strikes our fancy.
I've also been putting in some hours into NZ trip planning, aiming to get a rough draft of an itinerary by the end of this month.
Wishing everyone a great weekend!
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
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Kimi
Forum Admin
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Apr 19, 11:40pm
Post #8 of 52
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The rain's been pouring down overnight and this morning, so any outdoor activity has been confined to darting out and in again. A nice day for baking: Mr Kimi's made feijoa muffins, and I currently have profiteroles in the oven. Dinner will be moussaka, made with some of the tail end of this year's aubergines from the garden.
We've been scooping and freezing feijoas, as well as using them in any vaguely relevant meals. Some neighbours whose trees aren't bearing yet, or who (shock! horror!) don't actually have any trees are eager recipients of the excess. We're also harvesting a few tamarillos - not enough to make preserves, but sufficient to put on (home made) cereal. And rows of golden persimmons are ripening on the windowsill - these we only ever eat fresh. We've begun the process of putting part of the vege garden to bed for the winter, clearing the beds and putting on compost before sowing a winter crop of broad beans.
I had an amusing little interaction at a local cafe this week, that made me feel my age (in a good way). The till had broken down, so the lovely young lass serving was working out the sums using a calculator. All fine, except that I had a discount card. Trying to work out the discount flummoxed her. She asked another staffer, who looked anxious and said, "I can't do percentages". Since I actually wanted my discount, I asked the total amount, worked out the discount (10%! Super-easy if you know how), and all was well. As I told them when they looked impressed, "I'm older than calculators" - not strictly true, but certainly older than cheap, readily available ones.
Wishing everyone a pleasant weekend.
The Passing of Mistress Rose
My historical novels
Do we find happiness so often that we should turn it off the box when it happens to sit there?
- A Room With a View
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Ataahua
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Apr 20, 12:59am
Post #9 of 52
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"I'm older than calculators." That genuinely got a laugh from me.
I'm somewhat envious about your tamarillos. I planted two new trees in spring and they've grown really well, and are starting to bud for next season's *sigh* harvest, so I just have to be patient and lucky for one more year. When the strong winds came through last week, I took the time to tie each tree to other objects (fence, other trees) for support. Weeding around them is going to be a bit more acrobatic than I'm used to, to get around the lines, but the trees withstood the winds and hopefully will do well in the coming months.
I've just come in from clearing leaves from the road gutter. Rain always ponds on my side of the road because the gutter isn't smooth and there are plenty of places to catch and bank-up leaves - and the household halfway down the road doesn't keep the drain-gate outside their property clear. Anyway, that work's done and it's raining steadily again, and I don't mind having an indoor day. I have bananas aplenty so I thought I'd make a banana and walnut loaf. 
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."
"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.
Fantasy novel - The Arcanist's Tattoo
My LOTR fan-fiction
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
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Apr 20, 1:30am
Post #10 of 52
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I assume you'll bring a couple of backpacks and large bags with you
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so you can safely haul back all the treasures you'll be finding at that book fair! 
Are you able to fit many LotR sites into the itenerary? Or TORnsibs?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
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Apr 20, 1:43am
Post #11 of 52
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"Older than calculators"!
Once again I must make-believe that I'm coming to your house for dinner, I can smell the aroma halfway around the world! What kind of filling did you use for the profiteroles?
I've never eaten a feijoa - do you freeze them in pieces, or mashed?
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"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
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Apr 20, 1:45am
Post #12 of 52
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Clearing out street gutters. Wet leaves are so heavy to lift or push around.
It sounds like you've been having a steady drenching at times! I do approve of bread-baking for days like that!
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"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Kimi
Forum Admin
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Apr 20, 1:48am
Post #13 of 52
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We've had this tree for several years now,
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and this is the most successful season by far. Previously we've had enough for cereal maybe two or three times a year, but there's been a small but constant haul these last few weeks. It's in a fairly exposed spot, but is well staked, and doesn't seem to mind being blown about. Earlier attempts we planted in a sheltered spot, and they sulked then died, whether from humidity or insufficient sunlight.
For a tamarillo, it's reached a good age. I hope we can keep it going a fair while yet!
The Passing of Mistress Rose
My historical novels
Do we find happiness so often that we should turn it off the box when it happens to sit there?
- A Room With a View
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Kimi
Forum Admin
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Apr 20, 1:55am
Post #14 of 52
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They freeze really well, then work fine in cooking or on cereal, pancakes, etc.
Feijoas have a very definite flavour, and people tend to love or loathe them. I've noticed that people who don't encounter them till adulthood are more inclined to be in the "loathe" camp, and claim they taste like perfumed soap. Fortunately we both love them.
Mr Kimi loves cream - me, not so much, but I made them partly as a treat for him, so cream it is. And with a thick chocolate sauce on top (that's for both of us :))
The Passing of Mistress Rose
My historical novels
Do we find happiness so often that we should turn it off the box when it happens to sit there?
- A Room With a View
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cats16
Half-elven
Apr 20, 7:08am
Post #15 of 52
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in that it's not really a book fair per se, more like a gathering of people who like books and have bookish interests. You get booths with everyone from mystery writers looking to market their book to university groups and local reading groups, and then there are a handful of sellers there too, in addition to the panels and readings. The sellers mostly are just showing off the newer releases they have in store, so unless I find something really unique, I don't usually splurge. You're right though, I normally would bring a backpack to this kind of event, but I guess it's more about the celebration of books than the acquisition of more of them.
It's quite the puzzle! We'll certainly do Hobbiton, as I won't be upset going there again, lol. Beyond that it's a bit hazy. I'd like to see Mt. Sunday as I didn't get to last time, but I'm not sure yet if it'll happen. And yes, would love to catch as many 'sibs as I can, once I have a sense of where I might be, myself!  
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
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Greenwood Hobbit
Valinor
Apr 20, 3:23pm
Post #16 of 52
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Hah - only just noticed the typo - salads not slads!
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Slad is a place in Gloucestershire... I have a number of rooted shrub cuttings to pot up, also some annuals grown from seed that are growing fast. Tomatoes really need to go into the greenhouse now, but the nights can still be cold. I messed with my young grandson's mind this morning by showing him the basic elements of dowsing; he loves a 'but how does it work?' conundrum! I'm pretty rubbish at it, but even the basics are impressive when it's new to you.
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
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Apr 20, 6:24pm
Post #17 of 52
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My Texas brother has done that, and he was amazed at how strong the pull was.
What kind of tree branch do you use, or do you use something else?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Greenwood Hobbit
Valinor
Apr 20, 6:33pm
Post #18 of 52
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The traditional way is with a forked hazel twig under tension
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but I have a pendulum and rods. I do have a hazel in the garden, but it's not really big enough to start attacking for suitable twigs! The whole phenomenon is hugely intriguing.
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Apr 22, 4:13am
Post #19 of 52
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Yummmm! I'll have to figure out a salad with those added... which won't take long ;) Taco Salad is my favourite! But I build my perfect salad at home with ice berg lettuce, bacon bits, seasoned Texas toast croutons, grape nuts cereal, chow mien noodles (crispy), shredded carrots, broccoli crown chunks, pickled beet chunks, a few red grapes halved, low-fat ranch dressing and either diced chicken or chunky crab/lobster meat... which makes it either a chicken or seafood dinner. However, I rarely have all of those ingredients; but when I do, it's good fun :D I never know what I'll get from one bite to the next.
We got some GREAT news! My daughter's pathology report came back to announce she's CANCER FREE!!!! *toots horn!* Another week or two and she'll be back home if all goes according to plan. But, of course, it will all be up to how everything heals up and settles down :)
Have a great week everyone! And thanks for taking such great care of us, dernwyn!
We have been there and back again.
TIME Google Calendar
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Kimi
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Apr 22, 5:01am
Post #20 of 52
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Definitely worth celebrating.
Wishing your daughter rapid healing.
The Passing of Mistress Rose
My historical novels
Do we find happiness so often that we should turn it off the box when it happens to sit there?
- A Room With a View
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
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Apr 22, 11:33am
Post #21 of 52
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I am so SO glad to hear that! Now sending prayers and well-wishes for everything healing up the way it should! And how are YOU holding up, gramma?
Grape nuts cereal in a salad? I've never thought of that before, definitely puts a bit of crunch in there, do the bits soften up in the dressing? Now that is a meal in a bowl!
You two take there, there's been stormy weather out your way!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Apr 22, 1:47pm
Post #22 of 52
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The Grape Nuts do soften up if you dawdle; but even softened, they still have that nutty-sweet flavour that imho adds to the taste and texture of the salad. We use them in our yogurt (all variations) and banana split ice cream, too.
We haven't had much trouble with the weather so far. High winds and cooler temps for the most part. But weather here is fickle ;)
I'm doing very well, considering. She's most comfortable in my recliner (breathing problems, too), so it does put a cramp on my TV watching ;) *spasm* I just can't move it to her bedroom where she'd surely feel ostracized. Plus, I need to keep an eye on her or she tries to do too much. We get up about 3-4am for meds... but it's all temporary! :D Thank Goodness! Prayer works!
We have been there and back again.
TIME Google Calendar
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Annael
Immortal
Apr 22, 2:59pm
Post #23 of 52
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and prayers for a complete and rapid recovery from all the messing about.
I am a dreamer of words, of written words.
-- Gaston Bachelard
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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Ethel Duath
Half-elven
Apr 22, 4:15pm
Post #24 of 52
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I am so happy for the both of you! I can't imagine how relieved she must be.
Now you can both relax and enjoy the spring. Do you have a lot of flowering bushes popping out yet?
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Ethel Duath
Half-elven
Apr 22, 4:17pm
Post #25 of 52
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(The prayer and the Grape Nuts.)
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