Lookie Cookie

This afternoon we finally frosted the Christmas cookies. We made a few very pretty snowflakes.


We have a cute vintage bird cutter, which I made into cockatiels.


Some had more fun than others...


-吴碧芙

Wild Socks

I finished my second sock today. The second sock is the one on the right, which is not so stretched out yet. I also took out the toe of the first sock, and made it longer, so now both socks fit.


It wasn't supposed to get done so quickly. Now I don't know what to do with myself over this break. It hasn't really sunken in yet either. I made two socks, which are really cool, and turned out like they were supposed to. They match the Wild Flower necklace, too.

-吴碧芙

Wild Flowers

In celebration of making it through the crazy semester, I remade and added some beads to one of my previous designs for a slip necklace.


I finished my last take-home exam last Thursday. Since then, I still haven't felt like I'm supposed to be relaxing. The birds and I came back to NE Iowa on Tuesday. Since then, I've been working on my second sock. I finished the heel and gusset, and now it's a straight shot until I get to the toe.

We are waiting for our big dump of snow. So far we scraped the old ice and slush off the driveway. It rained a little, but the snow hasn't come yet.

-吴碧芙

Garden Path

The following is a new design I made for my aunt, whose name I had for the Christmas exchange this year. I thought it turned out well. This design is a good way to use those flower button beads. (click to enlarge)


Someday soon, I will have time to finish knitting my second sock, read novels, and go dancing.
-吴碧芙

It was snowing...

...and it was going to snow.

Today we are having a blizzard. It's been snowing and blowing all day. This is the view from my doorstep at 11:00pm Tuesday night. The snow is knee high, and my door is imprinted in it.


It's almost the end of the semester. Hopefully someone will come dig me out before my 8:00am class.

Update: I got out of my apartment, got the car out, drove down the street and got stuck a block away from home. My logic was that it would be better to drive because the streets would be cleared before the sidewalks. Anyway, two of my neighbors and a guy who lived nearby came to push and shovel me out. I parked right there on the side o f the road and walked to class.

-吴碧芙

Vegetarianniversary!

This Halloween marked my 15th year of being a vegetarian. We celebrated with an Indian feast of Baingan Bharta and Malai Kofta, at the restaurant where we had our first real date. Then at home, we enjoyed cleaning out pumpkin guts and roasting the seeds. I found The Legend of Billy Jack on Netflix streaming video, so we decided on a hippy film, instead of The Exorcism of Emily Rose, which we thought would give us nightmares.

I was so excited about Billy Jack, having seen it only once, over 10 years ago. The basic premise of the movie is there is a town in Arizona, near a reservation where there is an alternative school. People from the town are racist and distrustful of the pacifist students and director of the school. When the students go into the town, the townspeople humiliate them and treat them badly. Enter Billy Jack, who knows martial arts, is initiated in sacred Indian rites, is not a pacifist, and cares mostly about the students and preventing corruption in the town. Anyway, Billy Jack makes a mess of the place with his martial arts skills and makes everyone get along. There are two feelings the film leaves you with: (1) I wish I could go to an alternative pacifist school and learn how to weave and ride horses, and (2) I wish I could beat people up like Billy Jack.

Last week, I finished my first sock. The important thing is that it actually fits, and it's totally cute. I started the second sock right away, but have been spending more time beading instead of knitting. The sock took me about two months to finish, so maybe in another two months, I'll have a pair...hopefully sooner.


Lastly, I made a necklace for my friend, which I'm calling "peace dove." It's obviously based on my last creation "peacock." Crazily, I'm trying to think of a way to make a "cockatiel," which would be cool, but not that useful, since I never wear yellow or orange. I've been wearing grey a lot more lately though.


One of my friends has an aunt who does beading. She had made a series of bracelets to be worn together with a monarch butterfly theme. One bracelet was yellow, black, and white, for the larva. The next was all lime green, for the pupa. The next was orange, black, and white, for the butterfly. The last was blue and white, for the sky. It's a clever idea, which I would like to adapt with colors of birds in my current designs.

-吴碧芙

Peacock and a Picture Story

For a while, I've been envisioning a beading project, called "the peacock" because I wanted a mix-match of blues and greens. I wanted it to be secure, without a clasp, and without exposed metal parts. I got some pointers from MJ in CR, and 文大猊 took me to the crazy "I-didn't-know-they-had-a-bead-for-that" bead shop in SF. This is where I found the aqua-colored leaf beads, the two blue twisty beads in front, a mix of peacock colors, and the focal bead. The rest was done with four colors of seed beads, wire, and crimps.



We caught the Corn Maze on the second to last day it was open. I've never done one before, but this one covers 8 acres, and the theme this year was monarch butterflies. The maze had a butterfly shape in the center, which could be seen on the map and aerial view. It was difficult. It was muddy. We couldn't imagine participating in the "Haunted Maze" which would take place after dark that night with flashlights. We couldn't imagine taking kids there and setting them loose, since there were a few moments where we two adults were afraid that we were lost in the corn.

There is a group on Flickr that posts picture stories in 4-picture sequences. I used them in my classes in China, and I decided that a picture story would be a good way to present the maze adventure. (Click to enlarge)

Maize Maze: A Picture Story


-吴碧芙

Rainbows and Fairies

When I was little, my Grama had a prism hanging in the western window. In the afternoons, the rainbows would be projected all over the floor, and I would try to stand on them, or hold them in my hands. When I had my own apartment in Iowa City, I went downtown and bought a prism, which has been with me from IC to Phoenix, and finally to SD.

I hung my prism in my only window, southern, and I find it makes the best rainbows in the fall and winter. As I sat talking on Saturday, I realized that one was projected onto my hand, like a little light of Tinkerbell, so we tried to capture it in a picture.


Rainbows are a common theme lately. While visiting my parents, I went to a yarn shop with my mom and found a really bright and exciting sock yarn. This finally gave me the necessary motivation to actually knit a sock. I had some difficulty with the gusset, but I'm finally on the home stretch, with only half of the foot and the toe left to finish.


Finally, I finished the scarf that I had been working on since Thanksgiving. Everyone who saw me working on it at that gathering, will be happy to see the finished product. I gave it to 文大猊, who was surprised and excited to have a new scarf in personalized colors, which I picked out a few weeks after meeting him.


Be well,
-吴碧芙

Love Nest

I spent about 2 weeks in Iowa with my family. The birds got to stay with Grampa, which was fun for all three, I think.

I remember in some of my school breaks, my mom and I have done sewing projects. On Winter Break during my freshman year of college, we made a quilt with a faux fur backing, which served me well all through college and grad school and which I still have with me in my apartment.

Over this break, I wanted to try a smaller project, having seen a bird hut on the internet. I measured and cut a pattern out of newspaper. I chose some scrap fabric. We guessed and discussed how everything would fit together. Mom did the sewing and decorative details. We put hearts on the sides, and trimmed it with excess orange bias tape.


I hung it in the cage for a few days. Generally birds are afraid of new things and bright colors, but I think since Kavi and Roscoe have each other, they are less skittish around new toys, etc. I didn't have a long enough perch, though. The perch would need to extend out of the doorway, so they would be able to climb inside.

When I finally found a perch that would extend out of the house, and got everything set up, Kavi was still unsure, but Roscoe was not at all too shy to try it out. He slept inside the whole night (I could tell from the droppings), and Kavi slept on the uncovered end of the new perch. Roscoe was nice enough to pose for a photo, but I don't think he has spent any more time inside since the first night.


So photogenic...


Besides that, I started grad school. Kavi was a good kitty, and perched on my lap while I studied tonight. I have five classes, and all five meet on Wednesday. Wednesday being the first day of class, it was like being thrown into the fire. So far, I've learned about how hard and terrible grad school is going to be.

-吴碧芙

Don't miss it, don't even be late...

I've been enjoying some much-needed time away before school visiting the great state of Iowa. Today we decided to take a family day trip to the Iowa State Fair. We visited the Varied Industries Building, where I was tempted to buy a Hawkeye cookie cutter, but decided against it on account of the price tag. I was a big nerd and got a free pair of ear plugs and my name written in Braille (color dots added for visibility).


We tried Iowa Soy Oil and Corn Cob Syrup, and I went to look at textile arts with my mom on the second level. There were amazing quilts, with the most intricate patterns. I also enjoyed looking at knitting and crochet.

The big fair food this year is "cookies in a cup." Not wanting to miss anything important from the fair, we all split a cup. The cookies were good. The cup was unremarkable. "Cookies in a cup" lived up to its name.

In the Family Food Center, we saw all of the winning entries for cake decorating, cookies, bread, and canning. A slice of each of the winning breads was placed on a plate and behind glass. I've never seen so many single pieces of different kinds of bread, but it was interesting.

Lunch included a somewhat frustrating search for cheese on a stick and a deep fried pickle on a stick. We eventually found the cheese, but we never found the elusive pickle. For the main course, my brother and I each got a veggie corn dog, and I tried deep fried macaroni and cheese (both shown below).


After checking out the dollhouse exhibit, viewing all kinds of crazy-looking chickens, goats, and cows, and seeing the "big boar" (weighing 1,117 lbs.), we headed for home.

-吴碧芙

A Scientifical Study of Giant Birds by Roscoe

I want to write about our recent findings in the field of giant birds. For about a year, I've lived with my companion Kavi, and we have a giant bird who helps us. Kavi observes the giant birds and explains his findings about their behaviour. My work focuses on gathering information about breed and coloring. From my observations it is obvious to me that our giant bird is a giant green Conure, although Kavi doesn't agree. I have seen strong evidence for my hypothesis:
Exhibit A: Brilliant green fathers


Exhibit B: Another instance of green feathers


It's hard to say why these feathers change depending on the day. That's why Kavi says we can't tell which breed it is, based on feathers that are changeable. For a long time we didn't know if it was a girl or a boy. Eventually we found out that it's a boy, because he has a mate, and they are obviously of a dimorphic breed, with the female (left) having less brilliant coloring than the male (right):


The last observation is about head and face feathers. The male's head feathers are bright, like his other feathers, but the female has cheek feathers, that match her head feathers, obviously for camoflaging her in the nest.

Good luck foraging!
Roscoe

Catching Up

This weekend was a mini-vacation, as 文大猊 and I made the trek to Eastern Iowa for the hometown celebration. Highlights included the 5k run/walk early Saturday morning, riding in the parade with my high school classmates, playing and exploring at the Farm with my cousins, my 10-yr high school reunion, and introducing 大猊 to the extended family.

The first event was the 5k. Our team was 大猊, my aunt, and myself. We each got a number and a medal.


The parade included a few entries worth mentioning: my reunion wagon, the Beastmaster with a ferret in his pouch, and the first-place entry (below).


The first place float in the parade was a giant rotating Jesus Taco, from one of the local churches.


In the afternoon, we went to the Farm, caught the kittens, played the game Pit, and explored the Farm, including the creek, the hen house, the Ancestor Room, and the small attic.

The reunion was Saturday night, and went off without a hitch. We left Sunday morning, but not without my aunts, cousins, and uncle coming to say one last goodbye to 大鲵 and two emergency haircuts--the first from my mom and the second from my aunt who is a trained professional.

-吴碧芙

Sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows...

Yesterday was my birthday. It was a wonderful day, although mostly like a normal Wednesday: I had class in the morning and evening, went to the gym, and visited 文大猊 after class. When I got to his apartment, he had the most elegant spread, including our favorite sandwich, funfetti cake with rainbow chip frosting, and Asian sesame eggplant (the first Asian eggplant of the season from my friend's garden).


The big surprise was the bouquet of blue cornflowers, mostly because I thought they were impossible to get. I guess 文大猊 has good guanxi because he found out that these flowers are available for special orders in local shops for only a few weeks every summer, and he had the foresight to order early enough for my birthday. It was beautiful and perfect!


We marveled at the intricacy of the blossoms, the brilliant color, and the wild curves of the stems and greens.

-吴碧芙

Home Improvement

Since the big, scary "digital switch," I've suffered from the extreme lack of channels. At best, I could watch skittery NBC and the "all Olympics all the time" channel. The wonders of the internet triumph again, as 文大猊 found a couple of plans for a homemade antenna. He fashioned a prototype for me, and another for himself, out of wire hangers, wood, wire, and odds and ends.


Another amazing improvement via the 文 Design Studio is a shelf for above the sink. If you compare this to the original photo, you will see that I can now maximize my 18 inches of counter space, with no precarious plates. If I cover the sink with the cutting board, there's some extra usable space.


In fact, this morning I lined up a toaster, coffee maker, and 3-cup food processor on the cutting board, with enough room for the plates and coffee cups on the counter. Plus, now there's room to keep my favorite things on the counter with a spice rack underneath.

-吴碧芙

The Cake Stands Alone

This 4th of July weekend, my parents and brother came to visit. We ate local, played board games, watched "Dorm Life" on Hulu (which you should also do), and had a nice dinner for my parents' anniversary. The city had a really nice fireworks display, which we could watch right outside their hotel.

I had another big celebration to prepare for, and my mom brought me cake pans along with the mold for a checkerboard cake. We decided to make strawberry and lemon cake with vanilla frosting. Filling the mold was a bit tricky and interesting. After filling it with alternating colors, the mold is removed before baking. I decided to make a two-layer cake, since no more layers would fit in my tiny oven.


In the end, I got two layers and 12 cupcakes. It was a delicious birthday cake, but as you can see, the checkerboard kind of blobbed out. (Click to enlarge.)


So delicious, in fact, that there is only one piece left...


Just kidding. We only ate 1/6 of the cake, or two of the twelve pieces. I put the rest, along with the cupcakes, in the freezer. Although, ten frozen pieces of cake are still ten pieces of cake.

-吴碧芙

Wedding and Rainbows

We spent the weekend in Minneapolis at a wedding, where 文大猊 was the Best man in a wedding. I decided to pick up River Town again, and I read it while he performed his duties. I also hung out with his friends, esp. those weren't in the wedding party. 文大猊, being in the wedding party, was supposed to ride in the stretch Hummer to a park to take pictures after the ceremony. We took a cab to the wedding, and then I rode with them in the Hummer. There was a "gathering" of sorts at the park, with pimped rides, hip-hop music, and guys who looked like they might beat us up. It all turned out ok, though.

From the wedding and pictures, we arrived at the reception. Highlights included 文大猊's speech, little cakes for centerpieces, and amusing ourselves and other guests by trying to learn the Electric Slide on the spot.

While driving from the rehearsal to the hotel on Friday, we saw a full double rainbow.



On Sunday, we headed back, after some stops at Trader Joe's and IKEA, which are luxuries we can't enjoy in SD.

-吴碧芙

We moved

I moved on Friday and Saturday. 文大猊 came over and helped clean like a maniac. The old apartment is completely clean and beautiful, which leaves me wishing I had cleaned more often when I lived there, so I could've enjoyed it myself. The new apartment is cute, but tiny. I took a picture of the kitchen. There is a 2-ft. cupboard to the left and the fridge to the right, but this is basically what I've got. I put in some helpful labels. It was while we were trying to make some breakfast.


The bathroom is equally miniaturized, so, for now, I have my toothbrush in the kitchen. We were making bagel sandwiches and veggie bacon.

The birds are doing well in the new place. I think they are a little weirded out because I arranged it like the old place, but it's a little smaller and the kitchen and bathroom are in different places.

-吴碧芙

A Well-Stocked Cupboard

This weekend was the first time in a long time that we have been homework-free, and the weather was beautiful. So we had a classy picnic. We took the Wildflower Sweet Potato sandwiches and magazines and books. It was a really beautiful day in the park by a small stream.

We had a great time on Saturday night making apple pie. I asked MK in DM to send the recipe, since he makes the best apple pie, which isn't too sweet. We had a bit of overflow with the filling, so we also made some pretty intense apple crisp too.


It was pretty delicious.


Tonight I decided to use up some pumpkin from the freezer to make muffins. I let Kavi sit on top of the refrigerator, and he was pretty happy there. Then when I opened the cupboard, he flew straight up to the top shelf. It was the first time he'd ever considered going into the cupboard. I don't keep anything on the top shelf because I'm normal-person-sized. He whistled a lot up there, probably checking out the awesome acoustic properties. This is my "bare ingredients" cupboard.


-吴碧芙

Memory

Long before I thought of going to China, I heard a story about our family friend Herb. (Of course, Herb had many stories.) He had been a missionary in China. After returning to the States, a few years later, he was cleaning out his garage, when he stopped and said, "I smell China." It was as if the scent had traveled from China and landed in Minnesota.

That moment where a scent meets a deep memory or an emotion is wonderful. In Anatomy I learned that olfactory experiences are processed in the same place in the brain as memory, and differently from other senses. But scent sometimes transports me to a place I can't explain, something from childhood, something from which I only remember a feeling, and not a place or person.

I often wonder what will trigger that reaction of "smelling China" for me. Many things come to mind, like burning garbage and exhaust fumes. The good and more subtle come to mind too, like the Bread Diary, the deep, cool, wood and incense of a temple, or the stinging oil used during a leg massage.

Pineapples remind me of China too. The vendors would have it cut and ready in plastic bags with toothpicks to make it easy to take and eat. I cut up a pineapple tonight and immediately took out the garbage.

I was overcome with the scent of lilacs. The hedge between our apartment property and a large, barren field, the hedge I've seen many times before, is actually a long row of lilac bushes, more than 40 feet long, in white, lavender, and dark purple.



I haven't lived in a place with lilacs in 4 years.

-吴碧芙

Sandwich Cred

Cred is something people can respect you for. If your beard makes people at a food co-op look at you a little differently, a nod of respect, you've got Hippie Cred. If your nose ring helps make the scary, skinning, all-dressed-in-black-stuff-that-laces-up woman feel like talking to you on the plane to Omaha, you might have some Goth Cred. If you can make a wonderful sandwich two weeks in a row, you might be well on your way to Sandwich Cred.

As I was sitting studying on the couch, there was some banging around in the kitchen. Then, the most delicious aroma began to circulate. It was a mixture of sweetness and the tang of boiled wine. It was the first step in my favorite sandwich. 文大男 had looked up the ingredient list and the recipes for the ingredients that couldn't be bought. This is the fig confit with rosemary.


The confit reduced and was pureed in the food processor. Fennel, an ingredient I had forgotten about, was marinated in a lemon juice sauce. The sweet potatoes were roasted in the oven. Then we were ready to start building the sandwich, starting with spreading confit on the bottom bread. (文大男 agreed to be the hand model for these pics.)


Potatoes, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, arugula, and spring greens were added in order.


The last bit of love was the balsalmic vinaigrette.


It was the absolute recreation of the sandwich I thought I would never taste again! Oozing with goodness, the depth of the flavors tingling through every bite. Sweet, savory, a little sour...the true test of a good palate.


-吴碧芙

大男-wich

Last weekend was filled with excitement as I embarked on the fabulous world of my Aural Rehabilitation case study. In reality, it was a project that I dreaded and had to drag myself kicking and screaming to complete. I did work on it over the weekend...kind of...when I wasn't feeling sorry for myself and napping. It was another study date, with study snacks and study food, albeit a bit more upscale than our old dorm room fare.

文大男 made walnut pesto and bought the fancy ciabatta loaf. He got coop-fresh unpasteurized cheddar cheese, fresh spring greens, and tomatoes. Artichoke hearts. Need I say more? (click photo for super detail)


It was deliculous! (delicious + ridiculous) It reminded me of my favorite sandwich, served by the Wildflower in Phoenix and Sedona. The Roasted Sweet Potato Sandwich includes roasted sweet potatoes, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, arugula, fig confit, and balsamic vinaigrette.

-吴碧芙