YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Frost Is In The Forecast!!!!!

FINALLY, frost is predicted for Tuesday night.  YAY!!!  I was beginning to think we were going to be weeding and mowing on Halloween.  Not that I haven't enjoyed having a garden, and an extra couple weeks of basil have been nice, and I appreciate that global warming is going to change all weather patterns everywhere and it actually could be worse, but I am sooooooooooooooooooooooo ready to be done with the garden for a while!

I'm So Glad....

.....that I have the GOP to tell me that to show compassion to anyone less fortunate than me is called "socialism."  There I was thinking it was called "kindness."

Preservatives Would Certainly Be Easier

I grew up using those little red and yellow bullion cubes, and while they're really, REALLY salty, I can understand why they were such a hit.  Because this

is the alternative, and it takes about 5 1/2 hours.  Thankfully, 4 hours of it is "simmering," but it does make one plan ahead.  This is vegetable stock, which doesn't taste nearly as good as the chicken stock I made for the homemade chicken soup, but this also didn't involve mangling a chicken carcass, and there's a LOT to be said for that. 

Has Anyone Else Noticed.......

It seems to be the same people who bitch about increasing unemployment benefits, and bitch about welfare who are bitching about trying to pass a jobs bill?  Are these people really so dumb that they can't see the contradiction here, or are they just so hateful that they'd prefer people become homeless and starve?  Are we a nation of dumb or just hate?

Thoughts On Friends

We had a busy weekend, but one that involved spending time with some really great friends, so it was one of those tiring weekends that make one feel energized anyway.

The salon turned out brilliantly.  Our friends, who are both creative AND delightful, wrote a song in honor of our 5th anniversary to perform, and a wonderful time was had by all.  There will certainly be more salons in our future.  We rounded out the weekend with coffee with another good friend, and meeting two of our favorite couples for dinner last night. 

Recently we were out with another couple, and were quite flattered when they told us how much they enjoyed being with us because we were always interested in others and fun to be with.  Funnily enough, we had recently been saying the exact same thing about them, and it occurred to me that the most striking thing about it all is that if it is noticeable that we enjoy being around people who are actually interested in us, we are obviously spending far too much time around people who aren't.  

I think I've been doing a pretty striking job of distancing ourselves from people who just don't get friendship--so much so that when we stopped doing Soup Night monthly we had to notify everyone lest they think they got dropped from the list--but isn't it sad that so many people reach adulthood without the ability to make and maintain relationships?  How many people do you know who do all the talking in a conversation?  Or who change the subject back to them no matter what you have just said?  The ones who tell you the same things over and over and over because they aren't interested in you as a person, just you as someone to talk at.  One of my very least favorites is those who talk with their mouth full.  Not only is it completely disgusting and very poor manners, but if someone can't shut up long enough to chew a mouthful of food, he or she is SERIOUSLY talking too much.  My other big red flag are the lecturers.  No matter what the subject, it isn't a conversation--it's a lecture.  One of my personal favorites was a family member lecturing me about what was in a mustard at a party--a mustard that I had actually made (and I still don't think he actually believed me).  I was even treated to one not so long ago by a recently-learned knitter (to me, who has been knitting about 32 years now) about the softness of Peruvian yarn.  Not only was it long, but even someone who doesn't know anything about yarn but who has a rudimentary grasp of etymology would be able to tell you that "Peruvian" mean, and ONLY means, "from Peru."  It doesn't mean one darn thing about the quality of the yarn.  But it was one of those people who talks AT, not WITH people, and who doesn't care what the other person actually might think or feel.  Thankfully, I have finally come to my senses and decided to spend my time with better friends.

And this weekend was filled with them.  Everyone interested in each other, catching up with past travels or getting updates on each other's interests and hobbies, running out of time to ask about everything we wanted to ask--these are the people one is simply fortunate to be able to spend time with.   

5 Conservative Economic Myths Occupy Wall St. Is Helping Bust | | AlterNet

5 Conservative Economic Myths Occupy Wall St. Is Helping Bust | | AlterNet

Music, Music, Music

I think I've mentioned that we've joined a little music club that usually meets once a month to learn a new song.  It's been fun, and especially for me, it's nice for music to be FUN again.  It's nice to be able to practice without someone being right there to jump on any mistakes or nitpick every little detail, though even here we aren't without our critics......

but I just don't think she's musical.

Tonight we're trying out a new idea--dinner and salon.  Not the smelly hair kind of salon, but bringing back the idea of people performing music or readings after dinner sort of as one would have done during the 18th or 19th century.  Technically, a salon should refer to an exchange of ideas or an art show, I suppose, but sticklers are A) no fun at all, and B) not invited.  I'm thinking this could be a very fun way to spend some winter evenings.  If summer ever goes away, that is.......