Lazy W Marie

Carpeing all the diems in semi-rural Oklahoma...xoxo

You are here: Home / Archives for 2015

Archives for 2015

sketches of day two

Frigid water boiling along the pebble-bottom river bed, the symphony of its journey a constant temptation for me. Drawing me closer, daring me to jump in and swim away. Be carried away. She warns me every chance she gets about the dangers of the water, tossing in branches and flowers to demonstrate the swift kidnapping. Such a sweet maternal role shift. I call her the Mermaid of the Rockies and she holds my hand tight with both of hers while I wade and stretch until my shins are aching from the cold. 

A magpie joined us on the hike, his black and white tuxedo feathers so stark and crisp against the greens, browns, and blues of the lush landscape. He delicately tried to lead us up the side of the mountain, on to adventures we can scarcely imagine, toward the opposite end of wherever the freezing river would have taken us. He is one of a thousand magpies who found us at different points throughout the day, and not just on the hike. And not just on that day. Magpies follow her, and they watch her and have some kind of purpose we are hungry to divine. We call it her spirit animal and wait for more.

The vaulted rock walls impart a feeling of safety. Enclosure. And they pulse outward, a strong heartbeat that almost knocks you down where the forest parts and the view is suddenly unobscured. How the water flows so constantly, the cascading falls sprouting from those sky-high caves, is a thrilling mystery. 

Everything here demands and deserves our attention, both the minuscule details near our feet- the ferny undergrowth, colorful wildflowers, and smaller rocks and mossy boulders- of course the enormous rocky, forested cathedral all around us. The foothills that grow up into sheer cliffs that take our breath away, then the down-tumbling avalanche memorials.  

There’s just so much, and it’s all alive. It all has a very real pulse. So we slow ourselves. Press it all into our skin, our eyes, our hearts and souls. We listen to the birdsong and let it be our soundtrack. We touch the smooth, rough, cold, sun-baked rocks and inhale the unreal natural perfumes. We let ourselves become dry sponges soaking up the extravagance. 

There are not enough words for beautiful.

We ended that very full and happy day at midnight on Trail Ridge Road, in a spectacular grayscale, exploring the highest reaches of the mountain beneath a dazzling, sloping quilt of constellations. Shadows passed beneath us like the behemoths of the watery deep. The air was cold. Cold! And the winds howled overhead and all through our ribs, combing our thoughts and feelings, pulling salty tears right to the surface. The smeary gilded half moon stood guard over this unbelievable scene while we stomped in our sandals and canvas shoes through old snow. Crunching and running in the stuff up to our knees, laughing and freezing ourselves into the purest exhilaration. Stars poured through an unseen funnel toward one mountain peak in particular, and I swear they were moving. Churning magic. 

Do the mountains talk to each other, these ancient companions?

xoxoxo

arriving

On the short flight from Oklahoma City to Denver I read several chapters of Lotus Eaters and have to surgically differentiate the main character Helen from the very similar main character in another book I’m nibbling at, It’s What I Do. (By the way? I can’t wait to tell you about both of these books. Wow.) I eat a couple handfuls of dark-chocolate-almond-cranberry trail mix plus a small red apple and a full liter of cold water. It is nervous, happy eating, because that’s a whole lot of food for me at eight in the morning. Still, something tells me the energy will be well spent throughout the day.

I cannot stop smiling as I make my way from the landed plane to a speedy underground train and then to the baggage carousel and my shuttle rendezvous. Texts with Handsome and my firstborn make my heart soar. 

Just minutes outside the Denver airport I see the landscape is comfortingly familiar to Oklahoma. Patchwork fields and modest farmland dotted with barns and silos. Scrubby prairie grasses, ponds, and even tree rows gone wild with time. It’s all very normal looking until I realize that above all of this, it’s not traces of clouds and sun I’m seeing, but rather snow capped mountains. Nearly halfway up the dome of the cornflower blue sky, I stare at the teasing, white, fragile looking shapes. Just hanging there. Broken silhouettes of the peaks where summer can’t reach, suspended above purple and blue shadows too smooth and quiet to be real. I have to refocus my eyes several times.

More brackish water in my life. Driving on the divided highway through the familiar-feeling terrain toward a brand new place. Closer and closer to my girl, my first baby, and a group of stunning rocks where her own heart has found purchase. Away from my own very real home. The drive is a pleasant mix of the two for a while, and I pray thank you and prepare my heart. Then once more thank you. 

The whispers of the mountain range had been on our left for an hour, just a tenuous suggestion of a foreign land, but now we are turned toward them, facing their immensity, their colors growing sharper with every mile, their heft swelling and gaining a pulse. I catch myself feeling physically sad for the cars driving away. Leaving already? And I catch myself holding my breath.

I see purple wildflowers, five feet tall. A pair of muscular, glossy horses grazing in a field that could be one of our own. A long, thick grove of vaulted trees all leaved out in silver and dancing shamelessly with the very Oklahoma-like wind.

If you are born here, if you grow up with these mountains as your nursery walls, at what age do you first acknowledge their splendor? Then, at what age do you grow bored with them and need reminding? 

Now the feet of the giants are visible. Green and carpeted, knuckled with foothills bigger than anything I’ve so far considered a mountain. More silver trees, this time growing in perfect twin rows, flanking a narrow, unpaved drive, a lot like the great ancient oaks in plantations of the South. I see feathery green grass and every kind of tree, but mostly pine. Cabins or boutique hotels emerging here and there. Generous hidden meadows and colorful wildflowers. This impossibly serpentine road as we climb up up up and my ears pop.

I gasp audibly at the massive boulders spilled out everywhere. Tossed like powerful marbles, great and meaningful, shocking in their size and perfect roundness. Others are deeply gouged and creased by long gone water, and I make a wish that I can maybe carry scars so beautifully. 

Still climbing, still sprialIng upward, I drink in a wide view of nothing but conical Scoth pines. They are stacked in wallpaper rows and layers, greens and grays, a color scale advancing up the mountain that seems to have no top. 

My eyes are greedy for every detail. 

trying to slow the sand & leaving for colorado

This past week has been so busy and happy here at the farm. Filled to the brim with work, projects, gardening, animal changes, sewing orders, fun with friends, special moments with family, romance and laughter, you name it. Whew!

I really would like for time to sloooow doooowwwn. A lot, okay? I need to breathe it all in. I crave for this beautiful life to take longer. Much longer. Even with the bittersweet current that is always there, life is amazing. We have learned how to maintain hope for the best things not yet seen and to keep that emptiness from becoming bitterness. So we want this peace to linger.

Doesn’t hurt one bit that this year, Oklahoma summertime is drop dead gorgeous.

pano shot of back field morning sun pond

This coming week will be unusual and wonderful in brand new ways. Instead of keeping up my normal hermit routine at the Lazy W I will be visiting our oldest daughter where she is working in Colorado. Handsome cannot make this trip, so it will be just me flying to see just her (and her friends) and the Rocky Mountains, a place I have never been before.

(Squeal!)

I am already trying to slow the clock down enough to really press every memory into our hearts. Mine and hers. I want every new sensation to become part of my skin, every conversation to echo in my mind for a long time. Forever. I want the next few days to drench her in all the love I have been trying so hard to transmit to her all this time. She makes us really proud, and seeing her as a young woman is getting easier and easier for her mama who is in a bit of a time warp.

Anyway, I’m not yet sure how blogging will go this week, but whether I have time to write or not I would be so happy if you join the Colorado adventure on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you groove it. All signs point to “photos will be amazing!” Also, “Gorgeous doe-eyed artist daughters right around the corner!”

Okay, thanks for checking in! I’m pretty darn excited. And if you have the magic spell for slowing time, do tell.

Carpe Diem
Slowly
XOXO

 

 

random farm updates

Hello again, and happy Thursday! Or happy whatever day you are reading this. Thank you so much for dropping in here. Lots is happening at the farm, and I feel like getting it all out.

the rose of sharon are blooming and the skies are churning...xoxo
The Rose of Sharon are blooming and the skies are churning…xoxo

The seasons are changing, then changing again, and basically keeping us guessing. Oklahoma is probably past tornado season but still dealing with torrential rains and flooding. The temperatures are nice and summery, though, so overall our gardens look amazing.

Volunteer squash. Yay!!
Volunteer squash. Yay!!

Except the east facing flower border. Some shrubs have overgrown, and three others (my red tipped photinas) have contracted a disease that made it necessary to remove them. Jeep-jeep to the rescue! I have big, colorful ideas for the newly wide open soil here.

jeep pull

I still do not have any honeybees to replace the hives that last season fell under attack from hive beetles, but that’s really my fault. Or at least, it’s a consequence of consciously prioritizing farm projects. The good news is that we still have scads of honeybees in the vicinity, and they visit us daily. I see them in the vitex (chaste tree), in the vegetable beds, flowers, fruit trees, everywhere. Chances are that the forest next door has several wild swarms practically begging for me to get my act together and catch them. It’s just a matter of time or the ability to clone myself.

Speaking of fruit trees, the plums are numerous and ripening slowly. I am so happy about this! At my childhood home in Oklahoma City my Mom grew a plum tree in our front yard, and I was unreasonably proud of it. Not that I had anything to do with it; it just made me happy. So petite and healthy, so beautiful and productive. I thought my mom was magic to be able to grow plums like that. So seeing my own plum tree now heavy with green and nearly purple fruit, silken and firm, it’s pretty thrilling. One of my apple trees, though, is suffering from some rain-related copper-colored fungus. Not the end of the world, but I will have to do something about that if and when the sun ever comes out for good.

The hens are still providing us with up to ten fresh, heavy eggs per day. Sometimes they lay in the barn, which is fun to discover, either in a hay nest or behind one of Handsome’s tool boxes. Our fridge is always full of eggs, and I’ve been selling them locally too. To me this is pure luxury. I eat eggs anytime I want, which is all day long; we sell enough eggs to continue feeding the flock; and everyone is happy. Except maybe the liquid chickens who are so delicious. : )

My sweet little sewing and embroidery machine has been putting in some good hours, exploring new patterns and fun fabric combinations. I am slowly but surely spending up our abundant scrap supply. Okay that’s not true. It’s unlikely we will every be empty of fabric scraps here. But the dent is noticeable, and it’s sure fun. I’m selling various little kitchen accessories, too, so drop me a line if you’re interested.

ruffled, appliqued, & embroidered dish towels, each one unique, $9
Ruffled, appliqued, & embroidered dish towels, each one unique and slightly weird, $9
Don't fold it. Don't stir it. Don't blend it. WHIP IT. Whip it good. This is the beginning of an apron and towel set for a new bride. : ) 3-piece set for $25.
Don’t fold it. Don’t stir it. Don’t blend it. WHIP IT. Whip it good. This is the beginning of an apron and towel set for a new bride. : ) 3-pieces total for $25.

Basil, you guys. The basil is coming.

I just… I just don’t have enough words. I have recently enjoyed two meals with little specks of it on top, and I just know that with a few days of good, baking heat every bed where the fragrant sprouts are growing will explode with the beautiful stuff. Pesto is about to be a reality.

When is National Basil Day? There’s a designated calendar event for every other food in the world. Not basil? The King, nay, the Emperor of herbs? Somebody make a phone call. Handsome! Send a terse email. Let’s make this happen.

Look out, Spaghetti Sunday. I'm coming for ya.
Look out, Spaghetti Sunday. I’m coming for ya.

Book club gathered last week and I took some strawberry-oatmeal cookies. They were so legit. It was kind of a mash up of a few different recipes, so I will try to share that soon. Strawberries are so abundant right now! Fat of the Land, and all, Barbara Kingsolver would be proud.

strawberry cookie

I’ve been staying really active fitness-wise, just not running so much as before. Hence, no “Marathon Monday” posts lately. But that’s about to change because I crave it again, hard. In the two months or so since the marathon I have been doing more weights and Jillian Michaels videos, plus gobs of time on the elliptical and just running maybe twice per week. It’s been really nice to enjoy some variety in working out. I have noticed my stress levels drop significantly, and I am also down ten pounds. Yay!

Let’s see… Let’s see… What else?

Anything else new here?

We did make an addition to our farm family. Our farmily as Honey Rock Dawn might say.

Only the cutest, sweetest, smartest puppy in the WORLD!

knlaus day 2

But I bet you don’t want to hear all about Klaus the Wonder Pup,
The Most Perfect-Amazing-German-Shepherd-Baby-Genius ever born.

Do you?

I didn’t think so. I’ll save those scrumptious details for a whole new post. Soon. Right now I need to go cuddle him and sniff the basil.

Happiest possible Thursday! Or whatever day you are reading this! Okies, don’t float away!

Life is so good.
Over and out.
XOXO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

my salad mission, some salad advice, & 2 amazing salads already this week

It is my fervent belief that any lunch or dinner food a person truly loves can be fashioned into a respectable, maybe even legendary, entrée salad. And I am on a mission to prove this.

Yesterday morning, after coffee and chores but before breakfast, I splashed in my too-big flip-flops out to the vegetable garden to see what might be ready for harvest. The grass was ankle-high and soaked with fresh rain. My calves and shins were quickly speckled with mud. I passed through the garden gate, collected a heaping bowl of big, glossy, tangy-sweet black berries and admired the growing pepper plants. Then I turned to my right toward the raised beds that house mostly tomatoes and leafy greens. I have been harvesting the greens so aggressively, and we have enjoyed such a glorious first few weeks of true summer heat, that I keep expecting to find bolted, seedy stalks where my tender salad bar used to be. The snow peas and spinach have now surrendered to the hot new season, after all. Instead, much to my delight, the remaining plants just get bigger and prettier. Ferny, spiky mesclun and fancy lettuces, soft, sunny leaf lettuce, a rainbow of kale colors in just as many sizes and textures, now baby Romaine and arugula are joining the party. I have every shade of green popping up and providing me ruffled vitamins and roughage every single day. And for this I am so grateful.

It really supports my salad habit.

I eat a lot of salad, and not just when I’m “dieting.”

salad

Because, friends, salad is King. I believe deep down in my very healthy guts that besides coffee, salad is the best possible food you can ingest. Salad is pleasure food, not deprivation food. It provides variety. It opens the door to endless streams of flavor and nutrition. Different kinds of salad greens grow rampantly all over the world in all sorts of conditions and are usually affordable to buy if you don’t want to grow your own. A well constructed salad will fill you up, energize you, and help you feel happy but not guilty. Salad will get you to efficiently scrape out all the weird ingredients in your kitchen while you wait for pay day.

Salad is just the bomb-dot-com.

I am, however, kind of a salad snob. Sometimes at restaurants I embarrass Handsome by asking our server too many questions about a salad on the menu before ordering. I just hate to be disappointed, you know? And they can be so expensive at restaurants, I want to know what I’m getting.

So I build them at home to guarantee success and in recent months have been paying more scrutinous attention to what makes a salad truly great. What are the elements of salad design that bring a bowl or plate of the stuff from just ordinary to knock-your-socks-off? Okay. This is what I have so far:

  • Variety of leaves. The best salads have at least two different green leaves: One crunchy (like Romaine or iceberg but including so much more) and one leafy (like red sails) or leathery (like spinach). Mix it up! Use wild greens if you can. Try arugula, mesclun, kale, anything you can find. Aim for a mix of shades of green or purple. Add cabbage. Pea shoots if they are in season. Reach waaaaaay beyond anemic heads of limp, yellow lettuce.
  • Wash and dry. We all know to rinse our raw food first, but don’t forget to get rid of that extra water, too. Spin it, shake it, dab it with a flour sack towel, whatever you fancy. Just don’t sabotage your creation with a puddle of tap water in the bottom of your bowl. Fairly dry leaves will accept dressing better, too.
  • Additional produce. Can it even be called a salad if there’s not at least one other fruit or vegetable scattered throughout? Veggies are high in fiber and low in calories. Fruit is just magical. The best carbs. They both provide crunch, flavor, moisture, visual appeal, and so many nutrients. Go for variety again, and when chopping, err on the side of small and bite-sized. Use fresh and raw veggies. Shred some carrots or broccoli stalks after you’ve eaten the trees. Use that last apple in your fruit bowl, sliced thinly. Try some fire roasted corn sliced off the cob, marinated and roasted peppers, anything! I save every little extra bowl of cooked veggies from our meals to use in lunch salads throughout the week. So far nothing has been disappointing. Getting really creative with salad add-ins is a wonderful way to cut waste in your kitchen.
  • Protein. The world is your oyster here. (haha) Whatever your mouth and your belly desire is a good call for your salad. My favorites are fried or hard-boiled eggs, black beans, and grilled chicken breast or grilled steak. I also like a can of well drained tuna. Just anything that will help the meal gain some heft and staying power. We recently started eating at a local BBQ restaurant that serves the most delicious entrée salad! You choose your meat, and about four ounces of it is served in the center of the mixed, chopped salad, like in a little well, and it’s perfect. Just the right amount. I had never had pulled pork like that before, and it was wonderful. The dish included roasted corn, diced tomatoes, a tiny speck of cheese, and a drizzle of their barbecue-ranch dressing, so despite having had a “salad for dinner,” I felt like I feasted on BBQ. Legit.
  • Easy on the dressing and let’s be creative. I know it’s a joke, but salad really is not just an excuse for lots of creamy dressing. Too much can ruin a really good thing, so this is my plea for the world to lighten up with how we top our salad plates. Train your mouth to crave the flavors of the food, not the topping. Try squeezing some lemons all over the leaves first and then add a little sea salt and black pepper. Just that! You may not need anything else, especially if you have built a good variety of flavors and textures on your plate. Eggs make a great binding dressing. Or, if you want, maybe just a teaspoon of good olive oil. Salsa is an excellent dressing for Tex-Mex entrée salads. Also, chunks of pineapple or watermelon can serve as both bulk and moisture. These fruity options aren’t calorie-free, but they aren’t empty calories either. Stir it all together to distribute the deliciousness.
  • Something crunchy or chewy. This is just me, but after all of that has been accomplished I like to have one crunchy or chewy element. Something strong for my teeth. It can be raw veggies, or seeds, or roasted chickpeas, maybe crispy tortilla strips or torn and microwaved corn tortillas, but rarely croutons. Unless they are homemade and so worth the calories.  Just a little, though. Just a little bit of crunch or chew goes a long way. Sometimes the protein works for this.

Two Great Salads Recently:

Monday night our farm menu was Spaghetti Carbonara. We love that dish! I love it a lot. Maybe too much. So at the last minute I decided to both trim down the carbs on my dinner and capitalize on the day’s green garden bounty by refashioning carbonara into a salad. It was divine.

The basic flavors of carbonara are bacon, parmesan, and raw egg. I included these, plus fresh Roma tomatoes and some parsley and called it perfect. For my salad, the eggs were hard-boiled and grated. I also added lemon juice for moisture and because I think lemon and egg taste great together.

bacon

Maybe it seems more like a BLT at this point, but to me it read as carbonara. So good.

plate

So good, friends.

That was last night.

Tonight I had in the fridge a handful of leftover chicken-zuchinni poppers needing to be used up. Salad opportunity! So I reheated them, cut them in half, and tossed them onto a heaping helping of the same garden greens as yesterday plus more tomatoes, one hard-boiled egg chopped up, and some lemon juice again. So easy! I was full long before my bowl was empty. I have zero guilt about this meal. It’s both healthy and economical.

ckn mtball salad

Are you with me? Do you too believe that salad is pleasure food, not deprivation or punishment food? And that any food you already love can easily translate to the famous (glorious) big bowl of greens? Does your appetite include anything I’ve mentioned, or something more? What’s your favorite salad combination? I started a Pinterest board all about this, so feel free to send me ideas! Basically I’m obsessed.

We’re gonna talk more very soon about this mission to prove that any food can become a spectacular salad. But I’ve kept you long enough for tonight. : )

Happy Salad-ing!
XOXOXOXO