Howard Zinn is Dead

I just heard that Howard Zinn has died and I never got the chance to see him in person. I know that he was at the Evergreen State College a couple of times but it never fit with my schedule. Now he's gone and I've missed my chance.

When will I learn? We only have today!!

Howard's book, The People's History, of the United States changed me completely. It changed the way I looked at the world and the way I look at history.

Howard, you left your mark and you will be missed!!

A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present (P.S.)

Cleaning Sharks

Anyone will tell you: I am not a domestic goddess. I hate housework--but sadly, I love a clean house. And no, as much as I would like to, I don't have a cleaning service. First because I can't afford one right now, and second because I'm too embarrassed to call one. So I'm constantly on the look-out for cleaning aids--that make my life simpler and a reasonably priced. Recently I found to really good products from the same company. The Shark Pocket Steamer and the Shark Pocket Mop.

Oh my gosh! I've bought other steam cleaners in the past and been very disappointed---mostly because I was constantly mopping up puddles and worried about getting burned by the steam. In addition, older versions of steam cleaners were heavy and plodding.

Before I purchased the Shark Pocket Mop, I read a lot of reviews--not all of them were favorable. Some even cited the problem that I hated in other steamers--the puddles.

I got both products last week--the pocket mop was easy to put together--and does an incredible job on my laminate floors--no puddles, no streaks. It is very light weight, has an extra long cord, and is easy to store. A big plus all the way around. Price is under $120--and I got free shipping. Yahoo.

The Pocket Steamer--is just as amazing--I cleaned all my cupboard doors, my appliances, my bathtub and counter tops--it worked like a dream. The attachments were easy to switch out. Price is under $100 and guess what? Free Shipping.

After the Wind

Oh my gosh!!! It blew last night---I heard tin rattling all night--loud and booming. I got up twice to check it out. The first time around 12:30 a.m. I got up to check to see if the roof was holding on the patio. It was fine, I stood on the patio--in the extraordinarily warm night for quite a while and watched and listened as the gusts of wind screamed through the neighborhood--the roof rattled a bit, but was secured snuggly. So I went back to bed, thinking I would be able to sleep.
But I wasn't. I listened more closely--and now I was convinced that maybe I'd forgotten to lock the door on the shed--and maybe that was rattling. Or perhaps something had blown over from another yard and was somehow trapped between the house and shed and was being boiled up against the house and shed with every strong gust of wind. Make no mistake it was LOUD. So I got up again---Again went out to the patio--this time I saw the problem. The downspout on the corner from the house had come loose and was banging against the house with each gust. The noise did not lessen when I went back to bed--but I was able to finally get back to sleep--now that the anxiety had lessened. For the record--the dog--Ciara--only peaked her head out from under the covers ONCE. I should have taken my cues from her.


Weirdness in the Local News

Oh yes, all you aspiring mystery writers. Need a new unusual weapon of death. TISSUE Paper. Yep, I man (sadly) killed another man with tissue paper.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – An autopsy determined that a man found dead Friday outside a Tumwater residence suffocated on tissue paper stuffed in his mouth.

• http://www.theolympian.com (weblink)

He's identified as 55-year-old Gerald F. Haag of Seattle.
Thurston County sheriff's deputies arrested a 49-year-old man for investigation of murder.
The sheriff's office says Michael Kerby of Seattle told the victim's sister he had killed her brother. Lt. Chris Mealy told The Olympian Kerby is cooperating with investigators.

I still haven't heard from WebsiteBusiness.com. But I'm willing to cut them a break, since yesterday was Sunday and today is a holiday. Yep, even website businesses are entitled to a holiday. I did take the initiative and contacted them via support ticket. So I'm not just sitting back waiting for them. I'm anxious to get started--and anxious to let everyone know how it works.

Under The Dome

For me, reading Stephen King at Christmas time---is s long standing tradition, that began too many years ago when I was raising my children., It was often the only thing I got for Christmas--and it was always a wonderful time. I stopped buying Stephen King books right after his accident when the quality of his books declined and the plot lines haven't made sense. Then several years ago I started reading him again--and I knew he was back--my old friend. His newest book Under the
Dome, while not a masterpiece--is certainly an entertaining read. His characters are strong and interesting and when I am in his world with them I am completely at home.

Yet something was amiss in this work--the ending, although it was foreshadowed in skeletal framework was not fully developed for the novel. This will make a far better movie, which I wouldn't hesitate to go see. So if you are a long-time Stephen King fan--wait until it comes out in paperback or read it on Kindle as I did. If you are new to Stephen King--wait for the movie--you'll find it more satisfying

Hazel Pete Basket Weaving

I had an the incredible opportunity to attend the basket weaving conference at Great Wolf Lodge this weekend. The Annual Event is hosted by the Hazel Pete institute. Native American weavers from all over the country, but particularly from the Northwest came together to teach the craft to willing learners. It was a time for conversation and laughter, a time to hear the stories, and a time to sit beside a master and weave a basket.

I had an amazing time. I made a woven cedar vase and a seagrass basket.








As you can see I'm hardly a weaver, but I have been bitten by the weaving bug and will be weaving more baskets as soon as my supplies arrive. Oh yes, I ordered seagrass coils on line, they should be here by next week.

I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't know anything about Hazel Pete or the incredible legacy she has left us. But after spending the Friday with her daughters and granddaughters, cousins, aunties, and tribal family---I wanted to know more about this amazing woman.

Hazel Pete was born in a one-room house in 1914 on the Chehalis Reservation. Hazel attend s government day school on the Chehalis Reservation, went on to an Indian boarding school and Tulalip and ultimately graduated from Chemawa High School in Salem Oregon. After high school she studied for two years at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Sante Fe New Mexico.

Sweet Potato Fries---Oh My

Sweet Potato fries have become my new favorite food. And despite their name, they are baked, not fried. Here is the recipe I've been using. I'd love to get more recipes.

1 - 1 1/2 lb sweet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (preferably the easy release kind).

Peal the sweet potatoes. Cut into strips that are about 1/2 inch wide on each side.

Place the sweet potatoes into a sealable plastic bag. Add oil, salt, paprika and cinnamon. Seal the bag and shake well to thoroughly coat the fries. Spread the potatoes out onto the baking sheet in a single layer.

Cook for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. Transfer immediately to a paper towel lined plate and serve warm.

5 Sweet Summer Books

What could be better than a sweet reading list for summer.

1. Sweet by Heather Byer (2007) A charming memoir about a young woman coming of age in the pool rooms of New York.
2.Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: A Novel by Jamie Ford.
Set in Seattle, Ford tells the story of a Henry Lee who rediscovers bittersweet memories of his time in a Japanese internment camp while combing through newly discovered boxes from the camp.
3. The Sweet By and By: A Novel by Todd Johnson

Life is choosing whom and what you love. The story is told through a series of first-person vignettes from five women with interconnected lives. Two of the women live in a nursing home, trying to cope with the corresponding loneliness, loss of freedom, and the inevitability of becoming sicker, weaker, and less in control of their own lives.
4. Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism by Scott Hahn and Kimberly Hahn

The Hahns use their own journey to show how their commitment to Jesus Christ and the Bible is what ultimately led them down an entirely unforseeable path towards Rome.
5. The Sweet Potato Queens Book of Love by Jill Conner Browne

This celebration of southern womanhood is indeed a full of laughs. I mean tears running down your cheeks, snorting at your desk at work laughs.