Voyage Dans la Lune

Une Voyage dans la Lune, originally uploaded by Fiona...Rae.

I don't quite know how I feel about the moon landing. It was obviously an amazing feat scientifically and politically. The thing is that I wish I could have lived in a time when the moon was still a mystery - a possibility.

Not that I don't love science and discovery... I do. I just think that sometimes we lose something fantastic along the way.

So in honor of the 4oth anniversary of the American moon landing, I'm reveling in the Edwardian era. The first step was to watch George Melies' 1902 "Voyage dans la Lune".

Voyage dans la Lune, originally uploaded by sidewalk_story.

The Smashing Pumpkins "Tonight Tonight" video is likewise amazing.

papermoon 124, originally uploaded by stevechasmar.

There is a terrific Flickr group called "It's Only a Paper Moon" for old carnival photos of people posed with a crescent moon cut out. This picture is one of my favourites. The woman's pose and expression gives the scene a melancholy air.

Ahhhh, well. Off to dream a little more and perhaps watch the Moulin Rouge moonlit dance scene (again).

Hellooooo Judy!

Well, I finally went and did it.

After months (and months) of pining away I bought a dress form! We had to drive way the fuck out in the middle of nowhere but I got it. Turns out there's a great little retail supply store in the industrial area of Winnipeg. Frankly it's a little weird to go into a store full of empty racks and naked mannequins. You have to keep reminding yourself, "No, they're not going out of business, this is how it's supposed to look when you're selling empty racks and naked mannequins". But they did have a wonderful selection of wrapping paper and packaging along with all those things "serious crafters" have at shows... like proper product display. I am so excited! And it's a whole lot less scary than searching craigslist or kijiji. Speaking of craigslist, I now know that a human torso will fit in the trunk of my car. Mwahahahahaha!

So here she is - I'm not sure if she's going to be named Simone or Veronique.

The dress is a little beauty I picked up at a vintage store. I'm toying with the idea of putting it up for sale on etsy. I would love to sell more of my vintage finds there!

Sunset and Moon Rise

Long time, no see! Earlier in the year I decided to pursue a diploma in radiation therapy and have been busy getting my university prereqs in order. I took a summer session course in sociology this May/June which kept me very busy. No time to blog! Or do much else for that matter.

I did manage to get some photos of amazing twilight scenes. I really love the transition from day to night. A time of power according to pagan tradition and it's easy to see why.

I recently re-read the LoTR series and was captivated by the description of Arwen Evenstar... the living elvish embodiment of twilight. All those shades of blue, grey and purple, sparkling silver and white! Delicate oblivion.

Me In a Nutshell

This quiz kind of nailed my personality; that is to say, I agree with the results.  I feel kind of like Martin in the Simpsons... "systems analyst, systems analyst...", lol.

You Are An INTP

The Thinker You are analytical and logical - and on a quest to learn everything you can. Smart and complex, you always love a new intellectual challenge. Your biggest pet peeve is people who slow you down with trivial chit chat. A quiet maverick, you tend to ignore rules and authority whenever you feel like it. In love, you are an easy person to fall for. But you're not an easy person to stay in love with. Although you are quite flexible, you often come off as aloof or argumentative. At work, you are both a logical and creative thinker. You are great at solving problems. You would make an excellent mathematician, programmer, or professor. How you see yourself: Creative, fair, and tough-minded When other people don't get you, they see you as: arrogant, cold, and robotic

What's Your Personality Type?

Mmmmmm... brownies

You know how you have those old recipe books passed down from older relatives? My favourite is one published by Five Roses Flour in 1932, called "A Guide to Good Cooking". Though I'm not quite sure about some of the savoury dishes ( I can do without "Fluffy Turnip" and "Creamed Sweetbreads", thank you very much), the cookies and pastries are refreshingly simple and delicious. I especially like looking for the ones that have comments written in. Here is one that my grandma noted as "easy + good" - the absolute best brownie recipe I've ever come across. Not only is it dense, chewy and intensely chocolatey, it also has few ingredients and is unbelievably easy to make.

Chocolate Brownies

(also known as Fudge Squares)

2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted

1/2 cup butter, cut into smaller squares

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature, well beaten

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8" square pan.

Add butter to melted chocolate, mixing well until butter is melted. Stir in the sugar. When well mixed, add in the beaten eggs. Add flour. Stir to a smooth batter, then add the nuts. Spread in the pan and bake for 25 minutes. When removed from the oven, this mixture will appear to be soft and rather undercooked. Resist the urge to overbake! Let the brownies stand in the pan until they are cool and hardened. They will look and taste like chocolate fudge.

Yum! Try not to eat the whole pan...

The Spoils of Victory

I found a great little thrift store yesterday!!!  It is a little hole in the wall place with an excellent selection of kitsch and really reasonable prices. 

Here are some of my finds...

This makes me feel so nostalgic.  I totally had this activity center!

A neat little German pill packet from the sixties.   Apparently this was a type of fever reducer.

Ha, ha.



I found a wonderful set of Rand McNally flash cards from 1961.  There are three sets: animals, trees and birds. 

AWESOME!

 

Bird Seed Balls

I love birds.  Living in the deep-freeze we call Winnipeg, there's not many that don't migrate south for the cold winter months.  These hardy little guys have to contend with temperatures that are often around -30c plus a cold north wind.  I made these bird seed balls to help provide them with fat and nutrients.  I like to use bacon grease in mine (birds are tiny dinosaurs, after all!) but I'm sure you could adjust this recipe if you don't feel like saving a pot of stinky fat in your fridge for months.  Good substitutes for bacon grease would be lard or suet.  This recipe is very, very messy... but if you have all your supplies ready and laid out, and keep the mixture fairly cold, it can be made slightly less so.  I also suggest having some paper towel handy to wipe the mixture off your hands when you want to pop the bowl into the fridge to chill.

Bird Seed Balls

1 part bacon grease 

1 part peanut butter

2 parts vegetable shortening (softened)

berries or chopped fruit (I used wild cranberries)

wild bird seed

hemp cord cut into 12" lengths, folded in half

Mix the fats together.  Stir in the fruit, and then add enough bird seed to make a fairly stiff "dough".   Chill in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until hard.  Take about a tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball, squishing the hemp cord (folded end in the ball) into the middle.  Keep the two ends long enough to tie later.  If the mixture gets too soft, place it back in the freezer for a few minutes. Roll the finished ball in more bird seed and place in a plastic egg carton or other suitable container.  Freeze until ready to use.  

To hang these, simply tie a square knot in the hemp ends hanging out of the ball and place onto a twig or branch. 

Chickadees really love these.  It's neat to watch them hang upside down to eat!

I've also noticed that our red squirrel routinely makes off with at least one ball each time I put these out.