Another beautiful day today!

[callistra]

I sat in the sun and read a romance novel. It was nice. I kind of hope I got sunburnt, but I don't think I did. I almost wished I had a pillow and a blankie, but I was just happy with the warmth of the sun on my back, and the lack of cowboys in the romance novel. I don't mind the cowboys, you know, but two cowboy romance novels in the same volume were probably a bit much for my poor brain the day before. I am glad I am reading again, I guess I am using the romance novels as buffers between the Cory Doctorow stuff John has been feeding me. Novels of note I am working up to: Jennifer Government and The Lies of Locke Lamora. It was so nice lolling in the sun while the boy slept and John hid from those nasty warm rays that I have emailed some friends for a picnic. I like picnics, and I like friends, and I like lying in the sun, chatting while Vinnie tries to shove his finger into anything evil, dirty, smelly, disgusting or foul he can find. It's funny actually, since I used to hate picnics with a passion, I always ended up with headaches and feeling horrible, ando nce I got hayfever so bad my face swelled up and I couldn't open my eyes and we were in mandurah and about an hour's drive from home. But we still didn't leave the picnic until much later! Maybe that day is why I hated picnics for so long. And possibly some faint agoraphobia. :-)

Now I am cold. :-( But the sun was all nice and toasty. I kind of missed my sun meditation that I used to do on the train going to work as the sun rose. That was nice. Vinnie is growing up so fast! He ate lots of his dinner tonight, probably because it was the saltiest thing we have ever fed him. The xiao xing wine I found was the salted kind, whereas previously I only used the normal stuff, and the salted stuff sucks. It throws all my recipes out of kilter. If I don't find the un-salted stuff again, I shall revert to sherry! I enjoyed cooking for Sonia and Grant the other day; I made bbq pork spare ribs, prawns in mangos, sate beef, vegetable stirfry and steamed rice. No dessert, but I think we were all stuffed enough as it was. It was great to chat and drink and get some relaxation happening on Friday. It makes the weekends seem longer.

I am thinking that one of my roles as the SAHP is to try and make the most of the time when the three of us are together. It is my duty to try and get all the shopping and major cleaning done, so that when the three of us are home, we can do fun things instead of cleaning and boring stuff. Although, sometimes un-fun stuff can be fun when you have your family around. It was kind of weird, just sitting in the sun, reading a romance novel. I wasn't cleaning or worrying or stressing or planning or writing lists. Because I had got some partying done, and the house was reasonably clean still, and everything felt under control and .... no longer under intense pressure, I did something completely selfish and sat in the sun and read a book. A part of me obviously feels guilty.
:-)

I think I shall buy a little table and chair set, so I can have a cup of tea out there with a friend too. Then, I shall need to buy a cake server. Then, I need to make some cakes. Then.... :-)

Tomorrow, I buy enough pumpkin to sink a battleship, and then begin trying to make enough soup for 19 women, untold children, and stray passers-by for femmeconne. Step one in my plan to world domination, does indeed involve shedloads of pumpkin soup.
:-)

I hope it's as nice and sunny tomorrow as it was today. If Vinnie has an afternoon nap, I shall sneak outside again and read another romance novel. Perhaps this time, not with the Outback in it. You know, I am still vaguely puzzled and amused that there is such a thing as "Outback" country in the same way the Americans have "Cowboy" country. I mean, wtf is romantic about the Outback? I mean, sure, amazingly stunning sunsets. One stunningly gorgeous oasis per 5 million square miles of desert. Twenty deadly spiders, snakes, fish, octopussies and other assorted wildlife per person. Enough dust to sink Australia if it wasn't for NZ being our counterweight. Yeah, romantic. Right. I'm still confused about the cowboy thing too, but at least cowboys would have a reason for being tanned, fit, and muscular. Unlike accountants and lawyers, whereby being tanned and muscular usually means too much time in a gym and too much time in a mirror. :-)

We just watched episode one of the 2nd season dr who. It was cool. I see amarillion's attachment. I bet she just likes to ruffle his hair. *grin* Which reminds me, I must go back and read her dr who pron. I had to skip it when I first saw as we were on our way out somewhere. Who knows where. This weekend has been extremely laid back. I feel like all of my needs have been met, and I'm ready to buckle down for another hard five day's work before I can relax again.

Ok, I should go and make some baby bottles up now. Enough chit chat! I want to try this sleeping thing tonight! :-)

Comments

[baby-elvis.livejournal.com]

I've just realised femmecon is a-coming and I'd like to come up for some of it. Shall I give my money to babalon? Or is it too late?

[callistra.livejournal.com]

It's not too late, Babalon will be happy to take your money and run. Er. Run to give it to me, that is. With speed and alacrity. Heeee!

:-)
I shall email you about it too.

[delicious-irony.livejournal.com]

What's your recipe for pumpkin soup? Everyone seems to have a different one...

[callistra.livejournal.com]

Mine's pretty bloody easy, and works best when you get tasty punkins. Lately a lot have been pretty cardboardy, haven't they?
:-)

Usually, I just sautee some onion and a little garlic, add cubed pumpkin, sautee for a while longer, add water/stock/whatever and then blend to peices. Salt and pepper to taste.

If I am doing a dinner party or something, I like to buy some satay sauce, and dump that in, preferably the spicier, malaysian stuff, and if need be balance it with a little peanut butter, and serve with fresh coriander and natural yoghurt for people to garnish themselves.

Also, I made punkin thoup a few months ago in the microwave, and it was surprisingly tastier than my normal punkin soup, so I will be nuking the punkin today, adding that to the sauteed onion, and using vegie stock to make this as vego as possible. But hey, with 10 kilos of punkin to start with, maybe I will get bored half way through and try something unusual instead. Cocoa powder perhaps?
:-)

[delicious-irony.livejournal.com]

Ginger is a fairly common variation, along with rosemary and potato.

I've been bored with my version, which is two parts pumpkin, one part potato, with thyme and plain yoghurt.

[callistra.livejournal.com]

I'm putting out natural yoghurt and fresh corainder on the day. This way people who are allergic to dairy can eat it, and apparently one in ten people taste coriander as "soapy". Which would be icky.
:-)

I didn't think punkins had been tasty enough lately to carry off potato, which to me seems to dilute the flavour somewhat. Thyme and rosemary, however, would rock. I love ginger. :-)

[mynxii.livejournal.com]

Today sounds absolutely lovely...

*hugs*

MmmmmmMMmmMmMmmm pumpkin soup ^_^

FYI

[leahcim.livejournal.com]

Linda's just read over my shoulder and made 'Ooo, I should pay' noises... :P

Re: FYI

[callistra.livejournal.com]

Hee hee heee, yes, she should!
:-)
We all should PAY! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAaaaa... er

Oh fuck I crack myself up.
:-)

Re: FYI

[leahcim.livejournal.com]

o_O

*backs away slowly*

[aphd3l.livejournal.com]

My personal understandings of the romance novel has led me to the following ideas:-
*It's more the image of a non-urban setting, rather than the practicalities of it, whether bush, outback, cowboy central (*drool*) etc. I've thought whether ladies from the country dream of city guys to "rescue" them from the country!
*I've read many a novel where I've picked it to bits for the improbable, impractical and down-right inconsistent! I think it's supposed to appeal to your sense of escape, be it from the norm, or from the rat race, and throw in an added bonus of having your feet swept out from under you. Mmm-mmm, who needs to look at inconceivable possibilities, when you have eye-candy!
*Unknown=mystery. Sounds stupid to say it out loud, but it's true. By picking a situation that is as far away from the main demographic that read said novels, it's easier to immerse yourself in the story, and believe that you can go from hating someone and the life you are in to love, marriage, picket fence and everything being fine in a matter of 100 odd pages. I'm all for picket fences, btw, and more people should have them, as they look so cute. :P
*Having read some of the bios of the authors, I believe they've had a good experience (or 7, I hope:P) in the environment they've set the novel, and wish to share it with others. I'd like to visit a few of the smaller towns, one particular series was based in Alaska, and I'd love to visit. An idealised view of the country isn't great, but it can inspire, be it in visiting, or researching the area.

Overall, the modern romance novel, IMO, is about escape. Change the scenery from the norm, and it adds to the sense of escape. I don't want to go into the whole "knight in shining armour" thing here, but that also comes into it. That is a story for another day:)

[callistra.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it all sounds right to me. I find it fascinating because of the decades between my previous romance reading days. The one I read yesterday I particularly liked because they actually seemed to have a working relationship instead of just one based entirely on sex. It was ... odd.

[aphd3l.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, the ones that do the most for me are the ones where there is no sex until almost the last 20 pages or so...the tension is good, but also, the time spent on building the relationship is important. The ones that annoy me the most is where they bonk, and then she is bound to him for some reason or the other, needs his protection etc...but it's all how much he can give to her, and not how much they both can gain from the relationship/sex.

Good times;)