An Apple a Day.....

    Fall is here to stay and weekends are spend visiting the local farms, enjoying "pick your own" events that are always full of fun and laughter. Imagine, seeing the city folks navigating through the fields, mud and insects playing the farmer role for a few hours, unable to distinguish a Jonagold apple from a honey crisp variety unless they read a label, now that is comedy at it's best.  What is even worse while they look through the branches they text with on hand and flutter the other one yelling: What do you think, is this ripe?
     This year inspite of the stormy august weather, the orchard where we go for the last 15 years for apple picking up on Hudson Valley offered a bounty of fruits, about 12 varieties or so, pumpkins,gourds and delicious fresh apple cider. I love their Mutsu, Honey Crisp, Fuji, Jonagold, Macoun just to name a few. I always leave the orchard with enough apples to last until Christmas time every year. This magnificent fruit is indeed a gift from Heaven. A little package of vitamins and minerals,flavor, fiber and juice that it's hard to beat by any pharmaceutical concoction. Sorry guys! An apple is meant to be eaten peel and seeds in all for full health benefits.
      The apples from this orchard are as Mother Nature intended them to be, free from chemicals and pesticides or other hazardous techniques meant for prolonging shelf life. Growing up, my mother always packed with love an apple for my school lunch, and I did so for my daughter every single day. She graduated high school with perfect attendance and I credit the apple a day  habit for this. Now in college, I made sure that she has her supply of fresh apples, so this year we picked a few bags more. In case that you travel up 9G route, just past Germantown you will find The Fix Bro Farm, or how I call it THE EDEN ON THE HUDSON. We will go again and again and so should you!

How high can you reach for that apple?

Thankfully, there were plenty of apples that weren't so high up.

                                                     Muffy enjoying the apple farm.  
  
                           For more information about this farm: http://www.fixbrosfruitfarm.com/

Weekend Travel

      The last weekend of the summer. Saturday morning, my daughter is home for the weekend. Here college is close to the city and we spend whenever possible the weekends together. Muffy, our dog, is on cloud nine when I tell her on Friday afternoons: "Let's go pick up your sweetheart!..." The love that sparkles in her eyes cannot be described in words, except maybe as eternal unconditional love if that makes sense. Our cat Miss Minnie, plays the indifferent selfish Queen of mean role for the untrained eye. All I can say is, she too turns to mush the minute we come home.
    This is the last summer weekend, and we decided to spend the day doing what we like the best-- traveling. I prepared breakfast, pancakes today topped with an Italian plum sauce (they are in season now), with a glass of cold milk to wash them down, and out we go! We are leaving Miss Minnie in charge of home security matters. As usual we made no plans, once in a car we flip a coin as to what bridge we'll exit the city. Today it's the RFK bridge, that means we'll travel up the Hudson valley to the Catskills. The day is crisp, one can feel the Lady Fall trying to settle in, and the skies are dressed with windswept clouds, kind of in an impressionistic style if you asked me.
      Crossing the Tappen Zee Bridge over the Hudson River the sun began to play hide-and-seek as to remind us that summer is really over and done with. To cheer up, no offense we do love the fall as well, we choose Riverdance music as background entertainment. I stopped at the Platekill Rest Station for a cup of Starbucks and the latest festival programs in the area, such as Garlic Festivals, and most importantly the Octoberfest dates. Waiting in line I couldn't help hearing the discussions of the people around me: "Where are we going to?" They were not discussing the trip of the day. No it was about the living standards in our country, and believe me their words expressed more than actual concern, it was FEAR. FEAR of what tomorrow will bring.
      The recent weather that played such a destructive number on our east coast, the deplorable economy, recession, taxes, the nonexistent job growth, just name it. The list went on and on. The Starbuck line included loads of people from four tour buses, bound for a pilgrimage to a religious site up north. I just held my daughter's hand tight and I really felt like screaming: "Ok that's enough. Stop complaining, it is what it is. Take it with a grain of salt, and think about how you can help-- YES HELP. Stop whining and come up with good practical ideas to reconstruct our lives. " Politicians are just people that we elected to represent us, and if they fail to do so, we have the power to say: "Thank you--- you are fired! As simple as American Pie."
   However I did something really naughty, (I have to admit) I played the Devil's Advocate, and I added fuel to the fire. I said loudly, "You know, last night I read a tweet from NYT Science: 'World Briefing/Science Satellite to land, SOMEWHERE'. And you know it is as big as your bus." A little lady with a cute flower on her hat turns to her group, brought her hands up in the air and screamed: The end of the world is coming!!....Pray to the Lord!"

Delicious Pancakes topped with a tangy Italian Plum sauce.

Out on Route 209

  This is a short story for those of you who live in a big city like New York and do not know what to do with their free time in the weekends. Most of the people I know spend a day in front of the TV set, or out of boredom go out shopping. Not me, I need to go out of the city to see new places, to smell the fresh country air, as one of my friends said sarcastically, "I need to smell the manure". Yes, the smell of fresh cut grass and manure is refreshing, helps me unwind reminding me that I am not a robot on an assembly line, but a free human being. This weekend "Julie", our reliable '98 red Volvo station wagon named after the fourth of July when I bought her, took us on a real adventure.
        My daughter woke up Saturday morning at 6 a.m., we packed our swimming suits, took the towels and Muffy, and we decided to have a trip along the Delaware valley. I never like to plan a trip. Once on a road we play a game: make a right here? a left there?....end result we always end up discovering beautiful places and most of all we always have a good time. Lots of laughs and jokes. This time we stumbled upon the Raymonskill and Dingman falls.
     At Raymonskill we climbed a stony trail leading to the enchanting waterfall.

     Needless to say reaching the top  made me feel ten times lighter and my quads trembled and trembled. Two bottles of water later we were both on cloud nine.....now that's a view! On the road again we saw a sign, "Dingmans Falls-next right". Ok that's for us, let's go and investigate! To our surprise this time, we walked through the forest on an extraordinary wooden platform leading us to the Silver Thread waterfall. A spectacular vertically straight drop of water that simply mesmerized us.

                                  
                   A short walk from here---WOW! What a sight! Dingmans Falls!

For the most courageous there is another trail that leads to the top of this waterfall.

 

             Pictures of lichen found on a tree.

All this wonder can be found on Route 209, Delaware Water Gap. We loved every minute of our venture here, and will definitely come back again.

From Dekas with Love

   A few days ago, I received a small bag filled with pebbles from an island in the Aegean Sea. A co-worker of mine, a sweet and bubbly friend spent her vacation with her family in the island of Kimolos. She knew that I made a few pieces of jewelry inspired by the blue waters around the Cyclades islands, and wanted to bring back a small token of love from Greece. Before she left, it is true I joked and told her to bring me  a few stones from the beach. To my amazement she gathered two fistfuls of beach pebbles from Dekas beach and gave me a wonderful token of friendship. I have no words to describe how touched I am by her gift. The pebbles are an amalgam of jaspers, coral, calcarous rocks, and volcanic gravel that I can definitely create really unique pieces of jewelry. Now it is my turn to amaze her. The ordinary beach pebbles will be transformed one by one into something that even Aphrodite will be impressed by.  For now I made these pairs of earrings and of course more are to come.....from Dekas with love.

  

Another Feature!

Thank you Audrey for the wonderful treasury! All items featured are made by very talented people who are part of the Etsy Team Promoting Creative Friends. Go team!

Margica featured here:
       ^



Visit Audrey's shop on etsy www.etsy.com/shop/thechristmascorner

Beat the Rain and Cook!

    Rainy day in New York, humid, warm. It began this early morning with a powerful close thunder that shook the windows. My daughter woke up and discovered Muffy sleeping nose to nose with me cuddled under my arm. I am a very heavy sleeper. I heard nothing. One can chop logs near my bed and I would have no idea... That shows how deep I sleep. Anyway, totally out of the ordinary was Miss Minnie our cat who was hiding under Muffy's tail (that was the thunder effect)...In other words our little family shared a very cuddly Sunday morning as my daughter joined us too. When I woke up I enjoyed my cup of coffee at my window and planned the day ahead. I always joke and say, "I'm on the porch if someone looks for me". Those of you who live in a house with a real porch and garden are truly blessed. Ah well, no complaints here...Life is beautiful from my open window too, and we can put our flip-flops and run down in the street to dance in the rain...It's true your neighbors might give you a look, are you a nutcase?
   Ok. Enough with the nonsense. I'm going to tell you now how to enjoy a rainy Sunday in the city if you decide to be home bound. Cook something really good for your loved ones, and count your blessings...
Today I taught my daughter how to make Zucchini Summer Patties.
         You take two or three zucchinis, peel and shred them. Sprinkle a little salt and rub the flesh well to take the water out. You should end up with a cup or two of shredded zucchini. For one cup of zucchini you use a beaten egg and three spoons of flour, salt and pepper. Mix well, add some chopped dill and fry the patties. We use a non-stick pan, and just a bit of vegetable oil. Fry three minutes on each side and let them rest on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. 
    Now for the sauce use Greek yogurt, crush a clove or two of garlic, and squeeze half a lemon. Chop fresh mint and add it to the yogurt. Serve the patties hot with a dollop of yogurt on top. And don't forget to eat them our style: on the sofa watching a good comedy! 
   Of course, after that you can indulge with a cup of fresh berries, squeeze a bit of lemon, and sprinkle some sugar. Top it off with fresh whipped cream. Yum! Let it rain!!

USA: Third World Country

   Why do I feel so edgy lately? I just cannot seem to understand the world I live in anymore. Am I losing my sanity? Political games at home and everywhere else, social unrest in the name of I don't know what, natural and man made disasters, everything spins around fast fast fast as a broken compass unable to indicate the north anymore....
  Watching the news I saw one of the top CNN reporters and a medical correspondent bravely standing in a refugee camp in Somalia reporting hardships of the local population----yes, truly it is heartbreaking, poverty, hunger, deep deprivation of the most basic needs for life. However, I cannot stop myself thinking----hey wait a minute, I never saw these guys so involved in their own country. Reporting about the hungry, yes HUNGRY American children....Yup we care more about the so called third world and we cannot see the poverty that spreads at home like wild-fire. I am just an ordinary person, but I can say one thing---clear up your act Big Boys and CARE FIRST OF OUR CHILDREN RIGHT NOW AND HERE AT HOME. OUR CHILDREN ARE THIS COUNTRY'S FUTURE, WHAT ABOUT THEIR HEALTH AND EDUCATION?
     INVEST your efforts of saving the world right here first at home guys! As I see it now, we are very much a third world country in this respect.

Aegean Blue

    It's summer in New York, it's hot, humid, sticky and I love it. For me it's wonderful to sit outside and enjoy a cold drink at one of my favorite places in colorful Astoria, Taverna Cyclades! I said enjoy a cold drink, because to get a table at this wonderful restaurant usually takes an hour or so....no reservations. However, this place has the best grilled seafood in this part of the Atlantic. While waiting you feel transported to a small village somewhere in the Aegean Islands....here you can take your pick. Could be Mikonos, or Paras, or the enchanted Santorini, as you please, feel free to dream.  I have a dilemma however, was the Aegean Sea named after Aegea the Queen of the Amazons? Or could it be after Aegeus, Theseus' father? Not even the Greeks can tell.
     Anyway I had time to explain to my daughter that the Aegean Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off southeast Europe between Greece and Turkey. This sea is dotted with thousands of islands, the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, and the Sporades. The Cyclades group have around 2,200 islands of which only 33 are inhabited. By the time my geographic lesson was given, our table was ready and our Greek feast began. Mmmmm.....what a treat!....The grilled fresh seafood is indeed food for the Gods!
   Returning home I couldn't break the magic I felt. I needed to create something that would seal in a tangible manner our Aegean night out. The blue italian silky yarn, the white shell beads, and the gorgeous spiral blue glass beads have been put together to materialize a necklace fit for a queen. I chose these spiral blue glass beads to symbolize the sea waves. After all the Turkish Shores of the Aegean Sea are named EGE DENIZI (means 'waves' in the Turkish language).  With this said, before posting this I made myself a cup of coffee as my mom always made it. My Greek friends call it Greek coffee and my Turkish friends call it Turkish coffee. Nonetheless it is the same coffee as Aegean and EGE DENIZI are one and the same sea. Yep...it is time to post this...have fun and meet you on a beautiful summer evening for a Greek feast at the Taverna Cyclades!




http://www.etsy.com/listing/77959969/aegean-blue

Margica's Crocheted Strand Necklace Featured!

    One of my Crocheted Strand Necklaces has been featured in a treasury list created by Roxanne Brown on Etsy! I wrote a blog post on these necklaces a while back. Learn more about them here: http://margicasnotebook.blogspot.com/2011/04/fiber-chic.html



                             My necklace is listed here ^.

  Visit Roxanne's Etsy shop RoxanneBrownHandbags with this link: http://www.roxannebrownhandbags.etsy.com/

Thanks Roxanne!

Tangerine Twist---Dreaming of Havana

  Oh! Frustration equals creativity's seed! This July, everything came to a standstill situation, financially I mean---awful, no? But hey, our government...is playing "cowboys and aliens". We all know the story. With everything going up, up, and up, and our incomes going down, down, and down, there is only one thing left to do. Tighten up your belt to the last hole and work harder to reinvent the wheel. That is the only way you can move things again. If the Egyptians were able to build the pyramids, I know that I can survive this one too.
   True to my spirit I began to experiment with different materials, textures, as well as colors to make something beautiful, original to please the inner goddesses in all of us. I really need to create something new and special to promote my business to a new level.
  So.... I made myself a cool mojito and I listened to Harry Bellafonte's songs. When I am trying to come up with new ideas I always listen to music, and I mean MUSIC not noise.... Its a way to let my imagination float freely into the realm of creativity. I turned to this pretty and feminine tangerine ribbon, and thought to myself---why not? As I was listening to "Guantanamera" and sipping my mojito, with fresh mint and a slice of lime no beach umbrella, I imagined myself in Old Havana and my little light bulb went....blinngg! And here it is my....bliiinnngg!



        
       Tangerine Twist
Made of ribbon, natural white shell beads, and  dyed coral howlite.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/78768357/tangerine-twist-crocheted-ribbon