Domestic Goodness

I love all the opportunity I have right now to exercise my inner Domestic Goddess.  Last night for dinner I made venison steaks (courtesy of my sister's BF) with "pan gravy" and potatoes.  It was super-good.  Maybe just a touch gamey, I think doing something with a marinade would probably help that.  And I need to learn how to get everything to be done at the same time!  But other than that, it was awesome.

I totally punted on the post-church lunch - tortilla chips and queso dip out of a jar.  But since I barely slept at all last night (seriously, maybe 2 hours), I didn't want to put too much effort into lunch.  Mostly I was waiting to sleep until the oil guy came to refuel my tank, since apparently last night I ran out....oops...

But then, tonight, I made hard candy for the first time.  I used this recipe for "Stained Glass Candy." Here's how it turned out:

I cracked it already, but then found that the center parts had quite set as well as I would like, so I put it back in the fridge.  I had a lot of fun doing this, and it tastes pretty good.  I chose green food coloring, and then tried to put a little dot of red on each piece, which didn't work out so well.  The red mostly just kind of set and gelled there, and it still kind of wipes off.  I want to get creative about how to get more than one color, to give it an actual "stained glass" look. Also, on the recipe site, it looks like some people used Kool-Aid mix instead of extract flavoring + food coloring, which I also really want to try.  I also took the advice of one person to "score" the candy as it was setting, so it cracks a little more predictably.  It only kind of worked, but I think I needed to be more "sincere" about my scoring efforts, and I think I can improve on the next batch!

In all, a very fun night!!

Why I Support DADT

I support "Don't ask don't tell" because I think that's how all of society should function.  The thing is, I don't care who you are or what your "preferences" are - personal information about sexual activity and associated topics are simply not a part of polite conversation.  I don't care if you're gay or straight, if you are having sex or not, or whatever else.  Frankly, I prefer not to know about it.  I'm not sure when this sort of very personal, private information became fodder for public conversation.  I don't share that sort of information about myself with you; please don't share yours with me.* 

Seriously, I understand DADT, and I think that it is - probably, maybe? - the best of a host of bad options.  But there are plenty of people who oppose it, who think that they have some sort of right to "be open" about "who they are."  Um, okay, I guess.  I suppose they do.  First Amendment and all.  But, what makes anyone think that anyone else wants to know?  I mean, seriously.  Those screaming the loudest in name of "tolerance" are often, it seems, the people doing the most to make themselves eminently intolerable in polite company. Seriously.  You want me to "tolerate" you - sure, I can do that.  But - and I say this with all sincerity - you could have the most chaste, perfect, loving, married, sexual relationship, and if you keep insisting on talking about it to me ad nauseaum, I'm going to find you intolerable. 

Also, and I want this to be totally clear: Heterosexual or homosexual: who you want to have sex with does not define "who you are."  No, indeed.  God defines who we all are.  And it goes so far beyond our "sexual preferences."  Please don't buy into the lie that sex is the most important thing in the world, and that it and it alone should be your primary point of self-reference.  No.  No, no, no.  Who did God make you to be?  What are the gifts He's given you?  What are the dreams He's planted in your heart?  Who are you, really?

Bottom line, I think sex is sacred, and the more we talk about it and turn it into a commodity and treat it with the same level of respect and dignity with which we order a pizza, the more we destroy that sacredness, and end up turning other humans into objects rather than lovers or beloved. 

*Of course, I grant exceptions for doctors' offices and even settings of close friendship.  Intimate friends share stories and information that is not shared elsewhere, and I think that's okay.  Even then, however, there comes a certan line of graphic depiction that need not be crossed, in order to protect the slightly squeamish among us.

Christmas Is...

Getting so busy with decorating and "real life" that you forget to blog.  Or are too tired to do so. 

Either way, I'm back, and excited that I have some fun things to write about. 

Currently, all my decorations - including the live tree - are up and looking bee-yoo-tif-full!  Candles, lights, garland, the whole works. 

The Christmas Tree - successfully manuevered home from The Big City!

There's awesome woodwork around the entry to all the rooms in my house, and put garland up on the big entrance to the living room.  This is the "left half"...

This is the "right half."

Lighted garland up the staircase, and a big red bow (you can barely make out) on the banister (and a vase of fake Christmasy plants)

Garland on the woodwork leading from the dining room into the kitchen.  No lights on this one, because the placement of the outlets is somewhat prohibitive.

I love a house decorated perfectly for Christmas.  There's something about that Victorian (probably) myth of a perfect Christmas, but honestly, I think I would fit into 19th century England quite well.  Back when men were men, women were women, people went to church, and things were okay.  There was honor and dignity to this world.  Things were done right. 

Okay, well, except for all the orphans in the streets, the sheer amount of horrific poverty, and...okay, I'm out.  You know what would be an awesome Christmas?  Being married to one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement and hosting their Christmas party. 

Awww...now I'm just fantasizing...

Oooh, look at this!  Ooh, and Christmas in the Dickens household!  Yeah, I was definitely born in the wrong era...

That's Right, Baby!

You are Elizabeth Bennet of Pride & Prejudice! You are intelligent, witty, and tremendously attractive. You have a good head on your shoulders, and oftentimes find yourself the lone beacon of reason in a sea of ridiculousness. You take great pleasure in many things. You are proficient in nearly all of them, though you will never own it. Lest you seem too perfect, you have a tendency toward prejudgement that serves you very ill indeed.