New Years Resolutions Resolution

The time of resolutions is upon us. I, like everyone else in the world, hate making New Years resolutions. They are a yearly reminder of how inconsistent I can be, a punishment for crimes that, when committed, didn't feel like crimes, but like life.
However, I stumbled across this blog from Cranky Fitness, one of the blogs I follow, and by golly if I could get my brain to think this way, all of my resolutions would be do-able.
So do yourself a favor and read this one.

Resolutions are really gifts


Resolutely yours,
Nay

The After-Christmas Blues

So today was The Day. Christmas Day of course. My parents woke me up (I've been on the couch since my grandparents arrived) to the sounds (and smell) of coffee brewing, the fire going, lighting the tree and turning on all the Christmas lights. I love Christmas morning. I hate the rest of the day.
NO, it's not because I want more presents.
I always feel let down after Christmas morning. The rest of the day is an anticlimax to the festivities of the morning. I've always felt this way and I have NO idea why. I suppose it's because after the gifts are unwrapped and breakfast is served, my most favorite Season of the year is, well, over and done. Sure, we leave the tree up for a few more days, usually until New Years Day, but essentially, the magic and the spirit of the Season is gone. Now, lighting the tree is simply another chore, going through the motions. It doesn't mean what it did 12 hours ago. I just hate it.
Sometimes I want to cry, but I don't. But it doesn't appease me that come November next year I'll be all excited again. I think about how Christmas was years ago, when my sister and I were blown away every year by how much stuff was under the tree! I think about how we would play for hours with our new toys and try on our new clothes, and then bundle up and go to our relatives houses for dinner. It's just not the same and I know that it never will be, but sometimes I just wish I could find that Christmas magic, just one more time...

What's the matter with me? I always get the post-Christmas blues. Am I alone here or do you guys feel something like this too?

Moodily yours, but ultimately, Merry Christmas,
Nay

A Treatise on A Love Affair

I have a confession to make.

I've been in a relationship for years and never told anyone.

A relationship with... shhh... books.

Oh books. I have so many, and so many more to buy!!
Books are such wonderful things. I love the smell, I love the feel of a fresh, new book in my hand, the anticipation of cracking it open to see what sort of jewels it holds inside. I love old books too- the history, the thought of "how many hands have turned these pages?" If books could talk, what sort of stories would they tell- no pun intended! Every time I buy a book, I fall in love all over again. You can easily see why Barnes and Noble is my favorite and most prefered bookseller. They have EVERYTHING, and if they don't, they will get it for you.
There is something to be said for the little booksellers too. The faint feeling of walking into history, of being in good literary company, surrounded by the masters. Ah books.

Me, I consume the written word, any kind. I'm a big fan of non-fiction, mindless fun fiction and the occassional classic. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is my favorite classic, La Cucina by Lily Prior is my favorite fiction, and History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage was such a fascinating non-fiction read, that I can't wait to read it again.

I'm reading a very interesting book right now called "The Man Who Loved Books Too Much" by Allison Hoover Bartlett. It is a true story about a man who is a book thief. Now before you go thinking "well that's a dumb thing to steal" or "man I can think of a million other things to steal", this man steals rare books from antiquarian book sellers and book dealers. These books are sometimes worth thousands of dollars, and according to Bartlett, book theft is far more prevalent than fine art theft.

In this book, Bartlett explores the idea of the many types of "book people". I am a bibliophile, meaning I love books but not so much so that I feel I can't live without owning them all. The other term Bartlett uses is "blibliomaniac", people who feel a compulsive need to possess, by any means necessary, books, both old and new.

Now, I know none of you are out there stealing books (or at least I hope not), so I am curious to hear your thoughts on this idea of "book lover".

Are you a book lover? What kinds of books?

Lovers come and go, beauty fades, love sometimes too, but a good book will always be steadfast and true.

So, fellow bibliophiles, what are your favorites? Don't be shy.

Bookishly yours,
Nay

To Jeep or Not To Jeep

I am the proud owner of a Jeep Liberty. I love my truck. I love how tall she is, how rugged and peppy she is. And though I don't take her off-road or camping or any of that "Jeep people" stuff, she is still a great truck.

However. She could not make it up the hill to my house in the snow on Friday. And that concerns me. Now I realize that this weather is pretty uncommon here in Richmond. But what if it happens again this winter? What if the next few winters are just as bad, or worse? What then?

My point is, I'm considering trading my beloved Jeepy in, and getting a Jeep with 4WD. I have found exactly what I want at carmax.com, who I bought my Jeep from in August of 2008. It is a 2008 Jeep Patriot Sport, showing here, and I really like it a lot. My problem is, I've only had my Jeep for a little over a year. How does that look, to trade in one car for a new one so quickly? My folks think its a good idea. My payments will be the same as they are now, which is nice- newer car, same price

Am I overthinking this?

Bottom line, I need a vehicle that I can rely on, and up until now, my Liberty fit that bill. But now I'm not so sure.


Guidance would be much appreciated.
Nay

Haste, Post, Haste!

I'm reading a new book called Yours Ever: People and their Letters, which is about, duh, people, and their use of letters for correspondence. Which got me thinking. Why don't people write letters anymore?

Sure, people still send cards with little messages of love or "thinking of you's", but no one really sits down and writes an honest to goodness letter. I think the last time I received a letter was when I was a freshman in college, from my mother, and she only wrote a letter because Hurricane Isabel had knocked out their power and she couldn't email.

Which brings me to my next question. Is email considered a letter? Or is it just a relative of the telephone call? (which most people don't do anymore either) Maybe email is the parent of the text message. This idea reminds me of the parts in the Bible where it says "So and So begat so and so, who begat..."- Letter begat telegram, who begat telephone, who begat email, who begat text message.

My point, (and I do have one) is people just "check in" with each other now, they don't really want to hear all about the goings on. The author of Yours Ever, Thomas Mallon writes that the speed and expediency of email is what we've become accustomed to. "Its addictive instant gratifications have replaced the old, slow anticipation of the daily visit from the mailman, who now brings mostly junk."

As much as I say I would like to reincarnate letter writing, I do not possess the skill or the time. I say skill because it takes a lot of practice to sit down and write a readable and enjoyable letter. And time, well, who has enough of that? (as I sit here, lazily, and blog)

Maybe that's the answer. Maybe the letter has morphed into the blog. Really, back in the old days a letter was a "Here's what's going on in my life" tome. Blogs are the same way. We write about things that interest us, enrage us, bore us and sadden us. Letters did the same thing. So maybe instead of saying that letter writing has died, we can say that it's just evolved into blogging, with a bit of email thrown in for a quick "how are you?"

And to be fair to my generation, we are more connected than ever, even being thousands of miles apart because of the speed and efficiency of email, text and the electronic age. So instead of losing touch with someone because they move away (Mr and Mrs. M) you can still keep tabs on them because they are only a text or email away.

Oh yeah, and a phone call too.

Correspondingly yours,
Nay

Let it snow!

It's finally happened! After months of waiting, anticipating, watching the weather, the First Snow of the Season is here. I put that in capitals because snow is a big deal here in Richmond mainly because we don't usually get any! Everywhere else in the country will get snow, but central Virginia will not. Heck, it will snow in Roanoke, Staunton and Charlottesville all on the same day but NEVER in Richmond. So today is a real treat!

So far we've gotten about 5 inches in about 4 hours, which to us Richmonders is akin to a blizzard. Add in some sleet (what we're used to) and you've got a winter whopper! Not to mention the fact that it is one week until Christmas, and many people (myself included, duh) are hoping it sticks around long enough to be pretty on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

I love the snow! I love how silent it is, how soft and blanketing it is. I do not like what it does to the roads, and how my supposedly rugged Jeep cannot make it up the hill to get home. I was driving home from dinner tonight, my parents behind me in their Ford Escape, and I turn into the neighborhood.... and that's about as far as I could go. I couldn't make it up the hill, and my Jeep does not have 4 wheel drive. What kind of Jeep doesn't have 4 wheel drive? I've seen station wagons with 4 wheel drive! Anyway, I wasn't going anywhere without chains, so Dad drove it to the high school and parked it there, where it will be safe from snow plows and people plowing into it. What an odyssey :)

So all you Richmonders, get out there and enjoy the First Snow! Pray for many more (please. I'm a teacher. We need the days.)

Snowily yours,
Nay

Isn't she lovely?

I am a HUGE fan of Michelle Obama. Wait, are you a fan of the First Lady or an admirer? Can you be a fan of someone who isn't so much a celebrity as an icon? Anyway, semantics, semantics.

I've been searching high and low for anything on the First Lady I can find, and I found this at Barnes and Noble this evening... as if I don't buy enough from them. I love photo essays and this one is a real treasure.

Michelle Obama: The First Lady in Photographs

Also, Barnes and Noble has a lot of great books about the First Lady. As a teacher, I plan to incorporate more on the First Ladies in my social studies curricula. I feel like motivating and powerful women are not studied enough in schools. Even if we just learn a bit of biography about the First Ladies, it will be something interesting for the kids.

So, there's a gift idea for you. You can never go wrong with photo essays. Here are a few more of my faves:

Read My Pins: Stories From a Diplomat's Jewel Box by Madeline Albright

InStyle: The New Secrets of Style

Hmm, a stylish First Lady, a book about pins and jewels, the new secrets of great style... I sense a theme here...

Stylishly yours,

Nay

in memoriam.

Today, a very close friend of my family's passed away suddenly. I am still in shock, with the birds of sadness nesting in my hair.

I think of his wife, his children and grandchildren. How do people keep on keeping on when something like this happens?

Grief is such a heavy thing. And as much as people want to help, it's a burden only you can carry.

"Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." John 16:22

I'm dedicating this post to the DeNoon family. I have no words to tell you how sorry I am. My heart aches for all of you.


nay.

The Reason for the Season

Christmastime is finally upon us!! I look forward to Christmas all year long! I love everything about Christmas- the decorating, the music, the food, and the Story. The Christmas Story is one of my favorites and I love how this holiday is centered around a story about a tiny baby :)

When I was younger we used to go to the Christmas Eve candlelight service at our church. We would hear the Christmas story, sing carols and hymns and sit in awe of how beautiful our church was lit by candlelight, the golden glow touching the holly and the greens hung on the windows and the altar. Afterward, we'd rush home in the cold and take baths, then we'd snuggle up and watch A Christmas Carol, the one with George C. Scott as Mr. Scrooge. My grandfather LOVES that movie, and I admit I do too :) It wouldn't be Christmas Eve without it. Even though we don't attend that church anymore, the memories of the candlelight service stay with me.

It is SO important to be with family at Christmastime. When I was living in DC, my house was empty most of the time because my roommates were hardly ever home. I decorated our little house with puny decorations, put up a Charlie Brown tree and hung our stockings, all by myself. And it was miserable. There was no music, no family, no logs burning the fireplace, the tree lit up with lights and ornaments. I was so upset all that season. I moved back home to Richmond shortly thereafter because you can only live without family for so long.

The main thing to remember at Christmastime is that we are all family and we need to take care of one another. In my community we have the Christmas Mother program, which supplies struggling and needy families in my community with food, clothes and toys for Christmas. If you can, check and see if there are any programs like that in your area and help out if you can. Every little bit helps make someone's Christmas a merry one.

The Gift is what's in your heart, friends, not what's in your hands. I hope I don't sound preachy. It's just that Christmas is a great time to get to know God again, and maybe make some room in your heart, the way the innkeeper made room in the inn.


Merrily yours,
Nay

Do you know your Turkey day facts?

Today is Thanksgiving Day! Yippee!!

This past week at my elementary school, many of our teachers have been doing Thanksgiving lessons. I started thinking about how different Thanksgiving is taught today than when I was in elementary school.

For example, when I was in school, we were taught that the Pilgrims came over on the Mayflower and landed at Plymouth Rock, a part of America that they discovered.

We were not taught that the Pilgrims were religious zealot refugees kicked out of Holland first, then England in 1620, and that many of them died on the way over here due to sickness. We were not taught that there were TWO ships in fact, but the Godspeed had to turn back because it was leaking.

We were not taught that the Native American tribe that welcomed them to Massachusetts was the Wampanoag tribe, that Squanto was NOT the chief of this tribe (Massoit had this honor), he was just a member of the tribe who knew English. We were also not taught that Squanto had learned his English from a group of fisherman who had sailed into the Cape Cod bay and used Squanto as a guide, in turn, teaching him English, many years before the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth.
We were not taught that the Wampanoag outnumbered the Pilgrims at the feast (91 Wampanoag to 53 Pilgrims)

We were not taught that the Pilgrims would have all died if the Wampanoag hadn't shown them techniques for farming and which animals to hunt for food. We also weren't taught that a few years after the feast, the Pilgrims began brutally attacking the Wampanoag if they did not allow themselves to be converted to Christianity. A few years later, the Pilgrims destroyed the Wampanoag tribe for good, through both violence and sicknesses that the Pilgrims brought over from England, sicknessess that the Wampanoag had no resistence to.
Happy thanksgiving right?

In fact, Thanksgiving as we know it as a holiday wasn't regularly celebrated by Americans until it was signed into law on October 6, 1941 by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

This is all information that is being taught in my school now, and I couldn't be happier. I can't think of a better way to teach than to teach the truth about a major holiday.
Of course, as a history major, I am obliged to add in facts about things. The last paragraph is not taught in schools, but it is information that I learned in a class on Early America.

So when you sit down to enjoy your turkey day dinner, you can impress your family with this (useless?) trivia! And be thankful that the children of America today are not being served lily white tales of hogwash about the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, which by the way, they didn't even call it "thanksgiving", simply, "the feast"


Thankfully yours,
Nay

These are my people.

This is my life- this is where I come from.

Lovingly Yours,

Nay

On glorifying Chai, and the corporate giant behind it

I'm a huge Starbucks fan. Really, I get a soy chai latte nearly everyday (soy because I'm lactose intolerant) And try as I might to find a more wallet friendly beverage company, I can't. The taste is not the same.
I've tried Sheetz Chai. For $1.99 it is the cheapest. It also has a funny chemically aftertaste that I just can't get past.
I've tried this little place near my sister's apartment, the Black Hand. $2.00 plus or minus a few pennies. But it too has a bit too much of something, I just can't put my finger on it.
I've even bought chai tea myself and made my own version of chai. Now, usually, when you make your own version of something it's usually better because it's homemade. Not so in this case. Mine is too watery, not creamy enough.
But Starbucks. Oh Starbucks with the perfect blend of spices and vanilla and frothy soy milk. I would gladly spend $4.00 for a grande any day of the week.

Now before you get your panties in a twist over me frequenting this corporate titan, I just want to remind you of a few things:
        1. Starbucks is an environmentally friendly corporation. They practice ethical sourcing. Starbucks is committed to buying and serving the highest-quality, responsibly grown, ethically traded coffee to help create a better future for farmers and a more stable climate.
        2. Starbucks is committed to minimizing its environmental footprint. For example, in the latest franchise built here in Midlothian, the store features beautiful furniture made out of recycled plastic and paper. There are more recepticles for recycling than trash, forcing people to think about what they are throwing away, and of course, the nifty sleeves around the cup to keep your hands from burning is recycled paper products.
        3. Starbucks champions community service through the Starbucks Volunteer 2 Volunteer program. Starbucks is striving to contribute more than 1 million hours of community service by 2015.

I'm sure you're skeptical. It's only natural to think that a corporate giant like Starbucks is only thinking of their product and who they market to and how to make more money. But I genuinely believe that Starbucks is trying to make a difference. This may seem naive, and you're welcome to disagree with me, but Starbucks is a major part of millions of American's day, and because of this overwhelming popularity, it seems logical for Starbucks to tap into the next big thing in this world- sustainability and environmentalism.

I recommend visiting the Starbucks Shared Planet website. You'll find a lot of interesting information there about how Starbucks is working globally to fix the planet, one coffee bean at a time.

And that is one damn fine tasting coffee bean :)

Chai tea-liciously yours,
Nay

In The Kitchen with Nay- that would be my Food Network show title :)

I made these Herb-Gruyere Biscuits with dinner tonight and oh boy were they delish! Give it a whirl!

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped sage leaves

1 cup shredded Gruyère

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter—10 tablespoons cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled, 2 tablespoons melted

1 cup buttermilk, chilled

flaky salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling

Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 425° and position a rack in the lower third of the oven. In a large shallow bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and fine salt. Add the chilled butter and use a pastry blender or 2 knives to cut the butter into the flour until it is the size of peas. Add the chopped thyme and sage, and the Gruyère. Stir in the buttermilk just until the dough is moistened. Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead 2 or 3 times, just until it comes together. Pat the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick disk.

2.Using a floured 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out biscuit rounds as closely together as possible. Gather the scraps and knead them together 2 or 3 times, then flatten the dough and stamp out more biscuit rounds. Pat the remaining scraps together and gently press them into a biscuit.

3.Transfer the biscuits to a large baking sheet and brush the tops with the melted butter. Lightly sprinkle the biscuits with a few grains of flaky salt and chill until firm, about 10 minutes.

4. Bake the biscuits for 20 minutes, or until golden. Let the biscuits cool slightly on the baking sheet before serving.

Make sure you don't roll out the dough too thin. I did that and they were more like herb-gruyere cookies, not flaky biscuits. But boy they sure were yummy!!

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat

I've got the perfect idea for Christmas Dinner. I'm thinking old school, Dickensian and very traditional. I'm thinking roast goose. That's right, goose.

In my family, Thanksgiving is the untouchable holiday. There must be turkey, stuffing, mashed potatos and gravy and cranberries, along with 50 vegetable side dishes and an assortment of rolls and desserts. This is how it is every year and we do not deviate from this written-in-stone-tablets tradition.

However, Christmas is a bit more relaxed and open to experimentation. We've done hams, all kinds of roasts and even seafood. So I thought, why not go back to where it all began and think Christmas Carol- think Goose.

Now where to find one? Ah, naturally, Google will find you anything you ask for. And it found me a goose. You can get fresh, frozen geese delivered to you anywhere in the country from Lobel's New York. How delightful. And how EXPENSIVE. They want $78.00 for a damn dead goose. $78 dollars?! I could buy the whole Christmas meal for that kind of coin!!!

So should I splurge and get this delicious goose, which I've read has the consistency of dark meat chicken and turkey (which is my favorite) and is melty meaty and very rich. Or should I just save my money for something less exotic (and expensive)

Sure might be tasty though....

Before...

 After. Decisions decisions.

Goosey-loosey Yours,

Nay

The Great Migration Idea

I've been contemplating moving away from Richmond to someplace else, someplace different. This process usually happens for me every few months or so. I think about all the great places there are in this country and how I want to try something new.

I always stop myself from pursuing any of it because of several factors:
a) cost. I am a teacher, I don't make beans. It's hard to move to a new place on a few beans.
b) family. I am extremely close to my family and the idea of leaving them behind is hard.
c) the what-if. notoriously hard to pin down to one specific thing, my fear is, what if I don't like the place, or what if I can't make it work, etc.

I've narrowed down my choices to a few locales: Denver (or Boulder), Boston (and surrounding areas) Virginia Beach (even though thats just an hour or so away) or back to Washington.

Now, two of my choices, VaBeach and DC wouldn't be hard to pull off. I've lived in both areas before and am fairly confident I could survive there. Neither are too far away from my family, and the cost of living, though high in DC, is not unmanageble. Indeed, it wouldn't be hard to move there because they are so close.
However, Boston and Denver are two different stories. Both are hours away from Virginia (and therefore all I know), and have a great deal more "what-if" factor going on.

Interestingly, cost of living in Denver is comparable to Richmond, with not too much difference between major expenses like rent and utilities. Boston on the other hand, is quite a bit higher.

So how does one decide? Well for me, my first question is "what is the market like for teachers?" I'm not really picky about schools, but I don't see myself working for an inner-city school. I have ideas for my classroom that require funding and administrative support, not neglect.
My second question is "where can I live, and what is the housing situation like?" This, I can't answer, I've never been to Denver or Boston. Well I flew into Boston, does that count? No.

It takes a lot of courage to pick up and go somewhere you've never been before. I admire people who can do that without much hesitation. I, on the other hand, hesitate a lot. There are a lot of things to think about when deciding whether or not to move somewhere.


Plus, how do you keep from missing your mom so much?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Geographically yours,
Nay

Snow Skies and Bridal Showers

How's everyone's Saturday so far? So far so good for me too. It's a little cloudy and grey today but I think November is supposed to look like this- steely grey snow-looking clouds, orangeyellow leaves barely hanging on, hoping that the next gust of wind doesn't steal them away. (I told you I wrote bad poetry hahah)

Today I'm going to a bridal shower for an old friend from high school. I like bridal showers, but I'm not quite sure why brides have more than one... isn't that just a wee bit greedy? Of course, brides don't host their own showers, their friends/family/sorority sisters/crazy cousin Janice/ host the showers, but brides don't exactly say "Oh no, darling, one is enough!"

Naturally, I'll change my tune when it's my turn.

But I'm just curious- what is the protocol for multiple showers? If you are invited to many for the same bride, do you bring a gift each time, or do you bring one to the first one and let that be it? And what about bringing a gift to the wedding? If you've already showered her (ok, them, but it's not really about him though, is it...) with gifts at the shower, do you bring yet another one to the wedding?

What would Emily Post say? To many brides, that question is akin to "What would Jesus do?"

Let me know what you think.

Nuptially yours,

Nay

Nor'easters and new books

So how about this weather? We got slammed this week with the remnants of Hurricane Ida and a nor'easter. Virginia doesn't get nor'easters all that often, even though they form in the Mid-Atlantic and New England. Check out nor'easters on wikipedia for a quick tutorial. Nor'easter article

On days like this, it makes you want to curl up with a good book and a cup of hot tea! My favorite tea is Lady Grey Tea by Twinnings. 

 

 

This, and the book I'm currently reading, The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan and you have a great day.

 

The Omnivore's Dilemma begins with a look at the farm bill, the big grain operations and cattle feedlots (like those in Garden City, KS). Pollan then spends the middle section of the book at an intensive pastureland operation in the southeast that is so idyllic it's almost like farm stories of yesteryear. The last section is about hunting and gathering. I haven't finished the book yet, but it's been very eye-opening thus far.

I like the idea of sustainable farming and the organic movement, but because it is very expensive to produce this kind of food, it is not accessible to most Americans. The book goes into detail about how the foods that cause obesity in America, like those with refined sugars and corn derivatives, are inexpensive, and therefore more likely to end up in grocery carts, especially these days with such a poor economy. Those with very limited funds are not going to pay a few cents (or even dollars) extra for something that many believe is just a fad.

Nevertheless, the organic and sustainable movement is gaining ground, and Americans are starting to take notice. It is very important that people do as much research as they can on these two important food movements so that they are educated consumers, rather than blind consumers like the food industry wants us to be, and stay.

It is my goal to read up on the movements and make informed decisions about what I put into my body and my grocery cart.

 

 

Sustainably yours,

 

Nay

Welcome to my Blog

Hello and welcome :)

This blog is called Musings by Nay. I'm Nay. Heather Nay to be more precise. In this bloggy, I'm going to just rap about things. All kinds of things. Complicated things, not so complicated things, silly things, serious things, maybe even some strange things. For example, I will blog about teaching. As I am an educator, this is what I think about the most. I will also blog about books (my love), food (my other love), wine (my lover), fashion, art, literature, movies, dogs, travel, my best friends, and just random things that pop into my head.
The best part about this blog is that you can suggest things to me to Muse about. I'm full of useless trivia, so I'm bound to find something to connect your suggestion to.
Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself, and this new blog. While you're here, check out my best friend Katie's blog called Tiers of Joy.
Enjoy!

xoxo, nay