While we’re up at the cabin, it can be a challenge getting really fresh food if you only rely upon the local grocery store. The Roma tomatoes we purchased to go with our salad this evening were from South America, for example. It’s a long way up to Minnesota from there, and the unfamiliarity is definitely an issue. Supplementing with Farmer’s Market and roadside stand purchases, enjoying the seasonal berries, vegetables and sweet corn as they become available is reminiscent of the way our families used to eat before the global economy. While having lunch at the tavern down the road over the weekend, we overheard the bartender talking about raising his own farm fresh eggs, and we were intrigued to learn more.

Jeff’s story is all too familiar: he sort of fell into this endeavor. He didn’t set out to keep chickens at all, but had a big dog kennel and a dog that escaped from it easily and regularly. So he brought the dog inside. Jeff then converted the doghouse and adjoining fenced kennel into a more hospitable home for several kinds of chickens: Black and White Sexlink (who lay the brown eggs in the photo), Polish Crested (the little white eggs) who have a Phyllis-Diller hairdo-like feathering pattern around their necks and heads, and Ameraucana (the pale green eggs on the right). He lets his chickens forage and supplements their feed, evaluating the results in a constant effort to improve his product.

Jeff likes the brown eggs for general breakfast cooking. He thinks the Polish Crested’s smaller size is good for topping a burger or sandwich, and he waxed eloquently on the Ameraucana egg’s superlative results in hard-boiled form. Jeff is so enthusiastic about his eggs, we couldn’t wait to try them. We placed an order for 1-½ dozen, available for pickup the very next evening. At $5 for the lot, Jeff isn’t going to get rich any time soon, but his passion is so infectious that he regularly sells out of his daily supply.

We picked up our eggs in the evening and enjoyed a delicious benedict-like breakfast the next morning. Pete likes using the flat sandwich thins that have about 100 calories apiece instead of the more highly caloric toast or English muffin base called for in traditional recipes. Spinach leaves, benedict sauce liberal with dill, and poached eggs on top were a perfect working breakfast.

This morning, we decided to try the Polish crested eggs and some of the leftover ham we’d brought up. This is the second pig we’ve purchased from Scott, and now that we know the ropes with the butcher, we had the ham processed specifically to our taste. Delicious in a foodie’s version of an Egg McMuffin with perfectly-sized fried eggs!

The Polish crested eggs, you’ll recall, are the pale green ones in the mix, so it was fun to have “green eggs and ham” for breakfast. With all the rain we’ve been having, I thought of more Dr. Seuss, too. Remember how The Cat in the Hat entertains the children who were left at home on “that cold, rainy day?” Notice how I don’t have a finished picture of our little sandwich?

This evening we topped off our multi-day sampling with the Ameraucanas, which Pete boiled per Jeff’s recommendation. Our spinach salads, with bacon, chicken, and mushrooms were simple and satisfying. All that was added was some of Newman’s own dressing and it was a very filling supper.

Another thing that’s different about these eggs is the vivid coloration in the yolks. While Pete maintains he can’t taste too much difference, if any at all, between these eggs and store-bought, their overall appearance is definitely less uniform and therefore more interesting than their more homogenous counterparts.

These pheasant chicks were among the first to arrive at Robin and Scott’s farm. I’m wondering if there is a more of a market for exotic birds’ eggs or the birds themselves? We’ve been lucky enough to have wild pheasant over the years, as it’s fairly easy to obtain in these parts, especially with sportsmen among family and friends. Pheasant makes for a very elegant dinner presentation. Robin and Scott also welcomed ducks and regular baby chicks to the farm within the last week. Their Cornish game hens should be arriving soon as well. We’re going to advocate for quail, which would be quite a novelty, too, but not too unusual to preclude sales, we think.

Jeff warned us that even with precautions, birds and eggs are favorite targets of all kinds of predators. We know this only too well, having lost the loon eggs off the floating hatch platform this year. Jeff’s flock was decimated by a marten last year. Though their neighborhood is semi-rural rather than wilderness, Scott and Robin are working on safe and secure surroundings for their new brood. Even domesticated dogs can’t always be trusted around production animals on the farm. Bird dogs don’t discriminate between domestic and wild: a bird is simply a bird.

Robin says it’s fun to learn about how best to care for her young charges, and she intends to build up the size of her flocks as she determines demand and viability. We’re proud of the kids and their business decisions. While it would be difficult, if not impossible, as a small farmer to make a living on birds and eggs alone, it’s a natural extension to the rest of their operation. What’s really nice to see is how they’re moving toward replicating what used to be commonplace among small, sustainable farms a generation or two ago: production animals for personal consumption as well as supplemental revenue to income from dairy and cash crops. Their plans are coming along nicely!

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Farm Fresh Eggs is a post from: Passing Thru

One such mompreneur we know is blazing her trail online by using her creative skills to great advantage. Meet Rebecca Harnish Villarreal, owner of Buttercup*Baby*Boutique and Buttercup*Baby*Designs, where she sells crocheted baby wear and make-it-yourself patterns. Becky mothers a blended family with her firefighter husband in small-town West Michigan. As a young mother, she figured out real quick that traditional employment wasn’t going to work with her family and lifestyle priorities.

We had originally planned to feature Becky and her business activities in our newsletter (and we still will; you may subscribe at right, if you already haven’t), so off we sent some interview questions. What came back in her responses was so much loveliness and smarts that we just had to share with you in entirety.

Looking back on your childhood, what events or ideas shaped you most?

My mom was a working mother, and so my little brother and I spent the days with our grandparents.  My grandma is a very creative soul, always reading, writing, painting, gardening, crocheting, crafting.  She encouraged me to express my creative side, and taught me to crochet.  I loved to crochet because Grandma loved to crochet; she made intricate afghans while I made mile-long chains.  It was my friend Cyyndie who helped me expand my skills when I was in my early twenties, but having that bit of experience from childhood helped so much.  I was already comfortable with the tools of the trade.  In attempting to teach my daughter and friends how to crochet, that seemed like the biggest obstacle for them: being comfortable holding the crochet hook and knowing how to manipulate it.  Until you’ve mastered that, you simply won’t be able to achieve decent results.  As with many things, it’s all in the fundamentals.

I was also blessed with an incredibly supportive, patient mother. As a child, I just assumed all moms were like mine. As I got older and realized this was not so, I felt so sad for all the kids who were clearing missing out. My mom instilled a belief that I was worthy and special, and that if I wanted something, it was only a matter of how hard I was willing to work to achieve it. Despite a divorce and some bumps along the road, my mom always made sure my brother and I felt loved, secure, wanted.  I have never lacked in self-confidence because of this; I have always known my value. I know I’m smart, I know I can conquer.  It’s an invaluable gift, and one that has helped me in my self-employment journey.  I never think, “I can’t do this.”  Ever.  Even when things aren’t going as planned.  Instead, I think, “What do I need to do differently here?”  No matter the obstacle, I am confident I can find a solution.  My mama taught me that.

You are an awesome mom – focused, loving, strong – raising great kids in a blended family situation as a very young mother. How’d you get so good at that?

Why, thank you!  To answer that: The same way we get good at anything: I had a fantastic teacher, my mother. My mother is, though not technically recognized as such, a bit of a saint.  She’s got this amazing capacity for good; a God-given ability for support and guidance.  One of her greatest strengths is her heart for people; she never neglects an opportunity to help someone in need.  From childhood, one of my favorite books has always been “A Little Princess” by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  Main character Sara Crewe is a kind little soul, full of hope and love for her fellow beings, even when she is left orphaned and penniless.  Author Burnett describes Sara’s character: “If Nature has made you a Giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart. And though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that.” My mother was made a Giver.

The fantastic thing is that she also recognizes the subtle -but incredibly important- difference between helping and enabling. My mother has never allowed for self-pity, because she understands how toxic it is.  She cares, but she will not coddle.  If I attempt a ranting/venting session, she will listen for a minute, and then ask: “What’s the solution here?  You’re smart, you can figure this out.  Make a plan and move forward.  Write it down and make it happen, baby.”  You know that saying, “save the drama fo’ yo mama”?  Well, not MY mama.  She allergic.

[Note: my brother is lucky enough to be married to Becky's remarkable mom.]

My mother is only the beginning of my support system.  I grew up in a large family of wonderful, wholesome people. Again, I just assumed everyone had families like that; I know now I got lucky.   I treasure the gift they are to me and to my children.  I am proud of my roots, the rich loam of love from whence I came.  Some draw their pride from their race or creed; mine comes from the enduring goodness, the decency that runs deep in our veins. German, Polish, Irish…my people are those things, but more than that, they are Good, Honest and Kind.  We are only partially defined by our origins; our true identity is in who we become. The lineage of blood means little; what counts is your willingness to spill it to save another.

Photo Credit: http://shuttersparkphotography.com

I was nineteen when I married and had my son, so I became a mom of three in one fell swoop (my two stepchildren live with us most of the year).  It was overwhelming, but I had the benefit of youth. I wasn’t too far removed from my own childhood, so it was easy for me to connect with my kids, to understand their feelings.  I was perhaps naïve at first, but that carries its own sort of energy.  It’s when the greenness wears off and we become wiser (but hopefully not jaded) that we begin to slow down a bit.  I myself had navigated the tricky, treacherous “Divorce Mountains” with relative success as a child, and I know the terrain well.  The difference is, as the parent, I’m now the trail guide. I can force my kids down scary, ugly paths looming with dark words and dangerous bitterness, or I can stroll rather merrily with them along sunlit streams, flowing with acceptance and optimism.  I aim for the sunny stuff, because that’s where my mom led me.

And last, but certainly not least, I have a super supportive husband. He understands me, he accepts me, he makes me want to be worthy of his love.  He is the cheese to my macaroni, the peanut butter to my jelly.  All of that, and so much more.  At some point, I must’ve done something very right, something that made God smile upon me and dropkick this miraculous, magnificent man straight into my life.  And He saw that it was good, and the people rejoiced.

How did you arrive at your career path? What choices did you consider? How structured was your plan?

I didn’t really set out to sell baby hats and patterns.  But I did like selling online, and was happily enjoying an affair with the fiber arts, and so the two naturally merged.

I tend to follow a free-flowing, organic path. I do what makes sense to me, researching and trying out ideas that excite me.  It’s not always the most efficient, but I learn my own lessons and do it on my own terms. Looking back, my progress in self-employment has always been slow but sure.  My main interest has always been in the creative side of it all, less so the “businessy” aspects.  My mother (and her Masters degree in marketing) is my business guru, and she has helped me tremendously.

Photo Credit: http://shuttersparkphotography.com

A few summers ago, just before I started Buttercup*Baby*Boutique, I applied to work at a local gas station.  The hours were terrible, the wage was minimum and my heart wasn’t in it.  It was just a job, just a paycheck.  My mother (smart woman that she is), discouraged the gas station idea from inception.  She told me, “You can make a lot more than minimum wage working for yourself.  Don’t sell yourself short.” And she was right.  I quit the gas station on my second day, and went on to achieve excellent results selling on eBay that summer.  I loved doing it and made triple the hourly pay the gas station offered.  It was then I realized I would never again have a “real job”. Shortly thereafter, I began offering my baby hats on eBay and Etsy.  I was contacted by online retailer Melondipity.com, who was interested in selling my designs.  Once on Melondipity.com, the hats were selling as fast as I could make them.  They were even featured in several pregnancy and baby magazines!

I think so many people miss this fact: when you work at a “job”, you are selling your time and your freedom. You are making only as much as the job will allow, and you must adhere to their rules.  Sometimes it’s a good deal, sometimes not. In the case of the gas station job, it was a definite NOT.  And so I chucked that idea and followed my free-flowing organic heart (and my mother’s advice) right to self-employment.  Hallelujah.

Buttercup Baby is your most visible revenue-earning element. What other things do you do to make money?

Photo Credit: http://shuttersparkphotography.com

Garage sales and eBay!  I usually do one big sale a year during our city-wide sale days. They’re a lot of work, though, so once a year is enough for me.  More than running a sale, I LOVE to shop garage sales, and so I tend to find lots of good stuff for resale.  I take those resale treasures and list them on eBay (and sometimes Craigslist) for a quick profit.  Some of my favorite garage sale gold: a pair of designer jeans (purchased for $4, sold for $120) and a tub of Legos (purchased for $12, sold for $200).  Of course, not every purchase yields that kind of profit, but it’s awesome when it does!  There’s a lot of money to be made if you know what to look for.

My friend Michelle (eBay user ID 2779michelle) is an eBay whiz.  She sells trendy and fashionable plus size clothing and makes a tidy living doing it.  She’s got a real eye for fashion and always gets rave reviews on her outfits.  It’s great having a friend who eBays successfully, who understands all the ins and outs and can give useful advice.

What are your plans for Buttercup Baby and your other revenue-making activities?

My main goal is to sell patterns exclusively.  This way I can design rather than recreate. The profit margin is much higher, and it will provide me both monetary resources and the time I need to spend with my family.  Plus, it’s a “job” I can do from anywhere in the world.

What do things look like 5 years down the road? 10 years?

At five years, I plan to be selling patterns exclusively, and to have found new venues through which to sell my designs.  I also want to start a blog and maybe even learn to knit.  At ten years, I’ll still be growing my design business, having published a book (or two) of my crochet patterns.  Through all of it, I will be working toward true financial independence and early retirement. Though, to be honest, I can’t ever see myself “retiring”, except perhaps to a quaint cottage by the sea, where I will go with stacks of good books and my bag full of yarn.  *happy sigh*

——————————

We don’t see ourselves ever retiring either, Becky! Especially if the cottage by the sea has an internet connection!

Buttercup Baby is offering a giveaway in our June newsletter for subscribers. Look for details in your email inbox shortly. In the meantime, visit her Etsy shops: Buttercup*Baby*Boutique to purchase pre-made baby wear, and Buttercup*Baby*Designs to purchase her crochet patterns. Also, connect on Facebook with Buttercup Baby, too!

Check out our Work-Life Integration page for useful resources on the pathway to job and lifestyle independence. If Becky’s story has inspired you, we’d love to know! Please leave your comments!

Get to Know Buttercup Baby is a post from: Passing Thru

Pete’s mom and dad were both “loon counters” on Woman Lake and decided the lagoon in front of the cabin was the perfect spot to encourage loons to nest. Don’t let this beautiful shot taken by Pete’s sister Jenny on the afternoon of April 29 lull you with an impression of warm temperatures. You’d be wrong!

This year the plan was to go up the last weekend in April to get the pontoon in, among other “make ready” chores that need to be done after a long, cold winter up north. We didn’t leave until after work on Friday, April 29th, but Pete’s sisters, Jenny and Teri, arrived early. Soon the text messages were flying in: the loons had arrived in the lagoon and were calling out, looking around for their pontoon! We were grateful they are such creatures of habit – this meant that they might not abandon our location just yet. We arrived late that evening and heard their mournful, unmistakeable calling as we settled in.

The cabin is located about 3-1/2 hours north of the Twin Cities, about a half hour southeast of Bemidji, MN on Woman Lake. The history of this area is tied up with logging in the later years of the 19th century. Resorts and hotels sprang up to accommodate sportsmen and vacationers in the early part of the 20th century. The Wuebker cabin began as a family compound on Pete’s mother’s side. They weren’t the only Iowa farmers who got the crop in and then headed north to enjoy summers full of fishing in the Northwoods. The Kee-Nee-Moo-Sha lodge (a short walk down a wooded pathway from the cabin) and other resorts still operate today.

While spring came early last year in Minnesota, this year is an entirely different story. Freezing temperatures and stormy forecasts were in the prediction. Putting in the loon pontoon was going to be a chilly experience, as well as a poignant reminder that Pete’s parents aren’t here this year to see it. It is important to everyone to keep this tradition.

Pete and son Ben were up early to get things started in the damp and chilly morning. It was 27 degrees F while they worked. Jenny, Teri and I watched.

The loon pontoon is a simple construct of PVC with a mesh platform to hold nesting material. It’s anchored with regular old cement blocks.

With the dock not in, the wind whipped up some significant whitecaps later in the day, but for the most part, Ben and Pete were fortunate to be out there in the calmest moments, if you can call them that.

The loon pontoon is always sited directly opposite of the dock to make sure that there is sufficient cover in the reeds for when the babies hatch. It is not uncommon for loon eggs to be stolen by all sorts of predators. A bald eagle had swooped down right in front of Teri the previous afternoon and snatched a gull right out of the water. As we were driving down the dirt road after our long trip up from the Cities, we spotted a large mink alongside the road, and other predators think baby loons are tasty, too.

Once the nesting materials (sticks, mud, mossy earth, etc) were placed on the pontoon, it was time to put the waders on and drag it out to the site. Brrr!

All the while, the loons were watching and waiting while Pete adjusted the setting and set the anchors.

Whooa, watch yourself! Filling the waders up with near-freezing water would not be fun!

That evening the biggest wind I’ve ever heard up there blew in, and the pontoon was rocking and rolling on the whitecaps like the Andrea Gale in “A Perfect Storm.” The next morning (May the 1st!) dawned with ice galore and even a bit of snow:

All the nesting materials were gone from the mesh platform. Teri kindly gathered more and Pete made another trip out to the platform to try again.

We spent the rest of the day watching for signs that the setting was acceptable. Finally, after we left to return home on Sunday, Jenny reported that one of the loons had clambered on and appeared to be settling in:

The family left for home today leaving me here to watch the loons. At about 5:30, the loons started talking to each other with a very soft “whoooing” noise. I watched them swim around the pontoon a few times checking all sides until one decided to attempt to getting on. I think by tomorrow, they will be moving in for good.

Daughter, Jessica, who had to stay behind due to work schedules, commented: of all gma & gpas traditions that we’ll carry on, this might be the one im most proud of.

I said: Thank God! I feel like a Jewish mother! “The things we do for you!”

And Pete, still feeling the lingering effects, replied: After two trips in those blasted waders they damn well better get up their and start making babies.

If you would like to watch another pair of loons in a similar setting, this loon cam is great entertainment. Somehow I think a similar setup might be in our future if we can figure out how to rig it. But not this year.

Ben is heading up to the cabin again this weekend with a group of friends to make sure all is well with the loons, and we’ve got the rest of the weekends in May planned that someone in the family will be there to keep watch. The egg laying and hatching, as you can imagine, are exciting events reported throughout the family!

What outdoor or nature-related family traditions do you keep?

Photo Credits: Jenny Wuebker, Teri Wuebker

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Putting in Our Loon Nesting Platform is a post from: Passing Thru

The Easter Bunny had hung eggs outside in the tree!  All the birds were flying in and around the new bird house. We even had a pair of Eastern bluebirds checking it out, but in the end a pair of chickadees prevailed and set up house. This was a big thrill all ’round!  I sort of felt like a home seller who was contemplating multiple offers!

So far we’ve had red house finches, sparrows, mourning doves, red-winged blackbirds and robins visiting as well. All of our concerns regarding seeing fewer birds than we had at the other house have, ahem, taken wing!

Our neighbors next door had an Easter egg hunt for their little ones and kindly allowed us to join in the fun. The little sisters were so cute, with the older one helping to make sure all things were (mostly) equal.

But this little guy was the show-stopper! He was very deliberate and determined to fill his Easter bucket methodically, and he wasn’t going to be distracted by all the old people exclaiming on the subject.

Pete’s menu was Salmon Benedict, prepared en masse. This is a perfect selection for a spring brunch and the recipe turned out perfectly, even when not followed exactly. It was so delicious, I am hoping to have it again, for Mother’s Day perhaps?

Here are daughter Robin and boyfriend Scott (who raises our beef and pork – we just got another pig over the weekend). They’ve got exciting things coming up – Robin will be interning with a large animal veterinary practice (taking care of race horses!) and they will be adding lamb, chickens and eggs, and ducks to their food subscription business. Good times, raise a glass!

Sister Jenny cooked up some great bacon and sausage from the same place the Minnesota Twins get their hot dogs and brats for Target Field – which, incidentally, is where son Geoff was working this morning for the game. He was missed, but sent a lovely flowering plant to his mother. Jenny’s regular specialty -hand-dipped molded chocolates – is always fun! Daughter Jessica’s retail career in a high-style accessory store has all the women in the family envious. When I go there again, it will be with a definite plan against total overwhelm from the amazing selection! And of course, there you see my personal chef in the kitchen.

I made Sour Cream Pound Cake with Blueberry Sauce for dessert. This is a great recipe, just watch the baking time, significantly shorter than noted. This was fine, because of course I was baking it late last night! The lemon zest in the recipe “took the cake.”

Holiday brunches are fun to host, especially because it leaves time for an afternoon nap after guests have departed! Wishing all of you a very Happy Easter, and a Happy Spring!

A Happy Easter at Our New Place is a post from: Passing Thru

As spring began to arrive here in Minnesota, I was excited to attend a series of events that promised the superb combination of fun, friends, vintages in both Italian film and tasting flights, as well as an introduction to a fabulous new local charity.

Starting down the path to ubriachezza, our group found itself on a Tuesday evening at La Cucina di Nonna Rosa’s for movie night. This was a spring series of specially-selected films related to Italian culture and places, paired with a wine feature. Diners were treated to the feature which was projected on a large screen in the corner of Nonna Rosa’s private dining room, providing atmosfera unica to enjoy Francesco’s culinary talent.

Nonna Rosa’s is owned by Francesco and Tina Suglia, who was inspired by her grandparents’ romance to meet the right man and marry in their footsteps. Francesco, born in the southeast region of Puglia, grew up learning to cook from his mother and grandmother using ingredients in their region: fresh seafoods, garden herbs, and natural meats and cheeses. They met in the Twin Cities and opened Nonna Rosa’s to honor both families’ legacy.

The first feature we saw was Come September, starring Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigida, a classic, light-hearted, innocent boy-meets-girl comedy with supporting appearances by Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee. Set mostly in Portofino, the movie’s scenery was breathtaking and it was beautifully complemented by the wine feature.

The Nero d’Avola grape varietal is indigenous to Sicily, first cultivated in Roman times near Syracuse. The Arancio Nero d’Avola is a bargain at around $8/bottle and its berry hints went well with my dinner: a pan-seared fresh salmon served on a bed of mushroom risotto, finished with a lemon-white wine sauce with artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes.

We tasted the previous week’s selection, Frescobaldi Remole, which had been paired with Under the Tuscan Sun. This wine was more dense and complex, aromatic with fruits – blackberry, raspberry, cherry and red currant, but punctuated with hints of spice and black pepper. Remole is made with a combination of grapes: the sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon. The taste of this wine lingered, much as the story I remembered so vividly of Frances Mayes and her love affair with Tuscany and her husband-to-be.

Eagerly, our group reserved a front row table for It Started in Naples, starring Sophia Loren and Clark Gable. This was the last film released during Gable’s lifetime, and was filmed on location in Rome, Naples and Capri. We thought the show was stolen by the child actor, Marietto, a charming and precocious thespian.

Likewise, the wine pairing, Villa Sandi Prosecco, was light and bubbly, with notes of apple, citrus and melon. The Villa Sandi operation, in the Veneto region, is housed in a 17th century neo-classical palace under which several miles of tunnels, used in WWI by the Italian army, now store over a million bottles of wine. This Prosecco is nicely priced at around $13/bottle, and I enjoyed it more than I did my Insalata Toscana – mesclun greens with balsamic vinaigrette, goat cheese, walnuts, marinated artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes.

We decided to cap off our temporary romance with post-war Italian film with what many perceive to be the epitome of the genre – Roman Holiday, with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. This night our group consisted of my sisters-in-law – Teri and Jenny, and daughters Jessica and Robin, along with one of Robin’s girlfriends. Nice of the young’uns to hang out and indulge the old ladies, wasn’t it? Teri brought along a bag of vintage scarves, which we all donned in honor of Audrey’s “look” in the movie.

The Arancio Pinot Noir wine pairing for Roman Holiday was described as having “aromatic elegance and a hint of spice,” just like Audrey. It paired well with every pasta we ordered: tortellini pugliesi – tossed with mushrooms and sweet Italian sausage in a rosa sauce, gnocchi bolognesi, fettuccine alfredo, and spaghetti allo scoglio – tossed with mussels, calamari, shrimp, scallops in a pomodoro broth, a specialty of the Puglia region.

Two days later, I joined Jenny again, along with two other friends, for a A Glass Half Full, an event hosted by local Twin Cities musician, Mick Sterling, to benefit his charity, The 30-Days Foundation. Here’s Mick on video: You Don’t Know What Dirty Is. See why we like him so much?

The 30-Days Foundation is a simple and elegant solution to a common problem in this recession, that of someone, barely making it month to month, who needs a financial assist without having to navigate the labyrinth of social agency services: We want to help people get over the hump. To take care of a nagging bill that won’t leave them alone. To provide them a down payment for an apartment. To fix their tires and other car repairs so they can get to work every morning. To pay for groceries for the month. To buy baby supplies for the newborn. To buy their kids some school clothes and supplies and multiple other real-life scenarios that every family and individual has gone through. The 30-Day Foundation exists to help people out of a temporary jam and get them through the month before a precarious financial situation starts to snowball.

A Glass Half Full married the traditional silent/live auction fundraising event concept with a dinner at Spill the Wine Restaurant.  Located in the theatre district in downtown Minneapolis, Spill the Wine has been voted #1 wine bar and #1 wine list by readers of Minnesota Monthly magazine. Our experience this evening was the result of creative efforts by Spill the Wine’s executive chef, Craig Johnson and Mary Beth Gallagher, representing Wine Merchants of St. Paul.

Mary Beth spent time last year in Italy, getting to know Italian wines and vintners. This definitely paid off for us, as she introduced each one of her selections with a charming back story. I was excited to taste and learn.

We started off greeted by an appetizer, an amuse bouche consisting of a gourgere puff with prosciutto and baby arugula, paired with a festive sparkling wine from the Veneto region: Cuvee Astoria “Lounge.” This wine is a 90/10 Prosecco/Chardonnay blend, which Mary Beth described as having floral, Golden Delicious apple and pear aromas. Prosecco wines as a whole are lighter than Champagne and a little less bubbly. So delicious, I resolved to buy a few bottles right then. The evening was off to an auspicious start!

Course One was a wild mushroom bruschetta with taleggio, on a base of truffle oil. Mary Beth instructed us that Italians believe “what grows together, goes together.” In that spirit, she had selected Rittrati Pinot Noir ’07, from Trentino. This extreme northeast region in Italy is bisected by a mountain range, and its northernmost part, the Alte Adige, borders on Austria. Known for its extensive array of wild mushrooms, the Alte Adige is also famous for strudels made from local apples. The Rittrati pinot was very earthy but still easy, and I bought two bottles.

Our second course was exceptional: cabernet braised short ribs on a puree of yukon gold potatoes with natural jus. So tender, the meat fell apart in uneven strands as we tried in vain to make this course last. Mary Beth chose a Tuscan Morellino di Scansano from the Poggio Morino winery. Their 2006 bottling was selected by The Wine Buyer as one of Five Fantastic Finds a year ago. This wine is primarily made from the Sangiovese grape, which finds itself at the heart of Tuscan table wines such as chianti or brunello. This was a flavorful, medium weight wine that went very well with the short ribs. I rounded out my wine purchases with a couple of bottles of this, as well.

Our dessert course was billed as a nougat terrine, but what came seemed more like a golden sponge cake with lime zest, similar in spirit to tiramisu. The Nero d’Avola Mary Beth paired with this was from the Oko vineyard, but didn’t seem as good as the Arancio Nero d’Avola we had tasted at Nonna Rosa’s, so I passed on purchasing it.

Throughout all this, a rollicking great time was being had as a dynamic live auctioneer encouraged generous bidding on a variety of live and silent auction items. At the end of the night, many tens of thousands of dollars were raised for Mick’s foundation.

What a great few weeks it has been with these events! I am sorry to have to miss the last feature of Nonna Rosa’s Tuesday movie nights: Three Coins in a Fountain, which will be paired with Umberto Fiori Moscato d’Asti, another sparkling wine. Tina Suglia informs us that her patio seating will be opening up for warmer weather, and based upon the success of these movie nights, she may repeat the concept in open air format over the summer. What fun that will be!

I am certain that Mick Sterling will continue with creative event planning for his charity, as well. His good friend and wine expert Mary Beth Gallagher is available for Twin Cities area home and special event wine tasting, too. If they repeat A Glass Half Full, Jenny and I will jump at the chance to introduce more friends to this worthy cause.

For certain: we’re far more knowledgeable about Italian wines now than we were several weeks ago, and we’ll be enjoying them regularly thanks to the efforts of these fine folks. Salute!

Are you a fan of Italian wine? What kinds of special restaurant and charity events do you enjoy attending?

Related articles

• A year in Southern Italian wine and the unknown etymology of Puglia (dobianchi.com)
• OUR 1ST TASTE OF ITALIAN WINE COUNTRY IN TUSCANY! – Volterra, Italy (travelpod.com)

Tasting Italian Wines for Fun and Charity is a post from: Passing Thru

Rest in peace, Grandpa, and we’ll see you up at the cabin.

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds – and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I’ve topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

— John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

Dennis Wuebker, RIP is a post from: Passing Thru

As we reminisced, I was transported back to our small town childhood. Last year, when Pete and I visited Michigan, we all went to church one last time in the old building where my parents were married, and where my family attended weekly. While there is a new sanctuary under construction outside of town, this building still remains the standard by which I judge all I have subsequently entered: elegant in its spare New England white clapboard simplicity, frosted windows and brass chandeliers, and a towering spire that our tiny hands mimicked in play: “this is the church, this is the steeple, open the doors and see all the people.” More opulent interiors discomfit me by comparison. It was in this place that we learned to sing and love traditional carols and hymns.

During Advent, we were treated to a wealth of music, and while we each called up our memories, we realized we loved so many of the same carols: Still, Still, Still – which Pete and I used on a Christmas card (with this photo in blog post form: For All Is Hushed); Lo, How a Rose ‘Ere Blooming; O Come, O Come Emmanuel; O Holy Night; and, of course, just about any selection from Handel’s Messiah.

The Winter Solstice collections from Windham Hill are favorites of mine.  The third in the series has simple and beautiful renditions of ancient carols and melodies: Veni Emmanuel, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (an unexpected, yet better, melody than the traditional one you may recall), Lullay Lulli, and In the Bleak Midwinter. Highly recommended.

John insists that the 1984 version of A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott as Scrooge is the best – superior acting, special effects and everything. My favorite is still the one with Basil Rathbone and Fredric March from the 1930′s. I can remember watching it on our black and white television and being frightened to death of the hooded Ghost of Christmas Future.

We were in agreement on the classic TV movie specials: Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory, narrated by the author, with Geraldine Page winning an Emmy for her performance. The Homecoming: A Christmas Story , with Patricia Neal, which was the pilot episode for the long-running series, The Waltons.

The Gift of the Magi, from the short story by O. Henry. “One dollar and eightyseven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.”  John brought up cartoon favorites: A Charlie Brown Christmas with the classic piano riff.  He still laughs at the character who dances just by moving his chin up and down from his chest. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with the Yukon Cornelius character Johnny loved as a boy.

Amahl and the Night Visitors was one of my favorites – it’s a one act opera which was commissioned by NBC especially for television beginning in 1951, and it was presented live for nine years. The story of the poor boy with a disability who is visited by the three Kings is very moving. Perhaps being influenced by this performance so early in life led me to my very favorite Christmas CD: Luciano Pavarotti’s O Holy Night, recorded at a service in Montreal with a children’s choir.

John favors choral music, too.  He said he still catches himself singing the first verse of Silent Night in German, reminding him of the Christmas Eve he spent in Germany back in 1976. We’re just not ones for all these modern improvisations. I still prefer the King James language of the Gospel, too.

I love classic Christmas movies, so I was delighted to see this post from Hooked on Houses: Vote for Your Favorite Christmas Movie House! I voted for #7, the stone farmhouse from Christmas in Connecticut, a favorite movie of mine. My all time favorite Christmas house, though, was the one Claudette Colbert lived in with Jennifer Jones and Shirley Temple while the father of their family was off to World War II in Since You Went Away. They were just so plucky in that movie, taking in a boarder and doubling up on rations and all! And the house is gorgeous.

Other great vintage movie photos of Christmas trees and wintry activities can be found on the SixMartinis site archives: here’s a sample.

An entirely different post would have to be devoted to our favorite recipes. Pete still raves about John’s Cranberry Glaze from last year. For years, I made Baked Ziti in honor of an Italian restaurant that served an incomparable meal to my ex-husband and me one Christmas Eve when we were between homes. This year I modified it to this: Four Mushroom-Cheese Baked Penne, and served it for Pete’s birthday dinner with Stuffed Pork Loin with Roasted Apples.

We spent a wonderful day with the kids and Pete’s sisters on Sunday. This year our donation in the children’s names was made to someone who cooks, as well. Narayanan Krishnan, of the Akshaya Trust, was featured in our December newsletter as Someone You Should Know.

We’ll be traveling over Christmas, so we’ll see you in the New Year. Until then, we’ll leave you with this, our Christmas greeting:

May there be hope in your heart, and angels in your midst during this Season of Light and throughout the coming New Year.

We’d love to know what your Christmas favorites are in the comments, too!  Merry Christmas!

Christmas Favorites is a post from: Passing Thru

Simplifying Christmas means doing less. But what we’ve found is that you can do the things that make the cut very well, intensifying the experience. It seems more meaningful to be doing less in this way.

This afternoon, during the blizzard, I mixed up my traditional cream cheese sugar cookie dough (you can find the recipe here). My daughter, Robin, and I are planning an all-too-rare day together to decorate and pack them.

I decided to play around with my recipe and wound up making a batch flavored with spices and molasses (add 1/4 tsp each of allspice, ground ginger, allspice and nutmeg; 1 tsp of cinnamon; 1/4 cup of mild molasses to the recipe, and adjust flour amounts as necessary for consistency) and a couple of batches flavored with cocoa – about 1/4 cup- to make chocolate cookies. I wouldn’t have had the time to experiment in other years because of too many other items on my list.

Pete and I are making our Christmas cards again this year. With less to do overall, this has been a joy instead of a stressful task. We use one of his photographs and match it up with a phrase from a Christmas carol. This year we’re . . . well, it’s a surprise. I’ll have him take a photo of the card, maybe, after they’re finished and mailed.

Christmas gifts in more frugal times with grown-up children in the family are simpler, too. Just the thought of having to go to Toys ‘R Us is enough to elevate my blood pressure. We’re happy to have the reprieve for a few years before the grandkids come. We’d rather spend time with the kids than receive gifts ourselves.

Our friend Becky Blanton wrote a wonderful post about gifts at Christmas called Gifting and Regifting and the Magic of GIVING. Her point is it’s not supposed to be about GIFTS, it’s supposed to be about GIVING. Her muse and mine must hang out together from time to time, but Becky generally listens to hers better than I do:

In a season where people are focused on gifts, I think the focus on giving and why we give, is lost. If there is someone in your life that you love, that means a lot to you, that has helped, inspired or moved you in some way – let Christmas be a reminder to you to reach out and let them know how you feel. Don’t give because it’s expected. Give because it allows you to be vulnerable, to be real, to let someone know you care. Your gift doesn’t have to be expensive. It just has to be real.

Becky has distilled the many not-so-great associations with Christmas gifts we’ve all experienced into the reality of giving. Christmas simplified.

These days, there’s plenty to read in the blogosphere and traditional media about simplification. The”new frugality” permeates lifestyle features in every form of media. Our recessionary decade has ushered in the antithesis of the acquisition mode, and its excesses, that we were in throughout the 80′s and 90′s.

Coming from a family that didn’t have much when we were growing up, this is all very familiar. My mother could squeeze a nickel until it cried for mercy. When I moved to California in the 80′s it was like living on another planet, where everyone was racing to acquire. Minnesota’s culture was a little more subtle, but acquiring bigger and better was a big preoccupation with many. What I saw around me, and aspects of my own life, embarrassed me.

The pendulum has swung back and now simplification, uncluttering, and thrift are back again. Retailers like Organized Living or Totally Organized promote the idea of having everything in its place. Other sites, like Unclutterer.com, promote the idea of living with less altogether, accompanied by mindful decision-making on what we do have and keep.

Although, there are certainly elements within this trend that run the gamut. An article I read on Becoming Minimalist articulates the good balance that comes when frugality and minimalism work in tandem, citing the freedom to just be that comes with less.

Another article I read somewhere else talked about purchasing gifts at thrift stores – the ultimate in noble frugality. It cited a real score: a set of unopened drafting pencils – around $70 new – acquired for $5. Sounded great until I read on where the author wasn’t sure if they’d ever been used by the recipient. Doesn’t that kind of defeat the whole purpose of giving, thrift and frugality, I wondered?

A few months ago I read an article about “stealth wealth,” where folks buying expensive things felt compelled to downplay or hide them, for fear of critical opinions. How things have changed! Interventions are held for shopping addicts, and “retail therapy” now has a sinister undertone.

Perhaps what we have with all this is a kind of haute frugalité, with an overblown benchmark that will translate down into a more practical application in daily life, just as couture is reinterpreted into something people can actually wear. We won’t be reducing the number of things we own to 100 or less, but we can appreciate how much easier life is going to be without the things we don’t use.

Pete and I try and be mindful about what we give, hoping it’s something that will be enjoyably used.  We like to make gifts for people or give experiences if we can. Sometimes we fall short of the mark, and other times we’re right on the money. I beamed when son Ben was excited about the books he received. It meant that I was getting to know him well enough to anticipate what would interest him. I got a little verklempt when we heard from another child that “I have everything I’ve ever wanted.” Christmas is about giving in the way Becky describes it when these kinds of events occur.

Christmas is also the season to be inspired by others who give so much of themselves to others who have so little. I recently was introduced to this man’s cause and wanted to give you the opportunity to see a true saint, alive and doing the work of God:

I’m writing this and the blizzard is tapering off. It’s getting dark and we’re home, where we should be on a night like this. There’s stew with beef from our steer simmering in the crock pot, and tonight is our annual date to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life”together. We’ll set up the TV trays and bask in the warmth of the wood stove, and my husband will cry when Jimmy Stewart comes home to his family.  Just like he does every year.

Christmas simplified.

Related articles

• Getting Through Christmas Frugally (myinvestingblog.com)
• How to Have A Meaningful, Yet Frugal Holiday: Mint’s Personal Finance Roundup (mint.com)
• Green Christmas Ideas – Simple, Frugal and Ethical Holiday Gifts (lillslist.com)
• How Do you Avoid Mega Consumerism At Christmas? (ahighandnoblecalling.com)

Christmas Simplified is a post from: Passing Thru

Image via Wikipedia

The Midwest in the United States is often referred to as “fly-over land” by folks from either coast.  Keep on flying over us, we say.  We get to enjoy what you’re about to see next all to ourselves!

There are other photographers in the family besides Pete.  These shots were taken by his sister and my brother, at places where we have family history: the Meisenbach family farm and the Wuebker family cabin.

These are from the family farm.  We kept “quality not quantity,” as my brother says.  We all agreed that the peninsula jutting into one of the lakes adjacent to the property was where we wanted to be:

The farm is located in an unassuming little Barry County in West Michigan. Not too much that makes the headlines ever happens there. - Photo by John Meisenbach

We like it that way. - Photo by John Meisenbach

There is presence in this land - people and things long past. - Photo by John Meisenbach

Peaceful scenery that others may think ordinary takes my breath away. - Photo by John Meisenbach

This is a view my father often looked at when he was a boy, long ago. - Photo by John Meisenbach

This is the road we take to get to the Wuebker cabin in northern Minnesota. It's between the towns of Longville and Hackensack. - Photo by Jenny Wuebker

The view from the deck of the house toward the lagoon is stunning in any season. - Photo by Jenny Wuebker

Sometimes we have unusual visitors. - Photo by Jenny Wuebker

Other times all we need do is look toward the sky. - Photo by Jenny Wuebker

Mother Earth puts on a performance every day for us.  We’re lucky to have what our families consider the best seats in the house.

Where is your favorite place in Autumn?

Related articles

• Looking Into Forever (passingthru.com)
• Looking Into Forever Part 2 (passingthru.com)
• Looking Into Forever Part 3 (passingthru.com)
• Looking Into Forever Part 4 (passingthru.com)

Beautiful Autumn in Fly-Over Land is a post from: Passing Thru

The most telling example of this phenomenon was when we returned from a long bike ride with friends.  We had ridden the trail from our house to downtown Minneapolis, enjoyed dinner on a rooftop overlooking the city.  On the return trip, my friend and I left our husbands behind on the bike trail, and I confided that I’d been “visited” by Phil’s ghost and that we’d been finding dimes everywhere.  I mentioned I was reluctant to share this, but she assured me she believed every word.  As we rolled up the driveway to our house and lowered our kickstands we looked at the cement step of our front stoop.  Right in the middle on the step’s edge, heads up, was – you guessed it – a dime.  Other placements were in the middle of the driveway directly in front of the garage door, and on the side door’s step.  It must have been that Phil was hanging around outside as well as visiting inside.

Image via Wikipedia

After a while, the dime discoveries tapered off a bit, but there were still occasions where Pete and I would discover a dime during a meaningful moment.  One of the most significant was when we were seated getting ready for takeoff on our trip to Alaska.  We always get adjoining aisle seats if we can, and there in the middle of the plane’s aisle right between us after we settled in, was a dime.  I pointed at it during takeoff and we just looked into each other’s eyes.  There was nothing to say.

I wish I would have researched this phenomenon back then, but it never occurred to me to do so.  On occasion I would share these examples with people and just as likely as not, would get a condescending little smirk in reaction.  There were some who believed that there was a correlation with the beyond, and some who most emphatically did not.  I tended not to mention additional sightings to those who did not, but did share a couple of instances with Pete’s family when we sat around the dinner table and the subject of ghosts came up.

Image via Wikipedia

Fast forward to this year.  In June I returned to Michigan to attend what my side of the family was calling “CousinFest 2010.”  We were on the main outing, all we cousins, which was a Leelanau County winery tasting tour.  Getting into the back seat of a vehicle with my oldest cousin, I spotted a dime on the floor between us.  ”Look,” I said, jokingly.  ”Someone is telling us they’re pleased we’re together today.  I wonder if it’s your mom or mine?”  We chuckled and I put the dime in my purse, thinking surely it fell out of the console where they might keep spare change for a toll or something.  We proceeded into the next stop and were gone for a while.  Back in the car again, and there’s a dime on the seat between us.  Now that was spooky.  I wouldn’t put it past one of my knucklehead rellies to have put it there as a joke, but they would’ve ‘fessed up by now.

In July, we lost Pete’s mom, Joan, not unexpectedly, but still rather suddenly.  In the shock of the next few days, a family friend, Jill, whom Joan had treated as a daughter, was very distraught as they’d been on vacation when Joan passed.  They rushed to our home without stopping at theirs upon arriving into town and we had an emotional visit.  Then, they proceeded to their house to unpack and settle in.  Turning down her bed covers the night before the funeral, Jill found a dime.

Image via Wikipedia

Pete’s dad began finding dimes right away, too.  One appeared on the table beside his favorite chair, one of a pair in their living room where they would frequently sit together while Joan was ill.  Another was under his shoes as they lay beside the bed ready for him to swing his feet into upon awakening.  Another dime was discovered in the lawn at the cabin, just at the moment he looked down at his feet.

By now, we were all on the lookout for dimes.  We suggested everyone make a clean sweep of tabletops and landing places, so we could start an analysis from scratch.  Several more were discovered at the cabin, which is the family’s favorite place, and at home.

Image via Wikipedia

In August, Pete and I decided we would retreat to our beloved Minnesota North Shore.  I wrote about our meaningful experiences in our series, Looking Into Forever – Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4.   Those posts were very difficult to write, as they contained very powerful experiences, messages and reminders.  What I didn’t tell you is that while Pete was breaking our camp for the last time on our last day, he found a dime all by itself in one of the tent’s mesh pockets.  We had never used them for spare change whatsoever.

At findingdimes.org, we’re told by a commenter,

“There is an old adage that says “Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, three times is proof.” So I feel like something is going on here. This is not random. There is a reason why I am finding these dimes. Someone is sending me these dimes. I’m not sure exactly who. Or exactly why.”

Another commenter responds,

“Dimes are a sign of love from someone who has passed on and it’s their way of sending encouragement and peace.”

Another reference I found provided these anecdotal insights:

“Last night a dime suddenly dropped in my house. But the weird thing is…I am from Europe. I have never been in USA.”

“When I find a dime I look to see which side it is on. If it is on the flame side(the torches) I take that to mean direction. The torches are a trinity, a number of completeness. I know that wherever I was in my mind at the moment I found the dime is something I should consider and know that the creator is listening.  If it is on heads I take that to mean “face it.” Face where I am at the moment and except it. I know this may sound silly but since I have been finding dimes for a long time I gave them this significance. I’m glad to know that I am not the only one that finding dimes is weird.”

and this (wishful?) insight:

“Pay phones only used to cost a dime to call somebody… Spirits are asking you to call them. That’s the honest truth.”

Evidently, many people tattoo themselves with a dime and a significant date after a loss.  There are many comments supporting the practice and acceptance that this is a sign throughout the older entries in InkedBlog.

Wilder theories abound in another forum:

“In numerology the numbers 1-9 are used as well as the double digit (master) numbers 11,22,33 and so on. I think that finding a dime could signify a new beginning. In numerology you take the numbers down as far as they go, so 10 would be 1+0=1. The end of the single digit cycle, and the beginning of the double digit cycle. It’s a perfect number. A perfect balance of positive and negative. The Yin and Yang of the number world. So. Take finding dimes as a sign of change (quite literally).”

and

The meaning of number ten deals with returning to our center, coming full circle. Ten holds a vibration of unity, as well as fresh starts.

If the number One symbolizes the beginning (& it does), then we can say that the number Ten represents the outcome, result, or achievement of that first step or beginning.

The most profound message number Ten hails is “whatever we sew, we shall now reap.” In other words, “what comes around goes around.”

Ten also represents fulfillment, attainment, and completion. These attributes are obtained by observing the Ten containing all the elementary numbers from 1 to 9. As such, Ten is a vessel holding all the jumbled up potential found in the language of numbers.

Ten is also a bit slippery because reduced – it turns back to number One – hence, again – a full circle, coming to the beginning – finding unity (all is one, one is all).

That you are picking up a great deal of dimes is quite a good sign. Specifically, dimes may be symbolic of shiny opportunities coming your way that you once thought were lost to you.

Remember Tens are strong representation of recycling events (full circle) – a dime is a superior symbolic symbol of such phenomenon. Consider how many times a dime (or any money for that matter) is recycled through our society.

Symbolic dimes provide messages of lost opportunities regained. Things we thought we should not or could not do are beginning to resurface. Our energies are being recycled. Our intellectual currency is on the brink of change.

Shiny, bright and round…these dimes on your path are beacons of promise. They hold the meaning of number Ten firmly in their vibration and that is: “Events are coming full circle. Cast off the old, and don the new. Step into the beginning that is for your greatest good.”

It’s quite a lot to think about, isn’t it?  So much so, that I’m not sure what to think.  However, I remain very willing to believe these instances are not mere coincidence.

A couple of weeks ago, a friend was over and mentioned she and her husband were going up to the North Shore on their anniversary weekend.  Did I have any recommendations for her?  I walked into my office and picked up our heavy North Shore notebook to get out a brochure for her.  A dime flew out.  It had been on the top page in the looseleaf binder.

And, more recently, in an attempt to declutter, I’ve been consolidating.  When I opened a dresser drawer that hadn’t been used in months, amid all the other items was a lonely dime.  No other spare change.

Can all these instances be explained by a non-believer?  Certainly.  I don’t think we’ll ever know, even though there are anecdotes and tales of dimes appearing mysteriously and literally in thin air, while people were showering (with no pockets for a dime to fall out of), in locations far away where they were unlikely to be, and in places where your first glance would fall.

We’ll probably never know for sure.  I’m hoping, though, I’ll find out once I reach the afterlife so that I can continue the practice with those for whom I care so much who remain here after me.

Have you ever had a similar experience that you took to be a message from beyond?  Did you know there is even a Facebook page topic on Finding Dimes?

Finding Dimes is a post from: Passing Thru