Thoughtful Thursday - The Day Pollen Stole My Life and 5 Simple Solutions

Photo courtesy of brookenovak via Flickr

Evil pollen. There. I said it. I love trees as much as the next sucker person, but this spring, I've had enough. Last week, I was a useless mess. Running sucked. Ballet sucked. Writing sucked. My sinuses had never been so unhappy and everything took super-human effort. Okay, enough whining.

This week, I've found a sorta-kinda solution: Claritin with a 1/2 shot of nasal spray. Soooo, Claritin makes me jittery. Like, really jittery. No coffee needed because (hooray!) I have Clariton to keep me awake. And because of the dreaded "rebound effect," I can't use the nasal spray for more than 3 days. What's an author to do?

Here are my five simple solutions to spring allergies. Let me know if they work for you.

1) Move to Antarctica I've never considered moving south, but I hear the penguins are lovely this time of year. And with 0 permanent residents, I can't go wrong. I'll have enough quiet time to churn out novel after novel.

2) Hermetically Seal Myself from Head-to-Toe Amazon sells a vacuum sealing system for a mere $69.50. Of course, it's only big enough for cutlets, but I'm sure with a bit of convincing, Foodsaver could be talked into upgrading their model.

3) Exorcise Each and Every Plant  Cast out the demons. Pollen be gone! The power of winter compels you! The power of winter compels you!

4) Condoms Every plant gets one. Yes, yes. I realize that means nothing reproduces. Whatever.

5) Burn it with Fire Torch every single tree because it's the only way. Oh chill. I'm just kidding.

Excuse me while I OD on nasal spray and run a marathon like Speed Racer.

Thoughtful Thursday - Rite of Spring

Ah, spring! The time when all the trees in our neighborhood pop like popcorn. The time when the chill in the air becomes tinged with the most melancholy of breezes. The time my favorite oak struggles to make a comeback from icy vestiges of winter--and the Magnolia tree we planted in memory of our dog Oberon, blooms.

I always do something special to mark the seasons. The "something special" changes from year-to-year, but marking the season in a reverent way is important to me. This Spring Equinox weekend, I decided to have a go at making myself a resin ring. I've never made resin jewelry before (I'm not crafty) but saw this via Faerie Magazine. Cool, isn't it? I thought it was a ring when I first saw the picture, but turns out it was a bracelet--and one I couldn't afford. The design stuck with me, but the price...maybe I could make it? I did some research, bought a silicone ring mold, resin and release spray, and...they sat on my counter top for the next few weeks. Enter Spring Equinox weekend. Perfect timing! I gathered some greenery from the base of my oak tree, mixed it with the resin, poured the mess into a silicone ring mold--and voila!

My Rite of Spring ring.

It was very difficult to get the tiny bits of plant matter into the tiny mold. Unfortunately, it turned out cloudy! I read that if your materials are damp (my plant matter wasn't dried or sealed) it can react with the resin. I will definitely be trying this again--next time, with just moss and clover because the dandelion doesn't work for me. Perhaps I'll get it right by the Summer Solstice.


Follow up: Spring Ring #2

#MeatlessMonday - Lime-Glazed Cookies #dessert

Happy Spring! Thought I'd start the week off with some cookies. Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of nsdis via Flickr

Lime-Glazed Cookies

Ingredients

2 teaspoons lime juice
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons lime zest
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine the 2 teaspoons of lime juice with the milk. Let stand for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the lime zest and milk mixture.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda and blend into the creamed mixture. 

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are light brown.
To make the glaze, stir together the remaining lime juice and sugar. Brush onto cooled cookies.