How to Peel a Pomegranate

So many of my friends and acquaintances know this, I am super surprised that my family - and Doug's mom - do not. I have always peeled pomegranates sloooowly, over a bowl, and taken the red fingers and enjoyed it along with the sweet/tart fruit.

For Thanksgiving, my mother-in-law provided me with a large bowl and a towel over my clothes (so it wouldn't splatter everywhere), as well as a small bowl for the seeds.Oh, and I can't forget the rubber gloves that she forced over my fingers so they wouldn't stain.

My hand-modeling career was in desperate jeopardy, due to those pomegranates. Thanks to Omi (our nickname for Doug's mom), my hands were spot-free.

Then I came home and blissfully offered to peel a pomegranate for a friend, while chatting away with her at her home. She filled a medium bowl full of water. I was seriously confused.

Taking pity on me, she showed me that if you cut it apart, then plunge it into the water to ruthlessly break it apart, there is no mess. Better yet - the seeds float to the bottom, and the white stuff floats to the top.

I know, "white stuff"? Very technical.

But then you can skim the stuff you don't want off the top, drain the bowl, and enjoy. Of course, you could also cut the top (the flower) off, cut off the bottom, score along all the ridges, and then break it open...but the water way is so fast! And easy, I'm totally into easy.

And no stained fingers, even without gloves. Again, how did I not know this? I don't know. But now I do - and so do you. So enjoy a pomegranate!

It's That Time of the Year Again...

Actually, it's a little later than "that time"...time to plant garlic!

Yes, I know it's December. According to the calendar, though, I still have two weeks or so of autumn before winter gets here. According to the sky, probably not that long. But whatever, still early enough to get garlic in the ground.

The garlic I grew two years ago has really spoiled me for anything but homegrown garlic. I purchased a few bulbs from Burpee (thinking they were very expensive). Those bulbs, though, have proliferated. Truly, garlic is the easiest thing to grow - pull it apart, plant it and wait until spring. Very little watering is even involved (perfect for me, the non-water-er).

Here's my current stash, less the few braids already used since July:

I actually braided a few...then got tired of it.

And put the rest of them in a basket.

And here's my newly planted garlic garden:

The sage and chives are looking a little wilted from the frost

I decided not to plant quite so many this year, since I really have more than I can handle. I'll probably give away several as Christmas presents. What says Merry Christmas more than a braid of garlic, after all?

Maybe I should throw in a wooden stake, a Bible and a cross for extra measure? Hehehe...

The Fish Bowl

After installing new french sliding doors, and throwing away the (broken) plantation blinds that went with the old french doors, we were left with a wide expanse of open window.

From which we could see a lot of open road. Meaning, whoever drove on that road could see directly into our home, especially at night. Yikes!

Collin explained it to Jack this way: "If we're running around naked, everyone can see us!" Personally, I'm wondering how often that happens, since I haven't seen it, at least not in the dining room...but then, they always save the exciting stuff for the neighbors, right?

Anyhoo, fish bowl windows = need for curtains. I hightailed it to JoAnn's to buy material when we got close to purchasing a new slider - this was before I broke my leg. Then it sat, and sat. Then we ordered the slider. Hmmm, maybe I should start on those curtains? So I cut them out, including lining. Except, oops, I only had enough lining for three panels - and I needed to make four.

Pretty material makes me happy

Back to JoAnn's. The next week (or so), I cut out that final liner. And then it sat again.

While Doug was installing the slider, I again thought about making those curtains. Hmmm, I should make curtains. I was, however, at the end of a John Grisham book, so that came first (duh!). Once that was finished, I reluctantly started on them curtains. Sigh.

Doug actually had to leave at this point to put in his second water heater of the week - the cabin we stayed in for Thanksgiving had a dead water heater when we moved in, and then his brother's water heater also gave out once we returned home. Must be some sort of water heater virus knocking them out state to state, huh? With Doug gone, I finished two of those curtain panels.

There are still blinds in the side windows, so no need to actually finish the project, right?

Yup, feeling lazy this week. I mean, year. Anyway. Doug wants to hang them from the ceiling with a wooden rod so that we don't have the inevitable "bump" that comes with the adjustable rods. Fine with me, you do that, honey. Do we have a custom-made curtain rod done, you ask? Nope.

So we used an adjustable curtain rod that was hanging about downstairs, and "temporarily" hung those curtains on the untrimmed boards around the new slider.

The curtains are so heavy, the rod bends in the middle

Held open using the blind cords -
keeps them up and out of little fingers!

At least we're not in a fish bowl anymore. Maybe we'll be a little more motivated. Next week. I mean, year. Hehehe.

Note: the figures on the window are Jack's vinyl nativity set. I couldn't break his heart by taking them down, so now it looks like there's a swarm of little insects on the door. Oh, well.