H.A. Larson's Blog, page 54

A Perfect Winter's Sunday

Good morning, and Happy Monday! Another week is here and I'm ready. After last week's hecticness, I was finally able to get everything done over the weekend. In addition, I got to relax and spend time with both of my kids, in nature no less! I'd say that makes the perfect scenario for a good weekend.
Saturday I caught up on all the work I needed to get done, as well as wrapped up another chapter of The Box. I managed to have some time to relax and get to bed early. Sunday, then, I was raring to go. I got some writing done, and when The Teen came home, he announced he wanted to go hiking. Nature Girl and I were already planning on doing just that, so his timing was right on.




We headed out to Hitchcock Nature Center, where we started out on the boardwalk trail. I know many people who don't like to hike/walk out in nature during the Winter. The absence of colorful foliage discourages many from getting outdoors, but I love it. The stark contrast of color stands out, and the lack of foliage means that one can see for miles in a place such as this. Nothing deters me though, as I see beauty in nature everywhere. 




One of many trails that can be seen from the boardwalk trail. They aren't normally very visible in the warmer months because of the foliage.




The Teen and Nature Girl spend some time together, and admire nature around them.




When we first arrived, the Sun was partially hidden behind the clouds and the temperature was 27 degrees F. By the time we got off the boardwalk trail, it had risen to 31 degrees F.
I used my nice camera on the boardwalk, but when we reached the end of it, we delved deeper into the forest. It's not feasible to lug around a big camera, so I put it away in my backpack.




After a chilly but vigorous 2.5 mile hike, we drove over to the Visitor's Lodge. The Lodge has an enormous deck that provides one with stunning views from high up in the Iowa Mountains (Loess Hills). Even in Winter the view is incredible.




While I've taken and posted dozens of photos from HNC from every season, I've never really shown you what it looks like inside the Lodge. It's a great place for kids to learn about the Loess Hills and the various raptors that visit here.




I usually park myself here, on the large, dominant fireplace, while Nature Girl plays over in the kid's nook. The Teen took advantage of the comfy bean bags to relax and text his friends.

It was so nice to finally get back to normal this weekend, and indulge in my favorite activities, particularly hiking. For me, nothing brings balance to my life like time spent in nature. Hiking does, not only wonders for my physical health, but for my mental health as well. A good hike through the woods is the ultimate way for me to bring myself back to center.
I hope you had a good weekend as well, and that your Monday is the start of a great week.
-H.A.

Medieval Merriment

Good morning! This is the breakfast sandwich I made for myself on this wonderful Saturday morning, and, yes, it's vegan. After the busy & stressful week I've had, it was nice to stay up late last night, drink some beers, and have a lazy kind of morning. I also got to see one of my best friends last night, and we had a great visit. I've got my cup of coffee next to me, and I'm ready to tackle the day.
It's no secret to anyone who knows me, yourself included, that I love Renaissance Faires. I love everything about Ren Faires, and I mean everything. I'm even listening to Renaissance Folk music right now as I type this. Anyway, I always go to our local Ren Faire every year in the Spring, and also go to a major one in the Fall--usually Minneapolis or Kansas City. 




So, knowing how much I love Ren Faires, you can imagine my excitement at discovering a smaller Ren Faire in a neighboring state is going to hold it's First Annual Ren Faire After Dark. It's for adults only (21+) and includes camping, merriment, and debauchery. I got tickets for my husband and myself right away.




Now, while this event won't have a joust such as pictured above, it does have many other fun activities, all spaced out so everyone can enjoy every event. The merriment is scheduled to last into the wee hours of the morning when we can then go back to our tent exhausted. I can't wait for this event! My poor husband is probably already tired of hearing about it. Haha! I even, for the first time, will dress up for the event. It has a pirate theme and so I got a proper pirate wench costume, hat, and long stockings. My husband is also looking foward to dressing up. No worries for you, I will undoubtedly make a great post about the event after it happens in May.
I'm finally hoping to get out and about today and tomorrow like I had hoped I would last weekend. Between feeling off and having a ton of stuff to do, I just couldn't get out. I'm going to get caught up on stuff today, and then enjoy the good weather that is happening this weekend.
Have a great weekend, my friend. 
-H.A.

Reflections on this Week

Good morning, and Happy Friday. The weekend is finally here, and I don't even have a proper post for you. I've had a rough week, to be honest. I've had a lot of things to take care of this week, so I've been really busy. On top of that, it's been a week of drama as well. Sometimes life is that way, you know? You can go along, for the most part, just living casually day-to-day, week-to-week, and then one week it's chaos. That sums up my life in general, and this was a chaos week.
There's still no end in sight through the weekend, honestly. I'd like to think I'll be able to relax--I will to some degree--but I can't, it's mostly busy work. Like right now, I should be getting ready for work, but I had to take care of business first.
I'm really hoping to get out more this weekend, but we shall see. If last weekend (which started off this week of chaos) is any indication, I won't get to do much either. You never know though, right? Things can change quickly.
It's now afternoon, and I'm feeling more relaxed. I'm going to go visit a dear friend tonight and have a couple of drinks. That always is good for the spirit. I've also got a few events that I've purchased tickets for coming up this year, so I'm excited for that. I'll get more into detail about that when I've had a chance to get myself organized again.
Until then, have a great weekend!  
-H.A. 

Portrait of Omaha: Joslyn Art Museum

Good morning! It's time for another installment of Portrait of Omaha. This time, I'm giving you a glimpse inside the Joslyn Art Museum. It's the principal art museum in Nebraska, and was opened in 1931. It was so named for George Joslyn, an early Omaha businessman, by his wife Sarah. (Another time, I'll show you Joslyn Castle.) We've enjoyed this museum over the years as they had free entry on Saturday mornings, but four years ago, the museum received a generous donation and were able to allow free entry all the time.



Sculpture that graces the East end of the museum.



Chihuly's Inside & Out
One of the prominent visages of the museum is the tremendous glass sculpture: Chihuly's Inside & Out. As you can see from the people standing below it, it's impressive in stature.





Close-up of the Inside & Out.




This artwork adorns the walls of the Walter and Suzanne Scott Pavilion. This Pavilion was added on to the museum in 1994, a gift from the Scott's, who were philanthropists.





The original wings of the museum are a feast for the eyes, and filled with Art Deco architecture. This colorful fountain is the centerpiece of this large, open room. It's surrounded by walls of pink marble. The window and door frames, along with their metal sconces, are all indicative of this style.



Robert Henri: Consuelo in Black, 1924.



George C. Ault: August Night at Russell's Corners, 1948.



Artist Unknown: Funerary Portrait of Shalmat, daughter of  'Abda, 2nd Century.



Edgar Degas: Little Dancer aged Fourteen, 1920-21.




Impressive collonades lead visitors down marble hallways on the second floor of the Joslyn wing. This part of the museum houses sculptures, and art from different areas of the world. The museum, while not as large as other major museums, is home to a wide variety of fantastic art. Titian, El Greco, American art, and many other fabulous pieces.



Eight-panel screen, Kangxi Period (1662-1722)


The Joslyn Museum is the perfect way to spend an inquisitive morning or a lazy afternoon. Follow this link in the previous sentence for more information. This truly is a gem of Omaha (or Nebraska & the Midwest for that matter), and I hope you'll make time to stop by here if you're ever in the area. It's well worth the visit!

Celestial Events for March

Good afternoon! I bet you thought I wasn't going to post today. Well, I am. I had a sick kid this weekend, and I wasn't feeling the greatest myself, so I just slept and relaxed a lot this weekend. This was great for the sick part of me, but not so great for the busy part of me. I digress however, as it's Monday, the start of a new week, and I don't have time to worry. *wink* 
Anyway, I've been thinking about some sky-watching here lately, so I figured it was time for a post about it. Here, then, is a list of sky events for the next few months.
1. Wednesday, February 11th: Comet 45P/HMP. This comet will reach close proximity to Earth on this day, before heading back to the outer solar system. You will be treated to a view of a small, bright, fuzzy ball in the wee hours of the morning. Look for it around dawn.
2.  Tuesday/Wednesday, February 10th/11th: Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. Although this is easily mistaken for a regular Full Moon, this will be visible as a slight darkening of the Moon.
3. Thursday, February 26th: New Moon. The Moon will be on the same side of the Earth as the Sun during this time period. What does this mean for sky viewing? Well, without the Moon's light interfering, one can see objects in the sky that are typically unable to be seen, such as galaxies and star clusters. 
4. Sunday, March 12th: Full Moon. Tonight, the face of the Moon will be completely illuminated. The weather should be warming up a little as well, so wear a few layers and get outside to check out this impressive sight.
5. Monday, March 20th: Vernal Equinox. Today, on the first day of Spring, the Sun will shine right on the Equator. This means that there will be equal parts day and night all over the world. 
6. Saturday, March 28th: New Moon. If you missed the other new moon, here's your chance to see it again, or shall we say the lack of it? Without the moonlight interfering with sky vision, it's much easier to see faint celestial objects.


So there you have it! Some celestial events happening over the next couple of months. Of course, this year is the big solar eclipse. This will happen in August, and I'll dedicate a whole post to it. For now, this should tide you all over! Have a great week. 

January's LVJ Subscription

Happy Saturday from the Midwest! We have snow on the ground, but the weather is going to warm up today. This means I can get out and about, and particularly get outside. I'm ready! So, as I promised yesterday, here's my subscription post. Yep, this month's Louisville Vegan Jerky sub came in, and it's back to the normal sub since the holidays are now over. Anyway, let's take a look, shall we?



Here's this month's box and card. The card, which always doubles as a postcard, appears to be of an old diner turned store. It's called ear X-tacy, and I wonder if it's a record shop in Louisville. Something for us google sleuths to look up!




First up, Enid's Sriracha Maple. Always a good flavor. Yum.




Next is Tod's Smoke Chipotle. It's one of my favorite flavors out of the regular line. I have to admit though, that I'm really anxious to get another bag of Smokey Carolina BBQ! In fact, they could send me a bag of that each month, and then once a year, send me three bags. It's my absolute favorite flavor, and I won't share it with jack!




Last, but not least, is this month's test flavor: Jamaican Jerk. Ooooo! I love jerk seasoning and so I'm looking forward, like usual, to trying it out. I'll keep you posted.
And there you have it, this month's LVJ subscription. It's always fun to get this in the mail, and quite affordable. If you don't eat meat and would like to learn more about this sub, head over to their website.

Friday Ramblings

Good morning! This isn't exactly Coffee Talk, but I do have a cup of coffee with me. This is a good thing, trust me, as I ran out of coffee a few days ago and yesterday, I was feeling it. In fact, I had a bit of a headache yesterday afternoon and I was a bit grumpy. I attribute it to my lack of caffeine. I did buy some coffee yesterday though when I was out and about, and, man, coffee hasn't tasted this good in a long time!
The picture up there was from the Turin Prairie dedication I went to with my daughter, husband, and dad back in September. I was thinking about that this morning as I peeked outside at the snow. We finally got a decent snow fall that stuck, and, while it's a good thing, I miss the green months. Don't get me wrong, Winter is beautiful in it's own right, and I don't mind snow. It's the frigid temps we receive at times that can get me down. And, while I can hike in the Winter if I truly wanted to, there's nothing like hiking during dry, nicer weather. Truth be told, I have a bit of cabin fever, but not for getting out in general but rather for getting out in nature. 
I've had a busy week, probably busier than I wanted. I work full-time, and taking my total commute into consideration, I'm gone for 11 hours a day. On top of that, I am busy with my writing career (which is truly a part-time job for me, and consumes a good chunk of time); I run a weekly Skypecast with my husband; I have a busy personal life; and I'm getting more involved with causes I feel strongly about. I'm not complaining, I'm really not. It's the life I've chosen for myself, and I wouldn't want it any other way, but there are times when I feel overwhelmed.
These feelings usually happen when routine is broken because of some kind of "tragedy". This week, The Teen came down with influenza, so I had to take some time off from work to take care of him and things surrounding sickness. Since I was actually home during the weekday, I was able to get some household business taken care of: appointments for dentists; checking over the bills; and getting things organized. I'm glad I have a job that allows me enough sick time to take care of myself and my family. I'm also glad that I was able to take care of some much-needed things, but it's just more things piled on top of my already growing list of things to do.
Of course, they're out of the way now, and I can refocus myself back on my regular routine. Do you ever notice how going off the routine rails can be unsettling sometimes? Fortunately, a dear friend of mine texted me yesterday, late afternoon, asking if I wanted to get out for a bite and a drink. We hadn't seen each other in awhile, so she picked me up and I had a much appreciated break from life for a couple of hours. It's amazing how much a few hours can do for you when you start feeling overwhelmed.
Typically, I would take a bit of time and go for a hike, but with the weather the way it is, my options are limited. I've surmised a few things from this week, then: 1. I need to remember to give myself a personal break when I feel a bit overwhelmed, and 2. I really need to get myself a proper coat for hiking in cold weather. 
It's Friday though, and I couldn't be happier about this. I'm going to, if nothing else, hit up a few boardwalk trails and take some pictures with my camera. I also want to check out the museum as we were unable to last weekend. I hope your weekend is grand, and I'll be here tomorrow with a subscription post!  
-H.A.

Recipe of the Week: Roasted Cashew & Sun-dried Tomato Cheese

One thing I used to miss terribly from my omnivore days was cheese & crackers. To me, there was nothing more satisfying than a good cheese placed liberally on a quality cracker. After going vegan, finding a good cheese to pair with crackers proved difficult. 
There are plenty of vegan cheeses that work great for cooking/baking, but not much in the way of snacking cheese. I eventually found a few vegan cheeses that are awesome for cheese and crackers, but they can be spendy. Then, awhile back, I discovered how good cashew cheese is, and have been experimenting with my own, trying to make the perfect one for crackers. I have finally perfected it, and am ready to share it with you. So, get yourself some nice crackers, and good bottle of red wine, and prepare yourselves for the best homemade cashew cheese evah!





Roasted Cashew & Sun-dried Tomato Cheese

Ingredients:
1 c. (generous) of roasted, unsalted cashews soaked for at least one hour, but up to 12, drained and rinsed3-4 sun-dried tomatos, soaked in warm water for at least two hours, but up to 12, drained3 T nooch 2 T lemon juice3 T miso paste1/2 t garlic powder1/2 t onion powder1/2 t salt1/2 t pepper1/2 c water

Instructions:
1. Put all the ingredients in a high-powered blender, except for the water, and pulse a few times to get it going.
2. At this point you will need to add water, so add in a 1/4 c at a time, then blending on medium-high speed until smoooth.
3. Scrape down the sides as needed. I find myself having to do this about four times.
4. Don't add more than 1/2 c of water if you can help it, but if you feel that you need to add more after this, add it in at a scant tablespoon at a time. You want cashew cheese, not cashew creme.
5. Blend it all until nice and smoooth. Scrape out into a covered container and refrigerate until firm.
6. Enjoy with crackers, and wine if you'd like. Should last at least a week or two in the fridge.

Notes:
*Soak your tomatoes and cashews the night before you want to use them. Twelve hours is the perfect amount of time to soak both for the perfect cheese texture.
* Red wine that is slightly sweet, is the perfect pairing for this.
*Nooch means nutritional yeast.

A Lovely Winter's Day

Hello everyone. I hope your weekend was grand! Mine was good. I finally got outside, which warmed my heart. The thing I hate the most about winter, besides the cold, is not being able to walk around in the forest. Saturday, while the ground was wet from all the rain we've been getting, the weather was in the 50s. I resolved to get outside somehow, and ended up choosing Fontanelle Forest down in Bellevue, NE. 




We've been here many times over the years, but when the ground is just too muddy to navigate I choose it specifically. The reason for this is their long, lovely boardwalk. So, I grabbed my new camera and we headed out.




The weather was fantastic, and I relished being out among my beloved nature. It was the first time I'd gotten out into nature with my new camera as well, and I'm reminded of how nice it is to have a good camera.




One of the trails that leads off from the boardwalk. While I sure wished I could have walked on the trail, I was more than happy to be on the boardwalk.




The sun was so radiant and warm.




A close-up shot I got of some fungus on a tree.




One of the neat things about Fontanelle Forest, is that there's an area where you can see the Omaha skyline off in the distance. Of course, having a fancy new camera, I really wanted to test my telescopic lens and see how clear of a close-up picture I could get. Here you can see the Woodmen tower, First National tower, and three buildings from the Henry Doorly Zoo, including the Desert Dome. To put it in perspective, it's nine miles from where I was standing to First National Tower.




Some of the trees are clinging on to their Fall leaves. The sunlight was streaming through some of them, making for a cool view.




I love the spindly, spiny tree fingers of winter.

A Traveler's Mind

Not too long ago, I was drinking out of this coffee mug. Not for any particular reason, but because it just happened to be the mug I grabbed out of the cupboard. It's a mug we purchased at Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas when I took the kids there--back in March of 2015 when they were on Spring Break. My mom lives there for her job, and since I hadn't seen her in awhile, it seemed like something to do. 
Now, I had never envisioned Arkansas as being a vast place of beauty and wondrous nature. I found out otherwise when I was there.



A shot of the Ozark Mountains at the entrance to Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas.
The Ozark Mountains stretch primarily through southern Missouri, Arkansas, and into Oklahoma. While not as massive in scale as the Rocky Mountains, they are still impressive nonetheless. I didn't realize that Arkansas was covered in so much mountains and forests! It's no secret that I love nature and hiking, so being here was like a dream come true. Petit Jean itself is not only home to mountains and forest, but to a cave and a large waterfall as well. 



My kids as they ran to a viewing rock at the main visitor's lodge at Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas.
Just look at that view! We spent our whole trip immersed in the stunning nature that surrounded us, and came home with a sense of renewal and peace. There was so much more of the area that we never saw, that I vowed we would return one day for a more proper vacation.
It was this wonderful remembrance, while drinking from my coffee mug, that got the wheels set in motion. My husband and I had finally taken the kids (in June of 2016) on a real family vacation to Colorado, but it was only four days. Much too short! We had already planned on taking the kids for a second, longer, family trip for their Spring break this year, which falls in April, so I mentioned Arkansas to my husband. After perusing the internet, and seeing pictures of places that I haven't been to yet, even, we decided to all go to the Ozarks this year. 



The wonderful vacation travel package I ordered from Arkansas.
I talked to Mom, who is more than excited to have us come visit. We're going to stay with her too, which gives us time to visit and have a place to stay. We're trying to pay off a few things this year (money was going to be tight) so we had feared we might just have to make the best of a staycation. Being able to stay with my mom and pack all of our own food makes this a perfect solution!
 After we made the decision, I ordered a travel guide from Arkansas which arrived in the mail this week. They sent us a whole set of books for us to use to plan the perfect outdoor vacation...so much more than a travel guide. We're definitely excited to go back to the mountains and spend oodles of time outdoors! Don't worry, you'll definitely get to see the end results.
Now, it's time to get this weekend going. I hope yours in fantastic, and that, you yourself, are planning a fun trip for this year. 
-H.A.