Under a Red Roof ·

The Weekend Recollected

July 19, 2010 in Being, Eating, Reading by Colleen | 1 comment

Hello Monday.

It was a terrific weekend here. One of those lovelies filled with everything and nothing: looking at electric pianos (we’re both going to learn), riding bikes to a pizza place we hadn’t tried before (Dove Vivi – very good), washing clothes, doing chores, lolling about the house reading Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse. Good golly miss molly! Normally I am a one book at a time kind of reader, zipping straight through, but I just can’t do it with her. The text is so dense. After about ten pages, I have to switch to something else (it was Astrid and Veronika, but now I’ve finished that and need something else, something breezy and light) out of fear of literary overload. It is a good book though, the characters and story so rich and full of everything: life, sorrow, joy, art, nature, food...

The hubster’s birthday is Wednesday, another year more handsome and wonderful, I say! The photo represents his birthday dinner a few days early, a slow sunny Sunday spent in the kitchen. I felt of another era: barefoot, singing, with a messy apron tied tightly about my middle. I made lemonade, barbecue sauce, marinated and slow roasted ribs (boneless – no mess!), boiled and dressed potatoes, too. Talk about the epitome of summer! We followed all of this with chocolate cupcakes, of course, because it certainly wouldn’t be a Gregory Cooper birthday celebration without something chocolate, no way, no how. For some reason I didn’t take a picture of them, but I assure you of their goodness. Anything for my sweetie. He works so hard and is essential to what makes my life the glorious one that it is. I love you, Buddy.

I also played with my watercolors a little, making waves and trees that I’ll scan for your viewing pleasure one of these days. I am definitely growing more confident with a brush. I’m also thinking about another quilt, one for the guest room. I’ve got a stack of pink and green fabrics that I think would be rather nice together.

Oh, and Lori – don’t fret about the quilt making! Just do it, seriously, start wherever you like. I am a wonky sewer, too. My seams never seem to be very straight, and I always mess something up. Oops is a favorite word of mine! As a matter of fact, after thinking I did a pretty good job of sewing on my binding, I learned that I did it wrong. Next time I’ll go straight to the You Tube before reading a description over and over again and thinking, “Yah, I know what I’m doing.” It looks good, at least, certainly not professional, but good.

There you have it, another weekend in Portland Paradise. Be well, everyone.

For Craig

July 15, 2010 in Remembering, Writing by Colleen | Permalink

I know that your heart lies shattered,

Pieces strewn about the floor,

Waiting for your attention,

Waiting for your care.

Until that time arrives,

Until you have shed the tears still welling within you,

Tears for your brother and and the delicately fierce bonds of family,

Know that you are not alone.

The small hands you’ve enveloped in joy,

The eyes that have gazed upon you in admiration and wonder,

The ears that have heard your laugh and been made better by it,

The hearts touched by your caring,

Are collective souls hoping to buoy your spirit in this time of mourning

And return in small part what you have given so freely.

Colleen Sohn

Tags: Poetry

First Quilt and a Pretty Breakfast

July 12, 2010 in Cooking + Baking, Making by Colleen | 4 comments

Last week was pretty hot here. Super, retreat to the basement kind of hot. And what does one do in the basement besides row on the machine or watch the old television, the one with the screen that occasionally turns bright red? Why make a quilt, of course!

I had never made one before, and I, like many other people I know, have what seems to be a giant stash of fabric begging for just such a project to be made with it. In particular, this beautiful Japanese cotton (running down the center of the quilt) that Sarah bought me on one of her trips there. I’d been contemplating what to do with it for ages. A dress? A blouse? A bag? When I started putting pieces of fabric together to decide what to quilt, I knew this was just the right use for it.

It was pretty simple, a total of ten pieces, including the batting, as I had no intention of drawing it out or starting something I would not finish because I bit off more than I could chew. I am very pleased with the looks of it (the hubster likes it, too). Not to mention, it’s just the right size for cozying up on the living room sofa on cooler days.

Now that I have the confidence, along with much more fabric in my stash and a piece of batting, don’t be surprised if you see another quilt here soon. It is summer, after all, and there are bound to be more hot days requiring time in the cool basement.

Oh, and the beautiful baked good up there? That’s a clafoutis, made from the recipe I posted here. I used the Raven’s Heart plums that are in season now. Aren’t they gorgeous? They taste delicious, too. I might add.

Have a lovely week!

Tags: Cooking and Baking

Visioneers

July 9, 2010 in Being, Spotlighting, Watching by Colleen | Permalink

I read somewhere recently that the purpose of school is to make people learn to conform. I have to admit that a tight knot formed in my belly upon reading it. Fighting words. School is so much more. Then I thought a bit more about it and found myself conforming to whomever’s idea it was. Sit here, be nice, 2+2=4, oh, and you better agree with me. I’ve spent a lot of my life agreeing with people. Sometimes even when I really don’t. It is easier and kinder and usually feels right. What about those times when it doesn’t? When I quit the charade and speak my mind? It surprises people and I don’t get invited back to that cool clique on the playground. Someone I used to know called it my hard nugget. “See, you’re petite, and have such a sweet smile, and then POW! out comes the hard nugget.”

I would rather be alone than not be me. It’s that simple. Which is a rather roundabout way of getting to Visioneers, the topic of today’s spotlight. It is a weird and wacky black comedy about the power of corporate America to infiltrate our lives (and the government), and one man’s struggle to discover his authentic self, no matter the cost.

When the number of people exploding from some mystery ailment drastically increases, Visioneer George Washington Winsterhammerman (played by Zach Galifianakis of The Hangover fame) begins to worry. He’s got the classic symptoms – insomnia, loss of interest in sex, binge eating and, most frightening of all – he still dreams.

I really liked this movie. First off, in the aforementioned wacky way, it totally made me laugh. People at the company where George works flip each other off and say, “Jeffers Morning” to greet each other. The insignia for the company is this same gesture (see it there in the poster?). They are terrified by chaos, but they call it “chay-os.” They are an uber efficient and detached group of conformists, with an extreme terror of exploding. Especially George.

Yet there is a certain pleasure in his work, a connection with his level four boss, Charisma. She calls and is friendly, human even. She attaches sticky notes with smiley faces to his work. But, when she gets fired and disappears, George starts to unravel and descend into chay-os. His already troubled marriage takes a turn; his weird, drop-out brother starts to make sense, and his dreams intensify. Is he going to explode? It was terribly worthwhile to find out.

Tags: Movies