Category: Personal

Blueberry Pie Recipe

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Blueberry Pie. It looks burnt, but it isn’t. That’s just the filling that bubbled over.

I made this pie yesterday. Here’s a picture and the recipe.
 
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup instant tapioca
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups blueberries
1 double pie crust
1/4 cup or so of water
1 egg, beaten
 
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Mix first 5 ingredients in large bowl.
Add berries and toss until coated.
Let mixture sit 10-15 minutes.
If your bottom pie crust isn’t already in the pie pan, do that now.
Pre-bake the bottom crust for 4-5 minutes.  This prevents a doughy bottom crust, but can make adhesion with the top crust difficult if baked too long.  
Fill crust with berry mixture.
Brush edge of crust with water to soften for better adhesion.
Position top crust and crimp edges with fork.
Trim excess crust.
Cut vent holes in top crust.
Brush top crust with egg.
Sprinkle sugar over top crust.  (cinnamon / sugar mixture can be substituted)
Cover crust edges with foil or crust guard.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Remove crust guard and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Distracted – Final

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In honor of Distracted Driving Awareness Month.  Please promise not to use your cell phone while driving.  It’s very dangerous to yourself and to those who share the road with you (like me!).

HANG UP AND DRIVE!

Simple Wind Turbine

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Image

Because Earth Day’s coming up…

SCBWI Illustrator’s Critique Blog

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I wanted to share a link with you all.  Illustrators for Kids is a place where SCBWI illustrators can share their work and receive constructive criticism from their fellow artists.  If you’re a SCBWI illustrator, please join us and share your work.  If not, you’re still welcome to come in and let us know what you think of our stuff.

VIRUS ALERT! This is a sneaky one!

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Okay, I usually don’t do posts about technical computer stuff, but I want to make sure to spread the word about this one because it’s REALLY, REALLY sneaky.  It almost got me.

It’s called XP Security 2012.

It gets onto your computer and installs itself without permission, then it shuts down all virus-check programs and runs itself at start up.  It looks like a Microsoft Anti-Virus program.  REALLY looks like it.  No broken English, all the right icons, appropriate fake websites, everything.  It’s scam is that it runs a “scan” on your computer and tells you that you’re infected with a bunch of viruses.  Then it has a button for removing the viruses, which redirects you to a page where you are asked to purchase a copy of the “virus protection” software.  So, that way they get your credit card number.  If you click, “Remind me later” it will nag you to remove the problems or “continue unprotected”.  Very heavy-handed virus protection, huh?  Then, whenever a program tries to use the internet, it blocks it (giving you a “helpful” message alerting you to this and claiming that the program is infected).  Often it will block the program from running entirely.  Everything except a browser, of course, which it needs to keep working so you’ll finally give up and give it your credit card number.

I have this one on my laptop.  Man, it almost got me too.  I only didn’t give in because I was pissed at the idea of having to spend a bunch of money AGAIN to get the stupid computer clean.  Well, I do need to spend more money, but not with that program.  I talked to ComputerMan in Olathe (the shop I always take my computers to) and they said that they’re getting A LOT of these and it’s takes about 4 hours to get it cleaned off.  It’s really convincing and they’ve had a bunch of customers admit that they gave the thing their credit card number, not realizing it wasn’t legitimate.  I came VERY close to doing the same thing.

So, BE WARNED!

Here’s an article with more information:
http://www.precisesecurity.com/rogue/xp-security-2012

Gosh, has it really been that long?

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I went and updated my website today.  I added a few images to my online portfolio.  Nothing big.  When I added a note to the “What’s New” page for what I changed, I realized it’s been MONTHS since I touched the website at all.  Like, six months.  Geez.  I need to do better than that.  Not that I haven’t been doing stuff, but nothing’s gone on the website.  So, anyway, I fixed that today at least.  🙂

Just Read: The Alpine Path

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I just read The Alpine Path by L. M. Montgomery.  It’s the story of her life focusing on her writing career.

She did not remember a time when she wasn’t writing.  She got her first stuff published when she was a girl, but it took forever before her first book, Anne of Green Gables, was accepted.  It was sent out, resent, sent again, and rejected a lot.  But finally it got accepted.  Even after her success, she still had to be persistent and send out things many times before they found a home. So, the lesson from this is that all writers need to be persistent.  Even the best ones.

It also seems that, in many ways, she WAS Anne Shirley.  No, she wasn’t an orphan.  But she grew up on Prince Edward Island and loved it just as much as Anne.  She even had the habit of naming ordinary things romantic names and seeing the magic in everyday places.  Most of her stories seem to have had their seed, at least, in real events that happened in her life or the lives of those she knew.  So, the lesson there is to pay attention to everything around you.  It can provide inspiration for your work.

It also has a long section that’s essentially a travel log from her honeymoon trip to Europe.  That’s kind of nice to read, but doesn’t really have much to do with her writing.

I’m always surprised how long ago she lived and wrote.  Her books do not seem to be set so very long ago, except when fashion or current events are mentioned.  The language she writes in and her character’s motivations are not so very archaic. Sure, there are some unfamiliar words and phrases, but not so much that it’s at all difficult to read or to identify with the characters.  I love her writing.

On a side point, I really appreciate the nook’s built-in dictionary.  The vocabulary used back then contains some words I’m not familiar with and the ability to immediately look them up as I read is wonderful.

Back on topic, The Alpine Path is something worthwhile for any aspiring author to read.

Don’t Panic Nook Cover

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Awhile ago I posted about designing a bumper sticker to use to make myself a “Don’t Panic” nook cover. (Click here to see that post)  Well, here it is, installed on the cover.  You could use it to do the same thing on a kindle cover, too.

The Reason for The Season

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Going back to ancient times all around the world, people have always celebrated the winter solstice. The shortest day of the year, it marks the turning point of winter.

This was generally the last feast of the year until after the famine months of late winter and early spring. Animals would be slaughtered, if they hadn’t been already, so that they wouldn’t need to be fed over the winter. This was usually the last fresh meat available for months. From this point on, food would be scarce and people would often have to ration what they had. Starvation was common and there was no guarantee of making it through to spring. The first of the alcohol from the year’s crops would also be fermented by this time and ready for drinking.

It was generally the last chance to feast and be merry for months and people, ancient and modern alike, would gather with family and friends to celebrate.

As with most holidays, it had religious significance. Usually something having to do with birth or rebirth and new beginnings. However, the reason for the season probably had at least as much to do with gathering together during the darkest time of the year as it did with religion.

So, no matter which solstice holiday you celebrate, remember that you are taking part in an ancient ritual going back to the dawn of humanity.

Have a Wonderful Winter Solstice!

For more information on the Winter Solstice, check out the listing on Wikipedia.