The Musings of MissFifi

    I appreciate when a blogger apologizes for being gone or quiet, but it is unnecessary. Life gets in the way and sometimes we have nothing to say. So, better to just get on with my ramblings and allow me to share some goodies.      Over a group text one day a colleauge offered to share some of her sourdough starter. Like a lot of people I was apprehensive to ever try a starter, for all the cheese in Italy I do not know why, but then I decided "Let's give it a go, shall we?" It's not like I was able to go anywhere. She dropped some off and promised me I would love it and would nurture it like a baby.      May I say I have absolutely enjoyed my foray into the land of sourdough? No, I do not bake bread, yet. What I have made are  sourdough crumpets , a gift of the gods, and sourdough cinnamon rolls , another gift of the gods. These recipes are easy and fun and delicious. King Arthur has a whole section devoted to recipes for sourdough starter discard, sounds gross, bu

The window of the room where I write looks out over onto my street. What's nice about it is that it's a dead end, so any traffic is from the residents and their guests and the occassional Google Maps user. Like most people, being quarantined/locked down/isolated/put your favorite term here, has brought about ways of seeing things in a new light. When I look out my window I don't just see a neigbor's house anymore. Instead I imagine how they are living in their home during this time. Do they only use the sunroom? Do they sit separately with one in the family room or one in the sunroom? I try to come up with scenarios of their isolation. Maybe they sit in the formal living room, whiling away the time discussing all the people they entertained in that space. Maybe they don't go in that room at all, overwhelmed by its emptiness. What about the homes on my street where most of the inahbitants have left? It is one thing to be five or six people in a 2500 square fo

The world is a very volatile place. Being "right" and "loud" and "offended" at anything and everything has sadly become the norm. This does not help with civil discourse. Sure there are topics and things I do not like, but I need to be aware of them. To understand or not understand. To appreciate faith and lack of faith. We cannot move forward as humans without shutting our mouths and listening now and then. We cannot move forward by being inhuman. Or can we? Humans have evolved and devolved so much I no longer know. What I do know is we have raised up some very anxiety riddled young adults and children. There has been a lack of risk taking and more risk aversion. Children no longer problem solve. They run to an adult. They no longer fight on playgrounds or call each other names or tease one another because we have zero tolerance. We no longer have thick skin, but see through skin. Faint and pale, we do not even see the hearts beating beneath it be

For reading, I am still on a design kick. There has also been smatterings of non-fiction, a graphic novel and listening to podcasts. Elements of Style: Designing a Home and a Life by Erin Gates . I liked a lot of her ideas and the way she weaves her life through the stories. Combined, this made it an interesting and relatable read. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way and patron Saint to creative types who struggle with being blocked and uncertain of their talents, wrote a memoir. A very, very good memoir called Floor Sample . There is no hiding of the demons or the tropes one believes they must adhere to when they are artistic. A few times I wondered how she was still alive due to her drinking, but thank goodness she survived. On Being Human by Jennifer Pastiloff . The scariest thing about this memoir is how quite a few times I felt as if I was reading about my own life. Which was surprisingly comforting. Someone else out there gets me and understands. This book has bee

I have been wanting to paint over some dull furniture in my house. No I have not attempted this before and yes I am looking up information to make sure I do it right. Currently I have become a tad bit obsessed with lacquer furniture. Seriously, look at this beautiful cabinet dome by VintageRemixDesign in Canada. I have an old dry sink that while nice, could be a stunning statement piece with the right paint. I am thinking a lacquer green but not 100% sure yet.  Sundance Catalog always has lovely gifts. This handmade pottery by Eric and Noelle of ZPOTS and Vnoelle is just lovely. Love the cuts, the colors, the flow.  Korto Momolu makes stunning clothing. Oatmeal with a Fork has the best instant pot herb and vegetable brown rice recipe I have ever made. We add shrimp, garlic and egg and I make a soy sauce based sauce for it too. This recipe is great as it or as a base. I couldn't recommend it any higher. Cheers! MissFifi

For most readers, to not finish a book is tantamount to being a heathen so come hell or high water, they will force themselves to get to the end. In my writing class, one of my fellow writer's made the comment that she "does not have time for bad literature." In many ways she is right. Why continue on with something you don't like or are not getting into? Guess this can apply to many areas in life, but let's stick with books shall we? The infamous DNF on many book bloggers sites is something no author wants to see. Writers work hard in the hopes of connecting with an audience. The good thing is, even if I hate a book, there are millions of other readers who will love it. That is a saving grace for most authors.  The problem lies in what the reader has had issues with. Holes in plot lines are a huge no-no. So are descriptions so detailed about a character that you leave nothing for the reader to discover or imagine. The one big issue I have is pop culture ref