• about me
  • contact me
  • Toast Tuesday
  • recipes
  • Healthier at Home in 2020

Lula Harp

~ one girl's journey into cooking, crafting and self discovery

Lula Harp

Tag Archives: snow day

Slow days

16 Tuesday Jan 2018

Posted by Lula Harp in 365project, winter

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

365project, napping, pets, snow day, sunset

I’d like to say I’ve some something productive with being snowed in and off work. What I can tell you is I’ve played on the computer, read lots of recipes, caught up on Doctor Who, taken a lot of naps, and taken tons of pictures of my napping cat.

I’m bored out of my gourd, but not enough to clean house or find some piddle-fit (as brother calls it). I’ve been pretty happy to watch out the window, play with new apps, and take a few walks in the snow.

#365project #photoaday #takingitslow

img_1697
img_1749
img_1756
curled ginger
img_1736
img_1743

Share the love:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

invisible footprints

15 Monday Jan 2018

Posted by Lula Harp in 365project, winter

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

a dog's life, smells, snow day, winter

The nose knows, as least the dog’s nose does.  Everyday I wander and follow Coe as her nose takes us on some adventure.  Most days she is following, and commenting, on some thread only she can see.  The snow has given me a little insight into the chatter that she is normally sorting through to find something really interesting.

#365project #photoaday #thenoseknows

24827476697_792b95853d_z
39656244652_13a6416e0f_z
27917485089_c7a8b57402_z
38797651045_5c4d8b636a_z
38807227965_7c7529d348_z
39678490442_99e4a719f8_z
39709309571_fa31f50290_z

Share the love:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

the path not taken

14 Sunday Jan 2018

Posted by Lula Harp in 365project, Blogging

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

365project, blogging, habits, photo a day, snow day, winter

Having been trapped inside with the snow days, it has given me the time I needed to get caught up on geeking and blog stuff.  It has also given me a serious case of cabin fever and a sore tushy.

I’ve been on WP for quite a few years and have grown as a writer and photographer in that time.  While that was never the intention, it has been a wonderful result.  A lot of my blogger friends have started this with the intention of monetizing their blogs, but for me it has primarily been about getting the detritus out of my brain and giving me a creative outlet.

A great podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, taught me some things about myself.  One of which is I am great when I have an external deadline or goal to meet.  That is why I do challenges.  It makes makes me, in some arbitrary way, accountable for doing my homework.

I’ve been thinking about changing to a self-hosted blog on WP and getting rid of the wp.com page.  For those of you who have made this leap, I’d love to get your thoughts and suggestions.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Just so y’all don’t think I missed a day, the #365project is based in England and so I’m working on their time for that.  So that I, in the US, feel like I am all caught up I’m going to duplicate somethings occasionally.  Also, Ginger wanted to correct me that she loves her chair all the time and not just in the fair weather.  Like a true cat, she has to get the last word on the matter.

the path not taken

This was another pre-dawn dog walk. There was a dense fog that made the entire morning grey.

 

Share the love:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

Weathered

12 Friday Jan 2018

Posted by Lula Harp in 365project, photo challenge

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

365project, photo challenge, snow day, sunny cat, weathered

This week’s WP weekly photo challenge is weathered. Memphis got a snow day so I didn’t get out. I enjoyed most of the day curled up with Ginger Kitty. Coe and I got out for a nice walk in the snow so most of the photos I took are just weather.

Ginger has a chair that she lives on during the warmer months and it has weathered beautifully. It’s even pretty all covered in snow.  I put the pink ribbons on it so no humans would think they can sit in this chair.

I threw a couple snow day photos in with the chair so you’d see she is a fair weather chair friend.

#365project #photoaday #weathered

IMG_1482
28344325426_a3eedbb6f4_z
27482393406_8ff046d74a_z
27240366990_5c5baa239c_z
27879211549_e596bdc3aa_z
24782985397_a02e638b53_z

Share the love:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

Ice is cool

23 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by Lula Harp in winter

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

ice, Shelby Farms, snow day

We had a snow day yesterday.  While the rest of the east coast is getting dumped on, ours lasted a day and now it’s a big muddy mess.  But while it lasted, it was pretty.

I really like the ice that forms in puddles and paw prints.  It reminds me of the movie Sweet Home Alabama and how they talk about glass art that forms when lightening strikes sand.

Here are a few shots I’ve taken over the last couple days.  Click on them to see a larger image.

24481833111_b09888a588_k

24564145845_501c053d80_z 24268658410_29bcef6d0b_z

24481191051_92e06f12bd_z 24267987040_e449a3a9dd_k 24195763949_88949059a7_k

Coe is the least patient photo subject.  She has gotten to the point when she sees me point the camera at her she turns her head and rolls her eyes.  Mom…stop…

While we didn’t get quite as much snow as last year, here’s a look back.  Hope you are all staying warm and safe, and enjoying the cold beauty as much as I am.

Share the love:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

Weekly Photo Challenge: Motion

26 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by Lula Harp in photo challenge, photography

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

iphone photos, motion, photo, Shelby Farms, snow day, wordpress weekly photo challenge

This week’s Photo Challenge theme is Motion.  I knew right away which photos I would be posting.  We had what seemed like quite a bit of snow this winter.  Coe and I both LOVED it now that we live right by Shelby Farms.  I wasn’t sure which one of us would be more tired after our outings, but she quickly told me that while she may be a little more senior, she could kick my ass on any given snow day.

 

This is the epitome of a girl on the go!

IMG_3367

 

 

 

We tromped around for hours finding creeks we didn’t know were there.

IMG_3397

 

 

I think she knows I’m writing about the park because she has started staring at me with the pre-walk eagle eye.  off we go…

Share the love:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

snow day(s)

11 Tuesday Feb 2014

Posted by Lula Harp in baking

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

bacon, Bread Baker's Apprentice, easy tomato soup, focaccia, Ina Garten, King Arthur, olive salad, poolish, scones, snow day

Portland doesn’t see snow too often and when we do most folks just don’t know what to do.  The powers-that-be at work decided we needed to stick it out for far too long.  So by the time they decided we should go home the road were clogged and buses were way behind schedule.  I hopped on the first bus that would get me across the bridge then hoofed it 20 blocks in the snowy wind to a bar where I hoped the girls would catch up with me.  They weren’t too far behind and we had a good afternoon of beer and bar bites before snuggling in for a long winter’s weekend.

I woke early Friday to call the hotline to see if I had to go in.  First call said we had a late start – better than nothing.  What was even better was when the message updated and the office was CLOSED!

I had a day of nothing.  Not one single responsibility and no way to get out to visit anyone.  So what did I do?  Started baking… the day started with bacon cheddar scones and finished with an olive and parmesan focaccia.

I’ve mentioned before I’m on a quest for a good, reliable scone recipe.  I’ve narrowed down some of the things I like and the way certain ingredients react.  This day I used King Arthur’s basic scone recipe.  Instead of adding fruit or nuts, I added bacon crumbles and shredded sharp cheddar.  I reduced the sugar by half since it was savory.

12367672283_9a0f20fc3c_z

I like my scone to be a few bites instead of a meal.  So I shaped the dough into a ovalish rectangle then cut that into 4 strips.  From each strip I cut about 6 or 8 triangles.  I put these on my silpat and topped each with a few sprinkles of cheddar.

12367967984_ef35066d47_z

This recipe suggests you put the entire baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes before baking to solidify the fat and relax the gluten.  I did this, then baked for about 20 minutes.

12367969844_b96c223ded_z

This is hands down, my favorite scone recipe so far.  The crumb was tender and flaky.  The recipe came together so easily and is quite versatile.

I had hoped this was going to be a snow day, so I had started the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Poolish Focaccia the night before.  Then midday I started the dough.

12375550775_89c7f674ba_z

I love this image.  This is the power of yeast at work.

Fast forward to dinner time.  I took half of my focaccia dough and instead of using the herb olive oil the recipe suggested, I folded in 3/4 cup olive salad and about a cup of freshly grated parmesan.  The only thing I’ll change next time, is add a little parchment under the dough.  I put the other half of the dough in the fridge for a focaccia pizza the next night.  That one didn’t turn out very pretty so you don’t get pictures of that.

12375564375_52d6989da6_z (2)

To go with my focaccia, I made Ina Garten’s easy tomato soup.  I made a few modifications to her recipe since I was snowed in.  I’ll make it again with a little better preparation.

12375567615_80f5d616fa_z

Bare in mind, this baking was all just Friday.  We ended up closing the still all weekend.  Its a rare day that I do nothing and rarer still, that I have 3 days of solitude and laziness.  I didn’t bake another thing.  I’d baked myself out on day one.  I did finish the weekend with pulling a nice steak out of the freezer and making myself a decadent dinner.

12424556815_27c409ff2b_z

Share the love:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

Snowed in

09 Sunday Feb 2014

Posted by Lula Harp in just a thought

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

boredom, ginger, ice, pets, Portland, Sherlock, snow, snow day, taxes

We have been snowed in since Thursday evening.  While I was delighted to have a few days trapped indoors, the one who was the happiest about this situation was Ginger.  She has been curled by my side, snuggled into my sweater, and following me from room to room.  I am getting the impression she’d like me to be around a little more.  This is pretty funny since she is the quintessential cat and generally has little to no interest in me unless it involves my providing her sustenance.

Coe and I got out for a walk to the grocery and the park on Saturday.  Sunday’s outing lasted just long enough for us to slip around one block while dodging ice falling from the power lines and trees.  Ginger decided almost immediately that snow was something she never needed to encountered again.  I spent the days baking and watching the critters in the yard.  I had 6 or 8 robins playing and following me around at one point.

IMG_5904
IMG_5912
IMG_5919
IMG_5954
IMG_5958
IMG_5962
12390510914_0aab05af8a_z
12390507034_1d99357997_z
12390061735_b24cfd7611_z
12390497504_88eb68d42f_z
12367945514_2849c62b39_z
12299283586_25c486f9c5
12376006664_e584892a44
12391740913_d1fa7024b3
12375553945_290b6ed852

All hail Mother Nature for giving me a real three day weekend.  I have caught up on NCIS, Sherlock Series 2 and 3 , gobs of cooking shows, finished my taxes, and the giant pile to sort for Goodwill.  I also ran into the snow in my pajamas and slippers to rescue a very friendly but poorly trained pitbull running about in the street.  His human came running up just as I was about to throw him in the yard.  She had no leash and was going to drag him home by the collar.  He would have pulled her off her feet in no time.  I gave her one of our leashes and if we never see it again, it has gone to a good cause.

As much as I have enjoyed this down time, I’m almost willing to admit, I am looking forward to going to work tomorrow.  Ginger will survive as she normally does, curled up on the wool sweater I leave out just for her.

Share the love:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

365project about town bacon baking Blogging Blogging University books breakfast cocktails community cooking dating dinner garden girlfriends grilling just a thought Memphis photo challenge photography pizza Portland recipes restaurants Toast Tuesday Uncategorized vacation wordless wednesday words work

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

subscribe

  • RSS - Posts
  • RSS - Comments

Archives

A few of my favorite things

  • MAGDolls
  • New Deal Distillery
  • Pacific Pie Company
  • Shelby Farms Park
  • Take It Outside Fitness
  • The Meadow
  • The Orpheum Theatre
  • Theatre Memphis

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
%d bloggers like this: