Potatoes in the Mist

  Just finished Firefly Lane. There better be a second season!  

Things are looking good in Georgia. Democrats might gain control of the Senate!

  I’m reading The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain. Very interesting book about time travel. Without being science fiction. 

  Feeling nostalgic for a cake my mom used to make. It was an angel food cake with drippy, homemade strawberry frosting. Chunks of strawberry in it. 

 Got pulled into the Queen's Gambit. Odd but interesting. I like the music in it.

  I just made a brie, onion, potato, sun dried tomato tart. I’m in food heaven 😊

  I finished The Crown. I feel a little sad. But at least there are two more seasons coming. 

 I've been watching Season 4 of The Crown. Margaret Thatcher and Princess Diana have arrived on the scene. I always learn a lot from this show: Lord Mountbatten, the Falklands, a random intruder breaking into the queen's bedroom at night. 

 Dash & Lily (on Netflix) is really cute. 

 I went for a long-ish bike ride and passed a "manatee area." I'll bring my phone next time in case I see one. 

Just finished I’ll Be Seeing You by Elizabeth Berg. Beautiful story. I always enjoy her books. 

 I'm getting a headache watching the election results.

 The pandemic has really brought me back to cooking. Today I made pupusas (little corn cakes with cheese tucked inside) and homemade slaw (shredded cabbage, carrot, apple cider vinegar). 

  Zoe asked me if I had any books she would like, books that really focus on "a character's personality." So I gave her a little stack of books from my youth services class, and right now she's engrossed in Wish. I'm glad she's getting into reading. 

  Reading My Dark Vanessa. Creepy but fascinating book. 

  Eric (12) and I made an amazing salad. He's good at pushing me out of my comfort zone, into elaborate preparations. This salad consisted of spring mix, herbed baked goat cheese rounds (brushed with olive oil before baking), dried cherries (soaked in a bowl so they're nice and juicy), toasted walnuts, and sliced Granny Smith apples. I honestly felt the apples weren't even necessary. Oh, and homemade dressing: apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, sugar, shallot and pepper.

  (Library school exercise)  Nypl.org  has traditional library features - searchable catalogue, place holds, etc. - but also includes blog posts, live author talks, online events and classes, and a “connect” tab that leads to “public projects” - “Help make our collections more useable, discoverable, and shareable through a growing number of interactive public projects. Use our materials in new and innovative ways, from dig itizing old maps to making 3-D versions of 19th century images.” There is also a community oral history project where anyone can edit transcripts of people’s stories.   https://sites.google.com/site/bythebrooksdesignforlearning/library-learning-commons This site explains what a learning commons is - "a flexible and responsive approach to helping schools focus on learning collaboratively. It expands the learning experience, taking students and educators into virtual spaces beyond the walls of the school.  Pedagogical shifts include: self and pa...

 The beach is beautiful in October here. 

Another cute Netflix show...Emily in Paris. At first, it seemed insipid, but it's actually subversive and quirky. 

 Eric and I made a galette...he is 12 but an expert chef. The dough was unbelievably flaky (10 tablespoons of butter and ice water). The filling consisted of Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced thin, and shallots sauteed in olive oil with fresh rosemary, with goat cheese sprinkled on top and in the middle. I think I'm in food heaven right now.