Vitamixing Peanut Butter

A long long time ago in a land far away, that being Washington and the town of Seattle, I went to the annual Home Show that took place in the now deceased Kingdome.

At the Home Show I watched a demonstration of a Vita-Mix. The demonstrator made it seem so easy to make tasty soup, ice cream, all sorts of things.

So, I bought a Vita-Mix. It's been so long since I bought it that my Vita-Mix is now an antique. I saw the new version at last year's Texas State Fair in Dallas. The modern Vita-Mix is quiet and looks very high-tech. Mine looks low-tech and is so noisy it probably does ear drum damage.

When I got my Vita-Mix home I tried to make soup. The demonstrator made it look so easy, just throw in a bunch of vegetables and turn it on. I did so, but it did not make soup. Instead it was a thick green slurry that was inedible.

Eventually I figured out how to make bread, grinding wheat berries to make flour, then making the dough that ended up being very very dense bread that many also said was inedible.

As time went by I did find some uses for the Vita-Mix, but it's been a long time since I've made anything with it. Til this morning.

What with peanut butter turning deadly and with me having an over supply of very good Virginia peanuts that I got at Sprouts Farmers Market and with my jar of Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter empty, I decided to use the Vita-Mix to make peanut butter.

I recollect having made peanut butter before in the Vita-Mix, I think. This morning it took a long time of running that noisy thing, my ears are still ringing, but eventually the peanuts turned into butter. A real course, crunchy butter. That tastes real good.

So, that's been my day so far. Being a very productive peanut butter maker.

Sunday In The Park (Tandy Hills)

For 2 days my mom has been calling and leaving voice mail messages. When I call back I get their answering machine. It's vexing. Modern communication is so unreliable.

One of my ex-sisters-in-law sent me and mom and dad a DVD with a lot of video of my grand nephew, Spencer Jack. I don't know if mom and dad will figure out how to watch the movie.

I don't know if they've ever recovered from buying a Beta VCR, rather than the VHS version. For some reason all my relatives blame me for them all buying Betas. While I got rid of my Beta and got a VHS. It seems like decades ago and I still hear complaints. As recently as last week. I guess on some things there are no statutes of limitations.

Are you planning on being at the Tandy Hills next Saturday to help with the first phase of Operation "Make it Natural"? I went hiking there today, with an eye to looking at what is going to be removed. It would appear to be quite a daunting task. Rather than haul out all that mesquite, why not have a huge bonfire? It'd smell real good. I'll bring meat products to BBQ.

That is downtown Fort Worth, in the photo above, looking through a haze of smog. Even the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which usually operates as some sort of industry shill, is reporting that the Barnett Shale natural gas drilling operations are adding more pollution to the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex air than all the vehicles on all the roads in this large metropolitan area.

I was startled by a large cat-like creature while hiking today. Moments later I was startled by a large mammal in human form with a big cock-a-poo type dog. The human was an older gentleman who walked with a cane. I thought he was being quite adventurous, negotiating the steep Tandy Hills with a cane.

I don't know if it true or not, but he told me that Mesquite is not native to Texas. It came from Mexico, brought north by the cattle drives that ran through Fort Worth. He told me that since there were no cattle drives through Dallas, there is no mesquite there.

The Man with the Cane has lived near the Tandy Hills since 1979. Back then, the long gone restaurant that used to sit on the western end of the Tandy Hills, was still in operation. He couldn't remember the name for sure, thought it might be something like Calamity Jane's. He said it had a great view and an outdoor patio. It was still standing when I first moved here. Then it was torn down. After that you could make out the layout by looking at the foundation. There was a water feature that you crossed over via a bridge to enter the restaurant.

I've long thought it may have been a Prohibition era Speakeasy type joint, due to its isolated location on a bluff affording a good view of possible incoming police. The Man with a Cane said the building looked like it could have been built back in the 1920s. I am now on a mission to find out the history of that place.

Prairie Notes: Winter Notebook

Don Young's latest Tandy Hills Prairie Notes.........

Prairie Notes: Winter Notebook February 14, 2009

The 4th annual Fort Worth Prairie Fest is coming April 25. On that day, music, arts, dance, green business, environmental stewardship and floral fantasia will come together in joyful celebration. Until then, winter at Tandy Hills Natural Area holds many surprises for those who look closely. Come on in.
The lovely, lilliputian Trout Lily (Erythronium albidum) resides stealthily in the deep shadows of Tandy Hills, nestled by thick blankets of fallen leaves. Also (mis)known as, Dog's-tooth Violet (it's a lily, not a violet), they are a cheerful reminder that Spring is near. For me, they are also a symbol of the amazing endurance of THNA.

This is the earliest date I have seen them blooming at THNA. They have been arriving about a week earlier each of the past few years. The nodding flowers, framed by a pair of specked trout-colored leaves, vary in shade from pure white to pale violet with mustard yellow centers. When you go "fishing" for Trout Lilies, please tread carefully. They are considered rare in Texas.
Winter landscapes on the prairie have a special beauty. Powerful north winds created interesting cloud patterns in January. A hard freeze in late January combined with a dead-still, sunlit morning made the prairie feel like a distant planet.

I have observed more avian activity than usual at Tandy Hills this Winter. The hawks are back after a brief absence. An owl was spotted last week. The sky and trees are filled with a variety of migratory birds. Dozens of Robin-like birds, only smaller, has been swarming back and forth from my yard to the security of the park. On more than one occasion, after climbing a steep hill and turning to face the setting sun, I have seen large flocks of ducks passing overhead, close enough to feel their wake. There is nothing more breathtaking.

A frosty, January morning on the prairie. Olive the Prairie Dog searches for signs of life.

"A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise."

-Aldo Leopold

(from, The Land Ethic in, A Sand County Almanac)

Come to the meadow and re-connect yourself with the natural world.

DY

Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area
P.O. Box 470041
Fort Worth, TX 76147
817-731-2787
http://www.tandyhills.org

"God bless Fort Worth, Texas. Help us save some of it."

Valentine's Day Fight & Sweet Tomatoes.

What a Valentine's Day it has been. A cold Valentine's Day. With little sun.

On my way to Sweet Tomatoes for my annual Valentine's Day lunch I went to Veterans Park in Arlington to walk in the cold, dank air for awhile. I like the backwoods part of Veterans Park. That's what you're looking at in the picture on the left.

I'd not been this way in awhile. There is a log bridge across a gully that I've crossed many a time. But a chunk had decayed away, leaving the bridge crossing a bit adventurous for my acrophobic tendencies. But not too adventurous. I made it across.

There was way too much going on in Veterans Park today. A small army of disc golfers was preparing for a disc golf tournament. Once that started, hiking would be treacherous with way too many discs flying in the air. The disc throwers have the right of way over walkers in Veterans Park.

I've read of problems with gangs fighting in parks. And other places. But, I've never seen such a thing.

But, today at Veterans Park there was a raging battle, the likes of which I've only seen once before. At Scarborough Faire. It was brutal. I watched from a distance, then got closer. I was afraid my picture taking might cause the fighting gangs to turn their battling on me.

After exhausting Veterans Park it was on to Sweet Tomatoes. The traffic was appalling. Long long long lines behind each stop light. I had not listened to the radio or tv all day. I wondered if there'd been an announcement that the Great Depression 2.0 was over and we were back in boom times, so the masses were out in a shopping frenzy.

I still have not had a radio or tv on, so I don't know, yet, if the Great Depression 2.0 is still in motion, or not.

I did get great news from Don Young upon my return home. The City of Fort Worth is finally doing the right thing and beginning the process of restoring the Tandy Hills Natural Area to its, well, natural state, thus finally making it true to its name. I hope.

Tandy Hills Brush Bash: Phase I---Volunteer Please

Big News from Don Young.

Big Steps are being taken to bring the Tandy Hills back to full health....

Tandy Hills Natural Area is getting a makeover. The City of Fort Worth is initiating the first phase of an ongoing effort to enact the recently published Master Plan.

Beginning next week, City of FW Parks and Community Services Department crews will begin cutting unwanted and invasive woody species from selected portions of the 160 acre park. They need our help dragging the cuttings to the curb. Without natural fire to control them "woody" species are shading out the native grasses and wildflowers that make THNA such a remarkable place. With your help, we can start reversing this trend. (see below)

My sombrero is off to the City of Fort Worth Parks Dept. staff for making this happen.

DY

PS: Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area is now a 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation.

VOLUNTEERS needed. >>> RSVP
Help us celebrate this historic day on the prairie.
Morning tea/coffee/pastries and water provided by FOTHNA.
Bring a sack lunch if you can work all day.

WHO:
Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area. That means YOU!

WHAT:
Tandy Hills Brush Bash. Phase 1.

WHEN: Saturday, February 21 9 am - Noon 1 pm - 3 pm Work one or both shifts.

(Rain Date, and possible second date, March 7)

WHERE:
Tandy Hills Natural Area
3400 View Street
Fort Worth, TX 76103

BRING:
Gloves, work clothes, sturdy shoes, hat, sunscreen, picnic lunch.

CONTACT - RSVP:
Don Young
817-731-2787

Most of the grays and greens in the below picture
will be removed under the Master Plan,
allowing the grasses and wildflowers to flourish.

Happy Valentine's Day From Fort Worth

It's a cold, dreary, gray Valentine's Day here in the far eastern environs of Fort Worth, Texas. This latest cold snap is currently chilling me in the 30s at 10am. Heading to a high in the high 50s. Brrrr.

My exciting Valentine's Day's highlight should, I hope, be lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. No, I will not be dining with the Valentine's Sweetheart in the photo. She looks like she'd be more of a Zorro's All You Can Eat Buffet type of gal, the sort who rarely lets salad, or any vegetable, for that matter, pass her sweet lips en route to her ample thighs.

Speaking of Big Gals, Tootsie Tonasket reports that she has lost over 40 pounds on what she is calling the "Divorce Diet." She is now down under 140, which makes her one of only three adult females, of my acquaintance, with a confirmed weight less than mine.

Speaking of eating healthy stuff. Right now I'm eating a Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit. This may be the best Texas thing I've come across. The Ruby Reds are so sweet, they need no sugar or honey. And there are very few seeds. Best grapefruit ever. And being red makes them perfect for Valentine's Day.

As Seen In Dirty Ol' Town (Fort Worth)

Oh, joy, there is a Barnett Shale Expo we can look forward to on March 11. I wondered what I was going to do that day.

And, in addition to the billboard info, more incoming info from Don Young about the latest billboard and more.....

The Barnett Shale Mafia have a new billboard on University Drive in Fort Worth. The gas drilling industry is aggressively ramping up their advertising and cheerleading, despite the down economy and news that - surprise - gas drilling is a MAJOR air pollutant. SEE HERE ...... AND HERE

Increased scrutiny is drawing back the veils on a dirty industry that wants you to believe their "clean burning" myth. They dare not say that natural gas is just another dirty fossil fuel that threatens public health and safety and the environment. The message on this billboard continues their belief in a gullible public who cares only about money.

It's up to you to see through the BS (Barnett Shale).

>>>Here's an easy way to help<<<

Fort Worth's Connection To America's First Serial Killer: Part II

On Tuesday I mentioned a book I'm reading, that being "Depraved: The Shocking True Story of America's First Serial Killer," by Harold Schechter, and my surprise at the turn in the story that ended up in Fort Worth, where the bad guy did some heavy duty swindling, including some horse thieving.

This had the Texas law after the bad guy, Mudgett/Holmes, most commonly known as Dr. H. H. Holmes.

Well, I've almost finished this book. I'm at the part where the bad guy is now on trial. When he was arrested it was for being caught in an insurance fraud perpetrated in Philadelphia, not Fort Worth.

But, when Dr. H. H. Holmes was caught, Fort Worth was on his mind. Below is the pertinent, somewhat amusing excerpt, in that, who knew, even a century ago, the Texas legal system scared the rest of the country?

Holmes knew the law, in the form of Pinkerton agents and insurance agents, was hot on his trail.

"When he recognized the representative of the insurance company he had swindled, Holmes half-rose from his chair and, extending his right hand, greeted the insurance man cordially, "I guess I know what I'm really wanted for," he said in a tone of almost palpable relief. Infinitely preferring the hospitality of the Pennsylvania prison system to a stint in a Texas penitentiary ("I dislike fearfully to go to Fort Worth to serve a term," he confided to an acquaintance. I would rather be here in Philadelphia five years than one in Fort Worth"), Holmes was not just ready, but positively eager to admit to the insurance fraud and hopefully avoid going to Texas to face horse thief and fraud charges."

Dr. H. H. Holmes never did face Texas justice. The Philadelphia insurance fraud investigation quickly turned into a murder investigation that quickly spread to several states and to Canada. Holmes faced a noose soon after he was convicted of being a murderer. It would seem a more fitting punishment would have been life imprisonment.

In Texas.

I Got Poked Today, Among Other Things

It's an hour to go before I go to Brazil and watch some Survivors. To get in a semi-Tropical mood I'm in my own personal Kava Bar right now. Google it. I can't be expected to explain everything.

It's been a day. Turns out a tornado did touch down in the neighborhood Tuesday night, well almost my neighborhood. A few miles north, in Colleyville, a F1 touched down for a half mile or so, ripping off roofs and doing other damage. The killer tornado up in Oklahoma turned out to be an F4. That's a powerful tornado.

This morning, after I blogged about Only Child Syndrome, Gar the Texan pointed out that our new President is sort of an Only Child, in that he was one for 8 years til a step-sister came along. Gar wondered if 8 years solo was enough time to cause the syndrome.

I don't know, but it concerns me. I really can't picture Barack Obama having an Only Child type temper tantrum. He is likely one of those rare souls who managed to escape succumbing to Only Child Syndrome. But, how can we know for sure?

That Facebook thing, that I accidentally signed up for a few weeks back, continues to vex me. Today I got poked again, several times, in Facebook. I have no idea what that means. I am also being strained in my brainpan by a Facebook Scrabble game. I seem to be absolutely no good at this game.

I went walking at Oakland Lake Park today, talking via cell phone to Tootsie Tonasket while doing so. Tootsie's domestic situation continues to make Peyton Place sound like Sunday School.

Alma, the Songbird of the South Texas Gulf Coast, is making Port Aransas sound better and better. I like the idea of it being a pirate enclave, where descendants of people like Jean Lafitte roam about. That and saltwater with big waves, sandy beaches and blue sky all sound good. Plus Alma has made it clear that most people run around half nekkid all the time. That is my preferred dress mode.

I had intended to blog about the latest iteration of the Fort Worth Heritage Park debacle. Maybe I'll get around to that tomorrow. That and an amusing thing I read about Texas in that book I'm reading about America's first serial killer. If you've never heard of this fascinatingly bizarre true crime story, go here, and read the Wikipedia version.

People who think our current economic woes are unique, need to familiarize themselves with the Panic of 1893, which occured during the time frame I'm currently reading about. That Panic also involved shady financial dealings. Go here to read the Wikipedia article about the Panic of 1893.

The relaxing benefits of visiting my tropical Kava Bar are starting to kick in. I don't know why people consume dangerous drugs, like alcohol, or prescription meds, when there are pleasant safe herbs like Kava and coffee available. It perplexes me.

Only Child Syndrome: Part IV

Like I've said before, every day dozens of people come to this blog looking for information about how to deal with Only Child Syndrome (OCS). The info seekers seem to come in clusters. Why? I do not know.

Just in the past few hours there have been people from Lexington KY, Albany NY, Houston, Littleton CO, Lock Haven PA, Brick NJ, Ft. Lauderdale, Cincinnati, Worth IL, Springfield OH, Memphis, Rochester NY, Washington, D.C., Portland OR, Wayne NJ and Kalamazoo MI.

I have yet to see a single info seeker come from China. China has the world's largest number of Only Children. A percentage higher than that which would normally occur, in any given culture, due to China having that have only one child policy. Maybe there is something about how the Chinese raise their kids that prevents Only Child Syndrome from developing. Or maybe the Chinese OCS is a ticking time bomb that will eventually destroy the planet in one apocalyptic temper tantrum.

There are some who say that OCS does not exist. I have known 6 Only Children. All 6 had the syndrome to varying degrees. I do believe if one knew 100 Only Children that it is likely that a few among the 100 might not have OCS. The majority of emails and comments I've received, on the subject, agree that OCS definitely exists. I've even heard from a large number of Only Children who know OCS exists. Including one I received yesterday, that I will copy below.

I do know of one OC, who may be the worst case of OCS I've encountered, who thinks I made up OCS, just to somehow make fun of her. This is a typical OCS response. It is always all about them. It certainly can not be about the victim of an OC and the OCS victim trying to figure out what it was that caused such bizarrely dysfunctional behavior.

A couple of well regarded American shrinks are onboard regarding OCS. One being G. Stanley Hall, who refers to OCS as a disease. And another, a protege of Freud, Alfred Adler, who believed "only children" were deficient, having been pampered and spoiled by their parents to the point that it later caused interpersonal difficulties whenever the OC perceived that he/she was not universally liked and admired. (I have certainly experienced that OCS trait up close and personal)

My own worst personal OCS case hits bingo on all the OCS stereotypes. Prime among them is an epic cluelessness as to how transparent the aberrant behavior is to observers. My worst case can verbalize, via written word, a spiteful diatribe that is so full of ironic hypocrisies and self-revealing thought processes, that it leaves the reader both appalled and very amused.

The reason this occurs is that in worse case OCS sufferers a very deviant form of psychological transference and projection occurs that is called malignant narcissism. In order to maintain the mindset that the only child is all good and their imagined enemies all bad, malignant narcissists project all the unacceptable parts of themselves onto those enemies. Thus, they will consistently accuse them of doing bad things, that they are in fact doing themselves (even as they deny doing them).

If an only child feels threatened by a supposedly evil enemy, aggressive behavior toward the imaginary malevolent adversary is morally justified as mere self defense in the mind of the only child. When antisocial traits are added to the mix, the malignant narcissus is willing to lie and violate both rules and the rights of others without compunction or interference of a conscience in the service of the Only Child's deluded righteousness. The malignant narcissistic Only Child feels heroic for lying, cheating, stealing and wreaking havoc with people's lives in their twisted battle against imaginary evil.

The above 2 paragraphs are taken from a psych textbook. They are so on target that all I can say is "Bulls Eye." And "Bingo."

I would go into a detailed analysis of the sadly revelatory nature of my worst case OCS's latest twisted diatribe, but I've already used up too many words on this particular musing about this subject. I've heard from several victims of OCS who want to read more on this subject. I'll continue to do my part to help shed some light, despite getting rather sad, threatening, missives, stereotypically Only Child Syndrome, in nature, from a very sad OC.

I'll end with copying yesterday's missive from an Only Child calling her/himself "Spoiled Brat...

"I have to admit that I also suffer from this syndrome! I am the only-child and I find it quite difficult to express my feelings. This could be because I was over protected as a child and wasn't allowed to express my feelings much. Most people who are only children have the tendency to regress to children when they don't get their way or think they are not being heard.

"Waaaaaahhhhh...Look at ME!" LOL

Even as a 24 year old, I still have problems communicating with others. While most people tend to like me, its hard for me to form a real bond. I agree with the excerpt you had from another blog, I have also cut groups of people out of my life without any remorse or afterthought. it could be defensive mechanism because as an only child, you are forced to take care of yourself.

Also, when I was younger, I got picked on a lot because I had glasses and bushy hair. I had to fight for myself on a daily basis!!! This could be another reason why I don't easily form bonds with people.

What makes it worse is, I have a half sister, but I still consider myself the only child because I wasn't raised in the same household as her. I remember when I was 19 and I told my Dad, "I wish it was just me.." before I could even stop myself. His eyes got big like I threatened kill my little sister or something!LOL so yeah, I believe that most children who don't have siblings have problems forming an emotional bond with anyone, but it is something I am working on."