Digging Deep

  I spent all day bouncing between thinking about what I would post here and the post I have been working on for a week. The workshop I was doing this month on blogger U was for learning longform writing. This past weeks assignment was difficult on many many levels. Writing being the least of my problems. 
   The assignment was Personal reflection, we were asked to dig deep, work through complicated feelings, and expand beyond ourselves. It took me over a week of writing and re-writng to get what I hope is a meaningful article that expands beyond myself and reaches you. 
  After all day thinking about it I knew I couldn't write a good post here today because my mind is so on the article I have been working so hard on. Truly I really want you to read what I wrote. I am hoping you will click the link and read the article. As always your feed back is welcome and wanted.
 Dementia How Do I Live with it

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone. It has been a pleasure spending the year with you, I am looking forward to the new year with you and what it will bring!

Still Breathing

 I am still here, and writing. I have spent this month replacing my computer and learning how to use the new one. There are a few glitches that have me a little computer shy. I have a one on one training this coming Saturday and with a little luck the shyness I have been feeling will be gone.
  I have been working hard on an article on word press that at last is worth publishing. Who knew getting your opinion across could be so hard. My Opinion  This is an assignment made to help me be a better writer, as I said it wasn't easy and I am happy to finally be done. Tell me what you think.
  I will back full time soon and with a lot of work and effort I will be back better and stronger with photos that will make you drool.

Are You Kidding Me!

 Good Morning! I had an entirely different post ready for today, but an Email I got yesterday changed my direction for today.
 All I could say when I read it was are you kidding me, and repeat it over and over again. 
 A month ago I began a journey that has yet to really end. I wrote a post you may remember titled " Computer Held Hostage" post link
It was my 3rd best read post ever. In that post I tell how " Avast " the anti virus provider appears to have given me a virus rather then remove one rendering my computer useless. Rather then pay the fee to these modern day pirates I got a new computer and went from there. I tagged Avast on Twitter with a link to my blog post. I received a response on twitter something to the tune of oh we're sorry that happened. On the post it self a person commented that they were with Avast and would like to look into it saying that maybe I called a company that wasn't them. The person asked for the number I called, my Email and a few other personal details. Details I did not give. I gave the number I called, the time and length of each call and who I spoke to. From that information a person working in computer security should certainly be able to get the rest of the information they need without my giving more personal information to a perfect stranger. There was no follow up after that not a single thing happened no phone calls or Emails nothing. That is until yesterday when I got this Email.

My name was here. We have noticed that your avast! Internet Security - 1 user, 1 year hasn't been in use for a while. Have you switched to a new PC? If you have switched to a new PC, you can easily transfer your Avast license, just follow these easy steps: How to transfer your license to another PC 1. I removed the content here to protect me. 2. Double-click the license file you received after your purchase and follow activation instructions. Note: If you do not have the license anymore,  Your license is valid until 08/01/2015. Please( This had a survey link I removed to protect me.) for why you stopped using avast! Internet Security - 1 user, 1 year. If you experience any problems during the license transfer, please call us toll-free [1-866-951-7679]. We’re always ready to lend a hand. Thank you and safe surfing! – The Avast Team

AVAST Software s.r.o., Trianon Office Building, Budejovicka 1518/13a, 140 00, Prague 4, Czech Republic

 Yes you read that correctly. The phone number in the Email is the exact same number that I used when I called 30 days ago when this journey all began. All I can say is Are You Kidding Me! I knew from the moment the comments hit my pages it was just posturing for the public so they didn't look quite as bad as I was making them look. Well not just me I had also provided a link in the Computer Held Hostage post with a page full of people that had the same complaints  about this company.  Avast appears to have no idea what is going on in their own company. They are so wide spread and out sourced that they can't see their hand right in front of their face. 
 Avast is suppose to be rated number 1 in anti virus protection. I just don't see how that is possible. Well for me Avast is not number 1 in fact for me they aren't even on the map. 
  Have a wonderful Wednesday! Thank you for stopping by.

Happy!

 Good Monday morning to you. I am just so happy to be typing that. I knew I enjoyed blogging and working with my pictures, but I really didn't know how much it is a part of me until I was unable to do it. I truly love to write and take pictures. I want to be good at it but even if I am not it doesn't matter because I just love doing it. 
 I don't have a plan for this post. Nothing other then getting back on line has really happened. It is the week before Christmas and I have a billion and one things to get done. Madeline was here over the weekend and she helped me decorate the tree. A big help as always. I can't help but smile when I think of her. This weekend we went Christmas light looking. One of my favorite traditions. I love when we all pile in the car turn the Christmas music on and start driving around looking at all the beautiful decorations and lights. This year is at the top of my favorite list. So Madeline could see better we put her booster seat in the center of the back seat and seat belted her in there. She had a view in 3 different directions and she was using them all.I was driving so I couldn't really see her face but I could hear her singing with the radio and the oohs and ahhhs were loud and clear. She squealed so loud you would have thought some one was tickling her. Her reactions made something already fun even more fun.Little Drummer Boy got here singing the loudest, with Rudolph taking a very close 2nd. She had a busy weekend for sure, helping decorate inside and out, helping the Dzia cut Christmas trees and load them on peoples cars, and finishing the art projects she has been making as gifts for her other grandparents. When it was time to go home I had to call her 3 times to get going. She really didn't want to leave. She always says or does something that melts my heart and makes me SMILE and this weekend was no different. We were picking up some milk and bread and while walking down one aisle or another she looks up at me and says "Grandmama the night that was before yesterday I got real sad." I ask Why? and she stopped me in my tracks with her answer. " Because I wanted to be at your house with you." See I told you she melts my heart every time. I can't help but brag because that little girl is something to brag about. On the way home she was adding 3+3+2 and other combinations like that and getting the answers right. When I asked if she was learning that in school she said no. I asked well were did you learn that she said she just did it. When I asked how do you find the answer her answer left me laughing but only slightly because it had me thinking as well. She said that she thinks about it and that a light goes off in her head and she has the answer. When she got one wrong she said " Oops must have grabbed the wrong Light."

 Happy Monday to you! Thank you for stopping by.

Still computer challenged!

I am on a kindle and will be that way for for a while. I am returning the computer  tomorrow and not replacing it until I can get the problem fixed. I will try and post at least once a week. Pictures aren't possible and the blind typing is unsettling but hopefully I will get use  to it.

The Computer Makes Me Cry

 I didn't miss my post today, My computer made me miss my post today. The computer Acer Aspire E 15 I got less then 30 days ago had a touch pad crash. Acer said send it to us we will fix it. I have disliked the computer from day one because the touch pad was so wonky. I decide to take advantage of the fact that I have a 30 day window and return it. I replace it with what I am told the exact computer, much to my happiness they are not the same computers. The improvement in the computers is almost worth the loss of today's blogs pictures. While setting up the new computer I am asked to sign into my Microsoft account (not my email account ) I try and am told that the info I gave is wrong. I wrote it down when set the account less then 30 days ago, so I try again and still I get the message my info is wrong. I try again and get a message that I am not locked out for to many wrong infos. I call Acer they reset my computer, that takes 3 hours. once it is reset I call acer back for help with the set up. We get to the sign in with Microsoft part and well  no matter what I try I can't sign in. The lady from Acer tries with no success to explain something. What I have no idea because her thick accent and rate of speech made understanding impossible. I asked more then once for her to slow down and speak clearer only to be told I needed to listen better. She interrupted every sentence I tried to speak. In the end she has me skip the sign in and continue on with the sign up. I do as she suggest only to find I now can't get my email and a few other apps I use.  She gives up and tells me to call Microsoft. The help I got there was even less helpful. After almost 2 hours on the phone I at least can get my email but all other Microsoft apps that I may use are not accessible to me.
  I had some sort of warning in my brain yesterday and saved photos that I knew I would regret losing to shutter fly.  My photos for the blog I had planned for today were lost.
 I have a computer and it seems to work much better then the one I purchased almost 30 days ago. I actually like this one so much more. I just need to figure out Mirosoft and my account so I can use all the apps I like and need. Tomorrow will find me once more calling Microsoft in the hope they can this time help me.
   It has taken a bit of time to get all my favorite sites back on my tool bar. I am still working on it.
 So with luck I will be all back on line Monday and making an interesting post. 

Roasted Curry Pumpkin Soup

 Thanksgiving has come and gone but the food is still around. Leftover turkey dinners and creative turkey creations are happening all over the country no doubt about it. A recipe I created a few years back received a blue ribbon this fall and was featured for a day shortly after Thanksgiving. A fun 15 minutes of fame. I made the dish again this year and it was just as good as the 3 other times I made it. I will feature it here one day soon but for today we will take a look at the pumpkin soup I made for Thanksgiving dinner.
  I had one small pumpkin that I really wanted to turn into a soup. I dragged my feet until the day before Thanksgiving and then I took the plunge and gave cooking with fresh pumpkin a try.I looked up recipes on line and picked one that was to my liking using fresh pumpkin and curry. I used the recipe as a guide line and added my own ideas to it and I came up with a winner. Ding Ding Ring the Bell it was that good.

  Roasting the pumpkin takes the longest but can be done a day or so in advance if needed. Roasting is also the easiest part of the soup, really no part of the soup was hard to make.

  There is a lot of flavor in the soup and using yogurt or sour cream can help tame it for those that are not fans of the strong exotic flavor that a good curry can have. I roasted the seeds right along with the pumpkin and we gave them a try with the soup. We just aren't seed people.
 The ingredient list looks intimidating but not really you can find everything in your local grocery store. I took this opportunity to try out coconut oil. Wonderful stuff and I am looking for a less costly way to purchase it.

INGREDIENTS 
1 medium onion diced
1 tablespoon coconut oil
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 medium pumpkin cut in half and seeded
3 1/2 cup Thia culinary stock
1/2 cup coconut milk

 DIRECTIONS
Cut and clean the pumpkin and roast in a 400 degree oven until fork tender. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool enough to handle scoop out the pumpkin flesh and set a side.
  In a large dutch oven heat the coconut oil just like you would butter. Add the onion and spread out flat let cook until they begin to brown. Flip the onions and brown the other side with out stirring. Once browned add in garlic and ginger cook stirring until fragrant about a minute more. Add in the spices and cook about a minute until fragrant and roasted. Add in the stock, coconut milk, and pumpkin, bring to a boil.
  Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. 
  Serve hot with your favorite crusty bread and a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.

The original recipe has you blend in a blender as well as using the immersion blender.  I didn't see the need for it, nor did I rub my pumpkin with the coconut oil
Original recipe

. My soup was banging and we enjoyed it more then once before I froze the rest. I am thinking of making a fresh batch and serving it for dinner Christmas eve.

  I finished my photography course and now am doing a month course on long writing. My first assignment is to interview someone. I am dragging my feet, some shy bone in me is giving my a little trouble but I will get it done.