If you like my blog and would like to donate a dollar. :-)

Mi vida es un bolsillo lleno de arco iris.
My life is a pocketful of rainbows.

So, here I am...
***This blog was Established 2004/2005***
And I am slowly reestablishing it.

I love English Lit! I have a fascination with puns, satire and tropes. I relish sharing the latest logic puzzle I've found. I advocate for education reform. I read Spanish much more fluently than I speak it. I know a lot of German. I dabble in SEVERAL languages .... including writing, history and knowledge of cultures. I am very interested in urban farming and self-sufficiency. Huge Douglas Adams, Roger Zelazny and Piers Anthony fan. I like reading Stephen King/Richard Bachman. I could spend hours with Terry Brooks and Shannara. T.S. Garp and I would get along famously. Avid Armchair Traveler ... especially Italy and Mongolia. Miicroadventures rock! I homeroast green coffee beans ... my fave are those from Chiapas, Mexico. I try new teas and those from Scotland make me smile. Friends and family are AWESOME!

I hope that something made you smile today!.
Non-spammers can contact me: coffeehobby AT yahoo.com

Saturday, June 07, 2025

Der Schattenhändler (The Shadow Dealer)

Der Schattenhändler (The Shadow Dealer)

The Shadow Dealer is a ballad woven in layered echoes, shifting between English and German to create a rhythm that carries its weight throughout. It unfolds like a folk tale, moving steadily without repetition, every verse carrying the weight of the story forward.

It begins not with fire or steel, but with silence, illusion, and stolen grace—a figure who leaves no scars but still manages to crumble everything he touches. The imagery builds with each verse, tightening the grip of his quiet deception until the ghosts arrive.

The Bridge

The ghosts—the unseen witnesses—do not forget, do not fade. Their whispers press close, a reckoning gathering in the shadows.

Final Verse - Irish Blessing Cadence

Spoken like truth rather than condemnation:

"Let him sink beneath the weight, let him drown within his hand."

It doesn’t curse. It doesn’t rage. It simply allows consequence to arrive.

Closing Lines

These lines don’t linger in the wreckage. They lift upward, beyond the grasp of shadows.

I am still brainstorming music ideas.
Next is improving me saying the words, recording and adding imagery.


Der Schattenhändler (The Shadow Dealer) - Full Ballad

Prologue - English & German

English: He does not strike with sword or fire, but with a lie that breathes, with hands that take.

German: Er schlägt nicht mit Schwert oder Flammen, sondern mit einer Lüge, die lebt, mit Händen, die rauben.

English: He does not haunt with shadows deep, but with silence spun, with stolen grace.

German: Er jagt nicht mit dunklen Schatten, sondern mit gesponnener Stille, mit geraubter Schönheit.

English: Yet every step he leaves behind turns love to ash, turns light to dust.

German: Doch jede Spur, die er verlässt, macht Liebe zu Asche, macht Licht zu Staub.

Verse 1 - English

He moves where truth and silence blend, never feared, never shunned, but felt too late. His voice is gold, his words are light, but what he touches loses weight.

Verse 2 - German

Er schleicht, wo Wahrheit und Stille ruh’n, nie gejagt, nie gemieden—doch gefühlt zu spät. Sein Mund aus Gold, sein Wort aus Licht, doch was er berührt, verliert sein Gewicht.

Verse 3 - English

No scars, no shattered form to bear, no jagged mark, no blade unkind. Yet all he claims as his to keep will rot, will crumble, will turn blind.

Verse 4 - German

Kein Zeichen trägt er auf der Haut, kein Schnitt, kein Mal, kein Flammenarm. Doch jede Spur, die er erschafft, macht Wärme kalt, macht Freude arm.

Bridge - English & German

English: His kingdom built on stolen stone, but sacred love was never his.

German: Sein Reich erbaut aus fremder Zeit, doch heilige Liebe war nie für ihn bestimmt.

And still, the ghosts do not slumber, nor do they drift away— they circle, whispering, pressing close, never forgetting his name.

Final Verse - English

Let him sink beneath the weight, let him drown within his hand. For what was meant to rise in light was never shaped by his command.

Final Verse - German

Er soll versinken in seiner Last, verloren in seiner Hand. Denn was bestimmt war, Licht zu sein, lag niemals in seinem Land.

Closing Lines - English & German

English: Though shadows stretch and voices fade, we will rise, untouched, unstained.

German: Auch wenn die Schatten weiterziehen, wir werden aufsteigen—unberührt, unbefleckt.

Monday, May 26, 2025

Honor & SpringHarvest Medley
2025 Memorial Day Asparagus Side Dish


A vibrant, flavorful medley of asparagus, zucchini, and spring onions.

Today, we honored the profound sacrifices made for our freedoms and embraced the bounty of Spring.

Ingredients:
Fresh asparagus, trimmed into bite-sized pieces
Zucchini, diced
Spring onion bottoms (all) and a good amount of tops, chopped
Grapeseed oil, for sautéing and steaming
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan
Red pepper flakes, for a hint of heat
Minced garlic
Onion powder


Step 1: Lightly Sauté the Spring Onions
In a small pan over medium-low heat, add a small amount of grapeseed oil.
Toss in all the bottoms of the spring onions and a good amount of the tops.
Gently sauté until softened and aromatic—not browned.
Set aside for later steaming.

Step 2: Preparing the Vegetables
Trim asparagus into bite-sized pieces for easy eating and even cooking.
Dice zucchini to absorb seasonings and create a smooth texture.

Step 3: Steaming the Vegetables
Place asparagus, zucchini, and the lightly sautéed spring onions in the steamer basket.
Season directly in the steamer with salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, and onion powder. Mix to ensure even absorption as the vegetables cook.
Drizzle grapeseed oil over the vegetables before steaming to infuse them with flavor and prevent dryness.
Cover with a lid to trap steam and ensure even cooking.
Bring water to a boil in the pot beneath the basket.
Once boiling, turn the heat down to maintain a gentle, steady steam.
Steam for 3–5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender yet still slightly crisp.
Near the end of steaming, sprinkle grated Parmesan over the vegetables, allowing it to gently melt without burning or scorching.

Vegetable Highlights
Each veggie brings its own character to the dish:
Asparagus – Tender but crisp, with a fresh, slightly earthy flavor.
Zucchini – Mild and slightly sweet, absorbing seasonings beautifully.
Spring Onions – Aromatic and subtly sweet after a gentle sauté, deepening the dish’s complexity.

A Final Tribute > "It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived." > — General George S. Patton

Sunday, March 16, 2025

---Seeing that there are reports of people going out an damaging the Tesla vehicles of others.

Sunday, February 09, 2025

Waiting on the train back to that place ...

A brief getaway ... Mexican-ish food with my kids, my favorite bookstore, looking at old electronics and a deli and natural co-op market. And a train ride will bring me back for a "special project" build which I volunteered for in the morning. A quick stop at the store once I get in to get a loved one with cracked fingers some handcream and then to sleep for a way earlier than normal get up.

I was able to get my kids 4 books! My daughter had read half of one of hers by the end of the day and also had one that she had thought wasn't available yet (Google said it wasn't out yet but the bookstore had it).

---I ijust glimpsed some article that says you should take a shot of olive oil every morning. I would assume to keep regular?