Let Us Never Forget....

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

 

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

In Flanders Fields

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

My father-in-law in the Pacific Theatre, World War II

 

From the Duchess' Holiday Kitchen: Kahlua Brownies

***Countess Rosebud and I thoroughly enjoyed making these together last night. ***

Kahlua Brownies with Buttercream Frosting and Chocolate Glaze
Yields 36 brownies

INGREDIENTS FOR CRUST:
1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
5-1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

INGREDIENTS FOR FILLING:
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup Kahlua
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans

INGREDIENTS FOR BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon Kahlua
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

INGREDIENTS FOR GLAZE:
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
2 teaspoons solid vegetable shortening

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan. Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add flour and continue to mix until blended. Add pecans. When completely combined, press crust into bottom of prepared pan. Set aside.

Combine chocolate, shortening, and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Cool. Combine eggs, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix until blended. Stir into cooled chocolate mixture. Add Kahlua. Slowly add flour and salt, mixing until batter is smooth. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake 25 minutes, or until tester inserted in center comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake. Let cool.

Buttercream Frosting: Cream butter, sugar, Kahlua, and cream in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Spread over cooled filling mixture and refrigerate 30 minutes. More Kahlua may be added to make spreading easier (yes, that's the reason.....easier spreading...yes) . For a less sweet brownie, use half of Buttercream Frosting.

Glaze: Melt chocolates and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool and drizzle over Buttercream Frosting.

What Does Eva's Human Make For Dinner on A Cold, Snowy Day?

Well sometimes she makes this:

~Meat Loaf Rustica~
~Skin-on Mashed Potatoes~
~Salad Greens with feta, almonds, and Monti Iblei extra virgin olive oil, grey sea salt~

Meat Loaf Rustica
6 oz garlic-flavored croutons
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and broken
6 whole cloves of garlic
1/2 red bell pepper
18 oz. ground chuck
18 oz. ground lamb
1.5 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg

For the glaze:
1/2 cup catsup
1 tablespoon ground cumin (sometimes I substitute with garam masala)
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon honey

Heat oven to 325 degrees F

Combine first 6 ingredients in food processor. Pulse until a fine texture. Place this mixture in a large bowl. Combine the vegetables in the food processor and pulse untila rough chopped texture. Combine this mixture with the ground meats, then the bread crumbs. Season with the kosher salt. Add the egg and combine thoroughly, but do not squeeze the meat.

Pack this mixture into 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Insert a temperature probe at a 45 degree angle into the top of the meatloaf. Avoid touching the bottom of the tray with the probe. Set the probe for 155 degrees.

Combine the ingredients for the glaze. Brush onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.

Almost ready......

Meatloaf is complete when the temperature of 155 degrees is reached.

Enjoy!

Time for a Real Life Adventure - and a Teaser for Things to Come

In just a little over under 4 hours my typist, her husband, her children, and her mother-in-law will climb in the car for the drive to JFK where a plane awaits to take them across the pond.

Not unlike me, my human loves a good adventure. Really she is not all that dissimilar to me at all.

So with her gallivanting all over Finland, Russia, and Scotland, I may not be around in world - or even here - much.

I'll look forward to stories about all the fun I have missed while away.


Before I go, I wanted to give you a little taste of an event that is on the horizon:

A combined Steelhead and Isle of Skye (Winterfell Anodyne) event:


Themed Formal Dance to be held in the ballroom of
Castle Teanacadh on Isle of Skye

Release your inner zombie, zombie hunter, ninja, or ill-fated Regency period aristocrat
and come dance and feast with us (brains are on the menu)
on July 31st at 7pm SLT

Lady Eva Travels to Edinburgh - Real Life Meet and Greet July 18th or 19th

That wonderful time of year has come again: Summer holiday.

My family and I will be traveling in Europe from July 10th through July 20th. Our travel plans have us touring in Helsinki, St. Petersburg, and Edinburgh.

After chatting with Soliel Snook and Elrick Merlin - both of whom I had the distinct privilege of meeting at CaleCon last year - we felt that a meet-up in Edinburgh would be awfully fun while I was there. Timing being what it is, we will be in the city on the days that Second Life runs the Relay for Life walk (July 18 & 19). However, having said this, I would love to have dinner, drinks and time to chat with any and all of you who would care to join us.

I am happy to meet on Saturday or Sunday evening. Soliel will be making all the arrangements, so please be in contact with her if you'd like more information and/or to RSVP. But do comment here &/or contact me and let me know if you will be there. I just love anticipating fun events!

Can't wait to meet you!

***

And While Caledon Was Dancing (1863)

My typist and her children took today to travel to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania as part of their Memorial Day Holiday remembrances. Initially she thought that doing so on the holiday might be ill advised due to the expected numbers of tourists visiting, but despite greater numbers of people there than she generally has experienced at the National Battlefield, she and the kids learned and grew, and enjoyed the day together.

Some of the monuments seen today:





You might recall another article posted here about her travels to Gettysburg just before Veteran's Day in 2007.

(OOC voice)

Gettysburg now has a new Visitor's Center and Museum, and I highly recommend started any tour you do here. The new film which precedes viewing of the Cyclorama is quite moving as Morgan Freeman narrates the brief history of the battle. Tears welled up in my eyes as he described the 2 and a half hours of cannon fire on the third day of the battle. During the description, cannon were heard all around us in the surround sound of the theatre, the music swelled, and then portraits and photographs of some of the men who died were displayed across the screen as the reenactment of the battle displayed beneath them. It was very moving.

At the end of the movie, my oldest told me that she had been "nearly crying".

"What made you feel that way?" I asked.

"When Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was read - it was just so beautiful."

Now THAT makes a mother proud.

from the Cyclorama
The Third Day of the battle and what was left of the 12,000 men in Pickett's Brigade
attempt to take the high ground being held so well by some 7,000 Union soldiers

Union Reenactors at Meade's Headquarters along the High Water Mark trail

Putting the men through their paces

"READYYYYYYYYYY! AAAAAAAAAIMMMMM!"

"FIRE!!!"

Pickett's lines being nearer, the impact was heaviest upon them. Most of the field officers were killed or wounded. Colonel Whittle, of Armistead's brigade, who had been shot through the right leg at Williamsburg and lost his left arm at Malvern Hill, was shot through the right arm, then brought down by a shot through his left leg.

General Armistead, of the second line, spread his steps to supply the paces of fallen comrades. His colors cut down, with a volley against the bristling line of bayonets, he put his cap on his sword to guide the storm. The enemy's massing, enveloping numbers held the struggle until the noble Armistead fell beside the wheels of the enemy's battery. Pettigrew was wounded but held his command.

General Pickett, finding the battle broken while the enemy was still reinforcing, called the troops off. There was no indication of panic. The broken files marched back in steady step. The effort was nobly made and failed from the blows that could not be fended."

Lt. General James Longstreet, Discussing the end of Pickett's Charge, Originally from "From Manassas to Appomattox" As quoted in "The Civil War Archive", Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, p429

The Copse of Trees in the midst of Codori Farm. The furthest north that the Confederate army would ever be. This was the climax of the Battle.
Lee's forces began retreat on the following day (July 4, 1863)

A very good day all-in-all. And I look forward to my next visit to this historical place - this sacred ground.

The Duchess' Cat is a Literary Cat

A really fun little post from the BBC online.

I Have Seen Signs from the Future, and I'm Going to Have to Think on Them for a While

I think the rift in the space-time continuum that compelled me into The Celestial Kingdom so many months ago (and yes that story is wrapping up in all the blogs....not to worry) must still be open. Either that or there is a portal somewhere here in my new lands that I am sensitive to, but have not yet found. Why do I say this? Well in the last two days, I have received news from sometime in the 21st century. News that has set my teeth on edge. But news that also has me wondering.

The first: Scottish distilleries are making younger whiskies in order to attract those who "don't really like the taste of Scotch Whisky".

???????

I'll just let you think on that for a few minutes.

Now after my initial shock, I did manage to make my way through the entire article, which you may find here in Scotland on Sunday. It seems that some whisky purists are actually thinking there is a place for young whisky (4 years old or so), but that it is not really worthy of a night spent sitting in front of a fire. Good for "an early evening drink", though.

Perhaps 4 year old whisky has a place in the 21st century, but here in the 19th? I think not. I think the spirits of my ancestors would haunt me for sure if I would change our Uisge Beatha now.

The second thing that has me pondering whisky this morning: distilleries in Japan making "excellent scotch".

????

Oddly enough - these folks are apparently making very good whisky as they are following the "traditional" method of distilling. The article from the Guardian is here.

My head, as you might imagine, is spinning. What does this mean for a distiller in 19th century Winterfell? Likely not much. But what of my children's children?

I need to think on this some more.

What do you make of this?

"Well I can make a hat. A brooch. A pterodactyl."

Have a look at these results on the Real Life Meet-Up survey at ÆtherChrononauts. It seems fairly clear at this point that there is no ONE major place that the Neo-Victorian/Steampunk sims will meet this year. But perhaps this is the "off year" when folks get together in mulitple smaller venues with a larger con next year.

It looks like there is enough interest to put some specialized events on the SLCC calendar, and we will work with the SLCC Board to do so. Some folks also wish to attend SteamCon in Seattle. There may be opportunity to organize along similar lines there.

There were also a fair number of folks throughout this process asking about DragonCon...so it could be that this becomes the east coast location for a group. All these things are to be decided after review of the results and calls for volunteers.

Thanks for your participation!

CaleCon artwork from last year.

(OOC) "You be the Water Nymph, Mom."

Words to the wise: When one's daughters want to play spa, remember that you will be getting soap mixed with sunscreen mixed with lotion for your foot treatment. You will have your hair and scalp brushed energetically.

You will get make-up applied.



And then they will want to pretend they are actors in a play. A SHAKESPEARE play. And Mom -

"You be the Water Nymph, Mom. OK?"

OK!

The other bit that crossed my mind was:

Furry Love in Vancouver

*Cue the love theme from Dr. Zhivago*

Seriously though, this is one of the sweetest little videos I've ever seen. Do watch all the way to the end.

Real Life Meet-Up Anyone?

After hearing from many of you, those of us who created and attended the first CaleCon last year are working to create the next Convention. We hope to attract a much wider range of participants this year. We encourage all of our friends from the Realm of the Roses and other neo-Victorian, Steampunk, and similarly themed sims to participate with us.

If you have an interest in meeting in “real life” at a convention or special event (or even if you don’t), please take a quick survey to help determine interest in meeting at a private convention, SteamCon, Seattle Airport Marriott, Washington, October 23-25 or Second Life Community Convention, Marriott San Francisco, California, August 13-16.

Once the survey is closed, we will share the results with you. Then we shall create the workgroups (please share with us your interest in helping/planning/actively participating) for our seminars and events.

Oh and the name shall change from CaleCon.....stand by for that.

Thanks!

Farewell Cousin Kendra

This is likely not news to most of my readers for by now you have most probably heard the news of Kendra Bancroft's typist's death.

Maddie Blaustein 1960-2008

Maddie reportedly died in her sleep after a short illness. She was very well known to the SL community at large having been an active participant since 2004. She was, however, very particularly known to the Caledon and Neualtenburg communities most recently as a very willing participant in the 2007 Relay For Life fundraising "war" between the two SL states. The human person was a very well known voice actress. Her most obvious body of work is found in the Pokeman series and movies as Meowth. She also voiced characters for Yu-Gi-Oh!, GI Joe, and Sonic the Hedgehog.

For me - as Eva - she was Kendra, a distant cousin. How I enjoyed her, though. Planning for the RFL work together, laughing about silly things like the kissing booth on Loch Avie, and feeling for her when SL had to take a back seat to the financial issues of her real life.

Maddie - You are already missed.

May you find peace and joy in this, the next part of your journey.

E

Tis the Season

...for Real Life to take over my event schedule.

Part of me is always a little saddened when I miss out on things in SL, particularly things such as The Grand Tour, which by all accounts has been a phenomenal success. Congratulations Miss Gray! Obviously I miss my friends and neighbors in the Metaverse most of all when I am away. The other part of me, however, always rejoices when wonderful, special events take place with friends and family in the realm of the flesh.

The next month is going to be terribly busy out here in the real, so I hope that you will indulge me as I write about some of those events in these pages as well. I expect that you will find me in and out of world most weeknights for a little while (save for when I have family visiting - oh like I do right now); however, most weekends are at least partially out.

I am going to jot an outline of my combine RL and SL commitments here - primarily for my own benefit as I, quite frankly, am having a little trouble making sure I don't miss things. Here goes:

Holiday Events through 12-24-08 (as known on this date)
Real Life events in this color
Second Life events in this color

• Family visiting for Thanksgiving: 11-20-08 through 12-1-08.
• Christmas Party hosted by us with Chef Pippa Calland: 12-6-08
• Cooking Class: 12-12-08
• Hubby's Work Holiday Party: 12-13-08
• Choral Cantata: 12-14-08
• Military Winter Holiday Celebration (Dining Out) hosted by Wrath Fleet at Artificial Isle: 12-14-08
• Story-Telling at the Anvil: 12-15-08
• 40th Birthday Party for a friend: 12-19-08
• Yule Celebration at Book End: 12-20-08
• Christmas Eve Services (several) 12-24-08

By the way, my typist was with her daughters and mother-in-law on a day trip to New York City yesterday. We spent some wonderful time in the city walking through Central Park and watching the ice skaters, horses and squirrels. Then after some hot chocolate, we made our way to FAO Schwartz where we spent a couple of hours looking and playing (including watching the giant piano being danced. Lunch was a quick one at TGI Friday's near our theatre. I took the group to The Little Mermaid, which was marvelously done. Costuming, sets, and music were fantastic! I would highly recommend it - particularly for families - but I think most would enjoy it. Ursula was played particularly well - as were Flotsam and Jetsam.
After the show, we made our way to Macy's (the kids' first taxi ride) where we shopped a little and grabbed a bite to eat at their Cellar Bar and Grill before hopping back to the bus for the trip home. All in all a really nice time.

Well that's it for now. Perhaps I'll make it into world in a little while. Perhaps not. But it is generally easier to blog or something similar when company is around. It is difficult to act and interact well when both worlds need high levels of attention, neh?

Much Love,
Eva

Thank You.

We do not forget at what great cost our Freedom is protected.

All Hallow's Eve in the Realm of the Real

In which Eva becomes human -
or her typist becomes The Duchess.

October 31st in the year of our Lord 2008. Transformation begins to take place somewhere in the eastern United States.

A woman, who normally animates pixels creating an avatar known as Eva Bellambi, Duchess of Loch Avie, Lady Chief of Clan Bellambi, The Red Rose of Caledon, Head of MI-5, Scientist, Distiller, Singer, Romantic - begins a transformation into the flesh and blood Duchess of Loch Avie.

This transformation takes place in order for the woman to attend a fabulous feast with Count Dracula, his Countess, and his minions, pets, and other guests in the Catacombs of a brew house not too far away from her home.


The following is documentation of that transformation:






Eva Bellambi, The Duchess of Loch Avie














The Flesh and Blood Eva, Duchess of Loch Avie























Eva - ready for an evening out at the theatre.









Flesh and Blood Eva -ready to Dine with Count Dracula

















The Count and his minions better not get out of line. The Duchess Stick is at hand.

"But first, on earth as Vampire sent,
Thy corpse shall from its tomb be rent:
Then ghastly haunt thy native place,
And suck the blood of all thy race;
There from thy daughter, sister, wife,
At midnight drain the stream of life;
Yet loathe the banquet which perforce
Must feed thy livid living corpse.
Thy victims are they yet expire
Shall know the demon for their sire,
As cursing thee, thou cursing them,
Thy flowers withered on the stem."
-Lord Byron (Giaour)

A couple of pirates dining with us begin to regret leaving those turtlenecks back on the ship.
The Count and Countess
Jack Sparrow and Elisabeth

Late into the night.....
Oh no! Has the Flesh and Blood Eva changed?
Or is this official fuzzy photo (tm) simply showing how this Eva is using Pirate Elisabeth as a human shield?
The world may never know.

The Tomb of Marcus Nonius Macrinus FOUND

The discovery of an 1,800-year-old stone mausoleum on the banks of the River Tiber was hailed by experts as "extraordinary" and one of the most important Roman finds for decades.

This tomb was built to contain the remains of Marcus Nonius Macrinus, a proconsul and a favorite of Marcus Aurelius, who ruled as emperor from 161 AD to his death in 180 AD. Macrinus was appointed a proconsul in Asia Minor and was known to describe himself as "chosen out of the closest friends".

The video below from the Telegraph in the UK give us a quick taste of the wonderful find (whilst linking it to Hollywood).




There is also more information at National Geographic's site. I actually like this video a bit better, but they are not sharing the code to embed in this manner. Do go have a look.

National Mammography Day

A reminder that we must take care of ourselves. Take time to schedule your mammogram today. And remember to feel those boobies monthly!









http://www.cancer.org/



National Mammography Day- The third Friday in October of each year is National Mammography Day. On this day, or throughout October, radiologists provide free or discounted screening mammograms. The event is sponsored by the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month organization.



And another great press release with very good information may be found here.

Not fossil fuels! Not steam! HUMAN Power!

For my commuting friends!!

For Zealot

Now is the time when distance from friends becomes very difficult. And given recent events in my own life, I feel this more acutely now than ever.

Digression of Grief

I am with you in your sorrow.

Falling water all around, the sound filling the empty spaces,
Echoing.
Streams flowing all around us,
Yet not quite consuming what we are.

We are brought low.
Covered glass,
Strips of cloth,
How can it be explained?
Life is ever changed.

Falling water
Streaming down our faces

I am with you in your sorrows.

Tenuhamu min Hashamayim, Zealot.


**