Dear Mr. Veen: I think you're cute even with a missing tooth - it must be love! Dear Blogger: I don't appreciate you shutting down on me like that - and where did yesterday's post disappear to? Maybe there are tiny men in my computer after all. Dear May: although you have delivered some flowers, April apparently did not get the memo to stop showering. Dear Drama: I. DON'T. DO. YOU. please take a hint. Dear Ella: I love that I can send you into hysterical laughter by making Mr. Cow fart, in fact it maybe might have been the highlight of my day yesterday. Dear Gnarls Barkley: bonus points for providing the perfect song and video to cap off the week of all things crazy. And last to Mr. Veen: thanks for loving this crazy girl!
Peace out!
Showing posts with label crazy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crazy. Show all posts
Friday, May 13, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Crazy Awesome!
Today I thought I'd share some of my favorite "crazy" quotes alongside art from the amazing Emily Martin. I love the feel of Emily's paintings - sort of vintage/creepy! I can't help but wonder about Emily's own personal story when looking at her art, which for me makes it extra special. Enjoy - and let your freak flag fly today!
"The only difference between me and the rest of the population is that I acknowledge how crazy I am and they're all in mind-numbing denial." ~Unknown
"The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they're okay, then it's you" ~Rita Mae Brown
"For me, insanity is super sanity. The normal is psychotic. Normal means lack of imagination, lack of creativity." ~ Jean Dubuffet
"I prefer neurotic people. I like to hear rumblings beneath the surface."~Stephen Sondheim
"I'm a neurotic --in the sense that I live in my world. I will not adjust myself to the world. I am adjusted to myself." ~ Anais Nin
"The only difference between me and the rest of the population is that I acknowledge how crazy I am and they're all in mind-numbing denial." ~Unknown
"I prefer neurotic people. I like to hear rumblings beneath the surface."~Stephen Sondheim
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Does That Make Me Crazy?
Here's a little known fact about yours truly. Back in the blessed year of 1987 a skinny blond haired girl was admitted to the mental ward of St. Vincent Hospital in Portland Oregon.
Does that make me crazy?
Well - technically yes. I was pretty crazy at the time. I was anorexic and stubborn as a mule about it so my parents (under the direction of my doctor) did the only thing they could - sent me away to hopefully get better. I can't imagine how difficult that was for them. And as completely horrified as I was to be left alone in a hospital with a bunch of other crazies it was the thing that eventually helped me out of the horrible disease of anorexia.
Now some 24 years later I'm able to look back on my experience at St. Vincent and find quite a bit of humor in it. Here I was a sheltered, shy, little Christian girl thrust into a psychiatric ward. And to make it even more interesting the adolescent wing had not been finished yet so I was mixed in with adults. There were schizophrenics, suicidals, manic-depressives and eating disorder patients among others. The treatment staff consisted of doctors from every ethnic, religious, and gender persuasion you can think of. One of the therapists was Muslim and daily sported a turban. Two more were Jewish - one with a wooden leg which I found highly fascinating. And, I'm pretty sure the "teen group" therapist Bob was gay.
Recently I watched the movie "It's Kind of a Funny Story" and found myself identifying closely with the main character - a 17 year old who admits himself into the psychiatric ward of his local hospital because he's suicidal. I thought the movie did a pretty good job of showing what it's really like. I found myself laughing out loud during a few scenes including one featuring his "roommate" and this one which finds him in a music therapy group.
I would highly recommend this film to anyone. It's funny and hopeful and even if you're not crazy like me you might find yourself relating.
Strangely enough, I'm actually proud to call myself an alumni of 5 west at St. Vincent. That experience was a big part of making me the person I am today. It's an essential part of my story.
So there you have it - sometimes crazy can end up being a good thing.
Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must live. ~Charles Bukowski
Does that make me crazy?
Well - technically yes. I was pretty crazy at the time. I was anorexic and stubborn as a mule about it so my parents (under the direction of my doctor) did the only thing they could - sent me away to hopefully get better. I can't imagine how difficult that was for them. And as completely horrified as I was to be left alone in a hospital with a bunch of other crazies it was the thing that eventually helped me out of the horrible disease of anorexia.
Now some 24 years later I'm able to look back on my experience at St. Vincent and find quite a bit of humor in it. Here I was a sheltered, shy, little Christian girl thrust into a psychiatric ward. And to make it even more interesting the adolescent wing had not been finished yet so I was mixed in with adults. There were schizophrenics, suicidals, manic-depressives and eating disorder patients among others. The treatment staff consisted of doctors from every ethnic, religious, and gender persuasion you can think of. One of the therapists was Muslim and daily sported a turban. Two more were Jewish - one with a wooden leg which I found highly fascinating. And, I'm pretty sure the "teen group" therapist Bob was gay.
Recently I watched the movie "It's Kind of a Funny Story" and found myself identifying closely with the main character - a 17 year old who admits himself into the psychiatric ward of his local hospital because he's suicidal. I thought the movie did a pretty good job of showing what it's really like. I found myself laughing out loud during a few scenes including one featuring his "roommate" and this one which finds him in a music therapy group.
I would highly recommend this film to anyone. It's funny and hopeful and even if you're not crazy like me you might find yourself relating.
Strangely enough, I'm actually proud to call myself an alumni of 5 west at St. Vincent. That experience was a big part of making me the person I am today. It's an essential part of my story.
So there you have it - sometimes crazy can end up being a good thing.
Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must live. ~Charles Bukowski
Monday, May 9, 2011
Strawberry Crazy Cure
A few weeks ago it was Easter and I made this fantastic, amazing, mouth-watering cake. Let me just say that this cake makes me happy. It makes me almost forget that it has been raining like, forever around here. This cake is sooo good that if I had some right now it might slip my mind that Mr. Veen's tooth fell out today, and Thing 1 and 2 have colds. I might even not care that precisely as a result of eating this cake my shorts fit a little snugger. Because of this cake I may just be able to believe that the sun will eventually shine long enough to ripen instead of rot our lovely Oregon strawberries.
I think I may need to make this cake again. Maybe you do too.
Here's how:
Strawberry Shortcake Cake via PW
Ingredients
It really is good! It almost makes you not care about how crazy life is. Crazy. Now that's something to talk about......
Stay tuned this week for a little (or alot) of crazy! Can you dig it?
I think I may need to make this cake again. Maybe you do too.
Here's how:
Strawberry Shortcake Cake via PW
Ingredients
- 1-½ cup Flour
- 3 Tablespoons Corn Starch
- ½ teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 9 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Softened
- 1-½ cup Sugar
- 3 whole Large Eggs
- ½ cups Sour Cream, Room Temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- _____
- Icing
- ½ pounds Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
- 2 sticks Unsalted Butter
- 1-½ pound Powdered Sugar, Sifted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 pound Strawberries
Preparation Instructions
IMPORTANT: Be sure to use a cake pan that’s at least 2 inches deep! Before baking, the batter should not fill the pan more than halfway.
Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and corn starch.
Cream 9 tablespoons butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just barely combined.
Pour into greased and floured 8-inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until no longer jiggly like my bottom. Remove from cake pan as soon as you pull it out of the oven, and place on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.
Stem strawberries and slice them in half from bottom to top. Place into a bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir together and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, mash the strawberries in two batches. Sprinkle each half with 1 tablespoons sugar and allow to sit for another 30 minutes.
Make icing: combine cream cheese, 2 sticks butter, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and dash of salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until very light and fluffy.
Slice cake in half through the middle. Spread strawberries evenly over each half (cut side up), pouring on all the juices. Place cake halves into the freezer for five minutes, just to make icing easier.
Remove from freezer. Use a little less than 1/3 of the icing to spread over the top of the strawberries on the bottom layer. Place the second layer on top. Add half of the remaining icing to the top spreading evenly, then spread the remaining 1/3 cup around the sides.
Leave plain OR garnish with strawberry halves.
IMPORTANT: Cake is best when served slightly cool. The butter content in the icing will cause it to soften at room temperature. For best results, store in the fridge!
Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and corn starch.
Cream 9 tablespoons butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just barely combined.
Pour into greased and floured 8-inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until no longer jiggly like my bottom. Remove from cake pan as soon as you pull it out of the oven, and place on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.
Stem strawberries and slice them in half from bottom to top. Place into a bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir together and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, mash the strawberries in two batches. Sprinkle each half with 1 tablespoons sugar and allow to sit for another 30 minutes.
Make icing: combine cream cheese, 2 sticks butter, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and dash of salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until very light and fluffy.
Slice cake in half through the middle. Spread strawberries evenly over each half (cut side up), pouring on all the juices. Place cake halves into the freezer for five minutes, just to make icing easier.
Remove from freezer. Use a little less than 1/3 of the icing to spread over the top of the strawberries on the bottom layer. Place the second layer on top. Add half of the remaining icing to the top spreading evenly, then spread the remaining 1/3 cup around the sides.
Leave plain OR garnish with strawberry halves.
IMPORTANT: Cake is best when served slightly cool. The butter content in the icing will cause it to soften at room temperature. For best results, store in the fridge!
It really is good! It almost makes you not care about how crazy life is. Crazy. Now that's something to talk about......
Stay tuned this week for a little (or alot) of crazy! Can you dig it?
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