Thursday, May 28, 2009

Apologizes for my lack of bloggage.

Hey there lovers of Little Town Tea. I am very sorry for not writing as frequently as I usually do during these last few weeks. With my move, the end of college, and other difficulties in my personal life, I have found myself with very little time to dedicate towards this blog. Unfortunately, it will be a while until the internet will be hooked up at my new house, and when I do find the time to trek it up the hill to my parents house, I am fairly sure that the time I will have using their internet will be spent on my on-line class. But don't lose hope, keep checking and I am sure in no time I will be back at it with my daily posts.
Love,
Little Town Tea

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Little Town Tea's Poem of the Week

Crow Testament
By: Sherman Alexie

1
Cain lifts Crow, that heavy black bird
and strikes down Abel.

Damn, says Crow, I guess
this is just the beginning.

2
The white man, disguised
as a falcon, swoops in
and yet again steals a salmon
from Crow's talons.

Damn, says Crow, if I could swim
I would have fled this country years ago.

3
The Crow God as depicted
in all of the reliable Crow bibles
looks exactly like a Crow.

Damn, says Crow, this makes it
so much easier to worship myself.

4
Among the ashes of Jericho,
Crow sacrifices his firstborn son.

Damn, says Crow, a million nests
are soaked with blood.

5
When Crows fight Crows
the sky fills with beaks and talons.

Damn, says Crow, it's raining feathers.

6
Crow flies around the reservation
and collects empty beer bottles

but they are so heavy
he can only carry one at a time.

So, one by one, he returns them
but gets only five cents a bottle.

Damn, says Crow, redemption
is not easy.

7
Crow rides a pale horse
into a crowded powwow
but none of the Indian panic.

Damn, says Crow, I guess
they already live near the end of the world.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Little Town Tea's Quote of the Week

"I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them."
- Pablo Picasso

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Little Town Tea's Poem of the Week

I Heard a Fly Buzz--When I Died
By: Emily Dickinson

I heard a Fly buzz -- when I died --
The Stillness in the Room
Was like the Stillness in the Air --
Between the Heaves of Storm --

The Eyes around -- had wrung them dry --
And Breaths were gathering firm
For that last Onset -- when the King
Be witnessed -- in the Room --

I willed my Keepsakes -- Signed away
What portion of me be
Assignable -- and then it was
There interposed a Fly --

With Blue -- uncertain stumbling Buzz --
Between the light -- and me --
And then the Windows failed -- and then
I could not see to see --

Monday, May 18, 2009

Little Town Tea's Quote of the Week

"I doubt that the imagination can be suppressed. If you truly eradicated it in a child, he would grow up to be an eggplant."
- Ursula K. Le Guin

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Little Town Tea's Poem of the Week

Insomniac
By: Maya Angelou

There are some nights when
sleep plays coy,
aloof and disdainful.
And all the wiles
that I employ to win
its service to my side
are useless as wounded pride,
and much more painful.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Little Town Tea's Quote of the Week

"All of us failed to match our dreams of perfection. So I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible."
-William Faulkner

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day


I hope you have a lovely day.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

The Decemberists


For those of you who have taken advantage of my Playlist, located at the bottom of my blog, you might have heard a few amazing songs done by The Decemberists. If so, I hope you are enjoying their fantastic melodies and lyrics with unique story lines. Wes first turned me onto this band. Right away I feel in love with The Decemberists. I had never heard a band that took such care writing their lyrics. Each one has an in depth story with such unique characters that I still am amazed that they have been able to put out as many CDs as they have. Recently they came out with their new CD, entitled The Hazards of Love, and all the songs intertwine with one another to create one long and story. I included my favorite music video of The Decemberists below so that you can get a taste of this brilliant band and, as I mentioned before, you can also find some of their songs on my Playlist. Perhaps you will fall just as deeply in love with this band as I have.


Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Little Town Tea's Poem of the Week

Brown Penny
By: William Butler Yeats

I whispered, 'I am too young,'
And then, 'I am old enough';
Wherefore I threw a penny
To find out if I might love.
'Go and love, go and love, young man,
If the lady be young and fair.'
Ah, penny, brown penny, brown penny,
I am looped in the loops of her hair.

O love is the crooked thing,
There is nobody wise enough
To find out all that is in it,
For he would be thinking of love
Till the stars had run away
And the shadows eaten the moon.
Ah, penny, brown penny, brown penny,
One cannot begin it too soon.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Little Town Tea's Book Corner


Sophia Kinsella's book, Can You Keep a Secret?, was one of the fantastic books that traveled with me on my trip to Hawaii. Sophia Kinsella, author of the Shopaholic books, The Undomestic Goddess, and Remember Me?, writes with such perfectly timed humor that you will find yourself cracking up every time you turn the page. Although I am a fan of her Shopaholic books, the ones I have read anyway, I found Can You Keep a Secret? on a whole new level of wit. This particular book is about a woman named Emma Corrigan who works at Panther Cola, has a perfect boyfriend, and is hoping to get a promotion. She is a successful woman who gets by in her life by keeping secrets. One day, however, she sits next to a very handsome man on a business flight and when the plane hits some turbulence she spills all her secrets. After Emma gets off the flight, a little shaky and embarrassed, she cheers herself up by reminding herself that all of her deepest secrets were spilled to a mere stranger, a man she will probably never see again. Emma puts the incident behind her, that is until she goes to work the next day to find that mere stranger in her office and that he is the CEO of Panther Cola.
This is a book that will make your sides ache from laughter. I promise that you will want to keep turning the pages to see what happens next. I bought this book for my mom for Mother's Day last year and she loved it. So, whether you are looking for a book for yourself or are trying desperately to find the perfect gift, I recommend buying Can You Keep a Secret?

Monday, May 4, 2009

Little Town Tea's Quote of the Week

"My only purpose is to teach children to rebel against authority figures."
- Sherman Alexie

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Doubt


I rented Doubt from Netflix a few weeks ago both because Meryl Streep had been nominated for a golden globe and because as a Catholic I was curious to see how they would present this movie. After I watch the film, I found out that this film was adapted from a play by the same name that premiered in 2004.
Doubt takes place in a Bronx Catholic school during 1964. The first black student, Donald Miller, has recently began attending the school after he transferred from a public school. He is among countless Irish and Italian students and feels, understandably, out of place. Father Flynn, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, begin to bond with the boy. Sister James, played by Amy Adams, notices the relationship between Father Flynn and Donald and she reports her observations to Sister Aloysius, played by Meryl Streep. This begins the story of Doubt.
This film is very intense. It is a powerful and emotional film that will leave you angry and upset. This range of emotions comes from the amazing acting that is performed throughout the film. I have seen Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman shine in many roles, but these two executed their characters perfectly, making you feel as if you were in the situation and not watching a film from the comfort of your favorite overstuffed chair. I would greatly recommend this film because of its intense story line and the fantastic acting seen throughout.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Anchors Away!


Lately I have fallen in love with anything that has an anchor on it. They remind me of the open sea, salt in the air, pirates with eye patches, and jolly songs about pillaging. The picture above was taken when I was at Pearl Harbor during my trip to Hawaii. Seeing this huge anchor started my love with anchors. Since I have gotten back from Hawaii, I have visited etsy a few times to look at all the homemade anchor products they have. Below I have listed some of my favorite with links. If you happen to be an anchor lover too, maybe you will find something you like.



This anchor bracelet is beautiful and full of charms that make me want to hop on a ship and spend the next few months enjoying the fresh air and hoping that I don't get scurvy.



These anchor hair pins are adorable. They would be the perfect touch to dress up any sailor outfit and would be the envy of all your ship mates.



This brooch is my favorite etsy find. I love the way it shows all the essential pirate themed charms and how the monster of the sea, the giant octopus, rules over them all. This would be a perfect trinket to wear so as to ward off any unwanted and dangerous creatures that linger in the deep sea, creatures that feed off pirate ships such as your own. It would remind you and your ship mates to never let your guard down, because the dangers of the sea could come and eat you at any moment.



Finally, this journal is the perfect place to keep your daily notes about the trip and all the adventures you may have.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Lumpia!


Hello Lovers of Little Town Tea. Today I have a very special treat for you. A few weeks ago my friends and I had a potluck and I learned how to make lumpia. So, today I am going to teach you how to make this very yummy dish. Lumpia, for those of you unfamiliar with this dish, is, basically, a egg role from the Philippines, but, in my opinion, much better. My Aunt Jane is Filipino and whenever I visited her she would make me lumpia, but it was not until now that I knew how to make it myself. Thanks to Greg, that guy who taught me how to make that fantastic clam dip that I posted the recipe for, which can be found under the label cooking, I now know how to make oh so wonderful lumpia!

First what you need to do is go buy some chicken, green beans, and carrots. The chicken, by the way, is optional. Pure veggie lumpia is fantastic too. Cut all of the ingredients into very small pieces, as seen in the bowl above, put in your desired amount of garlic salt and pepper, coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil, and cook the ingredients until they look ready to eat.

Next, you need to start rolling the lumpia. The wrappers Greg bought were from an Asian grocery store and can be used for spring rolls, egg roles, and lumpia. The wrappers are very thin and stick together, so while you are pulling them apart and rolling the lumpia make sure you do not tear them. So, when you are ready to roll the lumpia take a small amount of the cooked vegetables and meat, like a small hand full, and put it at one corner of the wrapper. Begin rolling the ingredients. Once you get to the middle of the wrapper, fold in the corners on the left and the right and roll the rest of the way. Once you have finished rolling, put a little bit of water on the exposed corner and press it to the roll so that it will stick and not open up while the lumpia is frying.

Next, you will need to take a pan and fill it about a third of the way up with olive oil. Let the olive oil get very hot. You can check to see if it is hot enough by taking little pieces of the lumpia wrappers and seeing how well they fry.

Take some kitchen tongs and set the lumpia in two or three at a time, depending on the size of your pan. Make sure to let each side fry evenly. Once the lumpia looks nice and crisp take it out with your tongs and set it in a bowl that has paper towels inside. Make sure to set the lumpia up on its side so that the oil can drip out of the roll and onto the paper towels.

Once your lumpia has all been fried and has had a chance to cool down, sit down with your friends, grab some banana catchup (which is amazing, by the way) and enjoy your delicious lumpia.