Tuesday, 14th of September 2010 at 09:12:07 PM 
I couldn't find an image of Tom Bombadil that didn't make him look like a creeper, so here's his house.
OR, How Many Topics Will I Cram Into One Post?
Ten miles this week, now at mile 99. Spent a lovely time at Tom Bombadil’s. Missed eating meat, though. They appear to be vegetarian. We set out tomorrow for Bree. As I recall, it doesn’t go well. I really have to stop following Frodo. Still at seven pounds lost, which is a great tragedy.
I blame a friend from out of town and her amazing dining habits. She can pack it away like you would not believe and stay slim. It’s a slap in the face to watch her eat. Of course, I felt honor-bound to match her superior trencher-woman skills and managed to not gain any weight, at least.
I had nothing to wear into the city to dine, so I went to the mall to buy a pair of leggings to wear with this very charming black linen dress to carry it over into fall. Thrifty, no? I’m in that no-man’s land of fashion. I’m too big for my awesome clothes, and refuse to buy clothes that will be too big shortly. If you are a veteran of this field of battle, you know that I have NOTHING TO WEAR.
Of course when I got to Nordstrom I looked at shoes (no luck) and popped into the middle-aged woman’s paradise, J.Jill (the horror, the horror. I looked pregnant in everything I tried on. So much for feeling proud of myself.) I even tried on clothes at the Fat Lady Store. It was not my favorite day. I’m too experienced in these matters to let my shopping experience make me cry or anything, or make me want to stop with the diet and exercise, but let’s just say it wasn’t my favorite day I’ve ever had.
My lippy never fails me.
I then told myself that make-up comes in one-size-fits-all and bought Laura Mercier’s new cream foundation, a lip brush, and turned in (at Nordie’s) twelve old MAC products and got two free lipsticks in return. I added a lipgloss and a charming pink blush to the pile. TAKE THAT, FATNESS.
What makeup makes your day?
I was feeling pretty good until I got home and put on the outfit. That dress doesn’t currently fit me. Fail.
I have a conference to attend in late October, and a wedding in early November. This could get serious. I’d love to buy a some cunning little gray silk suit, but the thought of having it tailored later is enraging. What to do?
IN OTHER NEWS I roasted a pile of tomatoes with garlic and onions and made roasted tomato soup. I also roasted plums with red wine, spices and honey and that combo made something so sublime it can barely be described. Many fruits! Many vegetables!
ALSO we finished throwing out most of what was in our bedroom. Some of the crap was recycled, some went to the thrift store, and some to the dump. It feels so great. We’ve had this beautiful Persian carpet rolled up and tucked against the wall for YEARS and finally opened it up and are using it. Makes the room feel luxe. Now to chose wall treatments, drapes and hang art. ANOTHER thing we found was lots and lots of art that needs matting and framing (some of the pieces need rematting and reframing, due to age, damage, etc.) We put it aside to gradually fit into our monthly budget and promptly forgot about it entirely. Piles and piles of lovely things I hadn’t seen in years, maybe thirty things. It was like Christmas. As soon as I finish another project I’m working on, I’m going to take two pieces a month to the framers.
Do you do that thing, too, where you make grandiose plans to hang a quilt or frame some art and then never ever do it?
Hee, behind this chair I’m sitting in right now are some unframed prints and a few framed, but not hung, that have been there for over 10 years!
Of course I have art that needs to be framed and so many other clever projects to get to. It’s so much fun to find great things in a room that you’ve forgotten about.
On the clothes issue you could try to find something that fits in a consignment or thrift store so the pain isn’t as high as new at Nordies. Or just cheap at Ross. That’s what I did when I was forced to buy bigger clothes so as to be able to breathe at work. I’ve been surprised at what nice quality and relatively new clothes some people give away. Good luck.
Here is the thing: I have a weird squick regarding thrift store clothes. I’m not proud of it, but there it is.
Grandiose plans is/are my middle name(s)!
I know what you mean about that no man’s land of having nothing to wear. I’ve been there before — am there now, actually. I like Shelley’s suggestions, that’s what I usually do.
Custom framing is 60% off at Michaels stores for the next week. They’re all over the country, so I’m sure you could find one near by. Just in case you’re feeling ambitious…
Holy crap, yes! There’s one here and everything. Thanks Kacie.
Oh, no, I don’t know anything about unframed art sitting around for years. Except for the roughly forty pieces of my dad’s, that is.
PLUS the shadow box I’m totally going to make for my mom’s wedding veil and weensy moccasins a neighboring tribe made for her when she was a baby. I didn’t even know she had these things stashed in a box until after she died.
I bet she had even more grandiose plans for them.
Guess I’d better hop to it.
P.S., Hi gorgeous!
Um…can I come to your house and eat your food?
Shopping for shoes and make-up is my fix, too! Beacause they always fit : )
I roasted tomoatoes and garlic myself last weekend, after visiting the local farmers market. I threw in some fresh basil, pureed it, and am freezing the pasta sauce for a cold winter’s night.
I also have plums … and I love sublime flaour … so I think I just HAVE TO HAVE your recipe … or at least the specific ingredients and process … pretty please? For a fellow in-between-sizes struggler?
I agree. Please, please share? With spicy honey goodness drizzled on top?
I made it by-guess-and-by-golly this time, without consulting the recipes I read the last time I made it.
Wash, halve, and pit the plums. Put them cut side up in a buttered baking dish. I used a small dish, maybe 4-by-8 inches, with about 4-5 halved plums.
We had about 1/2 cup of red wine on the counter at the bottom of a bottle. I poured that into a glass and added 1-2 tablespoons of honey, a tablespoon of cinnamon, a little allspice, and a pinch of nutmeg. Any spices you like will do.
I mixed that up and spooned it over the plums, making sure to coat the cut side and fill the pit hollow. I baked them at 450 until they were fork tender, but not burnt.
I ate them for breakfast every day until they were gone. Om nom. If you end up making them, tell us how it went.
I have grandiose plans for redecorating our bedroom. There have been paint chips taped to the wall since May 4, 2009.
Sigh…