oh my goodness.

This space needs some attention. I promise I'll return soon, dear readers! Things are still, yes, still, settling down for us. We're in a new place, have new jobs, and are cultivating some semblance of normalcy. It hopefully will soon become more than a mere semblance.
Here's a lovely shot I captured up at Mt. Mitchell the other day to tide you over.
Oh, and yes, I missed these mountains. And yes, I adore autumn.

an old favourite: cider stew.

As Jeremy and I have 'smart' phones now (I put that in quotes because I'm not entirely convinced by the concept, especially now that I have one and it seems downright stupid A LOT), ahem, now that we have these seemingly intelligent cellular devices I have been able to take and easily post photos to my facebook, which means I have been taking many photos of food I have been making. The most recent of these is the Cider Stew I made the other day. (Sam, the Scottish Stew is coming, I just want to make it again so I can take some proper photos, never fear.) This recipe is one that I have loved for many, many years as my mother used to make it for us on crisp autumn days when the weather is just right for a sweater and thick socks and on icy winter nights when the frost on the windows creeps up the panes like it's dying to get in and share in the memories being made. Not to be confused with 'Spider Stew,' which is what a friend of my mum's thought she was being served when she first heard the name. Gross! My mum sent me this recipe a year or so again at my request when the weather began to cool and the leaves began their yearly performance, and it's been a cold weather staple with Jeremy and I since then. I made a few tweaks to her original recipe to make it my own and that is what I am giving you tonight.

Cider Stew
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 pounds pork loin steaks, cubed
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups apple cider
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 carrots, chopped
6-8 baby new potatoes, chopped
2 onions, sliced
1 package mushrooms, quartered
2 Granny Smith apples, chunked (do not peel)
1/2 cup cold water and
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper

Note: I usually go more by feeling than by exact measurements, just do what feels right, and what your crock pot has room for.


Directions:
Combine flour, salt, pepper, and thyme and toss with meat to coat. Brown in skillet with oil on medium-high until sides are brown, but not cooked through. Place chopped veggies in slow cooker, then add apples and meat (I usually add whatever juices have culminated in the skillet as well). Combine cider and vinegar; do not add water, and pour over meat and veggies. Cover and cook on low setting for 10 to 12 hours. After allotted time, turn cooker on high. Blend the half cup cold water with the fourth cup flour and stir into stew. Cover and cook until thickened, about fifteen to twenty minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes eight to ten servings.

Notes: If you're reading this from the UK, by cider I don't mean alcoholic cider, but really strong, yummy, cloudy apple 'juice'. I used Copella English apple juice this time and the flavour was really nice.

Also, if you're wondering what sort of mushrooms to use I've used two different types, normal button mushrooms which are always nice, and this time I used chestnut mushrooms which have a nuttier flavour which complements the cider.

My mother usually used just normal vinegar in her recipe where I used apple cider vinegar, I don't think it really makes that much of a difference so if you just have regular vinegar that should be fine. I'm just an apple maniac and used anything apple whenever I can.

Now go enjoy your delicious, slow-cooked, autumnal stew and if you make it, come back and let me know how it turned out. We enjoyed ours with a buttered slice of oatmeal bread and a glass of apple cider (yes, the real stuff, you British folk), but white wine would probably be nice as well. Slàinte mhath! 

Caitlin

goings-on and my yearly autumn revelry.

On any given day in Edinburgh you can have weather from grey with good Scottish rain that falls slightly to the side-like, to bright, shining sun, to blustery wind that eddies and swirls amongst the fallen leaves and back again. This wreaks havoc on a compulsive planner's nerves. Take today for example: While I was quite thankful for my black wellies as I trudged through the rain this morning on my way to class, I felt rather silly walking home three hours later in beautiful, golden sunlight, the traces of the earlier torrent nearly vanished and here I am trudging again because it's actually really difficult to get full range of movement in knee-high rubber boots. Who trudges when it's beautiful and sunny outside? This girl, the planner, the one who coordinates her umbrella and rain boots--they're just both black, so really I'm not that bad. Living in Edinburgh has been teaching me, among many other things, that you've got to roll with the punches; that you can't control everything and sometimes you might wear your rain boots when it's gorgeous outside. Hint, hint, so is everyone else who left their flats at 11AM and saw the downpour in progress before they got dressed--you're not alone.
But then there are other days, like yesterday, when everything about it is perfect. And when I say perfect I mean perfectly autumn, which is what heaven will be like in my opinion. I noticed it as I rushed to class, having dressed for the weather that had encompassed the previous two, i.e. flipping cold, and when I got to class and stripped off my scarf, glovies, coat and sweater I was still steaming up my glasses. After a good hour of Gaelic, however, my internal temperature had balanced itself, and as I stepped out of 19 George Square I couldn't help but to wander into the fenced garden that is in the centre of the square. An escape of nature amid the studious stone Georgian buildings of the square. On a crisp and sun-laden day such as it was yesterday an escape like that is a necessary part of the day. I found a bench in the center of the garden which has a surrounding wall of tree and bush that shields someone within from the constant reminder of the city, and I sat and wrote and reveled. The wind blew through the boughs, sending a flurry of autumnal color  raining down on the solitary benches and winding paths. It was one of those days when you can smell the intoxicating scent of autumn on the breath of the wind, and undeniably feel it in the crisp air. The white wisps of cloud moved swiftly overhead and the sun revealed its face through the veil of autumn cloud. Every once in a while, a fellow reveler would walk by, and the telltale crunch of the fallen leaves beneath their steps was ever-so satisfying to the ear. You know, there's something about the richness of color in the autumn leaves, the golden-brown, tawny-yellow and the occasional flourish of crimson or sugary-orange, it all makes my senses palpitate with joy and fervor for the season. Yet still, even among the richness of the autumn color there was the evergreen of the holly bush--that stalwart plant--which is one of all seasons, yet it invokes the promise of winter and Boreas' arrival, fast and fair, into this ancient stone city. As I sat, the other benches were acquiring occupants, those who, like me, cannot resist a day like yesterday and must revel in its loveliness. I did not linger there too long though, moments such as those are fleeting and someone else surely desired my place there, my reveling bench, before the colors fade and that beauty dies away.

The path I followed to my reveling bench.

Besides sitting around, slack-jawed, staring at pretty leaves, I really have been getting an education. My classes are going well and I'm learning a lot. I still feel a bit like I'm in over my head, but I know that will pass and I will conquer my fears of not being good enough or whatever other silly thoughts are forcing their way into my mind. Gaelic, or Gàidhlig, as it is in it's own language is going quite well. It's difficult, but I can feel it getting easier and the words and pronunciations coming into my mind quicker and quicker. I mean how counter-intuitive for an English speaker to pronounce pigheid like "pee-atch"? I mean really. Now that is one of the more difficult ones, and it means parrot (and possibly sometimes magpie as well) but still. It's rough on the brain. Or here's one, more of a crazy Gaelic construction than just a word, but, in Gaelic, there is no verb "to have" (why? I have no idea, we all know the Highlanders knew the idea of possession), so in order to contribute possession they say "at." Here's an example, if I wanted to say 'I have a dog' (I miss you, Cael!), I would say 'Tha cù agam' which literally means 'A dog is at me.' Of course, that sentence also employs the use of a prepositional pronoun, using 'at' and 'me', aig (the word for 'at') + mi (pretty obviously the word for 'me') becomes agam. If I were to say 'Mary has a dog,' it would be Tha cù aig Màiri, 'a dog is at Mary.' Fun, isn't it? And we learned this within the first week, so that just indicates how difficult the actual difficult stuff is. But I am enjoying it, really. It's quite different learning something because you have to, and learning something because you want to. And I want to learn Gaelic, so I have proper motivation to get through the propositional pronouns and lenition (I'm not going into that here, sorry).
My other class, The Supernatural World, is quite interesting. It explores the traditional superstitions and magical thinking that is so latent within Scottish culture, from divination to changelings and the fairies, witchcraft to the second sight among Scottish families. It's really neat to look at the folklore that comes from this area and the Highlands. I'm also doing a Approaches and Methods in Gaidhealtacht Studies which is basically seminars each week on different topics within Highland Studies that I'm interested in given by the expert in that field to give me an idea of what I might be more interested in with relation to my dissertation. I have to write essays for both of those classes then an exam for Gaelic at the end of the semester.
Jeremy is enjoying his Arthurian Scotland class that meets in Edinburgh Castle, and he's job-hunting as well. Were still enjoying being slightly touristy with sight-seeing and exploring this gorgeous city. Tonight we're going to Sandy Bells, a pub that has live traditional music every night and was the hub of the folk music revival here in the 60s, which is pretty brilliant.
Sorry I've written a novel here, I hope to update sooner next time--we'll see how that goes. I hope this post finds all who read it quite well. Until next time.

Slàinte mhath,

Caitlin

inspired today.

It Comes to a Beginning

As the colors begin to fade

And the last of the warmth seeps away.

One last jaunt into the highlands to

Bid farewell to the glory of autumn.

We wander the hills

Over rocks and roots

Under felled trees not yet prostrate.

Soaking in the verity of the moment.

I shall call upon that memory made

One cold winter’s day, when all I see is frigid blue.

I’ll remember the warm golden sunlight

And the warm golden leaves before they spirited away.

And perhaps for a moment it will warm me again

Before reality lays ahold, and the blue seeps back in.

But these sweet trysts of autumn during winter, spring then summer

Find me back to when the leaves espy their courage.

By Caitlin B. Foreman

parkway day.

Jeremy and I went out on the parkway today, the colors are fading but we had a brilliant day. Here are some photos from the day--I'll write something significant later.

emily & matt.

On October 3rd I had the opportunity to photograph the wedding of a friend of mine from high school, Emily. The ceremony was at Duke Gardens in Durham, and it was a gorgeous early autumn day--it was perfect for Emily and Matt. I was honored to be there, and honored to capture it to remember for years to come. Here's a sneak preview for those that can't wait.

autumn whispers his presence here.

I've been meaning to write for about a week now. Everytime I'm on the computer I go to my blog and sigh to myself, knowing I haven't the time to write all that I would want to. I did as much today when I sat down, but I decided that some writing is better than no writing at all--so here we are.
I'm still quite content with my job at Biltmore, and am still getting used to everything my head must contain in order to adequately perform said job, but I still love the fact that I get to work at such a richly historical place. I've been actually working inside the house for the past few days, and I absolutely love being able to do so. I get to go behind ropes and discover faster ways of getting from place to place where guests are not allowed, it's rather exciting.
I've also been quite enjoying the days that I have off. I go to work with Jeremy in the mornings at the Black Mountain Moments, and enjoy a latte made special for me by my husband, and a good read whilst taking in the usually misty mountain mornings. The eminent coming of autumn is most palpable on those mornings, particularly the misty ones that require light jacket and scarf--my long lost loves during the torrid summer. These mornings allow for peace and slowness, something not so readily available at work--except perhaps those early morning walks from my car to Biltmore house, though the times passes too quickly and I am swept away into the bustle of preparing for the day's guests. The slow mornings on the wooden porch next to my love are the days that keep me going through all the cumbersome days to follow--I look forward to my latte, book, and time to think and write that I need so badly to stay sane. I have recently taken my hand to poetry again, and trying forms on for size. I wrote a ballad for the coming autumn that I think I'll share, just to spur on the arrival of my favorite season.


Autumn Abides

Autumn whispers his presence here.
It's the smell on the crisp breeze dancing in my curls dark,
The harvest moon rising vast and bright through the halcyon sky
Hailing the brilliance of autumn before sinking to winter's stark.

The crisp grows chill as necks and arms are covered.
Mountain winds blow from the distant peaks.
Clouds shroud the valley in an otherworldly mist
Sailing deeper into autumn's boreal weeks.

Trees quiver in the chill air.
Leaves sway to autumn's musical shade.
A firelight of colors blaze in the canopy,
A flicker of beautiful death before the colors fade.

Autumn whispers his presence here.
It's the smell on the crisp breeze dancing in my curls dark,
The harvest moon rising vast and bright through the halcyon sky
Hailing the brilliance of autumn before sinking to winter's stark.

Autumn abides in this mountain valley
Colors of vermilion, sweet orange, and gold here dwell.
Regal purples join in the serenade of hues,
All vivid before ghosting to the ground in one final quell.

Evening comes here in sun and season
Deep blue colors the landscape and the mind.
Autumn's twilight arrives as Boreas blows stronger,
But my heart is bound to autumn as fast as any can find.

Autumn whispers his presence here.
It's the smell on the crisp breeze dancing in my curls dark,
The harvest moon rising vast and bright through the halcyon sky
Hailing the brilliance of autumn before sinking to winter's stark.



Breathing in Autumn's arrival,

Caitlin

creatively autumn.

Autumn is undeniably on its way, the last two days have been absolutely divine. The air is cool and crisp, and the misty mountains have greeted me each morning with otherworldly moods. It's beautiful, and it's perfect. It is days like these that make me smile, take a deep breath of mountain air, and stare wistfully at the shrouded mountains (I look a bit the idiot when I'm caught doing it, but who cares? Autumn approaches!). With that said, I have something else exciting to tell about. I've ordered some exciting fabric, and it got here the other day--I'm going to start sewing again! Actually, I already have; my current purse is breaking--the strap is tearing off, and I just made myself a new purse! I drew a sketch of it first, and decided what pieces I would need, then began cutting and sewing last night. I finished it about a half an hour ago, and though it looks nothing like the sketch I drew (hah!), it's still wonderful, and I feel so cool that I did it all by myself. It probably was not the best, nor the most efficient way of sewing a purse, but hey! I did it, don't judge me! Hurrah! Here are some super amazing photos of the new bag. :) My next project is a light jackety thing for autumn out of some really soft heather gray plaid material, which I'm really excited about--I'll probably need to pay more attention to measurements and such for this project though.

castles and coffee.

Today is my first day off this week, and it was much needed--and is currently being much appreciated. I have found myself imbibing more often than tea now, coffee, which is rather strange because I used to hate coffee, and at the same time not strange at all, considering what Jeremy does. I thought I'd confess that to my readers since those who have been following for a while are aware of a previous dedication to hot tea. Don't get me wrong, I still love tea, and come autumn and winter I will be found quite more often with teacup in hand, rather than coffee--but I felt compelled to confess my brief fling with vanilla lattes.
I am now finished with on-the-job training at Biltmore and had my first day on the line in the Welcome Center by myself on Saturday. It's going well, and I get more comfortable everytime I'm there --though I'm still insanely nervous until I'm at my station and the sheer number of people in my line make me forget about how nervous I am and force me to conquer the masses. So that's going well. And yes, I work at a castle. In fact, this is where I work (see amazing photo, and prepare to be insanely jealous at the beauty of my castle *eye twitch*).
Jeremy and I went to the flower carpet evening for the employees last Thursday, and it was a romantic rainy twilight for us. First of all, Jeremy's never been to the house before, so that was fun in itself--but seeing the castle in waning gloaming, and meandering around the grounds hand in hand imagining the estate to be our own is making me look out the window in fond remembrance as I type. A light rain fell all evening, though not enough to extinguish the torches lighting the garden, nor our own flame of exuberance for each other and the marvelous sites we were sharing. The rain pulled in low clouds and fog that settled fantastically in the mountain valleys at which we gazed from the south terrace of the house. The light rain eventually soaked us through as we wandered the water garden admiring giant lily pads and excellence of stone masonry. As we passed last pond of the water garden there was a small stone archway beneath the stairs leading up to the front of the house, I pulled Jeremy in with me, out of the rain, and stole a kiss in the midst of the dim blue gloaming. A tryst, only seconds, but reveled in.

Autumn is beginning to stretch his crisp tendrils into my mountain valley, in the evenings the air cools and crisps and that excites me. Just two nights ago I walked outside with my pup and took in a full deep breath of autumn air--I could smell it, it's faint but I know it is there. Come autumn, and we shall sway once more in poetic inspiration. I wait in patience for the coming of vivid hues and the sweet smells of the season.

Anticipatingly,

Caitlin