Breakfast is my favorite.

I made Corn Cakes with Alina last weekend.
I think I'll make them again....and you can too!

• 2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 tablespoon of agave, for a little sweetness, if you like.

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl -
mix together all liquid ingredients in a different bowl..
Add the liquid to the dry.
Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto a hot greased griddle.
Fry until brown- flip 'er over & get 'er brown on the other side.

They are good.
I like mine with fruit & plain yogurt & applesauce & almonds & jam.
O, and a cup of Joseph, please.
You might like yours with 'Aunt Jemima.'
I don't.

Help Matt Bauer!

Matt Bauer recording a new album & looking for some help to fund the project.. This is certainly a good cause! WANDER OVER, check the scene.

T-shirts available on the internet!

Dance on over to ETSY & check out the stock!

Finally, my website works!

ALELA DIANE DOT COM !!!!! finally works! I learned a whole lot about things like FTP, CNAME, file names not having spaces, and that by using a Mac, I have to do everything their way....It was all very frustrating. I am thankful to be done.

Richard Brautigan write things I like, like this:

A Good-Talking Candle

I had a good talking candle
last night in my bedroom.

I was very tired but I wanted
somebody to be with me,
so I lit a candle

and listened to it's comfortable
voice of light until I was asleep.

(From "The Pill versus The Springhill Mine Disaster")

It found me, love that is.

February 20th, 2010
We became Husband & Wife:
Tom Mcgee & Alela Diane Bevitori
It was a day full of all that is good-
All we could have ever hoped for
A beautiful glowing golden feeling...
For love, of love, by love.
!!!

Baking with Townes

Tonight, I listened to this Townes album, which is the only record I've been spinning lately.... and baked banana bread, using a recipe my aunt Diane read to me over the phone.

Late January Banana Bread

1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup honey (I used some Agave syrup too... I was short on honey)
3 eggs, beaten
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup rice flour & 1/2 cup almond meal... I tend to be a little random & experimental in my baking)
1 cup chopped walnuts (I used some walnuts & dry roasted almonds too..)
I also threw in some grain sweetened chocolate chips....

Mix together the butter, honey, eggs, bananas, milk & vanilla in a bowl -
In a different bowl, mix together the flour & other dry ingredients -
Add dry to wet.

Butter & Flour a loaf pan. Or grease it, you know... what ever you do. I smear butter on mine.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Put the mixture in the little loaf pan & bake for about an hour...
Let cool (or burn yourself trying to get in on it too soon, like I did)
Enjoy! It's good!

Our Chirstmas Tree.

After getting down and out sick, despite my herbal efforts....We finally had enough energy & seasonal spirit to gather a tree today. We got really into decorating - and as you can see, it got pretty cuckoo...... O holidays.

An attempt to not get sick.

It's officially winter & when winter comes, sickness lingers everywhere. I feel it trying to get me, and I just won't have it. Nope. I've been dosing up on the above several times a day in a whole heart-ed attempt to fool the illness & boost my immune system.........yuck.

O to use hands!

Since we are not touring, dear Alina has been making some lovely jewelry.... wander over there.... here!  Also, If you were unaware:  She & I released a vinyl 10" of 6 original & traditional songs, you can find it..... here! 

Another year has been sung.

I feel like I've been gone for a century.  2009 was a long journey on the rough road. It was a series of dark rooms in hundreds of cities. Suddenly I am back home, and a year has been sung away.  We moved into a beautiful victorian home that has a kind heart.  I am finally feeling settled - And will be settling in for a good long while.  I don't really leave the house, and I am healing.  Writing songs too.  Winter is cold in the North, but we've a wood stove to make fire in. Once more: It's a time for Stillness.

home!

I've found a new home up North!  Lovely stained glass window!  I cannot wait to hang proper curtains & move in.

this is how I roll.

I live out of this thing....  Home in a few days, and looking forward to the rest! 

France has been kind to me.

Rainbows & Gomasio

Another hotel. Another city.  We ate some proper food tonight here in Bordeaux.  It was cold to the bones today, but the skies were clear & we saw a rainbow.  

I got a note from an old pal that made my day:  

I heard you are going to move to Portland.  I hope you can visit Astoria and we can do some shows TOGETHER AGAIN.  The water's fine. yup yup yup.  You don't stay in one place too long.  It would be great to see Mariee too. Our weather has been less rainy than usual SO FAR.  I love you.

     For a quick tasty treat:  quinoa elbows with a bit of olive oil and gomasio.

Alina fashions a fine braid

chopping wood.

Oh, and I am moving back North in December so that one of these kind men can stack wood by my door... Thoughts of back home, while recovering from the obscene amount of food I ate for our  'thanksgiving in spirit'.... 

thanksgiving, france.

Today we are celebrating Thanksgiving despite the fact that it is a Monday, and we are in France.  Marie, Alina & I were able to gather all sorts of food stuffs for the occasion....  We even got a jar of homemade cranberries from a very kind woman, because we found out that the only store in this town that sells the berries is closed today!  I made the pumpkin pie & it was pretty experimental, so I hope it comes out alright...  We are in a lovely little village called Angers.  Lace curtains & good spirits for our two days off.  Been drinking tea all day.  Enjoying the rest.

we hit a bear!

 2 days before leaving for tour, Ben, Alina & I ran over a BEAR in my volvo, Linda.  

This is farewell...  RIP Linda, RIP bear.

so far away.