Month: September 2011

Stella Hits the Beach

Stella Hits the Beach

 Here are some pictures from last week when Stella and I had a doggie date at the beach. Meet Lulu and Julia.  Stella and Lulu?  Big dog, little dog?  Some things are meant to be. Frisbee, dogs and friends.  The perfect equation for happiness.

35 by 35, part 1

35 by 35, part 1

I have this friend.  She’s a go-getter working on her phD in ecology, driven by personal challenges and accomplishments.  She’s a fan of the popular 30 by 30 lists common for motivated people in their 20s to try to fulfill 30 goals by the time 

42 Weird Meals from the 50s

42 Weird Meals from the 50s

I love this article- it’s just … weird.  I am a sucker for historical ironies (thanks to my dad), so vintage cookbooks with instructions for how to keep your husband happy with dinner on the table and other primitive mores are fascinating to me.  The same goes for archaic ingredients that were once in vogue.  Sardine salad?  Jell-O with cream cheese and pears?  Spam and lima beans?  Mmmmm.

Photos courtesy of buzzfeed.

I would have been more grossed out if I wasn’t so wildly entertained.  And I’d probably be more nauseous if the ingredients weren’t so incoherent.

Go here to see the article.

Hiking with Stella …

Hiking with Stella …

She gets distracted easily, but you gotta love the girl for having spirit.

The Garden Party

The Garden Party

I have this friend who throws the most wonderful parties. There is always something delicious to eat, like these hors d’hoeuvres with endive and smoked salmon, brie and quince membrillo and prosciutto-wrapped breadsticks. Baked brie with herbs and cherries. Grilled chicken, shish kabobs, green bean salad and fresh 

Cleaving

Cleaving

What amazes me about reading is when you find that perfect book for that perfect time in your life.  Since I’ve been slowly trudging through books ever since I moved here from New York (where commuting gave me over 2 hours a day for reading), it is always incredible to find a book I don’t want to put down and can get through in less than a few weeks.
For me, that book was Cleaving, by Julie Powell.  You may remember Powell from the heartwarming Julie and Julia.  Well, forget her.  Cleaving is the evil twin, the story of a dark time when Powell worked in a butcher shop while she was in a wrenching affair.  The parallels she draws between breaking down meat and tumultuous relationships are poetic and relevant.  Though dark and ugly, the writing is brutally honest and vulnerable, which takes a lot of guts (did I mention the parallels?).  At a time when I couldn’t be more disenchanted by food and love, this was the absolute perfect read.  This takes something as rudimentary as butchery or love, and shows the multi-layered complexity through beauty and ugliness.
At last, the part of me that always found butchery to be intriguing is finally understood by another.  I am this close to walking into Willowside Meats and asking for a job.
Twins

Twins

I’m housesitting for a sweet boxer who looks more human every day. Really, the resemblance is uncanny.

Tarantula!

Tarantula!

This was intended to be a backpost from earlier this summer when my friend spotted a tarantula in her living room moments before I drifted off on the couch.  (Yep, it woke me up.) Very fitting, since I’m housesitting for her this week and guess 

Just so you know ….

Just so you know ….

…. I’m catching up!  And housesitting again- this will be my third out of four housesitting stints in three months.  I love it, it totally changes up my routine and gives me quiet time (I can never get enough time alone).  And nothing makes me more productive than changing up my routine!  That means I’ll finally be putting up those posts I’ve sat on all summer because the internet at my house is too slow to upload the photos and I don’t want to do it at work because it involves my own computer separate from my work computer and that it’s too much at the end of day of staring at a computer all day.  Whew!

But this week, more will be coming in at last, you patient handful of readers out there (Dad).  I’m deep in the redwoods with snuggly animals and fast internet and the chance to focus, so some writing will be done!

I can’t wait.  Stay tuned, and please forgive me for breaking the cardinal rule of blogging and backdating some posts.  It’s just too sad to write about my fourth of July weekend at the end of September.

Hay Fever

Hay Fever

There are benefits to being free on a Saturday afternoon.  Yesterday, I got a call from a friend who lives on a sheep ranch looking to see if I was available to help stack hay.   My farm experience is limited to feeding goats at