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Bazel Has a New Friend
··· Jun 21 2011 · By ···
We went to a gdgt live event last month in SF to get geeky and see/touch/learn about the latest hot gear. We got some t-shirts, and screen cleaners, and stickers, and mobile phone cases, but my favorite bit of swag is the stuffed monkey from T-mobile. We still haven’t figured out what his name is. Options include: Mo, Mozy, Merl, Merv, Mork…
Bazel has taken quite a liking to him. Sid, too, but Bazel likes to wear the monkey around his neck (the hands are velcro.) The only thing they’re not too fond of is the crazy loud yell it makes when you fling it across the room, so we try to keep that to a minimum.
Jeph saw a girl on MUNI w/ a very similar monkey only he had a black cape and mask. Of course once he told me I immediately wanted one like that so our monkey wouldn’t be lonely. As if by magic (love those words!) a few weekends later we were driving by a church in Ross that had just had a rummage sale. Nicely, they left a selection of good free stuff out on the lawn and guess what we found? The black-caped and masked monkey! So now we need to come up with two names. He reminds me of Zorro. Since Zorro is the secret identity of Don Diego de la Vega, maybe we should name them Don and Diego…
Picasa’s not playing nice w/ Ubuntu (I recently jumped off the Windows ship and am, for the most part, sailing along quite pleasantly on ship Ubuntu – and I’ll write about it at some point) so will add a picture of the Zorro monkey later.
Our One Year Anniversary Here!
··· Jun 17 2011 · By ···
It was one year ago June 12th that we drove into Marin, through downtown San Rafael and into Fairfax and arrived at Nicole’s house. It was a Saturday night and the first heat wave of the summer. 4th street in San Rafael was full of people shopping, dining, and enjoying the warm summer evening and I asked Jeph, “Why didn’t you ever tell me how nice it is up here?!” (…in Marin…when we lived in SF and I never ventured to Marin..) Actually, in his defense, in the twelve years since we left SF together, he’s mentioned Marin several times, but we had other spots to explore first (Grand Blanc, Kalamazoo, Oakland, Holly, Hollywood FL, Boston, and Hollywood CA.)
Nicole gave us such a warm welcome and comfortable place to land and look for a new home. Supportive, Positive, and Encouraging – we are so lucky to have Great friends like her! The next day we looked at two places in and both were nice but not “the one.” Monday we looked at four places and liked three (rare for us.) The home we chose just felt like Home the moment we walked in and we moved in the next day, June 15th.
Looking at only six places and finding a great place in two days was a new, and exciting record for us! The whole move actually, even the one day layover in Des Moines while our truck was repaired, was smooth, easy, and stress free. It felt (and still feels) like all the challenges we’ve risen to, all the lessons we’ve learned (more than a few the hard way), and our commitment to personal growth and development and positive daily practices is recognized by the Universe, and we are being guided, supported, and encouraged on the path of life.
We love our Home. It is warm, cozy, safe, secure, light filled, and love filled. We have lots of fun exploring all the towns and nature all around us. And archangel Raphael, the healing saint, watches over us from his Mission down the street. Life is Really Good and I celebrate, and am deeply grateful for, that!
Sexy Swedish Buns for the Food Revolution
··· Apr 20 2011 · By ···
It’s long overdue for me to write about Jamie Oliver and his Food Revolution. J and I have been Big Fans of his since the Naked Chef on PBS, which first aired back in 1999 and continued for three seasons. I would say it’s what really took our cooking/eating from pretty good to better and better. Beyond his adorable accent and youthful energy (even now, with four young children running around at home!), it’s his unique approach to simple, fresh, whole, and delicious that we so appreciate.
More recently we’ve found Jamie at Home and Jamie Does… (‘Jamie’s Food Escapes’ in America) on the Cooking Channel. In the former he’s cooking straight out of the garden and we like the many casual spots he has for cooking, especially the outdoor oven and sitting on a stool by the range (good idea.) And in the latter it’s fun to watch him explore the markets, learn about regional flavors/traditions/specialties, and then put his own creative spin on it. Of all the cooking shows we watch and cookbooks we read, no one has inspired us to cook up more of their recipes than Jamie, and it is always Really Tasty and Really Healthy.
The other thing we really respect, admire, and appreciate about Jamie is his passions for helping youth (our future!) find their way in our challenging and crazy world, and making school food Good Food. Season 2 of his Food Revolution is airing on ABC right now. We were actually amazed that he’d want to come back to America after the really tough go he had during Season 1 in Virginia. But, when you are really passionate about helping people be their healthiest, happiest selves, you do find the energy to keep on keepin on. Amen. Here’s what the Food Revolution is all about:
The Food Revolution is working to make sure every child grows up knowing what real food is, how to cook with it, and eating it at home and at school, in order to fight the impact that a diet of processed food is having on our children’s health
We need your support to help us run campaigns that mobilize people to replace junk food with meals cooked from scratch in schools, inspire people to improve their health by cooking more with fresh ingredients, and put critically needed food education and cooking skills in communities across America.
While it’s not surprising that public school food, as a whole, is highly processed and preserved, it is still astonishing, and disheartening, to actually see what American children are being fed each day. So thank God for Jamie and his team (to do all that he does – When do you sleep/rest/rejuvenate, Jamie? – it’s clear he has a great family, great team, and great network.) Keep up the Great Work, Jamie. We are rooting for you!
We ask all of our friends, family, and connections to join us in signing the petition and supporting the Food Revolution. We can accomplish great things when we are healthy and happy.
P.S. We made Sexy Swedish Buns from Jamie’s Food Escapes, Stockholm, recently – chewy and yeasty on the inside, crispy on the outside, just a hint of sweetness and citrus. Love the cardamom and ya, they “look bloody gorgeous” (see photo.) I’m thinking they’d be perfect for a Sunday hike and picnic in the sunny hills…
Thanksgiving
··· Dec 03 2010 · By ···
I see it as no coincidence that we chose a Spiral Wines Napa Cabernet Sauvignon for our Thanksgiving table. From the label:
As humanity’s oldest symbol, the spiral represents eternal change, reminding us that life is not a straight line. It symbolizes new beginnings, renewal and hope for the future.
Beautiful and so apropos.
Thanksgiving Poem
Visions of roasting root vegetables
and the sweet scent of buttery pie crust
swirled through my mind for a week before Thanksgiving,
our first holiday in this lovely place we’ve chosen to
Make Home.
As a child, I would wander amongst homemade aprons
donned by the ladies of the family.
Giddily anticipating big mounds of mashed potatoes and gravy
and the scrumptious dessert table.
As different as we were, we all came together to eat and celebrate
and share.
I remember the feeling of warmth and companionship.
Here, though, there is no family nearby
to share with.
So we begin a new phase of life,
and a new tradition:
Our family’s Thanksgiving celebration.
And blessed we are this year
with a dear old friend at our table,
her presence bringing those feelings of warmth and companionship.
Our tradition begun, our family strengthened.
A little sugar pumpkin and zucchini bread
baked up the day before.
And crimson red cranberry sauce, always on my family’s table,
cooked and pretty in a glass jar.
Pie crusts made the night before,
and in the morning we sliced many apples
and mixed fillings with the pumpkin and lots of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
Good smells even before baking.
Stuffing (not stuffed into anything) with the star ingredient: fresh sage.
At my request, boiled then roasted new potatoes, red and purple -
the perfect texture.
And the turkey,
a once-a-year treat for us.
Why so many complicated recipes and stress about this meal?
Brining, rubbing complex seasoning mixes under the skin, star anise…
We followed the Diestel family’s guidance, range growing turkeys since 1949,
less than 3 hours east of here:
olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika rubbed on the skin
and add some white wine to the juices for an earthy gravy.
Simple, taste-full, and deeply appreciated.
A gift of life and sustenance and the centerpiece of our
Giving of Thanks.
Matcha Latte
··· Nov 08 2010 · By ···
In an ongoing effort to consume less coffee (because of various not-great effects it has on me), I’ve discovered matcha. At first, I thought it was just any green tea ground up (like the gunpowder J grinds in the pestle and adds to smoothies sometimes), but after more research, have learned it’s green tea grown and processed in a very specific way. Because you are consuming the whole leaf (as opposed to just the “broth” of steeped leaves) you enjoy substantially more of the many beneficial nutrients of green tea. Some of the other positive effects (thank-you, Rebekah, for motivating me to give this yummy drink a try): improved metabolism, digestion, calmness, clarity, and concentration – no wonder this was/is the zen monks’ drink of choice!
I have not tried matcha simply whisked with hot water. My preparation of choice is a matcha latte, following this basic recipe and sweeten with a little agave. It’s surprisingly delicious in a very unique way and I do find it provides a steady stream of calm energy (Note: I used 2 tsp for a latte today and found the effects to be a bit jittery so I think 1 tsp, maybe heaping, is enough.) I love making it in a clear mug because the creamy green color is fun!
Matcha can be quite expensive. We are fortunate to have a wonderful asian market here in San Rafael (good selection including always fresh produce and Excellent customer service) that offers a 1 oz. canister, imported from Japan, for $6.99 which is a great bargain.
While I am not following a strict and elaborate method, filling the kettle, sifting the tea powder, heating and foaming the (soy) milk, waiting for the water to boil, and blending it all together is a nice time to slow down and mindfully reflect on the four basic elements of the Japanese tea ceremony:
Matcha is the tea that is used in the well-known Japanese tea ceremony which was established by Zen-master Sen-no-Rikyu in the 1570s. The ceremony follows four basic principles:
- Harmony (wa)
- Respect (kei)
- Purity (sei)
- Tranquility (jaku)
Chalkboards
··· Sep 21 2010 · By ···
One day as we were leaving Jason and Leslie’s place in Ann Arbor, after a visit, walking down the sidewalk, they ran after us, asking if we happened to want a chalkboard. After considering it for like 2 seconds we said “of course”! So we left there, happily, with a nice, old, big, wooden framed chalkboard. That was somewhere between 2001 and 2004 and it’s been with us as we’ve moved around the country roughly 10 times. It was a good day when Jeph hung it up in my office, here in our new home. That made it really start to feel like a place to do good work.
I’m a list maker and project planner/manager – it’s the way I approach almost everything in life: be organized and have/follow a good plan. I have google docs with lists of writing topics for our websites, for stories, poems, and essays. I have a google doc of all of the hands-on creative projects simmering on my many burners. I have a current notebook, and many old notebooks, full of ideas, concepts, and inspirations. I’m currently using Action Method to manage our web design and development projects (and, while it has its merits, we’re going to look at some other web based PM options – Basecamp being one, because we used and liked it about 5 years ago.) I have two To Do lists on my iGoogle: “Tasks” and “My Listy”. And, I always have one or two paper “Action Lists” on my desk (sometimes more, but I’m trying to limit it to two.) I could spend far too long explaining how I determine what gets listed where, and that is definitely an ongoing process of experimenting and refining (like life itself – isn’t it great?!) But, I’d rather talk about the chalkboard.
I’ve found that having a visual snapshot of my/our “Current Focus Areas” (that’s what it’s called on the board) is really helpful for me. As much as I value technology, my eyes need regular breaks from the computer screen, and I crave physical experiences (I’m a Taurus – fixed earth…) That’s why I’ve always written paper lists. Writing with pen and paper is a different experience from typing into a computer, where your words are processed and spit out onto the screen. I can choose from an endless assortment of papers and pens – big, small, plain, designed, red, black, and so on. And I can erase or cross off with a satisfying flourish – both can be done on the computer too, but it’s not as satisfying. Anyway, back to the chalkboard. It’s broken into the primary areas of our work life and the current projects we are visioning and implementing. Whenever I want the Big Picture view, I just look across the room at the chalkboard – it helps keep everything in perspective.
P.S. Chalkboards can also be used for playing around and drawing too. Eventually I want to paint a wall, or two (maybe one outside), in chalkboard paint, for the silly, playful, spontaneous, un-organized, un-planned stuff. ‘Cuz that’s equally important.
P.P.S. Thank-You to Jason and Leslie for a great gift!
Stone Paper
··· Aug 10 2010 · By ···
Realizing that my current scratch pad was getting a bit full, and in need of a replacement soon I realized I should scan what is out there to accommodate. I didn’t really do a lot of research into this, knowing that there are the usual suspects, virgin old growth, recycled, some combination of both, cotton, hippy paper, acid free, NOS. The main thing that all of these choices give us is the ability to have some paper that uses plant matter in its manufacture.
I was kind of curious to learn that there is now an available type of paper that is made using dust of various minerals (I think mostly limestone dust) and some form of a nontoxic resin (3:1 ratio minerals:resin). That example is from a company that manufactures a similar type of product that I ended up getting. This technology has been around for a few years, but only recently available in the US at places like Target (which is where I got my pad of Stone Paper).
The brand I got was a Gartner Stone Paper, but there is very little information online that shows that they even mfg this stuff, as they are a notecard and invitation printer. This stuff is of course designed in the US and made in Taiwan. But it’s just so darn cute with its bold patterns designed to test color blindness or something. Way cuter than my go to – Moleskine.
I haven’t yet tested the paper out, but will update this as I start to use it. Initial reports (August, 2009) show that most pens seem to work fine on it, Sharpies don’t bleed through and pencils don’t fare to well as they skip. My favorite part of that forum post is this response FTW.
Probably made from petrified wood
-Bob H.
New Neighbors
··· Aug 04 2010 · By ···
When you move into a new home, like we did 6.5 weeks ago, you hope for friendly and courteous neighbors, especially the ones you share walls/floors with. We could tell within a couple of days that both sets of neighbors in our triplex were all that. And, with good fortune, we are also learning that they are cool and interesting!
Gabriel and Hillary live on the lower level and are both hard working and on-the-go. They recently adopted two dogs, Rudy (Rudi?) and Nella, and definitely have their hands full with those energetic girls. We’ve been trying to coordinate a get-together with everyone and will keep trying!
J & R’s apartment runs along the north side of the home and we share the front porch and entry hall with them. To thank us for bringing in their mail while they were on vacation, they brought us back some really cool sand from Hawaii. It’s like no other sand I’ve seen or felt – like a million tiny little pebbles. It’s very cool and reinforces my strong desire to visit that special place.
Anyway, we invited them over for dinner Saturday night and had a lovely evening getting to know each other. We snacked on asian dip, veggies, and white wine in the kitchen, while Jeph finished the main course: Vietnamese summer rolls and pad thai (Foust/LaRue fusion!)
Earlier in the day, J and I cleaned the front porch, and rearranged the furniture (her teak furniture which is great to have out there.) The plan was to eat out there and enjoy the last rays of the setting sun. We talked, snacked, and cooked for too long, though, and missed the sun, but al fresco dining is always a treat. As it grew dark we lit candles and lingered, eventually moving inside for dessert and tea. Dessert was a wonderful fruit salad they prepared, and some sorbet and nut/coconut-based ice cream. I thank them for reminding us that a fresh fruit salad can be So Good, and for sharing the evening with us.
Yay for good neighbors!
In honor of some of our common interests, I’ll end here with a quote from one of my favorite thinkers:
“Original Experience has not been interpreted for you, and so you’ve got to work out life for yourself. Either you can take it or you can’t. You don’t have to go far off the interpreted path to find yourself in very difficult situations. The courage to face the trials and to bring a whole new body of possibilities into the field of interpreted experience for other people to experience – that is the hero’s deed.”
-Joseph Campbell
Our Ashram = 120 D Street
··· Jul 30 2010 · By ···
A couple weeks ago I was enjoying a Friday afternoon at our local Peet’s (yay – our favorite coffee shop chain in walking/biking distance!), working at a sunny outside table. Jeph sent me an email with a picture he took when we visited Pt. Reyes National Seashore a couple weeks prior. It’s a seagull balancing on one leg with the other leg straight out to the back. He dubbed it “the seagull warrior pose” (it’s like Warrior III pose, only no arms extended in the front.) He said “it’s the new craze at the yoga gyms” to which I replied “you mean, at our yoga studio, to which he replied “yeah, our ashram.”
That got me thinking about what an ashram is, so I Wiki’d it, of course, and what I found was pretty interesting. In it’s key attributes, an ashram is what we are creating in our new home:
- a place to practice yoga, make music (create), study spirituality (consciousness)…
- a place for regular physical and spiritual (self development) exercises…
- a place to find solace and tranquility…
- amidst nature…
- a place to learn and practice the art of personal power…
New Desk!
··· Jul 27 2010 · By ···
We’ve been having some wonderful Good Fortune since arriving in Marin. I will be writing more about these gifts here. The most recent occurred a few days ago when we went for a Sunday bike ride. Frequently I let Jeph choose a route for us, but something compelled me to suggest we ride over to Fairfax, which we had done once before, shortly after moving into our new home. It’s a nice flat ride and a good chunk of it is on a side road which gets very little through traffic. So, it’s quite relaxing because you’re not dodging cars, or climbing hills. The part of San Anselmo it passes through is a sweet little neighborhood, too; there’s just something about it I like.
As we passed through that neighborhood a flash of color caught both of our attention at the same time. We pulled over to find two old 2-drawer file cabinets and a white laminate desktop, set up as a desk and sitting there on the sidewalk with a big “FREE” sign on it. Oh My God – that is exactly what I have been envisioning for my office/our studio, for several years really and even more vividly since finding our fabulous home. There it was – my vision turned into form, and the magic word: FREE. Of course we wanted it – it was perfect – but we needed to ride home and get the car. So we wrote “Please Save for Foust/LaRue – we will be back in 45 minutes” on it, took a quick detour up a steep hill to check out a great view of the hills around us, then booked home, got the car and drove back. It was a relief to find them still there, waiting for us. They fit easily into the RAV (which always pulls through for us.)
Back at home, Jeph gave everything a good scrubbing while I cleared a space in my office. The width of the desktop fits perfectly into the space between my desk and the side door. That’s more good fortune because there is Really no other place for it in the apartment. So there it is, the desk/workspace we’ve been wanting and needing for a good long time. Just like our new home, it was worth the wait.
A big THANK-YOU to the person(s) who made set it free so we could give it a home!
