Last week was Banned Books Week. The fact that we live in America and need to even have such a week freaks me out. It's hard for me to wrap my brain around the notion that people STILL BAN BOOKS ALL ACROSS AMERICA. Everyday. And it's 2008. And now we have a VP candidate, Sarah Palin, who has, in her capacity as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, inquired into whether her town's librarian would consider banning a book. The spin the Republican party is putting on this is that Palin simply asked a question and never actually named a book to be banned. They neglect to mention, however, that the local librarian, who responded to Palin and the rest of the city council that she would not ban a book, was fired two days after the incident. Huh. I doubt it was a coincidence but you can check out various versions of this story here, here, and perhaps the most detailed account here. 

Like many people, I have read a lot of the books that have made it on a banned list: The Handmaid's Tale, The Grapes of Wrath, The Color Purple, everything by Judy Bloom, The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the Harry Potter series, Of Mice and Men, The Catcher in the Rye, A Wrinkle in Time, The Bluest Eye, To Kill a Mockingbird, Flowers for Algernon, A Light in the Attic, Cujo, The House of Spirits, Lord of the Flies, Native Son, Song of Solomon, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Great Gatsby, Their Eyes Were Watching God. And that's just to name a few. The American Library Association (ALA) reports there were more than 3,000 attempts to remove books from schools and public libraries between 2000 and 2005. In an interview with NPR, Judith Krug of the ALA says, "They're not afraid of the book; they're afraid of the ideas."

Afraid of the ideas.

I have made a new goal for myself: to write a book that one day makes it on the Most Frequently Banned Books and Most Challenged Books lists. It's the least I can do for the next generation.

For more information about banned books, visit the ALA website. And then go out and buy one of the books on the list; open it up to the title page and write, "In honor of Sarah Palin;" and donate it to the Wasilla, Alaska public library.

As many of you know, two and a half years ago, I walked away from my 13-year successful career in Corporate America to pursue creative projects. While my departure seemed sudden for some, even for me at first, the truth of it was I had been slowly coming to that point for some time, working my way, inch by inch, to my ultimate escape from an environment in which I felt trapped and creatively deprived. The process wasn't easy. Following your dreams, leaving behind the comfort of your surroundings, not knowing what lies ahead...these are all risky actions that leave us raw and exposed to the elements. There is a chance, in fact, of having your soul broken should you fall or fail to accomplish what you set out to do. And then, like a big brick trying to weigh down your dreams, there are those who want to keep you from doing it by questioning your tactics and sanity. I even did this to myself, boarding up escape routes with practicalities like "but what about health insurance" and "how will I ever pay the rent." But I pushed through the barriers. It was hard. There was a struggle. But I did it. And once I fled, I never looked back.

I do, sometimes, think about those left behind. While many expressed their desire to do the same thing, to break free and do what their hearts really want to do, and despite the fact I showed them how to do it, they choose to stay right where they are, for whatever reason or reasons. This is not a judgment but simply an observation. Like I said, for some, it is easier to watch, nose pressed up against the window, than to leap.

Little did I know, someone had recorded my escape. So for those of you still needing someone to show you how to do it, I give you this:

There was nothing ordinary about it. But it definitely did sparkle and it definitely was a moment. And not just for me. The others who ventured throughout the studio felt something too. Something more than them. Something more than what was on the walls and shelves and tables. It was in the air. It was in the air around the air. And not even the proverbial knife could cut through it. Why would you want to cut it anyway? It was beautiful in its massive, malleable, enveloping wholeness. >

I’m talking about the show/book release/reading for Ordinary Sparkling Moments by Christine Mason Miller which I had the exquisite honor of attending at Peach Tree Pottery this Sunday. An extraordinary adventure, each page of Ordinary Sparkling Moments is a piece of art—collage or photography or both—combined with delectable morsels of insight on what is gained, found, explored, and discovered when you are open to gaining, finding, exploring, and discovering the smallest of gems in every day.

I have been in love with Christine’s art since I first saw it at Peach Tree Studio while taking pottery classes from the studio’s owner and ceramic artist, Linda Mechanic. Her “Girls” series sucked me in, her “Winged” series made me a follower, and now Ordinary Sparkling Moments—from the book to the pottery to the jewelry to the art—has made me a believer.

A believer in me.

I was thrilled and moved to tears for Christine, so proud of her creative risks and creative accomplishments. I floated through the studio, falling under the spell of every piece and every message. I met her friends, Denise (a.k.a BoHo Girl) and Stacy (Bella Wish), beautiful women with inviting eyes and hearts to match. I got to hug and be hugged by my friends Linda and Ann, swirling eddies of smiles, laughter, and positivity (thanks, Prince, for that word). The studio filled with people moved to excitement. Then it was overflowing, literally and figuratively. In the thick of it all, I felt high. Heady. Like I had just shared a feast at a table surrounded by friends in a room with a roaring, hot fire in the fireplace and I was on my third glass of wine. I left the studio dreamy. Happy. And affected.

Back at home, the lingering effects of the experience took a toll on me and I languidly sat in my favorite chair and let time slip by. But I was far from being passive. Ideas, desires, dreams, and hopes came flying out of the corners of my mind and crannies of my soul. An enlightening cacophony of childhood and adult wants made themselves heard. A room full of lightly tested emotions dusted themselves off and stood at attention. I never doubted myself when, two years ago, I quit my 13-year career in Corporate American to pursue my creative passions…but I’m not sure I entirely believed in myself. Until today.

With the edge of Sunday hitting the horizon, I think I’m finally coming down, albeit slowly, from the euphoria of today’s adventure. And yet, it is only just beginning.

It's painful for me to watch this, not because I feel bad for her, but because there's an actual chance she could be in the White House someday soon.

BTW: I have friends that live in International Falls, Minn., which is on the Canadian/U.S. boarder. Not one of them would ever claim to have foreign affairs expertise, despite living in the second busiest rail port-of-entry in the U.S. Just imagine the claims Palin would make had she been mayor of I-Falls!

There's a 15-second commercial you have to sit through before you get to the 1-min. clip but it's worth the wait.


Watch CBS Videos Online

Gov. Palin and Senator Hillary Clinton address the nation. Enjoy.

Over a year ago, our very good friends Tamra and Ian got married. It was our first “California wedding,” meaning it was nothing like the weddings I had attended in Minnesota (and I suspect anywhere else in the Midwest!). The most obvious difference was that the ceremony was officiated by both a Buddhist priest and a Catholic priest. But it was the subtle differences that made the evening so enjoyable: the simple, elegant dress (no beads and crinoline here), the setting (outdoors in April in the backyard of a friend’s house high above the Rose Bowl), the food (Creole!), and the guests (friends of all ages, artists, gays, non-white folk, a real Irishman) just to name a few. All in all, it was a spectacular evening that I revisit in my mind many times over. And then smile.

Tamra and Ian are special friends. I love them dearly for their compassion, grace, and downright fun spirits. When I found out they were getting married, I began a quest to find a gift that would be symbolic of their relationship. In other words, I wanted something unique to remind them of their commitment to one another but also something functional and everyday, since that’s what a commitment toward another person is: an everyday, practical effort. I also knew I wanted to commission an artist to make something, because relationships are just that: made from nothing more than a desire or need to create a connection with the soul and then sketched, molded, and shaped into a piece of art.

So I began my search to find an artist to make a wedding gift. I had no idea what I wanted as a gift other than to use the Japanese woodblock design they had on their wedding invitation. I put a call out to artists on Etsy (“Your place to buy & sell all things handmade”) and was open to just about anything: putting the design on a tablecloth and napkins, etching it into wood to make a tray, using textiles to create a hanging piece or blanket, making a stained glass piece, etc. About a dozen artists responded to my request but nothing really stood out. Either I wasn’t satisfied with the artist’s portfolio or I didn’t like any ideas they had come up with. And then, just as I was about to give up on Etsy, I got an email from ceramist artist Laurel Begley. And life became good again.

Laurel said she would be able to put the design on a ceramic sushi set (which included a platter, two dishes, two sake cups, and two sauce dishes). I loved the idea. After checking out her portfolio of work, I was even more excited. And then after reading her story, I was thrilled. I was so impressed with everything—from her suggestions on how to use the design to her promptness in communicating with me to her reasonable prices—that I asked her to make two sets of sushi dishes instead of one.

And so she went to work.

I received my sushi sets in the mail a few days ago, two months (and one broken kiln) after Laurel and I first hammered out the details. It’s hard for me to describe my emotions when I opened the box and unwrapped the pieces from the bubble wrap. One by one, I placed each piece on the dinning room table. And when they were all displayed, I stood back and whispered breathlessly, to no one but myself, “Oh. My. God. They’re beautiful.”

One of the sushi sets.

Inscribed on the back of each platter.

For the next 20 minutes, I couldn’t stop touching and looking at them. I held each piece close to my heart. I turned them over and around and put them back down and picked them up. I arranged them in their two sets and then grouped them together by their function—the four sake glasses and four sauce dishes on one side, the two platters in the middle, the four plates on the other side. When Emmett came home from work and saw them, he was just as stunned by their beauty and quality. He returned to the table where I had them displayed over and over again throughout the evening. Like me, he couldn’t stop touching them. And that’s when, for a brief second, I didn’t want to give them away. I really, really didn’t. They are THAT cool.

Next week, Emmett and I are getting together with Tamra and Ian to give them their gift. I’m pretty sure I will give them both sets of sushi dishes. At the very least, they’ll get one of them. I think.

A big stack of vacation-clothes laundry awaits your attention.




A shirt filled with cat hair from endless hugging of your super cute, super sweet cat (and you don't mind it one bit).




The simplest dinner in your front yard never tasted so good.




You can't stop looking at this picture of your niece and nephew and saying, "Aren't they the cutest little buggers on the planet?! I miss them so much!"




You make room on your nightstand for the guidebook to your next vacation destination.

As many of you know, my kitchen has become officially vegan. I can't tell you what this has done to my taste buds...and to me. I feel like I'm six-years-old again tasting everything new. Food, in all its shapes and forms (meals, snacks, treats, ingredients), has more flavor, more texture, more aroma, and, strangely, seems to burst with intense passion with every bite I take. Even though I had been vegetarian for years and years, cooking vegan at least half the time, this renewed conscious effort about what goes into my food, and ultimately into my body, has had a pleasantly surprising impact on my life. I feel more alive than I ever have before and I know a diet free from animals and animal byproducts has a lot to do with it. (BTW: did you know that 10 billion...yes, billion with a B...animals are killed each year for human consumption? And that doesn't include the animals killed by hunters, in research labs, by urban development, by careless people, or even fish. Ten billion. Every year. That's crazy, no matter how much you like your steak or chicken or hamburger or pork chop.) 

One of the challenges of become a vegan, however, is that some of my favorite foods from Latin America are off limits to me because they are often cooked, baked, or stewed with animal parts. While it would be simple for me just to omit the lard, chorizo, carne asada, or pig ears a recipe calls for, there's a certain flavor that also goes missing when I do so...like when a friend of mine tried to make fresh lemonade with Splenda instead of real sugar. It's just not the same (and in that instance, it was just plain nasty). So as a vegan cook, you learn to creatively re-invent these types of dishes by paying particular attention to seasonings and spices in place of the meat. It's a delicate balance but when it's achieved, it's the Big O (as in "ooooh my goodness!").

And that's just what happened with this delicious recipe for Vegan Feijoada. Feijoada, the "national dish" of Brazil, was introduced to the country by black slaves. Think of it like the "soul food" of Latin America. Lots of black beans (and usually four or five different types of meat) stewed for hours making for a thick sauce that is slightly salty and a tad bit spicy. Feijoada is usually served with a side of rice and collard greens. With so much meat in the original recipe, I didn't think it was possible to make this dish vegan. How do you replicate that smoky, fatty flavor that comes from meat? The secret in this recipe: chipotle chili in adobo sauce and smoked tempeh. Feijoada recipes with meat in them don't call for the chipotle chili (and obviously not the smoked tempeh either) but it certainly brings the vegan version closest to the meat version, though I can't be totally sure of that since I've never had the meat version. In any case, this dish was so tasty, I just had to share.

The recipe for the Vegan Feijoada came from Vegetarian Times. And, by eliminating the meat and using canned beans, this vegan version only stews for 40 minutes instead of for the hours and hours the traditional recipe calls for. That means you get to sit down and devour this scrumptious dish before your meat-eating friends do!

	Vegan feijoada served with rice and a corn tortilla. Believe it or not, I wasn't in the mood for a caipirnha and had a delicious Cotes du Rhone red wine instead. It complemented the dish perfectly.
	A closer look at the vegan feijoada, which included garlic, parsley, chipotle chili, smoked tempeh, fresh thyme, celery, onion, and veggie broth.

I will post whenever I post and will feel good about it when I do.

Well, I did it. I made my first batch of bread. From scratch. With my very own hands. And it was vegan too. Best part of it all: it turned out!

Learning to make bread was one of the very first things that popped into my head (and consequently the very first thing I wrote down) when I started to create my Do Tomorrow Different: The List. Why? I don’t know. It just was. So I went with it.

But it wasn’t the first thing I checked off The List. I borrowed a few bread-making cookbooks from the library earlier in the year but they weren’t very inspiring. It wasn’t until I was making a dish from the Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook a month ago that I noticed it had a bread section and really took an interest in making bread. That Mollie Katzen always has a way of making any food adventure seem easy and fun (it’s like having your own little cheerleader sitting on your shoulder rooting for you every step of the way). But what actually made me roll up my sleeves (literally) and try out a recipe were the folks over at Blossoming Lotus (a vegan restaurant in Kappa on the island of Kauai). Their cookbook, Vegan World Fusion Cuisine, is the BESTEST in the world. I thumb through it almost every day and it is a different experience every time. Your mood, the weather, your energy level, the day of the week, what you’ve eaten recently, and so much more all have an impact on how you perceive a recipe. So I keep my favorite cookbooks near me at all times and flip through them for inspiration. Some weeks we eat like royalty. Other times, I’m thankful for the folks at Trader Joe’s for making good hummus, having a nice selection of crackers, and always having those wonderful jalapeno-stuffed olives in stock.

Last week, I was making Blossoming Lotus’ Spicy Thai Noodles (soba noodles, toasted sesame oil, broccoli, garlic, red bell pepper, green onion, soy sauce, and cayenne pepper) and on the facing page was a recipe for Himalayan Stuffed Bread. The bread is made from a focaccia dough which is then stuffed with a simple yam mixture that includes jalapeno, onion, garlic, and coconut milk. And while it’s not a “pure” bread making experience in the sense that you don’t cut it up and make sandwiches with it, it’s close enough. I had to make the dough (with yeast!), knead it, let it rise, “thump” it, and let it rise again…and that combination of activities, my friends, counts as bread making.

Rolling out the dough.	Plopping down the yam filling.
Folding the sides around it.	And finishing it off.

Fresh out of the oven...Himalayan Stuffed Bread!

The entire process was such a delight. I’d even go so far as to say it was a high. The precious timing and tenderness required in some steps of bread making is offset by the physicality involved in other steps (kneading, punching, rolling). My greatest fear (the dough not rising) was never realized, and the final product—savory, light, textures both crisp and soft—was such a pleasant “mouthfeel” experience. (Yes, mouthfeel. It’s a real culinary term. Look it up.) I served my Himalayan Stuffed Bread with a coconut curry sauce (also from Blossoming Lotus’ cookbook) over the top. Fantastic. Emmett and I couldn’t decide if a red or white wine would go well with the meal so we had both. I still can’t tell you which one is better…they both worked wonderfully with the dish.

	The finished product with a little coconut curry sauce on top.
	A peek at what it looked like in the middle.

As an added bonus to this whole experience, I realized that the ingredients that go into bread are cheap and plentiful (who doesn’t have flour, salt, and water in the house?) so if I do f-up, it’s no big deal to start over. The only real expense of bread making is time. And I’ve got plenty of that.

Because we've all been there...or know someone who has. Because I can only imagine what Bush would do with this information...or McCain. Because someone has to care...and does.




Check out HopeLine and PostSecret today.

A Chorus Line has always been, and will always be, my favorite musical. Period.

I love other ones—the music in Aida was grand, I don't think I ever stopped smiling in Chicago, and Fosse...well, Fosse made me want to jump in and out of costumes, and characters, all day long.

But ever since I was little, it was A Chorus Line. Yes, I wanted to be a dancer (I think it's safe to say that almost every little girl wants to be one), but it was more than that. Even at a young age, I understood that you had two choices in life: you could take a chance and do what your heart and soul desired or you could go with the flow. One choice meant a life filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The other meant consistency. I easily empathized, and identified, with the dancers in A Chorus Line. I understood what they faced and felt...and I applauded them. I knew, at age 10 or 11 or however old I was when I first saw the show, I didn't have the guts to do it—to take on rejection, be judged, fail to make it in the eyes of others—just to pursue a dream and do something outside the "norm." I wanted to. I really, really wanted to. But I didn't know how. I didn't know how to go for it and I didn't know how to deal with it. So I rooted for those that could (and did)...from the comfort of my assigned seat in the audience. 

My Granny took me to see A Chorus Line at the Orpheum in downtown Minneapolis. I'm not sure exactly how old I was but I wasn't old enough to know what gonorrhea, boob jobs, or homosexuality were...or care enough to ask. It was my first real theater experience and I loved every second of it. And I know Granny loved it too. I remember her getting a kick out of the "Tits and Ass" song. I could literally feel her joy as she laughed her unique laugh throughout the number. (To this day, when my brother perfectly imitates her laugh, it takes me back to that moment.) And I remember the feeling I had when the show was over and the side doors of the theater, which deposited patrons directly onto the sidewalk, were thrown wide open. Granny must have taken me to a matinée because as we left the natural darkness of the theater and stepped outside, I was shocked by the brightness of the natural light, even on a gray, Minnesota-winter afternoon, and was forced to shield my eyes, still wide in awe over the experience. But in my blindness, I was giddy. I wanted to run up and down the sidewalk and tell passersby what a brilliant show it was, what an experience it was, and how lucky and special I felt to have had my Granny right there beside me. At that time, I didn't know why it was so special that Granny had taken me. But I knew it was.

Last night I was giddy again. Hopping up and down like the little girl I was more than 25 years ago, I had that same damn happy feeling as I walked into the Ahmanson Theatre in downtown L.A. to see A Chorus Line once again. This time I was with my hubby, Emmett, and our friends, Kelly and Bill. From the second Zach shouted, "Five, six, seven, eight," lights bursting on, dancers—all legs and arms and personality—filling the stage…to the last sparkly, glittery-gold number—all lights and mirrors and tightly performed steps in perfect unison—I was flooded with memory and emotion. Words to songs I never knew I knew came out of me number by number. Dancers whose names I had long forgotten rolled off the tip of my tongue as each made their way on stage and I whispered into Emmett's ear what I liked and didn't like about their character.  And when I walked out of that theater at the end of the show, the faux darkness that comes with urban life was a sharp contrast to the pure glow and warmth within me. Who cares if the actor playing Zach sucked. Who cares if the Ahmanson Theater's decor was bland compared to that of the glamorous Orpheum. Who cares if, in our group of four, only Bill and I were oozing orgasmic pleasure, quoting line after line, jumping in and around and through the stories of the 17 dancers. He was just as in love with the concept of A Chorus Line as I. It was almost like having Granny right there with me. Almost. Except this time, I knew what gonorrhea, boob jobs, and homosexuality were...but I still didn't care enough to care.

I don’t know what Granny told her friends about our Chorus Line experience. I'm not sure what she would have written in her journal, had she had one, or blog, had it been invented yet. But as we walked to the bus stop after the show, my hand firmly yet tenderly held by hers, I know this: people PARTED for us. Like Moses and the Red Sea. When we walked by, they stepped aside. They moved out of our way. Some even took a look back over their shoulder as we passed. We didn't duck or dodge or maneuver our way through the crowd like we normally did. We walked. Straight. Like we were stepping up to the line. With nothing and no one in our way. It was, indeed, one singular sensation.

I like to send mail to people. I mean REAL mail. Like a handwritten note on a cool card (or sometimes a postcard) in a nice envelope with a stamp specifically chosen for that person/card/message and sometimes a quote sticker on the envelope flap. I send so many cards that I began a "card log" where I write down what card I sent to whom and with what message. I know...a little OC. But I don't want someone to get the same card twice or, even worse, the same message MORE than twice. 

It is a rare occasion that I am at a loss for words (all my friends out there can stop laughing now). Usually when I want to send a card to someone, I can sit down at my special writing desk (reserved JUST for writing cards) and have no problem picking out a card and writing a quick note to that person. The one exception to that rule is my mom.

My mom and I talk on the phone quite a bit and email each other often. And since I spent a good nine months living IN her (not to mention 20+ years or so living WITH her) and we share some of the same genes, we have that weird "connection" thing going on. You know what I'm talking about...that "hey, I was just going to call you" thing. So when I sit down to write her a note, I'm sometimes stuck. What am I going to say to her that I'm not going to talk to her about on the phone later tonight or write to her in one of the two or five or dozen emails we send each other throughout the day? And yet, I want to send her SOMETHING. But it can't just be ANYTHING. She is, after all, my mom.

Enter Circle Journey. 

I can't remember how or when I discovered Circle Journey but somehow it made its way into my life. Think of Circle Journey as a mini journal or photo album or multi-page card or sketch pad that you pass back and forth through the mail. One moment I have it. Then I write or draw or glue or whatever in it and then I send it to my mom. Then she writes or draws or glues or whatever in it and sends it back to me. And then we do it again. And then again. And then again.

	"Cup of Conversation" is the name of our Circle Journey book.
	Starting fresh, starting new. Whatever we want to do. Two pages each and every time. With nothing to limit us...not even lines! A full spread for you and a full spread for me. A full book of our creativity!
	"Finished" entry: photos, lists, comments, observations...just random bursts of fun.

What I like about our Circle Journey is that it doesn't have to make sense (which is good because neither of us is known for making much sense anyway). It is not about context. It isn't even really about "keeping in touch" since we do that already. It is just whatever we want to do or say or show at the time. Sometimes weeks go by before it gets passed on. Sometimes months. It doesn't matter. It's like a game of tag without all the running around (which is also good because my mom runs marathons and participates in half triathlons and she'd kick my butt in a real game of tag). The point is to share. The point is to receive something special in the mail. The point is to have fun. The point is the journey and the circle.  

I have two more Circle Journey books sitting on my writing desk...just waiting for the right person (or persons) to send it to. Anyone up for a little tag? 

A few months ago I ordered How to Make Books by Esther K. Smith from Purgatory Pie Press. It was a spur-of-the-moment purchase...something very rare for me to do. But the picture and description of it was so beautiful and the review on SuperNaturale was tantalizing so I took the leap and bought it.

When the book arrived in my mailbox, I was thrilled. I fell in love with it immediately, kept it by my bed, fondled it almost every night for a week, and then, for whatever reason, tucked it away and didn't pull it back out again until now, several months later. Actually, I can list two reasons why I did this. First, because it really was such a gorgeous book, I didn't want to "break it," "get it dirty," or in any other way destroy it. How ridiculous is that? It wasn't like I was planning on taking it mud wrestling or using it as fuel to help the U.S. Forest Service with one of their "controlled burns." But I didn't want to take a chance. I mean, we were, after all, coming into "controlled burn" season here in California. The second reason is because, quite honestly, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to follow the instructions and instead of ending up with a cool looking, handmade book, I'd end up with a dorky looking and rather useless attempt at a handmade book. How ridiculous is that? I have always had the dream of making my own book. Not just writing a book (I want to do that too) but actually making it...folding, stitching, letterpressing (is that a word?), and all. If I was going to ever fulfill that dream, I was going to have to actually MAKE a FIRST book...and not just stare at a book with other people's handmade books in them (though that is quite fulfilling too).

So I grabbed a couple of catalogs from my junk mail recycling bag and began tearing out sheets for my first project, the "Instant Book." "Instant" is a bit misleading, in my professional opinion. As you can see from the picture at the right, I didn't quite get the hang of the folding and the manipulating and the cutting at first. But once I did, there was no stopping me. Then I moved on to the Accordion Book and mastered all three versions. Then I went on a bender and made all sorts of Instant and Accordion Books in a variety of shapes and sizes (long, wide, short, tall, with extra big paper and super small paper). I even tried it with my eyes closed (easy to do with the Instant Book...not so much with the Accordion Book). And then finally, in some weird state of mind, I "practiced" how I would teach Madison and Brady (my niece and nephew) how to make these books. I literally spoke out loud, offering praise and guidance, as if they were right there next to me. I couldn't help myself. Making these things is like magic and who better to impress with magic than a 6- and almost 3-year old? I can't wait to show them how to do it for real, in person and not in my head.

	My first "Instant Book"

I'm unstoppable now! Books, books everywhere!

Now, with Chapters One and Two under my belt, and momentum on my side, I'm venturing into Chapter Three: Stab and Stitch (a.k.a Japanese binding...though there will be no feet involved). I'm going to have to buy a tool or two (or four) for this one (who has an awl, a bone folder, a large needle, and some wax thread just lying around...besides Esther K. Smith?). But just going out to buy them is going to be a unique experience (and a blast) in and of itself. I'm looking forward to it.

I hope to have my first book, published with my own hands, out by the end of the year. It is going to be a Christmas gift to me, from me. Personally, I can't think of a better recipient!

If you're interested in ordering How to Make Books, I encourage you to buy it directly from Purgatory Pie Press. You'll get an autographed copy (by Esther K. Smith, the author, and Dikko Faust who handset and letterpressed the cover and chapter headings) and you'll be supporting a small, independent press that has an amazing portfolio.

As a side note to my friends in Minnesota, I recommend visiting/checking out the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. I discovered this wonderful place and its fantastic exhibits, special events, and classes just a few short months before moving to California. I remember thinking, as I stepped through their doors the very first time, "Great, just as I'm leaving Minnesota, I find heaven." I plan on visiting the Center the next time I come back home for a visit (probably in August). Anyone is welcome to join me!

I snapped this picture on the way back from our friend Kelly's surprise 40th birthday party in Hollywood. It was around midnight and Emmett was driving my car on the 110. We had the top down (or, as my niece would say, "lid off"). There was an almost-full moon. It was a warm evening (after triple-digit temps during the day) and it was very clear (no marine layer or fog). It was a perfect evening for driving the convertible around LA. We could have driven around for hours, except for the fact that we were both REALLY tired and ready for bed! 

Anyway, I just really liked this picture and thought I'd share. Enjoy!

One of the best things about living in Southern California is you can be surrounded by 18 million neighbors one minute and the next, be on top of the world all by your lonesome. Specifically, I'm talking about the San Gabriel Mountains in the Angeles National Forest.

Emmett and I ventured out last Sunday and tackled the Icehouse Canyon/Icehouse Saddle/Chapman Trail hike (9 miles roundtrip), which we've done once before. Located in the Mount Baldy area, it is, perhaps, my favorite hike in the San Gabriels. I love the challenge (at one point on the trail you climb 2600 feet in 3.5 miles...ouch!) and I love the surroundings (pine, cedar, oak, sycamore, towering canyon walls, huge boulders, rivers and waterfalls, snow, glorious and colorful birds, wildflowers, views, views, views). I also love the idea that I am hiking on a huge chunk of the earth's crust. The San Gabriel Mountains are "young" in a geological sense. It's my understanding that they are "only" 10 million to 12 million years old (makes my paltry 37 years on this planet seem like nutin’ but a hiccup, if even that) and were formed when two plates came head-to-head like a couple of male rams head butting it out over a lady ram. I may be totally misinformed about this but who cares...I like the story so I'm sticking with it. The trail is well established but it definitely feels like you're walking on stuff belched from the gut of the earth...tons of rocks that have either been deposited by torrential floods in years past or that have slid down the ever-changing mountain top and sides or risen up from the underbelly. Gotta love a mountain with attitude.

Too see pictures and more comments, click on the “more” link below.

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Not to toot my own horn (or casually use the word "toot" after my recent two postings on beans), but I just posted one of the most fun writing assignments I've done yet for my other project, Dually Noted (and we've done a lot of fun stuff on that site!). I encourage you (and would warmly welcome you as well) to not only check it out, but also take a stab at it yourself. 

Update to yesterday's comments about pairing Rancho Gordo Ojo do Cabra beans with Saltistry infused sea salts:

Emmett's favorite: Lime Flake Salt
Barb's favorite: Smoked Chili Salt

Worthy of a try: Lemon Thyme Salt

Thanks for playing but you're not a winner: Six Pepper Salt (the great flavor of this salt just got lost in the earthiness of the beans).

Also note: Saltistry no longer sells the seven-salt sampler that I ordered a few months ago. They now have a variety of five-salt samplers, which is totally cool...especially considering the price (only $18/each). My only complaint is that there is overlap in samplers...so you end up with some of the same salts. For example, both their Classic Sampler and their Harvest Sampler includes Lemon Thyme Salt. It's not a deal breaker for me (I just ordered two of the new sampler sets as a birthday gift for a friend) but it makes it a bit of a challenge in actually accomplishing the "sampler" part of the deal.

I mentioned a few days ago about my recent Ranch Gordo purchase (heirloom beans). The beans are beautiful and I don't have the heart to put them away in my pantry yet so they sit out, on full display, on my kitchen counter. When I pass by them (which is like a billion times a day), I pick up one of the bags and sigh with great admiration (and perhaps a little love). I'm telling you, I never quite understood the big deal about beans but I'm definitely an admirer now! Lovely little buggers, they are! (I think I can now say, officially, that I'm a kitchen geek.)

So Saturday night as Emmett and I were discussing plans for our hike the next day, I told him I was going to make the Ojo de Cabra beans. Our hike was going to be a tough one and I knew I'd come back physically exhausted. Plus, the drive to the trailhead was going to take about an hour on the 210. When the 210 became almost as evil as the 405, I'm not sure. But I hate it. So in addition to coming back spent, I will have accumulated much more time than I would like to on a Southern California freeway on a Sunday afternoon. Needless to say, I was looking for an easy meal.

Come on...you have to admit these Ojo de Cabra (goat's eye) beans are beautiful!

According to Rancho Gordo, all you have to do with his beans is throw them in your slow cooker with a little water and maybe some onions sautéed in (gulp) lard, set the slow cooker on high in the morning and then come back in the evening for a delightful experience with cooked beans. And that's exactly what I did. Sort of. There was no lard involved (I used canola oil instead) and in addition to the onions, I also sautéed a little serrano pepper (I had an extra one sitting around...jalapeno would be fine too).

The lovely Ojo de Cabra beans with onion and serrano pepper in my blue-walled crockpot (who would have thought a crockpot could be so pretty?)

My plan was simple: the beans, corn tortillas, and a salad with a lime-ginger vinaigrette. Oh, and a very nice Pinot Grigio too.

Rancho Gordo is right: his beans are wonderful on their own. I could have eaten the whole pot by itself. They were so full of flavor and their texture was out of this world. Lovely. Simply lovely. Amazing really, if you think about it. It's just beans. And yet, so much more!

After my first bowl of "just beans" (pushed onto my spoon with a corn tortilla, of course), I served up my second bowl topped with heirloom tomatoes from the Farmer's Market and fresh avocado. Just as delightful. For me, there is nothing more beautiful than a simple dish that allows crisp, distinct flavors to dance with your taste buds. I think too many people, especially when cooking at home, feel that the more complicated the dish, the more spices and ingredients they can combine, the better. We've forgotten the pure joy, and powerfulness, of simplicity (not just in the kitchen, but in other areas of our lives as well).

Emmett gets ready to enjoy the simple pleasures of "just beans."

With this in mind, I was fully enjoying the last bean in my bowl (that sounds like a cool name for a ska band...Last Bean in My Bowl...doesn't it?!) when I remembered another little delightful treasure I had bought (and blogged about) a while back: infused salt from Saltistry.

Back to the crockpot for a third time, I ladled up one more scoop of beans and then turned to my Saltistry Sampler package. With seven different infused salts to choose from, I thought it was going to be a tough decision to make. But it wasn't. When my eyes hit the Smoked Chili Salt, I dove in. (FYI: the Smoked Chili Salt is AWESOME on scrambled eggs too.)

With the Rancho Gordo beans decorated with a little Saltistry salt, I brought the spoon to my mouth. Oh my. There was some serious some dancing going on. OUTSTANDING. Hands down, my favorite combination. (Sorry, no picture here. I was too busy eating...and eating and eating and eating!)

Emmett just called to let me know he'll be home for dinner tonight. I plan on making the salad again (which was wonderful as well...I'll have to share the recipe in another blog entry) and having the last of the beans. This time, I'm putting out all seven of the infused salts I have from Saltistry...and we're going to mix and sample and discuss and rate and, most importantly, enjoy all the flavors...one at a time. Oh, and have fun doing it too.

I've been eying this camera for a while. A long while. And I finally broke down and bought it when I was at the Getty Center a couple of weeks ago with my neighbor (btw: the new outdoor sculpture garden is totally awesome). The Diana+ has been on The List and I'm thrilled to be able to check it off. Now comes the real fun part: what to shoot.

I have a few project ideas in mind but nothing that really rocks my world right now. Plus, I want to play with the camera a bit and see what it can do. It takes 120 film (should I get B&W, color negative, slide??) that shoots either 12 or 16 pictures (depending on the size you set). It's got a variable shutter (I can hold it open for as long as I want...night shots, here I come!) AND it's got a pinhole setting. How cool is that? So I plan on practicing with it first, then diving into a super cool project (preferably a writing/photo one)...if anyone has any suggestions, let me know. Like I said, I have a few ideas in mind but nothing that's making me tingle at the moment. You can check out this cool Diana+ photo gallery for inspiration and to get an idea of what she can do. I'll be thumbing through the book below, which came with my Diana+ (and weighs about 10 times more than the Diana+ herself).



I plan on posting my practice shots so check back in a week or so and see what I've done.

I'm so excited. This morning, while sipping coffee and catching up on emails (in bed, under the covers, with Mira snuggled beside me...hey, it was COLD outside), the DHL guy brought me a little something special: my order from Rancho Gordo!! I'm not sure what scared the DHL guy most—my thrilled, yelp-like exclamation or my very bad case of bed head (or maybe it was the puffy eyes). Either way, he left me, commentless, with my box of goodies to dive into. And dive, I did!

What is Rancho Gordo, you ask? Well, only THE most talked about grower of the finest heirloom beans ON THIS PLANET! I've been reading about his products (I think he's a he) on several of my favorite food blogs (his blog is also one of my favorites because it is clear he has fun with food...another reason I thought it would be good to try his products) and have been meaning to order some for a while now. I'm not sure what was holding me back, other than the fact that I've never really cooked much with dry beans and therefore didn't have an urgent need to try them. But then I thought, heck, I love to cook, I love food, and I love trying new things, so why not? Besides, his beans have been getting such rave reviews, I had to see what all the hype was about.

So my order came today and included these beans:

Ojo de Cabra (Goat's Eye)
Runner Cannellini
Flageolet
Borlotti
Scarlet Runner





I also ordered, just for kicks and giggles, their Crimson Popping Corn (most people know how much I love popcorn) and their New Mexican Red Chili Powder.

The beans are so lovely you almost don't want to eat them but rather make some sort of lasting art from them. And I just love their logo: who can resist the image of a retro woman licking her lips. Not me (and I'm straight!). I'm sure there's an interesting story behind the logo/icon but I haven't found it yet.

Anyway, I plan on making a batch (or two) of these wonderful beans this week...and I'll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, keep on humming what I've been humming all morning: beans, beans the musical fruit...

Last Saturday, I was volunteering with my regular Habitat Works group when one of the volunteers, Janet, got me all inspired about fresh food. I'm usually a fresh food fanatic but sometimes when things become part of your regular routine, you forget how special they are.

Janet had been over to my house in January for a dinner party with friends where I cooked a meal that included a beet and mushroom casserole, wild rice with pine nuts, squash with a chile-cilantro vinaigrette, and a 12-grain bread from the local La Brea Bakery. All the food had been bought at the Farmer's Market or the organic section of the grocery store. All the food was fresh from the earth (nothing from a can or box). All the food had been made with love and care by me. All the food had been consumed by people who volunteer their time repairing habitat of endangered and threatened species in Southern California. Our tiny little house was bursting with such alive and positive energy. It was a lovely, lovely evening.

Janet came up to me last Saturday and told me that ever since that dinner, she's been more conscientious about what she eats, more inspired to eat fresh and healthy. Beets have a regular gig at her table. I was so happy to be a part of that awareness. Actually, I was more than happy. I was proud.

I went home that afternoon, opened my fridge, and was inspired by her inspiration to make something tasty from whatever fresh produce I had. I've never "made up" an entire recipe before. I've altered recipes, adapted recipes, and hijacked recipes, but I've never put everything on the table and went all Iron Chef. But that day, I followed my cravings and came up with this Broccoli-Lentil soup. It's simple and easy, nothing to write into Bon Appetit about, but it was a delight on the taste buds.

Thanks, Janet, for reminding me how special it is to feed ourselves.

Barb's Broccoli-Lentil Soup

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
5 cups veggie broth
1/2 cup green lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 pound broccoli cut into medium-size florets
1 medium potato (Yukon), skin on, diced
1 medium carrot, skin on, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese for garnish, if desired

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onions until almost translucent. Add garlic and saute until onion is translucent (about another 2 minutes). Add broth, lentils, and broccoli. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 25 minutes or until lentils are soft.

Transfer, in batches, to a food processor or blender, and blend until almost smooth. Return to pot.

Add the potato and carrot, season with salt and pepper to taste, and simmer another 15 minutes or until the potato and carrot are tender.

Serve with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.

I feel compelled to share this with you because when I heard about it, it restored my faith in humanity.

IFoundYourCamera.net (you can also check them out at: http://ifoundyourcamera.blogspot.com/), is exactly what it sounds like: a site to help those who have lost or found cameras or pictures get reunited once again. What a great idea! How many times have you found something that you wish you could return to the owner, especially something so personal as pictures? Sure, the camera can always be replaced...but the pictures!! I lost a role of film from my trip to Paris 10 years ago and it still bothers me to this day.

The idea for the site came from a postcard on PostSecret (one of my FAVORITE blogs to visit!). If you watch the video below, which is an interview with NPR, you'll see it. It's really quite touching.

The site has already reunited three people with their cameras and the number of postings for found cameras is up to 20 already. Seriously, how cool is that? Maybe there hope for us yet.

I just had to share this totally fun and cool website I was introduced to today by Daily Candy. The site is called Bureau of Communications and it has eight (with two more in the works) fill-in-the-blank certificates that you can send to someone via email, as their website states, "to promote better understanding between the peoples of the world."

Yes, it's tongue in cheek and it's entertaining (and even a little addicting). I sent four today: two Statements of Gratitude (one pictured below), a Declaration of Romantic Intent, and an Unsolicited Feedback. They also have Observance of Holiday, Airing of Grievance, Formal Apology, Official Invitation, and Acknowledgment of Occasion.

"Whether you need to communicate a problem, send an invitation to an event, or simply apologize for a transgression, our easy-to-use forms will ensure that your message is clearly conveyed."

'Nuf said.

Check them out at: www.bureauofcommunication.com

From way back when I was a little girl, I loved to make mobile art...especially one with words. There's something so fun about seeing your words floating around in the air, twisting and turning according to the wind's invisible conductor. So today I set out to make my first mobile since I can't remember when, probably in more than 10 years. I've actually had the idea for this particular mobile in my head for three years now, even going so far as to print out the pictures, but there they sat waiting for me to make the time to do something with them.

This was a simple piece, compared to the large scale ones I've done in the past, and much less precise (I used to have templates for letters that I traced so everything would be perfect). But I knew who I was going to send it to (she won't care about the little imperfections) and that I would mail it to her office (who doesn't love to get personal mail at the office?!!).

I call this mobile "Friendly Flowers, Flowering Friends." It includes pictures of flowers blooming in my neighborhood that I took while on my daily walks as well as quotes, personal messages, and a name anagram. It was so much fun to make mobile art again...and I think the next time I see my niece, Madison, we'll work on one together.

Friendly Flowers Side:

   


Flowering Friends Side:

   

A little something for my man who has been working late a lot this week...just so you don't forget! Click the "More" to see the show.

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I saw this on someone else's blog and thought I would do it just for fun. I tried two different pictures of me, just to see what kind of a difference it would make. And it clearly did! I know I should be happy that many of my celebrity look-alikes are quite cute, but they are also older. OLDER!! 

I'm so drinking after this!

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

  

 

I am so excited by my recent purchase. Most of my close friends know that I live by a pretty strict budget so for me to make what I call a "luxury buy," it's a pretty big deal (and well deserving of a mention in this blog).

But last week I took the plunge and splurged on something I've had my eye on for a while: The Sampler from Saltistry. From the moment I saw their tag line, I fell in love and was hooked: where salt meets artistry. And it indeed does! It is truly an art to create these magnificent infused salt concoctions and it is another type of art to pair them with food. On their own or sprinkled atop a dish, these salts are visually appealing, a treat for the nose, and an orgasmic delight on the tongue.

Our first profoundly spiritual experience was with the Genmaicha Pink salt, which we sprinkled over fresh avocados with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Mmmmmmmm. Last night we had the Lemon Thyme salt over greens, tomatoes, hearts of palm and snap peas. Nummy! Emmett and I have so many plans for the other salt treats...Smoked Chili salt on scrambled eggs, Lime Flake salt paired with a good tequila, grilled tofu with Six Pepper salt, Lavender Grey salt on dark chocolate. It is such a thrill to experiment with these salts that we thought a salt tasting party was in order (much like people have wine tasting parties). Those with discriminating palates and low blood pressure are invited!
         

As I'm mentioned before, this is a space for me to practice creativity, explore artistic opportunities, and just play around and have fun. I've been so focused on Dually Noted these past few weeks, that I've largely ignored this creative playground, even though it calls to me every day. So today I made time. I have a huge list of practical things to do but I've been itching to do this collage thing for weeks now and I finally decided it was time to scratch. 

I was inspired to create what I call my Name Collages after discovering Isle of View. I'm pretty sure I discovered Isle of View while browsing Sparkletopia, a lovely site that makes me want to create every day. If you go to Isle of View and type in a name, they come up with an acronym for it. I loved it. I thought that was so cool. I typed in the name of every person I knew that I could possibly think of.

Wanting to do the same thing but on a much more personal level, I took the name of two special ladies in my life and came up with my own acronyms. I couldn't believe how quickly the words came to me. I guess that's what happens when you know someone so well and love them just as much. It's easy to describe them, even when limited to certain letters.

After coming up with their name acronyms, I then began the collage. I've never really done a collage before so I don't know the rules, if there even are any, and just kind of dove in. I knew I wanted some sort of background that felt like there was texture there. And I knew I wanted to include words, phrases, and pictures that I cut out from magazines. But that's about all I knew. From there, it all just flowed surprisingly naturally. Except for the rubber cement. That was pretty sticky and messy.

So here are the two finished products, which my lovely lady friends will be getting in the mail. I really, really enjoyed making collage and have a feeling I will be doing it again.

Incidentally, this is another thing on The List that I can now say I've done!!

 

It's been a while since I posted new creative work but don't think I haven't been doing anything creative. Behind the scenes, I've been working on my latest project called Dually Noted. It's a collaborative effort with my girlfriend Lori, who had her first baby in November. I'm sure that whole "having a baby" thing rocked her world, but it also rocked mine.  I have been child free all my life and I don't intend to change that. Ever. So when one of my closest friends goes from being a "child-free friend" to a "friend with kids," it's a mental, physical, and emotional shift for me, and, like I said, for her too.

Dually Noted is a daily journal by two friends documenting their lives shaped by a single decision: whether and when to have children. Check us out at http://duallynoted.squarespace.com. As always, feedback, comments, and suggestions are very welcome!

My List of Things I Want to Do (a.k.a The List)

In no particular order, with no timeline and no expectations, below is a list of things I want to do. For why and how this list got started, click here.

• Learn to make bread (and learn to not fear making bread!)  Made my first bread on August 3. You can read about it here. 
• Buy and use a funky, cool camera (like this one) Bought the Diana+ on April 23, 2008!! 
• Write 12 short stories
• Learn about aromatherapy
• Take singing lessons
• Go on a meditation retreat
• Camp out in California EJD and I car camped at Wind Wolves Preserve on 3/15-16. Camped at Bitter Creek in October 2008.
• Create a special camera project with Madison
• Volunteer for a month again somewhere overseas
• Write a letter to each person in my family telling them what I like about them
• Organize a girls' weekend with ALL my girls!! It happened! Nan, Steph, Heidi and I got together in June for a girls' weekend in Santa Fe! Too. Much. Fun. 
• Take a kayak trip
• Go to a shooting range
• Take a snorkeling vacation
• Get Hope's Flame into stores
• Volunteer for an animal sanctuary
• Submit three essays to magazines by the end of 2008
• Write my cookbook
• Snowshoe
• Snowboard
• Spend the entire day NAKED!
• Dually Noted - go for it! Totally going for it...check it out at http://duallynoted.squarespace.com
• Buy only local food for one week
• Give up booze and caffeine for one month...and ask myself why I'm doing this
• Hit every museum in LA Huntington Library, Art Collection and Gardens (Feb. 7, 2008), Getty Museum (May 2008), Santa Monica Museum of Art (June 5, 2008), Norton Simon Museum (October 10, 2008), Museum of Contemporary Art (November 14, 2008) 
• Take more pottery classes
• Learn to make lots of interesting cocktails - at least one new one a month
• Rent that big house on the cliff overlooking the ocean in Big Sur
• Visit all the botanic gardens in LA Huntington Gardens (Feb. 7, 2008), LA Arboretum (February 19, 2008) 
• Make Emmett a compilation CD
• Send in something to PostSecret.com
• Throw another tea party
• Write to friends more often like I used to - send a card to three people every week
• Create a treasure hunt for EJD
• Make a quilt by hand
• Take an overnight train trip Took the Southwest Chief from Santa Fe to Los Angeles in August 2008!
• Take a session at Esalen
• Participate in WDYDWYD
• Take a trip with Stephanie in 2008
• Keep a journal more consistently
• Go back to Ireland
• Go back to Australia
• Read the complete works of an author
• Make a collage. And then a second one. Check out the two Name Collages I made here. **Update: I just signed up for a 10-week collage course (April through June) at the Armory Center for the arts in Pasadena.)  **Update: The class was canceled due to low enrollment. I'll on the lookout for another one.
• Go to Santa Fe with Heidi It happened in June 2008! 
• Reconnect with a lost friend (Susan? Mark? Lynn? Ann?)
• Commit to Letter by Letter and its pursuit of creative activities and social networks
• Throw another big-ass party for ALL our friends
• Have a Saltistry party  Had a Saltistry Happy Hour with Loretta and Kelly in May 2008...and used all seven infused sea salts on different appetizers!
• Learn to surf
• Get into baking vegan treats Made my first vegan baked good on 3/1/2008: pound cake. It was awesome! Have made it several times since (great for spring/summer desserts). Took a vegan baking class at Spork Foods on 5/10! Made vegan brownies on 5/18 which were a disaster (but I'm not giving up!). Made a vegan chocolate birthday cake for Tamra on 5/25! I think I can check this one off my list...it's pretty much a way of life for me now.
• See the cherry trees in bloom in DC
• Project a Day blog
• Take a trip to New England
• Conceptualize and execute my Tribute to Granny project. Taking first step by creating a project to do list on 5/18/2008. Have been journaling about Granny memories throughout June. Have been writing short blocks of stories throughout July.

Friday Fill-Ins #56

Today, I'm doing my Friday Fill-ins with my hubby who decided to work from home. I'm making him sit in bed and enjoy at least one cup of coffee with me this morning. It's my way of "easing" into this cold and rainy and he seems to be enjoying it as much as I am.

So here are my responses, along with Emmett's. A dual delight, if you will. Enjoy.


  

(the words in bold color are my responses)


(Barb) 1. Making a delicious meal with fresh ingredients makes me happy.
(Emmett) 1. Jogging in the rain makes me happy.

(Barb) 2. I would like to go sailing, please.
(Emmett) 2. I would like another, please.

(Barb) 3. A White Lady (the drink) tastes SO good!
(Emmett) 3. Everything my wife makes tastes SO good!

(Barb) 4. Monday is my favorite day of the week because it's the beginning and I love beginnings.
(Emmett) 4. No day is my favorite day of the week because all days are different.

(Barb) 5. I will honor my best feature.
(Emmett) 5. My wife thinks my nose is my best feature.

(Barb) 6. We could learn so much from our pets.
(Emmett) 6. We could learn so much from trees in the wind.

(Barb) 7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to just being with my husband, tomorrow my plans include going to a play and Sunday, I want to start my new blog!
(Emmett) 7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a fire in the fireplace, tomorrow my plans include a date with my wife and Sunday, I want to read my new book about the Mojave Desert!

Celebration continues to be the theme for the Self-portrait Challenge, one of my favorite new adventures to explore, take a stab at, and quite frankly, watch in awe at what some people post. I'm moved and inspired by, and truly enjoy, participants' participation!

So here is my week #3 (sorry, I missed week 2 not realizing that even if the theme is the same, you can post a new picture).

I am celebrating furry friends, the animal-human bond, a simple act of expressed love heard in a gentle purr, the delicate stroke under the chin that feels so good.


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Here are some links to other people's SPC that I especially liked:

• With a Martini (loved the motion of this shot...not to mention the subject): http://kindergartenerinme.blogspot.com/2008/01/with-martini.html
• Celebrating Snow (especially loved the second shot...I felt the snow rushing past me): http://stockwell.blogspot.com/2008/01/spc-january-celebration-2.html
• Centered Celebration (yep, know the pose, know the feeling): http://blytheandbonnie.blogspot.com/2008/01/self-portrait-challenge-celebration.html
• A celebration of family resemblance (just liked the idea of celebrating something like that): http://theonelittleone.blogspot.com/2008/01/january-views-my-brother.html

I'm going to fess up to being an art kit junkie. I love any project that comes in a kit with instructions and patterns to follow. It's the best, and quite frankly the easiest, way to experiment with different art forms without investing a significant amount of time and money. My house is small. I don't get the luxury of having a spare room to call my studio. My wallet is even smaller. I don't have a lot of money to toss this way and that. So when I run across a kit, something I can take a stab at that has all the materials included in the box, I'm gung ho and ready to go.

Now granted, most art kits don't produce finished products of Rembrandt stature that you can sell on eBay or Etsy...or even feel okay about giving as a Mother's Day gift. And unless you're under the age of 10, don't look to be challenged. But when I pick up a kit, I'm not looking for perfection or glory or enlightenment. I'm looking to play, to try something new, to step outside my routine, to not worry about end results, and maybe even to strengthen my hand-eye coordination a bit. 

The picture above is from my most recent art kit adventure: a window mosaic. I liked doing this project for many reasons:

My fingerprint is on every square. How cool is that? Unlike painting with a brush, taking a picture, composing on a computer, or just about any other creative expression, this project involved me taking tiny pieces of soft rubber-like stuff and placing it onto a plastic background...resulting in each one of those pieces having my fingerprint on it. Now that's what I call "making an impression."

I got the kit at the Getty Villa. I'm not the biggest fan of Greek art, but I do like all things Getty. The folks at both museums (the Villa and the Center) seem to have it going on and make every visit so special. It's free, it's about the outside as well as the inside settings, it's accessible, and it's educational.

It's a dolphin! Most people who know me know how much I love marine life. Dolphins are special. What more is there to say?

It's a dolphin flying! Not a drop of water in sight and yet there it is, hanging out on my window. I like that.

I'm digging mosaics lately. My interest started when I was in Italy a couple years ago and met a woman who creates big-ass mosaics on floors and walls of buildings. Then the Getty Villa had a special exhibit on Greek mosaics. Then I met another mosaic artist. Then I started seeing mosaics everywhere. They were probably there the whole time but I just never noticed before. Now I do. And I love 'em.

Friday Fill-Ins #55

  

(the words in bold color are my responses)

1. The last compliment I got was from the wine store clerk; he said, "May I see some ID, please?"
2. I'm reading billboards.
3. I woke up today and thought, "Really?"
4. Why does it take a near-death experience for people to do what they really want to do?
5. The last thing I ate was granola and yogurt.
6. January... is just the beginning.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to writing, tomorrow my plans include writing and Sunday, I want to write!

These little notes my husband leaves me
Written on brightly colored Post Its
Of the smallest size you can get

These little notes my husband leaves me
Discovered each morning of the work week
Stuck to the thermos of coffee he makes for me

These little notes my husband leaves me
A small sentence, sometimes just a word or two
Sunrise sonnets left before I wake

These little notes my husband leaves me
Precious gems unearthed, collected, cherished
Messages borne by years of daily companionship

These little notes my husband leaves me

As many of our friends know, Emmett and I have become king and queen of the cocktail. Not sure when this libation adventure began. We were never one for what I call "foo-foo drinks." You know the kind...sugary things with a dash of booze like a Pina Colada or Sex on the Beach. It's fair to say that the cocktails we gravitate toward are more of the classic, hard-core kind. A Manhattan, an Old Fashioned, a "real" Margarita (tequila with a squeeze of lime)...drinks that are about the delicate dance between bold boozes and your taste buds. In other words, alcohols of "acquired taste."

But every once-in-a-while, we stumble upon something that sambas on the palates of just about everyone, and the Herbaltini is one such drink. Smooth gin (and lots of it) not-so-subtly blended with the delicious collision of mint, rosemary, orange, and lime. Fantastic during the summer but even better served before (or even alongside) an earthy meal or home cooked comfort food. Click the "More" link below for the recipe.

Cheers!

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A customer provided me a wonderful opportunity to do something fun with her Hope's Flame order. She gave me a list of names and descriptions of people attached to those names and asked me to inscribe the Charmed candles in a style that met their personality. What a great time I had making them!

Volunteering in New Zealand: Pippa and I set up tracking boxes in Bushy Park.

High of my list of things to do when I walked away from Corporate Life two years ago was to participate in a volunteer program abroad. I knew there might not be another time in my life when I would be able to devote weeks, if not months, to such an adventure. For most of us, our employers aren't too eager (or willing) to allow us to take that kind of time off, unpaid or otherwise, and still come back to a job, let alone our same position. So when I decided to become proactively unemployed, I immediately started looking for volunteer opportunities in countries I had been wanting to spend time in.

And that's how I ended up spending four weeks in a conservation program in New Zealand. For months now, Connections for Women editor, Gerry Hogan, has been asking me to write about the experience...and for whatever reason I found it almost impossible to do so. Sometimes there are no words, no phrases or combination of sentences, that can describe an experience. Anything I put down seemed to lessen, almost cheapen, what I had gone through. Plus, this was MY experience. It was mine. Like an amazing dessert that blows your taste buds away, sometimes you just don't want to share.

But for whatever reason, on the one-year anniversary of my adventure, I started to write about it. I'm not sure if it was the nostalgia, the distance from the experience, a sudden craving for more of something similar, or what...but the words started to flow a little more each day.  Next thing I knew, I had a piece I thought Gerry would like. And she did. You can check it out in this month's Connections for Women: http://www.connectionsforwomen.com/article_details.php?article_id=204&cat=6

Friday Fill-Ins #54

 

(the words in bold color are my responses)

1. My favorite drink of 2007 was the Herbaltini.
2. I'm most tempted by potato chips (or note cards...it's a toss up).
3. Today I want to feel a sense of accomplishment.
4. The last thing I took a picture of was the waterfall at Lake Shrine Meditation Gardens.
5. You and I have memories worth exploring.
6. The most recent movie I’ve seen that I really enjoyed was Turtles Can Fly.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to my husband spinning records for me, tomorrow my plans include hosting a dinner party for friends, and Sunday, I want to go for a hike in the Angeles National Forest.

This is my first Self-portrait Challenge and what a way to start. I don't think I could have begun with a better theme: CELEBRATION

There are so many ways to celebrate, so many things to celebrate. I didn't know where to begin. So I drew up a list of what I like to celebrate and what celebration means to me. It contained things like good food and wine, friends, Hope's Flame, small successes, good reads, seeing a friend succeed, watching a red-tail hawk soar, colors, finding new artists... 

But ultimately, it wasn't until today, when I filled out a profile section of a book blog I subscribed to, that I really felt a connection to celebration. As soon as I typed these words, I knew I had found what I was looking for:

Proactively unemployed, happily doing my own thing, committed to creativity, and lovin' every minute of it.

What else is there to say?


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Here are some links to other people's SPC that I especially liked:

Celebrate being a woman: http://cjsrambling.blogspot.com/2008/01/self-portrait-celebration.html
Be: http://pumkinlittle.typepad.com/bits_and_pieces_of_a_happ/2008/01/self-portrait-c.html
Celebrating Dragonflies: http://nokiddingaround8.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-first-spc.html
Adopt: http://sometimeseverything.wordpress.com/2008/01/08/spc-celebrate-1/
Celebrating Tickets: http://debrichardson.com/blog/?p=1202

Last summer, I participated in my first 24-hour Short Story Contest held by WritersWeekly.com an ezine for freelance writers). For those who don't know much about these types of contests (I certainly didn't since it was my first), the rules are pretty simple: you sign up, a topic (or sentence or situation or setting) is posted, a maximum word count is provided, and you have 24 hours to submit something. Then some group of people get together and decide which submissions rock.

Well, I didn't get put in the "rock" category, but I at least tried. And I had fun doing it. At least I thought I did until this morning when I reread what I had written. Boy, I must have been in a dark mood. But then I looked at the topic they sent us, and I can see why I wrote what I did.

So, below is what I had to work with. The word count was 1200. To read my short story, click the "More" link below.

He turned the knob on the short-wave radio, trying desperately to hear any word from the outside. It had taken them three days to arrive at their mountain cabin on foot and they were relieved that no squatters had taken possession of their property in the mayhem.

While his wife and daughter made an inventory of the scant amount of food they'd left in the cabinets last summer, his son hovered near his elbow, also waiting in silence. He dialed slower and everyone froze when the room suddenly erupted with static and a child's voice...

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I just had to share this picture I took last night.

The sky is never more clear and beautiful and amazing in LA then after a rain...especially after three days of it as we just experienced. Last night, the setting sun was blazing red, orange, pink, and mauve, and we were lucky enough to have a few lingering clouds to enhance the effect. I went outside with camera in hand to take a picture. But as I raised the camera and steadied it to capture the moment, I knew the picture wouldn't do it justice. It never does. Some things have to be seen with one's own eyes. As I turned to go back inside, the set of French doors that run the length of the west side of my house reflected something magical, a bit mystical, and downright cool. And it was a different way to look at a sunset. Maybe this commitment to doing something creative every day is starting to pay off.

As many of you know, a huge chunk of my career (before walking away from it) involved writing: ghost writing for executives; writing romance copy for newspaper, television, and radio ads; writing employee newsletters; writing for direct mail; writing speeches, letters, and op-eds for whatever company I was working for at the time; and so on and so on. I enjoyed it. I had no problem with critical feedback or if someone told me I had missed the boat and needed to start again. After years of fine tuning my writing skills for Corporate America, I was technically good at what I did and the content wasn't personal. In other words, there was no risk.

While hiking in Italy with my mom, we met this amazing woman Gerry. She is funny, smart, socially fantastic, strong in mind and body, and creative. For the past year, she's been working on launching a site called Connections for Women, an online magazine where women can share their voice on topics that affect us all. She asked me to write a piece about my mom for a section called Extraordinary Women. I did. And it published last month in Connections for Women's premier issue. 

This, to me, was one of the greater risks I've taken with my writing. First, it was personal. Very personal. It was about my mom and her cancer. How much more personal can you get? And then there was the pressure to write well. Really well. After all, who wants to write poorly about one's mom? That's just bad karma. (And may subject you to years of bad birthday and Christmas gifts).

But the greatest risk of this particular writing experience has yet to come.

Here it is.

Are you ready for it?

SHARING THE LINK: http://www.connectionsforwomen.com/article_details.php?article_id=69

Friday Fill-Ins #53
 

(the words in bold color are my responses)

1. This year, I'd like to take more classes.
2. Travel is what I daydream about most.
3. My cat is a joy.
4. I would like to have more art in my life.
5. I love to have lots of flowers around the house.
6. Seeing a Red Tail Hawk soar makes me smile.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to cooking, tomorrow my plans include a dinner party with new friends, and Sunday, I want to veg all day!

Wollman Rink in Central Park.
I'm down there somewhere doing my thing.
In public. Sharing with others this experience.

I'm trying something new for me. New in so many ways. First, I want to practice more spontaneous writing and creative risk-taking. I don't set time out in my day right now to do either so I want to make more of an effort to do that. Secondly, I want to allow my writing and creative risk-taking to be more public. I don't normally expose my creative side to anyone but me so I figure if I can at least get used to, and hopefully comfortable with, the idea of publishing random thoughts and projects on this blog, then maybe I'll eventually work up the courage to publish what I consider to be my more serious writing.

I've discovered a few interesting blogs that post creative sparks...ideas to get the words flowing, paint brushes moving, drums beating, shutters snapping, etc. One of them is Friday Fill-Ins, a simple list of fill-in-the-blank sentences published every Friday. Quick, easy, and painless. So far. You can check out my first Fill-In above. Another quick and easy writing practice is Fiction Friday. The rules are simple: a topic is posted, you write for at least five minutes, and then post what you've written without any editing (okay, that part may not be so simple for me...but that's exactly why I'm doing this!). Sunday Scribblings is a similar posted-topic assignment but with more wiggle room. I've taken to reading Sparkletopia on a daily basis as well. It's a new blog by an artist I met through Peach Tree Gallery. Her name is Christine Mason Miller and there's something about her that draws me in...her artwork, her personality, her passion for creating and inviting others to do so too. And then there's Keri Smith. From her 100 ideas to her Artist's Survival Kit, I'll never run out of fun things to write about or do.

As you can see, there are a lot of blogs out there to motivate, move, guide, encourage, gently push, nicely pull, and otherwise feed the creative side if one is looking for that. I'm sure I'll run across other blogs I'll like and begin to participate in so don't hold me to just the ones posted above. I have no particular agenda here, no time line to follow, no mission to accomplish. Only a desire to JUST DO IT!