Friday, February 26, 2010

things that are lovely....

My mom offers good advice. I was telling her how bummed I was about my ticket and she suggested making a list of 10 things that make me happy.
Beginning with some photos of the day...

1. Harvesting lovely spring leeks.





2. Bear, the farm puppy.




3. Bumper stickers on wheel barrels.



4. The family that I come home to each day.


5. Knowing I will see my parents in less than 1 months; Meghan in less than 1 month; and Dana, Brian and bump in a few days.

6. Receiving letters from some lovely ladies.

7. Drawing up plans for our garden and worm bin due to inspiration from all the sunshine.

8. Having time to finish a craft project for the previously mentioned bump.

9. An afternoon latte.

10. Rutabagas:

Mashed Rutabagas!
(inspired by alisa)
1. Roast rutabagas in the oven until soft.
2. Mash soft rutabagas like potatoes.
3. Add butter, salt, pepper, and love.
4. EAT 'EM UP!

Strange Days

Justin and I had some sweet visitors last weekend.

Our friends, Alisa and Chris, came over from Seattle for an Olympic Peninsula excursion. They are such loving and creative people...always a delight!

Additionally, on a bike ride to Nash's on Saturday, Justin met a sweet traveler along the way. Adam is from Denmark and is en route to the South America...on his bike. He stayed with us for the night too. What an unexpected and inspiring gathering of humans.


In other news...

Very very good or horrid?

There was a little girl
who had a little curl
right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
she was very very good.
When she was bad,
she was horrid.

I remember this poem from my childhood. I think my parents mostly referenced it because I had (have) lots of little curls and was very very good (of course)! To this day, it pops into my head when I get reprimanded..not that it happens to me a lot as an adult. Do you know who can make me feel like that? Cops. Today, I got a ticket for going 35mph in what I soon found was a school zone.
I immediately felt like a naughty child.

While I waited in my car for officer-man to check my details, I thought: Well, I have an infraction-free record, this was an honest mistake, and I was pleasant to him. Perhaps, I'll just get a warning.

$200 later, I feel like more like a bummed out adult.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Yogurt Experiment #1 : a step-by-step approach

1. Procure delicious local raw milk
2. Build a fire (we'll return to this later).




3. Settle in for the long haul.




4. Scald milk (to about 175 degrees) and let cool for 1/2 hour (to 110 degrees).




5. Put 1/2 c of plain yogurt in a sterilized jar.
6. Add milk.




7. Wrap milk in cozy fleece blanket.
8. Keep the yogurt-in-progress at 110 degrees for 4-6 hrs. (Get it nice and cozy with a cat in front of previously mentioned fire).

Details to follow.

An Ode to Scott


So, Justin mentioned in passing that Scott told him that he had been feeling left out since he hasn't appeared on the blog since our Charlie Brown Christmas photo shoot. I wish Scott felt comfortable enough to tell me himself...Se la vie.

Speaking of Scott, he loves and begs for kale. He tries to sneak into the refrigerator when its open...for kale. Not lettuce, not cabbage, not fish...KALE. What is especially amazing about his passion is his drive to eat the stuff. Cats are predominantly carnivorous--as are their teeth. It takes our cat 5-10 minutes to eat a piece. It seems to be worth it.
Our cat is the raddest cat in town...
Scott!

How do you like your day seasoned?


I like my day seasoned with a dollop of spring, a wallop of sunshine, and a hint of summer.

I like my evenings seasoned with a mild variety of winter-- crisp and cozy.

What can I say, the past two days have been blue blue blue skies, sparking snow capped mountains, and bright sunshine that feels warm when the winds mellow. Not bad for a February day, eh?

Yesterday, I worked at the Johnston's Farm. We seeded all day! Lettuces, kales, Asian greens, Asian cabbages, onions, leeks, broccoli, cha-arrd. I filled stacks of trays with light-dare I say cloudlike- potting soils; we filled our palms with tiny piles of seeds; and silently beckoned spring with each sowing. We finished by moving all the trays to previously empty greenhouse and watering in our dreams of fresh spinach and tomatoes. (Maybe that was just me)

I'm soaking it up while i can. Today, after my morning shift at Nash's, I enjoyed a stop at the Dungeness Creamery for some raw milk and splurged on some ground beef. On my drive home through the rural parts of Sequim, I reveled in my delicious purchases, the sparkly mountains, glowing fields, and soaring eagles (I counted 5)--I felt a sense of being "home". This move to Port Angeles has been a tougher adjustment than my move to Seattle more than 5 years ago -- likely the result of the community that I found (and still find) there -- but the Olympic Peninsula is, indeed, a sweet sweet place to reside with my love.

My parents and then my dear friends Meghan and Matt will both be visiting next month. I am quite excited to share this place with them. The last time my parents were here, it was the weekend that I graduated from Evergreen and officially moved into the yellow house that Justin and I share. This time, it will be a little more familiar...a little more like sharing a piece of my daily life. I just hope the flavor of spring is around for their visits. Either way, we will explore and delight in this place.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Crystal Mountain - the bosom of Mt. Rainier


Justin is all dressed and ready to catch the first lift.

Justin and I spent a few days this past week at Crystal Mountain to do some snowboarding and relaxing. Apparently the resort got its name because of the mining and prospecting that used to take place there. I thought it had something to do with the ice crystals that formed on my eyelashes and nose as we took the lift up the mountain.

Although I spent more time on my bum than on my feet, it was a great trip. The sun shone brightly every day and the stars were abundant each night. Our lodging resembled something between a Disney movie and the Swiss alps. They even played Disney-esque music in the restaurant where we had breakfast each morning.

We got to the lift as it started each day and Justin would ride with me a bit then take the lift to the top of the mountain where he would hike to some fresher powder. By 2pm or so, we'd be both be ready for some food. Then, we'd shower and nap until happy hour at the Snorting Elk. It was a perfect combination of action and relaxation for a mid-winter getaway.


We rode the Rainier Express lift when we got there so we could catch a glimpse of her beauty on this rare bluebird day.



A view of the mountain from the backside of Crystal.


I believe that sign says something like, "Danger, leaving resort boundary into the wilderness". Justin found it on one of his many hikes for fresh powder.




That little dot is me, shredding.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Support Global Worming, Part 1

So, I've got worms on the brain.

No, I'm not a zombie. I want to build a new worm compost bin.

A few weeks ago, my parents attended a worm composting workshop on a Saturday afternoon at Schlafly's--the same St. Louis brewery where Justin and I had our wedding reception.
a.) how cool is it that a microbrewery is hosting worm composting workshops?
b.) how cool are my parents for going to the workshop and planning their own worm bins?

Answer to a. and b. : Super Cool.

Talking to them got me thinking about getting some worms eating at our house. When I lived in the teeny tiny apartment on Sunnyside in Seattle, my roommates and I adopted a worm community from the previous tenant and friend, Tokya. We had a little Tupperware worm bin on our back porch that functioned quite well, did not smell, and was super-easy to maintain.

Justin and I have compost piles behind our house where all of our food and yard waste go, but worms are so efficient at turning rotten smelly food into rich compost that it seems silly not to put some wigglers to work. Our compost piles can be for yard waste, food overflow, and giant things like rotting squashes, but the worms can do the rest!

We started to do some internet-based research on constructing simple worm bins and found this rad video:

The Environmentals (Episode 1)


~~~~~~~

Patience, Child


Look! Justin is walking on water and the ancient Elwha River is patiently waiting for the dam to be removed so that it can, again, flow freely.


You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

I think I've always had an interesting relationship with patience.

Recently, work at Johnston Farm has consisted of weeding for entire days. Last week, it was on my knees in the asparagus patch pulling chickweed and dandelions. This week, its pulling hundreds of giant decomposing brussel sprout and broccoli plants--the broccoli has developed a coating of bright orange fungus-slime that makes them especially difficult to to pull. Seeing it written, it sounds kind of arduous, but its been quite relaxing and satisfying.
When I worked at EarthCorps, I spent 2 years - give or take - in giant patches of blackberry or ivy, attempting to eradicate them with my crews. Some days were tougher than others, but over all, days passed quickly and with great joy.

I embrace the weeding with patience, I believe, because I see how the tedious tasks fit into a bigger picture. At the farm, we are preparing the land to be planted in the Spring. At EarthCorps, we were giving the native vegetation a fighting chance or teaching folks about Northwest ecosystems.

Alternatively, I am terrible at frying eggs because I get my skillet too hot in attempt to get them done quickly. I never wait for muffins to cool before trying to remove them from their tins; and I never chill cookie dough when recipes call for it.

I think I treat my own life's progress more like an egg to be fried than a garden to be weeded. I've been in Port Angeles for about 7 months now and I sometimes get overwhelmed by the facts that I don't have a full time job (let alone a profession) or a tight group of friends or all of the kinks worked out of sharing a home with Justin. I would say, I lack patience.

But when I step back and look, my little garden plot is looking pretty good! I have a job in a time when many folks don't; I have a lovely community of friends and family (albeit spread far and wide) that has taken years to build (not months); and I have a home and partner that are warm, cozy, and nourishing.
So, patience, it seems, is about perspective....and my eggs are improving.

On a lighter note, here is one of my colored pencil drawings from my "nature" art class.