Midday Light

My work lunches are a little dreamy.  It's delightful to eat a satisfying meal, work on The New York Times crossword, mess about on my computer, and have a full hour of downtime.

Plus the view from the break room isn't bad either.  I'm really looking forward to the day, in the not so distant future, that the magnolia tree starts to bloom.

Okay... Maybe everybody already does this, but just today, I packed a salad layered upside-down in a jar.  I've discovered that salads are easier to eat on a big work plate than from the smallish containers that I pack them in.  This morning, I figured that I could use whatever jar would work, and I would pack my salad top to bottom.  I wanted walnuts on top, then sliced carrots, and then mixed greens on the bottom so I filled the jar in that order.  Then, when I dumped the salad on a plate... voila.  All I had to do was slice up some apples to add to it.  I forgot the dressing, which wasn't really a big deal, because the salad itself was so tasty.  I may have liked a bit of crumbled goat cheese or gorgonzola though.

This discovery makes me feel like an idiot and a genius at the same time.  Do you have any lunch packing tricks or tips?

Alathfar, or, ...of the Swooping Eagle

These are a few of my favorite things right now.

I'm already excited about this Spacetime Odyssey.

Release, a sculpture that seems random but isn't.

Tips for more amazing homemade salads.

Skeletal yoga via an x-ray video.

That Which Amuses

If you're looking for a few new blogs to peruse, here are a few that I enjoy:

Aesthetic Outburst by Abbey  Hendrickson
Abbey Hendrickson hasn't been blogging super consistently over the last year, but there is still a ton of great stuff in the archives.  I particularly identify with her farmhouse conversion and her artistic sensibilities.  She also has 50+ wonderfully curated Pinterest boards.  I often find that my personal taste is very much in line with hers.  Plus, once upon a time, I was the winner of her book.

A Cup of Jo by Joanna Goddard
Joanna Goddard posts every weekday (excluding some holidays) and sometimes more than once per day.  I find myself checking A Cup of Jo for new goodness nearly every day.  She blogs (and hosts the occasional guest blogger) on many facets of life (food, sex, fashion, parenting, and much more) in a mazine-esque style.  She also pins.

Manger by Mimi Thorisson
Mimi Thorisson conveys a tremendous sense of feminine elegance that I admire and am, honestly, a little envious of.  Her husband is a photographer which I'm certain adds a visually seductive element to her posts.  Her blog content centers around food [with family in France].  She also pins minimally.

Cultivar

It's only February, but I'm already laying the groundwork, literally, for the thornless blackberry harvest that I expect in just under six months.  Following some basic how-to instructions, I recently relocated them from either side of the sidewalk leading up to the front door to a long row between the back fence and the alleyway.*  After what has been a very dry winter, the rains have finally arrived and will hopefully encourage my little blackberry shoots to put down strong and happy roots.  I'm hoping for more than a handful of berries this year.

Read more »

Chart o' Graph

My mapping experience is coming along.  Taking and recording measurements stretches my spacial-reasoning muscles.  It's a solitary activity that, unsurprisingly, I quite enjoy.  The process of checking, double checking, and checking back again for the sake of precision and accuracy is satisfying.

Heterogeneous Items

28 february 2013 . thursday . 

(day one thousand one hundred fifty-one)

Are you ever curious about the items that someone else has in their cart at the grocery store?  I am.  ...all the time.  Personally, I think that what we buy says a little something about us.  Our purchases have the ability to paint a picture and tell a story.

Read more »

Aladfar, or, The Talons

Right now, these are a few of my favorite things.

Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades.

Tunes that resonate from the lips of nuns.

What symmetrical faces would look like.

42 edible flowers for the garden landscape.

"Me-ow"

Happy Valentine's Day!  I don't have any lipstick for writing messages of love on the bathroom mirror so I used the alternative banana-gram.*  The banana and this year's You're the Cat's Meow Card put the cutest smile on J.'s face.

For professing my love on Valentine's Day, I'm partial to the holiday collections from Rifle Paper Co. and Wit & Whistle.  I also like Emily McDowell's cards.

*Thank you Pinterest for the idea.

Library+

A while back (maybe six months or so), someone mentioned to me that there was a local organization that was basically giving books away.  As it turns out, it's true.  I'm particularly interested in the books that are available on the subject of community development, but, because Sharing the Rock was strongly recommended by a co-worker, I decided to start there.

If you happen to live in Oregon or Siskiyou County, California, check out the Select Books program and find a list of available books here.

Remarkable

It happens so rarely that a clean refrigerator feels like a notable event.  I'm not sure why I put off this particular household chore to the extent that it was possible to find a jar of pickles that was marked best before sometime nearly three years ago.

The task really is quite pleasant when paired with Fresh Air podcasts.  Thank you Terry Gross for all your help around the house.

Tramp

This past Sunday, for whatever meteorological reasons, my corner or Oregon hosted sunshine and 60+ degree weather while many other areas were frozen over with snow and ice.  I took advantage of the warm weather to take the dog on a morning hike.

Al Minliar al Shuja

My week of blog neglect was followed by a week (four days really) of being ahead and on top of it.  It's a reminder of how quickly things can turn around and that sometimes a bit more stress and pressure can be the key elements to motivation and productivity.  While basking in the glow of my own sense of accomplishment, I found a few miscellaneous delights.

Woo-hoo!  House of Cards returns to Netflix this Friday.

If your pals are partial to all things Michigan, this mug set would make four great gifts.

Not having kids is proposed as the new alternative to having kids.

I'm really into Nettle Leaf tea right now.

Encompass

01 february 2014 . saturday . (day one thousand four hundred eighty-nine)

The garden plan for this coming year involves putting a temporary cage around the fruit trees.  The idea is that each tree will sit inside a 4' diameter circle composed of 4' high chicken wire or mesh.  I haven't yet decided what will live in the circles with the trees.  ...maybe flowers or herbs or bulbs or borage.  In the end, it doesn't really matter so long as the trees are protected from hungry deer.  Over this last weekend, J. and I took advantage of the sunny weather to work in the yard.  I was able to encircle three of the front-yard fruit trees with leaf mulch, cardboard, and more leaves.

One and Only Turning One

I love living in the Pacific Northwest, but there are many, many, many times that I wish that I could teleport to Michigan.  For example, my niece turns one today.  I was actually with her cute self to mark the occasion of her turning six months old and now I wish that I could be with her even cuter self to celebrate her first birthday.  Damn...  Living so far away can be such a tragedy.

I hope N. likes her puzzle stacker.  Happy birthday little one!

Prescribed Procedure

One of the things that I remember most from my reading (or rather audio book listen) of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle was that Barbara Kingsolver's family had a Friday night pizza and a movie tradition.  I liked the idea of having a ritual like that.  Last month, J. and I were visiting friends that observe a weekly pizza and movie night with their two kids.  It was great to kick back, eat pizza, and watch a film (even if it was Bedtime Stories).  Last Friday, J. and I tried it out ourselves.  The Kingsolver household used seasonal ingredients along with homemade dough and cheese, our friends usually pick up something of the take-and-bake variety, and I made a Food Network Margherita Pizza but used The Bread Stop's "fresh and local" Original Pizza Dough instead of making it from scratch.  We watched Blue Jasmine followed by Art & Copy.  It was a great way to kick off the weekend.  I wonder if we'll do it again this Friday.

Al Miniliar al Asad, or, Orange Giant

I haven't abandoned this space although a temporary (month-long) hiatus has crossed my mind.  I think that a break could be beneficial to let my ideas marinate a little and to give me the opportunity to devote more time and energy to neglected areas (reading, household chores, etc.) of my life.  Plus, now that I'm adjusting to the changes involved with starting a new job (a longer commute, no at-home lunches, etc.), I haven't been making the time to post.  A part of me thinks that I should just push through and see what comes of it.  Hmm... even as I write this, I'm going back and forth.  Take a break or just keep going?

For now, I press on.  It's no longer Monday, but I still want to start this week by highlighting a bit of what has recently caught my attention.

February has arrived and with it a bright new desktop.

I made this South Indian Dahl and it was delicious!

What I wouldn't give for tall Hunter boots.