May 09, 2005
BO-BUTT BEACON APRIL '05
Better late than never, huh? You can finally view the April '05 edition of the BO-BUTT BEACON. If you haven't already received this link in via email, then this will take you to the PDF file. You will need Adobe to view this. It will probably take a wee bit to open because of all the photos. Please let me know if you still cannot view this but would like to read it.
May 08, 2005
TO MARKETS TO MARKETS
This morning marked the season's opening of The West Seattle Farmer's Market. Plenty of vendors with lots of fresh, organic produce, cheeses, meats, jams, breads, etc., plus flowers and some hand crafts. We grabbed carrots, Italian Kale, baby pak choi, green garlic (similar to a scallion), salad onions, a few coleus plants for the flower bed, and a bag of mixed greens to saute for tonight's dinner. Buying directly from the people who grow and/or produce the food is important. Less waste, less transportation, fresher product, less mystery about what went into getting the food to your table, and an enormous difference in the strain on the environment when you shop organically and locally. Find out when your neighborhood's market opens at The Neighborhood Farmers' Market Alliance.
Back at home we had lunch and then headed out again, this time on foot, to the International District to finish up the produce shopping and to walk out the sore muscles from all of yesterday's yardwork. Loaded the backpacks again with lots of yummy, fresh fruits and veggies. More importantly, we made it home before the rain began. Currently, there is a steady drizzle coming down but my garden loves it.
Happy Mother's Day.
Back at home we had lunch and then headed out again, this time on foot, to the International District to finish up the produce shopping and to walk out the sore muscles from all of yesterday's yardwork. Loaded the backpacks again with lots of yummy, fresh fruits and veggies. More importantly, we made it home before the rain began. Currently, there is a steady drizzle coming down but my garden loves it.
Happy Mother's Day.
PRACTICAL INSPIRATION
After buying vegetables and visiting gardens that belong to other people, we came home and set to work on our own green space. Some fresh compost and top soil were needed in some areas. Plenty of weeding is always on the To Do list. We planted most of the plants we purchased plus some that I had started from seed. J cleaned up the strawberry patch and created a rock border with huge pieces of rock from the alley. The plants are thriving. They look much better than last year. She also rearranged existing rocks and newly found rocks behind the entire bed that borders neighbor G's yard which holds peas, pak choi, onions, merlot lettuce, spinach, arugula, and most of our herbs. Best of all, we cleaned the deck - repotted plants, swept away the dirt, and threw away the crap. It's once again a beautiful place to just sit and enjoy the weather.
Green Spaces Is The Place To Be
After the The Seattle Tilth sale, we visited the Bradner Gardens Park P-Patch in the Judkins Park neighborhood. Bradner Gardens is a park that exists because of determined neighborhood residents who didn't want their park to turn into more condos. Today, Bradner Gardens Park has 61 P-Patch garden plots of 200 square feet each. There is a Children's Garden, Native Plant Habitat, original Art & Architecture and more.
May 07, 2005
TILTH THE COWS COME HOME
This morning we arrived early at The Seattle Tilth's Edible Plant Sale. It was a bit of a zoo. People get really crazy when it comes to the edibles, man. There were a few elbows and some shoves. I picked out a couple of plants and then stepped aside. J is much more adept at working a crowd. My first instinct is to throttle everyone and I can't take the closeness. But J remains calm. If you click on the photo here, it will take you to a larger image. If you look carefully down the center of the middle table, you can see J leaning over the left side of the table with her right arm extended. She is wearing a green sweater.
We picked up some tomatoes - Urbikany, Black Prince, and Taxi Yellow; peppers - Bulgarian Carrot Chile, Sweet Gourmet, Boldog Hungarian, and Spice Sweet Paprika; one Swallow Eggplant, a couple varieties of summer squash, one kind of winter squash, some Merlot Lettuce, some Thyme, and some Thai Basil. Next year we are going to be volunteers for this event. That way we gain access to the pre-sale. Volunteering for The Seattle Tilth is a good idea anyway but pre-sale access is a real motivator.
We picked up some tomatoes - Urbikany, Black Prince, and Taxi Yellow; peppers - Bulgarian Carrot Chile, Sweet Gourmet, Boldog Hungarian, and Spice Sweet Paprika; one Swallow Eggplant, a couple varieties of summer squash, one kind of winter squash, some Merlot Lettuce, some Thyme, and some Thai Basil. Next year we are going to be volunteers for this event. That way we gain access to the pre-sale. Volunteering for The Seattle Tilth is a good idea anyway but pre-sale access is a real motivator.
T.G.I.F.
Was glad to put the week behind me. The work week, that is. Sally and I had a great walk and did successfully get bubble tea. These mid-day walks are fun. It's good for the mind and the body. Make sure to wear your pink sweater. Cars can see you better.
Wine tasting at Tarragona was nice. Picked up a bottle of Woods Lake Winery Red, a wine from the Columbia Valley. Paired exceptionally well with a Basque sheep's cheese we also picked up at Tarragona. Smelled kind of like a foot but tasted like heaven - with and without the wine. The wine and the cheese went well with our toasted cheese sandwiches made with basil havarti, Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup, and baked beans.
Wine tasting at Tarragona was nice. Picked up a bottle of Woods Lake Winery Red, a wine from the Columbia Valley. Paired exceptionally well with a Basque sheep's cheese we also picked up at Tarragona. Smelled kind of like a foot but tasted like heaven - with and without the wine. The wine and the cheese went well with our toasted cheese sandwiches made with basil havarti, Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup, and baked beans.
May 06, 2005
Last night at Boot Camp there were more push-ups. Not as many but they were hard to do. Still sore. Discovered I can do the plank for the full 30 secs. x 2. Can even lift a leg for a couple secs. each time. And am pleased to learn that the side plank done on the BOSU is not a problem. Can even do the leg lifts too. Encouraging. Really enjoy the medicine ball work. Will research where to purchase and who has the best price.
Looking forward to walking with Sally today. It's a great break from the work day. About 50 mins. to an hour. We climb up to Capitol Hill, make a big loop and head back down. Today the goal is bubble tea. Since it's at the top of the hill, it's kind of like the prize, the reward. Usually there is no sweet treat reward but today for some reason we think we deserve one. A visual reward is found along Melrose. Lovely terraced gardens spill from the backs of high-rise condos and apartments. So far, it's not raining. If it cna just stay dry for another 70 mins. we're good to go.
Looking forward to walking with Sally today. It's a great break from the work day. About 50 mins. to an hour. We climb up to Capitol Hill, make a big loop and head back down. Today the goal is bubble tea. Since it's at the top of the hill, it's kind of like the prize, the reward. Usually there is no sweet treat reward but today for some reason we think we deserve one. A visual reward is found along Melrose. Lovely terraced gardens spill from the backs of high-rise condos and apartments. So far, it's not raining. If it cna just stay dry for another 70 mins. we're good to go.
May 05, 2005
May 04, 2005
AREA 51
Push ups. Last night at Boot Camp we did a tough series of push ups. One half of the group dropped and did one. Once everyone was back on her feet, the other side of the room dropped and did one. Next, my side dropped and did two. Once we’re up, the other side dropped and did two. This continued until we reached eight. Brief rest. Then we started over and made it to five. 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+1+2+3+4+5=51. Granted, I must execute most of the push ups in a modified fashion, but I did them all. This morning I’m feeling it all through my upper arms and chest. Will have to cancel archery class and my shift at the taffy pulling factory.
May 03, 2005
ANOTHER BUSY WEEKEND
The weather was crummy on Firday. We stuck close to home. Wine tasting at Tarragona then home for dinner. Our neighbor Chandan brought us a bowl of a homemade tomato based curry with chicken. We added some brown jasmine rice. Amazingly delicious. Chandan is originally from the Andhra Pradesh region of India and he is a master of Indian cuisine. To pay the rent he's an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington. He's a bit of a brainiac. Much less enjoyable than the curry but too practical to ignore was bathing the cats. A few days ago Idgie had aquired some fleas so we immediately applied the usual topical medication but ultimately gave them each the bath with an all natural oatmeal shampoo for good measure. Fleas are gone. Cats have recovered but remain bitter.
HISTORY BUFFS
Saturday morning’s weather reminded me of being in Forks, WA. Cool and damp. Camping plans were shelved. We headed to the
Washington State History Museum (WSHM) in Tacoma. Not terribly big so it doesn't eat a large chunk of your day. It wasn't crowded, it was easy to access and parking was only $4 for the time we were there. Before we hit the museum we perused the exterior of the Museum of Glass. I'm not a fan of Dale Chihuly's work, but I did enjoy walking across the Chihuly Bridge of Glass. Lots of color.
The WSHM was fun. There are plenty of interactive exhibits detailing mining, lumbering, farming, Native American history, WW II, fisheries etc. There is a whole History Lab on the upper floor just for kids. This floor is home to the Puget Sound Model Railroad Engineers who are constructing the largest model railroad installation in the state of Washington. If you are really into model railroads, you can access a 360 degree tour from the Museum’s web page here.
Faces from the Land: A Photographic Journey through Native America is an exhibit of portraits of Native American dancers, from several different tribes, donned in traditional dance dress. The traditional dress is elaborate and colorful and highly symbolic and certainly illustrates each tribe's individuality. Each print is accompanied by a personal narrative. But every shot is composed the same way using the same generic backdrop. Were these taken at JC Penny? They all look like pages from a Native American dance dress catalog.
According to the museum information, the "photographer, Ben Marra and his wife, Linda, set out to document powwows and the shared cultural qualities that bind together the many nations of Native America. Powwows are an integral part of Native American life, offering Native Americans the opportunity to gather and celebrate their spiritual connections to their ancestors, the earth, community and traditions through drum, song and dance." But no one is dancing, no one is at a powwow, no one is moving at all. Every shot is taken in a studio. Hardly a spiritual connection to anything. J commented that they looked like powwow prom photos.
The exhibit on Virna Heffer was very good. The process of painting with light was not new when she discovered it but she developed a multi-layered technique using glass plates to create photograms. A photogram is not an actual photograph. No camera, no film. Objects and shapes are arranged on light sensitive paper. I've been searching the internet for images to post but there is not alot of Virna Haffer info out there. The exhibit also featured several traditional photos and some of her cameras.
More photos of Museum trip here.
Washington State History Museum (WSHM) in Tacoma. Not terribly big so it doesn't eat a large chunk of your day. It wasn't crowded, it was easy to access and parking was only $4 for the time we were there. Before we hit the museum we perused the exterior of the Museum of Glass. I'm not a fan of Dale Chihuly's work, but I did enjoy walking across the Chihuly Bridge of Glass. Lots of color.
The WSHM was fun. There are plenty of interactive exhibits detailing mining, lumbering, farming, Native American history, WW II, fisheries etc. There is a whole History Lab on the upper floor just for kids. This floor is home to the Puget Sound Model Railroad Engineers who are constructing the largest model railroad installation in the state of Washington. If you are really into model railroads, you can access a 360 degree tour from the Museum’s web page here.
Faces from the Land: A Photographic Journey through Native America is an exhibit of portraits of Native American dancers, from several different tribes, donned in traditional dance dress. The traditional dress is elaborate and colorful and highly symbolic and certainly illustrates each tribe's individuality. Each print is accompanied by a personal narrative. But every shot is composed the same way using the same generic backdrop. Were these taken at JC Penny? They all look like pages from a Native American dance dress catalog.
According to the museum information, the "photographer, Ben Marra and his wife, Linda, set out to document powwows and the shared cultural qualities that bind together the many nations of Native America. Powwows are an integral part of Native American life, offering Native Americans the opportunity to gather and celebrate their spiritual connections to their ancestors, the earth, community and traditions through drum, song and dance." But no one is dancing, no one is at a powwow, no one is moving at all. Every shot is taken in a studio. Hardly a spiritual connection to anything. J commented that they looked like powwow prom photos.
The exhibit on Virna Heffer was very good. The process of painting with light was not new when she discovered it but she developed a multi-layered technique using glass plates to create photograms. A photogram is not an actual photograph. No camera, no film. Objects and shapes are arranged on light sensitive paper. I've been searching the internet for images to post but there is not alot of Virna Haffer info out there. The exhibit also featured several traditional photos and some of her cameras.
More photos of Museum trip here.
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