little nuggets...

...just not necessarily of the wisdom variety ;)


"nothing is really work unless you'd rather be doing something else."
- peter pan, james barrie


"life is hard, but it's worse when you're stupid."
- john wayne


from dog-ku: very clever haikus cleverly written by very clever dogs

i don't feel so well.
i think i'll eat some tall grass.
ack! puke. that's better.
***
my picture outside.
luscious food on the inside.
not a doggy bag?
***
you keep asking me
why i climb up on the couch.
because it is there.
***
i don't shed that much.
just enough to decorate
your brand-new dress pants.


'mackarel sky' on the way to work...called my mom when i saw it in the east and told her to go outside and look...she told me it was called a mackarel sky because it resembles the markings on an adult king mackarel fish...she also told me she remembers her dad saying "mackarel in the sky, three days dry"...it occurs between 8-20K ft and can lead to dry or wet weather depending on moist air moving into that layer of clouds or not.


caffeine can linger in the body for up to 12 hours

lower back pain is said to be a cause of worrying about money

5 million red + 5 million white blood cells can fit on the head of a pin, we have 9000 taste buds in our mouth, 5 million nasal receptors and an estimated 100 trillion cells in our body (with each cell containing information equivalent to that of 90 volumes of an encyclopedia)

artwalk

checked out the artwalk downtown with A&J one friday night (apparently it's the nation's largest self-guided artwalk)...started in a very cool, concrete-floored high-rise lobby with a live dj and airbrush artist + some wine...walked down to the galleries and on the way went in to an old brick, one-story building and talked to two women who use a printing press from 1922 to make their beautiful stationary. they showed us how it works and seeing things like that not only transport you back in time but they make you appreciate how much effort went in to production of all sorts; the creation of equipment like that to an iphone today are interesting and i love that if the mind can conceive it, it can probably become a reality...one of the women told me about this association and i had no idea it existed so it was a gift. didn't care much for the art in the galleries but A came across one gallery with dark blue painted walls and suspended, upside-down glass jars filled with water and at different heights; strategically placed beneath each hanging jar was a jar to catch the water dripping from it, and the room was dark except for a few lights here and there. the effect was water drops at different times, sometimes making it into the jar on the floor and sometimes splashing onto the ground, plus the shadows from the suspended containers and light reflecting off of the liquid. it was pretty cool and surprisingly calming even though people were weaving in and out of the tiny one-room gallery.

next up is artwalk closer to my 'hood with more variety in artists and mediums!

going back to cali

had 2 weeks off around christmas and headed back to cali for a visit...drove out and started in sd...saw friends at hswri, saw the fish and the new setups and headed to K&C's...awesome chips and salsa made with things from the garden like cilantro and jalapeno, and C made some very flavorful steak...great to finally see their first home and all of the love [work] they have put in to it, great to catch up, great to see old friends in a new life.

coffee with K bright and early and coffee with KM near my old house...can't believe i've been gone for more than a year already; missed the area and how you could walk or ride a bike anywhere and get to something you loved...loved chatting with K and the people you meet in life who are just genuinely kind and honest souls. sat by the pier before lunch with T at her house and rain, rain, rain all day. the view through my sunroof by the pier:



headed north and met up with K for a quick visit...miss seeing my old friend and our little coastal hikes...many positive thoughts for K&S in difficult times that we all make it through and out of. xxxxxxxx

had fun hanging out with T&C further north...laughing at how C puts on a show, scrunches up his nose and squints his eyes; quite the little charmer...awesome thai food to celebrate her bday in a quaint restaurant all to ourselves...always love being with T...witty, funny, creative, good and an old soul. next day at the garden and a million funny pics of C in discovery mode...never sits still and cracks you up constantly...plenty of exotic-looking plants and flowers with perfect weather and an ocean view, a nice stroll amongst a variety of shapes and colors. still not sure what these are:


up to oc...met the twins for the first time and loved the feeling of them sleeping on my chest...so tiny, so perfect, so hungry, so loud ;) everything wrapped into a silky-skinned bundle with a whole life ahead of them and endless possibilities...the beauty in the creation of a life forward in the years to come, learning about humans and the world around them, and including self-reliance so opposite their initial experiences...still can't believe how much parents do for their kids and it's no wonder they look at us the way they do sometimes. :) dinner with M&J, J at our fav with lots of laughs and inappropriate jokes, hopefully not too loud...bar with J later on and life chats with a good buddy!

got my ink fixed and got some fresh ink that M&D loved when they finally saw it {lie}...hurt like hell and not sure how i would survive something bigger like L, M have...crazy, weird pain especially in that location...thank goodness it's okay to curse like a sailor while the buzzing continues and the heavy metal plays on in the background.

good times with C&B&M and the rest of the crew for nye...too much good food as usual and with everyone pitching in in all ways...9 kids to just a few more adults and a lot of fun dancing to top 20 hits with them singing along and a game of apples-to-apples with some really bright, hilarious little people...church and lunch in seal, always a great combo with C...baby time and more baby time and i could just watch them looking around and exploring all day long. okay, maybe not all day but it is always fascinating from pureed plums all over the face, neck and ears to little squeezes or finger-clasping...so happy to see C&M as the wonderful mothers i always knew they would be.

incredible brunch at K&J's gorgeously remodeled house in their joyful, playful spirits; a real treat to see a magnificent piece of art on loan there too...lunch at my fav [for the must-have balsamic roasted veggies and gouda on a sourdough roll] on the way out of town and back on the road to a not-so-new-anymore home out east...love and xxxxxxxx to everyone always and plenty of gratitude for hospitality and friendship along the way

spicy

so awesome...protein, fiber, a little crunch and great to have them a different way...would be good as an appetizer or snack, a side dish or added to a salad...

spicy roasted chickpeas from everyday food magazine

• preheat oven to 450 degrees.

• pour 1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven until oil is hot, 3 minutes.

• in a medium bowl, combine 2 cans (~15.5 oz each) chickpeas [aka garbanzo beans], rinsed, drained and patted dry + 1 tsp cayenne pepper + 1 TBSP ground cumin seed. season with coarse salt and toss to combine.

• place chickpea mixture on hot baking sheet and spread in a single layer.

• bake until chickpeas are crisp, about 10-12 minutes.

• with a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels and let cool slightly.

funnies

• witnessing people picking their noses in their cars on the freeway literally every day -- the only way to camoflauge this activity is with extremely dark window tint or by scooching below the window frame, which should not be done while driving
  

• learning that cousin J (5 yrs) refers to a spikey hairdo as a "mohog" -- and that his family doesn't laugh at him but doesn't correct him either

• getting into the elevator at work at the end of the day and noticing that #11 had been added to a list of elevator etiquette tips #1-10 -- handwritten in black sharpie, #11. No farting which resulted in a loud laugh on my part and the need to point it out to the other people on the elevator

ho ho ho

happy december and the end of 2010!

hanukkah at M&D's...candles, matzo ball soup, challah, rugelach, black and whites, hide-the-matzo like we used to at N&P's as kids...

S&E's fancy, sparkly christmas party minus the ugly sweaters - a grown-up christmas party ;) old friends and great food in their remodeled home...love the decor and the vintage touches they kept...love lights outdoors and the ones on the patio were strands of glass globes i think could work for any occasion - note to self!

cleaning with A for the big bucks that i am always grateful for!!!

christmas shopping...and christmas shopping...and christmas shopping...still think i have the most fun looking for or stumbling upon that certain something for that special someone, then wrapping it up as best i can, putting it under a tree and watching them open it.

R&L chopped down a charlie brown tree for me up north and i decorated it with three ornaments and red velvet bows...looks ginormous here but was only 3 ft tall on its best day ;) after i had decorated it, my mom gave me all of my old christmas ornaments (she used to buy one each year for us) and i looked at all of them; memories of putting them on our family tree every year as a kid and the year written on each one's box...remember staring up at the tree and the lights and all of the colors on and around the tree...and trying to shake or unwrap presents to find out what they were before christmas day...still can't sleep late the morning of ;)


watched two, well-behaved furry ones for a couple of days and liked having dogs to pet and take on a walk...some people wanted kids that weekend - i wanted a dog - and it only keeps getting worse! thank you, D, for the beautiful wooden snowflake with white paint, silver glitter on the edges and a hole in one end for hanging :)

happy birthday to J/J/K/S/E!!

awesome christmas eve breakfast with the usual crowd +1...little H identified all of the pictures in a book from a-z and enjoyed picking up the discarded gift wrap scattered about...funny presents including old re-gifted items plus the usual homemade treats, this year including espresso bites, treasure cookies, bourbon balls, truffles, peanut butter krispies, puppy chow and other assorted cookies...i feel fatter just keeping track of them...and why can't i suck in anymore? christmas eve dinner out this year and had a great time, especially when my dad cut me off in front of the family and the waiter, LOL...tore into gifts in the morning and am always amazed at everyone's thoughtfulness and generosity; perfect gifts that were and were not on my list to the elves at the pole! love the surprises and the different wrap jobs and colorful packages...

so i hope everyone had a most fantastic christmas with friends and family or both, and is very grateful for everything good in their lives at this point in time...i know we can all find something to be grateful for and happy about each day...

cheers to you and yours and many wonderful wishes for the new year that it brings you all

november rewind

...back, back, back...time warp through november!

hope everyone had a really wonderful thanksgiving day celebration, maybe with the macy's day parade and some family or some friends or new strangers or all of the above...i am sure you were and are thankful for the many blessings in your life like i am...A made the world's best mac&cheese and the cheese in it is just insane; was great for a thanksgiving side dish and sadly i did not even get to take any home...this one's for you, L, just scroll down to the yankee doodle dandy baked macaroni & cheese recipe! made leaves for the thankful tree (what you are thankful for), potato gun-shooting outside, sitting around the fire with blankets, kids' laughter and great family...everyone cooked or brought something and everything turned out delicious, from the brined turkey to the tres leches cupcakes...what a feast!

hiked with R, A one weekend morning and had a nice breakfast in our sweaty clothes afterwards

went up north for J's 30th bday...saw his new house in payson and the results of his hard work on his own and with B and others...colored concrete countertops, a cedar ceiling, an old style/new technology fireplace, huge deck and perfect lot surrounded by pine trees...spent night in strawberry at B&L's and sat on the deck with my mom wrapped in blankets; watched the fog roll in from one direction and then the other, completely covering the tree-covered valley...stopped at tonto natural bridge on the way home and took pics in the very cold, often drizzling outdoors from the different lookout points...could not believe what i was seeing and the fact that i had passed by so many times without stopping...the world's largest, discovered natural travertine bridge




another organ concert but not just any concert - a doctoral recital - including music from bach and polish composers with most pieces created in the 17th century...she played the very special italian traeri organ built in 1742, one of very few in the united states and the only one in the southwest...she did a phenomenal job and is so very sweet and real...always a treat musically, and interesting to read the history behind each piece and what it meant to her.

went with my mom to a live artist's demo on stage at the performing arts center...25 years old and a master already...could not believe that during the demo he painted (and instructed!) something so dimensional and beautiful and bright - a still life with a huge pumpkin and sunflowers...he made it look so easy and for that i envied him because i still think painting is extremely difficult...audience got to ask questions throughout and he was entertaining with a witty sense of humor while oozing intellect...an old soul...towards the end he mentioned that questions inevitably arise around his age and talent as if he is a prodigy, and he addressed us by saying that he firmly believes that if anyone practices anything hard enough he or she can be great at it...inspiring and so cool to watch an artist paint live; will have to see if my mom will let me watch her finally!

happy birthdays, T/A/C and lots of adventures in your new year!

coffee-breakfast with M&L before church, just us girls...guest speaker paul scanlon who spoke about the believing heart - the heart as the control center of your life/being/believing versus and organ...how we are wired as humans, how are fundamental beliefs are established by about 8 yrs old, how our belief systems go on effortlessly to dominate our lives...context and culture shape our lives without our permission; when you ask yourself "why do i always do X or react a certain way?", we may not know because we were taught when we were so young we don't remember agreeing to learn those things...be conscious of what we build and teach; you will always find evidence to support your belief system (either negative or positive); what the heart is fixed on is what it will get - you can learn everything but your heart's beliefs will keep you from it; "as a man thinks, so he is"...your [conscious] mind changes all day long but your [subconscious] heart is fixed so that takes longer to change...reprogram your heart so you can understand why some things are not working in your life. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this and it reminded me of the time i saw shad helmstetter.

checked out the old town farmers market with A and found some great stuff that isn't at the other one near my house...wish these would have been around when i was growing up...would have begged my parents to take us every weekend! bright colors, different textures and things i've never seen before including kohlrabi...it's always an adventure at the market!


had A&B over for an italian feast including homemade meatballs with bay leaves and white wine, fresh peas with prosciutto and mint and cannellini beans with sage and tomato...took forever to make but i felt like a real italiano and loved sharing it with friends, especially those who aren't very fond of peas but thought they weren't all that bad with prosciutto!

took ellie with mom to the annual valley fever walk downtown, which affects humans and animals and is potentially deadly...great variety of dogs at the event and a relatively short little walk around some downtown streets...they are making progress towards a cure and it was nice to see so many people involved and up early on a weekend...this dog knew how to 'dance' and he was also a poser - this is his happy face...walked around the nearby center afterwards and took pics after having a coffee, amazed to see that this area is still there and that it is in the heart of downtown for all to enjoy...beautiful day for a good cause!






happy birthday, dad!!!! fattening, tasty family breakfast out...lots of laughs and helped him reorganize the space he still has in the garage ;) lots of empty, plastic containers of all shapes and sizes that were being saved for filling with who-knows-what...one or more "oh, so that's where that went" and "i've been looking for that" as i recall...end result was a full recycle bin, distributing things back to their owners or 'gifting' things to others...four hours of tidying...whew!

welcome to life, P twins!!!! we are all so happy you are finally here...happy, healthy and unique...you landed in a wonderful family and are incredibly lucky :) can't wait to meet you in 2010!