Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Freegan Tip #1

Eat your leftover lefse!!!


Thursday, September 4, 2008

I Heart Jumping

Cliffs
Trees
Rocks
Bridges
Platforms
Deep Ends
Beds
Boats
Diving Boards
Stages
Fences
Roofs
Cliffs
AHHHHHHH!!

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

words to LIVE by

This past weekend I went to the wedding of a good friend. This was a wedding attended by some really great people. It was an incredible weekend filled with extreme joy, it was a wedding after all. Did I mention that we drove thus giving me plenty of time to reflect on the weekends events. And here (not in my own words) is what came of it.



Wear sunscreen.


If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.


Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.


Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.


Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.



Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.


Floss.


Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.


Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.



Stretch.


Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.


Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.


Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken onyour 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.


Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of whatother people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.


Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.



Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.


Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.


Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.


Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should holdon. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.


Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.


Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.


Respect your elders.



Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might runout.


Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.


Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.



But trust me on the sunscreen.


Mary Schmich


Monday, August 4, 2008

New Banner

The cutie on my banner is my niece Annika. I haven't been able to see her much this summer. So I thought I would remind her that her Aunty is still goofy and fun. Annika and her family are coming out to visit in October. Can't wait to see them!!!

Sunday, August 3, 2008

A Fine Friday

For this week's "vino venerdi" I tried a Pinot Noir. I have been wanting to try more Pinot Noirs because the region I am living in is known for PNs. If you have ever seen "Sideways" you know exactly what I am talking about.
For the meal I prepared a grilled tuna and peppers with caper vinaigrette. It was a great recipe!! The sauce was absolutely delicious. And the recipe could not have been easier, the entire thing took me about 10 minutes. It was a perfect Friday night meal. But now, you maybe asking yourself "a red wine with fish?" I thought the same thing...that these people are crazy telling me that the tuna will go perfectly with a PN. They were right...it was a great combo.
The PN of the evening was from the Rancho Sisquoc Winery. The grapes came from the Flood Family vineyards of Santa Barbara County. It had a very distinct cherry flavor. Mark kept commenting on the tame tannins. I think he likes a little more tannin and oak. However, he did manage to finish off a couple of glasses. I definitely enjoyed this wine and look forward to trying more wines from this winery.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Time Does Fly




A year ago Mark and I were enjoying ourselves in the BWCA. If you have never been, YOU ARE MISSING OUT! Drop everything and plan a trip. You will not regret it. Planning is super easy just visit bwca.com. Have a great time and be sure to let me know how much fun you had.



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Sunday, July 27, 2008

Vino Venerdi a la Domenica

Vino Venerdi had to wait til Sunday, but like a good wine it became better with age. This week I did not necessarily pair it with any particular predetermined food, but the wine did go perfectly with the meal and not to mention was indeed enhanced by the food. The wine chosen (by my wonderful husband ) for this evening's tasting was Simi a Chardonnay from Sonoma County.
It was definitely good. I would not say it was the best Chardonnay I ever had but it was a lovely wine for a Sunday night. This is a subtle wine with a bit of an acidic lingering. There are some definite toasted oak notes as well, but not overwhelming so. No butter found in this Chardonnay. I am still on the look out for a nice buttery Chardonnay, so leave me a note if you have a favorite. This wine was good, but was even better when paired with our meal, Lime Ricky Chicken. The chicken enhanced the oak and smoothed out the flavor.
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