Power and Grace

I forgot I took some photos during the Pairs event.  It's really hard to get a good shot but this one turned out pretty damn nice.  This is John Coughlin and Caydee Denney.  She was National Champion with her partner in 2010 and he was National Champion with his partner in 2011.  They've only been training as a pair for about five months.  They look terrific and have a chemistry and energy that is very exciting.

Go Team USA!

Weird and Wonderful

We went walking in between events in Ontario and discovered these strange trees growing all along the boulevard.  The trunks were covered with spiky little protrusions which were very hard and very sharp. Further on we saw the same tree with these gorgeous flowers in bloom.  It was pretty windy, the flowers were dancing all around, blurry pic.

Anyone know what they are?

Peace

Photo of the day

Last night on my way to the Range this heavily laden vehicle was ahead of me.  As I got closer I could read the bumper sticker on the back.

It says:

CAUTION - This vehicle may be transporting political promises.

I got to fly Southwest Airlines this weekend.  They are always friendly and efficient and they try really hard to make things fun.

As we landed our flight attendant welcomed us to Hawaii, everyone cheered.  Then, as we taxied into the unloading bay she sang us the song, "In the jungle, the mighty jungle the lion sleeps tonight...".  You could hear folks whistling, humming and singing softly to themselves as they walked off the airplane.

Laughing still...

Heavenly

Spending time with my daughter.

We had another picture taken on Sunday, this one is better of me but she likes the first one of her best, oh well, equal time.

Back to Nevada City today.  I love the quick flights between LA and Sacramento, barely an hour from up to down, my legs don't have time to feel cramped.

Heavenly is being back in the clear mountain air.

Peace

Skate America 2011

We are loving every minute of being together and watching some great skating.
Peace

Leaving...

...on a jet plane!  Heading out to LA for the weekend, back soon!  My house sitter is here and ready to take over, the boys are always a little sad when I pack a bag.

I get to see my baby girl, woot!

Peace

Weird product of the day...

Personally, I love Williams-Sonoma.  They have fabulous products, great service and even some great recipes.  I've spent a lot of money there on coffee makers, fabulous knives, beautiful linens and whatnot.  However, every now and then they come up with a product that makes me scratch my head and wonder who would be stupid enough to actually buy it.

Here's the link to the Clay Chicken Roasting Kit

It's only $14.95 unless you feel you need to put out another 20 bucks for the special olive wood mallet to break through the clay once it's cooked.

WTF?  This is a one time product to roast a stupid chicken.  What a waste of money and let's all dump some more trash into the landfill.  Now, if you could crumble it all up, add some water and reconstitute the clay to use again I'd say, "Yippee Skippy, go for it!".

Remember the clay roasters?  I'd bet there are a few hundred thousand of those sitting around on the "soon to be in a garage sale" shelf.  Along with the ice cream makers and those nifty little napkin holder ring things that no one ever uses.

Stuff we buy seems to fit into three categories:

First and best is the thing we use everyday and wouldn't be able to get along without.  For me it's my Wusthof Ikon Blackwood knives, well balanced, beautiful, supremely useful items.

Second is the stuff we buy and use infrequently but wouldn't part with because those few times make all the difference, things like roasting pans, my Ruffoni hammered stock pot, and the champagne cork.

And then there's the "what the hell was I thinking" product like the Clay Chicken Roasting Kit, the Monkeybread pan, the electric hot dog cooker and the make your own ice cream sandwich press.

I have to confess I own one of those products.  Tell me your dirty secrets, what have you got hidden way back in the cupboard, come on now, fess up!

Peace

Pinch me...

It's almost too good to be true.  I LOVE this house, it's everything I want and need.  I got to spend a couple of hours there today while the inspections went on and my family and friends stopped in to check it out.  Being there just makes me happy, it's got that sense of serenity that I was hoping for.

The entry and on into the living room, all new wood floors.

Dining room and the glorious kitchen.

The dining room has a nice sliding door out to the peaceful side yard, with a fountain splashing.  The kitchen is in the back of the house with windows looking out at a huge maple tree and on out into the state owned Empire Mine property.

The downstairs bedroom, mine.

The upstairs, still old knotty pine, which we will paint, it will look like a seaside cottage.

And the outside back and side.

It's going to be really hard to be patient.

Happy Day!

Full Speed

Inspection today...pics to follow.

Looking at appliances.

Meeting some interesting new people.

Heading to LA this weekend to meet up with my daughter and engage in some spectator skating.

Preparing for a gallery exhibit.

Trying to remember to breathe.

Life is exhilarating lately.

I don't know if I posted this pic already, some finished earrings.  I think these will go into the ASIF Small Works Show which begins November 4th.

Peace

Mi Casa

One cozy cottage nestled amidst flowering dogwood trees and big pines.

I can't believe it's going to be mine, sometimes you can be so happy you cry.

Peaceful dreams.

Crazy Quilt

Yep, I know, it's sort of weird and wonderful and totally crazy, isn't it?

It certainly suits me on this cold, rainy day.

Hope you like it.

Peace

Santa Baby

Just slip a Porsche under the tree, for me, been an awful good girl..

Lovely weekend at Infineon hanging out with people who love the smell of race fuel in the morning.

Here are the big three getting ready to roll on Sunday.

Here they are running 2nd and 3rd on turn seven.

And now home, back to the boys, ready for a fun week.

Peace

Sunshine...

...In a Jar.

It's true, sometime this winter when it's been raining for a week I'll open one of these jars and taste summer.

Plum jelly!

I've never made Plum jelly before, or any kind of jelly for that matter.  It's fun!  And tastes really, really good.  Now I'm off to the store to buy more sugar and pectin.  I've got a whole big bowl full of juice still and the tree is still loaded with plums.

Peace

Evolve please!

Learn something new.
Go someplace you've never been.
Introduce yourself to a stranger.
Flex with changes, see them as fun challenges.
Try a different point of view.
Think outside your box.
Better yet, get rid of your box.

I watch with amusement as the Facebook community freaks out because the format has changed. This rocks!

One of my good friends who happens to struggle with ADD says these changes don't bother her because she didn't pay that much attention to how it looked in the first place.  I love this idea and to some extent I believe that's true of me also.  However, I view these changes as an interesting puzzle.  Since the first time I used a computer I found it a fascinating treasure trove of information and knew right from the start that the info I wanted was there, I just had to find out how to get it.

Imagine my joy at finding I no longer had to re-type engineering specs because one sentence was wrong and then I discovered how to build spreadsheets (in the days of Lotus 1-2-3) and found you could actually build in formulas that did things for you!  This incredible world opened up at that point and has never stopped delighting and amazing me.  I will freely admit that I'm not a computer programmer but I am a superb user, knowing that it's possible if I can just figure out how.

And that pretty much sums up my life, if I can dream it I know it's possible, then I just have to figure out how to get there.

So when you start complaining to me that you hate this change or life seems so fast and confusing from the one you knew last week or last year or twenty years ago and you see me looking at you with mild confusion you'll know I'm thinking, "Wait.  I don't get it.  What's fun about something we've already done?"

Peace

September Swim

If I wasn't already crazy about this state then today tipped me over completely.  We headed out of town to a nice swimming hole on the Yuba River and spent a couple of hours splashing around in the water.  It just couldn't have been a better day, sunny and warm, and the water felt incredibly good on my skin. The river is so clear you can see every rock. A big frog leaped off the bank and practically landed on me which made me shriek and then laugh with delight when I saw what it was.

If you managed to cross a river otter with a Corgi this is what you'd get.

The funny thing is that Bode loves water but is barely able to stay afloat when he swims.  I think he's too thin and has too much fur.  Dandy tolerates water but is a pretty good swimmer.  Of course.  Both of them tried their best to hop from rock to rock to stay close to us.

I can't wait to go back.

Peace

Requirements vs. Choices

I frequently read the online food news site "Inside Scoop SF" http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com  It's got so much information on what is new in the Bay Area food industry.  If I can't live there I can at least read and dream about the fabulous food and wine industry there.

Today there is a great article on the dilemma chefs face between producing food that showcases his or her talents and the dietary requirements and/or dietary choices of his customers.  Inside Scoop SF - Dietary Demands

I know people who suffer from life threatening allergies.  My Dad is so allergic to a certain seed that for many years he carried an Epi-pen, once he almost died after consuming bread made with the oil from that seed.  In his later years he's narrowed his restaurant choices to those he trusts and we've learned to zealously read labels on everything in our kitchen when cooking for him.

I also know those who are required to follow a gluten free diet.  They can live through a session of eating food containing gluten but they suffer the consequences in the short run and risk damaging their body in the long run.

I follow a diet of choice.  I don't eat beef or pork and will generally choose a vegetarian option for a meal unless someone waves a plate of Salmon under my nose.  But my diet is choice, not a requirement.

And then there are my food prejudices, things like beets and sauerkraut, nasty stuff meant to be fed to cattle and hogs.

So, how much should a chef have to flex his vision to satisfy those choices?

I admit it's both stressful and joyful to cook for my Dad.  On one hand I must choose my menu carefully, because many of the dishes I love contain the oil that could kill him.  However, everything else he will happily eat, nothing picky about that man at all, bless him.

It's aggravating and annoying to cook for those with too many food prejudices and for those who have chosen overly restrictive diets.  It takes all the fun out of it and in the end I feel like saying, "F#$k it, let's go get a pizza."

For me it's fairly easy to find food I prefer to eat and I've learned that sometimes it's worth throwing my food choices and prejudices to the wind.  It's called the  "Suck it up and enjoy it!" diet. If someone wants to cook for me I'll eat it and probably enjoy it.  If a great Chef decides that his tasting menu includes beef, pork, beets and sauerkraut I will damn well eat it and probably love it.  And if I don't I certainly won't say anything, just pour some more wine and think of England.

So if you've got a restriction let me know.  If you've got a diet of choice tell me and I'll see what I can accommodate.  If you've got food prejudices either leave them at home or bring your own, because I don't really give a damn, thank you very much.

Peace

Friday night

Not a bad week, ending with a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc and some killer lemon bars, the kind that ooze with a thick lemon custard.

No house for me yet, damn and blast!  I'm still trying to get a look at a very interesting log house higher up in the snow zone.  I found a darling miner's cottage that already had three offers pending.  And the final terrific house, completely renovated but on a noisy, busy road with limited dog running space and no garage.  Mostly frustrating, making me wonder just what is the plan for me?  Maybe I'm supposed to learn some patience?  Maybe I'm destined to move someplace else?  The beach would be nice, but sort of gloomy for me.  Where?  What?  Why?

Oh well, patience grasshopper.

Fabulous weather, 80 degrees, soft breezes, bright sunshine, nights getting a little chilly, just enough for a blanket and socks.

I'm getting sort of buzzed thinking about spending the weekend at Infineon the end of this month.  My friends will be racing their Corvette's in the CSRG (Classic Sport Racing Group).  I'll also get to hit my favorite wine shop in Berkeley and stock up with something fun.

Professionally things are very good, this week I've sent beautiful jewelry off to South Carolina and Minnesota!

I send you love and good thoughts.
I send you courage and joy.
I hope we are together soon.

Peace

Monday Morning

This is going to be a great week!

There are house possibilities to look at and decide upon.
I need some of my own dirt to dig around in.
And my own walls to paint.
And a place to wash my FJ, poor dirty thing.
A garage to shelter from the weather.
And a wall of bookshelves.
A chest freezer.

Always fun to dream.

Sometimes what I write may seem very sad but these words are just things that drift through my head, they don't stay long, I don't let them.  Then I zip along, torch some metal, laugh with friends, plan adventures, play soccer with the boys, splash in the water, drink some wine, find a new recipe (Panzanella today), enjoy my excellent life and look forward to tomorrow.

Happiness doesn't come from outside but from inside, from knowing who you are and loving that person.

I love this photo.  It so well reminds me that the darkest night comes with the possibility of glorious sunrise.

Doldrums

Adrift
at sea
that's me.

Hot night
crickets sing
deep clouds
icy wine.

Alone
and not
dogs sleep
stubborn
meets
stubborn
silly.

Winning
means
alone
five more
months?

No peace
adrift.

I will...

I take you to be my partner, forsaking all others (except my 78 Trans Am).
In sickness and in health, through blown trannies and bald tires.
I will lust for no chassis but yours.
And when the race is done and the pit is dark I will hold your hand and together we will drive off into the night.
Forever and ever, so help me Ford, uh, Lord.

Believe me, it really happened. You just never know what's going to happen at the track.  The racing was pretty damn fun too!

Peace