Tea and Savories

2012-01-05T16:08:00.000-08:00

"What adorable creatures are these?" you ask.

They are Marimos and they are a type of green algae. Some call them by other names: Cladophora balls, Lake balls or Moss balls, but I think Marimo suits them.

My son found them at the pet store when he was setting up a beta tank. I was so enamored with them that I asked for a Morimo habitat for Christmas.

I'd never heard of them before. They grow in lakes in Iceland, Scotland, Japan and Estonia. Wave action rotates the balls and helps maintain their round shape. These little guys are so cute and you can tell they are best friends.

We did It! We completed the Danskin Triathlon!

2011-08-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

For some reason I got nervous Friday night. We picked up our packets Saturday at Seattle Center and got our official race numbers on arms and leg. After attending the information sessions, we dropped our bikes at Genessee Park.

Saturday evening I was nervous and slept poorly, waking every hour with thoughts of disaster.

Sunday morning, we picked up Jessamyn and made our way to the park where our adoring cheering section, Roger and Micah, dropped us off.

First stop, Port o Potties. Long lines. Then to the bikes to set up gear. Lay down towel, bike shirt, shorts, shoes and socks. Put on padding jacket and shorts. Visit Port o Potties. Walk around dodging racers coming back from the swim and moving out on bikes. Visit Port o Potties and head to the water.

We're in the last wave of the mixed age group. Every 10 minutes we move forward as the front group enters the water. Visit Port o Potties one last time. Finally, we're urged down to the water and the gates close behind us. Lots of cheering from the sidelines and rah rah encouragement.

Countdown 10-9-8 ... 1 and we're off. The water is cold but not bad. Have to swim slowly to allow people to clear out. Some are swimming with swim angels who have noodles. Some women use the noodles for the whole course. People on surf boards and in kayaks line the course providing a haven for anyone in trouble. One well-developed young man has three ladies hanging on the end of his surfboard.

Just swim-stroke, stroke, breathe. I keep to an easy pace because I am thinking about the 12-mile bike to come. First turn and don't even look at how far away the second buoy is. A swimmer in front of me turns around and goes to a swim angel. She is panicky saying she can't get her breath. The angel gives her a noodle and breathes with her.

Finally, the second buoy and turn to shore. I'm trying the find a clear path and pick up some speed. I wonder where Jessamyn is. We swim all the way up the ramp and I'm up out of the water, one leg done. Others run past to get to their bikes. I stroll to my bike and change form the padding stuff to bike stuff. It's hard to get bike shorts on when wet. Visit the Port o Potties (12 miles is a long way).

The ride to the I-90 entrance is easy but here comes the turn and hill and I gear down all the way. I make it without having to dismount. Turn and I'm on I-90.

It's fabulous to be crossing the bridge; the weather is perfect, overcast but not cold. Boats move across the water with gulls coasting overhead. By the time I hit Mercer Island I wonder where the turn is. It's a long way through the tunnel and beyond. I'm thirsty but the water bottle is in the pannier. At the turn I stop, have some water and head back across the bridge taking time to enjoy the feel of the air and look of the water.

Turn off the bridge and down onto Lakeview Drive. People are picking up the pace here. Back at the transitions area I dismount without mishap and rack my bike. Drink some more water and stop at the (you guessed it) Port o Potties before hitting the last course - the run, or in my case the walk.

I start out at a fast walk but start to talk to a woman originally from Venezuela. It's an enjoyable walk with some sun and water cups along the way. At this point most of the women around us are also walkers. Volunteers along the route cheer us on. I stroll to the finish. Jessamyn is there with Roger and Micah to greet me.

What was it like? Easier than I thought. I didn't feel tired at all. We went home to shower and then out to Denny's. It was only 12:30. While we were eating I started to get sleepy. That evening I was restless, couldn't really settle. Monday I was on the couch all day, wiped out. The fatigue hung on through Tuesday. Here it is Friday and I'm thinking about taking a walk. You can see more pictures on the Danskin page at the top.

Our Times

Jessamyn Kim
Total Time 1:49:52 2:39:14

Swim 22:19 28:01

Transition 06:03 12:27

Bike 43:53 58:27

Transition 05:23 05:41

Run 32:12 54:36

Tomorrow Is the Day!

2011-08-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that tomorrow is the Seattle Danskin Triathlon. I stopped posting about training for several reasons. Firstly, what is there to say? Swim, bike, walk, repeat. Secondly, this has been a busy summer with barely enough time to train let alone write about it. Thirdly, I got worried- what if I blogged about it and then didn't do it? I'd feel so silly.

I had a bad patch last week when I realized the training schedule I was following was for a 1/4 mile swim when actually it is a 1/2 mile swim. Luckily, I was training above the recommendations and have done a few 1/2 miles this week, including one in Lake Washington. I wore my paddling jacket and shorts and the water was bearable. Slow and steady, although I was glad to learn that noodles will be available if necessary.

Today was packet pick-up and bike drop-off. The info sessions were helpful because last night I started getting nervous. Jessamyn and I looked at the swim course. It looks really long. On the bike course there is a hill at the lead-up to I-90 I'm concerned about. Also, worried about tires. I do not know how to change a tube, but there will be experts along the way to help.

I have my race number on both arms and the back of one leg and I look so cool. Triathlon here I come.

Tri Training Week 5: Unfit Beginner or Slow Fat Old Triathlete, take your pick

2011-06-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

Two swim days- 600 yds. I usually breathe on the left side so I am working on breathing to the right. It is really hard. I have to think about it every time or I get the rhythm wrong. Water also seems to fill my right ear more that the left which is a weird disorienting sensation.

Swimming continues to be a joy and easy even when trying to breathe.

Running on Thurs.- 2 min x 6! wow pretty good although the training schedule says I should be up to 15 min. straight by now. Sat. -2min x 5 since second day is supposed to be easier. Biking is a little easier. I did both bike /runs in the neighborhood so 20 min. up hill to 10 min. down. Skipped the long bike on Saturday

I am using two books to train: Triathlon Training Basics by Gale Bernardt and Slow Fat Triathlete by Jayne Williams. The schedule is from the Berhardt book- it's the unfit beginner schedule.

How Many Gadgets are Too Many?

2011-06-23T12:02:00.000-07:00

I keep thinking I would like to ease up a bit on possessions but last week I ordered a rice cooker with a stainleess steel bowl. This is to replace our current rice cooker. It still works fine and is only a year old but already the non-stick coating has numerous scratches.

Yesterday I decided on a simple meal of bread, cheese, and apple because I didn't want to make a big production of lunch. It took three knives to prepare. One chefs's knife to slice the apple, one serrated with holes for the cheese and a large serrated one for the bread. Each of these knives is uniquely engineered to make its task easier.

The chef's knife could be used for all three, but it is hard to slice through a thick loaf of cheddar and it tears up the bread. The cheese knife glides through cheese and has a serrated edge so might work on bread. Neither of the serrated knives is good for fruit. It's too easy for it to slip on a round object as I found out when I used on on an orange. Many bandages were needed.

This photo is not clear because I re-sized it with Photoshop CS5 (yes, another recent purchase). It does not work like Photoshop Elements 5 which I can only use on the old PC and not the Mac (and that is not the total number of computers in the house).

The rice cooker makes cooking rice easier. Fill it up, turn it on and it does the work. I can't even make rice on the stove and I am so happy to have found one without that nasty coating. Each of the knives makes its task easier and safer.

I expect the new rice cooker will work much like the old one. Knife instructions haven't changed for centuries. This is not true of computers and software. I don't have the time to figure out why this re-sized photo isn't right; the laps lanes are opening at the pool in two minutes.

Tri Training Days 8,-12: Cleaning and Destruction

2011-06-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

Yes, still training, trained all last week but it was a very busy week with a college graduation (Yay! Micah!) and a celebratory BBQ which required major house and yard cleaning. House and yard cleaning of a deep, deep nature which hadn't been done in a while, so no time to write.

And we discovered two bumble bee nests (yellow-faced bumble bee, and mixed bumble bee) and a nascent yellow jacket nest. We inadvertently covered up one bumble nest , almost destroyed another and purposefully destroyed the yellow jackets. They were right next to the basketball court and they are not friendly.

I skipped two training days. Really, cleaning is exhausting and time consuming. Guess which days? Yes, the ones that involved running. The magic shoes were not magic the second time and running is a torture. Soooo slow and jarring.

Tri Training Day 7: Gimme a banana

2011-06-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

Run 1.5 minutes, walk 1 minute x 6. Yes, you read that right. I ran 1.5 minutes SIX times. No walking fast for me.

What brought about this amazing transformation from Wednesday, you might ask? You are looking at it.

I've been intrigued by barefoot running for a while. I had some Nike Frees which are very flexible and lightweight and I liked them alot. But I basically ran the same. Then I heard about these toe shoes ( I know, I think about ballet, too).

They are pretty pricey for not much material (reminds you of bras, doesn't it ladies?) I have a hard time finding shoes that fit; these were comfortable right out of the box.

Today was my first day running in them. You are supposed to run so the ball of the foot strikes first. For some reason this is easier than having the heel strike first. Rather than pounding the pavement with a jarring that ran from my heel
through my head, I bounded along on the balls of my feet, springing from the calves and easily staying in the right heart rate zone.

Tri Training Day 6: Alien or insect?

2011-06-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

50 yards x 10 in 20 minutes. Not only is swimming the easiest, it takes the least amount of time. I wonder if I could use the rest intervals I am not using for swimming on the running days? Run one minute, rest two or three, maybe stop for a latte.

For triathlons, people enter the water in waves. Each wave wears the same color swimming cap. Today I donned my swimming cap to get used to it. It is made of a lovely, sleek silicon. I think I swam faster.

When I was a girl, swimming caps were de riguer. Made of rubber with a tight chin strap that snapped, they were often patterned or adorned with flowers. Our long, luxurious, girl hair was held to be a danger to swimming pool skimmer systems. When boys began
wearing their hair long in the late 60's and early 70's
the swimming cap requirement gradually faded.

Am I claiming discrimination? Why, no, of course not. Obviously, skimmers have evolved to handle all types of hair.

Tri Training Day 4 & 5: Swim, Yay!, Run, Boo!

2011-06-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

Sunday and Monday were rest days, although I worked in the garden for most of Monday. Tuesday was a swim day, easy peasy. I bought a 10-swim pass. They made me a plastic swipe card with bar code right there. Technology is amazing.

But today! run 1 minute, walk 1 minute x 8, then bike for 30 minutes. Running for 1 minute puts me in too high a training zone so I walked fast. I wonder how long is allotted for finishing this race?

I waited all day for the rain to end. This meant I had to run and bike from the house rather than going to the Burke-Gilman trail because I had a meeting in the early evening. There are two choices in biking from the house: up or down. It takes seven minutes to bike the eighteen blocks up the incline, two minutes to coast down.

Tri Training Day 3: Check your list twice

2011-05-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

Today was swim day, by far the easiest for me. The goal was to swim 50 yards (2 laps) and rest 30 secs. Rest? after 2 laps? I don't need no stinkin' rest. I even swam extra laps. A woman was at the opposite end of the lane I chose. She waved her hand, pointing up and down the lane.

What did this mean? She wanted the whole lane to herself? But you have to share lanes during lap swim. When we were at the same end she suggested we each stay in half the lane rather than swimming up one side and down another like a street. Not a bad idea since it means you never have to worry about passing.

The Shoreline pool is very nice. I am sorry to say I've never swum there or took the kids. We mostly swam in hotel pools and the lake over the years. I packed my little bag with my change of clothes, goggles, waterproof case and shampoo and off I went. Can you spot what's missing? I realized it when I entered the dressing room and saw a towel hanging on a hook. Hotel pools always provide your towels and the sun provides the drying at the beach.

Paper towels remove quite a bit of water and sweats soak up the rest. I also found myself with a dripping suit but the van usually has a plastic bag or two floating around.

Tri Training Day 2: Don't bike with your mouth open

2011-05-27T17:39:00.000-07:00

I am starting this 12-week program mid-week; I'll have to combine some days. Today I biked 45 minutes on the Burke-Gilman Trail. I finally experienced one of the fundamental experiences of cycling. I was chatting away to myself when a bug flew in my mouth. Since the bug was flying towards me and I was cycling towards it, it ended up at the back of my throat. No chance of coughing it back out. It stuck, its chiton like a little piece of sand.

Let the Training Begin (if I remember)

2011-05-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

My daughter asked last fall, "Want to do a triathlon?" Actually, she texted me. I replied, "sure", and then forgot about it. A month later I got around to signing up for the Danskin triathlon and then forgot about it.

Several years ago I thought of marking a birthday by doing a triathlon. I read a book from the library and forgot about it.

A few months ago I bought a triathlon book. It makes a nice layer on the bedside table. Yesterday I got another tri book from the library with a 12-week training timeline. I counted the weeks until the Danskin triathlon: 11 weeks, 3 days. Today I went out and did part of Day 1. Run 1 minute, walk 1 minute x 5

2011-04-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

I hate Qwest! They ended their MSN partnership for email accounts and SAID we had till June 30th to make the change. Today they just "migrated" my account. The Qwest page is a nightmare with ads and flashing all over. The email access is one tenth of the whole page. And their "TrueSwitch" program that is supposed to move all the email in MSN over to Qwest doesn't work. I am afraid to log out of MSN for fear all my files will be lost.

2011-03-11T22:52:00.000-08:00

Death of a Chimney Sweep by M. C. Beaton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I won this book in my first try at the Goodreads Giveaway. How exciting to receive a book in the mail! Hamish Macbeth is back and don't worry, he hasn't changed a bit. One of those pesky Englanders has invaded the little village of Drim and he is the first, but not the, last to go.

It must be difficult to keep things fresh in a series like this. The characters aren't allowed to grow so the author has to rely on gimmicks to try to keep things interesting. Beaton must have laughed as the bodies piled up around her. I was certainly laughing by the end.

View all my reviews

Caution: This Post Contains Image of Graphic Violence

2011-02-19T18:43:00.000-08:00

On February 2, I found the first bumble bee of 2011, twenty-six days earlier than last year. Looks cute doesn't it? I turned it over and saw something terribly wrong. It had no face. At first I thought it was deformed with the head not fully developed and fused into the thorax. It appeared to have only one eye with the first foreleg right next to it.

After taking a closer look under a magnifying glass I saw that the head and one leg were were missing altogether. Something scooped its head off, taking the leg with it. This act of violence must have happened just before I found it; the legs were still moving.

Seduced by a Machine

2011-01-04T09:33:00.000-08:00

After putting it on my list and removing it several times, I received a Kindle for Christmas. I was conflicted for two reasons; I have several digital devices I barely know how to use and I love books. I have already used it more than my Wacom tablet, voice recorder and camera combined.

I downloaded lots of free books and bought one book, Troubled Water by Sharon Shinn. She is one of the authors whose books I keep after reading. I no longer keep all the books I buy. Reading is such a necessity to me that I consume them like an anteater sucking up ants. Most don't make it onto the bookshelf but are sold or donated.

The free books are mostly pre-1926 and out of copyright. Mark Twain, Agatha Christy, and Mary Shelly now reside on my Kindle. Never again will I be struck with terror at 11 PM with the thought "Oh No! I have nothing to read".

This is all good. Think of the possibilities of finding out of print books. I've already found some by E. Nesbit, another author I collect (had to pay for those). And it only takes one hand to hold which is very nice when reading in bed.

Still I am conflicted; I love books. I love the way they look and smell, even old musty ones. And I love book stores. Is there any place more wonderful to visit on a rainy day? Will ereaders destroy all that?

I am uncertain about the actual reading experience. The beauty of reading which other media cannot duplicate is to create in the reader the feeling that she has actually been in the places she reads about. Through books I have been in Hogwarts. I rode down the Mississippi with Huck and Jim. I saw the Illustrated Man's tattoos move and heard the beating of the tell-tale heart.

With other storytelling media, like TV and movies there is a transparent wall which I look through to watch the story unfold. Books put me in the room with the characters. Much of the landscape and interiors of my mind are places I have never been, yet are as real to me as any I have actually encountered.

With ebooks I think, I am not sure yet, but I think that I don't see the place and characters as completely as I do with a physical book. The pictures created in my mind seem not to be as richly imagined.

2010-11-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

We attended the Northwest Tea Festival October 2 & 3 at Seattle Center. I love these little ceramic cups they handed out for tasting.

The tall glass object is a tea brewer. It is double insulated so the outside stays cool. The snap-in mesh insert on top keeps the leaves out of your cup. Pour out the tea and re-fill with hot water to brew multiple cups.

The Northwest Tea Festival is smaller than the Victoria Tea Festival with fewer vendors and not as many food samples. Many of the area tea rooms were missing. We heard an engaging lecture on the teas of Taiwan and tasted our way through a sampling of Japanese greens.

Warning for Cat Owners

2010-09-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

cat eating string ©kjbateman 2010

My cat likes to chew string. I understand. I have chewed string. It has a slightly salty flavor and the resilience is just bouncy enough to provide a good chew. This morning I sat down to work on the computer. Behind me the cat jumped on my drawing table and onto the widow ledge where she likes to stare down crows and knock my little pick-up trucks onto whatever I have set up on the desk. Gradually, a swak swak squishy sound penetrated my mind. The cat jumped onto the floor knocking down a spool of string. Or rather pulling it down because the end of the string disappeared into her mouth. I picked up the spool and pulled. And pulled. She gagged and coughed as I pulled thirty inches of slimy string out of her gullet.(yes, I measured it) Let this be a warning to all of you who have cats. Don't leave the string lying around! Hide it!

Two Bad to One Good.

2010-08-09T18:05:00.000-07:00

What makes a book good? I started two books recently that I quickly realized I wouldn't like. In this situation I don't put the book down because I still have know what happens. So I find myself skimming, reading really fast. One of the books just didn't interest me (still had to read it for story) and the other was one of those "How did this ever get published?" books. It actually had two sections where the same information was given with only a slight variation in the wording.

Two books in a row and I was discouraged until I started "Land of a Hundred Wonders" by Lesley Kagen.
The brain-damaged heroine pulled me along on her adventures in Cray Ridge, Kentucky as she tries to get Quite Right again while developing her skills as a newspaper reporter. Humor, suspense, a slimy character or two and good writing, ahh, I can slow down and enjoy the journey.

2010-06-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

They really shouldn't have new templates here. I can spend hours playing with different combinations.

I have had to travel to Florida twice in the past two months so I missed most of the bumble activity at the hive. Even when I was here I couldn't really observe because of the nearby chickadee nest. Those two chickadee parents just sat on branches with food in their mouths, chirping away until I moved.

I've located this year's junco nest. It is on the border of our small vegetable garden on the far edge of the pond. This means we can't do any gardening 'til the babies are hatched and fledged.

Bumble Bee Adventures in the Suburbs

2010-05-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

I am so excited! I have a bumble bee nest in my yard! As you may have noticed, I have developed a pronounced bumble bee fixation. I read about them. I draw them. I pick up their little dead bodies on walks. ( Have you ever noticed how focusing your attention on something makes that thing pop out at you everywhere? Little furry bodies on the pavement just jump out at me. It may be that they were always there or maybe there are more now.)

My son made a bird house several years ago that birds investigated but never used, perhaps because it has large openings on three sides. Every year chickadees look the place over and add a few bits of grass and moss. I thought I saw a queen investigating it in March. But it is suspended from the overhang that protects the basement door and bumblees like to be closer to the ground. Yesterday my husband asked if there were wasps in there. I went outside and saw two bumble bees fly in the opening. I am in bombus heaven.

I thought about building a nest box as described in several books but they were all discouraging as to the possible success rate. And here the lazy gardener triumphs again. Don't be quick to clean up. Leave things around the garden. Someone will put it to good use.

More About Bumblebees

2010-04-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

I have been reading about bumblebees and I am surprised when the authors describe following bumblebees around to see where they go. The bumblebees around here fly so fast I only know they are there by the passing buzz. They do stop at flowers, of course, but I see no way of following their flight to find out where they are nesting.
Bumblebees have been dying off all over the world and no one really knows why. I have seen more dead bees this spring than usual. I found two in February. One has rusty fur but I can't identify it from my little bumblebee chart.
PBS recently showed To Have and Have Not. Humphrey Bogart is the epitome of cool. And what does that have to do with bees? "Was you ever been bit by a dead bee?"

Are you blue or just blue? Some thoughts on the brain

2010-03-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

I just finished two books: The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge and manufacturaing depression by Gary Greenberg (and no, I did not fail to capitalize the title; it is actually printed that way on the book. Maybe the author was too depressed to notice. arrrgh!).
The Brain That Changes Itself is about neuroplasticity. Rather than becoming fixed at a early age, as is conventionally thought, the brain is capable of enormous change throughout life. The two most fascinating chapters focused on new treatments for stroke patients and disrupting OCD patterns.

Manufacturing depression (see, I had to re-write that without the capitol) begins with the history of the treatment of psychiatric problems up until what the author sees as the invention of depression. The history of how mental problems came to be considered diseases was new to me. I was astounded to learn that some of the original drugs were derived from dye manufacture. The dye, methylene blue is the origin of Thorazine. I wonder if my mother knew that.
Another dye, summer blue, was the basis fror a drug used for treating depression.

And on Saturday I went to a lecture I thought was about photography but started with some details about what happens in the brain when we learn. Your brain is actually building material when you learn something and it take repeated practice to build the material. This explains why my head feels like I'm trying to push through mashed potatoes when I'm learning. There is a lot of work going on in there.

The First Bumblebee

2010-02-03T18:18:00.000-08:00

While having lunch with my friend Leah at Vios Cafe in Ravenna we talked about how warm it is this winter. She described early blooms in her neighborhood. When Mogs and I were heading out for our walk, we saw this lady on the porch; the first bumblebee of 2010.

Now, it has been mild since January but it is still pretty cool out. Her fur is all matted and her wings are tight on her back. I put a drop of honey down but she ignored it. Notice that she is missing the tarsus of her hind leg. I hope I didn't cause that. She almost walked into a spider's web and I used a stick to lift her away.

It rained steadily all day until late afternoon. Maybe her burrow flooded and she had to abandon it early. Or maybe it really is warm enough for bumblebees. I considered keeping her in an aquarium but decided not to since I don't have one with a tight lid. I hope she will be alright.

2010-01-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

As happens every year I have been hit by SAD. Some years it isn't so bad but last year and and this have been doozies. I am trying to fight back with bright lights and Vitamin D. Everything looks bleak and for some reason writing has been impossible. So I've engaged in the usual rear guard tactics- lots of reading, TV, sugar and red wine. Right before Thanksgiving however I had tried giving up sugar and I think that might have some promise. Then the holidays with all the wonderful food which I made no attempt to resist.
In a past life I must have been a bear or other hibernating animal

2009-11-18T16:20:00.000-08:00

I just joined the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conversation. www.xerces.org
They are concerned about the decline of insects and what that means for all of us. I found them while looking up bumblebees.

The Xerces Society site has several publications that can be downloaded. One nifty little item is a pocket guide to identifying bumblebees. First you download the page and then you download instructions on how to fold it into a little book. This is appealing on so many levels. It has bumblee information, it is a craft project, and it is little, just 2.5"x4".

Yes, I know that is a honey bee, not a bumblebee. It is a Las Vegas Strip honey bee browsing the rosemary outside the Sahara. Maybe taking a break from the blackjack table.

2009-11-16T14:46:00.000-08:00

It's time to candy fruit for fruitcake. I used to buy Family Circle and Good Housekeeping magazines Holiday issues. They were full of recipes and crafts. In 1976 they published a fruitcake recipe with home candied fruit. I've been making it ever since. My list has shrunk and I only need to bake one batch now.

A few years ago I discovered those little paper baking pans. It's so much easier than greasing and cutting out wax paper for the bread tins. The only place where I have found the right size is Sur la Table in the Pike Place Market. If you don't get there early enough they are sold out. This year I went just after Halloween and they had tons. The clerk told me someone had just bought 30 of them.

The citrus on the right is a lemon. I bought two and one molded in two days. I haven't seen lemons that big since I lived in California (pause for a little sigh of longing for places where lemons grow).

Behind already

2009-11-02T19:15:00.000-08:00

NaNoWiMo started yesterday. I did that several years ago. It helped me let go of counting words and pre-editing. This year I am doing the Golden Coffe Cup http://mollyblaisdell.blogspot.com where you set your own goals. Mine is to finish the words and illustration for the Bumblebee book. So, of course I did nothing yesterday or today.

2009-10-20T17:38:00.000-07:00

I get these ideas about things I'd like to do (such as build a kayak). For some time now I've been thinking about learning to spin wool. I saw a woman demonstrating it at Kelsey Creek Farm. It looked so soothing and attractive. And the price of yarn makes knitting anything bigger than a hat a substantial investment

I resisted the idea. There are lots of things I should be doing instead but I found myself looking up spinning wheels on Craig's List. The woman at Kelsey Creek loved her Schacht Matchless wheel and I read other good reviews of it. Cheaper options do exist. This is an upright wheel not the Sleeping Beauty style.

A reasonably price one turned up in West Seattle. The house was set high on a ridge. The sidewalk alone was 15 feet above street level. The woman had five or more spinning wheels. She was trying to cut back. Seated on a stool, I tried to peddle and draw out the yarn at the same time. I couldn't do it. I could barely keep the wheel spinning, so of course, I had to buy it.

The Great Kayak Launch

2009-09-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

We had the great kayak launch. The day was predicted for rain so I was nervous. It took alot of texting and arranging to get five people together. Saturday afternoon was clear and sunny . We planned a wiennie roast for afterwards. I went to Central Market for the best hot dogs: Oregon Country natural beef. We packed up all the food and went off to Ballard.

I entered my boat building shed for the last time (it's really a garage that Jessamyn and Andy are glad to have all to themselves). I opened the garage doors all the way which attracted our neighbors to watch Micah and Roger carry the kayak from its birthplace to the cartop carrier. One neighbor suggested we sail together to Greece, her country of origin. With the kayak cinched on tight we caravaned over to Magnussen Park to the north shore boat launch.

I had planned on christening the boat but hadn't thought of a name, so just launched her with some champagne and wishes for fair winds and calm seas. This kayak is was tippier than my inflatable and there was some question as to whether there would be embarrasing pictures of me falling off into the water. I managed to climb in and push off well. It FLOATS!

I built this with my own two hands, just me, and it floats and doesn't leak. I was astounded. I wish my father had been there to see it. That I could build a boat, I still can't quite believe. It was so hard, many things went wrong. I wanted to give up and regretted starting the project.

I have always done things with my hands. I've built things before: boxes and framed and dry walled two studios, tiled two bathrooms and hung and mudded dry wall but nothing was like this. Most everybody tried out the kayak. Yes, I actually let them get in it. Then we roasted hotdogs and ate. It was a special day.

It's DONE

2009-08-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

It's DONE! I did it! I built a kayak! It only took seven years from buying the kit to finishing it. There are a few fiddley things left to do, like add hand holds and then it is launch time. Building this thing has been a huge lesson, not just in woodworking and boat building but in how to approach life.

Lessons:

1. Ask for help.

The people at Pygmy Boats http://www.pygmyboats.com/ were incredibly helpful. They helped after some oops moments. They knew what was a big problem, what wasn't and what to do about both.

2. Work everyday.

The first two summers, 2007 and 2008, I didn't do this. In 2007 my mother was in crisis after crisis but I have no excuse for last year. This year I went and worked on that thing almost daily, even when I didn't want to, even when the previous day had been a disaster.

3. Only focus on the day's task.

When it's done, you're done. There were pages of unintelligible (to me) instructions. At first I read pages ahead and was so discouraged. When I focused on the task at hand, I could proceed.

4. You can accomplish a big and difficult task by breaking it down into little pieces.

This is one of those things I have heard for years. Yeah, yeah, I always said. Now that I have actually done it, I see that it is true.

5. No one sees the mistakes but you.

Eveyone is impressed that I built a boat. They see the total accomplishment. I see all the errors, all the learning how not to do it.

I DID it! I built a kayak!

Olympic Music Festival

2009-08-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

We had a slightly late start to our trip. Mercedes was up several times during the night with digestive upsets so we wanted to make sure she wasn't seriously ill. We figured she ate something she shouldn't have. The last time it was a wasabi potato chip. That was ugly.

As a result we caught a later ferry into Kingston so didn't stop there for lunch on our way to the Olympic Music Festival. We had to drive to Pt. Hadlock to find a grocery for food and zoom back to the Festival.

The Festival is held on a farm. We chose to sit in the barn where you can see the musicians rather than outside on the hill. Hay bales make pretty good seats. Of the three pieces by Faure, Beethoven and Dvorak, I liked the Beethoven the best. These music lovers were enjoying the sunshine in the lawn seats.

It's together

2009-08-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

We had the most fabulous weather, weeks above eighty, even up to 103 degress and I have been swimming every afternoon after working on the kayak. I didn't want to leave the camera in the car for fear of the heat and thieves.

Now, it has been cloudy for a week, back to low 70's. Bah. The close-up shows the repaired ding. I filled it with layers of thickened expoxy and a fiberglass patch. It's not noticible when viewing the whole deck.

This week-end we are going to Port Townsend, the first time since 2002 when I bought the kayak kit. I'll stop in at Pygmy Kayaks to buy a sea sock for flotation and maybe a few other accessories. I hesitate to make predictions on the completion date, but I have four days of work left (that is if everything works right the first time)

2009-07-19T08:31:00.000-07:00

It's on! The deck is glued to the hull. Now it looks like a real kayak! And it was not as bad as I feared. There was some tricky fiddling involving a utility knife and I had to drill holes in a few places and wire the two edges together but it went fairly easily. I was leery the next day when I took off the strapping tape but the seam held!

The Start of It All

2009-07-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

This pup crossed the country in a Model T Ford. In 1909 there was a race from New York to Seattle to the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific exposition. As part of the A-Y-P centenniel celebration, Model T owners duplicated, as much as possible, the 1909 route.

On Sunday July 12, 2009 they arrived at the former grounds of the exposition (now the University of Washington campus).

At least two cars were shipped to New York from England. Many of the teams blogged their way across country. http://oceantoocean.ning.com/

Rain poured down on the cars (and us) ringing Drumheller Fountain on Sunday. Walking around the fountain we tracked the change in style through the years. While it was fun to see the old cars, I was chilled to think of the changes they have wrought on our culture and environment.

A Question of Faith

2009-07-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

The juncos continue to surprize me. Just when I thought we didn't have any nesting in the yard, I saw this little one carrying pieces of clipped grasses to the clothes pin bag which is suspended five feet from the ground. She flew back and forth unconcerned by my nearness.

I only saw the one bird. Where was the mate? The other nests in the yard were maintained by two birds. The next day, I worked in the garden, watching the bag for movement. All was still. I tried to peer in the bag. Something was poking above the grass.

After few more days, I approached even closer. I saw an upright feather. Had the bird abandoned the nest, leaving the feather behind?

Reasoning that the wind was already swaying the bag , I rotated the opening slightly away from the wall. Feathers exploded in my face. I shreiked and ducked as the junco sped to the fence, where she sat ticking like a kitchen timer.

I felt bad. What if my interference caused the mama to abandon her nest? I retreated to a seat some feet away.

Flitting back and forth, she groomed one wing and then the other. She flew to the ground and back to the fence, staying well away from the nest. Weren't those eggs cooling by the minute?

Slowly, I moved to a chair partially screened by sunflowers. After what felt like a very long time she flew to the ground and made her way through grass to a pieris japonica that grows under the bag. In short hops, she reached the top of the bush. From there she flew to the top of the bag and looked all around before disappearing.

Maybe this is a reminder to take things on faith. I saw the nest being built. I saw something, not grass, maybe a feather in the bag, but I had to know for sure there were eggs and a bird on the nest. My insistence on knowing could have ruined the whole hatching.

A Radical Proposal

2009-07-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

The inside of the kayak is epoxied and has a layer of fiberglass. It was really hard to get the fiberglass to lay smooth with no bubbles. I have tedious sanding to do before I can glue the deck to the hull and I am avoiding it.

Instead I've been swimming in Lake Washington. Good gravy, It is Cold! And I have a proposal. Ban all fossil fuel-powered recreational vehicles and boats. Get rid of power boats and those truly awful personal watercraft. Out with snowmobiles and off-road vehicles.

Why? They use fossil fuels and contribute to global warming. They are noisy. It's ironic that people take them out to a beautiful natural setting and use them to destroy the place and the peace. They spew filth into the air and water.

On a lovely day out kayaking the scent of the water is violently overborn by the disgusting smell of diesel exhaust. The water shimmers with a film of oil. So pleasant to swim in.

Birthday Cake

2009-07-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

I started craving pineapple upside down cake about a month ago. Since I try not to eat so much sugar (haven't succceded in giving it up) I decided to wait until my birthday to have it. It is really a simple cake to make.

Look at those little tiny pineapples. They are so cute. Of course, it is missing the maraschino cherries; too many scary ingredients. For a while Trader Joe's carried some that didn't have all the bad stuff, but as with so many Joe's products that I like, they discontinued them.

Another birthday, here I am still.

Strange but true

2009-06-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

I heard today about the use of Ambien(the sleeping pill with the terrifying vampire-like moth as a logo) as a jog to wake up people who had been in persistent vegetative states.

Areas of their brains that looked black started to light up after taking the drug. A sleep-inducing drug wakes up sleeping cells. Wow.

Tiny Disaster

2009-06-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

It finally happened, the thing I've feared since I first unpacked all those thin wood pieces two years ago. I crunched an edge. I really, really crunched an edge.

I was turning over the deck and it must have caught on a vise bolted to a table. The edge bent and cracked.

I have some ideas on how to fix it but I am very sad.

2009-06-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

It is warm enough now for the annual summer project; building a kayak from strips of wood. I bought a kit from Pygmy Kayaks in Port Townsend in 2001. The kit sat in the basement for 6 years. In 2007 the tenant moved from our rental house and I had a clear garage, perfect for a big project.

I started building that summer and then my mother had a series of hospitalizations and crises that ended with her death in October. By that time my father had fallen and entered the hospital to repair a broken hip. He remained in the hospital with increasing ailments until his death in January 2008.

Summer 2008: the boat took shape slowly. It is incredibly difficult to build. It is like sewing where if a seam

doesn't fit, you rip it all out. With this kit the thread was wire. I have always hated sewing for precisely this reason and here I was sewing panels of wood together that would not come together without gaps. Finally I was able to get the pieces together and glued and then the cold of autumn arrived. The garage is unheated. Expoxy doesn't cure well at below 50 degrees.

Before the change

2009-06-09T20:17:00.000-07:00

I am re-connecting with my 12 year-old self. We stayed at a rental house a few blocks from the beach in Laguna Beach. The house had wooden floors and an old piano. We went to the beach during the day. At night we sounded out tunes on the upright piano and played card games around the kitchen table. For some reason that self seems like that last time before full blown adolescence when everything seemed possible. So now I take off my shoes and feel the bare wood floor. Nothing is overwhelming, anything can happen.

Flu, but not that one

2009-06-08T15:48:00.000-07:00

The flu in June! How is that possible? No sore throat or vomiting so it probably wasn't the infamous swine flu. Fever, aches, malaise and nasty cough kept me on the couch from last Sunday through Thursday. Malaise is a wonderful word, just right for a fainting couch. Though I missed a whole week of biking, kayaking and even swimming I don't feel much about it.

It was hot, hot, hot every day. This was record breaking heat. Thursday evening when I was arising from my sick bed a wind storm blew through cooling things by 20 degrees.

Thank goodness for cable. There was a "Burn Notice" marathon every day from 8am to 3pm. Sometimes I toy with just lying there and ruminating. Have you ever noticed how many authors and artists of the past had an illness as a child requiring a long convalescent period? I can't sit for five minutes without something to distract, um, engage my mind.

Folklife Day Three

2009-05-27T17:00:00.001-07:00

Drinking iced tea, don't know what kind but it's good.

I skipped Sunday and went kayaking on Lake Washington instead. Perfect day- saw an osprey.

Monday back to Folklife and the best day yet. The best, best group this year was Sankofa, a group of African-American women of various ages. They sang a capella songs of the African-American diaspora. They were fantastic; gorgeous harmonies, powerful voices. This was their first time at Folklife and maybe one of their first performances. I would travel a fair distance to see them again. I signed up for email notifications of upcoming gigs and will post them here.

This was a day of bests. The best, best workshop: Bhangra & Bollywood Dance. What fun dancing around in a crowd like the ones in a Bollywood movie. It's a great work-out, too http://www.rhythmsofindia.net/ They have classes in several locations and I am going to check them out.

Another workshop was ok: Play the Didgeridoo, but I now wish I had chosen the flamenco clapping session which was at the same time. The didgeridoo is mildly interesting, in the way a kazoo is interesting. One of the players played with a hip-hop beat.

And last, to end Folklife, I went to the Mozart Requiem Sing where the conductor from the Seattle Peace Chorus did it right. We started at the beginning and sang straight through to the end.

Food eaten: vegetarian phad thai

Folklife Day Two

2009-05-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

Drinking: Earl Grey.

Saturday's atmosphere felt much better. It was crowded. I had a chance to see Kevin Burke, an exceptional fiddler. The lawn was packed. Why do people take up room and then talk through the whole performance?

Workshops are my favorite part of Folklife. I went to a great vocal improv class. The class after was on acapella harmony, but it was barbershop harmony, one of the few musical styles I hate.

The last workshop was a open sing of Carmina Burana. The conductor insisted on explaining the reason and meaning of each piece which we sang one at a time. I thought after that we would sing it straight through but no, that was it.

Food eaten: BBQ pork sandwhich, apple dumpling with ice cream.

Folklife: Day One

2009-05-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first day of Folklife, the free music festival in Seattle. I love Folklife. The variety of music is amazing. The feel of the place was darker yesterday, not entirely comfortable. Years ago the people who attended were genuinely interested in the music.

However, seen yesterday:

Ricardo Cardenas, guitarist from South America playing songs from Paraguay, Argentina, etc. Beautiful player. This is what is so wonderful about Folklife; the chance to hear music from all over the world.

Also heard: Miss Rose and her Rhythm Percolators with songs from the Jazz Age, a bagpipe/drum group just jamming on one of the lawns, and two young children busking along one of the walks.

Food eaten: gyros and peach cobbler.

Inspiration

2009-05-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference rocks. I met so many wonderful people and sat in some amazing workshops. Each morning Lake Washington sparkled in the much- welcome May sunshine. Of course, this being the Pacific NW, it was sunny and warm on a week-end destined to be spent indoors.

This was my second conference. I submitted my portfolio to the juried show and submitted a picture book manuscript for consultation. Oh so scary.
I was intimidated by all the fabulous portfolios and felt a little down afterward.

The manuscript consultation was very helpful. Of course it means re-writing that thing again but the suggestions were clear. I can see how to proceed.

Inspiring speakers:
Adam Rex, author of the fantastic The True Meaning of Smekday and really nice guy.
Joelle Dujardin, giver of useful, concrete advice and consultant extraordinaire.
Grace Lin, fabulous writer and illustrator, whose talk could have been titled Breaking the Rules (and getting away with it).
Jon Scieszka, ambassador, hilarious author and speaker. (After hearing his closing speech I have to buy yet another of his books, Knucklehead. (The book budget is getting a little tight. Did you have to be so funny Jon?)

2009-05-06T10:09:00.001-07:00

I spent yesterday making a Black Forest cake for my daughter's birthday. I made this cake for my husband' s birthday for years. It is a delicious and pretty cake but very involved. It starts with beating five eggs and sugar for five minutes til thick like ribbon candy. I usually get so bored. But this year I discovered if I meditate while holding the hand mixer and focusing on a mantra ( Amen is working for me) I was able to beat those eggs for ten minutes and it really made a difference in the cake height.

Still, it took from 12:30 pm to 4 pm to complete the cake. After the cake goes in the oven the next step is the filling which is made from sour cherries, Kirsch and cornstarch. Since I discovered Morello cherry jam at Trader Joe's, I skip this step. That jam is the most spectacular stuff. Mixed with a little Kirsch, it is better than the recipe filling.

The next element is the frosting which is made with Kirsch( yes, there is a little kick to this cake) gelatin and whipping cream. The gelatin is disolved in the liquor and added to the cream. I must have heated the gelatin mixture too much because when I put it in the cream it hardened into a rubbery, ropey mess. Funnily enough, straining cream provides enough agitation to start the thickening process. I got the worst pieces out and the topping whipped up beautifully.

To assemble the cake, sprinkle the layers with Kirsch, sandwhich with the cherry filling and frost with the whipped cream. Sprinkle dark chocolate curls over everything and decorate with Morello cherries.

Let it all meld in the refrigerator for a few hours. Oh, baby, it's good.

Spinning

2009-05-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

Kelsey Creek hosted a spring sheep shearing last Saturday. Parents and children crowded the road leading to the park. Cars snaked along the road to a park and ride where shuttle buses waited to whisk people back to the park. I found parking near the Bellevue Botanical Garden and strolled through a different park back to Kelsey Creek.

The sheep were surpisingly accepting of being wrestled about and shorn of their fleece. Maybe it's like cutting your hair very short after wearing it long. There is a wonderful sense of lightness, freedom and possibility.

Down the hill, sheep dogs used their wolf-ancestor stalking skills to move the sheep between human pillars. The sheep bunched up, stopped and made little dashes but the dogs shaped the flight bit by bit to weave the sheep between the people.

In one of the barns people demonstrated spinning and dyeing. A woman at a spinning wheel said it took her 2 hours to learn to spin and she has been doing it for 8 years. She wore a beautiful sweater. She washed the fleece, carded it, spun it into yarn and then knitted the sweater.

I had a vision or dream that I had a spinning and weaving studio. It was steps from my house on a cliff near the sea. The building were surrounded by waving wheat-colored grass. Steps led down into the studio and the walls were lined with shelves full of yarn in the most vibrant colors.

I think about learning to spin and weave from time to time.

Life imitates art; 1984 is happening now

2009-04-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

I was amazed by an April 19, 2009 Seattle Times reprint of a Washington Post article by Joby Warrick and Peter Finn, Psychologists shaped interrogations, which discussed the role of psychologists in the interrogation of terrorist suspects. Not only did these "health professionals" (the article's words, not mine) evaluate the ability of suspects to endure interrogation, but at least some had a hand in designing the procedures meant to physically and mentally break suspects. One psychologist used assessments to find a suspect's fears. A memo states: "He appears to have a fear of insects."

The recommendation to exploit this fear? Put the man in a small wooden cage with a caterpillar or other bug. Didn't any of these people have to read 1984 in high school? How could anyone forget the cage of rats? Ultimately, this miserable exercise wasn't carried out, but what other tortures might have been designed and implemented?

I don't know why this revelation shocked me. The Bush II years were one long demonstration of doublethink.

Read the article here http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009082469_terrhealth19.html

Soothing and refreshing

2009-04-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

I tried the Brodies. Those Scots are made of tough stuff. "A mellow blend of quality teas from India, Ceylon and Kenya, soothing and refreshing." Hah! Can something be soothing and refreshing at the same time? Maybe a breeze coming off the ocean, but a cup of very strong tea?

The tea is in bags and is all small pieces. No wonder the Brits take milk and sugar in tea. I like milk in black tea and I like a robust cup in the morning. It's not that I dislike this tea but it's strong and I had to dilute it. There is some quote about the relative strengths of tea around the British Isles, Irish being the best (or worst depending on point of view).

The label on the tin states: "The clipper Isabella brought the first cargo of tea to be landed in Scotland into Leith dock in 1833. Brodies have been importing and blending tea here since 1867". Can that be correct? We had brewed tea in Boston harbor and thrown off the royal yoke by then.

Gilman Village

2009-04-16T18:44:00.000-07:00

It is disheartening to see the changes over in Issaquah. The mountains to the southeast are beautiful but the little town is blighted by suburban shopping centers. That's why I am glad Gilman Village is still around. There are empty stores but also signs of new construction.

Shopping and walking among old houses is very different from the usual shopping center experience. I visited Anglomania, a store devoted to items from around the British Empire. Tempted by the dark chocolate biscuits, I contented myself with tea: Brodies Scottish Teatime and Ahmad Tea Earl Grey. The saleswoman said that several people from over the Cascades call and order the Ahmad Tea sent to them in the winter when the pass is closed.

I had lunch at the Boarding House. The menu has a range of sandwiches, soups and fresh deserts everyday. The turkey noodle soup was tasty with the unusual addition of caraway seeds. The bread was a little sweet for my taste. Desserts of the day ranged from apple crisp to brown sugar cake and tapioca pudding. The brown sugar cake was a lovely caramel color and covered with whipped cream.

Afterwards, I stopped at Grimaldi's Coffee House for iced oolong. (Full disclosure: I know one of the owners)They have Tango dancing one night a month. I'll have to go back for that

Reluctant blooms

2009-04-09T08:29:00.000-07:00

Here it is well and truly spring and all my plans are as tattered last year's blackberry leaves. I was going to pre-order plants at the King County Conservation District sale. Didn't do it. Then I was just going to go and buy whatever was available. Didn't do it. I poured over seed catalogues and plotted the vegetable garden. Yep, didn't order any.

The truth is I only want to be out in the garden if the weather is nice and I would really like a small army of minions to do my bidding.

I bought ten red-flowering currants at the KCD sale FOUR years ago. Behold the first bloom. The bush is still only three feet high.

Why is it that all the volunteer plants left by the birds and wind spring up overnight like Jack's beanstalk and the lovely natives I plant remain in suspended animation like Sleeping Beauty?

Eat Those Books

2009-04-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

The Good Shepard Center was a great venue for the festival. It was much easier to move around. There were some great puns and a few skillfully executed pieces. Sprouts may have been the most unusual ingredient.The festival has partnered with the Seattle Center for Book Arts which is offering a class called Limp Vellum Binding. The title alone makes me want to take it.

My entry was A Wrinkle in Time. I first read this book in my twenties and was impressed by the brilliant and eccentric Murry family.

I can't wait for next year. I 've already pick the title.

Seattle Edible Books Festival

2009-04-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the Edible Book Festival. http://www.frybooks.com/

Every year (or almost) around the world on or near April 1 booklovers gather and celebrate the art of the edible book. The entries illustrate a book title and must be 75% edible. The last one in Seattle was held in 2007. I participated for the first time with my entry: The Little Prince. It was a chocolate cake with a marzipan Little Prince and frosting volcano.

Today I am working on my 2009 entry. Shhh. I can't tell the title yet and I don't know how it will turn out but I'll post pictures.

Dare to Be Bad

2009-03-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

I am listening to Bach's Mass in B Minor. I am supposed to be learning this piece to sing in May.

Thirteen years ago I decide I wanted to sing in a choir. I could read music slowly and mostly stay on tune. The first choir I joined was a community choir where we learned parts by ear. We sang folk songs and show tunes. It was a gentle and fun introduction. Then I joined a womens' choir with only six members, two women on a part. I was petrified and bad but I wanted to sing.

After a few years I joined a church choir as well. This meant two rehearsals a week and music of increasing complexity.

I took a two year break from singing. When I started again, I wanted something more challenging and decided to try the Northwest Chorale https://www.nwchorale.org/mission.php which performs classical music and donates all proceeds to charity. They were rehearsing Handel's Messiah. I doubted I could learn and sing it. But I went to rehearsals and practiced at home. That December I participated in two performances of the Messiah.

Last fall we were part of a concert at Benaroya Hall. If someone had told me thirteen years ago I would some day sing at Benaroya, I wouldn't have believed it.

Wish me luck. This Bach piece is really a stretch. I am not sure if I can do it, but I will be there performing in May.

Let go of perfectionism, expectations and just do the work. Dare to be bad.

Too much grey

2009-03-25T19:29:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year I find the hardest in the Pacific Northwest. I have had more than enough of grey days and cold temperatures (yes, I know 50 is warm compared to someplace like Minnesota but my frame of reference is California).

I was happy to see the sun today when I took Mercedes for a walk. We walked on The Burke-Gilman trail from the Lake Forest Park to Log Boom Park on Lake Washington. We walked to the end of the fishing pier and watched the UW crew team stroke by.

There is a funny spinner in the playground. It is bucket-shaped and set at an angle. You sit in it, kick the ground and spin around and around. On the day I tried it I found it a real struggle to stop. Luckily, I was the only one there, so I only provided a laugh for the gulls.

Eccles cake

2009-03-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

I had an errand over in Redmond and decided to check out the British Pantry. I've heard about it but never been before. There is a small store, restaurant and pub all connected together in a strip mall. I had thought there was a tea room but maybe that is what the restaurant encompasses.

I didn't feel like eating alone so I bought some goodies in the store. Sausage rolls, mince pie, pecan tart and Eccles cake. I love finding food I've only read about in novels. Eccles cake is a little pastry stuffed with a raisin filling. It dates from the late 16th C in Eccles, England.

One of my great-grandmothers made something like it with a cookie dough instead of pastry. This great-grandmother was of Swiss-German background. I should dig out that recipe and make it.

Jane and the Victoria Bug Zoo

2009-03-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

On our last day we went to the Victoria Bug Zoo. I was reluctant to go at first figuring it would be a touristy place but it was fantastic. The tour guide took the bugs out and let us hold some of them.

I held a giant centipede and a leaf walking stick. I like bugs and was excited to hold them.

That little tarantula ( I know spider not bug) is Jane who is 8 years old, so old she has lost the hair on her back. When the guide took her out I froze wondering if I had the nerve... I am afraid of spiders. I used to be terrified and would scream very, very louldly when I saw one. I have calmed down considerably over the years. Now, I put a glass over ones in the house and release them outside, but to have one on me, Oh mama. When he asked who wanted to hold her, I held out my hand and I did it! I held a tarantula!

Parliment and books

2009-03-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

We visited the Parliment building and wanted to take a tour but we missed the last one at 10 am. They were closing the whole building at 11 because the lieutenant-governor was due to arrive to open that session. There was actually a red carpet down the front steps. Lots of soldiers and music and three firings of one of the cannons on the harbor. I don't think they do that when they open Congress.

We also went to Munro's bookstore. I was looking for Canadian or English authors. We used to look for children's clothes particularly all cotton non-treated pj's because we couldn't find them in the U.S.

Munro's was packed. It was hard to move around. I discoverd a new mystery writer: Ann Granger and bought two books: Asking for Trouble and A Rare Interest in Corpses. One is set in the 19th C and one is modern. I liked them both but danger in doing this is finding more back home.

I bought two picture books with great illustrations: True Love by Babette Cole and Little Rabbit's New Baby by Harry Horse

Good food and tea

2009-03-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

We heard one lecture by Daniela Cubelic of Silk Road. She talked about the different kinds of tea and where they are grown. http://www.silkroadtea.com/ I bought a large box of oolong that the seller said was grown on his family's farm in Taiwan. It is delicious. The next day we went to Murchies for presents and some hearty blends for breakfast.

I hadn't really thought about the date when I planned this trip. It was Valentine's Day and everwhere was packed for dinner. We ended up at a so-so Greek place.

But we found a restaurant we liked so much that we went there twice, once for lunch and the next night for dinner. Le Bon Rouge Bistro. I couldn't figure out why they played American music like Sinatra. The onion soup and steak frites were fabulous and the creme brulee, ahh, bliss.

Crowds and heavenly Empress scones

2009-03-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

We had to wait at several of the booths. The people stood three deep. One bakery had an extensive sampling of healthy treats: gluten-free cookies and pastries. They were pretty good but could not compete with the whipped-cream slathered scones passed out by The Empress Hotel.

Several booths whisked up matcha, the powdered green tea used in Japanese tea ceremony. I took a class in this at the University of Washington and still have my tea whisk.

I was disapointed at the scarcity of straight tea like Darjeeling, Assam, Ceylon, etc. Most of the vendors seemed to be enamored of tea blends. Various flowers and herbs blended with the teas made up most of the offerings. With a few exceptions, such as jasmine tea, Earl Grey and chai, I don't like tea flavored with flowers or spices. And don't get me started on the herbal "teas". These should be labeled as tisanes and are an entirely different subject.

This would be a great airplane ride.

2009-02-22T09:12:00.000-08:00

Once I reordered my expectations the trip was ok. In fact, an airplane set up like this would thrill me. There was a big group of University of Washington students on board off to Canada for a long week-end. They seemed to be from fraternities and sororities and alcohol was a popular topic. One young man reminisced about previous trips and types of drinks consumed and planned ahead for further delights.

The trip took 2 1/2 hours. I walked around once and went upstairs where there was a tiny space on the rear deck. It was the place for smokers so I didn't venture out. Candied ginger and homeopathic remedy work well to prevent mal de mer. I only had one bad moment when I had to fill out a customs declaration. Writing made me queasy.

The worst part of the trip was the arrival. Since we had checked our luggage, we had to wait for it to be unloaded before we could disembark. It took an hour to get off the boat.

The Clipper experience

2009-02-19T08:23:00.000-08:00

I made some assumptions about the Victoria Clipper. I assumed it was like a ferry with vinyl seats, some at tables, some in rows. The snack bar would have a cafeteria-selection of food and an eating area. I thought there would be outside decks to roam.

We arrived a little after 7 a.m. for an 8 a.m. departure. The curbside baggage check-in should have been the first clue that this was not going to be a ferry experience. When we checked-in we were given a boarding group number. This was the second clue.

Funneled down a hallway through passport check, we let out into a long, narrow room where we were packed in like cattle. We were in group four, the last group. We stood near the door waiting for our number to be called.

The Clipper is a catamaran with two levels. Filing onto the main level, we saw on both sides, seats facing tables, all filled, and in the middle, rows of seats, many also filled. It looked and felt like the interior of a Boeing 747. The seats were airplane seats. The heads were airplane heads.

AAAAH! I require lots of preparation to fly. I need certain things and have to do mental relaxation exercises beforehand. I was not ready for this. We found seats in the middle section, three rows from the bow of the boat.

The Package Deal

2009-02-18T06:39:00.000-08:00

During a random internet browse, I ran across the Victoria Tea Festival web site. Started in 2007 as a fund-raising event benefiting the Camosun College Child Care Services, the festival showcases all things tea: teapots, tea cups, tea cozies, tea whisks, tea scones, and tea itself. Well, I love all things tea and there was a package deal with the Victoria Clipper.

This was our first trip on the Clipper. We ususally go to Victoria on the ferry, either from Anacortes through the San Juan Islands or from Tsawwassen through the Gulf Islands. Both are picturesque trips but take most of the day. The Clipper takes 3 hours, leaves from Seattle and we could leave the car at home.

Victoria Tea Festival

2009-02-12T19:01:00.000-08:00

I am leaving for Victoria on Saturday to attend the Victoria Tea Festival. I intend to try all the teas and bring back lots. I have a request for Russian Caravan for the Sunday drawing group at the Georgetown Arts Center.

I haven't been to Canada since August 2001. We used to go at least once a year. We always had afternoon tea and I would go to Murchies to buy #11 blend. Family and world events have kept me away since then.