5.26.05
yesterday, i handed in my last final paper... i am done with my first year of grad school and am on summer vacation!!! ^_^

there are so many stories and things i wish to share! in time, in time. i am not quite at the point where i am reflecting on my school year yet. much more focused on summer vacation.

i will be traveling a lot this summer. the BIG TRIP will be when morgan and i fly out to northern california, get in a westfalia van and drive around the pacific northwest for a month!

we've got some great suggestions already, and are looking for more - so if you have any absolute favorite places to visit, hikes to hike, foods to eat, bookstores to haunt, wacky finds, cheese farms, etc... we are interested in the big and the small.

we would also love music recommendations (of if you're really fancy and want to make is a mix cd...) for our trip! if you happen to have any good flamenco, russian men's choral, or sufi music faves, those are on the top of our lists to delve into.

and now is the time when i embarrass my husband.
back in november of '04, morgan decided it was time to quit his job and spend nine months working on music. (for those who don't know, morgan is an accomplished music creator of many sorts, mainly electronic these days)

during our discussions about what his goals could be, the idea of "maybe making an album" came up. it sounded like a good goal for his nine months...

it did not take morgan nine months to make the album (thanks to his friend and co-creator ezekiel honig) and the album early morning migration comes out on june 28th! yeah morgan and zeke!!!

here's some links to places where you'll be able to find out more information:
morganpackard - where you can download an mp3 from the album and keep up-to-date with what morgan's been up to.
microcosm music - the label that's releasing the album... where you'll also be able to see the album, hear clips, find out where they're playing live, and see a cute picture of morgan that i took!

2.21.05
here's my personal recipe for a nice weekend in new paltz,ny:

stay a night or two at the inn at orchard heights.
eat a humungous scrumptious breakfast complete with homemade blueberry muffins, chunky applesauce, vegetable packed omelette, bacon (optional), and toast.
rent one or four movies and watch one while digesting breakfast, and then take a nap.
stop by the local toy store, to gawk at the amazing toy selection.
drive up into the mountains to watch the sunset while drinking peppermint hot chocolate and eating a cookie.
eat a scrumptious dinner at harvest cafe.
go back to the inn, watch two movies in a row, before falling asleep.

the next morning, indulge in another belly-bursting breakfast of muffins, applesauce, fried eggs, waffles, and bacon (again, optional).
spend some time talking with the host family about animals, and perhaps go outside with the 7 year old son to dissect an owl pellet.
pack up, while intermittently playing with a funny black cat.
hop in the car and drive 30 min. to dia beacon and look at some art.
get home just in time to eat some dinner and watch another movie.

inn at orchard heights - new paltz, ny
an easy 1.5 hours from nyc, this is the favorite lazy getaway of the LPs. the location is easily accessible by car or bus (the bus station is a 5 min. walk away, and the inn is right in downtown new paltz, so you really don't need a car). the hosts are a wonderful family with warm hearts and good sensibilities. this truly is a home away from home.

common sense soaps & bodywash
the soaps used at the inn at orchard heights, made from very few ingredients and only good ones, these soaps don't dry out your skin, come in wonderful scents such as sweet almond, fresh mint & valencia orange... looking at their website, their other products look pretty great too!

Enchanted Toys
15 North Front St. New Paltz, NY 12561
845.255.1429
"waldorf-inspired toys and supplies, natural and creative wooden toys, non-violent games and activities."

life of mammals 4-part nature documentary series hosted by the venerable naturalist, sir david attenborough. hands down best nature documentary series currently in existence. see amazing animals you maybe didn't know existed like the pangolin.

to make peppermint hot chocolate, just put a mint tea bag in your hot chocolate! it's yummy! ^_^

2.9.05
recently, i have been the recipient of others kindness, spontaneous minds, and hospitality. january was a peculiarly overabundant month in which i found myself constantly in the generous hands of family, friends and strangers. i was reminded of the warmth of the human spirit.

thank you to all who let me sleep on their beds, nourished and comforted me with food, tea and talk, and had extra toothbrushes to spare!

"i have been shaped by what i did not see"
-minnie bruce pratt, poet & activist

"welcome the transformation within your heart,
welcome the stranger at your door.
be guided by your faith,
not by your fears."
-rev. laurie j. auffant, follen church

gung xi fa cai!
welcome to the year 4703, the year of the rooster. according to chinasprout, "the rooster is a symbol of intuition, honesty, intelligence, caring , and good planning." to read more about chinese new year check out this article from today's san francisco chronicle

the bear came over the mountain, by alice munro. i just finished reading this short story, found in her collection entitled hateship, friendship, loveship, courtship, marriage

i was led to it by a gorgeous review / love letter that jonathan franzen wrote in the nyt book review!

powersmile toothpaste by jason
a fortuitously unexpected stay at christy and darrin's led to the discovery of powersmile! made of superb ingredients, this toothpaste is amazingly delightful, and i look forward to using it twice a day. ^_^

11.30.04
happy holidays! the highlight of christmas for me was finding (or rescuing, as my mom says) a 3 ft. tall unclaimed christmas tree from a church lot on christmas eve... it felt like a very charlie brown christmas moment, as i carried it in one hand, and we strapped it to the back of the car. it's lovely!

a few days before christmas, i found myself in manhattan, caught up in the last minute christmas shopping madness. while i sometimes enjoy willing myself invisible or moving butoh speed slow amongst zippy, snippy shoppers, that day i was overcome with a yucky feeling of overconsumption.

when friends and family ask me what i want for christmas or my birthday, what i often think, but never say is time.

why is it so much easier to give gifts that cost money, than commit to spending quality time?

i think next year, i am going to try giving gifts of time... perhaps:
a gift of getting together for a cup of tea.
a gift of going on a walk together.
a gift of lying on the grass and looking up through the trees together.
a gift of spending an afternoon making collages together.

milk jam - like dulce de leche, a wonderful sweet spread for toast! i had this first at ici a wonderful new restaurant in brooklyn.

10 reasons to click - a digital art experience created by my friend bj warshaw. when i first interacted with this, i was left giddy with delight at the simplicity, beauty and cleverness of this creations.

chocolate fig slice - from donna hay
1/3 C cream
15 oz dark cookinq chocolate (at least 20% cocoa solids) --- i used one bag of ghiradelli semisweet chips
4 1/2 oz butter --- i used 1 stick, unsalted
1 C chopped dried figs
10 savoiardi (sponge finger) biscuits , chopped --- i used 8 stella doro original S-shaped cookies
cocoa powder for dusting

Place cream, choc, and butter in a saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and combined. Place figs and biscuits in mixing bowl, pour over 2/3 of choc mix and stir to coat. Spoon mix into a 8in. Square cake tin greased and lined with non-stick baking paper. Pour remaining choc. Over and tap tin to remove air bubbles. Place in fridge for 3 hours or until set. Remove from tin, dust with cocoa and slice (makes 36)

delicious, fancy, and so easy!!!

11.20.04
school update: about 4 weeks left, and i'll be done with 1/6th of grad school. i'm just about to head into finals. this means, no updates till after dec. 17th!

i have had a wide range of emotions this semester, but as of this very moment, i feel okay. here is some of what i have learned so far:

---> that sleep is very important, and i cannot skimp on it. after many a weeks only getting 5 hour nights, i now make an effort to get 7-8 hours of sleep/night.

---> that it is okay to go away. i have gone away twice, since school started, and both times i felt a little nervous about not having enough time to do my work. but both times i came back feeling more relaxed, more mentally prepared, and was actually able to tackle my work with more ease and focus. it just shows how important it is to distance ourselves from the chaos, even when there are requirements, and deadlines.

---> that i miss being creative. i have not been very good about incorporating creativity into my schedule. when i have, it has mostly been going to galleries or dance and music performances. other people's creativity. i know i will need to figure this out, or i will become very unhappy. i think i will start with...

worldwide sketchcrawl day 11.21.04 - "join in in the first world drawing marathon !! get some friends, organize a day out, have a good time and draw away!" even though i have 2 papers to write this weekend, i will be sketchcrawling for an hour or two tomorrow morning.

deth p. sun - i bought a cd recently (daedalus "from snowdonia"), 1/2 because of the music, 1/2 because of the cover art... this guy (first name pronounces "dae") did the cover art. i SO would love to buy an original of his! but he seems to be selling stuff not on the east coast. curses!!!

nikki mcclure - an artist who creates socially conscious themed artwork with paper and an exacto knife (papercuts)
i just bought her 2005 calendar!

butternut squash, brocolli rabe, and carmelized onion soup - from souped up!
1 tsp unsalt. butter or olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (opt.)
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced (about 5 cups)
8 C chicken stock
1 bunch brocolli rabe (chinese brocolli), chopped
1/2-1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

place a heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium low heat. when hot, add butter/oil. add onion, garlic, sugar, and red-pepper flakes to butter when melted, and cook for 15-20 min. until onions have carmelized. add squash and cook, stirring occ. for 10 min. add stock and after bringing to low boil, simmer for 10-15 min. add broccoli rabe and cook for 10 min. add lemon juice. done!

yield: 8-10 cups
easy, delicious, and comforting!

10.12.04
i went grocery shopping tonight, and while there noticed a woman and her 6 year old daughter shopping too.

"would you like a banana and dumplings for lunch tomorrow?" the mom asked.

"yeah!" the little girl replied.

i felt a little sad
that i wasn't grocery shopping with my mom
i was grocery shopping by myself
that i wasn't 6
i'm 28 going on 29

i felt happy
that i overheard that little tidbit of conversation
to see the excitement of the girl's face as she explored the fruits and veggies

so, even though my mom won't be making me lunch, i can still have a banana and dumplings tomorrow too.

links:
election protection coalition
volunteer to be an election day monitor!

the spice house (recommended by my sister)
tandoori chicken seasoning, pepper shallot seasoning, spicy sesame salad sprinkle...

built bleachers, painted 'B' on cheeks, donned red socks, wowed the crowds

and when all was said and done, won another blue ribbon

this weekend i built a float called, "the curse of the bambino... hit or myth?" the float was part of an annual float contest for the warner fall foliage festival.

every year the float team changes --- people come from different towns, cities, states. everyone has different lifestyles, and interests... you're more likely to hear "how are we going to attach flying monkeys to the forklift?" than, "so, what do you do for work?"

for a hearty 24 hours, we shed our ambitions, attitudes, & worries.

for 24 hours 15+ creative minds melded together and gave birth to something crazy, exciting, and special.

if we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.
- thomas edison