i'll have a cuppa nuts, thanks

Spiced with fresh thyme, Mexican oregano, desert honey and garlic. Then I negated the lack of spiced fossil fuel miles when I sprinkled the almond pile with pink salt from Nepal/Bhutan.

(Here's my recipe.)

one of the best feelings in the world

Two important notes: 1) Yes, that is a Sesame Street quilt I found in the closet. Oh my heavens to Betsy. 2.) I was sitting on the floor captivated by Season 3 of Damages. I HARDLY SLEPT A WINK. The pup was unfazed. Obviously.

artist of my eye: EDVARD MUNCH

Perhaps most famous for The Scream (soon to be up for auction), Edvard painted a lot of somber, fear- and death-themed paintings. I picked these three of his less-spooky ones for this post; the first two are my favorites. The last one I like, but always imagine some kind of sea monster leaping out of the water as soon as I look away.

He was a Norwegian painter and was born (to be a bit USA-centric) smack dab in the middle of the U.S. Civil War in 1863. Big Expressionist buff.

FYI: my (super)mom is a cheesecake-bakin' (super)star

i have shiny blue glitter on my toes

...and other phone-photos snapped on a barefoot stroll last night.

One of two kumquats.

My friend John harvested this cutie-pie cabbage yesterday afternoon and gave it to my dad to give to me. Best out-of-the-blue surprise!

when left to day dream

I skip back to Vallecitos, NM.

a quote that inspired me this week

"In the long view, no nation is healthier than its children, or more prosperous than its farmers."

-Harry Truman

P.S. Thanks to Gloucester FoodCorps for reminding me of this quote.

VIDEO: the wheatpasting

Here's a video of the wheatpasting on the Joel Valdez library walls:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMZlD79Ur_I&feature=youtu.be

unedited: Valentine's Sunset!

hiya honey!

A Valentine's Day factoid!

week-end/-start: a very high note

Childhood rewind: Sundays were soggy, weighted down with lots of Monday-dreading.

Fast-forward to the Present: With the arrival of the NY Times on my driveway (specifically the "Sunday Review" section) and Blue Bottle coffee beans (think: elixir of life), Sunday mornings are more than good. Let's not mix metaphors: They're my weekly pause button.

P.S. You know what's also terrific? These two videos: How to Cook Quinoa (the socks! the socks!) & How to Make Nut Milk (watch past the credits).

Reason #2,394,193 why Tucson kicks some major tush:

We celebrate our youth on the walls of our downtown library.

hello, gorgeous

Cabbage beauty shot.

artist of my eye: RENIOR

self portrait - 1910

P.S. From the Times today; if I lived in NYC still, I'd check out the Frick again to see this. I loved that place.

::channeling lizzy::

In other news: My family reunion dismantled this morning. SNIFF. Mille and I are being big mopes.

religious study

In the last three days I've been reading about Sufism (think: whirling dervishes), Buddhism and now Franciscans in the South Bronx. Next up: Raelism, Taoism, Wicca, Shamanism and Kabbalah.

On Falling in Love - by John Steinbeck

New York

November 10, 1958

Dear Thom:

We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.

First — if you are in love — that’s a good thing — that’s about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don’t let anyone make it small or light to you.

Second — There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you — of kindness and consideration and respect — not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn’t know you had.

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply — of course it isn’t puppy love.

But I don’t think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it — and that I can tell you.

Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.

The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.

If you love someone — there is no possible harm in saying so — only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.

Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.

It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another — but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.

Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I’m glad you have it.

We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.

And don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens — The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

Love,

Fa

[Reg here: This house reminds me of love in a not-gushy sort of way. Lately - especially now - seems like a good time to remember those long days, smelling of roasting peppers and tasting of grape juice. Back to Steinbeck: Man, is he right. Especially that last line.]

lunchtime!

There's quinoa under there.

P.S. Arugula pesto recipe found here.

35 degree wishful thinking

Maybe we'll eek out a bit more winter after all!

pima county kicks some major tush