Stella Hits the Beach

 Here are some pictures from last week when Stella and I had a doggie date at the beach.

Meet Lulu and Julia.  Stella and Lulu?  Big dog, little dog?  Some things are meant to be.

Frisbee, dogs and friends.  The perfect equation for happiness.

35 by 35, part 1

I have this friend.  She's a go-getter working on her phD in ecology, driven by personal challenges and accomplishments.  She's a fan of the popular 30 by 30 lists common for motivated people in their 20s to try to fulfill 30 goals by the time they turn 30.  I have a few friends with these lists and I always scoffed at them. 

Why set a timeline for pursuing dreams?  Why is there so much pressure to get things done by the time we're 30?  Why do we feel the need to put the pressure on ourselves?

She said that as you get older and get through landmarks like getting a degree, traveling independently and settling into stability (all important), it can be easy to become apathetic and lazy.  This, for her, is a good way to stay engaged and keep focused. 

I've always believed in setting goals for myself.  I had to agree, there is something to giving yourself a deadline, or those very things can fall by the wayside.

So with much hesitation, I am trying to open myself to crossing some of those things-I-want-to-do-one-day off my list.  Thus begins my 35 by 35.

I'm going to start with some easy ones, just to make sure I get them done.  The first thing is learning to change the strings on my guitar.  That one broken E string has left my poor neglected guitar crammed in the corner of my room.

My fave site for guitar basics has been guitar.about.com.  This is a straightforward tutorial on changing strings- and they also have the most approachable guides to learning chords and basic tuning.

In a perfect world, the strings are coiled neatly around the peg.  Mine came out pretty sloppy, but hey, it's my first time.  (This is also why I would strongly recommend buying a very cheap guitar for your first one, so it can take some abuse until you get your bearings.)

Not the prettiest, but once I sat down, I did it!  It took about an hour, including a very tedious tuning session (as the strings stretched and settled into their new positions).  Now she's ready to jam again!

 

I'm glad my friend sold me on the idea, and what better opportunity to get some things done that I've been procrastinating on?  I don't have a full list compiled yet, but here is the start of my list:

-change guitar strings

-quit smoking

-camp by myself

-learn to sail

-finish my book (and self publish)

-kill a chicken (there will be lots of weird back-to-the-land goals)

-skin a rabbit

-see Pacific Northwest (I've never gone farther north than Arcada)

-learn to lead climb

-use a chainsaw

-learn to sew

-explore manual photography and take better photos

-travel to Africa

 -read Ulysses (and study it so I understand it)

-learn to butcher (break down a side, and become familiar with all the cuts)

-go salmon fishing

That's it for now, but that's enough to keep me busy for a while.  What's on your list?

42 Weird Meals from the 50s

I love this article- it's just ... weird.  I am a sucker for historical ironies (thanks to my dad), so vintage cookbooks with instructions for how to keep your husband happy with dinner on the table and other primitive mores are fascinating to me.  The same goes for archaic ingredients that were once in vogue.  Sardine salad?  Jell-O with cream cheese and pears?  Spam and lima beans?  Mmmmm.

Photos courtesy of buzzfeed.

I would have been more grossed out if I wasn't so wildly entertained.  And I'd probably be more nauseous if the ingredients weren't so incoherent.

Go here to see the article.

Hiking with Stella ...

She gets distracted easily, but you gotta love the girl for having spirit.

The Garden Party

I have this friend who throws the most wonderful parties.

There is always something delicious to eat, like these hors d'hoeuvres with endive and smoked salmon, brie and quince membrillo and prosciutto-wrapped breadsticks.

Baked brie with herbs and cherries.

Grilled chicken, shish kabobs, green bean salad and fresh caught smoked salmon from my fisherman buddies at the party.

We finished the night with birthday caked topped with whipped cream and blueberries, followed by a campfire, karaoke and dancing under the stars.

I kinda like this whole summer thing.

Cleaving

What amazes me about reading is when you find that perfect book for that perfect time in your life.  Since I've been slowly trudging through books ever since I moved here from New York (where commuting gave me over 2 hours a day for reading), it is always incredible to find a book I don't want to put down and can get through in less than a few weeks.

For me, that book was Cleaving, by Julie Powell.  You may remember Powell from the heartwarming Julie and Julia.  Well, forget her.  Cleaving is the evil twin, the story of a dark time when Powell worked in a butcher shop while she was in a wrenching affair.  The parallels she draws between breaking down meat and tumultuous relationships are poetic and relevant.  Though dark and ugly, the writing is brutally honest and vulnerable, which takes a lot of guts (did I mention the parallels?).  At a time when I couldn't be more disenchanted by food and love, this was the absolute perfect read.  This takes something as rudimentary as butchery or love, and shows the multi-layered complexity through beauty and ugliness.

At last, the part of me that always found butchery to be intriguing is finally understood by another.  I am this close to walking into Willowside Meats and asking for a job.

Twins

I'm housesitting for a sweet boxer who looks more human every day.

Really, the resemblance is uncanny.