Really, there's nothing that knitting can't do.

The art continues to amaze me.

(I nominate knitting for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize.)

She had a picture that hung from a yellow ribbon, full of lobsters with gold crowns, with men’s faces, and all the grass around the lobsters, who were coming out of a well, was brown, and the sea in the background and the sky up above were the color of cow’s blood and the lobsters wore armor and were killing each other with blows from their tails. It was raining outside.

— The Time of the Doves, Merce Rodoreda

Atlas & Axis

I have fallen in love with the spine. The top two vertebrae, C1 and C2, are better known as the atlas and axis. They are distinguishable from all the other cervical vertebrae and fit together in a unique manner, such that the pairing is romantic, fateful - evolved, one might say. A beautiful thing.

paper press

If you want to create a paper replica of a Vandercook printing press to celebrate its 100th anniversary...

banned!

What are we doing for banned books week? If we were all in the same city, namely mine, I'd suggest we go to the Name That Banned Book Contest being held tomorrow evening. Or just link arms and sing songs. This last because I miss you guys.

honey, beekeepers, generosity

September is proving to be a long month.

I Wish I Was an Iditarod Sled Dog

Note here where Iditarod sled dogs stack up on the VO2Max chart. 

If only...

Hat Afternoon To You

It's after six p.m. where I am. Shall we all take out our hats?

Deep Fried

Not even apples manage to escape the deep fryer at the Calgary Stampede.

Chicago

The greatest thing about Chicago seems to be that it always looks like it's about to rain. It ushers a great sense of impending doom into your everyday that I can imagine is somewhat helpful to depressives -- you can clear your mind of gray thoughts, because they are imprinted on the sky. Here is my Chicago list:

-Take picture in front of imported beach-side palm tree, feel coastal sense of superiority
-Hang out in bathroom on top floor of the Hancock Tower, for floor to ceiling windows and panoramic view of the city, smile beatifically at tourist grandmothers who take too long in the stalls
-Purchase "Brewers Suck Sausage" t-shirt from vendor outside Wrigley Field (optional: snap picture in it, send to ex)
-Try to get past police barrier on Greenwood Ave. to view Obama's house, fail miserably, feel 2x more patriotic
-Buy Alexander Wang-designed khaki coat from Gap with thought that it'll be harder to get in right size in NYC, try not to feel dirty about consumer mindset
-Spend 10 minutes in front of Cy Twombly Peony series at the Art Institute, write down the following from his scribble-script: AH! The peonies for which Kusunoki took off his armour
-Spastically check everything on Google Maps

an ingalls morning

I've waited for this. Ingalls family letters go online at Wisconsin Historical Society.

"Mother is quite well at present. Two of her fingers on her left hand she cannot use much. You asked me to describe the disease Ma had, but I don't know as I can. They called it the Scarlet Dyptheria. She was of a scarlet red from head to foot and of a burning heat, and when she began to get better the skin came off all over her. She could peel it off in large pieces; all her finger nails came off and as I told you before she has not the full use of two of them yet. She suffered much. You cannot imagine nor I describe how much. But I feel truly thankful to kind providence for her restoration. Charlotte and Eliza had the same disease but very lightly, Louisa and Lafayette had it and were not expected to live but they too recovered and are well now. Louisa is a very pretty little girl. She talks considerable."

Close encounters of the canine kind

So you know that thing I do where I go running in the mountains with dogs? One of my running companions is now famous for his brush with death, followed by a jovial ride on our city's public transit. 

Gotta love bus drivers.

WTF?

(Please excuse the fact that the following post is fuelled entirely by my mundane love of food/Jamie Oliver, rather than my fascination with the current prevalence of pirates in international headlines - which I realize would be much more interesting to discuss.)

I have no idea what Twitter is, but I have noticed it being spoken of everywhere. For instance, the front page of the Globe & Mail's Saturday Life/Style section had this recipe for Roasted Asparagus printed on it:

Put 1 lb asparagus on baking sheet, drizzle with 2T o oil. Bake at 450 for 4 to 10 min. S&P. Sprinkle with shaved parm.

I had no idea why the recipe was abbreviated this way, and also wondered why one needed a recipe for roasted asparagus (as with other roasted things, don't you just sprinkle it with oil-herb goodness and put it in the oven?) but as I read on I was amused at the challenge that Twitter poses to various chefs: reporting recipes in 140 characters or less.

I made the salmon - delicious - and the asparagus. A great pairing.

And still I must ask, what the fuck is Twitter??? And must I join it in order to swoon over Jamie Oliver's 140 character concoctions? Say it ain't so.

Cutest thing ever/great social experiment

Keep an eye out for this adorable little (inanimate) creature?

Joshua Tree

Something about the desert - desperation? lack of water? extremes of temperature? history? - seems to bring out the resourcefulness in people.

Joshua Tree Narrated

models of friendship

I want this picture of General MacArthur and Emperor Hirohito framed on my wall:

osprey

Ospreys nearly went extinct in the 20th century due to DDT in the fish they ate, which made their eggs' shells so fragile that the eggs cracked when the mother sat on them to incubate.

But they have made a big comeback in the last few decades, and can be found nesting (on trees and old phone poles) throughout coastal areas of the eastern seaboard.  There has likewise been a rise in osprey-cams installed by enthusiasts above nests so as to monitor their behavior from a distance.

This is one of my favorites.  The male and female have moved in and have built a nest.  Sometimes you can see them having sex.  In a few weeks there should be eggs and then babies.

vegan for jesus?

Hi friends,

I missed Lent this year.  I don't feel guilty about this as I have a free-form approach to religion, in any case.  But here's what I'm thinking: I'm going to incorporate an Orthodox practice into the Catholic liturgy and fast from Sunday to Saturday night.  I don't mean I'm not going to eat; I think my form of fasting is basically equivalent to many people's veganism: no meat, fish, dairy, no weird fruit-flavored candy or soda.  One big meal per day (lentil/tofu heavy) and nothing else.  Then after midnight mass next week I will have pancakes or something.  Any recipes would be appreciated.

vegetable soup.

delinquent blogging redeemed by an extraordinary link

The Beatles Complete on Ukulele.

A diet high in ice cream...

...is good for bone healing - just thirteen days later, and I am cast-free. (Credit should also be given to the marvels of orthopedic surgery and the delightful Dr. Johnston.)

the internet loves me!

laundry day

friday morning getup. decided with orange juice, in tea cup, in left hand.

leftovers gratin

goats - the source of goat cheese

I didn't take a picture of the gratin, which is a shame because it was so pretty.  But I'm going to make it again and perhaps I can post a photo then.  I don't even have a picture of my sage - I didn't appreciate it when I was photographing mint, tomatoes, parsley, rosemary, etc. in my garden last summer.  But this recipe is ridiculously easy and obscenely tasty.

ingredients (the vegetables are interchangeable... the cheese is the trick):

white asparagus

leeks (these are highly recommended)

parsnips (not necessary but charmingly monastic.. thin, round slices)

shallots (or onion or whatever)

sage (mine was from the freezer)

a little flour (1/4 cup)

salt, pepper

a cup of milk

cheese (I used cheddar and the least expensive goat cheese I could find), broken into chunks

directions 

1. chop veggies (the bottom 1/2 of white asparagus need to be peeled)

2. layer half of the veggies at the bottom of a pan

3. mix salt, pepper, flour, broken bits of cheese, sage in a bowl and sprinkle half over the veggies

4. layer the rest of the veggies

5. put the second half of the flour/cheese mix on top

6. pour on the milk

7. possibly add more cheese - why not?

8. cook for an hour at 350 degrees

I had a lot of reading to do last night, so naturally I made this, ate it with half a baguette, drank Lindemans Framboise (I miss you guys), and read my new favorite YA historical fiction: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing.  And I have yet to do my reading for class...

The parsnips and the asparagus both have a nice, nutty taste.  The leeks and shallots are sweet.  But most of the appeal is the melted cheese.  Thanks, goats!

dear Iceland,

What is it like to have a failed government?

I believe we're in for the same here in Canada - tomorrow, or if we hold our breath, Wednesday.

(So you may not all want to move to Gimli just yet.)

excellent.

old overholt with orange and lemon juice.

dear npr,

I did not need to learn the word "snarge" but now I can't stop saying it.

(No way am I illustrating this post.)

budget cuts

Someone needs to donate more letters to this library.

without no-doze

Now that we are older ladies, how do you stay awake after an all-nighter? Tips, please. I can't spell, or craft e-mails, or even eat lunch without nodding off. And coffee is just scarily speeding my heart up.

bread.

Chocolate zucchini bread. Good with coffee on a Sunday morning.