you + me make three

I'm sure you all wondered what could possibly top last year's anniversary present.

well, this little person just might do the trick. {now next year, seriously, will not be so exciting. I swear.}

***

00. european honeymoon extravaganza

01. surprise costa rica adventure

02. the new house

03. a sweet babe

{background image}

it's official

I know in my heart it's been spring since march 01, but now it's official. go outside and celebrate the vernal equinox. the days are getting longer. this weekend their getting warmer too. life is starting to grow again. it does my heart good.

{photo credit}

my man needs his temperature control

from quarter to full: comfort assurance

peter is very particular. especially about his comfort. he needs to be able to control the situation. if he's too hot, he needs to take a layer off. if he's too cold, he needs to put a layer back on. this all sounds pretty basic, no? well, as it turns out he doesn't like to pull anything on or off over his head. so quarter-zips? out of the question. from now on, the full zip option, or nothin'. there is at least one more transformation project lined up to meet his new requirements. {sorry quarter-zip burnt orange north face fleece, you're going under the knife!} and then in the future? must remember full zips only.

thirty: the real deal.

I'm old.
but not really.
sometimes my body feels old.
like it did when I turned 21.
there was a noticeable difference.
maybe there's something to these milestone years.

at least I had some good surprises in the mix:
surprise early birthday bagels via the coworkers
not so surprise bowling {almost. next year don't tell anyone about it until the moment of... no chance for slip-ups} with the bffs*
super surprise super cool cake! {made specially for me by carrie of carriescakes.com, brought specially to me by the raddest kid in town}
and an arm-load of birthday goodies + well wishes.

::I am loved, it's no surprise::

* * *

I leave you with one of the best birthdays of my thirty-year-old life. numero eight at the lion house, circa 1987 {which coincidentally, was the best year for parties}. this was a biggie, my friends. and as you can see by my rad eighties "pixie" cut {aka boy hair} I was a super tom-boy and as I recall I hated wearing dresses. this was a real fight, I'm sure for the fancy birthday party at said lion house. but as you can clearly see, I made a total compromise.

oh yeah, the multi colored punky brewster high top sneakers with the tights and the dress!

*if you are a bff and were not invited to the secret bowling party, don't feel sad. it just means that pete does not have you in his phone. take no offense, I still love you.

the rule of six

one: go to your documents/pictures
two: open the sixth folder
three: find the sixth photo
four: blog about your cuteness
five: tag six other people: {I tag the six whoevers want to do this}
six: wonder why there is no sixth rule
{thanks, seester, for tagging me and letting me play into my narcissistic side}

okay, so as you can see I totally cheated. well, the truth is there wasn't a sixth photo in my sixth folder {the sixth event in iphoto, that is}. there was a fourth photo, and this is it:

my total favorite photo from my bridal shoot -- I heart pepper nix. she is amazing.

so I went to the sixth grouping of photos in iphoto's photo section {as you can see I was trying really hard to get the magical sixes} and there were only two photos! so below, is said second photo:

again, an awesome shot from the bridals.

so then I tried to do it backwards. go to the sixth newest folder of photos... and there was only four! so here is that one:

pete firing up the snowblower for it's maiden voyage in our driveway.
he loves him his snowblowing, it's pretty cute.

and if you haven't given up on the whole idea yet, this is the sixth photo listed on my desktop.

love, love, LOVE this photo from the mud run. possibly one of my most fave photos EVER.

if I had taken the time {as if I haven't taken enough time on this already--sheesh!} I would have come up with more combos to try and get some magical six combination... at least tried six different ways so there could be six photos. oh well, you can just imagine two more photos of me and/or pete in your mind. try to pick ones where I look cute.

biggest loser treats a la runner's world

a few weeks ago when the newest season of the biggest loser began, trainers jillian michaels and bob harper yelled at america.

you know, that we all needed to stop being so lazy, get off our butts, move, eat fruits and vegetables... you know, the stuff we all already know but for some reason most of america has a really hard time with...

and then bob yells: it's never going to happen if you're sitting on the couch eating ice cream!

pete and I looked at each other. we were both sitting on the couch eating ice cream. we just got the smack down from bob harper.

see, it sounds kinda ironic and all, but we love our treats when we sit down to watch this show.

so the next week I made these sinfully delicious red velvet cupcakes. but hey, I got the recipe from runner's world so they must be good for me, no?

no? oh, well at least I got rave reviews from peter's coworkers the next day. bake yourself up a batch for tonight's episode--you won't regret it! {but your thighs, might. unless you go for a nice long run. I'm just sayin'}

voluntary simplicity

do you ever wonder how our earth-home will be for the future generations? for your kids? for their kids?

are our habits sustainable? are we consuming too much? do our lives of privilege and convenience come at a cost?

is it possible to slow down? to take a step back? to realize it's not things, but people that matter?

{photo | 2009 eco-lutions}

follow your bliss

"if you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all along, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. when you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in your field of bliss, and they open the doors to you."

--joseph campbell

strengthening my resolve

I was told the other day that a person is 43% more likely to keep a resolution if it is written down.  I've been mulling around the things that I would like to do {or not do} as this new year rolls around.  the clean slate that january brings is always full of so much potential.  in all of us is the ability to change.  but we have to want it.  and we have to be willing to work for it.  

* * *

:: chew my food ::  I resolve to eat more slowly, to let the enzymes in my saliva break down the foods so they are more easily digested and the nutrients more readily available to my body

:: read books ::  I resolve to read more instead of wasting time on the computer or watching television just for the sake of something to do

:: blog more ::  I resolve to consume less and produce more.  there is a lot of inspiration and creativity out there, but I need to remember to document my thoughts, feelings, et cetera as well

:: eat closer to the source ::  I resolve to be more conscious of my foodshed.  where it comes from, how it was produced, how it got to me.  more whole foods.  more local foods.  more organically grown foods

:: be more social ::  I resolve to get out of my comfort zone in social situations.  I have a tendency toward non-social behavior.    I need to get over any awkwardness, which really just stems from a lack of self confidence.  I am an interesting person.  I just need to believe that

:: create ::  I resolve to make things out of sticks.  or fabric.  or paper.  or anything that my little hands can get on.  I have grand ideas and little follow-through.  those projects will become reality, hopefully in a timely manner

:: document my life ::  I resolve to put pen to paper and write for me.  I am losing the details that make my life what it is.  the personal things.  the thoughts.  the feelings.  the special moments.  the hard moments.  the daily decisions that lead me through life

* * *

if you're having trouble coming up with your own resolutions this year {come on, isn't lose weight and eat healthy so overkill by now?} check out this list I stumbled across:  fifty things everyone should know how to do.  pick one or two and resolve to learn some invaluable skills this year.

photo via.

returning to the light

...at winter solstice,
Sun is at its lowest point:
the longest night,
the most profound descent
into the dark,
and a subsequent turning
of the cycle,
a return to the Light...










one of my favorite days of the year is the summer solstice. the daylight is long and endless, leaving its warmth and slanted angles long into the evening. it is something to be celebrated. but I am always left feeling a little tinge of sadness; the light will soon fade into increasing darkness. my days will get shorter, little by little, until we are plunged into endless night.

but there comes a time where night is at its longest, and the light will be reborn. our days will become longer. and life will eventually start to grow once again.

how fitting that this event happens at this time of year. we need not despair, or be engulfed by darkness. there is Light.

we just need to turn to that Light.

it is a thing to be celebrated.

{photo | quote}

twelve

if you haven't heard yet, design mom is holding a fantastic holiday giveaway over on her site.

you could have your chance to win one of twelve very cool prizes.

so hurry on over and throw your name in the hat. you have until midnight{PST}, monday, december 15th so go! now! win! {may the universe aka the random number generator be smiling upon you}

a diy white board for the environmentally conscious workin' gal

{via}

okay, so I just made my very own little white board here in the office. it was ridiculously easy and cuts down on paper usage when taking messages and writing down quick notes {or to do lists} that you don't need permanently. now I can get rid of that unsightly stack of used and reused post it notes cluttering up my desk. everyone wins!

plus crafting during working hours is always a fun time.



step one: get yourself a transparency sheet.

step two: get yourself a piece of paper. (mine is recycled, yours could be too... I'm just sayin')

step three: get yourself some tape.

step four: now this is the hardest step. tape the paper to the transparency sheet, with the unused side of the paper peeping through the clearness of the transparency. (because y'all should have used recycled paper like I told you)

step five: pilfer yourself a set of dry erase markers in various colors from the supply closet

and then ta da! you are done! {you could also use a clear plastic page protector too, I suppose}

if my phone would have not been cranky, you would have seen the lovely, high
quality photo I took of my brand new diy white board with the following to do list:
work
be productive
focus
don't blog!

an ode to the decemember'ish weather while on a four mile run

big, fatty, flurry flakes
fluttering from the sky
I am running
they are falling
falling in my eye

* * *

this is as far as I got. I had to turn my concentration from composing poetry on the run to not getting hit by anything but snowflakes.

new find

{photos via the tin angel cafe}

lunched at the tin angel cafe. loved the food. local ingredients. go support.

I am exhausted.

one impromptu marathon last week

plus one week of holiday goodness {mostly eating}

plus dog sitting a rather old chocolate lab

plus running a post marathon ten miler this morning

plus dabbling in some holiday decor

plus cleaning the whole house

makes a girl very, very tired.

I think I just might go to bed and it's only eight o'clock!

it's always early, and I'm always one step behind

missing the bus, everybody's doing it.

woke up this morning thinking it was saturday
slept longer than I should have
rushed around trying to get everything together
missed the bus

love my life

my lil' book club's selection this month is the book thief, by marcus zusak, and as always there are no copies available at the public library. . .

so I'm throwing this out to the bloggernet. . .

does anyone have a copy I could borrow?



{book club is november 20th, I need to have it read before then.}


UPDATE: my cutest mother bought the book for me. isn't she nice? that's why we love her around here {because she's so thoughtful, not just because she buys us stuff} LoVes + avalanches, mamma!

'tis the season

while on my run this afternoon I saw, through snowflake-filled eyes:

someone cross country skiing through sugarhouse park
friends getting together to do some snowboarding via the hike method, I'm sure
a guy with snow shoes in hand, hopefully headed out on an adventure

thank you, lake effect, for bringing the fluffy white stuff coming all day.

now for the big news:

peter can hardly wait.

star{fish} crossed lovers

{photo credit}

you might run the fastest, but that doesn't mean you'll win

as you may or may not have heard, the woman who ran the fastest time in sunday's nike women's marathon in san fran didn't actually win. whaa?! but how could that be, you might be wondering? a technicality. some dumb rule the race organizers won't let go of.

arien o'connell {a twenty-four year old fifth grade teacher from new york city} ran the 26.2 miles in 2:55:11 {a PR of about twelve minutes!}, beating the official race "winner's" time by 11 minutes. eleven minutes?!

so why didn't she win? she wasn't registered as an elite!

{true story. the same thing happened to another guy who came in 4th place at the chicago marathon.}

so I'm thinking the USATF should rethink this little rule of theirs. they say the rule is in place so the elites know who they are racing against, since, you know, they're so nice and give them a head start and all {in the nike women's marathon they gave these ladies a twenty minute head start, which I think is ridiculous! the men's field is not that deep to necessitate such a huge gap in start times} but I say if they really are elite they'll prove it out on the course. no matter what. guts + glory to the finish line.

it's sad, though, because nike could have really done something with this story. built a really awesome marketing campaign around it.

normal, average girl wins marathon. beats the elite pack.

instead they just pooed in her face. "we've already declared our winner" and even though you ran the fastest, you're not it. booh.

{read the full story HERE}

proof positive: the tetris is true.

for all those who think my husband plays tetris all day at work, you may just be right. here is a little convo we had today via the internet:

me: yo

Peter: yo

me: there's like a billion kids for this fall break camp and I don't know if I want to deal with it

Peter: woah

a billion? that's like the entire country of china!

me: I know!

Peter: do you have enough counselors?

me: yeah, I guess technically we do...

so I really shouldn't be stressin'

Peter: so aspen digital doesn't have to take kids?

me: didn't I set up that field trip with you?

all one billion will be coming to your office to learn about the science behind the digitalizing

Peter: woah, i don't think we have that many nintendos

totally crinked

so earlier today I was taking a big swig from my water bottle, as I am often want to do, and I suddenly felt a very severe pain running through the left side of my neck. I thought to myself, wow, that was weird. I tried drinking again, the same pain.

it all seems so silly. it was such a benign movement. but now I have limited range of motion when turning my head to BOTH sides! sucks to pinched nerves.

the update: so far, so good.

day one of the plan? check!

day two? double check!

not only did I go running this morning, but I pulled through with the meal plan tonight too. in fact, I improved upon it to make it even better. peter couldn't stop raving about the rotkohl (aka red cabbage) and the potato slices (sans cheese; I decided to go in another direction). and I can't stop raving about fresh corn cut off the cob in salads. seriously, such a tasty flavor.

if you're following along at home, please try these two recipes.

red cabbage {I didn't have any allspice or cloves, so I just added nutmeg}

crispy garlic potatoes {the thinner you slice them the crispier they are}

planned eating

I feel like I've really let myself go. no, not in the I'm fat sort of way. {though I have let my running fall by the wayside} but my life has just gotten in the way of the things I used to be so good about. but I can't blame my life. I just need to step it up. basically I want to get two parts of me back on track. yes, one of those is my running life (which also happens to include swimming + spinning). and the other is my cooking life. more specifically meal planning.

it's always nice to have a plan. so below is what I've come up with for the week. of course, all meals are subject to change. especially since I'll be getting my very last csa goods for the season tomorrow. so here it is, enjoy!

m: delicata squash soup + crusty bread

t: fresh garden variety salads + cheesy potato slices

w: pasta w/ a zucchini and tomato sauce

h: spaghetti squash medley

f: spicy sweet potato wedges + chicken something? {that means I can't forget to defrost the chicken!}

s: dinner a la pete

so what's on your plate?
{for inspiration visit: this week for dinner.}

what have we been up to?

I've been seriously spoiled. first there was the european honeymoon extravaganza. then the first anniversary costa rica adventure. how could the second anniversary even compare?!

well, thank you peter for the best anniversary present ever: the new house.

I can't even imagine what next year will bring.

{more photos + stories to come}

knit or die!

am taking my first knitting 101 class tonight


I hope I'm as tough as THIS girl

fall casserole

there is nothing better than a meal full of fresh goodness. abundance from the land. in this week's csa note, heather borski left a little recipe. how convenient that everything the recipe called for was in this week's selection. well, except for the chicken or seafood fillet. for that I just substituted zucchini.

I pulled together a garden variety salad to go on the side. one quick note about that: has anyone else discoverd the goodness that is raw corn cut from the cob in a salad? oh. my. love. I think if you put dressing on it, though, it would muddy up the sweet taste. this is best enjoyed with a squeeze of fresh lime.

needless to say, everything turned out quite deliscious.

onion | potato
zucchini | tomato

fall casserole recipe
layer:
sliced onions
1/4 inch sliced potatoes
chicken or seafood fillets (or zucchini slices)

top with:
sliced tomatoes

drizzle:
olive oil

salt + pepper to taste

sprinkle:
bread crumbs
parmesan cheese

bake:
325 degrees for one hour

cover:
if top is browning too fast

americana folk rock love

have you ever had one of those blah days? the kind where nothing bad happens per se {except for that unnecessarily long phone call with the cell phone company; fifty years of my life and three reps later the issue is still left unresolved.} but you just feel a little off. your head hurts and your body doesn't seem happy for some reason. and amidst all of this you remember something that you love, something absolutely fabulous that you had forgotten about and it makes you smile.

today it was leslie and the badgers. {I know I've mentioned them before, but please go check them out. I'm sure they will make you as happy as they make me.} more specifically airliner. and my tears are wasted on you. and all of their other fabulous songs, really. I've been listening to them all evening. now go. please. check them out.

{and dear sister, for some reason I totally thought of you while listening to them online today. I think you would fall in love with leslie and her badgers too.}

the csa

peaches
zucchini
potatoes
onions, red + yellow
tomatoes

television in the animal kingdom

I was watching the rachael ray show today and learned these two very important things:
gorillas are 1) very smart, and 2) get bored easily. so with this in mind, what did the memphas zoo introduce to our dear friends the gorilla? television. yes, that's right. television. maybe we can make our primate friends just as fat and lazy as we are?

{and just so you know, the large gorilla pictured here, mwelu, is quite discerning. he dosn't like just any television program, he loves rachael ray.}

twenty-nine

01. he loves cold + dark 02. his favorite season is obviously winter 03. he is a champion for the earth 04. and an advocate for all things efficient 05. he dances like no other 06. and is my guitar hero 07. his smile melts my heart 08. he tickles relentlessly 09. he is a creative genius 10. and a computer wizard 11. he gets a little carried away on the equality of food 12. he's a jeans + tshirt kinda guy 13. he is kind 14. compassionate 15. giving 16. he has an innate sense of direction 17. if I were stranded on a desert island I would want him by my side 18. if I were stranded anywhere I would want him by my side 19. he's creative in the kitchen 20. he has the wanderlust 21. he is spontaneous + crazy 22. in the game of scrabble, he is expert 23. he's on the swimteam 24. he gets high on elevation 25. he has an inner cowboy 26. he's cute when he's asleep 27. he hiccups randomly 28. he loves his jetta wagon tdi almost more than me 29. he knows the value of hard work, in any aspect of life

I live and breathe for this man.

special birthday surprises were had this weekend. unfortunately no surprise party, but a semi-surprise jaunt up to meet my bloggy friend, jen {she is a cute runner blogger and has a cute family blog as well!} and crash her peach days bbq and ride her horses. let me tell you one thing about pete. he loves horses. loves them. I had no idea until that fateful day in costa rica. his inner cowboy spilled out and he's been dying to get back on and ride ever since. they say he's a natural. it was a fun little adventure and I'm glad jen and her family were so willing to share it with us.

his birthday dinner was a special surprise as well. I cooked fish. yes, you heard me. I cooked fish. this is a first for me. remember? and it was surprisingly easy + delicious. I'm not so scared of cooking fish anymore. the meal was rounded out with some long grain and wild rice, roasted vegetables, and steamed cabbage. of course there was the traditional red velvet cake. what birthday is complete without that?

as always, click to enlarge | adapted from THIS recipe

the backpacking bust

it's never a good sign as you're driving down the road to look out your window and see smoke coming from a mountain in the distance.

especially as you realize that the course you're driving is going to lead you straight to that smoke eventually.

and that's when you know that your backpacking trip is in serious jeopardy because the trail head might be on fire.


so as it turns out part of the bridger-teton wilderness was on fire this past week. perfect timing for our wind rivers trip. this is beginning to be the trip that never was. twice. last year's trip was canceled due to scotty, who forgot that med school started that week. this year's trip was canceled due to wildfire.

we're planning for mid-july '09. let's see what happens next year.

so instead of backpacking it was car camping. we tried to salvage the trip by going to grand teton national park. the tetons are amazing. but not quite the same trip when you're camping in a national park. {especially since you're not planning on spending money} at least you have bear lockers to put your food in and you don't have to worry about hanging bear bags.

{click to enlarge}

speaking of bears, we saw one. we saw one about ten feet away from the trail we were hiking on. I don't know if anyone else out there has ever snuck up on a bear, but it's pretty freaky. and quite dangerous. luckily he didn't notice us, or I might not have a face right now.

speaking of not having a face, on the other side of the lake we told everyone we hiked past to make lots of noise once they got near the bridge, that we had seen a bear. everyone was excited. nobody was worried in the least. hello, a bear. where is your healthy sense of fear? this thing could eat your face off. maybe they didn't realize it was that close to the trail. I guess I would be excited about seeing a bear from a distance. a safe distance. like at the zoo or something.


so as it turns out there's not much hiking at grand teton national park unless it's around lakes. {or unless you go backpacking, of course} and as it also turns out peter doesn't really like hiking around lakes--he needs elevation. but my friend really wanted to hike around lakes. total conflict of interests.

so to save the relationship {trust me, things could have turned ugly very quickly} we headed home early. it was probably a good thing because my friend said she was beginning to feel like she was on our family vacation. and nobody wants to tag along on someone else's family vacation.

goonies never say die

sometimes in life all your plans completely fall through and you are left to fend for yourself. luckily, on some such occasions you will happily stumble across the midnight flick at the tower: the goonies. and life will feel complete again as the film rolls by on the big screen.

upward lift

we were traveling down wyoming state road twenty-six, the landscape zooming beyond the window, my thoughts swirling. talk of the fallen arch filled the car. it's sad that future generations won't get to see it, she said. they'll all be gone someday, I responded. but new formations will rise. it's the same song and dance that has been going on since the beginning of time. through various forces, rocks rise. until time, erosion, gravity pull it all downward. it is a cycle. the sacred interplay of rebirth and renewal, of rise and fall.

quickly, I wrote these words down; putting pen to paper before they were forgotten:

the upward lift of rock to heaven
like hands held up in prayer

I held on to this imagery as we kept speeding past the tetons. I thought of these rocks, these mountain spires pushing up toward the sky. prayers unto heaven. hoping one day I, too, could be strong like the mountain.

m. phelps, the early years:

{has always been the fastest swimmer in the pool,
in world record time, of course}

csa: week nine

the goods:

01 cantaloupe
06 peaches
01 eggplant
02 garlic
07 assorted peppers

rode the bicycle to the csa pickup today. don't have to work and feeling free.

this boy

this boy
wanted some brownies
so badly
he even resorted
to sneaking a bite
straight from the pan
in the oven.

the brownies that were
for the funeral.

the brownies that had
to be cut up instead
of being given in the pan to
the neighbor
because of an unsightly
baked-in hole.


this boy just really likes
his treats.

you like?

then please vote.

this photo really says, summer. no? so please go vote for my lil' sis: the summer fun photo contest | #15 mary elizabeth. tell your friends. you know you want to. all the cool kids are doing it.

ps: if you vote and/or vote + blog the link, you can be entered in a fabulous giveaway a la miss mary elizabeth herself. what a sweet, giving person. so selfless like that. you should really go vote for her. really.

taco tuesday

it's back. taco tuesday is back! {for a special appearance this week}

you just cannot go wrong with the taco bar. what with all the taco meats and the cheeses and the special fixin's and all. I like to avoid the hard taco shells entirely, so I suggest using the tortillas you get from costco. you know, the ones you cook yourself. and an addition of fresh cut corn off the cob is a summertime treat. and who doesn't love the taco suicide mix at the end of the night? all the leftovers go in the bowl for one super taco salad.

oh how I love and miss the taco tuesday tradition.*

maybe next time we'll even invite the old crew back.

*for all you single ladies out there, instituting your own taco tuesday tradition amongst friends is a great way of snagging the man you have your eye on. especially if you have a friend with a pool. friends + double decker tacos + swimming + cute boys is a recipe for sure eternal love. especially if he also brings a kayak.

{not my tacos}

csa update

okay, you will all be glad to know we did not get any green beans in the csa today. I am about done with those things. I mean, they're tasty and all, but a couple pounds every week? two people can not eat them fast enough! {good thing my mother + sister gave me the brilliant idea of blanching them and then freezing them for later. duh--why didn't I think of that weeks ago?!}

so without further ado, here are the goods:

zucchini
yellow squash
corn
peas!
yummy peaches!
. . . and that may or may not be all.
oh, and potatoes.

so I'm pretty stoked on this week's variety. really I'm just glad we didn't get any beans. and I'll probably make some zucchini bread again with one of the zucchini's, which is always a good thing. and can I tell you how good that peach was? delightful.

merry christmas, grandpa + venna.

wanted:

a little secluded getaway with loved ones.

found:
a little secluded getaway with loved ones. plus some rummikub.

bonus:
one truly fun ride with the larisch through the oakley/kamas valley.

double bonus:
one monstrous burger at the road island diner + michael phelps on the television.

conclusion:
thank you g + v for letting us pay out our christmas dues in style.

LoVes and avalanches

e + p + p we are missing you already
now who will we go to hire's with? every. single. time.
have the most fun in georgia you could ever have
but don't worry, we will be there someday to run with you on thanksgiving
we love you!

we survived

yes it's true, we survived. what trip to lava hot springs is complete without a float down the portneuf? {well, probably a trip with the olympic-pool-diving-platforms-giant-water-slides and/or the hot pools. or even the diy triathlon, the lava monster.} now this section of the river, the one that flows through town, is quite deceiving. I have seen many people come out bleeding and in need of urgent medical attention. this is why I like to affectionately refer to it as the river of death. so you will be glad to know that we all made it out alive. even my 85 year old grandpa. though we did see some tubers do some pretty stupid things and in turn get pretty beat up. this section of the portneuf is not to be taken lightly.

{click to enlarge}

so much goodness

we had our co-op pickup for the month yesterday. this time around we did the harvest share, meaning more produce and no meat (all the meat from last month's pickup has remained untouched in the freezer). we have so much goodness packed into our fridge right now between the csa and the co-op it's unreal. now I'm just worried that we won't be able to eat it fast enough.

but in an effort to use up some of the goodness, we've made a special little peach dessert for the family get-together tomorrow. so get excited.

god's country

there are forces that shape land: wind, water, pressure, time. they always seem to play out most beautifully in the desert. it is like reading the history of the earth on open pages. a story of rise and fall. a story that we are so caught up in the middle of we don't even realize it's going on around us. every day. we are, in terms of geoligical time, just a speck on the line. I find comfort in that. I find comfort in knowing that whatever we may do, the earth will reclaim herself as her own. eventually. someday. that is the beauty of ecological succession. the ability of the earth to heal. to regrow. to fight. the evidence is in every weed, every blade of grass pushing itself up through the cracks in the sidewalk.

things you might learn on a mini vacation to bryce canyon for your sister's half marathon:

01. patience is a virtue
don't try and pass the line of cars waiting to be let through on the half marathon course.
especially not the police car and ambulance. and the people in the line will shout either
obscenities or scripture to you as you try and get back into the line.

02. the navajo loop + wall street
this is amazing landscape which is worth the short hike (but relatively steep hike) down into the canyon.
you will never in your life be more engulfed in your surroundings.

03. red canyon
perfect for a rain soaked evening and a brilliant sunset. the colors of the canyon walls soak up the evening light. walking among the formations you are reminded of the circles: this is bryce canyon in it's earlier stages. and one day, when bryce canyon has fallen to the forces that once created it, this canyon will take its place for those who come after.

04. panguitch
not just a sleepy town on the way to bryce canyon, panguitch utah could someday be called home.
how we yearn for some small town living.

05. orange + green + blue
god is most definitely an artist. he has put together the most beautiful palate of colors
right here in canyon country. they are deep + rich + vibrant and I am in love.

csa: week four

corn
green beans
apricots
zucchini
yellow squash
cucumber

(I never really posted about last week's csa goodies... sorry. now I don't remember what we got, except for the special cheese from a local cheese company and the mini beets that I had originally thought were radishes... otherwise it was a lot of the same stuff we got the week before: cherries, peas, garlic, et cetera...)

telly without context

my spoon is too big! | I'm a banana!

if you're dying for some time-wasting fun, please hurry your little web browser over to neave.com. more specifically THIS page. you will not regret it. ever. neave television is bewildering, baffling fun. it takes random to the extreme. and I love random to the extreme.

csa: week two

I should really post what we get the day we get it. tomorrow is yet again csa pickup day. {note to self: don't forget that it's csa pickup day} let me try and remember what we got last week...

salad greens
peas
cherries
herbs
garlic

to be honest, I haven't really been cooking much these days. {but who is in this heat?} so if I can eat it with minimal prep, then that's good enough for me. I was just telling pete today that I am so over salad dressings, because I'm raw. it's true. I'm raw. okay, so I'm not really raw, but I like to pretend. I've been eating a lot of salads and raw veggies. so yes, I've been loving the csa. and the food co-op.

the freedom hike 2K8

I feel like every time peter and I go hiking lately I fear slightly for my life. it probably has something to do with rock scrambles and steep slopes. but in any case it's always a good view + a fun time.

I love where we live.

I love our mountains.

I love our new independence day tradition.

csa: week one

the players: salad greens, cherries, peas + anasazi beans

last monday we picked up our first CSA share off of some random porch on sherman avenue and I am in love.