OH TANNENBAUM!

This is my sweet little Christmas tree:

   
Not very ornamented at this point, but complete with its birdie (the first companion this tree ever had, a gift given to me the day I found this tree in a thrift shop near Stonington Borough, CT) and bubble lights (discovered in the same shop, the same day).  
Putting up the tree and having the colored and boiling lights going in the dining room makes me ready for celebrating the cheerful warmth of being inside during the winter, instead of quietly dreading the darkness and cold that is coming.  
I love real Christmas trees, but I have to say, that after 3 years of assembling and trimming this skinny little huy, unfolding every hinged branch after 3 seasons in the attic, I feel bonded to it and glad to welcome it out of hiding for a month (or more...if my roommate will allow it).  
P.S. I used WeGIF to show you how the lights boil. Pretty handy little site.

OCTOBER INSIDE.

I can't remember the last time I carved a pumpkin.  But some friends and I got to scoop guts, saw out hearts and toast seeds this year.  Neither pumpkin ended up being seasonally themed, but I love how they came out!  There's just something about the naturalness, handmade-ness, the fire glowing from within (and that orange stain and pumpkin smell you can't get off your hands for 2 days).  

It's important to note that these two pumpkins were selected by a friend who went out of her way to go to 3 different farms/stores/stands before she decided she had found the right pumpkins.  I'm telling you, the "Perfect Pumpkin Perception" is a strong force indeed.

OCTOBER OUTSIDE.

Last weekend I couldn't help myself from taking a trip to Russell Orchards.  The day was one of those brilliant fall days where the wind and the sunshine are perfect and you can smell both growth and harvest at the same time.  I sat by the pumpkins for a while, catching up on reading and listening to people choose pumpkins together.

Everyone knew exactly what they were looking for in a pumpkin.  I don't think anyone would be able to describe it, but they sure did know it when they saw it.

It was amazing, how sure people could be that they'd found the one.

I picked up a few treats while I was there: apple cider donuts (a fall necessity), mulled apple cider (to fight the brisk wind), a variety of apples grown right there and a bottle of strawberry-rhubarb wine.

It started to rain after about 2 hours, so I left and took a drive.
I felt so grounded and refreshed by the colors of marsh and fall and rain.  

Crane Property, Ipswich, MA

CATCHING THE NIGHT, DIGITALLY.

Lago Maggiore, Gignese, Italy, July 2011 

Night Sky, Readfield, Maine, August 2011

Devereux Beach, Marblehead, Massachusetts, September 2011

Attempts at using a digital point-and-shoot like I'd use a film camera.  Long exposures to capture the breathtaking mystery of being outside in the nighttime.

LUGANO: LIVING ON THE EDGE

San Salvatore mountain is right on the edge of Switzerland and Italy.  I had the joy of taking a funicular train up the mountain and hiking back down on a strangely beautiful day.  It was incredible.  To trek through the forest was refreshing and exhausting, and it began to pour near the end of our descent.
When we got to the bottom of the mountain, we were tired and wet and looking at this amazing lake at the base of these mountains, a valley lake.

 

It was calm except for the pouring rain.  And we decided to jump in.  Unplanned, in our hiking clothes.  And it was glorious.  Swimming in that cool, but not cold, water...in a valley, mountains all around...all quiet except for the tinkling, sparkling sound of the pouring rain on the otherwise still water.  It was too much to take in.  Too perfect, too beautiful.  So we treaded water and prayed.  It was the only possible response.  God was speaking to us and we had to speak back, to praise him out loud together for the fullness and glory we were experiencing.  It was a moment you can't plan, you can't prepare for, you can only be lead to.  

And when you're lead there, you have to be ready to jump in. 

CHE BELLA!: CINQUE TERRE AND RISK TAKING

On a day trip from Milano to Manarola this summer, I saw the Mediterranean for the first time.  The whole thing was an adventure, barely figuring out the train, bringing a pack of wandering Americans to a tiny seaside cliff town.  But it was magical.  The sea was amazing.  Stunning and a welcome sight after not seeing a distant horizon for a number of weeks.  I love the horizon.  I've said that.  It connects me to infinity and eternity and things that are bigger and more vast than I can fathom.  I need that in my life.    While I was there, I decided to jump off a cliff.  It was at least 25 feet up.  It was terrifying.  This is the picture to prove it, but I'll just say it took me about 15 minutes of standing on top of the rock and seeing other people not die to convince me.  The whole crowd of onlookers (on the side of the picture taker) were chanting my name by the end of my experience.  I just couldn't jump.  I was so afraid I'd do it wrong and die.  But I wanted to know what it was like.  I wanted to be part of the adventure.  I wanted to be and feel brave.  In the end, I couldn't look.  I couldn't think about it anymore.  I couldn't analyze.  I just had to jump.  I'll never do it again.  But I'm glad I did.

The rock formation in the center is where we jumped from.  The water come in from the right to the other side and the jumping picture was taken from the walkway below where the buildings are.

GOING PLACES.

Every time I see this, it thrills me.  

The spirit of seeing and moving and going and adventuring.  

It gets me every time.

Check out their other videos, EAT and LEARN.

Though this is by far the most inspiring of the three.

BEING WRONG.

Came upon this on one of the sites I follow.  This is a theme that's come up a lot lately.  The importance of making mistakes and taking risks despite the potential for being wrong is showing up everywhere I turn: TED talks, illustrations, fables of corporate leadership (see temptation #3), discipling conversations, and reflections on living in the Kingdom of God (I cannot rely on human calculations of results to evaluate potential courses of action.  I have to obey God.  Isaiah 50:10-11 and a hundred more like it).

This is off the usual focus of do/make/see/taste/tell.  But in a conceptual sense, it has to do with seeing.  And the fear of being wrong is a major source of paralysis for me in every area of doing/being/making/creating. Everywhere this message is coming through to me: be humble, let go of fear (of failure, of how other people view me, of how I will view myself, of being wrong), take risks of obedience, take action and walk by faith in God.  Get over yourself and your vision of who you should or shouldn't be, so that you can live and grow in truth.

This is a lesson I've spent my whole life trying to embrace and the recent thoughts are just the latest wave.  I have much to learn.  These are some thoughts I felt should be collected, even if they aren't fully developed.  Step one in letting go the fear of being wrong might be letting into the light sooner raw ideas and things yet to be formed.  I don't know, but I'll put it out there.  Thoughts?

IRA GLASS: ON MAKING STUFF

GRANOLA-ING AGAIN.

So, I've been working on developing a granola recipe that I love.  Since starting the adventure with Elizabeth I can't bring myself to buy pre-made granola, and my Greek yogurt is getting lonely.

I've gotten some advice from other granola-ing friends and tried some different versions based loosely on recipes I've found around the internet.

But today I found sweet success and a leap in the right direction.

This recipe is the result of a few changes since my previous efforts:

• Removed walnuts: their flavor is too intense and overrides all the other subtle flavors.
• Added more honey and brown sugar: to increase sweetness and chewiness.
• Reduced the amount of cinnamon: it's so spicy and can quickly take over the flavor.  I wanted only a strong hint.
• Left out maple syrup: only because I didn't have any.  I would keep it in there...probably about 2 tablespoons to a 1/4 cup, and reduce the honey proportionally.
• Used part quick oats: again, a product of what was in my pantry, but I think the finer oats also help create clusters, which I like.

It came out fabulously.  Just the right combo between chewy and crunchy, and it actually formed some decent clusters!  Try it.  I think the big key at the end is to remove the granola from the oven right as it starts to be toasting all over (you can smell it because some parts will toast faster).  And then just leave it to cool completely before you put it in an airtight container for storage.  This produces toasted, but still chewy and not burnt-tasting granola.

If you have any granola-ing advice, please send it my way!

MILANO: FLOORED

For the record, I am completely overwhelmed at trying to begin blogging after spending most of the summer in Milan, Italy--taking in too much doing/making/seeing/tasting to possibly tell in any complete way.  Not that anyone exactly reads this, but for my faithful friends (thanks for subscribing Michelle), I'm just going to jump back into it.  This way I can get on with life and sharing the lovely things I'm experiencing as I return home for a New England summer.  And perhaps an Italian post will show up from time to time.

To give you a tiny taste of Milano, here's some pictures of the FLOOR of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.  It was stunning and is constantly being repaired and refreshed (just like the Duomo that stands a few hundred yards away).
I did a whole lot of walking in this city.  A whole lot of dusty, grimy, dog-poop dodging and walking.  But this was by far the most beautiful surface I crossed.

MANGIA!: INSALATA MISTO

I'm in Milano for a while this summer, and I'm finding my staple to be this:  a mixed salad, dressed with salt and oil, and bread.  I'm loving the Italian twist, which tends to include fabulous tuna (totally unlike what I'm used to in America), olives, mozzarella and corn (in addition to the classic tomatoes).  It is a great mix of subtle flavors and freshness, while still offering protein, and it's cool enough for the sweltering heat.

When I put together a salad from the grocery store, my staple has become a shredded salad mix that includes scallions, ripe pears and brie, also dressed with olive oil and salt and eaten with great bread.  I'm not typically one to splurge on bread, but the bread here is different.  And the oil too.  So much flavor just in those two items!  Give me that and l'acqua frizzante (water with gas) and I'm set.

SWEET FRIENDS

Today some of my friends drove out to spend time at one of the most special places on earth: Salem Willows.  They humored me and tried all the strange popcorn bar flavors from E.W. Hobbs and several of us walked away with snaps after rocking some skee ball and air hockey.  I'm heading off on an long adventure tomorrow, and it was great to spend time with these people at this place.  It was tasting a bit of the summer that might have been while looking forward to the summer that will be.

MOTHER'S DAY: BACK TO 1988

It's been a while since it was just the three of us celebrating mother's day.  It's probably been since May 1988 (I suppose Mike was sort of there, but we couldn't see him, so it was sort of just us).  We've certainly missed The Wedge this week, but having lunch with them to celebrate Mom today, and having dinner together earlier this week for Dad's birthday, I've had a chance to soak up their friendship.  I've got really special parents and I love this picture of them.  I wish I had met them back in the early 80s when they met each other--Studly Tom and Susan the Artist in their late 20s--that would have been great.  But I'm glad I know them now: devoted, silly, hopeful, creative, patient, generous, tried, true.  They walk with God deeply and steadfastly, together and separately.  And they always point me back to what it is all about, encouraging me to have faith and trust God at all times.  It's an honor to be their daughter.  

BRILLIANT BANANA ICE CREAM

This is a dream flavor. Roasted banana ice cream, with cinnamon and nutmeg, swirled with caramel and brown sugar. Luxurious at minimum.

SUNSHINE AND FOG

Two of my favorites, and the Atlantic. This is a beautiful morning. Thank you God for New England.

I THINK IT'S MY FAVORITE FLOWER

Ranunculus.

Admittedly I swiped the first image from another blog I was reading because I wanted everyone to see how lovely this flower is.  I think it's my current favorite (gasp! I said favorite!).  Trader Joe's has been selling them recently and somehow I haven't forked over the 5 bucks to bring some home.  I think there's something about the bunches of layers.  I love layers.  Mmmm, they're just so lovely and full and amazing.  

JUST RIGHT PORRIDGE

Sugar Mag's on Main St in Gloucester needs to get some credit for this incredible, but understated breakfast treat. Good old-fashioned oatmeal is filled with granny-smith apples, cranberries, coconut, brown sugar and spices, topped with crunchy granola and served with milk/cream. It's heavenly and a perfect mixture of flavors and textures. I try to make it in for this every time I come out to Fishtown. You've got to try their carrot cake pancakes as well...a sneaky dessert for breakfast wonder!

GROWN-UP CHOCOLATE

Didn't make the cut for a seat by the music tonight, but we celebrated roomie's birthday early with grandiose versions of favorite chocolate treats. It's great to have Saturday night glamour only walking distance away.

FIRST DAY OF SPRING?

Spring 2011 was welcomed by snow. Gratefully, I have a little pot of wheatgrass from Elizabeth to remind me that green will come soon.

OLD SCHOOL FUEL

Something struck me about this hint of the former days of fueling. The mechanicalness of it was cozier. And they trusted me to pay after the gasoline was in my car. It made it a little easier to give up $3.50/gallon.

ANOTHER VIEW

I don't know why, but I feel compelled to share photos of the horizons I see. Especially the ocean. There's just something about them that reminds me, wherever I am, of how big and amazing and gorgeous God is. These are from a trip to Fort Williams Park, the Portland Head Light, in Cape Elizabeth. Another beautiful fact: it was a 50F day.

BEGINNER GRANOLA-ING

First ever attempt at home-making granola, with Elizabeth.

We combined 4c rolled oats, 1c sweetened shredded coconut, 1c sliced almonds, 1tsp cinnamon, and 1/4c vegetable oil. Then we boiled 1/4c maple syrup, 1/2c brown sugar and 4tsp honey in 3/4c apple juice. We added 1tbsp vanilla extract after the liquids boiled and were removed from heat. The wet was mixed well with the dry and the whole lot was spread evenly over two foil-lined baking sheets.

The sheets went in a 275F preheated oven and we tossed the granola and rotated the sheets every 15 minutes or so until almost golden brown. About 40-45minutes. Then the oven was turned off and the sheets left in it with the oven door ajar until they cooled.

And voila! A basic tasty and crunchy granola. We both thought it could stand for a little more sweetness. And we might get braver and add favorite seeds and/or dried fruit in the future. But for a first try, we patted ourselves on the back as we scooped up another scrumptious handful.

QUARTER CENTURY SEA

ON THE WAY HOME

I am so grateful for the skies. As I made my way home on Wednesday I caught this wispy glowing beauty out my window. And I wondered how many drivers missed the glory of their journey as they focused on arriving at their destination.

TWICE BURIED

OUT ON THE BLOCK

Roommate and I felt lovely and adventurous as we braved the cold and the late hour for a night out. A taste of Tuscany and jazz up the street. Zucchini-turned-pasta and the trio both hit the spot.

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU TWO BLIZZARDS...

Make a giant snowman.

BANANA MILKSHAKE

One frozen overripe banana, thawed.
Two scoops of vanilla ice cream.
Half cup of whole milk.
Few ice cubes.
Dash of nutmeg, dash of cinnamon.
Blended. Plus whipped cream.

BLIZZARDY

Today I went down to the beach in the blizzard. It was breathtaking and magical.

QUIET SATURDAY