"Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History"

This week, I was reminded of Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's oft quoted book title as I reflected on three of my favourite women ~ Anna, Scarlett and Nora.

While I was writing my June 21st post, I wanted to verify my Scarlett O'Hara quote. I was shocked and horrified to read entry after entry describing her as manipulative. Whaaat? 

Let's review . . .

Scarlett is a nineteen year old widow with a child. She is smack in the middle of General Sherman's March to the Sea. The same general who famously (or infamously) said "War is hell. War is cruelty and you cannot refine it." While her relatives sit in a house in Macon she paid for, eating petit fours she provided, she is vilified for not being a lady. Her mother was dead, her father was crazy, her sisters feckless whiners. What was Scarlett to do? To use the current vernacular ~ she had to "man-up." And, man-up she did.

Unlike Scarlett, Anna Karenina is destroyed by making the grievous error of not just having an affair but actually falling in love. A victim of the 19th century requirement that women who refused to obey societal mores needed to be punished and usually ended up dead at the end of the book. Tough crowd.



And, now . . . the death of Nora Ephron. A woman of distinction and courage who famously said to the graduating class at Wellesley, “I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women.”

An introspective week.

Made more hopeful by a quote from The Dalai Lama - “The World Will Be Saved By the Western Woman”.

I like the 150 year trajectory of women.

Day 56 Everyday Grateful ~

Sunny, then cloudy, then, misty, now, cool

Audrey came by with Goodwill wine glasses! Fun

I'm ready for summer!

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/06/screenwriter-nora-ephron-dead-at-age-71.html

100 Posts and Counting . . .

Over 50 years? Gawd, has it been that long?

Apparently so . . .

In my distant youth, I read “The Diary of Anne Frank.” Harrowing, horrifying, terrifying, inspiring. It made me yearn to keep a diary. My "Anne Frank" phase lasted about a page and a half. There’s nothing romantic about being pursued by Nazis and I was leading a pretty plain vanilla-American-grade-schooler life. Sure, we lived at Edwards AFB during the "Right Stuff" era, but mostly I had nothing to write about.

Off and on over the years, I’d try again. The results all seemed so angst ridden and whiny or hideously embarrassing, I'd stuff it into a drawer and go on to other things. I envied my friends who journaled but that just never called my name.

So, for the last thirty-five years, I’ve been an interior designer with my own small firm. During that time, I’ve done work for giant institutions (The Port of Seattle ~ Sea-Tac Airport), the city of Seattle, the University of Washington, several Microsoft billionaires, several millionaires and some thousandaires. Since the 90’s, I’ve concentrated on historic restoration, green construction, and the use of architectural salvage. Deeply satisfying work that matched my personal values.

I ran for Congress in a thoroughly conservative district (that's another story with the working title "The Day I Went Crazy and Ran for Congress!") and immersed myself in crafting my progressive views. I didn't win. It was a profound and inspiring adventure.

My children are grown. My oldest is an attorney with a large American law firm. He is based in Milan. My youngest son is an Equity actor and has his first leading role. They both graduated from schools in Boston and lead interesting, full-filling lives. My late husband was a certified financial planner, a Naval aviator and in one of the early classes of Top Gun. I have a dog the size of a sofa who thinks of our relationship as collegial. I live in a small palazzo in the suburbs of Seattle.

In November 2008, the recession caught up with me and I needed to change directions.

This March, I was driving back from a client’s on a wonderful bright Seattle day. Mount Rainier was out. I had an epiphany. I need to do something different.

Now, I write. I have things to say. I love everything about the process: crafting the thought, taking the photos, launching the post. Soul satisfying.

While it is true, the Nazis aren’t chasing me, my house is underwater and, like many of you out there, I'm tap dancing as fast as I possibly can. I'm working to make a dollar act like $10.00. And, I live in fear of Bank of America. Does that count?

As I explore this new adventure, let me know what you think . . .

Perfect Seattle Early Spring Weather ~ Oh, wait! It's Almost July!

I refuse to turn the heat on in the summer! But, yikes! It's been cold and damp here for several days. Perfect napping weather. Hard to get motivated weather.

This weekend, I smoked a bunch of wild salmon. Got them all sealed and into the freezer.

At the bottom of the image,
the 5 thicker pieces were from my friend
Mary's son's Washington coast fishing trip!

This morning? The perfect breakfast!

And, while I was making the perfect breakfast, Ramses was taking a morning nap. Oh. brother! That dog! He keeps forgetting his is not allowed on the sofa. The worst part of that? He matches so well, he's practically in camo!

Back to work.

Day 55 Everyday Grateful ~

Rainy. Really rainy. Cold. Damp.

 Sheesh, it's June for God's sake!

Melamine ~ Hideous Except When It's Beautiful!

I put it down to having been raised in the 50's. I just don't have a thing for Melamine. It kindah creeps me out.

Have you ever noticed the instant you make a deep pronouncement, the next day you are eating your words? Yah, me too! A while ago, I chanced upon a church rummage sale. Mostly I avoid them but I'm glad I dropped in. I bought two things and got out of there for under $20. The first was a fantastic kneeling camel which I use in my guest bath to hold Q-tips. Niiiice.

 

The other was a pair of over-sized Melamine leaves in a very nice creamy white.

FAN TAS TIC!

Not only are they completely beautiful and in immaculate condition, but they look amazing on the table. I picked them up immediately.

 

Fast forward. Last summer, I was helping out a friend who has a shop in Old Bellevue. I was walking around to familiarize myself with her stock when . . . whoa! Porcelain leave trays. First cousins to my large Melamine trays at ten times to price. Sure, the porcelain leaves were wonderful, but were they 10 times more wonderful?

No, they weren't.

Every time I use my lovely Melamine leaves, I'm reminded of their rich porcelain cousins who probably live in the Hamptons when they aren't vacationing in BVI and are not nearly as astonishingly beautiful as my little church rummage sale find.

There's a lesson there. Keep your eyes open (oh, and, Heidi? Stop making pronouncements!)

Is this a great country or what!

Tricks of the Trade ~ Repairing Scratches on Wood

My late husband was a Naval aviator. He's was Mr. Shiny Shoes. Also, Mr. Pressed suit, starched shirt, clean nails, ready smile. When he died, all the really dear things he did or kept or built or read became talismans to me.

One of my favourites is his shoe shine kit. I have no idea when he made it. It could have been in high school when he was an Eagle Scout; it could have been when he was in the Navy; it could have been when he got back to civilian life.

It's so much like him ~ several of everything. He was an aviator after all ~ Mr. Redundant Systems.

Unfortunately for him, I was not Mrs. Shiny Shoes ~ though I do admire it in others.

One of the things I love about his little shoe shine kit extravaganza is the number of colours of shoe polish he had. I may not shine my shoes, but I do like shiny, cared-for furniture.

Here's a tip I learned from a good friend who has the most wonderful antique-cum-junk stores in the Seattle area. Charles uses shoe polish to hide surface scratches on the pieces he has for sale. Shoe polish is intensely coloured and buffs up to a nice lustrous glow. Thirsty wood looks dewy. The application is easy and the results immediate.

I like to use Meltonian Cream. It comes in an astonishing number of colours. 45! Yowza! It's a very elegant material. Cordovan is heaven on mahogany. Black, of course, is a must. As well as dark brown. When you aren't using them on your furniture, they can reside in your shoe shine kit.

I love products that do double duty!

And, if you are ever in the Seattle area, check out St. Charles Place Antiques and Restorations. it's not the least bit chi-chi but, he really has treasures!

Really!

Day 54 Everyday Grateful ~

Rainy.

Really rainy.

Cold even ~ sheesh, it's June for God's sake!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Charles-Place-Antiques-Restorations/109817639078779

http://www.meltonian.com/

Turkey as a Condiment ~ A Personal History of a Pickle

Several years ago, I spent a lot of time on the other side of the state taking care of my father when his health was failing. Now, the thing about the other side of the state is it is "MEATropolis." Even with the great Snake River flowing past it, all the fish in the markets is farmed (and, you know how I loathe farmed fish! It's filthy.) As a result, finding veggie things was difficult.

One summer, I was there for nearly a month. I was speaking with the woman who eventually took care of my father. She asked me to stay for lunch. In my brain, I'm thinking, "there is not one thing in this kitchen I can eat. Mmmm, what now? Do you have any tuna?"

"Yes, I do," she said. "What do you like on it?"

"Do you have any pickles?"

"Yes, go out to the garage. There is a big jar of pickles in the refrigerator. Take this jar with you."

So, I head out to the garage, find the aforementioned refrigerator, open it, and . . . whoa! A gallon jar of pickles. Wow! This valley is not only MEATropolis, but also, CANNINGslavania. I fill up the quart jar and return to the kitchen to complete my sandwich.

Even now, as I'm writing this, my mouth is watering!

The long story short is that by the time I left to come home, my sandwiches had gone from tuna with pickles to pickles with tuna. And, I had motored through nearly an entire gallon of pickles. Don't judge me! And, the best part is that I learned how to make my own pickles. Heaven!

In 2009, when I was firmly in the depths of the Depression (thank you, Paul Krugman for calling it what it is), I needed Christmas presents. Dough was scarce. That summer, I had made 10 gallons of pickles. I decanted them into quart jars, came up with a nifty label of Ramses giving Clark a lick massage, wrapped them up in a darling way and as I gave them out, I told everyone all they were getting from me was a Hug and Kiss. Success!

The pickles and my smoked wild salmon were a hit and are now de rigueur for all holidays and other events.

I took a couple of quarts to Robby and Janet's Open House and gave one to them and one to my friend, Zen, boy-genius architect for his birthday. He pronounced them "excellent."

I got this email today from Zen ~

So I have to relay:

Yesterday was a typical situation where if I'm just here working & have no meetings scheduled, by about 2:00 I realize I haven't eaten all day. I got out your jar of pickles, some spicy mustard, mayo, cheese &, some sliced turkey. I carefully filled every available space on the bread with pickle slices, bonded to the bread with the mustard & mayo like placing pebble tiles in a mortar bed on a slab. The slab (bread) was no longer visible. The turkey then, at this point, became more of a condiment, as it was now really a pickle sandwich with a little turkey. Quite delicious actually. Including the extra pickles I placed on the plate for good measure.

I stopped only momentarily to evaluate the foreign triangular object discovered when pulling out my mound of superb pickle slices. What's this??! What the hell??! This isn't a pickle......on closer examination it seems to be an onion.....more specifically, an onion taking up valuable space in my now diminishing jar of pickle goodness. But what to do?? Is this meant to be eaten?? Or is it like the funny leaves in Thai Tom Ka soup??.....there to add flavor but only an idiot would eat the thing. Who knows?? Certainly not the gourmet challenged like myself. Where is Mario Batali when you need him???

I placed a few more on my burger last night. There was a brief marital discussion on the possibility of dicing some for a relish. No, I say!! Blasphemy! There will be no brutal dismemberment of the delicate discs on my watch, damn you......

 

xoxo, your appreciative & confused friend,

Z

Whereupon, I thus replied ~

Oh, the humanity! Oh, my Dear Appreciative and Confused Friend ~

Is this like the platter that sez, "Pasta" on it and you daren't use it for anything else because the "Pasta" platter police who monitor said china will break down your door and throw you to the ground?

Avast! We must not be held hostage to the culinary despots who feel the need to label every glazed accoutrement in the kitchen. Go forth! Put q-tips in the jar marked "Tea." Throw caution to the wind and embrace the feeling of joyous rebellion as you decide for yourself what goes in that dish or that plate. They are not the boss of you!

Sooo, while the label sez, "Hug and Kiss Pickles" Yes, I threw some onions in. And, yes, the onions are toothsome and delicious as well. Don't get scared!

And, taking Jill's side ~ the brine is heaven in potato salad. I'm just sayin' . . . Does this mean you need another jar of pickles?

Enquiring minds want to know.

XOXO

H

Day 53 Everyday Grateful ~

Rainy, drizzly . . . should be doing things.

Was a lazy damn dog all day!

A Multicultural Dinner ~ Chinese, Mexican, Swedish, Norwegian, Romanian! In fact, The Pretty Much the Whole Damn World Was Represented!

My entire peony "crop."

So, Eme (our Chinese exchange student who now works at Microsoft) brought her mother (who is visiting from China) to dinner this evening.

Kim (who is staying with me) is a visiting nurse and pretty much did the whole dinner. Enchiladas, Spanish Rice, Guacamole. I did the black bean salsa with blue and yellow corn chips. We started with a nice bottle of wine and finished with a couple of bottles of three buck chuck Shiraz.

A lot of the world was represented. Chuck and his girlfriend Dana who is Canadian by way of Romania. I'm Norwegian, Scot and a little German. And, over dinner we found out that Kim's great-grandfather was Chinese. Whaaaaaat!

God, I love having dinner with friends. Conversation around the table is fascinating. Eme's mother is a charge nurse in China. So, through Eme's translation her mother and Kim got to swap stories which is how we found out that Kim's great-grandfather was Chinese and the towns people in their Mexican town didn't like him running around with Kim's soon to be great-grandmother. Utterly compelling story which ended in a lynching. Oh, dear God. Another reminder ~ everyone has an astonishing story.

The beginnings of Spanish rice

Anyway, it was wonderful.

After cleaning up the kitchen and loading the dishwasher, I started brining the wild salmon to get them in the smoker this weekend. Talk about pioneer woman.

A really, really nice day.

Homemade Enchiladas, Spanish Rice, Black Bean Salsa, Guacamole ~ Oh! Yum.

Kim's homemade guacamole

Enchiladas? You're going to need these.

Black Bean Salsa in papier mache bowl

Day 52 Everyday Grateful ~

Such a gorgeous sunny day. Warm, still, bright.

Friends over for dinner.

Happy!

Don't Read This ~ You've Been Warned!

A while ago, I told you about what a hairy hound Ramses is. Well, the last few days have been very warm in Seattle and ~ how can I put this delicately? Ramses has started to blow his coat. If you recall my blogpost of May 16, I discussed His Supreme Hairiness in (I'm sorry) excruciating detail.

Today makes that post read like Ramses is a Mexican Hairless! Especially because I'm having friends for dinner and he's a complete shedding fool. Professional, even!

So, here's what is happening. This evening, my exchange student from China who stayed here last summer while she interned at Microsoft is coming to dinner with her mother. Eme graduated from university a little while ago and her mother came to see the ceremony. Eme is starting work at Microsoft, has rented her apartment and is ready to go. She wanted us to meet her mother before she goes back to China the first of the week.

My neighbor Chuck is particularly fond of her. His hectic travel schedule sometimes makes coordination of festivities difficult. But, good news! He and his girlfriend are available tonight to see Eme and her mother.

So, I've been doing all the things people do who are having others over for dinner ~ blow off the driveway, the courtyard and back decks, mow the weensy patch of lawn, make the shopping list for dinner and hors d'oeuvres and vacuum.

Good thing my napkins are ironed (God, that Heidi! She's such a little overachiever! :-), but . . .

Whoa! What the hell is Ramses' coat doing? As fast as I vacuum it up, the more the hair literally blows off his body. Oh, jeez! He's blowing his coat. I know, I'll give him a quick brush/comb. Oh dear God! It's time to go nuclear. A major attack is required. So, for the last hour, I've been brushing/combing Ramses. The horrifying thing is I have this mondo pile of feather-soft apricot undercoat (see above) and he could really benefit from another hour of combing. But, if I spend another hour combing him, I won't be ready for dinner at 6:00.

So, I'm going to call it good (that's an optimistic view ~ read fairy tale) and get back to work.

Mmmm, I wonder if there's a cottage industry in constructing hairnets for dogs?

"Oh, I can't think about this now! I'll go crazy if I do! I'll think about it tomorrow. I'll think about later . . .  when I'm at Tara" . . . right now, it's shopping, preparation for dinner and another quick vacuum.

I'll report in later . . .

Day 51 Everyday Grateful ~

Such a gorgeous sunny day. Warm, still, bright. 

Friends over for dinner.

Logan is in rehearals for Rent!

Happy!

http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Wind-Margaret-Mitchell/dp/0446365386

http://thefairhero.blogspot.com/2012/05/wow-what-great-dog-does-he-shed-much.html

Stone Soup, Redux ~ What to Do With an Entire Head of Celery

I love celery.

What I don't love is buying an entire head and not really knowing what to do with it once I've used a couple of stocks in the dish I'm making. And, the next time you notice it, it's a limp, bitter mess.

Not attractive.

While I appreciate celery stuffed with peanut butter or cream cheese or somesuch, I'm just not interested in fussing with it.

It's been a kindah rainy, dreary day. Almost cold. The perfect soup weather . . .

"Mmmm, what to make? " I thought as I stood in front of my opened refrigerator. As I've mentioned before, I'm sort of famous (or infamous, if you will) for having a refrigerator full of nothing but condiments. Not a single meal (except my fresh bagel, cream cheese, capers, smoked salmon, sliced tomato standard) to be had.

And, then I spied it ~ a full head of celery I'd bought this weekend. Fresh, crisp, nice. Celery soup! Oh, yes! That's just what I'll make.

I sauteed an onion with a couple of cloves of garlic. Added some fresh stock. Coarse chopped the entire head of celery including the few leaves and threw in a cup of rice. Set it to simmer.

When everything was tender, the chopped celery was a little too aggressive looking so I sieved out the broth and threw the solids into the Cuisinart. Re-added the broth and stirred in some half and half, freshly ground pepper, some salt and freshly ground coriander seeds from my friend Byron's astonishing garden.

At the table, I had the last of the smoky BBQ'd fresh wild salmon to crumble over the soup. How's this for a visual? Steaming Celadon green soup with bright red salmon broken over the top. Oh, yes!

Niiiiiiiiiiiice!

Was it a big damn deal? No. But, it was fresh, fragrant, hearty, toothsome and a lovely way to end the day. 

 

 

Day 50 Everyday Grateful ~

Rainy, blustery day. Friends for dinner.

Logan is coming to town tomorrow!

Happy!

French Toast for Sunday Brunch ~ The Aftermath . . .

Oh, that was delicious! French toast for brunch. Sure it used a dozen eggs, but, oh, yum!

My next door neighbor Chuck was the guest of honour. First, it's Father's Day and he's our in loco fathertis and secondly, it was a continuation of his birthday.

There were four of us for breakfast. Karen went off to church so we saved some for her. Kim regaled us about her first visit to Fremont and her first encounter with the Naked Bicyclists in the Solstice Parade.

Once we started talking about bikes, we talked about the STP (Seattle to Portland bike race) the RAMROD (Ride around Mount Rainier in One Day) riding in the abandoned train tunnels in the Cascades, riding from Germany to Copenhagen.

We talked about the Lenin statue and its pride of place on Leary Avenue and Kim got her picture taken with the Fremont Troll under the Aurora Avenue bridge. We talked about the education system in the US, Paul Krugman and the handbasket it looks like we may be in. We talked about this and that and worked our way through a pan of scrumptiousness.

Is this a great country or what!

Yes, we saved some for Karen!

 

Day 49 Everyday Grateful ~

Sunny, blustery day, friends for brunch.

Called the Bear in Milan to wish him a Happy Father's Day.

Happy!

The Night Before ~ French Toast for Brunch

Tomorrow morning, friends are coming over for brunch.

I'm fixing a classic French bread for breakfast. There is something really comforting about whisking 8 eggs, 1/4 C sugar, 3 cups of milk, some fresh butter, Vanilla and a little nutmeg together and pouring the mixture over the 1 1/2 baguettes left over from dinner on Friday night and knowing it will be delicious.

I like to cut the bread into generous 2" thick pieces and stand them up in an oblong baking dish. When they are all arranged, I pour the egg/milk mixture over them, cover and put them in the refrigerator overnight.

When everyone arrives for breakfast, the house will be redolent with the smell of nutmeg, butter and vanilla baking. I know my little pan will not only be delicious but also beautiful when I take it out of the oven. I predict many oooh's and ahhh's will be heard.

I'll keep you posted.

Day 48 Everyday Grateful ~

Misty day, ran errands with Ramses.

Talked with Logan as he prepares to come to Seattle for Rent.

Happy!

http://www.loganbenedict.com/
http://www.seattle-theatre.com/theaters/5th-avenue-theater/theater.php

Wild Salmon ~ Hey People, This is Serious!

Remember the opening sequence of Romancing the Stone?

"But if there's one law of the West -- bastards have brothers, who seem to ride forever."

Why is it important to remember Romancing the Stone? Well, that about sums up the plight of environmentalists working to protect the Wild. And, who are those bastards? You've heard of them. Federal regulatory agencies, like the EPA, Interior, FDA, Congress (both houses) and don't forget the money guys ~ large agribusiness, large energy corporations, etc. Notice anything? The ones you might think would put your health, the health of the planet and its welfare first are firmly in the pocket of those who don't give a rip about you.

Those of us in the environmental movement have a gallows sense of humour about this but sometimes the truth is just too painful and the prick draws blood. Then, we realize it just isn't funny. This is a catastrophe. A damn tragedy.

To quote Michael Wells' Salmon Blog ~ If wild salmon and steelhead are to be saved in the Snake River Basin, then their story has to be told by far more people than people like me. They won't be saved if the media continues to refuse to scratch the surface of wild fish runs and opts instead to publish the blah so many outdoors sections have become. The wild fish are what matters and when you actually do some journalism in this area, the story will land on page 1 every time, unless you are working for a bonehead (which is entirely plausible in media).

And, the irony? That the epicenter of fake news ~ The Daily Show ~ is doing more to expose the environmental catastrophe of selenium pollution in Idaho rivers, its cause and resulting genetic mutation of wild salmon than all the "real" news organizations in the world.

Not funny.

Fifty years after its publication, we are right smack in the middle of our own "Silent Spring." Wild Salmon was so abundant in the Pacific Northwest that seven hundred miles from the ocean, Red Fish Lake in Idaho got its name from the hundreds of thousands of bright red wild salmon that came home to spawn. In 1992, Lonesome Larry was the only male returning to Red Fish Lake.

Not funny.

In British Columbia and the Puget Sound, wild salmon are endangered by the provincial government's cozy relationship with Norwegian fish farms. Alexandra Morton has been relentless in her advocacy of wild salmon. At the end of May, her email said, "There is an outbreak of a virus in Clayoquot Sound near the endangered salmon runs of the Megin River. A second farm tested positive on Friday near Sechelt Inlet. Government says it is IHN, government says it is not a problem for wild salmon, but the scientific literature says different."

Not funny.

Locally, Wild Salmon.Org in their latest newsletter warns ~ "Congressman Doc Hastings is continuing his attacks on wild salmon and the Northwest jobs that depend on them. In his latest volley, Hastings is calling for a “rewrite” of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to weaken protections and citizen overview of government actions to protect endangered species."

Not funny.

During my campaign for Congress, I had occasion to travel to Washington DC, New York and Boston. When I would talk about environmental issues, the standard glazed-eye response was "I thought salmon was an entree, not an issue."

Could be funny if it weren't so depressing.

And, as I've mentioned before ~ "The Great Wild Salmon have run the streams of the Pacific Northwest for millions of years. Their cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth has tied us to the sea. Their remarkable journey has nourished the forest, fed its wild life and for the last 12,000 years defined the cultural heritage of our region. The Great Wild Salmon have graphically shown us the fragility of our planet and given voice to the old saying, “we all live downstream” as everything finds its way to the ocean."

So, what can you do?

1. Never, ever eat farmed salmon. It's filthy and ruinous to the environment.
2. And, when you don't buy it, tell your market why. Unfortunately, it's always about money.
3. Contact your member of Congress. This is not likely to be successful (unless you are a major donor), but, it's good to keep in touch with these guys.
4. Support the environmental group(s) of your choice that are working on this issue, lobbying Congress, preparing White Papers to support the protection of this important fish. You will find a comprehensive list below.
5. And, yes, letters to the editors to your local paper.
6. Use social media. With enough attention, Wild Salmon can go viral (in a good way). Who knows . . . maybe they could bump off the Kardashians!

The important thing is BE ACTIVE. Passivity gets us Lonesome Larry. For us in the Pacific Northwest, wild salmon is not just an entree, it is the cornerstone of our cultural heritage. Everything about this place we love is the direct result of the birth, life, death and rebirth of this mysterious fish.

Want to help? 

Day 48 Everyday Grateful ~

Beautiful sunny morning.

Going out to mow the lawn.

I really must buy a goat

or date a man who owns one.

Mmmm ~ there's a thought!

Happy!

Michael Wells
http://salmonblog.weebly.com/salmon-blog.html

Alexndra Morton:
http://tinyurl.com/c39hpum

The Daily Show's Aasif Mandvi travels to Idaho to uncover a far-reaching corporate conspiracy involving two-headed fish, a giant agribusiness called Simplot, and the pollution of Idaho's rivers with Selenium.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-june-14-2012/a-simple-plot

http://wildsalmon.org

www.greatwildsalmonrun.org

http://thefairhero.blogspot.com/2012/03/wild-salmon-matter.html

Links of groups working to protect Wild Salmon:
http://www.greatwildsalmonrun.org/links.html

Gentle Reminder: Life is Short ~ Use the Good China!

Yesterday, I had a meeting with a friend. We chatted about this and that. She mentioned she had sold her family silver "because I never use it and it was just collecting dust."

I've really been pondering that. Not so much the selling the silver but the "saving things for good" aspect of the conversation. I can think of lots of reasons in this economy to sell things of value to eke out another day, another week or another month. That's not what I'm talking about here.

I was thinking about "saving things for good" while I was ironing napkins this weekend (I know, I know, crazy woman). I love cloth napkins. I never buy paper napkins. While they aren't terribly expensive, they seem like a profound waste of resources. Cloth napkins seem like a small luxury and are used for years over and over again. 

When I was getting things out to make interesting tableaux for "French Toast," I was reminded again of the importance of treating ourselves, treating our families and treating our friends. I mean, really, no one is getting out of here alive. What better place to spend your resources, fortune and attention on than those you love?

Today, especially, I was thinking of my friend Sally who is so worried about her daughter. She absolutely spends her resources, fortune and attention on her beloved daughter. There's a good lesson there.

I was thinking that treating those you love like they are special actually becomes a habit.

I love it when the boys come home and we work together to get a meal ready. When it's time to set the table, they go automatically to the buffet and the stack of ironed napkins. They know the ironed napkins are there for them to use ~ we're not saving them for some nebulous time and guest in the future.

Occasionally, as we're pulling out the freshly ironed napkins, someone will demur. Then we have to go into the whole damn pageant of "don't make me move my neck! Use the blasted napkin. We're not putting on the dog. We use these every day. (ehem) So . . . enjoy!"

Probably not such a good idea that people feel they have to take a napkin 'cuz they're sure their life is in danger. We may have to reevaluate our response. In the interim ~

A gentle reminder ~

Life is short ~ use the good china!

Colour & Pattern Courage

My friend Sally is an attorney who is a fantastic quilter. Mmmm, or is she a fantastic quilter who is an attorney?

But, I digress. Right now, Sally's entire focus is her daughter's health, so she's asked me to do things she might ordinarily have done herself. As I've mentioned before, Sally's daughter, Mary-Elizabeth is battling a recurrence of leukemia. It's scary, scary, scary. The good thing is she's holding her own and making progress ~ but, it's baby steps.

Last fall, I redesigned Sally's bathroom in what I like to call French Sanitary White. Then, she asked me to rearrange her living room. And, this spring, Mary-Elizabeth asked me to redesign her bedroom to be more for a grown-up girl.



A little while ago, Sally called me again to ask me to update her wonderful Mission style oak side chair that was in urgent need of reupholstery. When I went to meet with her, she had three fabrics out on the counter in the kitchen.


"I'm thinking something like these. What do you think?"

Knowing she has both colour and pattern courage and liking her combination, I said, "I like them all. Shall we do a multi-pattern extravaganza?"


"Yes," she said. "Let's!"

And, so we did.

The result? It is wonderful. Upbeat. Spirited. Friendly. Cheerful. A happy piece holding its own in a room with lots of other things going on.

Day 47 Everyday Grateful ~

"French Toast" is up and running.

Comcast has quit working up the street

so I have internet again.

Ramses and I ran a couple of errands.

Kindah nice.

Happy!

http://mary-elizabethsbump.blogspot.com/
http://thefairhero.blogspot.com/2012/03/design-for-smallest-bathroom-in-world.html
http://thefairhero.blogspot.com/2012/03/home-from-hospital.html



French Toast is On Sale!

 Well, "French Toast" is launched!

The driving force of the item was coffee. To be more specific, coffee made in a French Press. This is Seattle after all and the home of the quintessential (not to mention ubiquitous) coffee company ~ Starbucks. To quote the great Howard Schultz and the Daily Mail (my guilty pleasure) "Mr. Schultz says he uses a Bodum French press which results in 'the best cup of coffee known to mankind.' " 

I concur! There is only one drawback to the French press ~ having it stay hot.

Enter "French Toast" my French press cozy. Keeps my morning coffee hot, looks fabulous (I'm a designer, after all) and fits both my French press and several of my regular tea and coffee pots. Double duty. And, lovely. Lovely on the counter in my kitchen, on a tray on my tuffet in the living room, on the coffee / tea table for a buffet.

So, I whipped out 10 different "French Toast" patterns. Piping! Organdy ribbon! Beautiful patterns! Wonderful colours! Porcelain beads. And, boy oh boy, are they just pageants!

Nice!

 

So, whether you are keeping your regular French press warm or using your large Haviland / Limoges porcelain pot from your mother or the tall Russian carafe of hot chocolate with brandy after dinner ~ they will stay hot in the "French Toast" . . . How cool is that! 

$48.00 + postage/shipping.

Life is too short to drink coffee or tea

from a naked pot!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SaffronUnicorn