Easter Peeps

Happy Holy Week!(A week set aside to remind us that bad things happen to good people)

Has everyone stocked up on peeps for the coming Easter weekend? Here in Kingston the peeps are filling up the kitchen to overflow.Now we bigin! With 2 Buff Orpingtons, 2 Barred Rocks and 2 Rhodes Island Reds we are chicken people. Our 6 chicks are very small but growing rapidly in their kitchen gerbil-home. Unfortunately, it will be six months until they prove their worth, depending on whether they are hens or cocks, of course. Sacks Feed assures me that this particular supplier has a very good record of providing hens so we can only hope for no offering to the hatchet! The next big agenda is the tractor but it will not be put into use for another 5 weeks so I have time. I did order some plans just because I think it might save me several mis-measurements. I will keep you up to date on my progress.

Along with chicks, Spring is supplying lots of lovely flowers and weeds. The rain this week is slowing down my yard projects but last week I had a great day exploring Seattle with my ESL student and enjoying the delicate beauty of Spring in the Northwest. It is always fun to see home with new eyes.

This week has time for plenty of indoor projects and Easter preparations. We are planning a brunch at Lynne's since she is still a bit inbound. Anita will be there, as will Colin. I am looking forward to starting April with celebrations and smiles. March did not start as well as we might like (roof gymnastics).

It's Spring!

March 21 and officially Spring!
Happy warm weather to everyone and many more smiles ahead. Today I worked until 6:30 in the garden and it was still light when I came in to make dinner. The wonders of Spring ! The bunnies are combed and the goats are sheared- we are all ready to move into the growing season. With the mild winter I just keep adding more garden projects so I can't say I am ahead of the game this year but the early garden work has sure been more pleasant.

This weekend David and I had a very special treat to start the new season. We shared dinner with Glen and Kathy Wilson then attended the Bremerton Symphony, where Kathy plays second cello -her responsibility for the past 30 years. The Symphony is always first class and an enjoyable evening but this performance was the best ever. Featuring old world music from Spain and new world music from South and Central America, there were many unbelievable delights.
The solo violinist was a 20 year old Bremerton musician who studies and performs years in England. She was outstanding! There were conch shells and 20 different percussion elements in the South American pieces. Tons of fun and very festive for heralding the season of fertility.

With such an amazing start, this Spring is certain to be full of amazing events. Number one is Kyrsa's new job working in the soon to open tasting room of Airfield winery. Airfield is one of several Yakima wineries opening tasting rooms in Woodenville, in a cooperative tasting community. It is very exciting that Kyrsa will be able to try out her new knowledge of wine and get in on the ground floor of a new idea in wine marketing for the Seattle area. I for one can't wait to visit her at work.

The Spring will also bring new visitors to Tulin Road. They will be staying in the old gerbil home. Keep your eyes open for their arrival and all the new development in the area.

Until then, safe and happy travels to Erin and Colin and good wishes for laughter to everyone.
Love,
Mama Llama

Colin says...

well. i tried a dozen times to comment on the blog and it's not working. will look into it.
but here's what I was going to comment!

I DO wish we had a picture of you cruising around on the back of the tandem. Other favorites from the visit: eating burritos in the car in golden gate park, walking down valencia getting project ideas, slumber party night and extremely lively games of banagrams and scrabble, wine and grocery shopping. and thanks for not mentioning how chubby I am now.

From Mama Llama: We did have so much fun doing all these things. I only lost my footing on the tandem pedals once at the intersection! Pouring rain did not keep us from our burritos and it was just lucky we didn't have more time at the great book store on Valencia. The new ice cream store on Valencia was extraordinary (ginger saffron ice cream after Indian food!!!) and they game me a free vanilla bean TWICE. There is really no chubbiness happening in Davis though the flat road are not keeping Colin in the tip top biking shape of D.C.
I guess there will need to be more bike rides out to the mountains 40 miles away!

Davis or bust

Before I forget one glorious moment or bite, I must share my long California weekend with you. Starting from Bainbridge, I rode ferry, lite rail, airplane and bus to arrive on Colin and Susan's doorstep. Actually Susan had to come out to the curb and guide me into the little, secret alley that leads to their wonderful bungalow between C and D street. It is tiny and well organized, as Colin and Susan constantly accomplish. There are beautiful little touches everywhere and a kitchen that both are accomplished at using- TOGETHER?

I know this because they prepared wonderful food for me all the days I visited. We had fresh vegetables from the student farm where Colin works and harvests, prepared in amazing ways. I will share the most complicated menu with you- a Christmas gift from them both.

First Course: Winter salad with celeriac, endive, radicchio and a Caesar-like dressing finished
with truffle oil and pumpkin puree with kalamata olives

Second Course: Rosemary pasta dressed with caramelized onions and aged Gouda and sauteed beets and beet greens served with horseradish yogurt

Third Course: Pan-seared Cauliflower steaks with capers, caper berry and golden raisin relish and a fresh mixed greens salad

Dessert: Citrus pie with whipped cream made from fresh squeezed oranges, lemons and zest

...and of course there was wine. We even had roasted brussel sprouts one night and I am now a convert to that vegetable treat.

Besides eating... Colin and I visited the new San Fransisco Academy of Science. We did have burritos at a wonderful Mission District restaurant for lunch and met Susan for an amazing dinner at Dosa's in the Mission District, serving outstanding Indian food.

I walked and biked through Davis exploring the Arboretum gardens, Student Farm and pea patch as well as amazing display gardens all over and almond trees in bloom along every street. We hiked the hills above Lake Barriessa just south of the Napa and looked down from the ridge of the mountains so that we could see both east and west. We had planned to add wine tasting to that adventure but thankfully were forced to change plans. We all agreed we would have collapsed long before getting home if THAT had been the program. Instead we headed back to the cottage and had a wine tasting there!

I can't think of a more delightful and inspiring vacation. During quiet moments I read Giai's Garden and planned new garden projects with Susan's help in improved designs. Now if I could only duplicate the Davis sunshine I might even be successful- those people don't really garden down there- they just throw seed to the wind and harvest the bounty! But at least I can dream!

Four holidays in one day

Valentines & Chinese New Year, all on the same weekend. Plus president's day plus Rabi'I. What a treat! And it brought a little bit of spring down to california.
the last couple days got into the upper 60's, which, after a dry weekend, inspired this clover like ground cover weed that is everywhere to shoot out little yellow flowers. I think I'm allergic to them.

Anway... some highlights of the weekend, per the pictures below:

After a bunch of traffic heading into SF made it, after dark, to a campground susan had found that had a dry platform for the tent and a dry sauna to relax in. we cooked asparagus and sausage over the campfire, drank some conundrum, then cooked some oysters over the fire. in the morning, a beautiful walk down to the beach of Ano Nuevo (an appropriate place for the holiday). meet our sea lion friend below. he was humongous. dew and tiny spider lines as we brewed coffee and watched the waves.

Then off to Big Basin to set up camp #2. On the way, U Pick kiwis off 101. The vines, bare of leaves now, started producing back in november so we figure the u pick is a just a good way to get the last hidden fruits off the trees. back and forth to the big trees of big basin a few times - 40 minutes through super windy roads and little 'hippie towns' (as described by someone giving us directions) - as we searched for food and entertainment in Santa Cruz. we slept in the car since the ground up there never dries out and we didn't have a tarp for under the tent. a little cramped, but safe from the raccoons. a short hike through big basin. we plotted longer hikes on 'skyline to sea' for later in the year, then back over hill and dale to Davis.

Rains are back this weekend. but time for projects, ideas, and plans for a coming year of adventures.

Here're some photos:

Mardi Gras is Over

Did you eat pancakes last night- if not you can try again today just to start the Easter season right. Remember that regardless of faith connections and differences, life is best celebrated each season and this season we are preparing for Spring.

In the northwest this year it is particularly easy to celebrate Spring preparations because of our mild weather. Monday I stepped into my new boots and began garden clean-up in earnest. I even broke out the chocolate garden soap to keep my grimy fingernails clean(ish). Today the sun is shining and I plan to head out to the vegetable garden for the first time, so this will be a short hello to all just to remind you to celebrate the moments of each season.

There are always good reasons to keep busy but don't make yourself too important in the universal scheme of things. You are responsible for putting your best self forward into the world but you can not control the outcome or response .

For Lent, let's all try to think more about bringing happiness into the world and less about self-sacrificing. I think there is enough imposed sacrifice and suffering right now to more that meet the requirement. The world, small and large, needs a reminder that fun still exists, people still laugh and we are all important.

As our Lenten preparations for Spring (which will come to the East coast someday), let us all make time to mail a card to a friend, call someone and chat for a moment, take a walk to clear our heads, go to bed early and, most of all, realize that happiness is the best preparation for the joy that is Spring. Being a good person is being happy and sharing your happiness so despite the occasional obstacles in our paths and the walls blocking our view to the future, make Lent the time to pronounce happiness as our goal and share it.

Mother Theresa is quoted as saying: We can do not great things- only small things with great love. Let's try doing some small things for others with love and joy.

Happy pancake dinners.
Love
Mama Llama

February Days of Rain

The A-frame is rented.

January is over and the first blush of hope of becoming a sparkling new human being with a scintillating new life of opportunities is slowing sliding back into the routine of gray rainy routines. What to do? It is that time of year when nothing seems to change or to be changeable but we only need to look back at the year 12 months past to see how much happened that we did not foresee.

It will all be unexpected in this year too, so right now I remind myself to just take one step at a time. I don't feel like getting out of bed- just do it and make a cup of coffee. I want to sit on the sofa with no idea how to proceed- just walk into the computer and solve ONE dilemma, answer one note to a friend; okay now the internet has sucked dry my mind.

Walk out and sit at the spinning wheel for a minute to finish one skein so the blanket on the loom can be finished. (Don't think about the 6 more to be done-that is depressing and irrelevant) Oh, I have a class with the Korean student this morning so I will have to get dressed out of sweats and into something acceptable because she dresses up for the meetings in jeans jacket, cute short dress with tights and black boots. I don't want to make her feel it is useless to put her best self forward to I guess I better get dressed. I will take her to Central Market to talk about what we find there and do grocery shopping at the same time.

Then when I get home I will make brownies (An article in the COOK'S has the secret to perfect brownies) so David will have lunch and dinner dessert and maybe make Pumpkin Soup for dinner and see how far that gets me. This day is moving along, as they do, and I feel a little more hopeful.

And so it goes...just take one step even when it doesn't feel like a step you want to take. No big insights just constant little efforts and we break out into the sunshine sooner than expected. My yoga teacher's departing words last night were particularly relevant although I can only share their essence as I have forgotten the exact words : Recognize the creative energy of the universe and see that your control is not part of its path. So, worry and anxiety really does not make success happen sooner! Just remember all the good things that happened unexpectedly and know they will continue to happen.

Keep on Walking!
Love,
Mama LLama

FINISHED

Well, for the most part anyway. I put most of the finishing touches on the a-frame this morning including the fumigating finish. Plumbing is completed, the wall is built and the refrigerator has electricity. Holes are spackled, crevasses are caulked and the floor has been swept and vacuumed one hundred times at least. It was a long haul but I am glad to have it completed before the new month starts. If you want to check out the posting on Craig's list, here is the address

http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/apa/1579603840.html .





Otherwise just take a gander at these pictures and imagine me listening to books on tape while I hammer away. Look forward to my normal rambling missives in the coming month because many thoughts have, of course, been flowing through my mind as I work. Too bad there is no dam to stop the flow so they just run like rapids into the sea but who knows when some bottle with a message might flow back.



Have a great week ahead.
Love,
Mama Llama

The A-Frame cometh!

The holidays are over and the year 2010 has begun in earnest. I am glad that my year of the Rooster does not start until February so that I can get THIS project finished and let the good times roll. It seems like forever but it has only been about 2 weeks in progress. Rather than give a blow by blow, I send along some photos of the work in progress. Today I head up to install the floating floor- no water is involved but that doesn't mean it is safe and easy. Wish me luck!

The New Year Begun

It is January. All things are new with opportunities for change and improvement ahead. In Seattle that means it is wet and gray but this year we are thankful for the warm winter weather, not wanting to match the freezing hand and toes around the country.

The holidays are over which always leaves a little empty feeling inside me as well as the challenge to fill it with new projects and new connections. This holiday was especially enjoyable though I suspect I say that every year. We had lots of family celebration with cooking, eating, drinking lots of wine and walking on "thin ice", literally. The cold weather in Idaho gave us the gift of a frozen lake to explore. The snow was light- just enough to be a beautiful frosting on the trees- and the ice fishermen assured us the ice was 8 inches thick...but it kept groaning and cracking when we walked! I am NOT at ease on the frozen water! Still, it was extraordinary and beautiful and fun. Being together with generations of family is really the best of all holiday experiences. It means laughter over the past and present, as well as craziness with people being pushed to the edge of reason....and we keep doing it every year.

With everyone arriving from the four corners, we made time to be together again at Kyrsa's making the holiday seem really luxurious. One of the most memorable and fun parts of the holiday was being the "top chef" with my cooking crew of Susan, Colin and Erin who were the best sous-chefs ever.

Colin and Susan were able to be in Kingston to be part of the daily ease of holiday vacation which made me really sad to loose their companionship and their help in the kitchen. Erin (you may know her as fresh summer breeze) had an entire week plus so that gave us time to see friends and shop and pretend there was all the time in the world to play. The Christmas holiday really is the only reason I can look forward to winter. When it is over, I begin to look forward to Spring and plan to garden projects for the "real time".

Now onward to planning, creating the gardening in the year of the Rooster- my year! Did you know the Chinese only get their year every 12 years! You can't survive on a good year every 12 years! So I am expecting a year of miracles for everyone this year. A new decade with lots of new challenges that make us smile and sing (not the kind that make us "grow"). Happy Miracles in the New Year and happy moments too.