I’m moving! (in cyber space)

I’ve had a wonderful time here on WordPress. I did not know about all the things that go into blogging. There is so much information out there and I’ve learned a lot in these past six months. This is my first experience with personal blogging, and overall it’s been a good one. But alas, it’s time for me to move on.

Many of you will wonder, “Why leave the green pastures of WordPress in favor of that dusty old Blogger?” I won’t get into every little detail. The main point is that after playing with Blogger (and the new integration with Google+) I believe it is a much better fit for me personal as I push deeper into the blogosphere. Goodbye to you, WordPress. I will always look back on my time with you fondly and appreciate the stepping stone you provide me with.

If you subscribe to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.

Tour de Fat does bad things to good people

This title is a quote thanks to Jessica and her Facebook status. Tour de Fat is a magical bicycle parade, which occurs but once every year. It is an event created by New Belgium Brewing Company in order to celebrate bike culture in cities across the U.S. There is music and other forms of entertainment, food from local restaurants and, of course, beer. It is one of those affairs in which pictures speak much louder than words.

Source: http://overlandmtb.org/monthly-meeting-and-tour-de-fat

The parade started at 10am on September 1, here in Fort Collins, CO.

This is me with a store-brand Otter Pop (and yes that is a small child’s Disney’s Cinderella dress)

We biked and I took pictures (sorry for the blurriness/hair/angles, like I said I was taking pictures and biking at the same time)

We then encountered THE MOB! (Run! Don’t walk! From the mob…)

And this puppy in a backpack…

And this really awesome bike…

And Spongebob Squarepants, Patrick Star and Sheldon Plankton blowing bubbles…

And The Addams Family…

And this sign: “$3-$5 to pee in the trees on Hitler/Stalin“…

Really it was a pretty awesome collection of people.

*Begin Part 2* The cast of characters switches at this point as I changed friends, (except that guy on the end with the pink boa… he is a photo bomber and definitely not my friend).

This is Jenna, she wins best costume of the century…

We went to Ben & Jerry’s…

Then we sat in the shade and people watched…

We met Tinky Winky…

Listened to the port-a-potty karaoke…

And my man thong quota for my whole life was filled (I am deeply sorry for having to expose you to this)…

And that my friends, is what Tour de Fat is all about (well not the directly above ^^^ but the collection of ALL of the above).

And after all this fun guess what I got to do?! If you said, “You went to Old Chicago, ate awesome pizza, and watched CSU beat CU in football,” then you are correct. The prize is I will remove the man thong image from your view. You’re welcome.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Have you ever participated in Tour de Fat?

Heart Friendship Bracelet

When I was an adorable, little, red-headed girl, with fat cheeks, and freckles in numbers rivaling stars in the sky (okay I still look like that ) I was a Girl Scout. I went to Girl Scout day camp and Girl Scout overnight camp and Girl Scout meetings (and I sold Girl Scout cookies!). While I learned many the great things they teach you in Girl Scouts, one thing I will probably never be able to forget is how to make friendship bracelets. That muscle memory stuff is great isn’t it, especially considering friendship bracelets are now sold in store (what?) for $15 (what?!).

So, since we all know just how much I love making things myself I will go through the mantra again:

1. you get to choose your own preference…
2. you spend less money… and
3. you form a deeper connection with the things you own because you crafted it with your own two hands.

This tutorial walks you through the steps of making a friendship bracelet with a heart pattern. Enjoy!

To start you need to cut your strings. Pick two colors. Hold your arms straight out perpendicular to your body, from fingertip to fingertip is how long your string should be. Cut four strands, two for each color. Fold the string in half take the fold and make a knot close to the end. This loop will be used to clasp the bracelet, so make it small but big enough that a knot can go through.

Tape your strings down to a flat surface (or if your old school  safety pin then to your jeans), so that it is tightly secured. Order your strings the same as in the image above. Whichever color is on the outside will be the color of your hearts. Number the position of the strings from left to right 1-8.

Now, I would like to explain the knot… There is the going left knot and the going right knot.

*Tip: The illustrations below show on top both knots going forward and below that one knot going forward and one going backward. I noticed that two of my heart strings got more use than the other two. When you are knotting one pink around another, you can switch the dominant strings using the bottom illustration knot.

To go right take the string in the number one position, lay it over the second string take it back under the second string and pull it through the loop.

Going left is the same process as going right; only you wrap the eighth string around the seventh string in the opposite direction.

Each time you make a knot you will do this knot twice.

1. Like I said you will have your string laid out in the order shown.
2. Take string 1 and knot it twice around string 2 then string 3 and finally 4. Then, take string 8 and knot it around string 7, string 6 and finally string 5. Finally knot the middle strings together (going left or right, it doesn’t matter)
3. Follow the same steps as above for the next row with the second color.
4. Now take the second string and knot it going left around the first string and the seventh string going right around the eighth.
5. Fill in the space by taking the second string and knotting it (going right) around strings 3 and 4 and the seventh string (going left) around strings 6 and 5.
6. Now again take the second string and knot it going left around the first string and the seventh string going right around the eighth.
7. Fill in the space again by taking the second string and knotting it (going right) around strings 3 and 4 and the seventh string (going left) around strings 6 and 5.
8. Knot string 1 and 2-4 (going right) and string 8 around 7-5 (going left). This is step 1 again completing the heart.
9. Repeat step 2-8 until the bracelet is the length you like (I usually do about 52 rows).

Now that you know the basic know you can do many patterns. Try one on the friendship bracelet website.

“Make new Friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other’s gold. A circle’s round, it has no end. That’s how long I want to be your friend.”

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

President Obama Addresses Colorado Students About 2012 Election

President Obama came to visit Colorado State University on August 28^th. He was here in 2008 and I just barely missed him. He was a senator running for president back then. I was a scared freshman, and the Oval was outside of the comfortable bubble I had created for myself (dorm room, classes, Lory Student Center, and Corbett dining hall).

This time around I was determined to see him. My President Obama adventures began around 10:30 am on August 27^th. That’s when I just happened to walk by a girl handing out tickets on my way to carry out a completely different mission (Print flyers for the first meeting for the CSU Range Club). She was just setting up so I didn’t even have to wait in line to get this shiny blue ticket.

Behind the scenes photos:

Obama’s Helicopter
Via @EllyCollins

Security
Via @SarahJaneKyle

Secret Service
Via @SarahJaneKyle

Behind these curtains you can find metal detectors and a weaving maze on metal barricades to organize the line of people.

The next stages of this adventure to see President Obama’s speech did not quite go according to plan. First off, I should have realized that the people I passed at 10:00am (some people camped out all night) were clever, instead of scoffing at their time-wasting ways.

Secondly, I should have brought my ticket to school with me this morning instead of leaving it in my lunch box (yes, I am such a logical thinker). My poor boyfriend, Reid, was napping (he works nights now), and I woke him up to bring my ticket between classes.

Third, I should have brought sunscreen and a hat and a parasol and a sunshade and a fan and about 8 gallons of water! It was approximately 5,000 degrees and standing in line in direct sunlight in that kind of heat is probably what death feels like (if you died in the desert of heat stroke and dehydration), especially if your not even sure if it will all pay off.

Fourth, I should have left my backpack with Reid when he brought the ticket instead of lugging it with me to the back of the loooooooong line (My estimates say it was at least a mile long).

Map courtesy of Google Maps

• Blue box indicates location of speakers
• Red box indicates security
• Black line indicates direction of line (Where it ends on East dr. is not necessarily the end, this is just where I lost track of it.)
• Yellow star indicates where I got into the line
• Orange star indicates where I left it

*Please Note: Colors have no correlation to party.

After 30 minutes of waiting in line (I moved probably 20 feet in that time, at least I made it to some shade), I was told that IF I made it to the front they would probably send me to a separate line to check my bag before sending me BACK to the back of the line.

I had nowhere to take my backpack AND my phone was dead. The extremely nice woman in front of me in line told me she would save my place in line if I wanted to run home to drop it off. She gave me her phone number and told me to call when I returned in order to find her. She joked that she would be hard to find, about 10 feet away from our current position in the 45 minutes it would take for me to return.

There was a squirrel in this tree. I thought I got it in the picture but it must be a vampire. (squiracula)

So I left my place…

…chugged a bottle of the free H2Obama (witty)…

… snapped this photo of the Elvis selling Obama buttons. I also saw a man selling Baronco shirts (Barack + Broncos = Baronco?)… and rode my bike home.

I was so hot when I got home that I felt defeated and like I never wanted to return to that horrible line. I resigned my self to homework for the night.

My sister, Erica then told me that she had green priority tickets, which gave me a second wind (with priority tickets you don’t have to wait as long in line). I called my friend that was saving my spot in line to tell her that I wouldn’t be returning and thanked her for her kindness. We decided to meet up at Wild Boar Coffee, a coffee shop across the street from campus.

Images inside the Quad:

Via @ColoradoStateU

Via @ColoradoStateU

Via Nick Lyon of the Rocky Mountain Collegian

Via @ColoradoStateU

Via @ColoradoStateU

A few highlights from the opening speeches:

Via @ColoradoStateU

John Hickenlooper, Governor for Colorado, states, “Barack Obama has your back. Do we have his back?” He then goes on to say “President Obama has more emotional depth than anyone I have ever known, and we are lucky to have him as our president.”

Via @ColoradoStateU

Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior, asks, “ Who will be the champion for the middle class? Obama, or the other guy who stands for the top 2%.” He also informs us, “It’s Barack Obama that helped you get into higher education.”

CSU Sophomore Haley Damm-Hamblin introduces the president. Her speech represented her background as a young woman going to university and why this election is important to her.

Via @ColoradoStateU

Finally, Obama takes the stage, and he got me just a jazzed as he always does when I hear him speak. One of his major points throughout the speech was the importance of voting. He encourages us to vote saying, “Your vote will decide where we go from here,” and “You choose the path to get to the future.”

When he says that in the next few weeks his opponent will share his agenda, the crowd boos, to which he says, “Don’t boo. Vote. That’s the best response. Vote, and get some of your friends to vote.” He mentions an online voter registry, GottaVote.com, which he emphasizes the spelling and apologizes to English professors . He then says, “Young people came out in record numbers four years ago.” and “Understand your power. If you’re going to get cynical, wait till you’re older.” (hahahaha)

A great moment was when Obama listed all the things WE accomplished in the last four years and a guy yells, “You helped!” to which Obama replies, “I helped a little bit” Hahaha Classic.

He puts the power in our hands, “If we win Colorado, we will win this election. If we win Fort Collins, we will win Colorado.” and “America is counting on you and I’m counting on you.”  Pressure’s on! President Obama is counting on ME!

Via Nick Lyon of the Rocky Mountain Collegian

Another key point in President Obama’s speech was the power of education. He tells us that Mitt Romeny calls us the lost generation but we are not because Obama believes in us: “I believe in you. I believe in the American people. I’ve seen the passion of this generation.”

He goes on to say that he and First Lady, Michelle paid off their student loans about 8 years ago. He says, “We know what its like.” He emphasizes his commitment to higher education saying that we shouldn’t be making it harder for students to pay off loans than it already is. My question for you: Should we keep college affordable or borrow money from our parents (as Romney suggests)?

Via Nick Lyon of the Rocky Mountain Collegian

A third point emphasized in his speech was ObamaCare, Obama explains that “We passed this law because I care.” ObamaCare has provided 7,000,000 young people with healthcare, given woman access to health care such as birth control, mammograms and pap smears, and has made medicine more accessible to the elderly. “Some of us can’t afford the healthcare we need sometimes, no matter how well we plan.”

A particularly funny moment in my opinion was the reference to the “Romney-Doesn’t-Care plan,” the health care system we will be left with should Romney be elected.

Via Nick Lyon of the Rocky Mountain Collegian

President Obama also discusses the economy and jobs. Obama says that tax cuts should not be given to those who have already succeeded (if success is measured monetarily) saying, “Tax cuts should be given to the middle-class, small business and students not to those who have already made it.” He wants to “build the economy from the inside out.” “It’s about the middle class and students.” (Hey that’s me!)

Obama tells us that his opponent believes, “Renewable sources of energy are imaginary,” Obama asks, “Do we want to be forever dependent on foreign oil or do we want to pursue renewable, clean energy sources?” and that “Renewable energy is the future.”

Obama explains, “Here’s the bottom line, Colorado. If the other side has their way … it wont create jobs.” and “I want to make sure taxes are not raised a single dime on first $250k of income.”

Via @Coloradoan_TH

A few other great points from Obama include, “Help every American have a chance to better themselves.” “We don’t need to refight the battles of the past, we are moving forward, we don’t go backward!” Obama is not going to leave any Americans out in the cold, that’s what we’re fighting for.

He questions why people who love each other can’t get married. His response, “The history of our country is not about how many people we can exclude.” and “Ignoring inequality doesn’t make it go away.”

Obama on veterans: “We’re going to have to serve them just as well as they’ve served us.”

He includes some inspirational ideas such as: “You gotta get on board. Its time for change!” (which was responded to by the crowd with a resounding, “Yes we can!”) One of his themes was that he hasn’t finished what’s he’s started, “We’ve got more work to do!” (To which the crowd began chanting, “Four more years!”). And he tells us, “We are greater together than we are on our own.”

He exited to a little Bruce Springsteen, “We take care of our own.”

Via @MattySchnitz

(My dumb ole video of the motorcade from Wild Boar Coffee after the speech. Sorry I didn’t follow the limo. I was looking at it but my hands didn’t cooperate.)

“Will this be an America where no matter where no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from, no matter who you love, no matter what your last name is, you can pursue happiness?”

As a young person, I feel that Obama understands me. As a student, I believe that Obama appreciate me. As a Natural Resources student specifically, I recognize that Obama values me. As a woman, I know that Obama supports me. I am grateful that I can look back on today as a piece of history that I participated in, and I hope one day this piece of history will be considered the day everything changed.

*UPDATE: Today is a new day and the Rocky Mountain Collegian (CSU’s student newspaper) has some interesting articles and things to say about Obama’s visit, that I would like to address.

This article compares Obama’s 2012 campaign with FDR’s campaign in which he has re-elected for four terms due to the creation of the New Deal. These government programs forced Americans to rely on the government for their basic needs. I disagree with this comparison. While Obama did mention that he wants to finish the work he’s started, the programs he has introduced are not forced on every American, they give chances to every American. The choice to take these opportunities is left up to the individual.

An article by Caleb Hendrich with the title, “Don’t Boo Get Out and Vote,” discusses why Obama is focused on getting more votes. Apparently, historically the greater the turn-out of voters the more likely the Democratic party has been to have a victory in both the executive and legislative branches. An interesting point.

While the editorial rejoices in the 13,000 people showing up to support the democratic process, their view is that the fate of the nation does not ride on one day in history or the results of the election in November. They want to encourage people to monitor the government in order to ensure that what is promised also is put into effect.

At the time of Obama’s speech there was a smallish (comparatively) gathering of Mitt Romney supporters who met at the corner of University and Meridian Avenues. A report in the collegian quotes one of their number in response to the idea of repealing ObamaCare, ” The idea that the government can force you to buy something scares me.” My response to you sir: “Where do you think roads and highways, public schools, wildlife protection, national monuments, public transportation, public libraries, open space protection, wetland protection, etc. etc. come from? Your tax dollars, that’s where. You’ve been forced to “buy” things your whole life. Even if you don’t use these things every day or they will not benefit you directly, you have to pay for them. ObamaCare simply creates an opportunity for some people in the same way all the other public service we know and love do.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Did you catch President Obama’s speech? What do you like, or dislike, about Obama’s campaign? Romney’s? Are you registered to vote? (Register here)

Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade

As you probably know by now I love summertime and I have a lot of favorite things about summer. It’ll be at least four more posts before I stop saying THIS is my favorite thing about summer so bear with me. I love going to Starbucks in the summer for a grande passion tea lemonade with one pump; it’s a guilty pleasure. But I don’t love the price that could very easily empty my bank account.

SO I asked them what tea they use in their passion tea lemonade and they told me (It’s Tazo the Starbucks tea brand and they actually sell it at the store).

Source: http://www.drugstore.com/tazo-iced-tea-bags-passion-tea/qxp390951

You can get this kind that’s iced tea ready (make a bunch at once and store it in the pitcher in the fridge). Or they sell a box of individual servings (make it one cup at a time). At Target it was $4.95 (same as a box at Starbucks) but in an online search I found it for a little cheaper.

After drinking it a little I realized it was very similar to the Celestial Seasonings tea I bought at the factory for $2.85.

Source: http://www.celestialseasonings.com/products/sweet-zinger-iced-teas/acai-mango

The Celestial Seasonings version is already sweetened using Stevia, which I’m still not completely sold on but my research tells me that the claims are true. I’ll let you make up your own mind about it.

Anyway, to make the Starbucks version of the delicious pink drink is quite simple. Make the tea according to the package, juice some lemons, add a little of your preferred sweetener (if you like it sweetened), chill in the fridge, enjoy!

 

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Shoot the Moon

Billie Letts give us another novel full of small-town charm, a little mystery, and some romance in her novel Shoot the Moon. Dr. Mark Albright, a veterinarian to the stars of Hollywood, discovers that he was adopted shortly after the death of his father. He heads to DeClare, Oklahoma in hopes of discovering his birth parents, and quickly discovers that the story of his past is a bit of a mystery.

Source: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780446695060.htm

Gaylene Harjo, the woman Mark knows to be his mother, was murdered when Mark, or Nicky Jack Harjo, was a baby. Most people assumed Nicky Jack had been killed as well, but the body was never found. The wrong man was arrested for the murder, and took his own life while in prison. When Mark returns claiming to be the long lost baby, it causes quite a stir around town.

I don’t want to give too much away but the central characters also include Ivy and Teeve Harjo who take Mark under their wing, helping him in his investigation. Oliver Boyd  “O Boy” Daniels is the rather nasty local sheriff. His wife is Carrie and they have a son, Kippy, who is not much older than Mark. O Boy’s half-brother Arthur McFaddon is another not very nice character who runs the local radio with his stepson Kyle. I especially enjoyed the domino boys, a group of four geezers who play domino’s at Teeve’s pool hall. They add humor and character to the novel.

We learn about Gaylene’s life through snippets of her diary, which Letts has woven seamlessly into the fabric of her story. Her childhood friend was Rowena Whitekiller, she worked at Arthur’s radio station with Kyle and she played basketball well enough to get a scholarship for university.

While this novel is another great work of Letts’, I found it somewhat predictable, considering I had the mystery pretty much solved about halfway through the book. Even so, I still took pleasure in the journey and would definitely recommend this story to anyone who likes fast-moving, well-told novels crafted with wit.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

What is your opinion of Shoot the Moon?

Origami Gift Box

We all know that giftwrap can be expensive. I don’t want to spend as much (or more) on the paper, bag, and bow as I did on what’s inside. In the past I have been known to make the wrapping as much a part of the gift as what’s inside by using a purse, basket or tote bag. I also like to “be green,” so to speak and recycle old newspaper and magazines as wrapping paper. This is a tutorial on making gift boxes from magazine pages.

What you’ll need:

• Scissors
• Paper
• Ruler
• Glue-stick (optional)

1. Find some paper with a pretty design. The paper must be a perfect square, cut off extra length to make it a square. I used a magazine page (doubled up with a second page glued to the back for sturdiness). Pay attention to what is at the center of the square when cutting, this will be the top of the box.
2. Place the pretty side face down. Fold the square on the diagonal in half, both ways.
3. With the pretty side down fold each corner into the center to make a small square.
4. Unfold two opposite corners. Taking the edges that are still folded down, fold again lining the edge up with the tip of the corner. Do this for the opposite side. Then fold down the other two corners and repeat.
5. Unfold all folds. Find the creases of the small square at the very center of your paper. Lightly draw the outline on the not pretty side of your paper to make sure you don’t over cut in the next step.
6. Cut in from the edge of the paper along the creases as shown in image 6 above. Don’t over cut.
7. Fold along all crease on the sides with tabs (triangles) as shown.
8. Fold the final two edges over the tabs and press down to “stick.”
9. True origami doesn’t need glue but since this is a gift I didn’t want the sides to pop up so I glue down the corners. You can also cut out a small square of pretty paper that fits in the box and glue that over the corners. You can see that I did that in the image below.

If you want to make a box with a lid the lid paper needs to be slightly larger than the bottom. My box is about 2 1/4” when completed. The bottom was 6” and the top was 6 1/4”. If you want a bigger box (about 4 1/4″) use 12” for the top and 11 1/2” for the bottom; for a smaller box (about 1 3/4″) use 5” for the top and 4 13/16” for the bottom.

If you forget how to do proportions here is a link to a calculator.

Plug in 2.25 (the size of my completed box) on the top of the fraction to the left and 6 (the size of the bottom paper) on the bottom of the fraction on the left.

Plug in the size you want your box to be on the top of the fraction on the left. The equation will return the size you should cut your bottom piece.

Then plug in 6 and 6.25 on the fraction on the left and whatever number you got back from the previous step. Now the equation will tell you how big to cut the top piece.

Or you could just guess… testing on scratch paper never hurt anyone.

 

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Edamame Hummus

Hummus is one of the best things in life, and adding a few soybeans can only help. The first time I had edamame hummus was my freshman year at CSU. There was always some hummus at the salad bar and very rarely they served edamame hummus. Those were good days, but now I make it at home whenever I want.

Gather your ingredients: some edamame hummus recipes use only soybeans and no chickpeas, but I love chickpeas so I use both, tahini is optional but tastes yummy (I didn’t have any), ¼ cup water, lemon zest and juice, smashed garlic, salt, cumin, coriander and olive oil.

Boil the edamame (fun fact: edamame is actually the Japanese word for soybeans in the shell, when you buy shelled soybeans they’re actually called, “mukimame”) according to package directions. Drain and add to a blender or food processor.

Add the drained chickpeas to the blender or food processor.

I’ve never figured out if it’s easier to zest first and juice after or vice versa. I juice first. Roll the lemon on the counter to loosen the juices before cutting it in half and juicing it.

Then add the water, lemon zest and juice and olive oil (I used 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil to add a little of that sesame flavor since I didn’t have tahini)… Followed by the tahini (if using) garlic, salt, cumin, and coriander.

Pulse the blender or food processor until smooth. Add more water if mixture is too thick; add more soy beans if it’s too runny. Taste test and adjust spices to preference.

Serve with vegetables, pita chips, pretzels, or whatever you fancy. This stuff is blended gold my friends. AND now you have another dip to serve at your next St. Patrick’s Day party (besides guacamole I mean). Yay!

Total Time: 15 minutes Difficulty: Easy Yield: 1 ¼ cup Ingredients: 1 ½ cup frozen shelled green soybeans 1 can drained chickpeas ¼ cup tahini (optional) ¼ cup water ½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons), juiced 1 clove garlic, smashed ¾ teaspoon kosher salt ¾ teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon ground coriander 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Suggested serving: Sliced cucumbers, celery, olives, and pita Directions: Boil the beans in salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, or microwave, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes. In a food processor, puree the edamame, tahini, water, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt, cumin, and coriander until smooth. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and mix until absorbed. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in the parsley and drizzle with remaining oil. Serve with the suggested vegetables, or refrigerate, covered, up to 1 week (this time is very finicky, check for signs of spoilage such as ingredient separation, off taste or smell and slimy appearance).

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Night

For the longest time I refused to read Night by Elie Wiesel. I kept telling myself that it was just another heart-breaking story of a young boy who lived through the Holocaust. I didn’t want to face the unsettling and depressing account that has haunted my bookshelf all these years. Eventually I realized that hiding from something doesn’t make it go away, in fact, it usually gets worse. If every person on this planet denies the stories of these people and avoids talking and thinking about that horrible time, what’s to stop it from happening again? So I read it.

Source: http://judesenglish10.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-of-night-by-elie-wiesel.html

The story follows Eliezer (a character invented to distance the author from the experience) through his experiences in Auschwitz, Buna, and Gleiwitz. His experiences jump out and possess the reader. We follow his complicated love-hate relationship with a God that has abandoned God’s most devoted followers. We wonder with him why the rest of the world remained silent in the face of such brutality. We see inhumanity toward other humans through the eyes of one who experienced it. We celebrate the beautiful father-son relationship while regretting that this relationship results in a sacrifice.

I don’t really know what else to say about this book except that it was exactly what I expected: gloomy, heartbreaking, horrifying, and shocking. It’s not a good book since the events that take place within these pages are certainly not good, but it is well written and worth reading. It is bleak and blunt; Elie Wiesel does not hold back in the recounting of his tale.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

How did you react to Night?

Fruit by the (almost) Foot

As a kid I was a huge fan of fruit gummies like Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Roll-Ups and Fruit Gushers (though I very rarely received them at home). Now, that I’m an adult (sorta) I have had a few cravings for them.

If you take a look at a box of strawberry flavored Fruit By the Foot by Betty Crocker you might see these ingredients:

• Pears from concentrate
• Sugar
• Maltodextrin
• Water
• Corn syrup
• Partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil
• Contain 2% or less of: carrageenan, citric acid, acetylated monoglycerides, acetylated diglycerides, sodium citrate, malic acid, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, vitamin c (ascorbic acid), potassium citrate, natural flavor, color (yellow 5, red 40, blue 1)

From the name you would assume there’d be a lot of fruit in it but actually you find it’s just sugar and preservatives. It’s number four on a list of 9 Kid Foods to Avoid created by Time.

Here is a recipe for fruit leather from Out of the Box Food. Tastes delicious, not too difficult to make, and you can adjust the amount of sweetener, the flavor, and the size to suit your fancy. I am seriously in love with homemade stuff!

I got mixed berries because… berries. Other fruit combinations can be found at the end of this post. I used agave nectar because it doesn’t add much flavor but honey or maple syrup can be used as well (or none of the above).

Start by cutting the two sheets of parchment paper to fit the cookie sheets. Rub some butter on the paper so the rolls will peel off easily and set them aside. I’m not sure how necessary the greasing step is but I am afraid to test these without it.

Add all ingredients to the blender (not the butter, like I said it’s for greasing).

Then blend the heck outta those fruits!

At this point you could strain the puree to remove the seeds (there are soooo many seeds). I didn’t because I like to keep things simple and don’t like washing dishes… These are life-changing decisions, my friends. Divide the puree evenly between the two cookie sheets and spread thin with a rubber spatula.

This is my third time making these and I elected to use the sun to dry them in order to save energy. I was worried about bugs and stuff but then I decided to not worry about bugs and stuff. If you do worry about bugs, heat the oven to 150 °F (or as low as yours goes) and place the two cookie sheets in the oven as it is heating up. If your oven has a convection setting this would be an excellent occasion to use it. If you’re lucky enough to have one this recipe is perfect for a dehydrator. My oven only goes to 170 °F so the first time I made these I let the oven heat up all the way gave it five minutes and turned it off. After 20 minutes I’d turn it on again. It was very tedious but it worked. The second time I made these I forgot to alternate heating times and the rolls got super crispy around the edges, and pretty much all over, which made me angry.

When the rolls aren’t wet any longer take them out of the oven (or bring them inside). Wait for them to cool, which doesn’t take long, and cut into whatever size and shape you want. I leave the parchment paper on the rolls as I roll them up so it’s on the outside (like a real fruit by the foot). Store in an airtight container. As far as I can tell they last forever if you don’t eat them all at once.

Somewhat of a high maintenance recipe since you really have to be around the whole time they are drying (unless you use the sun and are not worried about bugs or wind, then you can just leave them out all day). One idea is to make these and refrigerate the puree until just after dinner. Turn the oven on until bedtime and turn it off when you go to sleep.

MORE FRUIT COMBINATION IDEAS:
Yellow: 1 fresh mango, 7 oz dried apricots, the juice of one orange
Purple:  20 oz frozen mixed berries and 1 fresh banana
Green: Kiwi, mango and mint leaves
Blue: Blueberries and grape juice
Red: Strawberries and banana

Spices to try: Allspice, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, mace, mint, basil, extracts, citrus juices and peels, nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice. Use sparingly, start with 1/8 teaspoon for each 2 cups of pureé.

MAKES: 12, 2” x 14” rolls TIME: Preparation – 10 minutes, Drying – 5 to 7 hours with convection oven; 8 to 10 hours with standard oven; more if drying by sun. Also depends on thickness of puree. INGREDIENTS: 20 oz. frozen fruit ¼ cup agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup (can use less or omit completely) Butter for greasing DIRECTIONS: Cut parchment paper to fit on two cookie sheets with raised edges. Grease parchment paper with butter. Defrost berries and add to blender with sweetener. Blend until smooth. Divide puree between cookie sheets, spread thin with a spatula. Heat oven to 150 °F (my oven only goes down to 170 °F so I watch them carefully so they don’t burn). Another option is to leave rolls out in the sun to dry. Or better yet, use a dehydrator. When fruit is dry remove the cookie sheets from the oven. When cool cut into 2” strips, roll tightly and store in air-tight container.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

 

What flavor combinations have you tried?

4×4 Workout

This workout (originally created over at Fit Fab Cities) is another designed to be done in whatever amount of time you have available for it. There are FOUR sets with FOUR individual exercise per set (hence the title).

Enjoy!

Beginners should take breaks whenever needed. Intermediates should take short breaks between exercises and longer breaks between sets. Advanced exercisers should limit breaks to only between sets. and again… DRINK WATER!

Printable version, click here.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

About a Boy

In honor of National Book Lovers Day yesterday it’s only fitting that this post be a book review. I believe About a Boy by Nick Hornby is just the ticket. The story is nothing more than a slice of life with real characters in real situations feeling real feelings and thinking real thoughts. I bought the book at a local bookstore because I had seen the movie and loved the story.

Caption – Source: http://icedteaandlemoncake.wordpress.com/2011/01/30/about-a-boy-book-vs-movie/

Really, there are two boys in this story: Marcus, a 12-year-old boy, and Will, a 36-year-old boy-at-heart. Will is a superficial bachelor who lives off the royalties he earns from his father’s one-hit-wonder Christmas tune, a song he despises. He treats life as an experiment, always trying new schemes to fill in the void, which he doesn’t understand. Marcus is an odd, blunt, and worldly young boy who both puzzles and startles his depressive mother, Fiona.

Through a random series of events these three characters come together. They each learn from the others some of life’s lessons they had been missing out on. Will learns what it means to be a grown-up and develops from an empty shell into someone with substance. Marcus opens up to some harsh truths of life and learns the importance of staying true to one’s self, no matter how peculiar. Fiona ascends from a very dark place and discovers a new reason to live. All this occurs through their ups and downs of life.

Briefly, I would like to compare the book with the movie, though it was not National Movie Lover’s Day yesterday (it doesn’t exist… I looked). I have to say that it was a true representation. There were some completely invented scenes present in the movie and many plot twists were abandoned (though plot twists were few and far between in the book). However, Will’s character practically screams, “Hugh Grant,” and the general idea was translated appropriately.

While the characters and the writing fall a bit flat, I appreciated the genuine humor Hornby presented and the realness of their struggles. This book is worth reading, especially as a quick summer book and if you enjoy British humor.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

How did you like About a Boy (the book or movie)?

Zucchini Bread – Homemade Style

One thing I forgot to mention in Summer Lovin’ post last week is all the fresh produce from my mom’s garden. I probably forgot since I don’t live there much in the summer anymore, but my childhood is full of baby carrots covered in dirt, tomatoes that I can only describe as nature’s candy, and zucchini bread (or at least those are the things I loved the most from her garden).

I wanted to make zucchini bread but my mom warned me that many of the recipes contain a lot of oil. After a lot of research and some improvisation I think I’ve concocted perhaps the perfect recipe. You be the judge.

Start by preheating the oven and preparing an 8-inch loaf pan (I got to use my Misto!).

Grate zucchini(s); you can peel them before hand, I personally like the peel in the bread so I don’t. I used the largest grate size on my 4-sided cheese-grater. You can use the smallest side (or an attachment on your food processor)… it really depends on preference.

Mix together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

Doesn’t that just look sooooo appetizing? Whisk together egg, oil, applesauce, yogurt, honey, and vanilla in a larger second bowl. The honey is from the bee hive on some land my Range Club manages just north of Fort Collins… Yay local stuff!

Add flour mixture to the larger bowl and stir until well combined.

Fold in grated zucchini.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until risen, deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean – 50 to 60 minutes.

Cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes, then remove from pan and continue cooling on rack.

Ingredients: Cooking spray 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 egg 1/4 cup oil 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt 1/2 cup honey 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup grated zucchini Instructions: Preheat oven to 325 °F. Spray an 8-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a separate larger bowl, whisk together egg, oil, applesauce, yogurt, honey and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir until well combined. Fold in zucchini, then transfer batter to prepared pan and bake until risen, deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean – 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan on rack for 30 minutes, remove bread from pan and continue cooling on rack.

 

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Restaurant-Style Salsa at Home

Salsa is a big deal in my world and I am very picky about it. I hate chunks (except in fresh pico de gallo) and I love cilantro… a lot of cilantro… like the whole bunch, and it’s gotta be spicy. I’ve tried many a jar of salsa in my life (all 22 years of it) and I keep coming back to homemade (which is good since I’m all about homemade everything now). It tastes better, you get to choose your preferences, it’s super simple (if you have a food processor or blender), it’s cheaper and you can make as much (or as little) as you want!

I see no downside.

Three tomatoes (Reid used half of one of these tomatoes for breakfast without knowing they were for the salsa, it’ll be interesting to see how I will peel this one), one onion, one jalepeño pepper, one (two small) Fresno chile (from my garden), two cloves of garlic, lime juice (it’s best fresh but I didn’t have one), salt, cumin, cilantro

Peel the tomatoes by placing them in boiling water for a few minutes then and submerging them in ice water. Skins practically fall off. It’s okay to skip this step, there will just be some skins in the salsa but that’s really not noticeable.

Dice half an onion and chop the tomatoes. Add the onion and tomato to the food processor.

Mince the garlic and cut up the peppers; keep the seeds, you’re tough and can handle it. Then add the garlic and peppers to the food processor.

Add ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin and about three tablespoons lime juice.

Now, add ½ to 1 cup cilantro. I seriously love cilantro. If you don’t like cilantro much use less (but I will mock you).

AND pulse, pulse, pulse… a couple more times, and a couple more, about 10 to 15 times oughta do it. I like NO chunks. If you like chunkier salsa… pulse less.

Be sure to taste test and alter seasonings/add more cilantro. Then if you can avoid the temptation of gobbling it all up right then, cover it and put it in the refrigerator for about an hour so the flavors can fuse and stuff.

Doesn’t that just look awful? I’ll take one for the team and eat it all. You owe me one. (Those tortilla chips are La Favorita brand, ingredients: ground yellow corn, water, soybean oil, salt, trace of lime. Not bad.)

Prep Time: 20 minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 12 Ingredients: 3 Medium Tomatoes 2 whole Jalepeño peppers ¼ cup Chopped Onion 2 Clove Garlic ¼ teaspoon Salt ¼ teaspoon Ground Cumin ½ cup Cilantro (more!) ½ whole Lime Juice Instructions: Peel tomatoes. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until salsa is the consistency you like. Test flavor; adjust spices. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips, nachos, tacos, quesadillas, burritos, fajitas, eggs, etc.

I’ve made this salsa from The Pioneer Woman many times. With my new “real food” kick I shied away from using canned tomatoes because they contained calcium chloride. At the store I had no idea what this was so I bought fresh tomatoes and peppers (and had some from my garden). After doing some research (and remembering my chemistry… duh!) I’ve learned that calcium chloride is basically harmless (and is found in most milk products in higher concentrations than a can of tomatoes).

However, I am very pleased with the results using fresh tomatoes so really it’s a moot point.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

The Hobbit

I think there is rather a lot of hobbit in each of us. I don’t mean in appearance as the race of hobbits are half as tall as men, are round and plump, and have fuzzy, leathery feet, which help them to disappear quietly and quickly when trouble comes along. I really mean the ordinariness of them. Bilbo Baggins, lives very comfortably in his quiet hobbit hole, burrowed into a hill: The Hill, Hobbiton, The Shire. He likes to take at least two breakfasts every day, an early and a late one, and smoke a pipe of tobacco sitting at ease on the doorstep by his own round, green, front door.

Source: http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2012/06/13/top-100-childrens-novels-14-the-hobbit-by-j-r-r-tolkien/

Actually, that is exactly what he is doing a the beginning of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Bilbo is smoking his pipe when his ordinary day at his ordinary home is interrupted by the unexpected appearance of an old family friend: the wizard Gandalf the Grey. Bilbo is persuaded to accomplany 12 dwarves (Thorin Oakenshiled, Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Dwalin, Balin, Dori, Nori, Ori, Bifur, Bofur and Bombur) on a quest to reclaim stolen treasure from Smaug, the marauding dragon. Bilbo’s role is to be as “burglar,” a role that neither dwarves nor Bilbo himself believe him capable of. Only Gandalf, and his claim that there is more to the little hobbit than meets the eye, reassures the party.

Bilbo, who has lived in happy ignorance of the happenings in the rest of the world, is about to discover the evils and marvels that occupy the Wild. He encounters trolls, obtains a magic blade, which he later calls Sting, rests with the high elves in Rivendell, escapes goblins in the Misty Mountains, outwits Gollum, a vile, hissing creature, and comes across a magic ring.

You see, this ring can make the wearer invisible and Bilbo uses it (not fully understanding the power) to escape Gollum, the goblins and the underground tunnels through the mountains. This is the first time Bilbo doesn’t rely on Gandalf for rescue; though he still views himself as ordinary, Bilbo the Ring Finder has a very special part to play yet in the great events which shape his world.

He rejoins Gandalf and the dwarves. Evil wolves called Wargs pursue them, but Bilbo and his comrades are helped to safety by a group of great eagles. They visit Beorn, a creature who can shift his shape from man to bear, at his home before beginning their journey through the dark forest of Mirkwood.

Gandalf leaves the party to see to some other business involving the Necromancer just before they enter Mirkwood. Bilbo rescues the dwarves from many dangers in the forest. The dwarves call it luck but I believe that as Bilbo’s adventures unfold he become a rather different kind of hobbit. He learns to rely on himself and stops hoping for outside help. Gandalf, always seeming to know more than he reveals, was right: Bilbo was the right hobbit for the job. As his self-confidence and keen judgement increase he plays an increasingly significant part in the great events, which unfold on the journey to the Lonely Mountain, to Smaug, and to his hoard.

This is a tale that seems to grow in the telling. The characters, while seemingly lifted from fairy tales, have real motives and emotions, which are entirely compelling. Bilbo began as a somewhat unlikeable homebody and grows into the most lovable, courageous, and decent character in the story. And while, Bilbo again and again daydreams of being home by his quiet fire, smoking his pipe on the front step, or preparing a grand meal, his return home turns out to be bittersweet.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Who’s excited for the movie this December?

Eating Real Food

It was June, it was HOT and I needed something with the word ice in it desperately to cool me down. I pulled into the local grocery store, headed for the frozen food section, relished in the cold air, and searched for that special treat. It came down to three things for me: price, flavor and whether or not my boyfriend would want to eat it too (he has a Who-sized sweet-tooth gene). I grabbed a 12-pack of Weight-Watchers dark-chocolate-dipped raspberry ice cream bars. They sounded heavenly, they were the cheapest for the number of bars and I thought Reid would at least not cringe at the thought of eating one or two.

I will not lie; I got to the car and dug in. The chocolate bar was steaming with sublimation in the hot car and I enjoyed the heck out of every bite of it. When I returned home I put them in the freezer and left it at that. When Reid came home he was having a fit about having to watch TV commercials that day at work. We don’t have cable so we have forgotten about commercials (and I’m pretty sure they’ve gotten dumber since the last time they were forced on me, but that’s a story for another day). He described one commercial he had seen to me through gritted teeth. It was a commercial for some kind of metabolism booster that allows you to eat whatever you want regardless of calories or nutrition. You shake this substance on hamburgers or ice cream and it makes you look like the skinny girls in the commercial, dancing around in their bikinis.

Then he saw Weight Watchers ice cream bars in the freezer. “I bet these aren’t even ice cream, they’re probably completely synthetic,” says he. When we looked at the label, he wasn’t ALL wrong.

That’s when we, here at the Miller/Haseman Estate (HA!) decided that while something may be edible it might not be digestible. He learned in microbiology and passed his knowledge on to me that there are many “food” items we ingest every day that our bodies look at and say “dafuq?” then stores in fatty tissue if it ever has need of the foreign substance. Our culture in America tends to guide us toward the quick fix, the fast, and the easy, which leaves the wholesome and nutritious forgotten in the dusty cobwebs of our minds. Our society has become dependent on processed foods. They are an illusion of nutrition that lists claims such as, low-carb, no added sugar, high-protein, high-fiber, vitamin fortified etc. But when you take a look at the label you see words like “Polydextrose,” “Azodicarbonamide,” and “Natamycin.”

Source: http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/p/processed_foods.asp

Now, this has turned into a project that I have taken on: making EVERYTHING from scratch (almost). When we go to the grocery store we pick up items, look at them and I say, “I could make that.” And then… get this… I actually DO make it.

I will admit that it definitely helps that I have an open schedule (especially this summer) in which to lull away the day. It has been nice to have something to fill my time that will benefit my creativity, deductive reasoning skills and my body all in one shot. (Side note: What’s that saying? Kill two birds with one stone. My mom always found this barbaric and changed it to feed two birds with one seed. End side note).

Regardless of your schedule I believe it is possible to cut out most of this junk from our diets.

Why cut out processed foods:

1. Like I said before, processed foods are an illusion of nutrition.
2. Healthier body, mind and soul… and a foundation for continued health in later life.
3. Michael Pollan says it best when he explains food should be the product of nature, not the product of industry.
4. Variety: 90% of processed food is estimated to be a derivative of corn or soy (Food, Inc.)
5. Plain and simple, common sense: I’d like to know (and have the ability to pronounce) what I’m putting in to fuel my body, wouldn’t you?

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

I would love to hear from you. What do you do to cut back on processed foods?

Solving the Magic Cube: Helpful Steps and Tips

The Rubik’s cube was invented by Ernő Rubik in 1974, taking inspiration from smoothed pebbles in the Danube River, in order to help explain three-dimensional geometry. I started doing the Rubik’s cube when I was in Germany in 2007. I was on a four or five hour train ride to Berlin from Oldenburg and had time to kill. A friend of mine could do it so she gave me a few hints to start me on my way. My fastest time is 53 seconds (which is a far cry from the world record) but it’s been ages since I had the ability to work it that fast. Recently, I only pull the cube out on occasion to impress people at parties or just to exercise my brain. Now I’m ready to lay some knowledge down for you to pick up.

Stage 1: The Terminology

Middle Pieces

The middle pieces never move.  The cube will always appear the same when solved because the blue side will never touch the green side, the white side will never touch the yellow side and the red side will never touch the orange side (See Figure 1).

Figure 1. The middle pieces are indicated with red white and blue. These pieces never move.

Edge Pieces

The Edge pieces are the 12 pieces that form the sides of each square on each side.  They have two colors and you can move these pieces (See Figure 2).

Figure 2. The edge piece is indicated by red and blue. There are 12 of these moving pieces.

Corner Pieces

The corner pieces are the 8 pieces that form the corners of the square on each side.  They have three colors and you can move these pieces (See Figure 3).

Figure 3. The corner piece is indicated by the red, blue and white. There are eight of these moving pieces.

Up, Down, Right, Left, Front, Back and Inverted Turns

For the sake of leaving confusion out of the equation the Up side will always refer to the white side, and the Down side will be yellow.  Up and Down can also be commands for turning the Up or Down side, respectively.  Right, Left, Front and Back refer to the side the user turns.  There will be no color associated with right, left, front or back because this changes as we progress.  All turns should be assumed to be clockwise unless indicated by an “i,” which represents an inverted turn or a counterclockwise turn. All turns indicated are a quarter of a full turn unless otherwise stated.  A full turn returns the side to its original position; a half turn rotates the side 90 degrees.

Middle Row

The middle row will always refer to the band of non-Up, non-Down side colors: blue, red, green, and orange.  It is the collection of edge and middle pieces in the middle of the Rubik’s cube (See Figure 4).

Figure 4. The middle row is this band of edge and middle pieces.

Position

This is where the piece belongs in relationship to the cube.  For example the orange/green/white corner piece belongs in the corner where the orange green and white sides of the cube meet (See Figure 5).  Therefore a piece can be in the correct position.  This also refers to whether or not the colors are correctly aligned based on the colors of the middle pieces, which again don’t move (See Figure 6).  Therefore, the colors can be in the correct position as well.

Figure 5. This piece is in the correct position.

Figure 6. These colors are in the correct position.

Other Helpful Information

Specific examples will be used throughout this post in order to better explain the concept.  Because the Rubik’s cube is so dynamic, the one you are working on will most likely appear completely different from the one discussed.  The point is to see the pattern presented here, focus on the end result and don’t get bogged down with details.

Stage 2: The Completion

Step 1 – Solving the Down Cross

The first two steps are the most important and the most difficult things you must do to solve the Rubik’s Cube.  Start by solving the Down cross.  As stated before in the Terminology section, the Down side always refers to the yellow side and the middle piece will never move from its current location.

Take your Rubik’s Cube and hold it so the side with the yellow square in the center (the Down side) is facing up.  Locate on the cube all of the other edge pieces with yellow on them (ignore the yellow corner pieces for now).  Find the orange and yellow edge piece and turn the sides until the piece is on the edge of the orange and white sides.  Turn the Up side (the White side) one quarter turn, invert turn the left side and turn the right side.  Now invert-turn the orange side.  If you have followed the instructions, the yellow/orange edge piece should be lined up on the yellow/orange side (See Figure 7).

Figure 7. The yellow/orange edge piece is in the yellow/orange position.

For the rest of the edge pieces, you will have to use these steps, logic and reason to keep the yellow/orange edge piece in its place and solve for the other three edge pieces.  The end product should look something like Figure 8.

Figure 8. The Down cross is complete. The edge pieces are in the correct position.

Step 2 – Filling in the Corners

Now hold your completed Down cross so it faces up.  Locate the yellow corner pieces.  Find the yellow/red/blue piece and line it up on the cube so that it is in the white/blue/red corner position (See Diagram 1).

If the yellow side of the corner piece is on the blue side of the cube, i-turn the Up side, i-turn the right side, turn the Up side, turn the right side (See Diagram 1).

Diagram 1. This shows the sequence necessary to solve for the corners on the Down side with the yellow side of the yellow/red/blue corner piece starting on the blue side of the cube.

If the yellow side of the corner piece is on the red side of the cube, turn the Up side, turn the Left side, i-turn the Up side, i-turn the Left side (See Diagram 2).

Diagram 2. This shows the sequence necessary to solve for the corners on the Down side with the yellow side of the yellow/red/blue corner piece starting on the red side of the cube.

If the yellow side of the corner piece is on the white side of the cube, you must manipulate the cube so that it is in one of the above positions.  Continue following these steps and manipulating the cube until the other three yellow corner pieces are solved and the Down side is complete (See Figure 9).

Figure 9. The Down side is complete. Notice the “T” shape on all sides of the cube.

Step 3 – Working Out the Middle Row

The next thing to do is to solve for the four edge pieces in the middle row.  Hold the cube so that the Up side faces up and locate the four-listed edge pieces.  Start by finding the red/blue edge piece.

If the red side of the edge piece is on the Up side of the cube, line up the blue side of the edge piece with the blue side of the cube.  Hold the cube so that the red side is facing you, i-turn Up, i-turn Front, turn Up, turn Front, turn Up, turn Right, i-turn Up, i-turn Right (See Diagram 3).

Diagram 3. This shows the sequence necessary to complete the middle row with the red side of the edge piece on the Up side of the cube as a starting point.

If the blue side of the edge piece is on the Up side of the cube, line up the red side of the edge piece with the red side of the cube.  Hold the cube so that the red side is facing you, turn Up, turn Right, i-turn Up, i-turn Right, i-turn Up, i-turn Front, turn Up, turn Front (See Diagram 4)

Diagram 4. This shows the sequence necessary to complete the middle row with the blue side of the edge piece on the Up side of the cube as a starting point.

If the blue side of the edge piece is on the red side of the cube and the red side of the edge piece is on the blue side of the cube (in other words the edge piece is in the right position on the middle row but the colors are wrong) then perform either of the above maneuvers to free the piece.  Then line it up according to the above instructions and follow the method again.

Find the rest of the middle row pieces and do the above maneuvers to complete the middle row until your cube looks like Figure 10.

Figure 10. The middle row is complete.

Step 4 – Solving the Up Cross

If your cube looks like Figure 11, hold the cube so that the Up side is up and in the same position as it is in Figure 11.  Turn Front, turn Right, turn Up, i-turn right, i-turn Up, i-turn front (See Diagram 5).

Figure 11. This shows one starting position for solving the Up cross.

If your cube looks like Figure 12, hold the cube so that the Up side is up and in the same position as it is in Figure 12.  Turn Front, turn Right, turn Up, i-turn right, i-turn Up, i-turn front (See Diagram 5).

Figure 12. This shows one starting position for solving the Up cross.

Diagram 5. This shows the sequence necessary to complete the Up cross starting with any position.

Once your cube has an Up cross you will have to position the edge pieces so that the colors line up with the correct side.  To do this line up the Up side so that only one color is in the correct position.  This will not work if more than one color is in the correct position (if all four edge pieces and colors are already in the correct position skip to step 5).

Hold the cube so that the correctly aligned color is facing you (See Figure 13).  Turn Up, turn Right, turn Up, i-turn Right, turn Up, turn Right, turn Up, turn Up, i-turn Right (See Diagram 6).  Then repeat this sequence until all colors in the Up cross line up with the corresponding side and your cube looks like Figure 14.

Figure 13. This shows the correct way to hold the Rubik’s cube before finishing the Up cross.

Diagram 6. This shows the sequence necessary to complete the Up cross. Every other turn is a clockwise Up side turn with the last showing two turns. The Right side turns alternate between clockwise and counterclockwise starting with clockwise.

Figure 14. This shows the completed Up cross with all colors and pieces in the correct positions.

Step 5 – Positioning the Corners

Look at all the Up side corner pieces.  Decide if any of the corner pieces are in the correct position.  If no pieces are in the correct position hold the cube so the Up side is up; it doesn’t matter which side faces you.  Turn Up, turn Right, i-turn Up, i-turn Left, turn Up, i-turn Right, i-turn Up, turn Left (See Diagram 7).

Diagram 7. This shows the sequence necessary to position the corners properly. The outcome shown in the diagram is not the only outcome possible, there are many outcomes.

Re-evaluate the cube.  Are any of the corner pieces in the correct position?  If none are, repeat the above sequence until at least one corner piece is in the correct position.

When one corner piece is in the correct position hold the cube so that Up side is up and the piece that is in the correct position is in the lower right hand corner of the cube (See Figure 15 ).  Repeat the above sequence.  Check to see if all the corner pieces are in the correct positions.  Do the sequence until they all are.

Figure 15. This shows the correct position for a corner piece and the way to hold the cube before positioning the remaining three corner pieces.

Step 6 – The Big Finish

Look at the Up side and the corner pieces.  Are any of the colors of the corner pieces in the correct position?

If none are it does not matter how you hold the cube to do this sequence.  If one of the corner pieces does have it’s colors in the correct position start by holding the cube with the Up side facing up and that piece in the lower right hand corner of the Up side (See Figure 16).

Figure 16. This shows the proper way to hold the cube before completing the cube if one corner piece has the colors in the correct position.

There are two ways for two corner pieces to appear on the cube with the colors in the correct position.  The first way is shown in Figure 17 and should be held as Figure 17 appears.

Figure 17. This shows the correct way to hold a Rubik’s cube before finishing the cube when two corner pieces have the colors in the proper position in the shown arrangement.

The second is shown in Figure 18 and should be held as Figure 18 appears.

Figure 18. This shows the correct way to hold a Rubik’s cube before finishing the cube when the corner pieces have the colors in the proper position in the shown arrangement.

This final step is easy to get lost in, so PAY ATTENTION to the colors.

Start by turning the Up side.  This is the sequence: i-turn Right, i-turn Down, turn Right, turn Down (See Diagram 8).  Repeat this sequence until the white edge piece and the white corner piece line up and they are on the Up side of the cube.

Diagram 8. This shows the sequence necessary to complete the Rubik’s cube. This particular sequence is sometimes repeated a number of times, other times only one time will be necessary.

Then turn the Up side again and repeat the above method until the Up side is completed.  If everything worked out nicely your cube may need a few turns to get the rows lined up, but it should be complete and look like Figure 19.

Figure 19. This shows a solved Rubik’s cube. All color sides are completed.

Stage 3:  The Tips and Techniques

Seeing the Big Picture

Solving a Rubik’s Cube is about noticing patterns and learning how to manipulate the changing sides so that the result is what you want.  You will never solve the same Rubik’s cube twice.  It may be the same device but the colors will never be scrambled in the same order.  Finally, keeping track of which step you’re on and knowing how to go back to where you made the mistake is key.  Pay attention to the way the cube changes when you turn a side.

Decreasing Your Time

There are many ways to decrease your time.  The best way is to practice; the more you do the cube the more likely you are to be able to solve it and to solve it fast.  Also when you practice you learn about the dynamics of the cube, how it changes, why certain maneuvers work, etc.  The more you know about the cube the more likely you will be able to skip steps or do more than one step at a time.

Alternative Method

The above method is meant for beginners.  Once you have been playing around with the cube for a while you begin to discover new ways to complete it.  The following way does not go into as much detail as the above method because it is meant for those who are familiar with the movements of the cube.

Start by solving the orange/green/yellow 2x2x2 cube.  Then solve the red/green/orange/yellow 3x2x2 box.  Then add the blue side until you have a 3x3x2 box.  Finish by solving the white side in the same way you would solve in the beginner’s method.

Other fun ideas include solving the cube with flowers on each side like in Figure 20, and mixing up one cube and trying to match it using another cube.

Figure 20. This represents one of many other fun ways to solve the Rubik’s cube.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

The Mandrake: Root of All Evil or Apple of Love

I took a course called Plants and Civilization at Colorado State University in the spring of 2011. It was based around the book Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan and is where I think my love of plants became truly solidified. I wrote this piece for my final paper and am very proud of it so I now have it published on the interweb for those who, like me, love plants and how they relate to humans.

Throughout history the mandrake has been given a reputation as both sacred and sinister in many aspects of human culture.  Evidence of both views can be found in language, uses and the rituals surrounding it.  The words people used to describe this plant include the ancient Greek word, “Love apples,” and the Arabic word, “Devil’s testicles;” (Thompson, 1968) other words in other cultures depended on the sex, use and part of the plant a person is referred to (Zarcone, 2005).  Various reasons are given for why this plant became a thing to cherish and a thing to fear; the mandrake was loved because it was considered an aphrodisiac and could increase fertility but it was also distressing due to it’s magic and it’s poison (Bennett, 1991).

The mandrake is a perennial herb and member to a family that includes both foul and beneficial plants: the Solanaceae family (Simoons, 1998).  Some relatives include edible plants such as the potato and the tomato and poisonous plants like deadly nightshade. (Simoons, 1998).  The substances that make up a mandrake are also conflicting.  All mandrake species contain up to 0.4% alkaloids (Rätsch 1992).  The chief active ingredient is scopolamine, a hallucinogen and a poison (Bennett, 1991).  Another major substance in mandrakes is atropine, which is found in highest levels in the roots of flowering mandrake and is known to cause the pupil dilation and got it’s name from Atropos, one of three Greek Fates who chose how a person would die (Hanus et al., 2007).  The heavy, fruity, provocative odor of the fruit of a mandrake, which is mentioned in a love poem in the Christian Bible, comes from over 100 different components including ethyl butyrate, hexanol and hexyl acetate (Hanus et al., 2005).

Source: http://mybyzantine.wordpress.com/2010/05/16/byzantine-herbs-and-drugs-%E2%80%93-the-magical-and-dangerous-mandrake/

There were many rituals surrounding the collection of a mandrake, some due to the evils associated with the plant, others due to the good.  The evil associations begin in Europe where it was believed that mandrakes only grew beneath the gallows from the matter of the hanged person (Simoons, 1998).  Daleschamps went so far as to say that mandrakes only were produced from the sperm of hanged men or men crushed on a wheel but not from women because “female sperm cannot be prolific on its own” (Zarcone, 2005).  In Iran, it was believed that the mandrake was produced from the blood of a god or primeval giant that was killed violently (Zarcone, 2005).  Because of these beliefs, one rule for collection stated that mandrakes could only be collected beneath gallows or at crossroads, especially where suicide was involved (Simoons, 1998).

New rules and formulas for digging up mandrakes began popping up in various areas of the world; the most common ritual involved the use of a dog.  In Roman, Greek, Persian and Turkish there are various forms of words that refer to the mandrake and mean human plant (Simoons, 1998) because it is thought to look like a man due to the thick, fleshy root’s resemblance to the human-form (Beahm, 2005), and the rootlets give the impression of hair for a beard (Zarcone, 2005).  Many cultures believed that the mandrake was a living spirit that would shriek when uprooted killing the digger (Rätsch, 1992).  In a Persian engraving a man is seen wearing a turban to protect his ears and pulling up a mandrake with the assistance of a dog (Zarcone, 2005) because dogs were often employed to pull up the roots.  The owner of the dog would starve the dog for a few days then they would tie a string between the dog and the plant and lure the dog with food (Thompson, 1968).  The dog would pull up the plant and die from the shriek; the digger would be safe to collect the mandrake (Rätsch, 1992).  In South Europe and Southwest Asia, the dog’s that were used to pull up mandrakes were sometimes honored, and the bodies were burned (Simoons, 1998).  If one wanted to avoid the loss of a dog when digging the plant, a pole was used instead.  If you stuck the pole deeply in the ground and bent it before tying a string between its end and the mandrake, the pole would pull the mandrake from the ground as it righted itself (Zarcone, 2005).

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mandragora_Tacuinum_Sanitatis.jpg

Some good rituals involved circles, dancing and love poems.  The circles were used both to prevent the mandrake from fleeing and to mark possession over the mandrake (Simoons, 1998).  One rule said that the herbalist must surround the mandrake when trying to collect it or it will run away (Zarcone, 2005).  Theophrastus said that three circles should be drawn around the plant with a sword (Simoons, 1998).  One person should face west and cut the mandrake from the ground while the other dances around it speaking of love (Simoons, 1998).  In Romania, girls would collect mandrake in the nude, they would then prostrate themselves three times toward the east and walk around the plant three times while reciting magic formulas, each of these actions were meant to increase fertility (Simoons, 1998).

Other rituals stated suitable times for collection including: midnight, on Fridays before sunrise, or on Tuesdays in December or March when the sun is shining (Simoons, 1998).  The collection of mandrake in Romania often required the assistance of a sorceress, or “old wise woman” and was conducted in secret at night when there was a full moon (Simoons, 1998).  Another ritual stated that to reveal the roots, or feet and hands of the mandrake, one must use an ivory spade (Zarcone, 2005).

Mandrakes were heavily traded throughout Europe (Simoons, 1998).  The plant was rare and it was perilous to collect, therefore it was often extremely expensive (Rätsch, 1992).  The plants were so important to families that they were often passed down through wills (Simoons, 1998).  Mandrakes were carved to render them more lifelike, increase their value and to fool barren women who were eager to buy them (Gordon, 1977).  Soon, many false mandrakes began to appear on the market: ginger, ginseng, May apple, orchids, celandine and the English mandrake; (Rätsch, 1992) bryony and deadly nightshade were most often used as fakes especially in Romania (Simoons, 1998).  Often the falsifier would go to great lengths to create a false mandrake: carving, pressing, and wet-molding (Simoons, 1998).  After creating a human shape, the counterfeit was placed in the ground to hide any bruises and imperfections with re-growth; (Simoons, 1998) this practice was exposed in 1567 (Gordon, 1977).  For the next hundred years misguided people still bought the counterfeits and herbalists continued to speak out against them (Gordon, 1977).  Why did people want mandrakes so badly that they’d spend a fortune on one, even a fake?

Source: http://ebling.library.wisc.edu/historical/spoonful/mandrake.php

Uses for the mandrake, both the noble and the criminal, are found in many cultures around the world.  One such use was as an aphrodisiac and a fertility boost, therefore witches in medieval Europe used them in love potions (Thiselton-Dyer, 1889).  Egyptians believed that the mandrake increased fertility (Rätsch, 1992).  Jewish people used to lay a mandrake under the bed to ensure conception (Simoons, 1998).  The possession of a mandrake meant many things for the owner especially awakened love and fertility (Rätsch, 1992).  In Persia if you gave a mandrake to a person of desire without their knowledge they would return your feelings (Simoons, 1998).  Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love was often called Mandragoritis, which means “she of the mandrake” (Simoons, 1998).  The plant was also often worn as an amulet for purity (Simoons, 1998).  In Romania the mandrake was used as a charm or talisman, in bath water for washing, and in food and drink as well as many other ways; these uses resulted in early marriage because young girls received more invitations, became better dancers and aroused passions in young men (Simoons, 1998).

The Christian Bible mentions the word dudaïm twice, which nearly all scholars now believe to mean mandrakes (Thompson, 1968).  Genesis 30:14 states “During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the field and found mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah.  Rachel said to Leah, ‘Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.’” Rachel was having a hard time conceiving and wanted the mandrakes for fertility (Thompson, 1968).  In the Song of Solomon there is a love poem that says, “The mandrakes send out their fragrance, and at our door is every delicacy, both new and old, that I have stored up for you, my lover”  (Thompson, 1968).  The mandrake is also mentioned in six of William Shakespeare’s plays and was a common theme in many German and French novels of the Romantic period (Zarcone, 2005)

Source: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread820614/pg2

In the Physiologus, or “Naturalist” bestiary of the medieval times there is a story called “On the Elephant.”  In the story there are two elephants, one male, one female.  They go off to the land of paradise and the female elephant tricks the male into eating some mandrake.  The female then becomes pregnant (Simoons, 1998).  The story is reminiscent of that of Adam and Eve in the Christian Bible with the mandrake representing the forbidden fruit of knowledge.  A story about an ancient king, Hermanos, states that the king, who had no children and was not attracted to women, asked a sage for advice.  The sage told him to wait for an astrologically opportune time to obtain a mandrake and put some semen on it to create a child by alchemy.  In the legend this is how the king had children (Simoons, 1998).

The mandrake, when used as a protector was worn or kept safe rather than ingested (Simoons, 1998).  The possession of a mandrake could mean that good fortune would be found in both business and play, health, protection from spells and ghosts, divination would become possible and immortality would be within reach (Rätsch, 1992).  In Silesia, Thuringia and Bohemia, the mandrake was connected to hidden treasure (Thiselton-Dyer, 1889).  In Turkey, mandrake was used as a talisman to protect the owner against blows, stabs, and bullets (Simoons, 1998).  It was also believed that the owner could become invisible while wearing it (Simoons, 1998).  In Southern Slovakia people bathed their mandrake in milk, dried it carefully and watched over the chest it was kept in (Simoons, 1998).

In both Germany and France, where the mandrake was a popular theme of many novels of the romantic period, the owner of a well cared for mandrake would not become impoverished (Simoons, 1998).  In both countries, people washed their mandrake regularly in water or red wine, clothed it in silk or velvet, fed it and gave it drink twice a day and stored it in an upholstered box (Simoons, 1998).  They also believed that money placed beside a planted mandrake would increase or double (Simoons, 1998).  Also in France, the mandrake was considered a special elf called a main de gloire (Thiselton-Dyer, 1889).  Whoever found one of these mains de gloire was to give him food everyday and he would bring good fortune otherwise the main de gloire would cause the finder to die (Thiselton-Dyer, 1889).  In Saintonge, Bay of Biscay, France, fisherman would wear necklaces and bracelets of mandrake to prevent accidents (Simoons, 1998).  In Germany the mandrake was made into little idles (Thiselton-Dyer, 1889) and were kept in sealed glass bottles because they were believed to be familiar spirits that would bring good fortune and prosperity to the household (Simoons, 1998).  But the magic of the mandrake was also feared.

Due to the Christian fear of the mandrake the writers of the Bible when writing the Song of Solomon lists plants that are associated with the Virgin Mary: grapevines, apples, figs and pomegranates.  Mandrakes are decidedly not on the list because of their poison they are associated with poisonous women such as witches (Bennett, 1991).  Witches were those women who were learned in plant lore, the mandrake was a common ingredient in witches’ philters (Thiselton-Dyer, 1889) and ointments, which allowed witches to go on magical internal journeys (Rätsch, 1992).  Black witches practiced dark magic and white witches worked toward good, there were also half-hearted gray witches; (Gordon, 1977) the Christian Church oppressed these women equally.  In France in 1603 a woman was hanged for owning a mandrake and in Germany in 1630 three women were executed, also for possession; mandrakes were also burned by order of Franciscans (Simoons, 1998).  The mandrake was one of many plants that were dedicated to Hecate, the Greek goddess who taught magic.  Mandrake is sometimes called “Plant of Circe,” circaea, circaeum or circaeon, because Circe is one of Hecate’s two daughters (the other is Medea) who used magic brews to turn men into swine, as seen in the Odyssey by Homer (Gordon, 1977).  Another use for the mandrake was for medicine.

Source: http://www.gothicstamps.com/php/viewitem.php?itemid=43897&germany%20cover=search&

The mandrake was used both as a useful, healing treatment and a vicious, harmful venom.  It was thought to be a cure-all by medieval naturalist who believed it could heal everything but death (Simoons, 1998).  The roots, fruits seeds and leaves were used variously for juices, wine, oil, ointment, plaster, pills, etc. (Simoons, 1998).  Mandrake was applied externally as a painkiller, both internally and externally to treat snakebites, and internally to treat fever (Simoons, 1998).  Plasters and poultices made of mandrake were used to reduce inflammation; other mandrake mixtures were used as eye medicine, and to treat tumors, abscesses, ulcers, wounds and gout (Simoons, 1998).  Mandrake was also used as an emetic to expel phlegm, bile, menstrua or embryo (Simoons, 1998).  St. Hildegard of Bingen believed that if you had a sore foot you should eat the foot of a mandrake, if your head ached, eat the head of the plant, for neck or back problems eating the neck or back of a mandrake would restore you, etc.  (Simoons, 1998).  In many cultures the mandrake was believed to take a disease from the owner (Simoons, 1998).  The mandrake could recover from the disease if it was not well cared for but it could also pass the disease on to the next owner (Simoons, 1998).

The juice of the mandrake was used as an anti-inflammatory for the eyes and as a means to regulate the menstrual cycle (Zarcone, 2005).  According to Dioscorides, the mandrake could be used to treat insomnia and to reduce the sensitivity to pain (Zarcone, 2005).  The mandrake leaves shine brightly at night, because of this it was often associated with the moon and used to treat illnesses associated with the moon such as epilepsy and possession (lunacy) (Simoons, 1998).  In the book Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, mandrakes are the only effective cure for “petrification.”  When Hogwarts students are petrified from the indirect glare of a basilisk (a giant serpent) they are taken to Madam Pomfrey.  She uses a potion made from sliced mandrakes to cure petrified students (Beahm, 2005).

Source: http://ebling.library.wisc.edu/historical/spoonful/potter.php

Mandrake was most commonly used as an anesthetic and a sleep agent.  The words mandros means “to sleep” and agora means “an object or substance” (Bennett, 1992).  In Roman texts, there is a place called the “Isle of Dreams,” the harbor city was called Sleep and the trees surrounding the place were poppies and mandragoras (Simoons, 1998).  In early Greek and Latin writings it is said that the mandrake was placed under the patient’s pillow to induce sleep, a concoction of the roots and dried fruit was made into sleeping pills, a mixture of mandrake with wine or vinegar was another sleep stimulator (Simoons, 1998).  Dioscorides said that the mandrake “would send people to sleep during medical procedures” (Zarcone, 2005).

Simoons writes of three stories in which the drugging power of the mandrake is prominent.  Plato wrote the first of a ship captain who’s mutinous crew drugged him and took over.  A Roman soldier and author told the second story of a soldier named Maharbal who led his troops into Africa to end a rebellion.  Marharbal knew of the African’s fondness for wine and staged a minor skirmish before retreating.  He left baggage and some mandrake wine behind, which the Africans drank.  When all the Africans were asleep Marharbal returned and took them prisoner.  Polyaenus, a Macedonian who lived in Rome wrote the third story in which Caesar escaped his kidnappers using mandrake.  Caesar had been kidnapped by pirates and requested to send a message to his troops demanding ransom.  His soldiers brought many treasures, including mandrake wine, to barter for Caesar’s life.  The pirates drank the wine and fell asleep allowing Caesar to escape with all the treasures and his troops.  To contrast these healing medicinal uses there are also harmful medicinal uses or side-effects of usage.

Symptoms from ingestion of a tincture in a 19th century study included pupil dilation, vision enlargement and confusion, exaggeration of sound, brain fullness, hysterical excitement (Simoons, 1998).  A Welsh saying states that a person who uproots a mandrake (black byrony) will die within a year, while groaning, raving or reciting prayers for having committed the offense.  (Simoons, 1998)  An Arabic belief was that sufficient quantities could bring elation and agitation to the point of insanity (Simoons, 1998).  A Persian belief was if you give an unaware person mandrake they would develop a violent passion.  If you add some mandrake to lemon juice or curdled milk the person will go insane (Simoons, 1998).  In Southern Slovakia they thought that if a mandrake were cut open while being dug up the digger would go insane (Simoons, 1998).  Even today in Romania some people believe the mandrake brings madness (Simoons, 1998).  Other symptoms include increased blood pressure, an increase or decrease in muscle tonus and a decrease in secretion activity like saliva and gastric juices (Hanus, 2007).

From the time it was introduced to Dioscorides by the Greek goddess of discovery (Thiselton, 1889) to present day when the mandrake is still considered sacred among Bedouins of Israel (Rätsch, 2005), the mandrake has had it’s ups and downs in human culture.  The mandrake is the oldest known narcotic plant (Rushman, 1996).  The fruit was found in the tomb of Tut Ankh Amun (Gordon, 1977) meaning it was important to that Pharaoh.  The decline of the mandrake can be attributed to the availability of better painkillers and to the fact that the claims about its powers were never tested or confirmed (Simoons, 1998).  Phillip Miller discovered that the mandrake did not scream when pulled up (Gordon, 1977), dogs were no longer needed and the magic of the plant was lost.  Soon after his discovery the mandrake became a mere good luck charm (Gordon, 1977).  After the mandrake was removed from the English pharmacopoeia in 1746 it was never restored.  In modern medicine it is completely obsolete and considered only in folk medicine (Simoons, 1998).

Today mandrakes are still found hanging on the walls in Palestinian houses, but the meaning is unknown.   Both the use of a dog and a pole to dig up a mandrake were used in Italy (Zarcone, 2005) and in various Germanic countries the pole method was used within the last century (Zarcone, 2005).  The only medical use for mandrake today is that it is found in many eye drops that are used to paralyze the eye muscle and dilate the pupil (Kramer, 2007).  The former magic and mystery surrounding the mandrake, which made it so popular in so many cultures, is now gone.  This may not prove the mandrake to be evil but it is certainly no longer useful or good.

Literature Cited 

Beahm, G.  (2005).  Fact Fiction and Folklore in Harry Potter’s World.  Charlottesville, VA: Hampton Roads Publishing Company Inc.  Pg. 185-186
Bennett, J.  (1991).  Lilies of the hearth.  Toronto, Canada: Camden House Publishing.  Pg. 65-66 & 74
Gordon, L.  (1977).  Green magic.  New York City, New York: The Viking Press.  Pg. 36, 50, 97-99 & 102
Hanus, OL.,  Rezanka, T.,  Spizek, J.,  Dembitsky, VM.  (2005).  Substances isolated from the Mandragora species.  Phytochemistry, 66.20, 2408-2417
Kramer, MJ.,  (2007).  Harry Potter’s Garden.  National Geographic, 212.2, 32
Rätsch, C.  (1992).  The dictionary of sacred and magical plants, London, Great Britain: Prism Press.  Pg. 121-124
Rushman, GB., Davies, NJH. Atkinson, RS., (1996). A short history of anesthesia: the first 150 years. Cornwall: Reed Educational and Professional Publishing LTD.
Simoons, FJ.  (1998).  Plants of life, plants of death.  Madison, Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Press.  Pg. 101-136
Thiselton-Dyer, TF. (1889).  Folklore of plants.  New York City, New York: D. Appleton and Company.  Pg. 101, 198, 271, 317-318
Thompson, CJS.  (1968).  The mystic mandrake.  New Hyde Park, New York: University Books
Zarcone, T.  (2005).  The myth of the mandrake, the ‘plant-human’.  Diogenes, 52.3, 115-129

 

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is a somewhat biographical coming-of-age story about living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in the early 1900s. Mary Frances Nolan – Francie – is the central character and I was addicted to her from the start. I was surprised at how quickly I became fascinated with Francie. As a young girl Francie is keenly observant, and sensitive to the beauty of her world. Maybe I see myself in her. All I know is this was a book that was hard to put down.

Source: http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com/2011/05/tree-grows-in-brooklyn-book.html

“There’s a tree that grows in Brooklyn. Some people call it the Tree of Heaven. No matter where its seed falls, it makes a tree which struggles to reach the sky. It grows in boarded-up lots and out of neglected rubbish heaps. It grows up out of cellar gratings. It is the only tree that grows out of cement. It grows lushly . . . survives without sun, water, and seemingly without earth. It would be considered beautiful except that there are too many of it.” – Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Storyline

At the opening Francie is 11 years old. She is the oldest child of Katie and Johnny Nolan. Her brother, Neeley (short for Cornelius) is 10. We are given a tour of their neighborhood as Francie runs errand for her mother, takes her daily trip to the library and watches her neighbors from the fire escape. We find out that Katie cleans houses in exchange for free rent of their apartment, and Johnny has unreliable income through waiting tables and singing.

The story then flashes back to the summer of 1900 when Katie and Johnny first meet. Katie decides she will go through any hardship just to be with Johnny when they first dance together. Within six months they are married and support themselves by working as janitors at a school. Stress begins to set in when Francie is born in December 1901 and Neeley just a year and a week later. As the stress of living in poverty and having children eats away at Johnny, he begins drinking.

Katie and Johnny are both second generation Americans. Katie’s family is a line of strong women from Austria. She has two older sisters, Sissy and Evy. Johnny, with Irish heritage, comes from a family of weak, yet talented men (he has three brothers).

Neeley and Francie start school the same year, though they are a year apart in age. Francie, a lover of learning, always looked forward to the day she could go to school but finds it to be cruel and harsh. She changes to a school where there is no discrimination against poor children, though she still makes no friends. The flashback then catches up with the beginning of the story.

The plot line continues with various events throughout Francie’s childhood. Francie’s first encounter with sex of any kind occurs around the age of 12. She comes face to face with the sex offender who has been terrorizing the neighborhood. Her mother saves her and Francie emerges relatively unscathed. Francie starts her period around this time and witnesses women of the neighborhood stoning a young girl because she became pregnant out of wedlock. This leads Francie to become more aware of the social taboos surrounding women and sexuality.

Francie gradually sees her father’s problem with alcohol, which worsens as she grows up. He is set over the edge when he is dismissed from the Union. When Johnny discovers Katie is pregnant again he weakens further and finally dies of pneumonia (and alcoholism) on Christmas Day, five months before Annie Laurie is born.

Johnny’s death changes Francie. She stops believing in God after a lifetime of Catholic faith. She stops writing the flowery compositions that had no relation to her life experiences but earned her high marks in English, replacing them with “sordid” compositions about her father, which concerned her teacher.

Francie’s sensitive and caring nature is lost as she becomes more and more like her mother. Katie was once romantic and flighty, but turns hard and determined as she takes on the burden of earning money and sacrifices “luxuries,” such as heat and meals, for her family.

After graduating from eighth grade, both Neeley and Francie must work because Katie cannot afford to keep them in school. Francie starts working at a factory then moves to a clippings bureau where she reads newspapers all day, learns about the world outside of Brooklyn, and desperately awaits the day she can return to high school.

Unfortunately Katie, who can only afford to send one child back to school, sends Neeley instead of Francie. Although Francie never returns to high school she does take summer college courses and with Francie’s job the Nolans are able to live more comfortably.

When the United States of America enters World War I, Francie first experiences romantic love. It comes in the form of Lee Rynor, whom she falls in love with within the first 48 hours after meeting. He leaves Francie heartbroken when he marries his fiancée before heading off to war. Then Francie discovers that she enjoys the company of Ben Blake, a boy she met in summer school.

Officer McShane, a kind older man who has admired Katie from afar (and she him), asks Katie to marry him. He says he will make it possible for Laurie to grow up without hardship in exchange for the chance to be her father. He also gives Francie and Neeley a chance to go to college. Francie gets ready to attend college at the University of Michigan with Ben and the Tree of Heaven continues to grow in her backyard.

Themes and Patterns

Poverty is major themes throughout this story. Nearly every anecdote and character deals with poverty in some way. Poverty applies not only to a lack of food and heat but also results in the growing worthlessness of Johnny and ultimately his death. Resources are limited, people are exploited, but poverty is presented as the evil, not people. Everyone is thinking of his or her own family first.

Class is another theme that Smith often shows through encounters between the lower class and people of privilege. Having money may lead to an easier life but the lovable characters are those who are or once were impoverished. The rich doctor who vaccinates Francie is presented as a villain and Francie’s English teacher, who claims to have grown up with hardship, misunderstands Francie’s compositions. Neeley and Francie pity Laurie for growing up with privilege because she will not have as much fun.

A prominent theme in this book is education. Johnny, Katie and Mary Rommely (Katie’s mother) have very different personalities, but they can all agree on one thing: education is the way out for the Nolan children. Through a combination of schooling and life lessons they lead the children out of poverty; each generation receives more education than the last.

Gender roles stands out to me as a further theme. Mary Rommely states upon the birth of Francie, “to be born a woman is to be born into a humble life of pain.” This comment can be applied to both life’s pains and the pain of childbirth. Women of all faiths and socioeconomic backgrounds experience the same pain in labor. However, all the women in this book are more than equipped to handle these pains and depicted as strong while men are generally shown as the weaker sex.

Katie and Johnny are presented with the same life choices and Katie is determined to give opportunities to her children in the face of hardship while Johnny slips into a drunken dreamworld. Francie is more eager to return to school but Katie send Neeley because both women understand that Neeley would not find a way to go back where Francie will do whatever it takes to learn more at school. Aunt Evy is independent and tough and Uncle Flittman is inadequate.

Since this is a coming-of-age tale it is only natural that a fall from innocence would be not only a theme but a motif. Francie learns more and more about the world, poverty, class, status, gender, and sex, which in turn causes her to become less and less innocent. Her appreciation of small material things as a young girl turns into her realization of their hardships. Often Francie presents her fall from innocence as feeling as if she is dreaming.

The “fall” refers to both things that brought Francie pain and things that brought her knowledge. The Tree of Heaven can be viewed as a Tree of Knowledge. The tree grows up and out of very difficult situations in the same way that Francie learns through reading and life events in order to get out of poverty.

Tree of Heaven

This symbol is most interesting to me, perhaps because I love trees so much or perhaps because the idea is appealing. The tree in the title grows only in tenement districts, because it “likes poor people.” It represents perseverance in times of hardship. When Francie is born, Katie likens her life to the tree’s: Francie will keep living no matter how sick she becomes. All over Brooklyn this tree grows where no other can and out-competes those that do. When the Nolans have a fir on their fire escape they care for it with water and manure but it dies. The Tree of Heaven that grows from the concrete in their yard was cut down and a new one grew out of it’s trunk.

The tree is abundant throughout Brooklyn and is familiar to Francie, who sees it every day. It isn’t stately like the sea or mountains majesty. It is humble, and this humility makes it all the more powerful.

When Francie leaves Brooklyn, Florrie Wendy symbolically takes her place. The tree grew for Francie, it will grow for Florrie, too, as it must have for Flossie Gaddis before Francie.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Do you agree with my analysis? What themes do you find in this story?

50 (or so) Date Ideas

We are BORED! Bored out of our minds. Bored with ourselves, bored with our stuff, bored with our house, bored with our day-to-day lives. Just plain bored. It’s about time to spice things up around here. We want more time with each other, more time without stuff, more time away from the house, more excitement and creativity. I found an idea on Pinterest (regretfully I forgot to pin it and have no link) to fill a jar with popsicles sticks each with a date idea written on it. We went ahead and gave it a try.

First we gathered our supplies:

multi-colored popsicle sticks, thin point Sharpies, two plastic bags (one for new ideas and one for used ideas), and sustenance

We assigned the colors of the popsicle sticks as follows:

• Red = Things to do at home
• Yellow = Free things
• Green = $
• Blue = $$$

We then started brainstorming ideas and writing them down, some examples are listed here:

• Go to the local art museum
• Take a brewery tour
• Write a novel
• Buy coloring books and color in them
• Make a home video
• Rent a hotel room for the night
• etc.

Originally we were going to use bags but I found this jar in my cabinet so the new ideas were placed in it when completed (used ideas still go in a little bag).

We didn’t fill in all of the popsicle sticks so we made one that says simple “Make new popsicle sticks.”

For ideas for your own popsicle stick dates follow the links below.

• Unusual (and fun) Date Ideas
• 30 Date Ideas for a Date Night at Home
• 50 Fun and Cheap Date Ideas
• 100 Great Date-Night Ideas
• 20 Date Night Ideas

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

What are some of your great date-night ideas?

Mighty Squats Challenge

Squats… it’s a horrible word, but a wonderful workout especially if you want a nice round butt (yoga pants can help with this as well). Surprisingly, I watch this video (and do the workout, I swear) every other day. Cassey Ho is super (impossibly) peppy and also inspirational.  I’ve watched (and done, I swear) her other videos available on YouTube and her blog.

If you like the song Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen (or at least think it’s catchy like I do) then this squats challenge is strangely quite enjoyable. AND it only takes about six minutes, BUT if you want to skip to the workout it starts at 31 seconds and ends at about four minutes, SO the workout is actually only about three minutes and 30 seconds long… NO BREAKS!

Now…

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Do you enjoy squats? How do you tone your butt and thighs?

Every Book In the Entire World

Many of you might know that my first project this summer was my patio garden and the hanging gutter garden. Now that my only responsibility in the garden is to water once or twice a day and harvest what comes up, I’ve been working on my next project: reading.

I was inspired to read ALL the books after reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (***UPDATE*** read the review here) to read because she has a goal to read all the book in her library starting with A and ending with Z. I’m taking the opportunity to start now.

Over the years (since high school or maybe earlier) I’ve kept lists of books I want to read. Some can be found on odd bits of paper, other on my Pinterest board and still more in notebooks. I finally compiled all of these lists into one massive list, and I mean MASSIVE. It’s an excel spread sheet with tabs for which list the books came from and is conditionally formatted so that once I’ve read the book the box will change color (I have a lot of time on my hands).

Some of the books are classics, some are modern, there are fiction and non-fiction, poetry and history and everything else you can think of and I will be reading, quite literally, until I die.

I don’t just want to read the books; I want to analyze them as well. The way I did in high school, which is why I am also planning to write reviews for each book as I finish it and post it here, on my blog. The first one was Life of Pi (read it here). I also wrote a bit about Harry Potter (read it here). So that’s the plan.

 If you’re interested in my books lists…

Books that were recommended to me by friends, family, professors and/or my own bookshelf:

• Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
• Wish You Well by David Baldacci
• My First Summer in the Sierra by Thomas Muir
• Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer
• The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
• The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
• The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
• The Collector of Worlds by Iliya Troyanov
• The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell
• Beside a Burning Sea by John Shors
• Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts
• Multiple books by Sharon Kay Penman
• The Story of B by Daniel Quinn
• Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
• The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
• A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
• Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey
• Walden by Henry David Thoreau
• The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
• A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

Websites with other booklists:

• 10 Books Every Girl in Her 20s Should Read: List gives books that are help through or are about the transition into adulthood.
• 40 Books that you Won’t Be Able to Put Down: Self-explanatory
• Rory Gilmore Book Challenge: Books read by Rory or Mentioned on the TV show Gilmore Girls (over 250 books).
• 15 Books to Cure Your Hunger Games Hangover: These are young adult fiction that are similar to the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.
• 25 Books to Read if You Love the Hunger Games: Same idea to the previous bullet, read the update at the bottom as well.
• 10 Awesome Fantasy Series that Aren’t HP or LOTR: Great list if you’re a fantasy lover.
• Most Popular Books: I think this list changes because it’s different from when I first read it. Still a good list though.
• 100 Books Every High School Student Should Read: These are all the classics that most people DO read in high school.
• 50 Most Influential Books of the Last 50 (or so) Years: Books that set something in motion or changed the way society thinks about things.
• 1001 Book You Must Read Before You Die: For the really ambitious.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

What’s on your book list? What is your favorite book?

Summer Lovin’

I was riding my bike over to CSU campus. My mission was to deliver my boyfriends Kindle Fire to him at work. It’s about a 15-minute bike ride from our house along a bike path. I was suddenly struck by inspiration on this ride, like lightening… it was electrifying. My discovery was that I love summer. I mean I already knew that I love summer but I never knew exactly what it was about summer that I love.

Source: http://galadarling.com/

I love riding my bike. There is nothing as freeing as riding a bike. The wind in my hair, my own two legs propelling me forward, a quick smile or a wave to those I pass along the way. Summer is the best time for bike rides, no ice, no rain, no gloves, no coat; only warm temperatures and sun on skin.

Source: http://browndresswithwhitedots.tumblr.com/page/196

I love riding my bike close to the edge of the grass, where the sprinklers miss their target and droplets land on the sidewalk. It’s a refreshing burst in the heat of the afternoon when those droplets hit bare legs and arms. There’s nothing quite like that feeling.

I love the smell of a black as night, freshly re-paved parking lot baking in the sun. To me it smells slightly minty; I can’t describe it in any other way. Not the mint you smell in chewing gum or tea leaves, but it’s own unique kind of minty. And it’s so black you can almost see your reflection shining in it. The heat waves rise up from the tar, making everything look hazy. Some might say it’s so hot you could cook an egg on it. The air temperature above the pavement is noticeably warmer than anywhere else around you, and you let it embrace you as you race across.

Source: http://www.ilovesweethearts.co.uk/blogJo/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/summer1.jpg

I love the greenness of the environment. Everything seems to be pulsing with life, growing and changing. I stretch out over grass in the shade of a big elm tree staring up through the leaves at the patches of a blue sky. Fluffy white clouds pass overhead creating shapes and telling stories.

I love having an open schedule with full days I can devote to reading a book. Not a book required for my college education but one I choose to read for a different kind of education.

Pinterest (original source lost)

I love the heat bouncing off the sidewalk, the sweat running down my back, the tank tops and shorts, the sandals, the nighttime bonfires, the chilly showers after lunch, the pool days, my garden, picnics in the mountains, the smell of sunscreen, the frappuccinos, the flowers, the swim suits, etc. etc. etc.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Ah, the joys of summer. What’s your favorite season?

Life of Pi

I’ve never been shipwrecked, or out at sea for that matter. But author Yann Matel has written a story that made me experience the hunger, and the thirst, the cold, and the heat, the dryness, and the wetness, the fear, and the joy, the disgust, and the beauty of being lost at sea in his novel Life of Pi. The story, which is centered around antagonist, Piscine Molitor “Pi” Patel is broken into three parts all told through the eyes of a middle-aged Pi Patel: Pi’s childhood, Pi’s experience in the open sea, and Pi’s conversation with Japanese officials.

Source: http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/first-image-from-ang-lees-life-of-pi-surfaces-featuring-a-tiger-a-boat-and-a-boy

I love this book because all the events throughout the story, set in 1977, are so unbelievable that you can’t help but want to believe them. The story-telling is so fantastic that even in the face of doubt you trust his story. I feel what Pi feels, see what Pi sees, smell what Pi smells, and I believe it to be true.

In a question and answer session with Yann Martel, he says that he loves the idea of the name Pi as a nickname for Piscine. Pi tells us the story of his name: his uncle was a lover of swimming and talked of the pools in France, one called “Piscine Molitar“. Martel says, “I liked the irony of a boy named after a rational volume of water being adrift in an uncontrollable volume of water, the Pacific.” Pi spends years of his childhood teased about this name, (sounds like “pissing”) so that when he switches schools he decides to call himself Pi, after the Greek letter used by mathematicians to stand in for an irrational number. Martel says it stuck him that a number used to bring understanding could be called irrational, which is how he sees religion as well: something irrational that helps make sense of things.

Pi was born Hindu, but at 14 he was introduced to Christianity and Islam. He follows all three of these religions because he just “wants to love God.” Pi is searching for meaning in the world and he looks through the lenses of these three religions to help him find perspective on this journey. He sees a portion of truth and a portion of error with each religion but all have similar messages for him.

Pi’s father owns a zoo in Pondicerry, which has provided Pi with a gateway into animal psychology during his youth. When his family decides to sell their animals and move to Canada due to political concerns in India, they board a small Japanese freighter carrying some of their animals. So begins part two of the story.

A few days after leaving India the ship sinks. Pi ends up in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, A spotted hyena, an injured zebra and an orangutan: the only survivors.

During the first few days of Pi’s voyage in open seas he witnesses heinous violence from the hyena, which eats the still living zebra bit-by-bit. The hyena also kills the orangutan in a vicious manner. Then Richard Parker kills the hyena, leaving Pi alone with a 400-pound tiger.

Pi finds food, water and supplies in the lifeboat; steadily the supplies run out and he begins fishing. Pi feeds himself and Richard Parker, he wants to keep Richard Parker alive to avoid complete solitude, but he also know that he cannot outlast Richard Parker and he wants to avoid being eaten. Pi refers to his knowledge of animal psychology and decides he must make sure Richard Parker knows that Pi is the alpha and Richard Parker the omega animal, this way he can keep his territory and hopefully stay alive. He goes through many training sessions with Richard Parker using a whistle, treats, and seasickness to drive the point home.

The story gets very bleak when both Pi and Richard Parker become blind. I believe this was due to bad nutrition and excessive exposure to sun. During his blindness Pi encounters another blind seafarer, a French man with an obsession for meat. Pi naïvely welcomes the man into his boat where the man reveals his cannibalistic nature and becomes a snack for dear old Richard Parker. Two days, and much rinsing with salt water, bring back Pi’s sight.

Then comes the strangest part yet. The pair encounter a mysterious island, seemingly constructed of edible algae supporting a forest and a large population of meercats. Each day Richard Parker and Pi venture onto the island and each night they return to their lifeboat. One night Pi decides to stay on the island at night and sleeps in a tree, which is quickly over run by meercats who also sleep in the trees. When Pi discovers a “fruit” in the tree with a single human molar at the center he discovers the carnivorous nature of the algae and becomes frightened of it. Richard Parker and Pi return to their lifeboat and continue on their way.

Finally the lifeboat reaches the coast of Mexico where Richard Parker escapes into the jungle without so much as a goodbye. Pi is disappointed by this unceremonious departure but is quickly found by his rescuers.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

*****Read on at your own risk*****

***You’ve been warned!***

Part three of the story is written like a transcript of an interview (because that is what it is). Two official from the Japanese maritime department question Pi about the sinking of the ship. Pi tells them his story, which they do not believe. In hopes of having his suffering validated, he tells them a second story without the animals. He recounts a story of human brutality, being adrift on a lifeboat with his mother, a sailor with a broken leg, and the ship’s French cook, who killed the sailor and Pi’s mother and cut them up to use as bait and food. Parallels to Pi’s first story lead the Japanese officials to believe that the orangutan represents his mother, the zebra represents the sailor, the hyena represents the cook, and Richard Parker is Pi himself.

After revealing that neither version of Pi’s story ascertains why the ship sank, and that no one can really know the truth, Pi asks which version the officers prefer. They both prefer the version with the animals to the version without animals. Pi thanks them and says, “and so it goes with God.”

Martel shares that he wrote the story to become more and more unbelievable as it goes on. He says that he understands readers will have doubts but hopes they will choose the first story as the better story. For that reason he included something unbelievable in the story we choose to believe.

To me it is interesting that Martel included a cannibalistic Frenchman in both versions of the story. If you interpret his appearance in the first story, when Pi is blind, he might appear to be a ghost of the French cook Pi killed in the second story. Just a thought.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Have you read Life of Pi? What are your interpretations? 

1-Hour Total Body Workout

I am not one of those people who really love to work out. I wish I were, because my life would be so much easier if I didn’t have to force myself to do things to keep in shape. I do what I have to in order to keep active but mostly I enjoy activities that are exercise plus something else, like yoga for relaxation and stretching, riding a bike to a friends house, walking the long way to the grocery store, hiking and backpacking, or running to the ice cream shop.  These activities have another purpose, and yet I still get some exercise out of it. I do have a few workout plans that I like to fit each in once a week (5-4-3-2-1 workout for one) and this one.

I developed this plan for myself based on some Women’s Health Magazine workouts and an app I have for my Kindle Fire (as well as from my limited knowledge of what a good workout is). It takes an hour as is, but can easily be cut down to 45, 30 or even 15 minutes just by cutting out reps.

1-Hour Total Body Workout

For a printable version click the link below
1-Hour Total Body Workout

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Whether you enjoy working out or not, how do you keep in shape? Try the workout, tell me what you think; I appreciate constructive criticism.

Small Space Gardening on a Budget

My Grandpa bought me a book called In a Japanese Garden by Charmaine Aserappa with original woodcuts by Akiko Maomura for my birthday. It is full of short phrases about each component of a Japanese garden and a corresponding image (woodcut).  At the end there is a description of Japanese gardens and what they mean, “not merely decorative, but meticulously designed and maintained as meditative spaces for contemplation, refreshment and reflection.” I hope I can find both refreshment and order in my garden space.

If you’ve read my other posts you may know that this summer my biggest project has been my balcony garden. It all began with the Hanging Gutter Garden Part 1 and Part 2. While the gutter garden was certainly the most intensive of my projects this summer, it was not the only one.  You may remember this flower tower mentioned in this post; let me tell you how I made my version.

My Version

Materials:

• Decreasing sizes of pots – you can use any number of pots I used four (they should have holes in the bottom).  I got the three terra cotta pots from Michael’s for fairly cheap (sale + coupons) and the big plastic pot from WalMart for about $7 bucks and I didn’t need to buy a water collection dish because it has it’s own draining mechanism built it.
• Long metal rod – I used one of those threaded rods they have at Home Depot. I will be the first to admit that I have no idea what it’s actually for but it was cheaper than buying rebar (and I didn’t have to cut it).
• Plants – I lucked out because the King Soopers had a big sale on flowers (10 4-packs for $10) I also bought the potato vines for about $2.50 because I love the way they look. Any annuals will do, you could even plant edible plants or herbs.
• Soil – I used some with water beads since it’s been so dry, but any kind will do.

You start by filling the base pot half-full with soil. Stick the rod in the center, slide the next pot down the rod.  Fill that pot halfway with soil and repeat the process with the remaining pots. If the rod sticks out the top, simply add more soil between pots. Then plant your flowers or what have you as you normally would. Simple right?

“Be the bud. Prepare to blossom.”

The remaining flowers are planted in flowerpots around the railings.

“Be the gardener. Create order.”

I also mentioned that I wanted to plant tomatoes and peppers in pots. I used water walls to increase their growing season. Here are my results.

I used fallen branches as support (free vs. not free… I choose free)

This is the third ripe tomato so far

My First Pepper

My strawberry plant is in a hanging basket. It’s been doing well, only the birds keep getting the fruit before I do. I would mind more if they weren’t so dang cute and didn’t sing such pretty songs to me while I drink my tea in the morning.

I also ended up planting peas from seed using this tutorial. They started out growing like mad; I harvested two bowls of peas in their peak. However, it turns out container gardening is quite difficult.  I think I over-watered them causing their roots to run out of oxygen and rot, finally they started dying off. I’m too embarrassed to share the picture. On the bright side there is some re-growth now that the soil has dried out a bit.

The final addition to my farm was sort of last minute. I had an extra pot and some carrot seeds so I planted them in the pot. I’ve never heard of this being done and this is crazy (but here’s my number, so call me maybe). Anyway we’ll see how it turns out; all I have at the moment is greens. I did a thinning last week so hopefully the carrots start being carrots.

My watering can is in the front (isn’t it cute?). The carrots are in the terra cotta pot just behind the watering can.

As for this project, I couldn’t figure out a way to stabilize it. I think the best way would be to drive the rebar deep into the ground.  Well I don’t have ground, I have concrete and a wooden railing.  I scratched that project but my grandmother found these cute colorful pots at the dollar store.  She bought a bunch and I am using them for herbs (I realize now this is better because I can bring them inside this winter). P.S. Notice the tomato on the window sill through the window.

“Be the seasons. Welcome change.”
From left to right: dill, cilantro (used to be cilantro), spearmint, lemon balm, oregano, basil, spring onions
They sit on my air conditioner

Rosemary Bush

I wanted a way to enjoy my space so I have been keeping my eyes open for a small-ish patio set.  This bistro set caught my eye at Home Depot. At that point I told my parents about it and guess what I got for my birthday? Well see for yourself.

It didn’t come with the cushions, those were a separate gift from my grandparents

You can see the grill in the background; Reid has wanted a grill since, as long as I’ve known him (and we just celebrated our 3 year anniversary last week). We found this charcoal grill at a flea market in south (SOUTH) Fort Collins for $12.  One night he was grilling as the sun was setting and it started getting too dark for him to see. He used his camping headlamp that night but the next day he went out and got a strand of lights to hang from the ceiling. Now it feels like an outdoor café.

“Be the moth. Seek the light.
Be the lantern. Guide the lost.”

We also found two wind chimes (and I made a third)

“Be the wind chime. Let the breeze blow through you. Turn the storms into song.”

Now that all the hard work is done I have had the chance to relax in and enjoy the space. We eat dinner at our café, I read books in the morning with my breakfast and tea, and I tend and water the plants (the best part of container gardening is that there are no weeds, only insect pests). Though it took most of my savings to set it up I have no regrets about the rewarding outcome. My first real experience with gardening has overall been successful, maybe not bountiful, but successful none-the-less.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Leave a comment; I need all the advice I can get. What are your best gardening tips?

15 Things I Learned From Harry Potter

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling has been a big part of my life ever since I read the first books in third grade. I have devoured the series more times than I can count, soaked in the movies (which I love however disappointed I was in most of them), and researched every drop of information I can sponge up. You can imagine that something that I can still honestly say I adore, more than 13 years later must have given something to my soul. Harry, Ron and Hermione are my family, Dumbledore, Ginny, Luna, Neville, Snape, McGonagall, Hagrid, Dobby, Fang, Sirius, Lupin, Fred, George, Seamus, Dean, Lavender, Parvati, Molly, Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fleur, Victor, Lee, Cedric, Tonks, Mad-Eye, Angelina, Katie, Alicia, etc. etc. etc. They’re all are my friends. They will live in my heart. After all this time. Always.

So the list begins…

1. Don’t Fear the Reaper

Death is a theme, particularly emphasized in the Harry Potter books. Harry, who was orphaned as a baby, has led a life that has been considerably influenced by Death. Gradually as Harry grows and evolves into a man his journey takes him to a place where death is not something to be feared. After all, a fear of death is what led to the Hogwarts ghosts, something Harry realizes when Sirius Black dies.

Source: Book Chapter Art

In the great words of Albus Dumbledore, two quotes:
“To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”
“Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love.”

2. Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover

Severus Snape, the Potions Master at Hogwarts is the best example of this; he is presented as the sneering, bullying villain with a vendetta against Harry. When his motivations are revealed in the Deathly Hallows we learn that his actions were born out of love rather than hate (or mostly love).

Source: http://snapeandlily.tumblr.com/page/13

Dumbledore: “After all this time?” (Referring to his love for Lily Evans, later Lily Potter)
“Always.” said Snape.

3. Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

After six books of bickering, pining, sulking and pretending to be indifferent toward each other, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger finally share a passionate kiss in the Deathly Hallows.

Source: http://hpcompanion.com/dh/dh31/

There was a clatter as the basilisk fangs cascaded out of Hermione’s arms. Running at Ron, she flung them around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. Ron threw away the fangs and broomstick he was holding and responded with such enthusiasm that he lifted Hermione off her feet.
“Is this the moment?” Harry asked weakly, and when nothing happened except that Ron and Hermione gripped each other still more firmly and swayed on the spot, he raised his voice. “OI! There’s a war going on here!”
Ron and Hermione broke apart, their arms still around each other.
“I know, mate,” said Ron… “so it’s now or never, isn’t it?”

4. Sometimes You Can’t Make it On Your Own

Harry, throughout the series, continually feels (sometimes aggravatingly) that he must face his destiny alone, only to have his friends prove invaluable. In the Sorceror’s Stone, Ron and Hermione use their respective abilities of chess-playing and logic to help Harry through to the stone. And how can we forget Ron and Hermione’s defiance about helping Harry collect and destroy Horcruxes?

Source: Book Chapter Art

“We’ll be there, Harry,” said Ron…
“No—“ said Harry quickly…he was undertaking this dangerous journey alone.
“You said to us once before,” said Hermione quietly, “that there was a time to turn back if we wanted to. We’ve had time, haven’t we?”
“We’re with you whatever happens,” said Ron.

5. Decisions, Decisions

Harry and Tom Riddle, both extraordinarily proficient wizards, led different lives not based on their skills but rather on the various choices they made along the way. Harry makes the choice to become a Gryffindor (rather than a Slytherin) when he puts on the sorting hat because he trusts his new friendship with Ron. Tom uses the Slytherin house, his irresistible charm, and his desire for power, which led him down a dark path.

Source: Book Chapter Art

Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.
“Not Slytherin, eh?” said the small voice. “Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it’s all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that— no? Well if you’re sure—better be GRYFFINDOR!”
Also a quote from Dumbledore: “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

6. The Power of Love

His inability either to love or to fathom its power is what prevents Voldemort from killing Harry from the beginning. Harry’s father, James, died in a fight while his mother, Lily, died protecting baby Harry.

Source: http://iitsyi.deviantart.com/art/Lily-and-baby-Harry-HP-24772517

Yet another quote from our favorite wizard, Dumbledore: “If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn’t realize that love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark.”

7. The Easy Way Out

Choices are an integral part of any good story. In Harry Potter we find that the more difficult choice are inevitably the right choice, which must be made. Voldemort’s rise to power is the result of those facing him choosing the easy option (to live under his rule, rather than fight or perish). Cornelius Fudge’s refusal to admit the return of Voldemort was easier than preparing for the first stages of war.

Source: http://www.mugglenet.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=2188&pos=19

Another wise Dumbledore quote “We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.”

8. Hell Hath No Fury, Like a Woman Scorned

This is made perfectly evident by the reaction Hermione has to Lavender Brown and Ron’s (short-lived) romance.

Source: http://hpcompanion.com/hbp/hbp14/

The door behind them burst open. To Harry’s horror, Ron came in, laughing, pulling Lavender by the hand…
“Oops!” said Lavender, and she backed out of the room, giggling…
Hermione slid off the desk. The little flock of golden birds continued to twitter in circles around her head…
“You shouldn’t leave Lavender waiting outside,” she said quietly…
She walked very slowly and erectly toward the door. Harry glanced at Ron who looked relieved that nothing worse had happened.
“Oppugno!” came a shriek from the doorway.
Harry spun around to see Hermione pointing her wand at Ron, her expression wild: The little flock of bird speeding like a hail of fat golden bullets toward Ron, who yelped and covered his face with his hands, but the birds attacked, pecking and clawing at every bit of flesh they could reach.

9. Heart’s Desire

The Mirror of Erised shows those who look upon it the “deepest and most desperate desires of one’s heart. It is presented as a device with a destructive, almost maddening influence on the beholder. While when Harry’s sees his parents at first it is a comfort to him, he begins to become obsessed with the mirror, until Dumbledore is forced to step in.

Source: http://www.mugglenet.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=2188&pos=3

One more quote from Dumbledore, that sage old wizard: “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember, that.”

10. Money Can’t Buy Me Love

The Weasley family has hardly two knuts to rub together, and yet Rowling presents them as the happiest and most loving of all her characters. The Malfoys on the other hand are rolling in galleons, and yet they spend much of the saga wracked with guilt, worry and anxiety.

Source: http://www.myspace.com/weasleyfamily

“…my name is Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.”
Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.
“Think my name’s funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford.”

11. Fear Can Be Conquered

During Remus Lupin’s time as Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher, he explains that the reason Harry suffers so much in the presence of the Dementors is because of his fear of fear. In time, Harry masters his fear, and the art of the Patronus charm, using focus and determination (and a memory he isn’t even sure is real).

Source: http://www.mugglenet.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=2188&pos=8

“I assumed that if the Boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort.”
Harry stared…
“Clearly, I was wrong,” said Lupin, still frowning at Harry. “But I didn’t think it a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialise in the staff room. I imagined that people would panic.”
“I did think of Voldemort first,” said Harry honestly. “But then I – I remembered those Dementors.”
“I see,” said Lupin thoughtfully. “Well, well… I’m impressed.” He smiled slightly at the look of surprise on Harry’s face. “That suggests that what you fear most of all is – fear. Very wise, Harry.”

12. Protect the Nest

Even with her evil reputation, Bellatrix Lestrange makes a critical error when she threatens to kill Ginny Weasley. Molly Weasley might have seen one child die at the battle of Hogwarts, but when threatened again she proves that she won’t let ANYONE repeat that trick.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Best-Harry-Potter-Fight-Ever-Molly-Weasley-and-Bellatrix-Lestrange/202493403132080

“NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!”…”OUT OF MY WAY!” Shouted Mrs. Weasley… “No!!” Mrs. Weasley cried as a few students ran forward, trying to come to her aid. “Get back! Get back! She is mine!”
“What will happen to your children when I’ve killed you?” taunted Bellatrix… capering as Molly’s curses danced around her. “When Mummy’s gone the same way as Freddie?”
“You — will — never — touch — our — children — again!” screamed Mrs. Weasley…
Molly’s curse soared beneath Bellatrix’s outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart… and then she toppled…

13. Diversity is Might

Where Voldemort might tell you “Magic is Might,” I say “Diversity is Might.” Throughout the saga, Harry finds himself befriending society’s outcasts, again and again. There’s Rubeus Hagrid the half-giant, Dobby a house-elf, Firenze a centaur, and “Loony” Luna Lovegood who lives by her own rules. Even Griphook, a goblin who might not be considered a friend, helps Harry because of his reputation for loving all beings. These are the characters who often dig Harry and his friends out of the tightest situations.

Source: Book Chapter Art

“You dirty little monkey!” bawled Bellatrix. “How dare you take a witch’s wand, how dare you defy your masters?”
“Dobby has no master!” squealed the elf. “Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!”

14. Treat All With Kindness

Along the same lines as number thirteen, Harry treated every being he met with the same kindness no matter their social standing, when they deserved it. (Dolores Umbridge, and Draco Malfoy are notable exceptions, also, Voldemort, of course). Kreacher, the Black family house elf, helps Harry because Harry was kind to him, Sirius’s mistreatment of Kreacher led ultimately to his death.

Source: Book Chapter Art

“I warned Sirius when we adopted twelve Grimmauld Place as our headquarters that Kreacher must be treated with kindness and respect. I also told him that Kreacher could be dangerous to us. I do not think that Sirius took me very seriously, or that he ever saw Kreacher as a being with feelings as acute as a human’s.” (One last Dumbledore quote)

15. When You Believe

Self-confidence is presented as a key component in magical prophecy. We watch Neville Longbottom’s journey from the very first book, in which he is a hopeless wizard due to low self-esteem brought on from his grandmother. As he grows older and begins to be self-assured he matures into one of the most important figures in the story.

Couldn’t resist using this photo
Source: http://leverredelamode.tumblr.com/

Voldemort: “You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom.”
“I’ll join you when hell freezes over,” said Neville. “Dumbledore’s Army!” he shouted, and there was an answering cheer from the crowd…

Adapted from 50 Things We Learned From Harry Potter by Total Film

My favorite Harry Potter sites:

• Muggle Net
• PotterMore
• Harry Potter Wiki

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

How has Harry Potter changed your life? What themes that I didn’t share are important to you?

How to Yoga: and Other Life Lessons

I have been practicing yoga routinely since I started college, four years ago. Before that it was an occasional activity that I enjoyed but was never too attached too. Now, I find it hard to sleep, and my muscles feel stiff if I miss even a day. I feel that every person has a different experience when practicing yoga, and I don’t claim to be an expert, or even that good at it, but I do think that I have learned a few thing in my four years.

Stay Present
My life is full of distractions: what are we having for dinner, I need to check my email, how much homework do I have, etc. Yoga is my escape from all of that.  The only problem is letting myself escape.  Most of the time my mind wanders away from quality breathing and properly setting-up poses to these other thoughts that seem so urgent. When I DO get my thoughts focused in, not only does this helps with my yoga practice, but also helps de-clutter my life.

Wear Yoga Pants

‘nough said

Breathe
If there is one thing I know, it’s that breathing is the best medicine, both inside and outside the yoga practice. Breathing is something that’s taken years of practice for me to learn especially with tough poses. The same way a sigh can relieve tension during a stressful argument, the proper exhale or inhale of breathe can relieve tension in muscles.

Don’t Give Up
There are hundreds of poses that are too difficult for me to even fathom at this point in my yoga practice. I know it will take time and practice to get there, but I won’t get there if I give up.

Laugh at Yourself
Every sport and activity on the planet has a few nuts who take it too seriously. I always take time to laugh at the nut I see in myself. I wrote this song to Tik-Tok by Ke$ha once.

Wake up in the morning feeling like Siddhartha, grab my mat it’s on the floor this isn’t Sparta, start chlid’s pose, downward dog, sun salutations holmes, ‘Cause when I do lotus pose, I can be like “om.”

Also, Yoga: the complete and balanced parts of breakfast.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Hanging Gutter Garden Part 2: Putting it Together

I know it has been over 3 months since Hanging Gutter Garden Part 1: Adventures in Home Depot. But I do have excuses. One excuse is that I lost my camera battery charger and I could not take pictures of my progress, another is that I’m lazy. But, just before the backpacking extravaganza (and after losing Reid’s camera in the Canyonlands) I broke down and purchased a new (expensive) charger (with LED charging screen and European outlet adapter).

Now that I have the means to take picture I figured it was about time to share my patio garden with you lovely people.

As I said in this post, I wanted to create the hanging gutter garden like this one.

For mine I didn’t have the fancy pants hardware (or the fancy pants bank account). I used the gutter given to me by the gutter guys (A story told here). I also purchased a plastic gutter for $5 at Resource 2000, where they sell salvaged construction materials.

The finished product – metal gutter

Bottom Level = Lettuce

Middle Level = Radishes (recently harvested and replanted)

Top Level = Spinach (recently replanted due to struggling first crop)

The finished product – plastic gutter

All Levels = salad mix (sprouting)

The materials:

• 1 gutter cut into three equal parts (process is almost identical no matter the material, I tried with both plastic and metal gutters)
• 6 gutter caps – the plastic ones are quite nice and can be purchased at Home Depot, Metal are also nice but mine had to be bent to fit the gutter, which was quite a process.
• 2 hooks – I chose some that screw into a drilled hole
• 16’ of 1/8” steel cable cut into 6 equal lengths (or as much as you’ll need to fill your space, gutters should be at least 18” apart to allow adequate sun exposure and plant growth) – I bought this kit at walmart because I was there buying pots and it was the only cable they had. The kit actually came in handy as the clips (though not exactly what I was looking for) worked perfectly. As I worked I realized I needed 32” of cable for both my gutter gardens so I ended up having to go to Home Depot for a yard of steel cable.
• 12 clips – 6 came in the kit mentioned above and there was another pack nearby without 3 clips (no cable) so I bought two of these packs
• 2 thimbles – these came in the kit mentioned above but they are also sold alone

Above = clips, Below = thimble,
Source

• Wire Cutters – sharpened
• Electric drill – with attachments for drilling holes large enough for the steel wire to go through and for tightening nuts on the clips

Step 1. Cut the gutters
The gutter man who gave it to me cut the metal gutter in uneven thirds; my dad then cut into equal length pieces. I sawed the plastic gutter into (almost) equal thirds (I did it all by myself thank you).

Step 2. Drill holes
My dad helped me drill two holes, large enough for the steel cable to fit through, across from each other on each end, and one hole at the center of the base on each end (6 holes per gutter section).

Step 3. Fit the end caps
This part was quite complicated for the metal gutter. The plastic gutter was simple, the caps fit perfectly. My Metal Gutter was not the exact shape of the cap. My dad used pliers to shape the end of the gutter to fit into the cap and a rubber mallet to force it in where it wasn’t exactly perfect. He did this for each of the 6 end caps and I am so grateful for that. If you buy your gutter where you buy your end cap this shouldn’t be a problem for you, mine came from different sources.

Step 4. Cut steel cable into 6 36” sections
We definitely over estimated the amount of steel cable to use. My dad and I were not at my apartment during the building process so we wanted to give ourselves some extra. You might not need so much extra slack when building your gutter garden. Be careful when cutting the wire, it tend to fray; very sharp wire cutters can help prevent fraying.

Step 5. Thread the steel cable
With one end shorter than the other thread the cable through the two holes at the top of the gutter. This can be quite difficult if the cable has frayed. Also be prepared to be poked with sharp metal; gloves are probably a good idea at this point.

Step 6. Secure the cable
Loosen the nuts on the clip and thread both ends of the cable through the clip. Pull the clip down on the cable where its not pulling to much but is tight. Finagle the cable so the short end only pokes out of the clip about an inch and tighten the nuts on the clip, a little on each nut so it tightens evenly. Repeat this process (step 5 and 6) for each gutter on each end (a total of 6 times)

The Metal Gutter

The Plastic Gutter

Step 7. Connect the pieces
Starting with the gutter section you want at the base of your garden thread the long end of the cable through the hole in the base of the middle gutter section. Attach a clip around this single end of cable and tighten. Make sure the clip is at the length you want. Do this on both ends, keeping the gutter level. Do the same thing with the middle gutter and the top gutter. Leave the top gutter for now.

The Metal Gutter

The Plastic Gutter

Step 8. Hanging the dang thing
This was another complicated step. The whole contraption is very heavy, awkward and dynamic. This stage was obviously done at my apartment with my boyfriends help to replace my dad. There is most definitely a better way than how we did this but I am the queen of doing things in the most complicated way. We measured the distance between cables, drilled holes for the screw hook and screwed them in. Then we hauled the apparatus up a step stool and one of our kitchen chairs between the two of us. I stabilized my end as he threaded a clip onto the cable then a thimble around the hook and tightened it. We kept the thing slightly above the railing so that when we screwed it down it would be tight. Mind you this took many, many, many, many, MANY tries because there were so many pieces to hold steady at a precise place, but we finally got it and 3 months later it looks fantastic.

Side note: The method above details how we hung the metal gutters. For the plastic gutters we screwed the bottom gutter onto the railing first, but we couldn’t get it tight enough at the top and it looks like it’s leaning forward since the hooks at the top and the screws at the base are not directly vertical. Therefore we developed the method above, which was also difficult but returned better results.

The Hook in the Ceiling

These gutters dry out VERY fast, especially in an arid climate like Colorado. I have struggled with wilting, browning, and flat out dying plants in these gutters since planting. I have discovered that on hot days I must water them twice: once in the morning and once in the evening, in order to keep them healthy. Someone in a more humid environment might not experience these problems.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

How did you like this post? Are you interested in making a gutter garden? Do you have questions about my process? Leave a comment.

Backpacking for Dummies: A Dummy’s Guide to Backpacking

This past weekend my family and I went on a backpacking trip.  The members of our travel party would include, myself, my father Charles, my boyfriend Reid, my sister Erica, my brother-in-law Dustin, Dustin’s brother AJ, and my Australian cousin Steven, all of us at varying levels of expertise.

My dad has been backpacking passionately for as long as I can remember and plays a bit of a game with his buddy Tim: they try to pack the lightest pack with only the necessities. Erica, Dustin and AJ had never been backpacking before, but were interested in trying it out, Steven has gone a number of times both in the U.S. and in Australia, Reid, whose dad is also a passionate backpacker, has gone backpacking since he was very young, and I have gone a few of times, always with my dad, inheriting the gear he replaced with a lighter option. This is our story.

From left to right: Dustin, Erica, AJ, Reid, Maggie, Steven
Missing: Charles the photographer

Backpacking for Dummies: A Dummy’s Guide to Backpacking

Preparation:

As any backpacker would know, a backpacking trip doesn’t start at the trailhead. It begins at home with the preparation.

Choosing a date for a backpacking trip can be a very complicated process. Factors to consider:

• Is there a wedding?
• When will your cousin be visiting from Australia?
• Will your uncle be celebrating his 70^th birthday?
• Do you have work or school?
• Are you also planning a trip along the Continental Divide?
• What will you have to reschedule?

In addition to scheduling conflicts, especially when travelling in a large group, backpacking is a sport best enjoyed in warm, dry conditions. It is important to follow the weather reports and choose dates that will ensure a happy company.

The weather in Colorado has been consistently dry and hot for the entire summer thus far, hence the wildfires up and down the state and the creation of this photo. Source: Facebook friend’s wall

However, sometimes you will find that the warm and dry dates fall during conflicting events and you are left with the single cold and wet weekend for probably the entire summer.

After deciding on a date you must gather all of your gear.

• Tent
• Backpack
• Stove and fuel
• Lighter
• Cooking pot and skillet (depending on what you plan to cook)
• Utensils (don’t use your hands, we aren’t barbarians)
• Bowl and/or plate (again… barbarians)
• Mug (hot things are hot)
• Water filter (unless you enjoy the effects of giardia)
• Water holding device (bottle or bladder)
• Sleeping bag
• Camp chair (much nicer than the ground)
• Sleeping pad (cuz the ground is hard and rocks are lumpy)
• Hiking socks (prevent blisters)
• Underwear (I really shouldn’t have to explaint this one)
• Lightweight hiking shorts (move easily)
• Non-cotton lightweight shirts (cotton tends to stay wet once it gets wet from sweat or rain)
• Long underwear pants and shirt (cozy pajamas)
• Fleece (for warmth, dries quickly)
• Rain coat and pants (keeps you dry)
• Hiking boots (broken in)
• Lightweight camp shoes (to relax your feet in after hiking all day)
• Hat (1 to protect against sun, another against cold)
• Headlamp (it gets DARK at night and when nature calls you don’t want to stumble into the lake)
• Trekking poles (nice for steep slopes)
• Toothbrush and paste (for fresh minty breath)
• Hair bands (to tie back your wild tresses)
• Chapstick (cuz chapped lips sucks)
• Sanitation wipes (such as Wet Ones)
• Toilet paper (again with the explaining)
• Sunscreen (sun burns and sleeping outside don’t mix)
• Deep woods bugspray (bugs are annoying)
• First-aid kit (in case of the worst happening)
• Fishing pole and license (cuz it’s fun to catch your own dinner, but don’t count on it)
• Camera with a charged battery (it sucks to get to 11,000 feet carrying your camera the whole way just to find that you can’t take any pictures of the beautiful wildflowers)
• Rope and caribiner (for hanging food in the trees away from camp: bears)

Some things you might already have, you might have to borrow things from friends and family. The important thing is to make sure you have your basic needs covered, shelter and warmth. Sustenance, of course, is another basic need. You have everything you need to store water and to filter it for safe drinking. You also have food preparation and consuming equipment. Now you must decide what food items to bring.

This depends on how many days you will be backpacking, weight and comfort. It is best to go for light items that are filling for their weight. Some good options that I like to bring include:

• Instant oatmeal packets
• Applesauce
• Granola bars
• Ramen, macaroni and cheese, cous cous (anything with a dry grain that you just add water and flavoring)
• Cashews, almonds, pistachios, etc.
• Dried fruit such as raisins, or craisins
• Dehydrated veggies
• Candy bars especially chocolate
• Trail mix
• Instant coffee
• Tea bags
• Chicken or tuna in a foil pouch
• Tortillas can be used to make PB&J roll-ups or quesadillas
• Alcohol

There are many things you can bring and it takes practice to decide what you like best. These are just my personal favorites.

Communication:

It is very important to stay in contact with those who will be travelling with you. They are your support system and prior to the trip everyone should be on the same page as to where you are going, for how long, the hike distance, elevation etc. This can easily be done through email so long as you send emails to the correct address.

Finally all your preparation will be rewarded; the day of the trek has arrived. Have a big breakfast at IHOP and drive to your trailhead, because things are about to get real.

“Up up up up the stairs we go, until we come to the tunnel. And when they go in, there’s no coming out… all she gets is filthy orcses and they doesn’t taste very nice does they precious? No, not very nice at all my love.”
(Not really sure what’s with all the LOTR references, just go with it)
Source: http://www.councilofelrond.com/imagegallery/stairs-of-cirith-ungol/

The Climb:

It’s been said that your brain will quit a hundred times before your body will have to. The thing to remember with backpacking is that you must trick your brain. Encouraging it with phrases like, “We’re almost to the top,” or “You can carry yourself and 40 extra pounds up this steep section,” will help. Another thing to remember is that you can’t stop too often or for too long, your muscles will have to warm up every time you stop and it’s best to just keep going.

Finding Nemo reference, instead of LOTR,
Source: http://howimetyourfatherblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/keep-calm-and.html

I find that after about 20 minutes I get into the zone: the weight and constant pounding of my feet keeps me centered. Other may experience different findings. Whatever works for you, channel it. (Also make sure to eat snacks and drink LOTS of water)

A quick rest

Camping:

When you find an area that looks nice to camp (with a water source nearby), it’s best to set-up camp before doing anything else (except maybe following nature’s call, which I will not be getting into in this post. If you would like information on using the world as your toilet and leaving no trace please read the 5^th subheading in this article.

Our campsite, set up just before the rain fell, lucky we brought that big heavy tarpaulin

To set up camp first, set up your tent (and a rain tarp, since the clouds will be rolling in at this point). After setting up the tent, pull out your sleeping pad and bag inside the tent to get fluffy and cozy before bed. Then as the first drops begin to fall on your head, put on your raincoat and pants and set up your camp chair. Duck under your rain tarp, hunker down, and try to laugh away the misfortune: play games, drink alcohol, DON’T check the time, and hope for some sun.

When the rain calms a bit and it’s safe to walk around in the tall wet grass snap a few pictures of the beauty that surrounds you.

It’s good to have some activities prepared between meals, to pass the time: day hikes, reading, drawing, photography, fishing, writing, talking, laughing, card playing, and sledding are all good ideas.

As the sun sets, find a good place to hike up to (careful of the slippery wet rocks) and enjoy the view.

When the tarp begins to collect water, engineering must come into play.

The Moose Destroyer

When all else fails and you are feeling lost in the wetness, make new friends.

Hemingway the Caterpillar (if he can survive the cold and wet, so can you)

After cooking and eating dinner, playing a few silly games about what you can take to the moon, and passing around a few communal beers it’s time for bed. Brush your teeth (with a bottle of Jack), strip off your wet clothing and snuggle into your sleeping bag as you listen to the creeks flowing all around you (don’t forget to use the natural toilet before getting in bed, it is the absolute worst thing to have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night on a camping trip, especially when there are streams flowing in every directions and marshes just beyond the streams and tall wet grass everywhere you step).

In the morning you will wake up to the babbling brooks and songs of the birds (and your urgent need to urinate). You will hope that the sun is shining and poke your head out of the tent warily. You see that it is and your heart will flood with joy. You get dressed and let yourself fully out of the tent, joining your party under the big blue tarp. You start preparing your breakfast just as the sun shyly hides its face again behind the clouds.

You resign yourself to another chilly and cloudy day and the company decides to finish breakfast, pack up and head back down the mountain.

Hiking down:

Hopefully you remembered to clip your toenails before the trip because the constant jamming of your toenails into the front of your boots can be quite painful. Just ask those who have decided to have their toenails removed completely. Lacing your boots tightly around your ankles can help with the downhill hike.

Some people say hiking down is the hardest part, yes hiking up is more strenuous and breathing is much harder, but hiking down takes finesse and concentration. Constantly trying to stop your body’s potential energy from turning into kinetic energy is tough work, but still usually takes less time.

Then the whole trip is over. You can load your gear into the car, get in yourself and drive home (or to get some bagels and Taco Bell).

That is, of course, unless your boyfriend is chased down the mountain by a mountain line, which he fights off by punching it in the face, which is seen by pirates who think he is bad ass and want him in their troop, but first they have to initiate him by locking him in a mine in Idaho Springs, which he only escapes because Gandalf (LOTR reference again) shows up blinding them with his staff, and he crawls to safety through a tunnel which leads to the basement of Beaujo’s where he is picked up by his girlfriend and her dad, or so the story has been told.

Further (more practical) information on backpacking:

• REI Backpacking Articles
• BackPacker Magazine Articles

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

What do you think of our experience? Do you like to backpack? Tell me about your past trips.

What in the world are bike lanes for?

With the nice weather and the onset of spring I have been enjoying riding my bike around town rather than driving. It has been lovely to fill my lungs with the sweet smell of blooming flowers and listen to the bird songs, while exercising my body on my way to and from class and running errands.

Unfortunately, today a woman in an SUV yelled at me.

For some reason I really hate these stickers, and SUV lady had one.
Image credit: http://www.mr-miata.net/2010/12/family-car-stickers/

The following is my artistic rendition of the encounter:

Stopped at a stoplight next to SUV lady on Howes St. heading north.
(don’t worry mom; I was actually wearing a helmet, It just looked funny in the drawing)

Lady leaning over to the passenger seat and totally not looking at the road to yell at me.

I see your point.

I have compiled a list of possible uses for that bit of road bordered by two white lines found between the car lane and the sidewalk.

1. Extra space for driving while texting. (Saw that happen once: young girl was texting and nearly hit a biker. But that’s a story for another day.)
2. Parked vehicle door opening space.
3. Alien spaceship landing zones.
4. Area for delivery trucks to stop in order to not block car traffic.
5. Saved road in case of future lane expansion.

But enough of that. I know SUV lady probably doesn’t read my blog. For other readers I have including the list of basic rules for bicycles according to the Fort Collins Government website:

• In the state of Colorado a bicycle is a vehicle, you have the same rules and responsibilities as a motor vehicle
• Ride in a designated bike lane if one is present, otherwise ride as far to the right hand side of the road as practicable
• Don’t weave in and out of parked vehicles – hold a straight line of travel
• Ride with traffic
• Ride single file
• Don’t cling to other vehicles
• Obey all traffic signs and signals
• Use a light at night
• Yield to Pedestrians and give an audible signal when passing

Further information and reading:

• You can find a complete list of laws for Fort Collins bicyclists here.
• For bicycle laws in the state of Colorado, click here.
• And a link to the Complete Colorado Cycling Manual.

For your state these laws may be different. I believe everyone should read up on their biking laws before they go around yelling at bicyclists who are indeed following the rules.

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Thanks for reading, leave a comment about your encounters with people not following traffic laws.

The continual battle between my time traveling selves

pro·cras·ti·na·tion [proh-kras-tuh-ney-shuhn, pruh‐]

 noun

the act or habit of procrastination, or putting something off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention: She was smart, but her constant procrastination led her to be late with almost every assignment.

The definition according to Dictionary.com

I am a procrastinator.   Fortunately, for me (and for my grades) I am not like the girl in the use-it-in-a-sentence portion of this definition and I work well under pressure. A typical weekend in my humble abode looks something like the following.

That’s my boyfriend Reid looking in the empty fridge.

Our couch is actually tan.

Fortunately he puts up with my crazy.

The continual conflict between my past, present and future selves is how the world will end this year. True story: ask the Mayans.

And now, presenting the 10 reasons I procrastinate:

1.  I will get back to this tomorrow.

 

 

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

The continual battle between my time traveling selves

pro·cras·ti·na·tion [proh-kras-tuh-ney-shuhn, pruh‐] 

 noun

the act or habit of procrastination, or putting something off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention: She was smart, but her constant procrastination led her to be late with almost every assignment.

The definition according to Dictionary.com

I am a procrastinator.   Fortunately, for me (and for my grades) I am not like the girl in the use-it-in-a-sentence portion of this definition and I work well under pressure. A typical weekend in my humble abode looks something like the following.

That's my boyfriend Reid looking in the empty fridge.

Our couch is actually tan.

Fortunately he puts up with my crazy.

The continual conflict between my past, present and future selves is how the world will end this year. True story: ask the Mayans.

And now, presenting the 10 reasons I procrastinate:

1.  I will get back to this tomorrow.

Hanging Gutter Garden Part 1: Adventures in Home Depot

So, I live in a second floor apartment and really want to grow my own food this summer (and also have pretty flowers).  That said, I have many projects planned to make our outside space more livable (we have a beautiful corner balcony with lots of room)

I plan to:

• Make this container structure for pretty flowers
• Plant tomatoes and peppers in pots
• Make this pot tower for herbs
• and make a hanging gutter garden like this

I have all the supplies for the first three; I just need to wait until it is time to start planting.  The gutter garden is going to be the biggest project and I was planning to use my free time between class and work today to get a good solid start on it.  This is the story of why that didn’t happen.

Planning ahead, which is completely out of character in the first place, meant that this morning I loaded up the website with the instructions for my hanging garden onto my kindle fire.  My thought process was was if there is no Internet in Home Depot I can still see what materials I need.  I did not however think about measuring my banister to ceiling distance or anything practical like that.

After class I drove down to Home Depot.  I went straight to the garden center because I knew I needed potting soil.  Then I headed over to the building supplies section.

Either everyone in home depot (including the people who don’t work there) are really friendly or I looked really lost and out of place because on the way to the opposite end of the store I was stopped multiple times, “Do you need help finding something miss?”

Me, scooting along through Home Depot amongst a sea of helpful employees and customers

To most I replied, “No thank you, I’m fine.”  But when I couldn’t find the gutters I finally said, “Yes where do you keep rain gutters?”

“Excuse me?”

“Rain gutters, like the kind you put on your house to divert the flow of rain.”

Strange look… “Well, they’re right down this aisle here about halfway.”

“Thank you!” Big smile.

I began comparing prices and picked the cheapest one: 10’ of plastic gutter for $4.89.  And the ends came in two packs with rubber around the edges for extra sealing power.  Now, 10’ is a lot of feet and when I started driving my cart around the store with that hugeness sticking off both ends of the cart I got even more stares than before.  Then it started sliding off the front end and I just barely catch it.

“Careful there miss!”  One employee called to me, “Are you finding what you need?”

“I’m looking for 1/8” steel cable.”

“Just down here, how much do you need.  I can cut it for you.”

My mind goes blank.  Thought process: How much do I need?  I didn’t measure.  You’re an idiot!  To the employee: “I don’t know how much I need.”

“Well that will be tricky for measuring, won’t it?”  Gives me a smile.  “Let me know if you figure it out.”  Leaves.

I pull out my Kindle, thinking maybe I can estimate based on what they used.  Internet doesn’t work, “We cannot load your page please check that you have access to internet connection.”  Eff you kindle fire.  So much for planning ahead.

I stand there staring at the roll of steel cable (like that’ll help me figure out the distance between my banister and balcony ceiling).  I decide to just make a return trip after measuring and I move down the aisle to where they keep hooks and things.  There are too many choices!  What do I even need?  I start running through options of how to hang this thing, when a man walks over.

“What are you doing with that gutter?”  He asks.

“I’m making a gutter garden, I live in an apartment with a patio so I don’t have anyplace to grow things.”

“Oh how nice.  My friend is doing that with her old gutters, she had plastic ones like this that got ravaged in a hailstorm.  You might want to look at the metal ones; they’re much more durable.”

“Oh thank you so much,” I say, “I didn’t even think about that.”

“Oh yeah and the plastic ones get cracked and dried.  Just be careful with the metal, so you don’t cut yourself.  I built a shed, and last weekend I installed metal gutters on it, my hands are still recovering.”

“Thanks again, I’m going to go check them out.”  Heads back to gutter aisle.  Metal gutters, metal gutters.  There are silver and white… white are twice as expensive?!  Why because they are white?  Oh they are bigger.  I think I want bigger, holds more soil and roots.  No, no, I don’t think I can do this today.  Puts all gutters back.

I went home empty-handed (at least without supplies for this project because I totes bought potting soil and a cute blue pot)

Anyway, on the way home, on the street I live on, I saw one man cutting some gutters, another spray painting some, and another man with his dog on a leash standing and talking to them.  I look in the rearview mirror.  Could it be?  Do I really have this luck?  Truck says Express Gutter Installation.  I screeched my car to a halt and walked over to the man with his dog.

A sign from the garden gods

“Excuse me is this your house?”

“Yes.”  Strange look.

“Are you replacing the gutters?”

“Yes.” Stranger look.

“What are you doing with the old gutters?”

The man who was spray painting says, “You don’t want those, they’re broken and cracked.”

“Well I might, I’m just making a planter. They don’t need to function as gutters.”  I say.

The homeowner says, “Well you are welcome to take a look.”

They are quite broken but they’d probably work and they’re free.  I’m prepared to tell them I’ll take them when the spray painter tells me I can have one of their new ones.

“Really?”  Eyes light up like stars.

Gutter cutter says, “Would you like me to cut it for you?”

“Yes in thirds would be great.”  I say, not believing my luck.

So, he cuts the gutters (not in perfect thirds; but I’m willing to overlook that for the low, low cost of free).

I say, “Thank you so much!  I think this is fate, I just came from Home Depot.”

Spray painter says, “Yeah, gutters can get pretty expensive.”

The homeowner says, “That’ll be $20.”  My heart sinks for a split second before he laughs off his joke.

“Thanks again!”  I say, awkwardly carrying my new gutters to my car.

The garden gods are smiling at me today!

Unfortunately, I don’t have any of the other supplies to make the hanging gutter garden so I will just have to wait for the weekend to continue with this project.  Stay tuned for more building adventures, until next time!

***Update*** The project is complete and there is a blog post to prove it.

 

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

What garden projects are you working on for this summer?

My Take on the Kony 2012 Campaign

We live in the age of the internet and, for better or for worse, Social Media is King.  Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Myspace, Tumblr, YouTube.  There are hundreds of sites that are designed to keep us connected, allow us to share ideas,  and make the world feel smaller.  With the invention of smart phones, the drunken bar argument about when an event occurred in history, or who wrote a certain song, or how to pronounce a word is a thing of the past.  My generation have grown up with the equipment and the know-how to look up anything we want to know at any time, without much effort.  Some organizations are using this to their benefit.

This video, according to the caption on YouTube, ”aims to make Joseph Kony famous, not to celebrate him, but to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice.”  (I believe they really want to make him infamous but that’s just my opinion about word choice)

To summarize the video, Joseph Kony is an evil Ugandan warlord who kidnaps children and uses them as soldiers and sex slaves for his militia the LRA.  Jason Russell has been working through the organization, in which he is an original founder, Invisible Children, for a decade to bring an end to Kony’s reign.  They want to catch him this year and they need everyone to know about him.  What they don’t tell you is that according to this article, both the Ugandan army and Sudan People’s Liberation Army, that Invisible Children is working with to find Kony, are just as corrupt.

Invisible Children Inc. has good intentions and I can respect that.  They have their heart in the right place but I’m not so sure about their head.  This article explains why the author doesn’t support the Kony 2012 campaign.

When I began writing this blog, on Tuesday after I first saw the YouTube video. I was inspired.  I was sucked in by good marketing and the need to feel involved.  As I started doing more research on the topic to find the facts behind the video, I realized that I am very confused.

My optimistic, do-gooder side says, “We can do it!  Let’s bring justice!” and my logical questioning side says, “Who are they kidding?  They’re backing the lesser of two evils.”  I want to believe in this campaign but I’m not so sure I want to support Invisible Children.  I want to live in a world where the people have the power to band together and precipitate change but I know it’s more complicated and there are many hoops to jump through.

It’s taken me three days of editing and thinking and discussing and writing to finally come to the conclusion that nothing is ever black and white.  I think the biggest lessons I’ve learn through my research are that just because something is trending doesn’t mean it’s factual, that knowledge is power and to never take something at face value.

Further Reading:

• This Reddit Comment
• The Globe and Mail article
• Washington Times Communities article
• Foreign Policy blog
• Invisible Children’s official response to negativity
• Kony 2012: rebels without a pause

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Help me make up my mind: What do you think about the Kony 2012 Campaign?  What is an issue you believe in?

International Women’s Day

Short post today… I’m making hummus and granola bars (more on that later)

Google Logo for the day

If you’ve opened Google today you’ve seen this image and possibly wondered what it was all about.  Well, it’s International Women’s Day!  What does that even mean?  Visit this website.

Now for an article: “Subject for Debate: Are Women People?“

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

How are you celebrating women (even the not people ones) today?

Homemade Tagalongs

…(or as they’re known elsewhere Peanut Butter Patties)

As you know I love to use Pinterest.  I’ve mentioned that I actually use a few of the things I pin.  One (mentioned yesterday) is fitness, another is recipes.  As usual, I was perusing the Pinterest community and discovered this little beauty of a recipe for Tagalongs from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen.  I have been saving it for a special occasion, but finally yesterday I couldn’t wait any longer.  I had to try me some Tagalongs – homemade style.  So I got out all my baking gear and began.

When I bake usually I like to listen to some good music but yesterday I already had my Pandora set to the preset “Pop and Hip Hop Power Workout Station” (I was getting my 5-4-3-2-1 on) so I just left it.  It was quite fun dancing to this type of music and I highly recommend it for future baking projects.

Anyway, Tagalongs…

Image Credit: Little Brownie Bakers
This is what Tagalongs look like from the box

Now, normally I would not wish to take away from the Girl Scouts and their one major fundraiser they have all year; after all I was one once.  However $4.00 for a box of cookies is a bit pricey for a college student who needs to buy real food.  The only problem is I absolutely love Tagalongs.  I used to keep the box in my room so greedy hands belonging to my sister and parents would not defile my tasty bits of heaven.  I weighed it in my head in front of that little table the girls had set up outside of King Soopers grocery store: do I want to spend my $4.00 on some cookies or something more nutritious.  Now, I no longer have to shed out precious cash for happiness and the recipe makes enough that I don’t mind sharing.

Image Credit: Christina of Suite Pea’s Kitchen
Her’s look way better than mine…
Chocolate is super messy

This recipe on the Sweet Pea’s Kitchen blog is fantastic.  It took FOREVER to make (possibly due to all the dancing) but let me tell you something, it is totally worth it.  These cookies are delicious and they taste a bazillion times better than the boxed variety.

So I really wanted to do a step-by-step post of my progress while baking (complete with the proper dance move technique for each task) but, alas, my camera charger is nowhere to be found.  Without pictures I feel this post would be a bit bland so I’ll just stick with my fantabulous review of this recipe and let you read the step-by-step on Sweet Pea’s Kitchen.

My only edits:  I added about a tablespoon of water to the chocolate to spread it a bit further and to make it more liquidy.  The peanut butter filling is REALLY sweet so next time I will probably add less sugar.  My batch only made two dozen (the recipe says 3 dozen) which leads me to believe I made the cookies too big.  This is probably true because with the filling and the chocolate it is very rich and hard to finish just one cookie.  Definitely a death-by-chocolate type of dessert, but yummers!

Happy Baking!

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Would you prefer the boxed variety or these homemade delicacies?  How do you get your bake on?  Care to share a recipe I should try?

The 5-4-3-2-1 Workout (my version)

One of my latest obsessions is the website Pinterest (if you want to follow me, my username is: maghaseman).  I spend way too much time there pinning things to plan the wedding that is non-existent, the house I’ll never be able to afford and the vacation of my dreams.  There are a few things I do pin that I actually use though, including workouts.  I came across this wonderful routine about a month ago and have tried it a few times.  I love Caitlin’s Blog Fit Fab Cities and have tried a lot of her ideas.

This particular routine, The 5-4-3-2-1 Workout, is such a great idea, it’s quick and, as Caitlin says in her blog, easy to fit into a busy schedule, and I love the formatting (bright colors).  However, as I was doing the exercise I found that I lost track of the workout.  I have always struggled with workouts that have too much variety, some people enjoy the variety because it keeps it interesting but for me personally it doesn’t work.  The other thing I didn’t like was that it was missing ab exercises.  So I revamped it a little to suit my own needs:

You can download the printable version by clicking this link: 5-4-3-2-1 workout.

I kept Caitlin’s cutesy rainbow formatting and a lot of her content.  I replaced her 4 minute section with ab exercises.  Hope you enjoy it!

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

Leave a comment: What kind of exercises do you enjoy?  How do you fit workouts into your busy schedule?

Mermaid v. Whale

The other day I was on Facebook having a conversation with one of my friends.  Full-blown conversations online have always bothered me for some reason.  Continually commenting on some status back and forth until one of you finally decides to just stop saying things.  It seems silly to formally end it by saying something like “Well I have to go now,” because it’s a comment.  Anyway that’s beside the point.

My point is that while I didn’t enjoy the media for having the conversation I did enjoy the topic (and I hope to continue the discussion when I see my friend next).  We were discussing, of all things, weight.  As in size: fat or thin, big or small, whale or mermaid etc.  The conversation was started from a post I shared from a friend on Facebook.  This post to be exact:

“A while back, at the entrance of a gym, there was a picture of a very thin and beautiful woman. The caption was “This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?”

The story goes, a woman (of clothing size unknown) answered the following way: 

“Dear people, whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, seals, curious humans), they are sexually active and raise their children with great tenderness.

They entertain like crazy with dolphins and eat lots of prawns. They swim all day and travel to fantastic places like Patagonia, the Barents Sea or the coral reefs of Polynesia.

They sing incredibly well and sometimes even are on CDs. They are impressive and dearly loved animals, which everyone defend and admires.

Mermaids do not exist.

But if they existed, they would line up to see a psychologist because of a problem of split personality: woman or fish?

They would have no sex life and could not bear children.  Yes, they would be lovely, but lonely and sad.  And, who wants a girl that smells like fish by his side?

Without a doubt, I’d rather be a whale.

At a time when the media tells us that only thin is beautiful, I prefer to eat ice cream with my kids, to have dinner with my husband, to eat and drink and have fun with my friends.

We women, we gain weight because we accumulate so much wisdom and knowledge that there isn’t enough space in our heads, and it spreads all over our bodies.  We are not fat, we are greatly cultivated.

Every time I see my curves in the mirror, I tell myself: “How amazing am I ?! “

(The girl on the picture is French model Tara Lynn)”

My friend commented that first, humans should be neither whales nor mermaids but humans and second, that he doesn’t like “polarized arguments on either side glorifying either ideal to the extent of unhealthy life habits.”  Both of which are good points.  In responding to him (in the Facebook conversation way that I so enjoy) I started talking about the reasons I shared this particular post: “I prefer to eat ice cream with my kids, to have dinner with my husband, to eat and drink and have fun with my friends.”  I also realized that I have a lot to say about being healthy and my whole life is very focused on size.

The people who surround me spend a lot of time talking about what not to eat and how to stay thin.  The TV shows I watch show “perfect” women.  The magazines I read talk about how best to cut calories and the best workout plan for a flat stomach.  I know I’m guilty of thinking my thighs are too big but I’m also guilty of thinking I’m smokin’ hot within the same day.  And I know I’m not alone.

And all of this, and the realization that all my writing from the past are basically blog posts, led me to decide that I wanted to start a blog.  I want to write about all the things that go into living a healthy life (as far as I know).  I want to share recipes that are healthful, yoga routines that help to balance and a general lifestyle that refreshes.  I want to share the things that happen in my brain and in return I want to discover what others will share with me.

So to begin I’ll introduce myself.  My name is Maggie Haseman.  I am 21 years old.  I currently study restoration ecology in rangeland ecosystems at Colorado State University in Fort Collins Colorado.  My interests include, healthful cooking, practicing yoga, nurturing and collecting plants, playing board and card games, learning as much as I can, teaching others about what I know, reading and getting lost in stories, writing about what I think, laughing a lot, singing to my favorite songs, dancing like a crazy person, listening to music and to what others have to say, talking about things that do matter and things that don’t matter, tasting delicious food, entertaining friends and family, making and viewing art.  I could go on; But I won’t.

 

(***Update 09/05/12: Although I loved my time at WordPress, I found it was my time to move on. I am now at Blogger; I believe it to be a better fit for me personally. If you subscribe, or want to subscribe, to this blog, please be sure to subscribe to the new one. Here’s the link.)

This is me.  I would love to hear from you; who are you?  What do you think about the mermaid vs. whale discussion?  How do you live happily and healthfully?