Hey, what happened to my blog? I used to write about gardening, canning, cooking and things here. I suppose I wrote about them because there were so few others who were too. But today the web is thick with full time talented bloggers taking gorgeous photos of their food, crafting wonderful recipes, gardening every da

Is there such as thing as a quick fix when it comes to gardening? A friend was lamenting last night to me about weeds growing in and among river rock. We determined they're experiencing both deep rooted weeds growing from underneath the river rock, and annual weeds blown in by seed atop the surface area. It's a messy situat

I love Pinterest. I hate Pinterest. Anyone else feel this same duality? Pinterest is filled with images of ridiculous overly twee crafting/recipes/nail art, while delivering visual loads of ideas and eye candy for fashion, design, gardening and the like. Love/hate. I suppose it's really about curation, a word I have come to

I realize I haven't shared much in the wa

I know. Can you believe it? No garden shows for me. Not the Seattle show, not the San Francisco show, and I didn't go to the Portland garden show either. Instead, I'm reading all of my fellow bloggers reviews and take-aways from their own time there (thank you for that!). But I have to admit.  I have no desire for a fo

I've often felt February is the cruelest month. Short, dark, grey, cold and dreary. We often see little if any of the sun during February in Portland, Oregon. The winter greys weigh heavily on my shoulders, and I do have an arsenal to combat the tough month. My tools: exercise—cardio boosts my mood,

Source: smartc

Dave Brubeck, the legendary jazz musician passed away this week. I've had Take Five in my mind ever since. Three years ago I wrote here on the blog about his influence on me as a musician growing up. It's a sweet piece you can re

Congratulations to Rose-Tu and her brand new baby girl born today.

Dark, moody, foreboding meat slice anyone?

Can you smell the enchiladas? Can you smell the pancakes? Can you smell the enchilada pancakes?

Diego is cute, right? He recently had to have his hair

...in 1974. It's a conversation piece

I really want some chia pudding and chia with juice. Probably because I just read this article.

I like my beets somewhat simple, but with a few strong flavors, and I never, ever, never, like my beets from a can. I like them roasted:

I've never said I'm thankful for my health before, but on today's Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my health. I'm thankful to have such a healthy, strong body, and one that I honor by eating well and physically moving it. After shedding so much weight in the past two years, and putting a little of it back on, I realize that

It's almost the big meal day, and in 1935, this lovely little book was published, so as to help all brides with homemaking.

I try to practice gratitude every day. For awhile, I kept a gratitude notebook, jotting down things in my daily life, as they crossed my path, that I was thankful for. It's easy to fall away from this practice, and find yourself sliding into the other side of sarcasm or complaining. Gretchen Rubin, author of

Salads. The word evokes fresh greens, vegetables, perhaps fruit: light and refreshing. What. Not this?

I know in a recent post I introduced you to the fine recipes for Ham Loaf in Blanket and Roasted Squirrels. But you could really step it up a notch by planning your holiday meal to be...wait for it...

Alas, we have yet to pick up our fall leaves.

Let's say the year was 1965, and you were f

I know you've been

There's a color story that seems to be repeating itself to me lately. Purple to fuschia to red. It's showing up in different ways. So I'm matching it and putting it into projects. Hey, it's trying to get my attention!

Combine the magic artistry of Chihuly's dreamy glass with the setting

Did you notice? It's been ten days. 10 days. Of blogging. A long, long time ago, I can still remember how that music used to make me smile. Actually, I remember how I'd blog every day in the month of November. Nowadays, the  poor month seems to be known for the month the guys grow a mustache. Movember