Local Eating Challenge: Walnut Gleaner

Reed & I found these walnuts under (& on) a tree near downtown Santa Rosa last week. Unsure of the results of such random pickings, we were pleasantly surprised to find delicious nutmeat inside. We shelled them & then dried them in the sun for an afternoon.

More recently, I've become obsessed with my food dehydrator. Pears, apples, figs, & hot peppers have all found their way to dehydrated goodness.

Jobs, Projects & Love: The Tale of an Update

First of all, I am alive & well - & getting busier & busier &.... For the curious, here is what I've been busy doing.

I have three jobs. Yes, three. Three jobs may sound like a lot of jobs to have at once but I must tell you that I've had more. Job #1 is Network Administrator for the School Garden Network of Sonoma County. Job #2 is doing administrative support for the consultant to the City of Petaluma's Green Team which includes work on their Going Green Expo (sound like something I've done before?). Job #3 is guest lecturing for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), which is a standardized test that many colleges require of foreign applicants for whom English is not their native language. The lecture recordings are used to give test takers the opportunity to show their verbal comprehension of college-level English.

On top of that, I'm also working on an internship with Petaluma Bounty, which is also my project for my Master's thesis. PB is a nonprofit that is working to create a sustainable local food system in Petaluma & is specifically working currently with people who are food insecure & hungry. My project is to coordinate the creation of a dashboard that will give users a snapshot of how PB's projects & the local food system are doing. What is a dashboard, you say? Think of how your car dashboard gives you a quick, easy-to-read display of the status of your car. Same idea. So right now I'm working on identifying stakeholders, data holders, & possible indicators to be used. I'm so excited!

I'm still dating Reed & while he does still live in Minneapolis, our relationship continues to be magical. He's been out to visit twice already & stayed for over two weeks in March. I feel very fortunate to have found such a like-minded, genuine & big-hearted person to love even if we are separated by 2000 miles of corn fields, Motel 6s, mountains, etc.

January Top 10

10. This tree. This bulldozer. This pile of mineral. Discuss.








9. The swiss chard & kale here is out of this world! Must be the climate. I sometimes just eat a big ol' pile o' steamed chard for dinner. Y. U. M.

8. Manfred Max-Neef's theory on basic human needs - I'm completely in love with it.

7. New Year's Eve was spent making a deck of cards with my new friend Lacey. This silly & lovable task was lubricated by White Russians & a viewing of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. As you may have guessed, Kenny Rogers is indeed the King of Hearts but what the hell is up with his face these days, people? Terrifying.

6. Volunteering in the gardens at Occidental Arts & Ecology Center. This was my first visit to an organization that is considered by many to be highly influential & completely awesome in the realms of sustainable agriculture & intentional community. My attire was less than ideal for the drizzly, chilly weather. In fact, some dude actually scoffed at me. Scoffed! I did my best with what I had since Eli had yet to arrive with the bulk of my belongings. The weather deterred nothing at OAEC, however, & the assembled group enjoyed one another's company convivially discussing everything from socialist t-shirt sayings to "deviant" sexuality. Based on the lively companionship & the amazingly delicious lunch, I highly recommend a Wednesday volunteering at OAEC.

5. Xmas in Davis with Janelle (from my tiny hometown on the prairie), her husband Neil & their friends from Italy & Japan. Lesson learned: Apples to Apples IS a good game to play with foreigners!


4. Eli arrived with my stuff the second week in January which resulted in me being able to sit on actual furniture in my apartment. More ergonomic sitting for everyone!

3. Hiking & hanging out in Pepperwood Preserve

2. Starting my grad reading & courses has brought me much joy. I love the faculty, the students, the chihuahua. Engage in clickage to see some examples of what I've been reading. A series of annotated bibliographies to ensue soon....

1. Love. Wow.

Cali photos!

Yay! I finally remembered that my new computer has a slot that takes digital media cards so I don't even need that stinkin' USB cord for my camera ever again! Enjoy....

Got a parking ticket right off the bat on one my first forays into Santa Rosa. Nuts.... Good thing Snax was there to comfort me.

Ew. Road injury. Yep, that was me tumbling over suitcases with a pan o' cat litter in hand in the parking lot of the Motel 6 in Elko, Nevada. Although it smarted real bad, I hope that someone saw it because I'm certain that it was hilarious. You may also note my up-flushing toilet in the background. I think Paul's name for it is a better description however: the Poop Grinder. Apparently, the "grinding" of the poo, paper, etc. makes the waste break down more easily in the septic system. Neat!

My apartment is totally fantastic. For one thing, having a loft makes me feel like I'm in an '80s sit-com which is a feeling for which I've always strived. That skylight is brand new. The long pole you see is supposed to be for operating it but I use it to turn off the light when I'm in the loft. Ain't I clever!















Naturally, the cats adore the loft too seeing as how they are now able to look down on the world. (Don't tell them that there is more to the world than this. The last thing I need is a mutiny.) Note also the cat door which is covered by a paper bag (minimalist environment) due to the ill-nature of Leo the Tomcat (aka. Leo the Landcat) who lives outside & periodically stops by to harrass the occupants here. Bastard.















This is the view from my window. It is AWESOME! Birds love to hang out all around out here. If I had walked out to the street to take this photo, you would see Mt. Helena in the near distance.















I went hiking around on the nature preserve behind the house & appreciated what I saw there including the enormous piles of crap that were everywhere. What deposited them? I later found it that it was just steers - just plain old steers. Boo.




















Don't get upset, Midwesterners, but this is my winter photo. Things are just starting to grow here. There is periwinkle flowering outside my window & some kind of bulb is just about to toss up two blossoms as well.
You will not hear me complain.




















Table for one? The Lagunitas IPA from nearby Petaluma went well with this delicious batch of chili that I made from scratch. The beautiful handmade bowls are a housewarming gift from a guest that I had recently. How sweet.