tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61260725341481676772024-03-19T00:52:23.714-07:00THE BEAUTY OF LIFEThe big adventure of one little ladyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger471125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-83325906864383250812014-11-06T10:33:00.002-08:002014-11-06T10:33:33.430-08:00Third Stop: Downieville, Califoria<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On somewhat of a last minute trip planning whim we penciled in Downieville, California. It was a logical stop between Oak Ridge, OR and South Lake Tahoe, CA our next planned ridding destination. After our great ride near Waldo Lake up to Twin Peaks we packed the van for the next leg, a seven or so hour drive into the mountains to a town that was not on any maps. I knew we were in for a treat.<br />
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The weather has been great with clear skies, warm air and vibrant fall foliage. The driving has been beautiful, I hardly spend any time with the normal distractions of phones and fidgeting, afraid I will miss out sights that fly by in furry. We also are trying not to do much driving at night and taking scenic by ways. Stella is happy at 55 mph, much more is asking a lot of her. So the less time we spend on interstates the happier we all are. <br />
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We climbed up highway 49, over Yuba pass, through lovely Sierra City and down into <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downieville,_California" target="_blank">Downieville, California</a>. Downieville, an active and once very prosperous mining location, is now a tourist destination, pretty typical "buy some shit in a pretty place" sort of feel to the area. We tried not to hit a tourist as we tried to get out of the town as fast as we could. There is a pretty epic race, <a href="http://www.downievilleclassic.com/" target="_blank">The Downieville Classic</a>, held here every year which puts this town on the radar for many mountain bikers. We pulled into town, over a one lane bridge and went straight to <a href="http://www.downievilleoutfitters.com/" target="_blank">Downieville Outfiters</a> where Greg was warm to show us the trails, epic camping and the low down on the town (and lack there of) and sign us up for a shuttle for the morning.<br />
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We high tailed it out a forest service road where we set up camp on a river and had instant access to trail. I can't believe the camping that we had. Right on the trail, next to a river and gorgeous forest all around. We spent the early afternoon playing (bathing) in the river and gearing up for a spontainous and inspired pedal right from the camp site. Our ride that afternoon was up second divide and down third divide. I was skeptical at first, the trail was skirting along a steep side hill with a lethal plunge to the right. It was loose and had lots of punchy steep rocky climbs, not my cup of tea. The riding was unlike anything I had done and far exceeded my comfort levels for the afternoon, I was ready to turn back with the dog (whos water bowl we forgot and Lucy is scared of drinking from the trickle that our hydration pack spits out). a few miles into it the trail. As soon as I wanted to turn around the trail wound back into enourmous pine forests, through valid mining camps, and followed a river. The riding was interesting and fast, the climbs were "engaging."<br />
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I rode up at John one point in the second divide trail where he had waited for me to show me this epic pine tree that had to be at least 10 feet in diameter. The pine cones were probably 18 inches long. We see lots of big ceder trees but we had never seen a pine tree this big. Second divide trail tied into third divide and proved to be a wild fun good time. A rare dynamic, John followed me down the entire trail which turned out to be really fun for me. The trail ended right at our van, down by the river. <br />
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The next day we rolled out of camp right on to the start of first divide trail which was quick 30 minute rip into Downieville where we hopped a shuttle at Downieville Outfitters. The shuttle took us to the top of Packers Saddle and we were able to ride some epic downhill for 12 miles. The shuttle was amazing, fast, technical in spots, chunder fest in others and epic in length. I would highly recommend it. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-6090757531606072282014-11-05T08:14:00.000-08:002014-11-05T08:14:20.910-08:00I may know<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don't know how we witnessed a man filling up his boat's gas tank with a lit cigarette hanging out of his mouth who was precariously close to the nozzle watching the gasoline flow and not blowing up.<br />
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I know that when we were in Flagstaff for lunch one afternoon we were walking down the street and all of the sudden it felt like home, the smell. It was a smell I hadn't came across since leaving. John pointed out that we just passed a woman with dreads in overalls playing a banjo on the corner.<br />
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I know that two beers after a huge day of mountain biking is just right.<br />
<br />
I know that I am one lucky lady. <br />
<br />
I know that time may disappear while driving in a Westfalia. Just straight up vanish.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhypheneOPfIi8NLvUVzL0hzLZiNAU8k3DeYHkuvB4vWzfXcyIyjJuILSNyCnCUqgUdNKaLROH51z5ZpZYpPUX_OlK5R0Jbq-7GYIlrrvDWOu3NJ0O5iW6BrQPj5Dz4jI7ltX8s2RrBpoiqi7K/s1600/DSC_0318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhypheneOPfIi8NLvUVzL0hzLZiNAU8k3DeYHkuvB4vWzfXcyIyjJuILSNyCnCUqgUdNKaLROH51z5ZpZYpPUX_OlK5R0Jbq-7GYIlrrvDWOu3NJ0O5iW6BrQPj5Dz4jI7ltX8s2RrBpoiqi7K/s1600/DSC_0318.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
I know that is completely acceptable during a mountain biking trip for us to walk into pizzeria and order two large pizzas and they are consumed with ease within two meals.<br />
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I know that showering everyday is not an option, nor every other day, try like on in five days. Rest days are just about as scarce. Life is short, the trip even shorter and the future unpredictable. Get after it. I know that my best days of riding were on the days after rest days.<br />
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I know that the Grand Canyon is rather grand.</div>
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I still don't know if there is increased energy in the vortexs of Sedona. I know that I may never know and I find pleasure in the mystery.<br />
<br />
I know that a hard days work is incredibly satisfying.<br />
<br />
I know that 50+ miles in two days is too much for a dog, no matter how excited she is to be on a ride.<br />
<br />
I
now know that pine trees to grow to be bigger than I ever thought
possible. I know that riding through old growth forests is a very
special experience and why I never want to leave the three states that
make up the west coast.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMkCxMNs3n5EJBmROCJdgtoPAYu13mV68NHXOBaExdqfhzBvRcUXDr303QWqFoSRSPyAb0ZWu7m56C7UMWRR0N6TkOTPPMGG9ZQAfVCCMZZs7FLv41fOpy47zd3pfC1YlzyVtRY-ZeTnq/s1600/DSC_0373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMkCxMNs3n5EJBmROCJdgtoPAYu13mV68NHXOBaExdqfhzBvRcUXDr303QWqFoSRSPyAb0ZWu7m56C7UMWRR0N6TkOTPPMGG9ZQAfVCCMZZs7FLv41fOpy47zd3pfC1YlzyVtRY-ZeTnq/s1600/DSC_0373.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
I know that if I am angry I am just hungry. If I am hungry it is too late.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-BsQxatIYiqEbDtBYqPU1G7sejDBFfc38A-tRESl1NXp3F4JqOeA7s3jS1-LSIS2D-RucmTKrnAgQfxOJAZnYRAD0y-wbahPRX7fB0WBgMJjbpdllmAQkgGWRiCBKa6XEcvB26GwyVCH/s1600/DSC_0404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-BsQxatIYiqEbDtBYqPU1G7sejDBFfc38A-tRESl1NXp3F4JqOeA7s3jS1-LSIS2D-RucmTKrnAgQfxOJAZnYRAD0y-wbahPRX7fB0WBgMJjbpdllmAQkgGWRiCBKa6XEcvB26GwyVCH/s1600/DSC_0404.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
I
know that the owners of bike shops work really really hard. I have seen
it over and over, town to town. I thank you, we thank you.<br />
<br />
I
know that first hand information about anything is always the best.
Trails, food, beer, local swimming holes and camping spots.<br />
<br />
I know that it is always good to slow down. I know that watching the sun come up is an exercise in slowing down. <br />
<br />
I
know never to pass judgment-ever. Period. I also know to try and get to
know the people you are surrounded by. People have interesting stories
and usually want to talk about them. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02wx9Z98-qqwOx-0fR1gC3ZfLlLKcg_TH2wnNa_WFkUheiXoJiPMsnJkXrzr-gIBCTMNonjG6-kgLEMATwyGoOznUdt8IiM72a7ppSx2MB49kvAgOjEvysvRHL2AnjdaQEmH7l8evUsDQ/s1600/DSC_0406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02wx9Z98-qqwOx-0fR1gC3ZfLlLKcg_TH2wnNa_WFkUheiXoJiPMsnJkXrzr-gIBCTMNonjG6-kgLEMATwyGoOznUdt8IiM72a7ppSx2MB49kvAgOjEvysvRHL2AnjdaQEmH7l8evUsDQ/s1600/DSC_0406.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
I know that
my husband is the most patient person I have ever met. I know he waits
hours for me on big rides and then is happy when I finally make it to
him. I now know he gets this trait from his father.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNWxxLRJX-TivL-ug5xwt403H686ScOgN8uVLob9FCWrT_WR66Y5k5FCNgNdmFHAuOd10XGiaVyLgjm1JhRyLNwxXIwGkDZgwxM0b5la4IQZ3tBU9-2GaRlnDQfToXqM4dSPFhjGWUNRB/s1600/DSC_0412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNWxxLRJX-TivL-ug5xwt403H686ScOgN8uVLob9FCWrT_WR66Y5k5FCNgNdmFHAuOd10XGiaVyLgjm1JhRyLNwxXIwGkDZgwxM0b5la4IQZ3tBU9-2GaRlnDQfToXqM4dSPFhjGWUNRB/s1600/DSC_0412.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
I
know that the fastest people on bikes will never tell you. <br />
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I know that in Burley, Idaho there is not a single coffee shop or stand. It is a larger town. This blows me away and makes me really sad at 6 am. Someone save those folks or at least the travelers passing through and open a decent coffee stand.<br />
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I know that riding at 9,500 feet will make me queasy, riding at 11,000 feet makes me want to barf while gasping for air as my body tries like hell to get the oxygen it needs.<br />
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I know not to order cocktails in the state of Utah.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuVZEXuyAGpL29LoDedMayawu3rdgv0iIeiqi8vny8nu2bvNgNjK5u8XMVUZW01Nj7nFazyHqnaSz2J4Sjv1nnFV_g0CcdIMFu3KWPXzjaMG-KlrxisqETTK1ig5e4SCbi79da1EaetdX/s1600/DSC_0472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuVZEXuyAGpL29LoDedMayawu3rdgv0iIeiqi8vny8nu2bvNgNjK5u8XMVUZW01Nj7nFazyHqnaSz2J4Sjv1nnFV_g0CcdIMFu3KWPXzjaMG-KlrxisqETTK1ig5e4SCbi79da1EaetdX/s1600/DSC_0472.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
I know why people are spiritual in Sedona and artists go to the Southwest.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iAnx6OxzQhhK5Jev90xSc0gDE_ibFpkOyRQHsVzc9z-Dv1SPSmmVVu7amxuC3QqqUrUaUEXGJIsqzupDVZprf81TUV_NyAI3mK2LvrWDAY1HIe-SeOW0eEh5dKcPyEDrIDtWBlMizWlP/s1600/DSC_0476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iAnx6OxzQhhK5Jev90xSc0gDE_ibFpkOyRQHsVzc9z-Dv1SPSmmVVu7amxuC3QqqUrUaUEXGJIsqzupDVZprf81TUV_NyAI3mK2LvrWDAY1HIe-SeOW0eEh5dKcPyEDrIDtWBlMizWlP/s1600/DSC_0476.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a>I don't know if aliens landed at area 51, if they did I am glad they choose the middle of Nevada and not the Pacfic Northwest.<br />
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I know that I need to be reminded not to take myself too seriously.<br />
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I know that our dog will eat all the garbage if she can and then be really embarrassed and know it was wrong.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5dUe5ev8R7MbTe6FShQPHNZLS-dIk1GMn3YxnbyDGZYEcQSlCx0HfSexVzKPWSeEDY1nBF3Lzh0fv5vQEFxiIwiFjUWQG4SqjZ3DLrtsQu2-_-fKB1aVZOf_2WZptJYGKDDjwMydxq8H/s1600/P1010591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5dUe5ev8R7MbTe6FShQPHNZLS-dIk1GMn3YxnbyDGZYEcQSlCx0HfSexVzKPWSeEDY1nBF3Lzh0fv5vQEFxiIwiFjUWQG4SqjZ3DLrtsQu2-_-fKB1aVZOf_2WZptJYGKDDjwMydxq8H/s1600/P1010591.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
I know that any ride could be my last. Life is real like that. We happened to pull up to a swimming hole in Sedona the same time this big crew of riders were. We went swimming <a href="http://<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/109086715" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>" target="_blank">they took their terminally ill friend for his first and last ride on red rock</a>. I know that life is precious folks. <br />
<br />
I know that we rode almost 400 miles of trail, climbed almost 50,000 feet of trail in 6 states and 12 locations. I know that Galbraith is a special place, Squamish has the best trails and they are both moments from our house. <br />
<br />
I know that coming home is bittersweet. It is great to be home but hard to adjust. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-18854027680136797582014-10-28T07:26:00.000-07:002014-10-28T07:26:50.648-07:00Las Vegas, Red Rocks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgkOXKnTj2zSEWYqFa1ScUdZGo5U0TU_V1WvqAHWdLboL9hUHi1VRfGhP3NohFLAipZlgdzoU_cjbCAHja163BpofHAj3vQvuSenzjaQLWRMTDGBqND1DwQR1vUzlUErqt1GhVTOAVJKni/s1600/PANO_20141011_070958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgkOXKnTj2zSEWYqFa1ScUdZGo5U0TU_V1WvqAHWdLboL9hUHi1VRfGhP3NohFLAipZlgdzoU_cjbCAHja163BpofHAj3vQvuSenzjaQLWRMTDGBqND1DwQR1vUzlUErqt1GhVTOAVJKni/s1600/PANO_20141011_070958.jpg" height="136" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNshAtqjIhqbgA965Y-74FK3A_av52e0_owja1ChQfYDbIIDD_KTN5Q4LenbVUmlkxmKfKs2ERpsK-rxyYmDN9ZH2LaqqSXPM2MAPu2XF5N4rrJsU2HlLF2w1QeIKRyaXTq_Bvd5EUpDs9/s1600/20141011_083055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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The drive into Vegas, the towns on the outskirts of Vegas
took me by surprise. There is some shady activity going on out there. Mix the
dry desolation of the desert with poverty and legal prostitution and people
will make a way to get by. I might be making assumptions from the comfort of my car driving by on the interstate, but the area seemed really rough and I had no desire to lurk around the area.<br />
<br />
We pulled into Las Vegas mid morning after a good two huge
days of riding in Tahoe that were stacked on four days of riding before that. I
felt my bits and pieces wearing down and even though the timing was perfect, we
parked it in the trail head parking lot, I put my foot down and insisted that
we take<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rest day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was turning out to be a scoarcher of
a day and riding in the heat of the day isn’t the funnest way to spend time.
John used a few hours to disassemble the back of the van to charge the AC and
the extra love that a 25 year old German van needs which appently includes
replacing fuel lines in the parking lot. John waned about the size of a tool box to pack, and after much consideration he packed a pretty hefty repertoire, including extra fuel lines that came in very handy. I love the Westy but I don't think I would feel as comfortable traveling in it without John and his mechanical savy. After cleaning up the yard sale we
drove into the Red Rocks National Park. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpSJAtT7w1s6UyTV59VGmfni5FFZMax1pt8qigdxjLL39O__b3h9pQ48EYG0p51Mloliu1sTVO5rNJ4EVCrElJu_5OcYXKu-9tCqpYZjRfXVR01HXFXY27fnv0AF10tuUhiQSRuBHtVL2/s1600/P1010551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpSJAtT7w1s6UyTV59VGmfni5FFZMax1pt8qigdxjLL39O__b3h9pQ48EYG0p51Mloliu1sTVO5rNJ4EVCrElJu_5OcYXKu-9tCqpYZjRfXVR01HXFXY27fnv0AF10tuUhiQSRuBHtVL2/s1600/P1010551.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucy loves the nomadic lifestyle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Neither of us had been into the park
even though combined we have been to Vegas more than a dozen times. We enjoyed
jumping out and snapping some pictures, saw a wild burro and looked for the
alleged wild tortoises. Red Rocks is a major climbing destination (we have yet
to climb there). It was fun to watch people gear up in the parking lots,
knowing that this is what we must look like.<br />
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<br />
There didn’t seem to be much free
camping in the vicinity so we camped in the one designated camping spot near
the park. I think we hit them at a bad time but it felt like an incredible
waste of money. There was no running water in the whole spread, it was under construction ( lets hope it was to bring water in) and a mess, no showers, no
shade. The place was packed to boot, it would have been great to have been able
to find a spot in the the main area and strike up a conversation with most
likely other climbers but the place was at capacity. There was a spur for Rvs
and we ended up finding a spot there and parked it for the night. It took all
the will power we had to fight the urge to indulge in the city. Seriously. We
were inches away. I made us a salad, John cracked another beer and we embraced
being dirt bags. We invited a Swiss couple to share our site with us. They flew
into LA and rented a cargo van and were hitting all the climbing spots in the
south west.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2jjZ2Mb_f0Oe4abS_KhiPhEIcydcpbJYGsOBAJn2SpivWY9PSNv6T1TcIcYvLDfPd9BxYGPrpc73liz9wnT2VZSLH2ZowcT1gocRd13Euwn3ujeHgoBanPkrSfHi7jdoeBl0OL-j77cG3/s1600/DSC_0264.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2jjZ2Mb_f0Oe4abS_KhiPhEIcydcpbJYGsOBAJn2SpivWY9PSNv6T1TcIcYvLDfPd9BxYGPrpc73liz9wnT2VZSLH2ZowcT1gocRd13Euwn3ujeHgoBanPkrSfHi7jdoeBl0OL-j77cG3/s1600/DSC_0264.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXLE2VnSaYM5CB9zMk5pCpbS7z-0NXAHeyMsHqw1_nxyCCF_bvXPK4_6O1tYFu6mu5khpykEfsyj8aOCbD_TixvHrtPMUJM6A0eBmCutWDoIuvIR0951H1I3VK82pw9kr4BLWS9J50aGCc/s1600/DSC_0263.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXLE2VnSaYM5CB9zMk5pCpbS7z-0NXAHeyMsHqw1_nxyCCF_bvXPK4_6O1tYFu6mu5khpykEfsyj8aOCbD_TixvHrtPMUJM6A0eBmCutWDoIuvIR0951H1I3VK82pw9kr4BLWS9J50aGCc/s1600/DSC_0263.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next morning we beat the heat and went for one of our
shortest and fastest rides (for me) at Cottonwood and rode up to black velvet canyon. It was nice to be able to pedal hard for 90 minutes after being at
elevation. The riding was fun enough but nothing to be blown away by. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNshAtqjIhqbgA965Y-74FK3A_av52e0_owja1ChQfYDbIIDD_KTN5Q4LenbVUmlkxmKfKs2ERpsK-rxyYmDN9ZH2LaqqSXPM2MAPu2XF5N4rrJsU2HlLF2w1QeIKRyaXTq_Bvd5EUpDs9/s1600/20141011_083055.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNshAtqjIhqbgA965Y-74FK3A_av52e0_owja1ChQfYDbIIDD_KTN5Q4LenbVUmlkxmKfKs2ERpsK-rxyYmDN9ZH2LaqqSXPM2MAPu2XF5N4rrJsU2HlLF2w1QeIKRyaXTq_Bvd5EUpDs9/s1600/20141011_083055.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I insisted on going to an In and Out burger in down town
Vegas. I eat about one hamburger a year and for some reason I thought that
today needed to be the day and I was under the impression that I was missing
something by never have partaken in the chain. John tells me that I usually
like the idea of something more than actually doing it. He knows me too
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-35145791781608360282014-10-18T07:31:00.000-07:002014-10-18T07:31:53.833-07:00Second Stop: Crater Lake, Oregon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am going to call this a stop because of the sheer grandness. Not
far from Oakridge and on our way south to Downieville I begged John
(which took little effort) to detour for a few hours to see Crater Lake.
We had both never seen it and knew that it was a must do since we were
so close. So worth the afternoon. <br />
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That is Wizzard Island in the middle of the lake.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurGtF_KuNlB9f7NkQJVHXeOKO3xuvhMeyNODhMO_r8bf9Jpf9vFwaeQtH8scQ27GqO7T_I24plzDWJwJcfTUUPbGav_L2YYn5A5RfkF1v1Jx9Uev6L7PIpS4wkQIfvoUT0NTCZPsdUi-n/s1600/DSC_0202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurGtF_KuNlB9f7NkQJVHXeOKO3xuvhMeyNODhMO_r8bf9Jpf9vFwaeQtH8scQ27GqO7T_I24plzDWJwJcfTUUPbGav_L2YYn5A5RfkF1v1Jx9Uev6L7PIpS4wkQIfvoUT0NTCZPsdUi-n/s1600/DSC_0202.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a><br />
There is narrow road that circumnavigates the lake with countless pull offs. The whole experience is rather breath taking. We opted for a shorter route that ran along one side of the lake. We have friends that rode biked around the lake earlier this year, seems like a great idea. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-65864996913570461862014-10-13T13:37:00.001-07:002014-10-13T13:37:19.154-07:00Road trip 2014 - First Stop: Oak Ridge, Oregon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bG7jdlw3y6X4GkT87vLcmvnL4cKBuxyjR9wgeH8U1XSqrSV2xt9Z0AnGaMFUFBKi3_nYVZgTGOD_RTi3evJe6S3lFFqdrq-Un6cgigSsggHnyXpIlErSci5_tJBKVQFHj66Sxhzr-oGD/s1600/DSC_0142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bG7jdlw3y6X4GkT87vLcmvnL4cKBuxyjR9wgeH8U1XSqrSV2xt9Z0AnGaMFUFBKi3_nYVZgTGOD_RTi3evJe6S3lFFqdrq-Un6cgigSsggHnyXpIlErSci5_tJBKVQFHj66Sxhzr-oGD/s1600/DSC_0142.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">After weeks of preparation, countless hours of
planning and a couple years dreaming of a fall bike trip in the south west, we
are finally on the road. The van, Stella, is decked out and ready for the three
of us to call her home for the next four weeks. We are hitting all the classic
riding spots along the way, extending the beautiful summer that we have had in
Bellingham.</span> John has pulled out all the stops and everything is to the nines. <br />
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The
first stop of Oak Ridge, OR, was a days drive from our home base of
Bellingham, WA. We had never been there but when we mentioned it to
people they insisted that we make the trek. We pulled into town and hit
the </span><a href="http://oakridgebikeshop.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oak Ridge </span></a><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://oakridgebikeshop.com/" target="_blank">bike shop</a>,
picked their brains about riding, conditions, camping and the sorts.
From there we headed to what seemed to be the one happening spot in town
besides the Burger King for dinner and a pint the local brew pub, <a href="http://www.brewersunion.com/" target="_blank">Brewers Union Local 180</a>.
The beer is a worthy stop on its own, they offer traditional English
style beers. We met a lovely couple that were passing through from Bend
on their way to Coos Bay to go crabbing with their families for the
weekend. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The first ride, The Alpine Trail, of the trip was a shuttle offered by <a href="http://oregon-adventures.com/" target="_blank">Oregon Adventures</a>.
We had never done something commercial like this but figured it was the
way to experience the most trail. It was totally worth it. We ended up
ridding 20+ miles of alpine downhill. The trail was swooping, fast and
fun through meadows, old growth forests and alpine rivers. We took Lucy
with us this ride and she did awesome, all 20 miles. The shuttle was
full with about 8 other people. A couple from Whistler on their way to
LA. A father and son who meet up each summer and ride together. And a
few other guys who all wanted to hear about the riding in our area. We
ended up really enjoying and riding with the father and son. When the
ride was over we stopped and sat down with them for a bite and ended up
talking for hours. The ride ended and spit us out right through the above covered bridge and in the parking lot was a great little bed and breakfast that served beer and sandwiches. We partaken - of course. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">From
there we drove further east to Waldo Lake, which is breathtakingly
scenic, peaceful and alpine. All of the above photos. We camped here a night and woke at first
light to ride to the Twin Peaks trail. Epic trail. Do it. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAk54ncBJwyC4PDNFlQ03-hhUoHI_W6l3ftOajbXI1HtMztkAzyGxBhaN4k-ij6g4uFYbdCGtti7SXg3Gd3On-OZmbx-wv4leLAqEBoO63S094-P1LVAzNqQ-AbL-ed85-C-8llV9PjUS/s1600/DSC_0172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAk54ncBJwyC4PDNFlQ03-hhUoHI_W6l3ftOajbXI1HtMztkAzyGxBhaN4k-ij6g4uFYbdCGtti7SXg3Gd3On-OZmbx-wv4leLAqEBoO63S094-P1LVAzNqQ-AbL-ed85-C-8llV9PjUS/s1600/DSC_0172.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I toted our favorite local beers and the last cucumbers from the our garden. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjFTSi-vsXEq4XHhCOoPrFNVbFIrn6a_Rtv8y6IQ_1FTLkw8aS6DedLnxE40Kw_XLaMgxcPKDXWbksYaghSswREOZDx4h2DPxFpfNA3JP2pvctPlJv5zZIS3NeTcmIolqbVP0o4gzlE05/s1600/DSC_0175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjFTSi-vsXEq4XHhCOoPrFNVbFIrn6a_Rtv8y6IQ_1FTLkw8aS6DedLnxE40Kw_XLaMgxcPKDXWbksYaghSswREOZDx4h2DPxFpfNA3JP2pvctPlJv5zZIS3NeTcmIolqbVP0o4gzlE05/s1600/DSC_0175.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the back seat of the van at sunset.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9I0KYK429tr6a_IkLh1XffXbJYH-A3ffEfp8yLSPJ7XZnNG_Q0gxxXzZVDpcSFjt8pD6IDaEPllaW9CooyxC_TDfYgZiLrutdAw807UXxS5wl5Bg24IoCkzCkMRYyJwlwXRpgXwJDTDX/s1600/DSC_0177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9I0KYK429tr6a_IkLh1XffXbJYH-A3ffEfp8yLSPJ7XZnNG_Q0gxxXzZVDpcSFjt8pD6IDaEPllaW9CooyxC_TDfYgZiLrutdAw807UXxS5wl5Bg24IoCkzCkMRYyJwlwXRpgXwJDTDX/s1600/DSC_0177.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John toted the Uke on the trip and plays while I drive.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We were thoroughly impressed by the fast fun nature of the trail and the amazing view from the top of Twin Peaks. I opted not to summit the peak because it looked like a huge hike a bike over and scree surf on the descent. Hindsight and scoping out the descent it looked totally doable and fun. Next time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There will be a net time, Oak Ridge, Oregon is awesome and totally worth the stop for a few days of great riding.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrzAyxzVO71QSqCOd3hSxrS1FY01vvyCatU_NKciN1Kwcx6ixqUtwot_k9NiR3HTNmvsHntwIzTcq6NlpO3sEXdDl3iraGyCuY7w4CO1fp_A76_H2BnLqASO3cPOjkgCD1eV23GVPXnTR/s1600/P1000267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrzAyxzVO71QSqCOd3hSxrS1FY01vvyCatU_NKciN1Kwcx6ixqUtwot_k9NiR3HTNmvsHntwIzTcq6NlpO3sEXdDl3iraGyCuY7w4CO1fp_A76_H2BnLqASO3cPOjkgCD1eV23GVPXnTR/s1600/P1000267.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Just bringing it all back to earth, we are driving an 80's van. Day one the lights for the spedmeter went out. John is good at problem solving in German.</span>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-41706025239255168782014-04-21T13:07:00.000-07:002014-04-21T13:07:04.199-07:00Tucked Away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I decided to pipe up after a long silence. I have lost the idealistic charm in thinking that blogging was a secret door into a secret society of the famous and exciting. It is for me these days and not a carrot dangling just outside of reach. <br />
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The truth is that it is Spring, there are flowers and I feel inspired. I want to dust off my camera. The love for our house tucked in the woods high on a hill compels me to be there in free time. It is a little messy, colorful, a work in progress. <br />
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The other truth is that sometimes I teeter on falling in a black hole, my behavior can be downright embarrassing but then again, I learn best through mistakes made. It takes a few days and I turn around, cheer up, chin up. People say I should journal. I tend to be an open book so here I am, a place I enjoy over sharing. Folks we are not perfect and we only do injustice when we take ourselves too seriously and try to control more than actually possible. Fear can be ruthless and cruel. Cumbersome and debilitating. Fear is something we choose, it is something that I am trying to work around, it is not me or of me. GTFO.<br />
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Reminds me of Leonard Cohen lyrics, "Forget your perfect offering. There
is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-76919270927246577312013-01-07T08:50:00.005-08:002013-01-07T08:50:55.105-08:00Less is more for 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The thing is we moved. We moved all of four miles, up a hill and into the woods. Deep into the woods. There are evergreen trees that fill the view, replacing the sun drenched hillside that we perched on at our previous location. Moss and ferns are prevalent in this gully that has welcomed us and made us feel at home. It is different here, in the most refreshing way possible. I told John yesterday that this move has changed my life, for the better.<br />
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The thing is that things have changed. I went from hours of Internet a day to requesting that we not tempt ourselves with getting a connection here at our home in the woods. Our phones get one bar of service. I have read a half dozen books since we have decided to ditch Internet. I have started to run again, I have spent time alone with myself free from distraction, I am learning to make time for others. In an age where there is more more more, remembering that less is more is liberating. <br />
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Things change. Years, seasons, values, people, relationships. With the new year comes renewed vigor, a fresh start of sorts. The days are getting longer and Spring is around the bend which in this climate brings hope. The future is bright. There is so much that I have planned for the coming years, a smile ignites from inside with the thought of what is in store. As I have learned, things change, they don't always go the way in which we intend. Holding plans, people and ideals too close often leads to heart ache. Hearts get broken, people grow apart, some friends are a memory. Finding the balance, managing priorities and being flexible seem to be traits of seasoned people. I am learning. Letting go is hard but I am opening doors as other close. <br />
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I hope your holidays were warm and welcomed and the new year holds prosperity. Here on the hill we are settling in and creating an oasis, one in which we can share with friends and family. I would hope only for the best for you and bless you with the ability to be flexible and graceful with the changes that the coming year presents. Let me in on the secrets that you use to manage the waters and I look forward to sharing 2013 with you!<br />
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<a href="http://lab.carbonmade.com/projects/2693265#1" target="_blank">This photo project</a> is inspiring on so many fronts, I was moved and didn't want it to be over.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-15010333386179581522012-10-05T07:56:00.003-07:002012-10-05T07:56:36.342-07:00Lowly the Worm Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Remember <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0394882709/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0394882709&linkCode=as2&tag=thbeofli0b-20">Richard Scarry's Lowly Worm Storybook</a>? It was a book on our shelves growing up so when a friend asked me to create a birthday around the theme of her daughter's favorite character, I jumped at the opportunity. I am working on my confidence creating decorations using modeling chocolate. I am getting there....<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-52314561472956343092012-09-13T18:28:00.000-07:002012-09-13T18:28:38.166-07:00The birthday week reflectionMy birthday week is coming to a close. The skies have been blue, vast and crisp. Saturday marks 29 years.<br />
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Turning 29 is no big deal, it is in the bag. So it goes.<br />
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I like the process, I enjoy getting older, falling into stride. I have kicked my twenties in the ass. I did everything that I wanted to do and found myself in a place beyond anything I could have imagined. I am blessed in so many ways. I am aware of my surrounds, positive and negative. My future is bright.<br />
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I have climbed mountains, had epics, slept on a climbing rope with my feet in a backpack to stay warm while lost and tired, traveled, survived, felt true love, made lifelong friends, got married to a wonderful partner, found the beauty in day to day life, stood on podiums claiming second and third place awards in distance races. I have made dark mistakes, lost good friends, let people down, lost good jobs. I have learned a lot. These days I eat whatever the hell that I want. I drink beer and eat pizza with potatoes on it and find comfort. My early 20 year old self would shiver at the thought of that many carbs even crossing her mind. Bring it on. Life is uncertain, I do eat dessert. It has been a journey. A voyage all my own.<br />
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These days I run because I find absolute joy in moving my body and not to burn calories, a bold statement coming from a once gaunt lost girl. I ride my mountain bike as much as I can to escape to a place that is sacred and discover an uninhibited demeanor that is unstoppable. I have fun these days, I do what I want and feel like a force to be recon with even if it is only in my mind. I am softer, curvier than I used to be and feel good about it. I have only one person to impress and that is myself. I have myself to make happy, everyone else just falls into place. <br />
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It is easy to think that you are almost there with just a little more you will be there. That is place I don't want to be. As the years add up I know that nothing on this world is mine. Anything I find can be gone. We all need something, that something can only be found within.<br />
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So far the best present was a few words from my husband earlier this week,<i> go for a bike ride Michelle, you have a brand new bike</i>.
The next day I dropped all obligations and for a few hours and rode my bike. All was right in my world again after an afternoon in the forest. A smile from ear to ear, a
buzz that is impossible to ignore. Everyday following I have got out for
a pedal on the trails. Friday, my present to myself, a day trip to
Whistler, to ride as many trails as I can. Boldly, I want to ride by
myself, I don't want to stop, I don't want any accountability except to
come home in one piece. The weekend is spotted in with friends, rides, precious time with my husband and family. <br />
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Here is to the changes that have happened in the last year and to even more changes in the coming year. I promise to to leave nothing but dust in my twenties. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-40025343898494356282012-09-03T10:57:00.000-07:002012-09-03T10:57:21.300-07:00A few good things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello September. As Summer comes to a close and Fall changes the trees to all shades of gold, I find comfort in slowing down and preparing for the slower pace that Winter casts on my life. Here is what I have been enjoying...<br />
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Making <a href="http://mynewroots.blogspot.com/2012/05/happy-crackers.html" target="_blank">these crackers</a> with my Mama B today.<br />
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I have made about a dozen <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/06/almond-cake-recipe/" target="_blank">almond cakes</a> in the last couple of months. I can't get enough.<br />
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Inspired to run again, swamped by good memories of distance running and can't put this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307279189/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307279189&linkCode=as2&tag=thbeofli0b-20">this book</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thbeofli0b-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0307279189" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> down.<br />
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A friend said that being sober is like being free. I couldn't agree more. Loved <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385315546/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385315546&linkCode=as2&tag=thbeofli0b-20">this book</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thbeofli0b-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0385315546" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />.<br />
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Dreaming of someday having a little one around. Preparing with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594203334/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1594203334&linkCode=as2&tag=thbeofli0b-20">this book</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thbeofli0b-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1594203334" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />.<br />
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I made these <a href="http://ladystiles.blogspot.com/2011/11/pumpkin-waffles-gluten-free.html" target="_blank">gluten free waffles</a> for the family this morning and replaced the pumpkin with shredded zucchini. Work like a charm.<br />
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Came across <a href="http://www.amazon.com/mn/search/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=shovels%20and%20rope%20music&linkCode=ur2&sprefix=shovels%20and%20rope%20music%2Cstripbooks%2C206&tag=thbeofli0b-20&url=search-alias%3Dpopular" target="_blank">Shovels and Rope</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thbeofli0b-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and can't get them off my mind. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1XMhdAGDgc" target="_blank">This video</a> makes me want to pack up and move to the south.<br />
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I am part of the 29 inch revolution with my <a href="http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Norco-Shinobi-29er-review-2011.html" target="_blank">newest mountain bike</a>. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-89665424316917579182012-09-01T09:43:00.001-07:002012-09-01T09:43:19.594-07:00Going all in<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjd9L_ssu6hthqrUYz1wbH9Zt_vj6tToJl4qVmC2hIgaYObEGe_EBh-dFrJl74SxW1sbJkNp3IcCSS9zs76iLdMIb-hNrYaRkLw5wymAYgy139kZnXQwJkszML0GsoCmADk6QYS6u2NF1F/s1600/DSC_0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjd9L_ssu6hthqrUYz1wbH9Zt_vj6tToJl4qVmC2hIgaYObEGe_EBh-dFrJl74SxW1sbJkNp3IcCSS9zs76iLdMIb-hNrYaRkLw5wymAYgy139kZnXQwJkszML0GsoCmADk6QYS6u2NF1F/s640/DSC_0015.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I took an order for a cake today to celebrate a couples fifty year wedding anniversary. Fifty years. I sat down with this couple, tasted three different kinds of cake, talked them through planning cake for a party to celebrate such an accomplishment. Secretly I wanted to buy the cake for them, making it as special as possible, thanking them for being minority. For being strong in a society that is lazy and weak. There aren't many people out there who can make it, it is hard.<br />
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The week before we made a cake for a seventieth wedding celebration. Seventy years. Hallelujah. <br />
<br />
Decade after decade, that takes determination. Faith, patience and teamwork. It is not easy to be a good person, a loyal partner, a friend to someone day after day but when a bond is formed that is based on trust there is not much that can get in the way.<br />
<br />
I am not perfect, not even close, I am bitch, moody and get heinous PMS that wrecks havoc upon our house every couple of weeks. Most of the time there are more good days than bad and I love my husband. He loves me, he always tries. He is my rock. John and I have fun activities that we enjoying doing together. We could have more things in common, I could have a better sense of humor but I am who I am, he is himself and we grow closer as the years add up. Our future is bright.<br />
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What advice do you have for maintaining a healthy relationship? How do you do it?<br />
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<i>This article was originally published on <a href="http://lydianetzer.blogspot.com/2012/04/15-ways-to-stay-married-for-15-years.html" target="_hplink">Lydia Netzer's blog</a>, "Shine Shine Shine," on April 19, 2012</i>. I agree with most of what she has to say about marriage. What do you think?<br />
<br />
<b>1. Go to bed mad.</b><br />
<br />
The old maxim that you shouldn’t go to bed mad is stupid. Sometimes you
need to just go to freakin’ bed. “Let not the sun go down upon your
wrath” is prefaced in the Bible by the phrase “Be angry and sin not.”
So, who’s to say it doesn’t mean “Stay angry, bitches. Don’t let the sun
go down on that awesome fierce wrath of yours.” Seriously. Whoever
interpreted this to mean that you should stay up after midnight,
tear-stained and petulant, trying to iron out some kind of overtired and
breathy accord -- was stupid. Shut up, go to bed, let your husband get
some sleep. In the morning, eat some pancakes. Everything will seem
better, I swear.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Laugh if you can.</b><br />
<br />
In any fight, there is one person who is really mad, and one person who
isn’t that mad. That person should deflect the fight. Make a joke, do
something stupid or corny, make the other person laugh. If the fight is
very serious for you and you feel like you really want to plant your
flag and die on this hill, fine. Do it. But if you’re fighting for
entertainment, or because you’re just reacting, then you be the one to
deflect. Fights are bad. Deflecting a fight whenever possible is a good
idea. When you’re the one who’s being pissy and raw, and the other
person helps you get out of it and brings about peace, that feels
fantastic. This was a hard lesson to learn, for me. Letting Dan deflect a
fight is the best thing, now. He does it really well.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Don’t criticize. Ever.</b><br />
<br />
Here is a fact: Whatever critical thing that you are about to say to
your wife is already being loudly articulated in her head. And if it’s
true, she already feels like crap about it. Assuming you married someone
intelligent enough to like you and sane enough to let you put a ring on
it, trust that they are self-aware enough to know when they screwed up.
It may feel good to you in that moment to say the critical thing, let
it go ringing through the air in all its sonorous correctness, but it
will feel awful to hear it. The only, only way it’s beneficial to give
your wife criticism of any kind is if you’re absolutely positive she is
completely unaware. And you better find the nicest, kindest way possible
to tell her. And even then, good luck convincing her. Their recognition
of the thing you are helpfully trying to point out will be INHIBITED,
not facilitated, by your criticism. And then you’re the asshole. So be
careful.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Be the mirror.</b><br />
<br />
Your husband is the mirror in which you see yourself. And the things you
say to him give him an image of himself too, which he will believe. You
want him to believe it, so make it good. Be a mirror that reflects
something positive: you’re smart, you’re successful, you’re fantastic in
the sack, you’re a great provider, you’re the best. Can you MAKE him
any of these things just by telling him he is? I don’t know, but
consider this: the alternative really sucks. The things my husband says
to me are 1000 times more convincing than anyone else’s opinion on
earth. Don’t think he won’t believe you because you’re married and
you’re contractually obligated to say nice things. He’ll believe the
shitty, insulting things you say, and the gloriously positive things.
Listen to Nico, girls:<b><br /></b><br />
<b>5. Be proud and brag.</b><br />
<br />
Let your spouse hear you talking about them in glowing terms to other
people. Be foolish. Be obvious. It will mean everything. You will stay
married forever.<br />
<br />
<b>6. Do your own thing.</b><br />
<br />
Dan races bicycles. I write books. I don’t race bicycles or have any
desire to race bicycles. He doesn’t write books, nor does he even read
the books that I write. Seriously. And I don’t care. My opinion is that
he’s the fastest, coolest most awesome bike racer ever. His opinion is
that I’m the bestest, coolest writer ever. We don’t have to know all
about cycling or writing in order to form these opinions -- in fact
knowledge of literature or actually reading my book might damage Dan’s
opinion of me as “best writer since the dawn of time.” We can still
support each other without being all up in the other person’s stuff.
Doing your own thing, having your own friends, being completely insanely
passionate about something that the other person has no idea, really,
about, is awesome. It allows your spouse to be your cheerleader,
uncomplicated by knowledge or personal investment. And it means you’ll
always have stuff to talk about, because you’re not overlapping all the
time. You don’t have to read the same books either. You don’t have to
have the same friends.<br />
<br />
<b>7. Have kids.</b><br />
<br />
Kids stop you from being as crazy as you want to be. Because when you have kids, you can’t be that crazy.
<br />
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<br />
<b>8. Get really good at sex.</b><br />
<br />
You’ve got all the time in the world to get really really good, not just
at sex in general, but at having sex with your one particular husband.
You should make it your life’s mission to become the perfect sex machine
exactly for him. And he for you. There is no reason to hold back, or be
embarrassed, or not ask questions, and get everything working properly.
There’s absolutely no excuse for letting years drag on without becoming
fully skilled, gifted sex partners for each other. It makes everything
so much better. Does talking about this make you uncomfortable? How
uncomfortable would it make you to know that your spouse is secretly,
silently “just okay” with your sexual performance? Yeah. You want to
last fifteen years, remember? That’s a long time to be mildly happy.<br />
<br />
<b>9. Move.</b><br />
<br />
Live in different houses. In different parts of the country. Travel.
Make it so that you can look back and divide up your life into the years
you spent in different cities, or different houses. If you’re feeling
stuck geographically or physically, you can confuse yourself into
thinking you’re stuck romantically. See your husband in different
places, in different contexts, in different countries even. Try it. Take
him to a mountaintop and give him another look. Pretty sexy. Take him
to a new city and check out his profile. Along the same lines, don’t be
afraid to change personally, or let your wife change as a person. Don’t
worry about “growing apart.” Be brave and evolve. Become completely
different. Don’t gather moss. Stagnation is unattractive.<br />
<br />
<b>10. Stop thinking temporarily.</b><br />
<br />
Marriage is not conditional. It is permanent. Your husband will be with
you until you die. That is a given. It sounds obvious, but really making
it a given is hard. You tend to think in “ifs” and “thens” even when
you’ve publicly committed to forever. If he does this, I won’t tolerate
it. If I do this, he’ll leave me. If I get fat. If I change jobs. If he
says mean things. If he doesn’t pay more attention. It’s natural,
especially in the beginning of your marriage, to keep those doubts in
your head. But the sooner you can get go of the idea that marriage is
temporary, and will end if certain awful conditions are met, the sooner
you will let go of all kinds of conflict and stress. Yes, you may find
yourself in a horrible situation where it’s absolutely necessary to get a
divorce. But going into it with divorce in the back of your mind, even
in the way way way back of your mind, is going to cause a lot of
unnecessary angst. Accept that you’re going to stay with him. He’s going
to stay with you. Inhabit that and figure out how to make THAT work,
instead of living with the “what if”s and “in case of”s.<br />
<br />
<b>11. Do not put yourself in trouble’s way.</b><br />
<br />
Leave your ex boyfriends and girlfriends alone. I’m sure you’re very
trustworthy. Aren’t we all? The thing is, there’s absolutely no reason
to test it. Your husband and your marriage are more valuable than any
friendship. Any friendship that troubles the marriage should be over
immediately. Protect it with knives and teeth, not because it’s fragile
but because it’s precious. Don’t ass around with a “hall pass” or a
“harmless flirtation.” Adultery isn’t an event, it’s a process with an
event at the end. Don’t put your feet on a path that could lead
someplace bad.<br />
<br />
<b>12. Make a husband pact with your friends.</b><br />
<br />
The husband pact says this: <i>I promise to listen to you complain about
your husband even in the most dire terms, without it affecting my good
opinion of him. I will agree with your harshest criticism, accept your
gloomiest predictions. I will nod and furrow my brow and sigh when you
describe him as a hideous ogre. Then when your fight is over and love
shines again like a beautiful sunbeam in your life, I promise to forget
everything you said and regard him as the most charming of princes once
more. </i>The husband pact is very useful because you want to be able to
vent to your friend without having her actually start hating your
husband. Because you don’t really mean all those things you say. And
she, the swearer of the pact, knows this.<br />
<br />
<b>13. Bitch to his mother, not yours.</b><br />
<br />
This is one I did read somewhere in a magazine, and it’s totally true.
His mother will forgive him. Yours never will. If you’re a man, bitch to
your friends. They expect it.<br />
<br />
<b>14. Be loyal.</b><br />
<br />
All the crap you read in magazines about honesty, sense of humor,
communication, sensitivity, date nights, couples weekends, blah blah
blah can be trumped by one word: loyalty. You and your spouse are a team
of two. It is you against the world. No one else is allowed on the
team, and no one else will ever understand the team’s rules. This is
okay. The team is not adversarial, the team does not tear its members
down, the team does not sabotage the team’s success. Teammates work
constantly to help and better their teammates. Loyalty means you put the
other person in your marriage first all the time, and you let them put
you first. Loyalty means subverting your whims or desires of the moment
to better meet your spouse’s whims or desires, with the full
understanding and expectation that they will be doing the same. This is
the heart of everything, and it is a tricky balance. Sometimes it sways
one way and some the other. Sometimes he gets to be crazy, sometimes
it’s your turn. Sometimes she’s in the spotlight, sometimes you. Ups and
downs, ultimately, don’t matter because the team endures.<br />
<br />
<b>15. Trust the person you married.</b><br />
<br />
For two people who are trying to help each other, it can almost be
harder to let the other person help you than it is to be the one who’s
helping. It can be harder to let the other person deflect the fight than
to be the one deflecting. It can be harder to believe that your husband
is fully committed to a lifetime of marriage than to commit yourself.
Harder to change yourself than to let the other person change. Harder to
be loved than to love. Weird, but true. I’m saying this to everyone
who’s newly married, and to myself: trust that person. Love them
completely and let them love you. If it all goes to seed, it’s going to
hurt either way. Better to have gone into it full throttle. Full
throttle marriage is a thrilling ride.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-84827681407753155842012-08-08T20:12:00.001-07:002012-08-08T20:12:18.516-07:00Rolling through<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitU5M2TCKlzds6VN_0hR3v4R5-p8pn_2MklwTWFVUYV8sM2Yp1WVMWIjBYGkbedQxNoMTL5ikS9ZbCtqod8ZO1yevKksZaYSN3WyHgnhKEy4ENO0jidpi5kIL1WPKsi6mKw9sXh0XiFGSH/s1600/DSC_0047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitU5M2TCKlzds6VN_0hR3v4R5-p8pn_2MklwTWFVUYV8sM2Yp1WVMWIjBYGkbedQxNoMTL5ikS9ZbCtqod8ZO1yevKksZaYSN3WyHgnhKEy4ENO0jidpi5kIL1WPKsi6mKw9sXh0XiFGSH/s640/DSC_0047.JPG" width="640" /></a>Just an update from the home front. The summer hours, as precious as every single one is here, are numbered and squeaking by. </div>
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Never winter. Please. Thank you. Endless summer.<br />
<br />
Nearly midnight tonight and the cake in the oven has nearly 45 more minutes to bake. At least it is almond cake and smells of heaven. I learned early on and fight the urge to pull the cake too soon. Sleep will come, under baked cake has no mend.<br />
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The kitchen is a tornado of dishes. Dinner party dishes. There are three people I know that will do dishes after dinner, I am not one of them and they obviously didn't have dinner here. They are welcome anytime. So are you. I prefer it here at home these days, it is a good place.<br />
<br />
I have more cake orders than I have time for and have to tell people no, not a strong suit of mine. Midnight the day before a cake needs to be done is not the style I like to adhere to. So it goes. It is summer and hours are not to be taken foregranted.<br />
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I have new friends to make, trails to ride, flowers to tend and sun to soak up. <br />
<br />
John bought me a new mountain bike a few weeks ago and I can't seem to get enough of it or enough time to try. I am trying to make <i>me</i> a priority these days but I am incredibly enamored by so many things it is hard to get a single thing done.<br />
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Summer hours are long but never long enough to make up for the nine months of hibernation that occurs every year.<br />
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Which brings me to... <br />
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If John was any less of the super man that he is, he wouldn't be walking right now. <strike>Two</strike> three weeks ago we were in Squamish, British Columbia with some of our best friends, riding bikes, camping, swimming, drinking beer, watching BMX races, and just being friends. It was a great weekend and was shaping up to be an epic summer. John had an accident on his bike the afternoon we were leaving. He went head first into <strike>the bushes</strike> a stump, his head and neck soaked up what impact the helmet didn't absorb. He broke a vertebra in his neck, concussion, broken ribs, mangled left hand. Prognosis, six week choker hold. He is one blessed soul that walked away from an accident that he didn't necessarily need to, he is sporting a neck collar, immobilizing his neck for six weeks.<br />
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He is a tough cracker and keeps his head up like a true sportsman, rolling with the punches. Punches they are, hurt they do. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-12265588004648394502012-06-25T14:01:00.001-07:002012-06-25T14:01:37.206-07:00Pokemon Cakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6uY3FSJYz4WKRMja_qhXEICzlCH-y8yrJtxZk2XCdDF5PEFYzr9Wt78QEPV5qIj0GHAx-QDCyjmqZCin24vcT4N_UUvdmCqkle0BoiA72fsYOO-UUGavRSfK5jLshV4vUUgI1xGqsjBl/s1600/DSC_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6uY3FSJYz4WKRMja_qhXEICzlCH-y8yrJtxZk2XCdDF5PEFYzr9Wt78QEPV5qIj0GHAx-QDCyjmqZCin24vcT4N_UUvdmCqkle0BoiA72fsYOO-UUGavRSfK5jLshV4vUUgI1xGqsjBl/s640/DSC_0014.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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A former co worker who I consider to be a timeless friend has twin boys who celebrated their birthdays this weekend. All of seven years under these boys' belts. I first met the boys years ago when they were shy and clung to mom's ankles, now these boys are as confident and friendly as their mom, eager to tell stories and expend limitless energy. It has been a pleasure to see these kids develop and grow through the years. <br />
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She asked me to do the boys' birthday cakes and of course I eagerly said that I would love two. They wanted Pokemon themed cakes and both drew me detailed pictures and descriptions of what they wanted. One wanted a round cake and the other wanted a square cake, they may be twins but they are very independent. It was my first time making and using modeling chocolate, I love the idea of using it rather than fondant for taste reasons and once I dial down the proper technique for making modeling chocolate I know that it cuts much nicer lines than fondant it capable of producing. I made a Swiss buttercream, which I can not get over how much I enjoy the texture and the taste is a bit lighter than a powdered sugar based icing. Note that weird things happen to Swiss buttercream when you try and use gel coloring to tint it after the butter has been incorporated. I am going to try and avoid tinting this frosting again until I figure out why this happens. Learning. Technocolor.<br />
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What really made my day was reading this email this morning...<i><br /></i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<i>"The cakes were a huge hit! We just enjoyed them again this evening.
Absolutely stunning, delicious, and beautiful - the kids could not keep
their eyes off them...loads of comments and 'wows'! And this is the
first kid party I've been to that had totally empty plates after eating
cake! Thank you so much for making them. As Tom said to the boys when we
were looking at them at home before the party - "This is probably the
nicest birthday cake you'll ever have in your life!" And Bryce
responded, "Yeah, I guess you couldn't have had anything like this
before or when you were a kid because there was no Michelle around
then!". One of a kind.</i>"<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-78768216148752611032012-06-24T11:04:00.005-07:002012-06-24T11:04:48.470-07:00Revisiting Roasted Rhubarb and Strawberries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZiVKkVOaQfeHLSq1Dt6quANMNBSjb_Y_N5vqrX48u1ipFT9jSqA8M9HtGmTRcKL_ZagsvgTPUsGP3wWWzc4vSXh5ldOrI8ya9Bcu5igzm_5h12QIGXxpl4tERULXfxvqrf0wgmGGyWLd/s1600/DSC_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZiVKkVOaQfeHLSq1Dt6quANMNBSjb_Y_N5vqrX48u1ipFT9jSqA8M9HtGmTRcKL_ZagsvgTPUsGP3wWWzc4vSXh5ldOrI8ya9Bcu5igzm_5h12QIGXxpl4tERULXfxvqrf0wgmGGyWLd/s640/DSC_0012.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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Last year, I toted home grocery bags of rhubarb from my Dad's garden. Pounds and pounds. This year I harvested stalks in late Spring from my own little patch. Last year I decided to roast some rhubarb with strawberries in a unique little sauce, it was a hit. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReRpEJrxKvmF8yFTNdzhjVgGYhyphenhypheneOH6Ur5FNbYuaLWJz1kKhRMepsM_Oot9DwwZbbu5O43CZJ8IXuKPh1pz4oBGyw4A6ucpHpu6oxDQhAbsZVMoJPtmZv6Dc-pnbypLGngXHmSIUFqRC3/s1600/DSC_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReRpEJrxKvmF8yFTNdzhjVgGYhyphenhypheneOH6Ur5FNbYuaLWJz1kKhRMepsM_Oot9DwwZbbu5O43CZJ8IXuKPh1pz4oBGyw4A6ucpHpu6oxDQhAbsZVMoJPtmZv6Dc-pnbypLGngXHmSIUFqRC3/s640/DSC_0002.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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Over at my favorite community cooking site, Food52, the recipe was unearthed from the abyss of archives, <a href="http://www.food52.com/recipes/12406_roasted_rhubarb_and_strawberries" target="_blank">tested and won a wildcard contest. </a>Humbled. Published!<br />
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Visit <a href="http://ladystiles.blogspot.com/2011/06/roasted-rhubarb-and-strawberries.html" target="_blank">the original pos</a>t or see what <a href="http://www.food52.com/recipes/12406_roasted_rhubarb_and_strawberries" target="_blank">Food52 thinks of the recipe.</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-8327830591653131402012-06-20T16:24:00.003-07:002012-06-20T16:24:50.285-07:00PIE DAY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiH2hxp2Gax36CE9tNvaqFzeO1Coz3HoAaBSXC67ncApJDWQGrRciOWanCs65DC57_7_sGw_Px6LGhbcXxLW_MYEzAyBMhs8OE3lL6QYOBY8o2V0u3ZHJ0AQfT7ne3-6SMJ5CK1WKlnll/s1600/DSC_0092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiH2hxp2Gax36CE9tNvaqFzeO1Coz3HoAaBSXC67ncApJDWQGrRciOWanCs65DC57_7_sGw_Px6LGhbcXxLW_MYEzAyBMhs8OE3lL6QYOBY8o2V0u3ZHJ0AQfT7ne3-6SMJ5CK1WKlnll/s640/DSC_0092.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300
games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and
missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is
why I succeed."<br /> – Michael Jordan</i></div>
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My house may smell sweetly of freshly baked cakes and pies but that as far as the sweetness goes sometimes. A few bad days of mine turned into weeks and now months have passed. I just scrapped cake batter off the oven floor and my head pounds from sugar. It happens. I am not sure where my mood started to go haywire or when it will end but that is the truth and the truth hurts. Deep daggers.<br />
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When life isn't as easy as we imagine, it is easy to let the burdens pile up. The negativity feeds upon its self, creating a need for more and more. A simple task can be tedious and bothersome without a positive attitude. My new job has been a healthy step in challenging my inner creativity, resolve and accountability. I enjoy most aspects of the bakery and the idea that I am helping preserve a craft. Like with anything I question what I am doing, thoughts career paths, monetary burdens and perception cloud the fact that I enjoy what I am doing. At the end of the day, I am the one that has to fall asleep with the choices I have made. It is my battle.<br />
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"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." Winston Churchill<br />
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But is piles up. It is just not as easy as it seems it should be. Insecurity. It just piles up. This notion of doubt is poisonous. I doubt one thing and then I start to question my ability to love and be loved, to maintain loyal friendships and my ability in general. This has to stop.<br />
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Letting go, freeing my mind of the heavy clouds that linger in the dark corners is the light at the end of the tunnel. I am striving to do good work, in my career, in my marriage, in my friendships. I want to hold up my end, as hard as it is sometimes and however bad at it I sometimes am guilty of. <br />
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In the mean time, I will be busy baking cakes, making pies and carrying on doing the things I enjoy and finding satisfaction in the things that I must do. These are a few photos of some pies I made for a friend, eight total, something I am very proud of executing with confidence.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-75299280993941190132012-06-19T13:17:00.000-07:002012-06-19T13:17:36.139-07:00Hello Kitty Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My aunt, my dad's sister, spoiled me as a little girl, I was even the flower girl in her wedding. I am the oldest grand child on my dad's side of the family, my aunt had kids (twins) when I was nine or so, I remember that blondie twosome fondly. Before she had kids she would have me sleep over when her husband was gone. We would watch movies, eat dessert and just hang out. I thought she was pretty cool. When she had kids I spent even more time with them, I was the perfect age to keep the kids occupied while my aunt did what she needed to do and my mom worked. Family, it is nice to have around. <br />
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My aunt knew how to decorate cakes, I think she even did her own wedding cake, maybe even my parents. She made me a birthday cake, I am sure I can dig up a photo, one of those infamous 1980's <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AVMDGW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thbeofli0b-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001AVMDGW%22%3E%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thbeofli0b-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001AVMDGW%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">dolls cakes</a>. A doll cake complete with Barbie from the torso up coming out of a cake that resembles her dress. I still remember the cake. Now that I think of it, I remember a few more cakes of hers. She was good to me.<br />
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A friend ordered this cake from me for a seven year old's birthday party. I was so excited to make this cake knowing that it is going to be part of a very special day for a very special little girl, a day that she might remember when she is nearly 30. She might remember one very pink Hello Kitty cake that someone who adored her picked out just for her. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-61887099106732139862012-06-18T13:44:00.001-07:002012-06-18T13:44:21.690-07:00Graduation CakeI made it through the first few weeks at the bakery without too many mistakes and humbled by the learning curve. For the first two weeks I came home barely able to keep my eyes open and my legs under me. I was exhausted to say the least. Mistakes and blunders scattered the week as did a burnt cake reminding me to always remember to set the timers. The first cake I had to decorate was for the owner's daughter. No pressure ;) I was only able to work with butter cream and a piping bag. As with most of the cakes that I have shown you here on the site, I lean to using fondant, modeling chocolate and gum paste for most of my projects. My strong suit is not buttercream.... yet.<br />
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I dig the location, there is a great view of the San Juan Islands with day light flooding the open work area. The bakery is a recycled pizza shop and nestled in the tourist town of Fairhaven. The standards are high, the owner has created a lasting business in a rough small town economy and the community has come to expect greatness from the scratch bakery.<br />
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In the free time that I once had an excess of a few weeks ago I have been busy making cakes for some friends and family. Here is a graduation cake that I made from scratch last weekend.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-25763207097015652692012-06-04T20:25:00.000-07:002012-06-04T20:25:26.809-07:00More cookies in the future<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmPz__MNruZgEgWGGvSl-O7UFLpFg7emkacYJKD8AmLai3gYoDjnCgB9oe3na-cVOXeN23bOpDSHEDVIDQxbi2dMYvp6ko1ntnhhbiuMfOAoReJDo8p0L6A86YwaeqqloHkn2zvNLz_pZ/s1600/DSC_0033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmPz__MNruZgEgWGGvSl-O7UFLpFg7emkacYJKD8AmLai3gYoDjnCgB9oe3na-cVOXeN23bOpDSHEDVIDQxbi2dMYvp6ko1ntnhhbiuMfOAoReJDo8p0L6A86YwaeqqloHkn2zvNLz_pZ/s640/DSC_0033.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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I am on the eve of something new, something exciting, something challenging. I talked the talk, now I must walk the walk. I got the interview then the job. It is a challenge I know I will succeed, for life is all about setting ourselves up for success. Setting up for successes takes preparation, work and a good dose of faith then follow through. Follow through. For the love of all things beautiful, make a habit of following through. People notice. Follow through is sexier than a mini skirt or that half buttoned blouse, people notice if you are late and lazy disguised in tight clothing. I digress. Back to the job that I just might have.<br />
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A wise friend turned <i>my</i> husband once told me never to settle. I strive never to settle, I can always push harder, further and higher. I have been hunting hunting and hunting for a job for months upon months with rarely a spark to follow. Recently, what seemed to be the golden ticket, the saving grace fell into my lap and just as fast past through my grip. Disappointment. I reeled, waxed, waned and like a good girl shed my fair share of tears. I wondered and questioned. Within the same week of hearing the humbling, I am offering my condolences speech and the glaring fact that there are always more qualified, I was offered an interview in very different career path. A job in which my heart lies firmly in the path. I smiled with confidence as I entered the restaurant, as I gazed at the walls and peered at the employees. I can do this, I will do this, I want to do this. As of now, <a href="http://www.mountbakery.com/" target="_blank">this is it</a>.<br />
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As I take a dream, passion, energy and turn it into reality, I know that I am headed in the right direction. This direction may not be the paycheck of my dreams or provide income to support a family but there are other benefits (no not the health ones) and they just might be of an equal importance. I am ever grateful for my supportive husband and the encouragement that he offers me almost every step of the way.<br />
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Here is to following a passion, new challenges, new people, lots more sugar and flour and a new beginning. And cookies, always more cookies.<br />
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<div class="prep-instructions">
<span style="font-size: large;">Orange Ricotta Cookies</span><br /><span itemprop="instructions"></span></div>
<div class="ingredients">
Adapted from <a href="http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2012/04/meyer-lemon-ricotta-cookies/" target="_blank">Tasty Kitchen</a>
</div>
<div class="ingredients">
<br /><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">2-½ cups</span> <span itemprop="name">ap flour</span></span><br /><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">1 teaspoon</span> <span itemprop="name">baking powder</span></span><br /><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">1 teaspoon</span> <span itemprop="name">salt</span></span><br /><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">1</span><span itemprop="name">/2 cup butter, softened</span></span><br /><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">2 cups</span> <span itemprop="name">granulated sugar</span></span><br /><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">2</span> <span itemprop="name">eggs</span></span><br /><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">15 ounces</span><span itemprop="name"> whole milk ricotta cheese</span></span><br /><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">3 tablespoons orange Juice</span><span itemprop="name"></span></span><br /><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">Large orange, zested</span></span></div>
<div class="ingredients">
<span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount"> </span><span itemprop="name"></span></span><div class="prep-instructions">
<span itemprop="instructions">Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.<br />
<br />
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.<br />
In a large mixer bowl, combine the butter and the sugar, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3
minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until each one is incorporated. Add the
ricotta cheese, juice, and zest. Beat to combine. Stir in
the dry ingredients. Do not over mix.<br />
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2
tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15
minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Once pulled from the oven, let the cool for a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack.<br />
These are best the day they are made.</span></div>
<span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="name"></span></span><br /> </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-23159447357495494382012-05-23T07:35:00.001-07:002012-05-23T07:35:20.078-07:00A special day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy birthday John!<br />
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Wishing you only the best on your birthday and each day that passes.<br />
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May you always have a joyful song near your heart and an adventure up your sleeve.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>your birthday comes to tell me this</i></div>
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<i>
--each luckiest of lucky days</i></div>
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<i>
i've loved, shall love, do love you, was</i></div>
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<i>
and will be and my birthday is</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>
e.e. cummings</i></div>
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<i> </i></div>
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<i> </i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-86673380507341777252012-04-30T08:29:00.001-07:002012-04-30T08:29:21.317-07:00Bright Flowered Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBJKS9oBdP68aR94wqeA8N3Jh3KrMsb88hsXMLjSQV0asTOx3TRZIztCzjQDSOOD7VEUT1hv5Cw2gQBV5PbizX6SFmUogAvd0I2I1zDZJPzeqj1_hDV-Fs4E1rwtmA-4CzYsKnaFjpJBf/s1600/DSC_0036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBJKS9oBdP68aR94wqeA8N3Jh3KrMsb88hsXMLjSQV0asTOx3TRZIztCzjQDSOOD7VEUT1hv5Cw2gQBV5PbizX6SFmUogAvd0I2I1zDZJPzeqj1_hDV-Fs4E1rwtmA-4CzYsKnaFjpJBf/s640/DSC_0036.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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I told a friend that I started to dabble in cake decoration, by that afternoon she had called me and asked if I would make a cake for class that she thought. She dubbed it "cake day" for her class.<br />
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The theme and flavor was completely my decision. I chose a Neapolitan cake, a layer of chocolate, strawberry and white with a butter cream icing. The small cake was just two layers of chocolate.<br />
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I made the flowers out of fondant and will never do that again, they were incredibly fragile and I was not able to get them as thin and smooth as I like to see. I am learning, each cake is better than the one previously. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-18052979594553007782012-04-27T13:08:00.002-07:002012-04-27T13:08:48.491-07:00Red Velvet Birthday Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had a cakery orders this week, including three dozen red velvet cup cakes. The cake recipe was from the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/081186944X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thbeofli0b-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=081186944X%22%3EFlour:%20Spectacular%20Recipes%20from%20Boston%27s%20Flour%20Bakery%20+%20Cafe%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thbeofli0b-20&l=as2&o=1&a=081186944X%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Flour</a> cookbook and was a winner sporting a hefty slug of buttermilk. The butter cream is my new go to recipe for all my cakes. It is a keeper as well.<br />
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<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">I am just smitten that I have filled each order using home made fondant. Believe it or not the stuff is rather tasty compared to the gross store bought variety. I feel good about the product that goes out the door.</span></div>
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<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">I always use organic cane
sugar and organic eggs for the cake and they are ALWAYS from scratch.
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Have a great weekend and if you ever need cake you know where to find me, the caker.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-23775943178119597322012-04-23T07:02:00.002-07:002012-04-23T07:02:19.801-07:00All in a day's timeHow does an average day for me look like? I know you are wondering...... OR you are as equally nosy as I and get a kick out of how other worlds rotate day to day.<br />
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Here is me, a Tuesday. A particular fantastic Tuesday.<br />
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No big deal.<br />
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First sight as I walk out the door, just shy of 6am. Tulips. I am glad I took the time last fall to plant hundreds of tulips and daffodils. The first step out the door I am charmed by sweet blooms of color and Spring comes into bloom.<br />
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The sun rise has a particular flare to it this morning. Being up to experience the sun rise always has a breath taking feel. I am a morning person when I mind my P's and Q's the night before. <br />
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Our sweet little town early in the morning. </div>
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Tuesdays and Thursdays I get up at the crack of dawn and climb at our
local climbing wall. I meet three of my very good friends, we climb, laugh at each other, watch and encourage as each one progresses and fantasizes about the looming summer climbing adventures together. </div>
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I love this climbing wall, I have spent countless hours here and made life long friends while playing on the plastic. <br />
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I try and run a few times a week. This morning I was feeling particularly spunky and got a few miles in and had the company of a good friend to make the time fly.<br />
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I usually have breakfast and coffee while thumbing through cook books or scouring Pinterest for cake inspiration. <br />
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These eyes get me every time. Every time. <br />
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I have plans this day to meet a friend at my Dad's house on the shores of Birch Bay to dig clams. We miss the low tide. You can't win them all. <br />
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I find ways to entertain myself, like make feet with rocks. </div>
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Natasha looks perfectly content walking the beach with me. Really she is desperately looking for the foulest dead sea creature to roll and mask her freshly shampooed scent.</div>
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My Dad took us for a hike in the woods across the street from his house and we looked for mushrooms together. The forest is beautiful this time of year, lush green. He knows a lot about the forest and we soak up the wealth of knowledge.</div>
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Morels grow is forested areas, usually under cotton wood trees. They are masters of disguise and like to hide in plain sight. We had fun tromping through the woods and beamed with excitement as we scurried to the mushroom that we spotted in the distance.</div>
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Morels and fiddle heads. We are successful scavengers. <br />
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My friend just got the sweetest puppy, Zealand. Of course he went on the adventure. He fell asleep in my arms on the walk home, big day for the little guy.</div>
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Puppy's first experience with water. This dog is going to do it all before he is ten weeks old. </div>
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My dad has the most incredible greenhouse anyone could dream of, overflowing with flowers and vegetables. Beautiful. We planted a few hanging baskets together.<br />
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A full day, leaving me hungry and little time to get something ready for dinner before the other half got home from work. We venture down town to one of our favorite inexpensive burrito joints, <a href="http://www.casaquepasarocks.com/" target="_blank">Casa Que Pasa. </a><br />
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Since we were close to <a href="http://mallardicecream.com/" target="_blank">Mallards</a> and the fact that we consumed uncomfortably healthy dinners at a dive bar, we had ice cream to round out the days events. I love Mallards Ice Cream, I love the hot fudge sauce even more, I threaten to order a bowl of chocolate sauce and sit down with a spoon. If you come to Bellingham, you must go to Mallards.<br />
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I came home to my first bin of produce from <a href="http://www.dandelionorganic.com/" target="_blank">Dandelion Organic</a>. Fresh produce on my door step once a week. I am gladly about to up our fruit and vegetable intake by ten fold.<br />
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There it is, a day in the life. I have a wonderful life and feel blessed to have the opportunities that I do and create. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-57940338119127731182012-04-16T20:46:00.001-07:002012-04-16T20:46:59.312-07:00Lemon Loaf Cake for Tuesdays with Dorie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am not one to stir the spiritual pot with (almost) anyone except my husband. Him and I agree on the level, conversations of this sort are challenging and exploitative, healthy and enlightening. I was raised Baptist by my Grandma, I was educated and exposed extremely liberal at Fairhaven College, I married a Texan with a very religious background. All pieces of a greater puzzle. My Sundays are spent in the woods riding bikes or connecting with nature in some fashion, needless to say I am usually trying to having a good time.<br />
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I take it all in, every ounce, every drip of knowledge. I have my believes, they make me want to be a better woman, I have goals, I have believes, I have no ties.<br />
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I believe that a little sweat and hard work puts everything into perspective. This I do believe to be true. <br />
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As I said, miscarrying challenged my believes. I stood at a crossroads, questioning what I thought to be the truth, I was and continue to be flexible to my feelings and open to myself and the direction I needed to go, were we need to travel together as a couple. Miscarrying questioned my spirituality more than anything I have experienced to date. I cursed everything, wanting a baby, even just the bump signifying a little one in our presence. Not this time. <br />
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All this being said, I know one thing, this was a little baby, created by two loving people hoping to spread more love and joy in the world. People try and console me(us) by reminding me that it was only ten weeks along. Ten weeks is enough to process this life changing event, adjust the forecast and plan for something far greater than us, the parents. It was enough time to consider myself a mother, him a father, to tell friends and to get family in on the excitement. We were parents for a blink of the eye.<br />
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Losing this baby changed me. Changed me for the better, helped me grow but in the end I am not the woman I was five months ago or a year ago. I am softer, more loving, sensitive with a big heart. It hurts, it will always hurt, but there is a piece of my soul that will shine, knowing that someday, somehow I will meet our first child.<br />
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In many ways, this is the story about hope, the bolstering effect of positive thinking, and the small measures we take in good faith and the means in which we find to cope.<br />
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I am reminded that we all acquire our handicaps. Everyone has their reasons they believe what they do. Circumstances lead us here, where we are, where we need to be.<br />
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I challenge you to accept your circumstances. To understand your handicaps and know what they are, move with them without letting them hold you back. Bring your history with you in your back pocket, not a weight on your shoulder. I am different, yes, physically, mentally spiritually but in the end it is just the handicap that I play in life. No big deal, I just play right on through, baggage in tote. <br />
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With all this being said, I bring you lemon loaf cake. A slight comfort food. A pound cake of sorts, a beast all of its own. I love the bite of lemon, the soft chew of a pound cake. I love the recipe for a very simple reason, <i>I mixed it with a whisk from start to finish,</i> no harsh mixer, no loud noises. A task I can do while my husband sleeps in the room next to the kitchen. A recipe I can make when someday our child sleeps soundly as I make us a casual treat. <i>A whisk.</i><br />
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I made this for the the lovley group <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/lyl-lemon-loaf-cake/" target="_blank">Tuesdays with Dorie</a>. Please visit the other host for the week, Truc of <a href="http://www.treats-sf.com/">Treats. </a><br />
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LEMON LOAF CAKE<br />
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From <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_861933326">Baking with Julia </a><br />
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This recipe begs for poppyseeeds or maybe even a few pinches of
cardamom. Don't over think it because like most things in life, simple is
okay.<br />
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Serves 12-15<br />
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4 large eggs at room temperature<br />
1 1/3 cup sugar<br />
pinch of salt<br />
Zest of 3 large lemons<br />
1 3/4 cups cake flour<br />
1/2 t baking powder<br />
1/2 cup heavy cream at room temperature<br />
5 1/2 T unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature<br />
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Preheat the oven with a rack in the center to 350 degrees. Butter and flour or line with parchment a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. <br />
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Working in a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and salt for just a bit until foamy and smoothly blended; the mixture should not thicken. Whisk in the lemon zest.<br />
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Spoon the flour and baking powder into into a sifter and incorporate about a third of the dry ingredients over the foamy egg mixture. Whisk the flour into the eggs, mixing lightly. Sift the flour into the eggs in two more additions and mix only until everything is Incorporated. Whisk the heavy cream into the mixture. Switch to your favorite rubber spatula and quickly fold in the melted butter.<br />
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Pour and scrape the the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until until the center of the cake crowns and a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Place the cake on a cooling rack and rest for 10 minutes before unmolding. Cool to room temperature and slice.<br />
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Once cooled the cake can be stored wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to days or stored in the freezer for up to a month.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-77521663413662918752012-04-16T09:39:00.000-07:002012-04-16T09:39:28.911-07:00Flower Blossom Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96-ijIsT2NIC31wlmb9a9RWhpO7y_-acEAvJ5RJDnLFztr2DLcKvm2PWf9UtI6jl4ylLp38AaoskIlZoC02ie5WCRXfKFyDCrZu7qpNB9MwALK96xsuVs49tACSQpWr2g_eblOpsxY9Vi/s1600/DSC_0090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96-ijIsT2NIC31wlmb9a9RWhpO7y_-acEAvJ5RJDnLFztr2DLcKvm2PWf9UtI6jl4ylLp38AaoskIlZoC02ie5WCRXfKFyDCrZu7qpNB9MwALK96xsuVs49tACSQpWr2g_eblOpsxY9Vi/s640/DSC_0090.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I just got off the phone, I took another order for a cake. Beyond thrilled would describe me and making cakes. Baking and decorating cakes is fun, creative and my cakes are full of good things like organic eggs, organic cane sugar and organic flour. The task satisfies everything I need in a job. Pretty close to pure awesomeness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SRU7G0h3rsICHizASn_nCqjM897qzzklf2MJoXktK_VuzAYjW0LJJMN14rVKOk4dtGCktvysdI5u_DfEvPu2pvppZjEj6SP3QRkB2iVBm_c5don_As9KuFr5g-SLwbu5BpGjsj_2O1xM/s1600/DSC_0087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SRU7G0h3rsICHizASn_nCqjM897qzzklf2MJoXktK_VuzAYjW0LJJMN14rVKOk4dtGCktvysdI5u_DfEvPu2pvppZjEj6SP3QRkB2iVBm_c5don_As9KuFr5g-SLwbu5BpGjsj_2O1xM/s640/DSC_0087.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The cake was a tender white cake gemmed with lemon zest and soaked in a freshly squeezed sweet lemony syrup. The frosting was a white chocolate butter cream. There were three layers, each had a ribbon of strawberry and a generous amount of the butter cream. The best part of the cake is the fondant. That is rarely said about any cake but the fondant was made by me, it had perfect consistency, faintly sweet and smelled of almonds. Each cake I make now will have only home made fondant. Try and find that anywhere else.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhJkK6yqJV0I-_OiP2-FbG3uEjYVpp5nw94rPxPW7LJZYr-nN205zs7lRUhwSxrjQ54cdtiMVGEURpCBG2tnxS10LJZpEfSi11EkWmwpYXifS6qnX7FdmG-6qYblC4vJD7Oupa_JH8uXe/s1600/DSC_0085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhJkK6yqJV0I-_OiP2-FbG3uEjYVpp5nw94rPxPW7LJZYr-nN205zs7lRUhwSxrjQ54cdtiMVGEURpCBG2tnxS10LJZpEfSi11EkWmwpYXifS6qnX7FdmG-6qYblC4vJD7Oupa_JH8uXe/s640/DSC_0085.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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I made this cake for a birthday party. The flowers turned out wonderful, delicate and reminiscent of Spring apple blossoms. I was told that the cake was a huge hit and it tasted delicious. <br />
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There will be many more cakes in my future, maybe yours too if you live in the area.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6126072534148167677.post-18074010601258431552012-04-09T08:54:00.001-07:002012-04-09T08:54:46.958-07:00Rainbow Wizard of Oz Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKXyhY0ODuS0YcpOnIE1XmS1031mBCDeVV3FDb3LLb4HQkGXyXT_eBbH4IVB-5RZ-J14OylxxIzGf6eD2qKgszcJ02NgTP_Du0mF9LNt9vsNhWXdXEDZ_JVKq28-hSbIQ2I7R_jOrRoZA/s1600/IMG_20120406_120800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKXyhY0ODuS0YcpOnIE1XmS1031mBCDeVV3FDb3LLb4HQkGXyXT_eBbH4IVB-5RZ-J14OylxxIzGf6eD2qKgszcJ02NgTP_Du0mF9LNt9vsNhWXdXEDZ_JVKq28-hSbIQ2I7R_jOrRoZA/s400/IMG_20120406_120800.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Over the weekend someone sliced into this cake for their birthday. I believe it was a surprise, I believe they should keep the friends that ordered a cake for their birthday. </div>
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The cake was simple from the outside, covered with frosting not fondant, layered with color and white chocolate butter cream on the inside. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDd9SC4WULOvg6ZqwPJfXKMR8PgfJ36X3iE5Hx48wXJ0Cd0-9ENvHXbblEoi4VfYmSdzIOYViQT3MWcOWGVjCS3k82m4fI2AZESFP74XzvUz17iglufmllnAxl1HxiXnAehxaniig374e/s1600/DSC_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDd9SC4WULOvg6ZqwPJfXKMR8PgfJ36X3iE5Hx48wXJ0Cd0-9ENvHXbblEoi4VfYmSdzIOYViQT3MWcOWGVjCS3k82m4fI2AZESFP74XzvUz17iglufmllnAxl1HxiXnAehxaniig374e/s640/DSC_0013.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Even baking the cake was a colorful mess. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIkVUzjYSS-NDZ5znEcCBqkve39rpiZUVorFJgnCOAWGUT5E5k2-qUoWN95_iwIhJSWhyphenhyphenJQuuohYCFJu63A2-y2_NDayDsIMre4Uz-WDSjySFup6hNiA423jnoBcY_l3QSzRARAF4XIiF/s1600/IMG_20120405_202423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIkVUzjYSS-NDZ5znEcCBqkve39rpiZUVorFJgnCOAWGUT5E5k2-qUoWN95_iwIhJSWhyphenhyphenJQuuohYCFJu63A2-y2_NDayDsIMre4Uz-WDSjySFup6hNiA423jnoBcY_l3QSzRARAF4XIiF/s400/IMG_20120405_202423.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Seven inches of cake, five layers, silky butter cream, moist yellow cake. </div>
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The theme of
the surprise party was Wizard of Oz, a yellow brick road was designed and carved
out of fondant. Flowers and more flowers were pressed out of molds.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQflTkY6kOUrkGg-1sBCirt36zkUSMoQiK5DrOIyzeTZVI0EVFgYp82hMmWvHcUjpSbDs6UQ6JtDcd5zGU3_q4GyGlnWjyC1rJnTRlUJGgf8Vn1dbbKc3DeKk4ngz0fI7UmybCpagMSHC/s1600/DSC_0027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQflTkY6kOUrkGg-1sBCirt36zkUSMoQiK5DrOIyzeTZVI0EVFgYp82hMmWvHcUjpSbDs6UQ6JtDcd5zGU3_q4GyGlnWjyC1rJnTRlUJGgf8Vn1dbbKc3DeKk4ngz0fI7UmybCpagMSHC/s640/DSC_0027.jpg" width="470" /></a></div>
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Rainbow Wizard of Oz cake!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5