The Green Red Sox Hat

So, anyone who knows me has seen me in my favorite green Red Sox hat on many occasions.  What can I say?  Guys aren't the only ones who want to cover up messy hair and keep the sun out of their eyes.  Perhaps my hat was a bit grungy by girl standards (okay, maybe by guy standards too), but it was perfectly weathered and worn and I loved it.


However,  a few months ago I admitted defeat.  The hat had reached a point where even I was embarrassed to wear it in public.  I went almost the whole summer trying out various other baseball caps - pink with an alligator, yellow Boston College, beige - but it felt like I was fooling myself.  I had never realized how much of my identity was found in my hat choice.


Luckily, last weekend we found one up by Fanneuil Hall.  It's green alright.  Really green.  But I think this might be the start of something good.  Welcome back color!

Perler Beads

So, one of my favorite things to do as a kid was to make perler bead art.  Remember?  Those little, colorful, plastic things you put on a peg board and iron?  I'm pretty sure I had forgotten about them entirely until, lo and behold, I found a whole bucket at the craft store!  Aprille tried her darndest to talk me out of it, but I bought them anyhow.  For $6 imagine all the good times!

The big question: what do I make with perler beads now that I'm older and more artistically capable?

That's right.  A hexagon.

But layer after layer it got more interesting, resulting in this nifty "piggy bank".

So, theoretically this is how I should have made it (according to 3D instructions on the perler bead website):

1. Fill in entire pegboard to create the bottom of your bank.
2. Iron both sides under parchment paper, until melted together, but not too flat.
3. For each layer fill in only the outer perimeter of the peg board.
4. Iron each layer on both sides as you go.
5. For the top, leave a slot large enough to fit in coins.  Iron both sides.
6. Glue the layers together.

This is what I actually did:

1. Fill in entire pegboard for the bottom.
2. Iron both sides under parchment paper, until melted together, but not too flat.
3. For each layer fill in only the outer perimeter of the peg board.
4. Iron each layer on both sides as you go.
5. For the top, leave a slot large enough to fit in coins.  Iron both sides.
6. Stack all of your layers.  
7. Iron each side of the hexagon until the colors mush together and the surface is smooth.

Can't say my method was all that successful (not to mention a little dangerous), but in the end I'm pretty happy with the checker-box look.

If the box seems like too much work, make a 2D shape! Reconnect with your inner child - you'll feel much more relaxed after sifting through thousands of beads to find just the right color.

Summer Books

So, this summer I decided I wanted to feel wealthy in a way that I rarely feel with my impending student loans and hectic school/performing schedule. No summer job, no music festivals, just a summer of guilt-free relaxation.  Rich not with money, but with time.

First on my relaxation checklist was to read anything and everything that I came across.  Some were checked out from the book vending machine at the grocery store, some borrowed, some bought, some stolen (to be returned I promise), but all in their own way enjoyed.


Something I learned: the speed that you finish a book in makes a big impact on the overall impression.

Something else I learned: goodreads.com where you can keep a log of what books you have read/want to read, record favorite passages, and read or write reviews.  Perfect for any bookworm.

1. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
• why? - Who doesn't love Steinbeck?  After reading East of Eden this spring I can't seem to get enough.
2. The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall
• why? - Polygamy is something people, especially Mormons, don't really talk about.  As something that Joseph Smith initially proposed I think it deserves some exploration (even if my idea of exploration is through fiction).  What is the relationship between a man, multiple wives, and God?  Was polygamy ever purely practical? And what does it mean in modern society? This book goes there, for better or worse.
3. One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
• why? - You've probably seen the movie, but the point of view that Ken Kesey uses really makes this book a masterpiece.  
4. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
• why? - Colloquial, tragic, and an epic glance into the history of not just one family but a culture. 
5. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
• why? - I'm not very well versed in non-fiction, but this book is a nice twist of both architectural textbook and serial killer thriller.
6. The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker
• why? - Recommended by Trish, entertaining read for Mormons and non-Mormons alike.  In a city like NY there are never clear lines or stereotypes (nor should there be).  
7. The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs
• why? - At this point I was probably going a little overboard with the religious themed literature, but this was really entertaining and insightful into just how selective all religions can be when it comes to which specific scriptures to follow and which to avoid.  One man's discovery of how, in the end, it comes down to tolerance and love.
8. Let the Great World Spin by Collum McCann
• why? - The perfect New York City novel.  I could hardly put it down.  An amazing account of how one event can intertwine so many lives.  Follow up by watching Man on Wire.
9. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
• why? - My favorite Murakami novels are the ones that read like surrealist paintings.  This is a bit different.  No monsters, except for those we create ourselves or have inflicted upon us by our relationships with others.  At the same time upsetting and beautiful.
10. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
• why? - Short but filled with importance.  Makes you wonder, where should you place your faith and energy.
11. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
• why? - I had very little fluff this summer, so out came my Sony eReader and I devoured these in a day or two.  Can any teenage sci-fi be complete without a love triangle?  At least this decision wasn't as difficult as Edward vs. Jacob.
12. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
• why? - My favorite book of the summer.  I'm so glad Zach finally convinced me to get into this.  I bought Cloud Atlas several years ago and after making a list of all the vocabulary words I didn't know in the first few pages I gave up.  And then I tried again.  And got side tracked.  But as you get through the first section it just gets better and better, and, as the book is really a sort of palindrome, by the time you return to where you started you'll wish you took more time to enjoy it the first time around.
13. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
• why? - I found this less upsetting than perhaps I should have.  Needless to say, Ishiguro is an amazing writer, and the world he creates is real enough to be taken seriously.
14. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
• why? - Like Grey's Anatomy (the tv show, not the medical text) in literary form.  But better.

Out of those my favorites were The Grapes of Wrath, Let the Great World Spin, The Remains of the Day, and Cloud Atlas.  Besides the stretch of books about  dystopian modern societies (11-13) in there, the theme of the summer seemed to be "how to look outside oneself".  How to put your faith in the right places, find harmony and focus in an ever-changing world,  and learn to appreciate the value of every soul.

Now help me out --- let me know your favorite book recommendations!

For the beauty of the earth

So, yesterday I decided I could not wait any longer to try hiking in my barefoot shoes.  Connecticut is the land of the day hikes (unless you're hiking the Appalachain Trail) and on my way home I stopped along the Housatonic River to climb one of my favorite little hills.

Pine Knob Hill is a loop off of the AT, and for it's brevity it's a fun (and moderately strenuous) climb.  

The views are great; two different overlooks face the Housatonic River, which is especially beautiful during fall foliage season.  Once you've hit the two peaks, the trail comes down along a waterfall, and with the peace and quiet of the woods, the noise of the water is the perfect way to end a soothing hike.

And the barefoot shoes were great! Flashback to being five years old, running through the woods, pretending to be an Indian. So happy.

Never use a measuring spoon

So, summer in Manhattan with no AC can be pretty unbearable.  We tried frozen bags of ice, wet sheets, and cucumbers on our foreheads; but at the end of the day our favorite cool summer treat was this recipe for raw chocolate bark.

The best part? I can feel slightly less guilty when the chocolate cravings hit, because there is no butter, sugar, or gluten in either of these recipes.  Make as much as you need, these recipes are so easy you won't need to measure a thing, just taste test along the way!

Raw Chocolate Bark


Base Recipe:
Equal parts:
Coconut oil (liquid)
Raw cacao powder (or if you're like me, whatever coco is cheapest in the grocery store)

Honey, Maple Syrup, or Agave Nectar to taste

Extras:
Peanut Butter
Nuts (sliced or slivered almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc)
Berries or Fruit (you can use dates as a sweetener)
Spices (hot pepper, ginger, etc)
Herbs (lavender, rosemary, etc)
Barbara's Bakery Brown Rice Crisps (the healthier version of Rice Krispies)

Directions:

1. Mix coco and coconut oil in a bowl until smooth.
2. Add in sweeteners and whatever extras you desire.
3. Pour mixture onto a wax paper lined plate/cake pan/cookie sheet and freeze for 15-20 minutes.
4. Break apart into chunks and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Crunch Bars
(maple syrup, peanut butter, and brown rice crisps)

Raw Fudge

Base Recipe:

Equal parts:
Finely ground nuts or nut flour (I prefer almonds or hazelnuts)

Pitted dates

Coco powder to taste (be generous)

Extras:
Coconut oil (for a more moist dough)
Extracts (vanilla, almond, mint, etc)
Shredded Unsweetened Coconut
Nuts
Spices
Salt (coarse or fine)
Jam
Ice Cream

Directions:

1. In a food processor combine dates, nut flour, and coco powder until it begins to clump together.
2. Add in extracts, spices, or fine salt if desired.
3. Pour into a bowl and knead with hands until a ball of dough forms.
4. Ideas for presentation:
• Roll the dough out until it is about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut into 2"x2" squares for brownies or bite sized squares for chocolates.  Garnish with walnuts/pecans or coarse sea salt.
• Form the dough into 1/2 or 1 inch balls.  Roll in coconut or ground nuts to make truffles.
• Roll dough until it is very thin, cut out small cookie cutter shapes.  You can eat them like this or dehydrate them for a firmer consistency.
• Make sandwiches using your favorite fillings.
5. Chill until firm.

Common History

Preface: My favorite adverb is "so".  It begins just about my every thought.  Structurally it carries little or no merit the way I use it in a sentence, but what can I say, we have comfort food, we have comfort words.  "So" is mine.

So,

to begin, there is an actual road.  It starts as a tributary of a small town with one name, and it ends after many twists and turns in the middle of nowhere with a different name.  Over the course of this ten-point-something miles of road, the road changes names precisely four times.  You can imagine the challenges this poses for any driver foolish enough to rely on GPS.

My road is not conveniently located, but somehow I find myself driving down it more often than I ever would have expected.  From the first time (hopelessly lost in the snow, sometime after midnight) to the most recent (maybe a month ago on the way to the metronorth station), the road leaves me with enough time and space to consider what has passed in my life since the last time I came its way.

Of course there are many stories, but my wheres, whens, and whys are not really all that important.  What is important is that we all have these spots.  We come back to them, reflect where we were in our own lives the last time we were there, wonder if all the changes were for the better, assume that they must have been, and continue on toward the future.

In a way, we measure the passage of time by these check-ins.  They are not only places, though.  Maybe they are books or art or music or food.  Smartphones now let you check-in when you go somewhere, but that's only the beginning of any story.  What you do, what you see, what you feel, what you hear, what you taste, what you smell; these link you to a place in time.

So,
this is the beginning of finding those check-ins.  The status updates of your life that actually make you feel that you are progressing, and, more importantly, that you are progressing for the better.