small things i like

2011-08-21T11:54:00.001-05:00

The estuary, and the idea of it, where salt water and fresh mix at high tide.

the olympic peninsula

2010-02-06T17:45:00.004-05:00

From across the Sound we looked longingly toward the Olympic Peninsula. This would be a theme for the trip; wishing we could stay longer, see more.

gasworks park, seattle

2010-02-03T13:16:00.004-05:00

Gasworks is an industrial site on Lake Union that was transformed into a park, complete with large rusted equipment, a beautiful view, and a kite hill.

We saw two men playing freestyle frisbee listening to reggae funk music, lots of people walking their dogs, some hooligans smoking dope on the overlook, and one brave kite flyer.

We rolled down the hill in the grass, walked barefoot on the sundial.

seattle waterways

2010-02-03T10:47:00.003-05:00

I like how the city is surrounded by water and, though the water flows together, each body is distinct. Lakes, bays, channels, inlets, sounds. The geography of water.

I would like to live in a houseboat, like Anais Nin on the Seine. I wonder what one's address is on a houseboat.

sunshine loki

2010-02-03T10:29:00.000-05:00

sledding

2010-02-03T10:24:00.003-05:00

We had the second big snow of the winter this past weekend in Asheville. It wasn't quite as devastating as the first, which shut the city down for days and left us without power for almost a week. My roommates and I piled into the car with a flask of whisky and hats and gloves and went sledding.

We walked behind a friend's house, through some bramble bushes and over a hill into the most lovely clearing, a perfect sledding hill, and went to it.

wide open road: seattle

2010-01-31T10:22:00.004-05:00

We began our journey from Portland, Oregon to Asheville, North Carolina by traveling in the wrong direction. First stop, Seattle. We stayed with lovely Julia first in Capitol Hill, and after going to a potluck at a communal house (12 people!) we went to a trivia night at a local bar, where we lost magnificently. After a cozy night we had some wonderful ham and cheese croissants at a local bakery and then caught the #11 bus down Pine into downtown Seattle.

The Public Market is a huge tourist attraction, and I was absolutely enthralled by the freshness and variety of beautiful produce, fresh fish, and flowers. A pomegranate broken heart.

Geometrically pleasing arrangements of fresh berries tempted us more than the souvenir stands or the ubiquitous buskers.

I love these eggplants wrapped up like babies in diapers. The careful arrangements of the fruit, fish, and vegetables made them infinitely more appealing, emphasizing their flawless perfection (or disguising the bruises and overripeness perhaps).

Drool-worthy king crab direct from Alaska. There were lots of references to the Great White North, and I fantasized further about that road trip fantasy; up the Alaskan highway, into the wild.

The endless flowers! So beautifully robust and fantastically arranged. As I took photographs one of the flower ladies said she had more celebrities for the paparazzo - and began singing RuPaul's "Supermodel" to my absolute delight.

Work it, girl.

loki in the snow

2010-01-30T12:10:00.003-05:00

It snowed throughout the afternoon and night. Loki and I stayed inside drinking hot chocolate and eating homemade meatball sandwiches on garlic bread and reading Spider Robinson and chasing Mouse. This morning, however, it was time.

The harness was slipped on, the treat delivered, and we went into the snow.

Loki was less than impressed.

small things

2010-01-30T12:01:00.004-05:00

I've been having trouble seeing them lately, the small things I like. It's time to slow down, take a breath, a bubble bath, a picture.

I made spinach artichoke hummus yesterday as the snow began to fall. I had previously soaked, cooked, and drained a large amount of chickpeas, and then I whirled them up in my food processor with lots of garlic, tahini, olive oil, salt, cumin, and lots and lots of lemon juice. Which I squeezed using my mama's antique juicer, a remarkably simple and satisfying device.

Loki

2010-01-30T11:56:00.003-05:00

Loki is my kitten.

He makes me feel happy feels.

hello asheville!

2009-10-29T18:37:00.002-05:00

goodbye Portland, goodbye Bible

2009-10-09T16:21:00.003-05:00

Bible, my almost-cat, was the hardest thing about saying goodbye. He came in on our last morning, kneading and purring and butting his head into our hands. I cannot send him postcards (tuna grams!?), I could not ask him if he'd like to go on a trip. We just had to say good-bye, as he warmed himself in the sun on our porch. Good-bye.

vista house

2009-10-09T16:18:00.002-05:00

On the day of adventure with Lauren along the Columbia River Gorge, we stopped at Vista House. For the vista, of course.

the bird hut

2009-10-09T16:09:00.002-05:00

Four rooms full of birds, squawking.

Bright colors and occasionally a coherent word or phrase, "Hello!" "Here, kitty kitty!"

"Feed me!"

andy and bax

2009-10-09T16:05:00.001-05:00

The best Army/Navy store I have ever been in, with the most fantastically dressed mannequins. On Grand Avenue, Portland, Oregon.

waterfalls

2009-10-06T12:23:00.005-05:00

Last days in Portland, full of the smell of fall and waterfalls. Went on an adventure with Lauren to explore the Columbia River Gorge. Drove through the rain to see Multnomah Falls, the mist from the water increasing the fog. Crossed over the river and into Washington to eat chili cheese dogs in a small cafe and wait out the rain.

Back on the trail hiking up switch backs, stopping along the way to admire birds and greenery. I like hiking with a biologist/ornithologist/botanist. Lots of moments to see the things you might otherwise huff and puff your way past. The rain continued, but was pleasant under the cover of towering firs and pines. Saw red beetles that looked like jewels, and flickers darting in and out of the trees. This was my favorite waterfall, a triad of misty water insubstantial yet so powerful, cutting rivulets through the rock.

Down the ridge, more switch backs, three jewel-beetles devouring a banana slug, a dog that looked like a fox trotting next to an old man. The last waterfall, one which you could walk under. Lauren had her pockets full of leaves to identify and a fistful of moss destined for a terrarium.

pumpkin patch

2009-10-02T13:28:00.000-05:00

many small things

2009-09-26T12:26:00.003-05:00

I have been doing a lot of small things I like but I have not been taking pictures. This is one of the interesting aspects of online public displays of how-cool-and-busy-I-am; sometimes I would rather just enjoy rafting down the Deschutes, bird watching at Sauvie Island, and cooking a fantastic meal without worrying about re-performing these actions for everyone else. So a brief selection of old photos and a news update.

Small things I like: rainier cherries in the height of july, the way fruit juices sink into the cutting board, throwing birthday parties for a friend.

Mount Hood from the top of the OHSU Aerial Tram. Paul and I are driving back across the country in less than two weeks, settling in Asheville, North Carolina. Good bye big mountains! Hello rolling green glory of the Smokies! Taking another cross-country trip reminds me that I have yet to recount our first adventure here, the epic five week journey from Brooklyn to Portland. Perhaps the two trip tales will overlap, a sort of temporal concordance of coincidence. Maybe I'll just keep them safe and tangible, in my paper journal.

The sunflower runt toppled last week after a particularly windy day, probably due to the explosion of blooms that must have weighed heavily upon it. We massacred it into five massive bouquets, which leave yellow pollen trails about the house. At the height of it's glory it had over fifty flowers and brushed the rain gutters.

the runt, again

2009-09-12T11:31:00.002-05:00

After two days of ninety degree heat.

cantalope

2009-09-12T11:22:00.001-05:00

Will we be able to eat it before we move to Asheville?

the sunflower runt

2009-09-12T11:07:00.003-05:00

When we moved to Portland, we knew we wanted space for growing things. Everyone here gardens in their yard; flower beds full of artichokes, window boxes bristling with basil. We built two raised beds, one four feet by nine feet, one four feet by seven feet. We planted lots of vegetables and herbs, and some sunflowers.

The sunflowers we grew from seed and planted in the front bed to be posts for our pole beans to climb. (It worked quite well until the heat wave charred the beans). There was a runt, a little seedling slightly crooked and drooping, that we planted in the backyard just to see what would happen, expecting nothing.

The runt is now a massive tree, which shades Bible as he lounges about. It is twelve feet high and at this moment has at least thirty blooms. It leans slightly but looks stable. The stalk is a good three inches around. I can smell the flowers from the kitchen window. So much for runts.

monster cukes

2009-09-06T13:28:00.002-05:00

You leave for ten days...

and the cucumbers take on a life of their own.

love soup

2009-09-06T13:21:00.003-05:00

When Paul and I were a-courting, he made me a picnic of vichyssoise with heavy creme and chopped scallions under a flowering tree, and it is our love soup.

He made it for me again, after a hard day's work, while I soaked in the bathtub reading Ursula K. Le Guin.

This time with love and bacon.

farmers and fleas

2009-08-24T10:13:00.001-05:00

shake shack

2009-08-24T10:09:00.002-05:00

For breakfast yesterday: shack burger with extra pickles, cheese fries, and root beer on a park bench on 77th and Columbus.

new york, new york

2009-08-23T10:28:00.001-05:00

goodbye pickles

2009-08-23T10:19:00.004-05:00

The night before we left Portland for our grand return to New York, New York, we made some pickles to have pickling in our absence. The cucumbers we've culled from the garden over the last few weeks were left soaking while we assembled the requisite garlic, dill, sea salt, and peppercorns.

Into the bucket they go, swimming in a lovely brine, to be resting under a dinner plate in our basement.

When we return it will be time for jarring and crunching and munching and perhaps some large pastrami sandwiches.

hula hoop

2009-08-17T23:55:00.002-05:00

laughing chicken

2009-08-17T23:33:00.003-05:00

Dinner tonight at Laughing Planet on Belmont. Met this nice chicken through the patio fence. Bahgak!

Burrito consumed so quickly it could not be caught on film. Before enjoyed fresh squeezed carrot apple juice and grinning dinosaur.

impromptu bbq

2009-08-17T21:28:00.005-05:00

Another beautiful bbq yesterday, with Eve doing some excellent cookery. I gathered flowers from the yard; these strange lilac-like beauties, our bereft sunflowers, the lone day lily. Before we played in Laurelhurst park, Eve set to sitting some lovely fresh tomato sauce. Five large, meaty tomatoes from the farmer's market on Saturday, bunches of basil pinched from the garden, garlic, olive oil, sea salt and peppercorns all chopped and left to set in the shade for the afternoon.

The chicken thighs relaxed in a lemon herb bath while I hung laundry, awash in parsley, thyme, and rosemary from the garden. Eve sliced crookneck squash and peeled cucumbers (also garden grown) for a little salt bath, destined to be mixed with a luciously ripe cantalope in a lemon-yogurt dressing, topped with minced garden spearmint.

The guacamole was ritualistically chopped and almost instantly consumed.

More basil was sacrificed, alongside fresh mozzarella and some tomatoes borrowed from the pasta sauce.

Lisa provided a large red pepper for the roasting, and so it was. The fire was lit, the chicken charred, the beer disappeared, and everyone was happy.

labyrinth

2009-08-16T13:53:00.005-05:00

Went to see The Labyrinth last night at the Bagdad. After a good hour of horrible Peter Gabriel videos, it finally arrived - David Bowie's crotch and a torrent of nostalgia. I was one of those kids that lived on this movie, that and The Wizard of Oz where essential to my upbringing.

My favorite character by far is the Worm. 'ello!

on saturday

2009-08-15T21:24:00.008-05:00

I usually like to do my laundry, scrub the bathtub, and make copious amounts of food. To be followed by bubble baths and books and tea. I failed in all of these things today, struck down by an evil toddlerfeverbug. Mostly I pouted about. Here are some pictures of a couple Saturdays ago, where I managed to do more.

Like grind up the gargantuan zucchinis from my garden with chunks of chocolate into the most moist delicious cupcakes ever.

The zucchini was so large that it also provided enough bounty for my first ever successful batch of zucchini pancakes. Paul and I have tried on multiple occasions, using various methods, to get our damn zucchini cakes to stick together. This time I used pure instinct, egg, breadcrumbs, and parmesan.

And enjoyed the bounty outside, amidst my drying laundry.

living outside

2009-08-11T00:13:00.003-05:00

Had the pleasure of good old friends this past Sunday, passing through on the tail end of a grand adventure.

Also had the pleasure of Portland friends, the backyard, nice weather...

guacamole and cheese and hard salami...

copious amounts of fresh vegetables...

and Bible was there, of course.

Fire and living outside and summer.

bible in june

2009-08-11T00:07:00.004-05:00

Ahh, my golden viking on a table rescued from a free pile and recovered with gingham, lying beside some of the first radish crop.

home

2009-08-09T11:23:00.006-05:00

I grew up in Harveys Lake, Pennsylvania, the largest natural lake entirely contained in the state. (I didn't actually grow up in the lake, however, just nearby). I haven't been home since January, and I miss my mama and my daddy-o and my brother and Fred. Things I like about going home:

Freddie, our adopted cat, who has a very large head and is kind of dumb and likes to follow my father around and is very spoiled.

The garden, where we spend most of our time munching, relaxing, weeding, trellising, drinking beers. This is last summer, and my father reports that heavy rain has made it a bit of a mud pit this season.

My mothers indoor plants which create tiny jungles on our decks and porches.

"The girls," whose various generations we have watched unfold as they crunch our orchard apples, crab apples, chestnuts, mulberries, etc.

Raspberries from the bush, sweet tea with garden mint.

The way the cucumbers curl and cling.

The aluminum watering cans which Freddie likes to drink from.

Hiding in the garden. And the green rolling hills of the Appalachians.

more bible

2009-08-06T21:33:00.005-05:00

Yesterday he came and snuggled in my bed while I read. Then he got white hair all over my yoga mat, cried until I gave him tuna, and left. I'm in love.

scrabble, marycat

2009-08-06T21:27:00.003-05:00

Hanging out with Clara on Sunday, failing to craft much, but having a lovely time sitting in the sunshine, watching Mary sleep.

And playing Scrabble.

growing

2009-08-06T09:03:00.006-05:00

In my neighborhood, there are some fairly exotic growing things. A fig tree grows on the corner of Taylor and 37th, the fruit still rock hard but promising.

A plot of artichokes nearby has kept me fascinated for months. I have never seen artichokes growing before, and this patch is large and sharp-looking and now in bloom.

I suppose they're no longer edible, but the bees are entranced. I have seen them fall asleep in the flower.

the gleaners and i

2009-08-05T23:09:00.003-05:00

Just saw The Gleaners and I at the Portland Art Museum. It was beautiful, again.

martini, barefeet

2009-08-05T09:08:00.006-05:00

Met Clara and Mark at Crush for happy hour. Mezza of sunflower seed hummus, olive tapenade, and baba ganoush. Cold vodka martini, dry with olives. Yes, please.

bandit

2009-08-05T09:05:00.002-05:00

Yesterday morning as I was pouring iced tea into my jam jar and getting ready for work, I noticed this largefluffy lounging about on the carport in the backyard, grooming itself like a cat.

birdtree

2009-08-03T22:55:00.003-05:00

Laurelhurst Park on the fourth of July.

fattyloaf

2009-08-03T22:43:00.007-05:00

Fattyloaf has been a friendly neighbor for many months now. I see her frequently on my way home from the Belmont Library. I call her Fattyloaf because, well:

She is a truly lovely kitten, with quite a small head and the softest fur. I saw her socializing with this gentleman, who looks like trouble to me.

basil pesto

2009-08-03T19:29:00.004-05:00

This weekend I massacred another basil plant and ground it up in my food processor. As with many things I make regularly my method is to instinctually toss things together. Garlic, pine nuts (toasted for a few minutes in a pan), handfuls of fresh basil leaves, half a lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper and parmesan. So good.

bunnytux

2009-08-03T00:53:00.005-05:00

Portland is a very good place to be a cat person, and there are many hip cats that live in my neighborhood. I ran into Bunnytux this past Saturday on my way to breakfast at Pine State Biscuits on Belmont. I have seen him peering from the window for weeks now, but have finally had the opportunity to say hello.

He is very friendly and we talked a bit about the weather. At Pine State I had sweet tea and a biscuit with sausage gravy, and I wish I took a picture of that because it deserved to be chronicled.

the bagdad theater

2009-08-02T22:33:00.004-05:00

Went to the beloved Bagdad today to see Year One. It was terrible.

The pepperoni pizza and the golden lager were delicious, however.

clara

2009-08-02T16:38:00.006-05:00

Clara is my friend. We sit on the porch, play Scrabble, drink cocktails, go on adventures, play Rummy, and make stuff together.

While Clara was showing me a crochet stitch a couple months ago, Bible got increasingly interested in the creative possibilities of yarn.

After a few moments of playing coy, Bible made a calculated grab for the skein and made it all the way to the backyard, yarn streaming out behind him. Since then, he has expressed an interest in any and all textile craft.

grocery shopping

2009-08-02T16:35:00.003-05:00

roast chicken

2009-08-02T12:05:00.006-05:00

Having just survived a record-breaking heat wave in Portland, I cannot imagine turning my oven on, and I miss the cool late winter days of roasted chicken.

Here is how I like to make mine:

1) Get a beautiful whole chicken at the grocery store. Cradle it in your arms like a tiny sleeping child and murmur reassurances to it, like "Soon you will be in my belly."

2) Clean your chicken, pat it dry, preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Rub with lemon and herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley), salt and pepper. Stuff the chicken with rest of lemon and herbs. Garlic is also a good idea, and I like to roast whole heads alongside my chicken.

3) Pour some water, stock, wine, or other liquiddelicious in the bottom of the pan. This jar is full of chicken stock saved from the last roast chicken. One of the small things I like about roasted chicken: it can feed you for days, perhaps weeks.

4) Put that chicken in the oven, probably for about an hour and a half. Spoon liquid over the chicken at various intervals, adding more liquid to the bottom of the pan if necessary. Check temperature by poking the chicken in the leg with a meat thermometer. When it's done, let it rest for at least ten minutes.

5) Eat with fingers.

my green bicycle

2009-08-02T12:00:00.005-05:00

When we moved to Portland, we found bicycles before we found a place to live. If you've ever been here, you know that actually makes a lot of sense.

my almost-cat, bible

2009-08-02T11:57:00.005-05:00

going places

2009-08-02T11:39:00.005-05:00

This past February, the boy I love and I drove from Brooklyn, New York to Portland, Oregon. It took us five weeks to cross the country and was my first time going west. I like to go places and I hope to never be done with it. Here I am in Big Bend, Texas, celebrating the sky, the road, the car, and my seventh straight day without a shower.

Now that we've travelled all this way, I am falling in love with Portland, and wondering if I can become an anthropologist of hipster meccas in the United States.