Friday Finds – Hijab Edition

It appears that we are officially living in wild times. Every day, it seems, there’s a new threat to our liberty – in the United States of America!! – a country founded on freedom. No longer is that “mighty woman with a torch” the Mother of Exiles, her beacon-hand glowing worldwide welcome. No. In today’s world, our newly elected officials speak of building walls, deporting immigrants, and instituting a Muslim database, referencing our horrific history of Japanese internment as a precedent. For the record, this isn’t the first time this idea of a national registry has been floated – it’s quite similar to the failed Bush Era NSEERS program. So, there’s that. But, the fact that we keep returning to this idea that all Muslims are evil is beyond concerning to me. To blur the lines between Al Qaeda, ISIS, and other jihadist groups with the entirety of Islam is, very simply, ignorant. The word Islam literally translates to peace. The facts demonstrate that Muslim societies are among the least violent in the world. I understand fear, though. After all, I’m fearful of our burgeoning administration! Since the best way to combat fear is with knowledge, I thought I would explore a few positive stories about Islamic women blazing trails amidst/despite all of this madness.

First, did you know…

• According to a 2009 Pew Research Center comprehensive demographic study of more than 200 countries, there are 1.57 billion Muslims of all ages living in the world, representing 23% of an estimated 2009 world population of 6.8 billion.
• While Muslims are found on all five inhabited continents, more than 60% of the global Muslim population is in Asia and about 20% is in the Middle East and North Africa.
• More than 300 million Muslims, or one-fifth of the world’s Muslim population, live in countries where Islam is not the majority religion.
• These minority Muslim populations are often quite large. India, for example, has the third-largest population of Muslims worldwide. China has more Muslims than Syria, while Russia is home to more Muslims than Jordan and Libya combined.
• Of the total Muslim population, 10-13% are Shia Muslims and 87-90% are Sunni Muslims. Most Shias (between 68% and 80%) live in just four countries: Iran, Pakistan, India and Iraq. There also are a few Muslim groups that are difficult to classify as either Sunni or Shia. These include Kharijites in Oman and the Nation of Islam movement in the United States, as well as the Druze, who are located primarily in and around Lebanon.

Plus, 30 more facts.

Thanks to a petition from Rayouf Alhumedhi, a 15-year-old Saudi-German girl, the next release from Unicode will include a woman in hijab emoji. Alhumedhi’s 7-page proposal detailed the value and impact of equal representation, noting that, “The headscarf gives me power.” She also pointed out that head coverings aren’t unique to Islam. Women in Eastern Orthodox Christian faiths and some conservative Jewish communities could also benefit from having a headscarf emoji to represent themselves virtually.

The proposal caught the eye of Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian who said of Alhumedhi, “[She’s] easily among the most impressive 15-year-olds I’ve met… [An] emoji may not seem like a big deal, but it’s one more way for a lot of people to feel acknowledged and represented ― and that’s a good thing.”

CoverGirl recently announced another first: its debut CoverGirl in a hijab! Nura Afia, 24, a Colorado native, first started watching online beauty tutorials in 2011 while breast-feeding her baby daughter, Laila. Afia eventually began creating tutorials of her own and now has more than 217,000 YouTube channel subscribers and 13 million views…plus, a CoverGirl contract!

“Frankly, I feel proud to be part of a movement that is showing the hijab in a positive light for once. The more of us who can wear them as representatives of these big household names on TV or billboards the better,” she said. “It’s about them finally showing us that they know we are beautiful, too.”

This year, New York Fashion Week made history with their first all-hijab fashion show. Indonesian fashion designer Anniesa Hasibuan hosted a runway show featuring 48 outfits, all with gorgeous hijabs. Though Westerners have viewed the hijab as “otherness,”  the style has been regarded as extremely fashion forward in other parts of the world. Melanie Elturk, chief executive of Haute Hijab wrote, “I believe fashion is one of the outlets in which we can start that cultural shift in today’s society to normalize hijab in America so as to break down stereotypes and demystify misconceptions. Last night’s show was a huge leap forward in that direction.” Beautiful.

Further Reading:

Does My Head Look Big in This? – Randa Abdel-fattah

Further Watching:

Veiled Voices  – Brigid Maher

Further Listening:

#GoodMuslimBadMuslim (podcast)

Friday Finds: Election Edition

Wow, it’s hard to believe that there are only just a few DAYS left until the election. Election stress has run high this year, with the American Psychological Association reporting that over half of American adults (52%) find the 2016 election to be a very or somewhat significant source of stress. Amongst my very informal survey of friends, I’d say that number seems much higher. I know that I find myself solidly in the very significant source of stress camp.

Allegations that surfaced during this election have been particularly triggering to many women, and I simply cannot abide shaming victims of sexual assault who come forward to confirm that someone does something they openly admitted they doing! The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) saw a 33% increase in people turning to its National Sexual Assault Hotline for support, and a 45% increase in traffic to their website, the weekend after Trump’s infamous “pussygate” tape was released. Slate reported that, “Like many abusers, Trump is shameless in his denial of reality.” Seems like many Americans are in that boat right beside him. It’s hard to fathom a world where such behavior is considered becoming of a presidential candidate; and yet, here we are.

It is important to remember that nothing will change over night. And, that it’s more productive to channel concerns towards making a positive impact on issues you care about than to fret without action. This election has definitely motivated me to spend more time reflecting on my own values and priorities. I used to volunteer quite a bit more and need to get back to that! I am also becoming far more engaged in politics on a local level than I ever have before. Voting down the ballot is every bit as critical, if not more.

Above all, we cannot take for granted how fortunate we are to live in a democracy. We have fought wars on the premise of delivering democracy to others. So, it’s rather a slap in our country’s face to not vote when we have to the opportunity to be directly engaged in determining the fate of our own future. Get out there and VOTE!!

 

Can you believe that there are quite a few women participating in this year’s election who were born before women had a constitutional right to vote?! The 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote wasn’t ratified until August 18, 1920. Let’s let that sink in…1920. That’s almost 150 years after the founding of our great nation! And only 96 years ago. The website I Waited 96 Years is a testament to the women who lived through that time. Juliet Bernstein, 103, recounts: I remember accompanying my mother in a horse-drawn carriage to the polls in the first election when women, at long last, had the right to vote. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to vote for Hillary Clinton and determined to see her inauguration! Horse-drawn carriage!!! I’m still working my way through all of their stories – every single one an inspiration.

Have you seen Joss Whedon’s election video starring Chris Pine? Oh, Leonard! Heh heh heh… At least we can laugh, right?! (#laughcry) Head on over to Save the Day to watch the full series of celeb-packed comedy videos encouraging people to head to the ballot box. Stanley Tucci, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Julianne Moore, Don Cheadle, Nicole Byer, Keegan-Michael Key, Minka Kelly, Jesse Williams, Robert Downey Jr, and so many more.

Election years are always extra juicy for the art world, and this one is no exception. HuffPo has a great feed of political works: If This Art Could Vote. With so many gifs and memes, I can’t say that any singular image has emerged as the iconic representation of this election in the way Shepherd Fairey’s “Hope” did in 2008. But the art world is still capturing our personalities and aspirations, fears and anxieties in the way it has since William Hogarth created the first political cartoon in the early 18th century. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

 

Now Watching:

Chelsea (Clinton) on Chelsea (Handler) – Netflix

Now Reading:

The 282 People, Places and Things Donald Trump Has Insulted on Twitter: A Complete List – NYTimes

Now Listening:

The Election Mix – Spotify

“There never will be complete equality until women themselves help to make laws and elect lawmakers.” -Susan B. Anthony

Friday Finds

Here’s a little window into Caturday afternoons around our house! Few things are more exciting to our furry little critters than climbing on dad and stalking his sweatshirt string. Pets are my greatest reminder of enjoying the simple things in life. I’ve definitely been feeling the stress lately. If you’re like me, I’m sure you’re counting down the days until this madcap election is behind us and we can all move on a little. As it turns out, voting early doesn’t create a special anti-election bubble that filters out the ongoing noise around you. Wouldn’t that be great?! Alas, life goes on. RF has been at his dad’s house in New Jersey this week helping to clear things out and put it on the market. RSr’s memory is on the wane, so we’re going to move him out this way where we can be closer and more available to help him out. Maybe we can talk RF into a post about some of his crazy New Jersey stories. Let’s just say, guys named Vinny Ferraro…who may or may not be connected…are real. Despite the stresses of life, there are so many things to be thankful for…including playful kittens. So, we will continue to make time for the simple things, like lounging around (because that’s never a bad idea!) and letting critters climb on us.

https://embed.reembed.com/www.seattleopera.org/29zOST3mnwVY3wOtgH3y-EOs

I’m fairly embarrassed and a little sad that I had never heard of this before a postcard arrived in the mail today. I worked with Laura Kaminsky back when I was managing education programs for the Seattle Chamber Music Society. She kicks ass! I mean, clearly… she’s been busy composing a trans opera (!) for American Opera Projects. As One is a chamber opera in which two voices, one mezzo-soprano and one baritone, convey protagonist Hannah’s experiences “from her youth in a small town to her college years on the West Coast, and finally to Norway where she is surprised at what she learns about herself.” The show opened in New York, but is being staged in November by Seattle Opera at Washington Hall, a local historic venue. Catch it if you can!

It’s a fairly well-known fact that my thumbs are not the slightest bit green. But, I think I might be able to manage a Plug & Plant! This modular wall garden helps you be a better gardener. You can install one or many modules, and pick from a list of 36 plants to connect to the system – including herbs and other edible and medicinal plants. My favorite part, though, is that there’s an app!! It alerts you when water is low, or temps and sunlight are unfavorable. There’s hope for my pitiful gardening skills yet!!

I love this because it reminds me of one of my favorite childhood things – Mr. Rogers field trips. And, it’s semi-related, because the field trip episode that always stands out in my mind the most is the one about how they make crayons. NPR’s version is much more stylized, and delves deeper into history, but the “how does it work” concept is the same. I could watch these sorts of videos for days.

NOW WATCHING

Years of Living Dangerously, an incredible series about climate change from National Geographic, returns for Season 2 this weekend. If you missed Season 1, I encourage you to catch up.

NOW READING

BabyLit – I just gifted several of these terrific board books to a tiny man in my life. Common lessons (counting, colors, sounds, etc.) cloaked in classic literature (like Don Quixote, Wuthering Heights, Moby Dick) with bold illustrations? Sold!

NOW LISTENING

Make America Great Again – How great is it that Pussy Riot might be the one true connection between Trump and Putin?! Hahaha, I can’t even. #hooliganism

Friday Finds

What do you have on the agenda for this weekend? I have some work on the schedule, but fall is a slower season for me. So, I’m looking forward to trying out a new slow cooker recipe, maybe raking some leaves, and definitely watching a movie or two. Oh, and voting! We receive mail-in ballots here in Washington State, and they arrived yesterday. Can’t wait to send mine off. This Presidential race sure has been a wild one. So wild that it’s pretty well drowned out all details about other races. Of course, voting down the ballot is just as important, if not more so. Because I’ve heard relatively little about our local candidates amidst the major campaign madness, some research is in order. I suspect I’ll be spending a good chunk of time working my way through our voter’s pamphlet, which is quite a tome this year. Sounds like I should add a bottle (or two) of wine to the shopping list…

For those of you who are as overwhelmed as I am by all of the aforementioned political drama these days, I give you 15 Tiny Animals Wearing Tiny Sweaters. Because we could all use a little more Awwwww… in our lives. Hang in there – only 18 more days to go!!

I stumbled across Brian Dettmer’s TED Talk this week and am now obsessed with his book art. Known as the Book Surgeon, Dettmer uses surgical tools like knives, scalpels, and tweezers to breathe new life into old books – as well as maps, albums, and cassette tapes – transforming them into intricate sculptures that “expose new relationships of the book’s internal elements.” Amazing.

One of my first jobs was with the Seattle Chamber Music Society coordinating classical concerts in public spaces for audiences under forty – a program known as Under Forte. (Har.) Despite the cheesy name, these salon-style concerts were so cool. We held them in art galleries, retail spaces, and private homes. Alas, they never gained a great deal of traction. Fast-forward to the Uber Era, and now there’s an Uber (sort of) for classical music – Groupmuse. This online social network connects young classical musicians to local audiences through concert house parties. If you live in NYC, Boston, San Francisco, or…Seattle!…I encourage you to check it out.

In other random news… Pringles Has Already Announced This Year’s Holiday Flavors. Am I the only person who had no idea Pringles offers holiday flavors?!?

Now Reading

To the First Lady, With Love – by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Gloria Steinem, Jon Meacham, and Rashida Jones (T Magazine)

Now Watching

13th (Netflix) – Ava DuVernay’s documentary about the 13th Amendment

Now Listening

Gaga’s new album just dropped, and I’ll get to it, but I can’t seem to stop listening to Saint Motel. (Spotify)

Friday Finds

I seem to be having more disorganized weeks lately than organized ones. Is it the changing of the seasons? Entropy? The ultimate price of juggling three jobs? I guess it doesn’t really matter why, just that it is. My goal is to take time this weekend to get my mind’s house in order, so I can come out swinging in October! Or, I might just end up eating popcorn on my couch. Sometimes, that’s the best answer to life events you can’t control. I do have an adventure day on the books for Monday with a wonderful friend whom I see far too infrequently. Looks like the weather’s going to be nice, so maybe we’ll head up to the mountains for some leaf peeping! Can’t wait.

Did you catch Emma Watson’s speech at OneWorld this week? She has become such an admirable spokeswoman for gender equality. I was particularly impressed and inspired by her Life Rules:

I am willing to be seen.
I am willing to speak up.
I am willing to keep going.
I am willing to listen to what others have to say.
I am willing to go forward even when I feel alone.
I am willing to go to bed each night at peace with myself.
I am willing to be my biggest, bestest, most powerful self.

I’m super excited about Grace Bonney’s new book, In the Company of Women, which Elle calls, “A triumphant compendium of interviews with more than 100 female entrepreneurs, from activists to designers to bakers.” Women from all walks describe “how they embraced their creative spirit, overcame adversity, and sparked a global movement of entrepreneurship.” The book tour launches next week, with special guests from the book at each event, and a stop in Seattle on October 18th.

What a wild election year this is! Did you watch the first Presidential Debate? I, like many, have pretty strong opinions about the race. More than anything, though, I just hope that people turn up. I get that it’s easy to think that your voice doesn’t matter, but millions of people – women, especially – around the world, dream of having their voice considered, much less heard. So, please don’t take our liberty for granted. Get out there and exercise your right! Not just for the Presidency, for your local elections too.

Here’s a list of registration deadlines.

Not sure if you’re registered? It takes 30 seconds to Check Your Status Here.

Plan to be out of town? That’s awesome! Take 2 minutes to Get Your Absentee Ballot.

Not registered? Register Now!

Now Watching:

Brief but Spectacular (PBS) – I love these powerful little snippets that feature fascinating folks like iO Tillet and Carl Reiner. Check ’em out!

Now Reading:

My Son, the Prince of Fashion – Michael Chabon (GQ)

Now Listening:

Carry On – Tkay Maidza (Spotify)

Friday Finds: Portland Edition

We’re in Portland this weekend for Build Small, Live Large – Accessory Dwellings’ 2016 ADU Workshops and Tour. Posts from the 2015 Tour have been some of the most popular on Year of Months, so look for more posts about cool backyard cottages to come. Since we’ll be in workshops tomorrow and touring ADU’s on Sunday, we drove down last night to have a little playtime in the City of Roses. Portland is definitely a foodie’s dream. With all of the terrific food trucks and artisan makers, you don’t even have to spend a lot to eat like royalty…hipster royalty, anyway. We have our favorites, but also try to hit up a few new spots whenever we’re in town. These are a few of our finds, old and new…

Old Fave: Pine State Biscuits

AKA the place I’m mostly likely to risk a migraine due to consuming wheaty biz. We’ve been coming here since my pre-gf days, and I can still taste their flakey, buttery biscuits piled high with pulled pork and served with a side of pimento cheese. Yum! RF is a fan of “The Wedgie”, a towering biscuit creation with fried chicken and basically a wedge salad stuffed inside. Squint and you can spot the bottom third in this pic. Only is con is that they always seem to be out of my favorite side – black eyed peas! Up your supply, Pine State, there’s clearly the demand.

New Find: Cartopia

Food Cart Pods are big in PDX – wish the 206 would take a lesson. We have loads of trucks on the street, and regular festivals. It’s about time we got more pods! But I digress… Cartopia is home to Chicken & Guns, our destination. Their oak-fired chicken is on fire! Literally. Choose your picnic table wisely and you might catch a glimpse of them stoking the fire behind their cart with a blowtorch. Seriously. Their crispy potatoes are also intensely delicious. If you have any room left, head to the adjacent cart, Perierra Creperie, for dessert. You can’t miss it…there’s a giant flamingo on top! Their crepes look delicious, but the thick shakes are where it’s at. Try an avocado shake, or a seasonal flavor like coconut, sea salt, and basil. You won’t be sorry.

Old Fave: Salt & Straw

Salt & Straw’s signature logo is captured by paparazzi with regularity these days, now that Tyler & Kim have invaded L.A. But Portland is home. They started with a push cart and a dream…and have been scooping out my fave, Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache, at their Alberta shop for five years now. Flavors change with the season to incorporate the freshest local produce. Current options include Sauvie Island Grapes PB&J, White Toast & Apple Butter…even Bone Marrow & Smoked Cherries.

New Find: Oui Presse

We’re working today from Oui Presse, an adorable cafe in Southeast Portland. After brunch at Jam on Hawthorne – another old fave – we searched for a nearby spot to work for a couple of hours and landed here. When I saw the pics on Yelp, my first thought was, “Totally looks like a place we would have worked in Barcelona…only without an element of gravitas.” That pretty much nails it. It’s simply charming. RF was even so bold as to say their mocha outscored his hometown fave. (!) Thankfully, I’m too full to be tempted by their PB&J Royale made with fresh peanuts, local strawberry jam, euro-style butter, flaky sea salt, on housemade milk bread. Of course, something tells me this will make our “old fave” list and we’ll be back to try their treats.

Quote of the Week:

“In a way, gluttony is an athletic feat, a stretching exercise.”
-John Updike

Now Reading:

The First Week of After – Margaret Malone (essay)

Now Watching:

Upstanders – an original collection of short stories, films and podcasts sharing the experiences of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to create positive change in their communities. D not be turned off by the fact that they’re produced by Starbucks!

Now Listening To:

Portland Morning Playlist (Spotify)

Friday Finds

Short weeks are the best and the worst. At least in my world. It was a luxury to have two days off in a row last weekend – that’s not how my freelance schedule usually works out – but the flip side always seems to mean more work to cram into fewer days after the break. Sigh. Thankfully, I’m planning to take time off again tomorrow for RF’s birthday. In case you missed it last year, here are a few fun facts about the terrific guy I’m lucky enough to call my husband! We don’t have a big plan, but that’s just how we like it. Prepare yourself for the cheese…time together truly is gift enough. Aww. It’s true, though. We both run around A LOT, juggling multiple jobs and projects. So, when we can sleep in together, binge watch tv and movies, hop in the car for an aimless drive, or simply see where the day takes us, it’s divine. Here’s to having time to do some combination of that tomorrow, and on many more stolen days still to come! Happy Birthday, RF!!

School might be back in session, but afternoon snacks aren’t just for kids. Here are 12 Hummus & Dip Recipes perfect for tiding kiddos and adults over until dinner. The Hard Squash Hummus and Black Garlic White Bean Hummus look particularly delicious to me. You can also freeze hummus for up to 4 months. So, make extra now to enjoy later!

Finally! A magazine for young feminists. Kazoo is a new “quarterly print magazine created for girls ages 5 to 10 that inspires them to be strong, smart, fierce and, above all, true to themselves.” All stories are by or about kick-ass women – artists, explorers, scientists, chefs, athletes, activists, writers and others. Pretty inspiring! Can’t wait to get my hands on their first issue…

I have always had absolutely zero interest in attending Burning Man. Roasting in the scorching sun on the dusty playa is, quite literally, my personal version of hell. However, every year as the pics begin to emerge, I can feel my sanity swaying. Take a look! How incredible would it be to see the art in person?! Unreal. Like so many things in life, I would die to be a fly on the proverbial wall. Alas, until teleportation is a reality, I’ll be settling for photos. But, man…so tempting.

What I’m Watching:

Stranger Things…FINALLY!! So hooked. Hope we can finish it up this weekend.

What I’m Reading:

Small Victories – Julia Turshen’s first solo cookbook came out this week and I’m dying to get my hands on it! Yes, I love reading cookbooks.

What I’m Listening To:

The Greatest – Sia, feat. Kendrick Lamar – I’ve been car/chair/plain old dancing to Cheap Thrills all summer, but nothing makes me want to dance out loud more than Sia’s tribute to the Pulse Nightclub shooting. Don’t miss the video, which features 49 dancers, one for each person killed.

Happy Friday!

Friday Finds: If You Can’t Stand the Heat Edition

Bracing myself for temps in the 90s this weekend. I know, I know…cry you a river. You’ve probably sweltering in triple digits for weeks. But mild weather is why I moved to Seattle! Number 1 reason why I stayed. When the mercury creeps above 80, I get cranky. Really cranky. Is crangry a word? Well, that’s me in high heat. Thankfully, I know it will likely be very short-lived. Days are quickly shrinking up here in our corner of the country; we’ve lost 2 hours of daylight since the solstice. I know that rainy days and 4:30 sunsets are on their way… So, despite the misery of sweltering heat, I’m trying to squeeze as much as I can out of these final weeks of summer…even if that means heading to an air conditioned theater for a summer Blockbuster. 🙂

Rio is proof positive that older athletes are ON FIRE!! In a year when the youngest Olympians were born after Y2K, many more competitors than Michael Phelps are back for their 4th and 5th games. There are 26 Olympians over 40! Soviet gymnast Oksana Chusovitina, 41, had been competing in the olympic games for 5 years before Simone Biles was born. Australian equestrian Mary Hannah is the oldest competitor at 61. The grandmother of 3 says, “I am going to keep going with this because I feel fit and healthy and why shouldn’t I?” Nobody tells Mary to get out of the kitchen!

Who knew that wearables could keep you cool?! Controlled by a high quality micro-controller and temperature sensor, FRIO extracts heat from the body and cools a pulse point on your wrist to your optimal cooling rate. Designed for exercise, FRIO tracks all kinds of data via a real-time activity monitoring system. But will I feel cooler? Technically, no. Wuut?!? But…”calmer and more refreshed.” Hmm, seems sufficient enough for those of us who get crangry in the heat. Plus, it’s made by a company called IceTron. I’m pretty sure that’s Voltron’s super chill cousin.

I have not yet jumped on the frosé bandwagon, so this is probably the perfect weekend! Have you tried it? If you’ve never made a granita, here’s a handy tutorial, plus recipes for non-boozy alternatives. Seems easy, but time consuming. I might cut straight to the chilled bottle!

Quote of the Week

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”
―John Lubbock, The Use Of Life

Now Reading

Adding Dietland to the late-summer reading list. Seems like the perfect follow-up to 90 hours of continuing ed… For a short missive on a related topic, see also Why Am I So Fat?

Now Watching

A 2-mile stretch of buildings in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood is currently being transformed by 54 artists into a 32 building street art corridor called Sodo Track. For insight into the ways public art can transform communities, I recommend: eL Seed: A Project of Peace Painted Across 50 Buildings (TED)

Now Listening

A flashback in honor of the Queen of Pop’s 58th – Madonna (Spotify)  Speaking of, did you see her missing polaroids from 1983?!

Friday Finds: Late Summer Edition

Summertime colds really are the worst. Especially when you feel like summer is coming to a close way too quickly! Nothing but beautiful days behind and ahead of us right now, but I noticed the sun creeping over the horizon much earlier last night. As it does, being sick has put me behind at work, and I’m still rushing to complete my continuing ed course by the end of this month. But, I think we’re going to have to set aside some time to make sure that we don’t miss out on the bounty of these late summer days. I still need to make an heirloom tomato caprese. We haven’t been out on the lake. No outdoor concerts, movies, or festivals of any sort. There have been far too few ice cream cones! What happened to the lazy hazy days? Ours have been hurried and scurried. Time to slow down and enjoy the warmth of the season before fall sets in. It’s hard to think of the next season before it arrives, but I know that I will be welcoming crisp air and hot apple cider before long. Just not yet!! We still have a few more weeks…

Well, I guess you know that gluten-free has become pretty mainstream when it hits the Nordstrom blog. Though, this Blueberry Buckle looks pretty delicious! And it doesn’t call for pre-mixed gluten-free flour, just almond flour and polenta. The blueberries have been insanely giant and juicy lately. I need to give this one a try.

RF and I have taken many drives in search of a place far enough from the light pollution of the city to enjoy meteor showers, to no avail. Granted, there’s often cloud cover in this area. This weekend, the Perseid Meteor shower is expected to be an “outburst” with more than 200 meteors visible per hour. What?!? The best time to view is after moonset, which in this area is around 1 am on Friday, and 1:30 am on Saturday. If you’re interested in seeking out the show, don’t drive aimlessly – here are some specific tips for The Best Places to See the Perseid Meteor Shower Outside of Seattle.

One of my favorite solo trips was a driving tour of New Hampshire, Maine, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. In August, it was an absolute necessity to stop for a lobster roll. My memory of this particular detour, however accurate or not, is idyllic – meandering down a quiet coastal road, golden reeds sprouting up along the waterway, sunlight flicking across the water’s undulating surface. Just as it had been described to me, a small shack gradually came into view in the middle of a pier. I parked in a small gravelly lot and walked the creaky planks to a window in a bright white shiplap wall. I couldn’t tell you now what words were exchanged, or with whom, but I walked away with a little paper basket, a few napkins, and a Coke. There were a couple of picnic tables on the dock. I sat up on top of the table, peacefully, alone, watching a lone boat bob in the distance and soaking up the heat of the day. In my lap, a fluffy golden bun toasted and piled high with buttery chunks of “lobstah” beckoned. So overstuffed was the bread that I plucked off a few of the tender meaty pieces and popped them into my mouth, savoring their richness, before sinking into the sandwich itself. In an instant, I was three-quarters of the way through the roll, then suddenly realized that I hadn’t touched the accompanying plastic bucket of slaw. In my experience, one either loves or hates cole slaw. I fall in the love category. But no, that couldn’t be my last bite; I had to pause. I devoured the creamy cabbage, then slowed my pace for the final bites of my meal. There are only a few things on which I enjoy loads of butter – RF’s grilled cheese sandwiches, RF’s mac and cheese, and lobster rolls. Butter perfectly fuses the briney shellfish to the crispy bread; one seemingly melts into the other. My tastebuds were delighted and overwhelmed all at once. Buzzed. Like a culinary blackout, I can’t remember the rest. I have no idea where that little shack is, how I got there, or where I went from there. The entire experience is like a dream. I can tell you that, if you ever get a chance, you should absolutely take a Road Trip Devoted Entirely to Lobster Rolls.

Quote of the Week:

“The crickets felt it was their duty to warn everybody that summertime cannot last for ever. Even on the most beautiful days in the whole year – the days when summer is changing into autumn – the crickets spread the rumor of sadness and change.”
―E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web

Now Reading:

Beyond Foosball: Office Perks that Employees Actually Want – a sandbox?!? Like, a literal sandbox?

Now Watching:

Sunspring – a short science fiction movie written by AI. Or a pretentious film student. You decide. 🙂

Now Listening:

The POTUS Playlist, of course – day and night.