“To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with.”
–Mark Twain
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Pete Seeger’s banjo (by Annie Leibovitz)
Young Artists need Moral Support…but They Also Need Cash – Why the false dichotomy of art vs. business needs to be thrown out.
Literary Classics as Decorative Word Posters – I love the one for Peter Pan. So whimsical.
What Not To Say To A Depressed Person – Simple, brief, & supportive.
An Interview with Bill Murray – (one of 4 in the past 10 years).
Cherpumple! – The dessert version of the Turducken. A 3-layer cake with a pie stuffed in each layer. Woh there.
Drew Barrymore discusses her latest film & why it’s different: “I’m not at that place in my life where I want to play a character who says, I just have to get married’. …I don’t relate to that at all. I want to have a job. In fact, this movie asks the question: How do you keep the job and the guy?’ That is a question I’m interested in discussing, not like I’m going to rip your hair out because you stole my wedding dress’. I don’t care about that.”
Treehouses- Yup, still love them.
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There are no qualms about it. This banana bread is on a plane of its own. It doesn’t hang out with the whole-wheat, sugar-free variety. This is a recipe from my mom (Thanks Mom!) that I grew up with. She doesn’t label just anything “Best Ever” – in fact, she has higher standards than me re: her baking.
You’ll like this banana bread.
You’ll grab a piece of it as you run out the door to work & make all the people on your transit ride jealous.
You’ll discover than the heels of the loaf might be your new favorite because they end up being the thickest slices.
BEST EVER BANANA BREAD
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease and flour a glass 9 x 5 loaf pan.
2 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup vegetable oil ¼ cup plus 1 Tblsp. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 ¾ cup unsifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Combine all ingredients and bake about 1 ½ hours. Check every 20 minutes or so as the top may brown and you might need to cover it with foil. Voila!
Just don’t blame me if you get caught smuggling some to your favorite coffee shop in lieu of their dry baked goods.
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“I guess every girl goes through a photography phase. You know, horses… taking pictures of your feet.” –Lost in Translation (2003)
I take a lot of pictures of feet. Particularly – my own feet. My feet are my foundation. When my feet are too covered, I am overheated. If my feet are damp, I am grumpy. When I am barefoot & walking in the sand, I am quite content. I am very emotionally connected to the well-being of my feet.
Once a shoe salesman told me “the story of my foot”. This just didn’t interest the 14-year-old me. But I listened anyhow.
I have wide feet, perhaps from so many years of being a sandal & barefooted-laden youth. My feet are small in proportion to my height. They’re ‘peasant’ shaped which in dancer’s terms means that if I were dancing en pointe, the weight would be evenly distributed.
Most of the time they’re painted Monroe Red. It makes me happy when I look down at my toes.
What good things do your feet allow you to do?
Do you pick up pencils? Kick soccer balls? Dip your toes into the bath?
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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
That’s what they say.
Sometimes I choose to listen, sometimes I don’t.
Today I listened.
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I may have found my new favorite sport. Now I find myself wishing there was a Toronto league…
Also, I don’t want to point any fingers – but you may notice around the :55 mark that while I’m defenseless on the ground, someone beats me with their pool noodle unprovoked. FOUL!
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I took a flight.
& not in an Eat, Pray, Love-type-of-way. I took a flight yesterday to visit my family, who are located in Southern California. Accompanied by my partner-in-crime, we’re now “on vacation”. We’re not looking to find ourselves or solve world hunger – just tend to our own self-care needs.
This morning I woke up, went downstairs & stared at the ocean.
I’m looking forward to reconnecting with my brother, hooping on the beach, & getting some great sleep. Not to mention attempting to surf (it’s been a while). It’s good for you, I’ve heard.
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In my family, pie is significant. My Granny used to make a pie a day: one piece for Pops & one for each of the kids. Granny taught my mom how to make pie crust from scratch & she in turn, taught me. Over the past few years I have been slowly perfecting the amounts (which haven’t been written down) & the technique.
Pie brings people together; no one bakes a pie without plans to share it. Pie also symbolizes shared resources; everyone wants a piece of the pie. –Tao of Pie
In an old issue of Readymade magazine, there was an amazing article entitled the Tao of Pie. It talks about a (for profit) pie shop in the Mission district of San Francisco that is part of a not-for-profit education program for urban students. Not only do they get the work (& life) experience for growing amazing produce, but then those ingredients are transported to Mission Pie – where students assist in making the pies! & they get class credit.
It made me think about my own personal Tao of Pie. Am I too picky? Am I a pie snob? Granted, my quest for the perfect crust is borderline obsessive. I’m nearing a recipe I’m semi-content with. & I’ll share my process along the way, don’t worry. I’m all about sharing pie.
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There was a July article in the LA Times about movement therapy gaining more acceptance in the treatment of chronic pain. Not only do reports point towards a lessening of pain but an increase in general quality of life (not surprisingly, these two go hand in hand). Awesome!
The article focuses more on the helpfulness of slow movement. It reminds me that I haven’t posted any of my slower hoop practices – something I will try to remedy in the future. Unintentionally, my slower practices are often my most personal + emotional ones that I feel shy about putting out in the world.
Increasing the connection to your body brings awareness & presence to the activity. Concentrate on that sore spot, stretch out your spine, emphasize your movements all the way to the tips of your fingers. Take deep breaths & remind yourself that slow doesn’t equal bad.
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Have I given you a proper introduction to my partner-in-crime?
I didn’t think so. Let’s fix that right now.
This is Robin.
He’s pretty amazing. He’s one of those people who can take things apart & put them back together again (I find this talent mysterious yet supremely helpful). We love dream swapping, watching movies, & making each other laugh.
He’s a photographer.
You can check out Robin’s latest photo projects at Four Eyes Studio. His personal photo blog can be found at Still Motion Image. Check out my foray into journalism in my interview with him below. [& some photos of my own where I have managed to capture him!]
What 2 photographers really inspire you?
Richard Avedon. The actual process of his work seems so simple. Using natural light but doing so in a way that makes you really examine the subject in its complexity. Joe McNally is incredibly versatile. You don’t necessarily see a photo & immediately know it is his work. It shows the breadth of his experience.
Do you have a photographic motto?
I like to do whatever I can at the time & not depend on ‘fixing’ in post-production. So I like to see how well I can do in the moment. It is so much more satisfactory that way.
What is your ‘go-to’ favorite lens to use & why?
Canon EF 24-70 F/4 IS L USM – It is great walk-around lens; it has a huge focal range & image stabilizer. It’s super sharp. If you can only have one lens, this is a good ‘desert island’ lens.
What lens don’t you have that you’d like to add to your collection?
The new 70-100 or the mythical 24-70 F2.8 IS.
What is the most rewarding part of the photography process?
Shooting a new situation & seeing the process translate into exactly what you meant it to be. The pressure of the situation forces out the creativity above any doubt.
What’s your favorite thing to photograph lately?
Architecture. You have all the time you want to capture it. To use different angles or techniques.
What advice do you wish someone had told you when you first started in photography?
To think before taking pictures. The process of using digital encourages pointing-and-shooting hundreds of photos. It’s important to look at the subject first & all the factors involved before looking through the viewfinder. It takes more patience to actually figure out how you’re going to shoot something beforehand.
What are your top 3 tips for improving a photo?
Fully understanding the following…
- Exposure- You don’t want to lose detail unnecessarily.
- White Balance – Being able to understand your camera in a way to set a custom white balance allows you to create photos that have a more natural look across the board.
- Composition – Some people understand this naturally from the beginning; some have to work on developing it. Either way, your practice will pay off.
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