Wanderlust

So, I've been working a lot, and well, with that seems to come fantasies of traveling and regaining the global perspective that comes with it. Don't get me wrong, I love being employed, finally doing work that I feel connected to, and I'm quite excited about the project I'm lucky to be a part of, but when the stress of deadlines hits, it is easy to get so myopic and forget the big picture...remember there's a whole big world out there...

Which is why I'm glad I visited the website of a bookstore that is in my new neighborhood and which is dedicated to books about revolution, whether it be art, politics or thought. It's called Babylon Falling and I was excited to see them blogging about a Good Magazine post that maps the travels of great explorers from Magellan to Kerouac. It's a great example of information design as well feeding my hunger for tales of other lands.

NASA says...

New Houseplant
Originally uploaded by Madeline & Ryosuke

house plants clean indoor air. Since only two of the thirteen windows in our current apartment open to let in fresh air I've been feeling the need for some freshness in the rooms. I think houseplants are going to help. But beware, not all plants are safe for animals. You guys have heard that poinsettias are poisonous for cats, right? Airplane plants are safe I think this chicken gizzard in the pic is too. Do you guys have plants inside?

P.S. I didn't spend a lot of money on this...bought a one dollar plant at the farmers market and got plant clippings that would self-propagate from family and collected pots from here and there.

Happy Birthday, H Belle!!!

Wishing you the best of birthdays, dear friend!

From the Plains to the Hills

Still working on the move...most boxes are unpacked, but I wanted to share a few of our favorite new things. I apologize for the image quality, I have yet to master correcting for a major backlight when taking a picture, and I take many of them with my cell. That being said, how cool that we have a major backlight!! It's our view of downtown and the Bay! Pics above of our kitchen floor, the thermostat outside our bedroom and a view of a steep grade on a block in our neighborhood!

Silly Video Time

Check this video my sister composed on Jump Cut with photos my mom took a couple of years ago. Mom kept the camera snapping while sis and I acted silly.

Wow! North Louisiana Blueberries at Phenomenal!

Wow! North Louisiana Blueberries at Phenomenal!
Originally uploaded by Madeline & Ryosuke

Guys, really, am I going overboard on the Louisiana talk here? We picked up these locally-grown blueberries from the farmer's market this morning and I thought we'd eat a few fresh and perhaps I'd also bake some into a cake.

Then I tasted one.

OMG! I've never tasted a blueberry with such a tender, thin skin and with such subtle sweetness. Louisiana blueberries rock!

What local foods do you guys love in your areas? H Belle, you live in the fresh, local food Mecca. Do you guys read Heidi Swanson's blog, www.101cookbooks.com? She's SanFran based and I think you would both appreciate her healthful approach to cooking and the way she uses the foods from her farmers market.

What we're eating...

What we're eating...
Originally uploaded by Madeline & Ryosuke

I usually like grits with butter and a bit of sugar for breakfast but today for lunch I fixed them with cheese, green onions and spices.
When we're not experiencing a heat wave I'll turn on the oven for baked grits.