lovedog ranch

Friday Poem

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 17:36:00 +0000

The Clothes Pin

How much better it is
to carry wood to the fire
than to moan about your life.
How much better
to throw the garbage
onto the compost, or to pin the clean
sheet on the line,
with a gray-brown wooden clothes pin.

- Jane Kenyon

From Collected Poems by JANE KENYON, 2005

Swoon

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:03:00 +0000

It seems I have a terrible case of the "I WANTS" lately. Yesterday on a quick stroll through Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn I almost bought everything. And then, to make matters worse, Brittany got me hooked on Tiny House Swoon. So many cute little homes!!

Image borrowed from Tiny House Swoon

Image borrowed from Tiny House Listings

The good news is that if I build a tiny house I won't be able to fit everything from RH and PB. And hey, at least I'm hooked on tiny houses instead of gigantic houses, right?

Hope and Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 03:10:00 +0000

I realize this blog is starting to become (or has already become) a miscellaneous mess of road trips, parties, crafts, recipes, and poetry. On one hand I feel like a sense of focus would be nice. On the other hand, it's a pretty accurate reflection of my lifestyle. I seem to dabble in a little bit of everything. I love learning, and probably would have stayed in college forever if I could afford it.

That being said, one of the things I like about my "day job" is that I am in an academic environment, and work alongside a lot of really great, really brilliant people. Today I went to an interesting lecture in which one of the primary topics was hope. You don't hear scientific research talks on that topic every day. So in addition to the categories above, you now get to hear me vaguely discuss scientific research. I don't know that I can accurately sum up the whole lecture, but here are some of the takeaways that I'm currently churning in my brain:

- Hope is experienced when there is expectation that a desired goal can be achieved. (informal definition)

- There can be two components: pathway & agency. The pathway would be: are there ways to reach this goal/what are those ways? The agency would be: is it possible for me to do that?

- Personal outlook can be broken down into positive affect and negative affect. Positive affect can be good, obviously (good attitude), but the statistics also showed that those with positive affect become risk adverse (ex. why rock the boat when things are going well?). Negative affect can actually be kind of good. Often times negative feelings drive change and critical thinking (ex. I'm currently unhappy with X, so I will take action to change this situation). Really they are both needed to accomplish goals, so both can be "good" in a way.

- Understanding/discovering potential pathways and feeling like you have a sense of agency to succeed contributes to the feeling of hope. Both negative and positive affect are usually required to discover those pathways and to feel empowered that one can reach a goal.

- When asking the question, "what is your goal" sometimes your first answer, the primary goal, is literally not possible. Which can really knock hope. However, when pushing further and asking "what is another goal" and "what is another goal," those are possible. And when those become the new goal(s) (in the lecture termed: re-goaling) one can have a renewed sense of hope because that goal can be achieved.

Interesting stuff. (I will note that most of the study related to palliative care, for those of you who might be questioning the "not everything is possible" point...)

I think a lot about my own personal goals, what they mean to me, and whether they are moving me in the right direction. As my priorities shift, often so do my goals. As anyone who has ever had a goal knows, when you have a goal that you can't reach, it can lead to frustration and loss of hope. Admittedly some of my major goals in life are a bit expansive (and yet incredibly specific- no surprise to anyone who knows me...). But then I marvel when things fall perfectly into place, and I take a huge step closer to my goal. It renews my sense of hope that with a bit of critical thinking and innovation, a little adversity for motivation, resilience, hard work, and empowerment, I can accomplish the things I want in life.

Friday Poem

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:43:00 +0000

Mourning Pablo Neruda

Water is practical,
especially
in August.
Faucet water
falls
into the buckets
I carry
to the young
willow tree
whose leaves
have been eaten
off
by grasshoppers.
Or this jar of water
that lies
next to me
on the car seat
as I drive
to my shack.
When I look down,
the seat all
around the jar
is dark,
for water doesn't intend
to give, it gives
anyway
and the jar of water
lies
there quivering
as I drive
through a countryside
of granite quarries,
stones
soon to be shaped
into blocks for the dead,
the only
thing they have
left that is theirs.

For the dead remain inside
us, as water
remains inside granite--
hardly at all--
for their job is to
go away,
and not come back,
even when we ask them,
but water
comes to us--
it doesn't care
about us; it goes
around us, on the way
to the Minnesota River,
to the Mississippi River,
to the Gulf,
always closer
to where
it has to be.

No one lays flowers
on the grave
of water,
for it is not
here,
it is
gone.

- Robert Bly
from The Man in the Black Coat Turns (1981)

The BIG O-FIVE

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Happy 5th birthday to my #1 fan:

Thanks for being my dog, Jasper.

May you live many, many more wiggly bottom years.

p.s. Maybe next year I'll teach you how to read.

Cape D

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 03:50:00 +0000

This past weekend Andrea, Justin, Jasper and I took the LoveDog Mobile to the Washington coast for some much needed respite. And it was amazing. Two things: 1. It did not rain the whole time! 2. It was sunny!

Cape Disappointment is about 3 ½ hours from Seattle, but we picked it because we had no other choice. Every single campground on the coast was booked up. Turns out we’re not the only ones who like camping at the beach in the wintery months of spring. However, it did not Disappoint (budumpbump…)

Cape D State Park is pretty huge (1,882 acres), with about a million camp spots (actually: 137 standard campsites, 60 full hookup, 18 with water and electricity only, 5 primitive, 14 yurts, and 3 cabins), plus two lighthouses, and two beaches. The bathrooms are immaculate, they have pay showers, AND a pizza shop where you can order pizza to your campsite. I know, we’re totally into roughing it. But seriously, if you go, get the pizza --gourmet and delicious! We got the Earth Pie: garlic olive oil, gorgonzola, fresh basil, tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar. Mmmmm..

In spite of the number of campsites, and the pizza booth, and the heater in our tent trailer, it still felt like we were camping. Maybe because most of the campsites were fairly empty and spread out. Or because we had multiple deer sightings. Or because the raccoons stole our marshmallows.

In addition to watching Jasper run around on the beach for two glorious days, we hiked up to the North Head lighthouse (about 4 miles roundtrip from our campsite—a moderate hike through mud, over footbridges, and up hills), and walked to the Cape D lighthouse from the parking lot (about 1 mile round trip – mostly paved but slightly steep near the top). I found North Head to be the more impressive of the two, but from Cape D you see a totally different view.

And did I mention that Cape D is only about 20 minutes from Astoria? Translation: 20 minutes from Rogue Brew Pub. While their food wasn’t particularly good, their beer is fantastic. I tried 2 IPAs, an ale, and a red, Andrea had 2 porters and 2 stouts, and Justin had an assortment of IPAs. Next time we’ll stop there for an appetizer and some beers, then check out another brew pub in Astoria for our meal.

All around a perfect weekend.

Bond, James Bond

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 21:14:00 +0000

In honor of our awesome friends, Brittany and I threw our second annual Valentine's bash. (You might recall the first).

This year's theme was James Bond, if for no other reason than I was determined to wear a swanky dress and wanted another excuse to make our friends take ridiculous photos.

We were not disappointed.

Luckily our friends enjoy both dressing up, and taking an obscene number of pictures of themselves. I also appreciated the loose interpretation of the Bond theme. We were well represented with Bond girls, James Bond in tuxedo, James Bond in wet-suit, Jaws, LeChiffre, Emilio Largo, Pussy Galore, and even a little Goldmember action.

If you're planning to throw your own James Bond party, in addition to our DIY photo booth, we also had James Bond movies projected onto the wall, 007 on Nintendo 64, a poker room, darts, cigars, and a well-stocked martini bar. Good times. I'm already thinking up themes for next year...

Friday Poem

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:30:00 +0000

Yes, I realize the last Friday poem was also by Jack Gilbert, but given the recent love smothered holiday, I decided this poem will create a perfect love sandwich. So Happy Friday.

The Forgotten Dialect of the Heart

How astonishing it is that language can almost mean,
and frightening that it does not quite. Love, we say,
God, we say, Rome and Michiko, we write, and the words
get it all wrong. We say bread and it means according
to which nation. French has no word for home,
and we have no word for strict pleasure. A people
in northern India is dying out because their ancient
tongue has no words for endearment. I dream of lost
vocabularies that might express some of what
we no longer can. Maybe the Etruscan texts would
finally explain why the couples on their tombs
are smiling. And maybe not. When the thousands
of mysterious Sumerian tablets were translated,
they seemed to be business records. But what if they
are poems or psalms? My joy is the same as twelve
Ethiopian goats standing silent in the morning light.
O Lord, thou art slabs of salt and ingots of copper,
as grand as ripe barley lithe under the wind's labor.
Her breasts are six white oxen loaded with bolts
of long-fibered Egyptian cotton. My love is a hundred
pitchers of honey. Shiploads of thuya are what
my body wants to say to your body. Giraffes are this
desire in the dark. Perhaps the spiral Minoan script
is not a language but a map. What we feel most has
no name but amber, archers, cinnamon, horses and birds.

(Jack Gilbert)

XOXO

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:30:00 +0000

"At one glance, I love you with a thousand hearts"

(Mihri Hatun)

Friday Poem

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:39:00 +0000

A little passion for your Friday...

Tear It Down

We find out the heart only by dismantling what

the heart knows. By redefining the morning,

we find a morning that comes just after darkness.

We can break through marriage into marriage.

By insisting on love we spoil it, get beyond

affection and wade mouth-deep into love.

We must unlearn the constellations to see the stars.

But going back toward childhood will not help.

The village is not better than Pittsburgh.

Only Pittsburgh is better than Pittsburgh.

Rome is better than Rome in the same way the sound

of raccoon tongues licking the inside walls

of the garbage tub is more than the stir

of them in the muck of the garbage. Love is not

enough. We die and are put into the earth forever.

We should insist while there is still time. We must

eat through the wildness of her sweet body already

in our bed to reach the body within the body.

(Jack Gilbert)

why etsy is my favorite place to shop

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:21:00 +0000

As you know, we have an online shop. This post is not about that. This post is about the wonderful world of Etsy. In case you don't know, Etsy is a tiny village at the North Pole where little elves make...wait. No, that's Santa's workshop. Etsy is kind of like that, but instead of elves, actual people make things by hand, and via the magical internet (and my credit card), send them to my door.

Exhibit A:

I found these adorable mugs on Etsy. Truth be told, I probably didn't need mugs. But I didn't not need them either. And once I found them I had to have them. While I fully endorse buying local and shopping farmers markets and craft fairs, sometimes the thing you want isn't right where you are. The maker of my mugs lives in Jonesboro, Indiana. I also learned (via her Etsy shop) that her name is Audrey, she just had her first son, and she graduated from Taylor University with a major in Studio Art. And she didn't have 4 of these available in her shop, so she made them for us.

I happen to be the kind of person that finds this stuff interesting. Which is why I love buying things on Etsy. Every shop owner has a story that you can read right on their shop site. Every time I get something from an etsy shop I am pleasantly surprised. My mugs came individually gift wrapped, well protected, and ready to send (in this case these were a gift for me and Justin. From me.)

So next time you are looking for a gift for yourself or someone else check out Etsy.com. Each shop is individually "owned" so when you type in a search phrase hundreds of different shops might have what you are looking for. It's sort of like window shopping, and when you click a specific item, it's like walking into the shop. You can check out what else they have there, or you can go back out and look at all the shops again.

These are some earrings I purchased a while back from Mu-Yin Jewelry when I was searching for "silver hoops." I bought the small ones and they're great.

And here are some more shops I have purchased from, to give you a start:

Raskol Ink, SlowLoris, Back Creek Pottery, Roosevelvet, Lady Little Bird, K9 Art Gallery

Have fun! One thing I really like about Etsy, is that once you create a profile, you can mark items as your "favorite" so if you find a good gift but aren't ready to buy you can come back later and find your favorites easily. (You just click the heart at the top left corner of the image). I cannot be held responsible for all the money you spend on adorable things. But if you want to thank me for making your gift shopping super easy, you can send me presents.

One more note: This is not a paid endorsement by Back Creek Pottery or any other shop I mentioned. I just really happen to like these shops and I have had good experiences with them in the past. Also, many of you probably have known about Etsy for a while, but every now and then I get asked what Etsy is when I tell someone about our online shop. I'm a big fan of Etsy in general. The end.

Flashback to the holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:38:00 +0000

I have recently come to realize two things: 1) I take a lot of pictures. 2) My window to post Christmas vacation photos has pretty much passed. So here's the summary:

We had a fantastic Christmas week with my family. Justin, Jasper and I drove down in two days and perfect conditions: zero rain, no fog, no traffic jams. It was sunny and 60s the whole time. Almost bizarre, really. I don't really remember spending December in the sun.

I got lots of Auntie time with Avery, Nolan, and Siddori. Lots and lots of photos. I can't get enough of their cute faces. Opening presents was absolute chaos. Nolan never stops moving. And Avery never stops evading Nolan. And Siddori never stops smiling.

I also got to squeeze in some "honorary Auntie" time with Kate and Holly too (Kim, your kids are adorable). Favorite moment:

Me: So, Kim, what are Kate & Holly's favorite things right now?

Kim: That is the only outfit that Kate wears. Ever. (Kate grins). And Holly...(looks over at Holly who has managed, in the 3 seconds we were not looking, to dump a condiment cup full of ketchup all over her face)...Holly likes ketchup.

Then we drove to the Bay Area and got to hang out with one of my favorite human beings in the universe. And eat delicious sushi. And go wine tasting. So great.

Then we hit the beautiful Oregon coast. We cut off of I-5 just south of Roseburg and stayed in Bandon for New Year's Eve. What a great little tiny town. The next day we continued up the coast, stopping and marveling along the way, and stayed in Newport. I think I could have spent at least 2 more weeks camped out in our ocean view hotel rooms. I love the Pacific Northwest coast in the winter.

And now we're back to lovely (read: damp, cold, dark) Puget Sound. If anyone has a charming little vacation home in a sunny clime they'd like me to go check on I'd be happy to oblige.

You can see more road trip photos here.

Refresh: Hello 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:18:00 +0000

I know. That was so last week.

I'm still getting re-acclimated to rainy Seattle weather after glorious 60 degree California and the Oregon coast, and editing my way through the photos. I intend to bombard you with pictures shortly. Maybe not all 500 (seriously-- this is what owning a digital camera has done to me), but way too many, I assure you.

Chaos and respite

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:48:00 +0000

Let me begin by saying: I am not complaining.

However, with that preface in mind, our shop has been insane. Justin and I have both been working late nights, him later than me, and we basically haven't seen each other since Thanksgiving. As the sole glassblower in our operation, he has been working full time from 6:30AM to 11PM. I'm off working my day job for 10 hours, and then I come home and pack up orders, respond to inquiries, relist items, (maybe some online scrabble...and play with the dog, and make dinner) and pack more stuff until I'm ready to pass out. It's nearly comical. When we do see each other we usually are laughing about how we are losing our minds, as one of us goes out the door.

Things have been so chaotic, in fact, that Justin forgot he was teaching a 2-day glass course this past weekend. So as he flew out the door 10 minutes after he was supposed to be there (and then again 5 minutes later when he remembered his wallet), it was decided that I would have to drive some of our items to the La Conner gallery. Not that I minded. So off I flew (and then again 5 minutes later when I remembered my camera).

As soon as I was out on the open highway I felt all of my stress falling away. It was a gorgeous day in Skagit Valley, or at least as nice a winter day as you can have. I took the slow back roads. It's swan season, which I've heard the farmers don't particularly appreciate, but they were pretty to see in the fields nonetheless.

I love the way the roads turn in 90 degree angles along crop lines. I love the farm stands where you just weigh the items yourself and drop the money in the bucket. And oh, the barns. The whole valley is entirely photogenic, and every time I drive up there I wonder how we can make it work to buy a farm. Any one of these will do.

It was so nice to get out of town, even for a little while. But back to work for now...

[You can view my larger photos here]

Friday Poem

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:27:00 +0000

Near the Wall of a House

Near the wall of a house painted
to look like stone,
I saw visions of God.

A sleepless night that gives others a headache
gave me flowers
opening beautifully inside my brain.

And he who was lost like a dog
will be found like a human being
and brought back home again.

Love is not the last room: there are others
after it, the whole length of the corridor
that has no end.

Copyright 1986 by Yehuda Amichai. From Selected Poetry of Yehuda Amichai. Edited and translated by Chana Bloch and Stephen Mitchell (1986). HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., New York, NY

remembering and giving thanks

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:30:00 +0000

Today is usually a bit hard for me, and particularly this year, as Jill would have been 30 today. It's impossible not to imagine celebrating this day with her, instead of missing her. I try to remind myself to be thankful. For the life that I have, my dear friends, and a family that I love. I really do have so much to be thankful for. I'm also grateful for the almost daily adorable and/or hilarious text photos I receive from my sisters. They are always a good reminder of joy, and living life in the moment.

grrrr...

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:53:00 +0000

i just thought i would mention that my blog's formatting is currently making me insane. one little setting has just made most of my past posts go wonky. pictures here and there, 10 line breaks or none.... i'll fix it later. i hope.

Avery does Seattle

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

As promised, a photo recap of Avery's first visit to Seattle. I will mention that my sister does not like to fly. And this was Avery's very first flight.

So yay for both of them!

I decided to take them to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium since it was going to be a rainy day, and there are a lot of indoor areas there. Avery was pretty interested in the starfish, but there was no way she was going to put her fingers in and touch.

It was really cold (by California standards) that day, so she spent much of the visit in the cozy stroller. This picture just cracks me up.

My sister mentioned that before they got to my house, Avery asked "Will Auntie Bootie have enough toys?" Avery managed to turn the toy box into a car, and the hamper into a rocking horse. We also found one of Justin's 4 wheel dollies which promptly became a race car.

Yeah, I have lots of toys.

The next day we went to Farrel-McWhirter Farm Park in Redmond. I had never been there, but one of my friends with kids suggested it (thanks Kim!).

It has beautiful trails through the woods, and a farm.

Avery was really excited to see the "piggies".

(I can't get over how big Avery has gotten, but also how tiny she is.)

Then we headed to Seattle (or as Avery would say: We ARE in SEATTLE!)

We made a stop at Hale's Brew Pub for lunch,

and then went down to the Pike Place Market.

Of course we got some treats.

And then a quick stop by Kerry Park for the view.

Thanks for visiting Avery, Leslie, & Mom! Come back again soon!

HOW is it November already?

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:31:00 +0000

It is currently pouring outside, freezing, and the lovely fall leaves are almost gone. It's times like these I wish we had a woodstove so I could spend the day curled up like a lazy cat. But I can't really complain...Mar will make fun because she is certainly much colder.

We've been super busy this month keeping our shop stocked (which, I realize, is not a bad problem to have...) and are almost to our 200th sale! If you want to enter our giveaway, you can "like" us on Facebook. The giveaway will be announced when we hit #200. I still can't believe it has been a year since we opened the online shop. Time flies!

I decided this summer that I would teach myself how to silkscreen...and then my silkscreening supplies sat collecting dust for months. But I finally got organized and made a few designs. I love the way they turned out! I have been spending the evenings silkscreening and we are now carrying baby onesies, and burpcloths and toddler tees will be in the shop soon. I haven't really ventured into the adult t-shirt arena yet. Part of me is intimidated by all the awesome shops out there already, and I also wonder if I would be spreading myself too thin. But I am having a blast with the kid stuff.

And speaking of kids, my adorable niece, Avery Juliet came to visit last week, along with my sister and mom. Such a fun visit. A full post about that coming soon...because I can't not share pictures of that adorable girl.

the magical month of october

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:00:00 +0000

The month of October was pretty much awesome. I don't use that word lightly.

For starters, I went to the ocean TWICE. The first time, to the Oregon coast, entirely on a whim, with Andrea. It looked like this. The whole time. Amazing.
It was exactly what I needed in life.

The second time, to the Washington coast.

With THEM. I love them.

We spent the weekend running on the beach with four hilarious dogs, eating non-stop, sitting by the campfire, and sleeping in yurts and our nifty Lovedog Mobile. It was wonderful.

Meanwhile, I turned THIRTY.

30 is delicious, thanks to Brittany.

And then we flew kites on the beach like maniacs.
I'm alright with this getting older thing provided there are more months like this ahead.
Thanks friends for the awesome time. I love you.

The 2011 ornaments are here!

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:36:00 +0000

Available now in our Etsy shop!

And more on the way...as soon as Justin makes them!

Clams in wine sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Things I have learned recently: Cooking clams is kind of creepy. Eating fresh cooked clams is delicious. I will somehow have to reconcile these facts.

I love seafood. However, I have never personally cooked fresh clams before. I consider myself a pescetarian, and am slightly weirded out by cooking animals in general. But how can you not be, really? I suppose I sort of knew they were still alive when I purchased them, but I wasn't prepared to hear them making noises when I cleaned them. They also make a noise when you cook them, which might be attributed to the shells opening in the heat, or them suffering in hot liquid. And because I felt guilty about all that, I almost did not eat them. That would have been a mistake for two reasons: 1) they were already dead at that point 2) they were fantastically delicious. Sorry clams.

While this is beginning to sound like an altogether unappealing post, if you decide to cook clams, I say go for it. Someone else will eat them if you don't. Here's a simple recipe if this is your first try:

1 lb of fresh clams (cleaned)

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup dry white wine (I used chardonnay)

1 pinch dried oregano

1 pinch dried parsley

1 pinch dried red pepper flakes

small bunch of fresh chives (optional garnish)

Melt butter in pan, add garlic and saute briefly. Add wine, dried herbs, pepper and clams. Steam with the lid on for about 5 minutes (until all the shells open up). Ladle clams and broth into bowls. Snip fresh chives over bowls. Serve with toasted bread, and a glass of chardonnay. Serves 2 as an appetizer or light dinner.

my favorite pie!

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Could it really be that in all my talk of berry season and berry picking, I forgot to post my berry pie recipe? It seems I did!

LoveDog Ranch Black & Blue Pie

You will need:

4 cups fresh blackberries or blueberries or a combination of both

3/4 cup sugar (more or less to your own conscience)

3 tablespoon corn starch

2 pie shells (secret: I use store bought. gasp.)

1. Pick blackberries & blueberries. Don't skimp the triple wash. It really makes a difference!

2. Preheat oven to 425. If you are using frozen store-bought shells, pop one out of the tin to allow it to thaw flat for the top of the pie. Thaw the other in the tin.

3. Mix the berries, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

4. Pour mixture into bottom shell.

5. Cover with top shell and use a fork to crimp edges to create a good seal between top and bottom crust. Laugh at the longing eyes of your puppy dog.

6. Use a knife to make vents. These are not just for looks-- make sure you get a good clean puncture, otherwise the filling may vent out the edges*.

7. Put pie in oven on middle rack. Lay a piece of tinfoil loosely on top of the pie.

8. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.

9. Remove piece of tinfoil, and place pie onto a cookie sheet. Turn oven temperature to 350, and return pie to oven for 30 more minutes on the cookie sheet, uncovered.

10. Remove, allow to cool, and admire your lovely pie. Then EAT IT! And maybe share some with your friends.

*evidently my vents didn't "vent"... but still delicious.

hunters and gatherers

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:00:00 +0000

I may be the gatherer at LoveDog Ranch, but this guy is clearly the hunter.

He also makes some delicious smoked salmon.

And even better smoked salmon benedict.

Perfection.

So much good stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Brooklyn) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Like millions of people in small towns across America, over Labor Day Weekend Justin and I went to the fair. I don't remember the last time I went to a fair, but I had no idea it was going to be so cool. Yes, that might make me a small town hick, but this hick was impressed. Small town America knows how to have a good time. Have YOU ever seen a pig race?

There were farm animals galore--every breed of chicken, rabbit, pigeon, sheep, cow, pig, and goat. Well, maybe not every breed, but enough to overwhelm the non-farmer.

And on top of all of this, we ate ridiculous quantities of fried foods, saw a Nascar* race and a lumberjack competition (log rolling, pole climbing, ax throwing, sawing, and other things I know nothing about but which were equally enthralling). AND on top of that, a RODEO! I can't really express how much I love the rodeo. I know, Peta* will be disappointed once they find out, but rodeos are so exciting. And neither animal nor rider were injured. So everyone wins. But especially me.

If you did not have the great pleasure of attending a fair this weekend, you can look through the rest of the photos here, and better luck next year. And if you live near Puget Sound, you can still catch the Puyallup Fair!

*spell check tells me it's NASCAR and PETA but I thought I'd refrain from shouting (though I'm nearly deaf from the car race so I couldn't hear myself if I shouted anyway). And to be clear, I do not believe in injuring animals for entertainment. There is a delicate balance between the recreational use of an animal, and watching a cowboy be tossed through the air for bragging rights. In which case, I do believe the animal takes his revenge anyway.