n o d d y b o o m

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lately, the kids have been begging to go to the rings in venice.  they swing from ring to ring, naturally.  like it's nothing.  like they were born to fly.  like you don't need calluses or special equipment or years of training to do this sort of thing.  i watch in awe and snap photos.  there is nooooo way i am even going to approach those things.  my job is to hoist the kids up and give them a first push and then stand back and gape.  we met this one guy from japan who can practically do flips while swinging from one ring to the next.  we applaud his efforts and he says, "oh, that pass was just okay".  uh huh.  he told us he came all the way out here just because of these particular rings.  "it's the best exercise", he says.  we smirk at the idea of someone coming half way across the world for this ring park that's practically at our back door,  this park that we've pretty much ignored for years, but seriously, this guy is in incredible shape, so he must know what he's talking about.  wow.  where have i been?

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sweet peas

 

really quite dying to try out the cake recipe here with the  whip cream frosting.  seems so perfect for summer with strawberries.  mmmm.

hope your weekend is sweet.

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lemon tahini sauce

adapted from the one found on page 206 of feeding the whole family

1/2 cup tahini

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

juice of 1 1/2 lemons

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon soy sauce

pinch of cayenne or sprinkle of hot chili oil

3/4 cup water

blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.  allow mixture to set for 1/2 hour or so to allow the flavors to meld.  sauce will keep in the fridge 10-14 days.

i used to love getting this stuff at a health food store i worked at way back when i was 18.  i poured it all over steamed veggies and brown rice and beans and devoured it.  i still love it.  it makes for a quick meal if you happen to have rice and beans or veggies or even noodles lying around. 

i'm torn between reading the shack and diving into the second book in the "girl with the dragon tattoo" series.  so many good choices these days.

oh, and look at these cool notebooks!

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gluten free blueberry muffins from a package mix

mmmmm.

quiet around here.  back to somber skies, cooler weather.  strange summer this has been, weather wise.  still waiting for the endless blazing heat to appear suddenly, forcing me to succumb to a.c.  it has yet to arrive and here we are at the end of july.  no camp today.  just organizing things around the home, now that we're back.  i've got the kids stamping all their artwork and stashing it piece by piece into a portfolio i had that used to be for random knitting patterns i had printed up at one point.  bye knitting patterns.  that should keep those kids busy for a few minutes. 

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mt. tam

 

more photos from our brief sojourn north.

this is the mountain chris spent most of his childhood on.  we hiked it in the blistering heat, g leading the way, marley and i behind, all drippy and hot and moany.  the views at the top were spectacular.  we passed loads of drippy, hot, moany hikers on the way down and cheered them along.

enjoy your day.

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" 'what do you have tape on your nose for?'

'exactly.' "

bottlerocket  (such a fun, quirky, beautifully shot film).

coastal route north

miles of road stretched ahead, cool skies, dusty roadside flowers reaching their pretty heads toward the sun, elephant seals that bark at the waves and roll and wiggle and just lay there, cramped quarters, little eyes remembering the last time we saw this place, squabbles, reststops, the deep blue icy sea crashing on rocks and sandy beaches, lots of time to think...

check out this article on the decline of creativity in the u.s.  thoughts...?

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Roadtripping

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in progress :::

collections of fabric scraps and yarn endings + other things for spinning, for a possible summer project i might be involved in.

i keep catching sinus colds.  so annoying.  i think i've had 4 in a row.  back to back congestion + scratchy throat + fatigue.  yuck.  today i am making nettle tea in the hopes of healing/staving off more sinus issues.  any other suggestions?

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