09.30.07
Lute and Guitar for a Sunday afternoon
We went to a small concert at the Island Music Guild this afternoon–Elizabeth Brown of Pacific Lutheran University played lute, baroque and classical guitar, and it was divine.
Her program ranged from the early 1600s to contemporary composer Leo Brouwer; my favorite piece was Prelude no. 4 by Heitor Villa-Lobos. It’s intense and introspective, and makes amazing use of harmonics. Have a listen to it (as played by another guitarist):
09.29.07
I drown it in soup
A warm, savory soup has never been so welcome! Still under the weather, with a nip in the air and rain on its way, I enjoyed a bowl of B’s pumpkin soup for dinner tonight. (Getting the kids to appreciate the sweet-savory subtleties of squash soup is another story…)
Here’s his slap-dash recipe:
1 butternut squash
2 pie pumpkins
1 32-oz box of vegetable broth
1 32-oz box of chicken broth (use only 3/4 of the box)
4 Tbsp butter
1 c. milk
2 cloves minced garlic
3 tsp.salt
dash pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Cut squash into pieces, scoop out seeds, trim rind off, and microwave until tender (about 10 min for each squash).
Pop them in the blender along with some vegetable/chicken broth (do this in several batches). Pour the puree into a stockpot and add the rest of the broth and the remaining ingredients. Simmer for an hour on very low heat.
We had crunchy garlic bread with ours; I think some cold apple cider would be great with it too.
Eagle Harbor Bookstore
Glowing, warm, clean and full, the kind of place to chat and browse and learn something new in a cozy corner, immersed in a really good book. The kind of place every bookstore should be, but is not–and that’s the magic of Eagle Harbor Bookstore, one of my favorite places to be on a wet, gray day.
Latest purchase:
A Thousand Splendid Suns (because the library’s copies were waitlisted for like 5 years out).
09.27.07
At the market
Karen at Town and Country is the most delightful grocer ever! I stopped at the seafood counter this afternoon, where A___ gawked at the big crabs, the headless salmon, the whole trout, and was startled and delighted by Karen’s flying fish coming at him–3 fish stickers she blew off the counter and into the air without warning.
09.22.07
Outing: Peace Walk
Last night we joined Bainbridge’s women in black and our UU congregation in a peace walk through Winslow. (Yesterday was International Peace Day ) The kids brought their paper doves and caught the spirit of people coming together in support of nonviolence. This was no march or rally; it was simply people walking in silence. It made a deep impression on me–I was quite moved, and glad for the rain that started falling in earnest once we arrived at Eagle Harbor Congregational Church.
Outing: Kayaking Eagle Harbor once again
This time it was in this super-long 3-person kayak, so A___ could come along.
The weather couldn’t have been more beautiful; I was disappointed at first to have to stay in the harbor (the Back of Beyond owner didn’t want us taking A___ out in 15-20 knot wind outside the harbor) but it was a great workout of 1 1/2 hours in cool wind and bright sunshine!
We saw several cormorants flapping their wings in a gentle, humorous way–sometimes the movements were vigorous, but more often it was just the wing tips that would flap, suggesting an elderly bird with tremors. I imagine they were drying their feathers and soaking up the sun, just like us.
This one looks like a double-crested cormorant.
09.19.07
Flora & Fauna: Friendly Frog
The girls noticed this little guy hanging out on the side of the house as they left for school this morning. After last night’s rain, he was probably just looking for a place to dry out a little!
09.18.07
I fight it with fire
Now that the weather has turned unmistakably toward autumn, with the famous drizzle and gray, a kind of somber and reflective mood takes root. Which is very nice in its way, but it can get to be too much of a good thing. Having been well-warned against the dark and depressing days of fall/winter in the Northwest, I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve.
A form of task lighting: a candle on the table at dinner, even a tiny votive, makes everything seem warmer.
Even better: sitting in front of the fireplace in the evening.
09.16.07
Outing: Kayaking Eagle Harbor
Finally! Contentment and exertion, glassy water and cool air, water birds and the clean smell of trees all combined in a perfect hour of kayaking on Saturday afternoon. I’m totally hooked. I want to go out every day, I want to kayak to Blake Island, I’m thrilled by the thought that if we just kept paddling, we could make it to Chile someday. The very friendly staff at Back of Beyond got us set up and suggested a route up the harbor.
We saw this heron sitting as still as could be, and as we passsed close by, it simply began stepping slowly from foot to foot, watching us and probably more aware of our movements than we were of his. (It looks like a Great Blue Heron to me–the Audubon guide says they’re mainly grayish.)
Soccer
For the next couple of months, Saturday mornings will find us at the soccer fields at Battle Point Park. Yesterday morning was S___’s first soccer game; the way Parks and Rec soccer goes, it’s all about learning and having fun and not worrying too much about winning. Abandon all positions! Just run after the ball! S___was, I’m sorry to say, a bit overwhelmed. She kept running with her hand up in the air, signalling to her coach for most of the game that she wanted to be rotated out. We tried not to be too amused. Hopefully with some more encouragement, she’ll enjoy the rest of the season.
