soy vegan, ahora

i’ve gone vegan.

before ya’ll freak out that i’ve freaked out and finally let the pinko-commie p-land air and it’s incessant precipitation get to my head... please know it’s only a temporary detox to see what’s making my joints and muscles hate me... and also know that i still love dairy. at least we’ll always have that.

segue: and also, i’m not about flinging blood-simulating ketchup at passerby mink-wearing nuevo-reich while wearing a fox costume. (i’ve always wondered at PETA, who [incidently being one of the most morally bereft and offensive organizations.... i won’t even tell you why; you’d puke.], being so disgusted by the exploitation of animals, would engage in hurling apparent body fluids of said innocent animals on their fellow mankind in attempts to proselytize them. does anyone else see a contradiction here? i love all God’s creatures but enjoy a nice steak, and that totally grosses me out.)

but while researching the strange world of no animal products, and that word "strange" is used only for lack of a more articulate word, i found this snippet on www.reallynatural.com:

People who ate a low-fat vegan diet, cutting out all meat and dairy, lowered their blood sugar more and lost more weight than people on a standard American Diabetes Association diet, researchers said on Thursday.
They lowered their cholesterol more and ended up with better kidney function, according to the report published in Diabetes Care, a journal published by the American Diabetes Association.
Participants said the vegan diet was easier to follow than most because they did not measure portions or count calories. Three of the vegan dieters dropped out of the study, compared to eight on the standard diet.
"I hope this study will rekindle interest in using diet changes first, rather than prescription drugs," Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine, which helped conduct the study, told a news conference.

wouldn’t it be just that more horrible if the very foods we loved the most were working hard to hurt us? i’m hoping it’s not the case with me. chronic pain vs. delicious food.

if such is the case, my constant prayer will henceforth be: God, please make there be dairy in heaven. didn’t you say the promised land would be flowing with milk and honey?

las palabras

just so you know... i did not win this round. actually. if i were to be completely honest with myself and the world around me...
i didn't win any rounds this weekend. four days with my mom playing scrabble. four day losing to my mom playing scrabble. at least she didn't score any stupid bingos. you know, the ones where you use all yr letters? yeah, i'm not sure how those are done, either. though i've seen it cause my demise time and time, again. she's not lettin' on, either.
and yes. guano was mine. it means bird poo.

en la parada de autobús

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." John 7:38
this weekend i quasi-boasted about loving to talk to strangers. i am, after all, my grandfather's granddaughter and my mother's daughter.
driving home from a "tea luncheon" (isn't women's ministry funny?) i saw an elderly woman in a bright and very pink coat sitting at a bus stop. did i mention i could see her lipstick shade from my peripheral vision going 30mph? i turned my head to get another glance. i was intrigued.
God: you say you like talking to strangers? why don't you go talk to her?
Jess: what? are you serious?
God: see if she knows Jesus
(it's just like God to not answer when the questions are stupid... and sorry kids, whatever yr teacher told you, this teacher is going to tell you truth it's high time you knew: there is such a thing as a stupid question. i think i just proved that quite effectively.)
Jess: i'm losing my mind
but i figure, i've been hurting lately and people who don't know Jesus hurt all the time, so maybe i can minister to the pink lady somehow.
i make a u-dog.
Jess: maybe the bus is gone... that would be great
God: look
Jess: yeah... didn't think so
the strange thing? how easy it was.
the bummer thing?
i couldn't remember where the verse about the inerrancy of scripture was
the amazing thing?
i got the gospel to her right before the squeaking brakes pulled c-tran to a stop
the motivating thing?
couldn't remember the brilliant verse 1 Cor 15:3-4:
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...
He's gracious, though. gotta do my homework so i can do that whole being ready with an answer deally.

la cosa que ahorra, sostiene

the thing that saves, sustains.
matchless grace. grace without matching.
that God would bestow the gift of life upon me and then pour blessings upon me on top and brimming and over and above even that.
romans 8 is starting to make a lot more sense to me. this is good, since it is about living by the Spirit. the highest and noblest of callings.
who or what can be against me? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?... who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall trouble or hardship...?
He gives all good things. every good and perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights... comfort. joy.
what do the lost do without Him? my heart hurts to conjecture. a dark and scary place. it's a wonder to me the suicide rate isn't profoundly higher. tell them! Christ's love compels. tell them!

Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it,
Where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden,
Setting my spirit free;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Wonderful grace, all sufficient for me, for even me.
Broader than the scope of my transgressions,
Greater far than all my sin and shame,
O magnify the precious Name of Jesus.
Praise His Name!

árboles de cereza

So... whether or not these are the reason for my sinus misery... commensurate to their great burden upon my histamines is their beauty upon the backdrop of shiny green grass. Cherry trees are everywhere and it makes the air feel soft and fresh.
Below the tree in our backyard are crocus and daffodils, as well. It makes me sing "All on a Golden Afternoon" (Alice in Wonderland).
Spring is a good thing.

a wintry sonnet

Christina Rossetti

A Robin said: The Spring will never come,
And I shall never care to build again.
A Rosebush said: These frosts are wearisome,
My sap will never stir for sun or rain.
The half Moon said: These nights are fogged and slow,
I neither care to wax nor care to wane.
The Ocean said: I thirst from long ago,
Because earth's rivers cannot fill the main.--
When Springtime came, red Robin built a nest,
And trilled a lover's song in sheer delight.
Grey hoarfrost vanished, and the Rose with might
Clothed her in leaves and buds of crimson core.
The dim Moon brightened. Ocean sunned his crest,
Dimpled his blue, yet thirsted evermore.

schauen wir verrückt? ich denke Nr.

what is so brilliant about this is that we are so sun-kissed. a funny thing to see when currently there is snow everywhere and ice to slide in when one drives.

severe weather alert

new england and the pacific northwest have profound discrepancies in their definitions of severe weather.
new england severe: Snow flurries or snow showers. 8 inches accumulated. Very cold. High 16F. Wind gusts from 25-30 mph from NE.
pacific northwest severe: Variable rain showers with a chance of snow showers. Trace accumulation. Cold. High of 36F. Winds variable 5-8 mph.
the warning is wisely issued, however. have you seen these western-types drive in ice or snow? yikes.

xmas list

1.

for Peet's sake

peet’s is my all time favorite coffee roaster. of all time.

life increased in beauty when they decided to open coffee shops throughout the western continental u.s. i can’t remember the first one i visited, but we’ll just say it was walnut creek, california, off of ygnacio parkway. because my cousin worked there and it’s my first memory of a peet’s.

and steadily since, they’ve graced the Pacific side with shops selling not only their delicious beans but coffee drinks as well. i never knew a cappuccino could be so wonderful.

did you know they have loose leaf tea, as well? black currant is amazing. so is the royal Darjeeling.

we have often thought that our future relocations should, in fact, be determined by the location of a Peet’s. interesting fact: there are no Peet’s in Montana. bummer, huh?

skip ahead several years and we find ourselves in the Portland metro area. and while i don’t expect the ‘Couve to have a Peet’s the nearest one (to our chagrin because we knew the distance could not keep us away but just prolong the travel and increase the gas bill) was in the Hollywood district of Portland.

but... as the Lord shines His rays of happiness on His children, even in the minor details of life, He has granted us a Peet’s in the ‘Couve. and all this month the festivities roll.

on fridays when you buy anything, you get a ¼ lb of beans free. (this is an invaluable event inasmuch as i have thus discovered the bean of the year: Sierra Dorado Blend. so complex you can have it as a meal all on its own. also, while drinking it you can sing “El Dorado... Reno’s shining star... feel the excitement!” an old jingle for a casino/ski resort of some kind from the early 90’s.)

free coffee is available 1-3 pm and you can choose what size you want. and yes, i get the large, and no, i can’t get through half of it. but harken to this fact, dear reader: reheated Peet’s drip coffee tastes better than the americano or coffee any other chain can offer. every time.

one important understanding must be made. don’t microwave in the paper cups. it gets plasticky smelling. but even then, it’s the health issue that’s a concern. not the taste. reheating is king.

is this necessary? is this... pathetic? is this ghetto?

to which i respectively respond: yes. probably. and most definitely.

"a blustery day" redefined

here's the view- and understand that the picture doesn't do it justice- of the coast from North Head lighthouse in washington.

the trip to this particular lighthouse wasn't a challenge. a .25 mile walk uphill on a foggy day on a trail that hadn't seen rain in a few days. that was saturday.

today's trek was very different. today was the 150th anniversary of the Cape Disappointment lighthouse so they actually allowed civilians- not just the u.s. coast guard- to climb to the top of it and gaze upon the miles and miles of ocean.

seen here (and i would've taken a picture myself had i purchased a new lithium battery for my camera) is the Cape "D" lighthouse from the shore. it's a very stunning black and white striped thing.

but back to why it was such a gnarly trek. the gale force winds (we listened to the weather band in our friends' subaru) was like, 60 knots at 9 am. i'm not sure what that means to the commoner, but we were at the top of the cliff at noon and could lean right into the wind.

the same rain that forced us to do a mach3 break-camp at the campground below forced its way into the crevaces of our clothing (the plug for underarmor and mountain hardware comes later) as we stomped in wind, rain and mud .75 miles (i know cause it was posted, thusly) on a narrow trail up to the lighthouse. there we climbed 53 freaky, slippery metal stairs to the top and drilled the docent on duty for obscure facts like "what year did they transfer this light from kerosene to a fully automated lightbulb?" riveting.

on the way down we scoped out the coast guard station and sadly noted there were no seahawks to be seen.

things we have learned about camping in the pacific northwest:

• foul weather gear is not such a bad idea... however ridiculous it may look
• always keep the firewood in the car where it will be safe and dry
• when there is a large yellow flame on the coleman stove, know it will warp yr sissy teflon camping pans
• the log cabin model works better than the tee-pee campfire
• and towels soaked in white gas work best
• the mothers that have raised children of the 70's and 80's have within them a wellspring of camping common sense.. they themselves have spent their summers in a hot station wagon and a cold canvas tent... when they suggest you bring a butane lighter... you zip yr lip and bring one
• the same applies for when she says to bring a cast iron pan

anatidae mergus merganser

notice i'm wearing a soft shell. a black one at that. in august. while the sun is up. clearly, i am not in redding.
we went w/ fam to the hamilton brach of lake almanor. i'm seen here with a super-secret rigging of lures of a clandestine nature. we were the only ones getting any hits so it must have been a ingenius combo.
the only action i got was watching a small trout nibble at my lure and swim away laughing at his brilliant avoidance of my hook.
dad, however, nailed a 18.5 inch rainbow. very nice. i got to hike up the trail back to the car with it. we sang songs. (the fish and i).

speaking of cars... ever try to fit three adults over the 5'11' mark in the back of a 4-runner? it's a hoot.
while there, we also saw two hungry osprey catching what we were after, a belted kingfisher zooming by, and a common merganser mama and her young.

¿es el coexistance pacífico posible?

vista perfecciones

does this not look like something out of one of those expensive picture books that lots of people have on their coffee tables but seldom read themselves?
but nay, we were actually here at panther meadows on the south side of mount shasta on saturday. the bubbling brook running through the lush grass was just about the most soothing and heavenly sound we'd ever heard. pam, bryan and i agreed that it was a great day to visit the mountain with the thunder and cool breeze rolling over us.

we all rawred for the camera, drank some homemade mochas, and discussed life's deepest issues like... are we going to get struck by lightning? and, should we maybe get in the car now? and isn't it cool how God made this great big earth for us to tromp in?

pursed and furrowed

that described my lips and brow as the lady at the coffee shop gave me her timid 2 cents about why she served my iced doppio in a 8 oz instead of 12 oz like she said she would. so i questioned it, of course. she replies:
"are you going to milk in it?"
(is that any of her business? i might just put a bit of hydrocodone in it, too. what's it to her? she might call the cops. this is, after all, a christian coffee shop [now there's a subject for future discussion])
"just a bit of half & half" (as i am on a breve kick this summer)
"okay, cause then we would usually charge you for a latte. just to let me know."
(didn't she see me counting out nickels to pay for this out of obligation for using their wireless service?) and (duh. the extra cost is why i asked for a doppio on the rocks. again, i only use a little half & half.)
"well the lattes are too strong" (full of milk i mean)
latte infers the heating of milk, yes? when you pour 2 shots of espresso on ice and add 2%, how can that be considered a latte? allow me to paste from the dictionary website maintained by none other than Princeton University (if we can't trust them, who can we trust?)
latte n : strong espresso coffee with a topping of frothed steamed milk
ha! at what point does the pouring of everyday (non-organic and 2% i might add) milk from a jug constitute a latte?
seems to me the extra price of a latte results from the energy spent in heating said milk under a potentially dangerous situation (every had a steam burn? ouch?) and that is clearly not what would have happened here. clearly she would add a bit of said "jug milk" to my doppio and ice. cause i know she wouldn't have heated the milk and then added to the espresso. would she have? heated then cooled milk? hm.
there's so much to learn about the barista's life. so much.

ode to a greasy urn

aside from the profound maiming potential of a standard garbage disposal, consider the convenience of said appliance. then, further consider life and regular kitchen goings on without the use of such a machine.

is the picture painted a bleak one?

it should be.

the standard disposal (as seen here... i like that it's called a badger. a rather viscious toothy mammal.) is used for only one purpose, yet its spectrum of application is worth stewing over. common knowledge is its purpose to grind nasties up well enough so the household plumbing doesn’t require the sucking snake of purification. the diposal’s execution... during the clean-up of meals, the riddance of peels and skins (except of course of particularly sinewy material in which case you would mourn the day of their sacrifice to the pit as you will surely cause its very bane), the scrapping of spoiled and otherwise inedible foods (by the by, if you leave your standard cheese sauce made from a roux that has been combined with cheddar and a dash of cayenne and paprika, you will find a cultivation of disturbing pools of magenta substance), and of course, the drainage of dishwasher ickies ...is wonderful, resplendent, nay, even pulchritudinous.

however, any machine use is machine wear. i heard that so brilliantly stated during an informational video on gasoline and diesel engines in a small machine technology class i subbed for last month, (which was a nightmare i am quite beholden to forget).

when this appliance becomes defunct it is one thing to deftly and thoroughly scrape food items into the trash can (which necessitates more frequent removal of this bin’s contents to the dumpster than normal… but happily this is not my job). but it is another thing entirely to watch the month’s decrepit protoplasm and remains seep up into the sink in a swirling cyclone of putrescence leaving its particles and slag for the world to see and smell after the liquid has slowly ebbed away.

Let it snow...

It snowed today and it may snow tomorrow. But the people of the Pacific Northwest are not of the same stuff as New England. A dusting of 2 inches and the schools shut down. Pathetic. But it's for the best. B couldn't even get to school in Portland cause there was 2 accidents on the bridge. People don't know how to drive in this stuff.

cuando tengo que comer una hamburguesa

there are many advantages of not dining out:

• save scratch
• know what's in yr grub
• don't get ill from potential gorging
  
• using yr own bathroom
• avoiding inflated prices
• eat in peace
• no annoying doggy bags to feel obligated to eat out of as seen here
  

these are things i must remind myself of when i crave a juicy cheeseburger and frothy soda.

forget gore-tex

monday, we went to the Seattle zoo. forget the space needle. this was the best zoo i've ever visited. it was raining and cold. we saw maybe fifty other visitors. it was a perfect day.
the whole place is laid out like a system of trails cutting through the wilderness. each trail head indicates entrance to another area of the world. southeast asian, african sahara...
my favorite was the pacific northwest trail. there was a pair of brown bears sleeping on their sides, their front paws propped against each other like a dreamy dance. streams bubble over rocks and pools of water teeming with salmon. a beautiful herd of elk roamed the expansive enclosure. eery white-grey wolves stood silent following us with their eyes. it was the most pristine and authentic representation of an environment i've seen.
here's perfect weather-proofing: the incessant rain rolling off one of the two bald eagles' feathered backs.

karrotesuppe
let's discuss delicious vegetarian options for dinner, supper, or even a very hearty (and maybe desperate and creative) breakfast. this soup is great even as a gespacho. no kidding, even picky kids (or husbands for that matter) will likely enjoy this bowl. soooo easy as well. 50 min. tops. ready?
1. sweat like, 3-4 chopped shallots in a bit of olive oil
2. add 6-8 peeled and coined carrots and 2 T sherry/white wine
3. add a pinch of nutmeg and toss to coat and mingle the flavors
4. add 4 cups of veggie broth ( i love Better than Bouillon)
5. salt and pepper
6. bring to boil and simmer for 30-40 min.
7. skim any scum
8. blend till smooth with 1 cup milk
grub! tastes great with cracked pepper on top.