Category: Life in the Pacific Northwest

Semi-Formal

I received an invitation to our chief cardiac surgeon’s retirement party. The appropriate attire was listed as “semi-formal.” So the physicians and operating room staff should show up in dress scrubs? (I’d rarely seen some of them in street clothes in the five years I’ve worked with them.) Since Seattle is a pretty casual town, …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/11/10/semi-formal/

Sunset for the Garden

The padron peppers have pooped out. The basil was becoming brown, as was the red shiso. It was time for these plants to go the way of all things – the compostable can. I’m having to do the composting in installments, since our can needs to hold yard waste and kitchen scraps. One pot of …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/10/20/sunset-for-the-garden/

Words of the Week

I learned a new word from a New York Times article this week. Tsundoku is a Japanese term for the stack of books that you’ve bought but have yet to read. I’m sure Julian would have a corollary term to tsundoku. So, in a pre-emptive strike, I’ll coin it for him. Tsuncooku is the shelves …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/10/18/words-of-the-week/

Housing the Collection

One of the biggest advantages of the house we rented in Seattle was the built-in bookcases in the living room that helped accommodate the cookbook collection. There are no built-ins here at Casa Sammamish, and I’ve run out of room. Thus, it was time to get more bookshelves. My current bookshelves were purchased when I …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/09/23/housing-the-collection/

Neighborhood Pace Cars

I went to a Bothell city open house on their proposed Bike Plan. As a recreational and occasional commuter cyclist, this is important. In particular, getting to the bike trail from home in the most expeditious manner requires crossing an arterial where the posted speed limit is 25 mph. In reality, most cars are going …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/09/19/neighborhood-pace-cars/

Gardening: Worth the Price?

Julian and I have had running discussions on the cost-effectiveness of our little upper-deck garden. He’s dubious that the cost layout for the seeds, plants, soil, fertilizer, and water is worth it. My response is yes. A small sprig or two of basil costs $2 or more at the grocery store. Even during high season, …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/09/18/gardening-worth-the-price/

Welcome to the Rainy Season

Last winter and spring were very wet. We just slogged through one of the hottest and driest summers on record. Now the rain is back. How long will it take before the locals start complaining about the rain? [Note: This is the 500th post for Edible Thoughts! Thanks for reading and following along with the …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/09/15/welcome-to-the-rainy-season/

Doing Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill is a Seattle neighborhood near my workplace. I taught for a quarter at Seattle Central College, in the heart of the neighborhood. Capitol Hill has become highly gentrified in the 15 years we’ve been here. It’s also the traditional LGBT neighborhood in Seattle, with many businesses catering to this demographic. We hadn’t been …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/09/09/doing-capitol-hill/

Haiku for Summer in Seattle

A smoky Tuesday. Everybody’s wearing Matching shades of gray. This was inspired by my commute to work this morning. I looked around at my fellow bus riders and many of them were wearing gray. Maybe we’re trying to camouflage ourselves.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/08/21/haiku-for-summer-in-seattle/

Up in Smoke

This post is not about Seattle’s annual Hempfest, although it did occur this weekend. The wildfires in the western US and Canada have resulted in high levels of smoke. My hair stylist said that she and her husband encountered smoky conditions throughout their road trip to California. The air quality in Seattle last Wednesday was …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2018/08/19/up-in-smoke/

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