Jun 12

Meet the New Ride

Meet Flash, my “new” bike. As with Harvietta, this was a secondhand bike. This one was handed over by Julian. He decided he didn’t need to put his shoulder at risk by riding a bike. It’s much lighter than the old bike. It’s also silver. One guy passed me on the trail a couple of weeks ago and complimented me on how shiny it is. (Naturally, I didn’t tell him it had barely been ridden before I got it.)

Flash.

The one drawback of my new ride is the lack of a “granny gear”. I have several short steep slogs on my usual rides where the granny gear makes a difference between riding and walking the bike uphill. One may be forthcoming, when I get the bike fully fitted to my frame.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/06/12/meet-the-new-ride/

Jun 12

This Year’s Garden

So to speak. Our “garden” consists of the south-facing upper deck and a few square feet of semi-shade near the front door walkway. We also have some planters in deep shade on said walkway. Last week I emptied the soil out so Julian could paint them. Eventually I may try to put some ferns in the planters.

We’re talking shady!

I bought two Padron pepper plants back in April. The perennial herbs I had left over from last year (mint, rosemary, chives) looked pretty sad from the rainy winter and spring, so I ditched them. Last weekend we went hunting for replacements, along with basil. First we went to Molbak’s. This store is gardeners’ heaven. We got a few herbs there, along with a shiso plant. This is my experiment of the year. The red leaves are a nice contrast to the other herbs, plus shiso is tasty. I put some on an herb plate to go along with a Thai shrimp red curry.

After we left Molbak’s we stopped at the Yakima Fruit Stand and got a few more herbs. Julian also wanted a couple of hanging baskets. We got a fuchsia for the entry, along with a mixed petunia pot for the upper deck. The hummingbirds love the petunias. We also have a legit hummingbird feeder, but these freeloaders will hit both the basket and the feeder. Julian has his camera and tripod set up by the sliding glass door so he can take photos of the hummers. Stay tuned for those pics.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/06/12/this-years-garden/

Jun 05

Flower Communion

Like many Unitarian Universalists (UU), my favorite service of the year is Flower Communion. Each person brings a flower, places it in a common basket, then leaves with a different flower. The flowers may come from gardens, farmers’ markets, or the grocery store. This ritual is not imbued with the deep symbolism of Christian Communion; rather, it is in the sharing of beauty by the community. It’s also to commemorate a World War II martyr and Unitarian minister, Dr. Norbert Capek (pronounced Cha-peck).

Dr. Capek served the Unitarian congregation in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Under his leadership, it grew to over 3000 members and was the largest Unitarian congregation in the world at the time. He initiated Flower Communion in his church in 1923, at the last service before the summer. When the Nazis took over Czechoslovakia in 1939, Dr. Capek’s message of the inherent worth and dignity of everyone did not conform with the conquerors’ idea of the master race. The Nazis arrested him, made him participate in “scientific experiments”, and eventually executed him in 1942. His wife and children escaped to the United States, where they settled in the Boston area and introduced Flower Communion to Unitarian congregations on this continent.

Yesterday on my way out of the driveway, I snipped a couple of rhododendron clusters off a bush in the front yard. A bee was in a neighboring cluster, so I wisely left her alone to do her work. I set my contribution on a table in the foyer of the church and set up the bookstore for the day.

The baskets of flowers were brought in during the introductory music and laid on a table in front of the chapel. Flowers played a role in other facets of the service: The dedication of a baby (a long-stemmed rosebud stripped of the thorns), and a celebration of graduating high school seniors (long-stemmed roses with the thorns left on). Before blessing the flowers, our senior minister read a letter Dr. Capek wrote to his wife the night before he was killed. The letter miraculously made it to her. It’s hard to remain stoic during the reading of that letter. Finally the congregation was called up by rows to select their flowers while singing a hymn written by Dr. Capek, Color and Fragrance. I chose an iris.

The definitive book on Dr. Capek, Norbert Fabian Capek by retired UU minister Richard Henry, is out of print. However, if you saw Ken Burns’s Defying the Nazis, Dr. Capek and the Prague congregation were featured in that film. Dr. Capek met the Sharps at the Prague train station to help them begin their operation to get people out of Nazi-occupied Europe.

In these times, the message of Dr. Capek is more resonant than ever. We need to support the inherent worth and dignity of all against assaults by those in power. Jews, Gypsies, disabled, and gays were targeted back in World War II; now immigrants and Muslims are called out for abuse. Resolve to love your neighbor, regardless.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/06/05/flower-communion/

May 29

Olympic Feats

We went to the Olympic Peninsula for the day on Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend. For you readers Back East, the standard elementary school map depiction of Washington state resembles a hitchhiker’s fist. The “thumb” is the Olympic Peninsula. There are a few small cities, but most of the peninsula is occupied by Olympic National Park. This park encompasses numerous ecosystems: The rocky Pacific coast; a temperate-zone rain forest; and the Olympic Mountains.

The fastest (usually) way to get to the Olympic Peninsula from the Seattle area is to take the Edmonds-Kingston ferry. Bring patience and some reading material for the wait. At peak times you could be sitting in your car for up to two hours before driving onto the boat. Walk-on or bicycle passengers often don’t need to wait, but transit options are limited on the other side. Luckily, we waited about an hour to board the ferry on Saturday. The crossing to Kingston takes 1/2 hour or less. There’s a snack bar, and the bow of the boat is open so you can take pictures or (if you must) do the cheesy “I’m king of the world” pose from the movie Titanic.

Our first destination after getting off the ferry was Sequim (pronounced skwim) and lunch. We ate at a breakfast/lunch restaurant called the Oak Table Café. After that, we drove up to the Dungeness Spit National Wildlife Refuge. Unfortunately for us, many others had the same idea. Parking was non-existent, so we left. Since the main attraction of Sequim, the lavender fields, weren’t in bloom yet, we headed west.

Port Angeles is the largest city on the northern peninsula. We often visit on July 4 weekend for its community parade and fireworks. It also has a ferry terminal for day trips to Victoria, British Columbia. Port Angeles’s main industry back in the day was logging. (Word to the wise: Do not openly complain about the clear-cut hills you saw on the way into town lest you want to get a broken jaw.) These days the biggest attraction is the National Park. One of the biggest draws for us was Olympic Bagel, which made the best bagels we’d found in Washington. Alas, it closed since our last visit. Since we were headed in the right direction, we drove into the park to go to Hurricane Ridge.

Much of the high country in Olympic National Park is inaccessible by car alone. Hurricane Ridge is an exception. We found ourselves in line again to enter the park. We imagined the park ranger at the entrance doing triage on the tourists:

  • Subaru with occupants wearing hiking boots and backpacks: Welcome, have fun.
  • Minivan with kids in the back: Welcome, but stay near the visitors’ center and keep the munchkins within reach.
  • BMW convertible with occupants wearing miniskirts and spike heels: Where do you think you are, Bellevue? Get out of here!

It was very early in the season to be on Hurricane Ridge. Snowdrifts still covered the hills and the periphery of the parking area. Cars and the mere mortals therein were blocked from going farther than the visitors’ center. There were some deer grazing on the patches of open meadow. Most of what we saw were tourists ignoring the signs to stay off the patches of open meadow nearest the visitors’ center. After we used the restrooms and bought some iced tea at the snack bar, we went back to town. Julian drove down, but he wisely curbed his impulse to play Grand Prix driver on the hairpin curves. (I don’t want to replace Die Frau just yet.)

The consolation prize after a frequently frustrating day was dinner at Bella Italia in Port Angeles. This is our favorite dinner place in town, even if it’s immortalized in the Twilight books as where Edward and Bella had their first date. The food is always excellent. We both had the porchetta, stuffed rolled pork loin. Julian asked the waitress if our dish would resemble the porchetta we saw in France (below). She assured us it would be less whole-hog.

La porchetta vera.

Luckily, we didn’t have long to wait to catch the ferry home. The rest of our morning travel companions either took a later ferry or stayed on the Peninsula for the weekend. For a change on one of these day trips, I was in bed by 11 pm.

 

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/05/29/olympic-feats/

May 21

The Last Ride

Happy trails, old friend.

Now that I’ve inherited Julian’s bike, the Bianchi (aka Harvietta) needed to be passed on to another rider. Some of you recall that I inherited Harvietta from my friend and grad school roommate Jennifer when she had to choose between riding a recumbent and giving up rock-climbing with her dad. Jennifer commuted on the bike and took it to Europe at least once. For my part, Harvietta commuted to and from work and participated in five Danskin Triathlons. Not bad for a 30-year-old bike.

We donated Harvietta to Bike Works. Jennifer actually suggested this worthy cause several years ago. Bike Works sells affordable refurbished bikes. It also trains youngsters how to ride and fix bikes. I also donated the removable car bike rack, since I can fit a bike in my car (with the front wheel off). It was bittersweet to leave her there, but I think she’s got more adventures ahead of her.

 

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/05/21/the-last-ride/

May 18

First Bike Commute of the Year

I finally took the bike to work today. Between the dislocated pinky and the rainy seasons, I hadn’t done so in nine months.
Today was a bit different. I have a new ride: Julian bestowed his bike on me. It rides well and weighs much less than my old bike, but I do miss the “granny gear” on the pedal. The topography around here necessitates that extra gear lest you wind up walking the bike uphill, which I consider a moral failing. Otherwise, the trip home was good. I managed to pass some younger cyclists on the trail. The weather was quite comfortable for riding.

Since tomorrow is Bike to Work Day, I’ll reprise my commute – and maybe pick up some swag in the process.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/05/18/first-bike-commute-of-the-year/

May 14

A Year in the Life of the Early-Morning Lap Swimmers

Over the years, I’ve noticed a certain pattern in the comings and goings of my fellow swimmers.
January: The New Years’ resolutioneers arrive.
February: 50% of the New Years’ resolutioneers are no longer swimming.
March: 90% of the New Years’ resolutioneers are no longer swimming.
April: The first wave of triathlon trainees arrive.
May: The second, more desperate wave of triathlon trainees arrive.
June: The folks who belong to private outdoor pools leave for the summer.
July: The triathlon trainees leave to start open-water training.
August: The quiet month, as many regulars fit in vacation before school starts. The pool sometimes closes this month for regular maintenance.
September: The folks who belong to private outdoor pools return. New lifeguards often appear.
October, November: The high school swimmers arrive to practice as we leave.
December: The annual Burgermaster breakfast.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/05/14/a-year-in-the-life-of-the-early-morning-lap-swimmers/

May 13

Rant of the Day

I grew up in an area of upstate New York near Lake Ontario that’s known for fertile bottom land, affectionately referred to as muck by the locals. Onions grow spectacularly well in this soil. Many of the kids I went to school with had families in the onion-farming and shipping business. So my question for Seattle-area grocery stores is simple: Why are the onions and garlic here so bad? Are they shipped 3000 miles? Not stored properly? I have to pick through mounds of onions to find one that’s mold-free. As for the garlic, it can be hard to find heads that don’t have rotting or sprouting cloves.  It doesn’t matter which grocery store I go to, the onions are in sad shape. Maybe our growing friends in the Skagit Valley can repurpose their fields to grow onions after the tulips are done blooming.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/05/13/rant-of-the-day/

May 12

A Resonant Quote

I’ve been reading a lot of history lately. It helps me make sense of the world and reassures me that, despite overwhelming chaos, things can turn out for the better.

I just finished A World Made New: Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I’ve always been a fan of Mrs. Roosevelt, and this book outlines her work with the United Nations shortly after FDR’s death. I found this quote in the last few pages of the book. It comes from a second book, Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism. It was chillingly resonant of the current situation:

“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction (i.e., the reality of experience) and the distinction between true and false (i.e., the standards of thought) no longer exist.”

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/05/12/a-resonant-quote/

May 11

Déjà Vu All Over Again

(I apologize to the late, legendary Yogi Berra in advance.)

The Watergate break-in and cover-up occurred while I was in high school. I remember watching the Senate Watergate Committee hearings and the House Impeachment Committee deliberations. My friend Lee Anne wore an “Impeachment with Honor” t-shirt in the senior play picture for the yearbook. She also wrote a sly speech on bugging devices for English class. I first heard about the “Saturday Night Massacre”, when Special Counsel Archibald Cox was fired, when Mom picked my sister and me up from roller-skating.

There are some obvious differences between the current situation and Watergate. Watergate was strictly domestic, whereas Russki-Gate crosses borders and is more ominous for our body politic. Nixon and his team (other than the actual Watergate burglars) had some experience in government. The current crew has much less experience in the delicate dance of getting productive things done for the American people.

There is one similarity that I haven’t heard discussed in the media, real or fake. There’s a reason Woodward and Bernstein called their book on Watergate “All the President’s Men“. About the only female character in the book was Nixon’s personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods. It was alleged that she was responsible for the 181/2-minute gap on a key tape. There’s an iconic picture of Ms. Woods stretched out at her desk in the posture required to stop recording. (Let’s just say that she was not very limber, and that theory was shot.) Women also play peripheral roles in the current situation. Kellyanne Conway and Sarah Huckabee Sanders are the poor souls attempting to keep pace with the ever-shifting explanations of the White House shenanigans. Even Ivanka’s meticulously-manicured fingerprints are nowhere to be seen.

Although some of the antics are comical, the consequences are deadly serious. We’re heading for a rocky year or two that could make Watergate look like a minor offense. Fasten your seat belts, friends.

Addendum: Tapes? Did somebody say tapes? Julian was dubious: “They haven’t used tapes in at least 15 years.”

 

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/05/11/deja-vu-all-over-again/

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