Lunch

I haven't been up for much grocery shopping lately. I know, I know, how odd that someone who loves to cook, who even makes a (tiny) profit from it occasionally, would have bouts of "I just don't know what to make!" Well, I did make caprese (again) the other night which required a short trip to Ward's. I bought too many tomatoes, which inspired my lunch today.

Doc had cilantro and half a lime left in my fridge from his guacamole, and I had impulsively bought dandelion greens (when I went for tomatoes) for salad, so I put this together for lunch and I must say, it was really delicious. I have leftover pesto too, so I may use it for something else tonight!

Random things from fridge wrap:

Cilantro pesto:
bunch of cilantro
walnuts
couple small pieces red onion
1/2 a lime, squeezed
splash of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
olive oil

I whirred it around in my mini-processor and tasted it a couple times, adding more oil and cilantro to balance the lime. Once it was right, I slathered a flour tortilla with it, arranged sliced tomatoes on top of the pesto, sprinkled shredded cheddar and swiss (pre-shredded and left over from quiche last week) over that, layered some sour cream and dandelion leaves on top, burrito-rolled it, and ate it.

I was so hungry that I didn't even wait to take a photo.

It was so. good.

Hostel in the Forest and the Veggie Bus Tour

February 20, 2011

We arrived yesterday, my boyfriend and I, and were greeted by smiling souls and pointed in the direction of our "hut," the bamboo hut, a tree house just off the main area of the Hostel. When we got up there, it became clear that the previous night's guest had not gone yet. No nap just yet, then. It was well though, because after putting our things in one corner, we set off to explore the hostel. We found the kitchen and more happy people, and put our contributions in the refrigerator. We sat by the lake, kissing.

While walking about, we were unexpectedly beckoned to join the "veggie bus tour." "Are we going somewhere, does the Hostel have a bus?," I thought, but, since we could not yet nap, we followed along, until we came to the "topsy turvy bus," pictured here:

(picture from the Teva Learning Center's website)

It was quite a sight! Jonathan and his crew from the Teva Learning Center explained to us that the bus was originally created by Tom Kennedy and his crew of "car artists" and commissioned by Ben Cohen, of Ben and Jerry's fame, to highlight government spending on defense vs. education, and how it should be "flipped." The bus was then acquired by the "White House Organic Farm Project" who lobbied to have the front lawn of the White House (all grass :( ) turned into an organic farm. Then the Obamas came and Michelle made a back yard into an organic garden where the first family gets a lot of their food. :) The Project tried to sell the bus, but couldn't, so they donated it the the Teva Learning Center, a Jewish Ecological Education center based in the Northeast. Jonathan, a project coordinator for TLC, converted the bus to run on vegetable oil, hired a crew, and the Veggie Bus Tour was born. Jonathan explained how they acquire waste oil from restaurants willing to give it to them, pump it into first a storage tank, then into a centrifuge filtering system, and then to the engine. The bus gets about eight miles per gallon, but with the extra large tanks filled, they can go up to 800 miles without stopping. They provide education about alternative fuels and other ecologically sound practices to children and adults at Jewish schools, centers, synagogues, etc. around the country. We're hoping and trying to arrange for a pass through Gainesville on their way back up Florida (they're heading to West Palm Beach this week).

Jonathan and Doc

After sitting in the bus, we met the young woman who had not yet left our hut. She had moved her things to the outside, which allowed us to make the bed and take a long afternoon nap in the sun-warmed hut. It was lovely, and we woke near dinner time, so we headed down and joined the folks around the fire, listening to stories and chatting like new friends do. I hula-hooped and thought about the uniqueness of the Hostel, and hoped for more places of peace (both between the humans passing through and/or living there and with the Earth) like it.

View from our hut

Inside the hut

After a delicious vegetarian dinner and helping wash dishes (there were about 35 of us there for dinner), I saw Gwen (who is in law school in Florida) hula-hooping with her hoop on fire. She's very graceful and the hoop appears to move around her without her effort. This was quite a sight, as well. After more fire chats, songs, and a skit by the veggie bus crew, we retire (early?) to the Bamboo hut. I brought an electric blanket from home, and I'm glad, for the sun has set and the hut is no longer warm. We make love before drifting to sleep, only to be awakened many many times by a confused rooster crowing all night! I thought they only crowed at dawn? Next time, ear plugs!

In the morning, I was aware of my discomfort being naked outdoors, even though the shower faces the woods and is quite private. Even if I could be seen, what would be the harm? I know this intellectually, but have been conditioned to these feelings. Fighting it, I enjoy the hot water which warms me only while I'm under it. The air is still quite chilly at about 9:00 am.

Returning to the hut, I see my companion is awake and we chat awhile before going to make a breakfast of bagels, Hostel eggs, over medium, and coffee. I use the last of the coffee but share by pouring small cups for all who want some. I will bring a pound of Sweetwater from Gainesville the next time I return. While chatting with another visitor, we learn of the great oak tree and nearby hammock. After packing up our things, we find it and laze a spell before heading to the beach for the afternoon.

Hammock near the oak

30. A picture of someone you miss

Shannon is one of my closest friends, and she moved to Ft. Lauderdale in the fall. We remain very close, but physical distance and busy schedules have not allowed us to see each other or even talk that frequently, and I miss going to Boca Fiesta with her. She, like me, is really an "in person" person, if you know what I mean, and even though we can keep up with one another online, nothing beats the real thing, with margaritas, of course.

29. A picture that can always make you smile

The story behind this picture is what always makes me smile. Family vacation in 2007, my niece Audrey was about five, and we were all in the hot tub after swimming for a bit in the pool. Audrey, upon entering, sitting, and feeling the bubbles, exclaimed "this is sooooooo relaxing," and we all cracked up. Maybe you have to know her to understand, but she is the most humorous child I've ever known.

28. A picture of something your afraid of

No big surprise here, right? Most of you know this is about as close as I get to a fire. I don't use lighters, and I use matches only if they are the long wooden or trigger type (so the fire is further from me). Maybe I was burned in a past life.

27. A picture of yourself and a family member

This is my Aunt Melisa. She married my Uncle Vince when I was a small child and I don't remember him without her. She's quite possibly the sweetest, most caring woman I've ever known. They met in junior high school, and still appear to be completely enamored of and devoted to each other. They have seen each other through serious health problems, losing loved ones, unemployment, and more over the past thirty years, and they still go out on dates and snuggle on the couch at family gatherings. They certainly give one hope on Valentine's Day.

26. A picture of something that means a lot to you

This is a photograph of my grandmother. I know I mentioned before how close we were and how having her things helps me keep her close. Of all those things, this old photo of her as a young woman means the most, maybe because I resemble her in appearance, it serves as a reminder that I strive to resemble her in other ways, from her talent and skill in the kitchen to her expert scrabble playing, from the way she gave patient but sound criticism and advice, to the way she kept her home neat and pretty, and from her soft hands when they squeezed mine in hard moments, to her strong two armed bear hugs and little kiss on the cheek.

25. A picture of your day

This is Portobello Ravioli with a pesto cream sauce, leftover from dinner last night at O!O, aka Tapas and 'Tinis, a local restaurant and bar I met an old dear friend at for dinner last night.

Leftover cream sauce does poorly being reheated in the microwave. It doesn't look so bad when you order it, a lovely white creamy delicious sauce on plump pasta. Now it's mostly oil and I get to be reminded of just how much fat is in there. It's still tasty though, so it passes as dinner.

I read In Watermelon Sugar today (while working!). It's a short novella and I can't really believe how many years it took to get to it. There was a free version online, and it was a small beautiful tale that I'm still not sure what I make of. I liked best that "iDeath" seemed to not be the town, but the central place they cooked, ate, walked, sat on couches near rivers, and hung paintings next to trees.

24. A picture of something you wish you could change

Yeah, yeah, I know, it's a bit cliché, but I wish I could change the world. Well, more specifically, the inhabitants of it. The organism that humans are the cells of ("society"?) is ill, I think. If I could wave my soup fairy wand and have less conflict, more peace, less greed, more kindness, less plastic, more gardens, and so on, I would.

23. A picture of your favorite book

I couldn't choose one favorite. I never can.

The Dictionary of Imaginary Places was given to me on my 9th or 10th birthday by my Grandpa. I was a very avid reader as a child and he thought it would introduce me to a whole world of classic fantasy literature. He was right, of course, though many of the books referenced in the Dictionary I have not read, satisfied with the small synopsis I did read. It goes into great detail about the backgrounds of many familiar imaginary places, like Oz, Middle Earth, Brigadoon, and Wonderland, but my favorite place was the much more obscure iDeath, "a small rural community somewhere in the United States," from In Watermelon Sugar, by Richard Brautigan, which I admit is still on the long list of books on my list to read. In iDeath, everyone eats together and there is only one industry in the town. The sun and watermelons vary in color every day and everything is made from the watermelon sugar - different colors for different types of things. It sounds like my kind of place. Anyway, I replaced my old paperback with a new edition, which includes Hogwarts from the Harry Potter series. The pages were literally falling out of the old one.

Siddartha was the first book I read with any spiritual undertones (perhaps undertones is an understatement) besides maybe parts of the Bible. It's a fictional account of a Buddha-like figure and his journey, both physical and spiritual. I am not sure why it drew me in at such a young age (I think I read it at 14 maybe) but it still holds a lot for me.

The I'd like to Teach the World to Sing coloring book from Unicef was my favorite growing up. My mom was an excellent color-er (she still is I bet) and we filled in the images with these fine felt tip pens I had. Most of the book is still uncolored, I'm not sure why, probably because I lost the pens along the way. Reading the song lyrics printed at the top of each page, I am thinking it shaped me as a human, and I can still consider it my theme song.



I'd like to build the world a home
and furnish it with love
grow apple trees and honey bees
and snow white turtle doves

I'd like to teach the world to sing
in perfect harmony
I'd like to hold it in my arms
and keep it company

I'd like to see the world for once
all standing hand in hand
and hear them echo through the hills
for peace throuout the land

thats the song I hear
Let the world sing today
a song of peace
that echoes on
and never goes away

I'd like to teach the world to sing
in perfect harmony

I'd like to teach the world to sing
in perfect harmony

I'd like to build the world a home
and funish it with love
grow apple trees and honey bees
and snow white turtle doves

I'd like to teach the world to sing
in perfect harmony
I'd like to hold it in my arms
and keep it company

22. A picture of something you wish you were better at

I love karaoke, but I know my limitations when it comes to performing. I would like to be less nervous, sing better, and rely less on the lyrics on the screen. It's a small thing, and I'm sure there are many many things I'd like to improve at, but it's the first that comes to mind.

21. A picture of something you wish you could forget

I have no picture, because there really isn't anything I would like to forget. I've wished for that in my life, on occasions where the pain is great after whatever trauma I've experienced, but it does subside with time, and forgetting would only serve me temporarily. Then, I would not have learned the lesson I needed to (not that I will learn it for sure without repeating the experience, of course). What we experience shapes us and helps us grow, we hopefully develop new insights and wisdom along the way.

20. A picture of somewhere you’d love to travel

I would love to go to Bali. I'd also love to visit England, France, India, Singapore, Denmark, Iceland, Greece, and the Netherlands, to name a few.

19. A picture of you when you were little

I was six and visiting my grandparents in Florida (I still lived in Virginia). They took me to Disney World, the Dreher Park Zoo, and "Peter and the Wolf" outdoor ballet, which was my favorite part. I still remember the orchestra and the vibrant costumes and the wonderful narration. It was my first plane ride by myself, and it stands out as one of my fondest childhood memories.

18. A picture of your biggest insecurity

I feel most insecure at work. I sometimes feel like I do an awesome job with very little or a little more effort, then boom, I get "in trouble" for something, which is very easy to do when you're a big picture person in a small detail bureaucracy.

17. A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

divorce, yeah, it makes a big impact.

16. A picture of someone who inspires you

I am not sure I have the words to express just how much she inspires me. This woman is my closest friend, and she inspires me both by her sincere encouragement of me examining myself and my life, with profound insight, and by her own ability to live honestly. She doesn't even know just how much I admire her.

15. A picture of something you want to do before you die

I've wanted a tattoo for years, but was indecisive about what to get and where to put it. Now I know, but still keep procrastinating, likely due to fear of the pain factor. I said I wanted to get it before my birthday, but I didn't. Hmmm, maybe before my next one?