parallels

Existing simultaneously, 

separately,

 alongside,

yet not touching:

parallel.

Yeah, I know: my poetry sucks. It's only a crow and a squirrel doing a high wire act. 

Click here to see this week's other submissions to Thematic Photographic, and feel free to leave a link to your own Parallels in the comments!

more summer

Even though yesterday's damp skies weren't the brilliant blue that defines a perfect Oregon summer day, the rain that fell was warm, and the hope remains that there will be more sunny days ahead.  (We Oregonians are an optimistic bunch...if we weren't, I'm pretty sure the suicide rate would be sky high)
Anyway, despite the weather, there are certain signs that summer is here. One of my favorite hallmarks of summer is  a juicy caprese salad: sliced, ripe tomatoes, fresh, pillowy mozzarella and fragrant basil leaves snipped right off the plant. All this goodness is layered and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then sprinkled with coarse salt and ground pepper, for a taste of true summer.

{click on the photos to get up close and personal}

Mmmm. I think I can still smell the basil.

Over at the blog Written, Inc. Carmi  hosts Thematic Photographic and invites everyone to join in. This week's theme ( No. 201) is called "Welcome Summer."

thematic photographic no. 194

Here are a couple more on the theme Strong Lines. And like yesterday's, these photos were both shot on a trip to San Francisco. I guess I was working on a theme without even knowing it.

Fort Funston graffiti

Gnarly tree, Golden Gate Park

Now go on and check out some of the other fine work at Carmi's blog, Written Inc.

word week, day 6

window light

Every week, Carmi over at the blog Written Inc., hosts an exercise called Thematic Photographic. It's been awhile since I've participated, but this week's theme (No. 141) is titled "Windows", and it just so happens they are a favorite subject of mine.

Here are a couple of photos I took not too long ago at Timberline Lodge. Timberline is a beautiful old lodge built on the south slope of 11,000 foot Mt. Hood.   During the Great Depression,  President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the lodge built here in Oregon by the Works Progress Administration, so that hundreds of artisans and craftsmen (and craftswomen) would have work during one of the most difficult times in our country's modern history.

This writing desk and chair were hand carved from gorgeous, old-growth Douglas fir. The windows look out on the Palmer Snowfield, one of Mt. Hood's 12 glaciers.  

Here's one of my favorite portraits of Dave, standing next to a window at Timberline, with the light reflecting off the snow outside...in July.

The WPA was a phenomenally successful and ambitious experiment by Roosevelt's New Deal, and provided over 8 million jobs between 1935 and 1943.

Timberline remains an enduring legacy to a time when our government really was (in Lincoln's words) a government "of the people, by the people, for the people", a concept that seems to be lost on many of our elected representatives today.   Click here for more info on the lodge and the WPA.

Then pop on over to Thematic Photographic and check out Carmi's photos, then scroll down to the comments and check out the other contributors.

friday potluck: it's zucchini week!

In the spirit of my old potluck group, I thought it would be fun to start a virtual potluck, where bloggers could take turns hosting and choosing a theme.

Here's how it works:

1. The host chooses a theme and posts a recipe on their blog on a Friday evening.
2. Other bloggers will leave links to their recipes in the comments section.
3. The first person to post a recipe link becomes the next host, who then gets to choose a theme. The themes can be as elaborate or a simple as you like, and the recipes don't have to look like these, by any means...you can simply post a recipe, or even a link to another blogger's recipe. (Just make sure to give credit where credit is due!)

I'll post the link to the next week's host here on Thursday.

This week's theme is...

Z U C C H I N I !

Here's a recipe my dad created years ago that he called "Scrambled Eggplant".

Because I didn't plant any eggplant, and the single zucchini plant in my garden seems bent on overpopulating the planet with monster squash, I'm substituting. And I'm changing the name, because "Scrambled Zucchini" just doesn't sound right, somehow.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Zucchini Jambalaya

3 Tbs olive oil

1 cup chopped bell peppers (any color)

1 small jalapeno, chopped (optional)

2 cups zucchini, cut in half-inch cubes

1 small chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

2 cups of cooked, seasoned rice {see recipe below}

note: plain cooked rice works fine

1+ cups of tomato sauce

9 slices of monterey jack cheese

paprika

salt & pepper

2 sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 350º

Chop all your veggies and heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet.

Saute onions, peppers, zucchini and garlic over medium heat until everything gets all soft and juicy and the onions are transparent.

Add the tomato sauce

and then the rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste,

mix thoroughly and cook on low heat for a few minutes while you cut the cheese.

{did I really just say that?}

Slice the cheese!

Arrange the cheese on top and sprinkle with paprika. Then bake in the oven for around 15 or 20 minutes, until the cheese melts and gets a little brown on top and the rice gets a bit crispy around the edges. (Since it was about 95º the day I made this, I put the whole shebang on the barbecue and cooked it on low with the top closed.)

Sprinkle with the green onions, and chow down.

Seasoned Brown Rice

2 Tbs olive oil

1 cup brown basmati rice

1/2 small onion, chopped fine

1 clove minced garlic

1 Tbs tomato paste

1 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 tsp oregano

1 Tbs chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a 2-qt (medium) saucepan over medium heat.

Saute the onion until it becomes translucent. Put in the rice, garlic, chili powder and oregano, and stir for a couple more minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic and spices. Add the tomato paste and stir until it's all combined. Add the stock and season with the salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 25-30 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let it rest with the cover on for about 5 more minutes, then fluff it with a fork.

Makes 2 cups

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

So, got any zucchini? What are you waiting for? Link to your recipes already...I'm buried in squash and I need ideas! In the meantime, here's a nice recipe over at Aunt Snow's blog, Doves Today.

friday potluck: it's an all-pie event!

This week's potluck theme is...pie! What's your favorite? There are so many kinds to choose from: sweet or savory. One crust, two crust, pies you can hold in your hand. One-bite pies.

Let's see if we can come up with enough pie recipes to make up a balanced meal.

I'll do the veggie course.

~ Veggie Pie ~

(Recipe adapted a million years ago from the "Eat It" cookbook.

Written by Dana Crumb and illustrated by her husband, R. Crumb!)

1/2 onion, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

2 carrots, thinly sliced

about 1 and 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced

(I use cremini mushrooms, but you could experiment with any kind you like)

about 4 cups fresh spinach, chopped

1/2 cup each of two other veggies, like:

corn

peas

green beans

lima beans

zucchini

or whatever

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

2 TBS olive oil

2TBS butter

3-4 TBS soy sauce

freshly ground pepper

crust for a 2-crust pie

(I'm a terrible pie crust maker, so I use Pillsbury, but don't let me be a bad influence)

Preheat your oven to 400º

chop your celery, onions, garlic, carrots,

and any other veggies you like

heat olive oil in a large skillet and saute the veggies on medium heat until they're soft and fragrant and the onions are translucent

chop your mushrooms (halve or quarter them first if they're large)

Add the butter and throw in the mushrooms

While the mushrooms get all fragrant and start to soften and soak up all that lovely butter, chop 4 cups of spinach

throw the spinach in, too.

It will be a big pile, but stir and it will cook down to practically nothing in about 30 seconds.

see what I mean?

Add the soy sauce and freshly ground pepper to taste

(the whole 4 TBS of soy sauce might be too salty for some so take it easy and taste as you go)

then mix in the cheese until the whole mess melts into a mass of gooey goodness.

put your bottom crust into your pie pan, and fill with the veggie mixture.

put on the top crust, crimping the edges, and cut a few slits in the top to let steam escape

Bake for about 35 - 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. (But don't do what I did

and take your dogs for a long walk while it's baking)

Let it cool for a few minutes, and Eat It!

Okay, now it's your turn...got a yummy pie recipe? Here are a couple of ways to share:

1. Post a comment with a link to the recipe on your blog, or
2. Post a link to someone else's recipe on their blog, or
3. If you don't have a blog, email it to me, and I'll post it here as soon as I get it.

So what are you waiting for? Let's have a potluck!

P.S. When I decided on the pie theme, I thought I'd google it to see if anyone else had done it before, and whaddaya know? There was an all-pie potluck right here in my hometown of Portland back in January. Check it out here: Mile Post 73.

friday potluck, anyone?

Several years ago, back when we lived in San Francisco, I belonged to a loosely-organized potluck group. We usually met once a month, with everyone taking turns hosting the gatherings. The host got to choose the theme, and because we were a pretty eclectic bunch, ranging from bookkeepers and artists to microbiologists and musicians, the themes got pretty interesting.

I've tried once or twice to drum up interest in forming a new group in my Portland neighborhood, but we all seem to be too busy these days to commit to a regular thing. It's a shame, really - my friends are awesome cooks. The closest we've come to a regular thing has been the five-plus years that three or four families have been pitching in to cook dinner for our local Ronald McDonald House.

It's been a great experience, but cooking a meal for 25 people you don't know generally tends to limit your creative choices. I'm not sure the residents would fully appreciate a meal composed entirely of bite-sized foods or the color purple.

So, in the spirit of my old potluck group, I thought it would be fun to start a virtual potluck, where bloggers could take turns hosting and choosing a theme.

Here's how it would work:

1. The host chooses a theme and posts a recipe on their blog on a Friday evening.
2. Other bloggers will leave links to their recipes in the comments section.
3. The first person to post a recipe link becomes the next week's host, who then gets to choose a theme. The themes can be as elaborate or a simple as you like, and the recipes don't have to look like these, by any means...you can simply post a recipe, or even a link to another blogger's recipe. (Just make sure to give credit where credit is due!)

I'll post the link to the next host's site here every Thursday evening.

So stop by here tomorrow for the first week's potluck theme and recipe!

pride

I was lurking over at San Diego Momma's the other day, and stumbled over a post called "Fodder". The idea was for bloggers to give ideas to each other in the comments, each commenter writing a post from a prompt laid out by the commenter below them, on down the line. So, since I've come down with a severe case of writer's block I decided to give it a go. 

I don't seem to be coming up with many original ideas on my own, but for some reason, I was able to come up with a subject for stoneskin, the commenter above me. It was a very random, loosely strung together who what when where why kind of thing that slipped right off the very top of my head. (Sorry about that, Mo! But I'm dying to read what comes of it.)

tinsenpup gave me my topic: "Alright, Cactus Petunia, tell us about a little thing that made you proud."

A very simple request, really. (Diabolical!) I can't help wondering, though: Did tinsenpup sense my Catholic upbringing? The fact that it's considered low to take pride in oneself? That, even after almost 40 years have elapsed since I considered myself a practicing Catholic, I still worry about stuff like that? (Not the going to hell part, mind you...these days I'm pretty sure that the whole heaven and hell business was actually a metaphor for life on earth.)

Some Little Things That Made Me Proud

• My son spending a summer as a swim instructor and lifeguard.
  
• My daughter completing training as an Emergency First Responder. In Middle School.
  
• My husband volunteering at a hospice. 
  
• My niece and nephew taking care of my brother, their dad, with unending tenderness and love in his final days.
• The sight of my sweet 5 year old pup cuddling on the couch with my sweet 5 year old neighbor.
• My sisters looking after each other during dark times for both.

Okay, maybe that's a few things. And some of them are actually quite big. But I feel blessed to count them. And to have been here to notice. Cheers!

Oh, and by the way, you should definitely pop on over here to see Mo's post. It's wild!

one day at a time

A couple of weeks ago Mrs. G over at Derfwad Manor asked her readers to join her in sharing their photo essays of a typical day in their lives. As usual, I'm late to the party...but I've decided to crash it anyway.

So, here's a typical day at Camp Cactus, compiled over the course of a week... because I'm lazy.

Morning again. Wasn't it just morning yesterday?
The dogs are barking at the back door to go out. Maizy the fat kitty is in the kitchen meowing at the top of her lungs, trying to summon breakfast. Dave and I bury our heads under the blankets, feigning sleep, gambling on who can hold out the longest. Today, I lose. I stumble out of bed and down the stairs, climbing over the baby gate, where the pups are waiting for me on the landing, tails wagging furiously back and forth, threatening to knock me down the stairs.


I let them out and head for the kitchen, where the feline contingent awaits their breakfast...


We have finicky eaters around here...everyone must eat in their own spot, on two different floors. Cats eat first. Maizy in the kitchen, Mr. Chubbs in the upstairs hallway, and Frisco has a spot in the upstairs bathroom. Up and down the stairs I go, then I let the dogs back in and feed Abbie in the kitchen, and Cooper in the front hall. I collect the morning paper from the porch, putting the rubber band on the giant ball in the front hall (I'm a little behind on that chore.)


I've been reading the morning newspaper since, well, since I learned to read in kindergarten. My dad was a newspaperman, an editor, and when I was little, reading the newspaper was what you did in the morning. And on Sundays? Fuhgeddaboutit! We got the New York Times, the Daily News, and the Long Island Press. On Sundays there was a lot of reading going on.


But back to my morning...I put the water on for coffee, and peruse the headlines.


Once the coffee's made and I've read the comics, I check my email and read blogs drink more coffee.


If I don't have to go to work anywhere, I go upstairs and take a shower, then read blogs get dressed and walk the dogs for a mile or so before heading out to my studio. This morning I had to go to a job...

...painting a sign on a building with my compadre, Elissa. (You can read about the sign painting in progress here.) As I was loading up the van to leave for my painting job, I discovered a sick squirrel in the front yard. He (or she) was a young one, possibly one of the now-adolescent offspring of the mama squirrel who lives in our walnut tree out front. I called Dave, and he got his heavy leather gloves on and picked it up and put it gently in the hollow of the tree. We figured he was probably a goner, but neither one of us could bear the thought of leaving him in the grass to get tortured by either one of ours or another neighborhood cat. At least this way he could pass away in peace.

Poor little guy. He didn't make it through the day. When I got home in the afternoon his furry little tail was hanging out in the same place we'd left him, and his siblings were climbing in and out of the hole as if they were checking on him. I took him out of the tree and buried him on the side yard, planting a hosta over his little plot, and saying a prayer of thanks to St. Francis of Assisi for a peaceful ending to his short life.


Then it was time to go for another walk, make some pizza for dinner


and watch the debate.

Hoo, boy...what a day!