We pushed off our mooring buoy at Stuart at 9 for a short motor to Bedwell Harbor on Pender Island, our first stop in Canada, which meant a stop at the customs dock. Going through customs on the boat is a relatively painless procedure. Other than the initial docking, only the skipper can disembark, so I stayed aboard while Trent walked up the ramp to the office. Though there is an officer inside, all business is conducted over the phone. Fortunately, we had learned our lesson in past years and this time did not have any forbidden fruit. The first time we visited, we realized en route that apples were verboten, so each of us had a four apple lunch, thinking that we would otherwise be turned away. We later learned that they have a disposal bin specifically for apples at the top of the ramp.
Excited by our early arrival, we radioed over to Poet's Cove Marina, which is attached to a spa/resort to verify that they had space for us. Yes, there was a slip, but it was only 10:30 and check-out was at 11 with official check-in at 1. If the other boat vacated early, the dock was ours, but they wouldn't kick the other boat out during that two hour grey period. We tied up at the breakwater dock (which is not connected to land) and dinghied in for a coffee/chai break and Boggle at the resort's coffee shop. We could see the mast of the other boat from the picture window of the cafe and repeatedly peered out hopefully. No luck - we were unable to check in even a minute early.
We had only muffins in the morning, thinking we'd have brunch or an early lunch in the afternoon on a bike ride over the island. With the bikes, we were no longer trapped at the resort, which has an overpriced restaurant attached. Trent found a promising looking restaurant on Yelp - the Hope Bay Cafe, which ended lunch service at 3 and then closed until dinner began at 5. It was about an hour bike ride away and we left at about 1:50. Normally, that wouldn't have been a problem, but with only a couple of muffins in the five hours I'd been awake and plenty of hills (I got off my bike twice to walk, which is atypical for me), I bonked, slowing to a snail's pace. We arrived at the restaurant at 2:53, but the kitchen was already closed.
What to do? Go to the Fall Fair, which we'd passed by on the journey, or to another area of town? Too far (or so we thought - later we learned that we'd taken a roundabout way to our destination), so we made the earliest dinner reservation we could (5:30), ate ice cream, examined the boats at the nearby dock and drank local beer and ate roasted nuts (the only food besides dessert they were serving) on the patio and read aloud The Long Way, a memoir by an intense sailor who was on the verge of winning a solo-round-the-world sailing race, when he decided to skip the finish line and keep sailing.
Finally, finally it was 5:30 and dinnertime. We were not disappointed in our dining choice. We split a small plate of lamb meatballs with a yogurt drizzle and tomato-based sauce. Trent chose the Dungeness Crab gnocchi with a butternut romesco, while I had the penne with prawns in a cilantro pesto sauce. I was glad that island living is so casual - most diners were in shorts and t-shirts, so we didn't stand out too much in our sweaty clothes.
The ride home seemed far easier, lacking the sense of desperation I'd felt earlier. On the way to Hope Bay, we had passed an Anglican church with a sign reading "the Anglican Church welcomes you." "Does that mean they'll feed us?," I despaired. Later, the smell of blackberries wafted to me and I considered abandoning the bike to pick berries, but I kept on, knowing that would mean missing our 3 p.m. deadline.
The way home was just as hilly and beautiful (and this time, I could appreciate the beauty). We crossed a one lane bridge over the Pender Canal that is off-limits to Rock Lobster (too short and not a drawbridge). We passed The Enchanted Forest and though the sun was beginning to set, we wandered the interpretive trails a bit before returning to Poet's Cove.
Back at the marina, kids ran excitedly around the docks with nets in hand trying to catch shrimp. One group offered to sell some puny specimens to Trent, who responded that, unfortunately, we'd already eaten dinner.
One of the benefits of staying at a marina at a resort is the use of the hot tub, a benefit that we took advantage of, soaking our poor tired muscles before admiring the stars and retiring for the evening.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Monday, September 8, 2014
Stuart Island - Day Three
We awoke to a low tide with only 5 or so feet of water under the boat, which allowed me to wave at a large Dungeness crab as I pulled out the anchor. No stop at shore for us to use the facilities - we were on our way, to an as yet undecided location - either Stuart Island (still in the San Juans) or Bedwell Harbor on Pender, one of the Gulf Islands. Ultimately, the desire to put off going through customs, as well as a longing for an easy day had us stop short at Stuart.
Stuart is a private island with no ferry service. There is a 85-acre State Park with space for camping and mooring. We've stayed a few times before, always at Reid Harbor, though this time we stayed at Prevost Harbor to have a shorter trip to Canada. I was delighted to pass Seal Rock on our way in with the eponymous creatures lolling about in the sun.
After a picnic lunch, we hiked a short distance to the school library, which to my librarian's eyes could desperately use some weeding of mildewed volumes as well as some donations of new books. Visitors are welcome to "check out" books and return them before leaving the island. Some of the other visitors were squealing over the selection of TinTin books though, so I suppose there are some gems there.
The sun beat down mercilessly, so we rested in the shade of the stand selling t-shirts on the honor system from a treasure chest and gulped down paper cups of water from the adjacent container, left by some anonymous benefactors. Trent nodded off a bit, so I thought I'd take advantage of his grogginess and challenge him to a game of Bananagrams.
Afterwards, we returned to the boat for a dinner of albacore curry and rice. Rice is always a bit of a challenge on the alcohol stove, as the flame is not quite as controllable as the gas stove at home and this time I used the camping pan, which is thin and burns things easily. A small bite of rice was singed, but nothing too terrible. I had to make the curry and rice sequentially, as only one burner had fuel. I was careful to rinse everything with sea water before washing in the sink to avoid imparting a fishy smell for the remainder of the journey.
Trent was so exhausted, he fell asleep at 8 in our v-berth. Usually we leave the cushions for that part of the boat at home, but this time we took one out of the two along for napping purposes. We'll definitely repeat that next year. I read until 10 or so before falling asleep as well. I seem to sleep either much more or much less than my normal 7-8 hours on our sailing vacations.
Stuart is a private island with no ferry service. There is a 85-acre State Park with space for camping and mooring. We've stayed a few times before, always at Reid Harbor, though this time we stayed at Prevost Harbor to have a shorter trip to Canada. I was delighted to pass Seal Rock on our way in with the eponymous creatures lolling about in the sun.
After a picnic lunch, we hiked a short distance to the school library, which to my librarian's eyes could desperately use some weeding of mildewed volumes as well as some donations of new books. Visitors are welcome to "check out" books and return them before leaving the island. Some of the other visitors were squealing over the selection of TinTin books though, so I suppose there are some gems there.
The sun beat down mercilessly, so we rested in the shade of the stand selling t-shirts on the honor system from a treasure chest and gulped down paper cups of water from the adjacent container, left by some anonymous benefactors. Trent nodded off a bit, so I thought I'd take advantage of his grogginess and challenge him to a game of Bananagrams.
Afterwards, we returned to the boat for a dinner of albacore curry and rice. Rice is always a bit of a challenge on the alcohol stove, as the flame is not quite as controllable as the gas stove at home and this time I used the camping pan, which is thin and burns things easily. A small bite of rice was singed, but nothing too terrible. I had to make the curry and rice sequentially, as only one burner had fuel. I was careful to rinse everything with sea water before washing in the sink to avoid imparting a fishy smell for the remainder of the journey.
Trent was so exhausted, he fell asleep at 8 in our v-berth. Usually we leave the cushions for that part of the boat at home, but this time we took one out of the two along for napping purposes. We'll definitely repeat that next year. I read until 10 or so before falling asleep as well. I seem to sleep either much more or much less than my normal 7-8 hours on our sailing vacations.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Spencer Spit - Sailing Adventure day two
Day two of our sailing adventure started at a much more reasonable hour, as we needed to catch the Deception Pass current at slack to avoid being tossed into the rocks. We woke naturally at 9 or so and headed to Calico Cupboard for breakfast. The last time we were there, Trent ordered the Cinnamon Roll French Toast and he repeated the order this time, little knowing that these would be the only cinnamon rolls of the journey (after returning home, I looked over my first mate's log and counted six cinnamon rolls consumed last year between the two of us). I ordered the migas and wished that I'd repeated my order of steel cut oatmeal from our last visit.
After breakfast, I made a quick stop at the drugstore to pick up a toothbrush. Somehow on the sleepy morning of the first day, I neglected to put a toothbrush in my travel toothbrush holder and I did not relish the thought of a week and a half with fuzzy teeth. The cashier comforted me with a story of a woman who had left her entire suitcase at home who had tried to purchase socks and underwear there. When the cashier suggested a trip to Target instead, she responded that she didn't want to leave La Conner.
We left at about 11:40 and actively slowed Rock Lobster down when we realized that we would arrive at Deception Pass before the slack tide scheduled for 2:15ish. Quite a rush actually going through the pass that I've seen so often from above. The rest of the journey was uneventful and we arrived at Spencer Spit at around 5 p.m. We anchored near a number of other boats and enjoyed the view of the boats at the other side of the spit.
I have a love/hate relationship with anchoring. When the wind is light and the ground is right, I enjoy dropping the anchor and releasing the line as Trent maneuvers the boat. The gentle motion of the boat "on the hook" is relaxing at night. When the weather is rougher, panic and yelling often ensue, as well as restless nights, where the anchor alarm reports the boat is dragging (whether or not it actually is). This trip the anchoring process itself was painless, though at night I felt like every time I rolled over the boat rocked for five minutes.
After a celebratory Dark & Stormy, we rowed to shore, avoiding the marshy refuge which is off limits to visitors. Typically when we visit a State Park in the San Juans, there is no car access, so this spot on Lopez Island felt much more crowded with a Boy Scout Troop on a kayaking trip and two women in the bathroom using the electrical outlets to charge cell phones. We may just have to cajole some friends to meet us there next year for car/boat camping.
Dinner was one of my favorite boating dinners - grilled shrimp marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, mint and oregano with flatbread and a golden beet salad from our CSA box. Cooking on the boat is a fun challenge. We have a propane grill and an alcohol stove with two burners, though this time we only filled one of them with fuel. The cabin is not quite large enough for me to stand upright without hitting my head, so I stand by the open hatch as I chop veggies or peel shrimp. Provisioning requires some craftiness, as every year I am reminded that root vegetables survive better than leafy greens and the produce really does better in an insulated bag than in our cooler equipped with a block of dry ice and a bag of ice cubes. The after dinner clean-up is also rustic. We have a cold water sink where we can pump water from a tank, which leads to great water conservation. For all of that, some of the best home-cooked dinners we had in the month of August were on the boat.
An early bedtime at 10 to prepare for day 3 - Stuart Island.
After breakfast, I made a quick stop at the drugstore to pick up a toothbrush. Somehow on the sleepy morning of the first day, I neglected to put a toothbrush in my travel toothbrush holder and I did not relish the thought of a week and a half with fuzzy teeth. The cashier comforted me with a story of a woman who had left her entire suitcase at home who had tried to purchase socks and underwear there. When the cashier suggested a trip to Target instead, she responded that she didn't want to leave La Conner.
We left at about 11:40 and actively slowed Rock Lobster down when we realized that we would arrive at Deception Pass before the slack tide scheduled for 2:15ish. Quite a rush actually going through the pass that I've seen so often from above. The rest of the journey was uneventful and we arrived at Spencer Spit at around 5 p.m. We anchored near a number of other boats and enjoyed the view of the boats at the other side of the spit.
I have a love/hate relationship with anchoring. When the wind is light and the ground is right, I enjoy dropping the anchor and releasing the line as Trent maneuvers the boat. The gentle motion of the boat "on the hook" is relaxing at night. When the weather is rougher, panic and yelling often ensue, as well as restless nights, where the anchor alarm reports the boat is dragging (whether or not it actually is). This trip the anchoring process itself was painless, though at night I felt like every time I rolled over the boat rocked for five minutes.
After a celebratory Dark & Stormy, we rowed to shore, avoiding the marshy refuge which is off limits to visitors. Typically when we visit a State Park in the San Juans, there is no car access, so this spot on Lopez Island felt much more crowded with a Boy Scout Troop on a kayaking trip and two women in the bathroom using the electrical outlets to charge cell phones. We may just have to cajole some friends to meet us there next year for car/boat camping.
Dinner was one of my favorite boating dinners - grilled shrimp marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, mint and oregano with flatbread and a golden beet salad from our CSA box. Cooking on the boat is a fun challenge. We have a propane grill and an alcohol stove with two burners, though this time we only filled one of them with fuel. The cabin is not quite large enough for me to stand upright without hitting my head, so I stand by the open hatch as I chop veggies or peel shrimp. Provisioning requires some craftiness, as every year I am reminded that root vegetables survive better than leafy greens and the produce really does better in an insulated bag than in our cooler equipped with a block of dry ice and a bag of ice cubes. The after dinner clean-up is also rustic. We have a cold water sink where we can pump water from a tank, which leads to great water conservation. For all of that, some of the best home-cooked dinners we had in the month of August were on the boat.
An early bedtime at 10 to prepare for day 3 - Stuart Island.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Going Where the Wind Takes You
In my last post, I mentioned that my proposed itinerary may be modified due to wind or current and was it ever! Take a look:
Day 1 - Port Townsend (proposed); La Conner (actual)
Day 2 - Victoria (p); Spencer Spit on Lopez Island (a)
Day 3 - Sidney (p); Stuart Island (a)
Day 4 - Cowichan Bay (p); Poet's Cove/Bedwell Harbor on Pender Island (a)
Day 5 - Ladysmith (p); Princess Cove at Portland Island (a)
Day 6 - Telegraph Harbor (p); Maple Bay (a)
Day 7 - Ganges on Saltspring Island (p and a)
Day 8 - Poet's Cove (p); Tsehum Harbor near Sidney (a)
Day 9 - Friday Harbor on San Juan Island (p); Roche Harbor on San Juan Island (a)
Day 10 - Port Townsend (p and a)
Day 11 - Home/Shilshole (p); Port Townsend (a)
Day 12 - Home/Shilshole (a)
Overall, it was a wonderful trip and I'm having a bit of trouble finding my land legs and adjusting to normal life. Just to savor the time a little more and avoid an unreasonably long blog posting, I'll be writing multiple posts to cover some of the highlights.
Day 1
With winds forecast to be strong in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Trent suggested that it would be more prudent to take the inside route. Remembering past years where other sailboats sunk in the Strait just days after our passage, I took his warning seriously. Turns out, we would have been fine either way, but heading to La Conner allowed us to sleep in until 4 a.m.
The wind was fickle, but for the most part between 10 and 20 coming from the south, which allowed us to arrive by 3 p.m., flying our rainbow spinnaker before switching to the genoa as we changed course. Motoring the Swinomish Channel is still a novel and risky business, as dredging occurs infrequently and at one point the depth sounder read 2' (Trent slowed the engine and maneuvered us into a deeper part of the channel). Unfortunately, it looked like a larger boat that was following in our path ran aground there.
Soaking up the sun on Rock Lobster (after a well-deserved nap) while moored at the marina, I marveled at all of the boats promenading past. While most marinas are tucked away from marine traffic, La Conner allows you to see all of the action.
We pulled out our folding bikes to ride into town for dinner, though it is close enough that we didn't really need them. We ended up eating a transcendent meal at The Oyster and Thistle, which more than made up for my disappointment at the change in itinerary. We sat in an absinthe green room facing the water we had so recently emerged from, with La Vie en Rose and the Girl from Ipanema playing in the background. Trent and I shared a small plate of Pernod mussels which we devoured with two baskets of bread. Trent ordered the pan-fried oyster fettuccine, while I chose the Dungeness crab ravioli with a creamy saffron sauce. We each had a glass of Muscadet (a dry white the same variety as Trent's family makes in France) and finished up with a Grand Marnier souffle, fresh from the oven and so divine I had to close my eyes several times to savor each bite.
Bellies content, we rode back to the boat on our tiny matching bicycles to try to get a good night's sleep to be fresh for Day 2.
Day 1 - Port Townsend (proposed); La Conner (actual)
Day 2 - Victoria (p); Spencer Spit on Lopez Island (a)
Day 3 - Sidney (p); Stuart Island (a)
Day 4 - Cowichan Bay (p); Poet's Cove/Bedwell Harbor on Pender Island (a)
Day 5 - Ladysmith (p); Princess Cove at Portland Island (a)
Day 6 - Telegraph Harbor (p); Maple Bay (a)
Day 7 - Ganges on Saltspring Island (p and a)
Day 8 - Poet's Cove (p); Tsehum Harbor near Sidney (a)
Day 9 - Friday Harbor on San Juan Island (p); Roche Harbor on San Juan Island (a)
Day 10 - Port Townsend (p and a)
Day 11 - Home/Shilshole (p); Port Townsend (a)
Day 12 - Home/Shilshole (a)
Overall, it was a wonderful trip and I'm having a bit of trouble finding my land legs and adjusting to normal life. Just to savor the time a little more and avoid an unreasonably long blog posting, I'll be writing multiple posts to cover some of the highlights.
Day 1
With winds forecast to be strong in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Trent suggested that it would be more prudent to take the inside route. Remembering past years where other sailboats sunk in the Strait just days after our passage, I took his warning seriously. Turns out, we would have been fine either way, but heading to La Conner allowed us to sleep in until 4 a.m.
The wind was fickle, but for the most part between 10 and 20 coming from the south, which allowed us to arrive by 3 p.m., flying our rainbow spinnaker before switching to the genoa as we changed course. Motoring the Swinomish Channel is still a novel and risky business, as dredging occurs infrequently and at one point the depth sounder read 2' (Trent slowed the engine and maneuvered us into a deeper part of the channel). Unfortunately, it looked like a larger boat that was following in our path ran aground there.
Soaking up the sun on Rock Lobster (after a well-deserved nap) while moored at the marina, I marveled at all of the boats promenading past. While most marinas are tucked away from marine traffic, La Conner allows you to see all of the action.
We pulled out our folding bikes to ride into town for dinner, though it is close enough that we didn't really need them. We ended up eating a transcendent meal at The Oyster and Thistle, which more than made up for my disappointment at the change in itinerary. We sat in an absinthe green room facing the water we had so recently emerged from, with La Vie en Rose and the Girl from Ipanema playing in the background. Trent and I shared a small plate of Pernod mussels which we devoured with two baskets of bread. Trent ordered the pan-fried oyster fettuccine, while I chose the Dungeness crab ravioli with a creamy saffron sauce. We each had a glass of Muscadet (a dry white the same variety as Trent's family makes in France) and finished up with a Grand Marnier souffle, fresh from the oven and so divine I had to close my eyes several times to savor each bite.
Bellies content, we rode back to the boat on our tiny matching bicycles to try to get a good night's sleep to be fresh for Day 2.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Prepping for Vacation
The anticipation is building for our annual sailing vacation. This will be the fifth August where we travel to the San Juan Islands in Rock Lobster, the third year where we continue on to the Gulf Islands and the second where we visit ports on the coast of Vancouver Island. We plan to be gone 10-11 days, rendezvousing with Trent's parents and siblings in Port Townsend on the return voyage.
Unlike a trip taken on a cruise ship, the days leading up to a sailing trip are anything but relaxing. Saturday night, I scoured the Waggoner Cruising Guide to make up a proposed itinerary (though the wind and current might have something to say about that!). Yesterday we spent six hours at Shilshole - reinstalling the jib track (which had begun to leak), scrubbing the cubbies of accumulated mildew so that we can breathe freely at night and wiring lights. I will admit that Trent did the more technical tasks, while I tackled the cleaning and kept the 25 screws straight with a screwdriver on the top of the deck while Trent screwed them in from below ("next", "ready", "next", "ready" was our constant refrain).
Trent is working today, while I have a shopping list with items like rechargeable batteries for our headlamps, empty plastic containers to fill with alcohol as fuel for the stove and ginger beer for our requisite happy hour Dark and Stormys. And of course food for the journey, keeping in mind that we'll want to explore new restaurants and cafes, as well as old favorites.
Tomorrow I'll bake breakfast muffins, make granola and maybe a quinoa or wheatberry salad. We'll load Rock Lobster with cushions (normally kept at home to avoid the inevitable mildew), the dinghy, anchor, folding bikes (our first year with them - Trent's just arrived last week) and hopefully remember passports, checks and quarters for showers and laundry.
And fingers crossed, we'll be ready bright and early Wednesday morning (Trent says that it would be best to leave no later than 3 to catch the current) to sail away.
Unlike a trip taken on a cruise ship, the days leading up to a sailing trip are anything but relaxing. Saturday night, I scoured the Waggoner Cruising Guide to make up a proposed itinerary (though the wind and current might have something to say about that!). Yesterday we spent six hours at Shilshole - reinstalling the jib track (which had begun to leak), scrubbing the cubbies of accumulated mildew so that we can breathe freely at night and wiring lights. I will admit that Trent did the more technical tasks, while I tackled the cleaning and kept the 25 screws straight with a screwdriver on the top of the deck while Trent screwed them in from below ("next", "ready", "next", "ready" was our constant refrain).
Trent is working today, while I have a shopping list with items like rechargeable batteries for our headlamps, empty plastic containers to fill with alcohol as fuel for the stove and ginger beer for our requisite happy hour Dark and Stormys. And of course food for the journey, keeping in mind that we'll want to explore new restaurants and cafes, as well as old favorites.
Tomorrow I'll bake breakfast muffins, make granola and maybe a quinoa or wheatberry salad. We'll load Rock Lobster with cushions (normally kept at home to avoid the inevitable mildew), the dinghy, anchor, folding bikes (our first year with them - Trent's just arrived last week) and hopefully remember passports, checks and quarters for showers and laundry.
And fingers crossed, we'll be ready bright and early Wednesday morning (Trent says that it would be best to leave no later than 3 to catch the current) to sail away.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Focus
I am a generalist. In my Girl Scout years, I probably had more Dabbler badges than any other type (not that I had very many badges, mind you). This tendency is probably the reason I fit in so well with public libraries. Each reference question sends me off in a different direction. With each school-age children's program I learn something new. No two days are the same. It's the same in my personal life - I love to read, cook, run, knit, bike, sail, write, draw, swim outdoors, sing, and play guitar. Heck, if I could, I'd build all of those activities into one perfect day.
Sadly, there is not enough time in the day to do every activity that I love and when I try to pack too many in, in the service of being "well-rounded", I find myself stretched thin, going off in too many directions.
Our organization's strategic plan lists the "core services" of our library - the things that we do on a day to day basis because of our values that make us who we are. We also have areas of "strategic focus" - items that are currently our next most important priorities. When we have the opportunity to try something new, we examine whether it fits in with either our core services or areas of strategic focus before moving ahead with it.
So earlier this week, I decided to give that model a chance in my personal life as well. Things like getting enough sleep, exercising and eating healthily are foundation habits or my "core services", while I am testing out choosing one or two areas of focus per month.
I don't have all of my upcoming months scheduled out yet, but August is now my month of knitting (one of my good friends has a baby due around Labor Day and I am determined to finish the baby blanket before then) and sailing, since our annual sailing vacation starts later this month.
I started my knitting focus on Wednesday and have been making great progress knitting on the bus, during work breaks and while watching Jeopardy. I'll be traveling for work this week and I am confident that I will finish by the time my plane lands again in Seattle.
Here's my draft schedule:
September - Running - step up training for November half marathon
October - Singing - start voice lessons
November - Writing - participate in NaNoWriMo
December - Cooking - explore new recipes (Trent is excited about this one)
What projects or hobbies are you focusing on?
Sadly, there is not enough time in the day to do every activity that I love and when I try to pack too many in, in the service of being "well-rounded", I find myself stretched thin, going off in too many directions.
Our organization's strategic plan lists the "core services" of our library - the things that we do on a day to day basis because of our values that make us who we are. We also have areas of "strategic focus" - items that are currently our next most important priorities. When we have the opportunity to try something new, we examine whether it fits in with either our core services or areas of strategic focus before moving ahead with it.
So earlier this week, I decided to give that model a chance in my personal life as well. Things like getting enough sleep, exercising and eating healthily are foundation habits or my "core services", while I am testing out choosing one or two areas of focus per month.
I don't have all of my upcoming months scheduled out yet, but August is now my month of knitting (one of my good friends has a baby due around Labor Day and I am determined to finish the baby blanket before then) and sailing, since our annual sailing vacation starts later this month.
I started my knitting focus on Wednesday and have been making great progress knitting on the bus, during work breaks and while watching Jeopardy. I'll be traveling for work this week and I am confident that I will finish by the time my plane lands again in Seattle.
Here's my draft schedule:
September - Running - step up training for November half marathon
October - Singing - start voice lessons
November - Writing - participate in NaNoWriMo
December - Cooking - explore new recipes (Trent is excited about this one)
What projects or hobbies are you focusing on?
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Summer Reading
I have been inhaling books lately - finishing one book on the bus only to pull out a new one from my bike bag (chosen mainly due to its capacity to carry multiple books along with my other work). I swore earlier in the year that I would focus on memoirs and books with starred reviews, but I've been backsliding - the advance reader's copy shelf at work and the review journals and book blogs I follow offer too much temptation. And I justify it by telling myself that our upcoming sailing trip will be too fraught with adventure to read much - I'm just making up for upcoming lost reading time. Ah well, it's not the worst habit to have, especially if I can share my favorites with friends and family:
Fiction
Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good by Jan Karon
I started reading the Mitford books as a new librarian and was charmed by Episcopalian priest Father Tim and his small town. The last two Father Tim books take place outside of Mitford and I've missed the quirky characters there. This latest volume feels like a homecoming of sorts.
Bertie Plays the Blues by Alexander McCall Smith
The latest in the 44 Scotland Street series, a perfect one for distracted summer days, as it originally was written as a serial. A worthy entry, I always enjoy poor beleaguered Bertie's interactions with his helicopter mother.
The Farm by Tom Rob Smith
When your father tells you your mother is mentally unstable and your mother tells you your father is plotting against you, who should you believe? A wild ride
Non-fiction
The Art of Urban Sketching by Gabriel Campanario/Sketch Your World by James Hobbes
I envy people with travel sketch books filled with memories of their journeys. My drawing ability stalled after the fifth grade (probably because that's when I stopped drawing) - but I finally decided that I can do something artistic just for fun. These two volumes inspired me to go out and draw my world using art supplies I already own. They've tempted me to check out an urban sketching outing sometime in the near future.
Thrive: the third metric to redefining success and creating a life by Arianna Huffington
A reminder to savor time with friends and family along with practical tools to get to the point where you can comfortably do so. I've tried the desk meditations from calm.com and found them extraordinarily relaxing.
An Age of License by Lucy Knisley
I really enjoyed Knisley's earlier graphic novel memoir Relish and her latest did not disappoint. This is probably where my renewed desire to draw came from. Lucy travels to Europe for a comic conference and explores with her new Swedish lover. I also have a renewed desire to visit the continent.
What are you reading?
Fiction
Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good by Jan Karon
I started reading the Mitford books as a new librarian and was charmed by Episcopalian priest Father Tim and his small town. The last two Father Tim books take place outside of Mitford and I've missed the quirky characters there. This latest volume feels like a homecoming of sorts.
Bertie Plays the Blues by Alexander McCall Smith
The latest in the 44 Scotland Street series, a perfect one for distracted summer days, as it originally was written as a serial. A worthy entry, I always enjoy poor beleaguered Bertie's interactions with his helicopter mother.
The Farm by Tom Rob Smith
When your father tells you your mother is mentally unstable and your mother tells you your father is plotting against you, who should you believe? A wild ride
Non-fiction
The Art of Urban Sketching by Gabriel Campanario/Sketch Your World by James Hobbes
I envy people with travel sketch books filled with memories of their journeys. My drawing ability stalled after the fifth grade (probably because that's when I stopped drawing) - but I finally decided that I can do something artistic just for fun. These two volumes inspired me to go out and draw my world using art supplies I already own. They've tempted me to check out an urban sketching outing sometime in the near future.
Thrive: the third metric to redefining success and creating a life by Arianna Huffington
A reminder to savor time with friends and family along with practical tools to get to the point where you can comfortably do so. I've tried the desk meditations from calm.com and found them extraordinarily relaxing.
An Age of License by Lucy Knisley
I really enjoyed Knisley's earlier graphic novel memoir Relish and her latest did not disappoint. This is probably where my renewed desire to draw came from. Lucy travels to Europe for a comic conference and explores with her new Swedish lover. I also have a renewed desire to visit the continent.
What are you reading?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)