* not with ink

I love to bake and cook. It feels therapeutic to me. I love dreaming about what meals I could create. The only two things I dislike are the preparatory shopping (I can never find all the ingredients) and the need to follow a recipe precisely (usually because I’m missing at least one ingredient, due to oversight or grocery store frustration). The result: no two recipes are quite the same! Sometimes this is a disaster, sometimes it is a great success. Here are some of my more recent successes – good luck duplicating them. Also, I have no photos. I think there is one on Karen’s camera of the bread…but that’s about it. (I’m doing all the wrong things on this blog post: no photos, long entry, unhelpful ideas to duplicate.) Artichoke & Tomato Pasta Olive Oil 1 can artichokes ¾ yellow pepper Garlic, crushed/minced Fresh herbs (I used rosemary, salt, pepper. Would like to try basil) Half a pint of grape tomatoes Spinach ½ c. White wine ½ c. Vegetable stock Pasta (I use no...

I'm bored of blogging. Actually, as I think about this more, it's not exactly boredom. I’m at my digital capacity. Maybe past it. I need to rething this whole interweb thing. It was easy when I started, back before Facebook or Twitter or Flickr or Skype or GMAIL! And I’m not even on Pinterest or Tumblr or Instagram (yet!). Back then, I blogged. And I emailed. And now…now I do SO MUCH. Or I don’t do it all, but I want to, because I like staying connected to people, and I like feedback and encouragement (and bald-faced lies about how great I am) and…maybe someday I'll get famous off of this (yeah. right.), and...and …and all the things that are hazards of our current tech-savvy, real-time responding culture. I took this photo back in January of 2008. I was bored. And unsettled. I am bored and unsettled again, although this round is different. Not worse, not better (maybe better), just different. (insert intentional end to a ramble that could vaguely go on fore...

This weekend was full of food and people and food and sun and food and celebration and, did I mention, food? I hardly had time to be un-full, and certainly never got all the way to hungry between meals. Thankfully I came back to a nearly empty fridge, so today will be easy on my tummy. It needs to recalibrate. Despite its prevalence, this weekend was not about food. It was about laughter and joy and had a bonus topping of sunshine. Lots and lots of sunshine. A sunny day in Vancouver is one of the most happy-making experiences. Add on coffee and lunch and parties with delightful friends, and it is no exaggeration to say that I couldn’t stop smiling all weekend long. Some other notes and thoughts: 1. Lynsey found us the perfect place to stay in Vancouver: Point Grey Guest House . Book a room that is at the back of the house, off 10th Ave. Breakfasts were a legitimate highlight, with fresh fruit, yogourt, homemade baked goods and blackberry jam from berries picked across the stree...

I hardly blog about relationships and dating and love.   Three reasons for that:  a. I have many opinions and much speculation but few (if any) concrete answers,  b. I place a high value on privacy, both mine and the guys I date, and  c. I do NOT want to become THAT girl who only ever talks about her relationships (or lack thereof). These (almost) always outweigh my desires to share ridiculous stories, vent over perceived wrongs or philosophize ad nauseum about things out of my control. And now I will say this: I have decided that I understand not even a third of what I once thought I knew about dating and romance. BUT I feel three times more sure of who I am, and increasingly clear on what things matter to me and what things are negotiable. I sometimes feel cynical and am often confused, but underneath, there is hope.** Also, I will admit that I think often about these things. I have many, many thoughts. Here are three particular snippets that my mind ...

Grouplove - Love Will Save Your Soul First Aid Kit's "Tiny Desk Concert"

My most recent theory: there are basically three bases (basises? basees?) for friendships: 1. shared history. 2. shared worldview. 3. shared life-stage/interests. Sometimes you have all three in common with a person, sometimes you have a combination, and sometimes you just have one. Also, you might have all three in common with someone, and two years later, you've only got the shared history left.  But in a few more years, maybe you'll be back to sharing other things too. Friendships look different depending on which platform(s) you're building off of, and that's ok. So long as you don't expect your new-concert-best-friend to understand the total complexities of why you feel a little bit panicky in the post-concert exodus, or think that your friend-forever-and-new-mom will be up for a last minute weekend road-trip. Different relationships, different strengths. What do you think? Is this accurate or way off base? How do you recognize & respond to thes...

Dandelions CP Originally uploaded by bethaf . Sometimes dandelions are lovely and fun. I haven't taken photos for a long time, and it was fun to capture the hilarity and love of my brother and sister-in-law and their kidlets.