I think a lot about food in a time where people shouldn’t have to obsess about it because it is everywhere, anytime, and in just about any form one can imagine. Maybe that’s why I think about it so much. I wonder where food comes from, what it tastes like, when it will go bad, who grew it, when I will make it, if we have enough of it at home, and when I will eat it. I enjoy reading books and articles about where our food comes from because it is something that impacts everyone everyday. I’ve read Super Size Me, Chew on This, Fast Food Nation, Botany of Desire, and The Omnivore’s Dilemma, which have all influenced my views on food, especially industrially-grown food. I’m not a vegetarian yet, but I am definitely interested in locally-grown, sustainable food.

The picture on this page is from my garden–two 4′X6′ beds with peppers, squash, tomatoes, chives, broccoli, carrots, chard, and beans in them. I also have lavender, mint, basil, and rosemary (as well as completely unsuccessful eggplant and lettuce). We have eaten just a few meals from my harvests, but I feel completely connected to my food as a result of having tended these plants since, in some cases, March. Sometimes it’s a little scary for me to eat veggies that I know has been in my yard because I know there is construction dust, exhaust, stray cats, and a resident slug around my food. These are the least of a consumer’s worries, but it’s easier to not know about where our food comes from and to think that it magically appears in our grocery stores than to think of our food as part of an ecosystem.

I know that I will continue to grow my own food as long as I can for this first reason: a connection to my food, an appreciation for how much work goes into growing, say, a carrot, and knowledge of where my food has been.

This is where I was one week ago today–Snow Lake in the Alpine Wilderness about 60 miles east of Seattle. Justin and I are hoping to hike more often, so we decided to start by hiking on one of the hottest days of the summer–last Saturday. Oh, and about half of the hike was on exposed switchbacks, it was ridiculously crowded with people and dogs, and we didn’t bring enough water. But really, it was a wonderful hike. We saw a snake, a mouse, a pika, chipmunks, and a bear. I got to soak my hot feet in the chilled water of the lake, we got a rigorous workout, and we got to talk to each other for 6 miles (when we weren’t catching our breath). I think our next hike will have to be another one in the Alpine Wilderness, as these are generally June-October hikes. Here’s to the great outdoors!

I think my cat may be partially vegetarian. Anytime I’m cooking veggies or cleaning fruit, he meows at me. When I take out the compost, he meows at me (because he wants to go out and eat grass). When I work in my garden, he meows at me incessantly.

Not until this week, though, has he had a taste for the soybean. I wanted some edamame and rice for dinner Wednesday before my big bowl-off with Dawn and Lesley. I was also in the middle of doing laundry, so after I ate dinner, I stepped into the garage to put the laundry in the dryer. When I came out, I saw this adorable–although somewhat unsettling–sight. For the rest of the pics documenting this strange event, visit my flickr page. And Virgil…stick to the food in your cat bowl.

At any rate, I can’t blog long, as there is a bowling match going on tonight that I MUST be part of. Lesley, Dawn, and I are going to face off tonight at the Imperial Lanes. Wish me luck!

This was supposed to be the sunny side of the island, but it was a bit rainy and cloudy (and VOGgy–volcanic smog) that day. We visited Ali’i drive after our coffee tours. We went to the Farmer’s Market for some fresh mangoes, and we ate burgers at an outdoor table. I got a pedicure in a tiny shop right on the water. Unfortunately, the museum I wanted to see was closed due to earthquake renovations. I’ll remember this relaxing view when my schedule gets hectic and just take a deep breath.

You know that picture I posted with the lava? See that steam in the background of this photo? That’s what lava-hitting-the-ocean looks like during the day. Theoretically, it would be really easy to drive to that spot because a road does go to that location, but, alas, hardened lava now covers the rest of the Chain of Craters road.

The boardwalk you see surrounds petroglyphs made by ancient Hawaiians. If you click on this picture, you can get to my photostream where there are pictures of the actual petroglyphs.

Rain. Crowds. Trekking across old lava fields for a mile…..we endured all of this to get this picture of new land being created by lava on the Big Island of Hawaii. I wish we could have gotten closer–this was nothing like the pictures I had seen in guidebooks of children crouching down to view glacially-moving lava at their feet–but we did get some amazing video with lightning coming from what seemed like within the lava “splashes.” Despite the effort it took to get to the viewing location, this experience was completely worthwhile–where else can you even get close to seeing this kind of fireworks show?

Cute as these shoes are (and they were free, too!), they were the WRONG shoes to wear to trot all around New York City. In this picture, I’m kicking up my feet in Bryant Park, right behind the huge Public Library. After we watched WALL-E on 42nd street, I ended up buying some comfy Sketchers bike-style shoes to replace these. Aaaahhh.

I went to the Met expecting to see all the classics, which I did (check out the rest of my flickr pics). I also came across this amazing bottlecap sculpture done by a contemporary artist from Ghana, El Anatsui. Imagine a wall-hanging of this as big (or bigger) than your bedsheets–glittery goodness!

I love this view from the Empire State Building! Maybe I will make it my wallpaper….for my computer, that is.