Nina Simone

This is simply excellent.  Please enjoy:

...

THR!!!LLER

!!!'s latest album recently dropped and it's the jam!

MORE things I've been fancying lately:

1.  There's listening to music at home, in the car, and through headphones.  But, the best place for me to listen to my favorite tunes is at the Victory St. space.  It's like the autobahn for music.  You can give your vinyl a chance to stretch it's legs and show you what it's got.  It can be turnt way up.  I feel certain kinds of music don't get a fair shake because people just listen to it through computer speakers.  SMH

Really good speakers make all of the difference.  No, shh, listen.  Really good speakers make all of the difference.  

Currently, my favorite record is The Juan Maclean's You Are My Destiny.  I've listened to it a hunnert times now, but Saturday night was like I heard it for the first time.  So tight.

It was made to compliment and accompany his good-time groove Happy House:

I have it on good authority that there will be a third tune to round out these two songs this summer.  Djeah!

@fear_ants next one coming out this summer!

— juan maclean (@juanmaclean) May 5, 2013

2.  Classic VW Beetles.  I daydream about driving one of these all of the time.  I still play slug bug, don't y'all?

3.  We've finally installed the shibori curtains I made.

 I'm currently looking for holdbacks.  My inspiration:

 From onelittleminuteblog.com

From onelittleminuteblog.com

4.  We're doing some minimal gardening this year, keeping it simple with some of our favorites.  Right now, it's looking grim for the okra because they are total crybabies and aren't dealing with these cold snaps very well.  Please pray for their speedy recovery.  This will be a record killing of a plant by my hand if they don't make it.

5.  There are some songs I don't mind being stuck in my head for days:

6.  #VB6 , or to regular folk "Eat Vegan Before 6:00".  ATM & I are giving it a go.  It's Day 2.  So far, it's been easy as far as the actual eating goes.  We are no strangers to vegan  and vegetarian foods.  The challenge is planning the menu.  If you want to incorporate more plant based foods into your diet, you've gotta search high and low for quality recipes that are healthy and keep you in the game.  You can't Boca burger and Daiya "cheese" your way through this.  My breakfasts are usually vegan anyway with my oatmeals, smoothies, and peanut butter toast, so lunch and snacks are what need to be planned for.  Culinary challenge accepted.  My favorite chili recipe of all time is vegan, incidentally.  KMHD & I discovered a topping to keep it kosher by adding onion/jalapeno pickle, cilantro, and avocado.  It is LEAGUES better than sour cream and cheese, and since there is rice vinegar in the pickle, it busts up taste fatigue.  It's so good.  Trust.

Pay no mind to our hideous kitchen.  We've been in talks about getting some actual work done in there soonish.  Don't tell anyone how we live.

7.   Cooking classes at eggshells kitchen co. with Blair:


8.  Drawing closer to our trip to CO. This one is for the soul, which is in need of some mending and a bit of healing. 

Photo by ATM

9.   "...feel pretty good, I'm not, huh, I'm not scared at all, I just feel kind of, feel kind of invincible."

Things I've been fancying lately:

1.  The Monkees 'Porpoise Song'

The Monkees - Porpoise Song (From Head) by ivaxavi

2.  We've been wanting an ottoman for awhile now, but've held out for the perfect vintage number.  This stunner stopped me in my tracks.  We bought it without even looking at the price tag.  It's. just. perfect.

3.  I really like this simple necklace:

4.  I've been reading and enjoying the installments on boingboing, so I thought I'd go ahead and pre-order Ed Piskar's Hip Hop Family Tree comic from Fantagraphics (who else?!).  It's definitely worth a read.

5.  I'm going to learn how to cook in a dutch oven.  When I was younger and went horseback riding & camping in the mountains of Colorado, all of our meals were prepared in a dutch oven. It's a whole other level of culinary delight.  I want in on that.  I seasoned the beauty we received as a wedding gift last Wednesday in preparation of trying it out this past weekend during our camping trip, but we got rained out.  I suppose I don't have to wait until we go camping to try it out, though.

Photo ripped from Apres Ski Instructor, which, incidentally, is inspiration for dutch oven cooking.

6.  I got a new fig tree cutting from the Bernice Garden Farmer's Market.  I really hope I don't foul this up because I would be ecstatic if we had ourselves a fruit bearing tree.  ATM uprooted three stumps in the front yard, which is backbreaking work.  We've got to cut down one of the camellia trees because of poor planning of previous owners.  We're hopeful to put either this Everbearing Texas fig or Japanese we're sprouting from seed in it's place eventually.

7. It's funny, I went for tacos the other eve, but when the waitress took my order, I was surprised to hear myself order a torta.   Really glad I did and I 'm sorry it took me this long to get around to it.  The ones they make at 65th St. are exceptionally boss and come with french fries!

8.  I love George Jones.  When I heard of his passing, I actually said out loud "Awww, now!".  As far as musical influences go, there was what our father listened to (rock, soul, R & B, funk, oldies), but it was our neighbors that introduced KMHD & I to the world of country and western.  This is so true:

i mean, this was the sound of the South of my childhood. Jones, Waylon, Wynette, Twitty. all gone: youtube.com/watch?v=Q9KniU…

— Bowiesongs (@bowiesongs) April 26, 2013

I can't wait to go camping again and listen to the Ol' Possum in the woods, just like we always do. RIP.

9.  KMHD & Everett hipped me to this band called SAVAGES.  Not really sure if you can handle it:

last week

WEDNESDAY / Two Rivers:

FRIDAY/parking deck:

SATURDAY/Taco Mama:

SATURDAY/bird seed:

SATURDAY/real estate:

SATURDAY/Garvan Woodland Gardens:

SUNDAY/new fig tree:

SUNDAY/Impossible film:

EXTRAS/bunny:

rude boys:

bread or dead

When I was younger, my father advised that I should perhaps consider learning a trade instead of going to college.  He figured it'd suit me better.  Honestly, it's taken me up until very recently to realize that he might be right.  And so.

I don't want my love of baking bread and wanting a new career to become confused and intertwined.  That's just timing.  But, one day, I read this article about Ashton Woodward.  He sounds like a proper learned baker with a healthy dose of mad scientist.  I really like that.  It made me want in.

I asked around for his contact information and managed to obtain his email address.  I  sent him correspondence inquiring if he'd be willing to take me on evenings and weekends, without pay, to learn the trade.  I did not expect a response.  I got one two days later.

Lets talk about this. Its a bigger commitment to learn about bread baking than you may realize. A few short tutorials won't do anything but make you a danger to flour. I am open minded, but this craft requires full immersion to achieve any real skill...I am looking for help currently, but I need someone who is committed.

This job is not easy. It is stressful at times, physical limits are pushed daily. The rewards are worth it; making bread is an experience few people know, and far fewer truly understand. Please know that if you commit to learning with me, I am going to push you just as I once was pushed. I walk in flour covered shoes, apron drawn, hundred hours a week.

This is exactly what I'm seeking.

I am intoxicated by the idea that if you are any good, you can bake bread most anywhere in the world. That's brilliant.  Obviously, I've no aim to strike it rich, but this is about my contentment.

I'm hesitant to write any of this because as of right now, there's nothing going on.  But, it's out there, floating around in the universe.  For now, I'll just do my homework. 

Gorgeous bread footage in this Djangos video:

mmm bow bow

Very recently went on a camping trip to ring in KMHD's 32nd birthday.  WHAT FUN!  Already planning our next outing.

A familiar view:

Might as well tie one on:

Binocular spying:

I know the whole 'gals with guns' thing is overdone and romanticized, but...

Best. Vine. Ever.  (turn volume up!)

Still by ATM