Go Vegan Pancakes! and we have a garden!

In the news today, we have successfully created an edible vegan pancake. We call them Bearcakes, after baby bibliotecaria. Rice milk instead of cow, and then a flaxseed egg substitute:

1tbsp flax seed substitute (simply mix 2 1/2oz of ground flax seeds into 8fl oz water. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes. Cool, then place in a refrigerator).

And then 1/4 to 1/2 of a banana. Then just follow the betty crocker recipe (or your favorite pancake recipe) except with whole wheat or whole grain.... it is delicious, especially covered in Mr. Bibliotecaria's berry sauce.

In other news: WE HAVE A GARDEN! We now have a spot at the local community garden. Mr. Bibliotecaria is volunteering there, and we have one bed, plus this funky spot with a bicycle wheel bean pole... We're planning on putting garlic and shallots in the ground this week, and then planting some chard, beets and lettuce--as well as a ground covering that we can then turn under for compost--fava beans, buckwheat or vetch. But we need to does some measuring for nutrients to see if we have to add anything (nitrogen, etc.) and then make our selection.

It is really a lovely community garden, with lots of children and a cool bench/meeting area with elephants and stuff. There are several fruit trees, and a worm man.

It would be nice to be able to grow stuff at our home, but this is a nice bike ride from our place with the added bonus of neighbors.

orange revolution

Although I do not vote for one side or the other in the politics, I cannot help but be in touch with current events. I feel a responsibility as a citizen of the world to try to understand what is happening. Most of the time I just feel this ache in my heart.
The attempted Orange Revolution in Burma reminds me of something Thomas Merton wrote in his journal, "Christ is where men are beaten and starved."

So I sit here, and watch these events unfold across the world as a stage, and I am usually left disheartened or muttering. I try to teach my children how to be have, and to be a moral agent in the world, only to turn on the radio ad hear about all of these powerful adults across cultures and timezones behaving like... selfish, evil, petty-- what is the word? I almost wrote animals, but that doesn't quite cast the image properly.

So although I listen to the events of the world, and try to make sense of them, I do not know where to begin to write about them. It mostly makes me sad.
And so I will end with a quote by Léon Bloy, hugely admired soul:

Man has places in his heart which do not yet exist, and into them he enters suffering in order that they may have existence.

flowers for mama

Boys shirtless in Seattle

Weed, Portland, Seattle, Portland, Weed

Our adventure to Portland and Seattle to see the lovely Ms. Goodwin wed Mr. Mike and become Mrs. and Mr. was grand. It was good to connect with all the peeps and figure out how to move closer to y'all.

But I just can't get the library in Seattle out of my mind. Wow.


This library has an entire theater just for children's stuff. And the books! The dood who was in ob designing the San Francisco public library though that books, physical books, would be replaced by digital media.

But libraries are even today more important because of they are full of books--one can browse and ready freely (without a credit card or social security number), in the face of all the other avenues of media (all of this digital stuff). Because no matter what, nothing will ever be as cool as a lovely book in the lap.

So I've just been meditating on the importance of free information, and youth services that have lots of books and good, natural lighting. I've also been reading this work, which makes me paranoid and also want to strive to protect culture even more.

Viva Sheepy-Sheepy

Portland or Placerville?

Both Mr. Bibliotecaria and I are native Californians. But we would, some day, like to own a home. I want to put a beautiful little statue of St. Joseph in my front yard, and on the other side have one of Mary. Both would have special flowers planted for each one. And then Saint Fiacre (patron of simple living) will have a place, too.

Our five year plan has as its end owning a home with land. And we are certainly more interested in the land--we are totally open to a yurt, or other dwelling.

We are currently interested in Placerville (Gold Country, CA--Sierra Foothills) or Portland, OR. Now all you Portland, OR folk--again, it is difficult choice for us to abandon the Mother Land... But we do love Portland. We could maintain our ever-hip urban lifestyle while growing things in our much dreamed of backyard.

But for now, we'll sit tight and enjoy the view.

Salvatore Quasimodo

ED E’ SUBITO SERA

Ognuno sta solo sul cuor della terra
trafitto da un raggio di sole:
ed è subito sera