Notes from C: November 2013

It's been a while since I've made a post inspired by the little notebook I carry around with me. I think I'm rather seasonal in my creativity and thinking and am drawn to these types of ponderings in the colder months. And colder it is, at least here in Minnesota. Saturday morning at 8am Evan and I, along with his sister and brother-in-law, were at the starting line to our Turkey Trot ... with temperatures just reaching 4 degrees. Lesson learned: if you only wear one layer of winter running tights you will be nursing your numb legs back to health for a good half day. Also, chicken noodle soup is a necessary post-race treat.

As I was saying, the change of seasons feeds my creativity, and fall is the start of my new creative year. To be more precise, it's actually the weeks that follow those colorful peak days that are my favorite of all. Yup, call me weird, but I like to watch the colors gradually fade, when the textures and patterns of tree branches become the main attraction, and the entire landscape settles into one of muddied, muted tones, contrast and mystery. Give me a quiet, chilly scene and top it off with a vibrant sunset that only November can produce and my mind is more alive than on a sunny day in July. Only when it gets cooler and the world begins to turn inward do I have access to those scenes and thoughts.

This time of fall makes me want to be a painter, so I can capture every blurry smudge of color, the long brush strokes of branches, the texture. It's past the peak, the "show" is over, but life continues on. Trees don't wear life solely in their branches; their life is within, calm, steadfast, determined ... resilient. I think this is why I love the coming of winter. It strips away your "accessories" and shows who you truly are. There is less of life around, but the life that remains is persistent and true.

Wouldn't it be nice if we saw aging like this too? Where "past-your-peak beauty" was more striking than prime-time youthful beauty? Wrinkles are just life's way of adding more contrast, texture, shadows ... I'll try and remember that.

Notes from C: February

I'm blogging from Rochester, Minn. this morning from a cozy table in Dunn Bros Coffee. I am so glad I discovered this place because it is different from all other establishments of this chain, and quite a treat. I talked with the owner the other day, and it turns out she owns both the coffee shop and the neighboring cafe, with one kitchen located in the back of Dunn Bros. This means she offers up many of the breakfast menu items from her cafe in the coffee shop as well, such as omelets, breakfast sandwiches, and creamy oatmeal - from scratch, not what you'll typically find in a coffee shop. Add a blueberry scone? I don't mind if I do!

-As I'm sure you've noticed by now with all of my recent posts about cold weather, skijoring, and luminary making: I am a child of winter. Sure I love those sunny summer days, but I thrive in the colder months when we all turn inward, in our houses, thoughts, and actions. I noted in my little traveling notebook earlier in January how the color of the sky on my way home from work reminds me of this time of intention and introspection. As I drive across the Mendota Bridge with the city scape of both Minneapolis and St. Paul laid before me, and airplanes buzzing to their hive across the river, the sky presses down, heavy with pigment, and wraps around our corner of the universe like a blanket. In the Waldorf School, where I attended from K-8 grade, students are introduced to watercolor painting in the early grades with just one color: blue. My teacher would always demonstrate a painting before we took our turn, and I can still see his paint brush releasing a cloud of blue into his water pail, those inky tendrils exploring the water until they transformed it into an opaque blue. Gradually, as we got older, we incorporated secondary colors, like yellow and red, which yield green and purple. I don't know the guiding principles behind this practice, but I can imagine that we start with blue for many of the same reasons I love the darkening sky in winter: it has a grounding, calming nature. Although winter will always have my heart, now that it's the end of February I am starting to get ready for spring, longer days and a little less excess clothing ... just have to get a few more cross-country runs in first to last me until next year!

Cross-country skiing adventures in Rochester, Minn at Quarry Hill Nature Center.

-The Academy Awards are on tonight, and as I sit in the coffee shop this morning, I've already overheard a few conversations on the topic. Have you seen all of the best picture nominees on your list? As everyone in my book club knows, I like stories that make me think (symbolism and philosophical questions without answers are my jam). When it comes to movies, I realized recently that I especially enjoy flicks that not only make me think but also remind me of my place in the universe. After all, I like to think about the stars and could spend hours watching Planet Earth. Beasts of the Southern Wild is high up on my list for that very reason. Besides the fact that it's a poignant story set in a unique location and told completely from a child's perspective, one of the themes speaks to the fact that everything in life fits together and if we offset it, the universe will break; everything is interconnected. As Hushpuppy (the 6-year-old star of the show - she's up for an Oscar!) says, "I see that I'm a little beast of a big, big universe." If you haven't seen it, rent it now (it's available at Redbox). Life of Pi is another amazing film that gives you that "little beast in a big universe" feel, quite literally. Boy lost at sea in a lifeboat with a tiger. Need I say more? Although it is definitely not a kid's film like the PG rating suggests! Rather slow and thoughtful start and most of it will go over a kid's head, except for the scary parts. The ending will really make you think about religion, truth vs. fiction, and the purpose of stories in our lives (another topic I'm a sucker for) ... but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Just see it and then we can talk, k?

-Meet my newest indulgence: Trader Joe's Cookie Butter. Found right next to the peanut butter, it's pure gold in a jar. And if you couldn't guess from the name, it tastes like crushed cookies. Perfect on waffles, fruit, ice cream ... of if you're in our house, your finger. Yea, our first jar didn't last too long with regular finger swipes throughout the week.

-Evan and I explored the Terra Cotta Warrior exhibit with some friends at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. If you haven't had a chance to see them, mark it on your to-do list (I think the exhibit tours the country) because looking at the ancient sculptures makes you aware of the "big picture,"and I found it calming, reassuring, yet mentally stimulating. In 210-209 BC the first Emperor of China was buried in a tomb with 7,000 hand-crafted terracotta warriors (and a couple hundred horses, chariots, etc) to ensure his protection in the afterlife. Although the sheer magnitude of this project is mindblowing (and they haven't even uncovered all of the tombs yet!), what really gets me is that every single sculpture is unique. From the detail on the clothing to the hair styles and facial expressions, every one is different. The audio tour pointed out that the artists likely found their inspiration in the faces of their neighbors and family. So in a way, these warriors are more than a fantasy army for the emperor -- they represent real people from the past and their faces tell a true story. Think about it. The fabric of all of these ancient lives are here in the present day. But of course that can be said about any piece of art. Don't all artists incorporate bits of their lives and stories inspired from those around them into their work? Ah yes, here I go again reveling in the interconnectedness of the world and the never-ending "story." Somebody stop me!

-Here's a quick little shot of my work calendar the other day.

This one made me laugh. At least Evan's discarded clothes I so often grumble about aren't of the fruit-peel variety ; )

-One more winter scene coming at ya: Smoke stacks puff clouds into the air like cotton candy as the setting sun sends streaks of pink across the sky.

Sunsets in winter are always more brilliant than during warmer months, and I'm not sure if this is a scientifically proven fact or if it's just the contrast against the stark landscape that makes the sky appear that much more intense. But I like the effect, especially when you throw a smokestack into the mix, because it's "breath" has a more prominent presence in the winter and catches the light from the sunset. Hence my mental image of cotton candy clouds. I like to pretend there are dragons underground who are employed as cotton-candy makers (or cloud makers?) ... or perhaps they are chained down there against their will, forced to pollute the earth until some young hero sets out on a quest to set them free. But I digress ... (I have a fondness for children's literature, if you can't tell)


Now that the Academy Awards are now halfway over (finished this post after returning home tonight) I better hurry up and hit Publish before they announce best picture!

Here's the story behind Notes from C here.

Read past Notes from C here.

Cookie Butter photo from here. Terracotta Warriors photo from here. All other's are my own.

Notes from C: January

{1} I know I'm not the only one who looks forward to the New Year. Magazines are overflowing with ways to "freshen up" your workout routine, meal plans and daily beauty regimen; the gym is packed with those resolution-seeking hopefuls who are at least committed to starting the year out right; and there's a general sense of ambition in the air. As I've often said, I love the morning because it's ripe with potential - like a basket of freshly sharpened pencils on the first day of school (name that movie!). And of course the New Year is like the ultimate morning. So what do I do, along with all the other Type-A's out there? Why I write up some resolutions, of course. I like to have a few tangible, quantitative goals, and a few other more open-ended ones - and never too many that you forget to stick them out! Here are a few of mine this year:

1 - Read 13 books (or 15?), which shouldn't be hard except that I read really slowly (that's what happens when you spend your day as a copy editor!)

2 - Take the stairs. This means hiking up the 5 flights (= 10) at work every day, and whenever else I can use a little extra horsepower to get myself from A to B.

3 - Complete a sugar cleanse (1 week) at some point. Evan is challenging himself in the food department this year, so I thought it would be good for me to have my own goals. I'm also hoping to kick my bedtime-snack habit, but unfortunately I think my love for yogurt + granola is greater than my resolve on this one ; )

4 - Be a better friend to Evan. Although we really are great "friends," we are very different people with separate hobbies and interests. So I want to make an effort to partake in more of his interests, such as attending more sporting events.

5 - Remember: comparison is the thief of joy. 

{2} I've always loved hopping on a plane, not simply for the destination but for the chance to get above the clouds. There's something liberating about rushing down the runway, tilting upward, then watching as buses, parking garages, and water towers (along with all your worries) become organized, generic kid-sized toys: Monopoly pieces moving along a game board, legos stacked neatly. It's an escape from reality, to-do lists, and responsibilities that you can actually witness out that little window, as beads of precipitation drift horizontally back to earth. It's easy to get perspective on life when flying above the clouds. My flight from New Jersey back to Minnesota after Christmas has become my annual time for reflection, pondering the "big picture," and of course coming up with New Year's resolutions. Yea, I guess I'm the pensive, philosophical type. Evan is usually busy on his iPad or listening to music like most normal adults, but I spend most my time just staring out the window like a child ... or a weirdo, your call. I have to soak it in because before long my ears signal re-entrance to reality with an anticipated pop, the wheels touch down with a rush and a jolt, and I'm off - to a new year.

{3} Recipe: I've really been craving this recently, but since Evan's on a diet (more on that later!) I've been trying not to make meals that temp him with creamy, carb-y goodness. But you should totally make it this weekend so I can live vicariously through you. (photo from here)

{4} This is a about a week late, but on MLK Jr. Day one of my friends posted this on Facebook:

"I believe we can all do a better job of practicing peace in many areas of our lives - with our words, with our entertainment, with our deeds, with those we love and those we don't. That's what I am feeling on this birthday of MLK Jr."

Good words and quite a challenge for most of us, don't you think? I like that she includes entertainment in there, because so often we forget that we have choice in that area of our life.

{5} I am a big believer in homeopathic and lifestyle remedies. I know, sometimes you just can't ward off sickness, especially during cold and flu season, but these are the tricks that I credit for keeping me healthy for the past year and a half. Seriously, I've had nothing more than two days of a cold in over a year and a half, and this is coming from someone who used to suffer from her share of sinus infections and perpetual colds.

-Visit a chiropractor. I know, not the first thing that comes to mind, unless you're thinking about back pain, but I started seeing a chiropractor over a year and a half ago, and haven't gotten full-out sick since. A coincidence? Perhaps. But getting adjusted is thought to boost your immune system and keeps everything functioning in tip-top-shape (since your spine sends signals to every organ/system in your body, a healthy spine = a healthy body). I hope I haven't jinxed myself now! ... and I realize chiropractic treatment isn't everyone's cup o' tea.
-Eat less sugar. Since sugar is known to lower your immune system, I try not eat a lot of dessert or sugary drinks, especially during cold/flu season or if I feel a cold coming on. I've heard doctors mention one of the reasons people get sick after the holidays isn't just because they've been cooped up indoors together - they've also been consuming loads of immune-suppressant sugar. Truth or not, I have no idea, but it seems to do the trick for me.
-Wash out your Nose and Spray your Throat. Read more and watch a video here, featuring my doppelganger/twin!
-Work out. Not a great idea if you're already sick, but maintaining a workout schedule, even a mild one, keeps the blood flowing, toxins releasing, and makes for an all-around healthier person.

What health tricks do YOU have up your sleeve?

Here's the story behind Notes from C here.

Read past Notes from C here.

We have some exciting house projects to reveal soon ... kitchen is a few piddly projects away from being donezo and I've finally started tackling the upstairs (which I've never shown here on the ol' blog). 

Notes from C: September

I'm one of those people that carries around a little pad of paper wherever I go. Don't you know someone like that? Well, you probably do and might not even realize it, because we "notetakers" like to keep our notes pretty secretive. Yes, we go to many lengths to protect them from the elements, but for the most part you won't see them emerge from the bag unless you peek into my cube at work and see me, head down, scribbling in the corner, or glance over at a stop light where I'm furiously jotting down the key points to my strain of thought.

Last spring I posted about my little note-taking habits {I just typed that like hobbit with a double B}, and decided that a regular blog post on some of my random thoughts might be a good way to put my notes to use. I mean, it's nice having stacks of notebooks filled with scribbles and makes me feel somewhat like Harriet the Spy, but hopefully posting regularly (monthly?) will help me someday turn these thoughts into something more productive. Some may be seasonal, some may be random, and some may be downright ridiculous ... but here we go!

Without further ado, my September Notes:

{1} Fall seems to always come as a surprise. "Oh, it's fall outside," people will exclaim as they quickly shuffle on their jackets. Maybe it's just in Minnesota where the weather changes quickly and fall is altogether rather short. Maybe it's because summer stretches out our days, our muscles, our routines, making the change a shock to our system. Whatever the reason, fall, more than any other season has this sense of urgency that sends us flying off to apple orchards; whipping up pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin-filled ravioli; lighting candles and bonfires; and trying to savor the last of the colorful trees. No other season does this to us - or at least to me. Sure, we get wrapped up in Christmas festivities, spring planting routines, and summer-loving activities, but there's no drastic switch. We slowly shift and drift into the next season: snow gradually melts, the trees start to bloom, humidity rises and the sun is high. But the moment you pull out the long sleeves and fall scarf, it's go time! That's why we're off to Vino in the Valley this weekend for a little fall wining and dining. If you're in the Minnesota/Wisconsin area, please make a trip down there sometime. It's delightful - our own little Napa, as we like to call it.

{2} Wouldn't it be fun to get all of the Carolyn's {insert your own name} together in one room? One big party with everyone who shares your name. You wouldn't have to introduce yourself to anyone, because obviously you're a Carolyn. No need to worry about forgetting someone's name either. "Sorry, and you are ...?" just doesn't exist. You could play the "favorite nickname game," all wear shirts that say "not Caroline," and sing "Sweet Carolyyyyyn da da da" because for as much as you are not a Caroline that song is still about you. There'd probably be a theme song or group choreographed dance at the Carolyn party. What would be at your party? (Just found out there's a new Carolyn at work and I would never guess that's her name. I mean, usually I can pick a Carolyn out of a crowd but this one surprised me.)


{3} Regarding the pumpkin photo above. Trader Joe's got the best of me. They were flaunting all that pumpkin stuff and I just couldn't resist. The pumpkin itself was a deal at $3.50, and the other items were total splurges. Turns out the ice cream is super sweet and won't ever make it to my bowl, but this morning I discovered that it's the perfect addition to a cup of coffee. Homemade pumpkin spice coffee! Sweetener and cream in one! I have big plans of making this granola with those pumpkin seeds.


{4} A quote from Moloka'i, by Alan Brennert
"Fear is good. In the right degree it prevents us from making fools of ourselves. But in the wrong measure it prevents us from fully living. Fear is our boon companion but never our master" (205).

And I'll close with a nature quote:

"How beautiful leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days." --John Burroughs

... perhaps the same can be said for human life as well? With aches, pains and sickness, it is easy to overlook the beauty of aging, but I believe - and hope - those days may be some of the brightest in some way (so says the 28-year-old).