Autumn never looked so good

Yes, David Beckham is wearing a Hermes backpack, but the dude is rolling in it, so I forgive him. As for Jude, inarguably the biggest rake out there? I still think he is insanely sexy; I recently forked over way too many dineros to catch him as Hamlet on Broadway over Thanksgiving weekend. The last image is from 4 Strokes denim lookbook -I love their fits and washes.

"The mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few to ride them." - Thomas Jefferson

How annoying to have a Vote Yes on 1 banner ad show up on my blog.  I know there's no telling which ads will appear, but I feel like anything politically minded is just downright unethical. For the record, I will Vote No on 1, for equity and gay rights. I actually noticed that even when I was driving through some of the rural, two horse towns en route up the Maine coast the other day, there were tons of Vote No signs, many even hand made! I'd like to think people are no longer afraid of some falsely created demonizing God, and simply more willing to accept each other as human beings just trying to lead a truthful, supported existence.  

Just really cool.

If money were not an object, I think I would buy just about every  item in this lookbook.

It's all really wearable and stylish, without being so in your face - exactly what I like.

I particularly like the Rogan selection, and not only because I blush every time I see a picture of the designer, Rogan Gregory - I think I may actually even get a little weak in the knees -  but because the clothes, all made using sustainable practices, are nothing short of utterly cool.

Just how Rockwell Kent saw it

Solveig and I spent a good part of yesterday way up in the beautiful coastal area near Rockland, Maine. I'd like to write that we were looking at an abandoned cottage to fix up as our new summer home, as spending time way up along the Maine coast has always appealed to me. But, we were actually getting the freaking H1N1 vaccination, since no one in our area provides it and we're both considered high risk. So glad that's over with.  Of course we made a day of it, went to a great thrift store, skipped some stones in the harbor, and strolled through the old downtowns, that although quiet, host just about everything a person could need to make Maine the "the way life should be" after all. 

"I like people who shake other people up and make them feel uncomfortable" - Jim Morrison

Watched Rachel Getting Married over the wknd. Although it was one of the best acted and scripted movies I have seen in a very long time, I don't think I could recommend it to anyone I know, as mainly, it's profoundly sad.   I actually watched after midnight, while Jeff slept, and it kept me up all night.  What really intrigues me is that people are hugely torn over this movie. The New Yorker rated it the best movie of 2008, yet there is a Facebook page called "Rachel Getting Married Sucks", with scores of negative, insulting posts. Well, I guess differing opinions are true of any film, but I for one totally got it,and I'm sorry some weren't able to.   I am a glutton for risks in film, and this movie took many.  Perhaps because when one of my best friends in high school became an annoying addict - although not as tragic as this movie's star -  I began to see most people as less problematic and more of just who they are. And so, my big realization early Saturday morning was that if we can find in the viewing of art  just one empathetic instance, we can get so much more out of experiencing new things, and new people in our own lives.  Everything is related, we just have to let our guards down to see where and how the strings attach. It takes a brave, true person to accept others as they are, and a weaker, less substantial one to shun them.  Oh yea, and I also have a big girl crush  on the movie's screen writer, Jenny Lement.

She shoots, she scores!

My healthclub is undergoing some major renovations. It has recently been purchased by a Swedish dude, and all of the changes will be vast improvements from its neglected former state. So far, the chlorine pool has been refilled with a saline solution (no chemicals!), and the exercise room is currently getting a "green" face lift, with bamboo floors and a solar roof. Going to the gym mon-fri is a must for me; mostly because Solveig loves the daycare there, and I need the Solveig free time, chatting with mom friends, and attempting to get completely lost in sweat.  So lately, with all the work that's being done, and equipment being replaced, I am down to about 2 things I can use while there: the recumbent bike and the basketball court. Naturally, I've chosen the court.  The court is a gem. It seems to be mostly used at night, so I have it all to myself. Although I do practice my dribbling -through the legs, behind the back -  as well as my enviable finger spin, it's all about the foul shot percentage: I am currently at 30%, but improving daily. It has sort of become my morning Zen - something about the bounce of a basketball is really soothing.  Moral of the story? You're never too old to be young again. And, pretending Rajon Rondo is guarding you while you go up for that layup, is not such a bad way to start the day.

Yum, yum, and yum

Both Jeff and I are currently addicted to tzatziki, a Greek yogurt dip we eat with thick pita bread. Although this was the one thing my mother would make for me and only me when I was younger, she went big when chopping the cucumbers, which made it more like a cucumber salad (still really good) than a dip.  You can find it at Whole Foods, or many markets; we get ours from a little company in Merrimack, NH - they sell their products at our local produce market, right up the road.  I've tried making it, but I just can't get it down.  I like to use Greek yogurt, lemon, dill, cucumbers and some olive oil. This recipe is absolutely amazing, and you can pretty much eat it with anything.  Not sure what's going on, but all I want to eat lately is Mediterranean food, even for dessert.  

"I'm talkin' bout music I ain't talkin' bout rap, you talkin' bout who's hot I ain't talkin' bout that"

Although Jeff uses Pandora a whole bunch, usually just letting it stream from his laptop while he attempts to cook or get some work done, I am not at all a fan. In fact, I resent that my musical preference  is being deduced to the predictability of a computer code, written by people who have no idea about me, or what I'm doing during any particular listening opportunity. Listening to music is an intimate experience for me. I listen to a wide array of music, and prefer to let chance direct my own non-virtual steam. The one time I used Pandora, I was more than let down.  Suggesting Taylor Swift because I like Gillian Welch? I don't think so.  Not that Taylor isn't talented, but it's not  so much about the genre as it is about the music. I do love getting suggestions from friends, and finding new artists when I least expect it, but that's just it - I  have to least expect it.   It's impossible to tell me what I am bound to  like because I enjoy Nina Simone, Radiohead, and even at times, Jay Z.   All of the mathematically deduced suggestions completely elude the fact that listening to music, in many ways, is an act of freedom, of self-discovery, and no computer program can come close to the thoughtfulness, coincidence, and even fate, that's involved in that ever satisfying voyage.  

A perfect Autumn night

Went to a fabulous party/bonfire in Nottingham, NH last night. Donkeys, horses, an adored pig, 3 fires, and an array of unbelievable mostly homegrown food. So glad we got out there before it gets too cold to stand around for a while looking at the stars and the distant mountains.

A compelling read, part dos

I just have to say, I am so lost in these stories that I forgot that I am actually reading. I love this type of writing, filled with  direct language and lyrical imagery. I can't believe it has taken me this long to begin this - I bought the book over a year ago. For any of you who are just waiting for the right time to delve into your last book purchase or borrow, take it from me, there's no time like the present.

The weather outside's delightful

IT's October and there's snow in our Southern Maine forecast, but so far it's just been crazy talk - sometimes I think meteorologists are just looking for attention.  Yet if we do get some flaky puffs, I won't be remiss.  I grew up dreading winter and cold weather, but now I can't have it any other way.  I actually look forward to it, which is surreal for me to admit. But my latest theory is that if you are happy in life, truly happy inside, you just don't give a crap about the weather! I mean really, get a grip; it's just freaking weather, and it's actually exciting to loose yourself in its  unexpected craziness.  I may just be saying this because I scored a sweet vintage shearling coat while in the city, or I may just very well be happy. Truly happy. So bring it on Altitude Lou, I already got the soup on, and there's even bread in the oven.

You may say I'm a dreamer

I have a love/hate relationship with my pillow. When I toss and turn amidst visions of literary postulations, I blame my pillow as the clock reminds me of the few hours of sleep that I will likely be getting. And when I fall asleep instantly, mysteriously filling the ever elusive  dream-card with the most pleasant occurrences, loving people, and unthinkable good fortune, it is my pillow whom I thank in the morning. This morning I awoke grateful and refreshed - a clean slate. I am completely caught up with contractual work, and now I can get a little lost in the bliss still floating through my subconsciousness, and  finish writing a song.

An apple a day

Overloaded with a continuous avalanche of conflicting health information out there, as well as a current preoccupation with House MD, I am often left so pessimistic about the state of medical research and diagnostics. I just have less trust in modern medicine, and in trendy miracle foods. For all I know, eating burgers everyday and drinking pints of something or other may keep me living carefree and healthy for as long as the moon allows. But since I'm unwilling to investigate that claim, I like to read this blog to stay abreast of some interesting happenings out there. It's not fatalistic, cautionary, new-agey, weighty, preachy, or uninteresting. In other words, it's time well spent.

Is it time to get up yet?

When I looked at the calendar last Friday and saw that besides the coming weekend, we would have plans every weekend through mid-November, I decided to instill a lets do absolutely nothing until Monday rule.  On Friday we stayed in and ate Chinese food (Thai seemed like too much effort), watched Away We Go (which was sweet and at times hysterical). On rainy Saturday, I lazed around on the couch reading cookbooks while Jeff and Solveig perfected their impressive nap/book rotation, and on Sunday we took a long drive up to the Lakes Region to check out the foliage, attend a local artisan fair and eat a yummy harvest dinner  - that somebody else cooked, of course. There was neither a chore to do nor an errand to run -not even a trip to the dump with the trash. It could all wait.   And I have to say, my brain is still sort of stuck in that nonchalance, which is really nice. We've been so busy with work, house stuff, commitments, etc, that we haven't had much opportunity to just unwind, even on weekends.  So now it's Wednesday, we head to NYC on Friday, have dinner plans, parties, and company every weekend through mid November.  And I'm looking more forward to it all, mostly because I've gotten the much needed indolence out of the way.  So if you can squeeze it in, I highly recommend squeezing nothing in.  After all, many times the best plans are simply not planned. 

Absolut Marketing

Great marketing, especially since the Celtics' preseason is underway.  If there's one thing Bostonians have more than most, it's pride - still not sure if that's a good thing, but it usually makes for a fun time at games.

My how the time flies, part 2

A great read, and not just for fathers and sons.  As I write this I realize that Solveig's naps will soon be obsolete (unless she takes after her dad), and that our days together will go by faster than my heart is willing to accept.  Hope everyone gets some good quality time in with their loved ones this weekend.