NEW – Page 31 – The Creative Salad

Hammer and a Nail

"I gotta get out of bed Get a hammer and a nail Learn how to use my hands Not just my head..."

This morning on my drive into work I took a break from the usual classical music interlude to listen to KBCO (“world class rock”) and their A-Z countdown. I listened to the transition from G to H and the Indigo Girls’ “Hammer and a Nail” came on the radio. Immediately I thought about our blog and how I needed to post about our perpetual daydream of building our own house.

In preparation for this endeavor, we’re been reading books galore on the subject (from the library!). We’ve been reading about houses made out of tires, aluminum cans, adobe, cob, and straw. I’ve been reading up on passive solar design, rain catchment, storage facilities and graywater reuse, radiant heat, and greenhouse construction. Granted, we probably won’t put all this theory into practice for several (many?) years, but we’re having such a great time getting prepared.

Of course, we have the ultimate inspiration: our friends Melanie and Jeff, who built their cob house from scratch by themselves (with some help from friends!) out of renewable and recycled materials (see photos above).

Two alternative building books: Currently reading: The Good House Book: A Common-Sense Guide to Alternative Homebuilding. Next up: Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods. Both by Clarke Snell of Think Green Building.

Happy Birthday, Lee!

Happy Birthday to my brother-in-law Lee! May you have an awesome natal day! XOXO

The above photo is from our excursion to Mexico last month for yummy margaritas and Mexican food. One of the many benefits of being just an hour north of the border in Silver City, New Mexico, for the holidays is that you can travel to exotic places like Mexico for lunch and, while you’re there, enjoy fine cigars (which even I loved!).

Boulder Public Library

As avid readers, David and I read dozens of books a month. We read each night before bed, often read in the morning over breakfast, and frequently spend large chunks of our weekends pouring over novels, memoirs, biographies, scientific journals, natural living magazines and cookbooks. In an attempt to economize, we’ve downsized our book buying and upped our library usage. Instead of our regular dates to the Boulder Bookstore, we’ve been frequenting the library and it’s been great! The main branch of the Boulder Public Library is a quick ten minute walk from our house. Located over (yes, over!) the Boulder Creek, the design of the building is stunning with many windows, curved walls, high ceilings, and open spaces, not to mention plentiful cozy chairs to read in. It warms my heart to see people savoring books at every turn.

In the last few weeks, we’ve borrowed all sorts of interesting books ranging in topics from natural home design and raw food lifestyles, to social commentaries (such as Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America) and practical knitting guides. I’ve loved and looked forward to these trips. Having grown up in a variety of libraries (my mom is a school librarian) and having spent hundreds of hours in my high school and college libraries, being surrounded by thousands of books at a library feels so natural and comfortable to me. This switch this month has not only helped our pocketbook, but has increased the variety of our reading materials and introduced us to a lovely new routine.

Raw Food Introduction

For many (biological and health) reasons, David and I have switched to a mostly raw food diet. For over three weeks, we have eaten plentiful amounts of dried fruit (dates, figs, apricots, currents), nuts (almond milk, cashews, sunflower seeds, pine nuts), vegetables (many different types of lettuce, fennel, cauliflower, avocados, green beans, mung beans, snap peas, alfalfa sprouts, cucumber, spinach), cheeses (blue, cheddar, etc.), soaked and sprouted grains (oats, quinoa, buckwheat, chickpeas), and fruits (apples, pears, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, kiwi, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries). We’ve (un)cooked all sorts of interesting recipes from a variety of raw food cookbooks and made fabulous smoothies. In this time period, we’ve also discovered that I am sensitive to barley and gluten (goodbye raw cereal and bread until we make some from scratch!); we’ve now eliminated both from my diet and the constant fatigue has disappeared. Thanks to the raw foods and regular yoga practice, our energy has doubled (at least) and we are feeling great.

Mozart at 250

Today music lovers worldwide are celebrating Mozart’s 250th birthday. Colorado Public Radio has dedicated a significant chunk of their airtime this week to Mozart: playing his music, discussing special events in Mozart’s hometown of Saltsburg, and commentating on his life. I’ve been listing to their tribute practically non-stop: during my morning commute and at work (thanks to their live feed). I’ve loved it! I have learned so many fun factoids about Mozart the man, composer, and legend. It’s been very enjoyable.

If you are a Mozart fan and haven’t been fortunate enough to join in the festivities, I recommend putting in your favorite Mozart CD and spending a moment celebrating this musical genus. Some of my favorite pieces include: Le nozze di Figaro, Requiem and Piano Concertos Nos. 24 & 25. Enjoy!