nutritious and delicious

The words "eating local", "buying local", nutrition, fresh, in season, homemade, and organic are words that seem to be floating around my brain non-stop these days. I really try to buy organic when I can and I always stop at the little farmer's stands on the side of the road during the summers. Yesterday I saw yellow plums that looked interesting but they were $4.99 lb and they were imported from Chile. Chile?! Shouldn't we be exporting our goods to help them since they just had a massive earthquake? Let's leave their expensive fruits for their country to enjoy. Whenever I see something "Ohio grown" I'm quick to buy it over the other guys.

Buying local is our responsibility. It is important to help out our local farmers and to also enjoy fresher foods that didn't travel over 1,000 miles to get to our dinner table.

So try and stop at your local farmer's market, C.S.A., or choose the (enter your state/city/country's name here) grown apples etc, over the ones from South America. Every small step helps tremendously!

If you are from the Cleveland area, check out the historic West Side Market!

Los Angeles.... I love you

I don't know what it is about Southern California, but I just absolutely LOVE it. My first trip to California was in February 1988. I was sooo excited to see Hollywood and movie stars. We took the Amtrak train from Cleveland to Chicago then Chicago to Los Angeles. By far, the best trip I think a family could take. I was a very easy going kid and entertained myself for the whole trip. An active daydreamer my whole life, I think I starred out the window the entire trip and watched the beautiful American landscape pass me by. We traveled all throughout the Southwest and it felt like I was in a different world. We had a larger room with bunk beds and my mom and dad and me would play Go Fish and other little card games.

Since that trip in 1988, I have wanted to move there. Los Angeles is my favorite city and I think it will always be my favorite city. I know a lot of people who hate it and can complain for days about traffic and all that other stuff, but I love everything about it.

On sunny days like today here in Cleveland, it makes me miss L.A even more. I guess the sun makes me think of sunny California!! I'm by no means unhappy here in Cleveland, and I will most likely live here forever (unless my husband and I can persuade each other to move!). My family, small but lovely, predominately live here. I would miss my mom too much if I left...and my grandma, my little cousin, my aunt, my uncle, and so on. I truly enjoy their company and see them every week. I have no idea how some people move away from their families and only see them on holidays. Must be hard. Now tell me I would of said that when I was 17 and I would of laughed in your face! Amazing how time and age makes you treasure and appreciate all that you have.

I have traveled back to Los Angeles just about every year after that. Fortunately, I have family that live there so it gives me more of a point to get out there. I still have those moments where I just want to pack up and move out there. It's the sun. When I see sun, I think of L.A.

I still love you Cleveland. You are my home, my family....

Oh and back in 1988 when I was so excited about going to Hollywood, I did. And I saw the Hollywood sign and I remember seeing "rock stars" and one had a blue mohawk. I was in heaven.

random

I stop at my grandma's house every Wednesday after work. We sit at the kitchen table and chit chat about life. My aunt and my uncle live there too so they are always around. My aunt is always asking me if I want diet coke or cake (because there is always cake at their house) and my uncle chats with me about art and nature (he is a fantastic painter and self-taught).

Anyways, on to the point of my random post....today's conversation was all about haircuts and finding the right beauty shop. My grandma (who I endearingly refer to as "Gra Gra") was complaining about her recent haircut. We both complained about how sometimes hairstylists never get it right even when you give them a picture. Made me giggle because I have had some haircuts that made me want to put on a wig or wear ponytails for 6 months.

Yesterday I came across a quote from one of my favorite musician/poet, Jim Morrison. It totally worked with today's conversation with Gra Gra. Here it is....

Some of the worst mistakes of my life have been haircuts.
Jim Morrison (1943 - 1971)

So true.

so many orchids...

photos from the Cleveland Botanical Garden's Orchid Mania show

tea time

Saturday afternoon and a snow storm = tea at my favorite tea house, Algebra in Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood. It's a small, cozy, tea house that looks like you have stepped into a true hippie's liberal lair.

And yes, the furniture really is made out of wood or old thrift store-esque chairs and ottomans. Oh and the wood burning stove is real too. Oh and so are the handmade ceramic mugs that are all trippy and wild with random paint splashes. Truly unique.

Love it.

the end of the snow storms?

Everyone needs fresh tulips in the house when it looks like this outside!
Hopefully the snow storms are over. I think everyone is ready for some spring weather!

tulips mean one thing....Spring is almost here!