Thursdays

Last year about this time, I received an email. This was an unremarkable email as far as emails go; but the content inspired me to buy a pair of well-priced plane tickets. A few months later, I let my partner in crime in on my secret. The Monday before Thanksgiving we went to the international terminal at the airport, checked our bags, cleared security, and found a glass of wine near the departure gate. Before we boarded the flight, we sent messages to our family and friends letting them in on our surprise. The flight was uneventful; the drive from the airport exciting, and the hotel was exactly as it had been described. We squeezed our bags into the room, splashed our faces, and headed out into the twilight to explore. We found that the city was filled with lights.

After walking as long as we could after crossing so many time zones; we found something to eat and called it an evening. A great night of sleep reset the clock and we spent the rest of the week exploring things as they presented themselves. We had both been to this place before, there was no pressure to 'do' anything. We spent time at a park observing the locals.

Evenings sipping flutes of bubbly (some with raspberries)

And just enjoyed all the different expressions of the upcoming holiday that we came across as we explored the city.

Some of the locals were more approachable than others . . .

While we were there; our friends and family gathered together during the week for piles of turkey, potatoes, salad, and pie. We strolled down the street and ate at a cozy little place down the street from our residence. A particular animal was featured on the menu and prepared several ways. There was a selection of seasonal vegetables offered on the side, and a carafe of the house red served as the perfect match for the food on the plates. After the meal, we popped through another door where, when they saw us come in, bottles were pulled from the shelf, and digestives poured and at our table as we removed our wraps.

We gave thanks.

Our time together was a gift; a time to spend just being; with no deadlines, agendas, or commitments (well, other than a couple of dinner engagements). And in the end, we think we may have created our own tradition of thanks. We realized that we could go away, just the two of us, and give thanks wherever we were, even if it felt just like a regular Thursday in that place.

If you are looking to create your own thankful-just-a-regular-Thursday moment in this very special city, take a look at what Jordan Ferney at Oh Happy Day! is offering to do for one lucky reader. Jordan is living the dream many of us have of picking up and moving to a foreign country with her family, you can follow her escapades and enjoy her party and decorating ideas even if you don't end up entering her contest to win a trip to PARIS!

(shhh, maybe you want to keep your trip a secret too)

My Life as Illustrated by Johannes Brahms

I grew up in a house full of music. My parents were both accomplished musicians. My siblings and I all played a variety of musical instruments. There was a steady stream of students sitting at our living room piano or in a studio somewhere nearby plinking or quacking away on their instrument of choice with one or another parent giving patient instruction. When we were not subject to anybody practicing, teaching, or performing there was usually music coming from the ‘Hi-Fi’ in the living room. The station of choice was one of the local NPR stations that played tunes of the Classical persuasion most of the day, with brief breaks for news. When we were bored, we would make up stories to go along with the music that we were listening to; there was the one about the pageantry of a king giving a speech to a crowd of his loyal subjects; the one about brushing your teeth with rhythmic precision, and several more that I will not go into here, as that is a story for another day.

Earlier this week I received word from my Masters advisor that my thesis was complete and that I could print the final document. As I was reading those words, the horn call that introduces the second movement of the Brahms 4^th Symphony began to play in my head. As I have been rehearsing this particular piece of music for a performance this weekend I was not surprised that it came to mind, but I was surprised at the feelings the combination of news and the music stirred up. I realized that this music perfectly illustrated what I had been doing the past months.

The first movement of the Brahms 4th is beautifully complex with an intertwining melody that returns repeatedly; kind of like the writing and rewriting I did. The music slides smoothly in and out and from one place to another and before you know it; you are back at the melody again. The final bars of the movement are triumphant, finishing so strongly that it feels as if that is the end – ah, the joy of submitting that final draft! Writing, re-writing, submitting and re-submitting my final project was intertwined in all aspects of my life for the better part of the past year; obviously, there was much joy when the final draft was submitted.

The second movement is dreamlike in nature - a very passionate and emotional dream. The horn call that starts the movement quickly succumbs to a smooth woodwind and string melody that takes you from a highly excited state to a place of relaxation. This illustrates the roller coaster of emotions I felt once I received word that I was finished. Could this really be true? Was it really done? Was I really going to graduate? Perhaps I should just take a nap. Just about the time that you think you have had enough dreaming; the third movement snaps you back to reality! The lively, dancing rhythms take you to a party where crowds of people are trying out new dance steps, swishing about in fancy clothes, and celebrating something really great that has just happened. Just listen to the laughter and happiness in this music and rejoice in the fact that everyone gets a chance to play. This lilting tune was exactly what I was feeling when I realized that yes! The project is complete!

Now what.

The fourth and final movement goes to a more serious place. For me (having not quite made it there yet) I am imagining the pomp and circumstance of my final academic ceremony; complete with regalia, faculty members on the dais, an audience filled with proud friends and family, a group of graduates, presentations, awards, and a realization of the years of work that went into accomplishing this goal. The form of the final movement is a chaconne or passacaglia, which is more simply known as a theme and variations. I think that is a perfect illustration of an academic ceremony – each person may have the same degree being conferred, but the emphasis and path to that degree are different for every individual. Theme = degree | Variation = path each person took to get there.

As I wrap up both my time in graduate school and the season with my orchestra I realized this particular week has held a mixture of joy and exhaustion; the same barrage of emotions that I feel at the end of the Brahms. With all the changes going on around here; perhaps a dose of Brahms was exactly what I needed.

Starting over…

Fall is not the season that is associated with re-births or fresh starts; that award usually goes to Spring with its new leaf buds and baby animals all over the place.

By the time the vernal equinox happens, the sweetest corn has been eaten, stone fruits and berries are waning, sunflowers have begun to bow down, baseball is feverishly racing toward a pennant before the first snow of the season, and leaves are beginning to turn and lose their tenuous hold on branches. Strangely I never have the feeling that things are coming to an end; but that things are just starting. Rather than feeling as if something is ending, I always feel like Fall is the beginning of something exciting! The first day of school; the fashion seems to be the ‘most important’ and drives the biggest magazine advertising (September issues!) of the entire year; apples appear at the farmers markets; and the weather finally cools off enough so that I have the energy to finish the projects that have been languishing during the last hot weeks of the summer months. For me, Fall is the time that I take things on that I have wanted to do and when I recommit to projects that I have set aside for whatever reason. This has been a year of change and new beginnings for me; things that have not changed have somehow become stronger; and still other things have shifted just enough to feel like they are new again.

As I write this, I think of all the things that I put aside while I was considering where to go next and wondering which ones I will choose to pick up again. There are some loose ends to tie up, but overall, I will be moving forward and enjoying this new life as it presents itself.

Chahut de nouveauté!

How to Use a Blog

I believe that weblogs, or blogs are a tool that can be used effectively as part of a planning process for several reasons. They are easily accessed by anyone with an Internet connection, they make it easy for the reader to do deeper research on the posted topic, they provide a way for information to be shared quickly, and give the writer a way to easily communicate with more than one person at a time. I have used my blog to show off photographs I have taken during my travels, let my friends and family know what I am up to, vent on topics that I felt strongly about, and most recently, to explore a few planning topics that I was interested in learning more about.

Anyone with an Internet connection can search for an access blogs on any topic imaginable. Just choose a topic, enter a few related key words into a favorite search engine, and millions of results can be returned. This not only gives the searcher many choices to look through, but it can help to focus a search topic once some of the returned content is reviewed. Blogs usually provide fresh content every few days and can be a great way to gain a lot of knowledge quickly without having to purchase several books or periodicals. Using a service such as Google Reader to organize a list of favorite sites makes accessing and reading blogs even easier.

Because blogs usually contain links to sites with more information, the reader can often learn more about a given topic than what was posted on the blog itself. Ideally the author has spent some time himself or herself looking for sources that support their opinion and have linked them appropriately, allowing the reader to verify the data and form their own opinion. This can be especially helpful for municipal or regional agencies that may not have the time to give much background information on a topic during a public meeting. The agency can provide a summary of the of the topic being discussed as well as links to appropriate background information. Meeting attendees could be directed to use the blog for pre-reading or follow up reading, meeting schedules and other information.

A blog can also be used as a tool to reach out to customers, community members, and any other interested parties. As an independent planning professional, they can be a place to showcase knowledge and specialties to others that might also be interested in those topics or who are looking for a resource with a particular knowledge base or skill set. It is a simple way to market yourself or your firm to both current and potential clients. By updating content regularly, the blog will be visible to a broad audience who are probably finding it via search engines.

In the past, a writer might have written an article for a newspaper or magazine and anyone with a comment about the content would have written a letter to the Editor of the publication, looked for and found an envelope and a stamp, addressed and finally mailed the letter to the Editor. Several months later, if they were lucky, the letter would be published in the periodical and rare still, a response provided by the Author or Editor of the piece that provoked the comment to begin with. A reader can comment on a blog post in real-time, agree, disagree, add some additional thoughts, or discuss the ideas found in the posting. In some ways, it can be like having a conversation with the whole world at one time.

Blogs are easy to start, provide a way to easily communicate with multiple audiences, and give the writer a way to market their knowledge to a broader audience. With the addition of micro-blogging services such as Twitter and Tumblr as well as the explosive growth of the popular social media site Facebook, municipalities and other agencies must be able to work effectively within all of these structures, including blogs to provide content that supports their strategies. All of these services are free and allow content providers to post thoughts, links to articles, and information quickly and easily, ensuring their message is seen and heard by a wide audience of friends, foes, and fans.

Re-Use, Re-Furbish, Re-Cycle your Wardrobe

In October, Levi Strauss announced both a partnership with Goodwill and a program to tag their clothing with information on what consumers can do once they are done wearing the item they have purchased. The new care labels not only encourage a 'donation when no longer needed', they also encourage washing in cold water, washing less often, and air drying to prolong the life of the garment. All ways for the consumer to reduce the environmental impact of the purchase.

This particular strategy encourages a donation to Goodwill, but there are many organizations that will take clothing to re-sell in their shops including the Salvation Army, St. Vincent De Paul's, and many other regional organizations. Other alternatives include taking gently used clothing to a consignment shop. Consignment shops will take your items, merchandise them in the shop and split the proceeds with you once the garment sells. Or arranging a neighborhood clothing swap to freshen up the wardrobe. This is particularly useful when there are kids in the neighborhood, as they grow out of something, it can be passed along. Teens can update their look without breaking the bank and Adults can not only save money, but will probably find something for their closet as well. All of these methods are a way to have something new without the impact of manufacturing a brand new garment.

Encouraging the reuse and recycle of apparel is one way for individuals to have less of an impact on the environment. By consuming fewer brand new garments, consumers can help manufactures have less of an impact as well. Despite many garments being made from renewable materials like cotton and wool, the manufacturing process itself can have a big impact on the environment. Another popular apparel fabric is polyester, a petroleum based product that uses a large amount of resources to manufacture, which in turn creates emissions and other waste products that go directly into the environment. None of this takes into account the impact of growing the material, transporting the raw materials to the factory, transporting the finished garments to a retail outlet, or the consumer driving miles to a shopping mall. Obviously, this is less than ideal.

Realizing that we can reduce the environmental impact of the clothes we wear by purchasing classic, quality items that can be worn for more than one season is somewhat liberating. It gives us permission to spend a bit more, because the garment will be worn for years. The rise of fast fashion chains such as H&M, TopShop and Zara has meant that more items are being purchased and discarded as fashion trends come and go. By purchasing less, wearing items longer, and passing them on when they no longer fit or are needed we can keep unwanted clothing out of our landfills, reduce the impact on the environment, and probably all have more money in the bank.

Please try this at home

When we moved into this house, we decided we would be known as the house that gives out the coolest stuff on Halloween. This has always meant that we buy an assortment of full sized candy and enjoy the excitement as the kids discover that not only do they get to choose what they want, but that whatever they end up with, it's the 'big one'. About a month ago we decided to give out shorty cans of soda-pop instead of candy. Despite being a little worried about how it would be received, I went to the store and bought an assortment of flavors, about two-thirds caffeinated.

On the day of Halloween, I put everything into the refrigerator to chill in case someone wanted to pop it open right away. (they did) As soon as the first bunches of kids came to the door I knew we had a hit on our hands. This was confirmed in two ways: (1) The parents who all said, "Oh, you are the soda house!" when they saw what I was handing their child and (2) The kids running down the sidewalk yelling, "This is the best Halloween EVER!" accompanied by the popping sound of cans opening.

We figured that the sugar and other stuff that was not so good for you content was about the same for a soda as it was for a candy bar and discovered that the excitement level was much higher with the soda. Now, how are we going to top the 'year of the soda'?! We already have an idea.

Indigenous Creatures

Rarely seen by the human eye, the common Toilet Paper Fairy or TPF works to ensure a full roll of toilet paper is installed in every WC. We know they exist by the results of their hard work to make certain there is a always a full roll on every dispenser in a building. Toilet Paper Fairies like to keep busy and as such are usually found only in places where there are many dispensers to keep filled, usually hotels or office buildings. Occasionally the TPF is found in a private residence, but only when the owner has bribed them to stay with the promise of an unlimited supply of rolled paper product. More often private homes are not lucky enough to have a TPF, although some do have part time Fairies that flit through each place they are responsible for to check the status of the rolls, taking action as appropriate. Sadly, in a place that does not have a TPF on staff, the people living or working there must take it upon themselves to do the Toilet Paper Fairy's work. Most find that devising some sort of system to make sure that there is always a back up roll nearby helps eliminate problems when there is an unexpected outage.

As our lives become filled with hobbies and other experiences outside the home, the TPF workload has become heavier and the expectation of a full roll appearing on every dispenser as if by magic has become folly. Do your part in helping to keep the workload manageable for the TPF, keep your dispenser full and devise a back up system for those times where you just need to have more. Your local, hardworking Toilet Paper Fairy will thank you.

Age is just a state of mind

I have gotten myself into a situation where I am much older than the people I will be spending the month of July with. Because I don’t really know them at all I’ve found myself not telling stories or omitting details, like how long I’ve done something because I don’t want to give myself away. Today one of them was surprised that I had seen a kind of corny movie that she liked. What I didn’t tell her was that I saw it during it’s first release in the theater. I don’t feel (much) older than I was 10 or 15 years ago, but I know that my experience is making me much wiser.

Just how old is she?
The world may never know!

The same everywhere

Why is it when a woman traveling alone approaches a taxi line, the drivers inevitably try to talk them into a fancy ride (usually a Mercedes) vs. the car that is at the front of the line (usually a Toyota) when they arrive. And then when it is firmly stated that a ride is all that is required (not a limo), the driver suddenly has a bad back and needs help loading the bag into the trunk. It is the same in every city I have been all over the world. I wonder why that is?

Out Sitting in Their Field

Last night we had dinner at a farm. This in itself isn’t too surprising if you consider how many farms large and small there are around here.

A 15-minute drive from most of the East Bay will put you within spitting distance of at least a farm stand or a you-pick plot where you can buy as much as you can carry.


This particular farm was about an hour away from our home. We drove over a bridge to Sonoma County and found Green String Farm just east of Petaluma on Old Adobe Road. Green String Farms’ primary focus is on “growing food for people while simultaneously improving the land they grow on."


Before we ate we saw our meal being cooked on a spit (the goat), in a brick oven (flat breads) and got a tour and some education about where the vegetables that we were going to eat were grown.

This wonderful experience was made possible by the folks at Out Standing in the Field. Their mission is "to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it."


They work all over the country (and sometimes world!) to "bring together local farmers and food artisans, chefs and winemakers, we explore the connection between the earth and the food on your plate."


We have shopped at a local farmer's market every week for almost seven years now, getting to know the farmers and vendors along the way. This experience seemed to be a logical extension of how we try to eat at home. One of the best parts of the entire night was when the farmer, wine, cheese and bread makers came out to explain their process, craft and sourcing to everyone that was interested.


And then the sun went down and it was time to go home.

Sorting the Clutter

Amazing how a journey of a thousand miles (give or take a few thousand) can start with a thorough cleaning of a closet.

Now, where did I put the cotton balls?

To New Beginnings (a.k.a. That's Just Crazy Talk)

When this blog was first set up, the intent was to use it to post an image a day from my travels both near and far. Life got in the way and between full time work, part time graduate school, orchestra, family and friends, the blog (obviously) took a back burner. Then, suddenly I was given a very generous gift of time. I quickly assessed my options and decided to take advantage of a summer study abroad program that would be both an extension and an enhancement of my graduate studies.

Crazy, right? I mean, who loses their job and decides to go to Europe for six weeks? Evidently that would be me. I'm going to do my best to keep this blog updated with where I am, what I am learning and how it is all impacting me and what I do next. I will also try to post images along the way.

I think that this will be an interesting summer as I try to always remember; whether you think you can or you think you can't, you are always right.

Portrait #8 (Warrior Woman)

Portrait #7 (Mr Bad)

Portrait #6

Portrait #5

Portrait #4

He made it!

Meet Robert

Snacks