Little Garden

I've never tried my hand at gardening, but we'll see if there's a green thumb on there yet!

I'm growing arugula, basil, chives, cilantro, parsley, oregano and sage. If the winter and I manage not to kill them, I'll graduate to dill and tomatoes in a month or so.

Oh, yes, and if you're wondering why? Well, because the end of the world is coming (obviously!). I figure, if it came to it, we could probably survive off tomatoes and basil alone. Now we just need chickens...

Kidding! I just thought it'd be pretty, fresh, and cheaper than buying them at the market. 

Royal Roommates

We had some visitors while cruising. My favorite is the monkey--he startled me once I noticed him hanging from the overhead lights.

So, winter has finally decided to show up in Utah. I would say better late than never, except in this case, I prefer never. Our yard is covered in several inches of snow, and I'll be lucky if my little indoor window herb garden can weather the, well... weather. In the meantime, I'll let memories from our recent cruise to the Caribbean remind me of what the sun is.

Hope your corner of the world finds you warm, and if not, then at least with a thick blanket and someone to snuggle with. 

New Orleans

We spent three days in New Orleans at the end of January. The city and people are resilient. Funds are low, buildings are crumbling, but the historic spirit and energy is preserved by the people.

Before I went to London several years ago, my perspective on the world was extremely westernized and American. It was like calling a flashlight the sun. I had no idea how vast and different the world really was as compared to my small corner of the world. Similarly, my idea of the US is largely constricted to what I know--the west coast, and a few states on the east coast. New Orleans stood apart. My eyes and heart were opened to the important fact that not all of America is thriving. 

This is the inherent gem in traveling. Being exposed to different ways of life are an education to the mind and the heart. The world is not just the small window I look through. It is so much bigger. The cultures and wonders are richer than I can even fathom, and the travesties and suffering are greater as well. It's so important, I think, to get out of the box of what we know and jump into the life of someone completely different so we can learn to be less superior, critical, and threatened by our differences and also expand our understanding of our many commonalities.

 

Valentine's day

On Valentine's Day we headed straight for one of the best eats in Salt Lake City, The Market Street Grill. Pretty much any special occasion is an excuse to eat good food.

Hope yours was a day filled celebrating the love in your life, be it family, a special someone, or dear friends.

Dan Fact: Penguins

Dan adores penguins. For years he has tried to convince me that owning one would be low maintenance. He'd "take care of everything: feed it, bathe, it, play with it." Already I see complications. Feed it? The cost and smell of fish would be alarming. We'd be known as "those people who smell like anchovies." Bathe it? It swims and defecates in the same pool of water. If that's not God's worst plan for self-grooming than I don't know what is. Maybe cats because, you know, HAIRBALLS! Play with it? Do penguins even play? Can they fetch? I think not. All that said, this will have to do for now...