Hmm…   Crystal Caves in Naica, Mexico?     An inside peek at the Ice Caves on Lake Superior?     Tibetan quartz?     Bolivian Salt crystals??     As the world turns… May you create the time for what matters most to you during this new Revolution of our Big Rock.  Once and a while we’re given flashes of clarity, glimpses through the magic glasses that help us focus on that which we love.  Wear those glasses often and don’t worry about the rest.  Forgive and be kind as

  Another Faroe Island dinner delight. All I had was a blog photo from a dinner at the Faroe Islands restaurant KOKS and the deducing began.  Regardless of what their version actually was, these niblets may have been my favorite part of the dinner—this and the celeriac purée.  Fortunately there were extra burned leeks for snacking as we cleaned up the feast and sipped our sherry and aquavit.       It takes a zen approach in separating these leek layers intact…ease…don’t rush….    

  This is a stone tile creation by Scott of limestone and onyx.  A fun little bathroom design and another photo distraction to entertain—like the previews before the movies, sometimes they are the most captivating part of the show!     Speaking of star anise… A couple of months ago I heard on the radio (my main form of outer world communication these days) an interview with my former chef/teacher Lenny Russo at the Minnesota State Fair.  He made the comment that star anise is grossly overused in the

  My sister and I recently went to this display of Flora Metamorphicae, 4,000 flower sculptures created by six Norwegian artists.  The flowers travel the world and the displays are changing and unique to the surroundings in which they reside.  Each flower is different, some resemble natural flowers and some spring from the imagination realm of its maker.  All are incredible.     More images of Flora Metamorphicae                  .   This exhibit is

  I was able to spend some time at an amazing place last weekend.   Scattergood Friends School is a small boarding college-prep high school in rural Iowa that nourishes their students with both progressive academics AND an organic farm that produces much of the food for the school.  How cool is that?!?  Youth from around the country and around the world live together in community with staff and teachers: working on crews, harvesting, learning both in and outside of classrooms, cooking meals, eating together, playing,

  October days are either stunningly orange with sunlight filtered through turning leaves, or it’s grey, rainy and chilled giving us a hint of the November to come.  This potato soup with a tang of buttermilk, yogurt and dill seed will not let you down during this season.  There is something about being cozy and eating hot soup while watching the squall outside that increases our appreciation for the warmth.     I’ve been buying up my winter supply of root veggies

  On the way home from a conference this summer my sister and I stopped in at the house of a friend.  She proceeded to lead us around her town of Mt. Vernon to inspect milkweed leaves and search for monarch eggs or larvae that could be brought in for safer incubation.  A few hours later each of us packaged up a little critter and instructions on how to be a good foster parent to a monarch then went our ways homeward.

Nutmeg Iced Tea is great for a summer’s day, so here are photos of a divine location to relax with a glass—a gazebo co-created by Scott and metal-master friend Hung Van Pham.   This is the initial design in miniature, before it took an evolutionary turn to include metal.   The top…not in miniature   The frame upside down under construction in Hung’s shop, with bracings . Hand-beveled boards for the sides of the gazebo   The awesome stainless steel centerpiece hanging from the crossbeams   Looking

  Before we get to refreshing cucumbers, here are more photos from the Willow Gathering in June.  These are from classes led by the two Danish instructors Ane Lyngsgaard and Eva Seidenfaden.         You can see the soaked willow on the floor in the background.               The booklet describes Baskets4Life, a group of Danish weavers that converge twice a year for one week to stretch themselves to new dimensions of their art and to thoroughly enjoy

 .   The Montreal Botanical Gardens—if you ever visit, remember that they deserve more than one day of your attention.  I will now try to refrain from cluttering the page with unnecessary words so you can just enjoy the images.  It’s summer!           Bonsai trees—from 25-350 years old.           A resident.         Favorites June 2014   How to Grow a Mandala .  . Cycle-passion art  . . I want to try these gluten