Details

It’s all in the details. Any event, any project, any arrangement. It is all in the details.

Details have not always been my strong suit. Don’t get me wrong, I actually love all the little details, but I have a tendency to get distracted before it gets completely done. It’s days like that I like to blame the fact that I was born on a cusp – half Sagittarius (a fire sign) and half Scorpio (a water sign). Sure, the combination makes steam, which can be incredibly powerful, but only if you can keep it harnessed long enough.

While we’ve made a decision that the wedding is going to be as low-stress as possible, there are lots of little details that we’re having fun putting together. Pete’s hair, the corset I’m going to be wearing, the color of the tablecloths, the multiple sorbets I’m making for the rehearsal dinner. Luckily, the details are all proving fun to figure out instead of stressful.

The other facet of the wedding — all of the details of Wedding Cans — are proving all kinds of fun. Honestly, mostly fun. All of the media interviews, the scheduling, the pictures that need to be sent to twelve different places. Emails to return, requests to respond to, and stories to tell. Honestly, I love it. It’s a lot of details, but every detail is slightly different. I can’t get bored with it nearly as easily because so much of it is unique.

The Wedding Cans project has gone so far above and beyond everything that we ever expected. We thought, when we started the project, it might receive some local or regional news attention. Instead, the story absolutely took off. We’ve been covered by the Associated Press and NPR’s Morning Edition twice. ABC and NBC channels have both run our stories. We’ve been covered in every U.S. state, every Canadian province, and several international news sources. Near as we can figure, we’ve also been covered in South Africa, Ireland, England, Italy, Germany, Mexico, Columbia, and several other countries. In other words, it’s been insane. And insanely fun. And insanely wonderful.

The details are also the wonderful glue that brings together family. I have always been blessed with a close-knit family, but I truly feel like the details are what makes my friend-family in Spokane as close and loved as any of my blood family.

In short, the details can be frustrating. But the details are also a part of what makes life wonderful and worth living. It’s all in the details. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Pagan Campout 2010 | The Report

For the last few years, I’ve joined Peter at the Pagan Campout — a Summer Solstice celebration held every year at Priest Lake. The first year we went, it was literally days after we’d bought the house. After that, there’s practically no excuse for not going! This year we got out of town on Friday late afternoon for the two hour drive. Michael, Jaspenelle, Damian, and Ivy were all nice enough to get there before us and save a spot for our tent. We got in just as it was getting dark and loaded all of our stuff into the campground. After eating tasty grill-baked potatoes and saying a quick hello to everyone around the ceremonial central fire, we crashed completely. We woke up the next morning to bright sunshine, none of the threatened rain. First order of the morning was mimosas – an essential part to any camping trip. Everyone else started waking up slowly, and I got rice and sausage gravy going. After breakfast, it was cleanup, a nap, and general relaxing. Later that afternoon? Burgers, and out came the camera. About ninety percent of the pictures that I ended up taking were of Damian and Ivy — but hey, they’re awesomely cute and the pictures turned out wonderfully. I also wandered around the woods with my camera, which felt amazing. For some reason, I keep forgetting and then re-discovering how happy that makes me. The ceremony was, as usual, powerful and free-form. One of the reasons I love this particular group is because everyone is eclectic and respectful. We welcomed Summer, bid goodbye to the young Spring, and generally smiled a lot. Then feasting, fire, and fellowship. It was a late night, but very fun. I admit I spent half the night or more trying to get the *perfect* picture of the fire and the group. I’m not sure I got the ultimate picture, but I got lots that I really liked. Then another night and another morning. Breakfast, mimosas, and far too early, getting things packed up. Damian was a huge help in getting things carried to the car. Then it was the goodbyes. This description feels completely inadequate — there was so much packed into the two and a half days, and yet so much of it was just the wonderfulness of being around family and friends. There are lots of pictures on my Flickr account, and all I can say is I look forward to next year’s campout too!

Mango – Pineapple Sorbet

We bought a case of champagne mangoes from Bountiful Baskets last week – and after eating plenty and drying a few, I decided to put our new (ish) ice cream maker to use for mango sorbet. YUM! It turned out really really well. It’s very possible that this may be starting a new obsession.

This is a general recipe… as usual, I didn’t actually measure what went in, but it’s an approximation.

• 6 cups sliced champagne mangoes
• 1 1/2 cups pineapple chunks
• 1/2 cup agave nectar

Puree with a food processor, and pour into an ice-cream maker. Voila!

Leveling Up

“Nobody ever said that leveling up was easy.”

That’s what my amazing husband-to-be said to me tonight as I was doubled over my bike, gasping for breath, asking myself why the heck I do this to myself. He’s got a good head on his shoulders, that one.

Most days, I really do enjoy my bike ride to work or home. Really, I do. Sure, I have the inner monologue that changes its mind about once every thirty seconds, and I usually keep a healthy debate going with it pretty often. Especially right before the top of a few of the bigger hills. Tonight, though… well, it wasn’t easy. After two months of watching very carefully what I eat, recording everything that goes into my mouth, cycling at least three (if not seven) days a week… I’ve managed to gain weight. Not the “oh, you’re adding muscle mass” type of weight either – because I’ve added inches as well.

Let me stop here and say that usually, 99 percent of the time, I really couldn’t care less what the scale says that particular day. I could have lost or gained or stayed the same… as long as I feel like I’m being healthy, it’s all good. But really? I feel like I’ve been cheated or something. I’m doing everything (mostly) “right,” so why are the numbers heading the wrong direction?

Like Pete said, though, nobody said leveling up is easy. Unfortunately, there’s no little progress meter at the bottom of the screen for life. Like the poppies in our garden, though, I just have to remind myself that things don’t always go according to plan, but that doesn’t make them any less interesting or less beautiful. Just different — which, most of the time, is even better.

Salad Fiend

I go through a lot of salad. Usually about 1 pound every 3-5 days or so. I try to eat salad for lunch at work most days, and at least once over the weekend. I’ve got a salad dressing that I adore (and that people at work seem to like too) and that, all things considered, isn’t too bad for me either.

The end result of all this salad eating, though, is that we have lots and lots of those one-pound plastic boxes that salad comes in. We can’t grow salad all year in this climate, so I had just kind of assumed that for part of the year, I’d be spending $8-$10 a week on leafy greens.

Pete, however, had a much better idea. We took the salad boxes, added soil and water and seed, and put them under our seed-starting light. We’re just starting the cycle, but thus far it seems to be working. It’s cut-your-own salad, and thus far it is very tasty. We aren’t up too the production level of keeping up with my salad habit yet, but we’re making progress.

On a similar note, one of our garden beds appears to have been taken over by broccoli. Some of our crop went to seed last year, and I guess we didn’t get the seeds all picked up, because it’s overgrowing half of our garden space. I’m going to rip up a bunch of the greens to give what we actually planted a chance, but I am curious what to do with the broccoli greens. They’re still young and relatively tender, but kind of bitter. That is my challenge this weekend.