About Me:
Everyone is posting these witty free postcards from someecards.com. I don’t know how they make money…but I sure appreciate how they understand the angst, agita and attitudes of today. Or at least of MY day!
Work:
Love:
Yep, these someecards folk are pretty smart about real life. At least my life!
Memoto
As if recording all your random thoughts on twitter and Facebook are not enough, now you can record photos of nearly every moment of your life. Call if life-blogging or the pinnacle of navel-gazing narcissism. I call it a memory saver for all your senior moments.
Where did I put my keys? Back up the camera to the moment you put them down. Did I take my pills this morning? Backtrack instantly. What was the name of that book I was going to get? Find the cover shot.
You don’t have to remember anything anymore. Memoto remembers… and never forgets. Instead of wearing an albatross around our necks, we’ll all be wearing elephants! Imagine if we all walked around photographing two shots of every minute of our lives? Are our lives that memorable? Are they worth revisiting?
Apparently, there’s a growing market for non-stop life logging. And Memoto makes it easy.For as little as $279, you get a cute little body camera and a year of cloud storage.
And it’s not just recording a vast soup of your life. It organizes everything so you can find it again. Like your keys for those of us suffering senior moments. Or instant anxiety relief for the OCD among us who can now check incessantly whether we locked the door on the way out or turned off the stove. It’s the perfect gift.
Not only that– but unlike most digital toys today…we don’t have to learn anything to use Memoto. There’s no buttons! Just turn it on and it never turns off. Of course, depending on your height and where you place the camera, you may mostly have pix of other people’s belts or boobs!
Here’s how Memoto describes their product: “The camera and the app work together to give you pictures of every single moment of your life, complete with information on when you took it and where you were. This means that you can revisit any moment of your past.”
The real question is: Do I really want to revisit any moment of my life? One of the glories of aging is that time softens the edges of memory. Our good memories are deeper, our bad memories are faded. Do I really want to be reminded in living color of what I look like first thing in the morning or last thing at night as I floss in the mirror? Do I want my descendants to pore through my life for a possible moment of brilliance that likely isn’t there? Nope.
I’m sure it’s not coincidence that the product name nearly mimics is the unnerving cult thriller Memento, where the protonist– who lost his short-term memory– must try to find his wife’s killer by writing copious sticky notes and even tatooing info on his body to stay on track with his investigation. I suppose Memoto is a better solution than Leonard Shelby’s draconian memory techniques. But for the rest of us, forgetting seems a lot more pleasant than hi-fidelity memory.
Bread making deal from Amazon Local
It’s nearly April, a quarter of the year is nearly done and it’s time to check in on my resolutions progress.
Resolution 1: Give up cookies and ice cream.
I’ve now done this twice for two weeks. Once in January and once now. My excuse this time is they gave us free ice cream at the end of our “Pre- Passover Pasta Pigout” dinner saturday night at Locanda Positano in San Carlos. A gorgeous ball of hazelnut tartufo appeared magically at the close of our fabulous dinner and, of course, I had to try it. Then on Sunday, the last day before Passover, I had to clean out my freezer of the remnants of bread and cookies that have been lingering. You don’t throw out a cookie. Ever. Nuf said.
Resolution 2: Take a dance class
I have now taken Zumba classes three times and I can say with the utmost confidence that I haven’t gotten any better at it. It’s an hour of flailing and shlepping my body to great music. It’s definitely the sweatiest exercise I do but my future as a Dancing with the Stars participant is not imminent.
Last week, the guy and I went out for a salsa lesson at Cafe Cocomo in S.F. We used to take these lessons regularly but forgot everything we knew. This was great fun and it did kinda come back to us and I was shaking my hips and twirling out of turns by the end of the night. Not only that but dancing with your partner is a great way to work out your power issues (stop leading. well somebody has to.), get sexy in public and pretend you aren’t the oldest couple on the dance floor.
Resolution 3: Take art & writing classes
Thanks to my girl friend’s quick decision to buy us Groupons for a glass-blowing class, I am now the proud owner of a homely pink vase that I kinda made myself. The teacher did most of the work but I did get to hold and turn the rod as my glass blob melted in the giant flame spewing furnace. I worried that my contacts would fuse to my eyeballs as I stood close with the scorching air blowing out but he assured me that my face would be gone long before that happened. I was seriously reassured and that’s the end of my glass-blowing career.
I have not made a move on my writing career…unless you give me extra credit for writing this post.
Resolution 4: Learn how to bake bread
Woohoo. Today, I saw an Amazon Local Deal for a starter bread-making class or bagel-making class with Sour Flour in S.F. I bought me a coupon and now I just need to schedule a class. If anyone out there is interested, the deal is still on for 4 more days. I, however, have to wait till after Passover to take it!
How are you doing on all your resolutions? Have they fallen bedraggled on the ash heap of history or are you still valiantly tilting at them. Looking back on my progress, I’m feeling pretty damn good. Not perfect. But that’s never been the goal.
Food 52 Sweet Potato Quesadilla & Egg
Sweet Potato and Cilantro Quesadilla with Fried Egg + Cumin Oil
Maybe I’m just hungry but when my Food 52 RSS feed posted with this featured recipe, I started salivating big time.
There’s a zillion food blogs out there (I’m addicted to many) but Amanda & Merrill’s blog Food 52 is different. It’s a user-generated website where readers post and vote on recipes in an array of categories. If you’re looking for a great quinoa salad or a gorgeous asparagus dish, roasted chicken variations or ideas for Sunday dinners or vegan visitors, you’ll find loads of recipes tasted, tested and voted by hordes of hungry readers.
But back to this quesadilla recipe. It’s just everything I want in a dish: healthy, tasty, easy to make and brilliant to serve guests. The photo itself is worth a thousand words so kudos to Carolyn Wright for devising & shooting this recipe.
Does this dish make your tummy growl? Is there another recipe that stops you in your tracks? If so, please share!
Blogger Maria Popova in the New York Times
I have meant to write about Brain Pickings for a long time. It is one of my favorite blogs because it never ceases to amaze and delight me. Apparently, I’m not the only rabid fan and I wish I had written about Maria Popova before the New York Times did…but I didn’t. But trust me…I found her first! Actually, Flipboard found her for me as one of their original content options.
For those who haven’t lost precious moments of their day to the gorgeous collection of articles, art and authors and sheer interestingness that Maria finds and shares, you are missing out. Not only are there articles but often wonderful videos of the people and ideas she populates on her pages.
The best description of Brain Pickings comes from Maria herself
:
Brain Pickings is the brain child of Maria Popova, an interestingness hunter-gatherer and curious mind at large, who also writes for Wired UK andThe Atlantic, among others, and is an MIT Futures of Entertainment Fellow. She has gotten occasional help from a handful of guest contributors.
Brain Pickings is a human-powered discovery engine for interestingness, a subjective lens on what matters in the world and why, bringing you things you didn’t know you were interested in — until you are. More…
I was overcome by a recent article about one of my favorite artist/writers, Maira Kalman and the video of her
at MOMA. I tweeted and FB’d it…but didn’t write about it.I was ready to order prints from Etsy after reading about Sophie Blackall’s Missed Connections paintings based on Craigslist postings of the same name
I nearly ordered every childrens’s book mentioned (with gorgeous illustrations) in “The Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2012” and they sit to this day (thankfully for my budget) in my save for later shopping cart.
Today, I got a late start on reading all my post-President’s Day work emails because of her inspiring piece about the 50th anniversary of Betty Friedan‘s seminal (and I use the word punnishly) work The Feminine Mystique.
I don’t know where Maria finds all this stuff and how she manages to curate so much wonderful reading for all of us who love the arts, letters and science. She culls the world so we can cuddle up with a few well chosen, philosophically & visually satisfying finds.
You get the the picture. Get thee to Brain Pickings. Sign up for the RSS feed or daily newsletter. Start your day with inspiration, provocation and cultural uplift. You surely won’t find that in the daily news.
Nobluehair has become nobluebird!
Tagxedo. I just love this free site. It distills any website into a visual representation of its essence. It’s a wonderful way to explore your inner poetry and artistry. Go play!
The Class of Dance by Edgar Degas (1874) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I made four resolutions this year and so far, I’m making good on two of them. Well, sorta.
1.Give up cookies and ice cream.
As my loyal readers already know, these are two of my basic food groups so this resolution was clearly too ambitious. I am back on ice cream after 4 days. However, no cookies have crossed my lips (brownies are not cookies so don’t even go there. And if you eat the chips out of a chocolate chip cookie—then that’s chocolate, not cookie). I’m now following the Tiny Habits principle—small changes, made smaller.
2.Take a dance class.
Took my first Zumba class on Sunday. Went to a fitness club where I wouldn’t know anyone and stood in the back. Some gorgeous fit young woman walks up to me and goes “Mimi.” I say “who are you and how do I know you?.” It was a former colleague I haven’t seen in 10 years. There goes my anonymity. However, she stayed in the front row where I could watch her bust her well-toned moves while I busted my ass trying to keep up. It was actually quite fun. My dancing is like Lucille Ball crushing grapes—pathetically klutzy but I got the job done. I was coated in sweat by the end.
3. Take art and writing classes
A friend asked me to join her on a Groupon offering a stained class class in Half Moon Bay. I said sure. We haven’t scheduled yet….but my intention is there. That’s a start. And I really would like to take a scriptwriting class this year. “Really.” ”Really.” And scene.
4. Learn how to bake bread
I’m talking about bread that inflates. Not sissy “quick” breads that are more cake than crust. I want to make my own crackly Poilane loaf, my own Tartine peasant round. The problem is I’m scared of yeast. What if the dough doesn’t rise? My grandmother made braided challah every week. I remember the loaves sitting in a bowl under a cloth. A few hours later, it doubled. She beat it up with her amazing upper arm strength and repeated the process.
There definitely was some magic involved in my grandmother’s golden loaves. I think that the magic is hidden in every conglomeration of flour, water & yeast if you know the secret incantation. It’s scary playing with magic and I am humbled by those who regularly make bread rise from the dead. It’s very resurrection-y. I will do it. This year. It’s only January.
That’s my resolutions status. How are yours going?
English: Ellecid.com skinny jeans, flap back pocket, front patch pocket, form fitted (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Madison Avenue has long bypassed the 60+ market in favor of targeting the more desirable (i.e. “younger”) consumer demographics. Advertisers avidly pursue 20-50 year olds as they vocaciously consume their way through singledom, new couplehood and marriage and, finally, family and home building. These are the demos who buy, buy, buy.
Those 50 and over, not so much. Conventional wisdom has it that that once we’re past parenting, we are done shopping or at least done shopping for anything new. Presumably, boomers are branded for life and we can’t be persuaded to change our laundry detergent let alone our fashion choices.
That was the old 60. The new 60 is shop till you drop. Boomers are the generation that has reinvented reinvention. We are not sitting and watching the world go by.We travel constantly, not on senior cruises but on bike tours through Italy or France or on a group climbing tour of Machu Pichu. We are constantly in the throes of remodeling and facelifts-both of our homes and our bodies. From backyards to Botox, we are upgrading and improving.
Two recent personal discoveries have me more convinced than ever that the nobluehairs of my generation are going to make some marketers and manufacturers very rich. But only those who start watching what we’re doing instead of clinging to doddering stereotypes.
Anecdotal evidence #1: Curly hair. Admiring my son’s girlfriend’s gorgeous corkscrew locks and my own dried out fuzz, I ask what she does. She turns me on to the world of Curly Girls who have forsworn shampoo for no-poo, have given up sulfates and silicon hair products for deeply moisturizing potions. I head to my local beauty supply story and discover Deva Curl – with their no-shampoo shampoos and leave on conditioning products. All of a sudden, I am a Curly Girl.My dry, frizzy locks are softer than they have been in years. So, what if I have an abandoned gallon vat of Nexxus Shampoo in my shower. I have changed brands. Yes, I am spending more money on these specialty products. Yes, it’s worth it.
Anecdotal evidence #2: Jeans. We all have our favorite pair of jeans. When the jeans fit, we buy several pairs. And so it came to pass that I discovered I had accidentally become a wearer of “mom jeans.” The world had moved to skinny jeans and I was stuck with straight legs. I went to Lucky Brands and tried, rather squeezed, myself into my first pair of skinny jeans. I looked like a stuffed sausage. It was horrifying. I couldn’t imagine ever wanting to wrestle on another pair.
And yet, I persisted. I found a better fitting pair at Gap. It no longer looked so strange to see these new proportions. Not only that, but I suddenly felt young and stylish without having my blubber runneth over the top. I actually felt thinner. I branched out to skinny cords. Then a pair of skinny khakis. But more change awaited. Skinnies don’t fit outside your boots, you have to tuck them inside. Suddenly, I was was vamping around in skinny jeans snugly hugged inside knee high boots.
Marketers—are you listening? I was SHOPPING. Yes, I was buying new stuff when you thought I was done with fecklessly following fashion. The new agers are not just Chicos shoppers searching for elastic waist pants and artful baggy tops. We also shop at Gap, Banana Republic, J. Crew, H&M and more. We are not done with style.
Want to get our attention, Marketers? Want to successfully sell to our disposable income crowd? Please don’t just create ads with young people prancing around. Show us fit and fashionable people our age. We can still prance, I promise. And more than that, you’ll be rewarded with our gratitude. And our business.
I was warned about Israeli breakfasts. That they would be a glorious groaning board of cucumber & tomato chopped salads, farm fresh eggs, citrus fruits, rich cheeses, velvety yogurts and fresh espresso coffee in all its variations. And they were every bit as wonderful as promised. But no one told me about the bread. The BREAD. OMG, the bread was fantastic everywhere we went.
Israeli breakfast in Haifa
Rugelah from Abulafia
Yemenite Bread in Safed
Machane Yehuda market in Jerusalem
With such bounty at each Israeli breakfast spread, you’d think we would have gorged every morning. But no. As our two week vacation went on, our breakfasts became simpler and simpler. We tired of the endless buffet. We were happy to just have fresh baked bread and coffee.
Israel got the memo. Crusty bread is
essential. We had the most delicious whole grain breads, seed-splattered loaves , light but chewy baguettes and exotic arab flat breads. All were crisp, crunchy and earthily delicious when spread with creamy cheeses, honey and jam or dipped into the endless variety of bean and vegetable dips. We couldn’t get enough.
I walked all over Paris to pick up my iconic loaf from Poilane, I dream of the perfection of S.F’s Tartine’s breads and joyfully gobble whole wheat loaves and dense challah made by our Burlingame friend, an attorney turned brilliant baker. I lust for crust…and Israel delivered.
Here’s a couple of stand-out bread spots you can find on your travels through Israel tho everywhere you eat you’ll find yummy breads & crackers at your table.
Yemenite bread in Safed. There are no good restaurants in Safed so don’t even try. Just go to the Alkabetz Steet ( an outdoor marketplace of shops, galleries and more) and stop at Ronen’s food stall Almost like pizza, this aromatic bread is quickly cooked with spices and cheeses. It’s so good, it even has a tripadvisor review!
Haj Kahil in Jaffe. This elegant arab restaurant served extraordinary small plates of lyrical arab fare. But what had us at hello was their crisp flat bread coated with a wild array of toasted seeds. We tore it apart as we dipped into various egglant, hummous and vegetable preparations. Best. Bread. Ever.
Farmers markets throughout Israel. Make your own picnic lunch or just munch your way through the kaleidoscopic bazaars in Jerusalem at the Machane Yehuda food market (Don’t miss the halvah stall!) and the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv. Buy some bread at one vendor and cheese at another and some fresh dates, figs and other tasty treats.
Finally, as those who know me, this woman cannot live by bread alone. She must have sweets! Best chocolate rugelah ? Go to the legendary Abulafia bakery in Jaffa. It’s worth the trip to Jaffa and has a wondrous array of breads and pastries but I only had eyes for rugelah (and you can do lunch or dinner at nearby Haj Kahil while you’re there).
If you are big on honey-based desserts (i’m not but S.O. is ) you should also try some backlava or honey/pistachio pastries that are stacked high in every marketplace. And at every marketplace, check out the cookie stalls with all their glorious crispy variety. I found some wonderful chocolate chip cookies in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv markets.
Need something to wash your carbs down with? Cafes and espresso bars are everywhere in Israel. This is a highly caffeinated country. Israelis love their coffee, the stronger the better.
Bread, Chocolate and Coffee. In my book, that’s the epicurian holy trinity. And sacred eating experiences were found throughout our two week journey.
And a big shout out to superstar food blogger David Lebovitz whose fantastic photos and posts on his recent culinary tour to Israel got me pumped about all the great food we’d find on our own trip. We did indeed.
English: New Year’s Resolutions postcard (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Attended my first Tedx event in Palo Alto last weekend…and absolutely loved it. The topic was Health & Habits and there was an impressive list of nationally renowned authors– -Kathy Freston, Dr. John McDougall among them– and celebrated local authors & speakers. I was wowed by most of them. But I was particularly inspired by Dr. B.J. Fogg, director of the Persuasive Tech Lab at Stanford University. Dr. Fogg’s premise and practice is in promoting long term behavior change through taking baby steps. It’s called Tiny Habits.
Dr. Fogg’s work boils down to two basic principles for changing/breaking/making habits:
1) set tiny goals. His was doing 2 push ups daily. Now, he does 60/day!
2) attach a new behavior after an existing one and it will more easily become a habit. Ex: want to floss daily? Do it after you brush your teeth.
As someone who went from struggling to bike 3 miles on the stationary bike one year ago to now spinning 12 miles per session, I know that little ambitions work. I could never have succeeded in doing 12 miles/day if I wanted to start there. I just didn’t know there was a method to my practice. It was a Tiny Habit!
Now that I get the concept, there’s lots of changes I’d like to make:
I started this blog nearly 2 years ago because I took the WordPress.com Post a Day One Year Challenge. Once I hit the one year mark, I became way more sporadic in my blogging. A post a day for a year, I can promise. A lifetime of posting, I can’t. I need to find the Tiny Habit for blogging more regularly that I can start now.
The good news about Tiny Habits is there’s a big support network behind it. I just signed up for a free week of help committing to my changes. Best part of this: I don’t have to start today. I can wait till my week starts. Procrastination is a habit I don’t think I will change anytime soon!
As we all know, January 2 is littered with the chipped & broken resolutions made on January 1. Tiny Habits may be the way to break free from resolution dissolution. I’ll let you know how I do.
How about you? What habits would you like to change? Would Tiny Habits work for you?
Habits! (Photo credit: sirwiseowl)
