So Much Water so Close to Home

Sol Duc Falls, Olympic National Park
Tuesday

Immy Quotes: A Collection

"Nore [more] hair. Like Mama, Yaya, Kelly."
"Mama, I dancin'."
"Mommy, I five."
"Yaya, nice. Ad, nice. Al, nice. Kelly, nice."
"Yes [and no] 'man' [ma'am]" call back to John the Rabbit song

A Doll's House

We found Imogen's 2nd birthday present at the Port Angeles Farmer's Market on Saturday: a doll house handmade on the Peninsula! So far the PA thrift shops have provided us with a grandad, three kids and some furniture.

The Best Time of the Day

Born at the Right Time

Happy Birthday Immy

Never been lonely
Never been lied to
Never had to scuffle in fear
Nothing denied to
Born at the instant
The church bells chime
And the whole world whispering
You were born at the right time

-Paul Simon

Loving Imogen

Love gives all and requires nothing.

Pat the Bunny Party: Pictures

Why Eat Local?

Consequences of the Global Food System

• The U.S. spends $139 BILLION each year just to TRANSPORT our food (17% of our total energy use).

• Your average bite travels 1,500 miles to get to your table.

• In 1940, 1 calorie of fossil fuel produced 2.3 calories of food. Today, 10 calories of fossil fuel produce 1 calorie of food.

• The cost of food is now linked to the price of oil. As oil prices rise, so too will the cost of food.

• In 1900, farmers kept 40 cents of each food dollar. Today they
keep only 7 cents.

• Corporate agribusinesses’ profits have doubled since 1990.

• The U.S. has lost 240 million acres of viable farmland since 1970.

• Two companies control 75% of grain distribution worldwide.

• 60% of all U.S. retail food sales goes to just 5 supermarket chains.

• Since 1950, riboflavin (vitamin B2) levels in conventional grocery store produce have declined 38%.

• One large hog Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) produces as much sewage as a city of 100,000 people.

• More than 100,000 U.S. families lost their farms between 1996 and 2001.

Source: Clallam Grown!

Growing up Green: BPA-free

Washington Toxics Coalition has launched its first ever "Growing Up Green" e-mail "newsletter for parents, designed to help you navigate your way through the murky world of children's products":

Bummed about baby bottles?

Don't be! The hazards of plastic bottles containing bisphenol-A (BPA) are real, but so are the alternatives. BPA-free bottles are becoming more popular every day: here's how you can find them!

Choose baby bottles, water bottles, and sippy cups that are made of cloudy plastic. Many are available, like Nalgene's milky white water bottles, Evenflo's pastel baby bottles, and the Playtex Sipster. If a bottle isn't obviously cloudy, check the bottom and choose it only if it has one of these recycling codes: #2 HDPE, #4 LDPE, or #5 PP. Avoid bottles made of clear, hard plastic unless they are labeled BPA-free, like baby bottles from Medela and BornFree.

Or, you can choose sippy cups and water bottles made of stainless steel. Read the packaging and choose stainless steel bottles that aren't lined on the inside. (We're concerned about the linings because companies haven't fully disclosed what's in them.) Klean Kanteen's stainless steel bottles are unlined and come in various sizes, including a sippy cup (sign up to win one here). You can find Klean Kanteen bottles at REI and Patagonia stores, as well as online. Aluminum bottles are becoming popular too, but stick with unlined stainless steel: aluminum bottles typically have linings.

Traditional glass baby bottles are non-toxic. If you're worried about glass bottles breaking, try a protective sheath like Siliskin.

-Washington Toxics Coalition, May 2008

Sign up for "Growing up Green" here.

Washington Toxics Coalition Mission Statement and Guiding Principles

Immy Quotes: A Selection

"I read it to you."
"One more time"
"Al-tar" (Uncle Al + guitar)
"Recycle?" (when I asked her not to put a clean diaper in the garbage)

Bonnie: Nurturing Families

My friend Bonnie--a gifted teacher and mother--will launch a series of classes in Port Angeles this summer under the umbrella of her new company, Nurturing Families LLC:

Music Together
Music program for the child age 0-5 and her caregivers
6-week session beginning July 7, 2008

Signing with Bonnie
Sign language for the infant or child of any age and his caregivers
Beginning summer 2008

HypnoBirthing
Especially for the pregnant woman and her partner
Beginning summer 2008

Nurturing Families LLC
Port Angeles, WA
360.477.4012

Ultramarine

Crescent Beach, west of Port Angeles
Mother's Day

When May is Rushing Over You

Imogen thinks Baby Madden is the bee's knees. Immy wasn't sure if she wanted to be a baby or a mama and went back and forth playing both. She watched Mark change Madden's diapers and then diapered and blanketed the baby's Glo Worm, but also got interested in her infant pacifier and nipple shield. Then there was tummy time with Madden (so cute).

The woman-child trend continues today with Immy donning high heels, rolling all the toilet paper off the holder and carrying her doll in a Baby Bjorn. Bless her. Our babe is turning 2.

Madden *Blessed and Lucky*

It was a sweet treat this week when two-week old Baby Madden came to visit with her parents Rebecca and Mark. Madden Taylor is blessed and lucky.

Here's to a long and w i d e life Madden!

Webster's Woods

We had a fun time at Webster's Woods/Port Angeles Fine Arts Center on Monday.
Webster's Woods is a playful, enchanting sculpture park.

Thank goodness for generous arts patrons like the Websters and the Seattle-area Shirleys,
who believe that to whom much is given, much is expected.

The Napping House

I asked Simon to get Immy up from her nap around 5 pm on Sunday so she wouldn't go to bed too late. He did get her out of bed, but they slept like this until 6:30 (and she still went to bed on time!).

It Comes on Unexpectedly

Elizabeth, Adam, Imogen and I walked the Morse Creek trestle bridge-to-Port Angeles Waterfront Trail section of the Olympic Discovery Trail today, about 2 miles. We totally got our nature on.

Ad gave me three Dandelion rings, signifying that we'll be aunt and nephew forever.

Into the Past

Imogen nearly walked into this mural trying to get to the baby the woman in the picture is holding.
The City Pier, Port Angeles

The Salish Sea

There is a movement to rename the "large, dilute, estuarial inland sea" (Wikipedia) that is made up of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound, the "Salish Sea."

Ron Judd's Seattle Times Trail Mix column on the subject

The Beach Rocks

Imogen, 23 mos., at Hollywood Beach, Port Angeles

Sunday

Splendor in a Dress

Here is our beautiful Immy May, all dressed up for Jocelyn's wedding, on the front porch of the house we stayed in at Fort Worden, Port Townsend.

Immy loved her petticoat. It made dancing really fun!

Best Wishes Jocelyn & Kevin

Blue skies and best wishes to

Jocelyn and Kevin

With soulfulness, thoughtfulness and love, they married on Saturday.

So True Charlie Chaplin

Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.

Dad Loves Us

Simon left us a nice message on the 'fridge.

Ims & Graham Cracker

Immy, 22 mos., & Grammy

Where the heck is spring?

Mommy, snow!

A Whale of a Good Time

Some gray whales were migrating and feeding at La Push on Sunday.

This is one BIG fin!

Our Day at the Beach

We spent Sunday afternoon at LaPush watching whales and playing at the beach.

West of Eden

Immy and Simon

Marymere Falls, Olympic National Park

April 15

We Help Daddy

22 mos.

Fo Fweet

Happy Hands at Home Haircut

April 4

Color Kittens

Reading with Grammy, Port Angeles

February 28

Land Ahoy!

From our living room, we can see the peaks of the Beaufort Range on Vancouver Island and from the yard, we can see across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria, British Columbia.

Deery Lou

The in-city house we're staying at has an active deer trail through the yard! We've seen the deer twice.

Sanrio

Le petit artiste

Late Fragment

Immy (21 mos.) and I visited Port Angeles short-story author Raymond Carver's grave site.

LATE FRAGMENT

And did you get what

you wanted from this life even so?

I did.

And what did you want?

To call myself beloved, to feel myself

beloved on the earth.

Spreak Break 101

The [UW] Daily is encouraging folks to roadtrip the Olympic Peninsula's Highway 101 during spring break this year. Cool!

It is true there must be some angels in this city

We've moved to Port Angeles, Washington on the supernatural Olympic Peninsula, arriving in the wee hours of February 15, after a whirlwind house sale and move. Two weeks here and we're just starting to get settled, although I can't shake the feeling that soon we'll be back "home." I suppose that shifts with time.

I haven't been away from Seattle this long since I moved there from Forks, Washington more than 16 years ago and Simon hasn't been away this long since 1977!