A Park in the Sky

In it's heyday, the High Line was referred to as the "lifeline of New York". The raised railroad was built to save lives and deliver food to the industrial district for almost 50 years. All the cool people (that I know) are talking about this railroad because two years ago the city transformed it from a rundown eyesore to a trendy public park.

I sold a visit to the High Line to Dominic like this: "It's a park. In the sky!" He was intrigued too so yesterday we spent the majority of the day wandering around the West side enjoying the beautiful weather and this unique urban revitalization project.

At first, people were really happy about the High Line being built. The announcement was made in 1929, and at that time it is said that something like three schoolchildren a week were being killed by the congestion of buggies, trains, and cars whizzing down the streets. The raised railroad would allow deliveries to come and go without crossing transportation paths on the ground. Some business owners were so happy they retrofitted their buildings to allow the tracks to run straight through.

The history is rather unfortunate. Ultimately, the railroad was unnecessary and the last delivery (of frozen turkeys) ran on the High Line in 1980. For almost thirty years the structure sat unused and started to turn into a big neighborhood concern. Most people wanted to tear it down.

In 1999, Joshua David and Robert Hammond, two neighborhood residents interested in preserving the High Line, met and realized there wasn't any type of organization fighting to save it. Together they decided it was up to them to make it happen. With a logo (they said that having a logo makes you look important even if you're two people in an apartment) and a shared mission, the two worked to gather support for saving this space. At one point, they had a contest for people to submit ideas for what should be done with this long, skinny track. Some of the most interesting - a lap pool or a roller coaster for instance - seemed cool to me. In the end, a landscape architecture firm and an architecture firm were chosen to work their magic and in 2008 designs to create a public park were released.

Here we were yesterday at the park 30 feet in the sky:

I was glad we could go on a Saturday because at 11 a.m. the park provides a free guided tour. Here was our tour guide. A Fordham alumni:

He told us all kinds of facts and pointed out great landmarks like these old hooks that had been preserved from when the trains still ran. They would unload the meat on these hooks straight from the cars.

There are eight full-time gardeners who maintain the wild plants in the park. The landscape designer intended for careful attention to be paid to the plants so everything must be hand-watered. Apparently the plants- whether through dying, growing or maturing - change the look of the park every two weeks. I imagine it's also pretty spectacular at night.

There are several art instillations to enjoy as well. This one takes the skyline and forms an abstract view of colors and shapes through a viewfinder.

Rachael Ray, in her October 2010 Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, had a list of 'NYC faves'. She described a little store called BuonItalia as "The best-kept secret in the city". Just as she described, you can go there to get pasta, olives, nuts, grains, cheese and more. When she suggested, "pack yourself a picnic and eat it upstairs on the High Line" I knew it was fate and made the same plan.

This is me with our picnic of fresh bread, salmon pate (we're still a little Seattle homesick), dill cheese, crackers and chocolate.

What Rachael left out was that BuonItalia is right inside Chelsea Market. Such an exciting place! Fresh bread stores, natural food markets, a chocolate bar and stores. We wandered around inside listening to a violin quartet for awhile before buying our picnic food and stopping in to check out a designer clothes sample sale. I think we see the best sites when we're just wandering around.

People have asked what our lives are like in NY so far. Sure, the dreamlike weekend days are fun, but the reality of our day-to-day lives is almost just like Seattle. We both work, we make dinner, we figure out how to manage chores and daily exercise. We are constantly entertained by the surprise Mariachi band concert on the street or the farmers market hidden in the park, but overall we're settling in nicely.

Remembering 9-11

It's not that I would ever forget that day. Walking into Mrs. Bookwalter's AP English literature class, noticing the television, and complaining: "I don't want to watch this movie". It could have been a horror film but it was the morning news.

Nine years later I never would have imagined I'd be standing at Ground Zero behind an ABC News Radio reporter to see the families, dignitaries and patriots line up to memorialize the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

I watched as Governor Paterson was interviewed on the memorial service and the afternoon protests. He described the healing process of the families, how resilient the survivors are and how "there's a lot of good" in New York City. I also appreciated his comment on the scheduled mosque protests. He said that it was a shame they were being held today as this day was meant for those grieving loved ones.

There were a lot of people to watch today so I got to ground zero early and met this guy and his friend Jose who walked here from Hollywood, FL in honor of his children and the future of 'a country coming together'.
One of my favorite people was this man. He wore a huge clock on his shirt that illustrated how we would never forget 9-11. He was definitely not shy in front of the camera and actually recruited me to take a picture with him saying: "Are you smiling? All I want is for people to smile more."

While waiting for dignitaries to come out of the service I met a few photographers and videographers. This Irishman was getting footage for a documentary he's creating for the 10-year anniversary. His angle is on Irish-Americans who were touched by the tragedy. His impression of America: "You're big." I couldn't disagree.

Speaking of dignitaries, it was nice to see Rudy Giuliani in attendance. He stopped for an interview with my ABC Radio 'buddy' and I snapped a quick photo.

I sang an International Day of Compassion song led by an enthusiastic woman who wants 11-9 to be turned into an international holiday. She gave me a t-shirt and asked that I champion her cause. I listened to an Amish choir sing hymns and I had an in-depth conversation on urban revitalization at High Line Park with a Jersey fellow. It was great to get out into the city and experience what New York is about. Thank you for being such a resilient, welcoming and friendly city NYC.

The beginning. Finally.

Someone once said that the best way to realize how blessed you are is to compare notes from the beginning and the end. Dominic and I have gotten into the habit of doing this with weekly prayers. I've learned to notice exactly how specific needs are met or concerns are calmed over time.

It seems like we have plenty needs and concerns these days so I decided to publicly document the beginning of our time in New York. I had a lot of initial reactions and some pretty memorable first-day experiences so I thought you might get some entertainment while I give us something to look back on and laugh about a few years.

After some hurricane Earl drama I was scheduled on a flight to land in Newark. The unintended benefit to landing in a different state? The best train into Manhattan goes right to Penn Station and I was warmly welcomed by Madison Square Garden.

Dominic took me 'home' and I was shocked at how big our apartment was. I don't think it has any more square feet than the last place we lived, but the layout is different so it feels bigger. In the apartment I love our foyer and our bedroom. They have extra space that we can use for relaxing as far away from my workspace as possible.

I began to realize that we were spoiled in our Queen Anne building. In Seattle we had big closets, blinds, a sink disposal, a microwave, countertops and a full-length mirror. Here, although we have none of those conveniences, we do have a fire escape, a 'kitchen nook', four bathtub handles, windows in every room, and neighbors who barbeque on the sidewalk (more on that later). Our floors have had a very long and difficult life. Dominic refers to them as rustic or 'highly distressed' which he has tried to convince me people will pay a premium for.

After relaxing for a bit in our new place Dominic took me out to see Fordham and our neighborhood. It was a beautiful day and Fordham is a very pretty campus. Just look at that picture! It could be in an alumni magazine. To get into campus you have to show a student ID so the grounds are calm, quiet and pristine. We visited the cathedral and Dominic showed me where his classes are held.

Fordham is very close to an Italian community so we stopped for pizza and gelato at a tasty cafe. Dominic has been living on pizza alone for a few weeks and I can imagine why. It was delicious! The slices were conveniently served on paper plates so it's easy to pick up, fold in half and walk down the street with your snack. I'm not good at the folding yet so we sat and enjoyed people watching on Arthur Avenue.

Arthur Avenue, in and of itself should get it's own blog post. It's a bustling street with housewares shops, restaurants, parks, markets and tons of people. Not four hours into my NYC life we passed by a man urinating by the passenger side of his delivery van. Not one to judge the urgency of his situation I turned away wondering if there were different laws in New York, but ultimately decided he must have been in a hurry.

I'm not easily intimidated, but this area is busy. There are more people, more 99-cent stores, and more languages spoken (mostly Spanish) than I have ever experienced where I live. Each time I walk out of the building I'm greeted by the thumping rhythms of ethic beats. There's a fire hydrant which has been spraying the street for three days and twice I've seen cars deliberately drive by for a shower. The key to this new life is to remember that this is my home and my neighborhood. I'm not visiting.

I was pretty thrilled with the Italian market stands. I bought a bunch of fresh basil and a quarter pound of fresh mozzarella for $3, figs, vine ripened tomatoes, and my very own houseplant all on one street. Feeling ambitious, I also suggested we stop at the local grocery store.

Grocery shopping will take a little getting used to. Cereal for $4.99 a box? Unfriendly checkers? Strange looks at my reusable bag? Toto we're not in Seattle anymore. We returned home exhausted and hungry. Good thing I'm crazy about caprese salads.

On Sunday Dominic and I went to church by Central Park. We tried out Redeemer Presbyterian because it had received such rave reviews from our friends around the country. I was impressed and I think we'll go back. The challenge for us is reframing our proximity mindset. Instead of walking up the street to church we may have to schedule a 30 minute metro ride into the city. Instead of connecting with a Bible study on Tuesday evenings we might have to find a volunteer project closer to home. We'll see how that goes.

After church, Dominic and I walked to the pier and took the Circle Line boat tour around the island. It was a beautiful day and a perfect way to be introduced to our new city.

We learned that this morning (and every morning) two out of every five people will wake up in this city having been born in another country.

It's almost as if Emma Lazarus was writing about us:

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" Send these, the Monleys!

We Heart Seattle

We weren't supposed to fall in love with the city. Seattle was intended to serve as a means to an end. To Dominic and I, moving to Seattle was a haphazard response to some post-Peace Corps decision making. We knew we loved one another -- but we knew it in Armenia. How would things work in our own country? Where could we test out the relationship's strength on "neutral ground"?

I'm from Columbus, Ohio. Dominic is from Sacramento, California. We were not about to drag one another to our home turf after two years abroad. We needed to date like real Americans and we didn't want to be overwhelmed.*

For Dominic and I love was inevitable. For Sarah, Dominic and Seattle the love came as a surprise.

I'm nostalgic for the city where the sun really does shine and the neighbors know my name. So, here is a list of the loves I have for Seattle:

The views:

• From Kerry Park: I would run from my house to Dominic's house while we were still dating, pausing for a minute to admire the early dawn at Kerry Park. I would stand there, feeling totally defeated by the recession, and pray that God would bless me with work in one of the offices that stand in the skyline from this viewpoint. He did.

• From Pier 66: I didn't have to be leaving on a cruise to admire the view of the Sound (and the city skyline) from this pier. From the top of the stairs it was a perfect place to soak up the sun, admire the water, and peek through the free telescopes.

• From the top of the Needle: Touristy? Definitely. But this landmark was a visit we saved for our last celebration in the city. From above, we could map out our routes to work, pick out our four-story apartment building, and admire the places that had somehow become perfectly familiar.
  

• From the Alaskan Way Viaduct: No matter what your politics on the issue, driving in to downtown from 99-South as the sun sets in the evening is a beautiful scene. I can still remember arriving via the viaduct on my first day in Seattle. I couldn't believe how close I was to the water.
  

Dress Code
When Dominic began working he was teased and called the "office consultant" for wearing dress pants and a button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. I ended up standing out in my office as well where jeans and t-shirts were the norm. Although it took some getting used to, Seattle fashion taught us about comfort (i.e. flats, Velcro if possible), function (i.e. Gortex -- it was often wet) and coordination (the more gray/black you wear to match the weather the better).

Salmon, butternut squash ravioli
It's not just the fish and flavors, it's the fact that the food in abundance here is the food I can't get enough of. Picking fresh berries from neighborhood parks, fishing out of the lakes and rivers, growing container gardens of fresh vegetables. What could be better?

The Institutions

• Dominic and I might not get out a lot, but we built a mighty fine community at Bethany Presbyterian. We fell in love with the strong leadership, opportunities to gather with other Christians, and passionate outreach ministries.
• I don't want to speak for Dom, but I am certain he loved every minute spent playing basketball on his club team last year. He would come home tired and frustrated but always pining to get back on the court the next week.
• The Seattle Center: From outdoor plays and big screen movies to concerts, festivals and dance classes, living within walking distance of the Seattle Center was like having a free fairground in our backyard. Without a doubt we'll find plenty to keep us occupied in NY, but this space in Seattle was familiar, local, and a great meeting spot for mid-week lunch dates.

I think I'll skip the people we fell in love with or I might drip tears on my keyboard. To our friends and family in Seattle, we love you. Thank you for everything!

Without a doubt, Dominic and I will be loving New York City in no time. We will build our community, discover our favorite outings, and dine like royalty on the diverse ethnic cuisine of the city. According to Forbes.com, we're moving up from No. 3 to number one in the America's Coolest Cities ranking. Pretty soon you'll hear me singing "I heart NY".


*Interestingly enough, NYC was eliminated from the moving short list. Too expensive...

New York, New York

Dominic and I made "the big move announcement" a few months ago. At first, people were just congratulatory and excited, but as the date of departure approached I realized that Seattlites hold some serious opinions about the Big Apple.

People are funny. Despite the fact that this move was a certainty we had some reactions along the lines of:

• "Do you own pepper spray?"
• "Beware of the metro."
• Literal humming (through the halls of a professional office) of the Law & Order theme song.

On the other hand, some people were blatantly jealous of the East coast adventure:

• "The food is spectacular. If it's not good it won't survive in NY."
• "Everyone is super nice! You'll make lifelong friends in a week."
  
• "Oh the shows! The museums! The culture! You'll have so much to experience."
• "The city is amazing year round. Six feet of snow? Who cares! You'll have Christmas window decorations to admire."

And then there were the more practical comments/questions:

• "Will you be able to eat healthfully in the city?"
• "It will be nice to travel about without a car." (I fully agree with this opinion)
• "NY is close to many impressive cities: Philly, Boston and DC. It will be fun to explore."

I'll admit, I'm typing this from the boarding area at SEA/TAC airport. I haven't given this move much thought outside of how all our stuff will get there. Which of these opinions will be accurate? We'll just wait and see...

The Bronx

Well I (Dominic) arrived. After a longer than expected flight from Seattle to New York I made it to our apartment in the Bronx. Bedford Park more specifically, though I imagine that means little to any readers of this blog. The pod arrived two days later and I’m happy to report that, due to Sarah’s awesome packing skills there wasn’t a broken dish or otherwise ruined item in the move. I would definitely recommend the moving pod as a means of moving; especially across country.

My first few days were spent unpacking and attending the Fordham graduate school orientation. It was nice to finally meet my future classmates and learn more about Fordham’s history. The campus is a beautiful oasis in the middle of the teeming city surrounding it. This will definitely be a huge change from our lives in Seattle, and it is sure to be interesting. I’ve never lived in a city this large that bustles at such a fast pace.

I’m sure we’ll have plenty to report on in the next few months as we settle into life in New York.

Seattle hospitality

If you are visiting Seattle -- or just someone looking for a good restaurant recommendation -- and you ask our friend Steve where to get the best food in the city, he will reply:

"At my house".

A former head chef at the Hilton (among many other things), Steve wouldn't be exaggerating. He is a great cook.

Dominic and I met Steve more than a year ago at Bethany's Wednesday Night dinner. He is a social butterfly and is always saving seats for his friends. He is stubborn, straight-forward, and he insists that I am too skinny.

We live across the street from Steve but not once did we have him over for a meal, or tea, or anything. I knew that I owed him at least one visit before I left for New York (see "lists" in previous post). It is something I had always wanted to do, but had never done. Why do those types of visits always seem to get pushed out of the way by other "stuff"?

Nonetheless, I went over tonight and Steve had a meal fit for a king on the stove: fried potatoes, mushrooms and a roasted chicken, salad and warm rolls. He taught me how to make gravy with the leftover chicken fat, soy sauce and cornmeal, he told me I needed to apologize less and relax more, and he sat me down at his newspaper-lined table. The newspaper is really an ingenious way to save on laundry. He takes the old community papers and uses them as place mats -- dirty one layer? There are plenty of pages left for the next meal!

Steve and I visited over the carefully planned meal. He told me I shouldn't ask why so much and I told him he should enjoy his view of downtown more often. We complimented the delicious food, discussed the similarities between Greek and Armenian culture (he was insisting I eat more to gain 10 pounds) and in the end started telling each other all the jokes we could remember.

I am certain I would never have met Steve if it weren't for Bethany. I am certain I would not have found Bethany if it weren't for Dominic. It is amazing how people come in and enrich our lives in ways we never knew possible.

The Office of Compline

I suppose it happens to everyone when it is time to prepare for something new: lists appear.

Ok, if you're me then you make lists anyway, but I have a particularly high volume of lists floating around these days. Lists about what to take and what to pack, who to see and who to write, what to buy and what to sell... it's really quite out of hand. I'm also making mental lists of things that should be done. This weekend one of our friends asked what we wish we would have seen or experienced in the Pacific Northwest before we left. I have tons of items on that list (and it is always growing):

• Touristy things like: The Underground Tour
• Cities like: Portland, Coeur d'Alene
  
• Outdoors: Glacier National Park, The Oregon coast, the Olympics, more San Juan Islands

So this weekend I began to consider things that I hadn't done that I still might be able to do. I remembered something my dear friend John from college had told me while he was visiting in June: "You live in downtown Seattle. I can't believe you haven't experienced Compline." Now, I'm not musically inclined, but for some reason I spent most of my college career with people who are. John was one of the most talented. He even played the organ for our wedding ceremony. That said, I had no idea what he was talking about.

St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral offers the office of compline every Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. According to a brochure I picked up on my way out, Compline is the final church service (or Office) of the day in the Christian tradition of canonical hours. The English word Compline (pronounced comp-lin) is derived from the Latin word completorium meaning completion. It makes sense -- Compline completes the liturgy of the day. In lay terms, Compline is a prayer for a quiet night and perfect end. Also, at least to me, it is a way to quiet down and focus before starting a new week.

Compline is a beautiful tradition. It dates back to the earliest practices of the monastic communities where Compline was offered when the day's work was ended and the quietness of evening had settled upon the hearts and minds of those gathered in thankfulness for the blessings of the day they had finished. Believe it or not, (ahem, you Zaengers) over time the popularity of Compline spawned a revival of interest in this service and now it is included in the prayer books of Lutheran and Episcopal denominations.

Although we entered and went straight to a pew close to the front, people were scattered everywhere throughout the sanctuary. There were people laying down, journaling, praying, and reclining on the alter. It was like we had missed the come-in-and-make-yourself-at-home memo. Soon, the choir began and we realized it was positioned at the back corner of the church -- meant to be listened to, not watched.

They chanted prayer, then Psalm 103. They sang comforting hymns and chanted both the Apostles Creed and the Lord's Prayer. There was even a time for the confession of sins. It was beautiful. It was calming. I wish I could have a Compline every night.*

As if the Compline wasn't beautiful enough, we were fortunate to hear a post-Compline organ concert. John's love of organ had left me curious so we stuck around for three pieces played by a talented musician who couldn't have been older than 20. This organ was build with serious music in mind: 58 stops, 79 ranks, and 3,944 pipes! It was spectacular.


It was a quiet night and perfect end.


*You don't have to be in Seattle to hear Compline. I found out that podcasts are available for download at www.complinechoir.org and the service is broadcast live on 98.1 KING-FM and online at www.king.org. Good news for a future NYC transplant.

And we're off......

....well, almost. We haven't quite left for New York yet, but we did get everything packed. And the packing (surprisingly) warrants a blog post of its own. Who would'a thunk it.

After pricing out and weighing the options, we decided to go with a 6x7x8' moving pod. We figured we'd have to get rid of a lot of stuff due to size limitations, but we thought we were ready for those sacrifices. As the day approached we started becoming fearful about the size of the pod, even to the point where I was going to call and order a second. We were wrong. Very wrong.

***I was originally in this picture, but because my arms could touch both sides of the pod at once, we figured that Sarah made it look a bit bigger***

Sarah did a wonderful job of packing everything in an orderly way into uniform-sized boxes. And lo and behold.... We fit it all in. Everything (save for the two bikes we sold and the various cans of beans, beets and creamed corn that we all have in the back of our cupboards.) Not only did it all fit in, but there was room to spare!

So much room in fact that we figured we'd go to Ikea and load up on a mattress, room divider and desk just to top things off.

In the end, it all fit.

As of now I'm a huge proponent of pod moving (or ABF freight services in this case.)

I'll be sure to report back when all our stuff arrive in the bronx.

Whew. Summertime.

What a summer! We always knew we would be heading into a whirlwind of events when June hit, but if the neglect of this blog is any indication of our hectic schedules then you'll note that the past two months have kept us rather distracted.

Here's the big announcement:
We're moving to New York City! Oh the experiential learning that is to come...

I know it is not much of an announcement at this point, but we were waiting to get all our ducks in a row before we posted a change of coasts to the Internet. It's truly happening now because we paid our last month's rent in July.

Since learning about Fordham's offer, Dominic and I have been looking at neighborhoods and studying metro lines in the Big Apple. This, of course, in between exciting visits from family and friends.

Jeff kicked off the summer guest season with a week-long, action-packed adventure at the beginning of June. We loved having him here for his site-seeing independence and sound-sleeping capability (what can I say, it's a noisy street). I liked the excuse to eat more vegetables and we did the most beautiful hike to Lake Serene with him.

My friend John from school traveled to Seattle for work and gave us an excellent opportunity for some genuine fellowship after Jeff left. Although it was a brief visit, we had a lovely time catching up and making new memories -- and a commitment to stay in better touch!

Six girlfriends kicked Dominic out over the fourth of July weekend. Together, the "FLG" celebrated a reunion, birthday and bachelorette weekend -- the first get-together since college. Amazingly enough all seven girls (sharing one bathroom) fit into our humble apartment for a great weekend walk down memory lane.

Just days after putting the apartment back together we had the great pleasure of welcoming Mark and Lina back for a second visit to Seattle. This was a true blessing because now, with a place to call our "own", we were able spend time in Seattle and venture up to Guemes Island to see a dear family friend and relax on the beach.

This brings us to now. The end of July and the conclusion of our family vacation in Ohio. From Cedar Point to the Little Miami, a friend's wedding to a family reunion, we were so thankful for the opportunity to experience "true summer weather" and the joy of reconnecting with relatives and friends. Thank you, Ohio, for your incredible hospitality.

This weekend Dominic and I will celebrate one year of marriage!
Life just keeps getting better and better. Hallelujah for the joy of community near and far.

Our cups runneth over.

Belly Dancing and Container Gardening

The two topics seem to have very little in common, but they're helping to remedy my guilty conscience for having not stuck to the actual title and purpose of this blog: Experiential Learning. Lately our posts have revolved around what we do -- and have lost focus on what we are learning from it.

When I got back from the Peace Corps and transferred to Seattle I wanted to maintain periodic postings for the sake of documenting what was happening and what I was learning from it. This was easier when everything was new, but more and more I'm noticing that Seattle is feeling familiar, comfortable and normal. This was definitely not an immediate change, but it occurred to me last weekend when the Folk life Festival was happening just two blocks away and I didn't feel a pressing desire to stop by because I had "been there, done that" last year. That's when I realized how nice it was to feel relaxed and at home in this town, and yet how much I needed to spice things up for the sake of lifelong learning and for the readers of this blog.

Enter belly dancing and container gardening.

I have tried to cancel my gym membership. I would trade an outdoor run along the Sound* any day over some smelly weights and hard-breathing body builders. 24 Hour Fitness makes it difficult so for some reason I can't 'quit' until July. I was going to fight this extension until I found out there was going to be a weekly belly dancing class taught on Thursdays. I immediately committed myself to one class out of curiosity. Believe it or not, belly dance is a non-impact, weight-bearing exercise that I hear is actually good for the prevention of osteoporosis. Most moves involve isolations that help make my torso more flexible and my legs are strengthened by hip movements. The gym offers it as a workout, I just thought it was fun. I looked ridiculous but fortunately there were only three other girls in my class this week. I left feeling strangely empowered by my new exercise. I'll definitely be back this week.

Today our neighborhood association sponsored a container gardening class for the community. I wasn't too thrilled about the time, but we rearranged our schedules and went to evening church so I could learn how to grow summer vegetables in our corner apartment. I've been curious about the entire process ever since I saw my cousin Jess' beautiful container garden last year. I thought I could use some formal training on the topic and I couldn't think of an organization better suited for the job than Seattle Tilth. I learned a great deal about the process of gardening on everything from a balcony to a windowsill. From container size to potting soil, summer seed varieties good for containers, to pest control (eew!) our instructor covered it all.

I'll admit it was very convicting. I've been a horrible gardener thus far. I always try to squeeze my plants into tiny containers and the only soil I've every purchased is orchid dirt from Safeway. I personally like to keep the house at an uncomfortably warm temperature and although I have no problem remembering to change Mortimer's water I always forget that my plants are probably thirsty. The teacher would have been horrified. Now, however, I'm turning a fresh leaf. I understand the value of planting vegetables we plan to eat (aka 'edibles') in healthy soil. I have a chart on what container sizes are needed for every summer vegetable like eggplant to peppers and even annual and perennial herbs. I didn't even know what an aphid was and now I know how to kill them.

Courtesy of Seattle Tilth here are some great suggestions for summer varieties good for containers:

• Carrots: Short varieties do best. I hope to try Thumbelina
• Tomatoes: There's a difference between determinate and indeterminate. I'd like to try Sweet Million
• Eggplants: Small fruiting varieties work best. Wouldn't Slim Jim or Little Fingers be fun?
• I'm intimidated by poles shooting up from containers in our living room. But if I get really into this I might try beans like Kentucky Wonder (I bet Aunt T would like that one!)

Both of us continue to learn in our own ways. Dominic is a great reader, active podcaster and devout news junkie. I tend to enjoy personal interaction with instructors and hands-on trainings. Seattle... bring on the free classes!


*Last Friday I was amazed to look up on a morning jog and find a bald eagle flying overhead. Most days I just enjoy watching the cruise ships come into port.

Child's Play

A very dear friend of ours works for the Seattle Times and always seems to know what's happening around town. This evening she invited Dominic and I to attend Giant Magnet at the Seattle Center.

I had seen the sign promoting this event weeks ago and asked Dominic if we could check it out. "Maybe it's like those large Velcro walls," we thought. "Or maybe it's like that ball you put your hand on in the science museum and your hair stands up straight." Both guesses were quite incorrect.

The Giant Magnet is actually an international variety show of theatre, music, dance, puppetry and circus arts. According to the program, "Like a Giant Magnet this festival attracts people of all ages and backgrounds to its global attractions - authentic international performances that promise to astonish, delight and entertain." What a nice analogy.

Giant Magnet is actually a wonderful non-profit organization that offers year-round education programs to children in Seattle's schools. It's a creative way to address the gap in arts education and deepen cultural understanding for entire communities. Naturally we are all for it.

This evening was opening night so three artist groups gave us a foretaste of the week-long events that will be held tomorrow through Saturday:

• Jamie Adkins a one-man circus comedy from Quebec Canada: this Cirque du Soleil veteran impressed us with his amazing balancing and juggling skills, funny facial expressions and genuine sense of humor.
• Gansango, dancers from Senegal: Inspired me to take a dance class. Their amazing footwork and passionate drumming was energizing (especially after a long, long day of work). I'm thinking I'll start learning how to dance by taking zumba at the gym... it's probably not even close to the aerobic exercise this troupe was getting.
  
• Black Violin from the U.S.: These talented violinists combined their instrument with contemporary hip-hop beats. Showing us how they could put their 'stank' on Bach. Check them out. Pretty cool.

I'd be lying a little bit if I didn't say I was also won over by the free food and drinks provided by Ten Mercer after the show. There's something about not being in catering anymore that makes me appreciate the reception that much more.

Thanks for a great Tuesday night in town Giant Magnet!

San Juan Island

We've been trying to take more advantage of the wonderful things on offer here in the northwest lately. With spring finally peaking through, we decided to take a camping trip up to the San Juan Islands in the very northwest corner of these great contiguous United States. As I (Dominic) was in charge of hastily arranging this excursion, it was so great to arrive at our campsite and find that it was the most beautiful place I have ever had the pleasure of camping (evidence below).

The site looked out on the Haro straight. This stretch of water not only separates the US from Vancouver Island in Canada (see previous Victoria/Valentines day post), but it also is a common migration stretch for Orca whales. We had a chance to explore the coast of the island which led us to a beautiful lighthouse and a lime kiln.

Mostly though we just relaxed and looked at the wildlife from our campsite. We ended up seeing many seals, a bald eagle, porpoise and orcas! It was really great and relaxing.

Our timing couldn't have been better. There wasn't a cloud in the sky the whole weekend and as the tourist season hasn't quite gotten underway, the ferries were not too crowded. Just the ride up there; winding between islands on a sunny day was phenomenal.

Good times in the Pacific Northwest.

National Day of Prayer

At Capital I assumed it was a strange maze, in Seattle I simply overlooked it. It wasn't until I went to Bethany's Day of Prayer during lent that someone spoke of a labyrinth's use for insight, peace and renewal. The Labyrinth is an ancient symbol and tool for prayer and meditation. I've lived with labyrinths in my neighborhood for years, but had never tried praying in one... until today.

I figured on this day, National Day of Prayer, it was worth a chance. After all, St. Paul's Episcopal Church has one just minutes from our apartment. This particular labyrinth was modeled after the medieval labyrinth in Chartres Garden, France. It is the first publicly-accessible permanent outdoor labyrinth within Seattle city limits.

The church provided these 'instructions':

• Entering the labyrinth: A time to release and let go of distraction, perhaps focusing on a special intention or prayer for the walk.
• Reaching the center: A time for openness to the diving Spirit, allowing guidance and inspiration.
  
• Going back: A time to retrace steps and return to the world, embracing the Spirit that heals and transforms. With each repetition of the walk, you are being strengthened for growth and change.

Each one of these points sounded nice to me. From a time to release, to guidance and inspiration, to healing. I was ready for the experience.

I should note that St. Paul's is not located on the corner of a quiet intersection and I was praying in the middle of rush hour. Nonetheless, the meditation of weaving in and out of the path, turning and retracing my steps did help me to focus.

When I reached the center I began to hum the lyrics to a popular worship song we used to sing at Fellowship for Christian Athletes at Thomas: "God, you are my God, and I will ever praise you. I will follow you all of my days, I will follow you all of my days. And step by step you lead me and I will follow you all of my days." What a gift!

Have you ever prayed in a labyrinth?

Kentucky Derby Bets

And now... for one Chipotle Burrito....

Drum roll please... This is for you Aunt Rad:

Sarah's Picks:

1. Noble's Promise
2. Ice Box
3. Patty O'Predo
4. Jackson Bend
5. Conveyance

Dominic's Picks:

1. Line of David
2. Homeboykhris
3. Lookin' at Lucky
4. Devil May Care
5. American Lion

Here we go!

Happy May Day

"Sweet May hath come to love us,

Flowers, trees, their blossoms don;

And through the blue heavens above us

The very clouds move on." - Heinrich Heine, Book of Songs

 

Happy May Day to one and all!

Dominic had never heard of a May Day basket, so last night I explained the joy of surprising friends and loved ones with a little treat on the first of May. I don't quite remember what we used to put in our baskets, but I do remember the thrill and joy of dropping the basket on the porches in Iowa and sprinting away before the door would swing open.

I decided to do some research on the tradition this morning and found this description:

Baskets, usually made by children, are often homemade and filled with flowers or treats. They are left anonymously at someone's doorstep or hooked over the handle or knob.

The basket giver rings the bell and runs away. The person receiving the basket tries to catch the fleeing giver. If caught, tradition said a kiss was to be exchanged.

I made this May Day basket full of Canadian tulips, chocolates and Alki Beach cinnamon rolls for our dear friends in Queen Anne today. Hopefully they heard my knock...

Sarah's Surprise Saturday

We had a heck of a Saturday.  Sarah loves surprises so I arranged for us to take a flying trapeze class. Indeed… I’m talking about flying through the air with ex-gymnasts (naturally, what else would they do for work?)  guiding you through  all the swings, flips, leg hangs and pass-offs while suspended 30-40 feet above ground. You, our humble readership, are likely thinking to yourselves, "great! Well done Dominic. Way to keep the marriage fresh and exciting…What a swell husband. Fool-proof plan... What could go wrong?"  Well…..

Yes, that's an emergency room.** 

After some local anesthetic and a few stitches, Sarah's gaping head wound has been remedied. Apparently trapeze can be dangerous... but oh so fun. 

Sarah was very surprised as we approached the large warehouse (our "Big-Top for the day) nestled into the industrial area of South Seattle. 

After some brief stretching and a quick safety overview we were up the ladder and onto the 40 foot high platform. They started us slowly with just a hang and dismount. No problem. We both stuck the landings. In this case that meant landing squarely on our bottoms in the center of the netting below. 

(Note: our camera ran out of batteries so we only have a few pictures from the beginning of the class and this one video of Sarah)

Our day took a turn for the worse just after learning the, 'pull your legs up through your body and hang from your knees while reaching back' move, with the obvious next step of reaching back and being handed off to the instructor, swinging in from the opposite direction. 

Sarah likes to attack things with a certain zeal and intensity that I admire greatly. When she does something, she fully goes for it. (I imagine we'll have a post up here soon outlining our snow-skiing adventure.) Unfortunately, her decision to not settle for the one-and-a-half flip dismount suggested by the instructor, and instead channel her inner Greg Louganis (am I dating myself here?) and attempt the double flip, led to an exchange between her knee and forehead that was frightening. She drilled herself. Right in the noggin. In fairness she only missed the second full rotation by a matter of inches. But as with "athletes" such as us (see Louganis reference above) success and failure hinges on mere millimeters. 

I'm no doctor, but I can tell you that the forehead bleeds my friends...like a 1920s West Texas oil strike. Sarah was a trooper as she nearly bled out, suspended in a net, 15 feet off the ground. 

The management was very kind and offered us free passes to come back and complete our training whenever we would like. I imagine we'll take them up on the offer at some point, but for now I think we'll give it a few weeks to allow for recovery. Also that will allow me more time to plan more super safe surprises...

**It should be noted that this picture was taken in the emergency room while six police officers argued and fought with a hardened criminal on the other side of the sheet as they tried to handcuff him after surgery. He was not happy at all. Literally three feet away, Sarah's spirits are not dampened. She is a wonder indeed. 

You-dub

After an amazing sun soaked Saturday, Sarah and I thought that Sunday would be the perfect opportunity for us to finally go and check out the cherry blossoms on the University of Washington's campus that we had heard so much about. Unfortunately, as we exited church we were greeted by plenty of clouds, gloom and cold. But we braved the elements (a bit of an overstatement) and headed out anyways.

The campus is quite large, and with many classic brick buildings and well groomed gardens it is a great place to stroll. The cherry blossoms did not disappoint, as evidenced by these pictures. 

We also wandered into a few buildings and saw the largest book in the world (from Bhutan).

As well as a really cool Oxford-esque reading room in one of the libraries. 

Life is Still Calling

Last week was Peace Corps week. To celebrate, Peace Corps held an information session and country fair at REI. Dominic selflessly volunteered to man the Armenia country booth so I went along for the ride.

It was fun to meet people investigating the organization. The questions you get like: "How was it?" or "What did you do?" Continue to stump us, but every Returned Peace Corps Volunteer loves to talk about his/her experience and we are no different. 

We left the event grateful for Armenia, happy about our experiences and considering future service. Don't worry... distant future.

As Seen On TV: Spring Cleaning

We love our apartment. So bright, cheery, plenty of space and lots of light. In order to have that light, however, you've gotta have lots of windows and we sure do. Seven in fact. That said, it's an apartment building where window washing is not high on our manager's priority list. We're not on the ground floor either. 

This spring has been unseasonably warm and sunny. So sunny, in fact, that we've had some time to reflect on our home's cleanliness. It's like year-round spring cleaning around here.

If you've met my mother, you might imagine our standards. They're high. So high, in fact, that quite often I find myself struggling to wash the corners of our windows by sticking my arm through the slit in the bottom. It never works.

Just the other week, however, our whole world changed in Bartell Drugs (Ohioans, think CVS or Rite Aid). As I shopped for some cards and other household essentials Dominic enjoyed an "As Seen on TV" ad for different products Bartell's sells. In fact, they have an entire aisle devoted to the things you can only buy from TV. As you may recall, we don't have a television (I returned the converter box last week as it didn't work when buses drove by) so our lives have been devoid of this helpful information. What Dominic saw, however, was a tool so helpful it has earned it's very own blog post...

Are you curious?

It's a Windshield Wonder!

That's right -- a tool marketed for car owners who struggle to reach the inside of their windshield, this wonder with an extendable handle allowed us to access the far reaches of our street-facing windows. What a treasure.

Just yesterday I wrote about how I spend far too much time thinking about appearances. Here is a fine example of how it's a constant struggle every day. Unfortunately, we were just tickled pink about this microfiber "wonder" for only $9.99. Hey, cleanliness is next to godliness right?

Bethany Day of Prayer

This morning I went to the Peace and Spirituality Center at St. Mary on the Lake in Bellevue for Bethany Presbyterian's annual Day of Prayer. Our church's old pastor, Bruce Murphy, and his wife Di led a group of about 30 people in a time of 'seeking stillness'. 

Not one accustomed to regular stillness, these days have been rare opportunities for quiet prayer and rejuvenation in the past. Last year I didn't know what I was getting myself into, but this year I came prepared with two Bibles, two journals and a workbook. As it turns out, I didn't need any of it. I just needed a quiet room, an open heart and a still mind... Well, I got the room...

The Murphy's provided a packet with some materials we could look at to guide our prayers. The packet explained: 

"Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. It is a time to open ourselves anew to the fullness of God's forgiveness and love in Jesus Christ."

One session really caught my interest. It explained that our objective is to be what God wants of us, not what we want of Him. I suppose this is something I'm constantly having to re-learn as I tell myself and proudly inform God of my plans on a daily basis. If only I could be more open to the other way around. According to Evelyn Underhill, (who was quoted in the packet) there are three virtues to meditate on during Lent:

1. Poverty of spirit
2. Purity of heart
3. Obedience

Underhill writes: "The reason is that each of these qualities in a different way detaches us from the unreal and self-regarding interests in which (almost without knowing it) we usually fill up our lives. They simplify us, clear the ground for God, so that our relation of utter dependence on Him stands out as the one reality of our existence." 

I started to pray about some of my unreal and self-regarding interests filling my time. They fall nicely into four main areas:

• Appearance: Mine, our home's, my work space's, my car's my action's. 
• Organization: Everything in order, all time filled or 'utilized', my calendar, my plans, where I should be and what I should be doing.
• What I've seen: Where have I gone, what photos have I taken, who have I met, what are my observations, comparisons.
• What can I do: Earning, making, fixing, helping, leading.

All these things I do, and even if they're good and necessary and right are they clearing the ground for God to work through me? To fill me with His grace? Do they show me my utter dependence on God?

Pastor Murphy said something very insightful this morning that I couldn't help but share with you. He explained that throughout his life he always believed that prayer was an excellent way to prepare for the work he was called to do in the world. Then, late in his career, he realized that prayer was the work. He explained to me that once he understood this fact it put a whole new urgency, focus and devotion on his daily prayer that he had never felt before. I thought that was very powerful and a good way to frame the act of prayerful conversation with God.  

May Lent open you to the fullness of God's forgiveness and love. May this be a renewing time of soul-searching reflection for you to grow closer to the Lord.