Pin-up

Thinking About Gifts

What we become is our gift to God. ~Eleanor Powell
Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons. ~Ruth Ann Schabacker
Change always comes bearing gifts. ~Price Pritchett
Gifts come from above in their own peculiar forms ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Love is, above all, the gift of oneself. ~Jean Anouilh

Gluten Free, Vegan Brownies in Black Currant Sauce

I made these a while ago and they were delish! So, I though I'd share :).



½ c vegetable oil
½ c raw cane sugar
1 c white sugar
1 c tapioca flour (or if not gluten free, just use 2 c all-purpose flour)
¾ c white rice flour
¼ c soy flour
2 t flax meal (or just use 1 t xanthan gum)
2 c grated zucchini
½ c chopped macadamia nuts (or whatever kind of nuts)
1 t salt
1 ½ t baking soda
½ unsweetened cocoa powder
2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t cinnamon

Black currant sauce
2 c fresh black currants
1 c raw cane sugar
(feel free to add cinnamon, nutmeg and/or cloves as desired)

Touch

BLACK

More from the study abroad...

Constructing Place, Part 2

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food.

My love for food has grown recently. Can I be someone's personal chef? Maybe I should try and be a food photographer.

Constructing Place

These are the first ones to be processed from my project that I worked one during the study abroad. They deal with the construction of place and memory and are taken with a Holga camera on color film. Enjoy!

The last few days of the trip

...Friday

Yellowstone had forecasted snow this week, but thankfully we were able to secure a hotel room instead of camping like we had planed.

I'd never been to Yellowstone before! I can see why people like it. Friday, we saw a magnificent yellow canyon and went to Artist's point. Also, there are TONS of elk and bison wandering around, even in place where there are a lot of people. They were cool, but made me nervous, especially when people would get really close to them. The bison would just walk down the roads and cause huge traffic jams!

Saturday

The geyser's at Yellowstone are the most spectacular colors.

Old Faithful.

Sunday

Bittersweet drive home past the Idaho Falls temple.

Thursday!
Missoula! This is a college town, for sure. Driving out in eastern Washington is a trip because it’s so different. At one point, it was just so completely flat and open I felt as if I could touch the sky (does that make sense?). Overall, it was a gorgeous pastoral landscape. Missoula itself is a fun college/hippie town. There was a little food and music festival we went to.
Wednesday
Driving through Washington. Our pit stop In Winnachee tonight. It feels soooooooooo good to recoup. I took a shower and got laundry done. Score! And spent all my Canadian money on chocolate bars at a gas station near the border.
And border patrol didn’t find my orange. Score!
Tuesday
The Granville Island farmer’s market is great! A bit like Pike’s Place, but I think a bit more friendly and family-oriented. It was in a building overlooking the pier, with live music and lovely people. Afterwards, it was the Museum, a beautiful Parthenon-like building.
There was a large exhibition of a video artist named Fiona Tan, which was really inspiring. I’d never heard of her before, but I really identified with her work, especially one she did that related to memory and emptiness, called Rise and Fall.
Downtown Vancouver is a pretty vibrant place, and less edgy than say Seattle and San Fran. The downtown business district has some great architecture. There’s some Japanese-style hot dog stands that were amazing, too. Want a hot dog with Japanese Mayo, teriyaki sauce and seaweed? Japadog is what’s for you.
Monday
Vancouver. We took the ferry once more over from Vancouver Island. It was not as magnificently foggy as before, but still beautiful.
Driving up to and getting settled in the hostel there for the first was a bit unnerving, to say the least. And I thought that Bruno’s Motel in Gerlach, with its dinky rooms and strong smokey stench could not be topped. This place had character. Located right next to a bike bar that had an ambulance there very night we were, the unwashed sheets and our room, in which an unknown person’s belongings and food were left there for who knows how long indicated to me that perhaps the sink that spurted rown water and the one bathroom on a floor of more than 30 dorm rooms was not the least of it. Now, I’m not exaggerating, but I think I am making it sound dramatic. In reality, I’m over it.
Vancouver, in the day and from the south side, didn’t look too hot. Kinds deserted, actually. But, after taking a walk down the park that goes along the whole waterfront to Granville Island, where the Emily Carr art school and market, and seeing the sun set behind the many skyscrapers while standing in the Olympic Park, my mind is starting to change.
Sunday
Last day in Ucluelet. After a spirit filled testimony meeting in the living room of the hostel, we had a great day relaxing, culminating in a slideshow presentation with the hostel owner and staff as our guests, along with a sushi party! We used some of the salmon that joe caught the day before, and a local sushi chef taught us how to make it! He was so great and generous, donating a bunch of stuff for us to try, even doing tempura sushi. We’ve had so much fun here.
One of the staff I got to have a good conversation with. Rob from the Netherlands, a guy who just goes where the kind takes him.

Saturday
Early morning photography on Big Beach in Ucluelet (just a short walk). It was a great experience.
I painted a watercolor for the first time on this trip. It was one of the older boats along the dock. I was actually quite pleased with it, I should really do more watercoloring.
There’s an aquarium here that is small, but apparently stellar. I unfortunately couldn’t make it there to check it out, but all the stuff they have there is catch and release, all stuff that’s local, and much of it you can reach in an touch. There is really great marine life here. Just walking on to the docks I saw 3 gigantic starfish and a crab just chillin in the shallow water.
There was a surfing competition in Tofino, which was fun from a photojournalistic experience. It made me feel like I was in southern California, actually. We were blessed with some of the most beautiful weather while we’ve been here, from Friday to Sunday. Some of us took surfing lessons, though I didn’t join. Uclulet is such a great surfing town, the people here are very friendly and genuine. They really want to be your friend and tell you about everything that’s going on around. I would love to come back to that town and spend more time there.
That night we had a bonfire and and nutella smores at Big Beach, a place with tons of driftwood and completely open for fires. It was an awesome good time, with music and talking. I learned that Jay Jay did the WWOOF thing in France.
Friday
We had another salmon party..:)))))). Jenna and I spent some time in big beach in the afternoon after cruising the town in the morning
Thursday
Went to a Rain Forest that went right up to the beach. It was like being in the Redwoods again! Aka incredible! And Tofino, which was on a bay with mountains and lots of boats. Yeah yeah yeah.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The drive to Uclulet, BC, was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It was beyond description. Majestic mountains blanketed in thick, thick fog, all the while being misted with gentle rain, creating waterfalls and rivers flowing strait down the mountain, completely traceable with the eye. The mountains were steep, making the tall, tall trees seem like a thousand foot tall wall. Rivers, bridges, a watery opening to the Pacific Ocean. A bald eagle flew right alongside our van.
Our new residence, which we will be using for 4 days, is a few hostel buildings that we have all to ourselves. Uclulet is this beautiful, little town with some great shops and really friendly people. The people we’ve met have already invited us to the local happenings. I’m really excited to photograph here.

Monday, May 31,2010
Happy Memorial Day! First time in another country today. I was exhausted this morning, but I’m glad I stayed awake for the ferry ride. We boarded with our vans on this huge ferry into the San Juan islands, which was like traveling back in time to New England, with the forests and lonely isles enveloped in fog, everything grey.
We are now in Victoria, which is turning out to be pretty cool. The architecture is very European and there are some really great shops here. I’m trying to be prudent, though!
We finished the evening with 3 hours of swimming in this HUGE pool complex that was apparently used for the summer Olympics once. It had this massive water slide, and of course the 10 meter diving platform, which some of us couldn’t resist.
We are in another hostel, which isn’t too bad! I kind of like it. The one in seattle was better, though.


Sunday, May 30, 2010
Awesome: Pikes Place Market at 7 am, before the huge crowds.
Awesomely more awesome: Seattle folklife festival . Me and some peeps got it down to some ethnic beats into the night.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
On our way to Seattle, we stopped in Astoria, Or. Which is this cute town with lots of Antique shops and Victorian-style buildings. We stopped at the Goonies house, and had some random adventures there.
Drove to Seattle, and got there at 5. We had a brief look at the market. We are staying at the Green Tortoise hostel, which is literally on Pike and 1st, super close to Pike Place Market. After we all got settled in (it’s a pretty decent hostel) we all went to the waterfront to eat some Alder’s Smoked Salmon, which was way decent, but not as mind-blowing as I’d hoped. From there, we walked up and down the streets, went to H&M and bought some stuff, and kind of wandered around aimlessly, which was WAY frustrating to me, as I really wanted to go to the folk festival and a reggae show (and possible Talib Kweli) but, sadly, I had to stay with the group. But we did end up playing Truth or Dare Jenga at this one Café.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Woke up early and had a wonderful morning, then went down to the local café to take pictures, which was followed by some art making, then another trip in the afternoon to this cool dining and cooking school thing. Then that night we had a critique that was very motivating. I realized I got a lot of more work to do!
Thursday
Bikes! And Glass Blowers!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Watched some glass blowers at this local gallery. I was so fun! I can imagine how much upper body strength one needs for that. We also took some reclining bikes all along the beach.

Dancing Beaches

Wednesday

• Another early morning photo trip to Multinoma and Winnachee Falls (sp?), then night doing light painting on the beach. I tried some really experimental things with movement, and I really like how they turned out.
  
• My yoga pays off.
  

Pot of Gold

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Against my better judgment, I woke up before dawn with John Telford and a group of people to go to Haystack Rock in the wind and the rain. And once again against my better judgment, I decided to walk to the north end of the beach to take pictures of rocks there instead of photographing Haystack Rock. It was a lot longer walk than I anticipated. Long story short, I finished that morning with no pictures and really, really wet.

But, after a glorious nap, I got a tour of a glass blowing studio and had some AMAZING tea at this café. T

Then there was another photography disappointment.

But, thankfully, I saw the most incredible sunset of my life today at Haystack Rock. It all payed off.

The first post about my life on the road.

Monday, May 24, 2010

We left at 8am from our Yurts, and started the journey from Tugman State Park to Cannon Beach, into this GORGEOUS house will everything we’d ever want. I can’t wait to cook.

This morning, we all had breakfast at this natural food store/restaurant that specialized in gluten free food! AH! It was so overwhelming! I had some zucchini and potato pancakes and then bought a loaf of bread, date bar and brownie. It was amazing.

We also made a stop at a beach, and at the Tillamook Factory, and got some ice cream that tasted incredibly fresh, probably the freshest I’ve tasted.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

I woke up early, and took a photo walk along the lake. Went to a church in North Bend.

Afterwards, we ate then went to Shoreline (?) Gardens in Shoreline state park, then John, Valerie and I explored some other spots and met the bunny lady! She was surprisingly normal, but apparently she organizes a yearly easter egg hunt there and the fire chief dresses up in a bunny costume she made.

Then we had an intense critique, but I realized I need to do some more work.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Went for a morning run around the lake, and it was amazing. We then went to seafood and ice cream in Winchester, where I had grilled crab for the first time. It tasted like ocean, but with a bit of tartar sauce it tasted great. We then went to a lake in Oregon which had a massive dune going down right into the lake, and some guys were sand boarding there. I got some great shots of them! It’s incredible the kinds of landscapes you find here! They are constantly taking my breath away.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Critique in the morning (4 hours!) then Coos Bay by day. It was incredible rainy and then the sun came out bright against the dark clouds, and it was perfect lighting. I feel that that is kind of a theme for this trip. We ended the day with night photography at the beach and then home.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Laundry day! I’m looking back so my memories are jumbled at this point. We photographed the dock this day and spent the day in Winchester. What a cute little town with a bunch of cool boats, both old and new.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Overall…

John Telford is the funniest man. Ever.

Our vans are hereby named :

John’s – Silver Fox

Joe’s – Vanjo. (named by his kids Hanna and Ethan)

Macsen’s – The Beet (or Beat)

Amy’s – Henri (pronounced French)

Traveling with Joe is funny. I feel like he gets really motherly to me, and will definitely get a little worrier on us. Other times, like today on the beach on the way to the Mansion house, he acted like a total kid, and so did John. But every group meeting we have, Joe has to give us some kind of death warning, as in “Don’t do ________ or you will die.” It’s even gone so far as to be: “leave a dish lying around, and you will die.”

The group is really coming together, I’ll make sure to take pictures of our fun times and not just our landscapes J. Some are not even art majors, but all are great people. I’m really happy with the shots I’m taking, but then again it’s hard to make bad photographs of some of these places!

I’ve eaten some really great food on this trip. FRESH food. Like fish and crab, cheese, milk, produce, fudge, honey, etc. I also feel like I would love to live in one of these adorable Oregon coastal towns. And I’m in the presence of immense beauty constantly, and every day is so full of wonder, and we’ve seen SO MUCH. I can’t believe it’s been 11 days already, and how it all started in Gerlach in a dirty motel and sleeping under the stars.

Glimer of Hope