New thing #29: Waconda

For the last couple years, there was an old summer cottage for sale on a big lake in a little town not far from our home. We've driven by it many times and talked about how pretty the location was, but how impractical it would be to buy a place that needed so much work at this stage of our lives. We already have a beautiful home, and maintaining it is a full time job. And we all know about the soft housing market. So we did the right thing.

We bought it.

A wise woman once told Senior to imagine what his headstone would look like. She said the dates don't matter... what matters is the dash between the numbers. That dash represents what you did with your life. Now we may not leave a universal legacy, but we do want to live life to the fullest and enjoy each and every day. So with that in mind, Senior and I each wrote a list of goals we wanted to achieve in the next decade or so, and then compared notes. Our lists were surprisingly similar, which might explain why we've been happily married for so many years. And one of the things on both our lists was to live on or near the water. Even if it's impractical.

The house was built in 1916 and had been owned by only one family prior to us. They named it Waconda, which means "Great Spirit of the Waters" according to a Native American story. Helen, the previous owner, spent her summers there until her death at the age of 102.  One of the last traditional summer cottages on the lake, it sits on a shallow bay that is home to ducks and swans who are pretty annoyed that we have taken over their dock. We are still in cleaning mode so we haven't moved in for the summer. We're happy to spend a couple hours there or even to just stop by long enough watch the sunset. Neighbors drop in and say hello, like Betty, the helpful lady who told my kids that Helen died Right There on the porch, and the cheerful guy who told us that her dying wish was that the property stay in the family.

We kicked off summer with a Memorial Day picnic at Waconda. The kids alternated between relaxing in the sun and raking up the seaweed encroaching on the dock, flinging it up on shore in all its smelly glory. I got out our tippy little kayak and paddled around the bay, collecting the flotsam that washes in from the boaters on the lake. I now have 63 bottles of sunblock. Senior channeled his inner engineer and figured out how to make the floating dock actually float, then we all pitched in to launch it. I was proud of the way the kids took ownership of the place. If I'm very lucky, I'll get to see them share it with their children some day.

Our plan is to enjoy the cottage "as is" this summer. Well, after we bleach it from top to bottom. We've put our house up for sale and if the stars line up correctly, we'll eventually remodel Waconda and make it our full-time, lakefront home. I hope Helen approves.

New thing #28: Pandora's bracelet

My kids surprised me on Mother's Day by getting me a Pandora bracelet. I've been admiring them for quite a while so I was thrilled to actually own one. It's beautiful, in silver, with the unique Pandora charms and beads that clip onto the bracelet. They bought me 2 charms to start me off. One is a suitcase to remind me of all the great places I've visited, and the other says "MOM"- but they put it on upside down so it would say "WOW" instead. I love those kids! This is so much better than the charm bracelets I remember, with all those little dangles that snagged your arm hairs and pulled them out by the root.

I'm looking forward to adding to the bracelet in the years to come. I really like the birthstone charms. I'll get topaz for The Girl and peridot for The Boy, so my color palette is established.  I'll collect a forever charm for Senior and a sibling charm for my sisters and the memory of my brothers.  I know I'll share some best friend beads with those special women who enrich my life. But I don't know if I'll find a bead that can help me figure out how to heal the pain of a broken friendship. Or a charm to remind me of the mom I used to have, before dementia took her away from me.

And since humor is a necessary part of life, I'll need a bright red bead to symbolize the countless times I've sunburned my nose on our motorcycle trips. And maybe a charm shaped like a flattened bird, like the one that flew into my leg on one bike trip to Nova Scotia.  A charm shaped like a sling would remind me of the hard-earned lesson that it's never a good idea to stand on the arm of your couch. Maybe I can even find a memento of my favorite cousin's teenage alter-ego, Diaperman. Although on second thought, wearing a giant diaper on my wrist would probably give people the wrong idea. Instead I'll choose something to remind me of the way my dad would come alive for two weeks every summer at The Woods, where he could throw off the stiff attorney persona he wore the rest of the year.

This bracelet is the perfect vehicle for me. I've never been a big collector, since clutter makes me crazy. But one thing I do love to gather is memories. I might even collect fifty new ones before this is full.

New thing #27: Warwick Castle

The first time I came to England for work, we drove past Warwick Castle. Since it was closed for the day, I vowed I'd see it on a later trip. It took me three more visits, but thanks to my Brit colleagues, I finally made it! My friend Ken is a local and was a brilliant tour guide who drove us around the whole region. Places come to life when you hear stories about the history and the people who live there.

The sun shined on and off through a sky threatening rain, but it never did more than sprinkle on us. Everything was green and lush on the winding roads through the beautiful English countryside. Colts and lambs were actually cavorting in the pastures, oblivious to us as we drove by. We passed through villages where time had slowed and the milkman still makes deliveries, and through cities with beautiful churches and 'posh' shops. After touring Shakespeare's home town and the birthplace of the sport of Rugby, we circled around back to Warwick and its famous medieval castle.

The castle tour was fantastic. We were able to wander all through the buildings and grounds at our own pace. The rooms were spectacular from the architecture to the decor. We climbed narrow winding stone steps high up into the towers and walked along the ramparts, where the views were gorgeous. A mix of actors and wax figures (done so well it was hard to tell which was which) brought history to life throughout the tour. I learned the best way to remove an arrow if it happens to be lodged in your torso, a handy tip that I hope never to put into use. We followed the path to the River Avon below the castle for a tour of the mill and engine house, then followed a screeching noise to the conservatory and formal garden to find a dozen fearless peacocks, beautiful birds who make an awful noise, enjoying the sunshine. The entire tour was interesting and fun, putting Ken and I in such a good mood that we didn't even stop and chastise some workers repairing a wall without wearing the proper safety equipment (a job habit, I'm afraid).  My children will surely not believe it.

New thing #26: Epicurious Cooking School

Our good friends shared their gift certificate from Epicurious Cooking School by inviting us to join them at their home for an in-house cooking demonstration. Chef Sean Gartland brought all the ingredients for a terrific dinner, then showed us how to put it all together with hands-on demonstrations and insightful tips. As he puts it, his goal is to encourage the natural curiosity we all have in the kitchen so we can discover our inner chefs.

The menu was planned with the hostess in advance, so our theme for tonight was healthy cooking using seasonal produce. When we arrived at our friends gorgeous kitchen - seriously, this place should be on Cribs - Chef Sean had already set up his mise en place and was ready to start cooking. Now when I said he brought everything to prepare a delicious dinner, I meant it - pots, pans, knives, bowls, chopping boards, food processor, bamboo steamer, oils, herbs, seasonings, veggies, meats, etc. The only thing he didn't provide was the place settings. He gave each of us a set of the recipes he was preparing that evening, and invited us to participate as much as we wanted in the chopping and stirring.

Chef Sean has an easy and comfortable presentation style, honed as a chef instructor at The Chopping Block Cooking School in Chicago. He explained each step of the process while mixing in stories about his family and his days as a chef in Traverse City and Chicago. We learned a ton of new things - how to pick the freshest produce, the right way to hold a knife and chop, the difference between shallots and scallions, getting the oil just right to toast couscous, prepping vegetables for the grill so they cook evenly, what to ask the butcher at the market, when a protein has reached medium rare, how to use a bamboo steamer (gotta get me one of those) and more. But I'm not sharing any of the secrets here. If you want to know, you'll have to invite Chef Sean into your home.

We feasted on grilled vegetable and couscous salad with fresh pesto, grilled asparagus with caper vinaigrette, steamed salmon with bok choy and snap peas topped with ginger soy butter, and grilled pound cake with balsamic strawberries. Our hosts provided beer, Michigan wines and coffee to round out the dinner and insisted that Chef Sean join us to eat. And when we were done, he even cleaned up the kitchen! We can't wait to have him back again for another class or dinner party.

UPDATE 04/2013:  Chef Sean has changed the name of his cooking school to "Feast".  You can find his new website here

New thing #25: Hot yoga

I like yoga but I don't go on a regular basis. I'm not sure why, since yoga classes are included in our gym membership.  Maybe it's because the last couple times I've gone, I've been plagued with muscle cramps. It's pretty embarrassing when your leg cramps up in the middle of Downward Dog and you topple over. Or maybe it's because I haven't found a teacher with whom I really connect, or a class time that's convenient.  But after spending 20 hours in an airplane, I needed a good stretch.

I wanted to try hot yoga, where the room is heated to around 100 degrees. This heats up your body to allow for deeper stretching, and is supposed to help detox by flushing impurities out with your sweat, among other benefits. There is a hot yoga studio near our house, so The Girl and I decided to try a drop-in class last night. They were offering Yin Yoga, an hour of slow passive stretching. The poses are held as you slowly control your breathing, and you keep your muscles passive in order to work deeper into the joints and tissues.

We were running late, dashing into the studio at the last minute to find the class nearly full. The room felt pleasantly warm since it was chilly out, and had that undeniable sweaty gym smell. We found a couple spots to unroll our mats just as the class began. Ceiling fans spun lazily to keep the air moving gently, the lights were dimmed and tranquil music played. It didn't take long for the room to heat up. I quickly realized that the hand towel I brought was way to small to keep me from sticking to my yoga mat. But just as I started to worry about 'head rush', my body adjusted to the temperature and I began to feel comfortable.

We both really liked the hot Yin Yoga class. It was not a workout, but it definitely worked out the kinks. I didn't have any problem with cramping, even though I was slightly dehydrated. And the instructor struck a perfect balance of being spiritual without being overbearing or apologetic. She named each pose, then described it clearly while demonstrating the moves. She noticed that some of us were clenching our jaws and gently reminded us to relax. And she kept us focused on breathing, breathing, breathing. Maybe it was all that oxygen, but both The Girl and I would like to go back another day and try a more intense class.

New thing #24: Rod Nahm Dum Hua

My trip to Thailand ended just before the start of one of the biggest and wildest annual festivals, Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year. While there are several different traditions associated with Songkran, the most important ritual of the festival is the splashing of water. This symbol of cleansing and renewal ranges from the respectful ceremony of "Rod Nahm Dum Hua", to an all out water war in the streets, where everyone gets drenched in a carnival atmosphere. Although I didn't get to experience the entire celebration, I was privileged to participate in a version of Rod Nahm Dum Hua that took place at our office in Thailand.

During a break between shifts, we were invited to the cafeteria where four chairs were lined up in a row. We sat and large engraved silver bowls were placed at our feet. The ceremony was explained to us - each person would dip a small silver cup into a bucket of water that was scented with jasmine and orchid petals, then they would take turns pouring the water over our hands. They were doing this to show respect and ask for blessings for the new year. The water was warm and smelled wonderful, as did the lei of orchids and jasmine that was placed around our necks. Everyone was in a party mood, laughing and smiling as they poured the water carefully over our clasped hands and wished us a Happy New Year. A tub containing a watery paste of white clay appeared, and everyone started smearing it on each other's faces. One of the girls apologized as she wiped it on my cheeks, explaining it was another part of the tradition meant to ward away evil spirits and provide protection. When everyone had finished pouring the water, we drank sodas and ate snacks and took pictures of each other's clay faces. It was a very welcoming and fun experience and the highlight of my trip to Thailand.

New thing #23: Visiting Thailand

The Good: Friendly and welcoming people; colorful chaotic cities; ornate shrines in unexpected places; palm trees full of coconuts; fresh and spicy seafood; beautiful mountain vistas; listening to Thai cover bands singing GNR and the Boss.

The Bad: Lady-boys, prostitutes and snake charmers; tourists dragging their kids through the red light district; trash on the streets and beaches; humidity; giant bugs; paying for toilet paper in public restrooms.

& The Ugly: Fish pedicures. Don't do it:

For less than $3 you can stick your feet in a tank of dirty water
and have tiny little carp nibble the dead skin off your toes.
Hello Hepatitis.

New thing #22: Pinterest

Pinterest is the hot new social network, but when I first checked it out I thought it was dull. It looked like a site for wedding planners, fashion merchandisers and the little girls who want to be their clients one day. But one by one my friends and family joined the site and invited me to follow their pins. I tried to resist, but resistance was futile. Late one night while on the road, huddling in the middle of the bed fighting jetlag and trying not to pick up some random hotel room DNA, I succumbed. 

Some people use the pinboards to chronicle their life, the places they've been and things they love. Some use it to inspire, pinning positive thoughts, exercise routines and books they want to read. Others use it to lampoon, like the clever series of fake Mitt Romney boards. 

I use it to collect recipes.

I have always been obsessed with collecting recipes! I have dozens of cookbooks and online recipe boxes, a drawer full of recipe clippings, a stack of foodie magazines and several bookmarked celebrity-chef websites. I rarely actually get around to using any of the recipes, but I do like to have them at my fingertips. And Pinterest offers absolutely the best way to organize them. Every recipe can be categorized on boards any way you like, easily recognizable by a pretty picture, and linked directly to the recipe source. It's OCD heaven.

But now I can't stop pinning recipes. I want to collect them all! And I want you to repin them and think I'm wonderful for finding it first! In fact, I got so hooked on pinning and having stuff repinned, I started to branch out. I started experimenting with those inspirational sayings, creating them in Powerpoint and uploading them to this blog, one at a time. Then I pin them on Pinterest and see what kind of response I get. It's quite a sociological experiment. Uplifting thoughts generally get a little reaction. Snarky sayings are usually repinned immediately by a dozen or so people. But by far the biggest and most positive reaction (well over 400 people) has been to the picture I found and posted about my pinning obsession. Seems like I'm in good company.

New thing #21: DIA Detroit

I've been to museums all over the world, but somehow I've never made it to the one in my backyard. That's why I've wanted to make sure I got to the Detroit Institute of the Arts during this experiment. The DIA's collection is considered one of the top in the US, and is known for its quality, range, and depth. It's housed in a gorgeous building flanked by white marble wings, located in the cultural historic district north of downtown.

We had kicked off Daylight Savings that morning by having brunch with The Boy, so he joined us as we headed downtown. We were pleasantly surprised to find that it was a Ford Free Sunday, meaning that everyone got free admission to the DIA thanks to a sponsorship from the Ford Motor Company Fund.

"Sea Boots" 
by Andrew Wyeth

With more than 100 galleries, we knew we would not get to see everything in a single trip. We started in the Prints and Drawings gallery, where you could use magnifying glasses to appreciate the fine details in the "Once Upon a Time" storytelling exhibit. From there we paused for a moment to listen to some pretty good music from the Scavenger Quartet, then headed to the Photography gallery which featured an exhibition called "Detroit Revealed: Photographs 2000-2010", with over 50 photographs chronicling the decade. We made sure we didn't miss the "Detroit Industry" fresco cycle by muralist Diego Rivera (a 360-degree tribute to the city's manufacturing base and labor force of the 1930s) and the armor collection of William Randolph Hearst lining the main hall. It was fascinating to see weapons over 400 years old that still looked pristine. We spent quite a bit of time enjoying the abstracts in the contemporary art gallery - those are my favorites - and the works in the Modern Art gallery. I was glad to see some of Andrew Wyeth's work featured, so realistic you felt like you could pull on those boots.

The museum is clean and bright, with several interactive exhibits and plenty of staff on hand to answer questions.  We had a great afternoon there and I look forward to returning to see some more of the treasures.  We did make a quick trip through the gift shop on our way out, but managed to avoid the considerable allure of the seatbelt purses and handblown glass vases that caught my eye. And on our short walk back to the car we passed the Science Center and the Scarab Club. I haven't visited either of those yet, but they'll have to wait for another day of New Things.

New thing #20: Mexican caviar

mmmm.... larvae

A recent trip to Mexico offered the opportunity to complete the trifecta of tasty New Things I'd been experiencing in February. My colleagues there are wonderful hosts, and invited me out to dinner at a lovely restaurant in the historical center of their city. We enjoyed the warm night seated on the terrace, where we could soak up the ambiance of the Plaza de Armas under twinkling lights. Live music serenaded the people who strolled by, and a fountain bubbled in the distance.

Cool and refreshing Mexican beer soon arrived along with bowls containing chiles or sweet limes, baskets of tortillas and a variety of breads. Starters appeared on the table, including cheeses, melon, prawns, mushrooms, and a delicacy called Sopes de Escamoles, which are little fried masa cakes topped with "Mexican caviar" - perhaps more commonly known as "ant larvae".

Yep, that's right, tiny little embryos harvested from the woody roots of the agave plant where ants make their nests. Tonight ours were roasted and served over fresh guacamole spread on small, dense hand-shaped corn tortillas. Actually I was pretty excited to eat something that sounded so unpleasant. I think I was more nervous about eating the guacamole, which I don't really like.

I squeezed a little lime on top, picked it up and took a bite. The flavor was really mild and kind of murky. The escamoles have a soft, cottage cheese-like consistency and a nutty aftertaste. The guacamole was very subtle and balanced the dryness of the chewy tortilla. I took another bite and set the rest down on my plate, but as I did I bumped the lime, causing some of the escamoles to roll off.

Hearing them scatter around my plate was like a switch turning on, giving me the heebie jeebies and totally grossing me out. For a minute I contemplated spitting it out, but I was determined to eat the whole thing! I struggled while swallowing but managed to hold it together. Then I drank some of my beer and ate a couple pieces of melon before going back for the final bite. I finished it, and I'm glad I tried it - but I was really happy that I didn't have to eat another one.