Purveyors of the Obvious

Work a Market

// April 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

This is a note for all people that move to a new town and want to be part of the community.  Get a small job serving your community.

When my husband and I first moved to Colorado two years ago we did not know anyone.  He had a consulting gig he carried over from Miami, I got a gig working with a consulting firm here right away.  I traveled a lot and was home for a week then away for a week.  Our circle of friends was non-existent as the summer started in 2008.  Eventually I made friends through work and during one of my weeks off a co-worker and I decided to cook up a crazy Indian feast.  It was a Boulder Farmers’ Market day so my husband left us in the kitchen while he rode down to the market.  When he returned he had all kinds of produce, a delicious pine nut macaroon for me and news… he got me a job.  I looked at him like I wanted to kill him, I already had a job and enjoyed my week off, but I heard him out.

If you know him he is a chatty guy.  Well the bakers where he bought the macaroon from used a sweetener I am not allergic to and he was overjoyed he could buy me a cookie.  After talking with them longer he learned they needed Saturday help for their bakery stand.  He said I would do it.  I have to admit, it was a pretty damn good cookie and I was in.  The pay was not much, but it isn’t like I had a lot of people to hang out with on my week off.

So it was, I would man the stand on the Saturdays I was in town and my husband would take the shift the weeks I was gone.  And oh my goodness, did we have a blast!! The both of us began friendly relationships with regular customers, other vendors, and quickly found ourselves as part of the community we just moved to.  Towards the end of the summer the two of us would run the stand if the bakers were busy, in the winter we set up shop for them at the Fort Collins Winter Market, and we have become really good friends with the business owners.

Sadly the economy took its toll on the bakery and they are now defunct.  We are still solid with the bakers though and consider them family.  Their opportunity allowed us to engage in the local food community in such a swift way that I know who to call if I want someone to raise poultry for me, if I want someone to pull a raspberry bush off their property so I can grow one too, and I have a phone number to pick up stone ground wheat even if I want it in the dead of winter.  I have met many good people thanks to our experience at the market.

Therefore if you are new to town, or just looking to have a great time meeting your community and the local food scene try to work a stand at a market.  We have so many here in the Front Range.  I know there are ads on craigslist pretty often during market season asking for help.  And it never hurts to say hello to your food producers and see if they could use an extra set of hands.

Starting the Year

// January 1st, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Uncategorized

Just reflecting on the start of the year with my guy for 5 years.

NYE 2005 – I went to L. A. (we had just started dating), he stayed in Miami.  I missed him.

NYE 2006 – I was working at a field station in Costa Rica over Christmas so my guy came out to meet me for New Year’s. We rang in the year dancing on the sand in Puerto Viejo surrounded by fire dancers with fireworks being set off over our heads. Seriously, we ended up with firework debris in our hair when we kissed.

NYE 2007 – Quietly spent at our home in Miami drinking champagne and listening to sirens, gun shots, and fireworks in the neighborhood.  FYI, we didn’t live in a poor part of town either, Miami can just be SHADY.

NYE 2008 – The evening was spent in the screen hut at the edge of a forest on a farm and hostel property in southern, coastal Georgia. It rained hard and my fiance at the time streaked the property obtaining a small bottle of champagne to toast the night. The next day we enjoyed a darling New Year’s brunch at the Jekyll Island hotel.

NYE 2009 – We were drunk off our butts plastered on Jameson Irish Whiskey and Guinness.  Flogging Molly was playing a NYE show in Denver and we drank and danced the night away. After the show we went to Steuben’s for the one night of the year they serve Chicken and Waffles. It turned out the kitchen was not open for a while so we drank and danced some more before we had our food and made our way home.

NYE 2010 – Vast contrast to the year before. We had planned a low-key evening at mellow house parties but one friend’s daughter picked up a stomach flu, another friend had to cancel because her husband was sick. Instead we met a friend at Dushanbe Teahouse for an early toast, I had a tea/fruit juice sparkling infusion.  We went home and changed to return to the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art for their New Year’s Silver Ball.

Here is the countdown, the screaming, the bag pipe player doing Auld Lang Syne, crowd doing the universal Ole, Ole, Ole, then the bagpipe man jamming with the DJ. Please be patient, just before I focus on the bagpipe guy I remember my point and shoot only works well with horizontal orientation. My bad… and I was sober.

As the museum emptied we decided to walk up to the last night at bside lounge. You really couldn’t tell the place was closing down when we showed up, we couldn’t get near the door.

Instead we walked further west to The Bitter Bar were James was tending the night and very welcoming.  For being a swank Boulder location he brings a good deal of personality to the establishment.  He made me a pot of Evening in Missoula tea.

And an old-fashioned with a bootleg 17 year-old rye for the hubby.

It was a fun evening in Boulder.  We meant to be low-key but did dress up and get social.  Best wishes for your 2010! It is a year we are greeting with much love.

Best “new person” 09

// December 20th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Today’s gwenbell.com prompt for her best of 09 series is

New person. She came into your life and turned it upside down. He went out of his way to provide incredible customer service. Who is your unsung hero of 2009?

I started thinking about this and soon had a swelling list.  One of my yoga teacher training cohort has become my best friend locally, she even stepped up to do DONA certified doula training to help when we have our first child next year.  Then I started thinking about my prenatal yoga mentor that I certified with who gifted me a boppy the first day I started attending her class as a pregnant lady recently.  Then I thought of the spark of unadulterated sunshine I met from online who fills me with so much positivity whenever I get to be around her.  Then I thought of the PR person for a womens’ race that gave me and some friends a fat discount simply to encourage more women to get healthy and get out to do a 5K.  There was the awesome guy from up north who I met at a social from a conference and now I look up to for advice on natural family rearing.

I can go on and on.  One of the big commonalities is that I keep coming back to the connections I have made with the Front Range community.  I can’t pick one new person, I have to go with my community.  My husband and I have only lived in Colorado for 20 months, but the support and connections we have made are deep.  We thought made friends but the outpouring of support that has come our way since we announced our pregnancy has been down right overwhelming.  For two adults that do not have the most supportive blood families we do not take for granted the “tribe” we have found with our neighbors and friends.

Thank you Front Range… from Fort Collins to south of Denver we appreciate you.  You have shown us much kindness and we only hope we have been a friend to you as well.  Namaste.

Hanukkah

// December 19th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Tonight the last candle was lit.  It always seemed like a token holiday to me, something to be there and over-hyped by Christians to counteract the over-hype of Christmas.  Passover is the high holiday.  However, I love living in a community with such a large Jewish community.  There were simple dinners and gatherings to celebrate the eight nights all over town.  I even had latkes with sour cream and applesauce in the last week with some nice families.

It was a lovely eight days and nights.  Thank you.  Shalom.

The Potluck Dish

// December 16th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

We all have that go-to dish, or at least we should for potlucks.  It should be tasty, feed a good number of people, be fairly economical, and go with many different foods.

In undergrad I did a Caribbean legume and veggie rice dish.  It worked very well for the hippie school and hippie folks I hung around with.

It was in grad school when I lived in a less kind area that I stepped up my potluck game for less adventurous palates and I have found this choice has worked very well in almost every situation where adults are eating.

Pear-Walnut Salad

1 pear, thinly sliced

1/4 c. – 1/3 c. toasted chopped walnuts

fresh parmesan cheese grated or shaved

white balsamic vinegar

good quality olive oil

fresh black pepper

sea salt or kosher salt

organic spring mix

Toss spring mix with vinegar, olive oil, pepper and salt to taste. Add thin pear slices and parmesan on top.  Ask guests if there are any walnut allergies, if not then add them on top and lightly toss so most stay near the top.  One more drizzle of oil and spices.

I prep the ingredients and pack them separately to the event and assemble there.  I don’t know, I guess the presentation adds to the dish.  It is simple but will impress your friends.  They will be amazed actually.

This salad is easy, tasty, and easy on the palate so goes with a lot of dishes.  I have made this for casual gatherings, Thanksgiving dinner, Hannukah dinner, baby showers, etc.

Please post your go-to potluck contribution if you care to share.

bodhi day co(ck)ntest

// December 8th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Uncategorized

Happy Bodhi Day everyone! This is a good day for contemplation or rather an arbitrary day in the ebb and flow of winter holidays to be kind to one another.  The eighth day of the 12 month is about when Shakyamuni or Siddhartha Guatauma attained enlightenment.  Which calendar do you ask, well… for consistency sake let’s just say 8 December.  Anyway it is a great day to exhibit reverence, just like everyday.

We here at Ossumniss HQ have something amazing to share with you though.  A contest actually.  Your very own metal cock.  He weighs in at 1.5 pounds and is 20″ tall, exactly and approximately.  His meaning, whatever you want! Let him hang out on your mantle, be protector of your Wii high score, torment your parents, scare the squirrels in your garden. Your choice.

He is a beautiful little guy so we are not just giving him away.  You need to work for it.  Tell us your best quick story of personal enlightenment in the comment section.  We will harbor judgments which doesn’t seem very enlightened but that is how we will select the best story.

We will mail in the continental United States, but for local folks… we will bring him to Ignite Boulder on Thursday for you if you are going.  Just think, he can also be your drinking and heckling buddy.  Win-win.

Contest closes 9 December at 6 PM MST.  Winner will be announced 10 December.

Happy Bodhi Day.  Now go eat a tangerine.  Mindfully eat a tangerine.  And BE NICE TO EACH OTHER!

STFU December

// November 28th, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Uncategorized

In the United States we celebrated Thanksgiving this week.  The day means different things to different people.  For some it is a day that marks the genocide of the indigenous people of our country.  For others it is a day to hang our heads for all the turkeys that will be sacrificed to the altar of gluttony.  Personally I love the holiday to celebrate the bounty of food we have, how easy our lives are that we get to partake in a feast, and by surrounding ourselves with those we care for when we share the feast.  In short it is a day to be grateful for what we have and give thanks.

Even in this definition there are issues.  It seems mostly with family.  I love the phrase “If you think you have attained enlightenment spend a week with your family.”  It is so true.  I don’t spend the holidays with my family.  I have made an effort to avoid them on major holidays since I was a young teenager.  Now that I am married and my husband knows how trifling and unsupportive my family can be he helps me make sure we keep them at bay.  The only exception so far is my dad, this was his 3rd Thanksgiving with us.  My husband also seems to avoid his family on the holidays (though not for the same reasons).  Our results are usually great days with our friends, our tribe.

Leading up to Thanksgiving my twitter stream was packed with people either complaining or giving thanks for the holiday for personal or political reasons.  On Thanksgiving there were mostly tones of gratitude.  Then come Black Friday it seemed to revert to a lot of political and personal complaining.  This instant reversion made me a bit sad.

You see I love the holiday season.  I am a sucker and believe in goodwill to all men.  I do not celebrate Christmas but I love how many Christians act warm leading up to Christmas.  There are a lot of cool holidays in December that bring a sense of joy to their celebrants.  I like to be idealistic and spread that sense of joy from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day.  These holidays are merely arbitrary dates to act joyful, however they are significant to people on the specified days.

So while this comes off as backhanded whining about other peoples’ whining I challenge myself and you to STFU this month.  If Thanksgiving is stressful for you, then the holidays in December can also be stressful.  They are only that way because we make them so.  If it is family then work on your issues if you can.  In some cases like mine you cannot so make the choice to add value to your family celebrations or find alternative plans if that will make you happier.  If you are sad you cannot be around your family then surround yourself with a good tribe, you can count on your community if you are a good friend to them.  If it is the cost of presents, then only spend in your budget or make gifts.  Do not put yourself in situations to stress yourself out if you can avoid it.  Try to keep the momentum you had on turkey day whether you ate poultry or nut loaf… be grateful and express it.

Keep the gratitude going this Thanksgiving weekend.  Try to keep it going in December and beyond.  If that is too hard then just STFU for December if you cannot add value to whatever you are doing with positive thoughts and actions.

Denver Art Museum – First Saturday

// November 9th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Uncategorized

We at OSSUMNISS took advantage of the cultural offerings in Denver this past Saturday.  It was First Saturday and the Denver Art Museum (DAM) was open to visitors gratis from 10 am – 5 pm.  It was also Celebrate Denver Arts Week thus 10 museums were open for free from 5 pm – 10 pm (including DAM).  If you don’t go on a free day admission is only $10 for CO Residents and yearly membership for families is $70.

FYI Denver is great with cultural affairs opportunities even if you don’t have much cash.  The Scientific and Cultural Facilities District works to offer free and severely discounted opportunities to residents.  Get to know their website and check their calendar.    Also the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs has a 2-for-1 ticket program for a myriad of events, see their weekly updates.

Anyway, DAM was fun.  We arrived to find a bunch of kids climbing all over a a broom and dustpan sculpture they were not supposed to climb.  Obviously how can one resist?  It looks like you are supposed to be on it.

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Fortunate to see HHDL this week

// September 22nd, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

I have seen His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama speak four times in public within the last decade.  At times I feel guilty about having seen him speak so much since there are many people out there that want the opportunity but have not had it yet.  I am about to attend my 5th teaching and figured I will share it here this time.  During the last two teachings I took copious notes to share with friends.  Now I share a small blog, no matter how little the viewership is… I take good notes.  No electronic recording devices are allowed, so good ol’fashioned pen and paper information will be relayed.

Image from HHDLs offical website.

Here is the deal… Friday and Saturday, 25 and 26 September.  Long Beach Convention Center hosted by the Geden ShoelingManjushri Buddhist Center .  Teaching of Four Noble Truths, Amitabha Permission Initiation, and Medicine Buddha Initiation. (more…)

Boulder’s Mate Lattes

// August 18th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

In honor of Stephen Colbert decreeing that Boulder is the TEA BAGGING CAPITAL OF AMERICA, and all the giggling I did here is my latest post.  Hell, I giggle at the Celestial Seasonings Tasting Room where they have their certificate for the Guinness Book of World Records World’s Largest Tea Bag.  Anyway I am doing my round of up of mate lattes in this area.

Something all of you countless Ossumniss readers should know is that we here at Ossumniss headquarters are a frugal lot.  I don’t really go to coffee shops and tea shops.  I buy my quality tea in bulk from Pekoe and make an exquisite cup at home just the way I like it.  That is until one day this past January when I had to kill some time at a coffee shop and took a gander at the mate latte to make it worth my while.  The Cup in Boulder, January 26th, around 2 PM.  I remember this occasion because my husband was getting his one and only tattoo that day next door at Rising Tide.

I ordered.  The barista prepped.  I took that pint glass of frosty green to my lips.  The green was like an avocado mixed smoothie.  The scent was complex like dirt, with grass, topped with dirt, and a touch of cow juice.  It was earthy and delightful.  I sipped gently from the foam.  Ahhhh, I was hooked. (more…)