Really? You don't recycle? Oh.

We just returned from the midwest, which was just fine and everything.  It was Illinois, true to form.  One element of it stuck into my soul like a dagger.  Sure, I'm spoiled, we live in a progressive city with a very elaborate recycling program.  Portland has even just implemented city-wide composting.  The fact is that no one we visited in Illinois recycled.  I had to consume bottles of water to survive.  I was left with the decision to either tote our recyclables around until we found a way to recycle them, or throw them in the trash.  What did I do?  I threw them in the trash.  We had lots of luggage that we were toting every day plus a child.  I now regret my decision to submit.  The fact is that recycling is so far from convenient that the people don't consider it.  Nothing's in it for them.  The midwest is full of huge consumers, with so very few of them recycling.  There needs to be a movement.  There needs to be funding, education, and incentive.  This is such bullshit.

Stonehenge!

Our Trip to Maryhill Museum of Art

by Josh

Not even a two hour drive East of Portland, through the Columbia Gorge and across the river into Washington, lies the Maryhill Museum of Art.

I had been charged with finding a killer day trip.  Maryhill came up almost immediately in my research: it caught my eye due to its Warhol exhibit.  I was like "Andy Warhol in rural Washington?  No way!"

"Way," says Sitting Bull.

Maryhill Museum of Art is an old mansion on land that was once owned by Sam Hill, who was a bigshot in the Pacific Northwest.  Part of Hill's Legacy is the Historic Columbia River Highway, which we took for about seven miles and caught closeups of Multnomah and Wahkeena Falls on the way to the museum.  He was convinced to turn his mansion into an art museum by his friend Loie Fuller, who was an artsy bigshot dancer with connections in France, who subsequently loaded Hill's new museum with over eighty Rodins, among other works.  They have a lovely permanent exhibit of sculptures and fragments by Auguste Rodin that is worth a visit in its own right.  

The Warhol exhibit, which is showing through November 15, was impressive.  We're all glad he came through our part of the world, albeit in a strange location!  However what was most impressive was the scale replica of Stonehenge down the road a few miles, still on Sam Hill's land, built as a WWI memorial to those who had died in the war from Klickitat county.  Really, a very surreal experience.  Pax enjoyed walking around and picking up rocks.  He even found a couple runestones someone had left behind!

...not to mention all the killer views. Good job Maryhill, you're tops in our book!

To Get There: Take 84E out of Portland (follow signs for historic hwy, if desired) to The Dalles.  Cross the Columbia River using The Dalles Bridge/197.  Take a right on WA-14 and go about twenty miles.  Follow the signs!

Our October responsibilities, 2008

voting is great.  and pumpkins, pumpkins are great too!

Now you see 'em

Now you don't.

Pax's 1st Birthday Cake

This cake is SO Good!  Vegan, Gluten Free, Sugar Free!

6 bananas

some blackberries (or any other fruit... thought about almond butter)

1/2 cup melted vegan butter

1/3 cup agave nectar

2 cups oat flour

1 1/2 tsp organic vanilla

dash cinnamon

dash nutmeg

mash banana, add melted butter and mix in all ingredients except flour.  add flour 1/2 cup at a time.  bake at 350 45-50 minutes

Frosting:

2/3 cup coconut milk (add more if too thick)

1/3 cup dates

1 cup raw cashews

1 tsp organic vanilla

First Blog Ever.

I've always been too nervous to blog but I really have no excuses left. The idea of posting a blog on myspace is lame... so contrived. Inspired by Leah and Dan (herzingluv.blogspot.com), and by the random mom and vegetarian blogs that I guiltily indulge in. And mostly for the fact that our lives deserve to be tracked and monitored by friends and family. And strangers too, I suppose.