Have a "heart" cupcake...

Strawberry cupcake, Lavender cupcake, Raspberry Chocolate brownie - get ready for the taste temptations of the heartfelt holiday season at Common Ground Coffee and Cupcakes. Today I saw the lovely Crystal Roberts, braving the cold, lending her hand to the cute window decorations. As you may imagine, you can already begin indulging in some lovely pink pastries right there at the corner of S. Third Street and Wells. If you are feeling too guilty after the battle of the bulge in December, they have these little, mouth-size morsels of divine cupcakedness that you could probably talk yourself into without much effort. Crystal will understand.
Common Ground Coffee and Cupcakes 900 S. 3rd St. 425-235-1717

Blonde Brownies for the Birthday Boy

Whew! This month is just chock full of birthdays - I didn't even know I had so many friends born at this time of the year, damn Aquarians, I can barely keep up!
I made this batch of Blonde Brownies for my buddy, Garrison, yesterday. He is a cookie monster by nature, but it being his birthday week and all, he got brownies with semisweet chocolate chips in them. Just what any cookie face creature would salivate over. I made them extra thick and gooey to - put a little meat onto those original brownie bones -like any of us really needed that addition.

1/2 cup butter or shortening
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tsp. of vanilla
2 eggs
1 2/2 cups flour
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp of salt
Heat oven to 350. Heat butter or shortening in saucepan and melt over low heat. In large mising bowl, add melted butter/shortening to brown sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix. Sir in reamiaing ingredients. Spread into a greased square 8" pan. Bake 30 minutes or a little more until done. Cut into squares while still warm.
Betty Crocker's CookBook

Master Recycler Composter at your service!

Debbie Natelson, owner of Jet City Espresso, our second home and hang, has many skills up her sleeve including being the Master Recycle Composter for the Renton area. Many people are reading the literature from Waste Management and still scratching their heads about what can go in to which bin - Deb is available to field all of your queries. Just make your way over to the cafe, buy a super cup of cafe and ask away. Deb was up at QFC last week, a store that sponsors a program that allows the public to meet with the "MRC" - part of a citizen outreach program, but many of us missed out on that chance -and now we have one tailored exactly to our needs. Drop by and pick her brain - she is a fount of knowledge also about organic gardening and landscaping, backyard composting and worm bins for your food scraps.
Jet City Espresso 207 South Main Street 425-235-1529
jetcityespresso@yahoo.com

Garbage In, Garbage out..

Linda Knight from Waste Management made an appearance at the latest North Renton Neighborhood Association Meeting this past Thursday - and here's the news. We are composting, people - Renton is truly getting ahead of the herd on recycling. Single Family dwellings have been receiving new and improved garbage cans, a small and handy compost bin with handle to put in the kitchen and escort your sundry food products out to the compost container, large compost cans and now multi-purpose recycling cans. Whew! Finally we do not separate our various recyclables, like good boys and girls, only to see the garbage man pick them up and hoist them all together into the back of his truck. But my favorite of all has to be the new composting capabilities we have -in this Renton truly rules.
As you can see from my fuzzy, phone photos - you can now put foodstuffs in your compost container - that's right, beyond the pizza boxes and shredded paper, you can put any foodstuff in there as long as it is not liquid and runny. Old chicken carcass - done, in it goes. Uneaten leftovers - done, in it goes. The test program that the city conducted found that there were no problems with the rodent population, and the pick-up on those containers is every week, so you are in the clear of any concerns.
The only let down is that there is no similar program for Multi-Family units, read apartment/condo buildings here, where the composting is concerned. That would specifically have to be a service that the owner was interested in working with Waste Management to get, and that is sadly, a huge loss of potential recycling for the city. With more people unable to afford a house, this will be the wave of future living conditions for most people. Hope Waste Management can come up with a better plan for the near future. In the meantime, I worked it out with a housedweller on our street to pop down and add my composting in to the bin. Call me crazy, but I am really liking this ratching up of the recycling trend!
North Renton Neighborhood Association North.Renton@gmail.com

I guess it's still winter - the frog saw his shadow today

A nod to a local band who were "It" in the 80's...

Todd, I am lovin' hearing your tunes today - shout out to the Duncan Man on the Horn!
Note: Todd Duncan is currently a Renton resident and had a huge reunion with his band at the Bite of Portland last year that was a complete sucess!

The Potluck Palooza

The words Community and Potluck when thrown together sound so 70's, even cliche. But if we ever needed a return to things like "Ecology" and "Co-Ops", recycling and cool communal gatherings, there is no time like the present.
Tonight was our first communal dinner and the wine was abundant, the vibe was cozy, the food was heartwarmingly good and our friends were out in number. Quite a success all around.
The award for the best Italian Dish of the evening went to Debbie Natelson for her divine Cannoli. My Mom reminisced about delis in New York when eating hers, and I remembered a certain cafe in Rome I probably knew too well. Deb's ribbon and the prize bar of chocolate were well deserved. Thank goodness she decided to share that too.

We are looking for the next host of the potluck- any takers? If you have dust bunnies overrunning your home, having 20 guests over in a month is a great incentive to corral them. Maybe we'll even let you choose the cuisine - and we promise, we're all potty trained (well, almost).

Love Is...

An apple a day...

I love apples - and I think they may indeed be my favorite fruit. So easy to pack and take with you, coming in their own carrying case (their peel) that can then be simply washed and eaten. And we do live in the best place in the states to get them.
Today at the Top of the Hill Market, located up on Cemetery Hill (4th St. for the rest of you), they had my favorite apple of all time on sale and I really had to indulge. I am referring to no other than The Pink Lady. Lovely to look at ( see the lovely pink hue?) and a crisp interior than goes well in a salad, a muffin or just in your mouth. I am going to fill you in on a little apple salad recipe that came to the family only about a year ago, and we just cannot stop making it. It is requested at all the gatherings, and we keep playing around with some of the ingredients, it's just so damn good. And if you have someone who doesn't like to eat their fruit, this will make them sit up and beg for more. If you have someone watching their calories, this originally came from Weight watchers, so no one is left out on this treat.

Simple Apple Salad

4 large apples, cored and sliced into bite size bits
One container of Cool Whip (Fat Free, Low Fat, Extra Creamy - whatever - they always have this one for sale for a buck - you should never be without one in the freezer - I know, it's not a staple food item, or necessarily good for you - but what if you forget the milk one day - your coffee or cereal will love you for this!)(did I just admit I put that on my cereal!!!!)
One small packet of instant sugar free Butterscotch pudding
One large can, 20 oz., of crushed pineapple
Additionally: diced walnuts, diced celery, raisins, cranraisins, ummmm - little marshmallows :)
Mix all the wet stuff together with the pudding, add your apples and extras - this makes a nice, large bowl, which is good, because it just flies out or our fridge.

What's in the Pot

This week officially starts the season of Community Potluck, the brainchild of a dear friend of mine. So many people don't cook for themselves, can't cook, don't have the family to cook for or the funds to do much in the kitchen - so many reasons to start gathering together and reinforcing the idea of breaking bread together, making the bread and feeding one another. Even if you can't bring anything, you are welcome. The theme is Italian, with a prize for the best dish. So, I have got me a whole braid of garlic and I am making me something Italian. The inspiration came from a recipe at Allrecipes.com.

Minestrone Soup is a wonderful way to get back to my "One Pot" cooking agenda and to make great use of this weeks cooking theme.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 potato diced 1 carrot, diced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Beef consomme or bouillon, 1 can or 8 oz
vegetable broth 6 cups at least
Tomato paste (6 oz) or stewed tomatoes(1 can) or fresh chopped tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans
1 cup pasta, uncooked
mixed veggies, fresh or frozen approx 1 cup
2 cups spinach, washed and sliced
fresh basil
parsley
oregano 1
1/4 cup red wine (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese
(you can also add bacon or ground beef to this if you like)
Take the onion,garlic and red chili flakes and saute in olive oil and begin to cook down, then add carrot, potato and celery until onion is translucent. Add your broths, all of it,tomatoes and oregano, cook for 15 minutes. Add the beans, pasta and veggies, cook for another 15 minutes - making sure the pasta is cooked, At end stir in the basil and spinach and parsley. Don't overcook these lovely greens. Serve with Parmesan cheese on top!

You know me - I am all about using what is available in the kitchen - in being a happen' cook, nothing is set in stone. I had some awesome Pacific Organic French Onion soup (bought on sale at Bartell's!) that I used, some beef bouillon to round out the flavor, I had some mixed frozen veggies I got on sale at Safeway that had green bean, carrots and corn in it - that went in there and I think it is great to always have some fresh parsley in your fridge - cheap, full of vitamin C and excellent in tuna, chicken, well you name it. Tomatoes - both fresh and canned went in there- and I think it doesn't really matter in the large scheme of things if your improvise - in fact, I applaud it. Remember - this is just a rough outline of what your minestrone can be - run with it!

The Caffiene "Buzz" on Liberty Cafe

Mr. Mike Moscowitz, proud owner of the soon-to-be our new hang, Liberty Cafe, is still putting in those oh so necessary final touches. I popped in for another sneak peak two days ago and it is stylin'. There is wonderful artwork up, with plans for rotating shows on the spare walls, lots of great seating and he just got the water heater in this week. Looks like the next step is a couple of internet stations so that we can be completely hooked to both our coffee source and the worldwide web. Bliss.

Where fuzzy friends go to get less fuzzy

Oh, he is going to kill me for publishing a photo of himself with that cute, I just got groomed and don't I smell great, bow on. It takes days for it to finally fall off, and his proper dog dignity to return.
Monika at Fuzzy Friends is an excellent dog groomer and daycare provider for our special companions of the furry kind. She loves all dogs and she does a great job - our whole family is now going to her and she is right here in Renton on SW Sunset. Can't beat that - and she always sends them home after a good round of conditioning and a whiff of lovely scent. Himself gets to the salon more frequently than I do - maybe I should talk to Monika about that.
Fuzzy Friends 203 SW Sunset Blvd (425)430-9599

Need I say more..

The Fog just keeps rolling in

What'z Up at the Redhouse

The Redhouse has been keeping busy lately and getting a little literary on us too. They hosted a book reading by an author that pens a blog called "The Sarcastic Lutheran" who stayed up for 24 hours straight watching the Trinity Broadcast Network and then found enough faith in herself still to write a book about it. "She was tall and had tattoos all over her arms, not what you'd expect, and the tattoos were of Jesus, but real old school style and cool", Aleana McMurray, waitperson and beer/wine go-to gal of the Redhouse told me, "She was very funny." The author's friend, Charlotte, a regular at the Redhouse, did the music for the event, which had about 50 people in attendance this last Thursday evening.
And now for the real important stuff - what is currently on tap there -
Deschutes The Abyss, Diamond Knot Ho Ho, Whistler Export Lager, Chimay Tripel(White), Victory Golden Monkey, Schooner Exact Hoppy the Woodsman, Pike Auld Aquaintance
Note: The Abyss a wonderful stout, had only 3 kegs in this state - so run to get some. The Schooner Exact is a brewery in West Seattle that only brews one keg at a time, so also a big find for us here in little ole Renton, wouldn't you say!
Prices: $4.10 for a pint, $5.10 for a true (22oz) Imperial Pint

I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do.
Willa Cather (1873-1947), O Pioneers 1913

When the beer finds you...

I was out of beer- a lone bottle or two of some excellent stuff I picked up at Full Throttle Bottle, but nothing I felt like quaffing anytime soon. Soooo I go to the store with me Ma, and we both pick up a 6-pack of something that looks lovely. My purchase was recommended and endorsed by two men who couldn't help but point out how tasty Widmer's seasonal "Brrrrr" was. A big beer at 7.2%, just the way ole wimpy me likes 'em. Wimpy, because they put me under in no time and I have to warn the waitstaff at the pub to cut me off after the second pint, please. Big because my favorite beer weighs in at over 10%, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Walking home my neighbor, who just avoided the unhappy possibility of unemployment by leaving the craft beer world for Miller/Coors, leans over the fence to shoot the shit and pretty soon I have 11 more beers to put in my fridge - from famine to feast. Guess I won't have to worry about my job situation too soon, when I have a fridge full of fun to look forward to this month.
PS Just in case your neighbor is not as cool as mine, check out Full Throttle Bottles in Georgetown - tell Erica and Mike I sent ya!

Logging on the Cedar

Today was the day that the speculation on the log jam ended and the "unjamming" began. The crane and crews came out this a.m. to begin their surveying and then cutting and lifting of the trees blocking the Williams Street Bridge. It definitely was a spectator event - and there were as many in safety vests from the sidelines as there were curious pedestrians. The efforts continued right into the afternoon. Some of them logs just did not want to go. I know the feeling. It's January, that rather bluesy month after the holidays, most of us aren't that fired up yet about getting out and about either, but a little river excitement gives us help and hope.

A friend of mine who is happily now living in the East Bay of SF, remarked how she missed living around such weather maelstroms. We in Renton have averted yet another potential hazardous weather predicament, and just in time to get us out of our houses and into our walking shoes. It maybe that because the river trail is still closed I see so many more people out getting their "walk" on these days. I must say that it is rather heartening to see, whatever the reason. It definitely has made my daily walks a near imperative and the dog likes that too.

And so this is life on the Cedar River. And it is still good.

Today is crazy cold- feels like the bitter nip of still winterness in the air, and though the weather sites tell me the lowest temperature is in the mid 30's, but most likely about 40, I call shenanigans. If we had any precipitation today, we would be a least "slushing" it, if not all out snowing.
Days are grey with the fog that is skirting the trees until late morning and clinging to the valleys beyond. Even this photo is grey, only the ivy-ridden tree trunk provides a modest bit of color. But catch that awesome, spanning the river library. A mere week ago, the place I stood to take this photo was under many feet of water. Wow. I tried to tell that to my walking companion, in a tone that implied my deepest sense of wonder and awe, but he only looked at me to see if I would treat him with a milk bone for trying to feign interest. Dogs, men - all the same.

Soup Time!

With all of this precipitation, be it snow or rain, I have just been aching to explore the world of "one pot" cooking. There is nothing homier or more appetizing than coming into a kitchen from the cold to find a hearty pot of something warm, heavy, healthy and satisfying waiting to fill your belly. Soups and stews will do just that.
My mother bought me an entire bag of wholesome sized potatoes, grown right here in the good ole US of A for a mere buck - and that led me to the Baked Potato Soup recipe. Root vegetables are a natural at this time of the year - they fill the corners of your belly and stick to your ribs. Just what you need on a rainy day when you take the dog for a walk and find out that he has more dirt and moisture on his fur coat than you'd care to acknowledge - until he launches at you 'cuz he just remembered he really luvs you, wet paws and all.

Baked Potato Soup Recipe
2/3 cup butter
(add some bacon fat to this for flavor is you have any)
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup red onion,diced
dash of cayenne pepper
4 baked potatoes, cooled and diced
3 1/2 cups of broth - any kind will do
3 1/2 cups of milk
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup of sour cream
4 green onions, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Bacon(optional)
Melt the butter along with the diced onion in the bottom of your soup pot. Cook until the onions start to get a translucent. Add flour and bring to a bubble, stirring constantly - cook for a couple of minutes like this. Carefully add the broth a bit at a time, stirring all the while - a whisk is best for this. Add the milk in now, and bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes, always stirring. Take off the heat and stir in the cheese until melted, then add the sour cream and green onions, along with the potatoes. Salt and Pepper to taste. Serve with a salad and maybe some crusty bread - but that might be enough carbs - if you know what I mean!

We be jamming....

I am a bit mesmerized by the river, and so I walk it's edges and document the changes that have been wrought by the water and it's power.

As the water has abated, another pile of logs just south of those abutting the Williams Bridge has emerged. Hard to believe that a mere 3 or so days ago those were hidden from our view. There has still been no course of action taken to remove the logs, though many a male I know has offered their fair share of commentary on
that score. Men - always out to remove the problem, while the rest of us just look in wonder at it's shape and rhythm. The nature of the species and their differences, I guess.
Speaking of differences, notice the lovely yin/yang pattern in the debris beneath this tree - natural design. I stopped to photograph it for that very reason. Such simple beauty.
The weather has seemed a little more temperate to me, in my wanderings, though today, there was an ever present mistiness in the air and you felt a bit damp for that moisture just hanging in the air. The skies were grey with it.


I leave you with one last image today - the lonely, wet bench, where anyone is welcome to sit and get there feet wet and commune directly with the river. This seat has only become available just recently. The sand and silt have transformed the roots of a nearby tree and it's ivy. More patterns created by the whirling water's presence. Such beauty to behold in our everyday lives.

Don't let your puppies grow up to be coffee drinkers...

Coffee drinkers BEWARE -look closely, this used to be a harmless dog - but now, when he doesn't have his morning java, he is capable of knocking people down and having his way with their coffee cup. He looks like he hasn't had his first cup of the day yet in this shot - and he's not too happy about it, either. It started out as just a few small licks of the mug of joe when I was finished with my drink - and now, it's just fullblown caffeine addiction. Oh, and add some whipcream to that americano, will you?? My dog likes to lick that stuff right up....

Flotsum and Jetsum

Debris, debris and more debris - it keeps floating down into the waters of Lake Washington, creating a collage of tree trunks and vegetation served up with a topping of birds.

The walk down the Cedar River Trail is frought with detours - the Williams Street Bridge still has a log jam, the Logan Street Bridge underpass is still only swimmable, forcing you to go a block or two to find your way across the street, and the Boeing Bridge that is used to take jets out for their maiden flights at the Municipal Airport is still raised up a few feet in the air. But when you make it to the lakeside, you have access to the dock there and a view of the logs, trees and all means of floral matter that rode down the river the last couple of days.

The weather has really been cooperating these last 3 days - can you imagine what would have happened if that highly promised precipitation had come along to join the party? Perfect weather to get out and survey the scene. Work off some of that holiday eating - get away from the stale candy you still have lurking in the corner of your cupboards, make inroads on those health resolutions you felt so devout about - oh, a mere 10 days ago.

Rain came last night, the sprinkles I felt on my walk today warn me that tonight might bring on some more. When the coast is clear, run out between the sprinkles and take a look at the work of dear Mother Nature. Thank our lucky charms that this was not the year we got to see how well we planned for our "emergencies", and maybe take stock of what you do need should the next time prove to be the challenge that we have to rise up and meet - ready or not.

A river runs through it...

Cedar River - it runs through our little burg rather innocuously most of the year, except for yesterday, when the river was expected to crest the Wells Street and Williams Street Bridges at approximately 11 am, bringing traffic to a stop and a potential hazard for the neighborhood. But, miraculously, it didn't. The water held it's height (which was the fourth highest in the last near 20 years), maintained, and then today showed signs of having backed off substantially.
But the Williams Street bridge has to remain closed - and a log jam has been accumulating beneath it since yesterday. I was told by one member of the Parks Dept. (?) that they suspect that the original problem came from a few trees chained together for an upstream fish habitat, trees that are usually secured by some ecology blocks. But the river yesterday was at a high of 11,000 cubic feet of water per second and they came floating down and became lodged in the segmented structure of the bridge. They cannot be pulled out for fear of causing structural damage. "It may come down to a man in a wetsuit and a chainsaw." But that is only after the water recedes a tad bit more.
In the meantime, there have been more people out walking the river than I have seen since we had warmer weather, and I encourage you to come out and take a gander. You never know what you might see going by - inner tube, soccer ball, pet kennel (that's my personal head count). Wander down to the edge of Lake Washington, and maybe you can haul in a goodie or two - scavenging is just like recycling, just with bigger stuff.

My cupcake ritual...

Cupcakes are the best of all cake matter - small, fit into the palm of your hand, frosting covered morsels that come wrapped in their own gift paper. I love to make them and my posse luvs to eat them. It's hard to wait until a proper occasion comes up to get out the travel cupcake baking tin. Ahhhh - today was just such a day - a dear friend's, wise beyond her years, 19th birthday. Pink cupcakes were in order - her favorite color - and the request came for my near-famous coconut frosting. Yum! I like to cheat in the cupcake department and I am not afraid to admit it - the boxed cakes mixes in flavors like Cherry Chip, Confetti and Strawberry have become something of a de rigor in my crowd. And when you can hit a sale and pick up a box for a buck, well, just damn economical. But when it comes to the frosting, I am all about the prime ingredients -butter, cream cheese - that makes up for any indiscretion I might have made for not having baked from scratch, which I also do, and have the cake flour to prove it!
So, today in honor of this birthday celebration, I am going to willingly spill the beans on my favorite little creation - the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe. Come on you bakers out there - make me proud!

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

2 sticks of butter, room temperature
1 8oz container of cream cheese
1 lb. of powdered sugar
2 tsp of coconut flavoring
1 tsp of vanilla
shredded coconut

Whip the butter and cream cheese together until smooth, add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and coconut. When finished, stir in as much shredded coconut as you wish - about 1/2 cup should do. Frost cupcakes, adding a dash to coconut to the top, or sprinkles if you like, to give them the festive attire that they so well deserve. Then, eat 'em!

Artists Amongst Us!

They walk around, casually, looking like everyone else, but really they are talented painters taking their inspiration from everything around them, like the building site of a house up on Renton Hill(speak up if the painting on the left is of your home-to-be, Mike says that his work is for sale).
At our local little hang, Jet City, we have a couple of these talented folk, and sometimes we get to see the hard work and colorful expressions that they get up to when not shooting the shit, playing cribbage and drinking some hot joe with the rest of us.
Mike Ferguson makes his living as a painter and is featured in a few galleries about the area - American Art Co., Fountainhead Gallery, and the Howard Mandville Gallery to name a few. He says that he has been at it since he was a kid. His mother had a house full of paintings -"old, dead Swedish artists - I didn't even know who they were", but her collection surrounded him and must have filled his artist senses, because so many years later, he is still working at his craft.

Mike likes to play with paint and texture, building up layers using mat boards as palette knifes and sometimes house paint as cheap color to get a "nice, rough dramatic start you can play off". His color palette is not shy, but full of light and brightness. His landscapes are excellent renderings of nature, quite classic but for all of their color - but his story paintings are just plain whimsical. I love some of the topics - Popsicle, Thermos, or Get Out of My Room!

I feel like an explorer within the confines of a small island - Renton - and am enthralled by the little treasures that my search for blog topics can yield up to me. This is a rich territory that we live in, and I for one am out to explore it! And that is why I am Lady P of The Picaroon!

Other types of "snow"...

Stocking Stuffers/yummy fare! Can't talk about snow,but I can talk about the wonderful silliness that I got in my Christmas stocking. My brother had some say in this, and that is why I get to revisit snacks of my Christmas Past. Snow Balls - coconut dusted,marshmallow wrapped, chocolate cake with cream filling duos wrapped in cellophane for the snacker on the go. I tried to be good - I didn't eat them in one sitting, but I did eat them both today. Just thought I should share some part of this rather decadent treat and still get in one last word (sigh) about snow.

The great thing about siblings is they remember your past, and not just the bad and annoying parts, but the small tidbits of trivia that made you you, then and still now. Next year he is definitely getting a book of Lifesavers Hard Candy in his stocking and probably a Matchbox car.

I know - I keep bringing up that word about the white stuff -snow -but, it's so cool (in so many senses of the word) and just a minute ago - well, it was falling out of the sky right onto my head. I love it- the holidays this year have been so extra special (and challenging) because of it, and I just get did not get enough playtime in to satisfy me. So, I am going to have to fess up here and say that I asked the universe for this snow. You can blame me if your kids have a snow day tomorrow or if you can't get your car out of the driveway (should it even stick around for the night...) I just don't care! I am happy to have the extra chance to be frolicking in the snow!

And the snow lingers on...

SNOW!!! there are still little ice chunks floating around the neighborhood, moored to the side of the street corners, mired in dirt and exhaust and looking rather worn and cold. Yet out of the sun (huh?)that shown down mercifully yet briefly today, and you still see the remnants of our recent white and blustery storm. Along the Cedar River Trail today, I still found quite a few big patches of it,tenaciously hanging on, reminding us that the weather is still just a little above freezing when the night comes down.

While out trying to reverse the damage of days made from being snowed in with tins of cookies to keep me warm, I ran into our resident photographer and woman about town, Dorothy. You have all seen her, she rides briskly around town in her electric chair trying to get as far into nature and her beauties as she can. Dorothy will be contributing an article/photo per month, here at The Picaroon, about life and what you can see/do along the nature trails. Yeah! stay tuned! I can hardly wait....

I hate resolutions - they make me tense and unhappy. But new shoes, they make me giddy and full of childish happiness - like my new silver Converse (almost clown-like in appearance, I am the first to admit!) and fill me with the desire to prance around in the hopes that my antics will draw attention to my new silly footwear. So, I suggest that this new year be full of embracing our rather irreverent and slightly off-center selves. Try those hypothetical shoes you have been putting off wearing and get out on some adventures! And take someone along with you - we need documentation!