Peace Lantern Ceremony

It was a lovely gathering last Saturday at Aquatic Park. All the expected "Berkeley types" were there, as well as everyone else you could imagine, human or otherwise. The music was perfect, even if the weather wasn't, and everyone did an excellent job of sharing the crayons.

The lanterns were all hand decorated by the people who came. Then they were gathered up and readied for launching.

Which proved to be a little harder than I would have guessed. The wind was not our friend that evening. But the organizers had it all under control -  adept helpers were ready to ensure that the lanterns made it safely into the water.

A few of the lanterns didn't mind going in alone, or only with a buddy or two. 

And most all made it to the other side. 

In Japan, lighted lanterns are part of the Buddhist Obon festival which traditionally takes place in August (July in eastern Japan, but that is a long story). The Obon festival honors the souls of one's ancestors who come and stay for three days. On the final day of the festival, paper lanterns are floated on waterways to help guide the spirits back to the world of the dead. 

Since the world's first atomic bombings in Japan in 1945, this Buddhist custom has gathered additional meaning. This was the thirteenth Peace Lantern Ceremony in Berkeley. I hope to attend again next year.

Oakland Tool Lending Library

Ever since the painter in the family moved his studio back home, we have been engaged in a Battle Against Too Much Stuff. 

On our side, we have craigslist, thrift stores, young friends starting new homes, the recycling bin and as a last resort, the little blue garbage can. Stuff has inertia - the resistance of a physical object to any change in its state of motion. As well, Stuff controls a small, well-equipped and coordinated roving herd of dust rhinos.

Clearly, we don't stand a chance. Stuff alwaaays wins.

One of my favorite Get Rid of Stuff sites is the Tool Lending Library (TLL) of the Oakland Public Library.  Not only can you donate usable tools there (I mean seriously, how did we end up with 26 screwdrivers, anyway?), but if you ever find that you need that exact tool again, you can just go borrow it back.

In May, 2012, Judith Doner Berne wrote all about the TLL for the Rockridge News (scroll down to page 8). More recently, plans are alive to make the TLL an even better space for us chimp-like tool users.

The (New & Temporary) Bridge to Nowhere

September, 2013

When we first took a hike on the new Bay Bridge bicycle and pedestrian path last September, the old Bay Bridge was completely intact. Empty, but whole.

Not any longer. This is how it looked last weekend. My, that demolition crew certainly has been busy.

It seems that the complete removal of the old structure will take somewhere between three and five years. We plan on watching it go, especially now that I have my new bike(!). Leaving from the house, the outing is about 15 miles round-trip, including the short detour to Arizmendi in Emeryville for pastries (ya pedal it all off, right?).

I wasn't aware that the new Bay Bridge troll (Yup, that's right. Troll. Not "toll". There is nothing new about the toll.) has now been placed in its permanent home on Pier E2 of the new bridge. It cannot be seen while driving, although according to a bridge spokesman, it is "somewhat visible from the bike path."

Hmmm, next time I'm on the path, I've gotta find that baby.

July, 2014

The Little Lettuce That Could

Bronze Arrow lettuce is the big hero of the salad bowl these days. No caterpillars, no bolting, and, unlike the English queens, if you chop off it's head, it simply grows a new one. I have to confess that it is not the most flavorful lettuce, but it tastes waaaay better than anything you can buy.

One seed must have slipped into a crack in the patio during planting and has now formed a lovely little head. A bit redder than most (must be the daily baking it receives), and certainly somewhat lonelier, but it never complains or whimpers.

I'm a bit torn, though. One the one hand, every time I see this little lettuce, I am impressed with its determination and valor. On the other hand, I wonder if it too would re-grow a new head...

The Best Cheap Cat Toys #2: Underwear

If the designated laundry folder at your house is as conscientious as the one here, he will keep folding those creaky old pairs of underwear without noticing just how unsuitable they are for wearing. So when you have underpants that really needs to be consigned to the Rag Bag (or the garbage can):

Turn the elastic at the top into a favorite cat toy.

Cut out the top elastic. Use the bottom portion to wash the car, re-stain an old piece of furniture, or simply throw that heroic article away.

Take that circular piece of elastic and cut through it to make one long piece.

So much the better if you have two dead pairs. That way the two pieces of elastic can be knotted together to form a longer cord: much less strain on your back at playtime.

You can stop at this point and have a great toy, or,

for even more enjoyment, dig out an old sock (purple or otherwise) and pin it to one end of the elastic cord.

(The optional black streamers on the end are narrow strips cut from an old sweatshirt. Cats get bored with toys, but a few small imaginative changes can bring back that old excitement.)

This toy is great for kittens because they can't swallow it, the way they can with string, yarn, rubber bands and all those other cute and dangerous play items.

Throw it in the washing machine when it gets grungy. It will last for years and years of safe fun.

Just ask Princess!

Updates: #4

Who is that pair of handsome dudes, anyway? Oh yes, I recognize them as those Alcatraz comic book men, signing copies of their collaborative efforts at Escapist Comics, and looking pretty pleased with the world.

The Purple Viking potatoes - planted in February and harvested in May - have once again performed well. As in 10 full pounds of well. Yumm...

And, well yes, the artichoke did something too, obviously something pretty, but not enough for bragging.

Mom came for a visit, and together we hit every nursery, botanical garden and flower tour in the region. Her favorite: Annie's Annuals, although somehow she didn't quite manage to spend all of her gift certificate. I guess it will keep until next time.

And Princess just waited for everyone to shut up, go home and let her get on with the business of stalking those pesky squirrels.

*******

Oh yeah, and what about that upset result from the Virginia primary? Did too many, or too few, voters turn out for Eric Cantor? Just shows to go ya, someone's gotta vote, and it probably should be you.

Knitting is for the Birds

You've heard about oil spills. And you've heard about the devastating effects that an oil spill can have on wildlife in the area. Which means that you may have also heard about the campaign(s) for hand knitted sweaters for penguins in Australia and New Zealand. As well as the excessive abundance of those adorable little sweaters that now used to dress up plushy penguin toys.

I missed that - must have been working on some mittens for afghans for Afghans. But this time, I'm not missing out:

Wildcare in San Rafael is asking for handcrafted "nests" (think round, dopey hats) for orphaned baby birds. Yup, baby bird season is in full-swing right now, and somebody has to keep those newborns snug and warm until they are old enough, and feathery enough, to go back into the wild.

Wildcare is asking for 1200 woolen nests, and, as of today, has already received close to 400. I have six almost ready to be mailed off. They are really fast to knit but it's that "almost" that I'm working on this week. Because this time, my dopey hats really are going to the birds.

Instructions for making nests yourself can be found here.

And my stack of nest-hats can be found here.

And the Race is On

Even though they are not on the ballot this time (yes, don't forget to vote on June 3rd. It's silly, I know, but it's just whatchagottado.), the candidates for Oakland mayor are very busy. Not surprisingly (as "from the Land of Dah"), all of the candidates have three main, the-same priorities:

• Security, and we're not talking blankets and bedtime stories.
• Education, so why then do we have a separate school district with its own board?
• Jobs, jobs and jobs. Especially, high tech, high paying, low impact and green, all-at-the-same-time jobs. 

And what about that nasty budget stuff? Right...

Since each one's message and campaign literature all look, smell and sound the same, how do you know how to vote in November? Recently the candidates have been coming door-to-door: Jean Quan, Joe Tuman and Brian Parker have all shown up. For us, this approach just adds to the recycling pile and makes Princess the cat race for the back door. Otherwise, it's not that useful.

(As an aside, I think Jean Quan graduated with honors from the Look 'Em in the Eye and Shake that Hand Very, Very, Very Firmly Academy because she just mashed my hand. And I can say that the mangling started even before I said that I probably wouldn't be voting for her... )

But the house party we attended last week (not a fundraiser, only a forum) featuring Libby Schaaf was very informative. Yes, I knew the name, but since nothing else distinguished her from the other ones running, so what? Well, the what is that this format provided the time and space to ask questions and have them answered more fully. I mean, there was even talk about potholes and no one was joking. Yup, potholes, not potshots. (Thank you llana & Sam and Leslie & Gary.)

So I plan to go to these neighborhood house parties, attend those Meet the Candidates events and ask, listen and ask and listen some more. You might also want to try this strategy: trust me, it beats the heck out of getting your hand crushed.

The Peas are Dead, Long Live the Peas!

Cascadia Sugar Snap Peas

The snap peas which were planted in November, 2013 have been feeding us since March 1st: raw, lightly steamed or sautéed, dressed up for a salad or added to a stir-fry. It's all been good, very good.

But the vines are dying back, powdery mildew is moving in and the new baby peas are beginning to exhibit unusual birth defects (the parental age effect in peas, perhaps? Someone could get shortlisted for an Ig Noble Prize studying this...). Which means that it's time now to replant that little patch with some summer vegetables: peppers, basil and maybe a zucchini.

Oregon Giant Snow Peas

You see, regime change really can begin at home. Gardeners have known this for years; they call it "crop rotation."

Or maybe not. Along the side of the house in March, I planted Oregon Giant Snow Peas, close cousins to the snaps peas, but more tolerant of shady conditions. The first snow peas should be ready in a day or two.

The dynasty continues...

Dinner

A Quiet Saturday Night at Home

I tried to convince the home team that they wanted to go see the second annual Oakland Internet Cat Video Festival, but the response was not encouraging:

So we stayed in and watched Doctor Who, instead. Maybe next year...