Raising Vagabonds

Mama! What are we going to do today?

My dear, I think we should go on an adventure!

But where will we go?

Well ... where would you like to go?

I wanna go to The Wild.

The Wild, huh?

Like this?

Yes, mama! That Wild. I do love those big elephants.

Why don't we pretend we are nomads and go to the desert next. I hear the dunes have some interesting creatures to see.

Wow! What are those things?

Those are called Arabian Oryx, my sweet. They are related to the antelope.

Now where shall we go?

I want to go Where the Buffalo Roam.

Ah yes..... We'll Go West, young man.

... To the plains.

Mama! Grandpa has a buffalo at his house...

That's right! He does.

Shall we head in that direction?

Oh yes please! Let's go to the North Pole and maybe we can find Santa, too.

Darling, I don't think we'll find Santa this time of year...

You were right, Mama! But we did find Musk Ox. The little baby is soooo cute!

Now where to?

Mama, this has been fun, but I'm getting tired. Can we go home now?

Of course, darling. We'll make an adventure out of that, too.

But we'll go somewhere new tomorrow, right?

We will never stop exploring. I promise.

Theme song for the day

How is your day going? Mine has been full of laughter from the moment I woke up. Don't you just love those kind of days? This little nugget was the icing on the cake. Enjoy!

Gappy

It's amazing how teeth dominate the first decade of life.

Between the throes of teething (and all the joy that comes with that - Not!) to the first, frightening, wibbly-wobbly tooth to the horrifying recollections of your mother yanking your own teeth with a pair of pliers... it all just seems to happen a bit too fast.

Next thing you know, you're hanging out at the orthodontist and ACK! I don't even want to think about that just yet. Besides, I'm still trying to get used to donning fairy wings.

I admit it -- I am a lousy tooth fairy. Ava has lost 6 teeth and I've managed to screw up my fairy duties each time.

I'm about as stealth as Inspector Clouseau - stumbling around in the dark, stubbing my toe, tripping over slippers or losing the tiny tooth in the thick carpeting. I've even managed to drop a tooth on the tile and break it in two! One time, the little bag slipped between the box springs and the headboard and we spent a good hour searching for it. My husband kept asking, "Are you sure you put it back under the pillow?" Grr.... But where I really excel is not just in the delivery, but in the goods I leave.

For Ava's first tooth, I accidentally gave her a Canadian quarter. OOPS! Being super-observant, she totally noticed because it was the only one with a caribou on it! Ironically it was her favorite coin and thankfully she doesn't understand currency exchange rates! Two teeth ago, a ten pence piece from England slipped in. Who knew they look almost identical to US quarters?! And for this last one, I put a Euro in for good measure but forgot to take the tooth back. GAH. She said she's going to put it back under her pillow to see if she can get more money!

This morning Ava said, "I think the tooth fairy's husband is from another country or something." Either she's on to me or she's just pretty clever!

Thrill ride

Are you enjoying the ride of your life or...

.......... are you enjoying the life of your ride?

Squirm Central

Hello, my dears... can you guess what we've been up to? I'll give you a hint or three.

Casting. Uncle Jim's. Wigglers.

Oh c'mon... get your head out of the gutter!

If you happened to guess Worm Composting, then three cheers and a high five for you!

Last week we ordered the worms and composter and then this week we got it all set up and waited patiently for our 2000 Red Wigglers to arrive.

We currently have a compost tumbler, but it fills up quickly and takes quite awhile for everything to break down with our extreme weather. I'm hoping this system will help fill the gap.

Plus, Max has an affinity for worms. We're even planning his 4th birthday party around them!

*Have I told you I like to throw crazy parties? No Chuck E. Cheese for these kids! We'll be digging in the dirt, planting flowers and seeds, and playing with worms, ladybugs, frogs and praying mantids.

Here are some visuals in case you have no idea what I'm talking about. And, yes. I am a gardening geek.

As long as we can keep Max away from the worms, we're hopeful this composting method will work. I'll definitely keep you posted...

{These photos show only the bottom tray of the composter. There are 5 trays that you build upon as the worms compost each level.}

An Elixir for Fortitude

Keeping a healthy immune system can often be quite challenging, especially when surrounded by children. This past fall, my son started preschool and we were plagued with one illness after another for the first two months of the school year. Although it might be a rite of passage, it was frustrating to say the least! In an effort to combat future bugs, I started my own daily wellness routine.

First, I stopped slacking with my neti pot and began to use it every night before going to bed. (I truly believe it clears out anything my sinuses might have picked up during the day.) I continued taking all of my usual vitamins but also started using some new supplements and ayurvedic herbs. Third, I have been consistently exercising (which I will write about on a separate post.) And lastly, I drink my "special elixir."

I believe it might fall under the category, "That which doesn't kill you only makes you stronger" or maybe something to do with fortitude. Either way, it's a brutal mixture of pure cranberry juice, psyllium husk and Green Superfood powder.

I drink this concoction every day after breakfast. Although it doesn't taste better or get any easier to swallow, I do feel like it has kept me healthier. It could very well be a placebo effect, but at the very least - the cranberry is good for the kidneys, the fiber is great for the heart, colon and intestines, and the green powder is full of antioxidants and probiotics. It certainly isn't going to hurt me!

But please tell me that I'm not the only one who does something like this? What are your natural methods for staying healthy? Do you do anything unusual that you believe improves your immune function? I'd love to know!

The native tongue

and we laid there

listening to the rain hit the chimney.

it was the sweetest sound we had heard in months.

we were as quiet as mice --

and then she said,

"Mama, it's really pissing down out there."

and right then,

i wished her

papa could've heard those words.

he would've been so proud.

Don't go chasing waterfalls

Without Magnum P.I. and some bread.

TOM SELLECK

+

WATERFALLS

+

SANDWICHES

= HILARIOUS.

J

go see for yourself.

Methinks I scent the morning air

I love finding simple and inexpensive items that subtly change a space.

Last week, I discovered some pre-potted hyacinth bulbs at Trader Joe's for less than $3. I bought one for each of our bedrooms.

(These would be really easy to make and give out as gifts!)

There's something so calming about a beautiful scent wafting through the air first thing in the morning -- or even better, just before you drift off to sleep.

Adventures in food

There's no question that the demise of Gourmet Magazine has saddened a lot of mailboxes (and readers) across the country.

Although my subscription was still fairly green compared to most others, it was a "love at first sight" kind of relationship. Besides the amazing recipes inside, I drooled over every delicious photo and earmarked a ridiculous amount of pages each month for "photographic inspiration."

But as fast as I fell for it, it was ripped even faster from my amorous hands!

Luckily, I discovered a new television program... Gourmet's Adventures With Ruth. It's on the PBS Create channel and it's FABULOUS.

Just because I'm totally over the Food Network, it doesn't mean that I don't long for quality food television. This will not disappoint. Not only does it feature loads of fascinating information about cuisine -- it also takes you on a different journey each episode. Editor in Chief, Ruth Reichl, travels to various cooking schools around the world often with a celebrity or celebrated chef. It's a really interesting take on global food and a total "win-win" for wanderlust's like me!

For instance, I watched Ruth collect (and eat) live ants in Laos. {I'm pretty sure I'll never be able to get the image of ants crawling around a salad bowl out of my head!} I also learned how to "humanely" kill (as well as pick out) fresh fish in Seattle. (I can't wait to tell my parents about this episode including Alaskan Salmon!) I loved seeing women in Morocco (dying to go there) making couscous and bread with their hands. Other adventures take you to Mexico, Venice, Tennessee, Brazil, and China. (I've now put Yangshuo China on my lists of places to visit! It was gorgeous. And I'd never heard of it before this!)

All in all, I highly recommend this program. It's not the same as the magazine by any means, but you'll quickly come to love Ruth and the whole idea behind this show.

Check it out!

photo credit: Gourmet

Not for the rabbits

When I was growing up, we had salad with every meal. It was your basic garden salad variety, and well... it was dreadfully boring.

My husband and I do not eat a salad every night, however we do eat one as a meal at least once a week. For me, a successful salad is colorful, textural and filling. This recipe by Rick Bayless meets all of those requirements and more.

Avocado-Mango Salad with Bacon, Queso Fresco and Toasted Pumpkin Seed

• 4 slices of bacon (To make this vegetarian, substitute Morningstar Bacon Strips)
• 1/2 cup hulled untoasted pumpkin seeds
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 fresh, hot green chile stemmed (lg. serrano or sm. jalapeno)
• 1 TBL honey
• Salt
• 1 large head of Bibb, Boston or Butterhead lettuce
• 2 large, ripe avocados
• 2 ripe mangoes
• 3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco (or mild blue cheese)

Cook bacon until crispy. Pour the pumpkin seeds into a small skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly until all have popped from flat to round, about 5 minutes. Scoop 1/3 of seeds into a blender jar and add the lime juice. Save the remainder for later.

Return the skillet to medium heat and add the oil, garlic and chile. Cook, stirring regularly until the garlic is soft and lightly browned (about 5 min.) Scrape the oil, garlic and chile into the blender. (I use about 1/2 - 2/3 of the chile, depending upon how spicy I want the dressing.) Add the honey and 1/2 tsp. of salt. Process until smooth. Season with more salt accordingly.

Arrange the lettuce onto a large platter or 4 separate serving plates. Pit, skin and slice the avocados. Peel the mangoes and slice to match the avocado pieces. Arrange on top of the lettuce. Drizzle the dressing over everything. Sprinkle with cheese, the reserved toasted pumpkin seeds and crumble the bacon on top.

Voila! Dinner is served.

The Changeling

Why don't we start with something simple and expected. Photography. (It will get more exciting. I promise!)

I took these at Red Rock Canyon a couple of weeks ago. We were having record rains in Las Vegas and snow in the higher elevations. I've been there countless times, but this was the most magical visit of all.

There is nothing quite like seeing snow in the desert. It gives a whole new meaning to the word starkness.

See me change.

I live uptown. I live downtown. I live all around.

I'm the air you breathe.

I had money. And I had none.

But I've never been so broke that I couldn't leave town.

The friends you greet.

In the sullen street.

On a midnight train.

Revolutions of Resolutions

Phew. I made it to February.

I don't know about you, but January's are always brutal for me. Between the post-holiday comedown, various travels, my daughters birthday, social obligations, getting back into school, fulfilling resolutions- I seem to always start out the new year in a complete whirlwind.

A few weeks ago, my blog celebrated its 3rd birthday. There was no party. No post. No notice. And why should there be? I'm not even sure what I'm doing here.

At one time, this space encompassed a lot of the things that made up me. I wrote about my loves, my travels, posted photos, talked about my children, shared my thoughts on various issues. I was even on occasion... funny. Now, the only constant is the name 180|360 and the way it defines my state of living in what feels like constant orbit. My initial tag lines of "What Comes Around Goes Around" and "Where Everything Comes Back Full Circle" are as present as they ever were. That says something to me. Even in my silence, I actually still have a lot to say -- but somewhere along the way, I lost the desire to share it with everyone. I compose posts (both imaginary and real) but never publish them.

I don't live in a state of limbo in real life so I shouldn't here either! I've decided to stop fighting it and finally embrace my niche of being all over the place. I cook. I garden. I'm a mother. A wife. A photographer. A musician. A writer. A vagabond. I'm a lot of things. And maybe this blog, in all of its glory (and its negligence) has been a reflection of me trying to reign in who and what I am.

Like any relationship, stamina and intensity ebbs and flows. Well frankly, I'm sick of ebbing. I've decided to bring all that I am back to the table. Feast upon the things you like and leave that which you don't. I may say or do the same thing as the next person, but I know I always come about life in a unique way. So, I'm going to switch things up for this month. We'll see where it takes us. Maybe it's the beginning of the end. It's hard to say right now... but either way, I hope you'll come along for the ride.

Buckle up. I'm kind of a wild driver.