Did you know I celebrated 5 years of being meat-free this summer?
Vegebration is always a highly-anticipated event full of very delicious vegetarian food.
This year was no exception. I wrote about it a bit more here.
xo, jill
Archives for 2011
August 13, 2011
Live from gate D11
Portland International Airport.
Wow. Four weeks go by fast when you’re with the ones you love, doing things you love, in a place you love. Thanks for a great summer, PNW!
And I appreciate the cloudy weather you pulled out today.
Good bye!
xo, jill
August 10, 2011
Chuckanut Drive
The scenic route.
No trip home would be complete without visiting my college town of sweet little Bellingham. Bellingham is located on Bellingham Bay about 20 minutes from the Canadian border. It’s a place brimming with local businesses, sustainable ideas, and college kids. If you’re on the hunt for a university, Western Washington is the tops!
On my way up and my way back, I took the scenic route. Chuckanut Drive is 21 miles of incredible beauty. On the south end you pass through fields and farms (lots of potatoes) and in the north you encounter stunning views of the San Juan Islands. The road is narrow and winding. It’s a fine balance between admiring the scenery and staying on the road.
I pulled over at an informal view point and took a few photos. Everything really does appear blue as you look out over the water.
I even found a few lucky pennies.
xo, jill
August 10, 2011
Kiva Loan: August
8 down, 4 to go!
Can I just say that I love checking in on my Kiva loan portfolio? Of the money I’ve loaned this year, $52.49 has already been repaid. I’m in no real rush for repayment, but I love sending that money back out again. If I knew finance would be this much fun I might have reconsidered my major. [Ok, probably not, but it is exciting!]
due to modesty Ruqaya’s daughter is pictured in her place, photo from Ruqaya’s Kiva listing
This month my loan goes to a woman who not only lives in a country I recently visited, she also runs a business doing one of my personal hobbies: embroidery! Ruqaya lives in Jordan and supports her family by selling her embroidered garments and hangings. If you’ve ever taken on a embroidery project, you know that it is a very time consuming practice. Ruqaya is requesting money to invest in materials and tools that will speed up her work. I completely understand.
In other news, Kiva is in the midst of a drive for new lenders! Have you been meaning to give a Kiva loan? Are you super excited to lend a small amount of money that will make a big difference? Follow THIS LINK and sign up for Kiva before August 13! [I’m not just saying that because I get a t-shirt if 4 more of you do, it really is a good thing!]
xo, jill
August 9, 2011
Buntzen Lake
“I’m saying hi to everyone!!! …so they’ll think I’m just as friendly.”
The other day a friend and I took a hike up in British Columbia at Buntzen Lake. The scenery was beautiful and much like home.
Our little trip was quick. After the hike we had lunch at Boston Pizza (and giggled over not being “bro” enough.) Then it was back to the border.
Here it is worth noting that for the first time in history (and I’ve crossed that border many times), the Canadian official was kind of a jerk while the American official was as pleasant as can be. That never happens. We were puzzled.
xo, jill
August 8, 2011
Blueberries
A comparative study.
Of all the joyful experiences I’ve had at home this summer, berry picking has been one of my favorites. I’ve picked raspberries, strawberries, cherries (though not technically a berry), and lots and lots of blueberries! When I first saw blueberries in the store I was so excited at the price that I thought I should do a bit of a comparison. Molly quickly agreed to be my correspondent from abroad.
Let’s take a look.
UAE
A 6oz box of blueberries will cost you 18.50AED. In dollars that would be $5.07, which breaks down to 84 cents per ounce. [I’ve seen blueberries as much as 24AED which would be $6.58 for a 6oz box or $1.09 an ounce. Ouch!]
photos by Molly
USA
A 32oz box of blueberries will cost you $4.98 (on sale at Fred Meyer) which breaks down to only 16 cents per ounce.
Of course, here you can always pick berries yourself which will cost you even less. And if you happen to know a sweet friend with blueberry bushes, you can pick as much as you want for the cost of some good conversation.
Unfortunately, those high prices in UAE don’t come with extra flavor. I was happy to taste blueberries this summer that actually taste like blueberries!
xo, jill
