Adventures on Vancouver Island.

At 4:55 am, a few minutes before the alarm is set to blare, I wake up, check the time, and get out of bed.  Today we’re going on a float plane to Victoria Harbour.  And I remember, I’m cancer free.  Wow.  I can hardly stand it.
50 minutes on the recumbent bike and it’s time to [...]

All coffees are not created equal

I live in Seattle and I’m a coffee snob.  Shocking, I know.  But I mean it in a way most people wouldn’t think.
Starbucks converted me from being OKAY with a cup of Folgers or McDonald’s on the go.  They made me question the premise that coffee was coffee.   But Costa Rica with its incredible [...]

My cancer was my fault

According to a recent op-ed piece by Whole Foods CEO John Mackey, if people only ate right, exercised and drank less alcohol, we would live virtually disease free into our 90s and even 100s.  His premise is that Cancer, among other ailments are our own fault and insurance nor the government should have to pay [...]

Tomato still warm from the garden.

Tonight we ate the first tomato from this year’s garden.  Small, red and still warm from the sun, the tomato gently collapsed into fleshy tomato essence.  
Delightful.
Liquid sun.
Warm and intensely red fruit.
Delicious.
Summer bounty will be here soon. 
My favorite dish so far this year is a variation on insalata caprese.  Thank you Lynne Rossetto Kasper and [...]

Val’s Portland Chin-Up Tour

Mike calls my trip to Portland this weekend my “chin-up tour.”  We came down for a few appointments on Friday and intended to leave on Saturday morning after fitting in a trip to Powell’s, a walk on the river front, a good meal in the Pearl District and a quiet night in the hotel reading together.
Didn’t [...]