500 or Less

I will be a hummingbrid

2011-09-26T16:13:00.000-07:00

Wangari Maathai passed away. And the world lost a beautiful hummingbird. May we all aspire to be like her.

Move, Eat, Learn: What more could you ask for?

2011-08-30T12:57:00.000-07:00

EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

Seriously Etsy Sellers, WTF?

2011-07-20T23:14:00.000-07:00

I love buying handmade items. I appreciate the hard work that goes in to making beautiful, one of kind (ok, semi-one-of-a-kind) things. That means that every now and then I'll buy something from Etsy. Mostly I like what I buy, but I've had some shopper's remorse lately. And because it's an online store, and it'd be a hassle to go to the post office and return items, etc. I usually just shrug and go, "well, it is what it is" and I'm generally happy that some hardworking handicrafter has my money. You know what I mean?

Recently, two purchases didn't work out perfectly. In one, the item didn't match the photo. And I totally take full responsibility, because I picked a fabric with a big print and the maker didn't include the bits I liked. My fault! I left a "neutral" feedback with this comments: "I foolishly hoped that it would look more like the photo, but the cut of fabric was different. I should have known better. Still, it fit beautifully and works great. The person I gave it to as a gift liked it!" My second purchase didn't fit, but they were still awesome, and so I've decided to gift them to my friend. Again, here is my "neutral" feedback: "Turns out my wrist is too small for these bangles (they come off). No worries -- I'll give them to my best friend for her birthday!"**

The part that makes me go "Seriously? Are you kidding me?" BOTH sellers messaged me and asked me change my comment to positive!! And both sellers already have 100% positive comments (we're talking on the order of 200 positive comments to every 2 neutral and 1 negative comment). The other amazing thing, for the bracelets that didn't fit, the comment right above mine, from another customer, read: "Wonderful bracelets! I adore them! The rose gold are a little stronger and thicker ... I have a bit of trouble getting them over my hand, but they are beautiful!" That's funny, right? Because that's exactly the opposite of what I said. What did the second person give as feedback? That's right. It was positive.

So here's what irks me. What the HELL is the point of feedback if the sellers are coercing "positive" feedback behind the scenes? And why am I left feeling like a shady person for actually saying how I felt? I will purchase from both of those sellers again because in general they make good stuff, but those emails: MAJOR CUSTOMER TURN-OFF!! And I told both of them as much, and no, I did not change my feedback. It turns out that this is a pretty common practice amongst online sellers, which is very disheartening. However, I've only encountered it on Etsy. I did, however, learn a valuable lesson, which is: if you are unhappy--even in the slightest--with your purchase, contact the seller because they will go to great lengths to avoid a "negative" or "neutral" review. Also, then, the lesson is this: just because they've got 100% positive feedback, doesn't mean it's all true.

** Let's not judge too harshly that I'm still giving gifts I'm not 100% happy with, or gifting things I originally intended for myself (but never wore!). 'K, thanx.

Modern Quilt Guild: Where to Start?

2011-07-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

I'm putting this out into the universe of blog-land. How does one go about starting a modern quilt guild? I'd like to start one in the town where I live, not because I know a lot of quilters who have a modern aesthetic but because I'd like to get to know quilters and I'd like to help people get started as quilters (not because I'm expert, nosiree).

So here are my questions, Blog-land:
1) How did you collect your people? I'll email the Mothership (Modern Quilt Guild) and see what they have to say.
2) How do you find a space and a time where everyone can come (and it still be free/cheap and not inconveniently at someone's home)?
3) How do you decide on challenges, etc.?
4) How do you keep the Guild from eating your life, but still use it as motivation to stay on task, be productive and create beautiful things?

Oh, I hope someone has the answer to my questions....

Friday Photo

2011-06-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

{this moment} Playing along with Soule Mama. Although this picture was taken a few weeks ago. Shannon's wedding quilt took a little trip to the Lost Coast for a photoshoot.

Graduate School & Teaching

2011-05-03T10:31:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked to participate in a panel about teaching in graduate school. Our moderator asked us a series of questions, and we took turns answering and discussing with one another. I knew several people on the panel, and one of the panelists was a former student of mine. She is now getting her Masters in education (I was pretty stoked to see her). Sadly, not many people were in the audience (Saturday morning! It's was be expected). Here are some of the best questions and my responses...

What's the best advice you have for getting started as a TA?
Just do it. You will not gain experience teaching unless you actually put yourself in a position where you have to think carefully about how you are interacting with your students and helping them learn. Teaching and learning (they go hand-in-hand, after all) are very humbling experiences. You have to be prepared when you enter the classroom and you also have to be prepared to reflect on your experiences once you leave. Keep a teaching journal, or at the very least be organized and keep track of your practice so that you can build on your experiences.

Look beyond the walls of the classroom: teaching and learning does not have to occur in a formal setting with desks and a chalkboard. You may find opportunities to teach by volunteering your time, tutoring or sitting down with a group of graduate students and discussing what goes on in your classroom. Most importantly, be thoughtful about what you do, how you do it, and what it means for those around you.

How do you make sure to teach the "right" class to build your CV?
I don't view teaching experience in graduate school entirely as a CV building activity. My goal is to master a set of teaching skills that I can apply to any class I choose to teach in the future. My personal goals are to understand how to measure student learning, how to interact with my students personally and intellectually so that I help them acquire transferable skills for life long learning, and I want to capture and analyze my teaching practice to that I can share my experiences with others. I want to treat my teaching as a craft, not a job: one suggests joy and internal motivation, the other suggests, well, a job.

How do I find a mentor?
Identify people who are doing things that you want to do someday, then introduce yourself, buy them a cup of coffee and pepper them with questions. I do not have one mentor. I have several, because each person excels at something different, and collectively they provide me with a unique perspective on what it means to teach in higher education. Ultimately, though, I have to take in and filter advice that is pertinent to my own vision, but I am only able to achieve this by asking questions. Lots of questions.

Not surprised

2011-04-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

I am teaching an upper division ecology course this term. It's a class I've taught before and it's one of the best ones I get to teach. The two professors allow me to run the discussion section autonomously. The rest of class is conducted in a typical lecture style with some interactive moments. I often find myself sitting in the back of the room thinking about ways that I would change the delivery of lecture and the content. I'll be giving a guest lecture at the end of the term; this is both generous of the professors and also one less lecture they have to prepare for.

There. I've set the stage. It's a good class. The objective is to help students learn ecology. All of the emphasis I've added is on purpose. For the first exam, the professors gave the students 50+ essay exam questions to study from and said "10 of these questions will be on your midterm." They also, at the beginning of the term, emphasized how important it is to learn together, to work together to learn. However, when the students collaborated to create a G-doc in which they shared their answers for the exam questions one of the professors was appalled. How could they possibly learn from creating a repository of "answers"? he blustered. This is not what we meant when we said "work together"! This cannot happen again. We have to make a change!

Luckily, they asked me what I thought (and I am appreciative of them asking for a TA's opinion). I said, first, the students did exactly what you told them to do. They answered all of the questions and they worked together. And they did it in a highly technologically advanced, creative and positive way. Yes, there may be some free loaders, but those individuals who read (and trust) the answers that are given to them will not gain anything. Second, the syllabus you give your students at the beginning of a term is essentially a contract. Any changes you make later in the course ought to be agreed upon by both parties. Therefore, it's easier to make changes that benefit your students, but changes that redirect the class are problematic. And three, hello! Teaching is a learning process. And this incident is your "learning experience" and you can change how you teach the class in the future, as a result.

And I went home silently applauding my students for working collaboratively, communicating with one another and grappling with tough ecological questions. That's what learning really is.

Perspective

2011-04-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

One of my greatest challenges as an instructor is to maintain perspective. I may find the subjects I teach to be fascinating, if not riveting, but as I look out across the classroom and I see students with their heads down, buried behind a computer screen, or trotting in late to class, it gives me reason to pause. Have I not made my classroom expectations clear enough? Am I really that boring? But I have to remind myself to stop short of asking: Who the hell are these people? Don't they know this is important?

I came across this post recently and had to pause yet again. I have to strongly disagree with the blog's author; the scenario as it's laid out is not about email etiquette, or about student ethos, this is a scenario about professors/instructors taking a moment to ask a question: What else is happening in my students' lives? What choices do they have to make and to what extent am I prepared to help them?

In this particular case the student is asking permission to go on a hunting trip. But it just as easily could have been a student asking for time off for a shift at work, taking care of a sick child, or no longer being able to pay for the bus fair to campus to even attend class. I sympathize with the bruised ego of the instructor (Why should I do extra work so you can go on vacation?), but I blister at the idea that the student doesn't care about class. I would argue the contrary, a student that communicates respectfully, who suggests alternatives and asks for help is the one who does care. Life is complicated, and messy, and volatile for both students and instructors. It's a matter of perspective.

Discipline

2011-04-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

I consider myself to be a highly self-motivated person, who appreciates a good coach. I respond well to being bossed around (but nicely, and within reason). In recent months, however, as I've been fighting my way out from an avalanche of responsibilities and projects that are not directly related to finishing my dissertation I've had to revisit my personal values and find, anew, my center.

In theory, this is what a disciplined me would look like:

Go to bed: Setting a bed time (10pm or 10:30pm) and not using my laptop in bed. Reading something non-academic is allowed.
Wake up: Waking up at a regular time every day (7am), and being speedy and efficient as I get ready for my day.
Eat right: Pack a lunch, something healthy, something filling. Saves time and money later on.
Exercise: See #2 and do it at the beginning of my day.
Make time: for things that are important, and set aside one day a week where no school-work is touched. Or two half days. Whatever.
Reward myself.

I can't say that I've already failed miserably, but it hasn't been pretty. I naturally appear to get work done at night, and I naturally prefer to exercise first thing in the morning (something to do with one shower a day, saving water, wackadoo), balancing my sleep schedule with my work schedule is rough. Oh, and I've already rewarded myself, prior to accomplishing anything (what? The boots were on sale!).

Graduate school, especially in the midst of field work, data analysis, teaching, etc., can start to feel like a grind. Wake up, work, sleep, repeat. Having a routine, a schedule, and self-imposed boundaries helps set a pace, a rhythm and a trajectory that I am once again interested in pursuing.

Pittsburgh, PA

2010-08-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

The amazing thing about graduate school is I leave town for a week, to go to a conference, and I feel like I've gone on vacation. Several of my colleagues and classmates and I traveled to Pittsburgh, PA for the yearly Ecological Society of America conference. I presented a poster of my work and listened to many talented scientists and educators present about their work. It was an exhausting and reinvigorating week. I am feeling recharged and also overwhelmed by all the things I have to do now to finish my PhD. But I am reminded, and reassured, that I am capable of completing this phase of my education.

My roommates and I were able to inject some tourism, site-seeing and general (non-science) enjoyment out of the trip. We hit up the famous Primanti Brothers restaurant in the Strip District. We had to wait to get in, but we were quite pleased at the final result! We ordered both a roast beef and cheese and a cheese stake and cheese sandwich. Primanti's are known for having both cole slaw and french fries on the their sandwiches. Delicious! The cole slaw is not the usual mayo-y, sweaty stuff I'm used to. Rather it was tangy, and just had salt and pepper. The fries...well, let's just say I have never met a potato I didn't like, and these were no exception. I highly recommend a stop at Primanti's if you're in Pittsburgh. They have several locations through out town. Another good place to eat lunch: Wholey's Market. Fresh, fast food, good flavor and easy on the wallet.

And finally, it wouldn't be a vacation without a fabric store! We hit up Loom, also in the Strip District. The shop had an amazing assortment of both home furnishing fabric and unusual cottons for quilting. Lots of books, buttons and odds and ends too. The shop ladies were friendly, but they were super slow checking out customers. I think this could have been remedied with a better counter set-up and moving to an electronic c heck out system, rather than writing invoices (seriously? Why are we still even doing that?). But I bought some Charlie Harper note cards (love) and some bee hive print fabric (also love).

Pittsburgh, PA. Worth it.

Hungry?

2010-05-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

Just some fried green tomatoes.

Teaser :: Wedding Quilt

2010-04-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

What do you do when the quilt you are making as a gift isn't ready in time? Well, you make a second gift!

The wedding quilt I'm making for my friend wasn't ready in time. So instead, I made a quilt sampler. It's a 7" by 7" block with a smattering of the fabrics used in the quilt. I framed it (IKEA frame) with a pretty, complementary paper backing. And I typed up, and pasted a little note to the back of the frame.

As much as I wanted to have the real quilt ready for the big day, and be there when it was unfurled, admired and snuggled under, this was my next best option. And it fit in my backpack.

Pysanska

2010-02-01T10:46:00.001-08:00

It began with an egg. Just an ordinary egg. That was washed, examined and then drawn upon. With pencil.

Then it was drawn upon with wax and dipped in a rainbow of colors. Each time more wax, applied with (semi) precision using an old Ukrainian wax-melting-tool (a candle).

And then, five hours later, it looked like this

The photos don't do it justice. Google "pysanska" to be inspired. The process is long but the decorated eggs are amazing! And you could use Luba's Ukrainian Easter Egg Decorating Kit. The dye can last up to a year once mixed. And pickle jars, apparently, work really well.

Handmade/Homemade

2010-01-05T23:00:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2009 :: All gifts were made by hand :: I accepted crazymomquilts' challenge and made my mother a 9 patch quilt. It's not finished yet. I made my grandmother a ripple blanket from a thrifted bag of yarn. And I knitted my sister an infinity/cowl scarf. There were many other beautiful gifts made and received (and some IOUs). We're already preparing for next year!

More than 9 patches..

2009-06-27T13:53:00.000-07:00

What began as just a bunch of squares has quickly become 70 pieced 9 patches. I can't believe it! And in the hopes that my mother doesn't check her blog reader all that often I am posting some of the finished blocks here, and the quilt will be posted once I send it on its way (but first: finish piecing, piece the back, quilt sandwich, quilt the bugger, and bind -- in a bright, bright RED).

Dual Personality

2009-06-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

Lately this is how my brain has been split: on the left side a list of projects and questions I'm working on related to my research. I've got two experiments running right now -- one in the lab and one in the field -- I have plans for a synthesis paper (hopefully a draft by September) and plans for a third experiment to be deployed in the fall once leaf litter begins to accumulate.

And on the right side are my quilting ideas. The upper quilt is a work in progress thanks to crazymomquilts who has whipped me into joining a 9 patch a day quilt-along. All my 9 patches are done, and I have begun to put the pieces together. The middle drawing is for a pillow, inspired by all the extra little squares I have left from my quilt, and inspired by all the patchwork pillow love. And finally, the bottom quilt, a two-toned number to be dreamed about until my self-imposed fabric purchasing ban has been lifted.

And that's my life, side by side.

KC Jackpot!

2009-05-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

I have a persistent love for fabric by Denise Shmydt, Anna Maria Horner and Amy Butler. Because my local fabric shops are very fuddy-duddy (sorry, it's true) I have not been able to get my hands on a huge treasure trove of this fabric gold.

But then this weekend I struck it rich!! Urban Arts and Crafts in KC, Missouri is wonderful and lovely and a jackpot waiting for you. Check out the stash I found. I had to set myself a budget, otherwise I would have bought everything in the store. But no, I left you some goodies to purchase for yourself (you can even buy online!).

Roll With It

2009-05-10T22:02:00.000-07:00

My third quilt. A quilt for some friends of mine who are getting married. It measures about 54" by 57". And I used a Moda Jelly Roll, plus a little bit of extra yardage for the boarders. The back of the quilt is pieced using some lovely KonaBay cotton and Moda hummingbirds.

I learned several things while doing this project:

1. Don't wash a jelly roll. Dumb idea. All the little strips turned into mass of craziness that started to unravel. What a mess. Plus I lost some fabric width as a result.

2. Borders, as much as I tend to dislike them, do have a place. I like the red and green. I like that the green is slightly more narrow than the red boarder.

3. I love nice back. That fabric is just as important to me as the front work.

4. I thought I'd be OK with the same colored thread for the front and back while quilting but really a thread that matches the back makes all the difference.

5. Do not quilt under duress. Rushing the process makes it much less enjoyable.

6. There's a funny cycle with quilting: "I love this fabric. Look at the pieces!...Ugh...this is tedious...ugh...the seams, the fabric combinations. Oh, what have I done?! I hate it. Gotta finish. Ok. I like this back. Oh look, it's quilted. Oh look, the binding looks so nice! Oh. It's done. I think I love it. Do I really have to give it away?!" That's the quilting path I walk down.

7. Don't forget to back stitch when you miter your bindings.

8. Plan your next project.

9. Take pictures!

10. Enjoy

Cheap is good...

2009-04-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

...but free is better! That's my personal motto.

I was at my local thrift store, where usually it's crowded dingy, and the employees are grumpy and generally not interested in actually selling the mountains of junk that accumulates (don't even get me started).

On this rare occasion there was a helpful volunteer and she noticed I had picked up some knitting needles and asked me if I'd seen "the bag of yarn." No, I said. I hadn't. So she took me to it. It was huge! Not necessarily the type or quality of yarn I would by, but a treasure trove none the less. So I bought it for $4 (after an argument with the cashier because there were several $6 tags on it as well!).

Anyway, I've decided to make a wripple crochet blanket with most of the yarn, and scarves with the rest. Then I'll donate the pieces back to the grumpy charity shop. I figure for most people a blanket or a scarf is more useful than a bag of yarn. Except me. I'll take the yarn!

Quilt 2: Tetris

2009-03-03T22:14:00.000-08:00

I did it! I finished my second quilt not that long ago. I was inspired by the various cross quilts out there, but more importantly I loved the fabric choices I made. The back was a bit of a surprise (pink polka dots? pieced?), but it all went swimmingly.

This baby is being auctioned off on Friday to raise funds at my sister's law school. The money goes into a fund to help lawyers who work in the public sector pay off their loans.

Oversharing or stocking?

2009-02-24T00:33:00.001-08:00

At one point today I had four different tabs open: my gmail account (where I can post my status), my blog reader (more status), my facebook account and twitter (both where I can post my status). What the heck? That's way too many sites to be sharing personal information on. Seriously.

But here's why I like, or don't like, each one:

Gmail: I do love my email. And I get a lot of it, and I check it impulsively. I'm not very good at keeping it all organized and I thank google very much for putting in a nifty search function. Thanks Google. Chatting on gmail is kind of silly, but it's fun, too. Going invisible is a nice touch. I'm invisible right now.

My blog reader: I love my blog reader. I remember when I first started reading blogs and I would painstakingly type in each address and visit each site...then my labmate told me about this amazing thing called a reader and I watched an informational YouTube clip about RSS feeds and oh man, my life changed forever. I think the reader makes it easier to just look at the pictures people post, instead of reading the content. Only sometimes do I read blogs for content, mostly I love the pictures.

Facebook: I like to think that I was among the first to get on facebook, all thanks to some forward thinking East Coasters who explained to me what an actual facebook is (like a yearbook, I guess?). Anyway, I started, then everyone got on it, and it just kept getting nifty'er. Except now I find that I only really do three things on facebook: read people's statuses as they change, look at people's photos and follow the news feeds to see what people have posted. I'm not going to lie, I do some facebook creeping. Don't you? Times have changed though and now there are multiple generations on facebook and it's a "real" networking site. Too serious?

Which brings me to:

Twitter: Let me begin by saying that I think the name for this site is awesome. Second, I have to admit that I joined specifically so I could "follow" Lance Armstrong and peek into his daily life. Fantastic. Lance is talking to me. I haven't gotten the hang of twitter yet (what is all this @so-and-so business?), but it's ecentially just like updating only your facebook status, and posting photos without all that additional stuff (honestly, don't message me on facebook, because that message just gets sent to my gmail inbox, so send me an email, post a picture on facebook, and tweet about it!).

Let me conclude with a few thoughts: are our lives really that interesting that we have to be sharing our inner musings with everyone? Am I adding to your life with this post, with my tweets? Or are all of these 'networking' methods just simply ways for us to keep track of other people? Are we experiencing the evolution of the mass email and where does it go from here? Doesn't all of this make your life feel noisy? Ultimately, how will oversharing benefit all of us collectively?

I'll tweet on that some time soon.

Saving lizards

2009-02-23T00:04:00.001-08:00

My mom attempted to rescue a lizard like this one out of her pool today. The last one she found in the pool was belly-up, but she fished it out and set it in the sun and it recovered.

This morning she was sitting on the veranda in her pajamas, drinking her tea, reading her book when a territorial fight broke out between two males (like the one pictured above). And one male ran away from the fight and straight into the pool.

Based on the survival of the first lizard, Mom decided that she had time to finish the paragraph she was reading and take one last sip of tea before playing lifeguard. But when she got to the pool edge she noticed that the lizard was sinking. So she ran in to the house to get a bowl to fish the lizard out, but by the time she got back it was at the bottom of the pool. Thinking she still had time, Mom jumpled into the pool in her pajamas to dive down for the little reptile. But because she couldn't see without her glasses in the pool, and she didn't have time to go put in her contacts and grab her goggles (not to mention a swim suit) she was unable to rescue the little guy.

So Mom got out of the pool and sloshed her way back to her room where she changed out of her now soaking wet pajamas and called the pool guy. She asked him to come right away to clean the pool because there was a small animal in it.

So the lizards are now 1 for 2 against the pool. Despite my mother efforts to keep them safe and sound.

riding in the raindrops

2009-02-17T23:28:00.000-08:00

Sunday was the best day ever. I went to the start of Stage 1 of the AMGEN Tour of California. It was a miserable day to spend 5 hours on the bike, but these guys get paid the big bucks to do just that. If you've never been to a pro-bike race I highly recommend going to the start of stage (or probably the end of a stage, too). The starting area on Sunday had a very relaxed atmosphere, and I walked right up to the RVs and saw all the bikes, not to mention some pretty famous bike riders.

Little (Mellow) Things

2009-02-11T14:55:00.000-08:00

Saving the planet. What a huge challenge. I do my part as best as I can, but saving the planet falls along a spectrum and some of us do it privately and some of us do it publicly. Personally, I skitter anytime I'm approached with a petition and someone cheerfully saying, "Do you have a minute to stop global warming?" Honey, it's going to take more than a minute.

1. Buckets in our showers. I really need to get a bucket for everyone I know. When I warm up my shower in the morning the water has to run from the tap for a little bit. If I had a bucket I could capture that water and then use it to water my plants or flush the toilet. Nice. Gotta get a bucket.

2. Tupperware for take-out. How dorky do you feel carrying Tupperware in your purse when you go to out to dinner or lunch? Really nerdy. But I cringe when I'm handed a Styrofoam container, one I know that I can't microwave. So why not bring my own containers? If you bring a large enough purse it shouldn't be a problem. Restaurants: how about a discount for bringing your own take-away containers, some coffee shops do this if you bring your own mug and some grocery stores do this if you bring your own bags.

3. If it's yellow let it mellow. Um. Yeah. This is a challenging one because seriously I just don't want to know. But when you think about it, it's just pee, and maybe some paper. No biggie. Really. Just keep saying that to yourself. And when you're done put the toilet lid down. And mellow out, you.

4. Compost! This is so much fun. Really. I live in an apartment and don't have space for my own compost and I didn't want worms because they turn into pets who you have to feed, rather than worms who work for you. I wanted working worms. Luckily, the nice ladies across the street have a great compost pile and they are happy to let me dump the goods on the pile. I'm actually feeding their chickens, but I don't mind. I just keep a plastic container with a lid under my sink and when it's full I walk across the street. Composting is fun.

5. Buy local, seasonal and second-hand. Garage sales are the best things ever!! Granted I wind up with things I don't "really" need sometimes, but other times I furnish my whole apartment. And buying local and seasonal is hugely rewarding. Again, grocery purchasing falls in a spectrum (are we really going to give up coffee?). Buy what's in season, no matter how badly you want a peach in January,buy organic over conventional, buy USA over foreign produced whenever possible, and by local versus regional if you are able to. Better yet go to the farmers' market and meet your growers. My apple guy is named Steve. He's a little crazy.

6. This was an airport bathroom epiphany. Now a days the taps in airport bathrooms, like the soap dispensers, are motion sensitive. This means water won't run until you put your hand under the faucet. This saves water from running down the drain without touching your hands (in theory, some faucets are more sensitive than others, it appears. Here's how to try it at home. Use liquid soap, lather up, THEN turn on the water. If you want to know how much water you use to wash your hands try this experiment. 1) stop up your drain 2) wash your hands how you normally would 3) observer how much water is left in the sink when you're done. Now, try this: 1) stop up your sink 2) using liquid soap, lather up your hands 3) turn on the water and rinse 4) observe how much less water you now have in the sink. I would only try this experiment when your hands are dirty because otherwise, you know, you'd be wasting water.

7. Dish washing. Again with the running water. We should all have a dish tub in our sink. Even those fancy deep farmhouse sinks, even the stainless steel sinks, even if we use a dishwasher. Get a dish tub (*sigh* yes, a plastic one). Fill it with water, add soap, wash your dishes, rinse your dishes or put them into the dishwasher (do you really need to wash a dish before the dishwasher does? Think about that one). Now walk away from the sink without draining the tub. Let the water cool. When you come back introduce yourself to the grey water (that's what diluted soapy water is commonly known as). Now introduce your plants to the grey water, or your lawn, or your toilet if there's something mellowing in it. And better yet, make sure to use a gentle biodegradable dish soap. Your plants will thank you.

8. Lawnmowers. I remember mowing the lawn as a kid. Once I tried doing it barefoot, not such a bright idea. But here's a good idea: buy a push mower. Not only will you save on having to buy gas, not to mention decrease emissions, but you'll get even more exercise than you already are. Bonus!! And while you're at it, get rid of the leaf blower. Use a rake. Better yet, have your children use a rake.

9. Bag lady! That's me. Gotta take my bags to the grocery store. I'm picky now, even. I know which ones are best for which purchases, and I like to bring them in all different colors. Be a bag lady or bag dude. Take a bag to the grocery store.

10. Say no to receipts. Some day all stores will be like the apple store where they email you your receipts. Until then: just say no.

None of these ideas are new ideas. We've all heard them in a million other places (blogs, news, TV, etc.) They point is: we still can do more, and hearing about them (and writing about them) helps. While we might argue that using an energy efficient dishwasher is better than hand washing, or that buying things to be more eco-friendly is counter productive, the point is ultimately the same: use less of everything, recycle, re-purpose, re-use. And know where your resources are coming from, what it takes to get them to you, and where they go when you're done. And let it mellow, people, let it mellow.

Coral Reef from Yarn!

2008-10-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

This is absolutely amazing. I wish I could see it in person. I love the intersection between art and science -- it makes my quest as a quilter and crafter feel somewhat related to my goals as a scientist.

Check out the Hyperbolic Coral Reef here.

More Beginning Quilting Tips

2008-10-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

* Squaring up your blocks after making them inevitably means that you will have to rip out seams and re-sew them. As one of my classmates said, "I wish I'd paid more attention while making these things, it would have made this part easier." No kidding. Watch out for those quarter inch seams...they'll gettcha!

* Sew around the edge of your quilt top (quarter inch from the edge, running stitch -- nothing fancy) once it's all pieced and before you make your quilt sandwich. I can't say I really understand this part but apparently it has something to do with preventing your quilt top from becoming not-square. (I have a feeling advanced quilters are reading this and laughing -- that's OK).

* Binding strips are sewn together on an angle because it prevents bunching at the seams when you roll your binding and sew to to your quilt. My guess is a diagonal seam also distributes tension a little better to that seam, so your binding doesn't pop open inadvertently.

* When taking a quilting class at a store ALWAYS ask what the total cost of the class is, and if it's OK to bring your own fabric and what supplies will be supplied as part of the cost of the class. The cost of my class has doubled due to unnecessary supply purchases, and my inability/reluctance to ask these questions and/or just assuming that it was all inclusive.

* Color choices and fabric pattern picking: is this generational or learned? There are some wonky color/fabric choices in my class.

Quilt 1

2008-10-17T23:05:00.001-07:00

I think I am officially becoming a quilter. The last block (lower right) still has to have all of its pieces sewn together. And then there's the boarders between the blocks and the boarder on the outside. I'm enjoying the process and the rules of quilting (what you piece together and what order you sew them all together -- it's very theoretical and meditative at the same time). I'd actually like to quilt it by hand, but that may be a whole 'nother can o' worms.

Beginning Quilting

2008-10-01T23:07:00.000-07:00

These are some of the things I learned at my first quilting class:

- Don't iron your fabric in a back and forth motion. Instead, press your fabric in an up and down motion because this means you won't make the fabric fibers move around in funny ways.

- Don't reverse stitch your seams, because in quilts it doesn't matter anyway.

- It's Ok to start with the needle of your sewing machine in the 'down' position without it being in the fabric, but have your fabric right up against your needle.

- Press your stitching before pressing your seam open because it helps 'set' your stitches.

- Apparently it's not always necessary to wash your fabrics before cutting. This seems a little gross to me, though, so I'll just keep washing my fabrics first. It makes for more intense pressing with the iron.

- When using a rotary cutter make sure the blade is sharp (I didn't know they were easily replaced, but it makes sense) and make sure to cut slowly and "inch" the hand holding the ruler/straightedge as you cut. Watch your fingers, 'cause blood on your fabrics REALLY means you gotta wash 'em first!!

- People have amazingly different taste in fabric colors, patterns, etc. It's probably the most amusing part of my class so far.

- Fabric guilt: gotta learn to fight it when it's too late to change your choices (but there's SO MUCH to pick from!!).

- Fabrics when they're cut down to size for the blocks sure do look different together than when they're by themselves on the big bolts.

Obviously, this might seem like a bunch of randomness. As one of my classmates asked, "So what do you do?" "Oh, I'm in grad school." "What are you doing taking a quilting class?!" Honestly, it might not be the most effective use of my time, but as a grad student I struggle with abstract learning goals and hazy benchmarks of understanding so it's nice to come away from three hours of a class where I have used my brain and my hands and I can say, "Today I learned how to properly use a rotary cutter and sew a seam." That, my friends, is progress I can set my watch to. I've got five more weeks and a sample quilt on the way!!

Examination

2008-06-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

It is almost as bad to proctor a final exam as it is to take one. Almost.
Words my students wanted me to help them define:
"defoliate" -- when all the leaves fall off
"hallucinate" -- it's something that happens in your mind. Oh, like when you're in the desert and you see things? Yes! Exactly like that.
"prevalence" -- the frequency with which something occurs (like Lyme Disease infections)
"sympatric and allopatric speciation" -- sorry, can't tell you!
"gestation" -- Really?! But no, can't tell you.

They finished. We left the freezing room. Out.

Have Knives, Will Cook

2008-06-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

It's amazing when the pieces of my life come together unexpectedly. And I am especially amazed when my blog-reading life jives with my physical life. A few days ago on Soule Mama's blog I noticed this book on the side bar. The words "Tassajara" brought back memories of dozens of slices of toast eaten during my years of living in Northern California. We'd stop at Bell Market on the way home and pick up a loaf.

"Tassajara toast, Poppy! With lots of butter!" That's what we'd chirp to my dad for whenever he asked us if we wanted a snack. We are a BIG toast family -- always in search of the perfect loaf, and we've burnt out a toaster or two over the past years.

Just today, I put in my latest Netflix entitled "How To Cook Your Life" and was totally floored to see my worlds collide, because it turns out that this documentary is a film about Edward Espe Brown who wrote the Tassajara Bread Book.

I really enjoyed this little film. I'm not a Zen follower, nor do I make my own bread (although I've since been inspired to try, but probably after our 100+ degree summer is over), but this film is great. It spoke to me as a graduate student on several levels. Watching Brown get frustrated with a bottle of oil and slice off the plastic lid with a cleaver saying "Why do they do this to people?" symbolized both my past and current frustrations and mimicked my internal and external temper tantrums. Watch Brown mangle a packaged block of cheese -- you'll get it.

I think the most important message of the movie for me was to remember to be in the moment; to accept imperfection; to focus on the singular task at hand; to let my hands do things hands ought to do.

Two of Brown's quotes stick with me. He says we ought to "treat the food as though it were your eye sight; treat it as though it were that precious." I believe that this is not just true about food, but about everything we value in life: our work, our education, our family, our planet.

He also says: "when you're cooking, you're not just cooking, you're not just working on food, you're also working on yourself...the food will taste better when the cook is joyful." Again, there are many things that nourish my life besides the food I eat. And I must be cognoscente that when I am producing a "thing" (like a dissertation) I am also working on myself and the world around me to improve both and to share my joy.

Brown reminds us to look past our temper tantrums, our inner and outer moments of weakness, and be joyful. Loving the toast.

The photo is from here, where you can also watch a trailer for the film.

Giant Granny Square = Easy Baby Blanket

2008-05-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

It wasn't until recently that I started photographing my craft projects. I made this blanket last year for my youngest cousin. I used the easiest crochet stitch and pattern I knew how to work with: the Granny Square. Except, I made a giant one! I just kept going round and round until I had about 19 rows to each side. For the boarder I added white yarn for a little embellishment.

This particular blanket was made with some synthetic yarn from Michael's. Not usually my first choice, but in this case I wanted something that was light weight, washable and cheap because I used about 6 skeins of yarn (100g each, I think).

I'm happy to say that this blanket has been well loved. It's been washed and but in a diaper bag, gone on multiple trips and it's help up with minimal pilling. I don't know where the hat went, but I'm sure that while it fit it was used.

It seems that at the time I thought hanging it on the fence to get a photo was a good idea. No damage done, but I've got to get a little bit more creative in my photo-ops!

Works in Progress

2008-05-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

This is me being busy. I have two "works in progress." The first is yet another addition to the blog-land's collection of pincushions. Really, it's nothing new, but I totally love it. I used these instructions (here) but made my own modifications: cut a circle of fabric about 3" larger than the edge of your vessel. Do the running stitch thing, stuff it with fluffy stuff, cinch it tight and jam it in. My dilemma right now is how do I make it stay in there? I'm going to try hot glue around the inside rim and then move on to other glues from there. I'm worried about how well everything will stick to the metal. The silver sugar bowl was a thrift store find. My sister polished it with my old toothbrush and my toothpaste. Probably not the best way to polish silver, but whatever. I almost wish I'd left it tarnished...

And this is my second project: growing bulrush rhizomes for a competition study with an invasive aquatic weed. My first challenge was getting these suckers to grow. Apparently you can't over water a wetland plant. I'm learning, people!

Carbon?

2008-04-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

I am slowly developing a list of things I want to blog about and eventually they will be posted for your consideration. But until then I wanted to say that the weather is changing (sometimes erratically) and so the plants are beginning to emerge. The flower above is from a lupin plant and she was turned to the afternoon sun and the sea spray high on a windy cliff. All the physical parts of this plant are made from many different elements combined to make cellulose and lipids and proteins, among other things. But what interests me the most is that the sugars in this plant (like the cellulose, for example) are made of carbon. Many people don't fully appreciate how the plant gets (or acquires, if you will) this carbon. Do you know the answer to this question: "Plants are made of carbon. Where does that carbon come from?"

There are probably a million different ways to ask this question, but I'd like to point out that currently over half of my students (intro to biology students who are second and third year college students) did not give the correct answer.

Words of Wisdom

2008-03-10T13:09:00.001-07:00

I work with a local non-profit organization as a volunteer mentor on trips where high school kids are taken to local sites where they actively participate in restoration efforts. Last week was my last field trip with a group of local high school students. I, and other mentors, work with kids from one class on several field trips during the school year where we all head out to the site and plant native grasses and acorns, build bird boxes, learn about watersheds, native plants, and bird identification. That's the serious part of the day. Most of the time the kids are waddling around in rain boots and rain gear, slinging mud at one another, rolling down hills, chucking rocks, eating lunch, playing educational games or singing at the top of their lungs. Inevitably all of the above are all happening at the same time.

Different high schools from around the area are free to participate, but I worked with a group of students from the local city. The majority of the students were African American, Latino or Asian. Not many of them have an opportunity to be out in nature, away from the hustle and bustle of their daily lives. On our very first day the kids struggled with the prospects of having to use a port-o-potty, and the choice of muddy clothes but cool, or dorky boots but clean. But once we started our trek I heared exclamations like this, "Oh my gosh! I saw a turkey! Did you know turkey's can fly?! The one I saw flew away!" There were also some shouts of glee and wonder when they saw a heard of large animals up on the hill, "What are those?" They asked. They were local cows, which meant that those dry cow-patties were perfect for slinging at school mates. They were disappointed, however, to learn that they couldn't pet the cows.

On our last day, after planting native grasses, sedges and rushes to stabilize a stream bank, we gathered to share our hopes and words of wisdom. One girl asked us to continue the program even if her group had been too rambunctious. Others wanted to return to the site to see how the plants had grown. I asked them to be mentors themselves, some day, but I wish I had added more:

"Remember that actions speak more than our words, but in combination you have a primal shout! Take with you the feeling of mud, sun, fresh air, flowers, birds and share them. What you've done today is yours, and you can do whatever you want with it: plant your own garden, identify the birds you see, share your sense of delight with others, be mindful of where your water comes from and where it goes. Today you were a scientist -- you asked questions about your environment, you tested the best ways to plant seedlings, you made observations. Be a scientist every day. Ask questions, look for answers. Never sit still."

Fits and Starts

2008-02-23T13:58:00.000-08:00

This is where my family lives. It's a little town called San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. It's a perfect place. For the last couple of weeks in December I alternated my time between reading books (a total of 6 in two weeks -- I wonder why I can't blow through scientific literature with such speed and joy?), mountain biking with my father, and generally absorbing the local culture (read: shopping and eating).

Despite my complete disregard for anything academic during my vacation I let my inner ecologist bubble. On our bike rides and drives across town I couldn't help but notice the vast amounts of Arundo donax growing from the banks of the river and along the edge of the lake. The locals use the reed for fencing material, either by cutting the shoots and lashing them together, or simply by growing this (invasive) weed along their fence lines. They also let their goats eat it. We rode by one happy flock munching through a large stand. In Mexico, the plant is called "can-lle brava" (that's how they pronounce it). The literal translation would be: "Angry reed" or "crazy reed." This invasive weed is also found here in California and pains riparian restoration. Should we bring out the goats?

Normal

2008-01-18T20:52:00.000-08:00

This week I found myself in the middle of a crisis of confidence. What if I never write a successful grant? What if I never get proper funding? Why do I feel like I don't have any ideas? Am I normal? Do all grad students have this crisis at some point in there career?

I spent an hour today, surrounded by PCR machines, and cancer causing EtBr, chatting with my lab mate and lab assistant about just that: are we normal? I didn't even take my gloves off or put down my pipette, that's how engrossed I became in the conversation.

My take home message: the crisis of confidence has dissipated. There are twinges; but I can put the pains aside and concentrate on setting obtainable goals, learning something new every day (even if it's how to serve in racquetball). And remembering that I am here, every day, because I want to be.

A blank person

2007-11-20T13:20:00.001-08:00

In ecology we refer to people by the topics they study. For example, you can be a "plant person", an "elephant person", a "fish person", etc. Generally we use it to refer to the primary organism we study but sometimes we like to say "that guy, he's a molecular-microbial person" which tells us that he likes really small complicated things. Essentially, it's a shorthand way of letting people know what you study without spewing your dissertation all over them. Really, it's just a quick way to say, "I'm a nerd and I'm OK with that."

I find this way of pegging people both charming and a bit daunting. When I first met many of the students in my cohort they already knew what kind of "person" they were but I didn't. It set me on edge as I fluctuated between being a "crayfish/invert(ebrate) person" to being a "plant person." I'm really not ready for my title. I'm an undecided person. Undecided, but looking forward to specializing. It seems to me that being an expert in a topic carries a great deal of responsibility, but I look forward to to the day when I can stop saying "I don't know." And as I write that, I realize it will be a very sad day when I know everything. If I am going to be an ecologist, a teacher, a crafter, a person, I need to value asking a question and seeking the answer. It's only partly about the end result, but what I do while I get there.

Make it if possible

2007-11-16T16:53:00.000-08:00

I am constantly inspired by the tremendous number and variety of crafting blogs available on the Internet. These blogs and the blog owners are the reason why my own fingers itch to create, and then write about it, here in this virtual space. Yet as we all know, creativity is a gradual process, that starts with inspiration, and then goes through several fits and starts before actually coming to fruition. It's a personal process. What type of crafter am I? I have to reach a "critical mass" before I am able to let my fingers and brain engage. I am also sometimes paralysed by my excuses for why I can't craft. I am, however, certainly usually not one to create for the sake of making stuff. I like to create and then give away (mostly because by the time I'm done with a project I am so lost in the production and subsequently immune to its existence. Well, only sometimes).

So I make if possible. And I have a long mental list of projects I'd like to make. One is a laptop case to go along with my nifty new machine. Here, maybe I'll use this as my inspiration. I'll keep you posted.

Magenta

2007-11-15T17:45:00.000-08:00

Do you ever wonder how a color gets its name? It never crossed my mind until today when I picked up my dry cleaning. I walked into the shop, my mind working ahead of itself ("...the post office next...will it still be open?...and then groceries..."). I thought I'd hand over my slip of paper, get my jacket and jet out again. The attendant, an older man, balding in shorts and a tie-dyed tank top said, "That'll be $6.50" and then said something to the effect of, "I bet you didn't know, but in the mid-1800s the father of organic chemistry encouraged his students to find a color fast pigment. Everyone wanted a royal blue color, something that could be used to dye natural fibers and would stay the same after every washing. So one student set out to create this dark blue, but was unsuccessful and instead developed a deep red-pink shade that no one had ever used before. At the time the French has just won a significant millitary battle in Italy in the town of Magenta, and so this became the name of the new color." All of this, because on the rack, covered in plastic, was my bright magenta jacket. Fresh and ready to go.

I left the store with a clean jacket and a new perspective on color. I almost can't imagine a color not existing. How is that possible?

Coming soon

2007-11-14T23:19:00.000-08:00

I've tried this before with too much structure and it didn't work. So I thought I'd try again. In 500 words or less. And each time with pictures, too. I have to think more carefully about how I want to communicate and with only 500 chances I might just get it right. 500 or less -- I like it already!