Red Cedar
More apocalypse, less angst
apocalyptic fact of the day
the numbers of sufferers of brain diseases, including alzheimer’s, parkinson’s and motor neurone disease, have soared across the west in less than 20 years, scientists have discovered.
the alarming rise, which includes figures showing rates of dementia have trebled in men, has been linked to rises in levels of pesticides, industrial effluents, domestic waste, car exhausts and other pollutants, says a report in the journal public health.
weekend roadtrip
road trip statistics
from/to: vancouver, bc to carson, washington return
total distance: 1196 kilometres
fuel used: 93 litres (approx)
time traveled: there – 7.5 hours / return – 6.75 hours
difference of 30 minutes in border lineup and also getting slightly lost on the way there
highways travelled: 99, I-5, WA-205, I-84, WA-14
state lines crossed: washington, oregon
injuries sustained: 1
lanced the side of my hand with a knife – made an impressive wound
besides the stats, here are two pictures to tide y’all over until i am less sleepy and sore and can write more.
love and civilization
i came across this today while doing some research:
“Oh, what a catastrophe, what a maiming of love when it was made personal, merely personal feeling. This is what is the matter with us: we are bleeding at the roots because we are cut off from the earth and sun and stars. Love has become a grinning mockery because, poor blossom, we plucked it from its stem on the Tree of Life and expected it to keep on blooming in our civilized vase on the table.” – D. H. Lawrence
which is to say that to keep love from being a mockery – to keep it vibrant and outside the clutches of social conformity and consumption – then we must constantly access the wild and uncivilized places – outside in nature, and within ourselves.
i couldn’t agree more.
no such thing as a wrong decision
the haze is very bad today in vancouver – i’m not sure if it’s caused by the forest fires, or just the regular hot weather/bad air thing that happens in the summer. the north shore mountains are just a blur though – and my sinuses have been burning for days.
i realize that vancouver legendarily has a very high quality of life for its residents – but i’m starting to wonder with no cheap housing and uber-poor air quality – how that can be? is it that other cities are infinitely worse? in that case – how can any city be considered liveable if every day is a slow poisoning and working people are forced to commute 1-2 hours each way?
oh yes, more reasons to vacate the city….
Read More
salmon and blackberries
had dinner last night with jess, sharai and megan – at what is likely the last dinner party i will host at my apartment. i can’t imagine three more important or lovely people to have shared this occasion with.
we feasted on wild chinook salmon (caught by my friend george), with a reduced blackberry/rosemary/balsamic vinegar sauce (this turned out amazingly well) – couscous with fresh basil and organic greens and tomatoes. we drank wine and then gin and tonics and stayed up late and tipsy with conversation and alcohol.
i haven’t had a lot of chances to connect with the women in my life lately, because we are all busy and i am moving, and there are always a million other things that seem more important – but last night reminded me of why girlfriends are the most important relationships in terms of sustaining the self. they are there to remind you of who you are and what’s important in your history in the face of new relationships – to ground you in a community of support when you are struggling to make decisions – to listen in a way that only women know how to.
i am so thankful i have these women in my life – and i hold out great hope that eventually we will all live close to one another again – if not on the same land, in the same area – so that we can continue to support each other and the projects we are working on.
Read More
Red Cedar 