Nodar Kumaritashvili

The London 2012 Olympics reminded me of how exciting it was to witness the 2010 Olympics in Whistler.  But I was also reminded of the sacrifices athletes undertake to compete, and that sometimes things go wrong.  Our 2010 Westcoast Olympic experience started off very differently than London's.  Unfortunately,  an athlete lost his life while pursuing his Olympic dreams in Whistler.  I had never heard of Georgian Nodar Kumaritashvili, but was deeply moved when he died at the age of 21 practising for his Luge event.  The loss of his life was too great a price to pay.

I visited Whistler back in 2010 between the Olympics & Paralympics.  The little village was nursing an Olympic hangover and slowly generating a buzz anticipating the Paralympics.  On one of my walks along Village Stroll I discovered a small ad-hoc memorial set-up for Nodar next to the frozen river.  There was a guest book, flags, and many items left behind in his memory.

I continue to be moved by the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili.  As my eldest son nears 21, I think of a child never returning home and parents forever left with a hole in their hearts.  Last spring when visiting Whistler I went searching for the quaint memorial by the river and was saddened that it had been removed.  I later found a more permanent structure had been erected in his memory in the Olympic Plaza.

The flags and unused Olympic tickets left behind in his memory are now gone, but the touching guest book remains, tucked under the plaque.  As a Mom I will likely continue to visit his memorial when I visit Whistler, and say a quiet prayer for his parents & family.

May he rest in peace, and all the best to athletes pursuing their dreams.

D.'s Magical Soapmaking Kingdom

Homemade soap is satisfying to use because it's so rich, colourful & delightfully smelly!  But more than the end-result, I love making soap because the process is so fun.  4 of us make soap a few times a year at a friend's house.  D. takes care of the dangerous bits (lye), and provides other supplies.

Twice a year, she transforms her dining-room into a Soapmaking Magic Kingdom filled with magical scents & colourful combinations.  There are always many scents to choose from, as well as natural scratchy bits which add texture & colour to soaps.  My favourite add-ins include nori & black sesame seeds while favourite scents so far have been Peppermint and also Blackberry.

Her soaps are no match for commercial or other handmade soaps available at small markets.

Bread class #2

Bread class #2 at Cook Culture yesterday with Brad Williams.  This Breakfast Breads class literally had me on the edge of my seat for 4hrs+.  I took way too many notes and probably asked too many questions too.

Rolls stuffed with Leeks & Cream, proofing in a couche

Things I learned:

1.  My dough is too wet.  I should be using 75% water to flour, while I have been using a 1:1 ratio of water to flour.  It works for cast iron bread, but makes shaping dough for baguettes nearly impossible.  

2.  Windowpaning dough, useful to see whether the gluten has formed properly.  Also, that dough out in the open too long without wrapping will develop a thicker crust.

Our bounty:  Round Frittata in center, Rolls stuffed with Leeks & Cream surrounding Frittata, rectangular Cinnamon Buns, English Muffins in frying pan

A Different Yoga Groove

I have been practicing Bikram Yoga almost exclusively for 4 years now.  I love the peace of mind which comes from practicing the same series of movements over & over again.  In Bikram classes, the instructor guides students through a series of 26 poses in a room heated to 40C.  The words spoken are roughly the same each time.  It sounds very prescriptive but the reason for this is to guide students verbally to increase depth and flexibility.  At a Bikram studio I can do some of the poses well because I have practiced them so often.  Repeating the same poses every class has improved flexibility, posture and range of motion.

The last signs of winter in
Whistler 2 weeks ago.  

On a recent family vacation to Whistler, while my boys skied I practiced yoga at a non-Bikram studio because there is no Bikram Studio within 30 minutes of Whistler.  I wasn't sure what to expect because I have been practicing Bikram for so long now.

The sequence of poses at this new studio was rather Bikramish, with some variety.  I really enjoyed practicing a different yoga because the variety shook my body out of its usual groove in a good way.  The Mountain Series (where I usually do Triangle) was especially challenging and rewarding.  The instructor corrected me during this sequence by twisting my hips, a change from Bikram's verbal-only corrections.  Unfortunately, I can't remember what I was doing wrong in this pose, so this experience got me wondering ...

Does my brain remember verbal yoga corrections better than manual ones?  Another question, is it better to repeat the same yoga poses over & over again and become an expert, or to vary poses each lesson?  Just like my usual classes, I felt very refreshed at the end of the session.  And to answer my question, I think change is mind-expanding, but still believe that practice makes perfect.

I spy with my little eye, something that is ...  Happy Easter!

Orb Chair

I fell in love with this chair 3 years ago.  We first met online.  I'm embarrassed to say its digital version caught my eye while playing one of those silly games on Facebook.  I may even have invited a few of you to play along.  The game was pointless and my addiction soon faded.  

My love of the Orb Chair was rekindled after visiting the now-defunct furniture store NOOD.  Strolling Yates St. after breakfast with my soapmaking buddies, and there it was staring at me through the modern-store window, in all its redness.

Goofy?  Definitely.  But upon the first time I tried it, it sucked me in, engulfing me with its noise-reduction superpowers and extreme comfort.  I was ready to move-in.  It had the best qualities in a chair:  large enough to accommodate my pretzel-sitting stance, room for a novel AND a knitting project.

So the chair & I dated for a few years.  I made most of the advances, visiting whenever I had breakfast at the neighbouring Rebar.  On a few occasions the chair contacted me through a flyer.  It did so again this past December.  So I cut its picture out and attached it to my fridge so we could visit more often.

This is where my great hubby comes in.  Having put up with me for the past 20 years (already!) and  without a hint of jealousy, he invited the Orb into our home as an anniversary present.  It was a bit awkward at first.  The design police would surely not approve the mixture of old/new in my living-room, but this is the new millennium and we must welcome diversity.  We're now one big happy family.  Its goofiness makes me smile whenever I see it.  Did I mention that it rotates 360 degrees?

Mom's Color Affection Shawl

I fell in love with the Color Affection shawl when I first saw it in January but had to wait until February until it was available to the general public.  I love Veera Valimaki's shawl designs.  She has released 3 striped shawls in the last year, each one a variation on the other by playing with short rows & colours. 

I wasn't sure which colours to use so I played around with various combinations.

As soon as I started with the Pink Grapefruit & Truffle (part of the Tanis Fiber Arts Clubs 2011 & 2012), it was obvious I had a winner.  

The shawl is a belated birthday gift for my Mom's February birthday.  Happy Birthday Mom!

bread lessons

Like most people nowadays, I have taken a step back from wheat products in the past few years.  Couple that with weak cooking skills, it's a miracle that a friend was ever able to take me to a bread-making class at Cook Culture last November.

I had planned on watching from a safe distance.  Even when the instructor, Brad Williams, promised that any 9 year-old could make this bread, I was still doubtful.  Brad took us through a history of yeast products.  He explained that today's commercial breads are nothing like their ancestors because they are now made so quickly.  By contrast, using yesteryear's slow-rise techniques yeast enzymes have more time to digest, therefore they are better for our guts, he says.  This bread is very moist and does not get moldy, just stale.  It stays fresh for days.  One memorable quote:  "Beer is liquid bread and bread is solid beer".

I learned how to make a levain (sourdough) bread in 4.5 hrs, and a No-Knead bread in 24 hrs.  I was surprised at how easy and amazingly good it is.  One slice is a meal in itself.  Add peanut butter & honey and I'm in heaven!

I have fallen in love with making this bread.  Since November I have made over 50 loaves of various shapes/sizes/ composition.  My favourite is still a whole grain/white flour mixture.  I mill my own whole wheat flour with a Vita-Mix.  My boys like the cheese bread.

Kneading reminds me of gardening without gloves.  I do a lot of knitting and play classical piano, however I haven't been so proud of making something with my own hands in a long time.   I just wish I could make more so I could share it with more people.  It disappears very fast!

I encourage anyone to purchase artisan bread from a market and experience the difference!

Key factors in my own bread success & fun have been:
- using a digital scale to weigh ingredients
- cooking with a cast-iron Dutch oven
- keeping a bread journal & to learn from my mistakes
- cutting with a long bread knife