Pretty Pictures

Wildflower along Coldwater Creek, Mammoth Lakes, CA. August 2013

A former co-worker of mine at the Museum – the Curator, actually – had a sign hanging in her office that read in big, block letters, “Pretty pictures don’t change anything.”  Although in theory I agree with her, my silent response was always, “Yeah, but they sure make us feel better.”

After indulging my passions of travel and photography for seven weeks in Spain and Morocco, I am now back at home… with not much to do.  A job I enjoyed, although incredibly stressful at times, is gone and now the process of figuring out what to do next have begun.  I know it will be OK in the end.  I have a sneaking suspicion that this will be a turning point for me and am thinking about my options, including going back to school and, in fact, learning one of those “in-demand” careers that I can take to Spain with me in a few years.  As I look at all the different curriculums, I have to laugh at the courses I’d have to take. “Pre-Calculus? At my age? Physics? You gotta be kidding me!!”

Iris in bloom at the Maui Botanical Gardens, May 2013.

But when I begin to feel overwhelmed by all the decisions I have to make, I’ve found that playing with my photos – editing them, making them beautiful - never fails to cheer me up.

Wild Iris at Point Reyes, CA. March 2014

Yes, Ann, they are not going to change anything.  They are just pretty pictures…but they sure make me feel better.

The Return of the Pancake Merienda

Rainbow in Halekala Crater, Maui, Hawaii  Photo credit: My Hubby       

OK - so I’ve neglected this blog….for about two years or so.

But a lot has changed in the past few years…and more life changes are coming….one of those being that the Pancake Merienda is coming back!

So what’s happened? Soon after I stopping writing The Pancake Merienda, I came to the realization that I needed a life… the life I wanted.   

When I was little - and well into college - I could name about three things I wanted to do with my life: travel, make art and get married to a fabulous guy and do all those things with him.  As of a few years ago, I had been married my soul mate for almost twenty years, so I could check that one off the list.  I traveled, but not as much as I wanted.  And make art?  Not even close.  I took photos – sometimes OK ones – but nowhere near what I had wanted. I felt stuck in a job that didn’t interest or challenge me in the least and worst of all, I had gained 20 (or more) pounds.  Ugh!  I was living a life that I had never envisioned.

Fast forward to today:

I have lost the 20 plus pounds and now recognize my body again.

I have been working at the Nevada Museum of Art for almost two years as the Director of Strategic Giving (a fancy title for grantwriter).  I can’t say every day is tons of fun, but I plug on because I absolutely love the art and the awesome people I work with.  And again, although it can be difficult at times, I am challenged intellectually there – something I have not found in other jobs. And I am on my way to fulfill my other life’s desire:  to make art…or at least make pretty things that make people happy…because that’s what makes me happy.

And beginning in July, I will have more time to travel.  

All of this came about because I woke up one morning and was absolutely determined to have the life I always dreamed about– not the life that we seem to be prescribed to.  You know the one – spend all day, every day in front of a computer, make as much money as possible so you can one day retire… and hopefully be well enough to do the things you’ve always wanted to do.  

The life I wanted to build – actually that we want to build – would be sustainable into retirement - without sacrificing our dreams, our health and our creative and adventurous spirits. And we are well on our way to doing it.

I just arrived in Spain and will be spending a glorious five weeks here – visiting family, traveling around southern Spain and Morocco with some of our very best friends. We also plan to scope out places to buy for our future move to Spain (yes, we are still planning on moving!)  Above all, I plan on taking my newly acquired photography skills and creative vision – thanks to a photo class Pedro and I just finished – and taking many, many photos that make me – and hopefully those around me – smile.  I someday, hope to sell/publish/and perhaps, make a little money off these images.

When I return in July, I will begin working part-time at the museum and that will allow me to further explore my image making as well as restarting the Pancake Merienda.  I will finally have the time. I’m not sure where this journey will take me, but I am excited to find out…and who knows where it will lead.  But one thing is for sure – I will be living life - for the most part - on my terms.  Finally.

See you in July!

Pedro’s Spanish Kitchen – Sevilla Orange Tortas

OK, so Pedro doesn’t actually MAKE these, but he did FIND these typical Spanish yummies the other day in good ol’ Reno, Nevada.  And for this blog, that’s good enough.

These delectable goodies are known as “Tortas” in Spain and at least until now, I’ve only seen these a) everywhere in Spain; b) a specialty cheese shop in Placerville, CA c) occasionally at the “Hispanic” market in town.  But thanks to a spontaneous trip to the market the other day, we now know you can buy these at… Whole Foods!  Whoo-who!

And whoo-who is right.  I feel it is not only correct of me to share this discovery, it is my moral responsibility to do so.  These Spanish “tortas” are akin to a deep-fried Mexican tortilla (not the same as a Spanish tortilla) and are generously coated with olive oil, and up until now, I had only seen them covered with sugar and anise seeds.  NOW – thanks to Whole Foods, we know that they also come covered in cinnamon sugar and…..OMG……Sevilla Orange.  YUM!

I wholeheartedly recommend you gobble up multiple packages of these Sevilla Orange tortas.  They are not only covered in olive oil (a staple of the Spanish flavor profile), sugar and orange essence, but are also sprinkled with zest of oranges from Seville!  I cannot begin to describe how yummy these are.  Sevilla Orange zest has a bite to it, which balances out the sweetness of the sugar – not really with a bitter flavor, but with a strong orange flavor.  These tortas are usually enjoyed as a breakfast snack, with coffee.  But if you are lucky enough to not to be a coffee drinker like me, you are free from the restraints of coffee-drinking rituals and can gobble these up at any time of the day and with any drink you wish!

 So if you have been to Spain and wish to re-live the flavor of the country, I suggest picking up a package of these.  Or if you haven’t been there and want to get an inkling of what you are missing and why Spain should be next on your travel list, pick up a package of these as well. Or if you could care less if you ever set foot in the country, and just want something with lots of flavor to snack on, try these as well.

I’m telling you…your craving for all things Spanish will be satisfied with a package of these Orange Tortas…if only for a minute or two.

Pura Vida, Indeed!

Beach outside of Puerto Jimenez, Osa Penninsula
Costa Rica

Well, I am back from Costa Rica and (unfortunately) all settled back in my boring routine at home. Our time in Costa Rica was nothing short of awesome, and what was especially neat about this trip is that every single day we had some kind of adventure that was just as amazing as the day before.  Two of the three locations we visited were pretty remote – one we took a rather small plane to (Puerto Jimenez) and the other was accessible by an hour and a half boat ride through the jungle (Tortuguero National Park). The other place we visited, Arenal Volcano, is set up to be more accessible (and is accordingly a little more touristy) but the experience we had at Arenal National Park felt equally as far-away and solitary as the other two.  I can’t begin to do justice to the many experiences we had if I try to fit all of them into this one blog, so I’ll leave the stories to dribble out over time, much like my experiences in Spain do.

 But for now, here’s a taste of what we experienced in Costa Rica.  And, sadly, for the last time for a while…PURA VIDA to all the magnificent Costa Ricans we had the privilege of sharing a bit of our life with.

Matapalo National Park, Osa Penninsula
Near Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica

Arenal National Park
La Fortuna, Costa Rica

Sunset over Tortuguero National Park

Costa Rica – Here We Come!

The Nicoya Pennisula from our hotel in Monteverde.
January 2006.

After much debating, planning and anticipating, we are finally headed to Costa Rica for 12 wonderful days!  Yay!  We are sooooooooo ready for some exciting adventures, to see a bunch of cool wildlife, take oodles of photos and eat lots of good Costa Rican food! 

I won’t be posting on the Pancake Merienda while I’m there, but I MAY post a few photos on Facebook.  So if we aren’t Facebook friends yet, send me a “Friend Request” and you can see what we are up to.

In the meantime…Pura Vida!!

Pedro’s Spanish Kitchen

Pedro multi-tasking with a Tortilla Española and... whatever he is chopping.

One of the best things about being married to a Spaniard, or at least my Spaniard, is that he does all the cooking in our house.  Why?  Well, that’s a question that requires some digging into the Spanish and their relationship to food.

Much has been written about the Spanish culture and its special connection to food.  I would characterize this relationship as sacred.  Food, on a daily basis, is something to be revered and prepared and enjoyed at its highest level.  Spaniards, for the most part, shun frozen food - as well as fast food - in favor of fresh, home-made fare.  In fact, in many food stores in Spain, there is only one, small frozen food case as opposed to multiple aisles of it in the typical American market.  While many Americans were raised on frozen food and think nothing of eating it (and think it’s pretty good!), most Spaniards seem pretty “grossed out” by the idea.  That’s not to say a Spaniard won’t eat frozen or fast food at all, they just do not eat it in the quantities near that of Americans.

Spanish Deviled Eggs - to die for!!!

That may change in Spain someday, as families simply do not have the time required to prepare a complicated meal.  It seems that nowadays, many a Spaniard will still go to grandma’s house or mom’s house for the main meal of the day (everyday) and consume the home cooked meal they are used to. But I can’t think this will go on forever, and the next generation may succumb to the American way of eating more fast food and yes, even more of the dreaded frozen food, simply due to the time constraints.  Spaniards, however, I’m sure will deny this. 

 

 

Anyway, when Pedro and I first got married, we had a plan to share the cooking responsibilities.  But that didn’t last long, as Pedro, like his compatriots, preferred Spanish cooking to my plainly prepared American food.  I don’t remember using a lot of frozen food as I don’t care for it much myself, but what I prepared was no substitute for the taste of his mom’s kitchen, which he really can reproduce quite accurately.  Fast forward seventeen years, and the kitchen and the food we eat are wholly his domain and with a few exceptions, pretty much all he prepares – and all we eat - is Spanish food.

A tableful of Spanish goodies including Sauteed Mushrooms with Ham (Champiñones al ajillo con jamón),
Spanish Tortilla (Tortilla Española) and Gazpacho made with Beets (Salmorejo de Remolacha)

And that brings me to a new feature of this blog:  Pedro’s Spanish Kitchen.  I think deep down inside Pedro has always longed to be one of those Food Network chefs, sharing the appropriate way to cook Spanish food with the masses.  While I can’t make that happen, I can share with my readers the things he makes and a bit about how he makes them.  To an American audience, some dishes will look great, others not so much (I just missed an opportunity to document a soup he recently made with baby octopi that I promptly named “Spider Soup.” Use your imagination!).  Other things will not be “dishes” per se, but little treats from his childhood that he makes for me today. 

If I am fair, it is really though his cooking – and the stories the surround it - that I have learned about his family and Spanish culture.   And now I am hoping to share this with you.

Buen Provecho!!

What to Do, What to Do

These photos were taken in Toledo's weekly flea market "El Martes" or "The Tuesday." 
I have seen so many (inexpensive) things in these Spanish lea markets that Americans would absolutely love. 
Could I make a living off of selling these treasures to folks back home?  That remains to be seen!

Ever since we’ve talked seriously about moving to Spain, I’ve had to think a lot about what I would do to make a living there.  One thing I don’t want to do is to move to Spain and (I see my Spanish friends and family chuckling here) …be poor. (My Spanish friends and family are saying, “You’ll be living in Spain – of course you’ll be poor!)  I don’t have to make tons of money either, but I certainly want to make enough to be able to do the things we like to do, such as travel and consume good food!

What to do for a living in Spain is perhaps one of the most daunting questions for me. For the past 15 years, I’ve worked as a “grant writer” for various non-profit or charitable entities in northern Nevada.  Grant writing is a branch of fundraising, in which you are the author of anything from simple letters to formal proposals for the purpose of raising money for charitable purposes. In this job, I’ve mainly worked for social service agencies, the arts and currently, education.  In Spain, I’m not sure there is even a profession such as “grant writing” and even if there was, not being able to speak or write the language with the fluency of a native pretty much disqualifies me.  Some of my freelance clients here have said that I could still write their grant applications even if I lived there via the internet/email, which is pretty much how I work with them now anyway.  That would be great, but I wouldn’t make enough to live on either.

Should my new career include exploring Spanish flea markets?

So with a move to Spain, I would have to figure out this “career” thing all over again.  After graduating with my master’s degree and discovering that being a professor probably wasn’t in the cards for me, finding a profession doing, well, anything, was pretty difficult.  I had no idea what to do.  And then, like many people, I just stumbled into a career – grant writing - while working at an agency that provided services for people with HIV/AIDS.  In grant writing, I found a profession in which I could use my writing and research skills and make a positive difference. The rest is history.  Fifteen years later, I’m still doing it…and really kinda burnt out on it, if truth be told.

So for better or for worse, when we move to Spain that will be pretty much it for my grant writing career.  I’ll need to find something new.  Again, not speaking the language well – at least at first – will render me unemployable in a regular job there for a while.  That and the fact that there are few jobs to be had there anyway are obvious barriers. So what I am thinking is that I will need to “create” a few small jobs to make a living.  Some of the things I’ve considered are teaching English part-time (although I really don’t like to teach – maybe teaching in Spain would be different?), starting an internet import/export business with the cool stuff I find at Spanish flea markets (Shopping? In Spain?  For a living?  Whoo-hoo!), selling stock photography (I’d need a better camera – not to mention better photography skills - for that!) in addition to grant writing for clients back in Nevada.

"El Martes" yummies!

But reality aside…it’s always fun to dream about what COULD be.  What we’d really like to happen is that we find a awesome little bed and breakfast to buy and renovate either at the beach or in the mountains or maybe even close to Toledo.  I would continue to blog about Spain, and naturally the blog would garner enough attention to be made into a book and then I’d be offered my own travel show focusing on Spain, much like Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” although by nature I’m not quite as “bad ass” as he is.  Nor do I drink like him.  The show would spin off into speaking engagements, which of course would pay very well.  In fact, I’d only have to do this for a few years…and then retire back to our bed and breakfast, which by then would just be converted to our personal residence, where friends and family could stay for free! 

So what do you think?  Should I go the safe route and teach?  Should I become a professional shopper?  A stock photographer?  Or should I become rich and famous as the modern day James Michner?

I know what I want to do!