Blogversation: What do you want from your hometown?

Throughout this year, several bloggers will engage in a conversation at Newvine Growing and on their blogs—asking questions of each other and responding. Others are absolutely welcome to join the conversation, as well. Learn more about the ladies of Blogversation 2012.

So I the short answer for this week's question, What do you want from your homeown?, is simple: Sunshine.

I live in Seattle, see? For the past couple of years, rain has been a reality, not just a myth. For the most part, I don't notice it. I work at home a lot of the time and don't have to deal with messy commutes and frizzy hair. But it can wear on a person. I have some friends who relocated here and have had a hard time with it. They are built for serious summer heat and can't wrap their minds around the fact that summer doesn't kick into gear until well after the Fourth of July.

They also can't stand the passive-aggressiveness. I get that. But I choose to ignore it. I come from the Midwest and see friendly wherever I go. I moved to Seattle seven years ago and have built an enormous social circle here. So like the rain, I just pay the wussy and the lame no heed. 

Well, most of the time. I was soaking in a tub at a naked Korean bathhouse with a friend when a woman paddled over to us and asked, "Do you know how to whisper?"

I was quickly filled with rage. "Are you ASKING us to whisper?" Seriously, just ask us to pipe down. 

So I don't ask much of my city, because it already gives so much to me in sheer beauty and pine-scented air. But, for the love of God, people, please just give it to me straight. I can handle it.

Support your local farmers, bookstores, and authors!

On Thursday, September 23 from 5–6 pm, I'll be hanging out and signing books at the Queen Anne Books booth at the Queen Anne Farmers' Market (at W. Crockett & Queen Anne Ave. N). Buy your root vegetables and artisan cheeses, support your local farmers and bookstore, and pick up a copy of Simple Gifts while you're at it!

The work/play tug-o-war

It seems as if I’ve had vacation on the brain these days. If I can’t take a full-on break, I can at least dream about one. And this rainy Labor Day weekend, I’ve been trying to find my spots of blue sky where I can find them.

Sometimes they only exist in my mind.

On the surface, I had a great weekend set up. My childhood friend Ann, who I reconnected with last year, scooped me up and whisked me away to see Dave Matthews Band at the Gorge, a spectacular outdoor venue in Eastern Washington. We spent the night in Moses Lake, hit the breakfast buffet in the lobby, and hightailed it back over the mountains.

DMB was fantastic; the time spent with Annie was even better.

I continued the tour through my past when I got back to Seattle. My high school pal Kevin flew in from Chicago for Bumbershoot, a three-day music and arts extravaganza. The festival would be overwhelming even if I didn’t have a lot of deadlines. But I do. So I’ve been doing my best to find balance, the middle of the road between work and play, the desire to be a good hostess with the need to be an effective small business owner.

The results are mixed. In trying to do both, I’m doing neither very well. But what I am doing is the best I can. I sent Kevin off in the rain to see the Black-Eyed Peas this afternoon; I’ll join him in a couple of hours to check out some acts this evening. The holiday is almost over and I’m going to be as present as possible in whatever activity I’m engaged in, be it writing, editing, or rocking out. At least I'm going to try.

Do you ever experience work guilt when you play on the weekend or holidays?

Next up: Greenwood Library

I know you must be dying to discover the world of inexpensive and ingenious craft projects in Backcountry Betty: Crafting With Style. You're in luck! Come see me tomorrow night at the Greenwood Library. I'll be there at 6:30, talking up beach glass, pine cones, and all sorts of treasures you can find on the ground. I'll discuss my current state of craft dementia and my dream for a Battle of the Beach Glass Stars someday. I'll do a demo of one of the projects in the book, and Friends of the Seattle Public Library will be on hand to sell books. What's not to like about that?

Daniel G. Harmann + Goodness concert this Friday

Just a reminder that Goodness (fronted by Carrie Akre) is doing a couple final reunion shows at the Tractor Tavern in Ballard this weekend. My annoyingly talented friend Daniel G. Harmann is going to be kicking things off on the 21st so I encourage you to check out what will assuredly be a rockin' show.

It's like peanut butter has met chocolate in a scrumptious combination of Seattle music.

Tickets are almost gone for Friday's show. You can get them via TicketWeb.com and also at all Sonic Boom Record locations.

Duck fat is the new bacon fat

I went to a Basque wine tasting/food pairing last night at European Vine Selections with my foodie friend Elise. The wines were great and the food was bananas. Check out the menu:

• Sliced Green Pears with Flor de Sel
• Salad of Bitter Greens with Truffle Vinaigrette
• Seared Muscovy Duck Breast with Caramel-Vinegar Sauce
• Wilted Red Cabbage with Chestnuts & Watercress
• Sarlat Potatoes with Hachis
• Stewed Quince with Bay-Scented Cream

The chef from Feast was just wonderful, adding fresh fennel seeds from a plant she found at 19th & Roy to the pears. Several dishes were cooked in the duck fat from the breasts she served and it was beyond decadent. The stewed quince with cream filled my mouth with fall and I'm eager to whip up a harvest crisp now.

I highly recommend looking into these informal events at European Vine Selections. It was a small, friendly crowd talking food and politics; I can't wait to go back.

Goodness/DGH concert coming up

My favorite (and defunct) Seattle band Goodness (fronted by Carrie Akre) is doing a couple final reunion shows at the Tractor Tavern on November 21 and 22. My talented friend Daniel G. Harmann is going to be kicking things off on the 21st so I encourage you to check out what will assuredly be a rockin' show.

It's like peanut butter has met chocolate in a perfect combination of Seattle music.

Tickets are going quickly, and they're available for purchase online. You can get them via TicketWeb.com and also at all Sonic Boom Record locations.

My favorite photo from Bumbershoot

My musician friend Dan, my high school friend Kevin, and me at the John Vanderslice show.

A few shots from Bumbershoot 08

I should have been working yesterday but my high school pal Kevin came into town for Bumbershoot so I had to go with him, right? We saw my beloved Neko Case, Lucinda Williams, Band of Horses, and Beck on the mainstage (Beck was rockin', kicking off his set with "Loser"), wandered around the Seattle Center looking for bratwurst and roasted corn, checked out the Flatstock show—I'm obsessed with a certain Breakfast at Tiffany's poster by Diana Sudyka—and checked out the great indie crafts (I love you and your tooled leather goods, Kim Sun). I particularly loved a performance by members of an Australian troupe called Strange Fruit—two couples swayed and spun on tall, bendable poles. It was magical and whimsical.

Today, I'm sending Kevin off to Bumbershoot and it's back to work for me.

Rainbow sighting

I haven't seen any unicorns in Seattle lately but I did spy a double rainbow on Saturday night. Thank goodness I can't seem to go anywhere without my new Canon Powershot.

Stitch 'n' Pitch

A few images from tonight's Stitch 'n' Pitch event at Safeco Field. The weather was lovely, the food was delish, the yarn booths were plentiful, the knitters were industrious, and the Mariners were victorious. All in all, a perfect evening. (Please forgive my skewed angles on the photo; collectively, they look like an old episode of Batman. POW!)

Enjoying small doses of summer

Seeing spots has not kept me from a vigorous social schedule. Along with Jenna, Joey, and Kate, we struck out for the Mariners game last night. While the Mariners are not exactly setting the world on fire, they did manage to take one from the Florida Marlins.

But what do I care? I just went for the food.

Seattlites assume that it's the garlic fries I beeline for. After all, it's garlic + fries. Nothing wrong with that equation. Some assume (because they can see into my soul) that I am dying for a Polish sausage. Good guess, as evidenced by this post. Oh, this one too.

But no, when I go to Safeco Field, I hurriedly walk around the concourse until I find Dixie's Barbeque. Dixie's started as a side business to a mechanic named Gene and quickly earned a following on the Eastside (Bellevue, to be exact). I don't get to Bellevue much so it's a real treat when I can settle down with a barbeque pork or brisket sandwich and get to work. Dixie's has the hottest hot sauce known to man and in fact, the sauce is called "The Man."

And yes, I've met the Man. And it was love at first bite.