In case you didn't already catch this, yesterday (June 10) would have been Maurice Sendak's 85th birthday.  In recognition, Google posted a Sendak-themed animated Doodle (a themed logo).  Sadly, I didn't see it first-hand, since I always search directly from my browser, but I was lucky enough to come across a friend's posting about it on Facebook.  (You can view an archive of Google Doodles - including Sendak's - here.)

I've always loved Where the Wild Things Are.  I even wrote up a proposal to adapt the book into a musical for a class when I was in college.  But it only occurred to me today that I haven't read any of his other books, which is a shame, because his catalog and work is extensive and impressive.

So, I'm thinking: At the tender age of 34, it's time I finally read the entire Maurice Sendak library.  How creepy would it be if I just go to the local library and hang out in the kids' section reading Maurice Sendak?  Too much?

Happy Fasnacht Day!

That’s the Pennsylvania Dutch version of Shrove (Fat) Tuesday.  On Fasnacht Day, we eat fasnachts, which are kind of like donuts.

I can't get real fasnachts in DC, so Krispy Kreme will have to do.

I can't get real fasnachts anywhere in DC - I didn't realize how regional they are until I moved here - and because I'm not getting up at 5 in the morning to make fasnachts before work, I bought a dozen glazed donuts from Krispy Kreme, which is a southern chain (if you didn't know).  It doesn't get much further from Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine than Krispy Kreme.

I do find sometimes that I miss the food of my youth; so much of it is regional and can't be found outside central PA.  It never occurred to me that this was all part of my cultural heritage.  Some of it is odd or gross, but it's still part of my heritage.  And I love telling people about Fasnacht Day.  Where I work, there's a significant international population, and the Americans here are very interested in and aware of other cultures as well, but no one seems to know about Fasnacht Day.  So I feel like this is my way of contributing to the multiculturalism at work.

Are there any regional or culturally significant foods from your childhood that you find that you can't get anymore and miss?

Baby, It's Cold Outside ... Oh, Yeah, and Happy Belated New Year

So, it is SERIOUSLY COLD in DC right now.  As in, the coldest temperatures the city has seen in something like 10 years.  And I'll be honest, I'm not enjoying it very much.  But I have been enjoying the electric blanket my parents bought me for Christmas.  The blanket is very useful, because my thermostat won't stay at a set temperature; it keeps resetting to its base temp of 58* and I have to keep re-setting it to keep the apartment warm.

Speaking of the holidays, Happy New Year!  I know I'm a little behind the times, but then again, I'm pretty much always late.


Happy New Year!  Sorry I missed the boat.

Speaking of the New Year, I was thinking about resolutions.  I haven't really made any, so my resolutions should be easy to keep!    My friend A.J. O'Connell posts all of her resolutions on her blog, and then posts monthly updates on her progress.  She did it in 2012, and is doing it again for 2013.  I think this takes a lot of chutzpah; I'm not sure I could put myself out there like that.
But today I did come across a good idea for a sort-off resolution, one that I think I can do and I'm happy to share here.  I follow a lovely blog called Chez Larson, which is written by a Swedish woman named Benita, and her blog covers crafty stuff and the renovation/design work she's doing on her home.  I love her blog, because Benita has a great minimalist sensibility combined with a real creative streak.  I find inspiration on her blog all the time. 

Anyway, so Benita published this yesterday, and I think it's a pretty cool idea.  (Ok, so if you don't want to click on the link, I will summarize: she takes a picture for each day, and then has all the pictures printed into a book at the end of the year.)  I would like to do something like this, and given that my Galaxy S3 takes awesome pictures and I LOVE Instagram, I think this could be fun. 

We're already more than 3 weeks into the new year, so doing a book by the calendar year probably won't work.  So, what I was thinking was I could do it by birthday year instead - start the "year of record" with my birthday, so the photo book would cover Age 34, 35, 36, etc ... this would also give me some time to get into the habit of taking at least one pic a day.

What do you think?  Could you do a picture a day?  Of do you have some other New Year's Resolutions you're working on instead?