Brad and dela

Shopping Cart

2011-11-28T23:50:00.001-08:00

In India, it's not always necessary to go to the store to buy things -- sometimes the goods come to you!

Wallas (vendors) of different types roam the street with their wooden carts of merchandise. Coconuts, vegetables, fruit, oil, recycling pick-up, nuts & puffed rice . . . so many things that get wheeled right past your door.

There are 2 wallas that park just outside the Iyengar Institute to service all the hungry yogis after practice. The easy and convenience can't be beat! There is the ever-popular coconut walla and (new to us this trip) a lovely woman selling vegetables and fruit.

Our daily staples included beets, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, daikon radish, methi leaves, peas, limes, papaya, pre-cut pineapple, and tangerines.

Indian Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T02:51:00.001-08:00

Over the last 24 hours, in honor of Thanksgiving, we shared and exchanged our electronic vibrations of gratitude with family and friends. But one thing you cannot share over the Internet is food. (Brad and I decided that of all this holiday's traditional treats, we missed the pies the most!)

In honor of all the eating that has just concluded, we give you a few of the Indian delights that we have enjoyed in Pune:

1. Indian sweets - Jaggery and ghee are combined with other ingredients like milk, coconut, cashews, chocolate, and mango to create incredibly rich nuggets of sweetness. Our tolerance for sweetness has definitely increased over the weeks!

2. Fresh papaya - We've had papaya in our oatmeal every day this month and every one has been absolutely perfect! How are we so lucky, you ask? First of all, they are local and abundant. But the real secret is that I have help choosing the right one. I just ask the fruit walla (i.e. vendor) to pick a papaya that will be ready for the next morning. So far they've never been wrong!

3. Homemade samosas - One day our housekeeper, Kamil, was asked to prepare samosas for some guests from out of town. I'm not sure how old Kamil is, but she has at least 50 years of cooking experience under her belt. I've attempted to made samosas before and needless to say they did not come out looking anything like Kamil's perfect little packages. I marveled at how easily she rolled the dough into round circles in just a few strokes -- and how those circles were just the right size and thickness! We were very happy when she gave us a couple to try :)

Pune Central

2011-11-20T05:13:00.001-08:00

Sometime since our last visit in 2006, a large mall called Pune Central popped up a few hundred yards away from the Iyengar Institute.

Malls still feel incredibly out of place in Pune, where most of the stores are on the street. But we read in the local paper that number of malls is expected to grow considerably in the next several years. And it's easy to understand why. In the mall you are sheltered from the noise and pollution of the street. It's clean. It's air conditioned. There is an ample selection of a wide range of items: electronics, appliances, clothing, shoes, and groceries. There's free wifi and a food court. And it's a place people can come to hang out.

Many of the people there are young and dressed in jeans and tshirts. They carry cell phones and guys and girls hang out together. You can see India changing before your eyes. They want a part of the capitalist, consumerist, Western dream and the IT sector has made it available to them.

When we visited today, there was a thumping sound system outside with a DJ playing. It looked like they were setting up for a band to play next. Pune Central is the place to be!

Gloria Jeans Coffee

2011-11-20T04:54:00.001-08:00

We finally ventured out of our neighborhood on some errands today. On the recommendation of some of the other yoga students we decided to try a coffee place called Gloria Jean's on FC Road. It was very much like visiting a Starbucks: clean, corporate, modern, and located in a mall.

We drank a cappuccino, a macchiato, and ate a brownie while we watched the bustling street scene through the window and listened to an incredible (yikes!) mix of bouncy, booty, pop-techno. It was like being in a Western-themed fishbowl :)

Nice to get a little taste of the familiar once in awhile!

Chittranjan Garden

2011-11-19T03:58:00.001-08:00

Next door to the place we're staying at in Pune is a sanctuary -- a public park. It's not overly large, but parks are scarce in this city, so it is loved by people and birds alike.

At dusk and dawn, hundreds of crows call as they wake up or come home to roost. Hawks, kingfishers, finches, and birds from the magpie family also share the vast canopy and add their voices to the bird chorus. There is a playground for kids and lots of sitting area for the adults. In the morning you can see men and women -- some in sweats, some in saris -- walking or jogging briskly on the park's maze of pathways.

Giant tropical trees shade the grounds from the intense sun and add some much-needed oxygen into the air. In the middle of the park, you can finally find some quiet space, away from the incessant honking on the road.

We're very thankful for the garden :)

Jaggery: Sweetness That Is Good For You

2011-11-15T19:17:00.001-08:00

One of the things we've been enjoying since we got to Pune is using jaggery in our morning oatmeal. We like the distinctive carmel and flowery flavors that it adds. The other day we were investigating how it is made when we stumbled upon some surprising health benefits!

[From Wikipedia]: "Some consider jaggery a particularly wholesome sugar, since it retains more mineral salts than refined sugar and it is made without chemical agents. Indian Ayurvedic medicine considers jaggery beneficial in treating throat and lung infections; [and there was a study that] found that in rats jaggery can prevent lung damage from particulate matter such as coal and silica dust."

And we need all the help we can get protecting our lungs from particulate matter! Yay jaggery :)

The golden-colored, pressed form is the way you usually find it. Recently, we bought a bag of dark (darker means it's richer in minerals) granuals.

Essential Flavor

2011-11-14T03:11:00.001-08:00

Chai infusion everyday at 2:30pm in the Chetak lounge -- be there or be under-caffeinated!

Timeless

2011-11-14T03:06:00.001-08:00

Several things in Pune show signs of Westernization, but one of the things that remain the same are the lovely rickshaws!

Practice Makes Perfect!

2011-11-14T03:01:00.001-08:00

We arrived in Pune on November 1st and got down to our yoga practice and study. The practice sessions seem especially full this month.

I guess we are part of a very enthusiastic group :) !

Study Time

2011-11-05T07:22:00.001-07:00

When we weren't in treatment, napping, or watching movies on TV, we spent time at the library at the SDM College of Ayurveda, just up the road from the hospital. We had to get special permission from the principal to use the library, which had a small but good collection of yoga books.

The Canteen

2011-11-05T07:18:00.001-07:00

Our stay at the Ayurvedic hospital was made all the better by the friendly folks at the hospital canteen. While we were there, they were located in a small space across the street because a new canteen is being constructed.

Most of our diet consisted of thali (rice, rasam, sambar, buttermilk, veggies), dosa items (of which masala dosa is the most famous), pane puri, masala puri, iddli, wada, kichadi, ganji, and chai. Food was always fresh and served with a smile. The owner, Kaushik, even let us borrow his computer so we could check our email!

SDM Ayurvedic Hospital

2011-11-05T07:09:00.001-07:00

October 20-30th - We spent 10 days in Panchakarma treatment at SDM Ayurvedic hospital in Udupi under the supervision of Dr. Niranjan Rao. We awoke at 5am on most mornings and had various treatments throughout the day, including oil massages, steams, medicated ghee, and basti. 10 days later, we were well-oiled, rested, and cleansed!

The hospital was modest, clean, although not always very quiet (there were renovations going on). But the care was excellent and the price was very reasonable!

This experience is not for Westerners who are new to traveling in a place like India. But if you know how to get around and you don't need a pillow-top mattress, it was VERY worthwhile, healing, and memorable.

Airplane Disco

2011-11-05T06:53:00.001-07:00

October 19- On our way to one of the world's most colorful countries, iIt seemed fitting that our Jet Airways plane to India was outfitted with a lighting system that cycled through florescent rainbow colors.

Flying High

2011-11-05T06:48:00.001-07:00

October 19th- We departed Bali and headed out into the great blue sky, bound for India.

Gunung Kawi: The Rocky Temple

2011-10-18T02:31:00.001-07:00

This ancient temple is one of Bali's oldest and largest monuments. Our guide, Gusti Badra, led us down nearly 300 steps to bottom of the river valley and the entrance of the temple.

The temple complex spans both sides of the river and is truly awe-inspiring. Each side has giant (30 ft-ish) shrines cut out of the rock face, with pools, paths, and bridges scattered around the grounds. We felt that we were both inside a beautiful man-made structure AND outside, in Nature's temple, at the same time.

Best of all (I thought) this temple is still in use today!

Breakfast, Bali style.

2011-10-17T01:05:00.001-07:00

Multi-course breakfasts are served on your porch. This morning we watched a rice farmer harvest his crop right in front of our bungalow.

Tirta Gangga: The Water Palace

2011-10-17T00:51:00.001-07:00

An aquatic fantasy garden, first constructed in 1948. It still receives periodic additions of statues and bridges. We took full advantage of the spring-fed swimming pool (the spring emerges from the base of a giant banyan tree) on this hot Bali afternoon!

Terraces

2011-10-15T06:43:00.001-07:00

This kind of beautiful view has inspired many an artist!

Culture Day

2011-10-14T18:06:00.001-07:00

We immersed ourselves in Balinese culture yesterday with a trip to the ARMA museum and a traditional Barong dance performance. Fabulous and inspirational!

Ubud, Bali

2011-10-13T23:03:00.001-07:00

The magic of Ubud is the tranquility that you find off the main roads. Every few feet there are entranceways with statues that beckon you into the garden oases that lie within.

Wild Utah - September 2010

2010-10-01T22:35:00.000-07:00

We returned to Utah to play in the slickrock fantasy realm!

Home Improvements - part 5: The Blue Wall

2010-10-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

The summer heat proved to be challenging to some of our native plants, especially in the planter next to the concrete wall. dela surmised that the sun's rays and heat were being magnified by the concrete wall and decided that a coat of paint would help!

Home Improvements - part 4: Spring Flowers

2010-10-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

After a few months of rain, the flowers started blooming. We also added some river rock to the garden.

Hope Improvements - part 3: The First Planting

2010-10-01T22:20:00.001-07:00

After consulting with Lili Singer, a LA horticulturist that specializes in California natives, we finally put plants in the ground in late November and early December. Theodore Payne Nursery provided the goods.

The Empty Yard

2010-10-01T22:16:00.000-07:00

Here's what the yard looked like before plants.

The Station Fire

2010-10-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

These shots from the Station Fire are now a year old (2009), but they're still amazing.

Home Improvements - part 2: Hardscaping

2010-10-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

We hired La Loma Development to build a set of stairs, a bench/wall, and a raised bed in our back yard last October (2009). They did a beautiful job, using recycled broken concrete pieces for the whole project.

First they built the stairs:

Then they cleared the corner and built the corner bench/wall:

Here's the planter:

Project complete!:

Home Improvements - Part 1: The Compost Bin

2010-10-01T21:38:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a year since we've posted -- it's time to bring things up to date.

This is a compost bin that we built last fall. Our 100-year old fig tree drops an enormous amount of figs and leaves every year. We only put about half of it into this compost bin because the other half won't fit!

Return to Zion

2009-09-22T07:44:00.000-07:00

Zion National Park was our last stop before home. We've camped here numerous times over the years because it's one of our favorite parks and it's only 6-ish hours from LA. We broke ourselves in on the Angel's Landing trail and tried out a 9-mile hike on the West Rim Trail before we left. The thunderstorms followed us to Zion -- each afternoon the top of the canyon would grow dark with clouds. Luckily, we didn't get much of the rain :)

Sunset Lightning Show

2009-09-21T23:48:00.000-07:00

That night, Canyonland's Needles District showed off it's light show!

Canyonlands National Park: Needles District

2009-09-21T23:42:00.000-07:00

A series of thunder/lightning storms accompanied us on our 7.5 mile hike through a couple of canyons. When the rain poured, we took shelter in rock overhangs and ate trail mix while the thunder shook the rock we sat on.

Thunder + Lightning + Sunset + Rainbow

2009-09-21T23:38:00.000-07:00

This is what it looks like when a thunder and lightning storm combine with sunset in Canyonlands.

Canyonlands National Park: Island In The Sky District

2009-09-21T23:34:00.000-07:00

The Island in the Sky district is appropriately named!

Natural Bridges National Park

2009-09-21T23:24:00.000-07:00

The day started dark and cold. A thundering storm followed us through the peach and black-striped rock canyons. We took shelter by ancient ruins, in a rock cave, and under a natural bridge that was covered in 7000 year-old rock art. The day ended with friendlier clouds and a beautiful sunset at the oldest of the natural bridges. The canyon loop hike (8.75 miles) in the park is well worth the time and effort AND can be hiked without shoes!

Valley of the Gods, AZ

2009-09-21T23:19:00.000-07:00

Warm desert night . . . tent that doesn't need the rainfly . . . a magical hike through a landscape filled with Red Jasper . . . breakfast of oatmeal and coffee on concrete barriers on the side of the road . . .

Hopi land and Canyon de Chelly National Park

2009-09-21T23:12:00.000-07:00

Beautiful clouds filled the sky through the Hopi Reservation in Arizona.

dela on the rim of Canyon de Chelly National Park.

Another lookout point in Canyon de Chelly.

Friends

2009-09-02T22:51:00.000-07:00

ANNA

EDDIE

Smiles for Healthy Living

Element: Water

2009-08-31T23:16:00.000-07:00

LooK! A Fish!

Element: Fire

2009-08-31T23:08:00.000-07:00

Where there is smoke ......

The view from our window Aug. 30, 2009 8am looking North to the San Gabriel Mountains

Scorcher!

2009-08-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

The mountains are burning above La Canada and Altadena, not far from our house -- but far enough that it's not a worry for us.

Metamorphosis - Day 9

2009-08-21T20:19:00.001-07:00

Here was the bench/raised bed on the morning of the 9th day . . .

. . . and here it is at the end of the day! After I took the picture, we filled in that depressed area on the right side of the picture.

One day we're going to dig out the stump and level that area out so we can put a little round table in this nook :)

Metamorphosis - Day 8

2009-08-21T20:06:00.001-07:00

One of the fantastic properties of working with dry-stacked urbanite is the flexibility that it gives you. On the evening on Day 7, we decided that we wanted to modify one side of the bench and extend the wall out from the bench to create a raised bed. If we had been using mortared stone or a concrete pour, they wouldn't have been able to disassemble the one side of the bench and re-shape it.

So, the first step was removing more railroad ties.

Next, they brought in more concrete and gravel and started shaping the raised bed.

These guys worked hard and efficiently -- by the end of the day, they had put a backrest on the bench and made good progress on the wall extension.

Metamorphosis - Day 7

2009-08-21T19:57:00.001-07:00

Next up: a bench/retaining wall in the corner of the yard.

First the La Loma Development crew surveys the area and clears away a bunch of railroad ties, dirt, and roots.

The urbanite is cleaned and shaped by hand, piece-by-piece.

Each level is stacked with some dirt in between.

And the wall is backfilled with gravel for good drainage.

Metamorphosis - Day 6

2009-08-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

Awesome urbanite stairs -- check!

Vision vs. Reality

2009-08-17T23:48:00.000-07:00

Here's dela's "mock-up" version of the stairs. She tried to get a sense of how much work it might be to do this job on her own and decided she didn't have the expertise required to make a stable set of stairs. The exercise made it easier for her to show the landscapers what she wanted AND it made her really appreciate the skill required to make proper stairs!

Here's the beginnings of the professionally-crafted stairs at the end of day 5. Notice how they even thought of curving the stairway!

Metamorphosis - Day 5

2009-08-17T23:33:00.000-07:00

Gravel . . .

plus sand, concrete mix, water, and spinning = mortar

It's important to keep everything level!

Now the urbanite is laid on top of the gravel and mortar.

It's like putting a puzzle together!

Metamorphosis - Days 2-4

2009-08-17T23:18:00.000-07:00

This large pile of gravel (recycled and crushed concrete, not gravel from a riverbed) will keep our other dirt pile company in the driveway for the next week or so. It must be hauled down our steep stairs, bucket by bucket, into our yard -- it's the base layer that rests under the mortar.

We have a deep appreciation for how much work this is, because we've hauled a few cubic yards of that dirt ourselves over the past few weeks (we're leveling out some of the yard).

They've also brought in a bunch more "urbanite" (i.e. recycled concrete pieces) to augment our supply. All the materials are staged and they're ready to go!

Metamorphosis - Day 1

2009-08-12T22:58:00.000-07:00

You'll have to click on the picture above to see it clearly. It's a panorama of our yard right now. You can see our [almost] finished composter over on the left and lots of broken concrete, sand, concrete tiles, and railroad ties.

Our friends at La Loma Development just started work on some urbanite (i.e. recycled, broken concrete) steps and bench in our yard. Today was about clearing space and bringing in materials.

Here's the beginning of the outline of the stairs:

Here's where the bench is going to go:

It's Bin a Long Time . . .

2009-08-12T22:45:00.000-07:00

. . . since we've posted any updates. But, not to worry -- we've been busy planning.

One of our recently accomplishments was the building of the composter. Our 100-year old Morton Bay Fig sheds a lot of leaves and figs every year and our soil is in desperate need of conditioning. So, we thought it would be wise if we transformed our yard waste into compost.

You need a 3' x 3' x 3' -sized cube to compost efficiently (we repurposed the wood from our living room closet doors for the frame). We've created 2 bins, side by side, so we can let one sit while we're building the other pile. We're laying hay and horse manure in between the leaves to help the cooking process.

We still need to make some lids, but that will have to wait until some other projects are finished.

iRelatives

2009-04-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

We met our new niece, Kalia, online :)

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors!

2009-04-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

Next step in the backyard transformation: The Fence.

Old Fence:

No Fence:

Finishing the new fence:

New Gate:

Tree Removal

2009-03-27T23:37:00.001-07:00

One of the things we needed help with was the removal of several trees around our property. We've already got the GIANT Morton Bay Fig in the front, so we don't need more shade. We decided to remove a 20 ft. Black Acacia, a 60 ft. Pine, 2 small-ish Cypress trees, and some other small, sickly tree.

The tree guys were AMAZING! One guy shimmied up the pine using spikes attached to his boots and a rope/harness contraption. It took them about 5 hours to cut the big pine down because they had to cut it into small pieces and lower everything down on ropes in order to avoid the various power and phone lines running across the yard.

Bamboo Battle

2009-03-27T23:31:00.000-07:00

dela was so swept up in the mission to remove the bamboo behind our house, she forgot to take "before" pictures. It was a long (4-day) and hard battle -- many rocks and a lot of dirt was moved but, needless to say, the bamboo did not win.

Kamouflaged Kettle

2009-01-26T08:32:00.000-08:00

The new tea kettle that Mike and Liz gave us for Christmas matches our kitchen so perfectly, it's almost hard to find :)

Winter Wonder

2009-01-16T08:46:00.000-08:00

There were a couple of big storms that came through the Southland around Christmas (I'm a little late in posting the pictures). They were cold and left a lot of snow on our mountains. Here's the view from our house.

Our New Twin Bed: Comfort Fit for a King and Queen

2009-01-16T08:26:00.000-08:00

We were long over-due for a new bed (you could easily feel the springs when you were getting into it), but we kept putting it off because there was always something else to spend our money on. Thankfully, dela's parents saved the day by giving us a new mattress for Christmas.

This is a little different than your usual mattress. It's made by White Lotus Bedding ( http://www.whitelotus.net ), a company that specialized in natural bedding and furniture. They say they started making them custom for people who come from India and Japan and they were so popular that they offer them to the public now - they are advertised as their Boulder-Style mattress. We did not get an all-organic cotton version because it's more than twice the price BUT it IS made from "green cotton" (i.e. cotton that is treated with a natural, non-toxic, flame-retardant salt, NOT the normal toxic chemicals.

Thanks Mom and Dad!

Hot House

2008-12-14T22:10:00.000-08:00

We had the first test run of the house in "Party Mode" on Saturday night, when we celebrated Tania's birthday and our housewarming. Seems like all systems were GO!

Singing to Tania . . .

Fun on the ropes . . .

Mixing in the kitchen . . .

And dancing in the living room!

Hooked In

2008-12-12T19:11:00.001-08:00

We've long dreamed of having our very own set of wall ropes and now the dream has come true! We are one step closer to having a true Iyengar-style yoga studio in our house!

First, all the hitching rings have to be embedded in the wooden studs because they have to be able to hold the full body weight of a grown person. They also need to be hung at the same level all the way across. We spent all lot of time with a stud finder, the level, and a measuring tape, trying to make sure we drilled the holes in the correct place. (FYI, the studs should be 12" apart from one another -- we found that measuring was more accurate than the stud finder).

We got 11 out of the 12 holes right on the first try, which I thought was pretty good. When you screw in the hitching rings, you need to use some kind of rod to help you get them all the way in (as demonstrated by Brad below).

If you want studio grade Iyengar-style ropes, I would suggest ordering the ropes from someone who knows what they're doing. I've seen people buy rope from Home Depot and try to do it themselves with poor success. The ropes must be the right thickness (not too thick), EVEN in length, and have the nice knot at the end. I think the hardest thing is getting all the lengths even -- without that, they are pretty useless.

Then you tie the ropes on . . .

and VOILA! you have a set of wall ropes!

Now you're ready to enjoy :)

Cozying it up Green-style!

2008-12-06T22:18:00.000-08:00

Winter is here and we discovered that our house does not stay warm. It's almost completely enveloped in shade, which is great during the 100-degree heat of summer, but not so great in the winter. One of the places where our house loses heat is through the floor. Our subfloor is quite tall, which is great if you are doing repairs, but it turns into a large pocket of cold air under the house in the winter -- you could actually feel cold radiating from the floor!

The most efficient way of keeping out the cold is to insulate. Regular fiberglass insulation is nasty stuff -- the fiber hurts if you touch it and you definitely don't want to be breathing it! We chose to go with the much greener option of recycled-blue-jean insulation, which is made from shredded blue jeans and some salt. You can find more info here:
http://www.bondedlogic.com/ultratouch-cotton.htm

Anyway, Ron's workers delivered 17 large bags of insulation a couple of weeks ago. It took up a lot of room and was quite an intimidating pile. We eventually got to work and found the process to be tiring and dirty, but not hard. If you ever try this on your own, we DEFINITELY suggest goggles that seal on your face and a dust mask/respirator because there's TONS of dirt and dust that get stirred up and thrown in your face.

Bags of insulation being stored under Christina's house -- the other 10 bags are not in this picture:

Brad pushes the insulation into place. You literally just wedge it between the beams:

It's secured with rigid metal wires that also just push into place:

dela's ready to delve into the dust!:

Be Water Wise!

2008-12-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

A couple of months after moving in, our kitchen faucet started leaking. Any leak is unacceptable to us because even a slow drip adds up to a significant amount of water over time.

The repair was doable but more difficult than expected (of course) and took multiple trips through the checkout and return lines in Home Depot, but it was a great learning experience (for Brad that is -- dela wasn't really of much help). We tried using a donated faucet, but it was even more leaky than the original. In the end, we decided to buy a new, well-built American Standard fixture so our nights would be filled with silence instead of dripping :)

Window/Door Dressing

2008-11-29T09:49:00.001-08:00

This original color scheme was reminiscent of Lincoln Logs:

But dela's first try ended up reminding her little too much of some fast food joint (like In and Out Burger, MacDonalds, or Burger King):

Finally, after consulting our color-guru, Tania, we settled on the more reserved (but still colorful) combination below:

Shake n' Bake

2008-11-17T22:49:00.000-08:00

Here's our kitchen when we moved in. Notice the lilac-colored ceiling (which actually looked gray until I started painting over it) and the pizza parlor-style hanging lamp:

Here's the new and improved kitchen with orange walls, a much better lamp (thanks to Craigslist.org), and some paintings:

Wardrobe Change!

2008-11-07T19:57:00.000-08:00

We've been talking about redoing our couch cushions for a year or two now and we finally did something about it! You can't really tell from the pictures, but the green cushions were FINISHED! They were 30+ years old, the fabric was wearing thin and was stained in places, and the foam was crumbling and losing its shape.

We wanted the project to be as environmentally-friendly and cost-effective as possible. We tossed around the idea of re-stuffing the cushions with latex, but that was WAY too expensive. In the end, we decided to use a 100% post-industrial waste polyester fabric with foam discarded from other people's reupholstery projects.

dela vs. The Bird of Paradise

2008-10-27T22:43:00.000-07:00

When we moved in, there was a large (approximately 10 ft. tall) Bird of Paradise in the planter outside our living room window. You can see it in the picture below:

It was too big for the space it was in, so dela decided to remove it. The first part was easy -- she used the handy loppers to cut the stalks.

Removing the root ball has proven more difficult -- it's a bit like removing a tree! Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture before the battle between dela and the Bird of Paradise began, but here are some action shots:

The window above dela's head here is the same window in the first picture. You can imagine how big the plant had gotten!!

A Little Bit of Home

2008-10-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

A few years ago my (dela) parents asked me if there was any of their furniture that I wanted for my future house -- something to keep as a family heirloom. I decided to stake a claim on the Chinese cabinet that had been part of the living room in the Fitzwater house.

When I was back visiting my parents in August, after having painted the rooms and pretty much moved in, my Mom asked me if I was ready to take the cabinet. I wasn't sure it was going to fit or even match anywhere in the house. When I returned from my visit, I looked around and realized that it matched perfectly with the color scheme and feel of our room AND there was even a corner just waiting for it. And now here it lives -- a perfect addition to our room!!

Padma Jyoti

2008-10-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

In Sanskrit, Padma is "Lotus" and Jyoti is "Light" -- here is our finished Lotus Light! The last picture is the view from below. It hangs above our heads in bed so we go to sleep and wake up under the beautiful lotus form.

So, the Norm 06 is designed by Simon Karkov for Norman Copenhagen. The kit only gives you the lamp head, not the light socket, cord, or plug. That you need to find and assemble on your own. It's like a real-life scavenger hunt :)

Big thanks to Lupe, the lamp repair specialist at our local OSH (hardware store). He made sure we had all the required parts.

Lotus Assembly

2008-10-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

We've finally moved beyond sanding the floors and painting the walls! Next up: lighting.

Our first lamp purchase was a Norm 06, designed by Simon Karkov. You can see lots of good shots of it at:
http://www.normann-copenhagen.com/

The Norm 06 is a lamp that was inspired by Nature and lotus blossoms. The cool thing about it is that you assemble by yourself and you don't need any glue or tools because the design is brilliant and simple -- like nature itself :). It's made out of thick paper that is coated with thin plastic on one side. All the pieces arrive flat and scored and you just follow the instructions and piece the puzzle together.

The Road to the White House . . .

2008-10-18T22:52:00.000-07:00

. . . runs through Peet's! It's hard work, but we feel it's our civic duty to read the paper every day at Peet's in order to keep up on the issues. I guess you could call us pro-American patriots :)

Landslide

2008-10-18T22:49:00.000-07:00

Scary Halloween

2008-10-18T22:48:00.001-07:00

Time Out

2008-10-18T22:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you've got to just take a break from the grind . . .

Every morning we get to look out our window and see the mountains. Lately, the Santa Ana winds have been giving us AMAZING, super-clear views all the way down the range!!

Our friend and co-owner, Christina, takes a break from painting her house. She's been at it for weeks now! Christina chose to use SafeCoat's no-VOC paint, which requires a primer and more time between coats than the low-VOC paint we used. It goes like this: prime the walls . . . prime the base boards . . . wait 8 hours . . . apply the 1st coat to the walls . . . 1st coat to the base boards . . . wait 8 hours . . . apply the 2nd coat to the walls . . . 2nd coat to the baseboards . . . move to the next room. That's dedication!!

Kitchen Duty - part 3 (The Return of Magic Tania!)

2008-09-26T23:52:00.000-07:00

Tania, our friend and talented color consultant, returned to help us apply the shockingly-bright shade of "Sunflower" to our kitchen walls :) Thanks!!

Brad also pitched in with some expert rolling on the final wall.

Brad wants to know if you can tell which item is most orange in the picture below:

A visual meditation on the color orange . . .

Kitchen Duty - Part 2

2008-09-26T23:44:00.001-07:00

dela began the kitchen by scraping the walls, but soon became discouraged by the slow progress. Team 86 reconvened and decided to switch the game plan: tackle the ceiling first! It was a large part of the job, had no areas that needed to be scraped, and was a very gray shade of lilac. Finishing the ceiling would give an important psychological boost of accomplishment (and break from scraping) to dela.

In these photos, dela shows her well-developed edging skills. Look -- she can even edge upside-down!!

Kitchen Duty - Part 1

2008-09-24T01:37:00.000-07:00

It's finally time to paint the last room in the house -- the kitchen. The ceiling was easy (in fact we've already finished it), but the walls are another story. The last person to paint put water-based latex paint over an oil-based layer of paint. When you do that, the latex never really sets in and when the paint gets chipped, it tends to peel off in large sheets. Unfortunately, not all of it comes off so easy, just random bits. Enough to make your wall rough and prone to more peeling. So, dela has spent the last 3 nights scraping paint off the walls.

After scraping, you sand the edges of the paint that remains so that it's smooth.

Then you wash everything down with TSP (Trisodium phosphate . . . although because phosphates are bad for the environment, we're actually using TSP Substitute, which contains 80–90% sodium carbonate). Supposedly, the TSP creates little pock marks in the smooth oil based paint so the latex will adhere better.

And then, just to be safe, you put some spackle on the edges of the remaining paint and then sand it smooth, so none of those pesky edges start peeling.

Refreshed and Renewed

2008-09-24T01:28:00.000-07:00

Bathroom before (mmm . . . not so much):

Bathroom after (much better!!):

New sink, new high-efficiency-dual-flush toilet, new paint, new medicine cabinet and . . .voila! A pleasant bathroom :)

Down and Dirty

2008-08-31T20:59:00.000-07:00

dela takes on the shop vac!

Needless to say, a shop vac is a MUST HAVE item for renovations. This vaccum hadn't really been sucking dirt with gusto since we used it to clean up the shellack dust from the floor. Today, dela decided to go further than just shaking the dust out of the filter, she actually stuck her finger between the flaps of the filter and dug the fine, packed dust out. You can see the remnants covering her -- giving her skin a distinct glow :)

Restoration Hardware

2008-08-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

The most time consuming aspect of this renovation (as in many projects) is the details.

We've spent many, many hours scraping the paint off the hardware of our metal windows with putty knives and screwdrivers, polishing them with steel wool, and spraying them with a clear, gloss coat. It seemed never-ending at first. The little wingnuts below, which are used to hold in some of the screens, can EACH take 20-30 minutes (the paint covered ones are on the left and the scraped ones are on the right). There are 28 of those, which means that we'll spend 9-14 hours on just those. There were 14 handles and 7 cranks.

The bottom picture shows the finished product: shiny, non-paint dabbled, metal handles on a freshly sanded, freshly painted metal window.

It made me very happy that we don't have more windows. It also made me reflect on how much work it would be to keep up a really large house, especially in the days before power tools!!

Closet Makeover

2008-08-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

We decided that the barn doors on the closet were a little too rustic for us, so we've given it a modern makeover (thanks to Scott, the carpenter who did the work). Gone are the barn doors (we're going to sell them on Craigslist as soon as we can uncover them and take pictures). We recapped the walls with some red oak and stained it with the Polyx Oil we used on the floor. We also had him remove the top cabinets so the rest of the beamed ceiling was revealed.

The top will hold extra yoga props and the big open area will be my new painting home.

Seer in the Darkness

2008-08-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

When we were digging through our little sub-floor room, we found a pair of brass lamps that had owls perched on top!

In Native American tradition, the Owl totem represents the night, the moon, the mystery of silent wisdom, heightened vision and hearing, and the ability to perceive that which is hidden. It teaches the power of silence and contemplation and the balance of waiting and acting. Action is taken at the opportune moment and it should be swift and exacting. Owl teaches the ability to extract secrets from within -- to listen carefully to intuition. It also aids in clearing deceptions, within and without.

Owls are also associated with death and transformation -- perfect for a new start in a new house!

Roller Jockies

2008-08-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

The time has come to make our mark. We've got gallons of paint, lots of rollers and brushes, and a little help from our friends.

Our friend Marq has been an indispensable help for several days now. He's handy with tools and seems to have done most trades. He's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve!

Tania actually helped us pick the colors for our house -- now she gets to put them on the wall. She provided rockin' tunes (via iPod and boom box) to help move the work along.

See Brad bust his wicked roller moves!!

The Tree

2008-08-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

Some of you have heard about The Tree. It's a 50-80 year-old Moreton Bay Fig, an evergreen banyan tree. In its native Australian rainforest it can grow up to 150 feet wide and 200 feet tall. Luckily ours is not quite that big, although it occupies about a quarter of our property.

In the wild, a banyan tree is a fig that starts its life as an epiphyte when its seeds germinate in the cracks and crevices on a host tree (or on structures like buildings and bridges). The seeds germinate and send down roots towards the ground, and may envelope part of the host tree or building structure with their roots, giving them the casual name of "strangler fig". The "strangling" growth habit is found in a number of tropical forest species (particularly of the genus Ficus) that compete for light. Older banyan trees are characterized by their aerial prop roots which grow into thick woody trunks which, with age, can become indistinguishable from the main trunk. Old trees can spread out laterally using these prop roots to cover a wide area.

Our tree was planted, so it did not "strangle" another tree in the process. It's comforting to think that this massive being is nonviolent :)

Grit

2008-08-02T09:58:00.000-07:00

It seems like we've been sanding all week!!

First we thought we were just going to do a light refinish -- sand the top coat with a 120 grit screen, stain, and coat with polyurethane. But then I found this eco-friendly, oil-based finish called Osmo Polyx-Oil (made from plant oils and waxes and low-VOC mineral spirits). Unfortunately for us, it requires that you sand all the way down to the wood.

After doing the whole floor once (and thinking we were done), we had to go back to Home Depot and rent the sander again. We did another pass with 60 grit (courser than 120) but it didn't do the trick. We went to Home Depot YET AGAIN and got 36 grit paper and did THREE passes on every room to get to the wood. THEN we spent HOURS with the hand sander, smoothing out the edges and any uneven areas that the big floor sander didn't get.

Luckily, we had help our friends, Christina and Marq.

Turns out that our floor was finished with shellac.

Did you know that shellac is a commercial resin made from lac (the secretion of the familiy of lac-producing insects) -- most commonly from bugs found in the forests of Assam and Thailand? I didn't. It's as hard as you would expect a beetle's exoskeleton to be. Even after doing three passes with 36 grit, one with 80 grit, and a final pass with 120, we still needed to A LOT of hand sanding.

Needless to say there was a lot of dust -- we all feel like we have shellacked the inside of our lungs :(

Of course, it will all be worth it in the end.

Home Sweet Home

2008-07-31T00:36:00.000-07:00

To family and friends:
For those of you who don't already know, generosity and good fortune have smiled upon us :) We recently partnered with Brad's dad, Ron, and our friend, Christina Aumann, to purchase our first home in Pasadena, CA. It's up on a hill under a giant tree, not too far from where we live now.

The property is actually 2 houses on 1 lot. Brad and I will live in one house and Christina will live in the other. We're in the process of refinishing the floors, repainting the windows and walls, and replacing some of the bathroom stuff.

You should start at the bottom of this page so you can work your way from the entrance into the house.

We'll be posting updates about the renovations and the move during the next few weeks.

Home Sweet Home (in the rough) - The Bathroom

2008-07-31T00:29:00.001-07:00

Another hard room to photograph . . . We're replacing the toilet, sink, and mirrors.

Home Sweet Home (in the rough) - Guest Room

2008-07-31T00:25:00.000-07:00

This room is a bit smaller than our room, but gets more light. Our plan is to put a Murphy bed in the closet to maximize space!

Home Sweet Home (in the rough) - Our Room

2008-07-31T00:20:00.000-07:00

It's a little hard to catch an image of this room because it's very square. The door leads out onto a little porch. Hopefully, in the near future, we're going to turn the little porch into a big deck with storage underneath!

Home Sweet Home (in the rough) - The Kitchen

2008-07-31T00:17:00.001-07:00

The squares of paint on the wall are just the test color. Painting will happen next week.

Home Sweet Home (in the rough) - Entrance & Living Room

2008-07-31T00:12:00.000-07:00

Our new home with a cleaning but before the real renovations.

Paan

2007-01-11T12:24:00.000-08:00

India's favorite way to injest betel nut (a stimulant) is in paan. Paan/pan is a type of Indian snack, which consists of fillings wrapped in a triangular leaf package. Paan filling is generally a mixture of various spices (such as cardamom, saffron, cloves), fruits, and sugar. Paan makers may use mukhwas or tobacco as an ingredient to their paan fillings. Although many types of paan contain betel nuts as a filling, many other types do not. Paan is chewed as a palate cleanser and a breath freshener. It is also commonly offered to guests and visitors as a sign of hospitality and eaten at cultural events.

Here is a traditional street vendor -- the leaf is filled to your order right then and there. Nowadays there are also many mass produced, pre-packaged paan snacks for sale and their plastic wrappers often line the street gutters.

Modes of Transport: Rikshaw

2007-01-11T12:01:00.000-08:00

When it's too far to walk and not far enough to bother with a bus, you take a rikshaw. This is one of the more beautiful and sporty looking rikshaws we took in India (it even had a "big" sound system in it). In the old days, rikshaws were carts pulled by humans, now they're carts pulled by a scooter.

Some drivers decorate even the inside of the rikshaw and put their favorite diety on the dash for protection. And protection was often needed since many of them drive like madmen. They may have just been impatient men, but we suspect that it was probably the betel nut they chew to stay alert :)

Modes of Transport: Motorcycles

2007-01-01T20:44:00.000-08:00

Because cars are out of the budget of most Indian families, the most prevalent mode of personal transport is the motorcycle/moped. Everything that you carry in a car, they manage to tote on their motorized 2-wheelers. This includes 6x5 foot mirrors, furniture, cane, and families of all sizes. Notice how there is no helmet protection and how the women sit side-saddle (some of them even nurse babies while riding!).

Kathakali

2006-12-25T08:40:00.000-08:00

We were lucky enough to catch a performance of the traditional dance form called Kathakali (a benefit of being at a tourist destination during the high season). The performers wear elaborate costumes and makeup and are accompanied by two drummers and a cymbal player.

Usually, they perform scenes from India's great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabarata. There's always a bad guy (in black) and a good guy (in green) and then sometimes a woman or goddess (with the veil). The most striking aspect of the performance are the intense facial expressions acted out by the characters. We saw one actor flutter his cheeks in a sign of rage for about 15 minutes!

Kathakali used to be performed all night at temple festivals, but now shorter, public performances are popular.

Another Version of Paradise

2006-12-25T08:25:00.000-08:00

Varkala beach is our last stop before we begin our jouney home. It's located in Kerala State (very far south and west in India). Needless to say, it's idyllic: the water is warm and beautiful, there's a constant ocean breeze to cool of the tropical sun, and it's so pleasant at night, you forget that you are outside.

Here's the view from our new bamboo hut (this one is called the "Ayurvedic Galaxy Room"!). When we arrived, we discovered that Varkala is a hot spot for European vacationers. We feel like the only Americans here.

It's a Small World After All . . .

2006-12-25T08:10:00.000-08:00

India's great love of festivals extends to Christmas. We even had several Santa Clauses visit us last night at dinner, but instead of distributing gifts, they were asking for donations.

Stars: a fantastic decoration for Diwali AND Christmas!

Note: Two of the most common cell phone jingles in India are "It's a Small World" and "Silent Night". Even more strange, both tunes can also be heard coming from cars when they are in reverse!

Modes of Transport: Train

2006-12-24T09:28:00.001-08:00

India is famous for its trains. They have an amazing network that links the nation -- AND new lines continue to be added every year! People wait on platforms like this and when the train arrives, they swarm to find their car and then jump on board. The trains don't stop for very long -- a minute or two at small stations and 10 to 30 minutes at major ones -- so loading and unloading happen quickly.

This is a typical high-end sleeper cabin (second class AC, 2 tier). You get clean sheets, blanket, and pillow when you board and sometimes there is chai and food! The train ride itself is smooth and more comfortable than any other form of transport. We actually get good sleep on the train.

People in India are trusted to take care of themselves, so they don't lock the doors on the trains. If you choose, you can jump off or simply get some fresh air whenever you would like. Watch your step!

Signs of India #8: BZZZZ

2006-12-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

Some things about India make you feel so warm and buzzy inside!

Up High On Chai

2006-12-23T09:27:00.000-08:00

In the tea plantation village we sampled some local chai. Here's how they do it in some parts of Tamil Nadu. The long pour aerates the drink to create a frothy/foamy layer. Then the "barrista" dripped some sweet tea concentrate on top to flavor the foam.

Here's the final result: delicious and only 3 rupees (about 7 cents)!

At Work In The Fields Of The Tea Plantation

2006-12-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

On the second morning, we hiked 3 hours up the mountain emerging into this lovely, high-altitude tea plantation and village.

You may have heard of Nilgiri black tea -- here are some of the folks who bring it to you.

This striking woman is a good example of the typical worker in this village. Evidently the women do almost all the work. We found the men lounging on the grassy knoll next to the tea shop in the village.

On Safari

2006-12-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

We braved the 5:45am chill and went trekking all 3 mornings of our stay. Around 8am the fog would lift enough to reveal this magnificent landscape. On our first trek we saw wild boar, spotted deer, black buck, a bison, and elephants. We were surrounded by the sights and sounds of hundreds of species of birds as we walked.

Later in the evening, we went on a jeep safari and were fortunate enough to spot this family of elephants along the road. There were actually 6 elephants -- 2 males with big tusks, 1 pregnant female, 2 "aunties", and 1 two-week old elephant (pictured here). It was thrilling to be in their presence and in such close proximity!

And They Call This The Jungle . . .

2006-12-23T08:49:00.000-08:00

After awhile we reached a point where we could no longer process another temple. So, for contrast, we headed to the "jungle". Unlike past experiences where we were quickly overwhelmed by mold and mildew, the weather was temperate, not humid. In fact, at night we huddled under 4 blankets, 2 sheets, and 2 bedcovers while still wearing socks and sweaters. Otherwise, this bamboo hut was a super-stylin' accommodation.

Fortunately, the daytime weather was warm and dry -- perfect for lounging (or doing yoga) by the pool. Yes, it really was this beautiful!