The Big Scout Project launched on October 26, 2010, my 50th birthday. After hundreds of tasks and lots of personal changes, I’ve learned much more than how to start a fire with a single match. I learned that I am, in fact, destined to be a lifelong learner. As I write this post, I’m six … Continue reading
I know very little about San Francisco, but I can tell you that everyone who’s spent time there has told me I’d love it. So when I had the chance to pop in and out for a work trip last week, I made certain I could carve out three hours for a good walk to explore … Continue reading
To my surprise, it turns out I thoroughly enjoy documenting life through the lens of a camera. I like the point and shoot method, followed by some trickery in iPhoto or an app. Yes, it would be lots of fun to play around with a high end digital camera–it might even persuade me to get … Continue reading
Each year, a whole slew of us here in Austin tend to hunker down and wait out the 10 day chaos that is SXSW. I typically play a few local showcases and otherwise stay home to avoid the lines, the traffic, the massive population influx. But this year I ventured out one night to see … Continue reading
Along with my friend Adrienne and my dog Freida, I hoofed several hundred miles this past year around Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake), in Austin, TX. The name’s a bit deceiving; it really doesn’t look like a lake. It looks more like a river that cuts from east to west and separates south Austin … Continue reading
My sister tells me that, as a girl scout, I used to carve bars of soap, and she says I was pretty darned good at it. too. I have exactly no recollection of this. None. And, as far as I can recall, I never took a knife to wood. But I’ve really felt the pull … Continue reading
This little project turned out to be a “badge task trifecta”: a chance to get folksy-craftsy, explore nature’s textures, and recycle a bit of junk. It was remarkably easy to do but took some time. As usual, I have to thank my husband for his patience as I took over our dining table for a … Continue reading
This is my street. Like all of the streets in this subdivision, the roads are wide but the homes are small. Even though there’s wide cultural diversity in this working class subdivision, the houses are quite homogenous. The name of this 1980’s subdivision is Buckingham Estates. Sounds pretty high brow, doesn’t it? Sounds like we … Continue reading
Here it is: a ridiculously easy, slightly offbeat holiday craft. It’s a great way to keep the kiddos busy on Christmas break, and it’s a great way to give a little gift to your own inner kid, too. This year, instead of buying all of your holiday gift wrap, make your own. Of course, if … Continue reading
In my 20s, before I could afford a place in Manhattan, my first few years in NYC were spent sharing a house in Jackson Heights, Queens with my friends Nyna and Wilbur. They were fun years, and the local Indian restaurants were amazing. We got robbed regularly (six times in one year), but frankly, we … Continue reading
