Tuesday's Tune: Someone Like You

This song by Adele came out several years ago.  When I hear this song, it always remind me of a particular time, a particular place, and a particular person.  I've been hearing this song a lot on the radio lately and thought I would highlight it for Tuesday's Tune.

I remember having a discussion about this song with an old friend.  I remember saying that this was like a "stalker" song because she shows up out of the blue to remind her former lover, who went and married another, to not forget about her.  Maybe, this message would also be applicable to her as if it was sent from her former lover: even though he's gotten married, he wants to let her know that he won't forget about her.  Maybe, he too couldn't keep away (despite suddenly feeling shy) and felt that he had to reach out and remind her that he still loves her, despite being married, and it's not entirely over for him.  How fair is that?  ;P

Oh well, it's just a song.  What do you think about this song and its message?

Northern Minnesota

This past weekend was a perfect fall weekend.  The weather was predicted to be wonderful (which really was), the leaves were changing, and I had an itch to drive to northern Minnesota.  I've been wanting to go to Sugarloaf Cove, which is about an hour and a half from the city of Duluth.  So, off I went.

It was a glorious, foggy, and hazy sunrise.  It was also a long drive but I eventually got to my destination, Sugarloaf Cove, located in a nature preserve.  Sugarloaf Cove is known for its colorful rocky shore.  It really was breathtaking and the water of Lake Superior was so clear.

Cascade Falls, Minnesota

Since it didn't take too long to hike through the nature preserve, I headed up a little further north to Cascade Falls, pass Lutsen, Minnesota.  I tried my best to photograph the falls with the bright sun out.  It's not the best, but it wasn't too bad of an attempt.  Next time, when it's cloudy out, I might hike down and try to take a better picture.

I also hiked up further and got to one of the many points of the river that flowed downward, creating Cascade Falls. Of course, I also got so many photos of the colorful leaves.  Maybe this coming weekend would be a better time, but I'm still glad that I got up north.

How was your weekend?  Did you go somewhere fun?

Friday's Quote: Unknown

I saw the above message somewhere (I don't remember and I'm so sorry for not properly crediting the person who created it), and thought it was perfect for Friday's Quote.  I'm a big believer that the people we meet in our lives, especially the ones we've chosen to love, came into our lives for a reason.

There are times in my life where I wonder what would have happened if I had chosen a different life, a different path, or made a different decision, and if I would have eventually crossed paths with a particular person that came into my life.  Maybe, we were destined to meet and would have met one another, regardless of the circumstances.  I'm content believing that regardless of whatever decision I would have made, that particular person and I will always be connected.  Even if s/he is taking a path that moves him/her far away from me, I know that our connection won't break.  I also know that I'll always love that person and I'm sure that person still loves me.  If we were destined to me each other, again and again, we'll find one another again because we are always connected.

Do you believe that you are connected to those you are destined to meet?

Cilantro Flowers

Tuesday's Tune: Blame it on Biology

This is such a quirky song by Andy Revkin.  It's so reflective of the miscommunications I've had in my life with the opposite sex.  OH...MY...GOSH!!! How true of the message that's in this song.  I recall of several miscommunication mishaps that's occurred as of late and all I can say is that we're two very different people and we see things very differently and I blame a lot of it on his Y chromosome.

Let me know what you think of this song.  Do you blame your miscommunication with the opposite sex on biology?

Middle Brother

Image credit:  http://liachang.wordpress.com

 Last night a friend invited me to attend the play, "Middle Brother."  The play is written by Eric Sharp, who also plays the lead character Billy.  The story is one about a Korean American adoptee living in Iowa, going back to Korea with the intent of being "Korean" for a year.  In the process, he manages to find his biological brother and must eventually confront his own conflicting feelings and perceptions about his identity and family.

I really enjoyed this play and must admit that I cried throughout the play (probably not the intent of the author).  I really connected to some of the themes in this play.  I found the themes of family, sibling bonds, and being an immigrant in the US to be very compelling and very moving.  Right now, the play is being performed for a short time period in the Twin Cities.  If you are in the neighborhood, please make time to go see this play.

If you want more information about Eric Sharp and his inspiration for writing this play, go to this website.

Summer Haze

Potatoes

Over the weekend I harvested all, but one, of my potato plants.  I love digging for new potatoes because it makes me feel like a kid looking for Easter eggs.  It's so exciting when I discover one in the dirt.  I once told someone I use to know that he should plant potatoes so that his kids can have fun digging in the dirt and finding potatoes.  I don't think he ever listened to me (he's not a gardener).  Oh well . . . if I ever have kids, I hope to plant lots of potatoes just for them.

As you can see, my fingerling potatoes did really really well.  The pink and red potatoes didn't do all that great.  I harvested only two purple potatoes, but that's because the last unharvested potato plant is probably still sprouting purple potatoes.

Once I brought my new potatoes into my home, I washed several of the fingerling potatoes and made a pan fried hash.  It was so yummy in my tummy.  I'll be enjoying the rest of my potatoes this week and maybe saving a few of the smaller ones to plant in the spring.

How does your garden grow (if you have one)?

Yaquina Head Light

Yaquina Head, Oregon

[The Labor Day holiday has thrown me off. I thought today was Tuesday and yesterday was Monday.] 

Oregon Coast

This past weekend, for the long Labor's Day weekend, I decided to visit a beloved friend living in Oregon.  I made my "demands" and came up with a list of things I wanted to do.  I basically said that I wanted to chase waterfalls and see the ocean, in particular, the sun setting on the ocean.

South Falls in Silver Falls State Park

My friend obliged and didn't disappoint, taking me up and down the Oregon coast.  Of all the days I was in Oregon, Saturday was the only day that was rainy and dreary, but it was perfect weather to photograph waterfalls.  The rest of the days were sunny, balmy, and beautiful.  I know that Oregon's weather isn't often sunny, but I like to think that the Universe was helping, in its own way, to accommodate me and my list of demands.

I first went to the southern part of Oregon's coast, then I went to the northern part.  In between, I ended up at a forest and spent most of that day photographing waterfalls.  (I'll write a post about photographing waterfalls at a later time.)  I even found time to go to the Oregon State Fair, which disappointed me a bit because it wasn't as interesting as Minnesota's or California's.  Eventually, I ended the trip on a sweet note by going to Voodoo Doughnuts before heading home.

The trip was calming, relaxing, and perfectly paced.  I love my friend and am so glad to have many of my "demands" met.  I can't wait until the next trip back (obviously to see more waterfalls and maybe go to Crater Lake).

Sun setting on Cannon Beach.  To the far left is Haystack Rock.