Dutch, Part 2 of ?

As hinted, I am going to make a biweekly departure from the ‘Friday Freelancer Report’ to bring you something a little spicier. This week, it’s the second installation of an experimental piece I started a number of years ago. For the beginning, check out Dutch, Part 1.

II

Like those post-Roman-treasure-loving warlords, who cared more about hoarding pretty bits of glass and whooping it up than patriotism and social reform, we forget that our actions will for centuries dictate to our descendants where they stand in the social hierarchy of contemporary construction.

Enter my ancestors –

Continue reading

2 Comments

Filed under History Buff, Of Family and Children

Gettin’ Me Protein

Every vegetarian hears it: “But, where do you get your protein?”

I’m sure plenty of them don’t have a good answer. I know that the first time I tried cutting out meat, I did it totally wrong. Living on veggie subs, spaghetti and scrambled eggs does not a good vegetarian make. Living on salads isn’t a good idea either.

Nope. Folks who eat no meat need to load up on beans, nuts, quinoa, meat substitutes like tofu and tempeh, and, if one is not vegan, animal proteins like eggs and dairy.

Continue reading

12 Comments

Filed under Health

Water Water, Gloom and Sun

This weekend, we spent what will probably be the last summer 2011 night at the family cabins. It’s always a little sad.

Worse, the weather was not really conducive to activities like swimming and sweating. There were a few moments of sun and heat, but for the most part, we were adding layers of clothing instead of sunscreen.

Then again, as much as I hate to admit it, there was also that oddly comforting whiff of fall in the air. I can think of a few reasons that the changing of the seasons would excite me this year, but in truth, I could live in a Michigan summer forever. That whiff saddened me more than it excited me.

Continue reading

2 Comments

Filed under Seasonal

Week Four/Month One:

Four weeks – one month. That went fast.

In the spirit of needing to branch out and work with real people, I met up this week with a former co-worker whom I call my marketing guru, my employment inspiration, my cohort in the great jailbreak. She’s worked a lot of places, and knows that a healthy and fulfilling work environment – whatever that might be for you – is essential to a successful career.

She gave me tips about branding myself, spicing up my resume and using my blog to market myself. These were things I knew deep down, but I think I needed a reminder that I had a decent foundation to build on, and just have to frame and build on it correctly.

Continue reading

Leave a Comment

Filed under I'm a Professional

Baby Stress, Early Death?

Aren’t zebra finch couples cute?

She better just hope he didn’t have too much tension in the nest when he was a baby.

A recent study out of the University of Glasgow looked at the long-term effects of stress hormones on zebra finch chicks. Not surprisingly, they found that a stressful chickhood increases the likelihood of early death for the birds.

Continue reading

Leave a Comment

Filed under Science

My Boyfriend, He Be a Rockstar

This is my husband. He plays keyboard in a band when he’s not handling dead bodies at the airport or rocking out on our upright grand.

Sometimes I like to call him my boyfriend. He was my boyfriend for five years, when we were young and so in love – good times. We’re still young and (even more) inĀ  love, but now and then it’s fun to feel younger and in newer love. You get it.

Anyway, this is him, and I want to take a second to spotlight him as the most important person in my life. He’s truly a rockstar husband.

Continue reading

2 Comments

Filed under About a Freak

Week 3:

And so, my darlings, we come to the end of Week Three of this experiment.

Still doing alright.

There’s something about that number, three. It seems significant…

Continue reading

Leave a Comment

Filed under I'm a Professional

Monster Squash

About an hour ago, I found these two hiding out in the squash plants in the back yard. Whoops.

I check the garden relatively often – I guess zucchini squash grow a little more quickly than I realized. Either that, or they’re really good at camouflaging themselves under the gigantic leaves of their plants.

So now I’m looking around the interwebs for what the heck to do with overgrown organic zucchini… I can’t bear the thought of composting the beautiful behemoths. Is it possible to make bread out of ones so large?

Continue reading

Leave a Comment

Filed under Recipes

Vikings and Tapestry

I am a huge history nerd.

And I’m probably the type that serious history scholars get annoyed with. I love the outfits and the music, the burly men and demure women, the elaborate decor and flowery speech.

I love vikings and tapestry.

Continue reading

8 Comments

Filed under History Buff

Week Two:

It’s the end of my second week as a freelance writer. How time does fly.

As I expected, my situation is slowly becoming a bit more profitable, and I’ve gotten a little better at managing my time. I’m more adjusted to the scheduleĀ  (although perhaps sleeping a touch too late in the mornings), and doing a better job at eating actual meals.

I was surprised to realize how much I relied on an office atmosphere and my co-workers to ensure that I was eating at normal times and always had filling and tasty dishes on hand. Earlier this week it hit me that I’d been lamely snacking here and there, eating way too much cheese and neglecting the spinach. No more! I swiftly bought bananas and made some potato-kale soup.

Continue reading

3 Comments

Filed under I'm a Professional