how I've stopped being a catalog cow

I really really don't like all of the catalogs delivered to me in my mail.  Especially when I start receiving mounds of them for baby clothes and toys when I don't have any children. Or worse, the catalogs geared to the elderly full of muumuu dresses and foot callous scrapers.  Great, thanks. I imagine that buying presents for nieces and nephews or friend's kids has put me on the list for children's merch, but what on earth did I ever buy that flagged me for geriatric?  Did a catalog fairy see me scuffling around the house in my velour track suit?  A giant tent dress does sound comfy....  Stop!  Get these marketing mind-reading bastards out of my house. 

It doesn't matter, really, how I got on any mailing list.  I just want it to stop.  

Except for a couple of art museum, gardening or home designer type catalogs, I recycle 99.9% of the catalogs that come to me and find it to be a massive waste of paper, time, and energy - mine, the earth's, the postal service's and so on.  Why should I be a cow shuffling catalogs from my post, sorting it to the trash or recycling, then hauling it off?  Or am I a dog playing fetch?   I don't feel playful about it. Whatever the analogy, I shouldn't have to touch it at all.  Maybe I'm just dreaming like a princess, but it's worth putting up at least a little fight.   I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir.  Almost everyone feels that they get too many catalogs, don't they?

Before I get off my soap box, I feel compelled to report on one thing that I've done that has helped.  A non-profit service called Catalog Choice has significantly helped reduce all the unwanted catalogs in my mail.  After about a year of new online or offline shopping, my address gets circulated again and I have to add some stop requests to my account or renew old ones, but it has helped. It hasn't completely stopped the catalogs coming, like my inner princess would like, but it's the best I've found so far. 

It's free for their main service, though they take donations (tax deductible). You can also find catalogs through them, too if you so desire (which sounds insane to me, but do as one wishes).  It could also make a good gift for the elderly or persons less inclined to get online and fight the catalog current for themselves. If you are interested, check them out HERE.  If you have any other suggestions, let's hear 'em.  This is one problem that I welcome a shotgun of solutions. 

Exit Through The Gift Shop

"Exit Through The Gift Shop" is a documentary about art and artists and the art world without being like any other documentary about art that I have seen.  

The film's focus is on street artists but the essence speaks universally to artistic success, integrity and creative process in art.  The characters are fascinating and the story has unsuspecting twists. "Exit" does a great job of simultaneously  stirring creative juices while challenging views of ownership and artistic authenticity.  

Bonus: getting a glimpse of Banksy, and it truly is only a glimpse regardless of how some of the trailers look,  sweetens the deal for a fan like me.

best everyday sandals

I've been searching for good summer shoes for a few years.  Trendy thin-soled sandals don't hold up for me. It's partly psychological, but I feel like I'm too big for them.  It's as if I'll break them or they are temporary somehow. Maybe it's because somehow summer shoes evolved into something disposable.  Even though I enjoy wearing heels, they aren't really what I mean by "everyday." I can wear them - even run in them - but they aren't truly comfortable and in fact, many are probably damaging. 

I'm looking at the feet around me.  I want to avoid developing foot problems like most of the women in my family.  My mother, her four sisters, my two sisters and a long list of cousins have terrible foot problems - bunions for starters - and they struggle to find truly good shoes.  And the list of my friends with foot issues is also long.  Sure, blame genetics for their bad luck, but still, why compound the possibility for yourself?

"Good" to me means shoes that fit and look good.  That is the compromise - if the shoe fits well so often it's unattractive. (See orthopedic shoes and Birkenstocks if you aren't following this.)  Of course, where I live, in the Rockies, style is often compromised for green or healthy footwear and it's fashionable enough to wear hiking and river shoes here, but I don't want to wear athletic sandals every day. I want some style. I want to express myself.  And I want the option to change shoes around from day to day.  I think it's only right that we have everything we want in our shoe collection without compromise.  Don't you?  

Definition of a good shoe: comfortable, smart, good-looking and - for summer - cool, too. For full disclosure, you should know that I am a huge fan of John Fleuvog's shoes for all of the above reasons. And more.  Fleuvog's are smoking hot and most are comfortable.  They draw on retro sensibilities, which I share, but even so, they are able to also be very now.  And they are well made. Unfortunately even Fleuvog has not been able to provide the elusive 'everyday sandal' for me.  Plus, Fleuvog's are pricey (think $200 and up easily) - I'm always trolling for their sales.  Don't get me wrong - I'll gladly drop a lot of cash on shoes. And I do.  But they better be worth it. (And Fleuvog's are.)

This year, I found Wolky and my hunt for good everyday sandals was over.  This pair I'm wearing in these photos is just one sample.  They are more futuristic than they are orthopedic and that's partly what makes them work for me.  They have a lot of features - adjustable straps at every point you would want adjusting and removable foam and cork combo footbeds that mold to your feet and can be replaced with personalized inserts if needed.  I like the beefy soles and patent-y material.  They are easy to maintain as well as take on and off.  They are fantastic for traveling - they adapt from casual day wear to snappy evening wear in a pinch and I can walk the greatest distances in them.  Oh and did I mention that they just feel good? I recommend that you take a look at their varied collection for a style you might like.  Their prices are not significantly cheaper than Fleuvog's, but like Fleuvog's they are built to last.  (Check out Fleuvog's too, by the way, you won't regret it.) Oh, and in Missoula, the Bootlegger in the mall now carries some Wolky styles.

The best endorsement for Wolky is Mabel.  When I visited Mom in Indiana this summer, she admired mine, tried them on, and most importantly she was certain in an instant that they fit!  So, we ordered her a pair (in bronze).  She loves them.  You have no idea how happy that makes me.

I'm saving up for closed toe styles - probably boots - from Wolky now that the weather is.... turning.

Hori Hori Knife

I've mentioned the Bunny Brand Hori Hori before as one of the best tools in my garden shed and since then I have been asked where to get one.  

Try your local nursery first.  In Missoula, I know that Caras sells them because my sister picked one up there when she visited.  Online, you can get them from The Garden Shop in Washington state or if you are interested in a wide selection of Japanese garden tools or the Hori Hori in different sizes and metals, check out Hida Tools.  Oh and search tip:  I call it a knife, but Hida refers to it as a trowel.  (You can also click through my Tip store to quickly get one through Amazon.)

Also, I want to give a shout out to the amazing wonder woman Jen Pledge Master Gardener for turning me onto the handy thing many years ago.  She is a great go-to gal for gardening (and other fun things) in Missoula.  

I really USE tools and my carbon steel Hori Hori has been indestructible so far.  I use it for weeding the toughest buggers Montana has offered me without failure as well as the most delicate plantings like the thyme plugs.

The Millionairess

My latest movie recommendation is Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren in The Millionairess from 1960.  


There is no denying Loren's commanding beauty.  Wow.  But Sellers is the one most under-recognized in his career, I think.  I love him most in Dr. Strangelove rather than The Pink Panther works for which he is most recognized, but in The Millionairess he shows his range with another subtle comedic worldly performance.  It's a classic love story - the kind your mom would probably like.  (One I could comfortably watch with Mabel.)  Loren's character eventually redeems herself and Sellers is adorable. 

Even if you don't see the movie sometime soon, at least listen to a wacky song that went with it, "Goodness Gracious Me," performed by the co-stars.  Now I want the album/cd.

P.S. I guess this is a double-rec. If you haven't seen Dr. Strangelove yet, that movie is a requirement for anyone living in this century.  (I assume too often and incorrectly that everyone has seen what I consider the movie 'basics'.)  And if it's been awhile since you saw it and maybe thought you didn't like it, consider revisiting it. Pronto!

The Swimmer

This summer, we took a lazy, meandering road trip for three weeks to the Midwest and back. Night after night we rolled into towns, perused our options and stayed in hotels.  Many times we searched out the ones with a pool so I could swim.  Shedding my anxieties of work and life, and reflecting on visits with friends and family, I swam the length of each different pool. Back and forth, the obvious metaphoric cleanse became a simple satisfying ritual.  I felt like I swam across the country in a way. 

Burt Lancaster came to my mind.  Starring in the 1968 movie, The Swimmer, Lancaster played Ned Merrill. His body is fit but his mind is troubled. (Um, mine is the reverse, in my biased estimation.) The film, written by John Cheever and Eleanor Perry and directed by Frank Perry, has a simple and unorthodox structure, slowly revealing relationships, conflicts and the character's flaws. I don't love every scene, especially in the last half, but I love the steady rhythm of the film, the masterful use of subtext to move the story forward - instead of plot - and without question, Lancaster delivers as Ned Merrill. It's a fleshy surreal expression of human corruption as authentic as I feel I've ever observed in life. Oh and p.s. watch for a great little bit part from Joan Rivers.

get the message?

Supporting the reduce, reuse, recycle agenda is one good thing. Making the point effectively is another. 


This new piece from GOOD magazine hits the message home the way I like it most - strong and straight from the hip.

look again, what's in your hand?

We don't have television or cable, so I'm late to discover the Old Spice advert campaign, but I've long been an admirer of the firm, Wieden and Kennedy, who produced it.  Totally brill.  And not computer generated.  Just straight up creativity.

To hear how they made the movies, visit this link to Tech Burrito's thorough coverage, including two videos. The first video show's G4's Attack of the Show interviewing the scrumptious talented actor, Isaiah Mustafa, and the second video by TWiT Netcast walks through bit-by-bit the "I'm on a Horse" piece with the creatives, Craig Allen and Eric Kallman. 

It's so refreshing and inspiring to see work produced with so much commitment to creativity.  


Well done W&K!

And go Isaiah!

living patio, part 5

thyme in our living patio

I want to give a plug (ha, get it?) for my source for plug trays, Mountain Valley Growers.  I have been xeriscape and organic gardening for years now. I buy almost all of our plants and trees from local nurseries and prefer plants that have been raised in my region rather than shipped.  I also favor native plants except in the case of this patio.

When I have order something in bulk that I cannot count on locally, Mountain Valley has become my go to place.  They are certified organic growers out of Squaw Valley, California and have a decent website for study or shopping. They were super conscientious about sending thyme plants (especially to Montana) properly and at a time when they wouldn't just melt away in a mail truck from the heat or freeze (since I got them in April).  

I was very impressed by the health of the plugs and am pleased with how they are maturing.  Yay!

Mildred Pierce

My friend, Kate, recently announced that her favorite movie ever is "Mildred Pierce".  It had been years since I had seen it, so this week we watched it.  Made in 1945, this B/W movie is based on the hard-boiled novel by James M. Cain and directed by Michael Curtiz.  

Kate is right to love this movie.  For starters, the opening sequence launches the story with bold composition and mystery. Ernest Haller's cinematography is outstanding. The film has classic Noir elements, a flashback story structure, plot twists and melodramatic performances between a mother and daughter. The undertones of a feminist and anti-feminist struggle is rich, creepy and ultimately unresolved. The movie features powerhouse Joan Crawford who won her only Oscar for this role, plus one of my absolute favorite supporting actresses, Eve Arden.

With a tagline of "A Mother's Love Leads to Murder,"  obviously, many suggest the film to mothers, daughters and women for some kind of parenting cautionary tale.  I see caution for the precursor stage of love or marriage and for either gender. Regardless, the film is a great mysterious ride.  

Oh, and one more reason to see the film is in preparation for coming theatrical movie releases. Currently, HBO is remaking "Mildred Pierce" with Kate Winslet.  I greatly admire Winslet and wish her a lot, a lot, a LOT of luck since Crawford's are humongous shoes to fill on this role.  

keep learning

When Bruce and I started salty snack studios we each had our own camera.  He came slinging a great little Canon and I brought a Sony PD150 that I bought when I was getting a second MFA, this time in Media Arts, around 2002 or 2003.  (I can't remember exactly.) Anyway, it's a solid work-horse of a camera.  I definitely recommend it.  

A few years ago, we invested in a Panasonic video camera with a great lens that would shoot SD & HD, to tape or memory cards and hard drives.  (The PD150 only shoots SD/standard definition to tape.)  The footage has been fantastic, of course, and I do NOT miss digitizing tapes.  Obviously, our Sony and Canon became 'back-up' cameras.  I have to say though that during one shoot of a rock band show in a bar, the PD150 totally surprised us as the back up.  (Watch this little teaser that uses footage from both cameras.) Since getting the new camera, I have been a techni-chicken. I have completely depended on Bruce with the settings on the Panasonic.  Even when I am the one shooting, I ask Bruce to check settings for me.  I don't trust myself with it.

A couple of months ago, I was shooting video of my friend, Linda, making Tortilla Espanola with the PD150.    Linda is a fantastic chef and artist who once lived in Spain, so I organized a cooking lesson party with her for some friends and me. We drove to her home about a half hour from Missoula for the occasion. I took the PD150 because I know my way around my old PD150 grey mare pretty well. I planned to do all of the shooting plus let Bruce relax and enjoy the party. 

Within the first few minutes of the Tortilla Espanola Party, my camera screen was red.  People's faces, the background and everything was bright red. We adjusted settings and played around but it was a total bust. Apparently the chip died or something.  Something.  Something that once sent to the shop we learned it would cost so much to repair that I might as well get a new camera.  I'm sad to report that we put her down.  

The main thing about that PD150, is that you could really count on it.  Until you couldn't, apparently. The buttons were in all the right places or something because I found it incredibly easy to use.  I have a lot of distinct memories shooting with it, too. Moments of intuitive clarity staring into water through it's lens.  Walking around alone at dusty estate sales in rural Montana. I clamped it to ladders and hung it out of cars.  Once, Valerie and I forgot to shut the back door of the mini-SUV and I nearly lost it zipping down a highway in Polson.  I had accidentally left it recording, too, so I have the footage of carpet with audio of Valerie and I chattering to prove it.

Nothing like a piece of technology forcing you to move on and learn something new.  Now I must warm up to the Panasonic, find all the right buttons on it and get shooting again.  That's the thing.  Since shifting into the world of technology and away from natural materials and methods, I am constantly forced to let things go in a totally new way.  Not a better or worse way, just an unexpected way.  And my PD150 was the start of that discovery.

(photo, Shane Graff)

Here I am looking through the lens of the Panasonic and planning a shot in Burbank last year.  Bruce had already tweaked the numbers.

See the next post, 'learning at Linda's,' for part 2 of the story.

saying it out loud

It's so important for a person to speak their mind, don't you think?  

For the times when you can't find the real someone to direct your voice or when it just isn't polite,  the website Dear Blank Please Blank offers a refreshing way for people to speak up without (hopefully) hurting anyone's feelings.  In fact, the site helps turn grievances into a humorous note.  Literally.  

When you go there, be sure to go to the Moderator section and weigh in on what entries make it to their front page.  Oh, and write your own!  (Let me know if you do!)

A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints

A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, 2006, directed by Dito Montiel based on his book of the same title published by De Capo Press is a really good movie.

Seriously, one of the best movies I have seen in a long long time. An intense autobiographical story that delivers adolescent fear, hope and recklessness.  Well written and well done.  Fresh performances from a solid cast: Chazz Palminteri, Robert Downey Jr., Dianne Wiest, Shia LaBeouf, Channing Tatum, Rosario Dawson, Eric Roberts, many young actors I plan to keep an eye on, and one actor, Scott Michael Campbell that I just discovered on IMDB was born in Missoula, Montana.

p.s. Not for light-weights.

1967 spoof of James Bond films

A great cast fills this fun movie complete with 1960s psychedelic spinning rooms, groovy cars and silly spy gadgets.

If you enjoy the trailer,




you can watch the whole movie on YouTube courtesy of MGM.

Dead Sea Skin Care

I absolutely love this face cream: Delluvia Dead Sea Hydrating Day Cream.  I don't know if it smooths fine lines and all that jazz. I just love how it feels.  The stuff is packed with herb and mineral goodness and they don't test on animals.  I'm pleased to use something that lets bunnies be happy.  (Slurpy would like it, too.)

They stopped carrying the day cream locally, even though they still carry the rest of the line. Normally, I would just find something else.  Creams and lotions are mostly the same to me.

I like this one so much that I ordered more online.

A Light Read

Beyond games, I want apps to make my life more organized or lighter - literally minimize the stacks of bound leaves of processed wood pulp that collect in every room of my house until I trip over them, then eventually haul them out to recycling.  Publishers may cringe or jump up and down depending on how they see this, but apps hold enormous tidiness potential.

McSweeney's has a subscription iPhone app that they call Small Chair. If you know McSweeney's, you know they are solid.  If you don't, McSweeney's is a reputable publisher with varying content from whimsical to heady.  Just one example, "An Open Letter To My Artistic Potential" by Jamie King is a great tongue-in-cheek creative kick in the ass.  They publish great interviews with top notch creatives.  Check them out through the built in links. My point is that you can trust McSweeney's to pull together good collections of works.  Plus, they aren't sell outs for advertising (so far) so you can rely on a clean, uninterrupted read (at least on their end - you can't blame them for the neighbors dogs barking incessantly).

With Small Chair, Russell Quinn and McSweeney's did a beautiful job building a simple, smart interface that bridges the distance between a conventional magazine subscription and a virtual one.  Because it is in my pocket, I can pull up the app and read a bit of fiction while I'm waiting to meet a friend at a cafe or watch an art video when waiting at the dentist or what have you.  And because it is in my phone, it's with me most of the time but not as cumbersome as a collection of magazines.  Further, if I like an author and am interested in their other works, I can pop over to Google seamlessly without need for scraps of paper for jotting web addresses that eventually wind up in that recycling pile.  And if I do want to make notes for follow up, I put it in my iPhone and get this: my notes are kept more in order by being in one place.  It's a revolution, I tell you.  Not to mention a purge from the guilt acquired by physical magazines not fully read that lay under foot waiting to be 'finished.'

It works just like conventional subscriptions.  You pay a six-month subscription rate that includes the app purchase (right now the whole deal costs only $5.99) to receive weekly uploads of articles, stories, interviews, and videos culled from their publications plus additional exclusive content. I picked a combo of two of their magazines, Believer (more literary) and Wholphin (art & video).  With conventional hard copy subscriptions I would have had to commit to just one.  And I would have had a magazine and a dvd to dedicate my attention to separately.  And because the app is always on the run with me, I get more reading done this way.

Finally, I am not advocating that all printed material belongs in an app or is by any means better than gripping a hard cover, nose down and turning pages of a novel.  Nothing truly replaces that kind of experience.  Subscriptions like McSweeney's are perfect for apps probably because they are ongoing and short format plus they also have videos and music combined with the 'printed' word.  I'm not so ready to see The New Yorker do this. Partly because I can't picture it.  (They have an app for their cartoons that apparently reviewers feel is overdone with ads but don't have a full blown subscription deal like Small Chair.) The sequence of how you read a New Yorker is so important, I think.  Even if you start with the cartoons, as many of us do, the structure, scale and layout are integrated into that reading experience.  But hey, if they put Russell Quinn to work on it, no doubt they can figure it out.  And I'd be thrilled to give it a go, especially if it is as lean and smart as my Small Chair.

The Book of Answers

My brilliant friend, Carol, has a clever and fun book that you must check out.  My favorite is the Movie version and keep it handy to help answer tough questions.  And hey, it makes a great gift!