Turning 50? Buy Yourself Flowers

Every Friday I buy myself the Manager's Special flowers at my local grocery store, because I love flowers and because I deserve them. I'm turning 50 this year and celebrating all year long. Apparently, for just a few dollars, you can buy happiness, even if it's as ephemeral as the flowers. It's the little things.

The fun thing about Manager's Specials is (of course) they change from week to week, so I never know what I'm going to get.

I like to surprise myself.

Chocolate Banana "Pudding", Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free

I really, really wanted something chocolate, but I didn't want the sugar that usually comes with it. And, while I'm a fan of deep, dark chocolate -- I'm talking 80 percent, dark as midnight, make your mouth pucker dark chocolate -- I wanted a dessert and not just a piece of chocolate.

Miso Shrimp Salad

When the temperature in Seattle tops 80 degrees Fahrenheit, we grumble and whine. When it nears or exceeds 90 degrees our complaints approach 2-year-old tantrum levels. Luckily, that doesn't happen often. Unfortunately, it's happening right now. Since the vast majority of our homes don't have air conditioning we start to look for no-cook recipes in hot weather.

Alternative Plant Containers for Balcony Gardening

To celebrate Earth Day today, I started the balcony garden. The work in progress may be finished by winter, but then again, I'll probably winter over a few things as well. This project perfectly illustrates the Dull Knife Way: maximum self-sufficiency with minimum expenditure.

Woven Magazine Page Baskets

When my son was five years old, deep in his dinosaur phase, we visited the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. As we rounded a corner, a very large dinosaur skeleton suddenly loomed over us. My son froze, threw his arms out and toppled over flat on his face, overwhelmed by joy. Apparently, that kind of ecstasy saves supple young bodies from bloody noses and broken bones.