HOWTO

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Action Girl’s Guide to Living

The final writing class of the term was last night. I haven’t mentioned the writing class in several weeks because I haven’t gone; buying a new house has kept me busy.

I’m sad to have missed so many sessions. The instructor, Rick, is quite good, and I always came away from Wednesday night inspired, motivated to write. I want to create something.

Last night, Rick shared various bits of wisdom he’d gleaned from years of writing classes. While these may seem like platitudes, I think they each contain an important insight:

  1. Talent does not get you published; hard work and perseverance do. Perhaps this is obvious, but some of us it ought to be a mantra. You may be talented at something, but that talent is meaningless if you don’t use it.
  2. Self-loathing is far better than cowardice. This, of course, is just a re-wording of the old “better to have lost in love than never to have loved at all”, or the similar “shoot for the stars”. Basically, the idea is that if you try and fail, you’ve still done more than by not trying at all. Take a chance!
  3. Observe the world around you. This is especially important for writers, of course. Pay attention to the actions and conversations of the people you encounter. Observe what happens in the natural world. Learning to notice details makes life richer.
  4. Live life with an insatiable curiosity. Ah, yes. This one I’m good at. Never stop learning!

Rick’s rules reminded me of Action Girl’s Guide to Living.

I first discovered Action Girl when Dana mentioned her during our superhero discussion several weeks ago. Action Girl, created by Sarah Dyer, isn’t a superhero in the traditional sense of the word. She has her own comic book, sure, but her main super power is the ability to help people take charge of their own lives. Dyer has a personal agenda, and she’s pleased to share it with the world.

Here is an abridged version of Action Girl’s Guide to Living (follow the link for Dyer’s extended version).

  1. Action is everything! It really doesn’t matter what you say or even what you think; it’s what you do that matters. Be less of a consumer and more of a creator. Write. Sew. Cook dinner. Put on a play. Publish a magazine. Make a web site. Don’t just buy stuff: make it!
  2. Support other’s actions. Support what other people are doing; spend your time and money on things done for something other than profit. This doesn’t mean you can’t buy the new U2 album, just try to buy things on smaller labels, too.
  3. Have a code of ethics. It doesn’t matter what your code of ethics is — everyone’s is different — what’s important is to have an articulated set of rules you follow. You can change your mind as you go along — what works for you now might not work in ten years — but you should know what it is you stand for now.
  4. Don’t be a hypocrite. Once you’ve developed a code of ethics, live by it. Consider your actions and how they relate to your standards. Don’t make compromises. For example, if you believe that it’s wrong to eat meat because it exploits animals, then don’t wear leather, and don’t use products tested on animals. Be consistent.
  5. Be positive. Life is short. Don’t wast time bitching about others. If you can do something about it, do it. Otherwise, get on with life and forget it. Re-route your negative energy in a positive direction. If you hate something, fine, but don’t make it your career.
  6. Be open-minded. Read books and magazines and newspapers and web sites. (And not just the ones you already agree with or like.) Listen to other people’s opinions. You don’t have to welcome every new idea with open arms; just be willing to change and grow.
  7. Forget the “scene”. Discard the idea that a thing has to be underground to be legitimate. Or that something popular is necessarily bad. Good work is good work, no matter the forum, no matter how broad its appeal.
  8. Most things suck. Become more discriminating. Pursue quality. Don’t waste your time with the mundane. You’ll have more time to do something fun!
  9. Be adventurous. Try new things. Eat new food. Learn a new skill. Travel. Watch foreign films. Change your hairstyle. You might not enjoy everything you try, but then you might find something you really love.
  10. Live life. Never stop buying toys. Write letters to complain about things you don’t like. Make your own clothes. Do stupid tourist things with your friends. Never pay for a haircut if you can help it — that’s why you have friends. Learn to cook more than just spaghettios. Don’t hurt other people. Start a collection of something you like. Make elaborate valentines for your friends. Don’t be so serious. Learn to do more things and feel more competent. Don’t be afraid of technology. Don’t worry about what other people think. Have fun!

Dyer has distilled these rules into a succinct “Action Girl Manifesto”:

ACTION IS EVERYTHING! Our society, even when it’s trying to be “alternative” usually just promotes a consumerist mentality. Buying things isn’t evil, but if that’s all you do, your life is pretty pointless. Be an ACTION GIRL! (Or boy!) It’s great to read / listen to / watch other people’s creative output, but it’s even cooler to do it yourself. Don’t think you could play in a band? Try anyway! Or maybe think about putting on shows or starting a label. Don’t have time/energy to do a zine yourself? Contribute to someone else’s zine. Not everyone is suited to doing projects on their own, but everyone has something to contribute. So do something with all that positive energy!

It’s a great philosophy, one I endorse wholeheartedly (though I may not always practice it myself).

I have a couple of additions:

  1. Ask for it. You’ll never get it if you don’t ask. And you might be surprised at what you can get just by asking.
  2. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Who cares if your shirt isn’t ironed? If you forgot to mail the phone bill? If you can’t remember someone’s name? Take it easy. It’s not that important.

What’s the gist of all these rules? Do something! Don’t just sit there; get up and live!

Don’t watch a movie on television; go make one yourself. Don’t write a book; go write your own. Don’t buy dinner from a restaurant; cook it yourself. Don’t shop for new clothes; sew your own. Don’t drive to the store; walk, or ride your bike.

Be creative! Build things!

Discover new foods and friends and books and movies. Don’t be stuck in a rut.

Lighten up. Relax. Don’t be so critical of others. Instead, support what they do. Enjoy life.

These rules are important because our modern society programs us to operate like mind-numbed robots, driving everywhere, buying pre-packaged everything, consuming mass media. I’m just as guilty as the next person, but I want to change.

And that’s why I’m happy that over the past six months I’ve begun to write fiction. That, if only occasionally, I ride my bike around town for errands. That we’re buying an old house that will require personal care and attention.

I want to be an Action Girl. Er, Action Boy.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go eat breakfast. I’m going to have some of “Rick’s Precious Granola”, cereal my writing instructor made himself.

Comments


On 10 June 2004 (09:22 AM),
Johnny said:

Ask for it. You’ll never get it if you don’t ask. And you might be surprised at what you can get just by asking.

I am asking for everyone to send me a million dollars and join my cult, er, I mean my new religion. I have asked for this in the past, but this time I really, really mean it. If you have to choose between one of the two about things, please just send the cash. Thanks in advance.

PS. Just so you know, I need the cash because I’m going to meet the President of Nigeria. His assistant undersecretary sent me an email asking for my help in getting back a bunch of cash that apparently the evil former regime had socked away in a Swiss bank account. Once they transfer it to my bank account I can help them out, but I need lots of cash first in order to get the wire transfer authorized. So it’s obviously for a worthy cause. It’s not like it’s just going to lie my own pockets. I mean, line my own pockets.

On 10 June 2004 (09:41 AM),
Denise said:

Johnny, you’ve tried this cult thing before, haven’t you? Do you think you’ll have better success this time?

I love this post, J.D.

On 10 June 2004 (10:00 AM),
Johnny said:

“Action is everything”. I’m sure it wasn’t the success I wanted because people just forgot about it. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

On 10 June 2004 (10:10 AM),
Betsy said:

Great post, J.D.

Especially the ‘ask’ part. I hate asking people for stuff, or help.

It took the death of someone I am close to in order to jolt me out of my ‘I cannot possibly ask’ mode – but last week, I started asking. And people started responding. No one even thought twice about it, and people were glad to be able to do something, anything.

We all felt better afterwards, I am sure.

On 10 June 2004 (10:20 AM),
Virginia said:

I’m reminded of the saying,

He who whispers down a well,
About the things he has to sell.
Does not make the shinning dollars,
As he who climbs a tree and hollers.

On 10 June 2004 (10:43 AM),
Anthony said:

These rules are important because our modern society programs us to operate like mind-numbed robots, driving everywhere, buying pre-packaged everything, consuming mass media. I’m just as guilty as the next person, but I want to change.

Well put.

Action is everything! It really doesn’t matter what you say or even what you think; it’s what you do that matters.

I wouldn’t put it quite like that, but the point made is important. If you really believe in something, you will act it out in real time, so it is our actions, not our ideas, that faithfully reflect who we really are.

While I certainly do not agree that “it doesn’t matter what your code of ethics is,” I do think every person should be consistent with the code they choose. I continually try to maintain consistency in my own life, and I congratulate you, JD, in striving to escape the mindless herd and build your life around your ideals. Only people who think and do for themselves are free.

On 10 June 2004 (02:42 PM),
J.D. said:

Who knew? Benjamin Franklin was the Action Girl of the 18th century, though some of his advice seems dated now. Here are Franklin’s Goals of Virtue (via makeoutcity.com):

  • Temperance: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
  • Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
  • Order: Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
  • Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
  • Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; that is, waste nothing.
  • Industry: Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
  • Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly; speak accordingly.
  • Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries; or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
  • Moderation: Avoid extremes; forebear resenting injuries so much as you think deserve.
  • Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.
  • Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles or at accidents common or unavoidable.
  • Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
  • Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

I wonder what other good advice I can find on the net…

On 10 June 2004 (04:46 PM),
Hmm… said:

Ask for it. You’ll never get it if you don’t ask. And you might be surprised at what you can get just by asking.

Can you buy these for me?

On 10 June 2004 (04:58 PM),
Johnny said:

Well Nick, if you don’t tell us who you are how will we know where to have them delivered?

On 10 June 2004 (05:06 PM),
Nick said:

Hmm…good point.

Cellular

I give in.

You win.

Cellular phones are okay. They’re not evil. Some people may use them for evil, but they’re not evil in and of themselves.

We would not have our new house if it weren’t for the cellular phone we’re borrowing. The cellular phone has allowed us to track down all sorts of things while on the road lately. I’ve been using it for about a month, and I admit it: I’m hooked.

So now I come to you — penitent — and asking your advice.

Which providers to you recommend? (I’ll tell you from the start that I despise US West, so don’t recommend Qwest — they’re not an option.) Jeff and Jeremy recommend Verizon. What other options are there?

What kind of calling plans are available? What about pay-as-you-go?

What should I look for in a phone? If I get a cell phone, I want to be able to check my e-mail from it. This is not optional. I’d also like for it to sync with existing computer-based address books. Is this possible?

Yes, I’ve turned to the dark side.

Help me by sharing your experiences, good and bad, with carriers, calling plans, and phones.

Don’t gloat.

Just give me advice.

Comments


On 04 June 2004 (10:44 AM),
Tiffany said:

I have Cingular, I like it, good coverage. I have only lacked coverage in Alaska and the week of Sept 11. Nationwide coverage was important to me, but most likely not for you.

Plus they have roll over minutes that come in handy some months.
Check Costco, they normally offer a sightly better deal that you can get in the malls.



On 04 June 2004 (10:52 AM),
Denise said:

Don’t use AT&T – I’m changing over as soon as my contract is up…too bad it’s next April.

I have heard good things about Verizon.



On 04 June 2004 (10:53 AM),
mac said:

We have AT&T, their prices are fine, but sometimes their coverage sucks. You’re going to pay a pretty penny for internet services through your cell phone. Most phones hook up to the address books in your computer or palm pilot, but they usually DON’T come with the cable that connects your phone to your computer.


On 04 June 2004 (10:56 AM),
J.D. said:

So Dana, in an informative e-mail (why not comment?), also pointed out internet service via cell phone is pricey. So, in your advice, ignore the internet stuff unless you have first-hand experience with it. I’ll research that myself. For now, just focus on normal usage.


On 04 June 2004 (11:14 AM),
MightyLambchop said:

The AT&T thing is moot as that division is now owned by Cingular.

Pay as you go is good if you’re like me and you rarely use your phone.
However, if you will use it for work or business like my boyfriend does, you’ll need to go with a contract plan. Those will give you long distance, roaming and national coverage.

Sprint is pretty good as is Verizon for something like that. Both have good coverage. The trick is choosing a good phone. I have an ancient LG that has never let me down. My boyfriend has a Samsung that’s neat but it’s battery life is nonexistant and it never gets a good signal.

Read your contract thouroughly though. You don’t want to get locked into a crappy plan and sometimes buying out is more trouble than it’s worth.



On 04 June 2004 (12:28 PM),
Scott Smith said:

You may want to consider a blackberry phone from either Verizon or T-Mobile. This will recieve and relatively easily send e-mail, and the internet connection cost is reasonable IMHO. It comes with software and a sync cradle that will allow you to connect it to your computer via Outlook.
As a side note, I decided to move from a palm pilot to a pocket pc (Palm OS v. Windows CE) about a year ago. I found the easiest way to convert the information over was a free Yahoo account. Yahoo has a sync program that will upload and download from both platforms. So I uploaded the information from my old palm to Yahoo, then downloaded it to MS Outlook, which downloaded it to my new pocket pc.



On 04 June 2004 (12:33 PM),
Amanda said:

I love Cingular and hear only nasty things about AT&T and Sprint.


On 04 June 2004 (05:05 PM),
Betsy said:

I’ve had AT&T for over seven years now, and have not had problems until the last year.

First I got a new phone on the new network, but took it back after 2 weeks after a rash of missed calls/dropped calls/general flakiness. They finally admitted that they’re still scrambling to get towers up on this new network, so coverage might be spotty (I’m now told that any new customer MUST go on the new network – they let me switch back, though.)

Then I had customer service problems, after years of great service.

Now, I have horrible coverage, especially in my own house. Calls go right to voicemail & I never hear them ring, I have no network access, etc.

If it weren’t for the fact that I get perks from AT&T for being a longtime customer (reduced rates on new phone purchases, etc.) & the hope that Cingular might give us the rollover program as well, I’d be gone…

There is a way to get email notifications on your wireless phone, though – you can set it up to get a text message every time tagged people (or tagged subject lines or keywords) send something to your inbox. Yahoo used to have a notifier, and I know there’s something integrated with Outlook. What I don’t remember is whether or not you need to have your machine on and the email actually resident on your machine to trigger the notifier, or if it’s server-based instead.

I think that’s better than email on a cell phone -which I tried, and it sucked for many many reasons.

I’d really carefully check the form factor of any device that’ll let you do phone and email (whether a Blackberry or Treo, which I hear is way cool.) Will you like holding a brick like device to your ear? Do you need access to your calendar or phone book while you’re on the phone? Think it through carefully before deciding on a all-in-one device (I still like my 2-device partnership – cell phone and Handspring Edge – better.)

Finally – welcome to the 21st century. While cell phones have their disadvantages, they’ve saved my butt on more than one occasion…



On 04 June 2004 (07:44 PM),
Amy Jo said:

We too have joined the dark side. We signed with Verizon and two new phones are on their way to us (with a 503 area code)–just in time for our cross-country trip and looming homelessness.



On 24 June 2004 (07:12 AM),
J.D. said:

Three weeks later, I finally succumbed to the dark side. Here’s what I decided to go with:

A Sony Ericsson T610 phone with T-Mobile’s Basic Plus service and the t-zones add-on package (which gives me access to POP3 e-mail and WAP browsing for $5/month). One-year contract.

If, at the end of the year, I find that I’m using less than 60 minutes/month, I’ll drop down to the lowest service plan.

Roadside Weeds of Canby, Oregon

Previously I lamented that, while strolling down country lanes, I could not identify the weeds and trees and flowers before me; they all had names, I was sure, but what those names might be remained a mystery.

Warren recommended I pick up a copy of Helen Gilkey’s Handbook of Northwestern Plants. Powell’s had several used copies for under $10, and the taxonomic classification system for identifying the weeds was keen, but Kris found a book better suited to our needs: Northwest Weeds: The Ugly and Beautiful Villains of Fields, Gardens, and Roadsides.

Northwest Weeds is not nearly as comprehensive as Gilkey’s textbook, but it has the distinct advantage of having many (~250) color photographs whereas Gilkey’s book has only line drawings. The color photographs are a tremendous aid in identifying weeds.

Armed with the new book and a digital camera, I set out to identify the roadside weeds within a quarter mile radius of Custom Box Service. After a week of exploration, I’d learned a number of weeds.

The following photographs are low-quality digital images (it’s difficult to get close using a camera without a macro lens — plus my digital camera doesn’t allow me to adjust the aperture, so depth-of-field is bothersome). The text description for each plant is taken directly from Northwest Weeds.

 
[photo of Queen Anne's Lace]		 Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota), of the parsley family (aka umbels). Queen Anne’s Lace resembles the carrot, as well it should since it is the wild carrot. It is an erect biennial, up to four feet tall, with lace-like, multi-compound leaves. The plants are usually coarsely hairy. The carrot-like roots taste like their cultivated cousins but become woody, bitter and tough as the plant ages. The minute, white flowers grow in a flat-topped inflorescence, technically a compound umbel because it contains small umbels within a large umbel. The central flower is usually pinkish purple. Leaves immediately below the inflorescence are small but pinnately divided. Short bristles envelope the mature fruits. When it blooms in late summer, Queen Anne’s Lace is one of the most common and conspicuous weeds along roadsides in the Pacific Northwest. It thrives primarily in waste areas but invades meadows and pastures. It is native of Eurasia.
 
 
 
[photo of Himalayan Blackberry]		 Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus procerus), of the rose family. Himalayan blackberry is an introduced species that has become a weed of the worst kind. [Editor’s note: I disagree; I love blackberries! Look for a discussion of “what is a weed” at the end of this page. Update: Er, I forgot to add that section; I’ll add it later.] Himalayan blackberry is a weak-stemmed shrub that may grow erect, but more frequently clambers and spreads over other plants, crushing and smothering them. Its vicious, flattened spines hold tenaciously. The leaves are palmately compound, typically with five large, oval, toothed leaflets. Even the leaf and leaflet stalks have spines. The white to pale pink flowers, about one inch across, blossom throughout the season. This Eurasian blackberry is now widespread west of the Cascades, less common in northern Idaho and northwestern Montana.
 
 
 
[photo of Evergreen Blackberry]		 Evergreen Blackberry (Rubus laciniatus), of the rose family. Evergreen blackberry is less abundant and less aggressive than its somewhat larger cousin, but a noxious weed, nevertheless. It is distinguished from the Himalayan blackberry by the leaves, which also have five leaflets, but are sharply and irregularly incised and toothed. The fruits look much alike, but those of the evergreen blackberry are generally considered more desirable. This species is a European cultivated variety that ran wild. Its range is similar to that of the Himalayan blackberry.
 
 
 
[photo of Canada Thistle]		 Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense), of the sunflower family. This aggressive perennial weed spreads from deep rhizomes to form dense and persistent populations. The rather thin stems are two to five feet tall and branch at the top to produce numerous inch wide heads with spiny involucral bracts. The leaves are pinnately lobed with weak spines along the margins and wooly hair on the lower surface. The plants are unisexual. Male heads produce pollen and female heads produce numerous seeds that drift on the wind. The flowers in both cases are pale lavender to deep purple, the male heads tending to be more showy. This noxious weed was introduced from Eurasia to the United States and southern Canada, where it invades fields, pastures, and various waste areas. It is difficult to eradicate, but will eventually die if kept cut back.
 
 
 
[photo of Bull Thistle]		 Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare), of the sunflower family. The bull thistle is a coarse, branched biennial, generally between two and three feet tall. The leaves are pinnately divided, the lobes spine-tipped. The spines extend downward from the leaves along prominent ridges of the stem. White woolly hair more or less covers the stems. Minute stiff hairs make the upper surface of the leaves rough to the touch. Heads are about two inches wide, and very showy with their numerous, enlarged, purple disc flowers. A vicious spine tips each overlapping, shingle-like, involucral bract. In spite of the spines, horses consider the heads a delicacy because the bases of the tubular disc flowers contain a large amount of sugary nectar. They nip the heads off, and chew them very carefully. The seeds are a choice food source for some birds, such as the goldfinch. This native of Eurasia has established itself throughout North America. Like most thistles, the seeds ride the wind beneath a parachute-like pappus, finding their way to waste areas, roadsides, fields, and pastures.
 
 
 
[photo of Hedge Bindweed]		 Hedge Bindweed (Convolvulus sepium), of the morning-glory family. This perennial grows from rhizomes into widely branched stems that twine and climb, forming hedge-like growths over various objects or other vegetation. [Editor’s note: around Canby, the stuff just spreads like groundcover in the gravel ditches at the side of the road.] The Latin name describes its growth habit: convolvere means to twine and sepi is a fence; it twines over fences forming hedges. The leaves are shaped like arrowheads, complete with a sharp point. The showy flowers are very large, up to three inches long. The white or, occasionally, pink petals are fused and resemble a trumpet. The sepals are hidden by two large leafy bracts growing from the base of the flower. This introduced species is a difficult weed, especially in moist, waste and unkempt areas in urban centers. It also infests waterfalls and marshes, where it often smothers other plants. [Editor’s note: Maybe it’s not hedge bindweed I’ve found; my weed grows in dry places, not in moist ones.]
 
 
 
[photo of Prickly Lettuce]		 Prickly Lettuce (Latuca serriola), of the sunflower family. [Editor’s note: This plant gave me fits! Dana suggested it might be a milkweed, for reasons that will become apparent, and I was stuck on that for a long time.] The bitter and abundant milky juice of this annual or biennial herb is responsible for the generic term Lactuca, Latin for milk. Not surprisingly, some people erroneously refer to this plant as milkweed. The plants are two to four feet tall, with leafy stems and a starchy taproot. The leaves are pinnately divided or sometimes only toothed. They calsp the stem and have ear-like lobes. Prickles cover the leaf teeth, the lower surface of the midvein, and the lower half of the stem, thus the common name. Numerous narrow heads grow on thin branches near the stem tip. The involucral bracts are very uneven in length and surround six to eighteen lemon-yellow ray flowers. The rays are about 1/3 inch long and finely toothed at the tip. The seeds are teardrop shaped but have a long thread-like crown which bears the parachute-like pappus. This European native now grows over much of North America. It is a common weed of waste places, roadsides, gardens, and cultivated fields, especially in stands of alfalfa. The parachute-like pappus enables the seeds to drift on the wind. Prickly lettuce varies toward cultivated lettuce (Lactuca sativa 
 
[photo of Red Clover] Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), of the pea family. This is a coarse, deep-rooted and very persistent perennial. It is regularly cultivated as a crop and often escapes into fields, pastures, and waste areas, and is common along roadsides. The rather large leaflets with pale chevrons and the large heads of red flowers identify this weed. It is a pleasant weed that was introduced from Europe for cultivation.
 
 
 
[photo of Crab Grass]		 Crab Grass (Digitaria sanguinalis), of the grass family. This annual weed spreads horizontally, crab-like, over the ground in a near circular pattern. Each spreading stem terminates in three to five finger-like branches. The spikelets are more or less pressed against these branches. The generic term is derived from the Latin digitus, relating to this digitate or finger-like appearance. Originally native of Europe, this grass has now become a cosmopolitan weed. A closely related species of crabgrass, Digitaria ischaemum, separable only by technical characteristics, is also an introduced wide-ranging weed in North America.
 
 
 
[photo of Cigarette box]		 Marlboro Cigarettes (Cancerus marlboros), of the cigarette family. This noxious weed can be found along the roadsides of every state in the Pacific Northwest. Though typically only butts can be found, whole cigarettes can sometimes be discovered. On rare occasions, a discarded box may be found. Though toxic when lit, cigarettes are harmless in their unlit state. Children may be allowed to collect butts from the side of the road and to emulate smoking by chomping them between their teeth. A box of collected butts can be traded for a comic book or for a particularly valuable trading card.
 
 
 
[photo of Wild Oats]		 Wild Oats (Avena fatua), of the grass family. This wild cereal closely resembles oats but has a long twisted, bristle-like appendage (awn) borne on the back of one of the bracts, the lemma, which encloses the grain. This awn can lodge in the mouth or throat of an animal and cause infection. The awn also assists in planting the seed (grain); when it absorbs moisture, it uncoils, screwing itself and the seed into soft soil of cultivated fields. It may then lie dormant for up to 75 years [emphasis added] before germinating. The seeds are also harvested and sown with domestic grains. Wild oats is a tall (two to four foot) annual with large, widely spaced, pendulous grains. Introduced from Europe, it is now widely established in North America and is very difficult to eradicate from cultivated fields.
 
 
 
[photo of Pigweed]		 Pigweed (aka Redroot) (Amaranthus retroflexus), of the amaranth family. Of the several species of Amaranthus that grow as weeds in the Northwest, the most widespread is pigweed. This is an erect annual, one to three feet tall, with long-stemmed, egg-shaped or lance-shaped leaves. The thick taproot is red, which the common name suggests. The minute flowers are individually surrounded by three spiny bracts and are densely clustered in several cone-shaped spikes. Thousands of flowers may grow on each plant, each producing a single seed. Pigweed is a pernicious weed of cultivated fields [Editor’s note: I’ll say! Oh, how I hated hoeing this stuff as a child], waste areas, and gardens. The spininess of the floral bracts makes it an extremely unpleasant plant to deal with, especially when the bracts are dry. The generic name, Amaranthus, refers to the rigid persistence of these bracts. Pigweed is a native of tropical America.
 
 
 
[photo of Jointed Charlock]		 Jointed Charlock (Raphanus raphanistrum), of the mutard family. The common name of this species means jointed graceful compartment, and describes the characteristic fruit. At maturity, the fruits are about two inches long, and strongly joined between several seeds. Eventually the fruit breaks crosswise into units, each containing a single seed. The showy flowers vary in color from yellow to white, often with purplish stripes. The petals are about an inch long, including the base. This native of Eurasia has been sparingly introduced into the Northwest. It grows most frequently in moist waste areas and in cultivated fields.
 
 
 
[photo of Hairy Vetch]		 Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa), of the pea family. This typical vetch is a weak-stemmed annual or short-lived perennial that clambers over other vegetation, using tendrils to hold itself up. Soft hairs cover the stems, leaves, and sepals. The leaves are pinnately compound with numerous narrow leaflets about 3/4 inch long. The tendrils have several long branches. The reddish-purple flowers, each slightly more than 1/2 inch long, are crowded in narrow, elongate clusters. The inch long pods are reputed to be poisonous. This attractive European transplant provides a nearly continuous display of color, commonly growing along roadsides, fence rows, and other disturbed areas.
 
 
 
[photo of Oxeye Daisy]		 Oxeye Daisy (chrysanthemum leucanthemum), of the sunflower family. [Editor’s note: surprisingly, I could only locate this single sad flower to photograph. I don’t know where all of the daisies are hiding!] This perennial herb spreads by rhizomes. The stems are rather thing, one to two feet tall, and typically branch above to produce two or more attractive flower heads. The leaves are generally pinnately lobed or divided, the lower ones have rather long stalks, the upper ones are stalkless and clasp the stems. The heads are about two inches across have narrow bracts with brown, papery margins. The rays (fifteen to thirty per head) are pure white and the central disc flowers are yellow. This plant was probably introduced from Europe as an ornamental, then escaped cultivation to become on of our most common roadside weeds. It frequently invades fields and meadows where it competes aggressively, especially under grazing pressure, to form dense and expansive populations. The species is now widespread in the Northwest and continues to increase its range.
 
 

There are many more, of course, and I’ll add them to the list as I’m able to photograph and cross-reference them in Northwest Weeds.

Who knew weeds could be so fun?

Comments


On 27 July 2003 (08:42 AM),
Joel said:

Who hasn’t, on occasion, felt a bit like a Hairy Vetch? Weak-stemmed, short-lived, laboriously clambering over our fellow plants with limp trembling tendrils.
The preceding was written at work, shortly after I nearly destroyed a specimen.



On 27 July 2003 (09:03 AM),
Aimee said:

Side Note: JD! You’re reading Captain Blood: Bloody brilliant, arrrgh! I found that my understanding of Cromwellian and subsequent monarchies was full o’ holes at the onset of the novel. But, now as we’ve set sail on the Spanish Main, reading has been smooth waters … Let’s rap about this titan of Previously Unbeknownst to Me Literature …

The field guide to weeds – Now that’s a different story …



On 27 July 2003 (07:47 PM),
dowingba said:

We have those Cancerus Marlboros here too! Except they’re red. I looked it up, thinking it’d simply be called “red marlboros” or “poison marlboros”; but much to my dismay, they were called “Cancerus du Maurier”! There’s also a slightly rarer variety called “Cancerus Player’s Light”. Who comes up with these names?



On 28 July 2003 (05:36 AM),
Paul said:

JD,

Be careful with the blackberries! There be poison oak entwined within! I know all too well.

Paul



On 22 August 2004 (01:39 PM),
Karen said:

I have very tall, 10′-14′ weeds growing near my birdfeeder. Large leaves, 3-5 lobes each. The “flower” stems run out about 4 inches but never acutally flower. The little buds turn into stickers. Any idea what these are???

Best Gingerbread Cookies Ever

Mom made great cookies. My favorite were gingerbread cookies, hot out of the oven, with a cold glass of milk. Since I left home for college, I haven’t had a good gingerbread cookie.

Until last night.

For Monday Night Football, Jenn Gingerich made the gingerbread cookies from Cooks Illustrated (November 1999).

Cooks Illustrated is the Consumer Reports of food magazines. The staff tests dozens of recipes to come up with the best recipe for any particular dish. They test kitchen equipment. They answer questions about obscure kitchen tools. They research tips and tricks. This information is all presented in a magazine with no advertising. It’s outstanding.

Also from the same group are America’s Test Kitchen, a cooking show, and The Best Recipe, which is something of a cooking bible in the Gingerich and Roth-Gates households (five stars in 151 reviews at Amazon!).

The Cooks Illustrated gingerbread cookies are, well, the best gingerbread cookies I’ve ever had. Jenn also provided frosting, gumdrops, M&Ms, and red-hots to decorate the cookies. The result? A stomach ache from eating too many gingerbread cookies.

Just like being a kid again.

For the record, here’s the recipe for these cookies. (If you like this recipe, subscribe to Cook’s Illustrated — you won’t be sorry.)

Best Gingerbread Cookies
from the November 1999 issue of Cook’s Illustrated

The challenge: There are essentially two types of gingerbread cookie: the thick ones that bake up soft, moist, and gently chewy, and the crispy thin ones that can not only be eaten but also used to decorate the Christmas tree. (There is of course another type, but it would qualify as building material before it could be called an edible cookie.) We began by trying to perfect a recipe for thick gingerbread cookies but found that by using the very same dough and rolling it thinner, we could also produce a tasty thin cookie that held up on the tree.

The solution: The first thing we did to remedy the many construction-type recipes we found was to add more butter. A ratio of anything less than 4 tablespoons of fat to 1 cup of flour will produce a very dry cookie–which may be what’s wanted when building a gingerbread house but is not desirable in a cookie meant for eating. More sugar and molasses came next, making the cookies more flavorful, pleasantly sweet, and moist. A little bit of milk leant the cookies just the right extra measure of softness and lift. Now, whether thick or thin, we had a cookie that tasted as good as it looked.

For good measure: The recipe provides instructions for a slightly unorthodox technique to mix the ingredients that makes it possible to use the dough at once instead of chilling it in the refrigerator for several hours, as called for in most recipes.

THICK AND CHEWY
GINGERBREAD COOKIES

For about twenty 5-inch gingerbread people or thirty 3-inch cookies

If you plan to decorate your gingerbread cookies and make ornaments out of them, follow the directions for Thin, Crisp Gingerbread Cookies. Because flour is not added during rolling, dough scraps can be rolled and cut as many times as necessary Don’t overbake the cookies or they will be dry. Store soft gingerbread in a wide, shallow airtight container or tin with a sheet of parchment or waxed paper between each cookie layer. These cookies are best eaten within one week.

3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened slightly
3/4 cup unsulphured molasses
2 tablespoons milk

1. In food processor workbowl fitted with steel blade, process flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking soda until combined, about 10 seconds. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture and process until mixture is sandy and resembles very fine meal, about 15 seconds. With machine running, gradually add molasses and milk; process until dough is evenly moistened and forms soft mass, about 10 seconds. Alternatively, in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, stir together flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking soda at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Stop mixer and add butter pieces; mix at medium-low speed until mixture is sandy and resembles fine meal, about 1 1/2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and, with mixer running, gradually add molasses and milk; mix until dough is evenly moistened, about 20 seconds. Increase speed to medium and mix until thoroughly combined, about 10 seconds.

2. Scrape dough onto work surface; divide in half. Working with one portion of dough at a time, roll 1/4-inch thick between two large sheets of parchment paper. Leaving dough sandwiched between parchment layers, stack on cookie sheet and freeze until firm, 15 to 20 minutes. (Alternatively, refrigerate dough 2 hours or overnight.)

3. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

4. Remove one dough sheet from freezer; place on work surface. Peel off top parchment sheet and gently lay it back in place. Flip dough over; peel off and discard second parchment layer. Cut dough into 5-inch gingerbread people or 3-inch gingerbread cookies, transferring shapes to parchment-lined cookie sheets with wide metal spatula, spacing them 3/4 inch apart; set scraps aside. Repeat with remaining dough until cookie sheets are full. Bake cookies until set in centers and dough barely retains imprint when touched very gently with fingertip, 8 to 11 minutes, rotating cookie sheets front to back and switching positions top to bottom halfway through baking time. Do not overbake. Cool cookies on sheets 2 minutes, then remove with wide metal spatula to wire rack; cool to room temperature.

5. Gather scraps; repeat rolling, cutting, and baking in steps 2 and 4. Repeat with remaining dough until all dough is used.

THIN, CRISP GINGERBREAD COOKIES

For 2 1/2 to 3 dozen gingerbread people
or 4 to 5 dozen cookies

These gingersnap-like cookies are sturdy and therefore suitable for making ornaments. If you wish to thread the cookies, snip wooden skewers to 1/2-inch lengths and press them into the cookies just before they go into the oven; remove skewers immediately after baking. Or, use a drinking straw to punch holes in the cookies when they’re just out of the oven and still soft. Store in an airtight container. In dry climates, the cookies should keep about a month.

Follow recipe for Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies, quartering rather than halving the dough, rolling each dough quarter 1/8-inch thick, reducing oven temperature to 325 degrees, and baking cookies until slightly darkened and firm in center when pressed with finger, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Delicious!

Comments


On 03 December 2002 (08:11 AM),
J.D. said:

In typical obsessive J.D. fashion, here’s the breakdown of the Amazon ratings for The Best Recipe: five stars = 129, four stars = 13, three stars = 8, two stars = 2. Pretty darned good!

From reading the comments at Amazon, I’m led to understand the book contains a recipe for coconut chocolate chip cookies that is quite good. I’ll have to try it.

I should note that sometimes it is best to use The Best Recipe as a base for your dish rather than as the sole recipe. For example, we recently prepared Tuscan-style Game Hens. We used the preparation technique from The Best Recipe (brine the hens in a salt solution for several hours) but used an actual recipe from another cookbook (one of Caprial’s). Very nice.

On 03 December 2002 (03:59 PM),
Jeremy said:

The true cooking bible in our household is a collection of cookbooks by Marcella Hazan. These were recommended to me by my brother-in-law and have served us very well over the years. Some of you have had many meals prepared from these cookbooks.

-jeremy

On 03 December 2003 (11:34 AM),
J.D. said:

Yummy. I know what I’m doing Friday afternoon: cookie time!