Invisible People (A Blogger Helps the Homeless)

Heard this NPR story (on my beloved local KCHO station) this morning about formerly-homeless Mark Horvath, a blogger who is helping the homeless by recording their stories on video (known as a "vlog") on his site Invisible People.tv.

Take a listen:



In 2009 Mark traveled across the country, handing out clean socks and interviewing the homeless as well as community leaders regarding the plight of the homeless during these challenging times. This week he traveled to Anchorage, Alaska, to capture the stories of the homeless there.  By raising awareness through modern technology (blog, vlog, twitter etc.), he's generating funds to assist those in need.  Pretty remarkable guy.

Here in Chico you can help by donating (time, food, clothing or money) to The Jesus Center, Catalyst Domestic Violence Services, the Torres Shelter, or the Salvation Army. Even something as simple as cleaning out your closet and donating unused items can help.

Bacteria Be Gone!

My back yard strawberry plants have matured enough to produce a decent crop (enough right now for a nice fresh-fruit-and-yogurt breakfast every morning!) Such a treat. I do believe my homegrown compost is responsible for such large, lush berries.

How to effectively clean these little beauties (as well as any produce grown or purchased)? I recently came across a study done comparing 1) rinsing with water, 2) using one of those "veggie washes" you can buy and 3) simply using 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water in a spray bottle. (Click here to read the article or here to listen to the NPR report.) Turns out the vinegar solution (followed by a water rinse) removes 98% of bacteria on smooth-skinned produce. (You can soak more textured fruit and veggies.) I now keep a spray bottle filled with vinegar solution under the sink--super easy!

I also used a vinegar/salt/lemon combo recently to clean the tarnish off a brass tray my Mom wanted to display. Combined with a little elbow grease, worked like a charm. That vinegar is amazing stuff...click here for more uses (like removing those pesky stickers from stuff you buy!)

Is Chico an "Amenity Town"?

Have you heard the term "amenity buyer" yet? According to a recent story on NPR, "More Americans are living where they want to, not where they have to. They're making new lives for themselves by the beach, in the mountains, in college towns." Towns like Flagstaff, AZ, Aspen, CO, and "super-trendy" amenity towns like Jackson Hole, Wyo., and Park City, Utah are attracting baby boomers by the thousands, with no end in sight. (Having lived in the more densely-populated areas of the S.F. Bay Area and San Diego County, I can totally understand the desire to "get outta Dodge" and head for the hills!)

So is our little haven of Chico likely to become (or indeed already becoming) a draw for "amenity migrants"? Well, we do have: 1) The amazingly beautiful Bidwell Park (where my brother and I rode our bicycles just this morning), over 3600 acres of predominantly raw, natural beauty; 2) The gorgeous Chico State campus, conveniently located in downtown Chico, its stately elegance enhanced by Big Chico Creek which runs right through it; 3) The historic Bidwell Mansion, built beginning in 1865 by Chico's founder John Bidwell (Note: certain scenes in the film The Thin Man were shot inside the mansion--a little known piece of trivia I just now found out by reading the Wikipedia entry! I highly recommend taking the app. 50-min. tour of Bidwell Mansion, held daily except Mon.; just $4/adult, $2/children; click here for info); 4) A thriving and energetic arts community (with the upcoming highlight of the year: Artoberfest, a celebration of the arts, complete with the well-attended Open Studios Tour); 5) Proximity to the mountains, coast, and several major cities, but with a decidedly "small town" atmosphere, etc. etc.

I could go on and on, but those of you fortunate to live here, as well as past visitors & grads know what I'm talking about. While Chico has certainly had its share of Bay Area and SoCal "transplants" (my family and me among them!), the notoriously hot summers may keep some of those boomers away, despite amenities galore. It will be interesting to see what the next few decades bring in terms of growth and how it's managed...

Katrina & Peach Pie

"What HAVE you done with all those peaches, Laura?" many people have asked me. (Well, actually, no one has asked, but I know many of you are silently wondering.) I ate many and gave away even more. But last night when my bro John, his wife Jamie and I were on a little impromptu camping trip in the Cherry Hill campground, I started thinking (and talking) about all of those peaches rapidly ripening on my kitchen counter. Ever the chef extraordinaire, Jamie told me about her grandmother's technique of freezing the pie filling in a pie plate lined with "saran wrap" (did they really have that way back then?) and freezing it, removing the filling from the pie plate when it was frozen solid. When you need a quick dessert, simply make a (or in my case, buy one of those handy Pillsbury folded-type) pie crust, line the pie plate, pop the filling (sans plastic wrap, naturally) in, dot with butter, cover with top crust, crimp the edges (this is critical for a "finished" look), and voila! Ready to bake.

Now what does this have to do with Hurricane Katrina, you wonder? (Or maybe you don't, but I"ll tell you anyway.) While peeling and slicing all of those peaches (peelings and scraps will go right into the compost, of course!), I listened to American Routes on NPR. Based in New Orleans, this evening's radio show (produced and hosted by Nick Spitzer) focused on post-Katrina life in the "Crescent City." (Click here for a fun list of New Orleansisms.) Jazz clarinetist Dr. Michael White and vocalist/pianist Dr. John (ever notice how much he sounds like Leon Russell?--one of my all-time favorites) were featured. Great show; you can check it out by clicking here and then clicking on the Dr. John and Dr. Michael White links. (Oh, and feel free to email me at Laura@ChicoLaura.com if you want my peach pie filling recipe!) ; )

NPR Kitty

Due to popular demand, I'm posting a photo of "BK," the now-famous NPR Kitty. Yesterday I called in my NPR membership pledge, dedicated to "BK," AKA "NPR Kitty." (What's with all these initials anyway?) "BK" for "Bell Kitty," because she rings a bell when she's hungry or when she wants to go outside. (While she can meow--I heard her once-- she chooses not to, for whatever reason. Hence the bell.) "NPR Kitty" because, being the polite, thoughtful feline she is, she always waits until my clock radio alarm comes on (tuned to NPR) before climbing on me to wake me up in the morning. No matter what time the alarm is set for, she waits until the radio comes on (usually "Morning Edition") before sweetly asking for her morning head rub. Now that's considerate! Click here to see a short video of BK being crazy, playing with her favorite toy, a twisty tie. (Check out the ChicoLaura web site www.ChicoLaura.com )

Hair Samples used to Trace Movement!

Ok, now THIS is amazing. Half-awake, listening to NPR this morning, I heard a bit about researchers being able to analyze a person's HAIR to trace the history of where they've been. Utah scientists have been researching isotopes in rainwater, mapping geographic differences, which show up in drinking water and food and, ultimately, in the consumer's hair structure! The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Department applied this technique to track the movements of a "Jane Doe" (whose bones were found in their area) prior to her untimely death. Sounds crazy, but apparently it's proving to be fairly accurate. You learn something new every day! (Or at least you should). Click here for the full story.

Getting Things Done

Having read this book, Getting Things Done (The Art of Stress-Free Productivity), late last year, I wasn't surprised to hear in a review today on NPR that "Tech Junkies" have embraced some of the concepts and applied them to the Wonderful World of Computers. "GTD," as the book (and method) is apparently known by its devoted practitioners, has inspired blogs, web sites and even software.

In my personal and business life, the book truly did help to get me more organized (something I'm always striving to do). I revamped my entire filing system, instituted new "in" and "out" boxes (actually lovely baskets) for my assistant and myself, and started keeping "To Do" lists in the "Tasks" section of my computer. These are separated in the following areas: "Computer," "Phone," "Office," "Home," and "Errands." Each week I update each list in the computer and then print out updated lists, which I carry around in a clipboard folder (which I find easier to add to and check off as I go about my week).

Some of the web sites which have evolved from "GTD" are davidco.com (the author David Allen's official site), 43 Folders, LifeHacker, Getting Things Done (My Experience with Using GTD), and Office Zealot. Here's to a more organized, simplified and lower-stress life!