Tonight you’ll find me at Bherd Studios Gallery, where the exhibition Vignettes is opening. Four Bherd represented artists each created a small series of work that tells a story or offers the viewer a glimpse of narrative through a sketch of subject matter.

In “What Kingdom is This?”, Siolo Thompson takes on the anxiety of our uncertain political, economic and environmental future and the impact our mistakes and the mistakes of those before us will have on the next generation. This collection of paintings features several large scale portraits that depict children on the cusp of adulthood posed as kings or queens and they ask us to consider the flawed kingdom that these young people stand to inherit.

In “Layered”, John Osgood explores the idea of masks and how they have been used across many cultures, not only as a symbolic item for storytelling, but also as a false emotion or shield to protect the underlying truth. He has often used masks in his portraitures, however, for this series, he’s creating three dimensional layered portions of wood to take advantage of the light and shadows, adding dimensionality and playfulness to his faces.

In “Confined Victorian”, CASH presents a collection of works inspired by historic Audubon prints and Victorian era taxidermy. He has incorporated the static feel of vignette photographs with the contemporary abstract backgrounds which he regularly employs in his art. He mainly uses light and muted tones, with brief hints of color to showcase the subject in each piece and melding the nostalgic feel with modern day elements.

In “Elegy & Hope”, Kellie Talbot draws on her love of typography and her background as a sign painter to create works that evoke the landscape of American artifacts and craftsmanship. Signs and typography, architecture, cemeteries and other emblems of a society are the inspiration for her oil paintings. The rust and decay in her work aren’t negatives. They are both an elegy and a hope. They are like lines on a face earned with time and commitment.

It’s going to be a great show and I encourage anyone who is in Seattle tonight to attend!

Bherd Studios Gallery is an urban and contemporary art gallery featuring emerging and mid-career artists from the Pacific NW. Their mission is to provide these artists with a voice to “bherd” & be seen. They firmly believe that there is a new contemporary art movement taking place in Seattle and are committed to bringing this movement to the forefront.

Bherd Studios is located in the heart of Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood, inside the eclectic Greenwood Collective building. With openings Friday, May 11th, from 6 to 10 pm and Saturday, May 12th, from Noon to 5 pm, Vignettes will be showing through Friday, June 1st.

Images courtesy of the artists and Bherd Studios Gallery.
Vignette descriptions are excerpted from the Bherd website.

By now I’m sure everyone has heard that Maurice Sendak, world-renowned illustrator and beloved author of some of the most impactful and enduring children’s books, died this morning in his Connecticut home. The New York Times said he was “widely considered the most important children’s book artist of the 20th century, who wrenched the picture book out of the safe, sanitized world of the nursery and plunged it into the dark, terrifying and hauntingly beautiful recesses of the human psyche.” For those of us who grew up with his work, Maurice Sendak is linked inextricably with our love of reading and our most early experiences of feeling “hey, someone out there gets me.”

Maurice Sendak’s characters peopled the imagination of my early childhood. I was too young then to understand what an author was or how a person went about getting those pictures and those words on those wonderful pages, but if I had a favorite author, it was he. The Nutshell Librarywas the perfect size for my little hands and, of course, Where the Wild Things Arewas as scintillating for me as it was for millions of other children then and since. I also loved Else Holmelund Minarik’s Little Bearseries, which featured slightly more tender illustrations by Maurice Sendak.

It was my mother’s patient and incessantly repetitive reading to me from those early books that taught me to read on my own. I was a bibliophile, even at that age, but because it would be a few years before I would appreciate the thrill of treasuring a beloved book on a shelf, like the favorite stuffed toy that exhibits childish devotion through missing eyes and bald patches of fur, my books from that period suffered worn out covers and enthusiastically annotated pages. Maurice Sendak would have approved. After replying to a note from a young fan by sending a card with a drawing of a Wild Thing on it, he got a letter back from the boy’s mother that said: “Jim loved your card so much he ate it.” Mr. Sendak said it was one of the highest compliments he had ever received.

It’s difficult for me to put into words exactly what it is about the art of Maurice Sendak that I love so much. Perhaps it is that I, like so many others, respond to the care he took to consider the real emotional life of children and to create fantasy worlds that spoke to that reality in a way that many treacly books for children would never do. The same thing that made his work controversial at times – that challenge to the ingrained perception of what it was that children wanted to read – was, in my opinion, precisely what made him so popular and so deeply adored. It isn’t good art unless it has the ability to stir powerful emotions, right? And Maurice Sendak certainly had the power to do that.

On his Facebook page this morning, Gregory Maguire, of Wickedfame and author of Making Mischief: A Maurice Sendak Appreciation, posted a touching tribute to Maurice Sendak, recounting Sunday night spent at Mr. Sendak’s bedside. “That night the biggest moon in thirty years, according to some reports, rose in the sky, settling all night long in a net of muslin clouds–I kept waking to look.”

It made me think of this:

A child once wrote to Maurice Sendak to ask, “How much does it cost to get to where the wild things are? If it is not expensive, my sister and I would like to spend the summer there.”

If there were anyone capable of depicting a most mysterious and marvelous place to spend the afterlife, it would be Maurice Sendak. May he rest in peace and live on forever on our bookshelves and in our memories.

Photo credit: Joyce Dopkeen/The New York Times

When astronomers and astrologers alike are atwitter over a lunar event, you know there’s something big happening. Hold on to your hats, folks, and make sure there are batteries in your camera, because tonight we have not just any Full Moon but a “supermoon” in the supercharged sign of Scorpio. Actually, you might want to think about securing more than your hats because tonight some serious shit is going down.

For the astronomically inclined among us, the big deal about tonight’s Full Moon is that the moment it officially turns full (11:35 EDT) happens only minutes before the Moon will arrive at perigee, the moment when it will be closest to Earth. NASA and other scientists have dubbed it “the supermoon of 2012.”

Besides the incredibly coincidental timing of tonight’s Supermoon, when a perigee Moon gets as close to the horizon as it will tonight, it can appear absolutely enormous, an optical illusion generally referred to as the “moon illusion.” A low-hanging Moon looks incredibly large when hovering near trees, buildings and other foreground objects and the fact that the Moon will be much closer than usual tonight will only serve to amplify this effect. The Moon will appear so close it may seem that we could reach out and touch it. You’ve seen those amazing photographs of a Full Moon looming over buildings or appearing to sink into the sea; weather permitting, you could capture one of those incredible images of a truly super Moon tonight.

The best time to view the perigee Moon is during moonrise or moonset. Here in Seattle, moonrise will be at 8:29 pm and moonset will be at 5:13 am tomorrow morning. Boston peeps, your moonrise will be at 7:38 pm and moonset at 4:54 am. The Old Farmer’s Almanac can tell you the exact time for your location, as well as lots of other cool Moon data.

MSNBC and Mashable both have great articles on tonight’s Supermoon. The breadth of coverage this Full Moon is getting is another indication of how excited people are getting about it.

Of course, one explanation for all of the excitement is more astrological than astronomical. Scorpio energy is intense any time, let alone on a Full Moon that is this incredibly close to us. Despite unusually high tides and a heightening of other effects the Moon exerts, scientists say there is no chance of the Supermoon posing a threat. Well, I wouldn’t call it a threat, per se, but I doubt any of us are going to wake up tomorrow unscathed.

Scorpio is the ruler of intimacy and transformation (along with pretty much anything extreme). While Scorpio energy is often misunderstood, the Moon in Scorpio is definitely a time of strong passions and intense feelings. People can get aggressive, critical, impatient and moody. It’s a good time to beware of jealousy and take a forgive-and-forget attitude about interactions with others since everyone is feeling hyper sensitive. Scorpio energy brings us power and pyschic ability. It teaches us the lessons both of having power and desiring power and can be a time of remarkable self-transformation. Scorpio is also associated with sex. It’s good to be cautious when interacting with the opposite sex during a Moon in Scorpio, however it could be a good time for an intense merging with another on a deep emotional level. And remember, all of this energy is intensified right now through the effects of this Supermoon.

In their cosmic lowdown on tonight’s Scorpio Full Moon, The AstroTwins say:

Scorpio is said to have three different forms or phases. Over the weekend, we may see any of these aspects emerge in ourselves.

The lowest form of Scorpio is the ground-dwelling, dangerous Scorpion that stings when threatened. If you feel a surge of jealousy, vengefulness or the urge to punish someone, know that the darker energies of Scorpio have been stirred up in you. 



Next up is the eagle — a wiser and more evolved version of Scorpio. The eagle can soar above its surroundings and see things from a “bird’s-eye view,” rather than reacting in a hotheaded manner. If you find you find yourself suddenly filled with wisdom and perspective, you’ve been brushed by the tail feather of the Scorpio eagle.



Last is the phoenix — the mythic bird of transformation that rises from the ashes of destruction to create something beautiful and new. The Scorpio full moon may wipe away something that no longer serves you, leaving space to create something else from the rubble. Perhaps it’s time to release a bad habit, an addiction or a toxic tie. 



The stark intensity of the Scorpio supermoon may be jarring, or it could bring a moment of extreme enlightenment. It’s said that we’re all “spiritual beings having a human experience.” In some way, this full moon might help us understand that statement better.

I’ve been feeling the effects of this Scorpio Full Moon already; as a Taurus, Scorpio’s astrological opposite, I always do. Emotionally charged arguments over really stupid things. Extremely powerful and strange dreams. Some meditation today might be a good way to keep the blood from boiling and it’s definitely a good way to tap into Scorpio’s energy to find that wisdom or transformation.

My advice for tonight? Stingers in, cameras out!

When you are a blogger, you tend to spend a lot of time online and to read and pay attention to the work of other bloggers. And when you also are a writer, your ears (or whatever the online equivalent of ears is) prick up when you stumble across blogs by other writers. Here are a few of my favorites.

terribleminds

I discovered Chuck Wendig when Poets & Writers featured one of his pithy advice-to-writers posts in their daily news roundup. Whether he’s listing 25 Things Writers Should Stop Doing (Right Fucking Now) or sharing thoughts on the 25 Realizations Writers Need To Have, Chuck’s insight is forthright, spot on, and of the kick-in-the-pants variety that many creative types often need to shake them out of their slumps (I include myself in this category). The blog has regular features like the Friday Flash Fiction Challenge (which I swear every week I’m going to attempt) and author interviews, plus musings on the state of publishing, pop culture commentary, and rants, ramblings and babblings on topics various. The site is also a showcase for Chuck’s books and other writing. Of it, he says: “This, then, is my blog, my author site, my fenced-in yard, my prison cell, my meadow in which I pirouette and sing selections from The Sound Of Music. Please be advised, this site is unmercifully profane.” Chuck Wendig is one of my most favorite kinds of person: smart, witty and irrepressibly irreverent. This is the blog I wish were mine, except that, well, that it’s Chuck’s.

Seven Sentences

It’s difficult to describe Seven Sentences any better than they do themselves. So I won’t try.

7 Sentences is a creative blog built around a cluster of artists, bloggers and impossible dreamers who all believe in the power of artistic expression and the freedom that can be found and enjoyed in our work. Creative words and creative questions have the power to unlock your imagination and increase your productivity. We believe in sharing stories, ideas, quotes and practices that help us in our creative endeavors. There is exponential power when we collaborate creatively. We can’t make it our own, these creative sentences will connect you with a like-minded others.

It’s true that writing can often be a very lonely endeavor and this blog is one example of the power of the internet to create a sense of community, however virtual. Geoff Talbot and his band of guest bloggers offer great stories of the random craziness of the writing life, writing tips and advice on how to use social media to promote your work, poetry and works of fiction, and yes, those creative prods for dreamers who would become writers. I go here when a shot in the arm (rather than a kick in the teeth) is what I need to get the words moving on my page.

The Writing Life With Melanie Cole

My relationship with Melanie Cole is another example of the power of the internet to bring writers together. In our case, we shared an online essay writing class from Media Bistro. It was great to have the structure and feedback of a traditional writer’s workshop after a number of years away from any formal writing instruction (however virtual), and those of us who stuck it out to the end became a friendly bunch who keep in touch via Facebook and shared RSS feeds. Melanie works for HerStory and is at work editing the manuscript of her first novel. Her blog is a mix of personal stories about the challenges of pursuing her dream of “quitting the day job”, accounts of how she uses different sources of inspiration, and occasional posts of her own work, including Five Sentence Fiction Fridays. Sometimes it’s nice to know that someone else is experiencing the same things you are, and I admire Melanie for putting herself out there and using her blog as a vehicle to achieve her writing goals. And I love her quote of the day feature, particularly today’s: “When in doubt, bury someone alive.” Edgar Allan Poe. It’s that kind of Friday.

In the month or so since I moved to Seattle, I’ve had the great good fortune to meet some of Seattle’s blogger community. A few in person, and others online through the terrific group Seattle Bloggers Unite! For this first Seattle Follow Friday, I’d like to introduce to you a few of my fave Seattle bloggers. (Trust me, there are plenty more where they came from!)

dimensions variable

While I suppose it’s technically a blog, Sharon Arnold’s “dimensions variable” feels more like an online art mag, with posts mixed in about stuff that Sharon thinks is cool and occasional idolatry of her motorcycle. As an artist and a curator, Sharon is often as responsible for creating some of the more exciting events on the Seattle art scene as she is writing about them. Her LxWxH project is a collaboration with Seattle artists and writers that’s sort of a CSA for art, a unique way for people to buy art that is rooted in the idea (much like local agriculture and culinary movements) that art should be sustainable and accessible. Sharon also curated the exhibition RED CURRENT (sweet fruit) at Roq La Rue Gallery, the opening for which happened to be my introduction to the wonderful world of art in Seattle. I count Sharon among a handful of go-to arts writers in Seattle who can be counted on for their wealth of knowledge and smart commentary.

The Style Umbrella

There are many design and style bloggers, but few have such a well-honed sense of style and eye for detail that they can write as engagingly about subjects ranging from fashion, beauty and shopping, to graphic and interior design, to travel, art and photography. Ashley Breckel, a freelance style writer and social media manager, certainly can and her blog, “The Style Umbrella”, is a delightful “celebration of style in all its forms.” As you might expect, the site is filled with gorgeous images and reportage on everything from fashionable travel destinations, how to wear a shorts suit to work, vintage fashion photography, Oscar de la Renta’s 2013 bridal collection, or fashion inspiration for Spring dressing. Reminiscent of one of my favorite style bloggers in Boston, Ashley is on the top of my list of Seattle bloggers for design and fashion inspiration. Thanks to her, I Need A Pink Couch.

Pantsless in Seattle

About her blog, Alida Bitmoore says: “Hey you. That’s me. And this is my blog. And you are reading my words.” At it’s most fundamental, “Pantsless in Seattle – A Comedy of Errors” is a collection of Alida’s words about living life as a writer. When I discovered this blog, it immediately struck me as disarmingly personal, frequently humorous, and deeply relatable, whether she’s writing about the experience of losing a friend to cancer, the healing act of writing, or what happens when a thirty-something slides into her splits. Her voice is fresh and honest, and not only am I eager to read what she has to say but I also find myself rooting for her. One of my favorite of her posts is Memories and The Kissing Dress. Did I mention that she comes up with the most amazing titles? Like this one: Wonder Woman, Tequila, and The Time We Saved Lives.

Thanks Paper Mag. Your morning funnies are always the highlight of my day.

Obviously, my plan for a weekly series on on the “12 Crucial Consumer Trends for 2012″ got pre-empted by my big move to Seattle, but I’m trying to get back into the groove here and it’s even a Tuesday. Let Trend Tuesdays recommence!

My first post in this series was Red Carpet, in which I examined retailers’ current fascination with all things Chinese, including the wallets of the fastest growing consumer audience in the world. Today’s topic: DIY HEALTH

While the idea of DIY Health conjures images of Dr. Gregory House performing surgery on himself in his bathtub, or some moronic schlub sucking snake venom from his own leg, what trendwatching.com is really talking about here is the profusion of “novel apps and devices” designed to let consumers “discreetly track and manage their health by themselves.”

… for this 2012 overview we’re focusing on DIY and health, as countless new apps and devices are actively targeting consumers keen on preventing, examining, improving, monitoring and managing their health. In fact, Apple’s App Store currently offers 9,000 mobile health apps (including nearly 1,500 cardio fitness apps, over 1,300 diet apps, over 1,000 stress and relaxation apps, and over 650 women’s health apps) and by mid-2012, this number is expected reach 13,000 (Source: MobiHealthNews, September 2011).

For fitness buffs and the seriously health conscious among us, some of these apps can truly be a boon, helping us to obsessively more effectively monitor and track things like heart rate, calories, stress level, performance stats, fitness goals, etc. There are apps that serve as your own personal trainer, providing custom-built workouts for everything from strength training to yoga and letting you track and share your workout history and training progress via social media. Some of these apps even allow you to compete with others in virtual competitions managed through the app. The possibilities are plentiful and various, and for people who are addicted to their iPhones and social media, these apps could add a fun layer to activities they already enjoy or offer motivation to try something new.

What I found a bit amusing about this report was the claim that consumers are engaging in DIY Health, at least in part, to avoid “potentially intrusive and embarrassing trips to the doctor.” Really? I don’t even want to go there. When well over 50 million people in the US are still without health insurance (latest figures from US Census data are from 2009) despite the passing of the Affordable Care Act, it seems much more likely that people are exploring innovative ways to improve and maintain their health because they couldn’t afford healthcare they might need if they don’t.

Some of the examples provided in trendwatching.com’s report actually seem promising for helping people take a preventative approach to their own health, whether used in the absence of preventative coverage or simply as a proactive step to avoid more costly or invasive treatment once a condition has reached more advanced stages.

Skin Scan is an app that allows users to scan and monitor moles over time, with the aim of preventing malignant skin cancers; the app tells users if a visit to their doctor or dermatologist is advisable.

US-based ad agency SapientNitro launched an augmented reality (AR) app called Lungs that shows smokers the damage caused by smoking cigarettes. Users can control settings to reflect their own experience based on factors such as their age and how many cigarettes they smoke each day – variables that impact the ‘time taken for lungs to recover’ statistic – and give users a visual representation of the condition of their own lungs.

And in the unintentionally hilarious/ironic category are three apps that the Ford auto company developed for in-car health monitoring. Apparently, the apps use Ford’s SYNC Applink software to give drivers access to certain mobile health apps while driving to keep track of chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma and hay fever. (Wouldn’t they be healthier if they were walking or biking instead of driving? Just sayin’.)

The danger I see with the proliferation of DIY Health is that people will fail to seek out medical attention they actually need because they self diagnose with an app or a device and start practicing DIY medicine. Of course there is potential for the opposite to be true – people rushing to the emergency room because their smartphone convinced them they have malaria (yep, there’s an app for that). The real question is whether or not those who might be best served through the use of some of these health apps actually have access to the technology that would make it possible, whether that might be the tablets and smartphones for which apps are developed or individual devices that are designed to provide a doctor with remote access to information on a patient’s condition.

As with the diet industry in this country, DIY Health is turning out to be a big money business. According to trendwatch.com, research company Technavio predicts that the global mobile health applications market will reach USD 4.1 billion by 2014, up from USD 1.7 billion in 2010. We know that despite all of the money Americans spend on weight loss programs, books, products and food, the obesity rate continues to climb. It remains to be seen whether DIY Health will catch on as a trend widespread enough to achieve any significant and lasting health benefits, or if it will simply end up as one of this year’s app category fads.

Next week’s Trend Tuesday: Dealer-Chic

Source: www.trendwatching.com. One of the world’s leading trend firms, trendwatching.com sends out its free, monthly Trend Briefings to more than 160,000 subscribers worldwide in 9 languages.

Those of us who live near Alki Beach have much that the rest of Seattle wishes they had, but haute cuisine is not one of them. Don’t get me wrong, the vacay vibe on the strip along Alki Avenue is fun, and there are plenty of places where you can enjoy a beer and your choice of fried seafood along with an amazing view of the beach, the boats, the bikini-clad girls playing volleyball, Puget Sound and the Olympic mountains beyond. But Alki’s dining scene is rarely represented in any list of Seattle’s best places to eat, Seattle Met’s recent roundup of hot breakfast spots included. I have been known to drive way out of my way for a killer breakfast sandwich (oh, Sofra, how I miss you so) but sometimes on a Saturday morning you just want to be able to get breakfast without turning it into a pilgrimagic escapade. So I took myself off to the Alki Cafe.

Once lauded by many as the best breakfast in Seattle, current consensus among Yelp and Urban Spoon posters is that Alki Cafe isn’t as good as it used to be. Some people still love it and some say they hate it, but if breakfast is what you’re in the mood for, Alki Cafe serves it all day (well, from 8 to 3-ish) every day.

One of the things that people rave about here are the cinnamon rolls, which are (I asked) made by the fabled Alki Bakery. Since the bakery isn’t actually on Alki anymore, if you actually want to enjoy your Alki Bakery cinnamon roll with a view of the beach that gave it it’s name, then this may be the best place to do it. A cinnamon roll is not something I would ordinarily order, but I decided that, being new to Alki and all, I had to give this one a try. Warm, gooey and very cinnamony, it lived up to the hype. I wanted to offer a bite to a skeletal girl walking past because I’m sure the calories involved in this adventure in sugar and brioche were more than enough for the two of us.

Definitely in need of caffeine, I ordered coffee. They serve Tully’s and offer espresso drinks, but I had a cup of the regular. It was fresh but unflavorful (which is a step above what some have said they encountered). It’s Seattle; I expect even diner coffee to be good. This just proved that diner coffee everywhere sucks.

Since I had started my breakfast with a carb bomb, I passed on the Cafe Benedict, another dish for which the cafe is known, and opted for a crab omelet instead. Although perfectly prepared and generous with ingredients, the crab was either canned or frozen and tasted it. I’m not much of a potato person and the “grilled russet potatoes” that accompany most items on the menu absolutely did not inspire me to try them; they looked dry and just as bland as one Yelper bemoaned they were. The avocado was ripe and delicious though – thank heavens I am back in a place where good avocados actually exist. (Avocados being a super food and all, it’s easier to follow David “Avocado” Wolfe‘s advice for attaining natural health and beauty when the avocados available to you are actually, you know, edible.)

Alki Cafe’s breakfast menu is extensive, so there are plenty of options to suit whatever mood you’re in. (There is an equally vast lunch menu that I didn’t even read.) On the side of eggs vs. pancakes, I’m more of an egg person, but they have lots of pancake offerings as well as their choice of benedicts and omelets. Lots of people on comment boards complained about their prices; I could see their point, given the lackluster quality of my food, but I’m used to the prices of Boston dining so it didn’t really phase me.

All in all, I’d say Alki Cafe is a decent place to come for breakfast. They can accommodate large groups, for when those summer beach barbecues turn into sleepovers with friends too drunk to drive back over the West Seattle Bridge, but I’d generally ask for a table in the side room that is made almost entirely of windows and affords the best view, because the biggest draw, really, is Alki Cafe’s location right on the strip across from the beach. A front row seat to an incredible view of the water and the mountains makes up for a lot of culinary mediocrity. If there is one thing that everyone agrees on, it’s that Alki Cafe is definitely worth visiting for the view.

And in an utterly random and ridiculous aside, I can’t say Breakfast at the Alki Cafe without thinking Gunfight at the OK Corral. Just sayin’ (yes, I’m weird, but it’s one of the things that you love about me).

In honor of National Poetry Month, Maria Popova at Brain Pickings has been having a little fun creating Book Spine Poetry from her favorite books. Charmed and inspired, I decided to give it a try.

Most of my books still in boxes, I had limited material to work with. Here’s my cheeky contribution to the meme:

White girl problems, bird by bird.

Hey, what were you expecting? John Donne?

Seattleites, for the most part, are a fit and trim bunch, although you might not guess it from a survey of the foods they like to eat. Every restaurant features some kind of mac and cheese and there is a cupcakery on every corner. How do they do it?

They don’t seem to be resisting the temptation. Far from it.

On a recent visit to Bleu Grotto in Capitol Hill (which is a great place to smooch, in curtained booths obviously designed for the purpose) their special menu featured no fewer than six different mac and cheese dishes. Even my new favorite cocktail bar, Tavern Law, featured mac and cheese on their menu (albeit a particularly swish concoction with duck fat bread crumbs, chunks of apple and watercress). Beecher’s at Pike Place Market has the self-proclaimed “world’s best” mac and cheese. And, of course, the list goes on. I have managed to avoid this calorie bomb so far, except for one slip for the in-house version at my neighborhood Metropolitan Market that comes in a real porcelain ramekin. (It wasn’t the culinary equivalent of the other options I’ve mentioned, but hey, I was hungry and it was there.)

An easy way for any visitor to ensure they hit every inch of the city is to go on a cupcake trek around Seattle. There are endless little bakeries that serve their own, but a few local chains with locations sprinkled throughout the city – like Trophy and Pinkabella Cupcakes – rule hearts and sweet tooths here. Having had a taste (or two, or five) of the cupcakes at Cupcake Royale, I have to avoid that place like kryptonite. Without the exercise of super powers of will, that place will be my undoing (I’m craving one just typing this).

One of the reasons for the seemingly disproportionate ratio of thin bodies to abundance of carb and fat laden food is the fact that people in Seattle like to be outside and in motion. Even in the rain, they are out walking, running, biking, kayaking and sailing. And this is just what I have observed from my West Seattle vantage point.

Living as we do on Puget Sound and surrounded by a variety of islands and mountains, we have no want here for outdoor activities to suit every inclination and level of athletic prowess, be it on a mountain, in the water or at a skate park. It’s no surprise that one of the largest product brands in the outdoor industry, REI Gear and Apparel, was founded here over 70 years ago by some mountaineering pals and continues to be the go-to purveyor of goods for those who enjoy going out to get about. Their flagship store looms over the freeway at the center of town like a rock-walled cathedral to la vie extérieur.

Although you won’t catch me anywhere closer to a ski slope than a lodge with a good bar, my friends who like to ski tell me there are a few good hills that are less than an hour away from downtown Seattle. Getting out on that water – now that is something I am eager to do. I’d like to give kayaking a try and sailing would be even more fun (I’m not totally useless on a sailboat, for anyone who was wondering). Likewise, I’d like to dust off my hiking boots (which haven’t seen the light of day since I left San Francisco) and experience one of the gorgeous mountain trails that are plentiful and various.

In the mean time, there are great walking and hiking trails right smack in the middle of my own neighborhood. Schmitz Park, which is part of the Seattle park system designed by none other than Frederick Law Olmsted of Emerald Necklace and Central Park fame, has nearly two miles of trails that wind through the woods and past a lovely stream. Alki Beach Park is another great neighborhood place for a stroll or a run. It starts about a block away from my apartment and continues along the water for a couple of miles, with spectacular views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. You can watch all of the ferries and other boats sailing past and if you’re lucky you’ll even see the occasional baby seal (the law dictates keeping a respectful distance and residents are very protective of them). In the summer there is fierce volleyball action on Alki Beach and a number of other activities that make it such a popular destination.

Alki is a great place to bike too, with a designated bike path that curves along the beach. It’s also pretty easy to bike around the perimeter of West Seattle; the main roads have bike lanes and there are many parks and trails along the way that I look forward to discovering as soon as I can get my bike tuned up and road ready. Lots of people who live here bike as their primary mode of transportation. While I respect their fortitude (biking in the rain sucks) and their superior musculature, I’m not sure I’m ready to tackle Seattle’s downtown streets, which can be as vertiginously hilly as San Francisco.

A new Seattle friend of mine who, like me, is much more Posh than Sporty Spice, said that she thinks the evolution of Seattle’s sartorial identity as the land of fleece and Gore-Tex was a natural progression after people decided they really liked doing all those outdoorsy things and didn’t want to stop when the sun went away. I buy that. The day will come (soon, I suspect) when I will make the trek to Patagonia to supplement my wardrobe with some foul weather gear. So far it has been a very sunny Spring in Seattle, but I know the rain will come. I haven’t been here a month yet and already I really like being outside and in motion, and I really want to be skinny in Seattle.