Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Autumn Hiking in North County



This beautiful weather we've been having lately inspired my friends and I to get out and go for a hike. Many of you here in North County may have forgotten about the Elfin Forest where a short drive, (30 minutes in considered short here) leads you to an area that has 11 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. We took the main Way Up Trail, which is 5 miles round-trip and an elevation gain of about 600 feet up to the Olivenhain Dam.

As you can see from the above photo, dogs are allowed which stoked out Molly dog since she's been in a perpetual state of wonderment as to where the heck all the nature went since we moved from Wyoming.

The switchbacks ease the elevation gain and halfway up you get a great view of Escondido. Once you're at the top there are picnic tables to relax and have a snack on overlooking the reservoir.

Overall the hike took around 2 hours which included snack breaks for my cute companions (who ruled the hike at the ages 4 and 6) and a chance for Molly to catch her breath after being done in by a squirrel chase.

We barely made the 6:00 pm closing time just as dusk fell so make sure you're at the trailhead by about 4:00.

The drive to the Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve left the city behind and opened up to numerous beautiful horse ranches along Harmony Road.
Next time, I'm taking the Lake Hodges Overlook Trail which is less than another mile at the top. For driving directions and more information about the reserve, you can click here.

Written by contributor, Misty Andersen


Gavin & Grandma Meg ascending!

Carter & Molly over-looking Lake Hodges

Gavin & Carter: "time for another rest"
Gavin & Carter

Misty, Lauren, & Molly (looking for squirrels to chase)

Gavin & Carter taking a rest and checking out the sites


Molly, Carter & Gavin: leading the pack

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Community Inteface Services Holiday Celebration


The people of Community Interface Services (CIS) are near and dear to my heart.  After moving back to California, I found a home working for CIS as a program coordinator.  CIS serves people with developmental disabilities throughout San Diego County.  I encountered so many inspiring individuals during my time with CIS; the stories and experiences I shared with the staff and individuals being served by CIS stay with me as I continue my journey.  The staff at CIS are some of the most dedicated, hard-working people I know and I have been proud to share friendship and lots of laughs with many of them.

This Sunday, Carruth Cellars Winery On Cedros will be hosting a fundraiser on behalf of CIS to raise funds for a very special event:

"Your help is needed to make a magical evening come to life.  Each year in December, Community Interface Services hosts a Holiday Party for hundreds of people with developmental disabilities and the dedicated staff members who serve them.  Most people with developmental disabilities live below the poverty line and wrestle with social isolation, making our Holiday Party a very special event in their lives.  Attendance at the event consistently surpasses 400 people - the dance floor is full when the band strikes the first note and does not empty until the final encore.  Add in a little food, a visit from Santa and some socializing, and it truly is a magical evening."  ~Community Interface Services

As a former staff member of CIS, I can personally share with you how vitally important this event is to hundreds of people that CIS serves.  The supervisors and coordinators work incredibly hard to put this event on each year, and relish in the joy it gives to so many people.  

Carruth Cellars will be donating a mixed case of wine, valued over $400, to be raffled on behalf of CIS.  All proceeds will be donated to Community Interface Services Holiday Party.  Carruth Cellars will also be donating 25% of wine sales on Sunday to CIS.  

Please join us, Sunday, September 12, anytime from 1:00PM to 7:00PM.  
Wine raffle to be held at 6:30PM


Carruth Cellars Winery On Cedros
320 So. Cedros Ave. #400
Solana Beach, CA 92075
(Just south of the Belly Up Tavern~Behind Cole's Fine Flooring~Next to Project X Art: Gallery)







I am honored to help facilitate this event, along with Adam Carruth at Carruth Cellars Winery On Cedros, on behalf of all of the amazing staff members and service recipients of Community Interface Services.

For me, these are the types of collaborations at the heart of true community.  

Monday, August 30, 2010

Kickstart a Project

I have a Sunday tradition of chilling with the New York Times and a cup of coffee. It was during this favorite time of mine that I ran across the new website Kickstarter and I immediately got sucked into it for at least an hour checking out all the cool projects people are working on.


How it works is people post their projects, how much money they need to get rolling and you have the opportunity to donate to the cause if you feel so inspired. I love this idea of people helping each other accomplish artistic visions that lack of funding usually kills.

There were lots of Burning Man projects that were funded this way like the Mega-Mart Mega Store whose purpose is to satirize and provide commentary on our modern society’s need to consume and spend. It also looks like it will be one sick dance party.....



I'm a big fan of street food and it's what I lived on in SE Asia. I'd like to see a bigger movement towards street food here in the States and thought the Good Food Truck Project out of Atlanta was an awesome idea: Yummers!


There are way too many cool projects to mention so go check it out yourself and help someone out or start your own project and let us know about it!

Written by Contributor, Misty Andersen

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Real Food: Inspiration and Community

7 Strategies for Teaching Your Kids What Real Food Is - Planet Green

As I read this article from Planet Green (click the link above to read), I was reflecting on how much we have been enjoying the riches of our garden this summer! I've come a long way since my childhood days of throwing watermelon seeds in the dry dirt along side my home, and praying something would grow. Sadly, nothing did and that closed the chapter on my gardening for a decade or two. Thankfully, in my adult life, my lovely friends have introduced me to the simple and abundant pleasures of gardening. I sit here today knowing, without a doubt, that I will never grow tired of caprese salad prepared fresh from my garden; it doesn't seem my loved ones will either. It is my token pot luck contribution these days.

The beauty of gardening for me is that it connects me to community on so many levels. I am learning about the symbiotic relationships inherent in nature, as we plant, grow, prepare and enjoy. Every time we prepare a meal from our garden, we delight together in something we helped to create and how we are nurturing our bodies with healthy, organic, and flavorful foods. To prepare a meal for my friends and family with fresh pickings from my garden is so exciting and rewarding! As new plants go in, I anticipate their growth and fruit with the excitement of a child every day, as I inspect their progress. I thank them, these sweet little treasures, with such humble gratitude. How did I not know how much fun this could be as a child?

Sunday, we perused the Encinitas/Leucadia Farmer's Market. I have been eating peaches, blueberries and raspberries like candy ever since. Sunday night, we prepared a steak produced with fully sustainable practices by a local farmer. And the figs, oh the figs!!! I spent 30+ years not knowing about figs! Please, I implore you, if you are a parent or significant role model of a child, introduce them young to the pleasures and delights of "real food".

Monday, August 9, 2010


“What we choose to emphasize...will determine our lives. If we see only the worst it destroys our capacity to do something... To live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.” -Howard Zinn-



Occasionally I find myself really resonating with this postcard that was posted on www.postsecret.com this week. I start focusing on all the things wrong with the world which usually happens while I’m driving around consuming expensive gas that leads to record breaking oil company profits because I live in a place where driving is as necessary as breathing which actually seems to be the case everywhere. So I take a deep breath and try to turn my thoughts elsewhere which is why blogging has become a great tool for me to shift my paradigm.

There are so many unique individuals doing amazing things and when I start to think about them and how they have found something to live for that inspires and educates me, then my world becomes a more pleasant place. I wish we could all be solar panel, bio-diesel, composting, beer brewing, gardening, goat raising, cheese making, outdoor adventurous geeks that travel the world looking to other cultures for solutions, ideas and self expansion but, sigh, we cannot.

I think if I/we can share our passions with each other we’ll all stay inspired and excited to see the future unfold. I look forward to meeting and showcasing more fabulous people that are making things happen and hopefully we can all help each other get through these crazy times.

Thanks for reading! -Misty

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The Mindful Method: Misty Andersen, Pilates Instructor

I am honored to feature my friend and collaborator, Misty Andersen in this post! In so many beautiful ways, Misty embodies the essence of organic community that we are striving for in our lives and with this blog. Misty is also an inspired Pilates instructor in Our Community, the heart of Carlsbad Village. I recently had the opportunity to start my Pilates journey with Misty...


Walking into a Pilates studio for the first time, with total ignorance of the process, I feared I had just entered a torture chamber as I scanned the room full of masochistic looking machines. Looking at Misty’s sweet face, it is hard to imagine she could be the administrator of such punishment, but I have always thought it is the sweet and innocent faces you must beware of!


After some cautionary first movements, under Misty’s expert instruction, I quickly realized these machines were actually really cool. For a 7:00 am workout, lying on your back for most of the hour playing with moving gadgets is not such a bad thing. Although, I must advise, these seemingly insignificant movements, in a prone position, do catch up with you the next morning!


It is a special treat to see a dear friend in their professional element. It often unveils components of their essence that you have not yet had the opportunity to experience. Training with Misty in Pilates, I was able to witness her in a role of expert, professional, and skilled instructor. As awkward as it is to take on a new exercise regimen in unfamiliar surroundings, I felt surprisingly comfortable with her calm, relaxed, and attentive approach to coaching. Misty also brings her subtle, spot-on sense of humor to her Pilates instruction, which makes your training session glide along with laughs, as you feel the burn.


Health and wellness are so vital to our individual sustainability, as it is to our community’s sustainability. Finding a fitness routine that you can maintain is a must! One of the gifts of working out under Misty’s tutelage is she compels you to keep coming and to keep striving for your own health and fitness. If you are in the North County San Diego area, I highly recommend trying Pilates with Misty Andersen and supporting a LOCAL, small businesswoman. You will feel stomach muscles you never knew you had!


Check Misty’s website out at www.themindfulmethod.com for more information or call 310-698-2256 to learn about her new client specials.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

The Orchid Man






One man's love of Orchids has blossomed into a thriving business and Encinitas now has a responsible business owner who cares deeply about the people in his community and the environment.

The owner of Encinitas Orchids, Don Doerfler, endears himself to you upon your first meeting! His love of orchids and passion for life fuel his up-and-coming business through his superior customer service and community involvement. Don caught our attention, first with his beautiful arrangements, but held it when he began to discuss his commitment to striving toward a sustainable business. Encinitas Orchids ensures that their orchids are harvested with sustainable practices. He also drives a vintage yellow Mercedes powered by used vegetable oil he collects from local businesses. Free delivery is available for these beautifully crafted arrangements. Yes that's right, no part of the earth has to be drilled to propel this man's flowers to you.

Free Delivery! What is greater than that you may wonder? Don takes it a step further by replacing your dying Orchids (and relieving Orchid phobia) with a blooming one for only the price of the new plant. Don is committed to you enjoying a living Orchid arrangement all year long.

You can find these fabulous arrangements and the man behind them at the Sunday Leucadia Farmer's Market, Saturdays at The Mercato in Little Italy, downtown San Diego, or you can call for an appointment to visit his studio in Encinitas.

Encinitas Orchids
760-533-0991

Written by Contributor, Misty Andersen

Monday, July 19, 2010

Fair Trade: What, Why, & Where

http://autonomieproject.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/fair_trade_logo.jpg


Fair Trade: What, Why, & Where

We are all aware of the endless issues we face socially, economically, and environmentally in our world today. It is very easy to become overwhelmed and in response throw up our hands and say, “what can I do, as one person, that will make a difference.” It is our intention to embark on a journey of empowerment and share this journey with our community, so that we may each step forward knowing that we can and do make a difference both individually and as a collective community.

First stop on this journey, Fair Trade. We both start our days, as many of you likely do, with a good ‘ol cup o’Joe. The sound of the beans grinding, the sweet aroma of it brewing, the steam rising off my foaming soy, and the delicious, invigorating first taste are such fundamental necessities to a day starting off just right. Our simple daily rituals, such as enjoying a cup of coffee, can have significant implications, socially, economically, and environmentally.

Americans consume one-fifth of the world’s coffee, making our country the largest consumer of coffee in the world. Coffee is the United States largest food import and the world's second most valuable traded commodity, behind only petroleum.



Fair Trade: What is it?

Fair Trade is a world-wide collaborative system to ensure producers receive a fair price and a living wage for their commodity. Fair Trade is not exclusive to coffee, and continues to expand its reach.
The following are highlights cited on www.globalexchange.org regarding Fair Trade:
  • Forced labor and exploitative child labor are not allowed
  • Buyers and producers trade under direct long-term relationships
  • Producers have access to financial and technical assistance
  • Sustainable production techniques are encouraged
  • Working conditions are healthy and safe
  • Equal employment opportunities are provided for all
  • All aspects of trade and production are open to public accountability

Fair Trade: Why?

Understanding the significance of your purchase power allows you to wield it with ethical intention, that can have far-reaching results. When you choose Fair Trade coffee you are ensuring that participating farmers receive a living wage, and that they are provided loans and assistance with transitioning to organic farming. Coffee purchasers must pledge to pay a minimum of $1.26 per/pound for Fair Trade coffee beans. Without Fair Trade guarantees, farmers have been known to not only go into poverty, but to take their children out of school to work on the farms. One cup of coffee costs us more than the farmers get per pound! When you choose that cup of coffee, consider the sustainability of that purchase for the grower and for our environment.


Fair Trade: Where can I use my purchasing power?


The following area some locations in our are that serve or sell Fair Trade products. Please join us in highlighting other companies that are participating in Fair Trade in our area or yours, in the comments section.

Panniken Coffee & Tea
www.pannikincoffeeandtea.com
Encinitas Café
510 N. Highway 101
Encinitas CA 92024
760-436-5824

Vinaka Cafe
300 Carlsbad Village Dr Ste 211
Carlsbad, CA 92008
(760) 720-7890

2Spoons Coffee Company
www.2spoonscoffee.com/
3829 Plaza Drive
Oceanside, CA 92056
(760) 724-1220

Hill Street Coffee House
524 S. Coast Highway
Oceanside, CA 92054
(760) 966-0985

Naked Cafe
www.thenakedcafe.com
300 Carlsbad Village Dr.
Carlsbad, CA 92008
760.720.7866

E Street Cafe
www.estreetcafe.com
128/130 West "E" Street
Encinitas California 92024
(760) 230-2038

For more information regarding Fair Trade, visit www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/.