Author Archives: liveoaklinda

Neandertals Are Us

Posted on June 20, 2013 by liveoaklinda

When you’re a human evolution nerd like I am, you need to be discriminating about the source of your information.  It’s sometimes eye-rolling how big media hears about some kind of research or fossil discovery & immediately morphs it into … Continue reading →

Posted in Our Primate Nature | Tagged , , , , , , | 15 Comments

A Spoonful of Goobers

Posted on June 16, 2013 by liveoaklinda

My father loved peanuts.  Salted in the shell & generous shmears on saltines.  Spanish in the can were a special treat.  Peanut aroma dominates my memories of bedtime hugs, family camping trips to Dinkey Creek, Saturday afternoons around our SoCal pool. … Continue reading →

Posted in A Warming Planet, Humans Love Food!, Just an Everyday Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dear Universe (Take 2):

Posted on June 10, 2013 by liveoaklinda

Well isn’t that the way it is sometimes – you reach out to the universe &…nothing. Not even an answering machine. No chirpy message, “Hi there, this is God, sorry I’m not in at the moment but I’ll get back … Continue reading →

Posted in Just an Everyday Life, Our Primate Nature | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Gardening in Pajamas

Posted on June 4, 2013 by liveoaklinda

Here in Santa Cruz – & in most of the west, actually – we’re in another drought year: we can water our garden before 10 am or after 5 pm.  I don’t have a drip system in the yard, so on … Continue reading →

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Bonobos & Apatheists

Posted on May 27, 2013 by liveoaklinda

I just finished Frans de Waal’s book “The Bonobo & the Atheist”.  The premise is that we derive our ‘community concern’, empathetic, altruistic & cooperative nature from our mammal & primate heritage, not from human-imagined religion.  Uh, duh. An enthusiastic storyteller … Continue reading →

Posted in Our Primate Nature | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Believing in Gravity

Posted on April 15, 2013 by liveoaklinda

My latest meditation image is of the Sun viewed from about the location of Jupiter.  In my imagination-meditation, I see our home star as a bright speck, brighter than the other stars but clearly one of them, not owned or … Continue reading →

Posted in A Warming Planet, Just an Everyday Life, Our Primate Nature | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Poppy’s Playlist

Posted on March 19, 2013 by liveoaklinda

I took a piano class last Friday night – R was out of town & I actually got myself out of the house & over to our beloved local community college for Todd Walker‘s famous workshop Piano Your Teachers Never … Continue reading →

Posted in Cackling Crone, Just an Everyday Life, Our Primate Nature | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Skyfall Happens

Posted on March 7, 2013 by liveoaklinda

I happened to glance skyward during dinner on the outside deck @ Paradise Grill a few weeks ago & noticed a brilliant dropping blue flare in the western sky, thinking it was some kind of failed fireworks.  Turns out it was our … Continue reading →

Posted in A Warming Planet, Just an Everyday Life, Our Primate Nature | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Lemon & Salt

Posted on February 15, 2013 by liveoaklinda

My new favorite condiment for nearly everything:  preserved lemon.  Lemon & salt, salt & lemon, that’s it, & who could ask for more?  And happily, it’s very easy to make* – gotta use your hands though! The veneration of salt peppers human … Continue reading →

Posted in Humans Love Food!, Just an Everyday Life, Our Primate Nature | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Leftovers for Breakfast

Posted on January 25, 2013 by liveoaklinda

A while ago I noticed a slew of news articles about how much food is wasted…realizing that I’m part of the problem really hit me in the gut.  I now feel especially guilty about bread crusts – I’d always thought … Continue reading →

Posted in Humans Love Food!, Just an Everyday Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments