Category Archives: urban simplicity

A Few Pictures from a Cold Grey Day

This winter has been exceedingly mild and warm (did someone say global warming?)…by this time we–in Western New York–are usually buried under a couple feet of snow resulting from our second or third snow storm. As I type these words there is a mere glazing of snow on the ground. I’m not complaining (it’s greatContinue reading “A Few Pictures from a Cold Grey Day”

Rural Complexity

I’ve seen this short clip in the past and just recently came across it again. The only thing it has in common with Urban Simplicity is that it highlights bicycles. It’s a hair-raising adventure of biking down the Garnitzenklamm Gorge in Austria. Personally, I don’t think I could walk down that path let alone rideContinue reading “Rural Complexity”

Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#386)

A cardboard box containing three loaves of just-baked and still-warm Ezekiel Bread (I let them cool off on the ride home…9F/-12C outside as I rode home). Two plastic dough rising buckets (one my way to work this morning one held the bubbling Ezekiel biga and the other its autolyse). For Ezekiel Bread Recipes, or forContinue reading “Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#386)”

Cargo Trikes of Shanghai

Photo Credit: Alain Delorme I came across these photos recently at The Daily Beast. They are photographs of cargo trikes in Shanghai by photographer Alain Delorme. Incredible, right? They are so crisp they almost look like paintings. You can see 6 or 7 others by the same photographer at this site. After I saw theseContinue reading “Cargo Trikes of Shanghai”

Woody Gutheire’s New Years Resolutions 1942

Courtesy Boing Boing  It’s interesting to come across someone’s notes like this…70 years after the fact. Not only was Woody Guthrie an incredibly moving and entertaining musician/performer, and a talented artist, he seems to have had quite the sense of humor as well. Click the iimage for a slightly larger view. Urban Simplicity.

A Few Pics (during semi-delirium)

These are a few photos I took during the day and then just as the sun was going down. The reason I wrote the pics were taken “in a semi-delirium” is my current physical state…nothing major, just the common cold. But it’s one I’ve been fighting for about the past week or so, and I’mContinue reading “A Few Pics (during semi-delirium)”

Spiced Brown Rice and Beans with Venison and Broccoli

I remember hearing the statement–and I’m paraphrasing, I’m sure–that if you teach a person to play a song they can play that song, but teach them to play the instrument and they can play many songs. The reason I mention this is that this is just another example of an endless number of dishes thatContinue reading “Spiced Brown Rice and Beans with Venison and Broccoli”

Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#385)

A shiny 8-quart colander that I recycled from someone’s front yard (i.e. garbage picked) on my way home from church this morning. Urban Simplicity.

Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#384)

A new but inexpensive ceiling light for the kitchen, 4 lbs. of dog food, and $67.22 in groceries, sundries, and cold medications (yes, I have a slight cold for the new year) from 4 separate stores in three plastic soda crates. Urban Simplicity.

Two Loaves of Ezekiel Bread, a Spinach Pizza, and a Mechanical Malfunction

I haven’t posted a recipe for Ezekiel Bread in a while, but it is my favorite bread. The picture of the pizza above and the bread below were both made using the recipe that follows. Interestingly, Ezekiel Bread recipes are still one of the number 1 ways that new visitors find there way to thisContinue reading “Two Loaves of Ezekiel Bread, a Spinach Pizza, and a Mechanical Malfunction”

Life = Risk (one way to look at it)

I’ve seen this short clip in the past, but can’t remember if I previously posted it here or not. Anyhow, I just came across it again on Facebook and thought I’d share it for the end of this year and the beginning of the next. Though I find this very inspiring, it’s title is aContinue reading “Life = Risk (one way to look at it)”

Chairs on a Bike

I came across this photo at ClassicCopenhagen (Thanks Sandra!). I find this image inspiring on so many levels, but manly that it illustrates that all sorts of things can be carried on a bike…no matter your age. To see a few of the things that I’ve carried on a bike, click here. Urban Simplicity.

Super Delicious (and simple to make) Pasta con Vendure

This is a dish that I served to our staff at work yesterday. I was trying to use up some vegetables because we are closed for the first week of January. It’s really just a more complex version of any of the aglio e olio dishes I’ve posted here before. But before I start theContinue reading “Super Delicious (and simple to make) Pasta con Vendure”

A Little Snow and a Big Sky

This morning when I woke I was somewhat surprised to see there were a couple inches of snow on the ground. It really changes my short commute to work…how I ride a bike. Interestingly, for as big and heavy as the Mundo is, it is not my favorite bike to ride in the snow. InContinue reading “A Little Snow and a Big Sky”

James the Incredible Human iPod (and an additional photo)

So this is interesting. I had just left work after working a split shift. I didn’t face a stove all of the day but much of it. When I came outdoors the fresh air felt good and it felt good to be on foot, but I was surprised to see that there was a combinationContinue reading “James the Incredible Human iPod (and an additional photo)”

Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#383), a Minor Confession, a Very Brief Story, and a Recipe

Things on the bike…4lbs/1.8kgs of green and yellow split peas. My minor confession…for the past three days, even though the streets have been snow-free, other than a few small jaunts I have relied mostly on my truck for transport. This is mostly–but not entirely–because of family gatherings outside the city. I also have not hadContinue reading “Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#383), a Minor Confession, a Very Brief Story, and a Recipe”

Playing with Light (again)

These are photos I took a couple nights ago, just a block from my house on Buffalo‘s lower west side. I took them with an inexpensive little point-and-shoot camera; proof that you don’t need an expensive camera to take interesting photos (though I wouldn’t mind if I had one…but their price is prohibitive at present).Continue reading “Playing with Light (again)”

Five Quotes from Jesus of Nazareth

This is another in the Five Quotes series on this blog, but I first have two preface the quotes with a couple comments. Firstly, I just wanted to say that I found the above photo at St. Francis Place. I chose the photo because I do believe that Jesus meditated (there are plenty of resourcesContinue reading “Five Quotes from Jesus of Nazareth”