Greetings!
It’s been a bit since I posted, so I figured I’d take some time to post an update from what I’ve been up to on this summer. It’s flown by!
I revamped this website.
If you’ve followed me for a bit, you’ll notice that some things look different around here. I updated the look and feel of this site and did some additional work on my portfolio projects. (More to come on that – I’ve set a deadline to have my remaining entries finished within the next two weeks!)
I listened to (and learned from!) a lot of podcasts.
My all-time favourite podcast is Myths & Legends, which I relistened to in full over the summer. (Quite a feat, considering how many episodes there are!) Jason and his wife Carissa create engaging re-tellings of prominent myths, legends, and – occasionally – fantastical true stories from across the globe. I particularly enjoyed re-listening to their retellings of legend of the Golem of Prague, the original tale of Dr. Faust, and the ongoing saga of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.
I also started the most recent series of CBC’s Uncover podcast. This season is dedicated to Glen Assoun, a Halifax man who was wrongfully convicted of the murder of his ex-partner Brenda Way in the 90s. Tim Bousquet, a notable local journalist who investigated the story for years, tells the tale and it’s truly mindboggling.
A recent favourite is the ALAB Series, which looks at American jurisprudence through the eyes of several experienced (and jaded) lawyers. I’m not usually a fan of conversation style podcasts, but ALAB has been a real hit with me. I’ve learned a lot about the American embargoes of Iran and Cuba, who (actually) writes opinions, and a few weird and wacky legal cases from the past few years.
I did some local tourism.
(A quick note: Engaging in local tourism has received Public Health’s blessing here in Nova Scotia, as long as social distancing and limits on crowd sizes are applied.)
One of my goals this year was to explore the natural beauty that the province holds. While I was doing my graduate studies, I spent a lot of time in the city working and learning and I didn’t leave much time for exploration. With COVID, I’ve had more free time and have gotten out and about more.
In July, my friend and colleague Dan Phillips and I went for an exploration of Duncans Cove. It’s about forty minutes outside of Halifax. There’s a couple of steep areas in the climb out to the ocean, but once you’re there – what a sight! We saw some seals and Dan helped me take a “graduation photo” with my newly arrived diploma.
In August, my partner and I had a weekend stay in the Annapolis Valley and drove back to Halifax through Yarmouth and up the South Shore to Mahone Bay. The Valley is absolutely beautiful – the lush landscape and open fields are quite different to the dense forests and rocky outcrops that you find near Halifax. Yarmouth was picturesque and we really enjoyed Mahone Bay! My partner hails from the South Shore so the scenery wasn’t as new for her, but we both had a great time looking at the colourful streets and houses and taking a quick tour through Lunenburg.
I also made a couple of beach trips to Queensland Beach on the South Shore with some friends. Swimming in the ocean still feels like such a novelty to me, even after spending a couple of years on the coast. Nova Scotia is a beautiful place, and I totally understand why so many people like to visit in the summer.
I learned a lot of new recipes.
Like a lot of other folks, I got very into sourdough baking this year and learned some fun recipes! King Arthur Flour has some of the best recipes that I’ve encountered, so if you’re a fellow baker, I encourage you to check them out.
One of the biggest hits in my circle was this recipe for sourdough cinnamon rolls. I think they’re truthfully the best cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had.
I also mastered sourdough pizza crust and had fun experimenting with different toppings. Barbecue pulled pork with red onion was the biggest hit, with fresh basil & mozzarella coming in as a close second.
For actual bread, I tried a couple different recipes and liked this King Arthur Flour one the best. However, I also had good results from this recipe from the Good Hearted Woman. As you can see below, things started off quite rough but have greatly improved. I don’t have photos from my most recent loaves, but since starting the KAF method I’ve consistently gotten a great crumb and texture!
Setting sourdough aside, I’ve learned a bit about fermentation through attempting to make my own carrot kraut. I’ve also started to propagate some veggies from cuttings of supermarket veggies, starting with green onions. It’s definitely been a fun summer in my kitchen. 🙂
So, what’s next?
I really enjoyed having some time to reconnect with my hobbies, do some sight-seeing, and spend time (virtually and physically) with my loved ones. It was, truthfully, a welcome break from grad school. Now I’m back on the job hunt, looking forward to the next big challenge.
I’ll conclude this post with a photo of my cat, Littles. I found him on the street when he was very small and gave him that name. It’s a complete misnomer, because he is now a massive 20 lb. boy. He’s been a great companion both this summer and throughout the many moves and changes in my life. 🙂
Katherine Luber 
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