dillard57

Better late than never

2011-11-25T12:15:00.000-08:00

The peanut and the pumpkin patch.

Some leftover autumn pumpkin pics.

On Turning 40

2011-11-23T11:11:00.000-08:00

This year was a big birthday, a life turning point. I’m not the type of person who keeps her age a secret. I don’t care if people know my age, and I don’t feel shame about my age. I think getting older is ok. So turning 40 was not a secret, nor was it a birthday I particularly felt I needed to celebrate in a big way. I told family and friends that I have gotten so much love and support and generosity with my wedding and the birth of the Peanut, that I did not need any more parties or presents. I celebrated with Mr. Right on the day, and then the next day both me and the Peanut were sick so we laid pretty low. Whoopee! We are Party People.

Being the overly introspective type, nonetheless, this landmark birthday does give me pause. What does it mean to turn 40? What does it mean to move into this new decade? I didn’t want to let this one go by without a good ponder. And my dear friend Tina feels like I am some sort of trailblazer as I am a year older than her to the week, and one year older as a momma. She called me last night to remind me that I had not yet shared my musings. I was so honored that she even wanted to hear them that I am trying to oblige her now.

I asked a few of my personal trailblazers: how was or is the 40^th decade? And what was your favorite decade? I received the expected mix of answers, but almost all of them asserted that the 40s are a good decade, a year of coming into to your power as a woman, especially. I like that. By 40, you finally feel confident enough of yourself to be yourself. And to like yourself. And to know what you need and when you need it and then go and get it. I like all of this. I can see why it would be true.

I am a little sorry to leave my 30s behind though. The first 5 years of 30 were pretty good. I had an extremely fulfilling run as “Urban Artistic Single Woman” who was all hip and had all kinds of adventures and had freedom and a large community of friends and activities.. I miss my very sweet apartment, the 3^rd floor of a triple decker in Somerville, filled with sunshine and my artwork and my cat and my books. My time was my own – a concept I suppose you never appreciate until it’s gone. Then I met Mr. Right and oh my goodness, it has been a whirlwind ever since. I won’t bother tracking all the changes (most of which have been tracked in this blog), but let’s just say I’ve gone from “Urban Artistic Single Woman” to “Suburban Exhausted Working Mom Who Can Barely See Straight.” In some ways, all my childhood dreams have come true. And in some ways, the transition has been one of the two toughest times of my life. My world is definitely much smaller and much more chaotic. I also think becoming a new mom later in life has its advantages (maturity, gratitude, stability, lots of friends with help and advice) and some disadvantages (less stamina is a big one). So my age does have an impact on my parenting.

I’ve always envisioned my 45 year old self as this wise person who looks back in time at me and smiles, both a little ruefully at all the flailing about I do, but also with encouragement. That it will turn out OK, that I’m doing fine, that it will be fine in 10 years … now 5 years. She looks calm and has found the place where I need to be. So now I’m that much closer to finding her, even if I feel like I’m a bit frayed around the edges these days. So yes, 40 is just fine with me.

We Liked the Fingerlakes

2011-08-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

When a state has New York City, the big city tends to drown out anything else in range. So we had no idea how much fun we could have in the Fingerlakes. Every day was packed! The Peanut's two favorite activities seemed to be the pool and visiting a goat farm. She was having paroxsms of joy at both places. The rest of us really loved the waterfalls, the "gorgeous gorges" and eating LOTS of ice cream. I loved being able to hike UNDER waterfalls and swim right up to them. How cool is that! Literally very cool, it turns out.

The Little Things

2011-07-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

Watching this makes me endlessly happy.

Summer Fun Must Do List

2011-06-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

This list is going on the fridge and to be monitored carefully! The summer goes by too fast and I want to make sure I actually have fun.

Go to an ice cream stand and eat the ice cream outside and having it drip down my arm

At least 2 beach days where we have time to swim, walk, read, snooze and build sand castles (ie just a walk doesn’t cut it)
Cooking things on an outdoor fire, most importantly, smores (will do this on vacation)
Going to the local pool
Take Peanut to local baby pool
Playing in the backyard pool from grocery store (already did this, yay!)
Eating popsicles in the backyard (already did this, yay!)
Making ice cream with the kids (have them create a crazy flavor)
Lobster on the backyard porch at mom and dad’s (coming up, yay!)
Fireworks! (could we do this on vacation or in New Hampshire on a weekend?)
Walden Pond at least one time where I can swim!
Go out to eat at a restaurant where we sit outside and have drinks
Go for a boat/kayak ride (we can plan to do this on vacation, but maybe also in our town)
Eat watermelon outside
Eat cherries outside
Water balloon fight/squirt gun fight
Go pick fruit somewhere
Trip to secret New Hampshire swimming hole? (this one is as little more ambitious as it is a weekend away)
See some fireflies (probably on vacation)

2011-06-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

She doesn't smash the cake so the video is mostly worth watching for her very serious expression. Hope you enjoy.

Happy Birthday Little Peanut!

2011-06-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

Grandma made a butterfly cake and a MILLION cupcakes. Thanks, Grandma!!!!

We had quite a day. We crossed our fingers that the rain would hold off so we could play in the backyard, but it was not to be. We moved everything inside and managed to squish far too many people in our house. The Peanut played with all the kids and we all enjoyed her new toys and books. We were celebrating her birthday but also our survival of our first year as new parent and whew, what a year it was. I'll try and post the happy birthday video later but for now we thought you'd like to see a few pictures of the birthday girl.

She was a very dainty cake eater ... no cake smashing for this princess. It was so great to see all of our lovely friends and family who were able to make it out to celebrate.

Mother's Day

2011-05-15T05:07:00.000-07:00

A year of firsts ... and here's

my first mothers day. The peanut had a wonderful dress, courtesy of Grandma. Having such a cute peanut is really like having a dolly some days.

Things we love at 9 months

2011-04-09T17:50:00.000-07:00

Food: Gracie loves any orange food … squash, carrots, sweet potatoes. However, she seems to be tiring of baby food in general and would rather feed herself. She LOVES puffs and cheerios and would happily eat nothing but those. We like the squeezable baby food from HappyBaby for car trips and on the go -- no spoon needed and you just put the lid back on! She still loves to nurse, gets that totally blissed out look on her face as she first connects. Ahhhhh. Toys: Balls in any form … small balls and large beach balls or exercise balls. She thinks they are great. Empty water bottles, 2 liter bottles for the music they make. Empty coffee cans are great for the noise they make when you roll them on the floor. She was super into a plastic drinking cup we had for use in the bath. Pretty much any of her "real" toys aren't as exciting as these toys. She does love her bird house from Auntie Sue, the velcro part especially. She likes her toys but doesn't play with any particular toy a lot; she kinda cycles through. She doesn't have a lovie yet that she really responds to. When she nurses, she'll hold onto something for a minute or two and then reach over and drop it very casually on the floor. Books: Her favorite books right now involve interactive elements, like textures or doors to open or peekaboo! She likes one with peekaboos on every page and a mirror at the end -- she always kisses the mirror at the end. I'm not sure what that is about. She's big into kissing in general these days. Kissing meaning she grabs your face and licks you. According to her daycare providers, she grabs other babies as they toddle by, pulls them down and proceeds to lick their heads. The daycare providers say her toddler friends think its fun.Mr. Right is not happy about this. Clothes: We vacillate between 9-12 months clothing. I struggle with daycare outfits. My favorite clothes are cotton onesie type tops (with snaps) and matching pants. Things that come in sets make the whole matching thing so much simpler. I don't like sending her to daycare in dresses and tights -- too uncomfortable. And she has several pairs of baby jeans and baby overalls, but they just are a little too stiff for a baby who is trying to crawl everywhere. I'm not sure I get the baby overalls concept -- I think it was a big trend a few years back. Looking forward to trying out our convertible carseat. We also have a lot of baby gates to buy and install, not as excited for that.

Crawling and Turning and Teeth!

2011-03-26T09:09:00.001-07:00

It's a milestone frenzy! Here's a photo of her ... scooting? crawling?? I've never looked so closely at our floors before. Mom calls her the new mop.

9 Months

2011-03-10T11:36:00.001-08:00

Photo credit to Auntie Sue and her mad photo skills!

Age: 9 months!
Size and Shape: Definitely can't fit into the 6 months anymore and sometimes even 12 month sizes are a bit small. 17 1/2 pounds. She is definitely getting more hair and occasionally has bedhead which is endlessly amusing to me.

Eat: The peanut remains a fussy eater and sticks pretty close to the banana and orange vegetable spectrum. But she tends to like anything she can feed herself or sees me eating. Puffs are her favorite. And paper still is very popular.

Getting Around: She is good at turning in circles on her bum and moving around inch by inch this way. She can definitely move several feet pretty quickly when I look away for a second, but she is still not fully mobile. She likes to crawl underneath tables and then get kinda stuck.

New People: She is getting more comfortable with new people as long as she has time to adjust first. She still is pretty friendly with anyone as long as she is feeling secure.

Best moment this week: We had a lot of fun with my sister visiting from Pittsburgh. It was great to show her the Ipswich Bird Sanctuary, and she was really awesome about taking the Peanut early in the morning so I could sleep in a little.

Worst moment this week: Being in the emergency room because she was covered in hives. It was awful to see your perfect baby looking so awful, even though she was pretty cheerful through the whole thing. We now know she is allergic to penicillin (assuming they identified this correctly). I hope it isn't the first of many er visits ... although Mr. Right says don't count on it.

What I miss: When you don't have a kid, you can budget out your time off of work. It is strange to give up so many of your vacation/sick days for her. Of course it's worth it and we've had some fun playtime, but I wonder if there will be much left for summer vacation.

What I am looking forward to: People say she will sleep through the night at some point ... when?

Weekly Wisdom: Trying to learn the "sweetness of doing nothing." Learning to just sit and play with her and enjoy this time that is going so fast.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T10:59:00.000-08:00

At daycare they told us to wear red. So we did. We did a better job than last week on pajama day when we did not wear pajamas because mom didn't get the memo. Sigh. We'll get on top of things one of these days.

Delicious delicious paper

2011-02-11T18:58:00.001-08:00

It's definitely getting more challenging to take the monthly photo as the Peanut has discovered she likes to eat paper and in general just has become very curious about everything. We did our best. But next month I think we'll have to make a sign out of prunes or something. She won't eat those.

8 Months Old!

2011-02-11T18:51:00.000-08:00

Age: 8 months!

Size and Shape: She has been right on target with her clothes -- wearing 6 month clothes at 6 months. Which, strangely, makes her on the small side. She's definitely getting longer -- her feet are starting to stretch through her 6-9 month pajamas so it looks like we're moving into the 9 month clothing sooner than I thought. But she's definitely not got the long legs that her brother and sister have, so I don't think she'll be a six footer.

Eat: She likes her food but is not an adventurous eater, unless you call eating paper/floor lint adventuresome. On a spoon, she mostly likes bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, and cereal. I am baffled that she does not like yogurt much. And I can never tell if she's going to eat one bite and done or want two jars of food, so it's always a guess as to how much to make/open. When she is feeding herself though, she happily eats everything in sight, including her daycare write ups and any stray bit of thing she can dig up that I later find in her mouth.

Getting Around: Still not crawling but occasionally she'll inch toward something. She seems much more interested in standing, but is not pulling herself up yet. She is definitely heavier -- even in the carriers she is awfully heavy now.

New People: She's adjusting to some new daycare people. She hung out with John during the superbowl but was perplexed by his beard. Doing better with "stranger danger" but does NOT like it when you walk out of the room. She watches you very carefully to make sure you are still there. And if she is sitting in front of you while playing, she will reach behind to make sure all is well. She will play independently for a while and then turn around and want a hug, and then go back to playing again. It's very sweet.

Best moment this week: I love it when she says ma ma ma ma even though I'm not sure if she knows that is me. Also, I found out that one of my best friends is pregnant! Yay!

Worst moment this week: When she threw up all over me on Monday. We all had some sort of flu and I was thinking she didn't get it and then, oh, yes she did.

What I miss: I do love seeing the newborn infants at the baby café and how teeny tiny they are. But I love the age she is at now: so interactive!

What I am looking forward to: When she says "ma ma" about me! I'm not sure I'm ready for her to be mobile -- I know things are harder then. We are trying to baby proof now.

Weekly Wisdom: Trying to continue to "make friends with the moment."

Early Valentine's Day Prize from Daddy

2011-02-08T10:26:00.001-08:00

It was a very delicious cookie. Thanks Dad!

Peanut Waves Away Post-Nap Paparazzi

2011-02-08T10:18:00.000-08:00

Please, no photos at this time.

The Holiday Newsletter I Never Sent Because My Brain Melted

2011-01-27T08:33:00.000-08:00

This post inspired by my dear friend Susan in NJ, who resolved to write one blog post per year. In my previous life, I manged to send out an annual newsletter. This will have to do for this year (and yes, I know I'm a little late for the holiday).

Dear friends and family,

Here is where I attempt to summarize an entire year in the life … and this was one was a doozey. But let’s start back in January.

We were settling into our new home in Melrose. This was the first time we’d set up a home together so it was a lot of work! We started sharing the news about my pregnancy right after the holidays. I was almost four months at that time, so I couldn’t hide it much longer anyhow. The first question most people ask is if that baby is a boy or a girl. I would have loved to have known but Baby wasn’t cooperating and kept its legs crossed, so my doctor told me we’d just find out in June. I had no idea that one possible answer was: “we wanted to know but couldn’t figure it out.” I was completely flummoxed by this. Let's just say that was the first of many flummoxes this year.

The estimated date of arrival of the Peanut was June 29. We planned a few small trips in the meantime knowing we wouldn’t get around much after that date. In February, Mr. Right and I did a house swap with a family in Montpelier, Vermont. Rob went to school in Castleton VT, so about once a year, he starts yearning for the green mountains. We had a great weekend exploring the town and cross country skiing on a maple sugaring farm.

Mr. Right travels a lot for work and this is cause for both pity and envy, depending on the trip and how hellacious his travel schedule is. When he said he had to go meet people in Santa Barbara, I said there was no way he was going without me. I cashed in some miles and joined him out to the West Coast and hit all my favorite haunts on the weekend before he actually had to do work. Our favorite part of the trip was taking him to Cold Spring Tavern, an old stagecoach stop in the Santa Barbara foothills, reached after a windy drive through the mountains with amazing ocean views. We also made it down to LA to see my dear friends Lia and Angela for a quick dinner before I flew back east.

After that trip, I was better able to settle in for the remainder of my pregnancy. I worked up until the end. On Thursday, June 10 I led an offsite event for work and went home feeling tired but otherwise normal. I went to bed and woke up with a shock at 1:00 am. My water had broken! 2.5 weeks early! The conversation that evening continued in this vein for a while longer. What! But! Ok! We can do this! But we have no diapers! Or car seat installed! It's Ok! Call the hospital! No, call the midwife! Ack! Finally we managed to pull our gear together and get into the car.

At 5 am on June 11, The Peanut was born. It took me a week or two just to believe she had really arrived. She was so little at 6 lbs and 11 oz and 19 inches. We both were expecting a large baby since we both are relatively tall people, but nope, she remains a petite little girl. I never knew having a baby could generate the mountains of pink clothing that have descended upon us.

As advertised, our life will never be the same again. All of the clichés, both positive and negative, are all true. You just can’t prepare yourself for it – you just have to live through it. The peanut is a happy baby and for the most part, a pretty easy one. She still isn’t really big on sleeping for long stretches, but everything else about her is pretty much perfect. Adjusting to new mom-hood has also been a stretch for me; let’s just say it feels like your entire brain gets rewired. Maternity leave was less fun than I expected: I had visions of a lovely summer off, spent going to the beach or other outdoor adventures with my sweet baby. Instead, it was HOT and this baby did NOT like her car seat. We spent a fair amount of time on the couch at home, huddling in the air-conditioned rooms. But that was easy peasy compared to returning to work.

There are just not enough hours in the day or enough sleep to go around. The life of after work activities and projects no longer exists. Now I scramble to get ready while holding her as much as I can in the morning, rush off to work, rush home from work to connect with Mr. Right and the Peanut until bedtime while simultaneously trying to prepare, eat and clean up from dinner and get ready for the next day. Then I try and get as much sleep as I can between feedings. Talking on the phone? Reading a book? Watching a tv show? Visiting with friends? Cooking/cleaning/other projects? No longer on the schedule. I now understand and sympathize so much more with any new mom who has ever existed and said they were tired and unable to go anywhere/do anything/drink a full glass of water. Yup.

My three saving graces in all of this chaos: 1. loving friends and family 2. The Baby Café, a nursing moms group that meets just down the street and 3. the internet, where I can google anything and read way more advice about anything I could possibly want to know. What amazes me is how every single dimension of babyhood requires dissertations worth of research and preparation. Like, feeding Grace baby food. Who could ever master the ginormous array of options and opinions? The most valuable to me of all the advice I've been given so far was from a very elderly woman at the drug store who stopped to admire the Peanut. "Just enjoy every moment. It goes so fast." Her wistful smile still catches at my heart; that will be me if I'm lucky in 40 years when the Peanut is grown and has her own peanuts to raise.

Ultimately, I’ve learned that most important lesson: just give up trying to master it and blunder through. Oh and, “Let it go. This too shall pass.” Grateful, amazed, and freaked out pretty much is my continual state. So, happy new year indeed. If I don't return your phone call, hang in there. I'll call you back in 2012.

Yes, we had a lovely holiday, thanks.

2011-01-10T11:57:00.000-08:00

We had our first Christmas with the munchkin. She even had her first plane ride to Pittsburgh and did very nicely, conking out on my lap almost immediately both coming and going. She received lots of great presents and really was only interested in eating wrapping paper.

Now the holiday is over and we're home together on a work day because she's got a little fever and cough. We're listening to silly kid songs and trying not to get cabin fever and eat all the leftover holiday cookies in one day.

Happy new year everyone! Can't believe she's seven months old tomorrow.

Out of Sequence But Still Cute 5 Month Old Video

2010-12-16T17:52:00.000-08:00

Apologies for the shaky cam as I tried to hold onto her while filming.

Six Months Is A Big Deal

2010-12-16T17:40:00.000-08:00

My sister reminded me to post the latest in my monthly progression photos so there it is.

Here are a couple of outtakes from that photo session which show how much more active she is. Poor Mr. Duck. She sits up all by herself and plays with her toys for long periods of time (well, long enough for me to drink an entire glass of water sometimes!) She loves her toys, especially Mr. Piggy and Sophie the French Giraffe, the weirdly hip squeaky toy. It is fascinating for me to see how she changes. I am amazed each time with the comparison and can't remember her ever being that tiny. Just those few photos on the side demonstrate how her level of activity has changed -- I was barely able to keep her on the seat in this last one.

We are having fun growing and learning together. And then there are days that aren't as fun when I'm exhausted and struggling to hold it all together. Being a working mom is every bit as hard as promised. And sometimes it is so hard I just weep and wonder when it will get easier -- wasn't that supposed to happen by now? I do love her so. And this motherhood thing truly does kick my butt every day.

Happy holidays from the house of chaos and sleep deprivation and adorable baby girl!

Sweet Potatoes!

2010-11-17T18:22:00.000-08:00

We've added solids to the daily repetoire. She doesn't like them at home but she loves them at daycare. She's growing up, the little peanut.

2010-10-06T11:58:00.000-07:00

Age: 4 months! (3.5 in this photo)

Size and Shape: She is still a peanut. She looks BIG to me because she was once so tiny. But when we're out and about, people constantly say, "Look at the tiny baby!"
Eat: We seem to have our nursing and pumping routine more or less in place. I have noticed that she doesn't "unlatch" as much now, probably because she wants the extra comfort and mommy time, so our sessions can go much longer than they did.
Getting Around: We haven't had as much carseat problems, but we haven't taken her in the car quite as much as we were. So we shall see. I think she is happy to not have to spend much time in the car -- one of the benefits of daycare is that I'm not dragging her with me all over creation anymore. We love our variety of carriers! Still love the bjorn and baby hawks best.
New People: There are new babies at the daycare and we're told she is very friendly and smiley with all of them. She continues to be a friendly little soul with everyone she meets, giving smiles and patient with being passed around from person to person.
Best moment this week: She looked up at me while nursing and smiled and laughed, which made me cry it was so sweet. Probably very confusing for her to have mom laugh and cry. We also love her "dinosaur noises" where she shouts "Aaah!" in this growly voice over and over. It was also wonderful to get to skype with my mom and dad and see my mom's big smile when getting to look at her granddaughter. Oh and I got to go to yoga last night for the first time since … probably 6 months pregnant! It was AWESOME. Felt so good and was such a great break.
Worst moment this week: Saying goodbye in the mornings. Mr. Right always calls to tell me how the drop-off went which makes me really happy.

What I miss: I am wishing I had captured more of her "newborn" moments by video or snapshot. She is much more of a "baby" now than a newborn.
What I am looking forward to: She has become so communicative in her dinosaur voice -- makes me realize how fun she'll be when we can actually talk!
Weekly Wisdom: Going to yoga reminded me how much taking care of myself helps me be a better mom.

Summmer Cooking in Review

2010-10-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

And now a break from baby blogging:

Despite a busy and HOT summer, Mr. Right and I managed to do some cooking. Some of these meals were real accomplishments, worthy of a post here in the blog. A lot of them were driven by Mr. Right's food passions. Here goes:

Baked beans -- Mr Right brought home a recipe he found on the internet to make the beans. Curious, I scanned it and was annoyed that the recipe for homemade baked beans involved TWO CANS OF FACTORY MADE BAKED BEANS. WHAT??? We dug up another recipe to use instead, and found the secret to making really good beans is to accidentally bake them for three hours longer than the recipe says.

For father's day, the kids and I gave Mr. Right a bbq smoker. Mr. Right made ribs and tenderloin on his first try. In keeping with Mr. Right's generous personality, when the recipe called for a few pieces of wood to put in the smoker for flavor, he used 3 different entire packages of wood. So the meat was definitely smoky, but very tasty.

Beer can chicken -- This was fun for Mr. Right to try. He even bought a little contraption that keeps the whole thing upright. As always, beer can chicken is super yummy. And amusing to discuss.

Fried Chicken -- During a hard week at work for Mr. Right, I emailed him during his workday, "Want to make friend chicken for the first time tonight?" And you know you have a husband who likes to cook when he is just as excited to make it as he is to eat it. Our first try was pretty successful as we followed the recipe to the letter. Second try was less successful as we were being more experimental, and we didn't let the oil get hot enough. But both times it was very fun and very delicious. Next time we do this, we're going to brine the chicken in buttermilk and salt. And use the crisco and not the cooking oil..

Pasta -- I insisted that we do this over the summer as we have been talking about making pasta at home for years now. And you read about how incredibly easy it is. All of this was true. The recipe we followed was much more extravagant than is really necessary as it used a DOZEN eggs, but as I mentioned above, Mr. Right is of a generous nature and wanted to try the fancy recipe. The noodles were delicious, and it was fun to make.

Canned pickles -- I can't claim I made these but rather I learned at the feet of a master: my amazing mother-in-law. She showed me how to make bread and butter pickles using cucumbers grown in her own backyard. And did I mention she did it all with her arm in a sling from a broken elbow? She is incredible. And these are some good pickles, spicy and sweet, and they are so beautiful in their jars.

Ice cream with lumps -- I've made ice cream before (and blogged about it here), but this was my first time using the Ben & Jerry's cookbook as well as trying to use flavorings. We made a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough flavor and it came out great. My only caveat is that it is a lot more work making this than regular ice cream, as you are basically making ice cream AND a recipe for cookies at the same time. But it thrilled my stepdaughter to get to make it, and she helped so it wasn't too much work.

And after all these lovely gourmet moments, we also have the evenings like last Monday, where you mix a can of creamed soup with pasta and chicken and serve. I made it for Mr. Right, and he is the happiest man in the world because he loves that type of thing just as well as the gourmet treats. All good.

the Most Beautiful Sound in the World

2010-09-22T17:21:00.000-07:00

Just time to post this!

So lovely.

Is using a template cheating?

2010-09-02T15:03:00.000-07:00

Some people who are regular baby bloggers do this weekly update. I thought I'd have fun filling it out.

Age: 14 weeks today! 3 month photo here! Gracie is good friends with her duck; they are about the same size now.

Size: Pretty much all 0-3 size clothes. 12 pounds according to the Baby Cafe scale. Her size 1 diapers are getting snug. She definitely is no longer newborn size. Sigh.

Sleep: She's a good sleeper and has been since the beginning! She wakes up to eat and then immediately falls back asleep. I know we are incredibly lucky, so just by writing this I may be dooming myself to her deciding to be awake after eating. Knocking on wood furiously!

New activity: She has officially found her thumb so the fingers are always in her mouth, even when she's trying to eat, which can be a little awkward.

New People: She is making lots of friends at daycare. They say she is a snugglebug, which is so endearing. She is also trying to make friends with her squeaky giraffe, so I guess she isn't picky.

Weekly Wisdom: It's only week two back to work, so our routines are still developing. I need to be patient!

End of the Summer

2010-09-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

(photo credits to my very talented sister who won't answer me when I ask her why she doesn't do professional photography. Hi sis!). By the way: if anyone was wondering if the Peanut ever figured out how to suck her thumb, she HAS! But it is pretty funny that when she sticks it in her mouth it obviously is too little for her tastes so she just crams her whole hand in there.

Ah the melancholy last days of summer ... and maternity leave. I am the first to remind people that we technically have summer until Sept 21 but no one really thinks of September as summer. I went for a swim today at Walden Pond AND it was over 90 degrees, but nope, doesn't count as summer. But it was all the more special to have that swim because it will likely be my last this year. And that my friend Ann was there to hold the Peanut so I could go for a quick swim (and we had such a long visit which was wonderful). It felt SO good to be in the cool, clear water. When I take those first few strokes underwater my arms always feel so free -- they do a lot of holding these days so it is such freedom to move them through the water.

And with September comes the return to work next Tuesday, day after Labor Day, along with the last of the school kids and even the college students who have this one last weekend of freedom. We all head back together, which translates to one nasty commute coming up for me that morning.

Along with the fact I'll likely be sobbing most of the drive in. In the column of "you can't possibly know what's it like until you've gone through it" goes "Surviving Leaving Your Child with Strangers and Returning to Work." I've already had some pretty fun breakdown moments about it, which I did not anticipate so early. But I now read in my book, "Nursing Mother, Working Mother," these next two weeks are not unlike the first two weeks after the baby gets born. Nothing gets done, and both you and baby are just a big wet mess. Actually, I am sure the Peanut will be fine. I'm equally certain that I will not, so I am clearing the schedule for nothing but going to work, picking up baby at end of day, sitting on couch nursing baby, and then going to bed for the next few weeks. Pure survival mode. Then, I am hoping to come out the other side (say in October or hopefully, please God, before November), feeling like life is manageable again. Or at least able to actually socialize occasionally and prepare a meal that includes vegetables other than tomato sauce. But I am trying to learn to cut myself some slack. So, slacking it will be. I apologize in advance if I am not returning calls or emails or even making sense if I am managing a call or email.

But living in the moment, the Peanut is sleeping on my chest as I type this. I normally would try and put her down in her crib but I want her next to me for these last precious moments of maternity leave. Enjoy your last lingering days of summer, my friends.

2.5 month update

2010-08-26T11:31:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture of our dear girl at 1 month and then 2 months with floppy sun hat and big grin. Yay!

I go to a really great nursing moms group and whenever I look at the brand new infants I get all melty remembering how she was just a little while ago, even though now it seems like ages and ages.

Baby is growing, smiling and starting to coo and has recently found her hands. She stares at them and wrings them and occasionally bops herself in the head as she tries to get them in her mouth. She is pretty good at almost getting her thumb in there. I am looking forward to her first laugh -- we have come close many times and she has done it in her sleep but not yet awake!

She is sleeping right now which is why I can type with two hands. We are starting to hit our stride, of course now that I have hit my stride it is time to go back to work. Sigh. I don't mind the working part, but I mind terribly the separation part. At the mom's group the leader said there are some places that will let you take your infant to work and it actually can be a really positive thing in a workplace. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Ooop she's waking up now...

Equipment I Do Love

2010-07-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

In the months before the baby was due, I scoured the internet looking for people's recommendations for gear for pregnancy and baby. I assembled my own patchwork list from their list, and now that I am on "the other side," here's what we have found most useful:

For the pregnant ladies:

1. Maternity shirts that double as nursing tops (they have flap things) -- buy them at 6 months pregnant and you will have shirts to wear while pregnant AND while nursing! It is really annoying (and expensive) to have to go out and buy tops that work for nursing because you only have 3 tops that work for nursing and you will wear them non-stop for the first so many weeks after the baby is born. Wish I had known this.

2. You can buy special pregnancy pillows which are probably awesome, but at $50, I was too cheap even if my back bugged me. Ikea has these longish thin body pillows for about $10. Ultimately, nothing will be comfortable but for a while these were a big help.

3. Cheap maternity clothes -- best option new is Old Navy but bless those girlfriends willing to share theirs as you are going to wear them for all of a few months.

For the baby:

1. I do like the video monitor. I know it's not really necessary and I know I'm obsessing, but it is really reassuring to see the baby is OK. It's different to see the baby is OK than to hear silence which means the baby is PROBABLY ok, but if you're insane like me, you want to khow the baby is DEFINITELY ok. So, if you're not insane, a regular monitor is fine..

2. If you can get a copy of the Happiest Baby on the Block video from the library or borrow or buy, I recommend it for yourself and so your partner will watch it. You may have obsessively read all of the "how to take care of a baby" books but your partner likely rolled his/her eyes at you and continued to read "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" book. Watching the dvd is a fast easy way to teach them how to soothe the baby so they don't hand the baby back to you the second the baby starts to cry. So worth it. And your partner will be so thrilled when it works for them which is super cute to watch.

3. I think the swaddle thing was a big help to us (at least for the first few months). So blankets that actually are built for swaddling help a lot as they have places that hold their arms because babies are little houdinis with getting their arms out of the blankets.

4. Baby carriers rock (ha, pun intended) but it is amazing how different they all are. I've tried the Moby, the Ergo, the Bjorn, the BabyHawk and all have their pluses and minuses. If you can borrow one from someone even temporarily before you buy it will be a huge help. I wore the Moby for a while and liked it a lot but now I need more head support for her. I'm wearing the Bjorn as I type but I anticipate we'll be moving into the Ergo as soon as she is big enough as the shoulders are much easier in the Ergo. But the Babyhawk that dear Susan sent me may work as well -- we shall see.

5. I have liked the stroller system where you have the car seat that snaps into just a lightweight frame. Nice and light and easy to throw in the trunk. We now are looking for the more permanent stroller to get around the city, but for quick trips while she is still little, the stroller frame works GREAT.

A final note: never underestimate borrowing/inheriting items from your friends and family. We have been so lucky to be inundated with enormous amounts of wonderful items from them from the cradle we got from Mr. Right's parents (in which Mr. Right slept when he was a baby) to the swing from dear Elizabeth which she got from dear Claudette, to the carriers inherited by the incredibly generous Kris and Susan, both of whom have two toddlers they are having to manage while still taking the time to help the hapless new mom. It truly does take a village!

Movie time again! Not sleeping!

2010-07-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

Oh the fun we have here at the movies on the Baby Channel. This time it's all about her feet. It's the best movie you'll have seen all day, assuming you haven't watched any other movies today.

aaand more baby stuff

2010-07-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

I can't really apologize for turning this into baby blog. I'd be lying if I said I was doing much else. Although I have cooked a few interesting things I can blog about later (barley salad, yum, and we made 2 kinds of ice cream with the kids, chocolate chip cookie dough and strawberry. Yes, we made ice cream with chunks! Yay!)

I chose this photo because Mr. Right rarely reads this blog. I secretly love this onesie that dear Joyce gave to us. It's silly, I don't think Mr. Right cares, but I try not to parade this onesie around in front of him because for some bizarre reason I think he'll see it and think she likes me best and of course I secretly want her to. This is the mind of a sleep deprived crazy person, moi.

I wanted to mention a few things I have learned, no particular order:

1. I had no idea how much I didn't know. I thought I knew stuff about babies. I kinda did, but really it was a drop in the bucket compared to this 24/7 thing.

2. I am only beginning to conceive how cute one thinks one's own child is. Anyone who doesn't agree that she is the cutest thing ever to appear on this earth is crazy in my opinion. It's like a the stupidest contest ever and I'm really into it. Oh well. We win.

3. Babies get all sticky and dirty pretty fast.

4. I am learning LOTS about limitations. Things I assumed I could do, I just can't. Whether it's because our stroller doesn't go there (hiking, escalators, subways) or distance limitations (Baby will only put up with car rides for a limited and unpredictable time period before MELTDOWN), going to the beach (don't even ask, I'm still traumatized), or typing, cooking, cleaning, reading, making phone calls effectively while holding her even in her carrier, I just can't do what I thought I'd do easily. Sometimes drinking a full glass of water is more than I can accomplish at a time. It's weird and hard and frustrating and even things I could do a week ago are no longer workable, although sometimes the reverse is true. It makes it scary to do a 10 minute drive to bookclub, and wait, bookclub doesn't end until 9? Uh oh. Oh and a haircut? How do I do that exactly? How do a I make an appointment and then find someone to watch her while I am at said appt if I don't have enough milk to feed her pumped while I am gone? Whew. It's tiring.

5. Have I mentioned tired? I have become a fabulous conversationalist who loses my train of thought every 3 sentences or so. And when I do talk, it's only about how cute she is. Fun!

6. Be patient, she's only 5 weeks old. (rinse and repeat) I forget how little she is because she is so much bigger than she was 5 weeks ago! (Namely, she now weighs 8 lbs 4 oz. Huge! And then I see the 10 pound babies who are 1 week old. Weird perspective flip!)

7. A wise person said: Life is short, but the days and nights are long. Yup. We are very glad to have Mr. Right come home at the end of each day. But then I'm like, wait, she's going to be 6 weeks old?

That's enough wisdom for now.

Watching Someone Sleep

2010-07-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, I lied in the last post. I'm going to post the video of her sleeping because I was getting tired of emailing it out and torturing my family. This is my first video post so have patience with me. And yes, I realize that a video of a sleeping baby is not exactly Oscar worthy, although didn't Andy Warhol do something like this at some point? (answer: yes). But remember, this is MY sleeping baby whom I believe is award winningly cute. And it's not 5 hours long, like the Warhol film. So you can thank me for that, right?

Yikes. I think I have become one of THOSE moms. Ack!!!!

By the way, I bought a (cheapie) webcam for the purposes of sharing her cuteness most effectively, but I begin to wonder if just taping her isn't the best way to show her off. Any thoughts out there?

Picture Happy

2010-07-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Having a newborn around all day is almost overwhelming for me as photographer. She's just so darned cute (nothing to do with her being my child of course), so just about every moment seems photo worthy. I seem to find her especially irresistable while she is sleeping -- yesterday I even videotaped a clip, which I will spare most of you from having to watch a video of her sleeping. (family, be warned: you will NOT be spared from having to watch). Oh and baby girl, sorry for all the no clothes shots, but we promise not to bring them out to show when you're dating (fingers crossed).

We're doing well, surviving the next heat wave ok, doing our best to stay hydrated and not survive solely on ice cream. No real milestones to report although it did look awfully like she smiled at Mr. Right yesterday. She's 3.5 weeks old. Next thing I know she'll be asking to borrow the car.

Maternity Leave

2010-06-28T08:52:00.000-07:00

I've had two weeks now to get used to our little pumpkin's arrival. Tomorrow is her official due date. Ha! She showed me. But maybe that little marker will make the whole thing seem official.

Today does feel like the official start of my maternity leave as my mom has headed back home and Mr. Right is back at work. It's just me and the pumpkin here at the house on a day that is supposed to reach 94 degrees. She is happily sleeping on my chest in one of these amazing baby slings (thanks Kris!), and for the hands free and happy baby mode, I'm very glad to have this little warm bundle against me on this hot day.

I am a little daunted by this maternity leave thing. I'm a little perplexed about what it is you do with yourself on leave ... and then I start to make a list of things I need to do that goes on for a whole page and then she wakes up from her nap and makes some diaper noises that impress Mr. Right to no end, and then it's time to feed her again, and are there really no clean blankets left? and then I remember, oh yeah, I've got plenty to do here. So, we're fine.

Most of all I try to remember the number one item on my list: take the time to stare at her precious face as these moments will go by fast. She is already 2.5 weeks old! I read some other new mom blogs and some of them talk about wanting to stop time to be able to really appreciate this moment ... I understand this feeling now, after years of trying to appreciate the moment through meditation or yoga, all you need is a newborn. After a lifetime of "what's the next thing?" it's lovely to look down at my daughter's face and think, "What could be more perfect than this moment?"

I was at a family get-together yesterday for most of the day, and I'm learning how you turn into a quasi-celebrity if you have an infant in your arms. Or at least you learn what it feels like to be the bodyguard of the celebrity. I looked up at one point to find about eight little girls clustered around me, peering at me and the baby. I didn't know what to do or say. Finally I got her into her seat and they clustered around the seat and I felt much better. A little later, I had a little magical moment as a little seven year old asked to hold her, and it was such an incredible moment to see her joyful smile looking down at the baby. I remember my own fascination with babies starting very young, a decade of daycare work and babysitting, and all those years wondering what my own child would be like. And here she is.

Our Little Peanut is Here!

2010-06-17T14:36:00.000-07:00

I've been promising photos to lots of people, and this might be the easiest way to get them to you along with the stats on our little munchkin.

Last Thursday night at about 1:30 am, two and a half weeks before the baby was due, my water broke! I had no other symptoms, no contractions that I noticed, no premonitions, nada. I was so shocked -- I know I was full term, but mentally I hadn't prepared myself at all to have her come early. I was expecting to have to blow right past my due date and agonize well into July. But no, the baby had other ideas. And once your water breaks, well, you know you'll be meeting that baby soon.

Mr. Right and I got ready, with me mostly running around in circles, and then we headed to the hospital at about 2 am. Here's us at the hospital. I was nervous, but I was so excited to meet our baby that I was just feeling very happy. Mr. Right was a big help through the contractions.

Because we knew the baby was probably still breech after many attempts to turn him or her around, we knew a cesarean birth was pretty likely. So they checked, and yes, the little boulder under my ribs was still the baby's head. So they set us up for the birth, and at 4:54, the docs delivered the baby. Mr. Right, upon my request, was the one to announce the baby's birth to me: "We have a little girl." Much crying and rejoicing ensued.

Mr. Right took some amazing photos of our newborn daughter. And these last few are of us finally settled into our hospital room and recovering. I know it's a cliche, but goodness I'm in love with this little girl. Of course I think she is the most amazing baby ever. We are all doing well and settling into our new life together. I have been bouncing back amazingly well to the degree that I can forget that I am still recovering, until it all catches up to me and then I have to go collapse. Will post more as we get caught up on our lives. I still am just stunned that she arrived so early, and so there was a lot of setting up to do when we brought her home. We love getting to know her, and we can't wait to introduce her to you!

Foreshadowing...

2010-06-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law made this amazing diaper wreath for us. It must have like 80 diapers on it, not to mention toys and little shoes, all for our "little monkey." So cute! Here I am, putting it up around my 9 month pregnant belly.

I am all behind in my blogging, so I'm trying to catch up now. Baby is due June 29.... get ready for this blog to transform into baby meets world ...

When Life Gives You Meyer Lemons, Make Crepes: Mixed Results

2010-04-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

This is my first "hey look, I made this" post in a while. Writing the previous post about spices has made me realize how passionate I am about food. Anyone who knows me would say, "Well, duh!" But ever since finding Mr. Right and the whirlwind romance, wedding, and now the Munchkin on the way, well, I've been distracted from my passion for food. Sometimes I diminish it as not important, not that healthy, too expensive, and so on. But then someone asks my opinion about something food-related, and I just explode with information in a way that totally overwhelms anyone standing within 20 yards. So. Guess I've kept it tamped down a little too long.

And so I had a baking adventure with crepes. Crepes are a pretty safe bet as a popular food. It's fun and a little bit fancy, and it brings back memories of blissfully wandering around Paris clutching a Crepe Nutella. Somewhere in my food explorations I stumbled across a photo of a crepe cake which made me drool. I mean, look at that thing! I like crepes, I love cake, and the idea of slicing into this confection intrigued me, but didn't motivate me to jump up and make it.

Evidently, I needed the proper filling to really inspire me, and lo and behold, after my spontaneous trip back to Santa Barbara in late March (more in a later post with photos), I had the inspiration. Lemon curd made with the meyer lemons I bought at the farmer's market during my visit. And voila, Martha Stewart again had a recipe! I set to work.

Making the curd was easier, quicker, and required less ingredients than I might have imagined. I was imagining the need for eight egg yolks, heavy cream, etc. which are all wonderful as ingredients, but I am hesitant to make foods that require food follow-up: as in, I would then have to make something with 8 egg whites, and I'd have to come up with something to do with the extra cream since you never use a whole container. But no, this recipe only needed 2 eggs, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Easy! I whipped it up with the lovely smelling Meyer Lemons and voila, had a completely addictive lemon curd in minutes, which I had to restrain myself from treating as lemon pudding and eating it all immediately. However, I decided not to make it into a mousse by mixing the curd with whipped cream because curd is super yummy, why dilute it? (And why buy cream said my inner cheapskate). I will discuss this decision later as the downfall of my endeavor.

Next the crepes. I was much less worried about this part as I've made them before and they don't require a lot of fancy ingredients either: flour, eggs, milk, a little salt, a little sugar. Easy! However, the crepey formation was a bit more challenging -- it takes forever to cook them all one by one in the crepe pan, 12 in all. But that's ok; the bits I tasted were really yummy and I was excited to try my new confection when it was all put together.

So. I pondered a bit on how to make it look pretty on the plate, and hacked off around the edges to try and make it look pretty, oh, and round like a cake. This was not as simple as I thought and it was neither fabulous before I did the edges nor afterward. Then I started layering in the curd, which also was trickier than I expected as some of the crepes stuck together so I'd skip that layer and then have to go back and re-slather between layers, which then made the other layers all off center. Finally, after some struggle, I got it on the plate and snapped the photo. And it was time for the ultimate determination: how good did it taste?

After all that work, maybe I had overly high expectations as it was really took a while and some frustration to make. Yes, it was good. The curd and the crepes were a nice combo. But it wasn't GREAT. It wasn't like birthday cake. It was more like, well, crepes with curd on them in a huge pile. The crepes were good but, not unlike eating cold pancakes, were a little bit of a weird rubbery texture. And the curd was nice too. I didn't love how after you sliced it, it kinda fell over and apart on the plate. So then, time to submit it to my official testers, wandering around in search of Saturday morning breakfast. They were puzzled and suspicious by how it looked at first (as pre-teens often are). After tasting it, the verdict: they liked it in a "hey it's a homemade thing that is sweet," but not in a "oh my, I want more right now" kind of way. Which pretty much confirms my opinion that it was good to try, but not a repeater.

And now I realize as I look at the recipe I did not choose to follow, if I had chosen to turn the curd into mousse by adding heavy cream, I think it would have had more of a creamy lemony crepey mixture that could be a lot better than what I created. Hmmm. Well. Now I know. This blogger made it much more successfully (click to see how pretty!) and was very happy with the results, so hey, go for it if you are so inspired. But it looks easier than it is.

It's funny, though, returning to my thoughts about my passion for food. As I was making this cake, I started having a running blog entry in my head. Planning and thinking about the right photos, discussing the pros and cons in my head with my reader(s); (I supose there could be more than just one of you -- hi mom). So, after a break from my baking adventures, I refound the pleasure of talking and writing about food. Ta dah.

Spice Friends

2010-03-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Tina had been perusing a well loved spice catalog and was inspired to ask me and a few other folks what their favorite spices were. I replied, thinking I could dash off a quick list and suddenly I found I had a dissertation. I had no idea I cared so much about this. So I saved the email, and I'm sharing with you here. I feel like I should have a good reason for doing so, but mostly I am just amazed that I really care that much about this topic. As I'm just noticing as well how personal spices are -- how each person creates their own little culinary world.

(By the way, the photo is from a very old Nantucket herb garden we visited last June. I dream of having such a garden some day: fresh spice beats jarred hands down anyday).

First off in my list of smug spice advice, pre-filled spice racks aren't that helpful as they will include lots of stuff that you'll never use and is often all dried out anyhow. If the spice no longer has a strong smell, it won't have much taste either.

Daily/weekly most used spices:

We use a lot of peppercorns in a grinder. They aren't cheap when you buy them in tiny bottles from the grocery store, so I like to buy a bag at any specialty store within reasonable price. The multicolored peppercorns are the most fun and supposedly give you more flavor.
Red pepper flakes -- used so much in our house that we buy the big containers from the store. Not even usually in the fancy spice catalogs, but boy do we like them.
We use a lot of vanilla. I might use almond extract or anise extract once a year or so. Orange extract is handy to have around to use instead of orange peel or lemon peel when you're feeling lazy. Not a spice, but I'm ok with including it because it's my list.
Cinnamon (Penzey's is supposed to be super awesome, although truly I'm not sure I notice the difference but it smells good!)
Bay leaves -- I use these a lot in soup, sauces, beans, etc . When I lived in California I was very excited to be able to find them on trees in the neighborhood. Free spice! What a country. They smelled so good.
Oregano (turkish or greek are both fine, Mexican is different) -- pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, etc.
Cumin -- used in pretty much any mexican food or indian food.
Nutmeg -- I love this stuff especially whole with a grinder. You can survive on the pre-ground stuff; it just isn't as wonderful,
Cayenne powder -- for heat without adding much of a flavor.
chipotle powder -- I love the smoky flavor this gives things with a little heat
thyme -- I like this stuff and use it pretty often. I recently learned it is often used in herbal tea.

For monthly use (very good to have on hand and annoying if you don't have on hand:

ground mustard -- used in Indian cooking, sometimes in cheese sauces
curry powder -- it's really annoying when you don't have it even if it doesn't come up all that much. My latest intel says the Tone brand at the warehouse stores is best
Mr. Right likes garlic powder, but I don't think it is anywhere near as good as the real thing but it's easy for garlic toast or if you have no garlic
White pepper: I have found their white pepper to be really interesting and has a much different flavor than black pepper. I use it in soups alot. You only need a little because it is intense! I just buy a little shaker of it.
Rosemary -- you won't use it much, but it will come up for lamb, stews, carrots, potatoes, potatoes
Chili powder -- for chili, duh. But I tend to use chipotle powder more
ground ginger -- not nearly as good as fresh, but it's good to have

Nice to have but you won't use very often at all:

cardamom gives a really nice flavor to baked goods, kindof an interesting exotic taste to banana bread or muffins
coriander seed (you have to grind it up yourself though which is annoying
cinnamon sticks (for mulling wines or cider and being fancy)
vanilla beans (if you like strong vanilla flavor in something or are making puddings or panna cottas)
allspice -- pops up in baking, especially around the holidays. I think you can sub in cinnamon/nutmeg if you have to.
Paprika -- for chicken -- I like Penzey's Spanish a LOT. Really different.
Cream of tartar -- it comes up for meringues and cookies and stuff, but you won't use it much.
Dried sage -- you know, I just never ever use this. I'll use fresh sage on eggs. My mom uses it. I just don't.
Tumeric -- sortof a hippie spice. I like it for some things and it is supposed to be a superfood, really good for you.
Saffron -- I never ever feel the need for it. It's super expensive. Some people swear by it in rice.

What I really never use, and I mock it when I see it:

cinnamon sugar -- so easy to make your own it's ridiculous to buy it unless you MUST have it on hand at all times in a special shaker.
"italian seasoning" I just make up my own with the ones I have
dried parsley flakes-- dried out it doesn't add any flavor, it just adds green specks. Feh. I mean, maybe sometimes you need green specks I guess, but I don't like it, and it annoys me that it pretends like it adds something.
dried basil flakes -- see above. Feh again.
dried cilantro flakes -- see above.
dried lemongrass -- see above
dried jalapeno bits -- see above
dried chives -- see above
dried marjoram -- see above
dried mint -- see above (although I do like mint tea which is made from dried mint)
onion powder -- just use onions, people!!!!

Obviously, I spent way too much time on this. But my friends, being the dear souls that they are, put up with me. One of these friends, Allison, said if you count butter as a spice, that would be her favorite. Which led us down the road to a lively discussion of condiments, of which I am a big fan. But that's for another culinary obsessed post, isn't it? What's on your spice list? Did I forget anything?

2010-03-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

Color me inspired. I have been reading Cold Antler farm, a blog about a city-based woman who decides it is time to make her dream come true by starting a farm. This has always been a dream of mine in some form or another, although I wouldn't say it is has been the number one fore-front topic on which I obsess. We all have our over the top obsessions, some more heroic than others (ok, mine appears to be, um, brownies), and then we have our more manageable passions and quiet dreams. And if I never live and work on a real honest to goodness farm, I'll be OK. However, I do think I've got come compost in my blood (ick?), and combined with that oh-so-trendy desire to live more greenly, I think we can make even our lives in suburban MA a little closer to the earth-based vision I hold in my head. And for the next house … who knows … Vermont or rural NH are not that far away, and Mr. Right likes the sound of both of them. Even if he's not completely convinced he loves the idea of cleaning up after chickens. But I dream of having hens scratching about in the yard and gathering still warm eggs with my family. Of trying to figure out what to do with all that extra goat's milk we are getting. Of surpluses of rhubarb and of a real root cellar.

Now that we are more or less installed in the new homestead, what steps can I take to get the place running in the right direction? First off, this is the first time I have ever been a homeOWNER which I guess is another way of saying LANDowner (which immediately makes me feel guilty in a kind of "nobody owns the land" kind of way, but you know what I mean). This is important only in that it is the first time I've ever known for pretty sure that I'd be living in one spot for more than just a year or two.

Which means, for the first time, I can plant PERENNIALS!!!! This may not be cause for celebration in your world, but in my world, there is nothing more wonderful than thinking to myself, "I'd sure like some fresh raspberries right now," and be able to go out in the garden where there are raspberry bushes begging to be picked. As opposed to going the store and feeling depressed at the tiny plasticky box with 12 moldy berries for $4. Or aspargus stalks popping up, signalling that spring really IS coming, despite the fact that April in New England can be worse than February in New England. Or … eating blackberries right off the bush at dusk in early August while they are still warm from the sun and the mosquitoes are buzzing around your ears. Sounds like heaven to me! Rosebushes! Morning glories! Fruit trees!
Of course, all these visions are even now, years off. You don't get much year one, you're not supposed to eat them while they settle into their new spots, so tells me all those to whom I've been waxing enthusiastic. But you don't get any if you never plant 'em, I say!

In addition to the most wonderful perennial lifestyle we can now adopt, there are things like composting bins and rain barrels. I really miss composting as I got pretty used to it at our last place. It cuts way down on the amount of trash output, and so it's less taking out the trash, less stinky trash in the house, free fertilizer, and all kinds of happy smug feelings when you aren't throwing away piles of beautiful rinds and peelings that you know can be put to use.
Now chickens … well … that probably isn't going to happen anytime soon. We have a shared backyard, so I'll be lucky if I can get away with composting. Someday, please forgive me for saying this, but I can't resist: the chickens will come home to roost.

A Littlish Announcement

2010-01-26T17:40:00.000-08:00

I noticed I haven't posted many photos lately. Heck, I haven't posted much of anything lately. So for those of you who are more faithful readers, I hope this is a nice post to see to reward your regular checking in. With a photo that I decidedly did NOT take, but was certainly involved in the process.

Mr. Right and I are expecting a little one. Hopefully in late June. Yay! Gulp. Yay!

PS. That's the head in side profile, tilted back. Baby is looking up, probably at my stomach, wondering what the heck it is I just ate. Sorry, baby. Gummy bears and kimchi, probably. That's about the standard right now.

Putting Down Roots in the Bath

2010-01-18T10:04:00.000-08:00

We are settling into our new life in Melrose. Just like in any new situation, there's the honeymoon phase and then the, 'uh oh, this isn't good' phase. And we're moving through both. There hasn't been any major surprises about the house, thank goodness. We are coming to see that the previous owners weren't exactly exacting about the wonderful updates they made. (Thanks for the brand new windows that don't actually close/lock, guys!) But we are coping and planning for what needs to be done.

I have noticed a shift in myself though, a shift that makes me happy. After leaving Pittsburgh for Washington DC so many years ago (ugh, was it really 15 years?), I haven’t lived in a place that felt like I was there for the long haul. DC was great but never felt like I'd stay, then off to grad school in California which was temporary, and then to Boston. Boston somehow managed to turn into "home" in a way that Pittsburgh, DC and Santa Barbara never did. DC was just too short of a visit. And Pittsburgh and Santa Barbara both call to me and still pull me in many ways, but the call is never one that said "you're home." I always felt a little itchy while living in both towns, like I wanted more than they could offer me. It's a very personal thing, and even an unpredictable thing. I have no family in New England. No history longer than my 12 years living here. But it's where my roots are now dug into the dirt, even moreso with the addition of my local-born husband with his two local kids and his enormous local family. Yep, I'm here for a long haul in New England -- not necessarily til the end of my life -- who knows where we'll go? but for a good while.

Despite my feeling that Boston would be home, I never settled on a physical home. I've had a apartments that I loved, no make that LOVED, and I still miss. But I knew they weren't IT. Part of it, yes, I'll admit, was waiting for Mr. Right. And part of it was knowing I didn't want rent going down the drain for many more years.

Here we are then, Mr. Right and I, our first home bought together. I've been unpacking and putting away dishes and hanging things on walls I haven't seen in a decade because where was I going to put them except in my new home? So there they are on the wall, my great-grandmother's apple crisp recipe in the kitchen. The beautiful Talavera plates from Mexico I never used because I didn't have a cupboard for them. The glass grape sculpture that my grandmother saved for me because no one else wanted it (I was fascinated by it as a kid). It's a wonderful feeling that my personality is now shaping this place. To surround yourself with things from your history and family and travels is such a pleasure.

The loudest signal, however, of my newfound acceptance of the new place is a small thing. I decided to take a bath. I can't explain it; I'm not a huge bath person as showers are just easier, but every once in a while, I enjoy the warm water and quiet time. Yet if I'm not really settled into a place I have no interest in the tub. But here, in our new home, it was time. And it felt great. I guess that means I'm home.

So how about you? How do you know if you're home (or not home?)

Resolutionary Road

2010-01-03T17:51:00.000-08:00

And we start the new year off, the new decade. I just poked through my previous posts to see if I have ever discussed the new year resolution thing, and I was surprised to see I had not. I want to share something with you that I have found pretty helpful. The whole "I want to be nicer to whomever, or lose 50 pounds thing" just never worked for me. But somewhere along the way I picked up the habit of writing out some things I would like to accomplish in the coming year in terms of FUN things. Like one of my resolutions last year was to bike the Cape Cod Canal. Not a huge accomplishment, but for whatever reason, I got attached to it, and we made it happen this past October. And now I can consider it part of my life's adventures.

I am sucker for those life lists that you hear people working on, and I've maintained a relatively informal one in the back of my planner for the past 5 years or so. I'll try to work things from my life lists into my year list. And sometimes things that weren't on my life list appear on it once I've gone to do this because it was such a cool accomplishment that I want to make sure I treasure it.

One of the most important part of working on the goals for next year is going over what you accomplished (fun things or not) in the previous year, some of which were never on your list in the first place. It really brings a sense of closure to the year. Then you can build your next year list of fun things. 2009 was a particularly big year, with the selling of our home and the buying of a new one, as well as starting to take classes toward a potential new career. This year will probably have less ambitious goals as we settle into our new lives here in a new town. I'm fine with that too! Establishing our life in a new community will be an important goal.

Okay, I'll admit I like lists. And this may be way more life introspection than you've ever wanted. It gives me an enormous sense of satisfaction. It doesn't have to be something you do on your own if that doesn't appeal to you. For the past few years, Mr. Right and I have been setting aside an evening to work on our individual lists and share them, and we even create a few shared goals (ie have a dinner party, cook a special meal (we thought about goose) take the kids on a family vacation, etc.) It does help us figure out our priorities for the year -- it was an impetus for our trip to DC in the summer with the kids. Ugh, I hope that doesn't sound like we are these fabulously organized planners of our lives. Not in the least. But we enjoy doing this together, and it does work for us. Don't knock it till you've tried it!

I'll try to get some of my lists posted up in a side column here.

So what are you proud of that happened in 2009? And what are three fun things you'd like to do this year? I'd love to hear if you want to share.

Dillard57 Relocated!

2009-11-27T16:11:00.000-08:00

We have settled into our new home in Melrose, MA. The last few months were a blur of packing and planning and occasional panic as we navigated the white waters of real estate negotation. We have come out the other end unscathed, although I have learned a lot. NEXT time, when I do the walk-through, I'm going to notice if they've taken all of the blinds off the bedroom windows. Sigh.

I don't have a whole lot of fascinating stories about this process unless you like to hear long deliberations about couch colors (who knew that there were color trends in couches?), and how do you find the best place to put the pots and pans? Now I struggle to find curtains and curtain rods and the drill and drill bits buried in a box somewhere that would allow me to put them up. Mr. Right has been a non-stop whirl of box emptying and shlepping, upstairs, downstairs, in between. We have squeezed in a few interesting adventures -- mostly notably, in October we biked the Cape Cod Canal, which I had on my list of new year's resolutions for 2009. The photo above is from that visit while Mr. Right and I were taking silly photos.

We like Melrose. Our neighbors have been very friendly, and we love walking into town to run errands. Need eggs? The grocery store is just a block away! Need books, duct tape, the YMCA, a church service? All within an easy walk. This is what I have always loved about living close to town. Mr. Right loves his new commute.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. I am appreciative to the point of amazement at the way our life has changed in the past few months and the wonderful family and friends who helped us through the transition. If you had told me five years ago that this is what my life would look like now, I'm not sure I would believe you.

Tonight I watch a documentary about Frida Kahlo and rest and have a moment to catch my breath before we return to the work of setting up a new household. Oh and get ready for the holidays!

And More Transitions...

2009-09-18T06:46:00.001-07:00

Since I last posted I'm a little shocked to say we have managed to move out of our house. We are now into our temporary digs at my very very very generous in-laws.

Our house finally sold, hooray, yay, celebrate!!! Aaaaand, we had all of 3 weekends to pack up 4 people's things and get out of there. Ack! Panic! Scramble! Whew.

All our worldly possessions are pretty much stuffed into the garage area, and I'm really not sure where my car keys are. We have taken over Mom and Dad's place, and just incredibly grateful at their kindness.

Oh and the Friday before we fully moved out, we went house hunting, not expecting much but feeling like we needed to see the options. And one of the houses actually seemed like it could work for us. Walkable to Melrose center, lots of space, all updated ... we couldn't figure out why NOT to put a bid on it. So we offered, and, dear reader, they accepted. Um. This is my first time experiencing this process of buying a house. The mixed feeling of joy and terror was one I will not forget anytime soon, probably because I am still feeling it. However, don't get too attached to our place yet as we haven't done the home inspection. But so far so good.

So! Pardon us during this transition time as we figure out which way is up and where exactly the toothbrushes are located. And while we dream little daydreams about where we will set up the eat in kitchen and what to do exactly with that extra room on the 4th floor ... Mr. Right is suggesting we put in a disco with shark acquarium. I am voting for chicken coop and/or pottery studio with full kiln. We are having fun coming up with silly ideas. Most likely it will be a rec room and, dare I say it, an art studio for me. Oh, quickly, knock on wood, and don't get ahead of myself, but wouldn't that be lovely?

Chicago

2009-08-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

I spent many Christmas holidays as a kid wandering the halls of the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, which seemed (and still seems) like such a magical place. But our visits there were generally an in and out trip as we were there with about 15 family members of various levels of age and mobility and patience. After our visit and a trip to Ed Debevic's, it was back to Grandma's in Indiana. So I grew up feeling like I'd been to Chicago many times, but this last trip (for a work conference) proved that I really had never seen Chicago at all.

However, having been a fan of the show ER during its early years, you get this eerie false familiarity as you wait for the "El" train, knowing you've never done this before but you've heard and seen it so many times on TV.

I had a great time with many adventures, some of my favorite being a long train ride pilgramage to Oak Park, the home of one of my childhood heroes (once you've been to Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright becomes very heroic no matter how old you are). It was such an amazing sight to see an entire town transformed by the architectural visions of this one artist. Beautiful. I'll try and post some photos of the town later.

I decided one evening to head over to the Art Institute by foot and accidentally discovered something beautiful I'd never heard about: Millennium Park. When you read about it, you think, ho hum, city park. When you go there, you say, Frank Ghery outside auditorium with a free world music concert blasting with people dancing and picnicking in the grass out front? Huge public art everywhere? A huge garden composed of wild plants and wildflowers of the region? Right next to the Art Institute? Wha?? It was gorgeous. (skyline photo above taken from the garden). And the new wing of the AI was incredible. I went on the free Thursday night and it was intoxicating to be surrounded by a museum full of happy summertime art fans wandering through its halls.

I also did Chicago's food traditions justice. I had a steak sandwich submerged in juice (disgusting but so good), a visit to Frontera and their new fast food joint, Frontera Fresco, and had to make sure I got some chicago style pizza from Ginos East, for which I've been craving now for about, oh, 15 years. I even stumbled across a city farmer's market, so I was in farmer's market bliss seeing what it is they have out here on the farm in the midwest (in July: lots of Michigan cherries and peaches).

I was really, really impressed with Chicago. I just had no idea it had so much to offer.

4 trips, 1.5 months; I am tired

2009-08-10T16:57:00.000-07:00

I am slowly approaching recovery from travel burnout. But the blog must go on! I've got photos to post! It's now early August, the cicadas are whirring along with the air conditioners. After dinner tonight, I sat on the side porch and enjoyed a bowl of melty raspberry sherbet while listening to the summer noises of basketballs and crickets and sprinklers and dogs. I leafed through a Gourmet magazine and thought, ahhh, I don't have to pack anything for this weekend!

I do have some lovely memories to share, however. So let's begin.

After the wonderful trip to Nantucket back in June, we had a quick weekend up in New Hampshire. This doesn't count as a trip because it is where we visit Mr. Right's family pretty regularly. We did, however, enjoy the sandcastle competition at Hampton Beach, which made the visit more vacationlike.

Then we were off to Virginia and Washington DC where Mr. Right's brother lives. I lived in DC for a year so I'm always happy to return to the area, as well as being that much closer to my homestate of PA. We drove the scenic route through the Cheasapeake bay peninsula, stopping in New Castle, DE for a rest break and learning about motor oil ice cream, and reading sign after sign promising us fireworks, peanuts and Virginia ham. We finally gave in to the hype and stopped for crabcakes here, at The Great Machipongo Clam Shack, where the crabcakes were every bit worth the small delay on arriving to see the much beloved cousins.

We pressed on for the remainder of the 11 hour drive, and arrived in beautiful Chesapeake just in time for Independence Day and much joyful reunion. The morning of the holiday, we got up early to wish bon voyage to a friend of the family who was headed off to the Middle East for military duty. Mr. Right's sister in law made a sign with her grade schoolers for us to hold which was a big hit while the bus drove away.

We toured an outdoor airplane museum afterward and the kids enjoyed having their photos taken next to all of these crazy planes.

Virginia Beach was a first for all of us. It was really pretty and hey, who knew the ocean could be warm after years of New England ice water? We briefly visited The Dismal Swamp but were chased away by the dismal mosquitoes; we stopped by the Norfolk Harbor Festival where we hung out with shanty singing pirates and human grapevines (see photo).

We visited Colonial Williamsburg (where we had a group photo in front of the governor's mansion and then tried on silly hats) and in the same day went to Busch Gardens, where Mr. Right and I, both hardened roller coaster veterans, were humbled by Apollo's Chariot, a ride that left us quaking in our boots and bewilderedly wondering if we were just getting too old for such things.

Then we were off to DC where, frankly, it was too hot to take many pictures. But we introduced the kids to the standards (in order: Air & Space, National Museum of the American Indian (where, strange as it sounds, the food court is amazing. Next time we're getting the turtle soup!), the Washington Monument, the Vietnam Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, National Archives (ugh, longest wait ever), and finally, Arlington National Cemetary. All in 95 degree heat that was NOT a dry heat, and mostly on foot except when we just couldn't manage another step and flagged down a bike carriage and let him do the sweating for us. Fortunately, somebody was wise enough to book a hotel with a pool right in the middle of the city, so we made good use of it.

And so, we completed the return leg of the Great American Road Trip in our little red wagon, accompanied by a great book on tape, The Last Dragon, which was a big hit and may have saved our sanity as we crawled through NYC traffic.

Next stop on our frantic US tour: Chicago!

Nantucket: Same State, Different Country

2009-06-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

We got back yesterday from our first anniversary celebration trip to Nantucket, a tiny island right off the shore of good ol'Massachusetts. We figured it would be an easy, uncomplicated yet good place to escape our day to day routines. I expected it to be pretty in that standard Cape Coddy ain't-the-beach-great kinda place. I am surprised and happy to report it is a pretty fascinating place to visit. And now for the photos.

We took a ferry over from Hyannis, a pleasant two hour ride (more on that pleasant factor later for the return trip). Upon arrival, I snapped this shot of the harbor area. Based on the picturesque level we were already hitting, Nantucket was doing pretty good.

From there, we passed a million flower boxes. I guess this town takes them very seriously -- they were everywhere and all of them were gorgeous. We walked 4 blocks from the ferry to our Centre Street Inn, a 13 bedroom house on a quiet side street.

On Saturday, we rented bikes and took a trip over to this lighthouse, which turned out to be right around the corner from our B&B. Mr. Right always says he would love the life of the light house keeper. I'm never sure if he's serious about this or not as I would last about two days at the most.

Mr. Right and I travel well together. I'm always looking for the best farmstands and Mr. Right loves to visit breweries as he has made his own beer in the past. Happily, we found a farm and a brewery on the same street a few miles from Nantucket Town, so we had a good bike ride out to visit them both after the lighthouse.

We also stumbled upon a local landmark, the oldest house in Nantucket. It had a gorgeous herb garden in the back of which I could bore you with another dozen photos so I'll let this one suffice.

At this point we had seen quite a bit of the island and lo and behold, the sun came out so we headed off to one of the gorgeous beaches and then out to dinner at a brand new "ceviche bar" called Corazon Del Mar, where we had a great chat with the owner who waited on us from the raw bar area. After living in New England now for 10 years, Nantucket is one of the friendliest places I have visited.

Sunday was our daytrip day -- another bicycle ride 7 miles from Natucket town to a second tiny little village named Siaconset but pronounced Sconset. The Nantucket Film Festival was going on that weekend so there were movies playing everywhere, and the occasional celebrity sighting (did you see Ben Stiller? he just left this cafe!) and the strangest part of all was arriving in Sconset and seeing something strange yet familiar looming over the town's tennis courts:

Yes, friends, our celebrity sighting was The Stay Puft Marshallow Man. For real. It was the 25th anniversary of the movie, so they thought he should come over for a visit. We didn't get his autograph.

From that point on, our trip became a even more surreal. You think you're in a tiny quaint New England island, and then suddenly you're riding your bike through the African Serengeti. And there were lions.

We were at a loss for words upon spotting this little family on a distant hill as we biked through the cranberry bogs. Who would have thought we would spot the rare Cardboardus Fakus Lion while vacationing in Massachusetts? It was a startling sight.

Surprised and amazed, we biked on (and on and on, it was a long bike ride of seven miles back). And then once again, we seemed to have moved to another part of the globe. Out of the misty gloom (the our visit), there arose a windmill. Who knew we'd see lions and windmills and, well, inflatable movie stars all in one weekend? We're still recovering from that, and the 14 mile round trip bike ride.

I'll leave you with a few lovely shots of the town and a strong final recommendation to visit the Nantucket Whaling Museum when you go the island. Poor Mr. Right had to drag me in the place (oh joy, a whaling museum, I said), and then he had to pull me out the doors to leave as I was so fascinated by the history and art created by the people involved in this incredibly profitable and incredibly brutal industry. Nantucket was really a fascinating place to visit. If you're wondering why the photos stop there, the weather got really bad and then because of the wonderful weather we had a ferry trip ride that induced some, shall we say, sad tummies in certain bloggers so we won't spoil the visit by going into further detail. Otherwise it was an absolutely wonderful mini vacation!

I Heart Mr. Right (and Anniversary Cake)

2009-06-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

I've been looking forward to this anniversary for what feels like months and months now, for lots of good reasons. Of course celebrating our first year of marriage is a big deal. And we planned a fun getaway weekend to Nantucket! However, the moment of big anticipation for me was the small one-year anniversary cake that our wedding cake baker includes as part of the package. I'm a huge cake fan, and I really loved that part of our wedding last year. Going to cake tastings was one of my favorite parts of all that crazy wedding planning.

The bakery does the same design as your cake, so we had the seashell motif again. I fell in love with their seashell cakes early on in planning as something really unique to this bakery; most bakeries make seashell themed cakes with large white chocolate seashells attached to the cake. Our bakery does frosting seashells. I know it's a small difference, but it really sold me on this bakery even though they were much further away from our Plymouth wedding site. Finally, because you are so distracted on your actual wedding day, it was fun to get to eat cake when you could relax and enjoy it, which Mr. Right and I had the chance to do this weekend. The filling on this one is orange grand marnier as I wanted to try it out. I liked it, but I was glad we used lemon on the wedding day.

I'll get in some photos of our trip to Nantucket in the next post, but hope you enjoy a little taste of our cake! Actually, we still have about 1/2 of it left, so feel free to stop by for an actual taste sometime!

The Hills are (Almost) Alive

2009-05-04T14:03:00.000-07:00

I seem to be so lucky as to be regularly getting up to the Green Mountain State. Mr. Right and I decided we had had enough of trying to live in our house while also trying to sell it, so we went away for the weekend so the real estate folks could have it to themselves. It was a good trip -- saw some beautiful spots. We picked a funny time, in Vermont it's the "shoulder season," or to put it less euphemistically, "mud season." While things were turning pretty green in Boston in late April, Vermont wasn't quite their yet. Hence, the hills were almost alive ...

Let's go to photos, which I think is the point of this post, no?

First up, we met up with some of Mr. Right's old pals from college and their cutie pie daughter and explored an outdoor art museum called The Path of Life Garden. I'll just include one cool pic that is not of the garden as they asked not to share photos of the spot (which you can see on their website anyhow). It's a very restful and spiritually renewing place to visit.

On our way back to the highway, we passed a delapidated old dairy barn. Anyone who knows me well knows I can't resist such a photograph, so I took a couple dozen. Here are two of my favorites.

And here is a quintessential dillard57 blog photo. While technically, I was not on a food quest to find blueberry buckle in Vermont, I do always feel like I'm on the hunt for interesting regional foods, and this one passed the test with flying colors. My wonderful father-in-law and I enjoy naming all the fruit and cake combinations that exist in American cooking: crisps, cobblers, buckles, slumps, grunts, brown-betty, and pan-dowdy. So here's a buckle, which is a kind of crumb topped cake with fruit:

This trip was during that crazy 90 degree April heatwave, so a stop at the Ben and Jerry's factory seemed like a pretty smart idea.

Finally we arrived in Stowe and did a little exploring. There is a great 5 mile path that takes you through the whole town plus the surrounding woods (of which we maybe walked a mile). Then we drove up to the Trapp Family Lodge for dinner. I definitely come from a Sound of Music Family. I still know most of the words to the songs on the sountrack. When I was a girl, I thought Maria was incredibly glamorous (even whilst a nun). I still am a sucker for the movie, so I thought it would be very cool to see the lodge where they settled in the US. We had a surprisingly good dinner there considering it's level of uber-tourist attraction, and the views were sufficiently stunning to reassure us that the VonTrapp family had indeed picked a good spot for their new home. We finished the trip with a piece of Linzer Torte (above), which I have never loved for its dry texture, but this one was advertised as the best Linzer Torte in the country, so I figured I would give it a chance. And you know what, I would give it that vote. It was delicious, really nutty and fruity. Those Austrians know what they are doing. Now I just have to get myself to Vienna to compare it to the stuff in the old country.

And with that (and one small car breakdown and long tow later, but we'll save that for the new car buying post), we returned home to our cat and regular lives, looking forward to our next adventure.

Urban Hippie Wannabe (long post)

2009-04-09T05:38:00.000-07:00

I have granola envy. Here in New England, they don't talk about hippie lifestyles, they say crunchy, or they say granola. I like these terms as hippie to me has always been synonymous with flaky.

I have scrutinized my copy of Back to Basics: How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills to figure out how to dig a well or build a smokehouse with glee but have no immediate intention of doing so. I have two friends, M and G, doing the crunchy cool Western Massachusetts Granola Thing. During our last visit, I sampled their home-made kombucha (a whole other topic I won't get into here), admired their huge garden, and cheered on their plans for launching a meade brewery and craft business. So why can't we do that here in Boston?

I've often spoken to Mr. Right about my desire to raise chickens, bees and even a goat if I'm feeling really ambitious. He is cautiously supportive although quick to point out it's probably better to wait until we've moved to our next house. He is a wise one, Mr. Right.

M pointed recently in the direction of the beekeeper life via the blog The Crunchy Chicken . And from there I pulled this list of skills that are very handy in trying to reduce your carbon footprint, as well as tickle the fancy of apocalyptic planners. My urban crunchy self loves this list! How do you fare on this list of skills?

Food gardening and food storage (canning, dehydrating, pickling, fermentation, etc.) -- I'm not a great gardener, but I'm learning and getting better each year. The seedlings are going, inspired by CF who is the seedling queen! I usually manage to grow lots of wonderful herbs, flowers, enough zucchini to overwhelm us at least for a month or so before the grubs take over, and a few peppers, tomatoes and cukes. Anything else has never really taken, but this year's a new year! I'd love to become good at arugula, chard, cucumbers, radishes and peas, which all are really pretty easy and so delicious when fresh and organic. My ambitious future goals would be carrots, eggplant, grapes, strawberries, and pumpkins. My mother in law (who reads this blog, hi Mom!) is promising lessons on canning/jams, and through my in-laws we have wonderful access to rhubarb and berries, even blueberries! I've done some limited pickling, and I think it is very fun. So! Doing pretty good here.
Seed saving and/or fruit tree grafting -- I'm not bad on saving seeds, the hardest part is finding a place to keep them so I don't lose them over the winter. Again my wonderful in-laws are ahead of me here -- they have a variety of beautiful fruit trees. I'll have to ask them about this grafting business.
Foraging for wild foods, mushrooms, etc. -- I'd love to take a class on this. Fascinating! (Makes me miss my California days where you can really live off of foraging: when I lived in Santa Barbara, foraging was too easy -- you had advocados, figs, oranges and lemons landing in your lap as they fell off the trees in the neighborhood. Paradise!) As for mushrooms, I'm not a huge fan, and the whole poison thing, well, you know, makes one nervous. I know, I know, you learn the difference. But still.
Composting -- We're doing pretty good on this front as we share a bin with a neighbor. It's amazing how much less frequently you take out the trash when you use a compost bin, plus the trash is less stinky. Cool! Now I actually need to use the compost in the garden, which will be new for me. Nervous about the gross factor in actually spreading out the stuff sitting around from last fall. We shall see!
Animal husbandry (chickens, goats or larger) -- Definitely nothing larger than a goat, but how cool would it be to get to know some chickens, have eggs, and have a goat friend who is also a lawn-mower/milk-maker. The goat part is pretty unlikely unless we actually move to the country, and I'm nervous about the whole baby goat part. Not so comfortable becoming a butcher even if I like goat meat. So that's a iffy one, but I still like the idea of having one. I can dream, can't I?
Beekeeping -- Very interested in this, may even be doable in the suburbs. Hmm. Research.
Animal skinning, processing -- umm, well, not high on the list. Appreciative but squeamish, although I'm intrigued that the writer of The Julie/Julia Project turned to butchery.
Sheep or other animal shearing -- fascinating but also not high on the list. Love sheepies though.
Spinning wool -- how cool would that be! But alas I am not a knitter...
Knitting -- I do like to do things with my hands so I may revisit, but all the exactitude drives me nuts. I drop more stitches than I knit.
Sewing -- I think this would be fun. Need a sewing machine and then how to use it? Definitely suits my practical nature. And I'm awesome at sewing on buttons, so that's a start, right?
Cooking, baking -- I think I'm good on this one as I cook and bake a lot. Whew. At least I can really check one off. Thanks Mom and Grandma, Moosewood and Cooks Illustrated!
Making own cheese and/or yogurt -- I've made yogurt many times. It's so easy and so much milder than the store version which is so very sour. I was perversely proud of the puzzlement generated by asking for a yogurt maker on my wedding registry. Have done some cheese-making which is fun. However unless you have a huge supply of extra milk around, it's not a big priority. Definitely when I get a goat, mmm goat cheese.
Making beer and/or wine -- Mr. Right has made beer. Cool! Wine making would be fun if I had a ton of grapes. So, not high on the list until the arbor is up!
Solar cooking -- Might be worth researching when I've really become crunchy.
Alternative medicine and/or first aid -- I've started to play with herbs and really get into that. Am definitely into the doula/alternative birth options scene, which I've discussed previously on this blog. I have and continue to give a lot of serious thought to midwifery, and I strongly support and can attest to the power of healing touch through massage/accupuncture/reiki and so on. There is a LOT to learn here and I am very excited to do so.
Making soap (cold process from oils and lye) -- could be fun! I have been experimenting with making my own laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent, as I'm horrified by the price of the more environmental stuff, and I'm horrified by the nastiness of the cheaper stuff. Tadah, the internet offers a bounty of other options! I'm also absurdly into drying my clothes on the line outside. I love how they smell afterard.
Making candles -- if I had a bee hive, I'd make candles in the morning, I'd make candles in the evening, all over this town...
Carpentry -- Mr. Right digs this stuff. Certainly would be handy.
Plumbing or electrical -- Another handy skill, not high on my list. I rue my girlyness.
Bike maintenance and repair -- I have some very very very basic skills here, certainly could use more.
Appliance repair -- I'm a pretty good fiddler with appliances, but motor repair is certainly beyond me. Funny, I never even thought of this as a skill, but of course it is!

I would love to have more of these skills. There is an authentic-ness to these skills and a link to the past that makes me happy when I am berry-picking or pie-making or yogurt-making. Totally energizing for me!

How are you on this list? Does it intrigue you or exhaust you?

2009-03-02T18:04:00.000-08:00

I've never been able to resist a bakery. So when I spotted Tatte Bakery in the neighbhorhood where I was meeting a friend for lunch, I decided to stop by. I had admired their booth at the Copley Square Farmer's Market. Their set-up was beautiful in this antiquey, nostalgic sepia-toned way, and I wondered what other wonders their store might hold. It was as pretty as I had hoped: the displays of pastry and funny antique signs making my camera finger itch in an almost painful way, especially with no camera on me.

Their pastry offerings are artful and expensive. $6 for their signature "nut boxes" which, as promised, are a box made of shortbread filled with nuts in a caramel glaze. Simple and very elegant. So simple and elegant that I have to confess I am not crazy about them. I like some messiness in my pastry, cream squirting out the side or fruit on my nose. I want to be overcome when I bite into something because it fills my mouth and nose with flavor and texture. When something is so pretty and not really, well, bite-able, it turns it into sculpture rather than food. I like sculpture and I like playfulness with food, but if it's supposed to be a cookie, then I want to be able to bite into it. I'm still not sure how you are supposed to eat the nut box. Mr. Right and I mostly just picked the nuts out of the box and ate them, and then ate the sides. It definitely tasted good. And the puddle of caramel at the bottom of the box made up for the non-smooshy no cream factor.

They also have Hamantashen, which is much more biteable as a cookie and I adore them, if only because I love their story. Their name means Haman's Hats, and they are based on the Bible story about Queen Esther, who outsmarted and triumphed over the evil Haman who was out to have her killed. Traditionally they are made with poppy seed or fruit filling, but here they had nutella filling. Awesome! And to make it even more fun, as I was looking up how to spell the name and story about the cookie, I found out about this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Latke-Hamantash_Debate which I'll leave you to read and enjoy on your own. And I was very happy with the hamantash I ate.

What is it about baked goods? Proust may have been one of the first to describe the emotional power of the pastry, but they definitely take me back to childhood. Maybe it's the memories of going to the bakeries with my mother when I was little where the lady at the counter would give every kid a cookie.

I'm glad I went in and wow, the place definitely got my blogger's juices flowing in a powerful way. My reaction surprised me a little -- with them it wasn't the product itself but the way they presented it. I loved how they packaged it. I would enjoy taking friends there. So I say hat's off to Tatte for doing something interesting and beautiful.

Winter Questions

2009-02-22T14:21:00.000-08:00

Winter is a good time to settle in and take things slowly. We have some amaryllis bulbs unfolding slowly in the kitchen, and, like life, it will be blooming before you know it.

I don't mind the snow and the cold. And there are some seasonal pleasures, like blood oranges. They are in all the grocery stores right now, and I love their beautiful color and sweet, berry/orange flavor. Eating foods in their season just makes them so much more special, more of a treat.

We're also pondering some questions during this quiet time. Put the house back on the market in the middle of a crazy economic downturn? What about renting it? What about nursing or midwifery studies? And our two old cars that occasionally show signs of giving up, what to do about them?

So, we're taking it slowly, keeping warm and weighing our options.

Cookies for the President

2009-01-19T17:23:00.000-08:00

I love baked goods and I love photography, but I'm not sure I like photos on baked goods. I guess if you are having an inaugural party, these would be a fun part to have somewhere on the menu. They were at a local bakery and I just had to take a photo. I've seen these pictures on cakes before and always thought that eating someone's photo is a bit odd.

Nonetheless, it's an exciting moment in history, and I'm glad people are inspired enough to create such cookies at this time.

And happy MLK day! I love the James Taylor song, "Send a Little Light," which says,

"Let us turn our thoughts today to Martin Luther King, and recognize that there are ties between us,

all men and women,

living on this earth,

ties of hope and love,

sister and brotherhood."

No Dukes in Braintree

2009-01-19T17:17:00.000-08:00

Mr. Right and I are watching the John Adams series and liking it very much. We are in the episode where John Adams is accused of wanting too much nobility given to the President, so his colleagues are calling him "The Duke of Braintree." We find this very amusing as we watch from beautiful Braintree, MA. Here is a photo I snapped last fall using the cell phone. This spot is about a 20 minute walk from our house, which, unfortunately, does not have such a beautiful view of the water, nor a duke.

Christmas Culinary Craziness Part II

2009-01-08T17:27:00.000-08:00

One of many reasons I married Mr. Right: in my stocking he includes palm sugar (on right) and organic coconut curry chocolate bar (left). Happy sigh. How did I get so lucky? Oh and please ignore the Christmas morning hair do. Stop looking at it!

Here is Laura's now semi-famous semi-freddo. No, it's not semi-freddo, it's flan. But it was fun to write semi-famous semi-freddo.

Finally, my sister Sue's really gorgeous and equally yummy Buche de Noel (or Yule Log for you non-Frenchies). Happy new year!

Christmas Cooking and other treats

2009-01-07T18:28:00.000-08:00

I am a little late to capture any last vestiges of holiday spirit, but I wanted to share some of my culinary explorations this past holiday.

From Lynn Rosetti's cookbook, The Italian Country Table, I made sugared chestnuts which were extremely fun because you got to light them on fire. Here's a picture post flambee as having the fire going and taking a photo was just more than I could handle. Also some beautiful dried figs soaked in a vermouth syrup. Oooh fancy.

I finally got to try Mr. Right's mom's famous quahogs -- large stuffed clams only describes their most literal properties; they are one of those local-only treats that make you go, ohhhh, this is why people love clams. They were as wonderful as everyone promised. And I finally learned how to say their name correctly (ko-hog). Mr. Right says her clam chowder is even better, but she doesn't make it anymore because no one in the family digs clams anymore. I also consumed the second of two holiday meals that commenced with still warm homemade cinnamon buns, some sort of family tradition that just about made me weep as I encountered them, either with pleasure or confusion at how this could be part of the same meal as a slab of prime rib, I am not sure.

Next, Mr. Right had asked that when we visit Pittsburgh over the holiday, could we please please have breakfast at DeLuca's in the Strip? He had seen it on the show "Man vs. Food" and wanted to try the mixed grill featured. I was amazed that my entire family agreed to meet us down there for breakfast on a Tuesday morning. It was some wonderful family togetherness and Mr. Right was really thrilled. I took a photo of the mixed grill which really doesn't do the diner goodness justice. I guess I should have taken it before the ketchup was applied.

Now you'll just have to hang in there for part two of this little documentary which will include some new year's treats. It's food blogging this week on the dillard network! (to be continued!)

Happy Solstice!!! Let It Snow. Ok, that's enough now.

2008-12-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I have truly felt snowed in, but this weekend counts. Here in Boston we had plenty of warning of an oncoming snowstorm on Friday morning. My coworkers and I nervously awaited the verdict on an early release at work, remembering the nightmarish commute the year before where people sat on the highway for hours. Late morning the e-mail arrived: 1:00 release! Woo hoo! Snow day! The charm never wears off. I never knew I'd get to have them as an adult.

The storm hit that afternoon and now it's Sunday night, and we really are buried from two separate storms. There's somewhere around a foot of white fluff (or maybe slush) out there. Any plans for holiday shopping and holiday parties were derailed. We now have a LOT of holiday cookies and buckeyes we were planning to bring to a party today, waiting to be eaten. We are valiantly doing our best to eat them to avoid the tradgedy of stale cookies. As for the shopping bag full of fancy chocolates Mr. Right bought for his cousins' kids, well, we may have to help with those later as well. It's difficult. But I am getting to actually catch up with various householdy tasks and hey, even a blog entry. And make a snowman. Mr. Right and I both liked his pipe.

I do love the snow, think it's beautiful and love to play in it. Cross country skiing is one of my favorite things. But I've got this bum foot, a fractured 5th metatarsal achieved very boringly while housecleaning. So no skiing of any form, and even walking in the snow is complicated. I've got what they call a ski boot instead of a cast, but ironically, it's terrible in the snow, mostly because of all the huge holes all over it which scoop the snow right into my sock. Ergh.

Today is the 6 month anniversary of Mr. Right and I. We were married on the summer solstice, the first day of summer. Now we have gone through two seasons together and it's the winter solstice, the return of the light. I like that we were married on an equinox, on a traditional day of marriage, one that reflects the seasons. It seems more real and powerful and grounded somehow.

So on this day of the return of the longer days, the return of sunshine and warmth which is so hard to imagine when it's dark at 4:30 and we can't go anywhere due to the snow outside, I wish you happiest of solstice. A wonderful holiday season, a happy 2009.

Old Scituate Lighthouse

2008-11-25T18:45:00.000-08:00

Mr. Right and I are big fans of taking walks. But where to go? It's maybe not so surprising -- I, the lady from the land-locked Pittsburgh, usually request walks in the woods. R, man born near the sea, requests ocean. We take turns on our destination and happily, we have both options nearby. And we are both pretty happy just to have such beautiful places to walk.

Last Sunday we decided to try and find the Scituate Lighthouse again after stumbling upon it several months earlier. We'd had an adventure trying and failing to find it again a few weeks ago. This time we applied some radical technology and actually googled it before we left and were able to locate it on a map! So we found it with pretty much no problem. It's a great spot with a fun story (see sign), and it couldn't be much prettier. Not that we're comparing lighthouses -- goodness, I could get myself in trouble in this area that way.

It was very very windy and cold, but we were happy with our success in finding it. And that I actually brought my camera this time. These walks are such a comfort, such an escape from the humdrum office and gym and commuting worlds.

My stepson described us as being "a family that likes to take walks." I thought that was kinda cool.

Plymouth in November

2008-11-11T18:41:00.000-08:00

We took a walk down on the jetty in Plymouth this past weekend. It was fun to see Plymouth in the height of its Pilgrimishness, and it was my first visit back since June. I took a picture of the Pilgrim women's fountain, site of our big event, surrounded by falling leaves. It's a pretty place. The statue reads, "To those intrepid English women whose courage, fortitude and devotion brought a new nation into being, this statue of the Pilgrim Maiden is dedicated."

The jetty in Plymouth is a wonderful walk. Jetties are new to me since moving to Massachusetts. This one goes pretty far out into the water and has lots of interesting graffitti that the kids know to look for along the way. including someone's graffiti-ed grocery list of milk and chips and dip. At the end we now always take a photo (well, two times in two years we have). So I thought I'd throw in a mushy picture of us, just for fun.

Sick Day

2008-11-02T09:40:00.000-08:00

It's a gorgeous chilly fall day, and I'm enjoying it all from the couch because I have been struck immobile by a nasty sore throat and achey thing. It's the only time I stop frantically running around, so I try to enjoy the immobility while it lasts before I start getting incredibly antsy. Blah.
Anyhow, it's been a while since I've talked about baking or cooking, and pre-illess yesterday, I made a loaf of the sorta famous "No Knead Bread" that was on all the internet baking circuits about a year ago. We make it on a sorta regular basis here in Braintree. It's incredibly easy, requiring only four ingredients (5 if you count water), and while it involves time for it to rise, it involves little to no work, yet it comes out like something from the fancy bakery. Before I had this recipe, I would occasionally make bread and it was always, well, cakey. Like banana bread but without banana, especially the whole wheat. It made you feel virtuous in a kind of "I made this and it's good for you" way. I think I usually used a Moosewood recipe.

Today as I watched the steam rise off the beautiful interior and admired the crisp crust, it is clear that I would never go back to the old way. I will post a photo as soon as I can find my dumb battery charger that is hiding from me.

I learned to cook with the Moosewood cookbooks. The first thing I cooked was my mom's tuna casserole, with all the Campbell's cream of mushroom soup and some sort of cracker topping. But when I moved to California for grad school into a groovy vegetarian/vegan co-op with 14 other college students, we had to take turns cooking and cook for 14 other people. I loved it. I loved the challenge of coming up with something good, and I liked it when it worked and everyone was excited about what you had made. And I liked it that when you cooked, other people had to clean up. I was (and am) a messy cook. We made lots of casseroles involving millet, chopped tofu, and vegan cheese. We even made a chocolate dessert with tofu and couscous that I still like but no one I know will eat.

I really don't ever cook from Moosewood anymore. Partly because we're not a veggie household. Partly because I've moved on to different cookbooks after finding the Cooks Illustrated world of obsessive test-kitchen yumminess. I still like paging through them and looking at the drawings and seeing the little notes I included ("needs lots more salt and some hot sauce" seems to be the mantra). Funny how your cooking self changes over time.

Back to the couch with me. I'm reading Ethan Canin's newest novel, America, America. It's OK so far. More complicated than I expected. I loved all of his previous stuff. Also reading more art books, and continuing to make art. Yay!

Still Some Art in There

2008-10-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

I've gotten distracted from most things artistic in the last, er, year or so and I have missed my art life. So I'm returning, little by little.

I was once complaining that I didn't feel always feel "inspired" to make something, and a friend pointed out that a musician sits down and practices every day, whether or not she is feeling "inspired." I have a lot to learn about how to work with the muse, how to be patient, how to coax her into showing up, if only by being around when she might. I've taken up trying to keep a sort of artist's journal, drawing something, anything, a few times each week. That was inspired by the blog, Lifecraft, written by a woman I've never met whose story fascinates me and who would likely be bemused to know that I follow her work so closely.

I've also started to get all kinds of books from the library, trying to teach myself more about art history. So many holes in my education there. When I learn about it, I feel like I'm drinkly deeply from this well of history and well of meaning. I recently finished Robert Hughes' book, American Visions which is really heavy and hard to read just in a month from the library, but it was so much fun as a read that I pulled it off. I've now got a whole new armload of books about contemporary women artists. Yay!

And I saw a great movie called "Who Does She Think She Is?" about contemporary women artists struggling to make art in the face of the demands of family and work and all those normal life things that say "pay attention to me! over here!" There were five women, each with a compelling story, each with some really good, hard reasons for them to give up making art. But they don't, because they pretty much can't stop. It is so worth seeing, both for the inspirational stories but also because their art is really good, really satisfying stuff. I was particularly fascinated by the deeply religious woman from Ohio with five children, making cool but creepy fairy tale statues. Yikes! I could say a lot more about all of those factors, but I will hold off for now for fear of blog-book creep.

I have certainly continued to stay at least a little in touch with my artsy side through photography, and I have really enjoyed my new camera. It has been great capturing moments from this momentous year. It makes me wonder if I can do more with photography in a way that will satisfy my creative side. Hmmmm.

I started this entry thinking I didn't have much to report. Guess art gets me all going.

Time for the Annual Fall Photos

2008-10-13T06:19:00.000-07:00

Mr. Right and I have doing our routine thing, traveling around getting to our errands and hangouts and meetings wherever they may be. But when it is fall in New England, these trips here and there suddenly become little mini-holidays of colors and kicking oneself for not having the camera. Who knew you would need a camera on the way to the post office? But the trees are just gorgeous right now and I don't think we've quite hit the peak yet. Fall in Pittsburgh was always beautiful too, and I'm not sure if the colors were any different or more or less beautiful, but because people travel from all over just to see our leaves here in New England, well, I guess it makes you pay a little more attention.

We stopped at a farm stand Saturday in New Hampshire and of course I went nuts with the camera. Between food and fall foliage, I was in my element. This little stand had something like 14 kinds of apples and weren't even trying to sell the raspberries and 5 kinds grapes they also had growing in profusion. So I was having these fun Napa Valley photos right in New Hampshire. I love the smell of grapes on the vine, so incredibly sweet. The last was a tree that was almost blindingly orange. It was just on a random side street. It made me happy that I wasn't the only person stopping to take photos of it, that all of us still get excited by seeing such a beautiful thing occuring in nature, even when it is the most normal thing in the world.

Oh and the last one I had to take as proof that canned brown bread really does exist here -- I had previously posted about this phenomenon. Here is a restaurant serving it for Saturday lunch, which is apparently a proper time to do so. I'm not sure if $5.25 is a good deal or not.

Photo Play

2008-09-27T07:06:00.000-07:00

I had fun taking a couple of quirky shots at the wedding, so these are for people who enjoy something a little different.

The top one is just so tender. I really like it. Those little moments and details can just make me so happy.

I also got this one of the veil and dress. Not a complicated shot but I like how it came out.

The bride was so beautiful, I love this one of her Greek dancing ... it reminds me of a Sargent painting ... I love the shapes and color.

And then here below is some fun on the dance floor. I think you get a real sense of the pulse in this one.

A Lovely Pittsburgh Wedding: Don't Forget Your Cookie Bag

2008-09-27T06:05:00.001-07:00

We had a great time at Tina and David's wedding. I don't think you need me to say much, just get to the photos, right? It was a gorgeous hot September day and of course the bride was stunning. The look of joy and relief on both their faces, so lovely. I remember that same feeling walking back down the aisle. Whew!

I like this one of Tina laughing:

And oh my goodness, I do love wedding cake. I can stare at photos of wedding cake for inappropriate amounts of time.

It's lots of fun taking photos at weddings. Now that I've been through the craziness of planning a wedding myself, I especially enjoy the details that I know the bride has agonized over for the past 8 months. Each of the tables had a fun photo of all the parts of Pittsburgh. Cool!

And speaking of my earlier post about Pittsburgh food, we have a very proud wedding tradition in Pittsburgh called The Pittsburgh Cookie Table. It's so ubiquitous at weddings in Pittsburgh that people at the wedding didn't even understand when I called it, "The Pittsburgh Cookie Table." It would be like referring to a "French Baguette" while in France: it is somehow ridiculously redundant. Whereas anywhere else in the country they are asking you the question, "Why are you having cookies at your wedding?" Of course we had one at our New England wedding, and it made me very happy as a true Pittsburgh Bride.

Anyhow, this was the mother of all cookie tables. It streched on for miles and had so many varieties I'm not going to list them all. Sufficient to say it was cookie heaven. My photo does not do it justice, but does demonstrate there were so many that everyone there packed up baggies to take home (and some unnamed bloggers may have packed more than one bag but only because the cookie makers told her to).

Pittsburgh Food

2008-09-27T05:46:00.000-07:00

One of the many pleasures of Pittsburgh is its variety of exquisitely delicious-but-bad-for-your-arteries food. As I show Mr. Right around town, it's been important that he learns about these options. So far he has been an enthusiastic participant in my tours.

In town last weekend, to my great joy, we hit the Pittsburgh culinary jackpot: a Polish Food Festival! We had one of everything. We Have No Shame.

I took a photo of our tray. We've got stuffed cabbage, pierogie, haluski, and kielbasa (in the bun). I'm looking at the kielbasa and I'm thinking, yikes, my husband does love mustard. That's what those squiggles are. You can't even see the sausage. Well, it's one of the things that brought us together, our shared love of condiments. Salsa Girl, meet Mr. Mustard. What else could follow but true love?

And of course we went to Primanti's. I tried to get a shot that shows the french fries on the sandwich with the ubiquitous Iron City behind it. Pittsburghers put fries on sandwiches and salads. It's just what you do. I am proud to be from such a great city.

And Dillard57 Roars Back to Life

2008-09-26T11:57:00.001-07:00

Roaring might be a bit of an exxageration, but I am returning to life on this blog. I was momentarily distracted by a little event back in June when Mr. Right and I tied the knot. Here is a photo from the day. If you want to read all the dorky details, feel free to do so at www.cooper-ayles.blogspot.com. To sum up: It was a good day, beautiful and sunny. We are incredibly blessed with wonderful friends and family who joined us in Plymouth. We are very happy.

And so, back more or less to our regularly scheduled programming.

We spent this last weekend in Pittsburgh for my dear friend Tina's wedding. I'll blog more about the trip in a bit. But this post is just to say, well hello old friends of dillard57!

The Painting Is Done Now the Next Thing

2008-03-23T18:04:00.001-07:00

I've switched some these days from painting canvases to painting walls. After some seriously arduous wallpaper stripping, we finally were able to lay down a very nice coat of pale green paint in the kids' room. It looks nice! We were just amazed at how much it transformed the room. I know, this isn't revolutionary. People Paint Room! It Looks Nice! Details at 11:00!!! Nonetheless, we were proud, and I wanted to document the moment so here's Mr. Right, changing a room that looked like a warzone into something that looks like a bedroom. I mean, the walls really were that weird brown color you see underneath there.

That's what blogs are for, right? All of these random moments that no one really cares about but us. But who doesn't like to see the photos??? He's working so hard that his roller painter thing is a blur! Or it could be I used to low of a setting on the camera. Whatever. The rooms are done!!!

And of course, now the quest for matching bed spreads begin. Sigh. What have I become? Oy.

Old Dog New Tricks

2008-03-10T18:17:00.000-07:00

Not sure if I count as an old dog yet, but I'm learning new tricks with my new Pentax. There's this cool thing called depth of field that makes things close up look in focus and further away items look soft and out of focus. It's just a neat trick, but it can make a simple shot much more interesting. The photo above shows what I mean.

The salt shaker is in focus, the pencil can is not. You can switch so the pencil can is in focus and the salt shaker is not. Or so that they both are in focus. It all has to do with how open or closed your aperture is. Anyhow, that's it. My new trick. More soon and fewer salt shaker photos I promise.

Watching Paint Dry: An Update

2008-02-12T18:29:00.001-08:00

At this point, I'd be thrilled to be watching paint dry on the bedrooms, but at least we got the wallpaper stripped (thanks again to Ian and all those home blogs out there). The walls are pretty hideous underneath, but we're going to risk painting and see how it goes. It has been fun learning about paints -- just when I thought I was all set with Behr, Consumer Reports comes out with a whole new article about inside paint so I have to think about patrionizing the products of the Evil Box Store that Shall Not Be Named (click link for a cool site) since they were so highly rated for their paint. Hmmm. Even more alarming: there is one not far from my gym. Paint and politics may not mix, we shall see.

And just wondering, does anyone else enjoy paint chips as much as I do? I don't know what it is, but they are such fun little pieces of paper. I also had a pretty fun time on this site that lets you try out colors in a room. We humans like our pretty colors.

The quests have changed

2008-02-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

I'm tired tonight so I'm not sure this will be an interesting or groovy blog entry. I was just pondering how my quests have changed. I've been here 10 years now and I'm not getting to know Boston as much now I have figured out my way around, nor trying to find the ne plus ultra brownie since I would argue I've found it. Now the big quest is finding the perfect seashell stamp for the Big Event. Is it this one? And then there's the garden lantern. Will it be big enough? Not to mention bands and sound systems and officiants and don't even get me started on figuring out what to put on the registry. For someone who likes to research whether or not she's using the best mayonnaise or trying to make her own from scratch, making this many decisions in a short amount of time is both wildly fun and incredibly exhausting! The internet is such a blessing and a curse for informational gathering.

Not to mention I'm not sure if people are as excited to talk to me about rubber stamp options as they were about talking to me about the best place to find hot chocolate. But hey, that's what internet discussion boards are for, right? To find people out there as obsessed with flush settings as you are so you don't bore your flesh and blood friends to tears.

So. Back to looking at stamps. Thanks CF and Bowl of Cheese for the leads on these! And once again I marvel how life has changed for me since Bonita the Duck.

Holiday Barn

2008-01-13T13:59:00.000-08:00

I'm a sucker for barns. I can't remember if I've covered this in the blog before, but when I see em, I get all warm and fuzzy. My theory is that it comes from all those trips to Indiana through the Ohio Cornfields. (note to self, use the search feature and find that indeed, I am repeating myself).

Anyhow, if you like them too, here's a nice one for you, right near my parents home, taken during our Christmas visit home to Pittsburgh.

Stripping the Walls

2008-01-13T13:43:00.000-08:00

And now for the home improvement blog. Mr. Right and I are starting to get his house ready to put on the market. Don't talk to me about timing -- we know. But we've got good reasons to move forward with the sale, so we have the get this 140 year old farmhouse ready for the rest of the world. So we are tackling the wallpaper in the bedrooms. In the kids room, it wasn't terrible looking paper, but there were some peeling areas and some completely blank areas. First photo was how it looked when we started. Then we proceeded to strip that layer (with the help of Ian's blog as well as a little This Old House). Well, there turned out to be four layers. Yikes!

As you strip those layers, you can't help but wonder who picked them out and who has been hanging in the room, staring at the cabbage roses or the snowflakes. Were they happy here? What were their lives like, here in the southern suburbs of Boston? You can't help but be nostalgic when you look at this old paper, hidden for so long.

The next step will be adding the new paper -- I'll share that when we get there. It's a satisfying project, if kinda messy.

Vermont Again

2007-11-11T17:51:00.000-08:00

One of the great things about Boston is its proximity to everything else. Mr. Right and I decided on a mostly spontaneous trip to Vermont this weekend and it was just what we both needed to escape from all the regular weekend chores after a regular hard week of work.
As is the tradition now here at dillard57, some photos to share of our idyllic escape to the north.

This is the Simon Pearce Glass Blowing facility, built right on the Queechee River. We had a great meal here, looking right out onto the falls.

And here is a view of Mount Pico near Killington, Mr. Right's old stomping grounds.

During our road trip, I brought along Barbara Kingsolver's new book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle which is about her family trying to eat for a year only on local foods. She talked about a visit to The Farmer's Diner in Massachusetts where they served as much local food from local farmers as possible. I was tickled to be able to find this place the next day on our trip. I guess those little hand held internet devices do have their uses. We had a fun meal of great burgers made from local beef, local cheese and a big glass of local chocolate milk. Mr. Right is pointing to the "Time to Eat" sign.
And here's me with the local chocolate milk. Yum! (I know, I know, the chocolate wasn't local).
The final photo is one of three covered bridges we saw during our trip. It's an old cliche but who isn't a sucker for these things? They are beautiful.

A Human Absence

2007-11-06T14:28:00.000-08:00

I get home today to find a large envelope in my mailbox from UUWorld with several copies of their latest issue, each of which contain one of my photos and a little blurb about me as an artist. Wow! Here's a link to the article, but of course I very egotistically think it is much better seeing it in print. UU World is the quarterly magazine published for members of the Unitarian-Universalist church.

I'm still a new artist by pretty much anyone's definition. So it's such an odd but lovely feeling to see that your work has travelled out there in the universe on its own. It must be just a tiny bit what it must feel like to have a child moving off into the universe without you. My work is this little bit of myself and it goes and does its thing in the world and other people take it and make it part of their lives in their own way. Then I unexpectedly re-meet it elsewhere and am always floored by it. Grateful and amazed that people other than my mother think it's cool (hi Mom!), and re-inspired to maybe make it happen again and to encourage others to do the same thing.

So there I am, published with the photo that started this whole crazy art thing. And for all you UU World readers who stop by because of the article, well, hello to you! It has been such a joyful thing in my life to discover the UU church. I feel very fortunate today.

Harvest time

2007-09-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year. Summer has slipped away, but it is still warm and bright with the skies such an intense blue, especially in contrast to the leaves which are slowly reddening.

I love going to the farmer's markets where the tables can barely contain all of the produce, the tomatoes, the nectarines, the apples, the zucchinis and the brand new pumpkins.

And I love that my knight in shining armor arrived one year ago. Then one year later he asked me to marry him.

Ah. Happy sigh.

Very Vancouver Vacation

2007-07-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

Hmm, not so many v words I came up with. But Vancouver and Victoria, the sites of my most recent vacation, deserve some warm and enthusiastic verbiage. But enough of the travel talk. Let's get in some photos.
Such a beautiful city. Ocean, mountain, forest and city all in one place. It really is as gorgeous as this. One night there, I had sushi on the beach with Dave and Claire. It felt very exotic and actually not very Canadian, but everyone was happy.

If you like salmon, Vancouver is the place for you! It's in everything and in every form, raw, cooked, dried, candied, smoked, on salads, in sandwiches, even in pepperoni. I kid you not. It's delicious but a bit much to handle.

Vancouver has one of the largest Asian populations in the world outside of well, Asia. This was a beautiful garden in the middle of the city.

Emily Carr became famous for painting totem poles as part of trying to record them in the tribal lands they were built before they all were destroyed or, um, jumbled all together into parks and museums like this. Sigh.

I thought this particular part of the totem pole was very cool from the whole universal Madonna and Child perspective. Art is cool that way.

A big reason for my visit was to see some old friends who have been up there for years. Another reason was the third leg of my "pilgrimage" to see the homeland of the third in my trinity of amazing North American women artists: Frida Kahlo (Mexico), Georgia O'Keeffe (USA) and Emily Carr (Canada). Emily Carr worked around the same time as Kahlo and O'Keeffe. All three women produced art that contains similar themes around nature, religion, spirituality and indigenous peoples. You can learn more about their similarities on this website. The website around an amazing art exhibit was the first place I accidentally stumbled upon the three women together and I've been fascinated ever since. So now I've been to all three of their homelands and seen where they painted and it has been a very satisfying and enriching journey, especially as a woman artist myself.

Anyhow, there is lots on the web about Emily Carr so I won't go into more detail here, but she did a lot of wonderful paintings of forests and of totem poles that are very worth seeing.

I had a great time getting to know this beautiful city.

New England Reminders

2007-07-30T17:55:00.000-07:00

I've lived in Boston for, oh, 9 years now this summer. And I still feel like a brand new resident. That's a good thing in some ways -- I feel like there is still so much I have not seen or done here, being at most two-three hours away from anything from ocean to mountains to NYC to Canada to just an incredible amount of beauty and culture. But I'm also still considered a newbie by all these locals. There is even a name for us, barnies, which is short for barnacles, those who cling onto something but aren't really a part of that place. Well, nonetheless, I can't deny that somehow New England has become home, despite my own wanderlust and despite any New Englanders' aversion to outsiders.

One of the biggest reminders of where I am is the Boston accent. I actually kinda like it. A lot of people think it's horrific. But as a girl growing up in Pittsburgh (with its own accent), when I heard people from New England speak, it seemed so terribly sophisticated and exotic. Especially because most of the New Englanders I heard speak were very intruiguing, cute boys from Worcester on whom I had crushes. It's kinda funny now when I go to Worcester, but I still have a soft spot for the accent. Although I don't try to imitate it because then everyone from here makes fun of you for not getting it right.

The other thing that reminds you unfailingly of your new geography is this occasional whiff of the sea. I only actually encounter the ocean maybe once a week or even less frequently. But sometimes the sea air is unmistakeable, rolling in from the east and enveloping you in cool saltiness.

And then you see lighthouses, and you also know exactly where you are. This one above is near Duxbury Beach and is R's favorite place in the whole wide world.

Oh and don't get me started on canned brown bread. I have to explain it to people who are visiting my workplace all the time because it is frequently donated and how am I supposed to explain bread in a can? Half the people from this area can't explain it. I've tried it. It isn't terrible. That's not exactly high praise, but it really isn't too bad.

So, here I am. New England still. Looks like I'll be around for a while longer too. Who woulda thunk it.

Those Western Mass Shakers

2007-06-13T18:04:00.000-07:00

Slowly, slowly I'm catching up on my posting here. I wanted to share some photos I'm very fond of from a visit to Hancock Shaker Village, out in Western Massachusetts. R and I had a great time poking around the village, followed by what seems to now be a tradition -- lots of bbq.

Can you tell I have a weakness for a good barn? Comes from all those years of driving across Ohio on the way to Grandma's house. Lots and lots of corn fields.

This historical site is definitely one of those photographer's paradises, especially in the yellow light of a fall afternoon.
R even surprised me at Christmas with this amazing book about these visions of Shaker women which they captured so beautifully. I was admiring the book in the store and after much deliberation about the state of my wallet, very reluctantly put it back on the shelf the day we visited. Lo and behold, I opened up a present from the sweetest man in the world and there it was. The artwork is really fascinating.

Mass MOCA 8 months later

2007-04-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

I have plenty of excuses for not posting, but there's no point in listing them here. So I think instead it is now time to just share some photos.

These posts will catch you up on some trips to Western MA. First batch is Mass MOCA which R and I thought was amazing in both a weird and a good way.

The difference between a museum in a big city and a museum like this outside of the city is the huge amount of space you get to play with. These are football fields worth of exhibition space.

Our favorites were the little jars that you had to categorize, the video footage of the miner's strike in England, and the mustering exhibit combining elements of civil war re-enactments with civil rights. We also liked the shopping cart in the canal. Our brains were pretty full by the end of wandering around this place. For me, a successful art trip makes the whole world look like art, and Mass MOCA definitely has that effect.

It's definitely worth a visit -- a beautiful drive and an amazing site. Pack a picnic! After looking at art all day, I highly recommend two things to follow all of that cultural stimulation. First, Natural Bridge State Park is just one of the most unexpectedly pretty things you could ever stumble across. If you follow that by dinner at a local BBQ joint with every table holding pig shaped salt and pepper shakers, well, I'd call that a perfect day.

La Vie En Rose, Part Deux

2006-03-15T12:59:00.000-08:00

Here are the second batch of photos. I'm hoping it will give you the feeling of doing a little Parisian window-shopping. In French, window shopping is "lecher les vitrines" which means, literally, to lick the windows. I certainly can understand the urge.

The first is a cheese shop that had so many stinky cheeses that you could smell them outside on the sidewalk. Next are three photos from the home of the macaroons, La Duree.

Even though it's a cliche, whenever you glimpse the Eiffel Tower you can't help but stop and smile. And I did pop my head into Notre Dame just to get a whiff of the incense and the ghosts of the millions of pilgrims who have worshipped there.
The last photo is my last night there, taken on the Champs Elysees. It was one of my few visits to tourist Paris, which really is a whole different world than the back streets and nooks and crannies that are what makes the place so wonderful.

La Vie En Rose

2006-03-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

Okay gang, so maybe the posts now are going to be quarterly. But I've promised to post some of my photos from my recent trip to Paris. So here they are. You will not be surprised to see there are lots of food photos. I am amazed to report that it is indeed possible to grow tired of pain au chocolat.

It was a great trip -- one where I wasn't trying to see all the sites since I'd already seen them. It was more about "being there" and experiencing Paris, staying with a friend who lives there. Occasionally I'd buy a baguette and walk back to her place with it under my arm, pretending I lived there. It always made me laugh.

The top photo here is of a famous art deco building. Why, oh why, do we not have more of these floating around in the US? I think there are people out there who hate Art Deco, but they are just silly.

To the right: famous hot chocolate at Angelina's. Not the included whipped cream, an item that is laughably superflous in adding additional richness to the hot chocolate. The hot chocolate is practically melted butter and chocolate anyhow. Yeah, I know. It was a fun place to hang out anyhow, very historic and crammed with all kinds of fashion-world people who were there are some sort of exclusive show taking place across the street.

Above, the ubiquitous market shot. Springtime in Paris! To the left, the sailboat guy near the Louvre. And below are the fabulous macaroons of LaDuree. These are cookies in such quirky flavors as rose petal, olive oil (odd but not bad), black pepper (blah!), and passionfruit. So, so, so good. And quite expensive, may I add.
This post will only let me do five. Let me see if I can add a few more in the next post.

The Ubiquitous Holiday Post

2005-12-13T14:12:00.000-08:00

I thought you'd enjoy a few pictures from the past month or so. It's been busy -- trips to London, Pittsburgh, and back to Pittsburgh again soon.

Both photos are from Liberty's in London -- it was like an Anglophile's fantasy Christmas shop. The lights in the first photo are just strand after strand hanging from the ceiling -- really beautiful. And the tea and scones were lovely there too, no surprise.

Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season.

News Shocker: Vermont is Beautiful

2005-10-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

Right. No surprises there. October in Vermont, how much more of a cliche can you get? Still, it was lovely and the leaves were turning and the sun was surprisingly warm, and all the little shops were full of cheddar cheese and maple syrup. And I bought me some. And I'm sure you'll be pleased to see this city girl was not eaten by a carnivorous chipmunk.

Anyhow, despite the cliche, I thought some of you might enjoy a few photos.

As planned, I stopped at good ol' King Arthur Flour Company and bought a ridiculous amount of kitcheny stuff. Some practical and some just fun. And I'll tip my hat to say that the sticky buns in their bakery are the best I've ever had. Usually with a sticky bun you just eat the bun part so you can get to the sticky. But these were good all over.

As if a baker's haven wasn't enough, right next door was a little farm stand with beautiful organic produce and cheese. These people get the best possible location, right next to King Arthur with food-lovin' people coming from all over the country. I bought some raw sheep's milk cheese. There is a difference with raw milk cheeses that is difficult to describe but impossible to miss. It's a sort of, well, piquancy I guess. Yoy. Next I'll be talking about how the cheese has legs.

Some day when I grow up after I become an astronaut or whatever, I think I'll raise chickens and sheep and goats. And pretty pink flowers like these. Aw.

Once a Month Posting Time

2005-09-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

Yup, still a lousy blogger. I seem to be logging in about one per month. However, considering the intensity of the jobs I'm holding, I guess that isn't bad.

An overall summary:

How many times was I on call for the entire month? Two times. How many times did I get beeped? Twice. Sheesh. No wonder I'm so tired. But I'm glad I went. Being a doula rocks. And I still love my scrubs. I've gotten to the point of competency that I no longer need to grab sheaves of papers to take with me to remind me of techniques. I just go, hang out with the mom and dad, and we wait and see what happens. That's how birth goes. You'd like to prepare for it, but ultimately there isn't that much you can do but play along.

I'm reading two vaguely connected books: I finished Blink by Malcom Gladwell and now I've just started reading Freakonomics by Levitt and Dubner. Both books are crammed with "I never knew that!" information, the sort that rewires a paradigm or two. Freakonomics is especially prone to throwing in fast bits that challenge conventional knowledge: real estate agents (says Levitt) are more compelled to sell your house quickly rather than for the highest possible price because their profit is better with a fast turnover of houses. Huh! I love that type of learning, so both books are fun to read. And they are fun to talk about at cocktail parties. (Does anyone really ever go to something called a cocktail party?)

Right now: I'm nibbling on a piece of candied ginger. I don't really like it. But I bought it to use as an ingredient for a plum crumble I'm making for this weekend (see below). Some people love candied ginger plain, which makes me think maybe I'm just not getting the concept, so I picked up a piece to try again. Nope. But it will be fine in the plum crumble I'm sure. We're seeing the last of the plums at the farmer's markets so I feel like I should honor them with a proper dessert.

Tonight: Back to Tacos Lupita, a saving grace in Somerville, for dinner with a friend. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have access to a decent hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint like that. It's one thing if you've never had good Mexican, but once you've had it, you can't live without it.

This weekend: To Vermont for a camping wedding (and a quick detour to get supplies!). I've never heard of such a camping wedding either, especially not in chilly October. But I'm game. Just wish me luck that I don't get eaten by a carnivorous moose. I guess you'll find out if I survived in my next post. Stay tuned!

Oh and next weekend: Off to the 'Burgh for the birthday. The picture above is one of Pittsburgh's saving graces. A French bakery in the middle of Millvale (where?) with the best croissants I've had this side of the Atlantic. Don't forget to check out the furniture store across the street. I won't tell you why here; you'll have to see it for yourself.

End of August Lull

2005-08-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

I'm welcoming a little lull here ... everyone seems to be on vacation or thinking about going on vacation. The summer has been hot, but in a good summery way that makes it less painful to see it give way when the cooling nights of September start in. The farmer's markets are overflowing with tomatoes and cukes and peaches and zucchini. I'm trying to pickle some cucumbers. The corn this year has been wonderfully sweet. I like to shock people by eating raw corn on the cob. It really is good that way, and well, it doesn't take much to shock people. I put it in salsa, add it to a zucchini salad, right off the ear with lime and cayenee, throw it in ratatouille, ... next step is coming up with a nice sweet corn ice cream recipe. I'll let you know if I can pull it off.

And it's quiet at home. The new cat is still settling in but has become much more affectionate and trusting of this human she's adopted. I've let her come out on the back porch which she loves to do. I'm hoping this might deter my nemesis, the evil squirrel who comes around and eats all my cherry tomatoes. Grrrrrr. Evil! Jasmine hasn't noticed other species yet, but maybe the squirrel won't be able to tell and will be filled with fear.

The new standing mixer arrived but somehow I've managed the willpower to keep it in its box until I feel called upon to welcome it to my kitchen.

So this here is one of those quiet posts. Not much going on, but wanted to say hello to everyone. Yawn. Maybe time for one of those summer afternoon naps.

Jasmine Dillard

2005-08-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

Many moons ago, I posted about flying solo and getting my very own apartment. It's worked out well, but sometimes I have thought it would be nice to have a little pal when I come home at the end of the day. After much debate and perhaps with a little help from fate, I am now co-habitating with a friendly black cat named Jasmine. She's a very sweet, independent cat. She does her thing and I do mine, and so far it has worked out OK. I've never had a pet larger than a parakeet before, so this is a new realm.

I will admit it is taking me a little time to get used to this new roommate. When I'm sitting reading a book on the couch, I still find it startling to suddenly be approached by a black furry mammal. Or to be woken in the middle of the night when a black furry mammal jumps on my bed. Did I mention her black fur? It is slowly appearing on everything in the apartment. This I am not so pleased about.

Yet somehow we are becoming friends of a sort. At least she seems to know I'm the one who feeds her. And she has her ways of showing me how to take care of her, since I'm pretty inept at this whole cat thing.

So this is big news here in Dillard-land. I want to avoid being one of those people who obsess about their pets both internally and externally, but I wanted folks outside of town to be introduced to Jasmine, and see how cute she is when she perches by the window.

The Wonders of Sanding

2005-08-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

Sand on the beach is great. I really like the sand dunes at Crane Beach in Ipswich, MA and also the dunes of Lake Michigan. But sand is also useful for making a terribly beat up butcher table look like new. When a friend moved out of an apartment last summer, a butcher block was left behind, all alone and forlorn and looking pretty shabby. But, as they say, it had wonderful bones. So I lugged it home somehow, and it sat around looking pretty shabby for many months until finally, when Elizabeth came to organize my kitchen, she also brought her sander. (Ah the joys of friends with power tools).
So I sanded it down, and now it is just beautiful. I just loved the before and after cupboard picture, so I thought I'd share the before and after butcher table photos. This is turning into the home improvement blog.

Speaking of which, I'm guessing I'm not the only person out there who has seen America's Extreme Home Makeover or whatever you call it on Sunday nights. Some family who has gone through hell and back gets their place made over. It is moving to see such a lovely thing done for people and how grateful and happy they are. If you can stand the excruciatingly cheesy build up to the climax, and the family trying valiantly to look properly grateful, it does make you think people are doing good things out there.

Brilliant Ideas in Baltimore

2005-08-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

I don't travel much outside of Boston for work (unless you count Quincy as traveling). Sometimes I feel twinges of jealousy toward friends who go to, say, Phoenix or London or Florida for work. But then I remember the grass is always greener -- when I have traveled for work you do spend a lot of time in hotels and airports.

However, in June I attended a conference in DC for work and got to visit a lot of my favorite old stomping grounds from when I taught school there while living in Chevy Chase, which happened to be close to the conference hotel. I visited my favorite bookstore/coffeeshop where I once spent many hours drinking coffee and grading papers, Politics and Prose. Next door was one of my favorite bakeries, Marvelous Market; this was long before food quest days had begun, but nonetheless I remember being very excited at their selection of yummy things. I was not disappointed during my visit 10 years later. They had a very interesting cookie called Salty Oat -- oatmeal with coarse salt sprinkled on top. It was lovely -- the salt gave it a caramel-like aftertaste. Cool!

Just wandering around the old neighborhood was such a treat. It is amazing how much of a place you retain in your memory, even if you don't consciously think about the details until you are walking on the streets again. I even had a sense memory for the many roots that were integrated into the sidewalks -- how I used to have to be careful at certain sections that were especially bumpy when I wandered around my neighborhood after a tough day of teaching, admiring the pretty houses and the happy-seeming families.

As a bonus, I added on an extra travel day and went up to Baltimore to see my old pal, Karin. Out of all of my wonderful friends, I think Karin gets the oldest friend award -- not due to her age but the length of our friendship -- I think we met when I was about four years old at a family church gathering. We still keep in touch faithfully and have gotten to hang out a few times each year. There is just nothing in the world like an old friend. They were there when you lost your baby teeth, for goodness' sake! Lots of shared memories.

Karin now lives in Baltimore and she gave me a wonderful tour of that city. I had no idea how cool it was there! My new favorite museum, as in it is at the TOP of my list, is the American Visionary Art Museum. The photo above was taken there. It's complicated to explain, so just go to their most excellent website. It's one of those places that you feel overwhelmed with excitement at all you are going to see, but also exhausted because you know you don't have time to appreciate it all. And I'm a huge folk art fan. To top it all off (literally), the top floor was a modern Mexican restaurant called the Joy America Cafe, where Karin and I had an incredibly good and inventive lunch. (Plantain soup, anyone?) I was so happy. Really. Just the name of the restaurant made me happy.

But the whole town was great. To finish off my exuberant post, let's have a little dessert. I had to include this brilliant idea sold at Vaccaro's, an Italian bakery that specializes in Cannoli.
Anyone who has eaten one of these things knows how good they are but how messy they are to eat. So to turn it into chips and dip is just ... Baltimore brilliant.
So now I have to go back, to see Karin of course, and to cover the rest of the things that I missed.

A Little Organization Will Do You Good

2005-08-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

My friend Elizabeth has recently started exploring the idea of being a Professional Organizer. Friends who explore new career possibilities are often very nice friends to know. I received many a wonderful complimentary massage from my friend Katrina as she was doing her massage therapy homework (now I'm a faithful paying client so I try to be a good friend too).

And Elizabeth jumped at the chance to organize my cupboard. Can you imagine? Jumping at the chance to organize a cupboard. That seems like a good indicator of professional interest. I guess I know the feeling -- I'll jump at the chance to bake a birthday cake, while others think, wow, I'd much rather be organizing a closet. People are funny creatures, aren't we?

Anyhow, here's the before and after photos and I think she did a great job. Gosh, we even have makeovers on this blog. You just never know what you'll find here. We're just a hoot and a half around here.

Don't Miss the Berries

2005-08-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed, it is berry season. And if you haven't noticed, do you live under a rock? They are every where. Even when I go jogging at a local track, there are blueberries just waiting to be plucked after your run, a quirky little New England reward for doing your 8 laps (well, or something like that is close enough). Then there are the gooseberries close by as well. After eating all those berries, you've kinda cancelled out the caloric benefits of the run, but at least you have the exercise endorphisn and the berry endorphins. So it's all good.

And they look so pretty in a bowl, no? I've been eating them on my morning cereal. Gosh, didn't I post about gooseberries just a year ago on this very same blog? How the time does fly. The circle of life and all that. Hope you are enjoying your own local versions of these tiny bits of summeriness.

Big, no HUGE Baking News

2005-07-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

I have had my eye on one of these babies for years now. Many of my friends, lucky ducks that they are, got them as wedding presents, and now they sit on their counters, looking beautiful and pristine. They use it about once a year, if that, to make Christmas cookies. "I don't bake much," my friends say. "I never use it." And inevitably, "Since you bake so much, I'm surprised you don't have one." Uh huh.

I do bake a lot. And cook a lot. I bake and cook more than anyone else in my circle of friends/family/acquaintances (which obviously and sadly includes no professional chefs). But alas, the wedding registry option had not yet arisen for me. And these machines start at about $200. While that isn't going to cause me to take out a loan, it seems extravagant. I have a perfectly good hand mixer, and I can deal with standing over a bowl for a few minutes. I can stop the hand mixer, set it down, and add eggs. Why would I really need one, outside of the convenience and authentic-baker-status factor? I put my mom on alert if she saw one at a garage sale as she is a pro at these, but both of us knew not to hold our breath for one to appear. (Although I got a great ice cream maker for $5 this way).

As I have pondered the machine over the years, I debated for a while about the merits of a standing mixer vs. a food processor. Apparently bread-making is one reason for getting a machine to help out, as the old fashioned kneading thing does not always yield the results that you can from a machine. It turns out you can knead bread in either a standing mixer or a food processor. Plus food processors offer all those wonderful crust making options, not to mention slicing and dicing. So for my 30th birthday, I requested the food processor. And I love it. I use it constantly. And it works pretty well for kneading bread, although it has become obvious that a standing mixer would work better; the processor gets heated up and obviously annoyed with me when I try to do breads in it. Dough gets stuck under the blade, the machine slows down, it rocks and growls at me, etc. Nobody is happy when this happens, so I avoid making bread. The standing mixer itch was not going away.

Finally, things came to a head. I am a big fan of chowhound.com and someone posted that KitchenAid mixers were on sale for $99 at amazon.com. Wow. I'd been eyeballing a few sales that went as low as $120, as well as factory reconditioneds for $150, but I just wasn't ready to take the plunge. But $99, and then $70 when you sign up for their card, well. Wow.

Secondly, as I was pondering this option, last weekend I had a large group of folks over for drinks and dessert. I decided to make 3 desserts in one afternoon. This was one of my most ambitious baking days ever (and did I mention the 90 degree heat?). The goal was to bake as many of them at the same time as possible, in order to use the 350 degree oven as little as possible. And while I pulled it off nicely (blondies, upside down pineapple cake, and Robert Redford -- more on this later), if I'd had the mixer, things would have been much simpler and less stressful.

So I did it. At $70 (free shipping plus a $20 future coupon!), that is the cheapest I'll ever see it new. It is on its way, to arrive the first week of August. Now I'm trying to decide if I should save it for my birthday or something, or if it will be totally irresistible to open and use right away. I know it's silly, but this machine is a real treasure to me -- a sign of taking my cooking interests seriously, physical evidence that my life is not on hold while waiting to get the free shopping spree along with Mr. Someday-My-Prince.

Ok. So it's big news for me. Maybe not a small step forward for peoplekind, but a small step forward for me in letting myself love what I love, to paraphrase Mary Oliver. Just you wait til you see what I cook up!

By the way, this is my first attempt at posting an photo from someone else's website. It may be totally against some copyright dealie, but since I'm pretty much promoting a sale at Amazon, I can't imagine this will make them too upset.

A Post in Which I Sorely Repent My Wayward Blogging

2005-07-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

Oh, woe is me. Is this new job really taking me down so hard that I haven't posted on here in almost two months? I am a bad, bad blogger.

But I resolve to be better! And I have so many fun new things to share!

I was all set to download a million pictures on here for your viewing pleasure, and then I realized I don't have my pictures with me today. Sigh. So close, yet so far.

But seriously, get ready to read. There will be lots of new things to share. Oh the new things about which I obsess. Oh the new recipes (and old ones) I have tried.

So yes, my apologies.

A Late Spring Poem

2005-05-31T06:54:00.000-07:00

It is late springish, although you'd never know it in Boston. And here is a spring poem, although a little late to post it since it is called "Eastering."
thus, a doubly late spring poem. I think this one captures that weird feeling of spring thaw.

From a lovely little book of poems called Morning Watch by Barbara Pescan.

Eastering

Why this sadness toward spring?
Half smiles at the first yellow flowers,
Tears pooling for no reason with each rain and sunset?

Each year this green show
blows wide winter's coverings and lets us see
the swell and push of beginning again.

Am I meant to rise too?
To push away what leans against the door of my
pinched heart?
I cannot.
Compassion for myself
is a slow growing crop,
however carefully tended
it yields an unreliable harvest.

These resurrections
ask more than I can give
every time
this hurts more
than the pains of my body
than the old world of sorrows
this offering of love
this unbearable gift of another chance.

Suspicion: Alfred Hitchcock Raises Some Questions

2005-05-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

I rented this the other night as one of Hitchcock's Masterpieces. I've seen a few other of his films, and I'm always curious to learn what the fuss is about, this genius of film, this mastermind of mystery ... this guy with the profile.

A few quick facts I learned about this particular film:
Joan Fontaine won an Oscar for her performance. She does have a way with wiggling her eyebrows individually that is fun to watch. But the whole fainting thing always seems silly to me. I guess it isn't unusual for a female character to do that in films those days. Women in my generation of films only faint if they are pregnant or if they have to eat a gallon of grasshoppers in two minutes. When she fainted twice, I kept wondering if this meant she was going to say she was pregnant. Nope, just oh-so upset!

The luminescent glass of scary milk actually had a light bulb in it to create that effect. Cool!

The ending was changed by request of the censors and was not Hitchcock's desired ending. But for some mysterious reason, no one is telling me what he would have done otherwise.

Hitchcock shows up 45 minutes into the film, mailing a letter (I missed this moment).

Question for the audience: What is up with the small cubist painting in their front hallway that the police officer keeps looking at? It doesn't seem to play a role in the film and no one mentions it in their discussion of the film. Yet Hitchcock deliberately lingers on this painting at least twice. I have googled this one to no avail. Does anyone know?

It was a fun film, and certainly did leave you guessing until the end. And even after the end, when Johnny's explanation of his intention is accepted but you remember all the previous lies he told .... is this just another one of his stories? Hmmmm....

Foodquests Not Forgotten -- Flour

2005-05-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

I know all of my friends who actually kinda like my food quest posts are wondering about my latest searches, my latest endeavors to find the truly yummy out there in Boston and beyond. Never fear, my friends. My silence is not indicative of the end of the search, but just the same old boring excuse about being too busy to write about them. Oh, they have been happening, believe me. Food quests are an integral part of my week. What meaning would life have without them? It is too grim to even ponder. In addition, I have been lazy with my camera lately, and it isn't nearly as fun to write about food wihtout providing a photo for you to scrutinize. That's something that annoys me about art criticism -- if you can't see the work they are talking about, it drives me nuts. Although I suppose a taste of the food you are critiquing would be more helpful ... hmmm. But I digress!

A few new quests have been attained, even if I cannot prove it outside of maybe a few crumbs.

I've heard for a while about the homemade granola bars at Flour, a highly regarded bakery in the South End. As my new job puts me in this general vicinity, it seemed like a good one to add to the list. And it was definitely worth the not-very-long trek for the variety of interesting treats. I struggled for a moment with the granola bar quest as I spotted "twice baked brioche" and "chocolate banana bread" and "scharfenberger chocolate cookies" and ... and ... whew. I was starting to break into an anxious sweat when I realized I could go back another day. So I calmed down and just got the granola bar. The verdict? It is good. Pretty good. Not weepingly good but good. I'm probably not the best judge as there is no chocolate involved. There's a layer of granola-ish bar, then fruity jammy layer, then another granola layer. Pretty straightforward.

Next time then, the twice baked brioche. Can it compare with the twice baked brioche at the cool bakery in Chevy Chase Maryland next to Politics and Prose, my favorite bookstore/coffeeshop on the planet, the bakery whose name I can never remember? Stay tuned ... an upcoming visit to DC is my opportunity for a brioche smackdown. Hee hee, brioche smackdown. I crack myself up.

Ten Best Boston Sweets Experiences

2005-05-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

This entry was inspired by the great blog, Words to Eat By, where she lists 10 of New York's best. She was inspired by an article in the Observer of Top 50 Food Experiences. Why are these lists so addictive? I don't know, but here I am, adding to the craziness. I'm narrowing in on dessert because the larger food list is too overwhelming. Also, this list seems to be comprised of "easy access desserts" -- perfect for tourists or busy professionals on their dessert break, er, lunch hour. I reckon it would be easy to do a separate "sit down dessert" list which would include things like the Baked Alaska at Oleanna ... don't get me started.

Without further ado, my personal list of ten favorite Boston sweets/dessert!:
1. Chocolate mocha cookie from Rebecca's, preferably still warm.
2. Custard filled pastry from the bakery near the gate in Chinatown (preferably still warm too) and a bargain at all of 75 cents.
3. Hot chocolate from LA Burdick's. Or any chocolate there, really.
4. The wet walnut cookies at Athan's in Brookline. They are soaked in something sticky and yummy. I don't know what they are called, but don't miss em.
5. Brownies from Rosie's Bakery (they don't call 'em Chocolate Orgasms for nothing). And I claim these to be the best in town, only after a careful research study with the arduous task of tasting brownies all over Boston. A big claim but I take this seriously
6. The chocolate bread pudding at the Chocolate Bar at the Langham Hotel. Wow. It's made with chocolate and croissants. That is all you need to know. (Not really a quick access one but definitely a good tourist stop).
7. The Schlesinger Sandwich at the Parish Cafe (Ham and cheese on banana bread). Sounds weird; it IS weird. But scary good. It's in the dessert area because it is like eating lunch and dessert all at once.
8. The filled muffins at Souper Salad always crack me up. Gilding the lily, you know? Their banana chocolate chip muffin is the best in town.
9. The torrone from Modern Pastry. My mom makes me bring this across the country for her.
10. The miniature ice cream sundae at Toscanini's, preferably with burnt caramel ice cream. Just right.

Whew. I'm going to need a glass of milk or something.

Feel free to add your own list in the comments area or to your own blog!

Careful What You Wish For

2005-05-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

My new job has started and then some. This is a good thing. Not good for a blog, but good for my life in general. I wanted a job where I felt needed, where I was challenged, where I was put to good use. I think I got all that. Oh boy did I get it.

It is always interesting to watch one's response to stress. I generally do well at first (who doesn't) and then over time, funny little things start popping up. This morning I thought I was in a pretty good mood until a small thing happened and then WHAM! I realized I'd better go sit outside on my lunch break and stare at some trees for a while. It had been too long since I had really even breathed.

That was a good idea. I took some breaths, wrote in the journal, took a walk, ate a cookie. I came back to my office and cleaned up the piles of papers. I put up some pictures. I wrote a to do list. (You know you're feeling stressed when you feel too busy to write a to do list). And now I am feeling more caught up. Enough to write a quick blog entry!

So there it is -- entry from Amy the Professional rather than Amy the Doula, Amy the Artist, or Amy the Vigilant Food Questor. This blog isn't the most focused one in the world, but neither is my life I guess. Oooh. Does that count as profound insight?

Anyhow, yes, be careful what you wish for. Or at least remember that when you get what you wish for, it might take you a month or so to appreciate it.

Will I have have photos on this blog again? Time will tell.

Dillard-land Silence

2005-04-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

It's going to be a little quiet at dillard57 for the next week or two, my apologies. I just started a new job, plus Somerville Open Studios is (gasp) next week. I'll be back in the swing of things in May, I hope, posting away and pontificating on all kinds of fascinating things, no doubt.

But spring is here and you all are outside enjoying the gorgeous weather and not stuck inside sitting at a computer terminal anyways, right? All except us poor suckers with our 9 to 5 lives. Sigh. Well, the flowers look really pretty on the other side of the glass, far away down the street, in the park where I am not.

Quick update: (sorry, I'm not going to link all the books up to save time, just today)
I finished a mostly silly book: The Reading Group (predictable, fluffy but well intentioned)
An OK book: The Book of Salt (Kinda interesting but a bit hard to follow)
And a perplexingly boring book: Reading Lolita in Tehran (For such an intense topic, the story wasn't terribly compelling)
And I started Herzog by Saul Bellow and couldn't manage to get past chapter three. Not my kinda book I guess.

I had yummy Ethiopian Food at Addis Red Sea with the fabulous Monica. Gosh I love that spongy Ethiopian bread and the whole eating with your hands bit is so much fun. I also highly recommend Zoe's in Somerville on Beacon Street for Szechuan food; I had my first experience with tea smoked duck and I hope it isn't my last as it was fantastic.

I saw a cool movie: Steamboy which is much more accessible and fun than you might think upon first glance (not too many folks I know get really excited about the idea of a Japanese anime film science fiction story set in the 1800s. Unless they dig it and just don't tell me for fear I will laugh. I promise I won't!). It is visually wonderful and the story is cool too.

Of course I've been cooking a lot as always. New recipes including posole, chicken adobo, atole using the blue corn flour I got in NM, and strawberry crepes using egg roll wrappers.

So there, at least a little info. My friends have been so lovely and patient about my crazy life these days, so thanks to all. Things will settle soon. But I hope to see some of you at Open Studios next week!

Show Me Adobe

2005-04-14T12:58:00.001-07:00

Adobe Blue Door

As promised, a little adobe. It is an attractive medium, soft and smooth. Keeps things warm in winter, cool in summer. In need of constant upkeep (it literally melts away over the years), but it can be built with your bare hands. And it really is beautiful.

These photos are from the Taos Pueblo, one of the most famous and oldest in the world. As in 1,000 years old or so, as in a World Heritage Site. (If you're curious about how you get on this list, their criteria are pretty interesting). So this is one serious Pueblo. Native Americans live here as they have for, well, a millenia. That means no electricity or plumbing. Just lots of dust and blue sky and light brown earth walls that are rough but cool to the touch.

The round structure at the left side of the photo is an oven, called a horno. The women use these to bake bread and pies which are sold to the public. Being ... me, I couldn't resist trying out a few. And these pastries were, well, they tasted like something that had been baked in a mud oven. Not terrible, kinda primitive, but also kinda ancient and interesting. I don't think they'll be served at Petsi's Pies (my current standard after my mom's) anytime soon, but, well, if they made pie with apricots 1,000 years ago, I think I can imagine what it tasted like.

The church below was lovely too. The inside had a very colorful, folksy painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe, one of the coolest of the Catholic Marys.

So there you are, a little adobe. Hope you enjoyed my little Santa Fe trip report! I'll likely be selling prints of these and other Santa Fe photos at this year's Somerville Open Studios. I'd love to see you there!

Taos Pueblo Church

Chile Chocolate: A Very Good Idea

2005-04-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

Really good stuff

Anyone who has seen the sweet little movie, Chocolat, knows the secret of combining the heat of a chili with the earthiness of chocolate. The sweetness followed by a fiery flare at the end is a very fun little gustatory trip. And New Mexico, of course, being known for its chile, would have to use it whenever possible. However, a store called Chocolatesmith on 2nd Street in town definitely had it figured out. Their chocolates were so good they deserved a blog entry.

My favorite was the pistachio chile bark (on the right in the photo). Salty nuts, bittersweet chocolate and then that zing. Wow. That's a lot of territory in one mouthful. Second favorite was the pinon caramels. Pine nuts with their odd, piney flavor wouldn't be the first thing you'd think to combine with a salty carmel and chocolate, but it all worked just fine. They also sold these fun chocolate pates, encased in wax. Supposedly you could keep them for months in your car or backpack without their melting. You know, for chocolate emergencies. Well, OK, but who is going to manage to keep it around long enough for an emergency, may I ask?

Truly I do not normally wax so rhapsodic over an everyday chocolate shop. This place was great. So now I just have to figure out how to get some of those chocolates out to New England. I may have to have a little chat with the folks at UPS.

New Mexican Food: The Rant

2005-04-12T08:42:00.001-07:00

Now This is New Mexican

I love Mexican food. I LOVE Mexican food. I'm not referring to Chi-chi's or Taco Bell. Oh no. Pretty much I love Mexican food you can only get in Mexico or US states close to Mexico. Food you can't get in Boston. So most of the time, there is a small hole in my life, a missing piece in my daily food intake that if I lived elsewhere, would be taken up with sopes, sopas, carnitas, tortas and lots of proper salsa. There are a few decent places I can go when desperate (the best, imho, being Tacos Lupita in Porter Square.) But mostly I just suffer quietly, waiting for my next opportunity to find culinary bliss.

So when I make a plan to go to New Mexico, there is definitely a plan for eating this kind of food. And I've heard of this "New Mexican" food concept, extolled by many tour books. Ohhh the red chile or the green chile or the mixed red and green, called Christmas. Oohh, sopapillas. So I was eager to see what this was all about. I went there and ate them. I ate red, I ate green. I ate sopapillas. It was good. Red chile was especially interesting. Kindof bitter and fiery. But you know what, real Mexican is still better.

I'm not sure if I completely determined the difference between NM food and Mexican. New Mexican seems milder than Mexican, more beany and ricey. Although in some ways it is spicier than Mexican. Mexican food is not generally that spicy unless you are eating peppers, whereas this NM chile thing can be pretty hot.

Anyhow, one of my favorite places in town was Pepe's, above. That's my other theory, still upheld. The best Mexican food is the cheapest hole in the wall. Fancy Mexican (or NMexican) is kinda just expensive blandified Mexican. This was true in Mexico as well. Not sure why or maybe I just haven't gone to the right places yet.

Blessed Tamales

These are proper tamales (dulce) from a Mexican place in Santa Fe (not New Mexican). They were fragrant and wonderful and one dollar a piece. Perfect in every way. Alicia's Tortilleria off Cerillos. It helps to speak Spanish to go there. Thanks, Chowhound for the tip! I also bought a dozen tortillas there (also one dollar), still so warm and fragrant it was all you could do not to just wrap your face in them and go to sleep.

Every proper New Mexican meal supposedly includes sopapillas. I think this is a very good idea. They end up being dessert, because you spread honey on them and they are very good and fattening and fragrant and like a big donut of love. Thus ends my New Mexican culinary sojourn. For now. I still have to tell you about Chocolatesmith.

Sopapillas